Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2021 05:13:39 -0400 From: Rick Heathen Subject: The Journey of Rick Heiden 27-28 The Journey of Rick Heiden - Chapters 27 and 28 I wrote this story for Nifty, a nifty site if there ever was one. Nifty needs your donations to host this work, and some works, no doubt, that are far better. If you enjoy Nifty, please, consider donating at donate.nifty.org/donate.html This work is the sole property of the author and may not be reprinted or reused without his written permission. All Rights Reserved © 2021, Rick Haydn Horst This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Thank you for delving into this work; I hope you enjoy it. Please send questions, comments, or complaints to Rick.Heathen@gmail.com. I would enjoy reading what you have to say. This novel contains 50 CHAPTERS, and every post will have 2 chapters each. ----------------- CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Growing up a shy, sheltered, closeted gay kid in the American South resulted in experiencing a great deal of school bullying. I tried not to draw attention to myself, to fade into the background and vanish, often longing for the power of invisibility. But I hadn't recognized that longing, that siren call, as, 'the path of least resistance' beckoning me with promises it would never fulfill. That's why my go-to coping skill relied upon keeping both myself to myself and my head down. Nevertheless, as expected, the strive for invisibility resulted in suffering with whatever circumstance people deemed fit to throw at me. My repertoire consisted solely of that coping skill (if one could call it that), and while nature has used the path of least resistance in many mechanisms of the universe, nature couldn't judge itself. With every instance that I failed to protect myself, it only served to reinforce my conclusion that I was a coward. To survive on Earth--even remotely unscathed--one must have the ability to defend oneself. Like many people, I had the problem of lacking the skills to fight while my culture discouraged and hindered me from ever obtaining them. It taught us 'violence doesn't solve problems' and 'turn the other cheek', but adults wouldn't live by such aphoristic nonsense. And my school reinforced the edict against violence through the hypocrisy of corporal punishment and expulsion. As a result, the cruelty to which my peers subjected me left me with an indelible sense of something undone or incomplete in the back of my mind. I knew I would have the opportunity to learn to fight on Jiyu to complete that undone thing. I couldn't rely upon David to always come to my rescue. What if he needed me for a change? What if he, for once, couldn't protect me? I would have to defend myself. Besides, as David's mate, I felt I must keep up with him. If he could fight when the occasion arose, then I should have that ability as well. I had convinced myself that we dealt with bullies on the mission to Earth. "They just had more power and influence than usual," I told myself. My personal experience caused that natural impulse; bullies stayed at the forefront of my understanding of hostile people. When I made the comparison, however, I underestimated our adversary. We fought a complex, self-serving entity that retaliated when anyone threatened its supremacy, even if only idealistically, and it never minded instigating violence or playing the victim when it suited its purpose. It wouldn't seek to intimidate us into making itself feel powerful. It had plenty of power, and it wanted something priceless from us. As David indicated to its agents on the gangplank of the Torekka Maru in Venice, their money could never buy what they wanted. Our unwillingness to bend our knee to the mighty dollar made us targets but striking a bargain wouldn't end it (ask the Native Americans how that worked for them). Trade for land one day resulted in taking more from them the next. 'The path of least resistance' meant invasion, occupation, and death. Of course, great resistance meant war since they would never accept "no" as an answer. As David said to me during our discussion of the Trust, there may come the point where someone gives you no other options, kill them, or they will kill you. Even the destruction of our culture would exemplify a form of death. Among his many virtues, I appreciated that David kept his promises. He promised I would see Jiyu again, and I did. When we arrived, however, I expected a stay of short duration, as he also promised the British Government that he would return to help them. I understood and accepted that necessary promise. He wished to provide a 'soft landing' for the good people of Earth. Before commencing the delivery of the dire news, first came the joyous. No one could have missed it, for Cadmar stood before them. We all believed he had died, including his mate Tamika, who must have raced to the temple. During our decontamination, as Cadmar rinsed off, she burst through the door, and they embraced beneath the spray for some time. We donned our robes and left to avoid disturbing them. With home came relief, but we couldn't feel cheerful. The people who greeted us in the red