Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 97 - Dreams and Nightmares (Patreon)

Talia’s eyes fluttered open, greeted by the sight of a machine hanging ominously above her. Panic surged, and she bolted upright, her head colliding with the contraption. Pain shot through her skull as the device fell with a thump.

“Neo!” she screamed, rolling out of bed, her heart pounding in her chest.

[Notice: User’s nutritional deficiency solution is ready to be implemented.]

“What the hell is this?” Her voice trembled as she stared at the machine, a tangle of tubes and wires. “Neo, what did you do?”

[Explanation: A feeding tube system has been prepared to administer Nutri-paste directly to User’s stomach. This will ensure adequate nutritional intake without the need for consumption.]

Talia’s mind raced. A feeding tube? Was Neo out of his circuits? Her hands shook as she backed away from the bed.

“You can’t be serious! A feeding tube? That’s your solution?” Her voice rose, echoing off the walls of her quarters. “I don’t need a damn feeding tube!”

[Clarification: User’s caloric intake has been critically low. This unit determined an alternative method to ensure survival.]

“Survival?” She laughed, a bitter sound. “I just wanted something that didn’t taste like dirt, not this!” She gestured wildly at Neo’s device, her anger boiling over. “You can’t just decide to hook me up to a machine without my consent!”

Her thoughts spiraled. How had it come to this? She was supposed to be in control, not at the mercy of an AI’s misguided attempts at care.

“Neo, do you even understand what you’ve done? This isn’t just about calories!” Her voice cracked, the weight of exhaustion and frustration bearing down on her.

[Acknowledgment: User’s refusal noted. Alternative nutritional intake methods recommended.]

Talia’s breathing slowed, the initial shock wearing off. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to steady herself. “I can’t believe this,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Neo, I don’t want a feeding tube.”

[Recommendation: Adequate nutritional intake remains critical for User’s and this Unit’s health.]

She took a deep breath. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll eat some damn Nutri-paste.”

The room fell silent, the machine looming in the background like a specter. Talia sank back onto the bed, the adrenaline ebbing away. She needed rest, real rest, not just stolen moments between crises.

“After I wake up, that is,” she said softly, “just... let me sleep.”

[Acknowledgment: Nutrition intake reminder scheduled after rest period.]

As she lay back down, Talia closed her eyes, willing herself to find some semblance of peace in the chaos that had become her life.

She drifted into an uneasy sleep, her mind tangled in the web of exhaustion and stress. Machines loomed in her dreams, cold and relentless, chasing her through endless corridors.

No matter how fast she ran, they always gained ground, their mechanical limbs clanking with every step. The nightmare tightened around her like a vise, squeezing the breath from her lungs.

She jolted awake, gasping for air. Her heart hammered in her chest as she scanned the room, half-expecting to see the machines from her dream. Instead, a tray sat beside her bed, laden with neatly arranged containers and a pitcher of water.

[Notice: User’s exo-suit produced Nutri-paste has been extracted and placed in safe containers. Presentation is expected to increase desirability by at least 50%.]

Talia stared at the tray, skepticism etched on her face. “This isn’t fine dining, Neo,” she muttered. “And Nutri-paste is the exact opposite of appetizing.”

Her stomach growled, a reminder of her body’s needs. She grabbed a tube from the tray and squeezed it into her mouth, swallowing as fast as she could. The paste’s dry, pasty texture clung to her tongue, tasting like dirt. She gagged, reaching for the pitcher and gulping it down to wash away the lingering taste.

“How long until we have vegetables or something?” she asked, her voice tinged with desperation.

[Report: An express water input has been added. Initial growing period is underway but will take at least seven to fourteen days for accelerated growth to bear fruit.]

Talia groaned, the prospect of two more weeks of Nutri-paste weighing heavily. Maybe she was making too big a deal of eating the stuff; it only took a minute. The appetite suppressant standard in all government-issued implants kept her from feeling like she was starving, so it was easier to ignore going on an empty stomach than deal with the paste.

She sighed. “Neo, show me my bio-readout, please. Focus on nutrition for the last thirty days.” A chart appeared on the wall, showing estimated calorie burn and the spikes that had been the survival ration bars. When they had run out, there was a notable absence of incoming calories while the burn had continued.

Nothing unexpected. She had just started to drip into the ‘yellow’ zone on her weight, and her stomach function had begun to degrade. Nutri-paste was easy to digest, but not eating for too long would cause her body to adapt to starvation.

Getting sick from starting eating again was something she didn’t want to deal with either. Everything would be solved if she actually had some food to eat.

Talia’s eyes narrowed at the machine still lying on the floor. “Neo, how did you even get that thing in here?”

[Explanation: Dedicated mini-fabricators inside the crew compartment were utilized. Similar to User’s habitat in the bootstrap module.]

She shook her head. “That’s nice, but from now on, ask me before using them for… well, anything. I don’t like things appearing beside my bed suddenly. It’s too much like a horror movie for my liking.”

[Apology: This unit acknowledges User’s discomfort. Future actions will require User’s approval.]

Talia sighed, rubbing her temples. “Just don’t do that again.” She shifted her focus. “Go over ongoing operations with me.”

[Query: Which operation would User like to cover first?]

She thought for a moment. “How are our passengers?”

