Click. Hiss.
The sound startled me out of my weirdly calm state. The metal restraints holding me snapped open, falling away to the sides. Another hiss, and the section of the hull above me, the V-shaped window I'd been staring through, swung outwards like a heavy door, stopping perpendicular to the floor I was sitting on. Freedom? Just like that?
Hesitantly, I unbuckled the remaining straps around my waist and legs. My muscles felt stiff, protesting the sudden movement after being held still for… who knows how long? I swung my legs over the side of the raised platform I'd been strapped to and dropped the short distance to the floor of the shuttle. It tilted slightly under my weight. Right, crash landing.
The open doorway revealed the sky above – a pale, unfamiliar blue – and the edge of the crater this thing had carved out. Taking a deep breath, I stepped towards the opening and carefully climbed out.
My boots crunched on… shards. Black, glassy, sharp fragments covering the ground immediately around the shuttle. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and burnt… something. Grass? Looking around, the ground was blackened and charred in a wide circle, still smoking in places. Further out, maybe fifty yards away, flames still licked at shattered trees and scorched earth. It was a mess.
But beyond the ring of destruction… it was green. Surprisingly, vividly green. Rolling hills covered in tall, swaying grass, strange-looking trees with broad, purple leaves clustered in groves. It looked… peaceful. Almost like Earth. Wait. Was this Earth? Did they just crash me somewhere remote? No, the AI voice, My stomach twisted. Not Earth. Definitely not Earth.
Just as that thought solidified, the smooth AI voice echoed in my head again, seemingly coming from the shuttle behind me. Underneath the platform where you were restrained, there is a compartment. Open it.
I froze, turning back to look at the wrecked shuttle. "How do I know I can trust you?" I muttered, half expecting it not to hear, but knowing it probably could. "How do I know this isn't some trap? Maybe that box blows up?" My voice trembled slightly. Paranoia felt like a sensible reaction right now.
My function is to serve as your temporary guide for survival during this experiment, the AI replied, its tone unchanging. Providing you with essential equipment aligns with that function. Self-destruction would be counter-intuitive to the experiment's parameters.
Well, that sounded… logical. Coldly logical. And honestly, what choice did I have? Stuck on an alien planet after surviving a crash landing orchestrated by mysterious entities… a potentially explosive box seemed like the least of my worries. "Okay, fine," I sighed, climbing back into the tilted shuttle.
I found the compartment easily enough, a panel under the restraint platform. It slid open smoothly, revealing a sturdy-looking grey metal box nestled inside. I gripped the handle. It didn't budge. I pulled harder, bracing my feet. It slid an inch, scraping against the compartment floor. "Jeez! What's in this thing, rocks?" I grunted, putting my whole body into it. "This thing's heavy as a mini-car!"
With a final heave, I managed to drag the box out of the compartment, right to the edge of the shuttle's open doorway. But now what? The doorway faced the sky. The box was easily a couple hundred pounds, maybe more. There was no way I could lift it up and out. I wasn't exactly Mr. Universe to begin with, and the crash hadn't helped.
Your physical limitations are noted, the AI stated flatly. No sympathy, just observation. It almost felt like an insult. Cease inefficient physical exertion. Open the container.
"Just open it? Here?" I asked, panting slightly.
Affirmative.
Fine. Whatever. There were latches on the side. I flipped them open, and the lid hissed slightly as it released. I lifted it up. Inside, nestled in soft padding, was… a cube. Made of glass? It was maybe a foot on each side, perfectly clear, translucent. Light shone right through it. Weirdly, the space inside the cube seemed… shimmery? Like heat haze. Curiosity overriding caution for a second, I reached out and poked it. My fingers went… right through the surface? It felt like dipping my hand into cool, thick air. No resistance, just a strange tingle. Whoa. "What is this?"
That device is your primary tool, provided by the Federation, the AI explained. It is an Atomic Printer.
"Atomic… Printer?" I pulled my hand back, flexing my fingers. They felt fine. "Like, it prints atoms?"
Correct. It manipulates matter at the atomic scale to construct objects according to designated schematics.
"Okay… so how am I supposed to use it? Do I need paper? Ink?" The idea was insane. Printing things from atoms?
Resource input is required for product output, the AI said, sounding almost patient, like explaining to a child. Think of your historical printing devices. You input ink and paper, you received a document. This requires raw material resources as input.
My eyes widened. "So… it's like a tiny factory? It can make… anything?"
It is a versatile molecular forge, yes. This model is a Smart Atomic Printer. It requires resources and your command input. To provide resources, simply ensure the desired raw material makes contact with the printer's exterior field.
"Wait," I frowned, looking at my hand, then back at the cube. "I just put my hand in it. Why didn't it take my hand apart for resources?"
The Atomic Printer functions only upon your specific command input.
My command… Only my command? A sudden chill went down my spine, colder than the weird field inside the cube. If it only listens to me… does that mean there are other things on this planet? Other… intelligences? Things it shouldn't listen to?