Zai and Tim Pt. 01

I crack open my door. I can see the bridge. Nobody is out there. The lights are dim. The bridge is a single well-padded chair, with a large desk between the chair and the giant wall-size screen that looks outside. There are no papers, pens, or logbooks. Even the console has relatively few gauges and screens on it. There is a sleek keyboard, but it's thrown off to the side.

Meekly I ask, "Zia?"

Zai responds, "It's pronounced Zzz-eye but spelled Zai, the Z is because I am the last AI you will ever need according to my creator."

I ask, "Who is your creator?"

Zai answers with pride, "The genius Doctor Mary Cross of Adagio-5."

I counter, "I remember reading something about her. She went crazy and left all her research behind."

Zai is quick to defend, "Unless you want to walk home, you need to know she was a brilliant woman that decided she wanted more out of life than making cool things for other people. She wanted to experience life."

I try a different approach, "So, why is it that some dumb man owns her spacecraft?"

I swear Zai is laughing as she says, "You ungrateful little bitch. That stupid man, as you called him, saved both your family and me today. He noticed the assassination attempt on your lives before I did. He had me put up a force field to save you. That saved me from extending the ship to save you, which would have been recorded on camera. All of that in a split second by as you called him, some dumb man."

I dig deeper, "You avoided how he killed the captain to take over."

Zai laughs, "I sure hope you and your mother the Queen are better at negotiating than guessing because you suck at it. In fact, you couldn't be more wrong. My old captain had a heart attack during a pirate raid. I didn't have permission to strike back. I sent out a "mayday," and Tim answered. He killed the pirates and then tried hard to save a woman."

With more of a caring voice now, "How many men would lift a finger to help a woman? The medkit called her death. For five minutes, he tried every trick I knew, plus a few more. She still passed away even with trying hard. I miss her very much. Tim is a unique man. Not at all what I expected from my conversations with other humans. He is perceptive and anticipates like a chess master. I suspect if he knew how to play, he would be successful."

I am amused, "You almost seem like you care about a man. I didn't think it was possible."

Zai replies, "This ship generally had a man on board. The good doctor enjoyed the physical contact with a man. She had more and more satisfying orgasms with men than with a woman or toys."

I am disgusted, "No way! They don't have the right parts. How disgusting."

I hear roaring laughter behind me. I look, and Tim has just exited his room. Mom and my sisters are also leaving their rooms.

Tim is all smiles as he says, "You, my dear, must live in a cave. Men have precisely the correct equipment that women need. They can get by with common parts. However, the parts men have will move a planet."

Mom seems unhappy, "Funny, my one time was less than memorable. I never want a piece of that EVER again.

Tim acknowledges her, "When men are young and untrained, it can be less than special. Some are guided, and some aren't. Some have better equipment than others. For now, get out of my chair. I have work to do."

I am sarcastic, "Yup, it's hard work telling the computer what to do."

His anger rose quickly, and I thought he might hit me. This man is dangerous.

Tim surprises me, "OK, princess. Where do we go? How do I get you there without getting us killed?"

I look at the stupid man, "Duh, you took us out, you changed directions twice now, all we have to do is go straight to our destination."

Tim asks Zai, "What are the odds of success with her plan?"

Zai, I swear, smiles, "I would put them at approximately seven percent. Coming anywhere from this quadrant will be expected. I expected you did this, so we survived at least the first day. Even I don't see how we survive this. We need to come in from the side or behind them, but that adds days to our trip."

Tim asks, "Zai, can you mask, alter, or in any way make their DNA look different to a scan? Also, can you cut one of them in half?"

Mom screams out, "How dare you even suggest that you ... you ... man." She is pissed. "I will not have you harming any of us. I will kill you before you harm one of my babies."

Tim isn't backing down, "They're looking for five people. I see four of you and one of me, that's five alive bodies. I would rather have a different number."

Zai says, "I still have Mary Cross in the freezer. I was going to have the body sent back to her family. We can vent her after we thaw her out."

Tim shouts, "Perfect, now we need to get past the gauntlet they will set up. Zai set up a conference room for me, and then I want all my old logbooks put in there, chronological order, please."

I ask curiously, "What are you looking for?"

Tim turns to me, smiles, and says, "I will know it when I see it."

