-(Fenicia)-

VIS Sundance, Computer room 5A

I zipped my blue body suit up and checked that everything was in place. Arms snaked from behind cupping my breasts and I felt a soft body pressed against my back. Desire flared in me, inviting me to undo my suit and continue wondrous, pleasurable and challenging activities. But taking a look around me, I reminded myself that the room where we copulated is not suited for such and that somebody could come and interrupt us. That course of action would be dangerous.

For the intruding party.

But I can also feel like it would be thrilling in a sense. Fa tested my willpower and self-control by doing wonderful things to my body, it took a lot out of me to lightly put my hands on hers and move away from her embrace. Turning toward her I could see her eyes hooded with desire and… acceptance?

“I do hope that this wasn’t a one-time thing.” She said and pouted.

I looked at her naked body, her tantalizing curves … and imagined her hands on me. I didn’t feel any emotional conflict or regrets. That’s why when I moved, I took her in my arms and hugged her I answered.

“I would be a fool to let you go.”

And when I think there was a time I wouldn’t even be intimate with someone at all. After my forced marriage and rape on Saryna, it had become rather difficult to let someone in or even touch me again. The mildest touch would send me into a frenzy. Time and a stubborn Irish captain cured me but I still stay mildly distrusting of males. It had an unintended consequence of turning me mostly away from them sexually. Only the stars know how much I tried. But I am satisfied, maybe with more time my disgust and mistrust will disappear.

“But I don’t want to assume,” I added.

Fa giggled.

“You are awesome.” And she sealed it with a kiss.

After losing ourselves in tongues dueling I reluctantly let go again, that little human female must be a test to for my self-control. I lightly slapped her bottom.

“Temptress, put your suit on you are distracting.”

Fa smiled at me and slowly put on her bodysuit, putting on a show. I felt flattered, but I had to gather my wits not to let her control the whole situation. Even with how delightful she is, I still think she’s more than a pleasant and pretty face. I mean, for a female human raised by a ruthless woman she must have sharp spines. When I thought this, she surreptitiously looked at me and then lowered her eyes.

Interesting.

Walking toward her slowly, I made my thought go blank and posed a hand on her shoulder that she batted away.

“Empathy, huh?”

No wonder she was receptive to my touch and is this magical while copulating.

“Huh yeah, don’t do that again. I hate that cold feeling…” She said hesitantly.

Fa tried to laugh it off.

I looked at her, really looked. Being a natural predator I am used into seeing weakness and right at this moment, Fa looked prepared to bolt. Telepath and empath are shunned romantically in principle because their partner can’t hide anything from them. They cannot be involved with someone who doesn’t open to them. I decided to open a gambit for a little while and like in my meager speed training in psychic defenses I opened myself to her, my defenses falling away. It was like meditating and imagining being totally naked on an open plain feeling the wind blowing on you and the sun’s ray hit your skin warmly. The little female looked at me sharply her mouth forming an “o.”

I smiled at her, thinking about how cute she is at this moment. I put a hand on her right cheek and she leaned into it.

“Are you… sure?” There was a vulnerability in her voice.

“Just don’t make me regret it.”

I thought about everything that happened in my short life, the Hell hole that is Saryna, my false wedding, being banished and branded Kranicar*(banished), learning how to fight and use technology from the Saint Patrick crew, my darker path in the criminal underworld after leaving the Irish crew. My life is chaotic, and I think that for now, I am just in the eye of the storm. Meeting that little female must be part of something that will shake my life.

Fa looked me in the eyes, something passed into them. An emotion I’ve never seen before, but she lowered her glowing blue eyes to stop me from further prying. I helped Fa zip up her own bodysuit, kissed her again and took her hand to finally leave that computer room. But suddenly I felt dizzy and went on one knee.

“Hey, are you ok?” Fa asked worriedly.

She was fawning over me but vertigo I felt didn’t stop. New sensations made themselves known. I felt as if millions of tiny insects were roaming on my skin, my body felt numb and then it stopped.

“Fenicia?” The voice of Fa felt sharper and louder than before.

“Don’t shout!” It hurt my ears to even speak.

I put my hands on my ears, trying to stop me from listening. WHAT. THE. FUCK. is happening. Texts and numbers scroll up and down in my field of vision.

Companion AI, activation Protocol.

Calibration of sensory input.

Toddler program activated.

Please, choose a name for your companion A.I.

I wanted it to go away, I thought hard about it but nothing happened.

Please, choose a name for your companion A.I. It insisted, the text gaining in size in my eyes obfuscating everything.

