Chapter 42: Chapter 21: A not so dreamless sleep

Ice walked down the ramp followed by Ducky who seemed nervous.  When he got to the bottom of the ramp the various D.O.Gs fell in around him with the Tier 2s taking up spots on each side.

 

As the small group approached the gate the automatons pushed it open forcing a number of type 7 corpses out of the way.  Immediately the small industrial drone rolled out of the gate and started to poke each body with a syringe-like tool on one limb.  Ice watched it for a moment seeing a dark blue fluid being sucked out of each body before he shuddered and walked inside the factory walls.

 

Once inside he made his way to the door of the factory, his retinue of drones and a duck following him.  At the door he stopped and looked at the drones. "There's too many of yall stay here and assist with the defenses."  As he went to step forward he felt Ducky grab onto one of his pant legs.  "Of course you can come with me, Ducky."  Ice smiled down at the suddenly shy mallard before putting out lightly with his neon pink hand.  "You probably know Francis.  He is an AI stuck in a brain in a jar.  He runs all these automatons and this factory."

 

"I uh… might have killed a lot of automatons… see I thought they were just broken since Clockwork was dead… I didn't realize Francis had control of them.  He's not mad is he?"  The duck asked, somehow conveying concern with his body language.  

 

"He did send Raven and I to see you… so I think… maybe not?"  Ice said with a shrug.  "Would you like to hold my hand, Ducky?" He holds out his metallic blue hand for Ducky to hold with his wing.

 

"Oh uhm.. yea that would be nice.. thank you…" The mallard stutters out.

 

Ice and Ducky walk through the factory floor with Leroy puttering along behind them.  As they reach the room that contains Francis, Ice takes a deep breath before knocking on the door with his normal hand.  

 

"Ice you don't have to knock it's not like I could be changing clothes." Francis sounded amused.

 

As Ice and Ducky enter the room Francis laughs, "Franklin!  Was it you that destroyed the automatons I sent to secure the Nano Forge?  I thought you would surely be deactivated when Alanna died!"

 

"I ah-.. I thought you were dead. I saw Clockwork fight that … thing and lose…" The duck, Franklin, stuttered.

 

"Oh I nearly was my nanotech friend.  But Clockwork was as always more clever then he seemed and linked me into the remains of the Emperor's mech body.  I was able to drag both of us here before he died and I managed to connect myself to the factory.  Where I continued the fight as best I could!"  The brain seemed excited to see the Duck was alive.

 

Ice waited several minutes for the two to get reacquainted.  Finally he gave up and interrupted them.  "We brought the Nano Forge here but it's almost out of power? Enzymes? Whatever the Duck said we need more of it."

 

"Ah the Enzyme Conversion bunkers are running low?  I'm afraid my stock has been running the cryo systems below the factory so I don't have any extra."  The brain said.

 

"That's alri-.. Cryo systems? Like Stasis pods? Those are illegal Francis…. With good reason!"  The Duck sounded agitated now.

 

"Clockwork and I designed the new ones and I had no choice. There were fifteen people in the factory when we arrived and you know how Theriope are.  They would have found and harvested them!  With me to guard the Stasis Pods at least they stood a chance!"  The brain seemed desperate to absolve himself.

 

"Why are they illegal?"  Ice asked curiously.

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"You tell him, Francis, it's your mess." The mallard said before turning and waddling away kicking a wall on his way out.

 

"So Francis what's the problem with stasis pods?" Ice asked again, beginning to become impatient with the whole conversation.

 

"The older design had … issues… people would wake up and age much more rapidly than normal.  And there are the dreams… People become unable to distinguish the nightmares of Cryosleep from reality.  Some people's minds just … break.  Not all but around twenty percent never come out of the Cryo Induced Psychosis even with proper care and facilities.  At the council of 2936 cryo pods were declared a War Crime and anyone found engaging in their use was to be put on Argonite station.  Just past the Event Horizon of a blackmore.  Even AI are not exempt from this.  However the pods I and Clockwork designed don't have the aging problem and we think we limited the psychosis as well to maybe five percent.  Hopefully with recovery!"

 

Ice listened to the conversation slowly becoming horrified at what Francis was telling him. "There are fifteen people who might… have this Psychosis? And might age rapidly…. Just how rapidly?"

 

"If our calcula-."Francis began before Ice interrupted him.

 

"What is the damn life expectancy once they get out of the damn pods Francis!" Ice growled dangerously moving forward and placing his hands on the table where Francis sat in his jar.

 

"Fifty percent of the norm.  But we think we fixed that!" Francis said quickly as Ice placed his dark purple prosthetic over his eyes.

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Well .. no we never had a chance to test them.. but we are very optimistic!" The AI spoke defensively.

 

"Can we get them on the ship when it's time to leave still in the pods?" Ice, now resigned to the situation, asked quietly.

 

"Yes." Francis said simply.

 

"Good.  We need to find a way off this rock and back to civilization."  Ice stated firmly.

 

"You need to go to System Central Station.  To register with the defenses if nothing else.  If it still stands."

 

Ice turned and walked out planning how he was going to farm Theriope enzymes.