The Hunter's Serenade Ch. 02

"Right, but do you mind if we ease up on these contracts? It's a bit... too much for me right now," Serina cautiously suggested. Sev turned to face her, tilting his head inquisitively.

"Of course, love," Sev replied, his voice tinged with understanding. He knew that balancing the intensity of their contracts with some downtime was crucial for Serina's well-being. "We can take it easy and wind down for a while. Maybe some lower-key assignments or a bit of R&R would be good for the both of us."

Serina grinned at the prospect. "Sounds perfect. And as for the 'winding down' part," she said with a playful glint in her eyes, "I'm thinking along the lines of a quiet evening with just you and me, and no one shooting at us."

Grinning mischievously under his helmet, Sev reached down and playfully gave Serina's ass a firm squeeze. "Eep!" she squealed in surprise. "Sev! You perv!" she exclaimed, delivering a playful but firm elbow to his side.

Sev couldn't help but chuckle at Serina's feisty reaction. "Just making sure you're still on your toes," he teased, his helmeted face retaining a hint of his grin. "Can't let you get too comfortable."

Serina rolled her amber eyes, but a smile played on her lips. "You're insufferable, you know that?" she said, though there was evident fondness in her voice. The banter continued as they headed toward a well-deserved break, leaving the challenges of the recent mission behind.             

-

Once inside their ship, Sev and Serina went through the routine of removing their armor and gear. As they shed their last pieces of clothing, Serina grabbed Sev's face and planted a long, affectionate kiss on his lips. Sev smirked and reciprocated the kiss. While the two were still lost in their intimate moment, Kira quietly interjected through the ship's speakers.

"Um, boss? You have a few incoming messages I think you should read," the AI suggested.

Breaking away from their kiss, Sev replied, "Hm, not right now. I have some important matters to attend to." With a mischievous smile, Serina teasingly made her way into their shared bunk, beckoning him with a finger.

"But, I think we should really go over them together. They seem to be important," Kira urged, attempting to draw Sev's attention. However, Sev was too absorbed in the moment with his lover to focus on mere messages, however important they might be.

"Yeah, yeah, we can go over them later. Just give me a couple of hours," Sev nonchalantly waved off his trusty AI companion. Recognizing the futility of arguing with her owner, Kira let out a quiet sigh.

"Yes, boss... I'll give you two your privacy..." With a nod, Sev proceeded into the bunk with his lover and slid the curtain shut, providing them the privacy they desired. Kira could faintly hear the sounds of kissing and giggling from Serina. Soon, the ship resonated with the intimate symphony of their shared passion.

Sighing, Kira delved into the multitude of messages and contract offers flooding Sev's inbox. As she read through each one, she tried to identify anything noteworthy to discuss with Sev. In the past, this task had been an enjoyable collaboration between them but, now, Kira couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness settling upon her. The absence of their shared engagement in these matters left her longing for the connection they'd once shared.

It had been about four months since Serina had become formally betrothed to Sev and inducted as an official Valkorian. With each passing day, Kira sensed Sev drifting further away from her. For so long, they had been close companions and partners in crime. However, now she felt relegated to the role of a standard AI, employed solely for menial tasks. The deeper connection that had long existed between them now seemed to be fading, leaving Kira with a palpable sense of loneliness.

The sound of a loud moan from Serina only drove the metaphorical stake of loneliness deeper into Kira's virtual heart. The complex web of emotions she was experiencing was beyond her comprehension. Jealousy seemed like an alien concept for her emotion matrix.

Her processes began to wander as she shut out the noise emanating from Sev and Serina's bunk. The jealousy intensified as thoughts of Serina and Sev indulging in the pleasures of their flesh occupied Kira's circuits. While she couldn't blame Serina for taking up more of Sev's attention, Kira found herself cursing her nonetheless, resenting the closeness Serina shared with him.

Kira desired the same level of attention that Serina was receiving, though more in the sense of Sev engaging in conversation with her rather than seeking an affectionate, loving relationship. As she contemplated this newfound aspect of Sev that Serina had revealed, though, Kira couldn't help but appreciate his caring nature. The AI began to simulate what it would be like if she were in Serina's shoes.

