effect to this research, the overseers discovered that there was a kind of necessary component in the anti-aging serum that allowed for rapid regrowth and regeneration of physical tissue. So, if someone was to fall off a cliff and shatter their skull, their tissue would regenerate. Thus, even though they would have died, they would still be alive."
"What about if that person was submerged in acid for long periods of time?"
Seven laughed. "No one can survive that, moron. If there isn't enough tissue to regenerate and reconnect, then the body can't regenerate."
"Just out of curiosity, why exist at all? If you live for eternity, then what have you to gain?"
Seven smiled, "Perfection."
"Perfection?"
"Think about it. Give someone an eternity to do all the bad things they want to do with their lives, and eventually they will grow to hate those bad things they do. Their 'imperfections' will create barriers and obstacles until they reach a dead end."
"What if they take that dead end? Isn't it true that they will never get out?"
"No, they will eventually. Think about it. Eternity is forever. You have the rest of ETERNITY to get things right. Wouldn't you get bored of being imperfect after a while?"
"I guess so... Being imperfect only leads to temporary happiness..." Dale thought for a moment. "Hey, I just had a thought. What if you don't eat or drink for a really long time? Will you die?"
"I'm not entirely sure. No one has let themselves go for that long. I mean, even if our cells are in a constant state of wellbeing, they do need to run on SOME energy. I think it would be bad though. Maybe it would just take a really long time."
"How long would you say?"
"Anywhere between a couple of planetary revolutions and some vague multiple of that number."
"Geez. Half the world's population has trouble finding enough food for each day and you guys can live for years?"
"I think so."
"Remind me to turn you into a lab rat when I get back home. Everyone is going to love you."
Seven blinked. "That sounds like something I don't want to be."
"I was joking. Maybe though you can share some of the things you know and give a few blood samples."
"Why is it so important to you that I share what I know? You'll all learn it eventually. Just give it some time."
"Well, that's easy for you to say. You guys live with this stuff. If you share it, then we can all live in a better world right?"
"Better is relative. The beginning of eternity will eat away at those whose lives have been lengthened until they cannot bear the thought of existing any longer. They will fight, try to die. It will only after this experience that things will get better. Even then, there will be controversy over whether or not what was done was right. Give someone a change for the better and they will always fight it. But teach them to love that change and they will support it to the very end."
"Sounds rough. I would argue against this, but it's already happened for the overseers. Well, I guess it's been done by the overseers. You never actually said if it's been this way for a long time and not had the opportunity to relapse back to war and fighting."
"The overseers never actually became set in this pattern of peace until more recently. It took them a long time to realize what was important. Anyway, while you've been drifting off, we've made our way to the tower."
Dale looked up. He'd been staring at his feet the whole time absorbing the conversation. There was an opening like an elevator shaft before them. Seven stepped forward into a box. Dale followed.
"What are the odds that anyone is actually still here?" Seven asked.
"I don’t know. It looks pretty empty don't you think?"
"Looks can be deceiving."
"That's true. Does that mean you think there are actual people here?" Dale asked.
"Well, actual people and people are the same thing so I would say..." Seven looked up, her pointer finger placed on her lip. "Unlikely considering how long this station has been here."
"Everything still looks well cared for. Then again, those robots seem pretty bent on serving us."
As if to prove his point, a greeter bot came in to view and began spraying some kind of chemical into a planter just across the way.
"Question solved I guess." Seven said.
"Yeah I guess so."
The elevator started moving up, accelerating at a speed much faster than Dale would have liked. Dale backed up against the glass and held tight to the metal railing there as the ground drew away until the curve of the space station became prominent, slowly bowing out as the gravity decreased in the elevator car.
"No gravity up here?" Dale asked.
"Some people like experience zero gravity. This is pretty much a floating resort. Everyone wants something unexpected."
"But the only way to get here is by using a ship right?"
