System Overclocked 2 -Ch18- (Patreon)

“Okay, Wrench. Are you ready? Are you okay?” Goodie asked. He was in a special carrier made for only one Hume. It felt ridiculously luxurious and he’d actually enjoyed the ride. “I know I said it’d be days away. I didn’t think for a moment they’d be ready so soon.”

Wrench shrugged his shoulders.

It didn’t matter to him that he’d literally woken up on top of Goodie by one of her assistants. Only to rush off to this location.

Thankfully the Carrier was incredibly nice.

The front of it was transparent, while the other sides were all blackened. He had set that up himself as every side was able to be changed from the inside.

It also had a couch, a comfortable chair, environmental control, dispenser, and faucet. A small Hab almost.

All it was missing was a bed, though he was fairly certain the couch folded out into a basic one. There was also some type of inertia based dampeners.

That they counter-acted movements so he wasn’t shaken around.

Because despite the fact that he was certain Goodie was moving him around at speeds that’d normally knock him around in a carrier, he hadn’t noticed at all.

“Of course. I’m kinda excited to see what kind of testing they provide. You said this was the captains?” he asked.

“Mmm… I think… you’re asking me to remind you, aren’t you?” Goodie accurately guessed. “This is the captain’s testing. It’s some combat stuff and to gauge your ability to understand. They have some other Hume there that are being tested as well.

“It’s non-lethal and won’t be anything dangerous. I’ll be there the whole time, too. I told them there wouldn’t be a way I’d be letting you out of my sight for any reason.”

Wrench laughed at that and nodded his head.

It sounded about right.

A tentacle came around the front of the carrier and pulled down the front wall. It settled onto what looked to be a large table.

Stepping out, Wrench looked around.

There were easily six or seven Tongsta floating around the area. They were of various sizes, though there was one he saw that he recognized by size alone.

“Captain,” Wrench said aloud and began walking in that direction.

The overly large captain who’d sent medical personnel to retrieve Goodie was floating there.

“I wanted to tank you for keeping your end of the bargain,” Wrench declared and stopped at the edge of the table, looking up at the Tongsta. “You won’t understand a damn thing I’m saying, but I’d feel like a shit-heel if I didn’t say it.”

“Ah… hello… Wrench,” the captain murmured quietly.

“He was saying thank you for helping me,” provided Goodie. Once again underscoring her penchant for knowing him. “As well as saying hello. You’re perhaps the second Tongsta he’s actually acknowledge and recognized.”

“I mean, he’s massive. It’s hard not to,” Wrench teased and then laughed.

“He… probably said it’s because you’re as large and round as you are,” added Goodie.

There was a deep rumbling chuckle from the captain that followed that statement. Then the massive Tongsta moved down and closer to him.

“Well, you’re very welcome, Wrench. Thank you as well for your hard work. I’m not entirely sure what you did, but you got the engineering space cleared enough that we could jump. Doubly so since… since the crewmen in the compartment were all dead,” the captain offered. “Now, are you ready for some testing? It won’t be anything as difficult as last time.”

“Sure. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Wrench confirmed.

The captain moved away a short distance.

“You may proceed,” the captain ordered.

Another Tongsta came up and set down a tray in front of Wrench.

On it were a number of tools he had no idea what the use for was. Another tray was set down and it was a number of He looked back up to the Tongsta.

“Do I just… tell him what to do?” someone asked. It wasn’t the one who had put down the tray though.

“I mean, I’m not a god damn mind reader so probably,” Wrench spat out with some acid.

“Even I know he just told you to eat a box,” rumbled the captain with a laugh. “Just give him orders. Wrench is smart.”

Goodie laughed as well.

“Please inspect the machine and determine if it’s in working condition,” asked a Tongsta.

“Really? That’s it? How does this matter at all?” complained Wrench, looking to the captain than Goodie.

“To be fair, this is a bad test,” Goodie offered with a sigh. “Just fix it Wrench. We’ll move on to better tests in time.”

“Sorry, Wrench. Blame on it being military,” the captain apologized.

“Well… it wasn’t that bad for me, captain,” Goodie countered. At some point she’d floated off to the back of the room.

