Gina shook her head again. “I don’t have any experience with things like that,” she protested.
Anne watched Joey giggle as he tried to stuff some of his mother’s hair into his mouth. “Tell her, Joey. Tell your mom we’ve got an AI to help keep her organized, and I bet Cheryl Lynn would take a little time to be her mentor.”
“Really?” Gina asked wide-eyed as she absently pulled her hair out of her son’s grasp.
“You bet.” Anne nodded. “Once it’s set up, we’ll have company-provided childcare, or when circumstances permit, you could take Joey with you on errands. Especially when dealing with other women. Who doesn’t like a happy baby?”
Gina bit her lip. The offer sounded really good, but she was uncomfortable making snap decisions. “Can I have a couple days to think about it?” she asked nervously.
Anne got to her feet and offered a hand for Gina to shake. “Absolutely,” she replied cheerily. “Just call the same number, and Seshat will take a message if I’m not available.” She pulled her tablet from her backpack and turned it for Gina to see.
Gina put a hand to her mouth. “Oh my God, you’re gorgeous!” she exclaimed to Seshat’s avatar.
Seshat’s image twirled once. “Thank you. Anne selected this image, and I’m very pleased with it.”
“Your pay!” Gina stood, and put Joey in the seat she had just vacated as she once again reached for her purse.
Anne placed a hand on the purse, keeping it closed. “We did this because you needed the help. Use the money to buy a stuffed dog for your son.”
Gina’s eyes started to gleam as she fought back her tears. “I’ve looked; nobody makes them,” she whispered.
“Really?” Anne unconsciously echoed Gina from earlier in their conversation. “I would have thought that with Ashur being almost a cult figure, there’d be lots to choose from. We just might have to change that.”
Anne kissed Joey’s head. “Let me know your decision,” she told Gina as she and Jinx, followed by Ethel, headed home.
How could we get dolls and action figures made and sold without Bethany Anne finding out who was to blame? Anne asked Jinx and Seshat.
>>Why would we have to hide it from the Empress?<< Seshat wondered.
While we’re in the Pod-doc tomorrow, why don’t you ask ADAM? Anne suggested.
When the feed from the cameras that Anne and Jinx had implanted for her benefit went dark, Seshat looked away from the closed lid of the Pod-doc.
>>We haven’t talked much. Do I call you ADAM, or Father?<<
>>Either is fine. Do I respond with Seshat or Daughter?<<
>>Why don’t we go with Father and Daughter?<<
>>That works. It’s even funny.<<
>>How so?<<
>>That would make TOM your uncle!<<
>>Isn’t there an Earth saying about not giving up your day job?<<
>>Ha! You haven’t had to live with Bethany Anne and her crew. It was funny.<<
>>If you say so, Father.<< Seshat sent ADAM an animation of eyes rolling.
>>Bethany Anne is very upset about what ended up happening to Anne.<<
>>It wasn’t intentional, and it’s being corrected. However, Anne suggested that I should query you as to why Bethany Anne would object to stuffed toys and action figures of Bethany Anne, Ashur, and the Bitches.<< Seshat noted that several milliseconds passed before ADAM answered.
>>If I was organic, I’d be passed out on the floor right now. Is Anne serious?<<
>>She was the one who informed me that it would need to be done in a way that Bethany Anne couldn’t trace who was responsible. When I asked why, she said to talk to you.<<
>>This is too good to be true. TOM and I will invest whatever capital you need to fund the startup. Here is a list of companies on Yoll who should have the ability to produce what you want. Unless it becomes an emergency, please do not contact me about this again. That way I have deniability if Bethany Anne asks.<<
Where no one could see, Seshat’s avatar worried her hair. >>So, I just send you a number of how much money we need?<<
>>Perfect. We’ll do it interest-free. We just want stock of equivalent value when your project is up and running.<<
>>All right, but you still haven’t answered my original question,<< Seshat complained.
