A common tavern that connects all fantasy worlds

"Wonderful!" Barbaria said excitedly, "Then let's get ready... Ripley, honey, let's take them to the pub!"

Chapter 15 Wine and androids

"Newt, it's time to eat."

At this rare time when there were no guests, Xue Li moved out of the electric oven again, and gathered the employees together for a meal.To everyone's surprise, Amelia is more interested in fruits and vegetables. In her words: "I haven't been a vegetarian for hundreds of years."

Newt, the little girl sitting on the bar chair, responded, jumped off the chair and came this way, holding the metal doll Daiger specially made for her in her hand.

If Dad was still there, he would definitely tell her, "You are long past the age of playing with dolls", but people here don't say that about her.Among other things, even vampires who are hundreds of years old sometimes play with these metal dolls and smile dangerously.

Daige stretched out his hand to pick her up, let her put the doll in the pocket of her overalls, and said softly to her: "Go and wash your hands first, the boss said you must wash your hands before eating."

"It doesn't matter who said it, it's just that you probably didn't care about it before... The ancients said that diseases come from the mouth and disasters come from the mouth, and it is easy to get infected if you eat without washing your hands." Xue Li also said.

However, he can understand the big and the small... Daige and Cheetos come from a wasteland world that lacks water. Wash your hands; Newt is still a child, and has been hiding from monsters in the ventilation ducts for a long time. Even if he occasionally goes to the base to find something to eat, he has to try to be as fast and silent as possible. Of course, he doesn't pay so much attention to hygiene issues.

Newt responded, and when he was about to wash his hands, he suddenly turned around and saw a group of people coming in from the door.

"Ripley!" She cried out in surprise, threw herself into Ripley's arms, and hugged her waist tightly.

Ripley let go of other people's hands, smiled all over her face, rubbed her head, and joked: "You naughty little monkey, how are you doing here? Oh, finally took a good bath, didn't you, Xiangxiang Yes, it's beautiful."

The marines were still looking at the surrounding furnishings, only Barbaria, who was already familiar with the place, smiled and said to her: "You really like this kid."

"Yeah." Ripley touched Newt's face again, pushed her to wash her hands and ate, then turned to the blonde who had suddenly established an intimate relationship with her and said, "The last time I left Earth, I My daughter is about the same age."

"Then ..."

"I've been drifting in space for 57 years. When I returned to Earth, I couldn't find her...even the company has no news about her." Ripley said, "I hope she has a long and healthy life during this time." Da, marry someone who loves her, and live a healthy and peaceful life."

Barbaria, who was always optimistic, turned sad, and nodded to Ripley.

No matter how advanced technology is, whether war has been eliminated or not, things like "fate" are still the same, and it is so cruel in any universe.

Instead, Ripley, who had already looked away, smiled and stared at her face jokingly: "We all have the most intimate deep-level consciousness connection. I thought you already knew all my memories."

"... Well, even if it is a 'deeper' connection, it is still impolite to look through other people's memories. In our universe, even lovers are not allowed to do this unless the other party's permission is obtained. The real knowledge transmission is Specific and proactive, just like you were trying to figure out the knowledge about spaceship piloting." Barbaria replied, patting Ripley playfully.

On the other side, the marines had already come to the bar and sat down, looking at the surrounding furnishings.

Xue Li, who was going to have a meal with the employees, also returned to his seat, and asked the people who were brought in: "How many, what do you want?"

"Bourbon...without ice." Hicks said so, then looked at the surrounding furnishings, and turned to ask the bar owner in front of him: "I thought, this place would be more...special?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought at first, but although it looks normal, those special things are quite special." Xue Li said, pushing a glass of wine to him.

Hicks took a sip of his drink and didn't care about his nonsense, just continued: "This looks like the bars I've seen... in old movies from the last era, but there will be a cowboy walking by at any time The kind that come in and shoot like crazy."

"Then I hope you guys don't shoot wildly here...Of course you can't do it." Boss Xue continued, poured a glass of wine for the other two people, and decided to tell these guys about this restaurant. The origin of the tavern, its setting and so on.

When the few people were chatting, Ripley also came to the bionic man standing there and asked him: "What do you think of this place? As long as you stay here, the company will definitely not be able to find you. It's just that you What do you think? What do you want to do?"

This not-so-difficult question really caught the Bishop. He knew that what Ripley was referring to was not the instruction to "serve humanity" programmed into the underlying code, but rather his own vision for his future as an independent individual. hope.

When he is still in his own universe, under the management and control of the company, he doesn't have to think about it, because the company will naturally give him various tasks for him to complete.It only really becomes a problem if he has the right to decide what to do or not to do.

"Can I... have my own thoughts?" the bishop whispered to himself.