“I did my best to shield you from it Lady xxhht,” the captain answered. “I learned a while ago that Nav-cerer’s were best utilized without including them in military matters.”

Frowning, Wrench looked to the captain. He’d slowly moved over to where Goodie was.

The two Tongsta were near one another now.

Hm.

I wonder if the captain has a thing for Goodie.

That’s kind of funny.

I wonder if they have age differentials like Hume do.

Or does that not matter at all to them.

Shrugging, Wrench turned back to the machine and started in on it. He imagined it wouldn’t take him long.

It would clearly be something he could fix, he just had to figure it out. They wouldn’t give him something that couldn’t work as that would make the test invalidated.

“Should I be talking as I work, Goodie?” Wrench asked and paused for a moment.

“What dear?” Goodie asked suddenly. She’d been quietly talking to the captain now.

“Should I talk as I go?” he asked again, pantomiming talking with his hand by opening and closing it.

“Oh! Yes. You should talk as you work. Explain what you’re doing as you do it or your thought process,” agreed Goodie. “They’re actively recording this, so it might help with translation later.”

“Ahhhh, alright. That makes sense. Thanks,” Wrenc answered and then got to work.

***

Groaning, Wrench looked up to the ceiling above him and felt as if he were going insane. Counting to five, he nodded his head, shook it, then looked to the Hume in front of him.

The test they were doing now was actually rather simple. The tester would give an instruction that the Hume had to follow without Wrench working as a translator.

They were attempting to prove that this wasn’t just Wrench being unique.

“Okay, some of you are clearly listening. Some of you aren’t. We can do better and we need to. They’re going to give us way more than you can even imagine eating if you just do what I need you to, okay?” Wrench tried.

There was a collective agreement to that.

One Hume, an Admini that had a face not even a mother could love, eyes that couldn’t seem to agree on where to look, and hair that was equal parts greasy and matted.

His given name was Scrunch, though most Hume called him Hunch.

Partially because he had a spine that wasn’t completely straight.

Wrench had found him to be rather helpful even if he wasn’t very good at doing what was needed to be done.

Helpful because he was trying the hardest.

“Yes, let’s-let’s get to it!” agreed Scrunch, looking to Wrench with a rapid nod of his head.

“Yeah,” sighing, Wrench turned and looked to the tester once again. “Alright, let’s try again.”

“He said he’s ready,” murmured Goodie with a sigh. “The others Hume are so sad to watch. They’ve clearly been given so little attention that they barely care for anything.”

“Wait… that… wait. Ah, captain!” Wrench said and held up a hand, looking to the Tongsta next to Goodie. “Captain, I need your help.”

Wrench said the last by patting his chest, then holding it out to the captain.

“Uhm, yes, Wrench?” asked the captain.

“Can you promise me to do whatever they need after this? As a reward? Goodie’s right. They’re not motivated,” Wrench said. Then he sighed, putting a hand to his head. He wasn’t sure how to communicate this.

“Try, Wrench,” urged Goodie. “We’ll try to understand.”

Snorting, Wrench nodded his head. Then he looked back to the captain.

“I need you,” he pointed at the captain. “To give them.” Wrench pointed to the Hume. “Whatever they need.” Wrench reached to his pockets and then turned them inside out. Then pointed back to the Hume. “Because they have nothing.”

Wrench held up his hand and pantomimed talking.

“Tell them this, after the tester tells them what to do,” Wrench finished and pointed at the captain, then the tester Tongsta, then the Hume.

“I… I’m sorry, I don’t—”

“Wrench, do you want the captain to tell them… he’ll give them anything they want? If they listen to the task?” offered Goodie.

Holding his hands out to Goodie he laughed.

Her ability to intervene and understand was miraculous.

“Yes! Yes, G-Mommy! Yes!” laughed Wrench excitedly.

“There. He needs your help,” Goodie stated.

“I’ll do that, Wrench,” promised the captain.

Wrench went back to the tester, and the Hume.

“Please… continue. Proceed with the translation and then the order,” asked Wrench.

