by I. T. Lucas
“I’ve never heard of it, but you have a good point. I’ll discuss it with William. Perhaps he can install an interference device.”
“Is that what you are using in your village?”
“What William did to camouflage our community is beyond the scope of my technical knowledge. I wouldn’t be able to explain it.”
Jacki sincerely doubted that. Kian just didn’t want to provide Kalugal with information that he could later use to discover where the village was, or use the same technology to cloak the new community he wanted to build for his people.
“When I build my own village, I would appreciate William’s help in installing a similar system.”
The same thing must have occurred to Kalugal, and Jacki tensed as she waited for Kian to answer that. Would he be a jerk about it? Or would he finally start treating Kalugal as family?
“Sure. But I suggest that you consult with him before you acquire a property. Each site has different challenges, and if you know ahead of time what’s the most suitable location, it will make William’s job easier in the future.”
Releasing a relieved breath, Jacki leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes. Kian’s willingness to help Kalugal build his own secure place was a sign that he was starting to think of his cousin as an ally.
“What kind of challenges are we talking about?” Kalugal asked. “Does it have to be out in the boonies? I don’t want a long commute to meetings if it can be avoided.”
Was Kalugal fishing for information that would help him figure out the village’s location?
She didn’t think that he had any malicious intent, but Kalugal loved a challenge, and he loved solving puzzles. Finding out the location by asking a supposedly innocent question would be just the kind of thing that would appeal to his intellect.
Jacki cast her husband a sidelong glance, but his expression revealed nothing unusual. Except, Kalugal was a very good actor, and she didn’t know him well enough to discern whether he was being genuine or not.
“You’ll have to compromise,” Kian said. “Our previous location was much more convenient in that regard. What I do now is to try to bundle my meetings in the city into one or two days a week.”
“So boonies it is. What other challenges?”
Jacki stifled a chuckle. He sounded like a contestant on a game show who’d just figured out the first clue.
“It depends whether you want to be off the grid or not,” Kian said. “Power and water supply are important considerations. Solar panels take up a lot of space, are reflective, and they can’t be hidden because that will render them ineffective. Wind turbines are too big to hide.”
“So, what‘s the solution?”
“A small nuclear reactor installed deep underground for safety.”
65
Kalugal
Kalugal had learned some valuable information about the village, but not enough to puzzle out the location.
He already knew that the clan’s base was in Los Angeles, and from Kian’s answers, he’d learned that it wasn’t in the urban center but in some remote location. It was off the grid, which meant that it had its own water supply. Maybe they had a well?
The nuclear power generator was an ingenious solution, and he wondered how they’d managed to install one. Obviously, Kian hadn’t bothered with permits.
“I’m impressed,” Kalugal admitted. “That’s a ballsy move to power your village with nuclear.”
Kian shrugged. “As long as a strict protocol is maintained, it’s a safe and clean way to generate power.”
Kalugal doubted he could coax more clues from Kian that would help him solve the puzzle, and asking questions would make the guy even more suspicious than he already was.
Perhaps it was best to leave that puzzle for now and move to the other one that piqued his curiosity.
“You promised to explain about your driver. What is he?”
Next to him, Jacki opened her eyes and looked at Kian. “Is Okidu a cyborg?”
To Kalugal’s surprise, Kian nodded. “That’s a good guess.”
“What do you mean? Is he a cyborg or not? Because I’m not aware that such technology exists. He acts and looks too human.”
“You are right. The technology doesn’t exist. Okidu is an ancient relic, one of seven who were gifted to my mother by her betrothed.”
“How fascinating. You have in your possession a piece of technology from the gods’ home planet. I’m so envious.”
That was better than any artifact Kalugal had discovered so far or hoped to discover in the future. Okidu was a much more advanced technology than the gods’ tablet Kalugal had been searching for.
“Why do you think that Okidu is an alien technology? Perhaps he was made by an antediluvian civilization that became extinct.”
Kalugal waved a dismissive hand. “The gods were aliens, and they brought with them alien technology. Unfortunately, your clan seems to own the only remnants of that technology. I knew that you have a tablet, but you also have seven cyborgs. Did you try to make more of them?”
Kian shook his head. “My mother believes that they are sentient beings and refuses to take one apart to see how he is made.” He cringed. “Frankly, I wouldn’t have been able to do that even if she allowed it. I grew up with them. To me, they are people.”
“I can understand that, but there are ways to find out how they are built that don’t involve taking one completely apart. Maybe X-rays? MRI machines?”
Kian sighed. “We are afraid to do anything that might have an adverse effect on the Odus because we don’t know how to fix them.”
“That’s a shame.” Kalugal leaned back.
“It is what it is,” Kian said. “Maybe it’s better that way. Humanity is not ready for advanced artificial intelligence that looks and acts so deceptively human.”
Jacki rested her head on Kalugal’s shoulder. “I’m with Kian on that. Humans will find a way to use the nice butler cyborg as a weapon. I much prefer him to stay like he is now.”
