Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Cleo's voice was sharp and urgent as she started running. "The engines are down, and the cruiser is falling into the wormhole wall. According to my calculations, we have 30 imperial minutes before the ship collapses and ceases to exist."

Ys let out a low whistle, casually floating alongside Cleo as she ran. "Well, that's not terrifying or anything."

"Talk while we move," Cleo said, her wings glowing faintly as she picked up speed. "If Carlos is alive, we'll find him. But first, we need to get off this ship."

Meanwhile, Minutes Before the Explosion.

Rex had finally arrived at the engine bay, his glowing eyes scanning the dim, debris-filled corridor. The massive reinforced metallic door that led to the room was completely destroyed, torn apart as though a powerful force had ripped through it.

Rex stopped just outside the entrance, his plasma shield humming faintly. His free hand reached up to tap the small holographic projection on his forearm. "Mini Cleo, do you detect any life signs inside?"

Mini Cleo, sitting cross-legged on his shoulder, frowned as she checked the readouts. A small holo-screen appeared above her, filled with glitching data. "I can't scan the room, Master. There's a jamming system in place; it's blocking all sensors. Definitely not standard cruiser tech."

Rex sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "A jamming system, huh? That's not good." He glanced at the torn door again, his grip tightening on the plasma sword in his hand. "Well, there's only one way to find out what's inside."

Mini Cleo saluted playfully. "Be careful, Master! I'll keep an eye on the rear!"

Rex stepped forward cautiously, his glowing eyes switching between night vision and thermal as he crossed the threshold into the engine room. The air inside felt... wrong. Heavy.

The engine bay was massive, with towering machinery and massive turbines lining the walls. Sparks flickered from damaged conduits, and pools of black, tar-like liquid coated the floor.

"That's not oil," Rex muttered, kneeling to inspect the strange liquid. It smelled rancid, almost like decayed organic matter.

As he stood, he noticed faint claw marks gouged into the metal walls. His eyes followed the marks upward, leading to a large vent that had been torn open.

"Great," he muttered. "Just what I needed, more things crawling around in the dark."

Mini Cleo's voice crackled in his ear. "Master, I'm detecting movement behind you!"

Rex spun around, his plasma sword flaring to life just as a figure lunged out of the shadows.

It was one of the humanoid spider creatures, its jagged limbs glinting in the dim light as it pounced toward him. Rex moved swiftly, slashing downward with his plasma blade and cutting the creature clean in half.

The two halves of the creature hit the ground with a wet splat, but Rex barely had time to breathe before more movement appeared in his peripheral vision.

"Here we go," he muttered, his eyes glowing brighter as he prepared for the fight.

"Mini Cleo, keep scanning the area and stay alert. I don't want some horror cliché where a monster jumps out of the shadows and tries to surprise me," Rex muttered, gripping his plasma sword tightly.

"Understood, Master! I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious," Mini Cleo chirped cheerfully, floating beside him like an adorable, slightly chaotic pixie.

Rex reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a compact laser gun he had crafted earlier. Normally, he would decraft weapons he wasn't using to save resources, but for situations like this, it paid to have something extra on hand.

Now armed with his plasma sword in his left hand and the laser pistol in his right, Rex took a step forward, his eyes scanning the dim, debris-filled engine room. The faint, oily stench of burnt machinery and rotting organic matter filled the air.

"Alright, come on, you ugly bastards," Rex growled. "I don't have all day."

A creature scuttled out from behind one of the massive engine turbines, its jagged limbs clicking against the floor as it moved. Rex didn't hesitate, raising his pistol and firing.

The bright red beam of the laser gun struck the creature squarely in the forehead. Its head snapped back, now with a smoking hole left in its place while it collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"Headshot!" Mini Cleo cheered, doing a tiny victory dance in the air.

"Thanks for the targeting assist, Mini Cleo," Rex said, keeping his pistol aimed forward.

Another creature lunged at him from the shadows, its bone-like limbs swinging wildly. Rex sidestepped the attack with ease, slicing through one of its legs with his plasma sword. The severed limb clattered to the floor, black sludge pouring out of the wound.

"Next," Rex muttered, spinning on his heel to face two more creatures rushing toward him. He fired his pistol at one, the beam piercing its chest and sending it tumbling back. The other swung its clawed arm, aiming for Rex's head, but he dove under the attack and drove his plasma sword upward into its jaw.

