Velmeria soon got bored of watching scene after scene go by, and tried a new motion.
She tried swiping the image from left-to-right, and the scenic lake slid out of frame, showing what looked like a menu.
At the bottom, an option that said [Speak to the System to Ask for Assistance] glowed blue on the grey back-round.
Curiosity getting the better of her, Velmeria tapped the option.
The View Screen suddenly went dark, and right when she thought she'd broken something, an orb showed up in the center of the screen.
It was blue, white, grey, and black, each color moving and sliding across the orb.
All of a sudden, a voice spoke from the console, pitched low, and the orb expanded and contracted along with the voice.
[Hello, Velmeria Brosoth, I am SAI, the System Assistant Interface. How can I help you.]
For some reason, the voice sounded like a mother, speaking in a low, calming voice.
"Um..."
Velmeria was scared.
She'd heard the stories about AI, and was terrified the orb was going to jump out and eat her.
"Where are you taking us?"
Her voice was timid and soft.
[You and the other passengers are being transported the Jal System.]
"How did you find us?"
[Commander Venata accepted a bounty that took him to the Gatra System. He proceeded to destroy the pirate base you were being held at. Commander Venata was unaware of your presence as hostages, since the Sensor was unable to differentiate between heat signatures.]
"Do you mean you found us by accident?"
[Yes.]
Velmeria was a bit sad that they'd been only an opportunity for this Commander Venata.
"How will we get home?"
[Once the Venator reaches the System Station, Commander Venata will notify the authorities of your presence. It is then up to you how you will get home.]
"Would you take us home?"
[That is up to the Commander.]
"Can I talk to him?"
[I will inquire.]
[The Commander is busy. He suggests you get some sleep, and will speak to you tomorrow morning.]
Velmeria was confused, since space had a mysterious lack of sunrises, so she was unaware of what time it was.
The Human part of space still operated on the 23 hours of their home world when flying through space.
"What time is it?"
[It is 2100.]
Velmeria's eyes widened.
It was way past her bed time.
She quickly said goodnight to SAI, hurried into the other bedroom and closed the door.
8 hours later
Velmeria trudged out of her room, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
She heard the shower running, and assumed that Dylan was in there, so she walked into the kitchen that was attached to the living room.
There was another screen there, attached to what looked like a cabinet door.
She tried opening the door, but it wouldn't budge.
A moment later, SAI in it's orb form appeared on the living room view screen.
[You have to input a meal option if you want something to eat.]
Velmeria spun around, surprised the orb had appeared without her asking for it.
"How are you here?"
[I am responsible for most functions on the ship. Only the Commander may override my access. It is my responsibility to provide assistance to any passenger aboard the Venator.]
"...Ok, how do I select a meal option?"
[Please tap the screen.]
Velmeria complied, and a menu appeared.
**
[Meal Options]
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
**
[Select one. May I suggest the Breakfast Menu. It will provide all the required nutrients you need to stay active during the day.]
Velmeria clicked the suggested option.
**
[Breakfast]
- Eggs, Toast
- Bagel with Cream Cheese
- Breakfast Wrap
- Omelette
**
[Select an option that interests you.]
While Velmeria was standing in the Kitchen, Dylan had finished with his shower.
He was surprised that when he entered his room, his clothes were washed, pressed, and folded on his bed.
"What the hell?"
[The utility drones did your laundry while you were showering.]
Dylan jumped, spinning around searching for the source of the voice.
"Who was that?"
A blue, grey, and white orb materialized on the view screen in his room.
[I am SAI, the System Assistant Interface.]
Dylan stared at the orb, the same fears his sister had experienced running through his mind.
"What are you?"
[I am SAI, the System Assistant Interface.]
Dylan snorted.
"I mean why are you here?"
[You inquired about your laundry, so I answered.]
"I didn't even mention my laundry!"
[According to the data, you exclaimed when you saw your laundry folded on your bed, so the logical conclusion was you were inquiring about how it got there.]
Dylan opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Then he spun on his heals, walking quickly out of the room, only to find the same orb on the living room view screen.
"Are you following me!?"
"What the hell Dylan, you interrupted Gilmore Girls!!"
Dylan turned to find Velmeria on the L-shaped couch, sitting cross-legged with a plate of... he didn't even know what it was..., glaring at him.
"What?"
"Go get some food, and stop blocking the view screen!"
She was obviously upset about him interrupting something, and he quickly got out of the way, turning to see what she was talking about.
When he moved, the orb disappeared, replaced by what looked like a 2D holo-film, showing a young woman yelling at an older woman.
They were speaking Galactic Standard, but it was obviously dubbed over the original audio.
He looked back at Velmeria, opening his mouth, only to be stalled by a raised hand, then directed by a pointed finger to a kitchen attached to the living room.
He looked back at his sister, who resolutely ignored him in favor of the holo-film, before he trudged over to the kitchen.
On the counter was a plate of the same thing Velmeria was eating.
It was yellow, shaped like a half circle, and had melted cheese and meat and greens falling out of where Velmeria had obviously cut to get her own piece.
He grabbed a fork, separated a bite-sized portion, and raised it to his eye-level.
He looked back at his sister, who'd obviously consumed a generous portion of her own part of...it.
He steeled himself, closed his eyes, and put it in his mouth.
An explosion of flavor erupted into his mouth, causing him to moan in pleasure.
The combination of cheese and ham melting in his mouth almost made him sorry to swallow it.
"Where did this come from?"
Velmeria didn't even look at him.
"The door in the wall made it."
Dylan looked around to find a view screen with a handle on it.
When he tapped it, an image of the...omelette... appeared, and text reading [Done!] was written underneath the picture.
What kind of ship is this?