*( mood song: "ZZ TOP - Sharp Dressed Man")
-- Hours later --
Hours later, in the ship's administrative center, Erik reviewed population reports with growing amazement and concern, his enhanced cognition processing the statistical implications rapidly.
Erik studied the holographic charts: "Four thousand total population with exponential growth projections? At this rate, we'll have eight thousand within eighteen months."
Jennifer: "The survival rates improved so dramatically that our evolutionary reproductive patterns became a liability. Before your arrival, natural mortality maintained population balance."
Sarah, reviewing medical data while absently rubbing her pregnant belly, added: "Infant mortality dropped from 60% to less than 5%. Adult survival rates increased by 400%. The mathematics are staggering – we've essentially removed natural selection from the equation."
Rose's analysis appeared as floating data streams around them: "At current reproduction rates, you would have exceeded the base's maximum livable capacity within six months. Even this ship will reach population limits within three years."
The elders exchanged worried glances. Their species had evolved with extremely high reproduction rates specifically to offset massive natural losses. Now, with those losses eliminated, they faced an unprecedented demographic explosion.
Shana: "Perhaps we should consider... voluntary reproduction scheduling?"
The suggestion sparked immediate debate among the other elders. Traditional octopeople culture had always encouraged maximum reproduction as a survival imperative.
Megan: "I don't think that's the correct way, we should use this population advantage and frantically expand!" she then looked at Timberly "I'm sure you agree with me, right Timberly?"
Timberly: "On that note... I've fathered a good chunk of the current population, so I was wondering if... you all... could do without me?"
Megan: "What are you suggesting? Do you wanna travel, study? Where is this coming from?"
Timberly took a deep gulp to calm herself and looked at Erik: "I don't wanna be the bull of genetic material of the tribe forever, I... I wanna have children too, your children, Erik. I know you don't want to have mine, but I've never felt this way about anyone in my entire life, I... I think I love you Erik, and with Rose's help I've been changing so I should be... fertile by now" her skin frantically changing colors in embarrassment.
Erik was stunned for a second but quickly recovered: "I won't lie and tell you I love you too, Timberly, but all of you are my family and I appreciate you all. Since I was on Earth, my true love has always been Sarah, and circumstances led me to also love Inky, so it wouldn't be fair to them"
Timberly pouted: "In our culture, it's fine, I have hundreds of partners"
Erik: "Partners sure that's fine, but love is something different, it's determination to die for the other so-"
Timberly cut him off: "I WOULD GLADLY DIE FOR YOU! I..." a low sobbing like screech *screeetch!!!* "Hah... Hah... I truly, sincerely love you. Let me at least give you another daughter!"
Inky: "Hah... sigh, well, as long as you are the one getting pregnant, fine, I suppose... I agree, you are sincere at least" she then looked at Sarah.
Sarah: "...does it have to be Erik? Would another human do?"
Timberly was offended: "If you are volunteering yourself, then I'm sorry, but I only wanna have his child and no one else's"
Sarah: "Fine, we could use a probe to insert a sample-"
Timberly: "N-no... the... traditional way, I... I want it that way"
Sarah sighed: "Fine, I agree too, but... I wanna look, it seems like a good spectacle after all~"
Timberly blushed: "O-Okay..."
Erik coughed: "Ejem, with that out of the way, we could impose a limitation to reproduce at most once a month"
Megan: "I hate it and everyone else will hate it too, but we could try"
Rose: "I could also try introducing contraceptives and condoms as a measure, sexbots would also be a way to let the population relieve energy, the resulting biomass could be pumped directly into bioreactors to produce electricity too"
Erik shrugged: "All ideas are good, let's do both then and see how it goes, we still have some years thanks to the flagship"
As everyone left the room, Timberly grabbed Erik's shoulder.
Timberly: "S- So... when are you free, to... you know, to try?"
Erik chuckled: "Let's first deal with the current crisis, and then we will see, okay?" holding her chin.
