Artificial Intelligence Read online

  She walked to the end of the room, where fifty women huddled together. She took one by the hand, coaxing her forward. The others followed, eyes downcast, all linked by entwined hands.

  “This is Shala. One of the rescued who was so brave as to hide aboard my ship when we chose to run from Zeta. She convinced the others also. She’s the leader of the Protected.” Shala was thin and timid in a graceful, but elegant way. Her dark hair was parted in the middle, and hung in a glossy wave over her shoulders in a black mass. “Shala was prized for her coloring. Zetans wanted black-haired offspring, and natural is always better than manipulating genes. Here, on our new planet, she is in charge of meals.”

  For the first time, Arian noticed that Serepto had moved from the wall to stand by Jax.

  “Greetings, Shala,” Jax said softly. “I am Jax. I was the first awakened and embodied of the Artificial Intelligence. This is my brother, Serepto.”

  Serepto did the unthinkable with an abused humanoid female. He held out his hand. The room stood still. Arian caught her breath. To her surprise, Shala hesitated only a moment before placing hers in his.

  He shook it gently. “I am pleased to meet you, Shala. Your stew smells amazing.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered. “Orion let us know of your numbers. We made enough to fill bellies all day long.”

  Arian’s eyes teared at their interaction. She shot Serepto a grateful smile, and noticed he seemed reluctant to drop Shala’s hand.

  “I am certain it will be delicious,” he said. “I will help you serve whenever you are ready.”

  Shala nodded and blushed, pulling her hand away.

  Arian wanted to divert attention from her, knowing there was only so much attention the Protected could take at one sitting. “I take it my sons went hunting?”

  Tian said quickly. “Only during the safety of daylight, and never alone. We left most of the males here to care for the others, though.”

  Arian sighed. “I’m sure Orion made sure you were careful.”

  Orion wrapped his arm around Tian’s neck. “I did what I could. He’s still alive, right? How about if we get everyone fed?”

  Arian nodded. “Let’s do. So far the men have only eaten replicated meals. We will return the Protected to the ship to sleep tonight. We have plenty of rooms there, since some AI have volunteered to share rooms.”

  “May I suggest having some of us assigned to guarding the Protected?” Serepto said. “It will be their responsibility to care for them, make sure they have what they need and to get them to and from the ship safely in this weather. It will allow you to focus on other things without spreading yourself thin.”

  “Good idea.”

  Serepto turned back to Shala. “I will help you with the food.” His eyes flashed blue, and five other AI came to stand behind him, apparently part of the new team.

  “Mother, the rest of us are dying to know how you met the AI,” Tian reminded her. Arian tore herself from watching Serepto with Shala while she and Jax walked with Tian to the opposite side of the room. Many of her strongest males gathered there. After introducing Jax, she started in.

  “I had to take the quickest route home after obtaining the mestascia from the Livia Trading Post. I had been exposed as Zeta, of course. I managed to arrive before any actual Zetans came, but had to leave quickly after getting my free shipment. The nearest galaxy was the Sirius post.”

  “You flew through Sirius?”

  “It was necessary. Midway through, Tess let me know there was a piece of destroyed planet that contained artifacts in its hollowed core. It was actually Jax, who had linked into Tess from the planet. The artifacts were the bodies of the AI. When the Sirians blew up the galaxy, the AI created metal skeletons that would withstand the heat while protected by the core of the planet. They relocated their collective consciousness into the computers in the core. When Jax traced my ship, he activated one of the skeletons to grow tissue into a body. He then asked me to revive him by linking his consciousness into the body. We transferred the skeletons onto the ship to revive the others with lesser complications.”

  “And just when we thought we were safe, we encountered a Zetan ship,” Jax said.

  Arian continued. “All of the bodies weren’t activated yet. There were only the first six, which make up their council. But together, they came up with a brilliant plan. Jax antagonized the captain, who was a half-breed and couldn’t control his temper. He made the Zetan captain believe we outnumbered them. They veered away, but left a tag that would attach itself to us once our force fields were released. So instead, the AI released an escape pod through the shields, while the actual ship propelled the opposite way. It tricked the tag into attaching itself to the pod. It worked like a charm and we came directly here. We had to take a shortcut through a wormhole later, when we encountered ships looking for us.”

  “Your hidden asteroid worked like a charm,” Jax said.

  “Good! But you’ll have to avoid that route now that Zetans have been searching again,” Tian said.

  “We will,” Jax agreed. “Though we do have better cloaking devices.”

  The kitchen women worked in teams of two to bring bowls of fresh baked bread and stew to the AI. They didn’t look directly at the men, but at least they served. They always worked in two’s—in their minds there was safety in numbers. While it wasn’t true, it enabled them a sense of calm in which they could at least function. It was amazing progress, considering most of the women had been born in cages to breed for the Zetan bloodline. The only skills they had were those that the young Arian was able to teach them.

  “Do you think the original Zetan ship will continue to search?” Orion asked.

  “Probably not. It’s too slow to navigate through the Sirius galaxy, where they lost us. The galaxy is filled with debris to avoid, and some of it is radioactive. Eventually, those pieces will explode, which is why it was time to get the AI bodies out of there.”