The fight continued for less than two minutes, with Rex weaving between attacks and dispatching the creatures efficiently. By the time it was over, the engine room was littered with mutilated bodies.

The black, mud-like blood of the creatures coated the floor, and a faint sizzling sound filled the air where the plasma sword's heat had cauterized their wounds.

"Is there anything else nearby?" Rex asked, pulling his plasma sword free from the skull of the last creature.

Mini Cleo scanned the room, her tiny holographic screen flickering as she processed the data. Her cheerful demeanor dimmed slightly. "I… I don't know, Master. The jamming field here is too strong. It's beyond my capabilities to penetrate. Only the Original Cleo could break through it."

Rex sighed, wiping some of the black residue off his sword before turning his gaze to Mini Cleo. "Hey, don't feel bad about it," he said, giving her a gentle pat on the head with his finger. "You're doing great, alright? This is out of your control."

Mini Cleo's tiny face brightened, and she saluted him with a big grin. "Thank you, Master! I'll keep doing my best!"

Rex chuckled softly, then turned his attention back to the engine room. He scanned the walls and machinery, his enhanced vision highlighting anything out of place. That's when he noticed it, a section of the wall that was slightly sunken compared to the rest.

"Wait a second," Rex muttered, stepping closer. "Mini Cleo, what do you think? That looks like a secret compartment."

Mini Cleo floated over to the wall, her tiny legs dangling as she leaned forward to inspect it. "Hmm... according to the data the original sent me, this part of the cruiser is supposed to be completely empty, just the hull and structural supports."

She tilted her head, her glowing eyes narrowing. "But this... this definitely doesn't look normal."

Rex frowned, crossing his arms as he considered the situation. "So, what do you think? Does this thing lead to some hidden treasure, or is it a trap that'll launch me into the void and make me scream like a little kid while suffering from terrible pain while being torn apart by the wormhole?"

Mini Cleo giggled. "Hard to say! But I don't detect anything dangerous from here... probably!" She floated closer to the slight gap in the wall, peering inside with her holographic scanner. "Nope, I can't see much. It's too narrow."

Rex sighed and rolled his shoulders. "Well, no point in just standing here. Let's see what's behind Door Number One."

He crafted a crowbar, the metallic tool forming seamlessly in his hands. Gripping it tightly, he jammed it into the small gap in the wall and began pulling with all his strength.

"Go, Master! You've got this! Push harder! Almost there!" Mini Cleo cheered, bouncing up and down on the crowbar like a tiny cheerleader.

Rex's face turned red with effort as he strained against the wall. "Almost there, huh? You sure about that, Mini Cleo!?"

Mini Cleo blinked, tilting her head. "Hmm, let me check!" She floated down to the gap and pulled out a tiny holographic ruler, measuring the distance the wall had moved. After a few moments, she floated back to Rex with an innocent smile.

"Master… um… it hasn't moved. At all!"

Rex froze, his muscles still straining as he processed what she'd just said. "Wait… what?"

Mini Cleo gave him a sheepish grin, her tiny hands fidgeting nervously. "Yeah! I just measured it. The wall hasn't budged even a little bit!"

Rex let out an exasperated groan, dropping the crowbar and leaning against the wall. "You could've told me that before I nearly dislocated my shoulder."

Mini Cleo giggled, floating around him playfully. "But you looked so determined, Master! I didn't want to ruin your heroic moment!"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Rex sighed, shaking his head. "You're lucky you're cute," he muttered before picking up the crowbar again.

"Okay, new plan," Rex said, adjusting his grip on the tool. "Let's try this one more time, but this time, give me a countdown or something. I need all the mental support I can get."

"Yes, Master! I'll count down for you!" Mini Cleo said, raising her tiny fist in excitement.

As Rex prepared to try again, the faint sound of something metallic clicking echoed through the engine room. He frozen, his eyes narrowing.

"Mini Cleo," Rex said quietly, his voice tense. "Did you hear that?"

Mini Cleo's playful demeanor immediately shifted, her tiny scanner flaring to life. "Yes, Master. It's coming from behind you."

Rex gripped the crowbar in one hand and his plasma sword in the other, slowly turning to face the source of the sound.