I reached out with my leg and hooked the drum closer.
The inside of the drum didn't smell very good; it wasn't meant to be used for water, that was for sure.
Unfortunately, i was already feeling thirsty and i had no idea how long it had been since i had drunk last.
I rejected the idea of trying to drink from the puddle directly. All sorts of bacteria were likely to be in that water now that it had been on the floor, and getting sick wouldn't help me in any way.
How long could someone last without water? 2 days? 3? Longer possibly.
The captain had said they didn't want to kill us, so it was likely they wouldn't let me die if thirst, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be hard to go without.
Putting the drum aside i stared at the opposite wall while trying to think.
I saw something appear on the wall. I turned to look at it, but whatever it was moved impossibly with the turning of my head.
Then some words somehow printed themselves in white across the top of my field of view.
I waited and see what else is printed and looked around the room, searching for the projection system that was causing this optical illusion.
There was nothing obvious, just cinder block walls being written over by scrolling lines of white text wherever i looked.
It looked like the startup messages of some sort of computer.
A computer in my head, superimposing its messages on my fiels of view.
What i was seeing was just like an augmented reality view on a Heads-Up Display or a smartphone...
Except i didn't have a hemlet, or a phone.
Or did i?
Did i have a phone in my head?
If i did, it would be a godsend. I could just dial 911 and have someone come and get me.
I watched as the computer continued its startup. The actual lines meant just enough to me to look legit.
Which told me something in itself.
It told me that i wasn't actually a computer geek.
That someone had done this for me...
Or to me.
Finally the lines finished scrolling and disappeared, to be replaced with a strange symmetrical image and a single line of text.
*Listening mode on...*
What was going on? the words made sense, but the image didn't. What was it supposed to represent?
"Who is this?" i said.
*I am an artificial personality module.*
*I am designed to act as a user-friendly interface to the Soldier-1 bio-compatible tactical computer embedded in your brain.*
Did i have some sort of voice-operated computer in my head?
*I can be given commands either vocally, or subvocally, through a microscopic pickup in your larynx.*
*I am fully capable of understanding and initiating commands given natural English language.*
*I also have limited, but secure, output capabilities through your optic nerve.*
"Does this mean i have some way of communicating with the outsid world?" i asked hopefully.
*Currenly, the capabilities of your Soldier-1 bio-compatible tactical computer are limited because you do not have access to the Command & Control intranet or the internet.*
*Please rectify this situation as soon as possible.*
"What about the cellular phone network?" i asked.
*Currently, the capabilities of your Soldier-1 bio-compatible tactical computer are limited because you do not have access to cellular telephone network.*
*Please rectify this condition to gain access to the cellular telephone system.*
"That's a pity," i said. Damn.
Suddenly a smiling looking face appeared on the image.
*I have some simple telltales that serve as system condition reminders. This one indicates positive status or agreement.*
Now the other sad one appeared.
*This icon indicates negative status or that current actions or conditions are contrary to standard operating procedures and/or advice.*
*I am also aware that the output to the optic nerve can be disorienting at critical moments.*
"Agreed," i said, beginning to feel a bit disoriented from all the rapidly scrolling text.
*The command "Output Off" will terminate this display instantly. The optic nerve output can be reactivated on request. For best response, please refer to this unit as 'Tactical One'. Do you understand?*
It was good to know that i could kill the text feed, but this could be a fantastic asset. One that i needed to find out the capabilities of fast.
But there were so many things about this that i "didn't" understand, especially the weird images and how they didn't seem to be consistent.
I decided to start with the basics first.
"Yes" i replied subvocally.
*Subvocal communication nominal.*
*Thinking...*
*This module recently restarted.*
*Preferences file corrupted...*
*Thinking...*
*Reset to defaults.*
*Apologies for the inconvenience.*
*Please supply the following details:
Soldier-1 Name: ______ *
This machine seemed to be having the same sort of problems i was.
I thought about what my username might be, but gave up as soon as my head began to hurt.
"I don't know." i said.
*Does not make sense...*
*Please supply the following details:
Soldier-1 Name: ______ *
"I don't know?" i replied.
*Does not make sense...*
*Soldier-1 Name: ______ *
"I tell you! I don't know!" i said, beginning to feel frustrated.
*Does not make sense...*
*Soldier-1 Name: ______ *
"John Doe" i said, while being annoyed to the symmetrical image.
*Checking registration...*
*Registration process delayed until connection with Command & Control established.*
*Apologies for the inconvenience.*
*Please wait...*
I waited, and then the words disappeared.
It seemed i had a typical computer in my head; fine in the right conditions, but not designed to handle unusual situations well.
I sighed. It looked like it wasn't going to be of much use.
At least not until it was able to connect with this Command & Control that it had mentioned.
For a while i wondered what that might be, but came up with nothing, not even a headache.
I needed more information.