Project - Prometheus Ch. 23

"We'll find them, Alex. Prodosia is the first world we should go to once we're done getting what we need," she told him comfortingly.

"Thanks Kas, but I know how excited you are to see what's become of your family..." Alex started.

"Your family is in a bad place. Terra Nova can wait," she told him firmly. Alex looked as though he was about to argue, but a stern glare from Kasumi clamped his teeth shut.

"Have you been taking lessons from Korsa?" he asked slyly.

"More like observing and adapting," she admitted with a smirk.

"Well, whatever you've learned, it's working," he grumped good naturedly.

"Hehehe! Glad to know I can have a similar effect as the mom of the crew does," Kasumi grinned. "Is that a Roti?"

"Yeah! It's not at the same level as what I've had... where we met, but it's not half bad. Why, you hungry?" Natalya asked as she finished the first half of her meal.

"I could go for one, yeah," Kasumi admitted.

"So, could I. That and a stiff drink," Alex agreed.

"Kiosk is just there and there's a brewer a few stalls over," Natalya told them, pointing at the vendor.

Both Kasumi and Alex got to their feet and made their way to place their orders. The lunch rush had just passed on the station, so the people behind the counters weren't overly busy. Alex ordered two roti for himself and one for Kasumi, while also ordering a pitcher of beer for the three of them. As they sat down to enjoy their meal, they were still oblivious to the malicious eyes watching them.

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Jaesa huffed in irritation as she walked out of the latest shop. Not only had it been a severe disappointment, but a complete waste of her time. The bots were decent in their design, but the movements were clumsy and most of the other amenities were well short of what Jaesa desired. It had been that way with every shop she had visited so far, and the list was nearly exhausted.

There was still one place left to visit and going by its size, it wasn't promising. Jaesa gave it a shot anyway, before calling it quits for this station. She meandered along, heading in the shop's direction, while she checked in on the crew. They had all emerged from the Darkstrider and now were in shopping mode. Going by the packages they had been buying up and having sent to the ship, they'd been busy.

Alex, Kasumi and Natalya were still in the human enclave enjoying lunch, while Inari, Priya and Taal'ani had just arrived at the Bazaar. Korsa had been busy minding the Artucian and Shazza, who were busy making new experiences in the Bazaar. Trying new food, playing various games, and experiencing many novelties. Jaesa smiled to herself, hoping that one day, she could physically enjoy such luxuries.

Jaesa kept walking until she found the shop in question. The storefront was blacked out, as though it wasn't really advertising its presence. Jaesa thought this to be odd, but walked on inside anyway, giving them the benefit of the doubt. A wave of exotic artwork assaulted her the second she walked in. The pictures and photos were of various people and species and some that didn't even exist.

The people in the art were beautiful, all standing in sexy or provocative poses. There some holos that showcased even more, flicking in and out from one to the next. Both genders were there, and there were even some mashups of both in various combinations. Jaesa was awed by what she saw and was curious if she had found the right place.

"Excuse me, miss, may I help you with anything?" a feminine voice called out.

Jaesa turned and saw a very young, exotic looking woman approach her. She was maybe five-foot nine, had muscle to her, yet was curvy in all the right places. Her assets, which were considerable and could easily match Natalyas, were tucked away in a professional grey business suit. Her hair was slightly curly, yet fine enough to be done in a complicated updo which was unusual, but also amazing.

What was most striking was her face, which appeared to be the perfect blend of Chinese, Latina and African features. She had wide, expressive green eyes, a pert little nose, a round chin, but elfin like bone structure. Her skin was a light mocha, not as light as a Latina's but not as dark as an African's. Jaesa couldn't help but stare at the woman, thinking she was the most exotic creature she had witnessed yet.

"Ah! A customer!" another feminine voice called out. "Welcome to Aphrodite's Gardens. Are you interested in seeing one of our models?"

The woman attached to the voice was also gorgeous, but plainer in her features. She appeared to be more of a Caucasian mix, with chestnut brown hair and blue eyes. She was slightly taller than her counterpart at five-foot-ten and had the lithe and trim figure of an athlete. She, too, was in a business suit, but a black one and her frame wasn't nearly as curvy, but still delectable. Jaesa shook herself out of her analysis and replied.

