Long Blonde Hair, Sky Blue Eyes Pt. 12

"At that moment, I saw three environments merge into one: the built environment - things like the lake and the house, the plane, the boat; the natural environment - the water, which supports the boat, as well as plant and animal life, including humans; the air, which supports the plane as well as the birds, while sustaining plant and animal life; and the sunshine, which supports all life on the planet, and the ground on which I stood amongst trees, grass, animals, and elements of the built environment. Then there is the cyber environment, which is so critical to the evolution of human society, economics, and finance, as well as advancements and improvements in the built and natural environments.

"If you look for the interplay among all three when addressing a problem, your solution is very different than if you scheme an immediate solution in one or two environments. And that is the way Greenlight Innovations should approach all endeavors. If you've seen Johnny's Logistics site, you've seen a prime example.

"But we need to be more aware. The engineering, developing, and programming we do each require tight focus, and once we start, we will work on the project 24 hours a day without more than junk food and caffeine. Nothing is allowed to misdirect us, even our own concerns about the impact of what we're doing. That kind of task focus is efficient, but is it wise?

"A high school teacher once explained to me that teachers are required to teach the state curriculum using the state textbooks or computer programs during the state-allowed time, and are measured by a state testing program that isn't even well-aligned with the curriculum, but they - the teachers - are held accountable for the results. They had no say in curriculum, learning materials, time, or testing, but they are accountable - not the state that mandated everything!

"Let's not be that foolish. The job specifications and deadlines where you worked before may have driven your task completion, but not at Greenlight. Here, we want to begin the task/project after we have thoroughly assessed the larger picture.

"For example, there are several Texas cities currently paying seven-figure sums to be allowed to pilot the use of AI with stoplights. Sounds great - I mean, who doesn't want traffic to flow more cleanly and quickly, thereby reducing pollution even without our Logistics or SEAM module? Until you realize all they are doing is using sensors to determine if an oncoming car is going too fast and will run the red light, and then holding the light on yellow a bit longer.

"Okay, avoiding T-bones at intersections is a worthy endeavor, but is that all AI and sensors are capable of? What is the effect on traffic flow in those cases, and on the human psyche? Will holding a light on yellow so scofflaws won't run a red light encourage more scofflaws to speed up instead of slow down? As Starman explained to Jenny, 'Red means stop, green means go, yellow means go really fast.'

"And then there are other impacts, including traffic flow on intersecting streets? Can a series of 'holds' create a jam or jams?

"Why couldn't AI assess traffic conditions more broadly and better time lights to enhance traffic flow? How many sensors and video cameras would be necessary, and can we inform drivers of accidents or tie ups more efficiently than their GPS maps?

"Why do we have red lights stopping a single vehicle at 3 am when no one is coming from any other direction? What does it mean to the environment and to the bottom lines affected if that vehicle is a truck? And to take it a step further, what about train crossings, trains idling on sidetracks, and jets held in line to taxi, takeoff, land, and unload?

"If we can figure out traffic and traffic lights, what else could we impact? Could the Logistics or SEAM programs be integrated with our solution, or should we start by tinkering with them?

"Does any of this even make sense to you?"

Both men were nodding enthusiastically, but before they could answer verbally, Erik had a task. "Then my challenge to you three is, geothermal energy. You may have noticed that I left a square area large enough for a drilling rig just south of headquarters. The well would be drilled between two tunnels, and the equipment clustered near the building.

"I'm intrigued by the idea of using the seemingly endless supply of geothermal energy to heat, cool, and provide electricity, but no one can tell me it's possible impacts on the environment, on an increasingly scarce resource, water, and on the reliability of the equipment required to convert heated water to energy.

"My biggest question, however, is what would several hundred thousand geothermal wells do to the earth's core? Would that cool the core? If so, how much, and what is the predicted effect? What about the pressure released by drilling the wells? Do we create tremors or earthquakes? How much water is used in the exchange? Would something other than water be better? What, and how scarce is the alternative?

"The questions go on and on, and boggle the human mind. But would they boggle Aimee's mind? Can she provide the answers?"