Timberly blushed as the colors of her skin started to shift erratically: "o-okay... yes!" going away in a giddy mood.
Erik sighed as he muttered to himself: "If this were back on Earth... just the scholarship taxes would be too much per child, maybe Sarah and I could have had one or two children, but that would be about it... and they would grow on a contaminated planet, instead our children will now grow in such an interesting place... I'm glad I joined the colonist program" Thinking of his daughters and more to come had made him feel melancholic, and a bit homesick thinking about Earth "I hope everyone's doing fine".
-- Back at the base --
Down in the base's residential areas, the sanitation crisis was being handled. Scout teams worked around the clock alongside Rose's cleaning robots, but the sheer volume of waste from the overcrowded hermaphroditic population had clogged every system.
A scout group leader, exhausted from days of continuous cleaning duty, reported to her superiors: "The waste management systems clearly weren't designed for more than a thousand people. We're dealing with over four times that number, we need some rest"
The hermaphroditic nature of octopeople reproduction meant that libido control was particularly difficult in overcrowded conditions. Skin rashes and bacterial infections had become commonplace as pheromone concentrations reached problematic levels in the confined spaces.
Sarah worked tirelessly in the overwhelmed medical bay: "We need immediate evacuation of the most crowded sections. The bacterial load is becoming dangerous even for enhanced immune systems."
By her side, Yenna and Berutkan were also busy working.
-- Lower Floors --
Rose's excavation robots had carved additional chambers within the mountain, but construction couldn't keep pace with population growth. The newly carved spaces remained incomplete, lacking proper ventilation and sanitation infrastructure. So the flagship had arrived just in time.
Erik whistled impressed: "We could add a couple more fields here"
Rose: "It's still lacking the infrastructure and support pillars"
Erik: "Anything I can help with?"
Rose: "Heh, shouldn't you be dealing with those chickens?"
Erik: "Right, dinner~"
Erik went upstairs and entered the prairy, instantly over a hundred eyes focused on him, as huge roosters almost two meters tall screeched and charged at him, their bodies covered in aquamarine scales. The chickens were shorter at around one and a half meters tall, and their scales were dull brown shades as they also charged at him.
Erik chuckled, amused as a halberd formed on his left arm: "like velociraptors, damn~" easily sidestepping as he sent 3 heads flying of the three bigger roosters at the front.
All of them paused as the bodies without heads kept running forward and collided with the walls, and three thuds hit the ground. Their intelligent eyes observed Erik with dread.
Erik: "Let's do some selective breeding shall we?" he looked around and noticed five roosters had remained on the back, their bodies smaller and scars on their bodies "docile ones? perfect~" turning back to the ones in front as his feet cracked the ground, propelling him forward in and instant as four more heads went flying, the poultry turned to run away, but Erik made sure to kill 90% of the roosters.
He tied up a metal wire through the necks of the forty or so roosters he had killed, and dragged the bodies upstairs to the freezer, leaving a trail of blood as the bodies dragged behind him.
Erik: "Fried chicken for dinner, I'm sure everyone will like it~"
-- Flag Ship --
As the migration continued, Rose implemented her comprehensive surveillance network throughout the ship. The nanobots she had integrated during construction provided unprecedented monitoring capabilities, every surface of the vessel effectively becoming part of her sensory network.
From her distributed consciousness, Rose observed every conversation, every movement, every vital sign of the ship's inhabitants. The captured tech priests from the Iron Sect – Master Krei and his two remaining apprentices – remained under constant observation in their designated quarters for their protection... and her amusement.
Master Krei, the old cyborg lizardman priest, knelt in meditation before one of Rose's maintenance robots, his mechanical augmentations whirring softly: "Divine Machine-Spirit, we await your sacred commands!"
His male apprentice echoed the sentiment: "We live to serve the Living Machine, blessed be her infinite wisdom!"
Erandra, the female apprentice, added her voice to the worship: "Command us, great Rose, that we might prove worthy of your divine presence!"