As Kalugal stroked Jacki’s hair, he tried to imagine an army of cyborgs who all looked like Kian’s butler. Middle-aged men didn’t look threatening, but he’d seen the ease with which the butler lifted the luggage. He was at least as strong as an immortal male. Probably stronger.
“Do the Odus have any fighting capabilities?” he asked.
“They can learn anything that you wish to teach them, and they do that fast. So turning them into weapons would be easy, but it would also be such a waste. I think they were designed to be domestic help, and that’s a much better use for them. If they were supposed to be soldiers, they would have been modeled after someone tall and muscular, and not an older, stocky man or a woman.” Kian smiled. “They can morph their facial features and body shape to appear either male or female.”
“Can they make themselves look younger or prettier?” Jin joined the conversation.
Kian shook his head. “I’ve never seen them do that, so maybe that’s not an option. Maybe it was also done on purpose so their owners wouldn’t feel attraction towards them. They don’t have the right equipment for that.”
Kalugal chuckled. “After turning them into soldiers, that is the next thing humans would have done. Turned them into sex toys.”
“That’s gross,” Jin said. “But I totally agree. Every new technology that comes out, some pervert finds a way to turn it into porn. Like virtual reality. As soon as the headsets became available, porn games were created.”
Syssi cleared her throat. “The technology is even more advanced than you imagine. Have I told you about the Perfect Match virtual reality studios?”
“What are they?”
Kalugal could answer that. “Virtual hookups. You fill out a questionnaire, and the software matches you with the best sexual partner out of everyone it has in its database. Once a match is found, both partners are invited to a virtual sex session designed to fit their fantasies. It’s pricy, and only the rich can afford it at this time.” He sighed, �
�I wanted to buy that startup, but someone beat me to it.”
“That was you?” Syssi chuckled.
Kalugal narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you the secret investor who bailed them out?”
“We are,” Kian said. “But don’t feel bad. Without William’s help, they would have folded, and you would have lost your investment. They weren’t able to work out the bugs on their own.”
Syssi shook her head. “It really is a small world. We could have found you a long time ago.”
“Not really. You would have met my avatar and wouldn’t have known that it was me. But you are right. It is a small world.”
“Have you tried the service?” Syssi asked.
“No, but maybe after Jacki’s transition, we could give it a try.” He dipped his head and kissed her forehead. “What do you think? We could have an adventure in a fantasy world.”
She smiled. “I already do.”
66
Jacki
“Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.” Kalugal kissed her forehead again. “You feel a little warm. Do you want to take more pills?”
Jacki shook her head. “They make me sleepy, and this conversation is much too interesting to miss.” She lifted her head and looked at Syssi. “As much as I find your virtual fantasy thing fascinating, I’m more interested in the cyborg. It would be so cool if everyone could have a domestic helper at home. If they don’t have the right equipment, as Kian politely put it, and if they are programmed so they’re incapable of violence, they could make people’s lives so much easier.”
Syssi looked doubtful. “I love having Okidu, I can’t deny it, but I believe that artificial intelligence is dangerous. If they can learn and adapt, at some point they could outsmart humans and immortals alike. The thing is, once the system learns how to learn, it will do it so fast that we won’t know what’s happening until it is too late.”
“Whenever a new technology emerges, it generates fear,” Kalugal said. “And that’s good because anticipating everything that can go wrong helps design a better product. We still have a long way to go with artificial intelligence, and thinking about the dangers and incorporating safeguards is part of the process.”
“We can’t anticipate everything,” Syssi said. “Take Okidu for example. He had a little accident while helping retrieve Carol from the island. He fell into the water, shut down, and rebooted after several hours. He has been acting strangely ever since.”
“Define strange?” Jacki asked. “Not that I know what’s normal for him.”
“Little things. Like he used to hover over Kian and me just waiting for us to give him something to do. Now he slinks into his room the moment he’s done with his chores.”
“What about you, Kian?” Kalugal asked. “Have you noticed that? You’ve known Okidu since you were born.”
Kian shrugged. “He seems more aware. But that’s not an objective observation. I think that what messed him up was switching masters and not the reboot. For the duration of Carol’s rescue, I told him to obey Turner, and then Turner told him to obey the diver team’s leader. After having only me as his master for nearly two thousand years, that was too much of an adjustment.”
Jacki stifled a gasp. Kian was freaking ancient. Two thousand years old?
Wow!
Syssi must have a daddy issue.
“That’s two stories I can’t wait to hear.” Kalugal rubbed his hand over her arm. “How long do we have until we reach the village?”
“Long enough.” Kian smirked. “You didn’t think that we were going straight there, did you? Okidu is taking a roundabout route to the village.”
Ugh, Kian and his suspiciousness was really annoying.
Kalugal didn’t seem to mind, though. In fact, Jacki had a feeling that he’d been expecting that. Would he have done the same in Kian’s place?
“Good.” Kalugal crossed his legs at the ankles. “Then you can tell me all about Okidu’s part in Carol’s rescue and about his accident and subsequent reboot.”
By the time Kian finished telling the story and answering Kalugal’s questions, the bus had stopped.
“Are we there?” Jacki asked.
