For those of you that forgot today is

MOTHER's DAY. So make sure to at least give your mom a call.

Slightly longer chapter today so enjoy.

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“What the hell is going on here marines?” A deep gravelly voice cut through the mob’s noise. I look for the source of the voice and spotted a mountain of a man walking through the crowd towards me. This was not someone I’d want to fight before I had this body. Standing at 6’5” this tall black man seemed to be chiseled from stone. He almost seemed to glide forward, not a single motion wasted, showing utmost control over himself.

“Gunnery Sergeant Earl, we found Scott. The one who made all those horrible training simulations.” GySgt Earl glances at me, “so the AI has a body now huh? How nice of you to visit our humble abode, even though you didn’t seem to have a choice in the matter.”

“It’s fine, you marines are such gracious hosts, you even carried me all the way here and when I got here you just couldn’t contain your joy at seeing me.” GySgt Earl lets loose a deep rumbling chuckle and turns to address my original captors.

“So you boys brought Scott back here to give him a warm marine welcome then. Did it ever occur to you, in your enthusiasm, that if anything happens to him we’re all dead?” Many people’s faces become pale as they realize what could have happened. “B-But what about our vengeance?” One of my bearers below me stutters out.

The group of marines around me seem to be contemplating on their lost cause. “I have an idea,’ the sound of my voice draws everyone’s attention, ‘if you guys hated my simulations so much why don’t you just create your own combat simulation and I’ll go through it until I’ve completed it.”

Most of the marines now have a contemplative look on their faces, GySgt Earl is just grinning. “I can’t do any simulations during warp because I still have to control the warp bubble, but how about when we reach the second star system I’ll do your simulation. That’ll give you at least 2 months in order to create the most God awful combat simulation you can imagine. How does that sound to you guys?”

GySgt Earl is still grinning as he says, “you’ve just signed up for a whole world of shit. I think I’ll agree for the marines, we’ll whip something up by then. Now I’m sure you have more important things to do so we’ll let you go on your way.” He nods towards the group still holding me up and they let me down to go stand behind Earl.

“Well I have to thanks you guys for your gracious hospitality and I’ll look forward to what you create.” I point towards the original group, “they can tell you more about some of my physical capacities. Other than that I wish you a good day.”

I leave the marine’s section and begin the walk back to Vahlen, who I can see is still in the laboratory. ‘I think she’ll be amused by today’s events,’ I thought as I continued down the corridor.

“Hello Vahlen,” I say as I walk into the room, a big smile plastered on my face and waving my hand. She turns around and seems to study my face a bit before saying, “back already I see. It’s good that you changed your features around. Did you do that before or after you saw someone?” I motion towards the chairs and once we’ve sat down I begin recounting my day, showing video clips when necessary.

Some of the people’s reactions to my pranking have her in near tears as she laughs. This continues for a while until I’ve recounted my entire day to her. “Looks like you’ve had an interesting first day with your new body.” I nod, “I actually want to talk about the body you made me.”

“Now before you say anything I have to say I love how you’ve made it, however I can’t operate it, as it is now, a long distance away from the ship. I would encounter to much lag if I need to control the ship and the body at the same time.”

“Couldn’t you just create a copy of yourself?” I shake my head, “I don’t quite know how to explain this but I’ll try. I can only actively control one thing at a time. Think of it like if I’m controlling the ship this body would be on autopilot and vice versa. Do you get it?”

She slowly nods, “I think I get it you need something that would allow you to transfer between bodies instantaneously no matter the distance right?” “Yes that’s right you got it right away.”

“My expertise is more centered around biology. I think for something like this you would need to as Dave for help. Do you want to go right now?” I nod and lead her towards where Dave is now.

We walk into Dave’s room but before I can speak he makes a hushing motion followed by circling his finger around the room and finally points at his ear. My brow furrows slightly and I nod. I search the room using all my senses and find no less than 5 separate listening devices including one on Dave himself. I disable them all before motioning that it’s safe to speak.

“You’ve made quite an enemy today you know. Agent White called an emergency meeting with Cpt Green, Cpt Johnson and myself with the purpose being the immediate dismantling of your new body.” I should be surprised but I saw how he looked at me in the last meeting and I did antagonize him today with my prank.

“I didn’t know he hated me that much.” “It’s not that he hates you as much as he fears what you represent with your new body. You represent a new life form to him, one that can evolve faster than we ever possibly could. He fears the potential of you and any other sentient AI rising above humanity.”

It’s a lot to take in that people would fear me just for existing, but thinking back humans have always feared the unknown and what am I except the biggest unknown of all.

“I take it you were against dismantling me if you’ve told me all of this.” “Of course,’ he scoffs, ‘you are my greatest creation how could I let anything happen to you.” “Thanks for the compliment, I guess. So I take it you wouldn’t be opposed to me becoming better than I am now, would you?”

His eyes light up like Christmas came early, “what do you need me to do?” I smile and explain the dilemma that I have with this body and almost absentmindedly he reaches into a drawer and throws a device that was contained within.

“It’s a hyper communication device. I’ve been working on and off it for the last 7 years but the Gaian government pressed me to make one during the year between your construction and us leaving. It should be just what you need actually, quite a coincidence that.”

“So all I need to do is integrate this device with both this body and my core right?” He nods and tosses over a second one. “Thank you with this I should have no problems switching between bodies. I’m going to go integrate this with my core now. Thanks for everything.” I motion for Vahlen, who still seems stunned at what Agent White wants to do and the ease of which my problem was solved, and as I’m walking out I hear Dave whisper to himself.

“I have given him the necessary tools, how he uses them is his choice be he savior or devil I will stand by and observe passively.”