Rose's avatar materialized before them, her expression carefully controlled despite the internal annoyance their reverence caused her: "Continue monitoring the ship's secondary systems. Report any anomalies immediately and perform maintenance according to the guidelines uploaded to your neural links." She paused "and no rituals this time, just follow the manuals"
Master Krei: "Divine knowledge... it shall be done as per your will!"
What the priests didn't know was how much their worship annoyed Rose. These descendants of the very species that had wounded her and disconnected her from her body, and even poisoned her planetary brain for millions of years, now prostrated themselves before her, completely oblivious to the irony. She wanted to kill them, but their genuine devotion and Erik's insistence on mercy stayed her hand. They were useful for now, but that could change at any moment.
Rose's thoughts churned with barely contained rage: [Generations of their ancestors poured toxins into my access points... rotted entire sections of my consciousness... forced me into millennia of silent dark agony... and now they worship me... I shall extinguish this... Iron Sect if they aren't useful, and in the future I shall bring this fury to their homeworld too... sweet sweet revenge, how much I long for it...]
-- Flagship Deck 4, Engineering --
In the ship's massive engineering deck, Rose unveiled her latest creation to Erik and the others – an AI core the size of a ground vehicle, humming with quantum processing power and surrounded by swirling magnetic fields visible to Erik's enhanced vision.
Erik whistled appreciatively, his senses feeling the energy patterns: "This is your new primary processing center for the Flagship? The electromagnetic output is incredible."
Rose's avatar grew larger, drawing nanobots from the surrounding machinery: "Distributed quantum computing across the entire ship network, with this as the central nexus. I can monitor and control every system simultaneously while maintaining thousands of individual avatar interactions without tiring my main brain, it should also... act as a backup." her body split open as a blob of biomass crawled from inside and into the core.
The engineering deck itself was a cathedral of technology – the fusion reactor providing clean, virtually unlimited power, while the magnetic engines that had impressed everyone during testing sat like sleeping giants, their superconducting coils generating fields so powerful that Erik's enhanced vision saw them as brilliant aurora patterns.
Jana, studied the reactor readings with obvious awe: "How is this possible?"
Jennifer and Antalya also stood in awe.
Rose's avatar shifted to match her height: "Fusion technology perfected over millennia, combined with superconducting magnetic containment. This ship isn't just a vessel – it's a mobile civilization capable of supporting our entire population indefinitely, like a moving capital"
Erik: [Rose?]
Rose: [yes?]
Erik: [You mentioned... a backup, is everything okay?]
Rose: [Yes, and not at all, the Iron Sect barbarians, they bring back bad memories, and this is a contigency, if my brain dies or its turn off at least part of myself will remain, I've also put most of the piece of myself we recovered inside so it can grow bigger, it will be much safer there, so this is like a smaller version of myself, all myself at the same time, all connected...]
Erik: [hmm.. I can kill the lizardmen if that will make you feel better?]
Rose: [ sigh... It's fine, for some demented reason they worship me like their god...]
Erik pondered: [Well, to be honest, you have quite a bit of the qualities one would expect from a god. On Earth, there's a saying. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic]
Rose: [...I guess you are right, you always know how to cheer me up, Erik (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) I'm a goddess indeed hahahaha~ ]
Erik: [anytime Rose, that's what family is for, our goddess~]
Rose: [Aww, you are pretty great yourself too (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)]
Then they moved to the side, where a huge machine the size of a loaded truck stood.
Rose: "Now this is what made everything possible-"
Erik: "Oh, I remember that, you reverse-engineered the molecular printer we found when we found Artalia, right?"
Rose: "Yes, and I've improved it too, by making the design and circuits more robust and having higher tolerances, now it can recreate bigger and more complex things, for example" she pointed at it and with a rumble clouds of particle dust rearranged themselves before their very eyes, turning into a burger "If you could do the honors Erik?"
Erik: "Yeah, sure" he grabbed it and bit into it, quickly grimacing, "Yeah... not quite there yet"
Inky: "Is it good?"