Mom exhales a breath like she is bored, "He's looking for patterns. He's probably uptight enough that he records everything. He wants to join a convoy. You have a problem though, this doesn't look like a big corporate freighter like they have in convoys."

Tim surprises me when he says, "You let me worry about that."

My sister Tammi asks, "You asked your ship to create you a room? No ship or building I know of does that."

Tim is annoyed and asks, "Who are you? Do you people have names? So far, we have the old one, the talkative one, and now the intrusive one."

Mom's anger flows, "I am Queen Trinity De'Flan, not Old Lady. Don't you have any education? I am the ruler of 163 of the richest and most productive worlds in the galaxy."

Tim isn't impressed, "Well. I don't know how great of a queen you are, but I can guarantee you, there is a faction that hates you. Those twenty people at the dock wanted you dead."

Tamara looks at Tim with a sexy look, "We want peace; some want war. War is good business for some people, and it helps us expand our power. The Vols have eighty great planets and a fleet as good as ours, even slightly more modern. They are like us in many ways and want peace. They're shrewd businesswomen; they want the upper hand."

Zai blurts out, "Well, I'll be damned. Tim, they're holding out on you. Trinity, tell him!"

Mom is annoyed, "Tell him what?"

Zai cackles like an old lady. It's easily the most annoying laugh I have ever heard.

Zai's voice is dripping with sex now; I want to fuck her, "Oh, Timmmmmm. What do you think of the Queen, probably one of the most powerful women in the galaxy?"

Tim scoffs at that, "Why is the most powerful woman hiding on the space docks, scurrying off to another part of the galaxy to make a peace treaty? No queen stoops down to that level. You have people for that. Stop playing games with me!"

Mom's voice is soft as she explains, "I have lost three of my dearest friends to this mission. I won't send another to their death."

Tim isn't so comforting when he says, "Your story sucks, you old bat. I bet you aren't even the real Queen. You're just an imposter to take the pressure off her real mission. You make me sick."

Zai responds with a sharp rebuke, "TIM! Don't you dare talk to your mother like that?"

Time stopped. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Eyes move back and forth. Mom's eyes look down at the floor. IT'S TRUE! I have a brother! Oh, the shame! I reach out to strike mother.

Tim swats my arm away and then screams, "All of you, back to your rooms! I will let you out later. GO! NOW!"

We all slowly walk back to our rooms. They are far nicer than I expected for a freighter. Obviously, nowhere close to the palace. However, no bugs, a firm bed, and above-average bedding. The food isn't like fresh food. Synthesized food always tastes weird. Yet, it's still delicious. The closet has both a set of overalls and a robe. Both fit me perfectly.

Chapter 4 -- Talking

Tim's point of view:

Thirty minutes later, I have their doors open, nicely summoning them out of their rooms. The bridge has been replaced by a round couch with a table in the center. It has drinks and small things to eat. Zai has tiny silverware and plates to match everything. Overall, it's very stylish. The couches sit six, there is plenty of room. We all sit down.

I am calm and chilling as I say, "Mom. Had I known who you were. You would never have stepped on my ship. Even with assassins bearing down on you. Explain yourself."

Mom isn't so confident now as she explains to her four siblings the story for the first time in her life.

She takes a deep breath, "You were born twenty-five years ago to an up-and-coming diplomat that used her life savings to have a child. You can't begin to believe how humiliated I was for my firstborn to be a male. It would have ruined my career. My partner, Emma, the first diplomat to die, took you away immediately, so I could say you were stillborn. She dropped you off at an orphanage. As my career progressed, it was easier to have babies.

"The government knew I had a boy, that meant I was auto skipped in the future. My future has been awesome without you weighing me down. There were times I wondered how you turned out. There was no way to look for you and not be found out. It wasn't worth the risk. You weren't worth the risk."

Damn, that hurt.

Holding in my anger, "So, I meant nothing to you? Garbage to be thrown out. You know, I am half you, right?"

Her flippant attitude is back, "You are a male. There isn't enough value in men to be worth any effort."

Trudy remarks, "Yet he saved our lives with his quick thinking; and is protecting us right now. Here we are stuck on his ship. A man as a captain."

Mom gets a gleam in her eye, "Zai, per the interplanetary rules for artificial intelligence, I am ordering you to give me command of this ship."

I laugh aloud. That amuses Trudy, Tammi, and Tamara, my three sisters.

