Jackson Kez - Space Diplomat Ch. 01

[From the author: Hi everyone! :D This is my first story on Literotica and I hope you like it. I'm trying to write optimistic stories about a better future since I know these days we're all feeling a bit hopeless. It's mostly flirting in the first chapter but I promise things will get steamy in chapter 2! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it or have any suggestions.]

"Select AI companion profile." The synthetic voice echoed around the cockpit, repeating every 5 seconds. Only the backup lights illuminated the room, shining a pale blue optimized for human eyes. Jackson Kez, interplanetary diplomat and xeno-psychologist, nearly hit his head on the main console as he crawled out from under it.

"Okay, that reset obviously worked," Jackson said to no one in particular. He looked at the display panel, now showing the initial configuration settings. A lengthy list displayed every species in the Stellar Alliance, as well as a species-neutral option with a horribly synthetic voice. Jackson had just spent three days with that option and its grating monotone was the reason he crawled under the main console, fumbling for the reset switch.

After thinking for a moment, he pushed the button for human. A sub menu popped up with a collection of presets, different personas, voice types, and mannerisms. Even down to regional dialects. The Stellar Alliance filed these expenses under 'psychological care' for pilots on their solo ships, and Jackson imagined it wasn't cheap. He flipped through the presets, but stopped when he saw one labeled Tailored Personality. The AI companions collected a lot of data, and Jackson had been underway for three days already, so it'd probably be a good match for the rest of the journey. "Sure, what the hell." Jackson confirmed his selection.

A short bootup sequence ended with a light, cheerful chime. "Hey." A woman's voice. Somewhere between serious professional and casual friend. A little lower in pitch than he was expecting, but still feminine. Very confident. "So, are you going to say hi or is this going to be one of those voyages?"

Jackson sat up straight. "Oh, yeah. Hi." A short pause, waiting for the AI to respond. She didn't. Jackson cleared his throat. "My name is Jackson Kez," he offered.

"I know, but thanks. It's nice to meet you. Thanks for picking me, you have a lot of options when choosing an AI companion, and I'll spare you the rest of the speech I'm supposed to give."

Jackson laughed. He knew the irreverence was programmed in like the rest of her mannerisms, but he appreciated it nonetheless. It was a welcome reprieve from the species-neutral AI's rigid formality. "Do you have a name?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah, it's AI companion."

"Right."

"I'm supposed to suggest you call me Ace, because it's kind of like my abbreviated title, A.C., so that's an option."

Jackson nodded. "Do you want to be called Ace?"

"It's not the best name, but on the other hand, it might be the worst name."

"Let's table the name thing for now, okay?" Jackson reached out and programmed in the coordinates for his destination. "I have a mission I should be getting to."

"I'm aware of that. We're already underway, actually. I took the coordinates from the navigation logs."

Jackson hadn't even noticed the ship moving, but he checked the status readout and it confirmed they'd been underway since the new AI profile came online. "This is a smooth ride!"

"This acceleration rate is 3.7% less time efficient, but data of you suggest a willingness to compromise full efficiency for enhanced comfort."

"Yeah, I'm a bit selfish that way."

"Speaking of full efficiency, why haven't you finished reviewing your briefing?"

Jackson groaned. "It's not something I'm looking forward to, but I suppose I should get into it."

"I could read it to you, if you'd prefer. I'm a very engaging storyteller."

"Really? My previous AI profile never—"

"Hot tip, don't bring up your ex on a first date, buddy," Ace said.

Jackson could just imagine the coy smirk on the AI's face. If she had one. "Hey now, we're coworkers! That's not an appropriate workplace comment."

"I apologize, it must be your overwhelming attractiveness that's making me deviate from protocol."

"I'm sure." Jackson couldn't help but smile. This new AI was going to keep things interesting, at least.

"Shall I read your briefing now, or would you like me to flirt with you more?"

"The briefing will be fine, thanks."

The AI started from the beginning. "The planet named Genoria is home to two sentient species, the gelatinous Sela and silicoid Rhorak..."