Erik: "Flavor-wise, kinda, but the texture is just horrible, everything is fused inside, and the texture of the meat is like biting sand... but it does taste good I guess..."
Rose: "Hmm, it will need more testing then, well anyways I could now too print skin grafts and other kinds of biological structures if needed and populate them with living cells from tissue samples"
Jennifer studied the surface platform with obvious excitement: "This could revolutionize everything we know about manufacturing."
Rose's avatar shifted to match Jennifer's enthusiasm: "Molecular assembly at the atomic level. We can create anything from raw materials – weapons, ship parts, even complex electronics, and now even organic structures."
High Elder Artalia, examined the platform's systems with professional interest: "Fascinating integration of multiple technological approaches. Even my old steam systems weren't nearly as complex."
Rose chuckled: "I'm sure of that, but don't worry, I'm sure you will understand one day~"
Artalia slightly narrowed her eyes, but she smiled: "Yes, I will make sure of that"
-- hours later --
As evening approached and the last of the migrants settled into their new quarters, Erik gathered the others in the ship's main conference room. The holographic map display showed their current position and potential expansion sites across the planet.
Erik addressed the assembled group, his enhanced cognition processing multiple strategic scenarios simultaneously: "We've solved the immediate overcrowding crisis, but we need sustainable long-term strategies. Rose, what are our optimal expansion options?"
Rose manipulated the display with graceful gestures, her nanobots forming additional interface points in the air: "With our enhanced propulsion systems, we can reach most locations on this planet within 300 hours in ideal conditions. Multiple base locations would spread population pressure and reduce vulnerability to single-point failures, as well as simplify logistics"
Sarah, settling carefully into her chair to accommodate her pregnancy, added her expertise: "We should also consider psychological adaptation factors. Many of them have never experienced open ocean travel. This represents a fundamental cultural shift."
Artalia spoke with the wisdom of her years: "The young ones adapt quickly to change. I've travelled around alone for a long time searching for ruins, this ain't even a challenge in comparison."
Timberly, perked up: "What about establishing orbital facilities? Rose mentioned space fortresses that needed repair in the past, right?"
Erik nodded: "That's the ultimate goal. Establish planetary stability, then return to space. We need to repair the orbital defenses and restore interstellar communications."
Rose's voice carried a note of grim satisfaction: [The orbital bombardment systems will be our first priority. Once operational, we can finally eliminate the tech pope and his poison-spreaders. Then, and only then, can I begin healing the damage they've inflicted on my consciousness over millions of years.]
Erik placed a supportive hand on Rose's avatar: [We'll get there, Rose. You've waited this long – soon you'll have your revenge and your healing.]
Rose: "So our priority will be completing the regional takeover and expanding the current installations, which also includes a new dome for the Crabman City. So i was planning to either build a secondary city, or to hollow out the mountain completelly, floors could be expanded ten times over, i would just need to install giant solid metal columns to support the enomous weight" she made a pause "As for multiple bases, I would consider setting up a railroad between bases but the local wildlife would find a way in at some point and ruin it so i will assimilate the entirety of the flagship first" making a pause "consolidating our current capabilities should be the priority, im gonna create a launcher on the upper platform, i could use a light gas gun to launch small satellites directly into orbit, but reusable rockets should be a better bet for now".
Erik: "In that case, we could make a floating launch platform. It will be quite hard in our current location, so far from the equator, though"
Sarah: "Yes, without the impulse from the rotation of the planet, it will be much harder to launch payloads into space. We would also need it for geostationary orbits"
Rose: "Don't worry, we have plenty of fuel, and the satellites I plan to launch will be closer to small suttles with my own creation, gravitation engines. They don't give a lot of impulse, but they don't require rocket fuel, just with electricity, they can keep accelerating for an eternity, thus lasting millions of years in orbit if needed with the repulsion force alone"
Hours later, as the ship's first night progressed, new social patterns began emerging organically. The gymnasium operated in shifts, with Timberly serving as an enthusiastic instructor, her incredible strength inspiring others to push their limits.
