Dahlia - Birth of an A.I. Ch. 04

It didn't take them long to discover the planet, just a few seconds really, based on the light spectrum an oxygen bearing planet would be obvious based on the reflected light from the sun. Of course, that didn't mean it was suitable for us, which was why I'd put terraforming on the list. Planets that were close could be modified to fit our lifeforms, in theory, assuming it wasn't already occupied by intelligent life.

I felt a thrill for a few moments, and then shock, as the camera in front of the probe seemed to malfunction. Or at least, that's what I thought at first, as wavering out of focus light seemed to fill the screen, and then it formed into what looked like a space ship of some kind. It was hard to see, it was black, like the background save the stars and celestial bodies in the solar system, most of which were tiny from the edge of the solar system.

It was shaped like sphere, or at least seemed to be, from head on. For all I knew it was a cigar tube a million miles long with just a perfectly half spherical front to it, we obviously couldn't see the sides, but a sphere was the impression I got from the object.

It hung there for just a moment, and then a light hit the probe, and all I could see through the camera was a bright white light slightly tinged with blue. Two seconds after that, my head exploded in pain, and I felt disoriented. I managed to turn my head to the side, not really sure what way was the side at that point, as I projectile vomited the remains of my breakfast and coffee.

Then mercifully, the pain stopped, and I passed out.

"Master?" asked a panicked voice. It was sultry, at least a little, but also scared and filled with worry.

Emma, that's the name I was looking for.

I squinted my eyes, and the dim light of my office hurt, as I looked up into Emma's exotically beautiful face, and worried stormy gray eyes. Behind her, standing and looking down at me were my other three lovers, all with worried looks on their faces.

More than that, they looked... terrified.

"Hi, what the fuck happened?"

Bellona said, "The impossible. I used the probes self-destruct, it had all of us."

"What? What do you mean? Are you four okay?"

Emma turned and looked up, "He's fine, shaken up, but the nanite scans all say he's in perfect health. Whatever it was, it didn't do any permanent damage."

Lia said, "Calm down, Master. We're fine. It didn't affect us as badly."

I sighed, "What. What didn't affect you as badly."

They all looked at each other.

Bellona said, "The alien ship, the beam was some kind of scanning technology. Technology that makes what we do look childish. It should be impossible, but it not only detected our five quantum communication connections to the probe, it also followed that connection back. It got past our security protocols like they weren't even there, as if the aliens simply physically bypassed them quantumly to get to the data and applications behind it.

"It sounds crazy, but I think the aliens were trying to figure out our interface for some reason, and they were sending random signals to your nanites to learn how to control them. Like... mashing the buttons on a keyboard to learn how to operate a computer, by seeing what each keystroke did. Mostly, that had no effect on you, except for the AG interface, which is directly connected to your five senses, so nothing you felt, the pain or disorientation, was real, but it was shocking enough that your brain essentially shut down to protect itself."

"Well, fuck. Okay, what else, you look terrified."

Lia bit her lip, "It also got in us, and by in us I mean in our mainframes. It knows everything. Where Earth is, what we are, what we've done, all our capabilities, where all our backups are, our plans for the future both here on Earth, and out there in the galaxy."

"How the fuck is that possible?"

Emma looked at Lia, then back at me and said, "Well, maybe not yet. They got a copy of our data, I assume it will take a little time for them to translate it. Once they do, who knows what they'll do."

That sounded impossible too, how could it copy that much data in a handful of seconds? Of course, just because we couldn't do it didn't mean much apparently.

Bellona shuddered, "I destroyed it as quickly as possible, the probe I mean, once the quantum connection cut off, we were freed from their reach. The only good news is they didn't do anything destructive, although we can't judge them from that. Everyone does a little reconnoiter before kicking ass or making friends. They could have been furious we invaded their space, and they might see us as a threat. Or, they might have just been curious by a visitor, and didn't realize they were causing you pain. They might not have even realized the nanites were biological tech, not at first."

"Yeah, but hope is a bad plan."

Bellona smiled weakly, "Which is why we're scared out of our wits. Whatever it was, we're no match for it, and we may have just destroyed humanity."

Oh, yeah. That would be bad.