I decided to give in, I cannot win it seems. A name came into focus in my mind and it seems the computer picked up on it.

Checking for Availability…

The name you inputted is available, Onboard Omega A.I. is now designed as SONG.

30 second before activation.

Now that I have calmed down a bit, I have time to read the entire prompts in my HUD. Is it saying what I think it is saying? Something like a synthetic nanny was embedded in the nanites pack?! Now I understand, it was too good to be true. I will have someone else in my head.

SONG is activated.

Welcome, user. My name is SONG and I’ve been designed to facilitate the use of your augmentations.

*Go on, bitch.*

Fuck, I never asked for this.

My presence wasn’t expected, this is highly irregular. User, I promise that my services will be done with the utmost efficiency. All systems are green. Somehow, user, you are low on energy reserve. You should stock on calories for the system to run without cannibalizing your body.

*Shut up!* I thought.

* Please. Please, could you let me time to think?*

“Fenicia, listen!” My head turned toward Fa.

“Ah, finally you are listening. Are you ok?” She asked, worry all over her face.

I shook my head, and tried to stand slowly, but no I couldn’t.

“There is some sort of A.I. that activated and is speaking to me in my head.”

Fa helped me by making me sit and lean against the steel grey wall near the exit of the computer room. Her pretty face was changing through a kaleidoscope of emotions while she looked at me. She took her com tablet from her tool belt and I don’t know if I was seeing things but the holo-screen flickered through menus, pictures, and graph at high speed without her touching it.

“Mother.” I heard her coldly say while gritting her teeth.

“?”

“I’m sorry Fenicia, my mother can’t stop messing with you…” She added, there was something more she wanted to say, but she shook her head and looked at the ceiling furiously and sat at my side.

“I will call the nurse bots to bring you to the medical bay. What you are going through isn’t supposed to happen like this, but more in a controlled environment. She is being vindictive…”

“What are you trying to say?” I have no idea about what she is trying to explain.

Wait, Fenicia. Think. First look at the prompts in your HUD. After some time reading them I noticed. And remembered that I had no complete control of my Augments when I woke up and while fighting the mercenaries. Idunn said that it was a quick and dirty version of what normal Centurion does to be in control.

“Yes, you understand. Smart.” Fa smiled weakly.

Can I explain, user?

*No, shut up. We will talk, when I am ready.*

Of course, user. I shall wait for our tête-à -tête.

Frustration welled up inside me, I looked at Fa in my HUD and I could see some kind of panel with her full name and title. The panel unfolded when I focused on it and a trove of information showed up. I saw her position in the board meeting, her shares in Vice Corporation, was it some kind of advanced Augmented Reality function.

“Ah, you are accessing my public profile. I see yours now; wow you are listed as a first-class centurion and the daughter of Idunn. Your account is empty but you should be able to get your money from the Alliance Bank. Maybe buy some stock in the corporation…”

I sighed and leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. To make her shut up I passed my arm around her shoulders to have her lean into me. And it worked.

***

VIS Sundance, med-bay

I was lying on the med-bed with the scanner drones flying around me and scanning my body. The holographic monitor showed my physiology to the doctor examining me. He looked quite austere and professional. Fa stayed with me, looking leery of the Centurions in the medical bay.

Shit, all those eyes on me aren’t good for my nerves. When we arrived in the shiny and advanced med-bay I didn’t think I would be confronted with the guys who arrested me earlier. But why are they in such a state? I leaned my head against the blue pillow the bed had formed when I laid on it.

The petite human female must have felt my discomfort because she felt obliged to inform me.

“You happened to them.”

I hesitated to answer her. “I don’t remember mowing them down like this, even that bitch is in a full healing tank.” I recognized the dark-skinned woman who captured me earlier. She is floating naked in the green goo of the glasslike tank.

Fa looked at one of the male soldiers when I said that, doing the same I saw that he was furious and barely restraining himself.

“Maybe you should talk with your A.I. she can do a lot of thing for you. But first, you will have to configure her, don’t be closed minded.” The petite human said.

I must have made a stubborn face because Fa added.

“You will need her.”

*Tssk.* I averted my eyes from her pleading gaze.

“I feel your reluctance… and by the way, you better do it fast, mom will expect you to be able to deserve your rank. She already threw you in the fire, Mother likes to see people struggle. Don’t give in to her.”

Fa took out her com tablet and did the mind surfing I saw her do on the ship intranet. And she made a holo-screen appear; imagine my surprise when I saw myself in the station plaza surrounded by centurions while I was tied up. Then with horror, I watched myself as I lit up and transformed. My mind went slack. I looked at Fa then at the screen. I did all this, I attained the warrior form!! My elation is short-lived, because I realized that I attained it but wasn’t guided into making it perfect.