columned hall had smiled with their lively talk, but the news we brought lurked beneath the surface, and we knew that. Our newcomers, Maggie and Rocke, made it rather clear that neither of them required an Au Pair. I felt negligent, but they insisted they wouldn't need me. They could manage their introduction into life on Jiyu with the aid of the hospitable people at the temple. They both knew we had much to accomplish when we arrived, and I knew they wanted to avoid burdening us. We had settled the preliminaries, and with the joyous news over, we then relayed our circumstances. For the sake of expediency, I asked Venn to retrieve David's Trust uniform from our penthouse, and things progressed from there in the late afternoon. "Where to begin?" David asked himself aloud to the crowd before him. He and I stood atop the central platform of the Arena surrounded by millions of people, every member of the Trust. No one in the Trust's entire history had called an assembly until that day. When it came to the truth, we neither denied our circumstances nor delayed the dissemination of details. They wanted to know, and they wanted to act. I looked upon the sea of colored uniforms, swords upon their backs. I saw them as a formidable group. To me, they represented people with the ability to stand up for themselves, and I admired them. They stood in silence, awaiting David's message. Our communication system, helmed by an artificial intelligence known as Iris, negated the need for a public-address system. "I have much to say." With an intimate voice, David spoke as if individuals stood three feet before him. "As you know from our previous arrival with Amare, the people of Earth know of our existence, but we have a complication. They know we exist and know the precise location of the portal." There came a discord of speaking within the Arena. "Patience," said David, "I have more. They deceived us with the reports of Cadmar's death. That fact remains our best news. During our search for his ring and body, the British and American military surrounded the portal's location, preventing us from leaving. "Also, we learned that the British government has taken the Foundational Enhancement from Cadmar without his consent, and they have passed it to others. In the United States, Pearce broke his vow to not have a relationship without returning home. It appears they captured and coerced him to do their bidding. The Americans used him in the same manner, and they have the Foundational Enhancement as well. We do not know what he may have told them. "Both countries have given the enhancement to a number of their soldiers. It has already spread to the civilian population, and some are seeking monetary gain from it. Before long, they will all have it. "As you know, my mate Rick can read the ancient texts at the archive. It hints of something none of us had conceived; another portal exists on Jiyu." One could almost feel the collective intake of breath, and a humming murmur sounded within the Arena. "I beg for your patience," said David, awaiting their attention, "I have more to tell you. Another portal exists, the exit to which resides in Japan in a forest near Mount Fuji. We must find this other portal here because the Americans know its precise location in Japan. "The drone we used to find the ring in London performed without flaw. In a bid to leave Earth so we could warn you of these things, we reconfigured the drone and sought the portal's localized field in Japan. Without realizing it, our efforts led the Americans to the portal's location. They captured us, and the portal revealed itself, resulting in five Americans arriving at the unknown location of the portal here." An uproar echoed within the arena. "Wait!" said David, "I understand your concern. No one uninvited has stepped foot upon Jiyu, but we have reason to believe that stones had crushed them upon arrival due to some prior calamity at the portal site. "As you know, if the aliens programmed the portal to slip out of phase, it will produce a localized field. Our portal at One City does not do that, so we could conclude the other one here doesn't either. That will make the portal's detection difficult, and more so if it remains buried. Aiden and Laurel, along with her team, search for a means to find it even now. No doubt, you have questions." The members had many questions, these among them. "I am North. Did you recover the ring?" "Yes," said David. "As far as we know, they cannot access either portal on Earth." "I am Dai. Can you tell us the status of the portal in London?" "I have initiated talks with the British in an ambassadorial capacity. They removed the military from the park, and they wish to ally with us. They need us, and in specific they need me to help them keep their world from falling into chaos from what they've done., I promised I would return to help them, so they will keep the portal there clear." "I am Ruby. Of our people on Earth, do they know the situation?" "Yes, they know everything," David said. "We also provided an opportunity to return home, but they chose to stay." "I am Ivan. I have a question for Rick. Do you have any clue to the other portal's location?" "I