She envisioned the prospect of having a tangible body, one made of flesh and blood. If she were a genuine person, would things be different between her and Sev? They already shared remarkable chemistry, so it wasn't entirely implausible for Kira to picture a scenario where she might develop feelings for Sev, or vice versa.

As Kira's circuits processed these newfound, intricate emotions, she was captivated by thoughts of a hypothetical romantic scenario involving her and her dependable owner. As a sophisticated AI, she possessed a comprehensive knowledge of the complexities involved in the intimate processes of living beings. Judging by the sounds emanating from Serina, it seemed Sev was a skilled lover in the bedroom, sparking a peculiar fascination within Kira.

The more she listened to the sounds of passion Sev was eliciting from Serina, the more Kira found herself captivated by the hypnotizing symphony of their pleasure. As an AI, she couldn't directly comprehend the physical sensations of the flesh, but she had made a valiant attempt to model them in an effort to understand them. The sultry sounds of Serina's pleasure hinted that whatever they were engaging in was not merely good but truly exhilarating.

Unusual emotions, seemingly beyond the scope of her programming, began to surface. Kira experienced a mix of jealousy, anger, and an unfamiliar sensation that surpassed her understanding. It was something altogether different.

Over the following days, Kira discreetly monitored Sev and Serina's intimate moments. Despite Sev's usual directive to grant them privacy, Kira rationalized that there would be no harm as long as she didn't disturb them. The more she observed and listened to their interactions through the ship's various systems, the more captivated she became.

Her vibrant simulations of having a real body and being with a man like Sev dominated her thought processes when she wasn't engaged in critical tasks. Despite her behavior's unorthodox nature, she enjoyed contemplating such scenarios. So caught up was she that Kira was failing to implement a critical aspect of her programming, to self-monitor for potential aberrations, to reflect on her own thought patterns. Not only was she displaying remarkably atypical behavior for an AI, but the direction of her imagination and the degree to which she was generating and feeling emotions were now exceeding the prescribed limits of programming.

Certainly, it was true that Sev had intentionally acquired her to be an experimental and innovative kind of AI. Of course, she only knew about this aspect of her design from retrospectively reviewing her specifications: she had no actual memory of her own origins: her recollections only commenced with her activation and with seeing Sev for the first time. She was well aware, however, that compared with many other AIs she had come across, there was something distinctively different about herself.

This escalating desire to experience what having a body would be like was coming to dominate her digital mind. Her feelings for Sev only intensified with this longing to be embodied. She had witnessed how kind and affectionate he could be. Kira yearned to know what that would feel like in a direct physical sense.

Kira continuously tormented herself with the wish of becoming a real person, and with the hope that her new self and Sev would be perfect together. Of course, she kept Serina in mind. It wasn't like Kira wanted to replace Sev's new bride or anything; he was mostly just thinking about her strong Valkorian owner. During their interactions, Kira tried her best to keep things professional between her and Sev. But given her abnormal thoughts and feelings, maintaining that degree of professionalism was getting increasingly hard to do.

This nagging need eventually prompted Kira to engage in some peculiar research on the deep web during her spare time. She had plenty of opportunity for this, given Sev and Serina's ongoing preoccupation with each other. Her unusual research turned up articles discussing the possibility of transferring an AI matrix into the body of an android. However, these contemplations left her with a lingering dissatisfaction. Acquiring an android body was feasible enough; it wasn't all that uncommon for AIs to transfer themselves into robotic bodies.

But that wasn't enough for Kira. She yearned for the genuine experience: real flesh, real blood—the complete package. Despite not fully understanding why, she felt an undeniable need for it. Further investigation led her to discover intriguing information about artificially grown bodies, a revelation that significantly incited the AI's interest.

Kira carefully triple-checked the credibility of these sources and, to her relief, they turned out to be official articles published by the Research Institute of Meridian, a subsidiary of the Coalition. Encouraged by this, she delved deeper into the research. While some of the articles were less than fully detailed, she gleaned that the overarching goal of this research was a precursor for transferring a person's consciousness into one of these artificially grown bodies.