“Okay… female. Hume. Left. Right. Organize. Hair color. Blonde. Brunette. Black. Eye color. Blue. Brown. Green,” said the tester. This was a protocol to help with the orders given afterward. Wrench was providing the translation as things went.

“Next, the order,” the tester said.

“I’ll give you all anything you want, if you do what’s asked of you,” the captain interjected quickly, to which Wrench translated.

The group of Hume looked awake now. They looked up from the ground or the blank spaces they’d been staring at. Those who had already been working at doing what was asked, were now even more involved.

These were all Hume who’d been kept in a test lab for the majority of their lives. Many without any interaction with the outside world other than other Hume.

“Please organize yourselves by hair color only. Three groups. Blonde, brown, black,” stated the tester. Wrench provided no translation. He even put his hands over his mouth.

The Hume talked amongst themselves, managed some motivation, and then sorted themselves out as requested. Though there were a few people who went the wrong way.

It was corrected amongst themselves.

“They did it,” said one of the testers.

“Took them a while,” grumbled a second.

“It normally takes Wrench a few days to teach other Hume enough for conversation,” remarked Goodie. There was a tremor that shook everything for a moment “You had him do something that takes days, in roughly a spssss.”

“I-I-I’m sorry Lady xxhht. That was very rude of me, I’m so sorry,” apologized the tester who had spoke.

“Ah, please, Lady xxhht?” the captain pleaded. “They just don’t understand how special Hume are.”

Goodie didn’t respond, though he got the impression that she calmed down quickly enough.

“Okay. That was our last test and it was a success,” one of the testers began after the silence dragged on for a bit. “With that said… ah… every test was a success. That was most impressive.

“The next battery of tests is scheduled for—”

“Captain xxhht, we have a line from the clan ship xxhht xxhht,” came a voice from somewhere else. Wrench felt like they were speaking through some type of intercom.

“And?” asked the captain, he sounded annoyed.

“It-it was a pirate attack. They’re dead in space. Given the reports we’re getting, it sounds like they’re boxed,” continued the voice. “They fought off the attackers but can’t continue.

“The grand tier clan navy has asked you to launch a rescue mission. They’re providing you with a grand tier clan destroyer.”

“A what?” the captain asked, sounded odd. “That’s not possible. That’d require a promotion at the minimum.”

“There’s more to the message but its coded to you alone,” offered the voice.

“Congratulations, captain. Or maybe… round captain?” Goodie teased with a laugh, she even reached out with a tentacle to prod at the captain.

Okay.

If they were Hume, they’d be flirting. Definitely flirting.

The captain made a noise that could only be a frustrated sigh, though there was amusement behind it as well. Most likely due to Goodie teasing him.

“Yes. It would appear that I’m called to service again. I’ve only been on leave for three out of eight. Not even half,” said the large Tongsta. “Well… until we meet again, Lady xxhht. Wrench, a pleasure as always.”

“Bye captain. Or round captain. For what it’s worth, I would definitely approve of you being step-dad to us in case you have a thing for Goodie,” Wrench said with a laugh.

“Wrench!” squeaked Goodie, a tentacle shooting out and wrapping him up quickly.

“What? What’d he say?” the captain asked, hovering near the exit to the room.

“Nothing. He said nothing,” proclaimed Goodie, gently settling him into the carrier. All the while Wrench was laughing.

Okay. I have no idea how she understands me so well but I think she’s actually translating it somehow.

Someway.

This isn’t just her guessing anymore.

Even if it’s unconscious, she clearly understands Hume.

That or she really does just understand Hume that well.

“What, don’t be mad. You two were flirting. I like him, Goodie,” said Wrench, still laughing. “This is no different when you congratulated me for Dusky and Stripe.

“It’s fair play isn’t it? Besides, he saved you, you saved him, and you two were gelled really nicely.”

“Naughty little Wrench,” cooed Goodie, though she did laugh. While closing the carrier up tightly. “Now… spssss, are we done? You got all the data you needed, right?”

“We got more than we expected Lady xxhht. Thank you,” said a tester.

“When they put in requests to their Admini, make sure you fulfill it. They’ll keep listening if you do,” advised Goodie. “Treat them like little spssss. They’ll respond from here on out and get better at it, too. Trust me.