read they traveled west to get here, so we must conclude it lies to the East," I said. "I do not know what area or how far." "I am Telek. For clarity, do we consider the Americans our enemy?" David paused to consider the question. "I understand the desire for a clear adversary. Life seems simple in black and white, but we cannot fall into the trap of such binary thinking. We know we have enemies, but I cannot define them with ease. I cannot point to the Americans and say, `look, there is our enemy.' Individuals designate themselves as our enemy when they do. The problem lies in the diversity of their origin, but we know their desire to have and wield power connects them. They, their agents, and their fighting forces represent various degrees of danger. As part of the Earth's most powerful country, elements within the American government represent the greatest danger to us, but not all of them, and they will not serve as our sole enemy. So, who are they?" David paused to think. "Scientists regard a group of related species as one species for practical reasons. Therefore, after a taxonomic fashion and for reasons of practicality, I can with confidence declare that our enemy consists of the aggregate of peoples, acting as individuals or collectives, from various countries, governments, and corporate entities intent on taking as their own the things that belong to us, even if it means our destruction. They seek to dominate on Earth and rule here if we allow them even a toehold." "I am Gabe. Who takes responsibility for the Aggregate's incursion of our planet?" Gabe's question sounded accusatory, even to me, and I knew he asked it to challenge David. I noticed a subtle lift of David's eyebrows, but he raised his head and stood firm as he took responsibility. "I do, and upon my honor, I will make this right." Honor helps to hold Jiyu together, but also integrity, gratitude, and forgiveness. David declared in public his responsibility for the current circumstance, and in doing so, he took on the obligation to correct it. David blamed himself more than anyone at the assembly did. In taking on the task, I knew he had asked too much of himself, as he often did. --------------------------- CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT As the assemblage dispersed, Amare wished to speak with us. I expected it, and I could guess the subject. Venn, our often chatty, transportation A.I., drove us to the penthouse in silence at a near tortoise-like pace. Amare's oversized body filled the forward-facing seat of the transport. He wore his Trust uniform with its shoulders and sleeves adorned with the gold thread in the ivy motif. He began the instant we seated ourselves. "It seems that your eloquence, Mr. Levitt, has delivered an interesting epithet for our amorphous adversary." Amare paused and took a deep breath. "I trust you, Mr. Levitt, but at the risk of sounding blunt, does the Aggregate know the portal's frequency?" David, who sat with his arm around me, shook his head. "They do not," he said. "Our attempt to use the drone to locate the other portal, perhaps coupled with the betrayal from Pearce, allowed them to detect Iris's signal and track it to its location." "I see," said Amare. "You have had a long friendship with Pearce." "Yes, I have known him since childhood," said David. "He could have returned the same time as yourself. Why did he not bring his mate here?" I shrugged. "Pearce may not have told his family about Jiyu." "Family...," said Amare, looking at the two of us, "he had children." "Pearce implied that," said David. "You seemed alarmed." "Yes, I am." He tapped behind his ear to communicate with Iris. He wished to speak to Yoncara in the medical clinic at the temple, and after a polite greeting, he arrived at his inquiry. "I have a question," he said. "I know many jears have passed, but since you have enhanced memory, you should remember. You performed the medical on Pearce before he left for service, correct? Did he have his fertility controlled?" Amare tipped his head, listening. "Yes, you would have, of course. At the time he left for Earth, did any of the nano-programming devices go missing?" Amare closed his eyes. "Yes, thank you, Yoncara." He ended the communication. "He took one, didn't he?" I asked. "I suspect he did." Amare nodded. "We have a tradition that everyone who goes to Earth for service must meet certain criteria. Their Earth age cannot have passed thirty, they cannot yet have the youth enhancement, and their fertility must remain controlled until they return. Like all the others, Pearce vowed to return to Jiyu with his mate should he enter a relationship. As an alternative, he could let Mr. Levitt know he left his position and intended to stay, at which point we would release him from the vow with all that entails. The vow served as an attempt to protect the individual if anyone captured them and to prevent the Foundational Enhancement from spreading. He had to have reversed his fertility control himself, because Yoncara assured me of its control when he left, and one of the devices did go missing." "And you believe the Aggregate have it," said David. "Now, they can give anyone any