"Alright Mr. Cross." The woman across from Ethan seductively crossed her legs. "Let's start with an easy one. What made you choose to become an exocolonist?"
"That is an easy one. To explore the vast cosmos and see the untamed galaxy with my own eyes." Ethan flashed a practiced smile. "Of course, making a small fortune in the process is a plus."
The recruiter laughed, creating a sound like windchimes gently colliding.
"Don't worry Mr. Cross, not only will you get a chance to see the universe up close, but you'll be well compensated once you reconnect with the Federation."
She was absolutely gorgeous by Astranthi standards, and most members of the Federation would go crazy with desire being in such close proximity to such a beauty. A tactic used to lower their target's guard.
Not that it worked on Ethan. He still wasn't used to the aesthetics, and even if she was somewhat pleasing to look at, he would hardly call her beautiful. That said, they didn't need to trick him. He had no place in this society, so leaving was his only option.
"Alright then, next question. Why Artemis Ascension Group?"
Ethan couldn't help but marvel at the accuracy of the Federation's translation software after quickly checking the logs. The software had nailed the translation of "hunter moon goddess". It was eerie how easily it pulled the context straight out of his memories even though he was the only human in the Federation.
"Because I feel like the values of the Artemis Group align with my own." Ethan lied. "The dedication to exploring the cosmos is admirable, and considering your company is one of the top five when it comes to new acquisitions each century there was really no other option in my mind."
Even if he wasn't as skilled in flattery as Federation natives, his decades in a dying industry hadn't been for nothing.
"It's wonderful that you feel so strongly about it!" The representative's iridescent skin shimmered as she talked. "I think you've got exactly what it takes to succeed in this industry."
It was a bit of a funny charade the two of them were engaging in. Although the company said this was a hiring interview, they never had any intention of rejecting him. Otherwise why would the interview be held in a private shuttle on-route to the Artemis Groups' Exocolonist Division Headquarters.
"Now, I just want to check to make sure," The recruiter's vibe shifted slightly. "Are you aware of the unique requirements for this position?"
"I'm familiar with the procedure." Ethan affirmed. "The loss of my body isn't a concern for me."
"How bold! I like it." Her forehead band pulsed faintly blue, something Ethan's translator software alerted him as being the equivalent of a blush.
Hearing that Ethan had to suppress a snort. Who didn't know that the Astranthi were capable of faking things like that? They must really be desperate to find people willing to become exocolonists for them after last year's incident. No wonder they were lobbying to expand the list of crimes for which one could be pressed as an exocolonist to include misdemeanors.
"In that case let's go ahead and sign the contract, would you like to review it first?"
The recruiter seemed a lot calmer now that the biggest hurdle had been cleared as she opened a content pane in the air and pushed the hologram towards Ethan. The text quickly rearranged itself into English, allowing Ethan to read the title: Basic Exploration Agreement.
The contract was more or less identical to what he'd seen online. In exchange for his help in colonizing a new galaxy, the Artemis Group would sponsor him with both personal assets and technological assistance. If he were to survive the process and become a member of the group that constructs a galaxy gate around the black hole in the center, he would be richly rewarded and his shares in the new galaxy would go to the Artemis Group.
As for the specific support he would receive, it consisted of ships, materials, and industrial machines. In addition to an Oikoumene-class logistics vessel which could be converted into a star base, he was given three Secutor-class frigates. As for the materials, it was thousands of tons of valuable refined metals and rare resources along with an autofactory that could process them into all manner of useful things.
"Were you looking to sign a higher level contract?" The recruiter asked when she saw him hesitating.
"Actually, I was hoping you would take off the identity theft insurance." Ethan said, pointing towards a clause near the bottom of the contract. "I can't afford any paid upgrades."
"You don't have a sponsor?" The recruiter failed to hide her shock. "Even so, we highly recommend that you purchase the identity theft insurance, otherwise incidents like-"
"I've seen the news." Ethan said, cutting her off. "I simply can't afford it and am unable to take out a loan due to personal reasons. I hope you can understand."
"If that's the case then we can absolutely make that change."
The recruiter flicked one of her six long fingers, causing the contract to shift, removing the insurance. Reading through it one more time, Ethan signed using his mental imprint. He was now officially an exocolonist.
"Thank you so much Mr. Cross." The recruiter's smile finally reached her eyes. Or at least that's how it seemed to Ethan. Without pupils it was hard to tell. "I know you've probably already done your own research, but I'm going to provide a brief overview of your responsibilities henceforth."
Ethan nodded for her to continue.
"Once you've undergone the exocolonist operation, we'll transmit you to our Universe Gate in cluster 441. We've already selected a colonization target, but until the exocolonist list is finalized you'll be dormant. Once everything is ready, you'll be reactivated and sent through the gate." The recruiter pushed several digital pamphlets towards Ethan as she talked.
He swiped at one of the pamphlets, titled "Advanced Indigenous Civilization Policy", opening it.
