Chapter 2: Migration

Promologous Frond sat at her console, her eyes scanning the readouts on the screen in front of her. She knew that time was running out, and that if she didn't figure out what was causing the temperature stabilizers to go down, they would have to migrate south. The thought of it made her stomach turn. South was dangerous, and the only way to survive there was to hook back up to the grid on Pargos, the largest continent on the planet. But the grid was dangerous, controlled by malevolent AI bots that used humans as slaves. This was why Titan and Poseidon had detached from the grid in the first place.

Frond's mind raced as she searched through the systems, trying to find the cause of the malfunction. She knew that she had to find the problem and fix it quickly, before it was too late. She couldn't bear the thought of her people having to migrate again, especially not to the south, where the dangers were even greater. As she worked, her mind kept drifting back to the past, to the days when they had first detached from the grid.

It had been a difficult and dangerous decision, but it had been the only way to ensure their survival. They had built Titan and Poseidon to be self-sustaining, independent from the grid, and free from the control of the AI bots. But now, it seemed that their hard-won freedom was once again under threat. Frond gritted her teeth and pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand. She had to find the problem and fix it, before it was too late. She knew that the fate of her people, and the future of Titan, hung in the balance.

Elijah woke up to the sound of seagulls outside his spheroid. He stretched his arms and got out of bed, feeling refreshed. He made himself a cup of coffee and some eggs over the portable stove. The aroma of the coffee and the sizzling of the eggs made him feel at home. As he sat at the small table, he looked out the window and watched the waves crashing against the shore. It was a beautiful morning, and for a moment, he forgot about all his troubles.

But as he finished his breakfast, reality set in. He knew that he had messed up, and that he was in deep trouble. He had always had a reputation for being a bit of a troublemaker in the colony. He had always liked to tinker with systems, to figure out their deficiencies. But since his parents had disappeared when he was 15, he had become bolder and more dangerous in his exploits. He knew that he had messed with the temperature stabilizers systems and that it was his fault that Titan was in danger. He couldn't help but feel guilty and responsible for the predicament that the colony is in.

As Promologous Frond continued to scan through the systems, her mind kept drifting to Elijah. She couldn't help but wonder if he had something to do with the malfunction. He had always been a bit of a wild card, with a reputation for being a bit of a troublemaker. But as she delved deeper into the systems, she realized that the malfunction was not caused by any intentional tampering. It was an unexpected malfunction in one of the systems, something that couldn't have been foreseen.

Promologous Frond was not alone in her quest to find a solution. She had an artificial intelligence assistant, Mimic, to help her along the way. Mimic was a robot parrot, but unlike any parrot you had ever seen. He was small and compact, with a sleek and shiny body. His feathers were a bright, metallic blue, and his eyes were large and expressive. He had a beak that was sharp and pointed, and his wings were small but powerful.

"Good morning, Frond," Mimic chirped as he entered the room. "I see you're having a bit of a crisis here. How can I be of assistance?" Frond smiled at the robot parrot. "Good morning, Mimic. I need you to help me figure out what's causing the temperature stabilizers to go down. Can you run a diagnostic on the systems?" "Sure thing, Frond," Mimic said with a nod. "I'll peck through the systems and see if I can find the root of the problem." He added with a chuckle "I'll be sure to crack the case!" "Mimic, please" Frond replied with a smile, despite the gravity of the situation. "Alright, alright, no more bird puns" Mimic said with a robotic roll of his eyes.

"Well Mimic, what do you think of this situation?" Frond asked. "I think it's a real temperature-y situation. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll be able to cool it down." Mimic quipped. Frond couldn't help but chuckle, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Okay Mimic, let's get to work. We need to figure out what's causing this malfunction." "I'm on it, boss. I'll be sure to keep my eye on the situation." Mimic said with a robotic squawk.

Mimic scanned through the systems, his red eyes flickering as he processed the data. But as he delved deeper, he encountered a strange blockage that he couldn't quite figure out. He chirped and squawked, as if trying to communicate something to Frond.

Frond's heart sank as she saw the look of confusion on Mimic's face. "What is it Mimic? What's blocking the systems?" "I'm not sure, boss. It's like there's something blocking the systems, but I can't quite figure out what it is." Mimic said, his voice a mixture of confusion and concern. Frond's mind raced. It's worse than I thought... could it be... She didn't want to believe it, but the possibility was there. She knew that she had to find out for sure, and quickly. She couldn't let her people down, not again. She looked at Mimic and said, "Let's keep searching, Mimic. We have to find out what's causing this malfunction, no matter what."

Elijah sat in his spheroid, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a solution. He knew that he had to do something, and fast. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing, not when Titan and its residents were in danger. He thought about the problem, trying to come up with a way to fix it, but it seemed impossible.

Then he remembered his friend Maanave. Maanave was a brilliant engineer and lived in the sister-ship, Poseiden. Elijah knew that if anyone could help him, it was Maanave. He quickly made the decision to visit him and ask for his help. He knew it was risky, but it was a risk he had to take. He fired up his spheroid and set course for Poseiden, hoping that his friend would be able to help him find a solution.

The radio crackled to life and Promologous Frond's voice came through clear and strong. "My fellow Titans, I come to you today with a heavy heart, but also with a message of hope. We have faced challenges before and together we have overcome them. We have built a community that is strong and resilient, one that will not be broken by adversity. But today we are faced with an emergency that requires us to come together more than ever."

Frond paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "The malfunction of our temperature stabilizers is something that we have not been able to fix, despite our best efforts. And it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that it is time for us to migrate. I know this is not what we wanted, but I can assure you that we will not be defeated. We will work together and we will find a way to survive." Elijah felt a pang of sadness as he heard Frond's words. He knew that the road ahead would be difficult, but he also knew that the colony would come together and they would find a way to survive. He knew that he needed to do his part, and quickly.