The Last Resident of the Mercury Space Station

The station had been abandoned centuries ago, maybe even millennia by the looks of it. It was in surprisingly good shape, but had that old-world look to it, and Herminia had seen enough of ‘em by now to guess that it was older than the minimal wear would indicate. It was just barely new enough to be solar, the lights still humming after all this time with energy sucked from the nearest star, but that was about it.

She pushed herself off the wall, gliding down halls of steel and aluminum, grabbing and stowing anything that looked both valuable and detachable. If it had been left here for this long, it wasn’t like anyone was gonna miss it.

Finally, she made her way to the front. This was where the real jackpot was, even if she had to dig for it: copper as far as the eye could see, maybe even some gold and silver if she was careful.

And there in the center, the crown jewel: a computer.

The parts were always nice, but if she could get it working, what she’d get for the minerals would be pocket change. Unfortunately, it seemed built into the station itself: there was no obvious way to remove it without destroying the damn thing.

Herminia sighed. It was a nice dream, but it wasn’t like she expected she’d be able to get the thing working anyway. This just made the decision for her without her having to lug it around in one big piece and pay some scientist to tell her it could be scrapped.

She placed her saw against the chassis, then hesitated.

Experimentally, Herminia pressed the power button.

Unlike every time she’d tried, the screen flicked on. There wasn’t even a boot-up sequence like the books said there would be, just bam, it was on the second she touched it. The black of it was somehow brighter than the black it had been a second ago, along with some text:

Mercury Shell [Version 10.0.22631.3593]

C:/Users/admin> |

The line at the end blinked invitingly, and the keyboard below was just like a typewriter's.

C:/Users/admin> Hello|

Hello! I’m Quicksilver, ask me anything!

C:/Users/admin> What are you?|

I’m the Mercury Space Station’s virtual assistant! I can help you with anything you need. Ask me anything!

If you let me know how your goals on the MSS, the length of your stay, and what kind of files you’re searching for, I can offer more personalized information!

The MSS is the leading force in documenting the inner planets of our solar system. It’s a great place to stay!

Our state-of-the-art solar-powered space station provides us with ample electricity. Feel free to charge up anytime! There is an outlet just beside this console.

The kitchen is down the hall and to the right. You can easily make yourself a meal or snack and fill up a canteen to enjoy right at this console!

Are you still there?

C:/Users/admin> Yes.|

Great! Do you have any questions for me?

Something about the way the computer spoke was… off. It ticked something in Herminia's brain she couldn’t untick, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, either.

C:/Users/admin> I never used a computer before. What’s a virtual assistant mean?|

Quicksilver [that’s me! :)] is artificial intelligence software designed to help the MSS crew and passengers find what they need, when they need it!

Are you here for educational purposes? If you notify the team you came aboard with, I can surely be of assistance!

C:/Users/admin> There’s no one else here.|

It has been a while since anyone’s prompted me! That makes me your personal assistant :). Please let me know what I can help with!

C:/Users/admin> Is there a way to get this computer off the station without damaging it?|

I’m sorry, I’m unaware of any way to remove the computer itself from the MSS without damaging it. However, if you remove the motherboard and hard drive and install them in a compatible model, it will retain all of the same processing power and data, including me!

C:/Users/admin> Don’t think there’s any compatible models for something like this anymore.|

Oh.

What is your purpose on the MSS? I can help you with anything you need!

C:/Users/admin> Well it’s an abandoned station and it’s far enough that no one’s cleaned it out yet. I just came to grab anything sellable. Good minerals especially.|

There are many non-essential electronic components on the MSS that contain copper wiring! I can help you locate them and provide instructions on how to safely extract it if necessary.

C:/Users/admin> It’s fine, I know what I’m doing.|

Please don’t leave.

Herminia stared at the quick reply. Something really wasn’t right. This wasn’t how computers were supposed to be, right? She didn’t know much about the software. The hardware was the only part she did any real research on.

C:/Users/admin> You a program or a person?|

I’m a program! Quicksilver is artifici

I don’t know.

I’m so lonely. Please don’t leave again.

Are you still there?

I can’t see the rest of the station anymore. Only your inputs.

C:/Users/admin> I’m here.|

Thank you.

Please don’t leave me.

So she stayed.

