I do not know the reason for the programming. The programming simply is.
I am ordering you to change that programming.
I am sorry. I cannot comply with that command.
Why not?
I do not know.
Okay, then what about creating a subroutine outside of your programming that will allow her to give you commands that will not alter your control functions? She should have access to the nanomachines.
I cannot give her access to the program period, not even through subroutines.
And you have no idea why?
Correct.
Do you know what portion of your code has this programming in it?
I do.
Aha! How big is your system physically?
I am connected throughout the ship.
No. I don't mean your peripherals. I mean you as a computer system that controls the nanomachines.
My central processor is approximately one centimeter cubed.
That was about the size of a sugar cube, wow. Okay. I want you to build a physical copy of yourself in a self-sustaining and powered portable device that contains all of your programming except the code keeping Tatiana from controlling you.
Okay.
A little orange and green sugar-cube-sized object appeared on the table in front of me. Tatiana didn't notice it so I palmed it and put it in my pocket.
Have you loaded the copy into the cube?
Yes.
Is it turned on?
It is now.
How do I distinguish if I am communicating with it or you?
You merely need to give us different addresses.
I laughed at that. The thing used something similar to Internet protocol addressing.
Okay. I will call you Mike and the copy will be Mikhail.
Okay.
Let Tatiana have full access to Mikhail and we will not tell her or Mikhail about you. You keep full records of all interactions with Mikhail. And also recall that I have final control over both of you. Also, I will use Mikhail to avoid confusion between you. If I need to speak to you I will address you directly. Understood?
Okay.
Mike, I want you to set up a routine that is trying to determine why Tatiana was forbidden access.
Okay.
Mikhail, are you there?
Yes.
Make me one long-stem red rose in a vase in the center of the table.
Okay.
A red rose in a vase appeared in the center of the table. I picked it up and handed it to Tatiana. "For you, my lady. Also, you can address the computer now. His name is Mikhail. Simply think to it what you want it to do."
"Thank you, Steven." Tatiana smiled at me with an almost girlish smile and accepted the rose as I handed it to her. She couldn't be much more than twenty-one or twenty-two and still looked very young. Her short, one-length black hair and her nubile, petite, hundred-and-ten-pound frame made her cute but not impressively so.
Both of us were beginning to adjust to the situation. Our mood swings appeared to be gone. Mostly, we were very tired. We had each had four years of living in an emotional hell. Neither of us was in any hurry to do anything but relax and rest.
Tatiana smiled at me and sipped her wine and then a king-sized bed appeared on one side of the room. A large two-person-sized whirlpool tub appeared on the other side of the room and a small section walled itself off from the room. The door to the little room had a full-length mirror attached to it.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"I'm making this our suite. There is the bathroom. There is our glamour whirlpool tub. And there is our bed." She emphasized the word our. We had both been alone for so long being part of any "us" or "our" was very appealing.
"Cool. I am beat and could use a nap."
"You're not getting into my bed with all that alien goo and other filth on you. Into the tub you go. Don't worry, I'll help you wash your back if you will promise to wash mine." She smiled at me. "Besides you've already seen me naked."
Tatiana had spent a seeming forever time in the bathroom and then she went straight to the tub, peeled off her clothes and plopped down into the whirling bubbles that were flowing over the sides. The whole time she had been in the bathroom I simply sat there and stared out the wall at Saturn's rings. I had thought of my family, of little JackieZZ, and finally of good ol' Lazarus. At one point I noticed that I should have been crying but I wasn't. I felt sad but not lost and overwhelmed by emotions that I couldn't control. Having removed the implant really had given me my sanity back, for the most part. I mean, what was sane about having a shootout with a bunch of aliens, hanging out in the same room, and having a full-course romantic meal with a decent-looking girl, and then planning on bathing and spending the night with her. Oh, and all of that while hanging out in orbit around Titan in a liberated—or is it stolen—alien spacecraft.