  The room was abuzz with conversation, as many of her people stopped to talk to various AI, who explained the story of their creation and the galaxy demise. He left nothing out, telling of the civil war between planets, the fact that they were created to be a different color which left them hated and prejudiced against. He also told how many of them were sex slaves. The stories were so fascinating, no one noticed how quickly the night passed.

  “Sun’s out,” Tian announced, parting the curtains on the main window. The bright sun casts a greenish glow over the planet.

  “The natives are nocturnal. We’ll have a break now,” Arian said to Jax.

  “Then it’s time to work.” His eyes lit up, and began flashing as he communicated with the others. “The first shift will start while everyone else rests.”

  “By the way,” Arian said drily, to the men in her tribe who watched curiously. “When you see their eyes flash blue, they’re communicating among each other, or with a nearby computer.”

  “I wondered.” Tian laughed.

  * * * * *

  Serepto stood next to Jax, but never took his attention from the small one called Shala.

  She was an exquisite creature, fully Terran like Arian. Her hair was a curtain of black silk that hung thick and straight. Her eyes, large and oval, carried a wariness that added a mysterious realm shining through to their depths. Her cheeks and lips carried a natural pink tint that darkened whenever she looked his way.

  She was interested in him. He knew it to be so.

  That’s your imagination. The return thought was from Jax.

  Get out of my head.

  Then turn off your thoughts. You sound like a lovesick puppy.

  He glanced at Jax, who was grinning broadly.

  With a curse, Serepto looked away from his brother. He had no idea he’d been projecting his internal thoughts.

  That’s how screwed up she has you, puppy.

  Serepto shut down the connections to his mind after cursing again. But turning away from Jax allowed him to focus on Shala again.
Perhaps Jax was right. Maybe he imagined her blushing was in his direction. Still, he had preferred thinking that way before Jax ruined his thoughts.

  Arian made her way to Jax, and distracted him. It was the perfect opportunity to break away and follow Shala, though Serepto fought against flinching at the thought of being called a lovesick puppy twice. Now, he understood the draw Jax had toward Arian.

  Shala knew he was there. Her movements were slow, and she and the woman she was with were both quiet.

  “Shala.” He spoke softly, but the tiny woman stood still, as if she were wary.

  Very slowly, she turned to him. She barely reached his chest. She refused to look up, and he kept his voice soothing.

  “I thought I’d help you. We can break the team into two shifts.”

  For the first time, she looked up, her eyes wide. “Females—We’re never separated,” she said, her tone slightly raised in horror.

  “No one will ever be alone or unprotected,” he said, comforting her with his words. “The other guys will guard and protect each and every one of you with his life. The women will follow your bravery,” he said. “Isn’t it time to finally know you’ll never be hurt again? Not as long as we all breathe.”

  He let her think about it, staring into her eyes as she did so. She turned to the woman who hovered by her side. “This is Kristeeah.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Kristeeah. I’m Serepto.” From behind him, Rune stepped forward. This is Rune.” Rune nodded carefully. “He’ll protect you and the other dozen women on your shift. For now, he’ll take you to Arian’s spacecraft to rest before your work shift later.”

  Kristeeah nodded, and then lowered her eyes. Half the women followed her and Rune, while other AI stepped in behind them.

  Now Shala was all alone. She wrung her hands nervously.

  “Once everyone has eaten, what’s the next step?” Serepto asked her, his voice still soft.

  “We—we clean up. Wash all the dishes and put them away. Then we’ll get ready for the next meal. The hunters will head out for meat, and the women will gather vegetables. We only have frozen this time of year.”

  “I’ll help you gather and wash dishes.”

  Strangely enough, the small chore did odd things to his belly.

  “Were you one of the sex slaves also?” Shala asked timidly.

  “No. I wasn’t pretty enough,” Serepto answered, allowing all emotion to filter out of his voice.

  “I think you’re beautiful,” Shala said, keeping her eyes down.

  She did? She probably wouldn’t have centuries ago, on his planet. “Thank you. But this is a new body, remember? Back then, the only one who had my back was my brother Jax. His sacrifice allowed me to fight, and to explore how to survive the impending world war.”

  “You all made sacrifices.” She seemed determined to make him the hero. But she had no idea what Jax meant to him.

  “As your people have. But Jax’s went above and beyond. He agreed to sexual slavery so that I may be overlooked.”

  “Arian has been the bravest. Not only was she willing to escape, she took us with her. Without her, we’d still be slaves.”

  “You’re free now, Shala. You’re part of a community, and a family. My own people owe much to Arian. We’re your family now.”

  * * * * *

  From across the room, Arian whispered to Jax. “Serepto has found his calling. He likes to comfort others.”

  “Yes,” Jax said. “He was always there for me.”

  Jax turned toward her, settling his forehead down to hers. “Thank you for being patient with him. I know he’s difficult, but he is my brother.”

  “Jax, what makes you happy makes me happy also. I love you. I wish I’d told you earlier.”

  “Everyone is busy right now,” he said, nuzzling her ear. “I would love to show you how much I love you.”

