Dreaming

Having sealed the tiny fissures in the exotic pipeline, Kai kicked off the bulkhead and floated back to the airlock. His metallic palm slammed against the cold control panel beside the heavy, rounded door. With a satisfying pneumatic hiss, the airlock unsealed and he floated inside.

A mechanical voice crackled through the speakers, [Re-pressurizing airlock. Artificial gravity returning to normal. Detecting radioactive substances on the subject.]

"Huh," Kai muttered, glancing down at his body "Must be those particles clinging to me. At least it proves the radiation doesn't affect me much." 

[ Decontamination protocol initiated. Please extend your arms and legs and remain still.]

Following the instructions, Kai spread his limbs wide, The airlock lights flickered, transitioning to a sterile, pulsating blue. 

Twin hatches on either side of the chamber slid open, releasing pressurized white fumes that swirled around him, a dense, cleansing fog.

[ Decontamination protocol complete. Please proceed.]

Kai stepped out of the airlock into a dim corridor and spotted a small, chair-sized robot. It had a single cyclopean eye, four spindly metal legs, and two tentacles where arms might be. It scuttled across the darkened floor, its movements eerily silent.

A blue beam of light swept from its rotating head. "Hey, Seraphina," Kai asked, curiosity piqued. "Are you checking the damage through this little guy?"

[ Yes, Master ], Seraphina's reply was immediate through the comms.

[ While you were outside, I sent out some repair droids to scan the lower levels. The power outage limited my options, so I had to improvise. The scan should take approximately 36 standard hours, after which I will provide you with a detailed report.]

A memory of his battle in the droid storage area flashed through Kai's mind. "But I thought all the droids were eaten or destroyed by those tentaculi aliens," he remarked, a puzzled frown creasing his face as he headed towards the hyperloop lift.

[ Actually, those creatures attacked a floor in the mid-section, near your animus chamber. The storage unit they destroyed was one of our eight primary storage vaults, used to house the most advanced repair droids. They're designed to fix the ship's core systems, like the energy vaults, sun core, and thrusters.]

Kai settled into the lift, a question forming in his mind. "Does that mean there are seven other storage vaults with droids?" he asked as the lift shot upwards.

[ No, the eight main vaults store different things: plants, resources, bioproducts, and so on. The largest vault is currently configured as a hangar bay for smaller ships. There was only one vault dedicated to those advanced droids. The one you saw is a more basic model.]

Kai exited the lift and headed toward the command deck, a puzzled expression on his face. "That's...complicated," he muttered. "Is there even a difference between them?"

[Besides the main storage, each floor has a small unit of 25 droids for minor repairs and maintenance. It might seem wasteful to dedicate a whole vault to the main repair droids, but they're always on standby. Space is unpredictable, even for your advanced species.]

Kai entered the command room and settled into the captain's chair, spinning idly in mid-air. He tossed a rock he'd picked up during his spacewalk, catching it effortlessly.

"Let's see..." he muttered, waving his hand. The holographic star map shimmered, transforming into a detailed 3D model of the Colossus.

"So, if there are droids on each floor, that means we have around 375 of those little guys running around? Seems like a small number for a ship this size."

[Those were the pre-launch numbers. There's a production line on floor M that can manufacture more. However, that entire level consists of production and assembly lines for various ship components.]

Hearing the floor number, Kai studied the ship's structural schematic. "Floor M," he mused, noting the four lower levels highlighted in red—power offline. "Guess we won't be manufacturing more droids until we fix that."

The sheer amount of work ahead made Kai's head throb, even though he couldn't physically experience headaches now.

 "Ugh, this is giving me a figurative headache," he muttered, rising from the chair. "Hey, Seraphina, is there somewhere near I can recharge and rest?"

[ You can recharge in the pod chamber.]

As she spoke, a section of the wall slid open, revealing a hidden doorway. Kai approached, peering inside. Rows of sleek, numbered pods lined the chamber, glowing softly with a green light from inside. Each pod resembled the seats in the command deck.

He reached out, touching the glass of one. The pod hummed, its door hissing open, inviting him in.

[Signature detected. Opening pod. Would you like to experience a dream during your recharge cycle in sleep mode?]

Kai blinked, momentarily stunned. 'They can view dreams while sleeping? And choose the type?',  "What kind of dreams are available?" he asked, he asked, intrigued by the concept..

[You can experience a lucid dream, limited only by your imagination. There are also random dreams generated from your memories, or a custom dream, either pre-generated or designed to your specifications. All dream data is deleted from the pod after use for privacy sake.]

A smile tugged at Kai's lips. This could be interesting. 'Evo System, he thought, can I access your functions in a lucid dream state?'

(Yes, host. The system is linked to your soul, not your body, so its functions remain available in any state of consciousness.)

"That's good, then," Kai thought with relief, " he muttered, settling back into the upright pod. "Give me a lucid dream. It'll be quite an experience." Just as he spoke, Seraphina chimed in. 

[Master, what should I do with the asteroid fragment?]

Kai stretched out, his limbs sinking into the soft cushions. "Hmm... store it somewhere safe, as a souvenir. A good way to remember this day.", letting the pod's gentle hum lull him into relaxation.

[Creating lucid dream environment. Initiating sleep mode. Attaching recharge needles to the spine. How long would you like to remain in the lucid dream state?]

"Six hours should be enough," Kai mumbled, a hint of anticipation in his voice. He shuttered his optical sensors, ready to embrace the unknown.

A heartbeat later, his eyes snapped open. He was suspended in an infinite expanse of white, stretching as far as he could see.

A wave of exhilaration washed over him. "Whoa," he whispered, awe coloring his voice. "This is incredible." He'd heard of lucid dreaming, where imagination was the only limit. Now, he was living it. A slow grin spread across his face. "Anything, huh? Heh, anything..."

A mischievous thought flashed through Kai's mind, but he quickly shook his head. dismissing it. "No, no," he muttered. "Not the time for distractions. Focus on the task at hand."

He clenched his fist, his voice taking on a determined edge. "Let's see what this system can do. Maybe I'll become some kind of galactic machine emperor, like those novel protagonists... but first things to do…."

With a wave of his hand, large blue squares materialized around him, merging and solidifying. A second gesture transformed the floor into a lush, green meadow, reminiscent of the European Alps. 

A crystal-clear lake shimmered in the center, ringed by majestic trees and giant ice-covered mountains behind. The ceiling became a vast expanse of blue sky, a radiant sun beaming down.

Kai landed on the soft grass as a white table and chairs materialized beside him. He sank into a chair with a satisfied sigh. "Now this is better. A little relaxation before business. Okay, System, open up!"

A flurry of blue screens flickered to life, each overflowing with notifications.