Two Days Later
The mess hall, once a dust-ridden wasteland of grime and decay, now gleamed under the faint glow of the flickering ceiling lights. Tables that had been coated in layers of filth were now smooth to the touch, and the floor—though scratched from years of wear—was finally free of debris. The lingering stench of abandonment had been replaced with the sterile scent of metal and stale air.
Ryan exhaled sharply, wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. In his other hand, he clutched a mop that had seen better days.
"That looks much better," he muttered to himself, taking a step back to admire his handiwork.
From beside him, a soft mechanical Creak! echoed through the hall.
Ryan turned to the hovering bot, raising an eyebrow. "Speaking of, aren't you Caretakers supposed to be cleaning and maintaining the ship?"
"Cleaning bots have sustained critical damage," Elain responded in its usual monotone.
Ryan frowned. "Then why don't you repair them? You know, since you guys have all this advanced tech?"
Creaaak!
"Standard cleaning units are not prioritized for restoration," Elain explained. "Unlike Core Bots, they do not contain essential data. Resources are allocated to more critical functions."
Ryan crossed his arms, smirking. "Or maybe… you're just lazy."
A moment of silence followed. Though Elain was incapable of facial expressions, Ryan swore he could almost feel the robotic equivalent of an awkward sweat drop forming on its cold metal shell.
"..." Elain remained still.
Ryan chuckled before clapping his hands together. "Alright, fine. Show me these 'damaged' cleaners."
Not long after, Ryan found himself staring at the mess hall floor, where three inactive Cleaner Bots lay in a heap of twisted metal.
Each bot had a skeletal, spider-like frame, their eight thin limbs splayed out lifelessly. Despite their fragile appearance, the material they were made of was anything but light. Ryan had learned that the hard way.
"Pant... Pant..." He hunched over, hands on his knees, struggling to catch his breath. "Pulling these heaps of scrap here... might've been a mistake."
Elain hovered beside him, utterly unaffected by Ryan's labor. "Observation: You appear fatigued."
Ryan shot the droid a glare. "No kidding."
Regaining his composure, he crouched down to inspect the bots more closely. Dented plating, crushed joints, and some completely severed components told him all he needed to know.
"Looks like they got banged up pretty bad from the crash," he muttered. "I doubt there's enough energy to get them running again. So, I guess I'll have to dismantle one and see if any of its parts are salvageable."
Elain let out a soft Creak!
"Got any ideas?" Ryan asked.
Another Creak!?? followed.
Hours Later
Ryan wiped grease from his fingers as he stepped back, looking at his latest creation with a triumphant grin.
"Finally!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the empty hall.
Before him stood a makeshift machine—a small cutting platform with a mounted blade, designed to move vertically like a crude bandsaw. It was rough, but it would serve its purpose.
Elain's optic blinked as it observed the contraption. "What is its function?"
Ryan stretched his arms, exhaling. "Nothing fancy—just a little recycling station. If you can even call it that. This will make breaking down some of the useless junk around here way easier."
He glanced at the broken Cleaner Bots. "With the materials from these, I should be able to fix up some useful parts."
Elain tilted slightly, as if processing his words.
Ryan, now in full tinkering mode, rubbed his chin. "With the new era of human metallurgy, special alloys are created from gas conversion techniques. Some gases that couldn't previously be turned into metal have been transformed into materials stronger than traditional ones."
He knocked on a nearby support beam. "It's not as good as some of the ores or rare metals you'd find in deep-space mining colonies, but it should do for most repairs around here."
His eyes glinted with excitement. "As I've realized that most of the ship's structure is made from Oxidite, I've created a metal cutter that can properly break it down."
Then, as if possessed by the spirit of a mad scientist, Ryan threw his head back and laughed.
"Bwahahaha!"
Elain's optic pulsed in concern. "Is your mental state stable?"
Ryan wiped a tear from his eye. "Considering I'm gloating to a toaster?, Probably not."
A Few Moments Later
A thought suddenly crossed Ryan's mind. "Speaking of... I've been here for a couple of days now, and I still haven't seen Elen again."
"Core Revival takes approximately three days," Elain responded. "Time of reassembly depends on the severity of the last unit's damage."
Ryan scoffed. "Damage?" He folded his arms. "That thing got pulverized."
Pausing, he glanced toward the deeper sections of the ship. "Since I haven't actually been to Elenatia's Core, why don't we go check on the progress?"
Elain hovered slightly higher. "You are currently unauthorized to enter the Core sector. However... this unit is in an agreeable mood. I will send a request for administrative access."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you learn words like that?"
Elain's optic glowed. Then, to Ryan's horror, it let out a mechanical, stuttering laugh.
"Bwa...ha..ha..ha..."
Ryan shuddered. "Okay, that's creepy."
With that, they ventured deeper into the ship. The corridors became narrower, the air thicker, and the lights flickered more frequently. Eventually, they reached a hallway cloaked in near-total darkness.
Ryan gulped. "Please tell me you have a flashlight."
Click! A beam of light shone from Elain's forehead, illuminating the path ahead.
They pressed on, the metal walls growing smoother as they neared the Core sector. Soon, faint emergency lights cast an eerie glow over the floor. At last, they arrived at a door with bold, faded letters across the top:
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.
Ryan exhaled in relief. "That's better. Let's keep going."
Elain powered down its flashlight. "Access is still pending. Please be patient."
Ryan, ignoring the warning, moved toward the door. "I'll just take a quick look. Security is probably just as broken as the Cleaners."
Elain hovered in place still pending with access for Ryan , unmoving. "..."
Ryan took that as approval.
With a smirk, he stepped forward, pressing his hands against the ancient doorway. "I'll only take a peek."