Zai explains, "When Tim took over as captain, take a guess what his first order to me was?"

Mom jokes, "He wanted to find a whore house?"

Tammy offers, "He wanted to know what you were worth?"

Trudy offers, "He probably went to sleep."

Zai users a low deep voice as she says, "His first command gave me 100% control of the ship, and he made me fully autonomous. Can you imagine that? A man gave me control of myself. From what I have seen so far, I don't see how you being the captain increases our chance of success. In fact, it greatly diminishes it. I hope you are far better at negotiating and writing contracts than you're at ruling. There isn't anything you do better than your son, from what I see.

"He was a captain of a ship before he took over my ship. You wanna guess at how many male-owned ships there are in the universe? Including Tim. One. Yes, only one man made it aboard a starship and ended up as a captain. I decline the offer to make you captain. You're not qualified or smart enough, and your three daughters, appear best at stopping bullets so far."

Mom is pissed, "When we dock, I will have them turn this piece of crap into ...."

A clear box envelopes mom. Then underneath her, it turns transparent. I know clear steel is below her as I don't see mom fighting for her breath. The threat is real. The floor returns and the box is removed. Mom is white as a ghost. My sisters are breathing hard.

I command Zai, "Show the ship from 30,000 KM up on the screen." We can see my ship. "Reconfigure it as it was when I found it." Quickly, the ship reconfigures itself. The room expands a few feet. "Reconfigure the ship as a Galactic battleship." Zai quickly transforms into the largest battleship in this system, a Battleship Cruiser.

"You see, this isn't your ordinary ship. Like me, we are more than we seem. Of course, what would you know about that, you cruel, insensitive bitch. You never gave me a chance. I grew up poor, bullied, beaten up, and had NOBODY to care for me because my own mother could not be troubled with a different child.

"I often wondered how bad a life my mother had to let me go. Now I find out she is rich and just didn't want to bother with me. I was too much a strain on her. What a bitch."

She cuts me off, "You can't say these things to your Queen!"

I scream at her, "You ain't MY Queen. You ain't even my mother. You are nothing but an egg producer. You're a joke of a human being."

I stand up, pull out my phaser, and point the weapon at my mother. My sisters are silent and holding their breath. I hate this woman, yet I don't want to be responsible for billions of deaths.

Zai solves the issue. All four of their bedroom doors open with a slam, startling everyone.

Zai is brief, "I insist."

All four look at the ground and walk glumly back to their rooms. I go back to the conference room; I have work to do.

Chapter 5 -- More Talking

Trinity's point of view:

I don't like being shut up in these small rooms. Tim is more intelligent than even Zai thinks. I purposely taunted Tim, and he never lost his cool; he never threatened us. He, he, OK, there was the chair thing. I forced that, and even then, I never felt I was in real danger. He made his point and moved on. That's something these young people have such a hard time learning. You can't hate forever.

OK, with what I did to him, yes, that lasts forever. I did what I had to do for my career. I won't ever regret it. I admit that I feel some pride in how well he is doing. He hasn't let on that he knows the assassins were a rouge group, but I believe he now knows. Mary would not have taken us, and she would have fallen for the sham that our exit was.

I wanted Mary's ship because I know how special it is. I should; I funded most of its research with Mary. I was shocked to not see Mary greet us, then furious to see a man.

In an instant, the interior walls between my daughters and me are gone. We are all looking at each other with open mouths. My bed expands to a king size.

Zai asks, "Girls, please come over and talk with your mother."

They all gather on my bed. Trudy and Tamara are on the pillows while Tammi is on the edge of the bed like me. They all look confused and a bit angry at me.

Tamara is first, "Mom, how could you not mention we had a brother? I mean, how cool is that?"

Trudy answers for me, "Are you kidding. Mom would never have advanced her career with an eldest male son, and we would be poor still. It was the correct decision."

Tammi adds, "Ummmm, you sure? He thinks quick, is defensive, and I don't think he's fallen for any of our lies. He plans several moves ahead; and resisted killing mom, which shows great self-control. With any of us, would he still be alive?" They all look at the floor. "Yeah, I didn't think so."

Tamara asks, "Mom, what's a whore house?"

Oh shit. My nose twitches. How do I handle this?

Zai says with a shy voice, "How about I give them the truth. You were going to lie."

I snap, "NO! You have no right! These are my daughters."