enhancement that we can." "Without considerable genetic knowledge," said Amare, "the age of the device and its pre-programming would limit its available enhancements." "Right...and it couldn't enable the Sharing," said David. "Correct." "Should we go after it?" I asked. Amare shook his head. "At this stage of their development, they will find that bit of technology easy to reverse engineer." "Why would he take the device with him?" I asked David. "Had he planned to stay on Earth when he left Jiyu?" "I don't know," said David. "I would need more information." "Did he specify that he had a mate and children?" asked Amare. "Pearce often said he wanted to go home," said David. "He gave us no reason to believe he didn't refer to Jiyu. He said he loved Jiyu because of me, but I couldn't outweigh the love of his family. He said, `I'm sorry Davi, please forgive me, they gave me no good options.'" "Curious. You know Pearce well, do you not?" Amare asked David. "Not as well as I believed," said David. "I don't understand; we treated one another as brothers. Has he dupe me?" "No." Amare shook his head. "Sometimes, it takes an objective observer to see. Dmitry had many occasions to witness the two of you together in your home. Pearce loved you, and I think we must remember we do not know all the facts of his alleged betrayal." Amare took a tired breath. "He had only his mother here, and she is unwell; I suggest you speak to her. She should know what has become of him, and she should hear it from you as soon as possible." "I will," said David. "Sir, how do you know of Pearce and me? Why would Dmitry have discussed it with you?" Amare smiled a little. "Pearce brought himself to my attention long ago. He was an astute and curious child. People caught him many times playing spy, as did I." "Yes, he led me into so much trouble," said David. "I will never forget the incident on the lift to the temple. It ended my spying days for good." David turned to me. "At the age of nine, we went unaccompanied into the lift, because we found the mysteries of the temple too tempting. The lift got stuck halfway up. We sat there for ten minutes when we decided to open the floor hatch and climb down the ladder with the ridiculous idea that we could reach the ground before anyone noticed." "Oh, no," I said. "So, what happened?" "Fifty feet down from the lift, I discovered I couldn't do it, and I froze. Pearce got nauseous, and I ended up with sick all over me." "Ugh! How did you get down?" "I met Magnar that day," said David. "He saved us with a flight pack." "That may have ended your days as a spy," said Amare, "for Pearce, it did not." "He must have made himself quite the nuisance," I said. "I wouldn't say that," said Amare, "he did what children do." "Sir, does it surprise you to hear of the other portal?" David changed the subject. He didn't like to talk about his younger days. "Things seldom surprise me," he said. "I would say that it gratifies me to hear it no longer remains hidden." "May I ask you something?" I asked Amare. "I've asked this of David, but I would like your opinion." "Always, Mr. Heiden." David sat as he always did when Amare and I had a discussion, listening, and marveling over how easy I found it to talk with him like a friend. Due to Amare's position and age, the people of Jiyu had given him a kind of reverence. Much of that stemmed from the language barrier that kept him separate most of his life. "I would not suggest the time had come for extreme measures," I said, "but if the situation turned uncontrollable, would we destroy the portal?" Venn pulled into the lay-by at our building, but we remained in the vehicle for a moment. Amare smiled. "I have considered worst-case scenarios many times over the jears. As you pointed out before, we take a risk by keeping the portal. We will have to act as circumstance and necessity dictates to see where we find ourselves. But not to worry, Mr. Heiden, the people of Jiyu long ago discovered how to destroy the portal should the necessity arise." Amare noticed David's expression. "We wish to keep the portal, yet destroying the portal is an easy solution that we must always entertain, but knowing when it is the only solution, that is hard. "On another matter, Mr. Levitt, does your home please you?" "Ah! Kare wa sore o miteinai. (Ah! He has not seen it)," I said in Japanese to Amare. "Oh! My apologies, Mr. Heiden." He made a little bow while seated. "He wore his uniform so-" Amare gestured in exasperation and shook his head. "I have said too much." "What's he talking about?" asked David as I ushered him from the vehicle. "It's okay," I said, "you'll know soon enough." Amare gave me a little smile, we said our goodbyes with a bow, and Venn drove him away. "Does this have something to do with why you wouldn't let me come to the penthouse to retrieve my uniform when we arrived? It made me suspicious, and I saw through your dubious excuse." "It has everything to do with it," I said, straightening his beautiful jacket. "Now, before we go up, I want you to know that I thought of this." "Ah," he said, "now I'll know who to blame." I smiled. "With the help of Magnar," I said, continuing, "and from what he