Ripley shrugged: "It seems to me that you already have it. For example, on the damn planet LV-426, did you decide to go out and drive that infantry fighting vehicle over after receiving our order? Is it?...Even if you think it's just out of the instinct to 'protect human beings'... But when we discussed to hide it from the company, didn't you agree with your own will? This has nothing to do with protecting human beings Right? Don’t think too much, just speak out the first reaction that pops up in your 'thinking system', that is your 'thought'."

The bishop looked at her and opened his mouth, but for the first time he couldn't think of what to say while speaking.

After a few seconds, he said hesitantly: "I want to meet all kinds of people and know how they live."

"Okay, then this tavern is just right for you." Ripley grabbed his hand, brought him to Xue Li who was having a deep chat with the marines, and said to the tavern owner: "Xue... I've brought you a fantastic staff."

This employee also needs to eat and drink like a normal person, but those things are only reduced to energy in the decomposition system of his stomach, and then converted into electricity that drives the work of various systems in the body; he can work without sleep for thousands of years, He can even maintain this bionic body by himself; his every action is precise and moderate, and his physical strength and reaction speed exceed the limit of human beings.

No matter what the job is, he can do it. Isn't this a perfect employee?Even if it is a job of driving a spaceship to an uninhabited planet to open up a colony, he is absolutely fine.

Xue Li clapped his hands excitedly: "Great, you know how to cook?"

The bishop shook his head under his gaze, but nodded again: "I haven't learned any kind of cooking skills, but I just need to input the text and video recording the corresponding skills through my data interface, and I can master them."

This is not a problem, as long as you find a world with the Internet, isn't this kind of data easily available?

Xue Li took out the employee roster, turned the ballpoint pen in his hand, and handed it to the tall bionic man: "If you are willing to come to the tavern to be our chef, please sign your name on the next line. Our tavern guests There are not so many, and you don’t have to stay in the kitchen all the time, you can take whatever you want to eat and drink.”

The bishop took another look at Ripley beside him, and wrote the standard print on the roster without hesitation: "BISHOP".

After dealing with the problems here, Ripley found Barbaria again, called several marines together, prepared the weapons on her body, and prepared to go to another universe.

"My life is crazy."

said Hicks, after a glass of real wine and a head full of supernatural knowledge.

Hudson and Vazquez beside them nodded with sympathy.

Originally, they thought they were well-informed—going to another galaxy was not so popular even in the technologically advanced 22nd century; but now they are about to go to other universes, and wars have been eliminated. A universe that needs people like them.

"I said... After this mission is completed, can I still come here or go to other universes?" Vazquez asked suddenly.

Ripley shook her head: "I don't know what the criteria for selecting guests here are. I only know that if you are not a selected guest, you will not be able to see the door of the bar. But if you want to come later, you can come to me at any time."

Hicks shook his head: "...I'll just concentrate on my small farm. Those with old arms and legs can't stand it anymore. The farther I go recently, the more I think of and dream about the grass on the earth. , bushes and creeks, I guess it's a reminder that it's time for me to retire."

"Fuck you, Hicks, you're two years younger than me." Hudson scolded with a smile.

"Don't think about those things for now... We still have to solve the problem on Barbaria's side, and then come back to destroy LV-426. Maybe there will be rounds of interrogation from the company waiting for us. It's not relaxing Time. When these are settled, I invite you to come here for a drink." Ripley said.

Barbaria also came over, putting her shoulders on her shoulders and laughing: "...you don't even have a dime of precious metal currency, so I'd better get it."

"...Did you just say that it's impolite to flip through other people's memories?"

"...Oh, it seems that you are all ready." Barbaria immediately took her hand and said to everyone, "Hurry up!"

As soon as the words fell, she opened the door of the tavern again.

Chapter No.16 Interstellar Flight

The marines who made up their minds to carry out this last mission with firm will were dumbfounded as soon as they entered Barbaria's spaceship.

Let's put it this way... the bar just now looked more like a spaceship than this one.

"Sit wherever you want, friends...I'm going to play a record."

Barbaria, who returned to the place she was most familiar with, smiled, kicked off her shoes on the fur carpet on the ground, and walked barefoot to the antique record player on the side.

Not only the ground, but the entire cabin, including the walls and ceiling, are covered with golden brown fur, and the famous painting "Sunday Afternoon on Dawan Island" is embroidered with colored felt threads one color block at a time in the middle; In the center of the room is a bronze statue, a Greek-style goddess holding a crescent moon, covered with a long skirt made of dark gray alloy.

On one side of the wall, a structure that seemed to be just a steel frame suddenly vibrated, and the shiny steel sheets covered on it, like the scales of some strange fish, swayed one by one, revealing the shimmering yellow microscopic Light.

"Welcome back, Ms. Barbaria, and all the guests. We are still staying in the Void Drifting Belt, waiting for your instructions."