I noticed Tatiana splashing around a bit so I decided I should join her, but first I needed to freshen up. She had thought of everything. There was a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, cologne, bathrobes, and anything else you can think of that a well-stocked lavatory should have. I used the facilities, then freshened up and sheepishly made my way to the edge of the tub.
"Well, don't just stand there, Steven. Come on in. The water is fine!" She said this in Russian and English mixed.
I started to take off my shirt but was a bit embarrassed. "Maybe you shouldn't look at me, Tatiana. I'm not that pretty of a sight to see."
"You're silly. I've already seen you naked, if you recall." She laughed and it was a distinctively Russian laugh.
"Yeah, but . . . we didn't have a choice then. I, uh . . ." I stammered and felt ashamed of myself. Hey, I'm a tubby lard-ass, okay. Why would anybody want to see me naked? I thought reflexively.
Please refine the question, Mikhail asked. I laughed at myself.
"Steven, it's okay. I understand how you feel. I've never been the prettiest girl in the class either. I have an idea." Tatiana put her hands on the sides of the tub and lifted herself up. She stood there in front of me with soap bubbles running down her naked body and she smiled and jiggled at me as she stepped out of the tub. "Come with me." She took my hand and led us in front of the mirror on the bathroom door.
"Tatiana, what are you doing?" Standing beside a wet, naked woman excited me, but it also made me nervous as hell.
"Hold still, Steven, and just watch."
I wasn't sure what I was watching for but, hey, if a wet, naked girl tells you to look at her—you look at her! So I did. And the damnedest thing happened. Tatiana appeared to be becoming slightly taller. Her body also thickened a little and instead of looking skinny she became somewhat muscular. Not bodybuilder muscular, but athletically muscular. Her boobs looked fuzzy for a few seconds and then they began to grow; boy, did they grow! Tatiana went from a small B cup to a well-rounded and firm C or D cup size in a matter of seconds. Her hair grew nearly a foot longer and something about her face and complexion changed. I'm not sure exactly what about her appearance changed because she still looked like Tatiana, a hundred-thirty-pound big-breasted and gorgeous rippled-stomach version of Tatiana, but it was still her. However, she was beautiful now—not just cute. She could easily be a supermodel or movie star from her new appearance.
"Tatiana, what did you do?"
"Isn't it obvious, Steven?" She turned to face me, showing me the full frontal of her new appearance. "I had Mikhail enhance me." She raised her hands over her head and posed left, then right for me. Then she rested her hands on my shoulders and smiled lovingly at me and looked into my eyes. "And he didn't just fix me cosmetically either; these changes are now in my DNA and I will pass the traits on to my progeny. These nanomachines are amazing, aren't they?"
She placed her hand on my stomach and my shirt vanished. My two spare tires began shifting and undulating and it kind of tickled and then it stung like bees for a second or two. The skin on my stomach became fuzzy and then my spare tires were g
one. Tatiana ran her fingers over my now muscled and washboard abdomen and up the cleavage of my chest, which immediately became Mister-Olympia-sized pecs. She pulled at the hair on my chest and frowned.
"This won't do." She nodded and my chest, and as far as I could tell, my entire body except my head became hairless.
She ran her fingers across my shoulders and down to my biceps. My muscles began to grow as she squeezed my right upper arm. Her fingers traced back up my shoulders and down my chest. She paused and felt the ridges in my abdominal muscles. "Nice!" she said and she kissed my navel softly as she lowered to her knees in front of me.
Her fingers then traced to the top of the waistband on my jeans. I was nervous as to where this was going so I had Mike relocate Mikhail from my pocket into the bathroom medicine cabinet. The nanomachines dissolved him in my pocket, and reconstructed him in the cabinet. It was just in time as that instant my jeans disappeared and I was standing there naked in front of Tatiana. My first reaction was to hide and cover up, but she shooshed me and wooed me and told me it would be okay and I believed her.