Sean and Roddie looked perplexed, but excited. "Thanks for that insight into the deeply nuanced mind of our fearless leader," Roddie murmured, and then stated. "To rephrase, you're challenging us to develop a new AI named Aimee, and address conundrums like geothermal energy and traffic flow?"

"Among other things, but first, geothermal energy. I'll shepherd Aizel, you three develop and train Aimee, and when we get together in a day or two, we'll share."

Roddie chuckled. "I am so fortunate to have been assigned to you in Port, Mate! This is scary, but so much more fun than completing mundane tasks under specifications and deadlines set by people who have no clue! Karli may shite, given the 'inboarding' we are to do over the next few days with the new hands, but this will be the best hands-on introduction they could have! Welcome to Greenlight, Shane and Noah!"

****

Annika had completed her studies and readings, so she went looking for her fiancé. She found him exiting the conference room with two strapping young men she didn't know. "Well, here you are! And who are these fine looking fellows?" she teased as she wrapped her left arm around Erik.

'Stunned' would be descriptive of their response to seeing Annika. Karli had told them all about Annika, they had seen the pictures, and they knew she was Erik's girlfriend, but real life Annika, up close and personal, was very different from two-dimensional photos and TV commercials Annika.

Erik was more amused than usual, given the worldliness of his new employees, but he helped bail them out. He kissed her cheek, and said, "Annika Olsson, meet Roddie Reardon, recently of Sydney, Australia, and Sean Finn of Dublin, Ireland. They are the ones I told you came down with Karli to get the new facilities up and running before we move the rest of the SEAM team here. Roddie, Sean; Miss Annika Olsson, my fiancée."

Annika stepped away from Erik to extend her hand in greeting, and called each by name. They were still a bit off key, but the warmth and sincerity of her greeting helped them relax enough that Roddie leaned over her hand and flirted. "Ay, Miss Olsson, I've certainly seen you on TV and in photos, but neither does you justice! Meeting you in person is certainly an honor and a privilege, as well as a most pleasant surprise!"

Sean's Irish bloodlines emerged when he took her hand, bowed, and air-kissed it like an aristocrat. Erik chuckled; if Sean were wearing a plumed hat and cape, it could have been a scene from centuries ago. "Honey, I think they think you're cute. Isn't that sweet?"

Had Annika been carrying a fan, she would have fanned herself at this point, but instead she smiled and said, "Well, Honey, I think they're quite cute too! Especially those accents and aristocratic manners!" Turning to them again, she asked, "I hope you're staying for lunch."

"We would certainly love to break bread with you, Miss Olsson, but Andi says it's Italian Day and we are required to be there when she cooks for us. I understand that you know her well, and therefore know that we are afraid to offend her."

"I do, and I hope you will tell her and Rhonda hello for me, and that I hope to see them soon!" Sean assured her they would, and they stepped back before turning and taking their leave. When they were in the elevator, Annika said, "They really are cute and charming. Freddy better be on his best game."

"Although I see your concern is about their good looks and charm," he teased with a disapproving frown, "mine is their abilities, with which I'm quite impressed. Roddie is a whiz with developing and training AI, and Sean's analytical and problem solving skills and abilities are going to help guide Roddie, and Karli, when she's developing. Their friends, Shane O'Conner and Noah Brown, come onboard tomorrow, and next week the rest of the team trickles in from their hometowns. We'll be at full strength by Friday a week, and SEAM will have a new, dedicated home. I'm pumped about that!"

"And I'm excited for you, but does this week throw a wrench in our timeline? Do I need to reschedule our meeting with Star Shine Productions?"

"Let's see what tomorrow brings, then decide. If we are released then or Friday morning, I'd like to take you home for a few days - at least over the weekend - and reschedule as needed."

"And by 'home' you mean our wonderful house down the road, I hope. Just you and me for the weekend?"

"Well, you and me and a legion of security, yes. I'll make sure the larder is stocked, we'll lock ourselves in, and make up for the lost months. We might have to meet Shane and Noah, and talk Karli off the cliff I left her on by not being around all week, but, yeah, mostly, you, me, locked doors."

"Then we're doing business on the way in, because once those doors are locked, you won't have enough strength left to leave the house!"