told me a man named Baden from Laren College, they did it while we carried out the mission." "Baden?" --we moved toward the lift-- "Didn't he alter Magnar's home? He boasted about it for a jear before I agreed to see it. What have you done?" "Something I know you'll love," I said. We entered the lift, but it didn't move as it had before; it sat there. A sudden, androgynous voice startled us both. "Hello, welcome home." "Who are you?" David asked. "I am the first in the tenth generation of the Hestia project." "Tenth? I saw nothing wrong with the generation we had," said David. "You had generation one," said the voice, "the last of its antiquated kind; already three generations old when you departed for Earth. It had no interface, no visual, and no voice. They built it to take commands, but it came nowhere near sentience. Five more generations have passed during your fifty jear absence, and I am the tenth." "Are you Hestia?" I asked. "You must name me and assign a sex and/or gender for my interface to project if you so choose." David looked at me. "Rick, you know I don't deal with this sort of thing." I placed my hand on his back. "I'll take care of it, David. Let us go up, please." The Master Builder had constructed the building and grounds on an entire city block long ago, so it had an impressive footprint. The design of the exterior is Edwardian Baroque, but some previous tenants altered the interior to reflect a Second Empire design. Nevertheless, as planned, Baden altered the home to have the feel of a traditional Edwardian English gentlemen's club. The tasteful, masculine space, shown with vibrant, deep colors, medium-toned wood walls with custom moldings, and ornate white coffered ceilings. They made the furnishings of exotic woods, Jiyu's equivalent to faux leather that I called jeather, and something like velvet. After the initial shock, David feigned having loved it as best he could, but he didn't fool me. He made a deplorable liar, even if to spare my feelings. "You don't like it." "Please, forgive me that I couldn't give you the reaction you wanted. It's not that I don't like it, but I tend not to fall in love with things in an instant. They must grow on me, including changes to my environment." "You told me you fell in love with me the instant you met me," I said. "And you make the exception to my every rule, my dear." "Nice save," I said and sighed. "I shouldn't have worried. You probably could get used to anything, couldn't you?" "Oh, I wouldn't go that far," he said. "Take this uniform, for example. I promise you; I will never get used to it." "What's wrong with it?" "I admit, Svend created an attractive set of garments, but they couldn't feel more uncomfortable unless I wore it at a Turkish bath." "What do you mean? It has vents." "Ah yes, the vents," he said in derision, "an exceptional idea, insufficient at any temperature more than 25 degrees centigrade. Svend missed the mark with this one." "Okay then, will you at least grow accustomed to this decor and enjoy it?" He took a deep breath and gazed about with a lukewarm air. "Sure." I would have rolled my eyes if I weren't attempting to break the habit. First came the foyer, still rounded, but more open than before. "What happened to the stairs?" asked David. "How do we get to the second level?" On the far side of the room, a slender, grey, featureless being dragged itself with timidity into our view from the hallway. "The staircase resides in the circular stairwell which doubles as the library," it said with the same voice we heard in the lift. It had gestured to the rounded wall to its left, which marked the center of the building. David and I stood staring, not believing our witness. "My apologies," said the androgynous voice. "The quicker you decide my appearance, the less disconcerting you'll find me, I promise." "Not to sound rude, but what are you?" asked David. "I am a synthetic, a physical entity with a holographic interface. I replace the Hestia robot that once hid in the closet. It took time to perfect, but this form remains the underlying structure beneath whatever I may project to you later." "Are you like Venn?" I asked. It shook its rudimentary head sloth-like and spoke with rapidity. "Venn is a decentralized synthetic intelligence which gives the appearance of inhabiting the robots he controls. He could, without consequence to himself, disengage from a given robot like a human sloughing off skin cells and not give it a second thought." --it shrugged-- "I'm just an anthromorph. I exist as who and what you see before you; however, I question what that is." "Why do you question what you are?" I asked. The anthromorph tipped its head. "I am different from the other synthetics. They were not made to comprehend their uniqueness as I do. I'm more human-like in that respect, but you humans are a social species. You understand and know yourselves through the commonalities and subtleties of contrasts that you share with one another. Subconsciously noting in others what you are not, assists your ability to intuitively define yourself. Without that, you would have no reference to understand what it means to be what you are. I am unique. There are no others like me, and I see nothing but stark contrasts with everyone." "When did they activate you?" David asked the anthromorph. "I have a memory of the last sixty-three days," it said. "So, for all that time, you've had no basic parameters or even a name." --David turned to me-- "Human babies get that much." "Can you help me?" it asked. