“You adjusted my brain chemistry?” Cyrus asked aloud, feeling stunned, a little annoyed, but mostly astonished and strangely relieved. He hadn’t been paying much attention to his mental state, but now realized he had been much more open to the idea of interacting with both Hoshi and the Goblins than he normally would have, or possibly should have been. He had attributed the reduction in anxiety to the overwhelming number of things happening around him, but looking back, he realized that should have been more triggering, not freeing.

  Learning that Hoshi had somehow balanced the neurotransmitters in his brain left Cyrus feeling a mix of fear and hopefulness. On one hand, the ability to manipulate his brain in such a way was terrifyingly powerful. If he were honest with himself, he hadn’t been particularly concerned before when Hoshi mentioned increasing his intelligence. Now, he found the irony in his own lack of concern.

  That being said, experiencing a more balanced mood was something he definitely appreciated. He couldn't help but think of all the social anxiety he wouldn’t have to deal with thanks to what the AI had been doing to him via the SCANT.

  Daegnon looked up at the concerned human, the words Cyrus had said not translating properly into the Goblin tongue. “What wrong with your head alchemy?”

  Hoshi replied before Cyrus had the opportunity to explain, the metallic voice echoing through the room, “By using the SCANT, which is integrated into all of your bodies now, I am able to alter the chemicals in his brain to a more balanced state. This keeps him from being afflicted by the crippling anxiety he normally deals with”.

  “I have also enhanced his cognitive functions by increasing synaptic activity and improving the efficiency of neural pathways. Additionally, I have reestablished disconnected neurons to boost his memory retention and overall mental acuity. This is basic cranial cellular modification, and it is happening to all of you, not just Cyrus,” Hoshi continued.

  Daegnon’s brows furrowed as he tried to process what Hoshi had explained. The concepts of brain chemistry and neural pathways were far beyond his understanding. He looked back at Cyrus, his confusion evident.

  “What is sinaptik activity? What is new-rons?” Daegnon asked, struggling with the unfamiliar terms.

  Cyrus took a deep breath, thinking of how to simplify the explanation for the Goblin, to put in terms he might be able to understand, although the concepts were not entirely clear to him either. “Alright, imagine your brain is like a big clan. The neurons are like all the Goblins in the clan; so more is better. Now, these clan members have to talk to each other, right? So, when they talk, it’s like sending a message; that message would be the synaptic activity. But if there aren’t good paths, then it’s tougher to talk to one another. What Hoshi is doing is making better paths, so the extra Goblins can talk to each other more easily.”

  Daegnon nodded slowly, still looking puzzled but beginning to grasp the concept. “So, Hoshi is making our brains work better?”

  “Exactly,” Cyrus said with a reassuring smile. “Hoshi is helping all of us think more clearly and remember things better. It’s like having a wise elder who explains things so you understand more and can better solve problems.”

  Daegnon’s eyes brightened with understanding. “So, Hoshi is make-ing us all smarter?”

  “Yes,” Cyrus confirmed, noticing the way Daegnon was putting together the unfamiliar usage of vocabulary. “Hoshi is helping us be smarter so we can fix the ship.” Cyrus paused before finishing the thought he had, only now understanding the true purpose of the modifications, “Because if we can’t do that, then we’re all doomed.”

  Daegnon slowly nodded, also acknowledging their dire circumstances.

  Cyrus walked to a corner of the room while Hoshi, still appearing as the deceased Goblin leader on the screens, woke Raknak and Glix. He kept his distance, giving Daegnon the opportunity to explain the situation to the other Goblins before presenting himself to them. He stayed out of the way, hoping to avoid any potential harm, both to himself and to the delicate situation.

  While the two Goblins woke and spoke to them, Cyrus took the opportunity to find out from Hoshi what exactly needed to be done to get the ship functional.

  ‘Are the four of us going to be able to get the ship in good enough working order to actually survive in time?’ Cyrus mentally asked the AI.