"Promises, promises," he teased, before wrapping her in his arms and kissing her ferociously. She sighed and murmured, "Or maybe I won't."

While they ate, relaxed in the lounge, worked out, bathed, and frantically practiced making babies, Aizel was as busy as a hummingbird. When Erik finally checked on her, after Annika was asleep, she had penetrated much more deeply than he expected, or even desired, while they were at Camp Swift. Apparently, Kremlin cybersecurity was as impotent as their war machine was proving to be in Ukraine.

Her findings were so well organized that Erik was quickly able to prove - at least to himself - that the highest levels of the Russian government were involved in the decision to go after him and commit the acts of terror in and around Austin. He would share that information with the proper authorities, but not right now.

Aizel had followed a lead back to military headquarters, and she had discovered a gold mine of information Ukraine could use in their defense. He would provide that information to his contact through a series of prearranged moves that were certain to confound Russian intercept attempts, and then provide extremely compelling evidence regarding the culprits to the General, or whomever. He hadn't seen the three-letter agency and homeland guys, but he was certain they were around.

In the meanwhile, Aizel could be retasked to begin his retribution, but that would occur from servers on his property, not this base. In the extremely unlikely event that his precautions failed, he didn't want to drag the government into an untenable position that ended in war... or him in prison. While the Russians, Iranians, Chinese, and North Koreans - and an unknown number of allies - paid entrepreneurs to hack American firms, government agencies, and the military, the US imprisons those who do the same to enemy countries, unless they are government employees.

He had a very strong opinion about that, but would not express it at this time. Maybe if he got caught...

After breakfast Annika wanted to work out, but Erik begged off, citing the need to find out what Aizel had accomplished. She changed into workout clothes and joined Hanna, Cassie, Johnny, Eddie, Monty, and Danny for a run, after which they would meet KJ in the weight room, and after that she wanted to practice her martial arts with the military instructor.

Erik waited until they were gone, sent a text to Johnny, and then knocked on Bill and Milly's door.

Milly greeted him warmly before advising him that Bill was using the phone in the conference room. "Actually, it's you I want to talk to, if you have time."

"Always for you!" she replied with a big smile. "What can I help you with?"

"Without violating your confidentiality agreement, how do you feel about Annika's, I guess, 'current status?' It's probably my imagination, but something seems off."

"Can you explain 'off'?"

"I can offer a simile or two, unless you prefer that I speak bluntly. It feels like she's like a race car running too close to the red line, or..."

"Speak bluntly, please Erik."

He sighed. "Ever since the first time we had sex, we've made love. Yes, it's sometimes been wild and woolly, and sometimes it's just lustful coupling, but those times have always preceded or followed love making. To be blunt, we normally engaged in slow, sensuous foreplay and then made love.

"Making love was our default, not a 'sports fuck' or frantic pounding.

"When I called and invited her to come down, yes, we were rather frantic at first. I assumed that was because it had been so long, and we were both so needy. But then I was ready for slow, sensuous exploration, holding each other and reawakening our bodies. Not Annika: it was loud and lustful again and again, and that really hasn't changed. Even last night and this morning, when I told her I wanted to go slow, kiss, and make love, we barely got started before she accelerated the pace back to the red line. What's going on with her, in your professional opinion?"

"I don't know that I have an insight, Erik, although I'll venture only you would consider their lover having a stronger libido and being more adventurous to be a problem." He started to speak, but she waved him off and continued.

"She's undergone a lot of drama and trauma since meeting you, but has always seemed to bounce back. The debacle with the film company in LA, though, threw her for a loop. That you watched her being drugged and sexually assaulted, and then disappeared for so many months, just tore her up emotionally and mentally. Her counselors and psychiatrist kept me updated, and she and I video conferenced from time to time, but we never discussed her sexual needs changing."

"Maybe it's her new body, or something," He proposed. "She pushes herself to the limits when she works out and trains, to the point that KJ told her not to overdo it - and he's a workout freak! I mean, I appreciate her new body, and I do love having monkey sex with her, but I miss our quiet times too. The 'slow hands', the hugging, kissing, stroking, and fondling until we were on fire, and then building the fire log by log until we had an inferno.