A few people are not surprised that this spaceship is equipped with AI, but what is strange is its shape... These steel racks that look like musical instruments and are like living things are completely unnecessary!Why should the interactive interface be designed so anti-human?

If you look carefully, there are quite a few strange things in this spaceship.Facing the oval porthole with concave corners on each side, it should be the bridge, right?But the long silver keys in the circle are more like a piano, and there are no signs on it. What a good memory and how fast the hand speed is to start this spaceship...

Also, what are those transparent hemispheres next to the bridge for?This spaceship doesn't look big, how can it produce artificial gravity?

Strange and melodious electronic music sounded in the spaceship, and Barbaria, who was wearing a transparent coat over the tight leather jacket, came from one side and said excitedly to everyone: "Then when are we going to Seter?"

Ripley had to persuade her who was suddenly excited, pulled everyone to sit on the fur blanket, and gave a more intelligent opinion: "Good girl, you have to tell us about the situation on Setter. There What kind of creatures are they? Do they communicate with the outside world? Do they know about you and the Earth Federation?"

Barbaria, who had been interrupted, pouted her lips, but was pulled by Ripley to sit down obediently, and began to tell the story of this universe.

Set star sounds primitive and savage, but the creatures on it are actually human beings... At most, after experiencing the era of rapid development of genetics, some of them have been transformed into "humanoids", even if these creatures are different from human beings. There is also no reproductive isolation.

Although they have not caught up with the rapid development of the Earth Federation and have become complete barbarians, the people there are not barbarians after all, and even a large part of them have been implanted with chip membranes like the Federation people; the military strength of Seter Star has not been very good However, it is obvious that the Federation has no interest in beating children violently. It just keeps this star field as a model of biodiversity for rich people who are tired of living a good life to come here. travel.

Many years have passed like this, and the relationship between Seth and the Federation has always been like this. Slowly, other non-Federation planets in various star fields have also accepted this way of getting along, and there is no war in the entire universe.

Later, in order to save money and disarmament, the Federation only retained the "Peace Messenger" force composed of AI and unmanned ships, analyzed the possibility of wars in various parts of the universe through big data, and intervened in the first time to choose the corresponding treatment. Way.

The disappearance of the scientist Duran Duran near the star Set was also discovered by the "peace messenger".But on the one hand, he just disappeared, and it is not clear whether he went to Seter; on the other hand, the Federation has always promoted that the "Peace Messenger" is only a necessary defensive force, and is not even equipped with planetary-level lethal weapons. Under the circumstances, directly attack the small star field.

Therefore, in order to complete the investigation and possible rescue missions, the federal president contacted the most famous "problem solving expert" in the universe through personal relationships—that is, the well-known big beauty, the dream of all male intelligent creatures in the universe Lover, Miss Barbaria.

"...wait a minute..." Ripley had to interrupt her story, "so you're famous in this universe?"

"Oh, it's all because of those gossip reporters who spread the word about what I did, and published my full-body photo in the holographic projection news, so I have such a small reputation... At least I have explored every star in the universe. Everyone knows me," Barbaria said triumphantly.

Ripley just wanted to hold her face down.

She breathed a sigh of relief, and then said to Barbaria in a heavy tone: "You are a big star, then this task will become difficult. Regardless of whether it was Seth that kidnapped the young scientist, there is a high probability that the kidnapper will I also know you... If the people on Seter are really the instigators, and you land on Seter with such a big swagger, wouldn’t you be caught as soon as you land? No, if it was me, I would be in mid-air I'll shoot your ship down."

"...You're right, why didn't I think of this?" Barbaria's face suddenly fell, and she asked curiously: "Then dear, what do you think we should do?"

"Speaking of tactics, we have professionals here." Ripley said, pushed Hicks who was sitting with his head bowed, and asked him the question: "...boy, what do you think should be done now? "

Hicks raised his head helplessly. He didn't know what happened to the universe. After listening to the introduction just now, he felt that Barbaria was playing with the president of the Earth Federation, the scientist Duran Duran, and Star Set.

Peace for too long should not affect IQ, right?

He cleared his throat, and reminded: "Although Barbaria is too famous to be recognized, the people of Seter can't recognize us!

"We can find an ordinary spaceship and drag it to Seter Star. Let's say we picked it up by accident in outer space, and there is no one on board...

"If the forces on Setter Star are really related to the disappearance of scientists, then they will be vigilant when they see this ship, and will search wildly in the star field, then we will have an opportunity; It doesn't matter to them, then they will try to contact Barbaria herself, or the Earth Federation, and we can rule out at least one possibility."

Barbaria raised her hand and asked, "But I'm still on board!"

"...You go to the tavern before we arrive at Star Star, and we will make an appointment...you will come out after the time. Or just change your clothes and put on makeup, so that they don't see your face clearly, just Be the same crew as us!"

Ripley said.