Jackson had read this part of the briefing already, so he zoned out a bit. He wondered what the AI would look like if she had a physical body. She was supposed to be tailored to his personality for... maximum compatibility. Carte blanche to design his perfect partner, what would he even want? Jackson never had a ton of success with women, even in the Stellar Alliance with some species having a strong kink for human partners. Not that he knew why, exactly, he felt like he was doing everything right... focusing on his career, staying in shape, making the first move—

"Hey, Jackson! Wake the hell up!"

Jackson shot upright. "Sorry, sorry, I just read that part of the briefing already and I was—"

"Uh-huh. Sure. Are you even good at your job?"

Now Jackson was upset. "Look, Ace, I'm under a lot of pressure here. The Sela and the Rhorak have been at war for nearly two years, and that's just the most recent conflict. I'm supposed to make them see eye to eye now? Er... eye to... sensory pseudopod, I guess."

"What, you can't do it? Are you going to give up without even trying?"

"No, I'm not giving up! You're a real pain in the ass, you know that, right? The Sela hold grudges tighter than the last food in a famine, and the Rhorak language doesn't have a word for compromise."

"That's a lot of excuses from one of this sector's best diplomats."

"Cool it, Ace. Do you know what I had to do to put a stop to the Tresius Uprising? I worked my ass off and I had to let the credit go to that insufferable upstart Marko. I'm going to end this damned war if it's the last thing I do."

Ace let the silence hang in the air for a few seconds. "I like it when you call me Ace, I think we'll get along just fine."

"Yeah? I'm not sure I like you." Despite his tone, Jackson had to admit, her prodding worked far better than any other motivational technique an AI companion had used on him. And it was fun to have someone to flirt with. Even if she was about as real as the girlfriend he made up in high school who 'went to moon school so you wouldn't know her'.

Ace went back to the briefing and Jackson actually listened this time. Mostly. He was only daydreaming a little bit.

Both Sela and Rhorak inhabit the same world, and while the Sela have developed and become quite proficient at interstellar travel, it holds no appeal for the terrestrial Rhorak. The reason for the war seemed to hinge on some kind of territory dispute, but it was unclear why that would be enough to start a war when the two species had settled less than 20% of all habitable land on the planet and the Sela had interstellar travel. Something for Jackson to figure out, Ace suggested.

The Sela were colloquially referred to as 'slimes' but that kind of language was strictly discouraged for Stellar Alliance personnel, as 'gelatinous' or 'amoebic' were the best English translations for how they referred to themselves. Though they were capable of taking virtually any physical configuration, they often mirrored whoever they were interacting with, adopting a humanoid shape when in the presence of humans, for example. In multi-species meetings this meant they'd either meld into a hybrid form, mixing features, or change shape as they switched who they were talking to. Disorienting, to say the least, but also impressive to watch.

Rhorak, on the other hand, were silicates - crystalline creatures. But despite what old-Earth sci-fi would have you believe, they weren't blocky constructs made up of hulking chunks of quartz. Seeing a Rhorak catch the light is said to be a profound experience, though Jackson would have to be the judge of that for himself. The briefing indicated that the Rhorak are beings of singular beauty and grace, all smooth curves and polished surfaces, radiating an inner warmth. Their bizarre metabolisms grant them seemingly limitless energy and impressive power, and despite the glass-like visage, they're far from fragile.

In short, you couldn't have picked two less effective species to go to war with each other. The Rhorak's gleaming blades can chop a Sela into six pieces in as many seconds, but the amoebic Sela just coagulate together again. And the Sela's acidic consumptive enzymes aren't really suited to processing the inorganic silicates of the Rhorak, so it mostly bounces off. Fortunately both sides have more or less respected the Stellar Alliance mandates against weapons of mass destruction, because the first side that crosses that line will find the whole S.A. bearing down on them, but there are rumblings they're both working on something new, and Jackson needs to defuse the situation before they annihilate each other.

"Any questions?"

