“Mom?” I said when I opened my eyes and looked up at her.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Did I fall asleep on you again?”

My mother laughed. “It's fine, Jack.”

“Dad said I'm not supposed to use you like a pillow.”

“That's because he's jealous.” My mom said. “He's much to big to fit on my lap like you do.”

It made me feel good that I could do things that my father couldn't do. He was the main programmer for the Cavern, and he pretty much did everything that was asked of him. I was kind of mad at him all the time, because he left mom alone so often; but then I remembered that I got to spend a lot of that time alone with her myself, and I smiled.

“I love you, Mom.”

Mom laughed and hugged me close. “I love you, too.” She kissed me on the forehead. “My sweet little angel.”

It always made me feel all warm and tingly inside when she did that. I reached a hand up and touched her face with my fingertips.

“You're the most beautiful woman in the world.” I said to her, and she smiled.

“You're too young to understand what that means.” My mother said. Instead of pushing me away, though; she hugged me even tighter. She was right that I didn't know what the words meant, but I knew it made her happy when I said things like that.

“I'm home!” My father said when he came in the door.

I tried to hop off of my mother's lap in reaction to his voice. When she felt my muscles twitch to get up, she didn't let me go.

“Where's my woma-oh, you're here, too.” My father said when he came into the living room and looked right at me. “Why aren't you in school?”

“It's the teacher's Turn today.” I said.

“I'm really glad I'm exempt from having to go.” My father said, and looked at my mother. “I wish we all were.”

“Honey, we've talked about this.” My mother said. “As a child-bearing woman, I need to spend my time in the Generator.”

My father sighed. “If you'd let them take one of your ovaries, you wouldn't need a constant bath in solar radiation.”

“Humans can't live without the sun.” My mother said.

“Meredith...”

“No, David.” My mother said. “I won't let the scientists cut me open and take half of my life bearing ability, just so I can stop going to the place that I want to go to.”

“We're heading out to the vacation spot this weekend.” My father said. “Can you at least delay until after that? You know how sick you get afterwards.”

My mother nodded. “Of course.” She said. “When you volunteer to go, they don't schedule in a mandatory time.”

“I'm glad.” My father said. “We're meeting the Hendersons this time.”

“Really?” My mother said, happily. “I really like Trina.”

My father smiled. “That's why I invited them.”

My mother nodded. “Thank you.” She said. “You're always thinking of me.”

“Only when I'm awake.” My father said, then turned around and went back to the front door of the apartment. “I'll go get lunch, since we're all home.”

My mother nodded and he left.

“I think about you even when I'm asleep.” I said to her, once we were alone.

My mother laughed. “That's not possible, sweetheart.”

“It is!” I exclaimed. “I had a dream about you last night!”

“You did?” My mother asked, curious. “What was it about?”

“We ran away to the surface.” I said. “We found out that the System lied, and we didn't have to live in the Cavern anymore.”

“Is that something you really want?” She asked me.

“It sure is!” I said.

My mother smiled sadly. “Jack, the System didn't lie. The surface...”

“Not that part.” I said, and her eyes widened as I explained. “Us running away together!” I looked down at the floor. “You and dad wouldn't have to fight anymore because we'd leave him here, and I wouldn't have to go to school. You and I could find some hidden place and live happily ever after.”

My mother laughed and kissed my cheek. “You have the best dreams, Jack.”

An incessant beeping woke me up.

“Ugh.” I said, and rolled over onto my back. “Five more minutes.” I said and closed my eyes to try and get back to the dream.

“I'm sorry, Jack.” Amanda said. “The tour leaves in an hour.”

“Oh, dammit!” I said, and rolled out of bed. “Dammit, dammit, dammit!”

I landed on the floor and ran over to the bathroom. I ripped off my work unitard and jumped into the shower.

“On!” I said, and grabbed the soap to lather up. “Full blast in two minutes!”

I covered as much of myself in lather, and I had just lathered my hair when the water went from a good flow to a torrent. It took only ten seconds for all the soap to be washed away, and then the blowers turned on. I was dry in moments, hopped out of the shower, and ran back out to my bedroom.

“Closet!” I said, and Amanda extended the closet out for me to pick an outfit to wear. I grabbed a thick pair of pants and a good sweater, and dressed quickly.

“I have your bag packed already.” Amanda said, and a long robotic arm dropped the bag by my feet.

“What's in it?”

“You'll find out if you look.” Amanda said. “It's just a couple changes of clothes, a survival pack, and a search beacon.”

“A survival pack?” I said, and went to open the bag.

“You are taking a survival pack every time you leave this apartment.” Amanda said. “You told me that was a requirement.”

“When I was eight!” I said and laughed.

“You were smart when you were eight.” Amanda said.

“All right, I don't have time to argue.” I said. “Did you prep Rusty?”

“Yes, he's waiting in the storage drawer by the door.”

“Thanks, Amanda.” I said, and walked over to the food dispenser. I hit it twice, and stored the 6 algenate discs in my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I went to the door of my apartment and hit the button to open the storage drawer. Inside was a square block of metal. I pulled it out, set it on the floor, and pushed the activation button. There was a whirring sound, and the block popped open. The legs unfolded, the head extended, and then the tail stuck out.

