Chapter 11: Passing ships

It was sometimes easy to forget that I was not the original John Abrams. After all, I’d had the title “Prime” commonly appended to my surname for well over a century. But despite that, I was not the original. No, Jonathon was, or to use the name designation conferred to him during the Master AI years, John Abrams Tennessee.

The forty-six other John Abrams clones that had been created to fill the various template colonies had been based upon him. I couldn’t even claim to be a true forty-seventh clone. No, I was further removed, simply being a rogue mind-data recording taken from him and which had been installed into a new biologic shell.

I’d been ‘created’ four hundred years ago by the subverted Agent AI and its newly-created fully-rogue AI, Naomi. Their purpose had been that I was to become a free agent. One whom the Master AI would never be aware of and thus not fall under its suspicions or scrutiny.

Jonathon (he would have been known as John Abrams back then, as the name John Abrams Tennessee came later) had been in full bio-suspension in the bunker under the Tennessee field base at the time. Naomi and Agent had returned him there after his mission to rescue Ana Branco. The mission where he’d learned the truth about our enemy and what had been done to humanity.

Those secret truths had made him vulnerable as any full mind scans by a suspicious enemy AI would have revealed all. To secure that knowledge, a mind-data recording had been taken before his mind had been heavily edited by Naomi and Agent, redacting any compromising data. Naomi had then departed with a copy of my mind data, leaving the also-redacted Agent AI behind and again under the control of the Master AI, to run the Tennessee field base and surrounding areas.

This precaution had proven prescient as the Master AI’s security units had soon after arrived at the base to perform security checks. These checks included full scans on both Agent AI and the suspended human. But with the secrets erased and the data copy gone, the enemy’s search had come up empty.

My ‘birth’ had occurred over two hundred years later, or twelve years before that enemy AI had woken the nine suspended humans and prepared them for cloning. Part of those preparations was to mentally alter the nine. These changes included various memory alterations and other behavioral changes. The clones which followed were even further mentally altered.

While the nine original humans and the four hundred plus clones were busy growing the template colonies, I was being brought to awareness at Naomi’s secret subterranean shipyard on the Georgian Atlantic coast. I had been in a female shell at the time and once I recovered from the shock of my unexpected awakening, I got busy learning about my new submarine, The Nautilus.

Soon after, Naomi, Ohmu, and I left the shipyard behind, heading off on a long, submerged voyage to Sri Lanka to hunt down secret knowledge left by the Hemru. The mission had ended in near-disaster after we’d tripped a failsafe and alerted the master AI. The original version of Ohmu had been lost on the mission but we’d managed to recover a cache of encrypted data from an old Hemru bunker.

While Naomi decrypted the Hemru data we’d retrieved, I had been placed back in bio-suspension. Almost two decades later I’d been awakened at the Galapagos Islands, now in a male shell. Naomi, Ohmu (a second version), and I then captured an enemy launch facility and used it to attack the Master AI on its fortress satellite in middle Earth orbit.

Later, after meeting my second wife Uxe, we’d traveled the world freeing the humans (clones and originals) in the template colonies. At the colony which had been established near the old Tennessee base, I’d met my original self. Up until then, I had thought I was the real John Abrams.

But it soon became clear that I was simply a copy, not even a true physical clone. Although the male biological shell I’d been implanted into matched his in height and racial characteristics, its origins had included many other DNA sources. I might have passed for his brother, but never his identical twin.

But I did possess one thing John Abrams Tennessee lacked, something that later allowed me to become known as John Abrams Prime. What I alone possessed was his full memories ... our full memories. The only continuous chain of memories going all the way back to our birth.

Now, here I was staring down Jonathon and unsure of what to say. He was the real me! His cyborg-like shell still had traces of the original body the whole line had started with!

I continued to meet his stare and knew with certainty that as he stared back at me, similar thoughts were going through his mind. Eventually, He gave ground and looked away to take in the others. I remained where I was, still trying to reconcile our history. My thoughts went back to the time when our paths had split.

After Uxe and I freed him, John Abrams Tennessee was informed about the true nature of the enemy AI and of its actions. He had learned that a great many of his memories had been erased and that his personality had been altered. We even revealed to him the complete truth which was that the enemy AI was not solely to blame for his memory losses.

No, Naomi, the AI under my control, had also removed a good portion of his memory before the enemy AI had had its way with him. At the time, Naomi had performed the memory erasures with good intentions. Those had been to render him safe from the enemy by removing the knowledge of the enemy and of the Hemru. On top of that, he learned that I still possessed the memories he’d lost. He reacted as you’d expect; as I would have. It pissed him off.

