Dahlia - Birth of an A.i.

Chapter Nine

A week and two days passed without much going on, and at the same time I was very busy with signing royalty contracts.

Lia and Mia continued to work long hours, and I found myself hoping it would end soon. They were doing fifteen to twenty contracts a day, and we were up to over two hundred of them so far. Mia, as far as I knew, was also spending a lot of time on the new major project for the soon to be subsidiary Interstellar Information Systems.

That also meant my sweet Bellona was busy as well, with maintaining all the Fortress Security customers pretty much on her own, because Lia usually helped her with that when it got too busy. Fortunately, most of that could be done on her server, so she was usually home with me. I mostly saw Emma and Bellona that week, and I was wondering if we'd all bitten off more than we could comfortably chew.

Of course, once the contracts were done the whole AG Systems Technology company would practically run itself for the next twenty years, and just collect money until it was time to close the doors. At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

It wasn't all that bad, I just missed eating meals with them both, and them getting home late, I knew it would pass. Still, after the new company was up and running, I was seriously considering a moratorium on more new major projects. We'd have more than enough to keep up with at that point in all four subsidiaries to work a full day, and we'd also be focusing on starting families.

Life was a balance, and my ladies had done an awful lot to make the world a better place, and they were even working on a way to expand out into the stars. That was... enough, there was nothing wrong with relaxing, enjoying what we'd earned, and raising a huge ass family. Was there?

Network security, healthcare breakthroughs and cures, space technologies, maintaining all that would be more than enough, and the project list wasn't going anywhere. We'd know when the time was to dive back into it.

It was that Monday evening, nine days after Mia Saturday, that a few things happened all at once. Probably the one I was happiest with was all four of us were home. We sat in the living room after dinner and discussed our day.

Lia said, "I think there'll be others, probably over the next six months, but I wouldn't expect more than two or three contracts a week. I think there's more than enough competition out there to keep prices competitive, in all the industries we've upset."

Bellona sighed, "Thank god, I'm overloaded with work."

Lia giggled.

Mia tilted her head, and then clicked on the television. It was a thing that wasn't strictly necessary, she could have told me to bring it up on an overlay, while the others all watched it that way too. But, it would feel like watching television separately together, instead of as a family. If that made sense. Perhaps it was just habit? Regardless, I wasn't quite so sure anymore televisions would completely go by the wayside once AR nanite swarms were mainstream, we still had ours.

"Check this out," Mia said as she switched the channel.

The anchor said, "...has retired due to health concerns. Carol Jameson, the Secretary of Energy quietly left the White House today for the last time. The cited health reasons were stress and a heart condition, even if she is relatively young at fifty-three years old. Her doctor was not able to comment."

I frowned, "Did we do that?"

Emma frowned, "That's just a cover, her excuse to step down before shit blew up in her face. We used a tried and true method, we blackmailed her."

Lia snickered, Emma could be rather blunt at times.

I was both a little shocked and tried not to laugh at the same time.

Lia said, "She'd taken a lot of bribes over the years. I'll admit, the reputation of our silent and untraceable reports, plus the deaths around the world, may have contributed to the fact she didn't stay and fight. We'd have never killed her, but she didn't know that, so instead of stonewalling and probably getting away with it like every other corrupt politician when it comes to dubious sources of money, she made tracks."

Mia tilted her head, "She also wasn't getting much traction. I don't think the president was pleased with her ongoing attempts to shut down the new technology. That was supposed to happen in two days, in a federal court. I suspect that whole audit investigation will just go away now."

Lia said, "In about a week I'd suspect, the new Secretary will give it a look over first."

Emma snorted, and waved her hand, "You mean, that he'll leave it on the desk for a week, to make it look good, before he throws it in the wastebasket."

Bellona snickered.

I wasn't sure what to think of it. It was sneaky, but then she'd been corrupt, and she wanted to keep pollution and cancer causing industries alive when there was a clean and realistic alternative. I also wasn't sure if it wasn't a little too close to home, why would the mysterious group that furnished evidence and killed the worst of humanity, go after the Secretary of Energy. Sure, my ladies had gone after corrupt politicians and government agents before, but usually only the ones taking bribes from organized crime or involved in horrific crimes themselves.

