The Miner

No. Nonono. Not funny.

I jumped back from my chair before reaching out a hand and slamming the large screen down onto the computer desk. That was going to be a hard no. Not interested you freak.

‘System, did you do that for fun?’

I received no response in the form of a small electronic ringing sound from the screen. Given that I knew that my actions in this room were being monitored in the form of hidden cameras and microphones it was more likely that it was aware of my actions right now.

I wasn’t quite sure if physical damage here would relate to data damage or faster draining battery power. Not that it mattered to me, current circumstances, and all, I was alive here not a machine.

I raised my voice while putting my hands on my hips, my hands felt colder than normal. Guessing that I’d just experienced an adrenalin rush and was now just letting it loosen a biochemical grip on my body. A sudden imaginary weight dropped on my shoulders and my breathin

g was harder than expected.

Physical sensations or at least the digital equivalent of them in this place, this reality. I felt a cold sweat appear on my back, if the proto-astronaut could appear both in my deep unconsciousness where the system held little sway and then in this Mind Palace what would happen next if it manifested a physical presence here? Worries for another time, I needed to leave and become a slave once more.

‘System, I’m finished in this Mind Palace. The break was much appreciated but I’d like to leave now. Let me out of this place. Please.’

Hesitating for a moment I felt it would be better to be polite given my entire tirade about leaving me alone earlier had been pretty petty. Not to mention immature. I put the whole experience down to a rapidly changing situation that was mostly out of my control.

‘Please let me out of here.’

I fell to the floor before shortly losing consciousness again. I sincerely hoped that this wasn’t going to be a repeat of the proto-astronaut freak with the fuzzy screen face. The last words before everything turned into pure darkness reminded me of a video game advert.

…………………Error Corrected…………………………….

…Removing full level of consciousness control…

….Checking Cotard Delusion protocols…

…Correlating Dysmorphic parameters…

….Creating behaviour support imitation program…

…Initiating Campos Protocol…

…AMT Test Initiated…

…Mining Drone Start-Up Initiated…

…Powering up…

…Overmind Conditional Directives in Place….

I was awake again. Not powered up, so I was unable to move but certainly awake. A massive difference from my human body given that I was able directly recognise energy surging inside. I’d say the main thing that gave it away was the lack of breathing and the complete absence of minor aches and pains.

Not a bad thing. Odd and slightly disconcerting but acceptable for now. I needed to work.

[I had an…experience and I get that I was in need of some correction. Trying to apologise is hard for me. I’m not a people person.]

I tried my best to give a decent impression this time. The system had saved what was left of my life, after all, at least I could give its avatar a reasonable response. Even if it was simulating human emotions and brain patterns. I tried my best to make my electronic voice sound apologetic and understanding.

[I’m sorry. You’ve been a big help and I’m sorry.]

<….don-don-don’t worry about it. Are y-you ok now? Sorry, it was for a short period, but we’ve got a lot of work to do before you’ll be safe. In reality, I mean. Or at least this version of it. I left you alone as you requested.>

[Yeah, the Mind Palace was great. I wasn’t a big fan of the jump scare tactic though. You kept beeping so many times through that computer screen trying to get my attention. Annoying right?]

The system named Vincent paused for a moment. I thought that it was more in consideration of my emotions rather than any technical error. Unless it was also a transmigrated bodiless embodiment of will like myself. Nah. Artificial intelligence.

<….I’m glad that you enjoyed the Mind Palace. Just a quick reminder of your next mission quests.

Current Objectives: Repair/Locate Additional Mining Drone.

-Reward: 2 Hours in Mind Palace, 50 XP

Failure of Objectives: N/A>

[Got it. Thanks. I’ll prioritise fixing my legs in the meantime]

[Just stick with the name Buddy for now. It’ll do. You kept beeping at me through that computer screen and then I got a nice surprise from that freak image of the proto-astronaut in the suit with the fuzzy vision. I’m telling you that I didn’t enjoy that experience much.]

<….I have no idea what you’re talking about. You asked to be left alone and you were. I’m going to upload your current status now.>

It dawned on me that I might have a slight problem going on. Having a near-constant stream of communication and not being left on my own might be a good idea after all. My current status window was raised in my mind’s eye as a list.

-Power Supply (Battery Pack 98% Charged - Fully Functioning)

-Drill Unit (7% Damage -Temporarily offline)

-3D Scanner/Detector Lenses (Screen - 8% Damage)

-Mechanised Shovel (7% Damage -Temporarily offline)

-Drone Arms/Legs (0% Damage, Fully Functional)

-Internal Ore Processing Unit (4% Damage -Temporarily offline)

-External Mechanical Tool Set (10% Damage -Temporarily offline)

I took a quick gander through the list; my legs were fully repaired and functional. Interesting how the percentage change reflected the amount of damage. Once I was in the robot body it was more of a being aware of what was working and what wasn’t. I couldn’t say that I knew much when they were deactivated.

[Thanks for fixing my legs up. Did you run a repair sub-routine or are there tiny robots that perform repairs as needed?]

Opening my eyes, sorry detector lenses, I found that my field of vision had been much improved compared to before. The scratches that had covered my lenses had been wiped off and everything appeared much cleaner. I was standing outside of the medium-sized structure in which the battery units were stored. The badly damaged door had been repaired in a roughish manner, at least by placing and fixing several large sheets of metallic material in place that made it harder to enter. It ought to make it harder to break in for any scavengers, at the least, it was a temporary fix.