"Now, it kind of an intense workout designed to get us off, but it seems it's something she could do with any partner. Or at least any partner who is in perfect condition and can last an hour three times in a row!"

Milly grinned at that. "Maybe she's trying too hard, worried that something else will happen, and wanting to do everything possible to keep you, Erik. I really don't know. If we stay longer, I'll meet with her and delve into it, but Bill thinks you guys will be released today. That's why he's on the phone. He's rescheduling some of his people to accompany the others to the airport, and alerting a partner team to meet them in Minnesota. He's also adding to the force guarding you and Annika at your house and workplace."

"Yes, I think he's right." He sighed again, and suggested, "Let's see how our weekend goes. If a heart-to-heart doesn't work, I'll give you a call and you can conference with her."

"Call, text, or email whichever way it goes, Erik. I love you kids, and I'll be worrying if you don't."

Back in the room, Erik reined Aizel in before looking at her records. Yikes! She was scary quick, nimble, and fearless, and she seemed to know how to thwart interference and tracking by agilely darting about, leaving them fruitlessly following a disappearing wake.

He bundled yesterday's work identifying the perpetrators and routed it to SAC Thomas' office through a few dozen countries and scores of servers, until it couldn't be traced back to him. He then shut his laptops down, packed his few belongings, and then packed Annika's. His work and his home were a short five miles south, and he was ready to get back.

Every inch of Annika was sweated wet when she blew into their room to shower and change for lunch. When she saw that all her clothes were in her suitcases, she paused and excitedly asked. "Are we going home?" Erik told her that he and Bill thought they were. She squealed and leaped into his arms. "I can hardly wait for our weekend alone!"

He smiled, kissed her deeply and lovingly, and then quietly told her, "I can't wait to make love to you, my Angel."

Something in the tone of his voice gave her pause. She lowered her feet to the floor, looked deeply into his eyes, kissed him sweetly, and replied, "That sounds so wonderful. Should we start now?"

Instead of replying, he held her tightly, brushed her wet hair back with his hands, nibbled on her ear, and then her neck. When she murmured her appreciation, he kissed her full lips, flicked his tongue across her teeth, and then nibbled on her protruding bottom lip. He saw that her eyes were closed and felt her sagging against him.

His hands weren't still; they were slowly exploring, feeling for her erogenous zones just as his lips were seeking them. He peeled her wet running bra off, pulled his shirt off, and held her hot breasts and swollen nipples against his chest, enjoying the little sounds of appreciation she was emoting.

He began a very slow deep knee bend, nuzzling her neck and chest as he sunk, until his hands encompassed her breasts and his teeth nipped at her nipples. She pulled him to her, trying to get him to swallow the breast he was torturing, but he sank further, lightly biting her taut stomach and tonguing her belly button as he did.

Her tight bike shorts were peeled over her hips and magnificent butt, his tongue lapping at the sweaty skin he uncovered. When the shorts passed her knees and fell around her ankles, he parted her labia, flicked at her swollen clit, and then gripped her ass cheeks tightly.

She stepped out of the shorts, and positioned her feet to give him access. The fingers of one hand slipped into the sweaty crevasse and tickled her tender starfish, increasing the intensity of her noises, whimpers, whines, and groans.

She had worked herself so hard her legs were trembling when she began her cooldown thirty minutes ago, and they were trembling again. He brought her right to the edge of a climax, backed off, and began kissing his way up her body. After exchanging a steamy kiss, with seeming sincerity he told her, "You probably want to get that shower now; it's almost time to eat lunch and you're sweaty and odiferous."

She sagged and moaned in disappointment. "You bastard! I'll pay you back for this!" she assured him, before turning, walking to the bathroom, slamming the door, and locking it. When she came out a good fifteen minutes later, still naked, her posture was less stressed, but those blue eyes had an icy fire in them he hadn't seen since Mackinac Island.

"Good shower?" he asked innocently.

"Oh, yeah, it was!" she replied with emphasis. "One thing a girl learns when separated from her boyfriend for half a year is to take full advantage of her baths!"