Free AMP The Core by Stephen Arseneault

down. The mystery signal, which I was now sitting almost directly on top of, was still a mystery.
    I enabled the comm on my helmet and spoke. "OK, I’m out here. You haven’t vaporized me yet, so why don’t you make yourself known!"
    Several seconds passed before I had a sudden feeling of dread. The mystery signal had stopped broadcasting. I began to think about how foolish I had been, barging in where I didn’t belong. I wondered if this was the end of the line for Don Grange. Then I thought of Ashley and of the other Humans who still had a tremendous battle to fight. Had I gone around the signal, I might have made it back to the fleet, where I would have contacted Frig and gone through a portal to be with the others.
    I was then startled by the sound of a mechanical latch and a hydraulic door opening behind me, where moments ago there had been none. I slowly turned my head to the sight of a long, sleek, silvery-white vessel, sitting only meters behind me. A door was now open on one end.
    The exterior of the small ship was featureless, resembling a loaf of baked arnoee seed bread. I slowly stood and took only a single step towards the door before what I believed to be an android stepped out. The mechanical creature had three long, spindly legs that unfolded, making it just over two meters tall. The legs had what appeared to be various tools and instruments that surrounded the two joints within the legs.
    The legs ended with another joint connection at the bottom of an upside-down half-dome-shaped torso. A mechanical rim on the dome spun until two glowing red eyes faced my direction. I stood, prepared to be vaporized by whatever this mechanical being was. The several seconds of silence that now came seemed like an eternity.
    I spoke. "Hello?"
    The android gestured for me to come forward.
    I again spoke as I walked. "The message you broadcast—was that Human?"
    The android soon had me stepping up into the back of the white vessel. Coming from the bright daylight outside, I had a hard time making out what was in front of me. The android gestured for me to move forward and to then be seated in one of the four chairs that the silvery-white ship housed. As I sat, I turned quickly back at the sound of the hydraulic door closing behind me. With the light of the Molov sun now blocked away, I was left sitting in almost complete darkness. Only the faintest light from several small flashing diodes offered a sense that a world still existed outside.
    I was again startled as a holographic image of a display lit up in front of me. The light it provided illuminated the interior of the ship, allowing me to see its makeup. The walls, ceiling, and floor turned a shade of black that could only be described as a void. The chairs, as the one I was seated in, were bolted to a steel walkway that ran from the seats to the back of the ship. I took note of the faint blue glow coming from a piece of machinery in the back. Various other holo-displays then began to light up.
    I reached up to touch the display floating in front of me and was surprised when my gloved finger enabled a second holo-screen to my side. As I looked at the various meters, dials, and readings, it suddenly occurred to me that they were all displayed in Human English.
    As I reached up to press another holo-button, the display in front of me flashed and changed. Before me floated the image of a very old Human woman. Her features were somewhat different than I would have expected. Instead of frailty, the face before me appeared strong and bold.
    I jerked back in my chair as the image spoke. "Hello, fellow Human. At last I have found you. The atmosphere in this vessel is compatible with your needs. Please remove your helmet so that your image may be logged. I hope this day finds you well. Ask any question as you will, and I will attempt to provide you with an answer."
    I flipped open my visor to find the air inside the cabin smelled fresh and clean. I removed my helmet and looked