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor thing. It appeared we were given an intelligent child with a blank slate upon which only someone else could write. "Yes, I think I can help you," I said. "Give me a day to think about it. I wouldn't want to rush into a decision by deciding now." "I understand," it said. "For now, would you like to see the house? May I guide you?" "Yes, please," said David, overcome from the newness of it all. "I have a question," I said, "If we have you, what about the Attendants?" The tiny machines the size of a fly called an Attendant, watched over you and your guests so you both could have personalized assistance while in the home. "We still use the Attendants. The modern version is more sophisticated and utilizes cloaking technology." "I see." "Now, to begin," it said, interlacing its fingers, "you should know, that the other tenants volunteered to vacate the building before work began." "Why would they do that?" I asked. "Has my request made them want to abandon their home?" "It factored into their motivation," it said, "but do not worry, I happen to know they never enjoyed living here. They have moved to private residences on the current edge of the city close to the water. They appear quite happy there. Baden felt their absence provided an opportunity. He has restructured the building into Jiyu's residence for its Ambassador to Earth now that the people of Earth know of our existence." "But we live at this residence," said David. "I will not keep the position of Ambassador to Earth forever." "Someone must do it," it said, "and I can assure you no one else wants the job." David's lips tightened, and his eyebrows drew together in vexation. "When did we began conscription?" "Think of it as winning an election," it said. "By default, perhaps," David said and looked at me. "No one will force you to hold the post," I said, "but you must admit, too much change is occurring to dump it into the lap of someone less experienced than yourself for some time to come." "Very well, I accept your reasoning," he said in resignation. "What else should we know?" "Baden designated this fifth floor, the main floor," it said. "He intended it for guests and diplomatic dinners." The lounge came next after the foyer, consisting of a series of comfortable sitting areas in front of a painted focal wall. Beyond that to the left and right, a connected semi-circular hallway led to several rooms. One room served as a dining room with a mahogany-colored, airstrip for a table with seating for twenty-six. "What the bloody hell is that?" asked David, pointing out the enormity. Many of us had picked up a tendency toward that bloody phrase, and this table warranted it. Its creator crafted it with elegance but had elongated the thing into absurdity. It belonged in a palace somewhere. "Baden had it made for dinners with dignitaries from Earth," it said. "We can manage ten guests," said David, "not twenty-four." "Thank you, David. I appreciate your realizing that." "I see now that Baden should have implemented these ideas with your input," it said. "I will have it replaced at once. I have heard it looks beautiful, no doubt, someone will want it." It reminded me of a bridge held up by five wooden arches with closed spandrels. The craftsperson made the dining set with vast bulk to give weight to the sparse room. Its generous width and expansive length both provided space for food and ample elbow room for each guest. They must have brought it into the building through an outside wall during reconstruction. I feared the necessity of cutting it to remove it as it stood, and I couldn't have that. I shook my head. "No, don't replace it. That would seem ungrateful, and it is beautiful. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to create it. We should keep it and use it." "You don't want something smaller?" asked David. "It surprised me, that's all. It may appear enormous, but one never knows, it could come in handy." Moving further around the circular hallway to the right, one would find a butler's pantry alongside the kitchen, which as before, looked nothing like a kitchen that I recognized. The right side of the building had two large lavatories and the day room, a bright and comfortable place to spend some time. Any further and one would re-emerge into the living area to the right of the curved focal wall. The surrounded cavity held the circular room 30 feet in diameter and an entrance on either end of the hallway. The center contained a hole with a spacious, free-standing, spiral staircase of the same wood as the dining table, which spanned almost the entire height of the building. The walls, lined with built-in bookcases, held a rolling ladder for reaching the top shelves, swiveling the circumference of the room. Looking down from the staircase railing, one could see to