Tempora Part 6: A Proposition

Jane arrived just as Steve was putting the finishing touches on his creation, and was hastily placing a tarp over the behemoth construct. She walked over, initially not recognizing the one she was supposed to be supervising. “Excuse me, I’m looking for a Drone by the name of Steve Lyon. I was told by an employee at Bin AI and Bodyworks that he would be here...”

Steve laughed to himself. “You’re looking at him.”

Jane squinted before backing up slightly in shock. “Steve?! You… bought a new body!?! You were supposed to use that money for an AI, this just makes your problems worse! I have no idea how to teach you to operate all the new equipment you now have, and-”

“Don’t worry about it, I’m getting the gist of it. Besides, I have another reason why I asked you here. A possible business deal, if you will.”

Jane tilted her head, confused. “Business?… Exactly what have you gotten yourself into?”

“That’s what I would like to know as well…” An oversized floating man both Drones recognized as Spoon floated forward to join the conversation. “I got a message from HQ to meet you here at the junkyard. You certainly don’t look or sound like the Steve I remember, but I am aware that Drones are frequently fast learners. What did you want with me?”

Jane was even more confused. “Steve, don’t keep us in suspense. What is this… thing you have behind you?”

With a small amount of flair, Steve yanked off the tarp, revealing a finished gravity skiff. It was roughly made from recycled materials, and looked like a two dozen foot long metal crate that was tapered near the bottom only slightly. It had several very obvious seams running along the sides, showing where it had been welded together. “Ta-da! What do you two think?”

Jane was silent, while Spoon laughed a bit before responding. “It looks like you made a gravity skiff. Or a hunk of metal that resembles one, at least. I assume that you called me here because you expect me to pilot it. But there is one problem with that… I don’t know how. Not all gravity casters are trained to, since it is exceptionally difficult.”

Steve pointed a finger at Spoon. “Yes! But you don’t need to. All I need you to do is provide the power, and I can pilot it myself!”

Jane scoffed. “Are you really saying a non-gravity caster can pilot a gravity skiff?”

“It is based off of a prototype by Bin… with some cut corners and minor changes, but nevertheless, I’m confident I can figure it out. Come on deck…”

Steve knocked twice on the broad side of the contraption, causing a rectangular hatch to open downward and slam onto the ground as the whole skiff rocked slightly. Both Jane and Spoon gave uneasy glances towards each other, but still entered out of burning curiosity.

The inside was poorly lit, mostly relying on natural lighting from various open hatches and a small glass pane on the ceiling, which was also the main deck. Several supplies already filled the inside, as well as a rudimentary cooking station strategically placed near a group of windows for maximum ventilation. The main gravity engine was in the center, completely inactive without any power being fed to it. A convoluted mess of cables were connected to it, some running along the ceiling towards the front of the ship while others ran to the other end. On the end opposite the kitchen, there were four improvised hammocks with a curtain dividing them into two sides, all of which only barely looked large enough for Spoon. Steve climbed up a ladder opposite the entryway, and opened a hatch as he climbed onto the main deck. Both Jane and Spoon followed, though Spoon had a modicum of difficulty fitting through the just barely large enough opening. Even compared to Steve’s newly increased size, Spoon was still wider by a noticeable amount.

The deck was also metal, but was finished properly unlike the outer hull so it would be marginally more comfortable to stand on for long periods of time. A complex series of four levers, a wheel, and various buttons were located at the back, while a single pedestal with a polished spherical purple crystal situated on top was at the front of the ship. Steve quickly explained as he motioned over the different controls. “I’ve got throttle, pitch, yaw, roll… and some other things, like an emergency cut off and shielding. I’m told the shielding will interfere with flying, so we will likely only use it if we are in immediate danger. Hopefully we can avoid any crash landings, though. This thing isn’t what you would call… durable.”

Spoon nodded, impressed. “I must say, I’m surprised you know enough to put this together… gravity skiffs are not simple. But does it actually fly?”

Steve split apart his arms and grabbed each lever, shocking both Jane and Spoon. “Give it some juice, and see for yourself.”

