23 Heavy Fabrication

"It has been 217 days since Patrol Seven left for patrol duty. Patrol Seven is scheduled to return in 16 days."

"16 days!" The living human had a shocked look on her face. "That's SO FAR AWAY!" She threw herself onto her bed to pout. 16 days was an infinity of time.

She tossed and turned, but eventually calmed down enough to ask, "Granny, how can I pass the time until Pat comes home?"

"Do your daily lessons and your assigned tasks, and the time will pass before you realize it."

"My chores!" The living human sat up in a hurry. "UGH! I still have to go check on Fabby today. I _promised_."

Getting off the bed, the living human slowly made her way to the lift with reluctant feet. Heavy Fabrication was the *worst*. Down, past the physical training, storage, and other floors she went. The effect of gravity got stronger and stronger until she reached the outer-most ring of the deep space station. She could hear machinery in use as she stepped off the lift.

"Hello, Fabby. I'm here to check on you."

"Hello Ashley," said Heavy Fabrication, its mechanical voice similar to Garden Ring's. "All systems are within acceptable margins. Are you finished with today's lessons?"

"Yeeeesssssss." The living human was so tired of this question that for a moment she regretted skipping lessons in the past. But she was quickly distracted. "What are you working on?"

"Liquation. We are separating metals retrieved by mining drones. Metals are needed for mining drone parts. Would you like to know more?"

"I saw a mining drone get taken into pieces today!"

"I see."

"You make more pieces here?"

"Yes. Mining drones undergo a lot of stress, as mining asteroids is very physically stressful. Maintenance-"

"Yeah yeah, Mac told me about that. Parts need to be placed. I heard it already!"

"I see."

"So the parts come from you?"

"Yes. There is always a need for mining drone parts. Mining drones break frequently. But, mining drones retrieve materials. And materials are needed."

"Would you need mining drones getting metals if you didn't have mining drones to need parts?"

"I do not understand your question."

The living human concentrated. Sometimes it felt like the machines couldn't understand her thinking. Did she think so differently? Why? Wait, never mind that for now. Don't get distracted!

"OK, mining drones need parts, right?"

"Yes."

"And those parts come from metals that the mining drones bring?"

"Yes."

"And if you didn't have mining drones, you couldn't get metals to make parts."

"Yes."

"But if you didn't have mining drones, you wouldn't _need_ metals to make parts. Right?"

"I do not understand your question. There is always a need for mining drone parts. Mining drones break frequently."

"I understand, but if you didn't NEED the drones, you wouldn't need the parts, so you wouldn't need the drones to get the metals!"

"I do not understand your question. There is always a need for mining drone parts. If you need additional assistance, you should ask Juno Terminal."

"UGH, everybody just says the same thing!"

"Then, you should ask Juno Terminal."

"I will!" shouted the human. ("Eventually..." she said under her breath)

Neither spoke for a while, as the living human watched the machines separating the raw materials. Eventually enough materials were sorted, so Heavy Fabrication changed gears and began casting parts.

"Fabby, do you make all the parts here?" The living human, curious, eventually asked.

"No. Some parts such as bearings are made in Light Fabrication."

"Oh? I haven't been to there. Where is Light Fabby?"

"Light Fabrication is located above the Ship Maintenance Hangar, at the core of Juno Terminal."

"Huh? Above? The lift only goes up to Mac."

"Light Fabrication is not accessible from the lift. There is no effective gravity there. Light Fabrication is only accessible through service tubes from the Docking Deck."

"I know where that is!" The living human recognized a location. The Docking Deck was part of the same ring as Mac.

"See you later, Fabby!" The living human slowly made her way to the lift. A new area of the station that she hadn't explored yet! That's worth checking out immediately! It's not just an excuse to get out of the heavy gravity!

The living human felt the effect of gravity lessen as the lift ascended back up to the Ship Maintenance Hangar. What a relief!

"I'm back, Mac!" The living human bounded off the lift. This felt so much better! Why couldn't she stay up here ALL the time?!

"Welcome back, Ashley."

"Can you have a cart take me to Docking? Or I can just jump there!" The living human began jumping along the deck. "But a cart would be faster..."

"Of course, Ashley."

One of Mac's flat wheeled autonomous platforms rolled up to the skipping human. Ashley lept aboard, and it sped off to another part of the ring.

Onward, to adventure!