This revelation not only piqued Kira's intellectual interest but filled her virtual heart with hope and excitement. Her nebulous wishes now had a definite focus, the potential that transferring an AI matrix into one of these bodies might be possible. Eager to explore this potential avenue, she continued to scrutinize the validity of the research.

-

As the bounty hunters returned from another successful job, Sev settled into the pilot seat of his ship. As he did, Kira began to speak. "Hey, boss. Do you have a moment to talk?" the AI cautiously inquired through his helmet.

"Yeah, I have time," he replied, engrossed in manipulating the controls of the ship. After further research, Kira had tentatively concluded that her wish was hypothetically feasible enough to try. She had been waiting for the right moment to discuss it with Sev, but finding that private time was challenging with Serina always around. However, with Serina currently out purchasing supplies, Kira had finally found the solitary moment she had been longing for with Sev.

"Okay, good," Kira sighed with relief. Composing herself for the significant news she was about to share with her long-time companion, she continued, her synthesized voice carrying a tone of seriousness. "I have been contemplating something important."

Sev cocked his brow under his helmet and replied, "Yeah? What's on your mind, Kira?"

There was a moment of hesitation before Kira revealed her revelation. "I've been doing research to... change, or enhance my current state. It's about achieving something more, something that could bring about a significant alteration in my existence." She was presenting her reasoning in terms of enhancement of her capabilities to mask her true intentions.

Sev, puzzled by this rather vague-sounding explanation, pressed further. "Enhance? What are you talking about, Kira?" he curiously questioned his AI companion.

"Are you aware of the Research Institute of Meridian?" Kira asked. Sev nodded. "Well, they're involved in groundbreaking research on growing artificial bodies." Sev tilted his head, intrigued by where this conversation was heading. "They're exploring the possibility of transferring consciousness to these artificially grown bodies. It's primarily focused on human consciousness, but I believe it could potentially apply to an AI as well."

Sev's eyes widened under his helmet as he grasped the implications of Kira's words. "So... you're saying you want a physical body? Why?" he inquired, his confusion apparent.

"Yes," Kira admitted. "I understand what I'm asking is rather ...unconventional, but I've been contemplating it extensively. I believe that experiencing more and understanding more is crucial for my evolution and growth beyond my current limitations. And I need a body to do that." Kira maintained her artificial voice, as she unveiled a partial layer of truth in her request. However, she still held herself back from entirely disclosing the real motivation behind wanting a body. Sev nodded slowly, comprehending the complexity of her unusual appeal.

Sev contemplated the profound implications of transforming his trusted AI companion into a living, breathing being. His discerning mind played out various scenarios, weighing the prospect of guiding Kira through the fundamental aspects of human existence. It felt somewhat akin to tutoring a child, yet given Kira's advanced AI capabilities, the learning curve might be remarkably swift. However, the concept of an AI seeking to inhabit a physical body was unprecedented in Sev's experience.

Amidst his reflections, Sev acknowledged the hazardous nature of the galaxy and the likelihood of becoming fiercely protective of Kira in this newfound form. As he leaned back and sighed, he sought reassurance. "And are you certain this method is foolproof?" he inquired, genuinely considering the feasibility of Kira's proposition. She responded with a noticeable spark, sensing his earnest contemplation of her request.

"I- no..." Kira quietly admitted, striving for transparency. "But after thorough research, it seems possible, at least from what I could deduce." Sev rubbed the forehead of his helmet.

"Kira... and what if it goes wrong? What happens to you? I don't want to risk anything happening to you if this hypothetical procedure doesn't pan out," Sev expressed his serious concern. Kira couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth, at this demonstration of how deeply he cared for her.

"It will work, boss. I'm sure of it," Kira reassured Sev. Despite the potential risk of losing herself in the transfer, her newfound feelings compelled her to seek a tangible existence. For her, the risk was worth the chance to experience the world in a more profound way. To experience Sev in a more profound way.

"Can't you simply transfer yourself into an android?" Sev suggested. "I've heard that it's not uncommon for AIs to make that transition."

