“Never, always, sometimes, in a fraction of a second, people run around giving statements off when they will do things. But you know better than to talk in that fashion to me. You know better not to push that button with me, young man,” said Mother.
“It is like she always talks and never listens to me. Mother is such a pain in the ass. It will come a time when I will get away from Mother, and she will be no more. I am sick and tired of her telling me how to do things around this place. I am an Engineer. I know my craft, I know how to fix things around this place, but no, she has all the knowledge, like every Mother. I better fix these water pipes before they flood the entire second level.” He just about had it with Mother.
“I showed you the schematics of the pipes. Are you ever going to listen to me?” said Mother.
He stood up, took the schematics, looked at the pipes, the electrical wires, the air conduits, and all the communications and navigation components.
“If you replace the blue pipe next to the main electrical conduit, that will solve the problem. But do not touch the mainframe panel.” Said Mother.
In anger, he ripped the blue pipe and, on purpose, hit the mainframe panel. Sounds, alarms, lights, and all the air sucked out of the level. A vacuum was created in seconds; gravity panels stopped working, he floated, and he could not stop the cascade of failures. No air in the level, lights out, all went dark; emergency lights turned on. Silence.
Two hours later, a maintenance crew entered the level and restored all systems.
“Mother, what happened here. What happened to Eric?” said Ships Commander Taylor.
“He did not listen to me. If he would only listen.” Said Mother the Mainframe computer.
