Chapter 13

Fenicia

VIS Sundance, Computer room 5A

I zipped my blue body suit up, and checked that everything was in place. Arms snaked from behind cupping my breasts and I felt a soft body pressed against my back. Desire flared in me, inciting me to undo my suit and continue wondrous, pleasurable and challenging activities. But taking a look around me, I reminded myself that the room where we copulated is not suited for such and that somebody could come and interrupt us. That course of action would be dangerous.

For the intruding party.

But I can also feel like it would be thrilling in a sense. Fa tested my willpower and self control by doing wonderful things to my body, it took a lot out of me to lightly put my hands on hers and move away from her embrace. Turning toward her I could see her eyes hooded with desire and ... acceptance?

“I do hope that this wasn’t a onetime thing.” She said and pouted.

I looked at her naked body, her tantalizing curves ... and imagined her hands on me. I didn’t feel any emotional conflict or regrets. That’s why when I moved, I took her in my arms and hugged her I answered.

“I would be a fool to let you go.”

And when I think there was a time I wouldn’t even be intimate with someone at all. After my forced marriage and rape on Saryna, it had become rather difficult to let someone in or even touch me again. The mildest touch would send me into frenzy. Time and a stubborn Irish captain cured me but I still stay mildly distrusting of males. It had an unintended consequence of turning me mostly away from them sexually. Only the stars know how much I tried. But I am satisfied, maybe with more time my disgust and mistrust will disappear.

“But I don’t want to assume.” I added.

Fa giggled.

“You are awesome.” And she sealed it with a kiss.

After losing ourselves in tongues dueling I reluctantly let go again, that little human female must be a test to for my self control. I lightly slapped her bottom.

“Temptress, put your suit on you are distracting.”

Fa smiled at me and slowly put on her body suit, putting on a show. I felt flattered, but I had to gather my wits not to let her control the whole situation. Even with how delightful she is, I still think she’s more than a pleasant and pretty face. I mean, for a female human raised by a ruthless woman she must have sharp spines. When I thought this, she surreptitiously looked at me and then lowered her eyes.

Interesting.

Walking toward her slowly, I made my thought go blank and posed a hand on her shoulder that she batted away.

“Empathy, huh?”

No wonder she was receptive to my touch and is this magical while copulating.

“Huh yeah, don’t do that again. I hate that cold feeling...” She said hesitantly.

Fa tried to laugh it off.

I looked at her, really looked. Being a natural predator I am used into seeing weakness and right at this moment, Fa looked prepared to bolt. Telepaths and Empaths are shunned romantically in principle because their partner can’t hide anything from them. They cannot be involved with someone who doesn’t open to them. I decided to open a gambit for a little while and like in my meager speed training in psychic defenses I opened myself to her, my defenses falling away. It was like meditating and imagining being totally naked on an open plain feeling the wind blowing on you and the sun’s ray hit your skin warmly. The little female looked at me sharply her mouth forming an “o.”

I smiled at her, thinking about how cute she is at this moment. I posed a hand on her right cheek and she leaned into it.

“Are you ... sure?” There was vulnerability in her voice.

“Just don’t make me regret it.”

I thought about everything that happened in my short life, the Hell hole that is Saryna, my false wedding, being banished and branded Kranicar*(banished), learning how to fight and use technology from the Saint Patrick crew, my darker path in the criminal underworld after leaving the Irish crew. My life is chaotic, and I think that for now I am just in the eye of the storm. Meeting that little female must be part of something that will shake my life.

Fa looked me in the eyes, something passed into them. An emotion I’ve never seen before, but she lowered her glowing blue eyes to stop me from further prying. I helped Fa zip up her own body suit, kissed her again and took her hand to finally leave that computer room. But suddenly I felt dizzy and went on one knee.

“Hey are you ok?” Fa asked worried.

She was fawning over me but the vertigo I felt didn’t stop. New sensations made themselves known. I felt as if millions of tiny insects were roaming on my skin, my body felt numb and then it stopped.

“Fenicia?” The voice of Fa felt sharper and louder than before.

“Don’t shout!” It hurt my ears to even speak.

I put my hands on my ears, trying to stop me from listening. WHAT. THE. FUCK. is happening. Texts and numbers scroll up and down in my field of vision.

Companion AI, activation Protocol.

Calibration of sensory input.

Toddler program activated.

Please, choose a name for your companion A.I.

I wanted it to go away, I thought hard about it but nothing happened.

Please, choose a name for your companion A.I. It insisted, the text gaining in size in my eyes obfuscating everything.

I decided to give in, I cannot win it seems. A name came into focus in my mind and it seems the computer picked up on it.

Checking for Availability...

The name you inputted is available, Onboard Omega A.I. is now designed as SONG.

30 second before activation.