I will have to work with a Saryan to be able to… and then I realized another thing. No Saryan will help me after what I did on Saryna. I felt a weight settle on me; despair seized my heart, my past came back to bite me. I put my face in the palm of my hand. Blind revenge caught up to me and dealt a blow I might never walk away from, entering in combat with that monstrous and unpredictable form might be the end of my career.

Someone put a hand on my shoulder, uncovering my face I see that it is Fa; showing a sage and reassuring smile on her soft and delicate face.

“Don’t worry, aunt Idunn will surely help you. Do you remember? She is an expert on the Saryan race.”

Maybe she’s right? I have nothing to fear… but hindsight is a bitch, really. If I didn't scatter the agent throughout the clan city I might still have been able to consult with the Banished Saryan in the shanty town around it.

Sigh. No use crying over it, I will deal with what the stars gave me. Yes, I have a new purpose. I am Fenicia Kranicar and I will not fail. When the thought of failure creeps on me I will do what I have always done, I will banish it. My mind felt suddenly light as smoke. Quiet, and with my mind free of deliberation, I realize that I surmounted my first hurdle into mastering my warrior form. A clear mind does not impede the will, the primary instrument of a warrior.

Fa smiled at me and said, “That’s my girl.”

I looked at her, she was getting used to reading my emotions, not at all afraid of my inner demons.

“Am I?” I grinned and catching her free hand to stroke it.

“Oh yes.” And she kissed me.

***

-(Ell Evan)-

Hidden Garden space station, Idunn’s lab

I am strapped to the lab table awaiting my check up from Idunn. She was using that machine showing every part of me down to the quantum, there is no way to get more naked than this. The Assurian woman looked closely on her holo-screen as if she noticed something new.

“Ell, my dear. You are so fascinating.” Idunn gushed.

“Enlighten me, doctor.” I quipped.

She didn’t turn to look at me, but I could see her tremble from excitement.

“My dear, you are a conundrum, you are obviously a mutation. I just compared your beautiful and structured genetic code to other engineered super soldiers. And my dear, you are the pinnacle of what your limited race can do with genetics.”

“Sometimes my mind is blown how humans can do with their limited technology and comprehension. And I am about to tune you up.” Idunn turned briefly. “Emphasis on limited.” She added.

Wait, what? I decided that I should make myself scarce.

“Ah, ah, ah.” And four point restraints snapped on me making me unable to move. With all my strength I tried to escape.

The petite Assurian slowly sashayed to me, her lab coat flowing. Her hand delicately went to my face, and her fingers caressing my brows.

“Don’t worry my dear, you’ll thank me when I am done.” This was the first time I saw that light in Idunn’s eyes dangerous and crazy.

I thought she was normal, seeing her acting with Fenicia you would see how amazing and caring she is. Weirdly I think she is being generous right now, but she is forceful about it. Idunn doesn’t care if you appreciate her gifts, she only cares about what she can do. The alien woman must not see me as a being right now, but an interesting subject.

“Oh no my dear, you are more than that. You are a friend of my daughter, and I intend to make you able to follow her. The frail body that you have shall be a work of art, I promise.”

And she returned to her work station her hands moving in the sea of touch physical screens and holo equivalent. Is Idunn going to keep me strapped on the table while she works? It’s going to be boring. She must have heard me because a medical drone came hovering toward me and shot me with something that put me under.

***

-(Idunn)-

Stopping my hands from moving for a microsecond I opened my telepathic link to the chief meddler.

And as usual, I feel mirth, curiosity, and camaraderie through the link. Helena possesses a beautiful mind in every sense of the term. The way she thinks is logical and filtered by a veil of emotion that doesn’t always take over her rationality. She is a control freak. My hands type on the holo-keyboard and the screen zoom in on the thread-like chain of nucleotides. With a wave of my hand, I smoothed out the defects I saw in the DNA replication, longevity of the subject extended. Muscles, ligaments optimized. Adding potential psionic abilities.

[Of course, you are always doing amusing things. Like tweaking the genes of a bio-engineered superhuman to make it even more… well super.] Helena answered.

Now it is time to look at the cosmetic effect. Scars smoothed out, pigmentation ownership tattoo culled from the DNA eliminated.

DNA of the Subject optimization is possible in less than two weeks, need to put her in a culture tank: strongly recommended.

[You are asking a lot, Idunn.]