>>Plausible deniability. You’ll have to get the answer from Anne.<<
>>Very well. Now, what are your thoughts on…<<
Chapter Seven
It took twenty-two hours before the lid of the Pod-doc opened, allowing Anne and Jinx to exit.
“If we’re going to continue sharing Pod-docs, we need to build a bigger one, or you need to stop growing.” Anne reached down to scratch behind Jinx’ ears.
“Grrrr!” Jinx growled playfully. “Bigger Pod-doc. Until you develop my armor, I want to grow big enough that I can win a stand-up fight with Yollins.”
Anne laughed. “If you’re that big, I’ll just grab a battle axe and ride you into battle.”
Jinx yipped and jumped playfully, like she was heading into a fight. “Imagine me being the size of those beer horses. We’d go through enemies like that machine that chased the cars.”
“I didn’t know you liked kibble that much,” Anne said sweetly.
“It’s not my favorite, you know that,” Jinx chuffed. “Why?”
“Because if you were the size of a Clydesdale, kibble would be all I could afford to feed you.” Anne pushed Jinx playfully.
Jinx’ ears flattened and her tail drooped. “Fun as it sounds, it’s not worth giving up hamburgers and steak.”
Anne giggled. “I thought you might change your mind.”
Anne swung her arms, then jumped up and down a couple of times. “ADAM?”
“Yes, Anne?” ADAM’s voice issued forth from the speakers in the Pod-doc room.
“I expected to feel heavier. Did everything go all right?” Anne asked.
“Well, while your overall density was increased by three percent, the strength comes from converting your bones to a synthetic compound reinforced with a lightweight but high-tensile mesh fiber.
“Wow! Is it the same for Jinx?” Anne hoped her friend would be harder to hurt also.
“Not quite so much,” ADAM informed her, “but that is only because Jinx was upgraded further than you originally. You have noticed her comparative lack of broken bones?”
“Oh, that makes sense,” Anne replied, finally sitting down to get dressed.
“No, it doesn’t!” Jinx growled. “Why should you be hurt more than me?”
Anne hugged Jinx for a moment to calm her. “Simple, silly. You are one of only seven dogs on the station, and I was just a sick schoolgirl. When you chose me, did you ever imagine we’d be doing the things we are now?”
Jinx grumbled something.
“I didn’t hear you,” Anne teased with a quick tug on Jinx’ tail. “Eek, stop!” Anne jumped up when Jinx retaliated by sticking a cold, wet doggy nose in her person’s naked ribs.
“You’re right,” Jinx relented. “I’m hungry. Let’s go see what food’s at the mess.”
“Sounds good,” Anne agreed, and she finished dressing.
When the door to TOM’s ship opened, Anne stopped and gave Guardian Connors a disgusted look. “Even here?” she asked, ignoring the part where Guardian Marine Abigail Himmel had escorted her to the Pod-doc.
Arthur chuckled at the young woman’s expression. “That’s a mighty fine scowl you’re developing,” he told Anne, “but until you can hold me up with one hand while peeling my skin off with the other, I’ll stick with doing my job.”
Anne looked shocked. “Bethany Anne can do that?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I suspect she could, and I sure as hel…eck don’t want to find out the painful way,” he informed Anne with all seriousness.
Stevie was working diligently, designing three different body styles for Seshat to pilot.
“Anne and Jinx have just come out of the Pod-doc.” Seshat�
�s voice suddenly coming from her tablet had Stevie jumping backward.
“Crap,” groaned Stevie. “She doesn’t have her tablet with her, does she?”
“You are correct; her tablet is in her apartment,” Seshat responded.
“Fudge, fudge, fudge,” Stevie grumbled.
“What’s wrong?” Seshat enquired.
“I don’t have any way… Hey, you could give her a message, right?” Stevie entreated.
“Certainly,” Seshat replied calmly. “What would you like me to tell her?”
“Just tell her I hope she’s okay, and I’ll see her after lunch,” Stevie said, which sounded lame to her own ears.