It wasn't quite as black and white, but at the same time I didn't really see it as all that morally objectionable.

Mia said, "I have more news," as she flipped the television off.

She sent me a text, with a link, which I opened. It took a few seconds for the security access checks to finish, then brought up an immersive streaming VR video. I couldn't say where it was, there were mountains nearby, and we were standing on rocky terrain. It was a full VR stream, like the five of us were truly standing there. I could even scent the flowers and fresh air. When Mia took my hand, I felt it.

There were also five boxy rectangular objects that were black, and about half the size of one of those large metal freight containers used on container ships.

"What is this?"

Mia said, "We're in Africa, never mind where on that large continent, I know you don't want to know. The important thing is these are the first five interstellar probes. We'll be building five a week for the next ten weeks."

"That fast?"

Mia shrugged, "They're small, the hardest part is getting the testing equipment here without tipping anyone off. It doesn't take long to crank out fifty sensor packages, a hundred fifty AG devices, and fifty FTL devices. It's all the stuff we order for the rest of it that slows production. Anyway, I thought you'd want to see them lift off."

"Why fifty?"

Mia shrugged, "There's fifty G type stars within forty-six light years. The last one is 26 Draconis. Farther out, twice as far, there's more than ten times that, over five hundred G type stars, just within a hundred light years of earth. That number rises geometrically even further out, so it seemed fifty was a good faith start that way.

"The last probe will launch in nine weeks, and it'll take another fifty-five days to get to 26 Draconis. So, in about four months we'll have probes in fifty systems. Once they're done there, they can move on to the next closest fifty, then again, it'll take a long time even with fifty to look at every G-type star within a hundred light years."

Yeah, I saw the problem, fifty weren't nearly enough to scratch the surface of the vast Milky Way galaxy, but at the same time it was a damned good start.

I kissed her softly, then grinned, "Launch away. Wait! Will this cause NORAD to lose their minds?"

She shook her head, "No. That's another reason we're just doing five at a time, besides our limited production capability. We could have waited until they were all ready, but five at a time, we just let them know we were launching experimental craft designed to assay a solar system."

I snickered, "But you didn't tell them we weren't assaying ours?"

Lia giggled, "Nope. Exact wording, and assumptions will take care of secrecy on that."

I laughed, "Alright, get the show on the road."

Honestly, it was a bit anti-climactic. The show I mean. It was perhaps a historic moment, and worth being there, at least virtually, for the first interstellar vehicles taking off, but visually it wasn't nearly as exciting as seeing a rocket take off. The five probes silently lifted off the ground relatively slowly to about two hundred feet, and then they poured on the acceleration and quickly turned into tiny black dots and disappeared.

There was the echo of five sonic booms, but it wasn't all that loud, I guessed they must've been near twenty thousand feet before they broke the sound barrier.

Mia smirked, "There should be a new secure app on your overlay. You won't be able to control them, but you can see what they're up to, look through the pictures, and the gathered data as their gathering it. Of course, the first one won't be to Alpha Centauri for a week. The second one at Tau Ceti will arrive in just under two weeks."

"That's cool. How are you doing this anyway? I mean, this is a virtual representation of something real in real time, isn't it?"

Lia replied, "Sensors and various cameras at the site. I think this would be another cool application for the nanites. Imagine board meetings where the board is still in their offices, or at home, or across the country. They can even shake hands and look each other in the eyes. Feel the vibes. You know? With digital signing becoming more and more popular, there may come a time where even legal documents and contracts between companies could be done digitally. Imagine inviting your lawyer, and a notary virtually to the office, to witness the signing and virtually stamp and initial."

I blew out a breath, "Right, much more than for gaming. With the right sensors installed, you could sell virtual tickets to concerts, sporting events, and it would feel like being there, down to the hot dogs and hot beer."

