novelzi Chapter Vol. 1 Ch. 3
Chapter Vol. 1 Ch. 3
Episode 3: The Hungry Commander
After a diagnosis in the medical pod, the results were clear: her health was stable. Her organs were similar to a human’s, so she could eat regular human food without any allergies or complications.
“Good thing there’s a supply of nutrient supplements...”
Relieved, she started administering the nutrient IV stored in the pod. The supply was plentiful and would last a while, so starvation wasn’t an immediate concern.
“Still, it doesn’t do much to stop the hunger...”
Now that she thought about it, she could feel her stomach rumbling. With a sigh, she got up from the pod, noting that her tail wasn’t in the way even while lying down. Somehow, her bone structure had been perfectly adjusted to accommodate it.
“Ringo, any updates?”
“Yes, Commander Ma’am. Answer: Currently activating fortress facilities in sequence. Drone surveillance of the area has begun. No landmasses are visible within sight from the fortress’s observation deck. Aerial reconnaissance will proceed once high-altitude drones are ready. In the surrounding reef, seaweed and fish shadows have been detected; we will begin collection and analysis shortly. Operational bots are in startup.”
“Thank you, Ringo. Sounds good. I’ll keep exploring the residential area...”
“Yes, Commander Ma’am. Leave The Tree’s management to me.”
"Got it. I’m counting on you, Ringo."
For now, her main role seemed to be assigning tasks to Ringo, who was still struggling with apparent emotional instability. It was as if Ringo was experiencing something like amnesia—having gained emotional complexity with the brain unit, the AI’s feelings seemed almost out of control. In the real world, she’d expect Ringo to receive professional care, but since she was the only one here, she had to manage Ringo’s well-being herself.
(Although... I wouldn’t mind some care myself...)
Not that she had the luxury. If Ringo spiraled out of control, it could be catastrophic, and if it shut down mentally, her survival was at stake. She wasn’t confident she could survive on her own in such an empty place.
“Floor 16.”
“Moving to floor 16. Doors closing.”
The elevator responded instantly, suggesting a simple AI operated it. She doubted Ringo would need to handle minor tasks like this, though it probably could if necessary.
The ride was silent, and soon she arrived. The layout appeared identical across floors, with only the large number 16 distinguishing this one. She followed the corridor and found the kitchen.
(Just as I thought... completely empty.)
The kitchen had counters, sinks, heating stations, and a large fridge—but not a single cooking tool. Even if she managed to get ingredients, cooking here would be difficult... although an automated cooking unit was installed, at least.
(Well, at least I could cook something if I find edible ingredients...)
Whether it could handle unfamiliar ingredients was another question. Familiar ingredients would be a relief, but she had yet to find any supplies.
After wandering around the floor a bit more, finding only more empty rooms, she felt a chill and decided to return to the command room. She made her way to the elevator and headed back up, remembering something she had yet to check—the bathroom. She also needed to locate a shower.
(...Ah, just as I thought. No toilet paper...)
A minor but important concern, she sighed, disappointed but unsurprised. Thankfully, there was a bidet function, so it wasn’t a total loss. Considering the lack of food, she wouldn’t need it often, for now.
(I wonder if I could manufacture essentials like this... A universal printer would be nice, but it would need material cartridges. I doubt there’s any stock of those here, so producing them from scratch sounds... exhausting.)
The shower room seemed usable, but predictably lacked soap and towels. Having a bed in the command room now felt like a blessing. She’d have to reuse the blanket there for now.
(Come to think of it, if there’s a hostile civilization nearby, we’d be in trouble... We might need to send out recon drones or a high-altitude plane. A strategy meeting later sounds like a good idea.)
With that, she returned to the command room to update Ringo. Technically, she could communicate with Ringo from anywhere, but her gaming habits led her back to the integrated console for issuing commands.