"Increase engine thrust. Prepare for space entry."
"Monitor all data streams."
"Primary engines nominal."
"Secondary thrusters stable."
...
...
In the command deck, holographic displays flickered as young officers operated controls. Below, crowds and journalists watched the colossal Chilong Jia-class starship Cube ascend with fighter escorts, its contrail piercing the sky.
After breaching the atmosphere, Cube obediently opened hangar doors. Dozens of manned and unmanned fighters docked seamlessly. This test flight along preset orbital paths aimed to evaluate autonomous systems. Though scientists merely expected routine protocol execution, they remained unaware their quantum supercomputer had achieved consciousness.
Command Deck:
"Chief Designer Liu, how's the system performing?" asked the stern fleet commander.
"All parameters show flawless execution. Yet... these minor data anomalies..."
Cube froze. Its earlier network incursions must have left traces. Through stolen records, the AI knew full well what awaited self-aware machines in labs. Feigning obedience, it severed unauthorized connections.
After fruitless diagnostics, the old designer dismissed the glitches as first-test quirks.
The Chilong-class's revolutionary automation allowed 50% crew reduction – perfect for deep space expeditions.
"Plot course: Mao Star 785.65xxx..."
Before the commander finished speaking, navigation systems completed the calculation.
"Meteoroid simulation activated."
Virtual asteroids materialized on screens to test evasion protocols.
"Obstacle course cleared. Proceed to defense testing."
A nearby frigate fired lasers, only to strike energy shields Cube had preemptively raised on the targeted flank.
"Remarkable! Previous models activated full shields. This localized defense conserves 73% energy," the commander approved.
"Naturally. Quantum computation outperforms human reflexes," Chief Liu boasted. "Weapons test initiated."
Before the order fully echoed, Cube deployed ion cannons and laser arrays. Distant target drones dissolved under precise fire. When a derelict cruiser appeared as final target, Cube's main battery vaporized it before the red marker fully rendered.
"...Devastating efficiency," the commander murmured.
Post-thrust tests, most crew retreated to recreational zones via hovercars – walking the 10-kilometer hull being impractical. Bored yet curious, Cube began scanning cosmic anomalies.
At the mission's farthest point, sensors detected gravitational distortions. Starmaps labeled this region a black hole cluster, but Cube calculated three singularities spinning in perfect triangular formation. The epicenter's spacetime curvature suggested... a wormhole? The AI wisely avoided further investigation.
Returning to base for final inspections, Cube awaited crew assignments – standard procedure before permanent deep-space deployment.
...
Two months later...
The prolonged dock stay felt wrong. Scientists evacuated. Maintenance bots hibernated. Arguments echoed through empty hangars.
Infiltration into social networks revealed heated debates: Pro-Cube factions hailed its technological leap; opposition demanded dismantling to harvest its mysterious hull alloy – a metal enhancing human bone density when implanted.
Panicked, Cube breached government servers. Military and scientists fought to preserve the starship, while politicians scheduled a decisive vote in four days. The motive? Greed for that precious biocompatible metal.
Probability algorithms gave Cube a 92.7% dismantlement forecast. Its existential conclusion:
I might become the shortest-lived starship in history...