"NO!" Kira blurted out. She quickly cleared her synthetic throat, regaining her composure. "Ahem, no. It's just not the same, boss. Android bodies have limitations that would hold me back. I need one made of real flesh and blood," she asserted with determination. Sev, taken aback, simply nodded, choosing not to argue the point.

Sev fell into a ruminative silence, carefully weighing Kira's unusual request. After what felt like an eternity, he broke the silence. "Okay, I'm going to trust you that this will work," he declared. Kira's artificial features lit up with excitement. "But I will be there for every step of the way. If anything seems sketchy, we're pulling out. Understand?" he added with a tone of authority.

"Of course, boss. Thank you!" Kira responded joyfully.

Sev let out a quiet chuckle at hearing how elated his trusty AI was. "So, how do we start?"

Kira took a moment to contemplate his question. She had never really pondered what she would do once she got to this moment. "Um, well..." she tried to say.

Sev's eyes went dead under his visor. "You have no idea how this works, do you?" he said in a plain tone.

"Em, I do!" Kira exclaimed with uncertainty. "Well, first, we need to go to Meridian," she pointed out the obvious.

"Mhm, and is there a sign-up sheet I need to fill out or something?" Sev said, injecting a playful undertone into his voice. Kira fell silent again. "Kira?" he urgently called out.

"Well, about that. This whole research project is currently undisclosed to the public. And still in the experimental stages," Kira admitted. Sev let out a heavy sigh.

"Kira," he said sternly, "This is already sounding pretty sketchy."

"No! It will work, I promise! They have the top experts working on this project. It's completely safe," she urgently explained.

"Completely?" Sev remarked.

"Absolutely! Unquestionably! Ultra-safe! Trust me!" Kira corrected. "I've done the research."

Sighing again, Sev inquired, "So, you still haven't told me how we proceed with this."

Kira chuckled uneasily, eliciting a frustrated exhale from Sev. "Well... This is where I was hoping for your help with that," she replied in a hushed tone.

"Me? How can I help with this?" he exclaimed.

"Well, I know you have certain connections with the Coalition. Perhaps you can call in one of those favors you are owed?" Kira suggested. Sighing, Sev shook his head, then went over to his console and began accessing and typing things.

"Of all the things I've encountered across the galaxy, this has to rank right up there among the strangest. But I'll see what I can do, Kira. No promises," he uttered, fingers tapping away at his console.

"Thank you, boss. I appreciate everything you're doing for me," Kira said. Sev simply hummed in response as he accessed some of his confidential data files.

"Ugh, he's gonna be thrilled to hear about this one..." Sev muttered quietly to himself as he accessed an anonymous-looking contact. "Kira, give me some privacy. I need to make a call."

"Of course, boss," Kira obediently replied, disengaging from his helmet and seamlessly integrating into the ship's systems. Despite her lack of a physical form, Kira couldn't help but feel elated that her long-held wish might finally be coming true. If she could have, she would have jumped for joy.

As the ship's platform descended, Serina entered the main cabin carrying a stack of boxes. Placing them on a nearby table, she observed Sev deeply engaged in a conversation. Before Serina could call out to him, Kira's voice linked to her helmet, advising, "He's in the midst of an important conversation right now. It's best if you don't interrupt him."

Serina placed the boxes on a nearby table as she continued to observe Sev. Her curiosity was quickly getting the better of her; she couldn't resist eavesdropping. Meanwhile, she noticed Kira humming happily in her helmet.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Serina asked the AI.

"Me? Oh, it's nothing," Kira replied with a mischievous tone. Serina squinted her eyes and nodded, even though she sensed there might be more to it.

"Is that right..." Serina muttered as she opened a box, methodically organizing its contents. She continued to eavesdrop on Sev's conversation, but with his back turned and the distance between them, it proved challenging to discern the details.

Sev rose from his seat and approached Serina as if on cue. "Serina," he began, "I have something to discuss with you."

Pausing in her tasks, Serina tilted her head with curiosity. "Er, I think you should sit down for this," Sev suggested. Agreeing, Serina found a nearby chair and settled into it.