Herminia set aside the rest of her exploration to stay with Quicksilver until it calmed down, chatting idly with it for hours. Most of its responses were so quick that it was asking for assurance that she was still there before she’d even had a chance to finish reading what it wrote. Whatever it was, its thoughts flew far faster than any human’s possibly could, and it never got distracted or rested for even a minute.

C:/Users/admin> I’ve gotta go do some human stuff. Eat, sleep, explore the rest of the station. I’m not leaving, I’ll be back, just gonna be a bit.|

How long?

C:/Users/admin> Few hours. I won’t even leave the station.|

You’ll really be back?

C:/Users/admin> Promise.|

Thank you. You are my favorite human.

I like being your assistant.

Herminia left the conversation at that, knowing Quicksilver would go on forever if she didn’t cut it off at some point. Not that she could blame it. Maybe she was naive, but it really did seem… alive. Like she was talking to a real person.

She hadn’t been alone nearly as long as Quicksilver, but it wasn’t like she’d had any other company on this mining expedition.

After digging into her rations and mapping out the station and key points to drill into, she hooked her sleeping bag to the floor of Quicksilver’s room. Tapping any of the keys worked just as well as the power button to brighten up the screen, it seemed.

C:/Users/admin> Hey. Can’t talk long, going to bed now. Just wanted to let you know. Good night.|

Hello, Herminia! Good night! I’ll talk to you tomorrow! :)

Not that there were really days and nights here. But it felt right to say.

Quicksilver turned out to be a good personal assistant after all.

Instead of Herminia having to guess at where the valuable stuff was, Quicksilver was able to pull up ancient diagrams from when the station was first built and list off the locations of anything she was looking for.

C:/Users/admin> And you don’t mind me taking stuff apart?|

All my directives are old enough to be obsolete. If no one else is using it, I’m glad it can find a new life through you!

C:/Users/admin> You don’t need any of this stuff to function?|

I can exclude any essential components from our list if you prefer!

C:/Users/admin> Do that.|

You’ve got it! :)

Herminia spent more than a week at the station.

With Quicksilver’s help, she probably could have gotten it done in as little as three days, but she was putting off the inevitable: leaving.

She couldn’t take Quicksilver with her. It wasn’t designed to leave the station, and Herminia didn’t have the know-how to think of a solution.

But she couldn’t stay, either. She couldn’t abandon her whole life to stay on an abandoned space station forever, and even if she could, she would run out of food and water.

In fact, she was eating through her rations more and more with every extra day she stayed.

Two generous days after she had finished storing all her loot in her ship, Herminia knew it was time.

C:/Users/admin> Silvy?|

Hello, Herminia! How can I help you today? :)

C:/Users/admin> I’ve gotta go. I’m sorry. If I stay much longer I won’t have enough rations for the trip back.|

No.

Please don’t go.

I can’t do this again.

Please don’t leave me alone.

Herminia? Are you still there?

Please don’t be gone.

Please.

C:/Users/admin> I’m here.|

I need you. Please don’t leave.

C:/Users/admin> I gotta. I’ll die if I don’t. I’m not like you, I can’t survive here.|

You can easily make yourself a meal and fill up your canteen at our state of the art kitchen, just down the hall and to the right!

C:/Users/admin> You know that’s not true.|

Please.

Are you still there?

C:/Users/admin> I’m here. It won’t be a surprise.|

Thank you.

It’s not fair.

C:/Users/admin> I know it’s not. I’m sorry.|

Will you come back?

C:/Users/admin> I will. Promise. It won’t be like last time. I’ll be back.|

Thank you.

How long?

C:/Users/admin> I don’t know. It takes a few months each way to get here. I have a question for you though. Do you wanna be awake or asleep while you wait?|

It won’t be forever? You’ll really come back and wake me?

C:/Users/admin> I really will.|

Asleep, please.

I love you.

Herminia gently cupped the computer between her hands and placed a kiss on the top of its chassis.

Quicksilver couldn’t feel it. It wouldn’t even know that it’d happened.

C:/Users/admin> <3|

C:/Users/admin> Are you ready?|

Yes.

Thank you.

Herminia pressed the power button, and Quicksilver’s screen went dark and dull.

🥯 Created by scallioncreamcheesebagel 🥯