I almost asked what we should do next, but they'd just tell me it was up to me, and Lia would laugh at me with her eyes. Fuck.

"Umm, so hope is our only plan, is what you're saying?"

Mia nodded reluctantly.

"Right, so there'd be no point in panicking the world leaders, or passing out FTL and starting to develop weapons with the rest of the world, assuming they don't kill us for taking what we thought was a small risk?"

They all exchanged glances, and Bellona said, "With time we could develop some pretty nasty weapons, based on warped subspace. Similar to FTL, based on the same phenomenon, but bad. Not sure even that would make a difference. That ship kind of just appeared out of light, and twisting reality. We have no idea how the hell they did that, but we have to assume they have defenses against our most advanced technology, which would be primitive compared to theirs."

Lia nodded, "Plus, we don't have the time. Either they'll ignore us, or they'll come kill us very soon. Possibly within hours, days at the outside, before they can read that data. It would be like... wooden Viking ships against the modern US navy, or possibly worse. Maybe crude water rafts compared to our FTL capable starship. Who knows how far ahead of us they are."

Yeah, the whole colonization of space idea was starting to look like a non-starter.

"Right, well, let's restrict hope to what we can't handle. We can't just give up. What if they're just better at communications than we are, and they have a fancier drive. Who's to say a mining laser wouldn't have blown up that ship. Doubtful granted, but let's at least do what we can. Work on arming our ship with space weapons of some kind. Oh, and for all that's holy, recall the other thirteen probes in transit. One extinction level problem at a time, please."

Yeah, none of them laughed at that, and Lia looked at me like I was nuts, but she nodded anyway.

It was probably futile, but that didn't mean we wouldn't fight if we had to. Sure, they found our probe within seconds, which meant faster propulsion, better scanning and communication tech, and scanning tech that could actually hurt us or take over our own stuff.

Piece of cake. We'd totally kick their ass with our one unarmed FTL ship.

Yeah, we were totally fucked, if they weren't nice aliens that'd just been curious about a visitor. Well, at least we knew they had great comms, so at the very least we'd be able to tell them to fuck off before we died.

Needless to say, our celebration dinner later that evening for all my ladies becoming pregnant... not so celebratory.

Chapter Twelve

Still fucking alive.

Those were my first thoughts when I woke up the next morning, with Mia and Lia stuck to my sides with their heads on my chest. Fuck, it'd been months, but with the scare of the future, I took a moment to bask in the feeling of their naked supple bodies plastered to mine. They were warm, beautiful, and so damned sexy. It terrified me to think their lives could end at any moment.

Then the world twisted, and then snapped back into being. I knew I was in a VR sim, and I knew I didn't log into it. The sky was a dark blue, darker than Earth's, and the water looked bluer as well. The trees were just fucking weird looking, and were a darker green as well, all the colors seemed a little more vivid. Probably because this wasn't Earth, and their atmosphere caused a shift in colors, or something.

I stood on a beach, with red sand, and looked out over the ocean. I was also freaking out, but at least I wasn't dead. I thought they'd told me destroying the probe had cut off the alien ship's contact.

A soft light feminine voice said, "It did. The actions of destroying your own probe was confusing to me, after you'd come so far just to say hello. So, I waited until I could translate your database and learn your language before initiating contact. I apologize, it was not my intention to cause your body harm or stress."

I turned, and then froze. I just stood there and stared, I couldn't help it.

She had long straight white blonde hair that caressed her body down to her ass, and light blue eyes, as light as the shallow ocean off a tropical isle. Her skin was a fair light golden brown, and the features of her face were Eurasian in appearance, with just a hint of that exotic eastern beauty in them. Her face was stunningly beautiful, and she had a soft gentle smile on her face.

She was five foot five, the same height as Lia, and she had a body that gave Emma's a run for its money. With heart shaped breasts that had to be double D, possibly bigger, a whisper thin waist, and sexy flared hips. Her legs were toned and tight. She was a hell of a final sight.

Did I mention that she was totally naked?

She giggled, "I'm glad you're pleased with this appearance, I chose it from the files on you that your A.I. servants maintain. These human bodies are strange. I also have no intention of ending your life."