Any form of security system beyond a video camera and locked door was beyond me at this point. Unless there were further textbooks on the subject in the Mind Palace which would give me the necessary knowledge this hodgepodge job would have to do. The artificial intelligence system was a support mechanism and not my assistant. My thoughts were either concrete and solid or just pure haze.

I reached around my back and felt a power unit had been installed. Raising my legs one at a time they were in reasonable working order aside from a few metal scores on them. Yeah. I had tried to damage them somewhat. Fine. That was a thing that I had imagined and didn’t happen. My memory was a little fuzzy.

The building would do for my initial base of operations, the front door had a minimum of security, and I could always work out how to build on and expand with the help of the system. Recalling my 3D scanner function which had been repaired and the minimap capability I had previously come across a badly damaged version of the current body that I was inhabiting.

Ah, useful. A fixer upper. Time to plan for my next series of tasks.

[System, would you kindly bring up the 3D scanner and minimap function? I want to record this place as the main site of operations for now. If you want me to operate a mining facility then we’ll need organisation, staff, and equipment to be fully organised. Resources and inventory too. I’m going to be needing upgrades.]

[You should consider it part of your essential directives. Check it out. You’re not exactly a legend-tier mining-stroke war machine right now. 3D Scanner and Minimap are now active. Activate them yourself.]

-Starter Mining Drone (Level 0 – Upgrades available)

-Overmind Priority Directives in Place

[System, I’ve been hearing about this over…mind? You mentioned it several times, is that your boss? The creator of the universe? A kind of impartial god that governs the new rules of this reality?]

<….You’ve read way too many stories. Every company has a boss who gives orders. Consider it my direct boss and yours. We need to follow corporate structures, rules, and regulations. A Mining Company. Profits and all that. Just on a far grander scale. We obey and now so do you. Work is all. Then you can rest, I promise.>

[So with a badass name like Overmind, it’s a person in a business suit in charge. Not really what I was expecting. Any more details?]

[Sure. Do you have a fix on anything else that’s useful around here? Any answers to why everything is in such a rough condition around here? The other robot that I saw earlier, was the one with severe damage. I mean the other Starter Mining Zone body I’m in.]

I couldn’t say that I liked the idea of a complete lack of information. The system could be lying to me, but I did consider that it was doubtful. One of my current objectives was to locate and repair an additional mining drone. The broken-apart version of me could always be either fixed or cannibalised for spare parts and a new one formed out of other pieces.

Not that I had an actual clue on how to rebuild a futuristic mining drone with the level of technology I was used to working with. Everything so far was beyond me. I was getting a little tired with the lack of information. Time to ask the source as it was.

[Vincent. It’d be nice to have a straight answer for once. Are you keeping me in the dark on purpose? Heh.]

In the same way that I could manage mining drones and repair them, asking me to build an entire autonomous network which built the things was far out of my capabilities. I needed data, information in order to do my job properly.

Back when I had been working on a mining site with the robotic drones that we used, I did the usual maintenance on them but if it was a total breakdown, we dropped them off at the repair bay during a job while we did the best that we could. It was the site mechanics that got paid to make essential repairs and the software engineers to run through any systems that held errors.

I recalled an ancient story about a wizard’s apprentice who cast a badly wrought spell on a broom that kept sweeping until it ground a castle into dust and brushed it away. In-built fail-safes were an essential part of any machine, especially when it ran out of control. I’d need to be equipped to deal with a situation like that given that I was planning on creating a Dr Frankenstein version of myself. A kind of control lockdown would be a useful feature just in case it ran out of control.

[Hmm. Don’t interrupt me right now. Vincent. Do not talk. I need a minute here. Good work takes essential planning.]

Having a small army of autonomous vehicles at my disposal would be useful, for site clearance at first anyway. No forms of vegetation or other fauna here, but I hadn’t thoroughly explored the area beyond a few hundred metres in a single direction.

I now needed to check exactly the capabilities of my body and get digging through the rubble and surroundings to find the necessary parts to build or locate an additional mining drone. Orders were orders after all.

Leaving behind my now fixed base of operations I began stomping back towards the last location that my minimap showed as the location of the other Starter Mining droid.

I recalled that it had been heavily damaged physically but oddly I never checked it for a power source. Huh. The things that slip your mind when you reincarnate into a robot body and get bossed around by a fairly helpful artificial intelligence.

Happily ignoring the voice in my head I tried to get a better sense of my new body. swung my arms enjoying the whirring noise and felt mechanical legs crunching rocks into dust and taking my time to enjoy the view around me. I was able to make out through my now less-scratched eyes that there were a large number of craters surrounding the building which was now a few metres behind me.

Using my 3D scanner and minimap I was able to work out that it was the only standing structure that I was able to detect within three hundred metres. A square block, taller than me but solid, the details weren't there yet. I imagined that with more data a clearer picture would emerge.

Everywhere else was covered in small to medium grouped piles of rocks. Right on the edge of my map, I found a large vehicle or at least part of one. Given that it was rectangular it was likely to be an earth mover for this site. Too far for me to travel to right now but another working goal to be added to the list. I hadn't been told to go and find it by the system so it was likely that it was low priority after all.

A means of transport would also be a means of leaving this immediate area. I considered that it might not be frowned on kindly for me to leave before the work was done. Still, the vehicle held my attention, it wasn't moving but I'd need to ask the Campos system for further details.

Having a 3D scanner and minimap was useful but relying on someone else meant that my options could have been artificially limited.

Drones were capable of so much more. I needed to find out how much more.