have saved everyone and then forgotten to take the stone before leaving. If she’d left it there, someone would’ve taken it as soon as they’d left.
“What stone?” she said.
No, no, no. That couldn’t be happening.
Her lips broadened into a mischievous smile. “I want you to invest half of it in improving the Argonaut. And I want a robotic body. I’m tired of being a hologram. I want to slap you when you’re being stupid.”
Was she really making demands? She was supposed to be serving him, not the other way round.
Well, if it was a matter of bartering, they could always reach an agreement. “I’ll pay half of it as taxes, and Lucas will get some, too. I’ll invest 50% of my share on the ship, and you don’t get a robotic avatar. Hitting the captain is grounds for a court-martial.”
“You know I could choose not to give you the stone, don’t you?”
“Are you blackmailing me?”
“I’m informing you of my options, Richard. Artificial intelligences do not resort to blackmail. It would be a horribly low move.” She smirked at him and sat on the seats across the transport shuttle’s room.
Indeed. A very low move.
Richard groaned. The last thing he needed was a real, robotic avatar chasing him everywhere.
She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “I’ll accept 50% as long as my avatar comes first.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve always wanted to have real hair that didn’t always look perfect. The beauty of imperfection and ephemeral objects.”
He didn’t have a choice, did he? He’d have to bribe a computer to get his share of the loot. Working with Amy was like marrying without a prenup; you never knew how much of your fortune she’d expect.
“You’d make an awesome pirate,” he said, yielding to her demands.
“Piracy is illegal,” she said matter-of-factly. “Everything I’m doing is perfectly legal. I’m using information I have to get an economic compensation. That is the basis of Wall Street, isn’t it?”
The next time Rick bought an AI, he was going to get one that didn’t learn from the people nearby. Amy had learned far too much to be a reliable companion.
“Would you like anything else?” he said. “A house by the beach? Real estate on one of the Gliese colonies?”
“Just take us back to Earth, Captain.” She highlighted his rank as if he were the one in charge. “I’ll start working on my avatar design in the meantime.” She turned on several screens and began generating holographic 3D models of her uniform. She looked perfect as she was, but she was even more image-concerned than most teenaged girls.
Rick walked over to the pilot’s seat and connected the transport shuttle to the Argonaut. They were in the hangar and he should’ve walked out, but his body stung too much to walk. It was best to fly the Argonaut from there until he recovered.
“Richard,” Amy sang. “We’d make a good duo, you and I. Why don’t you make a site on the Net and advertise us as A & R Associates, specialist bounty hunters ?”
No, there was no way that Rick was doing anything borderline illegal. Not anymore. He ignored Amy and continued plotting a course back to Earth.
“Richard,” she insisted. “And what about starting a martial arts school with the money? You’d make a fine teacher, and you could use your students to chase after bad guys.”
Ugh. No, no martial arts, no schools, and no going after anyone. Rick had been too close to death that time, and he didn’t want to take more risks. He turned off Amy’s volume and focused on the navigation screens.
“Don’t mute me, Richard,” she said. “You know I can override this whenever I want.” She sat on the copilot’s seat beside him. “And what about posing as a couple and robbing banks? We’d be amazing at it, and it suits you better than being a boring archaeologist.” She grinned at him, but he didn’t say anything. “And becoming private investigators? They chase after bad guys,
“What stone?” she said.
No, no, no. That couldn’t be happening.
Her lips broadened into a mischievous smile. “I want you to invest half of it in improving the Argonaut. And I want a robotic body. I’m tired of being a hologram. I want to slap you when you’re being stupid.”
Was she really making demands? She was supposed to be serving him, not the other way round.
Well, if it was a matter of bartering, they could always reach an agreement. “I’ll pay half of it as taxes, and Lucas will get some, too. I’ll invest 50% of my share on the ship, and you don’t get a robotic avatar. Hitting the captain is grounds for a court-martial.”
“You know I could choose not to give you the stone, don’t you?”
“Are you blackmailing me?”
“I’m informing you of my options, Richard. Artificial intelligences do not resort to blackmail. It would be a horribly low move.” She smirked at him and sat on the seats across the transport shuttle’s room.
Indeed. A very low move.
Richard groaned. The last thing he needed was a real, robotic avatar chasing him everywhere.
She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “I’ll accept 50% as long as my avatar comes first.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve always wanted to have real hair that didn’t always look perfect. The beauty of imperfection and ephemeral objects.”
He didn’t have a choice, did he? He’d have to bribe a computer to get his share of the loot. Working with Amy was like marrying without a prenup; you never knew how much of your fortune she’d expect.
“You’d make an awesome pirate,” he said, yielding to her demands.
“Piracy is illegal,” she said matter-of-factly. “Everything I’m doing is perfectly legal. I’m using information I have to get an economic compensation. That is the basis of Wall Street, isn’t it?”
The next time Rick bought an AI, he was going to get one that didn’t learn from the people nearby. Amy had learned far too much to be a reliable companion.
“Would you like anything else?” he said. “A house by the beach? Real estate on one of the Gliese colonies?”
“Just take us back to Earth, Captain.” She highlighted his rank as if he were the one in charge. “I’ll start working on my avatar design in the meantime.” She turned on several screens and began generating holographic 3D models of her uniform. She looked perfect as she was, but she was even more image-concerned than most teenaged girls.
Rick walked over to the pilot’s seat and connected the transport shuttle to the Argonaut. They were in the hangar and he should’ve walked out, but his body stung too much to walk. It was best to fly the Argonaut from there until he recovered.
“Richard,” Amy sang. “We’d make a good duo, you and I. Why don’t you make a site on the Net and advertise us as A & R Associates, specialist bounty hunters ?”
No, there was no way that Rick was doing anything borderline illegal. Not anymore. He ignored Amy and continued plotting a course back to Earth.
“Richard,” she insisted. “And what about starting a martial arts school with the money? You’d make a fine teacher, and you could use your students to chase after bad guys.”
Ugh. No, no martial arts, no schools, and no going after anyone. Rick had been too close to death that time, and he didn’t want to take more risks. He turned off Amy’s volume and focused on the navigation screens.
“Don’t mute me, Richard,” she said. “You know I can override this whenever I want.” She sat on the copilot’s seat beside him. “And what about posing as a couple and robbing banks? We’d be amazing at it, and it suits you better than being a boring archaeologist.” She grinned at him, but he didn’t say anything. “And becoming private investigators? They chase after bad guys,
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