LITMIR.BIZ

      Without waiting for the audience’s reaction, he looked around and said in a perplexed tone “I just don’t remember the author of these lines. It’s either our esteemed commander, or Hermes Trismegistus himself.”

      Looking somewhat blankly at the isomorph, Raju mumbled “Flop, you must have found it in the file “Private”, while delving through my personal archives. Is there any corner in this spacecraft you haven’t poked your nose into? But whatever. If you have acquired an isomorph, you’ve got to put up with that. Well, Flop, it didn’t take you long to get to my records and collection! And how did you find them?”

      “I didn’t search for anything. That’s how it happened. According to the instruction, I was on a duty flight along the ship, keeping a close watch on everything and prying into every corner, when I found out that the commander’s room remained unchecked.

      As I got inside, I immediately set about checking that everything was in order, peeking into every corner, until I came across the only personal thing belonging to the commander. It was a box made manually of authentic rare wood according to ancient technology. Any sentient being, on seeing such a box, would feel like opening it. Therefore, it was almost impossible for me to merely put the box back without looking inside.

      And inside there was a memory crystal, almost unprotected against scanning. Of course, I just had to take a peek into it out of scientific curiosity.

      Aside personal materials and records of our commander which I took no notice at, there was the collection itself. Can you imagine my joy? Now that I got an opportunity, after a difficult and sometimes dangerous watch on the bridge, to retire into my tiny corner and enjoy the projection of anime art masterpieces. Believe me, it’s incredibly boring to live attached to a bulkhead or illuminator if you are not a chewing gum.

      Now that I can watch anime I am happy with my life and stay in full harmony with my alter ego. Both of you see your Cyborg Dreams after watch duty, don’t you? Why don’t you tell me just once what’s going on there?”

      Oma was taken aback by the isomorph’s inartificial behavior. Raju was looking at them both with a smile.

      “Flop, how did the cabin of the captain’s second mate come to be your “tiny corner”? Besides, you turned it into a warehouse and a workshop. I saw with my own eyes some small electronic beings ceaselessly scurrying from the cabin that you had occupied and running along the whole ship,” at these words Flop became rather nervous. He slowly flew up to the wall and made an attempt to fade into it.

      And what are you cyber cockroaches are doing?” Raju asked, looking perplexedly around to spot the isomorph.

      “Let me explain everything!” Flop got unstuck from the wall and appeared in front of the commander’s face.

      “I’ll begin with the cabin: upon logical reflection, I realized that the position of captain’s second mate remained vacant and, therefore, I decided to take it together with the cabin which I am entitled to by virtue of this post. In fact, it’s a little massy now, but thing is, our ship-based warehouse became too small for me and so I relocated some of my developments to my new cabin.”

      “What sort of developments?” the captain’s voice sounded rather surprised than angry.

      “What developments? Technical, intellectual ones, in the first place. I have designed small cyber assistants to conduct control over all systems of the spacecraft. And mind you, they are not scurrying, as you’ve put it, but doing their watch and each of them has an assignment.”

      “Aria,” Raju turned to the cruiser’s AI with barely repressed laughter, “What do you think about these cockroaches?”

      “I am in favor of Flop’s initiative. There are plenty of places uncovered by my sensors,” replied the spacecraft’s AI and ironic notes were heard in her voice.

      “Commander, can I come up with a new initiative?” Flop turned to Raju and stared at him, “Why don’t we together watch some interesting ancient movie form the collection! And another suggestion: let’s project the movie not inside the crew cabin but directly in front of the spacecraft with the largest possible screen size!

      Perplexed by the scale of isomorph’s idea, the captain at first didn’t know what to say, and while he was groping for words, Oma exclaimed:

      “Commander!”

      All of a sudden, a hologram appeared in front of her.

      “I’ve got a signal from one of our “Hanumans”. Looks like we are not alone here.”