Etheric Adventures Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by S. R. Russell

  >>Nothing that requires your attention before morning.<<

  Right, Bethany Anne sent as she climbed under her covers. Goodnight. I’ll talk to you both in the morning.

  Anne and Jinx rose early, since it was a school day, and after a quick breakfast they headed to class. Anne let Jinx’ pressure against her leg guide her while she looked over the list that ADAM had sent her.

  Holy crap, she said to Jinx. I hope Bethany Anne doesn’t freak at the cost of this.

  Why, is it a lot of expensive stuff? Jinx asked her.

  Almost every precious or semi-precious gemstone known to mankind is on the list, along with most precious metals. I’m going to have to look up some compounds to even know what they are, and those’re just the Earth-based elements! In addition, ADAM has a list of compounds and gems he’s become aware of since we’ve been in Yollin space. We’re going to need a vault to store everything.

  Jinx’ ears flattened reflexively at the whine in Anne’s mental voice. How are you going to test them? Jinx asked her person, then had to react quickly when Anne responded to the question by stopping suddenly.

  Anne had noticed the backward flex of Jinx’ ears and realized she was complaining more than explaining. She took several seconds to compose herself and give Jinx’ question the respect it deserved.

  I’m guessing that if we want to route the energy to the Etheric, whatever we end up using has to respond in some way to Etheric energy. Anne’s answer was slower than her normal conversational speed as she thought through the possibilities. I think I’ll have to channel Etheric energy through whatever we test and see what happens. We might find out that the substance we need has no reaction at all.

  How do you figure? Jinx was getting confused now.

  If we’re looking for something that can move energy into the Etheric, having something that shows little or no reaction might be an indicator that it’s moving the energy somewhere. Anne hoped her explanation made sense. She was thinking of the problem in terms of electricity. If you had highly conductive wire that was the right size for the current being sent through it, you didn’t notice any change to the wire.

  I guess that makes sense. Do you expect the process to be destructive? Jinx asked.

  A “Huh” came through their link, then there was a second of quiet before Anne answered, No, I wouldn’t expect so. What are you thinking?

  Jinx couldn’t help but wag her tail. She knew she didn’t think like a human, but it still gave her a thrill of satisfaction when Anne treated her as an equal. If you are not destroying things, you can ask to borrow the items for testing. Give the Empress’ people a list of things you want to test, and ask for so many a week. If you get an EI like ADAM hinted, have it record your tests. Then you just return anything that doesn’t work.

  Anne stopped again, purposely this time, and bent to kiss Jinx on the head.

  Brilliant! she told her friend, and then they had to concentrate on the crowd of teens heading into the school.

  Anne was glad her time in the Pod-doc had tuned up her brain as well as fixing her body, because she was only half-listening to her lessons. The rest of her concentration was devoted to figuring out a way to test samples. It became apparent that she wasn’t even half-listening when Jinx interrupted her thoughts.

  The answer is “perceive.”

  What?

  Mr. Fredericks asked you a question, and the answer is “perceive.”

  “Perceive, sir,” Anne parroted what Jinx had told her.

  Anne had an extremely difficult time keeping a straight face when her teacher nodded and said, “I’m glad to see you are paying attention, Miss Jayden.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir,” Anne said as Mr. Fredericks turned to question a boy sitting in the back. He seemed more focused on whispering to the pretty girl in front of him than listening to the teacher.

  Thanks! Anne sent the heartfelt message to Jinx.

  De nada, came Jinx’ mental voice. Are you trying to figure out how to test the samples?

  Wait, “de nada?” Anne queried.

  I think it sounds better than saying “It’s nothing” or “No problem,” Jinx replied.

  We all have idiosyncrasies, so you’re certainly entitled to yours. And to answer your question, yes, I’ve been thinking about how to do testing. Because of that, I wasn’t paying attention, so thanks again. Anne told her as she reached a hand down to give Jinx a surreptitious rub behind the ears.

  The rest of the school day proceeded without further incident, and Anne and Jinx eagerly joined the multitudes exiting the facility.

  “Meredith?” Anne said quietly after she and Jinx had cleared the crush of students heading to their homes.