"Although we still aren't able to precisely aim a Universe Gate, there have been a lot of advances in the last century allowing us to guarantee that you'll land in a system. No need to worry about being dropped into interstellar space and taking a few decades to reach your first system."
Only half paying attention to her, Ethan perused the pamphlet. In the event you encounter an indigenous civilization of Tier III or above at your drop point, exocolonists are permitted to engage in limited warfare to destroy their space faring capabilities. The AAG-300 Model frigates included with your contract are more than capable of handling even a Tier II civilization. If you are unlucky enough to encounter a rare Tier I civilization, the provided frigates will be able to buy you time to escape into interstellar space.
"Once you've established your star base, you will be responsible for converting local resources into a Star Gate. We've provided a helpful AI assistant who will guide you through the process and handle complex tasks. It's so simple even an illiterate would be able to complete the tasks."
Reminder: All indigenous cultural practices and artifacts are considered Grade III resources and as such, it is a violation of both your contract and Federation law to interfere with civilizations below Tier III. Protecting the universe's diverse expressions of life is everyone's responsibility and any destroyed civilizations, even by accident, will result in heavy penalties.
"In the event that your drop system is not suitable for constructing a Star Gate, do not worry. You can rely on the AI to help you exchange for advanced technologies such as lesser FTL, allowing you to quickly reach a suitable system. That said, your ability to sign the Advanced Exploration Agreement depends on the successful construction of at least one Star Gate. There's also a significant bonus for exocolonists who are able to construct in less than the estimated average time. Please do your best to make the most of your time. Do you have any questions so far?"
"Actually I do." Ethan said, minimizing the pamphlet. "I saw online, and you mentioned it just now as well, but how exactly does the technology exchange work?"
"That is a great question." The recruiter clapped her hands together. "Over the millennia the Artemis Group has conducted hundreds of thousands of colonization efforts and determined the optimal route for beginner exocolonists. Although all decision making power rests in the hands of our exocolonists, in order to ensure they remain on the correct path we have locked our technological assistance behind various developmental milestones. After determining the conditions of your drop system, our AI will generate an optimal path for your development and issue missions accordingly. The reward for completing them are various forms of technological data. Does that answer your question?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Did you have anything else you wanted to ask?"
"No, that's all."
"Wonderful. In that case, I wish you luck Mr. Cross."
With that, the recruiter blinked out of existence, leaving Ethan alone in the shuttle.
With a sigh, he turned to look out the window. Despite it being nighttime, the world was as bright as day with holograms lighting up the skies between the impossibly high towers of the arcology he lived in. With the recruiter gone, the shuttle began to speed up, no longer needing to delay the journey, causing the buildings and lights to blur into nothingness, allowing him to see his own reflection.
He studied it for a moment, chuckling as he pinched at the half grown beard on his face. At least he wouldn't have to worry about that any more.
Even so, it was a shame. Would he have been willing to make such a drastic decision if he'd had a legal identity? As amazing as the Federation was, its glory was forever out of his reach. Even if he never had to work or worry about where to sleep or what to eat, he still missed home. Ethan pushed down the sour feeling in his throat. God he wished he could go home. If his home still existed at all.
A few minutes later, a soft chime broke him out of his nostalgia, alerting him that the shuttle had arrived at its destination. Getting out, he entered the lobby and told the receptionist that he was here for an exocolonist operation. When he did, the receptionist's face briefly flashed with pity, something he would have missed if not for his translation software alerting him to the subtleties.
"If there's anything you'd like to do before the operation, we've got a vast array of entertainment and pleasure facilities on site. We can delay the operation for up to twelve hours before you are considered in breach of your contract." A quadrupedal doctor explained as he led Ethan through a series of winding, almost organic corridors. A staple of Kytherai architecture.
"That's alright. I'd prefer if we got it over with now." Ethan said. "I've already gotten my final wishes out of the way.
"As you wish."
With that, Ethan finally arrived in a small circular room. In the center was an operating table with several high tech pieces of equipment dangling above it. The doctor strapped Ethan to the table and began pulling various wires down from the ceiling and attaching them to various parts of his body.
"Just give it a moment to calibrate, we've never performed a replicant scan on someone of your species before." The doctor said after attaching a final node at the base of Ethan's neck. "Don't worry though, the procedure is very mature and although it is destructive, I can guarantee that there will be no changes in personality or cognition even if you're the first replicant for your species. You won't even notice the changeover, it will feel just like falling asleep."
Ethan then felt something get pressed into his hand. Looking down he saw a cylindrical device that looked like a detonator.
"Once the calibration is finished there will be a chime. After that, you can initiate the scan whenever you're ready, and remember, you have twelve hours."
The doctor left, allowing Ethan to spend his last few moments alone in the silent room.
When he heard the chime, Ethan immediately pressed down on the detonator. This was going to happen either way, no reason to draw it out.
With a flash, the machine above him roared to life and Ethan Cross died.