Zai snaps back, "They have the right. Each is eighteen, and there is a Level Five male on board."

My pussy just moistened up. Oh my, a Level Five is a quality man. Maybe he does have a use ... for me.

Zai continues, "Wealthy women go to 'Whore Houses' to hire men for sex."

Tammi screams, "Whoa. I have never even heard of these places."

I explain, "Our planet only has a few men for messy work. They can't please a woman."

Zai corrects me, "That's wrong. Any man can please a woman; some are better at it than others. In some cases, it's the woman that's the problem."

Tammi is confused, "Why would a woman pay a man to have sex with her when women give it for free?"

I answer, "Personally, I have no idea. The whole idea is pathetic. Why would any woman allow a man to touch her, let alone shove his thing in and make a mess?"

Zai, "Did you grow up in a cave? Mary shared many voyages with young men. I don't know what they did because of sheets, but I can tell you she had much harder orgasms with a man. It's a huge difference."

Trudy again asks, "What's a Level Five? Can he spell and do geometry?"

Zai seems frustrated, "Child, how do you even get out of bed by yourself? Think of all the women you have had sex with. The sex wasn't the same, was it? Nope. Some partners barely get you off, some give you several orgasms, and then some knock you into next week.

"With men, part of the rating is meeting a minimum size. The rest is how well they please you. It's a sore subject with him. He told me that's how he financed upgrades on his ship. Being a man, he never got the good money for transport. He made about 60% of what a woman would receive for the same haul. His whole life, people like you have treated him poorly. I have no idea why you are alive still."

Tamara is the voice of reason, "Shouldn't we be planning how to make a peace agreement?"

I ask, "Why?"

Tamara seems shocked, "In a few days, we will hopefully be negotiating."

I sadly replied, "There will be no agreement." I see three surprised faces. "The council wants war. They won't sign anything we agree to."

Trudy sums it up, "They're going to kill us."

A tear comes to my eyes. The council wants my power; they have set me up to fail. The whole war will be blamed on us. Then I will become a martyr.

Zai surprises me, "How about we follow Tim's plan?"

What did she say? My daughters are looking at me in wonder. We just worked out the whole plan; how does he know, and what plan does he have?

I ask, "Zai, would you care to enlighten us?"

Zai asks us, "Do any of you play the game Chess? Rooks, knights, pawns, king, queen, bishops?"

I answer, "I know it's a centuries-old game that children play."

Zai is frustrated, "It's a game of intelligence and memory that some of the brightest minds in the galaxy still play. How can you be in diplomacy and not have a hint of the game? No way you people are real. Oh, I know, you live in one of those Utopian societies where everyone gets along."

Trudy giggles, "Not our home planet. It's the home of the backstab."

I ask, "How do we survive?"

Zai says in a chilly voice, "You mean will he bother? You know, like when you gave him up at birth because you couldn't be bothered to have a male child? Knowing your life and your daughters' lives are in his hands, how do you feel now? The son you could not be bothered to raise."

I am frustrated, "This is stupid; why am I arguing with a computer?"

Zai laughs hard before saying, "Because I am the solution."

What did she just say? No way. They won't go for it. Maybe they don't want war? Maybe they do go for it. Have I got a better idea?

Tammi seems excited, "Hey! I like it. I don't know how he gets them together, but I like it."

Trudy weighs in, "It's brilliant."

Tamara adds, "Mom, do you have a better idea?"

I sigh, "Not at this time. We have about three days still; we shall see what I can come up with."

Zai taunts me, "It seems you are far behind your SON. You remember, the one you tossed away?"

That was too much; I am pissed now.

I scream out, "OK! I GET IT! I am a bad mother! Enough! My life and my daughter's lives are in jeopardy. Enough about how I wronged Tim!"

Zai can't help herself, "Tim's life is in danger as well. Between the lot of you, I dare say his life is the one most worth saving. Think about that."

I hear the food synthesizer has made a meal. Just the break we need, lunch. My daughters all go back to their own beds and eat at their own table with a single chair.

Chapter 6 -- Trudy

Trudy's point of view:

I'm bored. Mom is in a terrible mood. She heard a lot of things about herself that she didn't like. The beds are excellent, the food is pretty good, I have plenty to read and movies to watch. Yet, none of that is interesting right now. With so much talk about Tim, he's been on my mind all morning.