"I'm sorry, but you said that this is Aphrodite's Garden. I was aware that this was supposed to be a sexbot shop?"

"It is, but we advertise in a more... discreet manner. Everything we sell is what the others offer, without the overt and often graphic displays that the others do," the first woman replied with a serene smile.

"Yes. In fact, one of us here is a sex/companion bot. Can you tell which one of us is real and which is the bot?" the second woman asked.

Jaesa went into full analysis mode, which looked as though she was studying them both. She walked to the first woman, looked her up and down, before heading over to the second woman, doing the same. Her initial scans revealed no real difference, so Jaesa had to resort to a more in-depth scan. It was there that she was able to catch two specific discrepancies.

"You're the real one, and she is the bot!" Jaesa stated with a smirk, speaking to the second woman.

"How did you guess that?!? No one has guessed which was which on the first time!" the first woman stated.

"It was simple, really. I picked up the smell of... stir fry?... off of her more than you. Unless your bots can eat regular food?" Jaesa asked.

"Damn! I guess it's my own damn fault, really. I tend to go to heavy on the garlic," the second woman laughed. "I'm Laura by the way."

"Jaesa Harkness," she replied.

"And I am Delilah," the bot replied.

"Please to meet you Delilah. I must say, if it wasn't for the food smell, I would not have been able to tell you apart," Jaesa told them. It was a half lie, as Jaesa had also picked up on Laura's heartbeat, which is something Delilah didn't have. Everything else though was mimicked perfectly, and it impressed Jaesa with how lifelike Delilah appeared.

"That's what we do here at Aphrodite's Garden. We provide high quality companions for those who want them to be so lifelike and interactive, that no one can tell the difference. Well, almost no one," Laura replied, firing a look at Jaesa.

"Well, I'd say that I've come to the right place then!" Jaesa smiled.

"That you have! Every bot we make is custom ordered. The artwork, the pictures and holos, are examples of bots that have been created for customers," Delilah explained, gesturing all around them.

"Just how advanced is your programming, Delilah? I am genuinely curious about it, as you don't act or comport yourself as a VI," Jaesa stated.

"That's because I am more advanced than a VI," Delilah replied.

"Just how advanced?"

"My VI program is not just a standard template that is fitted into my cortex. It is a hybridization of no less than three separate personalities meshed in a single program," Delilah explained.

"She isn't a true AI, if that is what you are wondering about," Laura told her hurriedly.

"I see. What about pain and pleasure receptors? Are those half decent?" Jaesa wondered.

"Pinch me and find out," Delilah told her, offering her arm. Jaesa took it in hand and pinched a sizable amount of flesh at her inner elbow as hard as she could.

"Ouch!" Delilah cried out, grabbing her arm.

"Amazing! She reacts just the way a real human would!" Jaesa said, astounded.

"There's a lot that I could discuss about the pain and pleasure sensors and receptors, but I'm pretty certain you don't want to talk about the technical aspects of it," Laura said to her. It surprised the woman when Jaesa leaned over the counter, plonking her elbows on the surface.

"Oh! You're a tech head like me then?" Laura asked in surprise.

"Knowing how everything works, down to the last neuron is one of my biggest hobbies!" Jaesa enthused.

"Well then! Allow me to get into the technical specs of how our bots work then!" Laura stated as Jaesa listened attentively.

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The crew of the Darkstrider met up in the Bazaar a few hours later, everyone having completed the errands that needed doing. The crew were ecstatic on hearing about the survival of Alex's and Kasumi's descendants. They were a little saddened on how Alex's had wound up on Prodosia though.

"Maybe... that's why they stayed on Prodosia," Inari suggested.

"What do you mean?" Alex wondered.

"If they were like you and Analisa were to any extent, Prodosia would be the perfect place to stay and hunker down on. Maybe they're trying to stay off the radar with what they know and the abilities they have. If that's the case..."

"... then a war torn, abandoned world is the one place where no one would think to look! That's brilliant!" Alex replied with a grin.

"Regardless, we still should make heading to Prodosia one of our top priorities. We should make a stop or two, just to make sure we have what we need to keep the locals from killing us," Inari told them.

"You've been to Prodosia before?" Kasumi wondered.