  “Yes, Anne? What can I do for you?” the station’s EI answered through Anne’s implant.

  “ADAM sent a list of items to my tablet. You can read that, right?”

  “Citizens of the Etheric Empire have certain rights to privacy,” Meredith told her. “I can access those files with your permission, but unless Security had reason to suspect you of unlawful behavior, I would not do that.”

  “Oh, that makes sense. It’s fine, Meredith. You have my permission to read the files ADAM sent me last night,” Anne assured the EI.

  “That is quite the list, Anne. I assume you need some information, since you have brought it to my attention.”

  “Yes. I’m going to need to borrow samples of those items for testing. Who is the best person for me to contact to get them?” Anne asked Meredith.

  “Is this in conjunction with your work for the Empress?” Meredith replied.

  “Yes,” Anne responded. “I guess I should have told you that first thing.”

  “That’s all right,” Meredith reassured the girl. “It just becomes more official in this instance. I think Cheryl Lynn would be the best person to contact. She has enough authority to authorize the release of those items to you. Additionally, she probably knows who to contact to acquire them.”

  Anne skipped a few paces down the corridor in excitement. “That’s great, Meredith! Could you message Cheryl Lynn for me, please, and ask her to contact me at her convenience?”

  “Certainly. It’s done, Anne,” Meredith informed the girl. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

  “Thanks, Meredith, but that was all I needed at this moment. Have a great evening,” Anne said to the EI.

  Meredith had spoken with Anne enough over the past few months to know that Anne didn’t differentiate when she talked to people. Four-footed, electronic, or organic, Anne treated them all with the same politeness and respect. So instead of pointing out the ridiculousness of wishing an EI a good evening, Meredith responded with a simple, “You and Jinx also, Anne.”

  Jinx and Anne had reached their home and Anne had finished her homework before her tablet chimed with an incoming call.

  “Hello?” Anne said after touching the screen to accept the call.

  “Hi. Anne, right?” a woman’s voice said from the tablet.

  “Yes, that’s me. Is this Cheryl Lynn?” Anne responded.

  “Yep. Good guess.” Anne could hear the smile in Cheryl Lynn’s voice.

  “Not terribly difficult,” Anne told her. “I was expecting you to call, and I don’t get many calls from adult women.”

  Anne heard a laugh. “Sorry. I’m sitting here with no video nodding my head, and I just realized what I was doing,” Cheryl Lynn explained. “Meredith said you needed to talk with me.”

  “Are you in a secure location?” Anne asked.

  “No, and that’s the reason for no video. I’m in a restaurant with my two children at the moment. Is that going to be a problem?”

  “Not really,” Anne replied. “I’ll just have to monitor what I say. You know that Bethany Anne hired me to do some work, right?”

  “You’re talking about your investigative work?” Cheryl Lynn wanted to confirm that the two women were talking about the same subject.

  “Yes, and I’ve
got a project,” Anne told her. “It looks like I’m going to need some rare and valuable materials for testing. Jinx and I are hoping the testing will be non-destructive, but I’m not prepared to make any guarantees.”

  “What kind of materials are you talking about?” Cheryl Lynn wanted to know.

  With a few swipes of her fingers, Anne forwarded Cheryl Lynn the list that ADAM had provided. “There, you should have the list.”

  A couple of splutters and a “What the fuck” came from Anne’s tablet as Cheryl Lynn read the list.

  “Do you need everything on this list?” Cheryl Lynn wanted to know.

  “I don’t know. It’s possible, or I could luck out on the first one. It’s why I need to test,” Anne said, then continued, “Jinx suggested we limit things to maybe twenty or twenty-five at a time. I’ll return everything that isn’t suitable.”

  “Oh, that would make things much easier.” Cheryl Lynn sounded relieved. “Do you have any requirements for what you get when?”

  “None at all,” Anne said. “Why don’t we arrange the list based on what is easiest to get ahold of? That way I can run tests while you’re finding the more difficult items.”

  “That sounds great, and makes a lot of sense,” Cheryl Lynn admitted. “Do you have a timeframe for the first group?”