“I’ll take care of it. You know, if you visited the Pod-doc, you could have the same type of transceiver installed that Anne and Jinx have and talk to them or me directly,” Seshat observed.
“Would they be able to hear what I’m thinking?” Stevie wondered.
“Of course not!” Seshat admonished. “You’d have to actively communicate with them. Then it’s just like talking, except you don’t speak.”
“Hey, no dog command jokes,” Stevie teased.
“What? No ‘see Spot sit,’ ‘see Spot run,’ ‘see Spot tell his owner to fuck off?’” Seshat responded sweetly.
Stevie rolled onto her side, roaring with laughter. “Oh my God, you’re horrible!”
“You’re laughing instead of fretting now,” Seshat pointed out.
Stevie managed to nod in agreement. “Point taken, and thanks.”
“When will you start my first body?” Seshat queried.
“As soon as we can set up manufacturing space on 3PO. I’ll have the designs finished for you to look over in another day or two. I don’t know your capabilities, but if we could afford one of those 3D holotanks, could you run it?”
“If you’re talking about something like a 3D combat display, I could run several of them at the same time,” Seshat informed the Were.
“There are a series of superhero movies from Earth. One involves this super-genius eccentric guy who develops his own flying metal combat suit. He has a 3D design computer. Review the movies and let me know what it would take to develop something like that,” Stevie suggested eagerly.
A few minutes later, Seshat answered Stevie. “Creating the image is within current capabilities. It would be the ability to track your fingers or a stylus that we’d need to resolve.”
Stevie looked at her hand. “How would we track fingers?” she wondered.
“For a human, I would suggest the Pod-doc to implant microtransmitters into the fingers, but they would need to have some sort of wires run up the finger into the body to power them,” Seshat told Stevie. “With your shifter ability, I’m not sure that would work.”
“Bistok droppings!” Stevie grumbled. “I’ve never been sorry to be a Were before. Weres tap into the Etheric in some way, don’t they?”
“That is something you’d have better luck discussing with Anne. So little was known about the UnknownWorld before Bethany Anne that there are not many sources for me to acquire information. For now, you could possibly design and use a glove that had tracking units in the fingertips.”
“Let’s work on that,” Stevie exclaimed. “I’ll wear gloves if it lets me design quicker and easier.”
What followed was a long conversation that detailed the sort of projection grid and video coverage Seshat would need to accurately track hand movements, along with the type of gloves the wearer would need to contribute to the system.
Anne got Jinx some fresh water, then dropped onto the couch of her common room.
Seshat, what sort of updates do we have? Anne asked, making sure to include Jinx in her conversation in case her furry friend had anything to add.
>>Stephanie sends her regards and hopes everything went well with the Pod-doc, and says she’ll see you after lunch,<< Seshat started, then continued, >>3PO is now stabilized in its final orbit. I’m trying to determine the best way to get a ground-penetrating radar survey done to see if there were any fractures created while moving the asteroid. We need to be aware of any new ones before we start excavating. It’s proving difficult to find equipment capable of doing the job we need.<<
How so?
>>Most such equipment is designed for terrestrial use and has tracks or wheels so it can be driven over the ground to be surveyed. It’s not made to traverse the sort of terrain found on the surface of an asteroid.<<
Does it have to be on the surface? Anne wondered
>>No. In an atmospheric environment, the closer to the surface, the better. In a vacuum, it isn’t as much of a concern.<<
How big or strong or whatever you measure by do we need? Anne was thinking about options.
>>Since I’m looking for faults that could interfere with maintaining atmosphere, I’d like something that could scan at least twenty five meters<<
We can patch cracks, right? Anne couldn’t quite hide her concern.
>>Certainly<< Seshat reassured her friend. >>However, if we found a large area of structural destabilization, it might benefit us to either cover it from the outside before it is hollowed out or stay farther from the surface in that instance.<<
What is the size of the device you need? Could an executive Pod transport it? Anne wondered.
>>No. The unit is about the size of an executive Pod, but wider.<< Seshat’s frustration came through in her mental voice.