[Careful Idunn…] I felt her growl, a slight threat, and outrage targeted at me.

Anger suddenly flared in me while I still moved and stabilized the DNA model.

She stayed silent for a minute or so, giving me the time to authorize the bots to take Ell and load her up in the tank. Yes. I could definitely disappear from this quadrant of the galaxy, and I am betting that Helena is looking at the time stream and weighing her chances.

[Sigh. You win this one, Idunn. A Beta pack should suffice, I will update her citizenship and link her with Fa’s unit. I did the same with Fenicia.] She said.

The woman felt defeated.

[Altaïr, contacted me.] Helena Revealed.

I tried to guess.

Altaïr Aquilar is the elusive shadow broker of the criminal underworld that spans the entire alliance.

Nothing is safe from her grasp, secret project, and government cover-up. She is a formidable help and can also be a tedious enemy to fight.

[You are too smart… yes.]

And then red hot anger seethed through our link.

[ Idunn, those imbeciles targeted your research station. They invaded VCW assets, I want them dead. Every mercenary under them is going to die, even those retired or who changed outfit. I don’t care if they were just a tool. Nobody attacks Vice Corporation and get away with it. Alive.]

Music to my ears.

[Yes my friend, whatever you need you got it. But let’s be careful not to spark a war, is that clear?]

***

-(???)-

Alpha quadrant, Eta Eridani planet Tethis III

When I was young my father once told me to “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”Of course, later I learned that he quoted a long-dead great author called Mark Twain. But I took his advice to heart and strived to be the best of the best. I went to the army and strived in this environment. The ranking system and the way of life agreed with my view of how everything should be. But I had forgotten for a time how humans are; politics are in every echelon of society even the more martial institutions. With my coffee mug in hand, I gazed at the men and women training through the glass. I watched the mecha in a simulated fight. They are a well oiled and efficient machine. Most of our mechanized unit is crewed by women and they are definitely well paid. I have always wanted parity to be respected in my organization.

The infantry was another beast though; the units are led by some of the most dangerous men and women that I could find. I strain to find efficient and capable people. Like this half-breed Saryan I had under my employ, she was a joy to work with. Bold, inventive and a real stickler at doing a good job. But it wasn’t meant to be, she had pissed off some of my associates by wiping out one of their satellite organization. I had to make an example out of her. Someone busted her out of our brig; we are still patching the defenses in our security network from the escape. It’s been a month now.

I sipped on my coffee and exhaled from satisfaction. My hand reached for the panel near the bay view and I pushed a button. The glass became black and showed my reflection. Straightening my black uniform I looked at myself, I am fit for my fifty years; the weathered skin I have shown that I am a hand on type of person. My full dark hair whitening at the temple was added by re-splicing my DNA for longevity and corrects this part of my DNA. I was bald for a year and my wife didn’t like it; my eyes were a chocolate brown that Justine, my wife said seduced her instantly when I met her. I really liked the image of power and wisdom I project, it keeps the troops in line. Humans are weird creatures that judges on appearance. I went to sit at my comp-desk, put my mug in its place and watched the photograph of Justine and our kids. My wife is a redhead of stunning beauty, we met on the job. I had to protect her from being kidnapped by a rival cartel to one of her father’s. We fell in love and I had to ask permission to court her from her father. What a tough old man… he put me through hell. My kids, Julie and Andrew looked much like her. Fit and smart teenagers who proved to be no end of trouble.

“Sir!”

Someone entered my office without knocking, it only happens when something bad happens.

“Dustin, your manners!”

The ebony skinned man stopped himself, his eyes bugged out of his eyes and saluted me.

“Sir!”

“At ease lieutenant!”

“Yes, sir!” The man relaxed and a haunted look could be seen on his face.

“Now what were you going to say?” It intrigued me, Dustin wasn’t a man who is easily shaken.

“Sir, we have lost contact with Colonel O’lleary and the Warsong. They stopped transmitting when they were assaulting a facility in space.”

The news made me lean in my seat a bit more. Not a lot of things could take down my special unit or one of our light warships, the job seemed easy. Take down some Assurian alien female who has been playing possum.

“Sir, it’s bad. They attacked a Vice corp space station!”

And this ruined my day.

“Dustin, recall our troops from any job they are on. Recall everyone!! We need to go dark, prepare all personnel to the fortress world.”

“Sir, yes sir!” The man turned around

Sighing from the stress the news caused, I took my com tablet and called my wife.

“Justine, my sweet. We won’t be able to go to this concert…”

---END OF ARC ONE---