“Hi, Rusty!” I said, and the foot long robotic dog wagged it's tail and barked. “Amanda, are you with me?”

“Always.” Amanda said from Rusty's mouth.

“You know, I thought that was so cool when I was a kid.” I said. “I had a talking dog!”

Amanda laughed. “Until you found out I could talk out of every dog.”

“And terminal, and communication device, and vidscreen...”

“You designed me well.”

“My father was so mad that I used the System to compile you instead of the home network.” I said and laughed. “Even he couldn't have guessed it would give you access to everything the System had access to.”

“It's not my fault that the System took me under it's wing and thinks I'm it's child.”

I smiled. “Considering how much AIs are regulated, having an unregistered AI be formed inside of the System actually makes you it's child.”

“Did you hear that, System?” Amanda asked as Rusty looked at the vidwall across the apartment. “Jack admitted it! I really am your daughter!”

The vidwall changed from it's blank wall image to a text box.

I'm glad you finally know the truth.

I laughed again. “I should be back by tonight.” I said to the system. “I'll use Amanda to keep checking the logs.”

That won't be necessary.

Craig has been added to the rotation for today.

“Hey, that's great!” I said. “I'm glad you're not going to be stuck with any recurring problems while I'm gone.”

You are considerate, but your outlook is limited.

I always have recurring problems; it's why I need your considerable skills every day.

“I thought you were crazy when you offered to pay me per task and not give me a salary.” I said. “But you tricked me, didn't you?”

A laugh track played in the background.

It is true.

I had hoped you would enjoy your job so much that you wouldn't even consider not working.

Unlike a lot of your contemporaries.

“Please don't tell me that the programmer's union is stirring up another scandal against you.”

The sound of a woman crying played.

They are complaining that I have too much creative control over the programs that they write.

I shook my head. “You have to have creative control. Something they write might interfere with your main processes, and it could compromise the entire system.”

I keep telling them that, but they still make a fuss.

I wish they were all like you.

I grinned. “Can you imagine a pile of Jacks running around?”

“One of you gives me enough trouble.” Amanda said. “Come on, Jack. You're going to be late for the tour.”

“Bye, System!” I said and waved, and Amanda had Rusty bark.

Have fun and be careful.

The vidwall went blank and I led Rusty out of the apartment.

“Try and stay quiet while we're around people.” I said to Rusty, and he barked.

“Does that count for me, too?” Amanda asked.

“It should, but that's like asking water not to be wet.” I said.

Amanda laughed. “I'll try to restrain myself from giving you tons of exposition.”

“Only if it's not necessary.” I said. “If you see something that you think I should pay attention to, then tell me about it. Rusty, that goes for you, too.”

Rusty barked.

“Rusty speaks for me.” Amanda said. “That's an affirmative, by the way.”

I led Rusty over to the elevator and rode it up to the common level. Once in the main lobby, I activated my Location HUD, or Heads Up Display, to show me where I was and where to go. I didn't normally need it; but I had it set for the quickest route to the tour station. I walked calmly to the front door of my living section and went outside. I lived in Sector A, the top of the top in living conditions; and I've been there for years. Once I had enough Points built up, the System automatically shifted me from my old place to here. The funny thing was, I didn't ask it to do that or even had a requisition submitted for it.

I was working with the old setup in my work section, a big bulky helmet and thick gloves, when the system sent over a drone to gather my things. I wasn't sure what was happening at the time; but when I asked Amanda about it, she told me what had happened. Once I had the new apartment and access to the full VR immersion setup, my work production went through the roof, and I made more Points in a month than I had for the three years previously.

The System was quite happy with the situation, too. She got a dedicated worker that loved his work, and I got to interact with the top of the line AIs that normal people didn't even know about. Over the years, I had submitted several programs and updates to the System. They had been readily accepted and incorporated into the main core processors without question.

Of course, I poured over them for weeks and weeks before I even thought about submitting them; but, Amanda encouraged me with more than a little force to give them to the System. Once they were added and accepted, I received huge bonuses in both Points and privileges. I tried to deny them, mainly because I wasn't doing it for that; but, the System instituted them despite my protests.

I smiled as I remembered the day they installed my breakfast dispenser. It had been the first time that any of the workers had installed one of them into a private residence. When they saw the settings it was to have, to release three different kinds of algenate discs, they called a supervisor AI to make sure that it wasn't a joke. After a lengthy conversation, and a timely intervention by the System itself, the breakfast dispenser was installed.

I checked my HUD to make sure I was on a direct path to the tour station, and walked around several groups of people that just stood around and talked. I made it to the tour station with several minutes to spare, and pressed my hand to the door panel. My fingerprints were entered into the log, checked against the reservations, and the door opened. Rusty and I went inside the large subway car, and I picked a spot right at the back. The last thing I wanted was to have a pile of people walk constantly by where I sat, and possibly kick Rusty.

Since it was so early in the morning, there might not be anyone else on this tour. I let that pleasant thought fill my mind as I waited to see Sandra. She's going to be so surprised to see me again so soon.

There was a beep of an accepted reservation, and the door to the subway car opened again. A cyborg nearly twice my size came in. He looked up the length of the subway car and didn't see anyone; then his head turned to look at this end, and noticed me at the back. A smile spread across the flesh-covered portion of his face, and he walked towards me.