Now that I have calmed down a bit, I have time to read the entire prompts in my HUD. Is it saying what I think it is saying? Something like a synthetic nanny was embedded in the nanites pack?! Now I understand, it was too good to be true. I will have someone else in my head.

SONG is activated.

Welcome, user. My name is SONG and I’ve been designed to facilitate the use of your augmentations.

Go on, bitch.

Fuck, I never asked for this.

My presence wasn’t expected, this is highly irregular. User, I promise that my services will be done with utmost efficiency. All systems are green. Somehow, user you are low on energy reserve. You should stock on calories for the system to run without cannibalizing your body.

Shut up! I thought.

Please. Please could you let me time to think?

“Fenicia, listen!” My head turned toward Fa.

“Ah, finally you are listening. Are you ok?” She asked, worry all over her face.

I shook my head, and tried to stand slowly; but no I couldn’t.

“There is some sort of A.I. that activated and is speaking to me in my head.”

Fa helped me by making me sit and lean against the steel grey wall near the exit of the computer room. Her pretty face was changing through a kaleidoscope of emotions while she looked at me. She took her com tablet from her tool belt and I don’t know if I was seeing things but the holo-screen flickered through menus, pictures and graph at high speed without her touching it.

“Mother.” I heard her coldly say while gritting her teeth.

“?”

“I’m sorry Fenicia, my mother can’t stop messing with you...” She added, there was something more she wanted to say, but she shook her head and looked at the ceiling furiously and sat at my side.

“I will call the nurse bots to bring you to the medical bay. What you are going through isn’t supposed to happen like this, but more in a controlled environment. She is being vindictive...”

“What are you trying to say?” I have no idea about what she is trying to explain.

Wait, Fenicia. Think. First look at the prompts in your HUD. After some time reading them I noticed. And remembered that I had no complete control of my Augments when I woke up and while fighting the mercenaries. Idunn said that it was a quick and dirty version of what normal Centurion does to be in control.

“Yes, you understand. Smart.” Fa, smiled weakly.

Can I explain user?

No, shut up. We will talk, when I am ready.

Of course, user. I shall await for our tête-à-tête.

Frustration welled up inside me, I looked at Fa in my HUD and I could see some kind of panel with her full name and title. The panel unfolded when I focused on it and a trove of information showed up. I saw her position in the board meeting, her shares in Vice Corporation, was it some kind of advanced Augmented Reality function.

“Ah, you are accessing my public profile. I see yours now; wow you are listed as a first class centurion and the daughter of Idunn. Your account is empty but you should be able to get your money from the Alliance Bank. Maybe buy some stock in the corporation...”

I sighed and leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. To make her shut up I passed my arm around her shoulders to have her lean into me. And it worked.

VIS Sundance, med-bay

I was lying on the med-bed with the scanner drones flying around me and scanning my body. The holographic monitor showed my physiology to the doctor examining me. He looked quite austere and professional. Fa stayed with me, looking leery of the Centurions in the medical bay.

Shit, all those eyes on me aren’t good for my nerves. When we arrived in the shiny and advanced med-bay I didn’t think I would be confronted with the guys who arrested me earlier. But why are they in such a state? I leaned my head against the blue pillow the bed had formed when I laid on it.

The petite human female must have felt my discomfort because she felt obliged to inform me.

“You happened to them.”

I hesitated to answer her. “I don’t remember mowing them down like this, even that bitch is in a full healing tank.” I recognized the dark skinned woman who captured me earlier. She is floating naked in the green goo of the glasslike tank.

Fa looked at one of the male soldier when I said that, doing the same I saw that he was furious and barely restraining himself.

“Maybe you should talk with your A.I. she can do a lot of thing for you. But first you will have to configure her, don’t be closed minded.” The petite human said.

I must have made a stubborn face because Fa added.

“You will need her.”

Tssk. I averted my eyes from her pleading gaze.

“I feel your reluctance ... and by the way you better do it fast, mom will expect you to be able to deserve your rank. She already threw you in the fire, Mother likes to see people struggle. Don’t give in to her.”

Fa took out her com tablet and did the mind surfing I saw her do on the ship intranet. And she made a holo-screen appear; imagine my surprise when I saw myself in the station plaza surrounded by centurions while I was tied up. Then with horror, I watched myself as I lit up and transformed. My mind went slack. I looked at Fa then at the screen. I did all this, I attained the warrior form!! My elation is short lived, because I realized that I attained it but wasn’t guided into making it perfect.

I will have to work with a Saryan to be able to ... and then I realized another thing. No Saryan will help me after what I did on Saryna. I felt a weight settle on me; despair seized my heart, my past came back to bite me. I put my face in the palm of my hand. Blind revenge caught up to me and dealt a blow I might never walk away from, entering in combat with that monstrous and unpredictable form might be the end of my career.