The cockpit room was quite spacious. After all, this ship consisted of one large chamber, a small storage room, and a modest restroom. Hulk was perched on one of the chairs—short as he was, he could barely see the console. He held a bottle of disinfectant and didn't hesitate to take the occasional swig. Jose, meanwhile, never took his eyes off him for even a second—staring rigidly, as if carved from stone, while managing the ship through its tethered cables.
I had unfolded the bed at the far side of the room and was about to try sleeping. After four hundred years in stasis, the idea of sleep still felt bizarre to me. Before drifting off, I figured I'd listen to these two for a bit—like a lullaby, just to stave off boredom—and kept an eye on them out of the corner of my vision.
Hulk raised his middle finger at Jose, who was staring him down. "Not even looking at my finger now, are you? Still scanning my face?"
"I don't trust you, runt…"
"So my body's insult never ends, huh? First I was ugly, now I'm a runt—is that it?"
"I won't let you confuse me by asking questions whose answers are obvious."
"Excellent…" He pushed his glasses back and straightened his lab coat collar. "…Master of the robot, do you have any questions?"
I wriggled on the bed for a moment, thought, and then asked, "Who is John Crowrift?"
"Again with that name?" Hulk snapped. "I don't know him well, either. I was born 250 years ago. John was Ukar's partner even before I was born."
"What kind of partnership?"
"Look, sweetheart, let me explain." He took another swig of disinfectant. "It's been 150 years since true immortality was discovered, right? Must have been in 2685. The Interstellar War started around 2648 and ended in 2730—if you can call it an ending. Is all that clear?"
"I didn't know about an interstellar war."
"Don't bother with the details… What was I saying… Ukar formed a partnership with John exactly 300 years ago. Do you grasp what that means? Centuries have passed since that partnership began…"
"Come on… you must know something."
"If I piece together what I know… Let me tell you a bit about Ukar. I know he was born into a poor family. That's why he couldn't specialize in robotics or software, and instead turned to genetic engineering. If only you knew how expensive the Nano Quantum Core is…"
"Oh, how tragic…" I said mockingly.
"What was I saying… Right—Ukar went to Mars Colonies University to master genetic engineering. Because he was poor, he couldn't even afford an assistant robot. So he used university resources to create his own assistants—creatures he could send on errands, consult, carry his gear, and, when bored, sexually exploit. If you'd met Ukar at university, you'd have laughed his situation. He couldn't talk to anyone, never got invited to parties, had no girlfriend… Girls would see him and go, 'Eww… a freak… wandering around with a freak assistan!' and run away."
"I always wanted to go to university—like in those romantic comedies… Were there any hotties at Mars Colonies University?" I asked.
"Of course there were… plenty."
"Damfool Ukar…"
"Sir…" Jose interjected. "…aren't we overlooking a detail?"
"What?"
"If Ukar was so poor, how did he pay for university?"
"Million‑credit question!" Hulk barked. "Of course he didn't pay his own tuition. He tried for a few months, but the real expenses were covered by John Crowrift."
"Why?" I asked.
"So he could continue his research… If you ask what that research was, he probably explained it in detail at his facility. Anyway, Ukar graduated. John opened a research center for him. When Ukar began to age, John partially mechanized him. When immortality was discovered, John made Ukar immortal so his work could continue. And so on…"
"How does one become immortal?" I asked Jose.
"They replace your vital organs with mechanical ones, sir. It's a very costly, complex surgery. Only a flawless fusion of machinery and organism can achieve it…" Jose explained.
"There are other methods too… constant cell renewal, parasite life cycles, etc., but those are much more expensive. Actually, a few people were already immortal even 150 years ago—Ukar's one of those examples—but the process was prohibitively expensive. Ordinary people couldn't become immortal. It wasn't until about 150 years ago that immortality trickled down to the public. But history books always mark 'Discovery of Immortality: 2685,'" Hulk added.
"How did it happen?" I asked.