"A few times and having certain items to be handed out as... gifts, is a surefire way to endear yourself to the populace," she informed them. Her eyes widened then, as then began gesturing to Priya in quick and precise hand movements.

"Aw damn!" Priya mumbled.

"What is it?" Korsa asked, unfamiliar with the signs that Inari was making.

"We're being watched. Carry on as normal, with no sudden movements. We need to get back to the ship, because it looks as though more of these guys are showing up," Priya said as quietly as she could.

"All right. I guess that's a wrap then, eh everyone?" Alex asked out loud.

With a round of nods, everyone moved along as a single group, with Alex in the lead and Korsa bringing up the rear. They moved from the Bazaar to the concourse, heading for the docks. But a bunch of men and women showed up to block them. Looking around, some of the crew noted that the station's security crews weren't around and most people conducting their business were nowhere to be seen.

"Shit!" Alex cursed quietly as he realized this. He glanced about and saw at least a few dozen men and women surrounding them with their weapons drawn. Out of the group walked a man who appeared to be older than the bulk of them. He was dressed much like the rest of them, but his attire was fancier and cleaner. He wore a smug and arrogant smile as he stood several meters away from Alex.

"You merchant types, always falling into our traps. Drop your weapons and come with us peacefully, or I'll have to order my boys and girls to gun your asses down," the leader stated.

"What are you looking to do? Rob us? I don't think such a thing will happen," Alex scoffed.

"Nah. This is more than just a simple robbery, but I'll admit, your ship would be nice to have as my own personal craft. That little tidbit will have to be agreed upon between me and these three guys here," the leader laughed.

In response, two human men walked forward, both of them wearing battle armor and heavily armed. One of them was festooned with pistols all around his person, as though two pistols weren't enough. The other held what appeared to be a heavy auto-cannon and the hilt of a massive sword peeked over his shoulder. They had the look of hardened warriors that no one should tangle with.

"You said three, I only count two," Inari laughed. Just then a laser dot appeared on Priya's forehead and Inari yipped in alarm. The dot then jumped to Inari, then Alex, and danced between every member of the crew.

"I told you, you lot were just too fucking stupid. Now drop your weapons!" The leader told them a second time, looking a little antsy. "Don't try anything, Mr. Brave Boy, or you're going down first."

"Why us?" Alex wondered.

"You don't know? You really need to research the people you travel with! Those two there, have some pretty fucking high bounties on their heads that no one has collected on! I intend to collect on them both!" the arrogant man laughed.

"Only after we've taken our cut!" the brawny man next to him said, firing a dangerous look at him.

"Of course! I'm not stupid enough to screw over bounty hunters like you three," the lead ganger replied.

"Boss, we don't have long! Let's just shoot these fuckers and call it a day!" one ganger called out.

"Darwin, put down the four eyed freak, the one without tits," the smaller bounty hunter called out. Taal'ani screamed and moved to protect Tahral as the laser dot rested on him.

Alex felt a sudden surge of energy wash over him and out of reflex, threw his arms out wide. Violet energy erupted from him and took form in the shape of a transparent shield that covered the crew. The shot rang out not even a second later, but bounced off harmlessly, hurting no one.

"What the FUCK?!?" the lead ganger shouted. "Shoot them now! Kill them all!"

Bullets were launched at everyone in the shield, but like with the sniper shot, they bounced away. The crew exploded into action, drawing their weapons and readying themselves. Alex held his arms out, not knowing what exactly he'd done, but grateful that he could do it all the same.

The brawny bounty hunter opened up with his auto-cannon, but the bullets just skipped away. Angered that his weapon was doing no damage, he drew his sword, which was a massive, wide-bladed claymore, and charged at them. He shouted, swinging his blade, but was stopped cold by the shield, as though he'd run into a wall. The man groaned in pain as he slid down to the ground; the wind knocked out of him.

"Alex, now!" Inari called out. Glancing to her, then around them, Alex dropped his arms, lowering the shield. He saw that the gangers and the bounty hunters were reloading and knew what Inari had in mind. The crew counterattacked, firing at every exposed ganger they could see.

Priya had brought out her sniper rifle and took aim at the bounty hunter that was perched a couple levels above them. She spotted him and took the shot, just as he realized his predicament. He moved just enough to avoid being killed, but was still hit in the neck, blood spraying everywhere. Crying out in pain, he put a hand to his neck, hoping to staunch the bleeding, but lost his balance and fell straight down.