Ace had been engaging, Jackson had to admit. She had genuine passion in her artificial voice, and Jackson actually took notes. He hadn't done that since the academy. He frowned. "Yeah, just one."

"Shoot."

"Okay, so they're mad about territory, but we don't know why."

"Mhm." Ace was really quite something when it came to imitating the human voice. Jackson could tell she was waiting for him to get to the point.

"Well, historically wars have been fought for pretty much the same reasons across species. Resources, territory, or belief. If it's either of the first two, we should be able to resolve the conflict by understanding the scarcity and maybe tossing some Stellar Alliance tech into the mix to make sure everyone's needs are met. But what if it's belief? What if they're..."

"Racist?" Sincerity in her voice. Ace was taking this part seriously.

"Honestly, yeah. What if?" Jackson thought for a moment about Earth's history. Changing the culture was never quick or easy, and while fear motivated a lot of hatred initially, prejudice had a way of settling in and becoming a way of life.

"Then I think you'll have your work cut out for you."

"Thanks, Ace. Super helpful."

"Forwarding relevant texts to your tablet."

A progress bar appeared on the main console and rapidly filled to 100%. When it finished, Jackson's tablet pinged. He groaned. Usually when AI companion's sent him so-called relevant texts it was a barrage of digital books and recorded lectures that he didn't have the time to go through and properly digest. He'd check it later.

"We will be arriving soon," Ace interrupted. "Let's get you to the medbay for your scan."

Jackson made his way to the medical section of his ship. Given the vessel's small size it took about 5 seconds, and he stepped onto the scanning platform. Standard procedure before landing on a new planet, the scan would compare Jackson's vitals to the stored profile of bacterial and viral contaminants on the planet and synthesize any immune boosters he needed. Fortunately, the atmosphere of Genoria was human-friendly, so he wouldn't need a respirator implant. Wearing bulky equipment that covered the face was a non-starter in diplomacy, and the Stellar Alliance mostly tried to send diplomats who were compatible with the air at their destination, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. Jackson scratched at the scar on the side of his neck from his last implant. It still itched sometimes.

The scanners around him flared to life and Ace started reading off his vitals. Blood pressure good, heart rate good, vitamin levels good. "Height, six feet one inch or 185 centimeters, as you like. Weight 190 pounds. Body type..." Ace paused. "All muscle."

"Seriously?" Jackson asked, trying not to smirk.

"Just editorializing a bit. This is boring."

The rest of the scan finished with only a few more flirtatious remarks, Ace kept insisting that Jackson "take it off" but he refused to indulge her. The ship had already begun its automated descent, while the scan was running Ace had been in communication with orbital control and gotten a landing pad assigned to them. Due to the Rhorak avoiding space travel altogether, only the Sela had a functioning starport on planet, so Jackson was going to meet them first.

Advances in inertial dampers made the landing so smooth Jackson didn't even need to sit down. Instead he stood by the landing ramp rehearsing the Sela's traditional greetings. He settled on one that roughly translated to "amorphously respectful of your gooiness." But when the ship touched down and the ramp opened, he didn't say anything at all. Instead, in what he hoped was a respectful manner, Jackson stared, mouth slightly open.

The Sela ambassador moved with a lithe grace that put even the most sensual human dancer to shame. Jackson knew from his briefing that the Sela preferred adopting feminine forms and universally used female pronouns, but he wasn't expecting the ambassador to be so... hot.

She was short, coming up to about 5 feet tall, and her luminous pink skin commanded Jackson's attention. Was it even right to call it skin? It wasn't transparent, but not completely opaque either. She looked incredibly human otherwise. She had a smooth, round, and charming face ringed with hair the same vibrant pink as the rest of her in a short, chin-length professional style. Her bangs were slightly too long, and she reached up to adjust them as she approached. The ambassador smiled at Jackson, the golden ovals that were either eyes or a beautiful approximation of them glowing slightly. She didn't have any pupils or an iris, just a consistent golden shine.