  “We can head back to our quarters on the ship.” She tried not to sound too eager. She had responsibilities, people to take care of. But now, there were others to lean on.

  “Do we dare sneak away?” he said, with a smile.

  She slipped her hand into his much larger one, and slowly they made their way to the door.

  “Mother, where are you going?” Naturally it would be Tian who sought her out.

  “Oh, uh…to the ship. We’re going to make sure everything is readied for everyone.”

  “Uh, huh.” Tian’s voice was droll. “I’m sure. Feel free to rest up, and come back when you’re more energized.” He kissed her cheek and winked at Jax.

  Arian’s cheeks felt warm. “Let’s get out of here,” she whispered.

  They grabbed their coats, bundled up and shuffled outside. The wind whipped, blowing bits of tiny snowflakes across their faces. Soon they reached the ship, entering the bottom entryway and leaving their coats in the storeroom. They took the lift up to the captain’s quarters. Jax pulled her close, whispering sweet things in her ear, while pressing her backside into his hard bulge.

  “I crave you,” he whispered.

  “You’re overwhelmed with this flood of emotion you haven’t felt for centuries,” she countered.

  “What a way to live,” he said, nipping her earlobe gently. He ran his hands down the front of her body, over the curve of her breasts, down the sides of her waist and over her hips.

  The lift walls were lined with mirrors. Not the old fashioned, glass kind, but a polished metal rubbed to a high-shine. They were necessary, using their energy from the magnetic load, but in a convenient way, Arian could see every touch of his hands as they roved over her. She concentrated on his touch, watching as he cupped her breasts through her uniform, then used one hand to slide down to her sex. He covered it, and warmth emanated from his palm.

  The visual was sexier than she realized.

  He brushed kisses along her neck, the stubble of his jawline rubbing along her skin. Shivers broke out down the length of her spine as moisture gathered at the hot spot between her legs. Suddenly, she knew what she wanted.

  He needed to see what she saw.

  She reached out and slammed her palm against the button that locked the lift.

  In one smooth sweep, she turned, dropped to her knees and released his waistband. Her fingers shook, so he helped her. Then without pause, she took him into her mouth.

  Jax could only gasp as she deep throated him, her soft lips sliding back and forth along the length of his shaft. She suctioned him tight, the pull of her mouth making his hips buck uncontrollably. In the mirrored finish of the lift, the sight of Arian kneeling in front of him, her breasts burgeoning from her loosened uniform, was a visual he’d never forget.

  He caressed her head lovingly, knowing he should push her away to take care of her, but unable to resist the incredible feelings she evoked.

  Then, when she began to make content rumbles that vibrated around his shaft, he almost lost it. He dragged her up and kissed her, his tongue reaching deeply. He anchored an arm around her waist and picked her right up. She wrapped her strong legs around his waist, trapping his cock in the warmth of her core. She was so wet he slid right in, made for her. She was snug, wrapped around him where they connected as one. Then he pulled out, leaving his dick dripping with her juices.

  He was lost in the pleasure of kissing her, tasting her mouth, tasting himself. He leaned her up against the wall, his free hand sliding over the curve of her buttocks, down the front of her hip to explore her cleft. She keened into his mouth when he found her clit and rubbed it, his thick finger pressing against her sweet spot as their tongues continued to duel in a wet, erotic dance.

  He parted her lips and pushed his finger into her pussy. She trembled in his grasp. Back and forth, he seesawed in and out of her, the tight grip of her swollen flesh an exquisite torture as he thought of his dick pumping in and out instead.

  “Please, Jax. That’s so good. Fill me up.”

  He guided his cock to the entrance of her pussy and with a firm thrust, sheathed himself f
ully. He almost spilled at the amazing feeling, especially when she began to shudder, the muscles in her sex contracting around him, squeezing him to within an inch of his life. He shifted his grip so his hands could palm her butt while her back leaned against the wall. Slowly he began to pump. He pulled out until just the tip rested at the entrance of her wet lips, and then slammed it in, loving how she grunted and moaned. Again and again he plowed, her pussy tightening farther each time until she shattered around him.

  “Jax!” It was his name on her lips as her orgasm wrought havoc, shuddering through her. She hunched her shoulders forward as she shook uncontrollably, her breasts heaving and her nipples puckering.

  The ripples of her orgasm milked his cock, but he bit his lip to distract himself. He stopped pulling out and instead pushed deeper, swirling his hips in a grinding motion to strike her G-spot. Her sex spasmed mercilessly and she screamed again as a second climax rolled over her, triggering his burst. He spilled his seed inside her, bathing her womb in his essence, making them one.

  Her breathing was ragged as she clung to him limply. Keeping himself locked inside her, he kissed the top of her head softly as they calmed.

  Chapter Eleven

  Arian stood back and surveyed the scene. The amount of work the collective had gotten done in the short time since they’d landed was amazing. The men of her village were dispatched to hunt for food to cook while the AI all worked the fence. Within three days, it was nearly finished. The outside natives grew restless each night, howling piteously in their screeching voices, when they realized there was no damage to the fence from the previous day.

  Serepto grinned. “Wait until it charges and electrifies. That’s going to be a shocker.”