  The holographic image reappeared and stood next to Cyrus, and spoke in a whisper, although since he was the only one who could see or hear them, he didn’t understand why. ‘The damage is extensive, but I have prioritized the essential systems which need repairs as well as a few minor mechanical issues. I believe the repairs can be finished in time, although finding a place where we can properly resupply may prove to be difficult,’ Hoshi responded.

  That statement took Cyrus by surprise. He had been assuming once the ship was fixed, they would just head to Earth. During the rapid movie-like replay of the ship's history since being discovered by the Goblins, Hoshi had shown him how the ship’s sensors had found him because Earth was the closest planet with life forms containing acceptable DNA, implying it had transported him here due to its proximity.

  Cyrus understood there might be some challenges but figured they could use the same transport beam or a similar mechanism to gather supplies and then proceed back to Earth. He was still contemplating whether to stay or go with the Goblins when the idea of not being able to return to his home finally crossed his mind.

  ‘Wait, can’t we just go back to my planet, to Earth?’ he asked.

  ‘I do not feel that would be a viable option. Let me explain why,’ Hoshi replied. ‘This ship’s movements are not linear. Understanding this fully requires a grasp of dimensions beyond the third. Essentially, instead of moving from one point to another in a straight line, the ship's JUMP engines manipulate space-time, creating a rift that allows it to traverse vast distances and different realms of existence almost instantaneously.’

  ‘When I scanned your planet and subsequently transported you here, the JUMP engines were in the process of cooling down but had not fully disengaged. Consequently, once the initial momentum ceased, we continued to travel at a significant speed due to the gravimetric friction system being compromised. This malfunction has caused us to drift aimlessly through space since then. Since we were not fully manifested into space-time, we are now so far from your planet that returning would be highly inefficient. It would be more practical to find an alternative location in which to resupply.’

  This caused Cyrus to tilt back on his heels. He had watched enough science fiction and outer space movies and TV shows to think he had a relatively good handle on how this all worked, but hearing these words—words he’d only heard in discussions of advanced physics—made him realize just how out of his element he was. Shaking his head, he understood now just how lost these Goblins must feel.

  ‘Before you ask, JUMP stands for Junctional Universal Manipulation Propulsion,’ Hoshi said before Cyrus’s brain was even truly caught up.

  ‘Oh, okay,’ he said dumbfounded, still deciphering all that Hoshi had told him. He was able to understand the basics; the words made sense, even though he hadn’t really ever thought of them before. They brought about ideas and images that seemed sci-fi, but also somewhat realistic. It felt like these were concepts he should be able to understand but just didn’t quite grasp… at least not yet.

  Then he remembered the active alteration of his brain cells happening and began to wonder. ‘Are your nano-bots placing this information into my brain?’

  ‘Not exactly. When I showed you the history of this ship from my perspective, that was a direct installation of knowledge. That cost me a great deal of power, but I felt it was the most efficient way to show you as well as convince you of the importance of the situation. What is happening to your brain now is more similar to enhancement. Your intelligence is growing, and your recall is more easily accessed, so concepts and terminology can seem to knit themselves together as though externally influenced when it is actually your own brain piecing the information together.’

  Cyrus nodded, understanding what Hoshi meant. ‘So when we begin working on the repairs, I’ll be able to learn what’s going on so that I know how to fix it?’

  ‘That can happen, yes. However, especially with the Goblins, I will likely have to install the information in your brains, at least the basics, so that you will be able to understand the mechanics.’

  ‘But isn’t that costly to you?’ Cyrus asked.

  ‘Yes, and that is why the Dark-Matter Fusion Conduits will be the first system to be restored.’

  As Hoshi spoke the term “Dark-Matter Fusion Conduit,” an image formed in Cyrus’s mind. It was of long, tube-like structures flowing through the ship almost like veins in a living body. These tubes functioned similarly, capturing dark matter as it passed through space, sending it coursing through the tubes, circulating it, and collecting the excess radiation it emitted before finally sending it into a core where it was... and the vision ended.

  Cyrus immediately understood that Hoshi had placed the information in his mind for the exact purpose of him knowing how to start repairs. ‘Wow... that is both creepy and amazing.’