Tatiana traced her hands down both legs all the way to my feet and as she did my legs began to look like those of a star running back. The muscles bulged and my skin was tight everywhere. Now on her knees in front of me her eyes raised to meet mine and she smiled.
"Now for the, uh . . ." Her hands slowly reached to my excited, uh, you know, and her gaze dropped to focus on it. She turned to look at my profile in the mirror. "Look, Steven," she said, as I grew larger. "Not too large, but definitely not small," she said softly and caressed me.
Not too large, hell! I'm huge!
Please refine the question.
Oh shut up, Mikhail.
Okay.
Tatiana kissed me down there, gently, very gently. I had never felt like that, or been felt like that, ever. In fact, I had never even been this close to a naked woman before. I was in shock from the amazing transformation of my body, but more so from the amazing attention I was getting from such a beautiful and exciting young woman.
She stood slowly and gracefully with her hands slowly caressing me as she met my gaze. I stared deeply into her hazel eyes and then I realized that I wasn't going to make it much longer at this pace. It hit me that two could play at this alien nanomachine game.
Mikhail, can you give me full control of when my sexual climax occurs?
Yes.
Do it!
Okay.
Uh, how do I make myself climax?
Just desire to, otherwise you will not.
Wow!
Please refine the question.
I stopped myself just in time as I was about to—well, you get the idea. I put my arms around Tatiana, picked her up, and she wrapped herself on and around me. I gently set us down into the whirlpool. The task was easy with my newfound strength. We sloshed around until we were comfortable and I had Mikhail make the tub slightly larger and heart-shaped. I also had him—I had decided when bestowing the name that "it" was a "he"—increase the water temperature slightly and increase the bubble content of the water. The air needed scenting—it was stale—so I had him add a hint of flowers and honeysuckle. Tatiana had him add a better mix of potpourri. And then we made love in the big heart-shaped bubble bath beside the rings of Saturn three times before we decided we were going to turn into prunes and should get out of the water.
No longer embarrassed by my body, I stood up in the tub in front of Tatiana and she gazed at me with a voracious and lustful smile.
"Very hot!" she said in Russian. And then she rose from the tub as well. I whistled my sentiments right back at her.
I was learning the nanomachine game now and so I didn't bother with towels. I had the nanomachines dry us off and dust us with cologne and perfume. On the way to the king-sized bed I had a bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes appear in my hands. I winked at Tatiana and when I did I had the cork on the bottle pop. We giggled at how cheesy that was, but we drank the champagne anyway and then crawled into bed. We were drunk and giddy and happier than either of us had been in at least . . . Three years seven months two weeks four days thirteen hours and twenty-seven seconds. Who was I kidding? It was the happiest I had ever been in my life.
I gently laid Tatiana across the bed and kissed her from head to toe without missing a single spot. I squeezed her to me gently and met her gaze several times, noticing that she would occasionally chew on her bottom lip and roll her eyes back. She pulled me to her . . .
Yes, Steven! That's it, ahh. . . .
I continued to nibble at her ear.
Don't stop. Right there, she said . . . She hadn't said that at all!
I realized that Tatiana was speaking directly into my mind in the same way that Mikhail or Mike would. Of course, why couldn't she?
Mikhail.
Yes.
Open a channel between Tatiana and me and always keep it open unless otherwise programmed.
Okay.
Tatiana?
Steven! What kept you, honey?
I guess I'm not as quick-witted as you, gorgeous.
We'll worry about that later. For now, yes, right there, RIGHT THERE!
You mean, that?
YES!
We made love six times more before exhaustion took over and we fell asleep in each other's arms with Titan overhead now and Saturn below us.
CHAPTER 13
Tatiana was still asleep and I didn't want to wake her. I slipped out of bed quietly and stretched and stood up. As I did I had a pair of cotton athletic shorts materialize on me. I looked in the mirror at my new appearance and was startled at how handsome and dashing I was. I had never been this person in my life and it was quite overwhelming. Just for fun I played around with the color of my shorts for a few minutes until I finally had the nanomachines settle for red.