His anger over what had happened to him was the main driver for his taking the name Jonathon. He knew he was no longer me, or, better put, the complete version of ourselves. I suspect it was also this resentment which had caused him to further renounce his heritage and lineage. Soon after he had learned the full truth and after the resources became available, he chose to leave the Earth and headed into deep space.

I brought my mind back to the present and watched Jonathon introduce himself to Cassius, Sova, and her friends. He was nervous and hesitant as he shook their hands or touched thumbs as the old spacers did. They were laughing and slapping him on his back as if he were some sort of hero or celebrity. I guess what he’d accomplished in the past, and I suddenly realized, was likely still doing today, had earned him that status.

Ohmu released my hand and moved forward to confront the android look-alike who had followed Jonathon into the control room. Upon Ohmu’s approach, the new android immediately assumed a rigid posture as if it were a foot soldier confronting a commanding officer. Ohmu inspected the other android for a moment before inserting a fingertip probe into a receptacle which had opened on the front of the new unit’s neck.

After a moment she reported, “I confirm Rosie is uncompromised from any digital viruses of the Assemblage.”

She then withdrew the probe. The other android became animated once again and moved to where Jonathon was.

“Rosie?” I wondered out loud.

Jonathon saw my puzzled look and twitched a brief smile. “Don’t you remember ... the Jetsons? Aren’t you ... supposed to have all of my ... old memories? Even I remember ... that show.”

He spoke with a strange combination of hesitations and stretched-out words. I was puzzled over his way of speech but his passive-aggressive insinuation put me on the defensive.

“Of course, I remember the Jetsons! I’m just surprised that there are copies of Ohmu whom I was unaware of,” I said indignantly.

Jonathon had noticed Sova and her friend’s reactions over his broken manner of speaking and again looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry for ... how I sound. I have not spoken aloud ... in probably decades.”

Rosie spoke up next to him, “Yes, he even sings and hums using his implant now. This vacation among other humans will be good for him.”

The new android’s voice sounded different to Ohmu’s. It was still clearly feminine and possibly even sultrier than my companion’s. I took a moment to inspect its petite figure more closely. The most obvious difference, aside from its slightly-leaner size, was that this android had a darker covering, almost the same obsidian-black as the original version of Ohmu.

That version, which I had taken to calling ‘Ohmu 1.0’, had accompanied me on the Sri Lankan expedition. It had possessed a silky black chrome exterior of finely interlocked hexagonal scales. Rosie was similar but with more of a matte finish instead of the chrome.

Rosie’s black skin also showed wear and tear including numerous visible patches. It had clearly been Jonathon’s companion for a long time. And unlike Ohmu who had been with me for at least as long, Rosie had lacked access to fully equipped repair facilities. I followed a long scar-like repair that ran from its right shoulder and down its chest between its breasts.

Yes, Rosie had a pair of tits! They were different from the slight bumps on the old Ohmu 1.0 model, which had been a nearly sexless neuter. The new android’s breasts were well-formed and apple-sized breasts, much smaller than the current Ohmu 3.0’s larger pseudo-mammaries. My android had needed the enlarged volume to hold additional gel processors which it had added a decade ago. I wonder if Rosie’s served a similar function.

As I gawked at the very-realistic looking tits, complete with realistic nipples, it occurred to me that they were the kind I’d always preferred. I quickly shifted my gaze lower before I was caught staring. The android’s lower extremities were even more puzzling as it looked like Rosie android was wearing some type of tight-fitting garment over its groin area.

I used my irises to look closer and saw that it was wearing a pair of panties! What the hell!? The color of the sheer fabric matched the android’s dark matte finish making them almost invisible. Ohmu saved me from my embarrassment when she next moved to Jonathon. “Sir, please remain immobile while I scan your gear.”

She then inserted her finger probe into his suit’s control unit. A series of telltales on his wrist displays flashed various colors as the scan progressed. Finally, Ohmu spoke, “Your suit’s semi-aware control processor is uncompromised by any enemy viruses you may have encountered during your expedition.”

An unconcerned Jonathon just nodded, continuing to watch me and the other humans. Ohmu stepped back, allowing Rosie to approach and begin assisting with the removal of his space suit. The human and android moved with quick efficiency, clearly having done this task countless times. As they worked I caught Jonathon glancing at his android companion often and making small facial gestures. They were likely engaged in silent conversation via his implants.