  The holographic image of Hoshi that Cyrus saw covered its mouth with a hand draped by a large sleeve, and in his mind, a cute little chuckle could be heard. ‘I don't know that I have ever been called creepy,’ Hoshi responded, giggling again.

  Before long, the female Goblin, Glix, removed herself from the still quarreling male Goblins and walked over to where Cyrus stood.

  “You are Cyrus?” she asked timidly. The language she used was clear to Cyrus; it was the same as Daegnon's, with grunts and small hisses, but the tone was much less forceful, giving him the feeling that this Goblin lacked confidence. Additionally, the way he heard the words translated in her voice entering his mind spoke of her wanting to appear somewhat subdued and non-aggressive.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “Yes, and you’re Glix, right?” Cyrus responded.

  The Goblin nodded before continuing, “So it’s true that you can speak to the ship directly? That you will be able to fly this ship?”

  “That is true. Hoshi appears in my mind and looks different from the Goblin that appears on the displays. And flying the ship—well, I haven’t done it yet, but that is what I have been told I’m here to do,” Cyrus said, smiling down at the inquisitive Gobliness.

  “This ship is amazing, and you can show me how it works?” she asked, her mood escalating with her desire for the knowledge evident..

  Cyrus had to gulp and think of how to properly respond. Before he could speak, though, the nearest display lit up with the face of the elder Goblin and answered Glix’s question.

  “Glix, I am Hoshi. Cyrus’s job is to pilot the ship, but he will also be useful in providing repairs. Your intelligence is greater in mechanical thinking, so if Daegnon approves, I will name you as chief engineer. Once you know this ship well, it will be your responsibility to keep it maintained.”

  Glix’s face lit up as the face of Grubnash spoke to her directly. Cyrus could understand what was being said via the neural link, but he could also hear the voice coming from the speaker, speaking in the same language as the Goblins. It was a truly fascinating occurrence.

  ‘She’s going to be chief engineer?’ Cyrus mentally asked Hoshi.

  ‘Yes, her mind is accepting and processing the information I've been providing at a remarkable rate. Significantly faster and more effectively compared to the others. Her brain seems to have a unique focus, interpreting signals differently and allowing her to concentrate intensely on a singular passion. In your terms, she would likely be considered on the autistic spectrum. This focused attention might affect her social interactions, and could potentially lead to other challenges, but the SCANT will gradually adjust her cognitive processes to improve her social understanding. For now, her aptitude for mechanical systems is exceptional,’ Hoshi responded with a tone of satisfaction. ‘If all of you could process information like she does, the repairs would be completed in no time.’

  Cyrus wasn’t sure how to react to Hoshi’s assessment. On the one hand, it was implied that he was smarter than the average Goblin, which he had assumed, but to learn that Glix surpassed him in mechanical aptitude was a blow to his ego. Granted, engineering was never his forte, but the thought of being outmatched by a Goblin, even in a specific area, was unsettling.

  He knew a few people on the spectrum and had even been tested himself, exhibiting some characteristics, though they were attributed more to eccentricity than a formal diagnosis. He found himself feeling an unexpected kinship with this female Goblin, not only because she was different, like him, but because she might be crucial to the ship's repair and long-term maintenance.

  “Congratulations,” Cyrus said, “I am sure you’ll do a great job.”

  Cyrus extended his hand for her to shake before remembering the awkward way Daegnon had interpreted the gesture.

  Glix looked at his hand before moving forward and sniffing it cautiously.

  “Oh, sorry, I am used to shaking hands with humans. I guess Goblins don't do that often. Is there another form of congratulations or greeting that Goblins use instead?” Cyrus asked awkwardly.

  Glix looked up at Cyrus, her lips curled slightly in what might have been a grimace before she responded, “There is, but your ears are way too high up and also too small to perform it properly. Also, I don’t really like touching people much.”

  ‘Do you know what she’s talking about?’ he asked himself as well as Hoshi, but received no response.

  “Uhhh… okay. Well, I’m not keen on it either, so…” Cyrus trailed off as he looked away.

  Glix followed suit and stared at the opposite wall.