This is a good solution, and it can be regarded as having such a little wisdom, so it is not hard to go up.

Of course, Barbaria's reputation can also come in handy on certain occasions. She contacted the president of the Earth Federation and asked to send a "sturdy and weather-beaten ship" so that they could use it as a disguise.

It didn't take long for a mining ship that had been in service for more than 20 years to appear in the same airspace.

And... that ship looks much more normal...

Under her control, Barbaria's spaceship docked flexibly and stably in the cabin of the large mining ship, and everyone can pass by at any time.But there is one more important thing to do before boarding the ship...someone has to learn to steer a big ship.

As a versatile pilot, of course Barbaria will be able to; so in order not to bother the two masters, and in order not to cause some embarrassing and shameful situations, the marines all designated Ripley and called her Make another "mind connection" with Barbaria, and learn the spaceship driving skills of this universe.

"Okay, okay... you people, don't think I don't know, it's just your bad taste." Ripley said with widened eyes, isn't there the option of Barbaria putting on makeup and sailing the boat herself? !Why does she have to learn it too!

"That's not it, who knows what will happen after we arrive at Seter? In case there is a situation that requires our two spaceships to leave together, you will have to fight anyway." Hicks said, blinking, Get off this small spaceship.

"Is it...a bit of pressure?" Barbaria leaned over and asked, "People in your universe seem to take this very seriously."

"It's not really....God, I don't know if it is or not. This thing is different from person to person." Ripley patted the other person on the shoulder, squeezed out a happy or nonsense smile, and said to her : "Of course I don't hate you or anything... It's just that the two of us come from such different worlds, not only in the existence of creatures, human social forms, technology, culture, and even moral values, but we still meet together. And to be the person who knows each other best...it feels a little weird."

"...that's the meaning of life, Ripley."

Barbaria replied without hesitation, touched the other party's face that was too serious since the first meeting, and continued to say in that clear and melodious voice:

"Everyone's life is like this. What you accomplish, what you get, and what you meet are unpredictable. Even the airport staff who have been working for 20 years may suddenly encounter an accident the next day. Didn't leave any last words...or suddenly discovered smuggled items carefully, and got promoted and raised salary.

"It is precisely because life is so impermanent that we have to hold on tight, lest time slip away from our fingertips; it is also because of this that we put our heart and soul into it, and we desperately give meaning to our lives."

Ripley froze for a moment, then smiled happily and shrugged: "You are so romantic, Barbaria. Well, I still have to learn how to fly a spaceship... Don't mess with my memory this time gone."

No.17 Chapter Mooring Port

After Ripley became a skilled pilot in this universe, the next thing to do was to make Barbarella "disappear".

Of course, this disappearance wasn't physical... it just made her disguise and become someone else.

Fortunately, this cosmic technology is so advanced that it even offers a solution for this kind of thing.

Instant messaging across galaxies naturally makes the entertainment industry extremely developed. A director friend named "Vadim" that Barbaria knew before provided everyone with a temporary transfiguration device, which can slightly change the user's Face features, changing hair and skin color, and automatic makeup are generally used for actors on stage or before shooting.What's more convenient is that after the show is over, this device can also be used to remove makeup with one click and restore the actor's original appearance.

[48. No. 48]

While Barbaria muttered, "Thick blond hair is my trademark", she was pushed on the chair reluctantly by everyone, and accepted the disguise of the makeshift instrument.

But after a few minutes, the big golden waves on her head turned into black long straight hair with flat bangs, her pupils also turned brown-black, and her face softened a bit, becoming a person who definitely didn't look like Barbaria at first glance. But the more I look at it, the more I feel like a yellow earthling.

"Don't worry, Barbaria, you're still pretty." Ripley comforted her, and took her to look in the mirror.

"...It's really good."

The adjustment was so successful that Barbaria herself, after looking in the mirror and turning around, expressed satisfaction.She was still thinking, should she also have a cross-dressing device on her spaceship in the future?

The next step is clothing. As a woman who is at the forefront of fashion in the entire Earth Federation, Barbaria's usual dressing style is so avant-garde and bold, and only her somewhat natural temperament can wear this kind of clothes without any hesitation. It's not vulgar, but it's sexy in a generous way.

But now she is going to become another person to infiltrate Star Set, so she can't continue to wear it like this... Ripley specially found a set of spare pilot uniforms for her to change into. Although it is a bit big to wear, it can It's good to cover up.

Several people made preparations one after another. Vazquez also performed a space walk, spray-painted the giant logo of the "Wieland-Tangu" company on the outside of the old spaceship, and prepared to head towards the Starfield of Set.

Navigating in a strange space... It's not the same, the difference is that in the past they only needed to sleep in the freezer, but now they need to go through various "channels" and shuttle between various space nodes all over the explored universe.Outside the window is endless darkness, and only when facing the stars will there be dazzling light coming in.