Spoon hovered over to the power receiver, and placed a hand on it while focusing. At first the ship only shifted slightly, but then it lurched off of the ground. Steve struggled to keep it steady, but managed to prevent it from flipping over or spinning out of control. As it began to drift a bit too close to a nearby fence surrounding the junkyard, Steve quickly lowered it back down on the ground, and let go of the controls. Both Steve and Spoon looked at each other, wonder in their eyes.

Jane waved her hands in panic, not liking that Spoon seemed to approve of Steve’s handiwork. “This is ridiculous! Steve, what are you getting at here? Spoon has a job here, helping to protect the city. You need to find a job for yourself, and become properly adjusted to life in Tempora! I’m supposed to help you with those things, not… building and flying skiffs!”

Steve walked over and handed Jane a paper, which Spoon also read while hovering over her shoulder. Steve explained out loud as they skimmed the details and noticed the signature. “I took a shipping contract. They require a sizable shipment of energite and other expensive equipment over to an area about a days travel from Tempora- at least, when traveling by air. I already have received confirmation that Spoon’s temporary absence from Tempora is acceptable for this mission in particular, and take a look at the reward…”

Both Spoon and Jane exclaimed the number out loud as they reached it. “Five THOUSAND gold coins?!”

Steve fiddled with one of the levers as he uneasily mentioned the downsides. “I’m told the area is expected to be a bit, how you say… dangerous. But that is why we have Spoon; he knows how to fight. I also have some basic weapons installed on both my new body and on this ship, so I think we are prepared.”

Jane pushed the paper to Spoon as he kept rereading to make sure he was reading it correctly. She stomped up to Steve, and poked him aggressively in the chest. “No! Absolutely not! For all intents and purposes, I’m your legal guardian, and this is WAY out of line! I’ve never even been outside of Tempora, and I’m not about to leave now!”

Steve shot Jane a questioning glance. “Really? You’ve never left the city? Why not?”

“It has everything I need! A stable income, food and shelter…”

Steve realized he didn’t know how Drones actually fueled themselves. Going by the restaurants he had seen in the city, he assumed that they could still process food more or less like humans. He set the question aside for the moment and focused on the topic at hand. “What about excitement? Adventure? If I wanted to just play it safe, I would have just stayed in my simulation. Surely, you want to see the rest of the world too?”

“I… I’ve been meaning to… I’ve been saving for a vacation, but that is still at least six months-”

“If you haven’t left yet and you only plan on doing it eventually, then you probably won’t do it at all. I’m offering you an opportunity to see some of the world right now, and we will all be considerably wealthier when we return. So… what do you say?”

Jane was struck by the soundness of Steve’s reasoning as she stared at his extended hand. He could practically see the cogs turning in her head as she struggled to think of a way out of it. Sighing in defeat, she reached out to shake Steve’s hand. “Fine. I’m in. I just hope you don’t get us all killed.”

Steve smiled and reformed his right arm just before shaking Jane’s hand heartily. “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

---

Bin paced his office with growing concern. Steve was due soon to pick up the shipment, and then be off to the specified site. His assistant spoke to him over his wireless communication device. “Bin, I just received word that Steve is on his way. Are you absolutely sure about this? You could make an argument that Steve was born yesterday. Is he really that capable?”

“I’m not sure of anything. It’s just a gut feeling, Jil. He’s got the same unexplained condition that I have, and the only connecting factors are individuality and exceptionally high problem solving skills. We don’t have anyone on hand that would be more capable.”

Jil was silent for a moment before responding. “Did you properly explain to him how dangerous this is? There are at least five Gatekeepers already on site waiting for him, and there are unconfirmed reports of casualties. The situation is far from improving.”

Bin responded with a trace of agitation in his voice. “If I told him the full situation, he would have declined. He will figure it out and do what’s necessary! Now, please, let the matter rest. I already made my decision.”

Bin faced out his office window, overlooking the metropolis. He had indeed made the decision, but still hoped it had been the correct one.

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