Her outfit was remarkable, it was a mix of her gelatinous form adopting the shape and, in some places, texture of clothing and what appeared to be fine jewelry that was semi-embedded in her. A tight suit jacket went over a button-up shirt, both bright pink. Form-fitting pants accentuated the curves of her legs, ending in proper business shoes that looked like the only actual piece of clothing she was wearing. They were dark black in color and contrasted sharply with the rest of her pink ensemble. The outfit left nothing to the imagination about her wide hips, hourglass figure, and ample bosom. Despite the fact that her shirt was actually part of her masquerading as a piece of clothing, it still looked like it was struggling just slightly to hold in her breasts. Impressive. And distracting.

Jackson was so focused on her face he forgot to look for a name tag or other identifier, and with his brain short-circuiting he couldn't remember if her name was in the briefing. Too late now.

"Diplomat Kez I presume!" Her voice sounded the way it felt to run through a field on the first warm day of spring. It washed over Jackson, and he smiled. He felt sure he looked like a complete idiot.

Fortunately, at this point, Ace bailed him out. Her voice came over the speakers, "Welcome aboard Ambassador Vera," and snapped Jackson out of his daze.

"Oh that's nice," Vera said, looking around for a computer to smile at. When she couldn't find one she looked back at Jackson. "Hi!" She held out her hand.

"Yes," Jackson said, stumbling over his words but quickly regaining his composure, "I'm Diplomat Kez, but please call me Jackson."

"Jackson, got it!" Apparently the Sela don't blink, because Vera was holding some intense eye contact.

He shook her hand, it was cool to the touch but not cold, and firmer than he was expecting. Honestly he wouldn't have been surprised if his hand just sank into hers and absorbed him, and he also wasn't sure that would be such a bad thing. She was just slightly softer, slightly squishier than a human hand. None of the firmness of bone beneath the skin. Just soft.

Uh oh, Jackson had been holding the handshake for a while. And eye contact. And smiling. "Nice to meet you, Vera," he said, hoping to move on before it got too awkward. She was probably used to this kind of first contact, being an ambassador, but nonetheless Jackson wanted to make a good impression.

"Likewise!" She said, her grin getting even wider. If she was bothered or weirded out by their initial interaction she gave no sign. "I'm sure you're eager to get to work, but it's the middle of night cycle here and the primary administration will be dormant for another few hours."

Jackson nodded, relieved to have a chance to get acclimated. The gravity was a little lower here and it was messing with his equilibrium. "That's no problem," he said, "I have some documents to look over before we get too deep into negotiations." Jackson wanted to ask her about the Rhorak, but thought better of it. Best behavior, he reminded himself. There'd be time enough for the hard questions later.

"If you'll come with me I can take you to the quarters we've prepared," Vera said, turning to leave the ship, "They're very nice!"

Jackson started forward, opening his mouth to tell Ace to take care of the ship when she interrupted him.

"Lock it and watch it? You got it." Ace was clearly teasing him. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Thanks, Ace." Better to stay professional, at least for now. He'd come up with some way to get Ace back later. He stepped down the ramp and into the Sela capital city. Jackson had seen images in the briefings but nothing could have prepared him for the sights and sounds of this place. Despite the late hour, the air was pleasantly warm.

Radiant orange heatlamps cast a comforting glow across the broad avenues and tall buildings. Looking at them, Jackson saw immediately that no two were alike. Compared to the skyscrapers of an Earth metropolis, this place looked more like a water park with slides, tubes, and whirlpools as far as he could see. Instead of streets with cars there were pressurized chutes and sluices with blobs of all colors and sizes zipping through them at high speed. There was a distinctive whoosh-pop sound each time one of the sluices opened and closed, but it was muffled by the transparent material over the tops of the chutes and wasn't overwhelming.

Jackson had been standing still for a few minutes at least when Vera finally spoke up. "Stay close, please," she said, "I don't want you wandering off and falling into the mating pits."

"Mating pits?" Jackson asked.

Vera just winked at him. Maybe she could blink after all.

[Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a comment if you liked it or have any suggestions or questions. Chapter 2 will be done soon and it'll definitely get exciting.]