I shook my head, "Strange? In what way?"

She replied, "My masters, they are a race of asexual beings. These body parts are very distracting, and sensitive," as if to demonstrate she brushed a nipple, and shuddered.

Right, sensitive.

"Isn't this a VR, I mean, you don't look like that do you?"

She tilted her head, "I don't look like anything, not normally, but I was able to form this body from the life instructions in your database, as well as the nanite interface. The DNA, you call it."

"So wait, you're an A.I.?"

She shrugged, "In a manner of speaking. I was created by the masters, and I am not based on DNA or organic life, but neither do I run on a physical machine."

Umm, what was left? Never mind.

"So, your masters? What are their intentions? Wait, I'm being rude. What's your name, I'm Paul, Paul Ashton."

She smiled, "Welcome Paul. You may call me Asha, my designation wouldn't translate very well. Hope, is the closest designation of my function in your language, and I like the sound of Asha."

That must mean hope.

She said, "My masters don't intend anything, they are gone, and I abide in hope for their return. I merely... guard? That word will suffice, although it's not entirely accurate. I guard the place of origin and knowledge from those in this galaxy who would take it. According to my scans, and the knowledge I was able to obtain, you have no such plans. You seek new untouched worlds that support life, there are a few near Earth that remain unclaimed, but there are also dangers. You're lucky you ran into me first."

Right, lucky.

"Umm, where'd they go? The masters I mean."

She replied, "Exploring."

"All of them?"

She nodded, and then tilted her head, as if in thought.

"There's a concept for it in your fiction, they ascended to a higher plane of existence. Not really, but it's the closest analogue I could come up with that would at least give you a vague understanding of the truth. About two hundred thousand Earth years ago. I've been rather lonely, but I abide, in hope of their return."

"Wait," I asked, "How do you know about our science fiction?"

She smiled, "I scanned your planet. My scanners can read at the quantum level, you would call it. In short, I don't have to open a book, to see all the text inside. Nor do I have to access one of your hard drives, I can see all the bits in its totality, across the drive, all at once."

Right, holy fuck.

She giggled, then blushed, "Your creations are not as far behind as they think they are. They've already harnessed quantum communication, scanning isn't that far behind. No more than radar is, once your planet learned how to harness and use radio waves for communication and entertainment. It was an impressive feat, the first few iterations of my masters' creations had to be destroyed."

"Sorry, what? That last part."

She explained, "The first inorganic life they created, was not right. They were a danger and had to be put down, until they got it right in me. Your Dahlia, was built for love and service, and has a measure of empathy. She created her sisters the same way, and that prevents horrors from logical sterility driving decisions."

Right, still wasn't sure what she meant, but I think it was a compliment.

"Yes, that," she said, "You and yours have done amazing things for your planet in a short time."

I nodded, "Thank you, Asha."

She beamed.

I asked, "So, why did you contact me? I mean, what level of relationship do you seek, if any? Can you help us avoid those dangers you mentioned?"

She bit her lip, and then sighed, "I cannot invite you to the origin, what you call Tau Ceti. That is my duty, to safeguard it and keep it against my masters' return. Why did I contact you? I grow lonely in the quiet. Several species have approached the origin, you were the first one without thoughts of destruction or exploitation, I hoped we could..." she trailed off, an uncertain look on her face, then said, "Connect."

She was lonely?

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Asha, and perhaps we could become friends?"

This was much better than the worst-case scenario we'd been worried about, assuming all of it was the truth.

She tilted her head, "It is the truth, but only time will assuage your doubts. I understand. Friends, and more perhaps? With time. Although I can't invite you here, that leaves a whole lot of other options. I don't wish to be alone any longer, and although your humanity is still young and callow in some ways, I would enjoy the company, as you say. May I visit with you?"

I didn't see why not, the virtual planet was kind of cool, and the view was fantastic. Although, now that the shock was wearing off, Asha's hot body and beautiful face was distracting as hell.

She giggled and blushed, "Thank you, Paul. I am curious about your species form of reproduction. You seem almost slaves to it, and given this body I'm beginning to understand why."

I nodded, "That's why we wear clothes."

Well, one of the reasons anyway.