“Almost,” Syssi said.
There was a slight jerk, and then they started moving again, but not for long. A few minutes later, the bus stopped again, and the windows became clear.
“Are we in an underground garage?” She looked at the concrete walls and the thick supporting columns. “It’s huge.”
“It’s quite sizable.” Kian got up. “Welcome to the village.”
Syssi slapped his arm. “Not yet. Save it for when they actually get to see it.”
The bus’s door opened with a hiss, and the cyborg butler poked his head inside. “As you have requested, master, all three golf carts are waiting outside the pavilion's doors. You and your guests can go ahead, and I will bring the luggage up.”
“I don’t need the golf cart,” Jin said. “How about you, Jacki? Are you okay to walk for fifteen to twenty minutes?”
“I’m not sure,” Jacki admitted. “I feel a little woozy.”
“You should take more pills.” Kalugal turned to Bridget. “What says the doctor?”
“The pills are up to Jacki. But I recommend taking the cart.” She smiled apologetically at Jin. “I know that you want to show your friend the village, but Arwel can drive very slowly, so you’ll get to do that without walking.”
“But walking is healthy, and I’m not really sick, right?”
“Walking is wonderful when you are healthy. But right now, you should conserve energy because your body needs it for the transition. You don’t want to push yourself.”
“You are taking the cart,” Kian said in a tone that implied the discussion was over. “Jacki, Kalugal, Rufsur, and Hivak will go with you. Anandur, Wonder, Callie and Brundar, you are with us.” He turned to Bridget. “You and Turner will share a ride with Amanda and Dalhu. Do you want them to drop you at home? Or do you want to join the tour?”
“I’d rather go home if you don’t mind. But if anyone needs me, please don’t hesitate to call.”
67
Kalugal
As Rufsur and Hivak joined them in the elevator, it occurred to Kalugal that Rufsur had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the plane ride and later the bus. Usually, the guy joked around and had something to say about everything.
What was his problem?
Was he upset about not being left in charge back home?
When Kalugal had invited Rufsur to accompany him and Jacki to the village, the guy had seemed excited, but perhaps it grated on him that the others had bundled him together with Hivak, regarding them both as simple bodyguards.
Kian, Turner, and the Guardians were well aware of Rufsur’s position, but they mostly ignored him as if he was a simple underling.
Rufsur should know better, though. Kalugal had chosen him because of their friendship, and hierarchy had nothing to do with that.
He cast him a sidelong glance. “Are you okay?”
“Never been better.”
Kalugal didn’t detect any sarcasm in his lieutenant’s voice. Was Rufsur on high alert because he and Hivak were all the protection Kalugal and Jacki had with them?
Probably.
They didn’t even have phones, and naturally no weapons. Well, except for Kalugal’s compulsion power. But they were entering a village full of immortals, and Kalugal couldn’t compel more than twenty at one time.
It was a little risky, but not as much as Rufsur feared. Kian was not going to make a move against them for the simple reason that he had no motive to do so. The most valuable thing to Kian was Kalugal’s cooperation, so he was no good to him imprisoned or dead.
“You can relax. We are among friends.”
“That remains to be seen.”
Anandur clapped Rufsur on the back. “Just think of all the single immortal ladies that you’re gonna meet. I promise you that they will be very friendly. Maybe too fri
endly.”
Hivak chuckled quietly. “I can’t wait.”
Rufsur glared at him. “We are here to protect the boss, not chase skirts.”
As the elevator doors opened, their group exited into a pavilion made mostly from glass. Kian and those who’d ridden with him were just getting out of the other car.
“Are you sure that your cyborg can handle all the luggage?” Kalugal asked. “There is a lot of it.”
Kian grimaced. “Please don’t call him that. He has a name, and it’s Okidu.”
“My apologies. Okidu it is.”
“And he can handle all the luggage.”
“I can’t wait to see my Onidu,” Amanda said. “I should have brought him along.”
“Is he the other Odu?” Jacki asked.
Amanda nodded. “He’s my butler. But he is so much more than that. Onidu practically raised me.” She followed Dalhu out the sliding doors.
Jacki leaned on Kalugal’s arm. “Raised by a cyborg? That sounds like the title of a science fiction novel.”
As they exited the sliding doors, the first thing Kalugal noticed was how quiet it was, and the second was how fresh the air smelled. He could detect a very faint ocean breeze, which confirmed his suspicion that they were somewhere in the Malibu mountains.
He kept it to himself and helped Jacki climb into the golf cart.
Fitting six people inside the small vehicle was a stretch, and he was glad when Jin joined them in the back and sat next to Jacki. He didn’t want any of the men squeezing close to her.
“I’m going to be the official tour guide,” Jin said.
As Rufsur and Hivak sat up front, Arwel, who was the designated driver, helped Okidu sort the luggage out.
“Are those yours?” Arwel pointed at Kalugal and Jacki’s four matching designer suitcases.
“Those are ours. And those two are Rufsur’s and Hivak’s.”
When everything was loaded and secured with cords, Arwel got behind the wheel and turned the engine on.