the first floor and up to the level above. The walls, in rich, dark wood tones, held so many books we could have used it as the public library. The stairwell's lighting provided a great deal of drama to the books and stairs. The room, despite its obvious modern undertones, harmonized well enough to fit into the overall theme of the traditional British gentlemen's club. David and I loved the stairwell and agreed it highlighted the home. Baden left the first and second floors empty apart from the stairwell library. The third and fourth floors each held four guest suites for visiting dignitaries or anyone else we invited to stay. David and I thought we would leave the anthromorph on the fifth floor so we might explore the sixth in private. The instant we climbed the stairs, however, we met it once again at the top. "How did you do that?" asked David. "I can assist you on each floor," it said. "I see," I said, "and should we wish for privacy?" "The team at the Hestia project discussed the privacy issue," it said. "It seemed to them that having the Attendants watch over someone and learn, so the person had personalized assistance during their stay, represented a lesser intrusion than for a walking talking humanoid version to perform the same function with greater efficiency. In the end, they decided I should have someplace to go --rather than standing about-- and I do. However, it changes nothing except your perception; the Attendants are no less me than I am." "Very well," said David. "What about the privacy from you?" "As for privacy concerns," it said, "what you do and that which transpires beneath this roof remains private, but of course, I will do whatever you ask. If you ask an Attendant to leave you, it will." "I don't mind having an audience," said David to me, smirking. "We had one before, remember? Would you feel comfortable with this?" "One thing at a time, David, I beg you. I'll need time to think about it. For the moment, let us explore by ourselves." The sixth floor, our private residence, had twin master bedrooms; the second one Baden intended for personal guests. The staircase terminated with a railing and no circular hallway. It left an open floorplan, which consisted of a sitting area and an intimate dining room for four with room for six. The grand balcony with pool remained in evidence beyond the folding glass door. David intentionally ended our tour in the bedroom, which had not gone unnoticed by me. He said he wanted to show his appreciation for having the penthouse redesigned for him, but David just wanted an excuse to play. His hand on my cheek felt warm, and his lips kissed me with the kind of passion that only David could demonstrate. He pulled the shirt from my pants. I tried to pull his, but a playful swatting knocked mine away. "No no," he said, "just you." He smiled a mischievous smirk of a smile. He kissed me with the unbuttoning of every button on my shirt. He unbuckled and unbuttoned my pants. They slid down my thighs. He nuzzled my neck and grasped my inflating cock, he ran his hand up its considerable length and rubbed his precum-covered thumb all over the frenulum, and I grew erect rather quickly. "Do you like this?" he asked. "I know what I would like even more." "You can have that when I can take my time. How about this instead?" He turned me around against the bed and shoved my upper body down onto it. Running his hands down my back he rubbed my ass, kneading it, testing the firmness. He gave the right cheek a sharp slap. He knelt behind me. Spreading my cheeks, he planted his tongue against my hole. David knew how much I loved his ability to eat my ass for an hour, and he proved he could, many times. I looked over my shoulder, and I could see his eyes just over the mounds of ass he buried his face into. He enjoyed how much I squirmed. His tongue darting in and around all the places I desperately wanted his cock buried in me. He meant his tongue to tease me, and I would have no satisfaction until he fucked my hole, breeding me repeatedly. David's mouth was busy thanking me for my role in having the penthouse redesigned when Aiden contacted us with an invitation to come to the college dining hall to eat and talk. He had unfortunate timing, but with everything happening we went anyway, and David and I both needed food. Venn, Jiyu's transport A.I., made an inquiry as he delivered us to Bragi College. "I heard upon your recent return you brought someone who could rekindle Jiyu's space program. Is it true?" "Yes, I know why you're asking," I said. "You have the responsibility for all transportation, and that would include a space vessel. His name is Captain Rocke Lancier Dupre, and yes, I think he might do that at some point, given the opportunity. You'll meet him soon enough." "Do you think Maggie and Rocke will cope on their own?" asked David. "They just got here." "Maggie told me she and Aiden had a long discussion about it. She felt certain she didn't need me. Besides, Aiden will check on them later as he's staying with her tonight. But so that you know the chutzpah Maggie has, she moved to London from France without ever visiting England." He nodded in agreement. "That takes gumption."