"Sniper down!" Priya called out, as she saw the bastard hit the deck with a sickening splat.

"Good! Rear and right flank secure!" Kasumi replied, her machine pistols gunning down several gangers who were stupid enough to break cover. The rest of the crew had taken defensive positions, staying down and out of the line of fire. They took out well over a third of the men that had accosted them, but the remainder were in their path to the Darkstrider.

"You won't get out of this! We've still got you pinned!" the lead ganger taunted them.

"Yeah, but your sniper is now nothing more than gumbo on the station floor!" Priya shot back.

"What?!?" the lead bounty hunter cried out, turning to look for his friend. That move was what Priya had been waiting for, and she broke cover for a split second, locating the bounty hunter. She sighted in the top of his head and fired in one smooth motion, blowing his brains out. Priya ducked back into cover just as several automatic weapons fired, barely missing her pretty face!

"Deac! Nnnnoooooooooooo!" the large bounty hunter screamed. He then drew his auto-cannon, firing at everyone's positions.

"Fuck! Unless we down big boy, we're shit out of luck!" Inari cried out.

"You got any ideas? I'm listening if you do!" Alex told her.

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Jaesa had been spending a wonderful time at the boutique, having made several purchases from it. She had ordered two blanks, which were sex/companion bots that she could design to her own specs and implant her own personalities. To do such a thing also required proprietary equipment that the boutique sold, but Jaesa was more than capable of affording it.

She'd already had the equipment purchased and shipped to the Darkstrider, and it was waiting on the platform. Jaesa stayed for a bit as she enjoyed Laura and Delilah's company and rarely had anyone to talk tech stuff with. Sure, she had Taal'ani, but she'd been increasingly busy with Tahral lately. Jaesa shrugged it off, as she could now have her own companion to speak to and interact with.

She was having a pleasant time with her two new friends when the security feed programs she'd had in the system issued an alert. Jaesa saw that the crew was being followed and quickly surrounded by people with weapons. She scanned the area and saw that no security guards were on their way and no alerts in the system had been issued to station personnel. Seeing the number of assailants present, Jaesa knew that she would need help with bailing her friends out.

"I'm sorry to cut this short ladies, but I really must be going. Oh, and Laura, I'm sorry," Jaesa stated.

"For what?" Laura asked in confusion.

"This."

With that, Jaesa put a hand on Delilah and stepped into cyberspace. She established a bridge to Delilah and hacked into her systems, overriding the security protocols. She would have been more careful and used more finesse with this, but there was no time. Her crew was in danger and she'd need all the help she could get. With several powerful blunt force attacks, she then commandeered Delilah, overriding her command structure.

"I am ready to serve," she told Jaesa in a flat monotone voice.

"My crew is in danger and I will require your assistance," she told the sexbot.

Nodding, Delilah followed Jaesa out of the shop as she tore out. Laura shouted at them angrily, demanding that they come back, but neither Jaesa nor Delilah listened. They ran full tilt, moving twice as fast as normal humans would and climbing the levels using whatever handholds they could find. They could have used the elevators, but it would have taken far too much time.

The feminine machines finally reached the level where the crew was being attacked. They came at the gang from behind, as they were busy staying behind cover to avoid getting shot. There was only a single sentry standing guard from the direction they approached.

He tried to deter them from going past him, but Jaesa wasn't having any of it. She charged the man, sweeping his legs out from underneath him he yelped in surprise. That sound was cut short with a solid blow to his face, which knocked him out. Taking no chances, Jaesa then snapped his neck, ending his life. She then scooped up the gun he had been holding and checked it, before handing it to Delilah.

"Use this and kill anyone who is firing at my crew," Jaesa stated, before sending Delilah photos of her crew via the bridge link they had.

"I cannot kill. That goes against all programming parameters of this model," Delilah's monotone told her flatly. Jaesa cursed inwardly as she should have thought to check for that in Delilah's cortex, but it would take too long to recode.

"Can you wound or incapacitate living beings?" she asked.

"That IS within my program parameters," Delilah responded.

"Very well, then. Incapacitate all targets, but not my crew. Understood?" Jaesa asked.