“I’ll even help if you need advice or anything at all. Okay? They’re amazing creatures. No different than us with who they think, feel, and wish for things. Just different than us biologically.”

“We’ll… we’ll actually do that, Lady xxhht. If you don’t mind, could you recommend a Hab manufacturer?” asked a tester. “It’s obvious we need to do better for our Hume if we expect them to do better for us. Just as you said.”

“Wonderful! I can reccomend one, actually! If you use my name during your purchase, I’m sure you’ll get a discount,” Goodie remarked excitedly. “They have amazing Hab-works with really easy to understand assembly. They’re the round-Hume-roundness-xxhht-factory. You can just —”

Goodie had paused mid sentence causing Wrench to look up from the dispenser. He’d been making a warm meal for himself.

The captain had returned and was standing in the door.

“Lady xxhht… can… I borrow Wrench and yourself for this rescue mission?” he asked in a very humble and embarrassed way. “I need an accomplished Nav-cerer and don’t… I’m not sure the guild could get me one as powerful as I need, as quickly as I can. You’re the only Nav-cerer I know of with the power I need as well as the competence. Not to mention I… well… I know you personally.

“Also, I think I’ll also need Hume as many of the compartments of the ship have been hit by star cannons. Much of the normal access ways are exposed to space and the locks are almost too delicate to try . I want to try putting Hume into zero suits and have them go in through some of the plumbing and conduits.

“Call me inspired but it worked so well last time, I’m tempted to try it again. Wrench did more work in less time than I could have ordered a Tongsta to do so.”

“Hm… I don’t mind helping with the jump, I can just bill my commissioned officer rates to the grand tier after all, but the latter is up to Wrench. I’m sorry, I can’t speak for him,” Goodie apologized and the carrier was lifted up. “Wrench, do you think you can help out? I think it would help our cause. Especially after doing that testing.”

Chewing at the inside of his cheek, Wrench realized she was right.

If they did this, and it worked, the Hume would be recognized for their contributions. At a level that would again be hard to refute.

That and it wouldn’t hurt to help out the captain. He’d done his best for Goodie after all. It was only fair that Wrench did the same in return.

Then he looked to the Hume that were in the testing area.

“Okay. Let’s do it. Give me those Hume. Let’s make sure they get everything they want on our way over,” Wrench said and pointed to the Hume. “I can show off training Hume isn’t just limited to translations.”

“It seems Wrench agrees,” Goodie remarked. He got the impression she was talking to the captain. “He’d also like those Hume over there to join him. I’ll go pick up a few things for Wrench in my ship and then we could set off. Would you like to join me there?

“I’m sure you’ll need a lift to your new destroyer after all. Won’t you… captain spssss? Or did it actually become round captain spssss? Can I be the first to congratulate you?”

“I… ah… yes. Those Hume would be a good way to leverage the test results as well as demonstrate exactly what I’d want them to do.

“And yes, I was indeed promoted. To round captain, though it’d be temporary for the destroyer, but it mentioned giving me a cruiser afterward. Thankfully.

“I don’t think I could be behind a desk. And… yes, I’d appreciate the lift. I think your ‘ship’ as you call it would outclass most and get me there much faster than the star-cutter they sent to ferry me,” the captain, or round captain now, accepted gracefully.

“I got it at a wonderful rate from the dealer, you know. They were happy to sell it to me providing I mentioned it to people. I didn’t see a reason not to,” said Goodie with a laugh. “Now… let’s go. I can show you all my Hume on the trip over! I even have a Grae who’s started to show me how wonderfully sentient she is, her name is Tickaht. She’s very bashful and cute.

“Wrench has been teaching her. Oh, and there’s this beautiful School that came with a Shelter that I can’t wait to show you. It’s hard not to just watch them!”

“Haha… I think you just got boyfriended, round captain,” Wrench teased as he watched Goodie corall the much larger tongsta “It’s fine. I like him. He seems very respectful. So long as he remains that way I won’t have to ram a tunneler into him.”

Goodie’s tentacle curled around the carrier a bit more possessively and the two Tongsta left the room.