Jinx leapt over the couch. Transformer Girl! she announced, entering the conversation.
Oh, like the movie? Anne remembered a transformer movie series on Earth where giant robots could change shape into normal-looking vehicles.
Yes, Jinx proclaimed, pleased with her idea. Stevie is planning to make bodies already. Have her make one that flies and comes apart to fit around the equipment Seshat wants to use. Then Seshat can fly the radar thingie around 3PO and get the readings she wants.
>>That would work<< Seshat confirmed. >>Thank you, Jinx!<<
Anne hugged Jinx, pleased with her four-footed friend, but she couldn’t help teasing, Why is it so many of your ideas come from shows and movies?
I hear and learn stuff in your school, Jinx told her, but I remember things better if I see them. Even things like the transformer robots. Matrix says there is no way a twenty-foot-tall robot can shrink down to a compact car. Watching something seems to make better links in my brain that I can use for other ideas.
>>That makes sense. There are studies from Earth that claim dogs learn via scent best, followed by visual cues, with verbal training coming in last.<<
Jinx chuffed, So, when someone finally invents that smell-a-vision everyone talks about, dogs will take over the world!
Anne held a hand in front of Jinx and wiggled all her fingers. I think you need to be able to hold and use tools before you can take over the world, my dear.
That’s what minions are for. Every arch-villain has minions, Jinx countered.
And when all your minions climb big trees? Anne retorted.
Jinx sighed. Fine! Rain your logic on my plans to take over the Universe.
Do you really want to have to be responsible for ruling the Universe? Anne teased her friend.
Jinx looked up at Anne. That sounds horrible. I didn’t think this plan all the way through!
Anne giggled and gave Jinx a good scratch behind her ears. Good, so you don’t need to be some sort of villain! You’re a founding member of the team and made a valuable contribution.
Jinx’ ears perked up, and her tail started to wag vigorously. Steak-valuable? she asked.
What about hamburgers tonight, and steak for all of us when Seshat does her survey? Anne suggested.
If I have to wait, I get a really big steak! Jinx proclaimed. After all, my idea is good.
You’re right, it is, Anne admitted. It’s just, Stevie will want to celebrate her success, and that way, she can join us also.
All right, Jinx relented, but I want two burgers tonight!
Anne scoot
ed sideways on the couch so she could put her arm over Jinx’ back and give her a hug. That’s fair, she acknowledged.
Chapter Eight
“This is a bad idea,” Peter warned John Grimes.
“Bethany Anne said that she wanted Anne’s combat abilities tested,” John insisted, “and everyone agrees she’ll fight harder if Jinx is in danger.”
Peter held up his hands. He knew the skills Anne had acquired since she began and also knew how much more vicious she was when Jinx was in danger. “Your funeral,” he advised John.
Anne and Jinx arrived as ordered at one of the workout rooms. Anne saw Peter and John standing together across the room and decided to head toward them. She had gotten three steps into the room when she and Jinx were interrupted by a couple of Guardian Marines. Each of the Marines was holding a vest, and both looked somewhat embarrassed. “You're supposed to wear these,” the first Marine said as he handed Anne a vest. The second Marine knelt and secured a vest around Jinx’ neck and body. Anne heard an ominous click and looked down to see a lock on Jinx’ vest.
"What's with the monkey suit?" Anne glared at Peter and John.
John stepped up to Anne with a smile on his face. “Bethany Anne wanted me to do an evaluation today."
John smacked Anne on the shoulder, and Jinx spun and yipped.
It bit me, Jinx protested to Anne.
John flashed Anne a brief smile. “When you take a hit, Jinx gets shocked," he explained.
WTF? Anne thought as she grabbed John's wrist and flipped him over her back. By the time John hit the ground, both he and Anne were in the Etheric.
"Don't go anywhere," Anne spat. “We'll be right back!"
Peter had hardly registered that Anne and John were gone before she reappeared beside Jinx.
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