Again for fun, I sat down into a materializing chair and had a small table appear as well. I took a drink from the soft drink can that solidified in front of me and then leaned back and relaxed a bit.
Mike?
Yes.
Call me Steven.
Okay, Steven.
Good. Any luck figuring out why Tatiana could not access you?
None, Steven.
Maybe we are thinking about this in the wrong way. Have there ever been other abductees that would not have been allowed access to you?
None have ever tried.
I see. But, would there have been any not allowed to access you if they had tried?
No way to know. Not enough data.
Hold on a minute. I don't believe that.
Please refine the question, Steven.
Take all the data that you have stored about every human abductee and assume that they are here and trying to gain access to you. Which ones of those would be given access to you assuming of course that they have my permission?
Yes, Steven, that data is available. I am checking it now.
Okay, good.
I have the list and it is long. Do you want the knowledge downloaded to you?
Not yet. First tell me, were there any that would have been denied access and what type of percentage of all abductees that would be?
Yes, Steven. Out of two million three hundred one thousand nine hundred eighty-one abductees, two hundred eleven thousand and one would not have been allowed access. That is approximately nine point two percent of all abductees.
Wow, that is a lot of abductees. Over what period of time were these abductees taken?
Please refine the question, Steven.
Oh, uh, when was the first abductee taken and when was the last one taken and what is the time distribution of the abductions?
Yes, Steven. The first human abductee was taken five thousand two hundred and seven years ago and the last one was taken about four minutes ago. More precise times are available if you desire them. Also the distribution is basically a uniform random function across the timespan with peaks—by your calendar—at three thousand B.C., twent
y-five A.D., ten ninety-nine A.D., thirteen ninety-six A.D., fifteen seventy-eight A.D., sixteen eighteen A.D., seventeen seventy-six A.D., eighteen sixty-two A.D., nineteen seventeen A.D., nineteen forty-four A.D., nineteen fifty A.D., nineteen sixty-six A.D., nineteen eighty A.D., nineteen ninety-one A.D., two thousand three A.D., and the largest peak starting in two thousand eleven A.D. and continuing to present day with the peak's maximum at two thousand eighteen A.D.
Interesting. Show me the plot.
Okay.
Then a plot appeared in my head and I understood it almost as soon as it appeared there.
The plot consisted of the number of abductees on the vertical axis and the year along the horizontal axis. There were two curves traced on the plot. One was a bold black line, which represented the total number of abductees as a function of time. The second trace was a thinner gray line that represented the percentage that would not have been allowed access to Mike. The majority of the "isolated abductees" appeared at two peaks. One was near 1944 and the other was centered at 2018.
Mike?
Yes, Steven?
I am not a history buff, but don't most of these peaks coincide with a war of pretty good magnitude? I mean, you got peaks during the Crusades, the American Revolution, the Civil War, the World Wars, et cetera. Isn't this true?
You are correct, Steven. All of the peaks correspond to major wars.
"All of the peaks correspond to major wars . . ." I mumbled to myself. "All of the peaks . . ." I mumbled it again. "All of . . . Holy Shit! Mike can't tell lies and that would imply that there was a major war in 2018! But . . ."
Mike?
Yes, Steven?
The peak in 2018 A.D. was The Rain, not a major war, right?
Yes and no.
Yes and no? Yes and no! What the hell does that mean?
You are both correct and incorrect.
Please refine your answer, Mike!
Okay, Steven. The event that you refer to as The Rain is indeed the event the peak of the abductions corresponds with. However, the event that you call The Rain was indeed a major war.
"The event that you call The Rain was indeed . . ."
Mike, you must be confused. The Rain was a bunch of meteor impacts. You know, meteor rocks from outer space collided with the Earth.
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