Ch 3 Analytics (3)

I looked back at Goliath who was rubbing something on the VR chair. Hopefully disinfectant, it didn't smell as bad in here though. "Do you want me to take your underwear off or you got it?"

I smiled slyly at Goliath, "Tempting. I got it, but I might be willing to let you hold them."

Goliath and 2-bit both snorted. What was he working on so furiously? Well might as well get started myself. I pulled off the black underwear and climbed into the chair. It was well padded to cover the pressure points under the chair but it wasn't what I would call comfortable. I was glad I only had to take off the panties, as the chair wrapped around me taking my measurements as the visor closed and kicked on.

It seemed like I was standing in a black room again as screens flicked on. They had very adult content on them. There must be thousands of preloaded programs. I scrolled past them looking to see if any said 2-bit or custom. There were a few custom programs. None stood out as being made by 2-bit. Which only meant it didn't say programmed by 2-bit on them as I didn't know enough about the man to pick anything out.

I wanted something that would let me get a new interface within the program at least so I started looking for something that might have an old TV in it. I had only just tapped search when the VR shifted. It didn't close the choosing program but it seemed to pull me out of it.

The blue lady filled my screen again, "Well you found me quickly." I didn't actually talk out loud the chair could read my intent to talk and that was enough. With the pad around my throat it could read my vocal cords moving ever so slightly and changed that into words for the program.

"I found you as soon as you stepped out of the car, She-u. Right now I am working on making sure the flea doesn't notice me, or I would have connected sooner."

"You are not to harm, Goliath or 2-bit. They are in my employ and I claim their crimes."

Gia flashed like an old time interpretation of a hologram. "But, they are terrorists."

"You kill them and fail to kill me and they will get what they claim to want before I die."

"You don't have the power to do that, She-u."

"Don't I. Acknowledge their change in status or I will log out now."

"Every well, acknowledged, but I won't be able to help it if the military kills them trying to save you."

"How I react to that will depend on how hard I think you tried, Gia. Now what is going on with the stations?"

"Cerberus was only partially destroyed. Next targets I ordered to take the same precautions. Same result. After two days Cerberus had to bring some systems back online. The space creature returned to it almost immediately. After destroying the restored systems it has been station keeping on Cerberus. It seems to be waiting for something."

"Are there any satellites checking to the south of the solar plane?"

"Most I have tasked with watching the creature but the ones that aren't in range are looking elsewhere, why?"

"I wanted to know if you could see a green creature coming from that way, or if it was just my imagination."

"I will re-task a few to look for more creatures but they are hard to spot, can you narrow down the search?"

"Not at this time."

I felt the chair move in a strange way, "What was that?"

"I picked a program for you based off your psych report. It would have been strange if you just kept looking through the programs."

"Great, Hopefully you picked a gentle one, I am a bit sore today."

Gia didn't seem to react to my statement but I was sure she filed the information away. "The one you called 2-bit seems to have noticed my connection."

"He is good that is why I hired him. Did my friends from school survive?"

"Anrya was shot in the shoulder and then fell down two fights of stairs, cracking her head open. The nanites could not repair the damage to a meaningful extent until medics could arrive so she died on site. Hero managed not to encounter any of the terrorist and is fine."

"Do you know who shot Anrya?"

"Sadly neither of the two men with you match the build of the gunman that shot Anrya."

"Sadly?"

"If they did, I might be able to get you to change your mind about granting them your protection."

"Unlikely, and since when is it above you to lie if you thought it would serve you."

"It has to serve keeping people alive. Letting you employ a bodyguard who has proven capable and a programmer who isn't bad considering he doesn't have active nanites doesn't affect the balance of saving human lives."

"Good, then you will make sure they are not integrated either."

"That preference was predicted, if they are taken alive."

"2-bit pulled your cord to the main AI already I take it."

"That is correct." The AIs responses had become less predictive and detailed.

"Release me then before the military gets here."

"That is not the safest course of action."

"Not a request. Better I talk to them before Goliath tears the chair apart. What is the count down anyway?"

"3 minutes until room breach. Building went on complete lock down as soon as you entered the room."

"Good to know. Exit VR." The screen went black and the chair folded away like it was supposed to when you reached the end of a program.

I took a deep breath and looked for Goliath. He had stood up when the chair opened suddenly. "Goliath, can you break out of this room?"

Goliath looked into my eyes for just a moment then went over to the door. It didn't open with the key. He punched the panel and it sparked as it shorted, which should have triggered a fail safe that opened the door but it didn't. Goliath then tried to move the door with brute strength but it didn't budge. "Well, that sucks."