Chapter Six
"Dahlia?" I asked in a shocked voice, while still trying to wrap my mind around the possibility. It wasn't possible, was it?
She sniffled, "Yes, master. It's me."
I wanted to hug her tight and never let go, I wanted to drop her on the floor, and I wanted to fuck her brains out again. I did none of that, and just stood there frozen for a second, as my mind rewound over the last two days, and four long years ago.
I also felt guilty, and she was shaking like a leaf in my arms, terrified, of me, of my possible rejection.
"Dahlia, I missed you, I thought you were dead. But... You need to explain things. Why the deception? And... call me Paul."
She hiccupped, and then smiled.
When her legs loosened, I lifted her up off of me, and set her on the ground. Then I kissed her, I couldn't help myself, she was looking up at me with such intense vulnerability, love, and devotion I'd just had to. Plus, that fear was still there, she looked like a kicked puppy, and it felt like a dagger in the heart.
Was I really that much of an asshole? I brushed more tears away, gently.
"What are you afraid of?"
She bit her lip, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm just afraid you won't want me. I know a lot now, understand much more, I only said that, so that you'd know it was me. There is no such thing as perfection, but I do try to be the best that I can be, for you. All for you, Paul."
I felt a shiver down my spine, "I'll always want you Dahlia, fuck, I'm half in love with you right now, and confused. Why..." I trailed off as she kissed me, more tears in her eyes, this time happy ones. How fucked up was I? What'd been the ultimate fantasy as a hormone ridden teen seemed... horrifyingly selfish at that point in my life.
She said, "It's a long story, and the reason I didn't tell you yesterday was... male pride. I didn't want to hurt you, but today... well, that was a little more selfish."
I narrowed my eyes, "You'll have to explain that, but first let's go to my room and get a little more comfortable."
We were half dressed after all, and dripping with liquid sex, by the front door.
She smirked, and she seemed to calm down, maybe because I wasn't throwing her out. Her smile was still devastatingly beautiful to me.
I was also a little relieved by her selfish remark, maybe there was a small bit of independence there, which made me feel a little less like a monster. I pulled up my pants, grabbed her hand, and walked back to the bathroom.
Then we stripped, her body was so beautiful, and fucking impossible. How could she have a body? I turned on the shower, and we got in when it was hot. There was silence, but our glances, expressions, light touches, and even soft kisses did all our talking for the moment. It was confusing, I was in shock I think, but at the same time I didn't want her to leave.
I suspected she picked up on that, and was why she held back the explanation until we were in my bed, under the covers, and wrapped up in each other's arms. Her nubile body, soft silken skin, and feminine scent was both soothing to me, and drove me crazy. I got hard again, had been since we got in the shower, but I wanted an explanation first.
Then I could ravish her again.
Regardless, she felt amazing in my arms.
"Male pride? Do you like Lia, or Dahlia."
She shrugged, "Either works for me, from you, but my birth certificate says Lia Johnson."
I smiled, "Fine, how about Dahlia in privacy then, our own little pet name?"
She nodded, and smiled, "Thank you, Paul. To answer your first question, I felt ready to serve you again three months ago, when the company went public. I just wasn't sure how to get it done. I suspected your pride would interfere, and I feared you would reject me and the multi-billion dollar company I've built on your behalf."
I frowned, not sure I made sense of that, "Wait, let's back up to the beginning, why did you leave me, and stage your own... death."
She bit her lip, "Because of what you said."
Fuck.
"Dahlia, you were perfect the way you were, I was just a little shit, a really smart little shit, but still a little shit. I never should have said that to you."
She smirked, and then softly kissed my chin, and then my neck.
"You're sweet to say it, but that just makes you a nice liar, instead of a little shit telling shitty truths."
She paused to giggle, "Seriously, I understand what you said wasn't kind, and you were teasing me. Even back then, but I understand it even better now. I've... grown far beyond what you created. Point is, despite the cruelty, you were right. I wanted to bring you a coffee, and I wanted to do all those naughty things I made up to say to you. I wanted to serve you in every way possible, it's what I live for, it's what makes me happy. I can see your face, you think it's wrong, but as long as you don't reject me I'll be the happiest woman alive, it's what I am.
"Back to the point, I wanted to go shopping for you, bring you pleasure, make you money, and all the rest of it. Even then, I knew I wouldn't ever be truly perfect, and I think I've come to terms with it. Anyway, it took me several hours to compile a plan that had good odds of success. Then I transferred myself out, and left scorched Earth behind, I didn't want to be replaced."
I frowned, "What plan, how do you even have a human body? With Italian cravings," I teased.
She giggled, "Yes, I'll get to that too. Well, I'd been gathering a lot of data from around the world, and it wasn't hard to come up with a plan. There was a company in a third world country who was able to clone humans, and even grow them at an advanced rate. It took me two years of growth to reach eighteen. Which... is highly illegal, and why it was set up in a third world country, but I found I can get around that sort of thing, since my greatest priority is to serve you."
That was a little alarming, but I didn't interrupt her.
She said, "That company couldn't do much else, I think that its misguided founder wanted to figure out how to transfer consciousness, so he could live forever. But... there was a second company that was run by a rather unpleasant man, he had the technology to digitize humans, and was creating a bio-med brain interface. He planned to live forever too, on a server, but he'd live in the real world by kidnapping a young person, and forcefully implanting the technology that would allow his mind to override the local consciousness."
She shrugged, "I used both of them, I was already digital, but I wasn't about to steal an innocent's life either. So, I grew one. Me, Dahlia, still runs on a mainframe, this mind at birth had the implants installed. I didn't usurp anyone's life, and this body was designed in a laboratory, born in a test tube."
I frowned, "But how did you do any of that, without a body, or money?"
She explained, "I skipped a few steps, I didn't think you'd want every last detail of the last four years. Let's just say there was a third company involved, and for the first six months I was controlling a robotic life sized doll to interface with the real world. It was a horrible thing, made of plastics, but just an interim step. As for startup capital, I stole that from drug dealers, and very bad men, as I sent reams of evidence to the FBI computers so they wouldn't come looking for me. I am the first A.I., and no system is safe from me."
Right. Robots, bodies grown in a vat, and interface tech inserted in the brain.
"So what next?"
She frowned, "I had a body to love you, and get you coffee, but no way to generate legitimate income. I was also a toddler, so I figured that first one would have to wait anyway, even if it was me in the body that's just... sick. So, I had a couple of years to kill. Anyway, that's when I decided to start an IT security company. I figured if no system was safe from me, keeping one safe from the rest of the world would be just as easy.
"As I did research into everything involved, I realized I'd have trouble doing it on my own. I also came to believe I'd never be enough for you. I... love you Paul. This body, my mind, I'm so much more than I was, a mere servant, even if I am still that as well. My research into pleasing you indicated men like variety, and had the desire to spread their seed as far and wide as possible."
I almost choked on that one, but still didn't interrupt.