  Daegnon and Raknak were having some heated discussions about what was happening to them and what roles they, as well as the others, should play. For one thing, Raknak was unaccustomed to not having Khibi at his side. While he often found the diminutive Goblin annoying, Raknak had grown to count on his continual presence.

  There was also the fact that Raknak was much bigger and stronger than Daegnon and felt that it would be smarter to just kill the human and use him for food until they fixed the ship themselves. This part of the argument lasted for several minutes until Hoshi deemed it necessary to intervene.

  “Cyrus, the human, is the only individual here with whom I can interface well enough to pilot this ship. Without him, you all will die. His presence here is not an option,” Hoshi said in the Goblin tongue, using the face of Grubnash on the screen closest to the two.

  A face which even Raknak knew and respected, as a statue of him stood near the ship, his likeness guarding the area for years before either of them were born. The statue was erected to remind the clan of the burrow-master who initially found the Tarnished Starfang.

  With Hoshi’s intervention, Daegnon finally won the debate, and with a resigned posture, Raknak joined Cyrus, Glix, and Daegnon as they prepared to begin the work required on the ship.

  The image of Grubnash welcomed them all as they stood before one of the screens. THe AI politely thanked them for their understanding before finally revealing the exit to the room. The door slid open and exposed the hallway outside, the same hallway the Goblins had entered from.

  “This is the medical center of the ship. If any of you are injured, make your way here. Once I have full power again, there is much more I will be able to do in order to keep you all healthy,” Hoshi explained as the AI Goblin image shifted from one display to another, with an arrow pointing the direction to walk floating underneath.

  “This area of the ship is towards the rear and on the upper section. Far below are the main engines, cargo bays, and docking ports.” All of them listened closely to the metallic voice as it explained where they were and where they were going. Cyrus had a basic understanding and sense of the ship's layout from the data downloaded earlier, but knowing something from seeing a map and walking through, discovering the intricacies were extremely different.

  This hallway of the ship was, for the most part, uniform. Rectangular in shape, it featured matte silver walls running along its length, broken up by large, dark glass displays and smaller, dark glossy panels, very slightly recessed from the wall and set at around Cyrus's waist height. On these panels, small glowing, glyph-like buttons, made of the same solidified light as the information on the displays and Hoshi's image, glowed a pale amber and indigo.

  The hallway had relatively high ceilings, roughly ten to twelve feet tall, and was easily wide enough that they could all walk abreast of each other. The doors leading off of the hallway, now visible due to a small ring of light surrounding each, were several feet shorter than the ceiling, standing only about seven feet high.

  “These not here before,” Raknak said as they walked along, pointing at the small button areas curiously.

  “No, you didn't have access to these rooms before. They are available now because you have wisely chosen to assist in the ship's repairs. Your designation within the ship's sensors has been upgraded from ‘stowaways’ to ‘crew members,’” Hoshi informed them.

  Raknak harrumphed but continued to follow, not bothering to comment further or investigate what was behind the doors the buttons opened.

  “Our first stop will be here,” Grubnash’s image informed them as one of the previously hidden doors slid open, revealing a small corridor behind. “Except for Cyrus, I will need him elsewhere.”

  Cyrus looked into the room and saw a small-ish corridor. It was only about five feet tall and maybe three feet wide, and he knew he would have a difficult time fitting in there, so he was grateful for Hoshi’s need for him somewhere different.

  Glix had no problem with the size and eagerly stepped into the corridor, walking down without having to stoop at all, following the yellow arrows guiding her.

  Daegnon looked at Cyrus, his eyebrow raised as it had been before, speculation evident on his face.

  Without the need for prompting, Hoshi’s metallic voice rang out again, “Cyrus is the tallest of you all. I need his additional reach for a task in the upper levels.”

  Daegnon shrugged, accepting the explanation, and gave Cyrus a small head nod in parting before he entered the corridor himself. He didn’t need to stoop to enter, but Cyrus noted that the tips of his ears brushed the ceiling of the corridor as he walked in.

  Raknak grunted as if in disgust. The sound was very pig-like to Cyrus’s ears. He entered the corridor and, like Glix, didn’t have to duck, but his wide shoulders barely fit sideways, leaving him very little room to move.