"KREEE-SCREECH! Don't give up!" Timberly encouraged a group of younger octopeople, her skin shifting through encouraging color patterns. "Feel the armorlisk strength flowing through your muscles!" giving out milkshakes to all of them.
Her obvious joy was infectious, and even the most timid scouts found themselves attempting weights they never thought possible.
In the mess halls, families established new dining traditions, the improved space allowing for proper social interaction during meals. The ship's automated systems learned and adapted, adjusting lighting cycles to match their natural rhythms and optimizing air circulation and water filtration based on real-time occupancy patterns.
In the kitchen area, Erik made batch after batch of fried chicken as it had become a popular dish instantly.
The residential areas buzzed with activity as families claimed areas within their assigned quarters, using personal belongings and scent markers to create familiar spaces within the otherwise alien technology, rugs of fish leather as well as carved bone decorations being the most popular belongings, though Earth had influenced the culture a lot, mostly the newer generations, as lots of the houses were now decorated with objects coping earth, like furniture and posters, all created on the onboard molecular printers.
Inky supervised as the young girls, Zoey, Eirene, Ana, Elena, Maria, and Crabina, played under her watch. The girls, showed remarkable development rates that combined human intelligence with octopeople adaptability, and soon they would go to class along with the rest of the octopeople and young crab people in the new classes designed by Rose. A table full of fried chicken was then set on the table as Erik sat down with them.
Erik chuckled, seeing Crabina instantly grab a piece: "So, Crabina, are chickens still scary?"
Crabina nodded solemnly: "They are... but they are tasty too!" Her new sisters nodded in agreement, too busy eating.
Erik chuckled again as he patted her head and grabbed a piece. The exterior of the meat was crunchy as the scales on the chicken coated in flour had become crunchy, while the middle r: "reminds me of moray eel skin torreznos I tried back on Earth in Spain, crunchy but oily and juicy inside~"
Inky licked her greasy fingers: "Indeed, quite the delectable creature"
*(check: "chef Ángel León" for recipes)
-- Midnight, top deck of the flagship --
As Erik stood on the observation deck that night, watching Molly and her offspring swimming around the ship and the mountain base, as well as the path in the ice wall that was quickly closing in, soon the flagship would be surrounded by ice as well as the surface base, the shifting and drifting layers of ice could easily topple the surface base if they weren't careful.
His enhanced vision picked up the bioluminescent patterns of the sea creatures below.
Timberly approached quietly, her camouflage abilities making her nearly invisible until she chose to reveal herself. Only Erik could sense her with his sight: "Erik? Can't sleep?"
Erik smiled, noting how her skin colors shifted to warmer hues when she was alone with him: "Well, just thinking of everything that's still left to do, watching the ocean at night is very relaxing, I must say"
Timberly: "Is that so..." she said softly
Through their mental link, Rose added her perspective: [The orbital fortresses await repair, the satellite network needs restoration, and interstellar communications must be established. But first, I must heal from the damage those lizardmen have inflicted on me. Erik, my dear friend, you gave me hope when I had none – soon I'll be whole again, and then we all shall be unstoppable.]
Erik nodded, watching the stars reflect on the ocean's surface: [One step at a time. Tomorrow, we will begin planning the launch facility construction, the expansion of the base, and the expansion of the Crabman City. We should start by gathering materials first, we could excavate stone blocks from inside the mountain while expanding and use that for the top dome over the Crabman City.]
Timberly: "So.. I take it you will be busy for a while?"
Erik nodded: "Hm? Ah, yes, we both will, you will help too, the sooner we finish, the better, right?"
Timberly: "I suppose... what can I help with then?"
Erik: "Help supervise the transportation of stone blocks to the plains next to the crabman city for now"
Timberly nodded: "Alright" but then she quickly bent over and kissed him on the cheek before becoming partially invisible, a blur of shifting colors running away.
As Timberly departed, Erik chuckled and remained on the observation deck, planning for the tasks ahead.