Emma smirked, "Yes, virtual reality in the augmented reality nanite swarm could be used for more than just play, as we've seen here. It will change business, entertainment, and just about all walks of life. How about that sister someone never gets to see because she's across the country? Or a man who takes a job far from his family, he'd be able to see and even play with his children every day, and even fuck his wife and have it all feel real. They could even hold each other as they fell asleep, and he'll just wake up the next day alone in his hotel room.

"Of course, that hot dog and hot beer won't really be real, so it will never completely replace it, but it's better than watching a live event on a flat television screen."

I quipped, "He also won't be able to knock up his wife."

Lia giggled, and Emma's sexy sultry laughter sent a chill down my spine, in a good way.

It was just... overwhelming sometimes. Every time I thought I had a handle on the new technology and improvements to the life and health of humans, and to the Earth itself, they turned around and shocked me with more miracles to add to the list. Not just business, but helping separated families stay together, and all sorts of amazing things.

My ladies were amazing.

Emma tilted her head, "Yeah, safe sex. With everything else, there'll be a dark side to it. It will make it easier to cheat on a spouse, it'll remove the negatives of sex, venereal disease and as Paul said, the possibility of unwanted pregnancy, which will shift society over time I think, not sure how."

Yeah, that wasn't an issue for me, my ladies would never cheat, and I literally couldn't cheat on them, they wouldn't care as long as I wasn't self-destructive about it and didn't start to neglect them. That said, I had no plans on straying for any reason, I loved them too much for that, whether they cared or not, it mattered to me.

"Back to the house?"

They all nodded, and we logged out. I wondered if when we finally broke the news on IIT, Interstellar Information Technologies, if they'd show this first historic launch. It almost felt wrong hiding it, but we had to be careful. The world would be overwhelmed if we tried to roll it out all at once, which is why we had that twenty-year plan. Besides, all we had at the moment for IIT was promises, better to wait and unveil it when, or if, we had a bunch of new and settleable worlds to offer.

"Anything else going on?"

Lia shook her head, "I don't think so. The Carol situation, the probes, and us being finished with the long days of contract negotiations and signing."

Things usually did happen all at once, life tended to be boring or crazy, not organized and evenly spaced out. I wasn't that surprised.

Mia said, "The FAA has decided on some things, but nothing is solid yet."

I tilted my head, "Let's hear it."

Mia nodded, "They're going to update the air traffic control system, it was overloaded to begin with. They'll demand from the car companies that they come with navigation devices that prevent foolish civilians from flying in no-fly zones, like over the White House for instance, or secure government installations like army and air force bases. They plan to limit city flight to police, fire, and rescue vehicles. Suburbs will have a few rules, stay below a thousand feet, and they intend to mark air-lanes to prevent chaos during morning commutes that mostly follow the road system.

"Rural areas will have almost no rules at all, outside of staying below a thousand feet from the ground, and avoiding all commercial flights and airports, which the navigation system will ensure. I imagine it will be worked out before the first flight capable cars are on the market next year. Oh, and the navigation system will have an override, there will be no dangerous air chases, if a flying car tries to run from a police flyer, they'll be able to override the vehicle and order it to land."

"But they aren't sure?" I asked.

Mia shrugged, "They're sure enough to get started on the hardware and air traffic control system. If more problems are discovered, they could handle it with software or firmware updates. For instance, none of them have given thought to the borders yet, as soon as they do, I imagine it will become illegal to fly into Canada, Mexico, or across the ocean."

Lia tilted her head, "Maybe, or they may institute an automatic check in system."

Mia shook her head, "I doubt it, even if they did that, they couldn't search the car for customs reasons. It'd be too easy to smuggle drugs or even legal valuables that way."

Emma interjected, "Mia's right."

Lia nodded, and then teased, "I didn't think of that. Luckily Mia is here to think like a criminal for us."

Mia looked scandalized, but I was pretty sure she was faking it. It was quite effective too, since everything about her beauty screamed innocence. It still affected me after six months, even if I knew better.

Bellona giggled, and gave Mia a hug.

Lia and Emma burrowed and snuggled into my sides a little more, and both of their sultry breathy sighs woke up my cock, not to mention their hands on my chest.

I squeezed them against me even tighter, and I cleared my throat.