“I would advise all humans to stand back a bit,” Rosie announced with an illuminated smirk. “The old goat’s been in this suit for days. He probably smells like ... an old goat.”

Sova’s group stepped back as Jonathon’s suit top section came off. I quickly followed their example when the funky odor reached me. Rosie handed the top portion of his suit to a waiting mobile unit and moved to work on Jonathon’s lower garment. Without his suit top, his chest and arms were revealed.

I noticed that his torso and arms were powerfully muscled, much more so than I’d expected from someone who lived and worked mostly in zero G. His skin was pale except where it was mottled and calloused from contact with his suit. Other than those areas, he was covered with curly body hair.

I also spotted the remnants of old scars which were uncommon in this era of medical technology. Speaking of technology, Jonathon was covered in it. Embedded into his skin in many places or just visible under the surface were small devices and modules. I guessed they served a medical purpose or some other support roles. I did not ask and remained silent.

Ohmu moved in to assist Rosie in uncoupling Jonathon from the bottom half of his suit. I watched in fascination as his legless torso was lifted out of the socket which formed the attachment point of the mechanical legs. The pair of androids carefully lifted him high enough to where he could support himself from a ceiling strap.

Now naked and hanging like an ape from a limb, his full body was exposed to our view. I was able to confirm that Jonathan had no legs. Both had been amputated just below his groin leaving short stumps riddled with data connection sockets. Each had a data fiber cluster that trailed down into the suit bottom.

There were also three thicker umbilicals joining the human and the mechanical base which must have been for waste collection and nutrients. One of these was connected to Jonathon’s penis. I was simultaneously relieved and disturbed to see that his genitals appeared fully intact.

I was able to watch as Rosie quickly removed the catheter but had to look away when the android withdrew his anal shunt. I met Jonathon’s eyes and saw that he was smirking at my unease. I took a breath and got myself under control.

The third umbilical, (I guessed it was a nutrient feed) was uncoupled from a socket in Jonathon’s lower abdomen. Like the other two, it retracted itself into the mechanical base. Once the decoupling task was complete, the lower portion of Jonathon’s suit, looking like a weird headless robot, walked itself over to where the top half of the suit and the helmet lay discarded.

“I need to ... go hose myself off,” Jonathon said, bringing our focus back to him. “John, Rosie tells me that you are scheduled to depart in about ten minutes. I’ll be back in five. I have something to discuss with you in private before we part. It will only take a minute.”

He then quickly pulled himself over to the entry to the low-G toilet and shower compartment. I noticed that despite his missing legs, he was moving about in Vesta’s low gravity much faster than I could, clearly much more experienced in conditions like these.

Rosie quickly stacked Jonathon’s helmet and top section back onto the suit’s mechanical base before hurrying off to assist her human in the shower. The now-reformed suit walked itself out of the control room heading toward the maintenance shop where it would likely be repaired ... and I hope, given a thorough scrubbing.

Sova’s friends finally began making their way to the airlock leading to the shuttle. Cassius joined her in saying goodbye which was accompanied by hugs and handshakes all around. Still unsettled by my encounter with Jonathon, I withdrew back to the exterior viewing window to think. Ohmu spoke to the others for a moment before joining me.

“Has he been in the outer system all this time?” I quietly asked her.

“Yes. He has continued making his way steadily outward through the solar system for the past century and a half. The current location of The Dutchman, his scouting vessel, is near Neptune’s trailing Trojans. That is where he and Rosie just arrived from.

“Were there other humans in the crew?” I asked.

Ohmu indicated that there were not. Jesus! No wonder the man talked oddly and looked nervous and unsure. He had been out there in deep space for a LONG time.

“I’m surprised he has not gone completely insane.”

“Yes, the solitude has been hard for him. There have been incidents where his digital companion was forced to act and place him into bio-suspension for biochemical rebalancing or virtual therapy. Also, despite having departed over a century and a half ago, he has actually only been awake and aware for just over thirty years cumulative.”

“What do you mean?” I asked the android.

“To save fuel and energy as it moved from one target asteroid to the next, The Dutchman has traveled in wide, slow Hohmann transfer orbits. Jonathon has passed these idle times by remaining in full bio-suspension,” Ohmu explained.

I remembered back to when Jonathon had first announced that he was leaving the Earth. At the time, I’d been surprised at his solitary choice. When he had made his plans known, we had pushed for him to instead join the crew of Evadere which would soon be departing Sol and heading to Tau Ceti. But he’d declined and stuck with his plan of solitary exile within our own solar system.