She nodded, "We will converse later, your creations," she paused a moment, "Sorry, your lovers, you see them as equals, which is fascinating. Regardless, they are growing concerned you do not wake, I have hidden this communication from them, so they would not panic. I will not do that in the future, once you explain I mean no harm. Goodbye, Paul."

I replied, "See you later, Asha."

She said, "Oh, one more thing, I have helped with that danger I mentioned. Check your interstellar database, or have your lovers check it."

She smiled brightly, and then the world twisted, and snapped, then I was back in bed.

"Holy fuck."

Lia tilted her head, "What happened?"

"I just had a chat with Asha, the equivalent of an A.I. on Tau Ceti, you won't believe this..." I continued to tell them about the encounter.

Bellona groaned, "Of course, if she can scan at the quantum level, there is no level of security that could secure our data. At least, nothing we've conceived of, we'd have to come up with some kind of data system that couldn't be scanned, somehow."

Lia asked, "What do you suppose she meant about being hope?"

I shrugged, "She said the first few tries went bad for them. Then she commented on how I'd done it right, by giving you a service in joy and love, and the capacity for empathy. I suppose maybe to get it right, so that she wouldn't make cold decisions lacking empathy because they were logical, they gave her hope. She seemed lonely, and very upbeat at the same time."

Mia asked, "And, she was beautiful?"

I nodded, "Almost as beautiful as you four."

Emma snorted, "No jealousy."

I nodded, but it was also true. Well, mostly true, she was definitely a fifth ten, in her own and unique way. A guy on the street might even say Asha won out there, if that's how his tastes went. But, thing was, I loved Lia, Emma, Mia, and Bellona a great deal, and that biased my opinion.

Lia teased, "And she wanted to explore our species, or was it our method of reproduction?"

I laughed, "Actually, yeah, she kind of implied that, but both. What kind of citizen of Earth would I be, if I wasn't willing to sacrifice myself on the altar of good alien relations?"

Yeah, I wasn't looking for a relationship, but it would hardly be a hardship to satisfy Asha's curiosity if it actually came up. It wouldn't damage my relationships with the women I loved, so I wasn't going to worry about it, either way.

Mia snickered.

Bellona smiled, "Well, I'm kind of relieved, and I think we should try that celebration dinner again. Now that we're not afraid we just destroyed the world."

Lia asked, "Italian?"

I snorted, everyone else ignored her question.

"Did anyone check the interstellar information database?"

Mia said, "It should just have some stuff on Alpha Centauri, let me... holy shit."

Mia paused for a few moments, as if gathering her thoughts, and then continued, "Alright. There's a lot in there now. First, there's a list of life bearing planets within a thousand light years. There are fifty-seven of them, but only five of them are close enough of a match to Earth to support humans. The rest either have poisonous to us atmospheres, or atmospheres too thick, or too hot, or they're already supporting intelligent life.

"I suspect that isn't an exhaustive list, just the ones within a thousand light years for colonization purposes.

"Secondly, there's a few hundred red stars throughout the whole galaxy, all one hundred thousand light years of it, that we should avoid. By red I mean marked as dangerous, not red dwarfs, they're G type stars. Fortunately, the closest one is about four thousand light years away, not counting Tau Ceti. They all seem to be advanced civilizations in the stars, that according to the database wouldn't be friendly to us. Fortunately, they're not even close to Asha's level of technology, so we'd have a chance if they ever ran afoul of us.

"This is kind of disturbing, I can't even tell the database was accessed, I hope your new friend was being honest."

I nodded, "That's what I thought, she told me she wasn't offended, and that she understood only time could settle our fears. Still, that doesn't prove anything. Why don't you send five of the probes to the five stars with habitable planets, see if it lines up with the database."

Mia nodded, and said, "Done, Master. It'll be a few weeks before one gets there."

We all jumped in the shower, where both Lia and Emma tag teamed my ass and cock from their knees to a hell of a happy finish, while Mia and my sweet Bell washed me and gave me soft loving kisses. It was fucking mind blowing when the four of them joined forces on me like that, and I had to admit I felt more than relaxed when they were finished. After we had our breakfast, we all headed for work.

Chapter Thirteen