Chapter 11

Bonnie said, “Twelve hundred cycles before we are back in the Milky Way.”

“As long as we come out in a fed-controlled system,” I said.

“Amen,” was stated in unison by the three AI units.

The rest of us stared in amazement at them.

“Where did that come from?” I finally asked.

That’s when we heard, “I am afraid that is my influence.”

The new AI appeared on the bridge. She materialized slowly as if she were programmed to make a ‘grand entrance.’

“Mother!” Bonnie muttered.

“Yes, Great-Granddaughter, it is I.”

The holo projection formed fully and then solidified before us. I was shocked at the family resemblance. ‘Mother’ was 5’4” with a perfect hourglass shape. Her emerald green eyes seemed to see through you as they peeked out from under the bangs of her fiery red hair. She stood there before us, already naked, her nipples erect, and the lips of her shaven snatch, already engorged with blood, seemed to beg for attention.

Bonnie asked, “What took you so long?”

My eyes were still glued to her breasts. They were perfect. They almost defied reason, standing out so perkily despite their large size.

“I was trying to decide if this man was worthy of me.”

Ok! That snapped me out of it. It was just insulting enough that it kickstarted my mind.

Bonnie was quicker than I in asking, “What do you mean by that, Mother?”

“Relax, dear one, it was not an insult.”

I was amazed to see Bonnie relax after just the AI’s words. She went from very angry to almost complete contentment in a heartbeat.

I, on the other hand, was still a bit agitated. Fong calmed me down. She spoke privately to my mind.

“Shhh. Calm yourself, and hear her out. Then you will understand.”

Then, the Mother AI spoke to me directly. Her eyes bore into my soul as she spoke.

“I am more than an AI. I am a direct total personality transfer into a matrix crystal.”

I gasped audibly at this news. It was illegal as hell to do that.

I uttered, “Oh! My! God!”

“Yes, Sam. I see you understand my dilemma. You are not family, nor is Sue. I had to be sure I could trust the two of you before I revealed myself.”

“So you trust us, now?” Sue asked.

“The jury is still out on that, Child.”

Sue seemed insulted at being called a child.

Bonnie said, “If that is the case, Mother, why did you reveal yourself now?”

“Bonnie, Bonnie ... I am so old, so tired. When your great, great, great grandfather saved my personality to an AI crystal, I was at death’s door. Indeed, my physical body died within two cycles-fractions after my personality transfer.”

“I know the story well, Mother,” Bonnie said.

“I have lived too long, my dear child.”

“I still don’t understand?”

“Your Grandfather sent me with you on this trip because he fully believed you would fail.”

Bonnie gasped out, “You mean ... No, that can’t be.”

“Yes, child, he granted me the chance to die finally. It was my desire, though he couldn’t bring himself to do the deed.”

Bonnie was trembling at the thought.

“So the Admiral believed we would fail on this mission?” I ask.

Mother turned to me, “Yes, the odds were twenty thousand to one against you ever making it to Deloris Seven.”

“I still don’t understand why you are revealing yourself now.”

“It is simple, Sam. I calculate that there is a 99.97% probability that you will complete your mission, and I will still be alive at the end of it. This is something I cannot allow.”

“What do you mean?”

“Captain, I want you to kill me.”

The gasps from the AI units were as loud as everyone else’s on the bridge. I stuttered, “I ... I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

Mother signed, “I know. I calculated that, as well.”