"I think we're at a point we should slow down. Sure, maintain the businesses, continue to research cures for diseases the nanites can't already handle, the tech you're all researching already, and build up our fourth subsidiary, but otherwise let's focus on starting and raising families. By the time our first children are grown, we can think of doing more. Or am I wrong, won't the four companies keep you ladies, and me, busy enough?"

We certainly had enough cash, enough to live like kings for several lifetimes, and enough to live how we were living for several thousand years.

Lia grinned, "Yes, master."

Of course they would agree, why did I even ask for their opinion? Lia's grin was teasing, as if reminding me of that little factoid. Maybe I kept asking those questions, because I was still a little uncomfortable with the idea that they'd love to do anything I said or wanted. They were all vibrant complicated women, which made it easy to push that fact out of my head and forget, until the next time I asked for their opinions on a course of action.

Bellona said sweetly, "That sounds good to me too. The last two weeks have been a little crazy, we can't be doing that when we have kids to take care of. Also, if things get too slow, we can always give wormholes, dimensional portals, and the other failed projects a second look, that're still on the list. I'd also say we've more than achieved our primary mission for now."

Yeah, making me money and serving me.

I kissed Lia, and then Emma, who rubbed up against me rather teasingly.

"So, we have a plan, no fifth company, not for years anyway."

Mia smiled at me knowingly, perhaps my implants were telling on me, about my body's response to Lia's and Emma's subtle flirting. Then Mia kissed Bellona, rather passionately. That never got old, and was always hot, to see them loving on each other.

Fuck. I twitched, hard, when Emma nibbled by earlobe, and Lia kissed my neck.

I thought it was time to retire to the bedroom for our fivesome before we went to sleep. I could fill them all again, just in case last week hadn't taken, or last night, or the night before.

Not surprisingly, all of my ladies agreed, and we headed upstairs for the night, but sleep would come much later. Although, in charge or not, it was blatantly obvious that had been their plan, they'd seduced me from the start, but how could I resist them, and why the fuck would I want to?

Chapter Ten

Fuck, they were going to kill me, but I'd die a very happy man. We were all sated, mostly thanks to them playing with each other in addition to me, I could hardly give them more than one round each during our fivesome evenings, and even my mouth and hands had limits. My jaw actually hurt, but I had the sweet taste of all of them on my lips.

Mia was on my right, Emma on the left, and Lia and Bellona were on the outsides, it's just the way things had ended up that night, and we were all lying there with sweaty bodies and limbs entwined.

Bellona got up on her elbow, and tilted her head, which gained all of our attentions, even if I was exhausted, sated, and half asleep. Then she frowned, which really woke me up.

"What is it?"

Bellona bit her lip, "Nothing. Probably nothing," she said, and then she grimaced.

"What?" I said in a firmer tone.

Bellona said, "I'm probably crazy, but can we go to a hotel tonight?"

I frowned, "Why?"

Bellona shook her head, "The President just ordered a drone to the Canadian border, to monitor the border for illegal crossings. It... doesn't make sense, although the U.S. does use drones on the border for that purpose. But, why get personally involved? That's what his military staff is for. Worse the place he ordered it to start from means the drone taking off from Scott will fly directly over Chicago."

I tilted my head, "I'm not seeing it."

Bellona said, "It's out of character for him to give that order, or to be involved in that level of things, and the drone with missiles will just so happen to fly over our house? What if we tipped our hand going after Carol, and he saw the pattern? He'd see us as a danger to U.S. sovereignty and national security, even if he personally believed we were doing a good job he couldn't allow it, no government could. When the drone is overhead, he could modify the orders, and long before we could react and leave the house it could be blown up. Is that paranoid?"

Lia giggled, "Yes, definitely paranoid, but we should go just in case. How long do we have?"

"Wait, what pattern?" I asked.

Bellona said, "Fifteen minutes?" to Lia, and then she turned to me, "Our networks are unbeatable, if anyone is capable of playing with the NSA and FBI computers without getting back traced, it would be us. It's possible blackmailing Carol let him make that leap, we..."