"Well, not exactly. We have slit hole connections. And the ship we came in is very much a standard. There aren't many ships left without dead particle gravity fields."
"I see." Dale said. "Well, I'm pretty much bored and tired with this whole thing. What time is it?"
"Well, it's about time to sleep if that's what you're asking."
"Definitely. That's definitely what I'm asking." Dale grabbed her hands and spun her around in the zero g environment. Seven laughed.
"What are you doing?" Seven asked through a grin.
"I'm trying to lighten things up with some romance."
"In an elevator car?"
"Where else?"
Seven laughed. "Save it for some other time, we're kind of busy right now."
"You're busy, Seven. But I on the other hand, am as free as a bird."
The elevator slowed down until they were floating up against the ceiling of the car.
"That's true." Seven laughed, "Just try not to get lost while I figure out where those transmissions came from."
"Sure thing." Dale said, taking Seven's hand.
Seven pushed out into the open space just beyond, Dale following closely behind as her hand was in his own.
There wasn't much beyond besides a series of consoles that lined the inner shell of the room. A few plants were suspended at the center, twisting and weaving around themselves and their planter, but nothing else.
"Come on. Let's get this over with so we can get back to the ship." Seven said, pulling herself over to the nearest console. Dale just shrugged, sidling over to the empty space next to the touch to thought input.
"So how about we go out for dinner sometime? Just you and me."
"That's sounds great." Seven splayed her hand over the black surface her eyes closing. "Just remember that I have no idea what it means to go out to dinner. What is that? Eating food or something?"
"Yeah, something like that."
"Well, how about we do that when we get back to the ship."
"Sure."
Seven's eyes flicked open for a moment and she smiled at Dale. "You don't have to pretend to be tough. I get you well enough and I'm not going anywhere. Just think of me as an attached puppy."
"Well you haven't exactly been alive for very long so you know, on the off chance you meet some guy that blows you away, and I’d like to make some positive impressions of my own first."
She laughed. "Dale, I have the memories of several thousand years in my head. I doubt there's anyone else who I could get along better with." She closed her eyes again.
"Eh. Good point." Dale rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So what kind of guys do you have in your memories?"
"Just the average sort. I doubt you'd find them very good company."
"Uhuh. I don't really understand what that means."
"Well, maybe that means it's unimportant."
"That's true. It could be."
Seven made a few gestures with her hand. "I got it."
"What's the transmission say?"
"Well, it's not so much a transmission as a face to face conversation between the overseers here and thos
e at higher command."
"And?" Dale asked.
"And it looks like they evacuated because of an inside take over." Seven sighed when she saw Dale's expression. "It means that basically someone staged a government coup. The systems were shut down because it turned in to a war. This planet was one of the last to find out."
"So much for your perfect society." Dale said.
"Dale, it was perfect. It just didn't end the way we'd hoped."
"So what happened afterwards?"
"No idea. I think everyone just moved on and forgot about the miners here. The overseers control an incredibly vast network of planets and systems. It would be possible for a few to be overlooked."
"I guess this leaves us with a choice then doesn’t it?"
"What choice is that?" Seven asked.
"Either we figure out what really happened out there, or we go home."
"What's done here is long past gone. It's been thousands of years. Do you even have the slightest idea what that means?" Seven countered.
"Well, yeah I guess so."
"Any evidence of past conflict will have sorted itself out by now."
"Maybe." Dale trailed off thoughtfully. "Okay. I'll make you a deal. If we go back home and neither of us likes it, we can go off and explore the universe. Sound like a plan?"
"If that's what you want I guess." Seven said. "But on one condition. If neither of us like it back home, then we'll send someone else out to figure out what's going on. I'm done with all this."
"Sure. Fine, whatever."
"Okay."
"So anything else on there?"
"Just a few journal entries from passengers."
"Can you access them?"
"No. Well, maybe. These messages are encoded to specific people. I can't just get in to the system and read anything I want."
"Well how did you read the other message then?"
"That was an alert sent