Deck studied the map overlay, it was slightly odd having it projected directly into his mind instead of his helmet's display, but not unmanageable. He examined the route he was supposed to take making sure it was clear then resumed walking calmly as if he belonged. "I can't believe I agreed to this plan."
"Hey, I said we could go find another sucker and dump this pile of junk on him." Nai's voice projected directly into his mind through his implants.
"That plan is ill advised, captain. Turning ownership of me over to any unauthorized individual would go against my core objective." The ship's AI's voice replaced Nai's. Deck thought it sounded a bit terse but an AI really shouldn't be capable of such... emotions.
"I told you. I'm not scamming some uninvolved person. I'm not a criminal." Deck growled back softly just in case his voice carried.
"Yeah, says the Red Star off to steal nanites." Nai's tone was blatantly mocking and condescending.
"Captain, again I assure you this will be perfectly legal. The nanites I have located are being smuggled and appear to have been stolen from a military source. This can be considered a recovery sortie if you like." The AI's tone seemed consoling and comforting.
'Damn good AI personality programming.' Deck couldn't help but think to himself.
"Thank you, Captain. For the compliment." Deck actually jumped as the AI's voice responded in his head.
"You can read my mind?" He blurted out. 'Damn how deep did she integrate into my head.' He could feel sweat starting to bead on his forehead.
"There is no need to stress. This level of integration is only during sorties. You will still retain your privacy and personal space." Had he been listening to a person her tone would have made him picture a reassuring smile. Instead, that level of human imitation was more terrifying than reassuring. Still, he couldn't do anything now. And it was definitely better to not think about it while on a sortie. Assuming she was telling the truth.
"I always provide one hundred percent accurate information to my Captain. It is one of the core components of my programming." Her reassurance didn't actually help much. Deck licked his lips and resumed his stroll.
"Take a left up ahead then you will come to an entrance. This entrance's electronic lock appears to have been disabled. Considering none of this storage room's locks are wired into the main network it must have been done manually. All maintenance requests have been canceled by a senior member of the station's dock staff. Most likely this is utilized by smugglers." He just nodded as the AI fed him the information he had already been briefed on. 'Probably trying to distract me from earlier.' He half expected a response from his thoughts but the lack of one was almost as telling.
He ran into no one else just as his overlay showed and soon found himself at the door. The electronic lock was actually powered down just like he had been told they would. A physical bracket had been welded to the door with a primitive padlock attached. "Great. I'd have had a better chance of getting in with an electronic lock." Deck glared at the lock as if he was trying to melt it.
"No worries captain, the tensile strength of the lock exceeds what we can handle. But the bracket itself is poorly welded. You should be able to brute force it open." The serene voice sounded confident.
"Uh, with what? My bare hands?" Deck held up his hands as if showing someone before remembering he was technically alone.
"Yes. Shall I activate your implants for physical strength enhancement?" Deck licked his lips at that tidbit.
"I didn't know you could access them." He spoke as calmly as possible, beyond having his mind read that meant she had ways of directly interacting with his body on a very intimate level.
A strange sensation filled his mind, making him picture a reassuring smile. "Shall I activate them now, Captain?"
"Fuck it. Do it." That was a concern for the future Deck.
Deck felt as if liquid fire filled his head then flowed down into his body. His muscles bulged and veins popped. His flesh flushed a bright crimson with the surge of blood and he shook the shiver out of his body as the familiar sensation filled him. He'd never experienced the implant in his brain triggering his enhanced strength without a suit to hide the effects. He couldn't help but look down in almost awe at his own arm straining the fabric of his short sleeved shirt.
"Please hurry Captain. I am detecting others heading in your direction." Deck shook himself out of his daze and grabbed the handle of the door. Bracing his foot against the wall he strained. His already bulging muscles seemed to swell more before just as the AI had predicted the shoddy spot welding gave way. The door slid open with a high metallic twang to slide back into the wall.
"Excellent job Captain!" For a brief moment, he thought he heard cheering behind that statement as if a huge stadium was going wild.
"Uh, thanks." He stepped in then slid the door back closed. The bracket was hanging down still attached by the padlock. If anyone looked even remotely close at it they would spot the broken lock. But for now, he had work to do.
His AI guide was already repeating the instructions that would lead him to his goal. He came to a huge cylinder labeled PROTEIN BASE. "This is for a food processor isn't it?" He tilted left then right looking around the cylinder. It was ten feet tall with an equal diameter. "Even juiced up, I can't carry this."
"Please place your hand there just below the O in the label." Deck complied, putting his hand palm flat against the cylinder. For a moment he thought he saw random sparks of light flowing through his vision. He blinked a few times and they were gone. Beneath his palm, a previously undetectable seam split and the container opened. Inside was a smaller plain metallic cylinder. Two feet tall and a mere eight inches in diameter.
"That doesn't look like a lot of nanites?" He reached in to grab the container with a single hand and grunted as it barely budged. It took both hands even with his muscles still augmented to pull it out.
"Why is this so heavy? Fuck. How much does this weigh?" He was already shuffling towards a lift dolly hovering nearby. Placing the container down the dolly made straining noises as it sank down to touch the floor before rising back up slowly.
He started to turn the dolly back towards the entrance he had come from. "Please take the exit behind you. I can open the door as long as you make physical contact with the electronic lock." He started to ask why not take the original path then shrugged. Did it matter?
True to her… its word placing his hand on the lock allowed the electronic lock to open. The door slid open showing him a loading platform for the station's Mag Rail system. "You can take this directly back to the dock Captain."
"Well, good because carrying this thing would be a pain. Not sure the dolly would make it either." He stepped onto an empty flatbed cart and was only mildly surprised when it took off on its own. He was just glad the inertia dampener engaged before it shot off like a rocket. "Seriously, why is this thing so heavy?"
There was a long pause and he frowned. He was just about to demand an answer not liking the previously talkative AI's sudden tight lippedness when it spoke up. "The nanites contained within are made of Zenderite."
"They're made of black holes? WHAT? Is that even possible?" Deck practically choked on his own spit.
"That is a common misconception, Captain. Zenderite is matter pulled from a black hole. While they do produce unusual gravity waves, were they truly black holes they would have already compressed you into a singularity. That said they are one of the most use…" Deck cut her off.
"Most expensive and rare material in the universe. Hell, most people don't actually believe it is real. How do you even harvest matter from a black hole? No wait, ignore that. None of that matters. Are you saying I just stole a mass of nanite made out of Zenderite?" Deck felt that cold sweat returning.
"Captain, again you can consider this recovering stolen military property. You are not stealing. Recovering." The AI's tone sounded slightly exasperated as if annoyed at having to repeat itself. The high level of emotional reproduction just made him more nervous. As did an AI that was able to make a logical case of bending the rules. Normally AI were heavily restricted within the limits of their programming. He'd never even heard of an AI anywhere close to being capable of doing what he was witnessing.
Deck didn't bother responding. After all, he was sure they already knew what he was thinking. Instead, he rode the Mag Rail as the station went by in a blur. In just a few minutes the cart came to a sudden stop that would have sent him flying free had it not been for the inertia dampeners. He was just pushing his straining dolly off the cart as it bobbed under the weight of its load when the station's alert system went off. He could hear the sound of locking arms latching onto ships docked nearby.
"The station has been placed under lockdown. Please remain calm. Security will now conduct a sweep of the station. Please remain calm. Comply with all orders given by station security. We apologize for any inconvenience." Overhead a synthetic voice blared out then repeated its message endlessly.
"Uh, what did you do?" Nai's voice came over his comms.
Deck's only response was to swear and push the little dolly along as it strained to stay hovering.