A video feed flickered to life on her display, showing two spiders curled up and sleeping soundly. Talia couldn’t help but smile. “At least someone is getting a good nap,” she mumbled.

Her thoughts drifted to the spiders’ loyalty and how they had become an integral part of her life on Sigma 16. Their presence had become a strange comfort on the alien world. Their antics certainly made things a lot less lonely.

“What about the tunneling spiders?” she asked, shifting her focus back to the task at hand.

[Report: No sign of nest spiders detected. However, HEM mining operations in the desert have increased. Production of spider-sized packs of HEM for transport has begun.]

Talia nodded, her mind racing through the logistics. She just hoped that they would be able to carry enough to power Big Red’s special nest device.

Talia’s eyes flicked to the monitor on the wall. “Neo, has the first update on enemy positions come through?”

[Affirmation: Transmission successfully received from Dusky.]

The monitor flickered off her bio-readout to display a recording. Talia almost jumped, her breath catching as a much too close-up view of Dusky’s face filled the screen. The spider tilted the camera awkwardly, chirping a noise before pointing it at the nest’s control console. The map flickered into view, albeit shakily.

Dusky’s camera work needed improvement. Still, it was impressive that the spider managed to operate it at all. The recording shifted as Dusky rushed back to the surface, the camera bouncing with each leg movement.

[Notice: It took Dusky approximately 22 minutes to reach the surface.]

“Good job, Dusky,” Talia murmured, her gaze fixed on the map. The Blue positions had shifted slightly but remained mostly constrained to the same areas.

As she studied their positions, an idea sparked. “Neo, can we send units around on a wide path to the northwest? Then come around the mountain ranges and reach the ship from a different direction?”

[Analysis: A detached force could be produced and sent on such a mission. However, it would reduce forces available for direct engagement.]

Talia chewed her lip, weighing the risks. A flanking maneuver could catch the Blues off guard, but it would thin their defenses. She sighed, frustration bubbling up. “I wish we could tell what each one of those dots was instead of just knowing they’re there.”

Talia began to pace the room. “Any luck with the Raptor drone strike missions taking out the enemy scouts?”

[Notice: First units will be striking in several hours. Operation is still underway.]

Her shoulders tensed. Time felt like an enemy, ticking away as the Blues fortified their positions. She needed a breakthrough, something to tip the scales in their favor.

“Neo,” she said, pausing mid-step, “do you think a ballistic missile could deliver a fusion payload? Maybe their anti-munition defenses can’t handle that.”

[Warning: The same defensive element that damaged User’s ship and prevents orbital operations will likely interfere or destroy any ballistic missiles mid-trajectory.]

A sigh escaped her lips. Of course, it couldn’t be that simple. “How much would it cost to test one missile? Maybe they can only shoot down artillery shells and not ballistic missiles.”

[Analysis: A single missile launch would cost far more than an artillery barrage. Overwhelming them with massed fire would be more likely to succeed.]

She rubbed her temples, frustration gnawing at her. “You have a high opinion of the orbital defenses.”

[Reminder: They brought down User’s exploration corvette.]

“That was probably a fluke,” she muttered, though doubt crept into her voice. The Blues had been disturbingly efficient, their technology advanced and relentless.

[Disagreement: This unit does not believe it was a fluke. The damage dealt to a state-of-the-art vessel from Cortex Incorporated by the Precursor planetary defenses suggests massive difficulty achieving safe orbit without further investigation and cooperation with the Tch’Llik’yzz’Lrr.]

“That’s a given,” she said, her voice firm despite the turmoil inside. Hopefully, Big Red could disable the orbital field that had taken her ship down, or at worst help them study the defense so they could get off the planet. Even if they couldn’t launch a full-sized ship, they could deploy something capable of producing one.

Sigma 16 was the 16th orbital body in the system—there were lots of places to look for the necessary resources to rebuild an FTL capable starship.

Even if it took… a decade or something.

At least it would be a decade with no one chasing or looking for her.

Talia stared at the map, her fingers drumming against the console. “Neo, we should try the massed artillery. There have to be limits to their anti-munition defenses, right?”

[Acknowledgment: Increasing the number of Lynx artillery units is recommended.]

She nodded, determination hardening her features. “Let’s prepare for a breakthrough attack. We’ll also send a flanking force to head directly to the ship.”

[Recommendation: User should remain with the Desert Crawler and avoid participating in any attacks personally.]

Talia rolled her eyes. “I’m not suicidal, Neo. I didn’t plan on it.”

[Observation: Previous User actions suggest otherwise.]

“I only went to the research module because it was critical. We had to save the spiders and might have needed to communicate!” Talia protested.

[Correction: It was the spiders who saved User.]

She crossed her arms, a small smile tugging at her lips. “We saved each other.”

A sudden tapping sound drew her attention to the screen on the wall. Hot Pink filled the frame as she tapped the camera, chirping, “HEM-Snack? HEM-Snack?”

Talia laughed, the tension in her shoulders easing. “Neo, send one.”

A HEM snack dropped from the ceiling of the zoological module, and Hot Pink caught it with a delighted chirp.

[Report: Preparations are underway.]

Talia nodded, a sense of resolve settling over her. They would find a way to beat the Blues and shut down the gate. They had to—for her survival, for the spiders, and for whatever lay beyond the horizon.