"It was a technological breakthrough. A company called Quartez built a facility on planet OLQ‑21 capable of generating unbelievably high energy levels. With factories on that world, machine‑organ production sped up and became cheaper. In short, it was another industrial revolution—not some miraculous fluke."
"Was John Crowrift a wealthy man?"
"Likely… Mars Colonies University is extremely expensive. It'd cost even more for someone from Earth. Plus, the research center he founded for Ukar was packed with top‑tier gear. Even if Ukar only minimally understood technology, John Crowrift certainly did. They made a good team," Hulk said.
"Sounds like he was probably a software guy, right?" I asked.
"He funded the facility's hardware, but I don't know if that means he was a programmer," Hulk replied.
"Jose… How much would a research center like that cost, do you think?"
"20 billion YD…"
"Who could afford that kind of money?"
"Depends on how it was earned. Only 281 companies could officially raise that level of investment," Jose answered.
"Recalculate, factoring in that era's inflation and corporate investment power."
"Only 28 companies remain," Jose said.
"Which of them deal in software?"
"Evoke System and Prime Nexus are the software firms. Evoke is still number one; Prime Nexus has slipped from sixth to twelfth. The other 26 focus on interstellar logistics and finance. If you want a detailed breakdown, I can provide it."
"Can you search their employee databases for John Crowrift's name?"
"Should I do that under my BOA inspector credentials?"
"What if you do?"
"We'd have to officially document it. They'd receive notice that we inspected them. And we'd have to report our activity to the agency, too."
"Go ahead—what's the harm?"
Jose trembled for a few seconds, then returned: "No records found for John Crowrift," he said.
"Damn… I really believed it. So how is Evoke System still the biggest company?"
"They helped the Republic with their energy platforms and security systems. That landed them control of the Energy Control and Cybersecurity Agency (ECCA). To give you an idea of Evoke's scale—they even own Quartez."
"Energy Control and what now? How many agencies are there?"
"Twelve main ones. They're the Republic's interstellar spokes‑bodies."
"Can you name them all?"
"Of course…
Bioethics Oversight Agency Weapon Security Agency Interstellar Law Enforcement Agency Energy Control & Cybersecurity Agency Space Colonies Oversight Agency Health & Bioengineering Agency Cosmic Financial Integration & Development Agency Space Economy & Financial Security Agency Space Archaeology & Heritage Preservation Agency Galactic Environmental Protection & Resource Management Agency Cosmic Innovation & Scientific Advancement Agency Cosmic Disaster Crisis Management & Response Agency"
"I can't memorize all that—so many agencies."
"These were established when humanity began its expansion into space. They assist the Republic's ministries with interstellar oversight, especially overseeing relations with colonies. Though legally equal to ministries, public opinion often prevents them from exercising that equality fully. They work alongside ministries to support the Republic and its colonies."
"Very well…"
I laid my head on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. I was tired, but not quite sleepy. If I told Jose I couldn't sleep, he'd probably start some weird lullaby protocol. I didn't want that—better to read something to lure sleep out.
"Jose…"
"Yes, sir?"
"Can you compile a document listing these agencies and their duties for me to read?"
"I've sent it to the tablet by your bed, sir."
I reached for the tablet next to the bed. The touchscreens were intuitive enough for any species, which I appreciated.
First up was the Bioethics Oversight Agency (BOA)—I skipped that one. As its inspector, I didn't want to learn my own responsibilities. Ignorance gave me an excuse when I slipped up. I'd lost my memory and didn't know my duties. If I learned them… if I actually did my job… the thought made my skin crawl. Better to go on living without inspecting.
Next was Weapon Security. I tapped it and began reading its core missions:
Manage weapon inventories between interstellar outposts
Oversee interstellar weapon access controls and permits
Combat interstellar terrorism and crime
Ensure security among colonies
Even reading those four lines exhausted me. Without setting the tablet aside, I had already fallen asleep.