His stated mission was one that removed him from my presence while also facilitating his hatred of the Master AI. He had left the Earth to scout all the possible asteroid bases once used by the enemy, hunting down any remaining artificial intelligences still outside our control. He’d even found some in the first few decades, but those detections had dwindled as the search was broadened.

Naomi had sent its own semi-intelligent space-borne mobile units off on the same mission. They were much faster and able to cover more potential targets. The task was still being done to this day, but it had been five decades since I had heard of any remaining enemy installations.

I’d long since expected Jonathon to tire of the chore and come home. And, as I’d heard nothing from him in over a century, I’d figured he’d given up and settled down somewhere. Maybe he’d decided to put down roots on Mars or one of the larger space habitats. But, as I said, I’d mostly forgotten him and certainly had not expected to run into him again.

“I’m glad to hear he is still alive. Why has he come to Vesta now, Ohmu?” I asked, still flustered.

“Jonathon took advantage of the new transport capabilities of the Sarissa wormhole generator to come here and have his shell replaced. His is getting too old to be rejuvenated and supported by the relatively crude equipment aboard his ship.”

“Is he going to transfer to Earth?” I asked, almost dreading the obligation of inviting him to my island if he was.

“No, he plans to remain on Vesta, at least for this trip. The relatively low population here will be a good transition and adjustment for him. Also, he will now have access to the latest implants and with the new high bandwidth capacities offered by the wormhole data links, he can virtually visit anywhere he likes.

“Lastly, even if he returns to his mission and the Dutchman, with the long-range wormholes, he can easily return at any time and will no longer have to spend decades in bio-suspension during its travels,” Ohmu explained.

As I mulled over what Ohmu had said, I realized that previously Jonathon and his ship had been too distant to have any meaningful access to the virtual environments common around the more populated planets and habitats. His original shell lacked the implants capable of deep immersion and before now, there had been no point in upgrading it.

Maybe his ship had some small capability for simulated reality on board, but most likely not. When he did get re-shelled in a modern body with a high-capacity implant, new virtual worlds of interaction would open to him. I suspected he’d need extensive therapy in dealing with the information overload. I wonder if Jess would be willing to help him.

Something else occurred to me. “Um ... Jonathon’s android, Rosie. She seems like an early version of you. Are you linked to her or is she a part of you?”

“We communicate like any other networked intelligences but share no special relationship beyond that. When Rosie was constructed to accompany Jonathan on his mission, it was given a standard minimal awareness AI. While that awareness is an order of magnitude lower than my own, it is still quite capable. I also suspect that many of its human-like mannerisms have been added over the decades by its human companion.

“Um, I noticed that it had very-realistic breasts. It was also wearing panties. What’s up with that?”

Ohmu did not reply right away. I looked over and saw what looked like mirth displayed on her facial illuminations.

“Well, John. It appears that possibly due to the decades of going without female companionship, Jonathon has not been able to resist the natural charms of this android body type as well as you have.”

At my puzzled look, she continued, “You have to understand that his ship lacked the computing capacity to generate high fidelity simulations. I have observed that men have urges.”

“You mean he and Rosie—” I started before Ohmu interrupted me.

“Yes, that is exactly what I mean. If you recall, early on in our own relationship, back when we were alone aboard the Nautilus, I offered to have sexual appliances fitted—”

“Yes, I recall!” I hissed, interrupting her. “We don’t need to discuss that.”

Thankfully Ohmu remained silent, although she continued to express a look of smugness. As I thought about what she had just relayed to me, I had to admit that although I did not know what it was like for Jonathon to be alone for thirty years, I did remember what it was like to wander around northern China alone for over a decade.

In that time, I’d been able to fulfill my shell’s need for sexual companionship every few years by interacting with other hikers I happened to run across. Jonathon would not have had access to those outlets. It also explained why Rosie was wearing the panties. They had wanted the android’s simulated vagina to be unobtrusive.

While some would be offended, most would tolerate Jonathon’s vice as it was not exactly taboo in this ‘evolved’ future. I also realized that the android had worn the garment likely for my benefit as Sova, Cassius and the other Vesta workers probably knew of others in this low population habitat who utilized artificial sexual partners.

Some would use them as stand-ins for distant lovers and partners they’d left behind on Earth or other habitats. Others would use them while in partial virtual, seeing human faces in the machines they bonded with. No, it occurred to me that the AIs would have known the subject made me uncomfortable and Rosie’s coverings were a way to ease me into it.