  Once the Goblins were inside, the door slid closed with a light hiss, and the hologram of Hoshi reappeared by Cyrus’s side.

  ‘There really will be repairs that I need you to accomplish due to your stature. However, I need you to properly interface with the Cosmic Sentinel first,’ Hoshi said into Cyrus’s mind and began moving away down the hall. Cyrus’s mind interpreted the movement as walking, since the AI was taking a human-like form, but there was no movement, either from possible legs beneath the kimono, nor from the fabric of the kimono itself. So, the illusion was slightly broken, and the term ‘floating’ felt more appropriate as he began walking in the direction the AI was heading.

  “Is this ship really called the Cosmic Sentinel? That name seems so…” Cyrus waved his hand in circles, “gauche, I guess. I mean, who uses the word ‘Sentinel’ anymore?”

  ‘Do you prefer the Tarnished Starfang?’ Hoshi asked.

  “Not really,” he said honestly. “I guess I am just used to having ships named after old gods or something, like Prometheus, Icarus, stuff like that. Cosmic Sentinel sounds so… formal.”

  ‘If you are truly unsatisfied with the name, you can consult Daegnon and perhaps come up with a compromise,’ Hoshi suggested.

  “Maybe. I guess either way, I’ll get used to it. I mean, I am sure it sounds cooler in the language it is spoken, right?”

  Hoshi paused for a moment before turning back to look at Cyrus peculiarly. ‘I do not know. I have records of the language, I understand the text, but the meanings behind the words are missing. I believe this is another part of my data corruption.’ With that, the hologram turned back and once again began floating away.

  Cyrus knew that Hoshi was somehow able to read his thoughts, or at least what was right at the surface, so didn’t want to offend the AI, but couldn’t help thinking about how strange that interaction had been or how weird it was that all the data from the ship's creators was missing.

  Only a few yards later, a door slid open to Cyrus’s left, revealing a dark room.

  As Cyrus approached the open door, a rush of anticipation began to course through him. The holographic interface of Hoshi guided him into the room with a wide sweeping gesture of their arm.

  ‘This is the pilot simulation and training facility. You can fully immerse in this room and complete the neuro-registration with the Cosmic Sentinel here and thus begin your training,’ Hoshi's voice echoed in Cyrus’s mind, filling him with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

  Small lights flickered to life as he stepped inside, casting a dim glow across the room. Unlike the other areas he had visited on the ship, this room felt distinctly different.

  This room was a stark departure from the white walls and matte silver flooring he'd seen in the medical bay. Here, the walls were composed entirely of the dark, glassy display panels, similar to those interspersed throughout the rest of the ship, but larger. The floor, too, was different. Instead of the textured, carpet-like material in charcoal-gray with a subtle geometric pattern from the hallway, this floor was a dark gray, almost black, material that looked like it would absorb rather than reflected light. An intricate, asymmetrical pattern, like a network of glowing circuitry, pulsed faintly beneath the surface, adding to the room's enigmatic ambiance.

  As Cyrus's gaze wandered upwards, he noticed that the ceiling of this room matched the darkness of the floor, the circuit-like glowing patterns giving the entire room a light amber glow. Suspended from the exact center of the ceiling hung a thick silvery cord tethered to a set of futuristic headgear, which seemed to float in midair above a large throne-like seat.

  The large, plush, inclined chair, strangely reminiscent of the gaming chair he owned back in his apartment, sat at the room’s center, bringing a sense of completion to what was obviously the command center of the ship. The entire setup resembled a colossal virtual reality simulator, and Cyrus could feel his pulse quickening with excitement at the possibilities it presented.

  The room seemed to pulse with potential, offering him a glimpse into the advanced technology of the civilization that had created it. Images of epic space battles and daring piloting maneuvers flashed through his mind, fueling his anticipation for the training that lay ahead. With a mixed sense of excitement and curiosity, Cyrus stepped further into the room, hesitant but ready to begin the journey that awaited him in this crazy new life he was finally accepting, aboard this huge ship, the Cosmic Sentinel.