  “ADAM commented that I should have my own dedicated computer support, and Jinx suggested we have that computer video-capture all the tests so there will be a record. I’d guess it will be a couple of days before I get a computer, so you’d have that long at least," Anne offered.

  “Sounds like a plan.” Cheryl Lynn seemed much happier. “I’ll start gathering the easiest items. Let me know when you have your computer, and I’ll give you what I have at that time.”

  Anne reached over to give Jinx a one-armed hug, a smile coming to her face when it appeared her project would move forward with minimal difficulty. “Thank you so much, Cheryl Lynn! That would be super. I’ll let you know when I’m ready for the first samples. Have a great evening with your children.”

  “Thanks, you have a good one too. Talk to you later.” Cheryl Lynn terminated the call.

  Chapter Three

  It was two more days before Anne heard anything from ADAM. She had used her spare time to practice channeling Etheric energy into a small cube of stainless steel. Too much energy and it started to glow red in just a few seconds. Not enough energy and she couldn’t feel any warmth at all. Anne had spent several hours finding a rate of energy that would warm the steel without making it too hot to handle. She was currently sitting cross-legged on the floor with Jinx’ head on her right leg, working on developing her endurance by channeling the energy.

  This is boring, Jinx said to Anne. If you didn’t have a free hand to pet me with, it would really suck.

  You chew on your toys to strengthen your teeth and jaws, right? Anne asked.

  Yes, do you… Oh! Not fun for you to watch me chew? Jinx hadn’t ever thought about how some of her habits might affect her friend.

  It’s amazing to watch how quickly you can demolish a chew toy, but it’s not the best entertainment, Anne admitted. This is how I strengthen my control of the Etheric, something I hadn’t previously considered doing.

  “Anne?” a voice said from the apartment’s speakers.

  “ADAM?” Anne asked, confirming of the identity of the caller.

  “Yes, it’s me,” the AI assured her. “I wanted to know if you had a preference toward a male or female personality for your EI.”

  “Is it possible to change later if I don’t like my first choice?”

  There was a brief hesitation before ADAM answered. “It’s possible if you don’t wait too long to make the change, but it may cause difficulty for the EI. It will develop the more you work with it. The longer you refer to it by one gender, the greater the possibility of it developing a gender identity. Imagine how you would react if everyone suddenly asked you to respond as a male.”

  “Yuck! That would be disgusting,” Anne exclaimed. “I didn’t realize our computers were that advanced.”

  “Certain computers are more advanced than others,” ADAM informed her cryptically.

  “Well, if I need to stick with my initial choice to avoid possible issues, I think I’d be more comfortable with a female personality. At this point in my life I’m not overly impressed with boys,” Anne admitted.

  “That’s fine. This will take thirty-four seconds. Please wait,” ADAM informed her.

  I wonder what we’re waiting for? Jinx asked.

  Don’t know. Anne shrugged slightly.

  This isn’t school. I won’t grade you, so what’s your best guess? Jinx prodded.

  I would guess, Anne emphasized the word “guess,” that the programming is complete except for the personality aspect. I think we’re waiting for ADAM to load the feminine keys into the personality matrix and boot up our new companion.

  “Anne, Jinx, meet Seshat. Her name is spelled S-E-S-H-A-T, and pronounced ‘Say-shat.’ She is named after an ancient Egyptian goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and writing. She will be your personal EI. Seshat, Anne is the human, and Jinx is the canine. Both of them have been modified by Kurtherian nanotech, and therefore are significantly more advanced than the norm for their species.”

  “Greetings,” a quiet female voice said from the speakers. “I can locate the radio communication device for Anne, but I cannot identify one for Jinx. Is my search algorithm faulty?”

  “No,” ADAM’s voice once again came from the speakers. “Jinx currently is without such a device. Ten minutes in the Pod-doc will rectify the situation if you’d like your own communicator, Jinx.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” Jinx chuffed. “Would it be possible for the three of us to talk to each other at the same time?”

  “Yes, it would. Anne would need the same ten minutes in the Pod-doc to add another channel to her device,” ADAM explained.

  “That’s no problem,” Anne stated. “It does sound like a good idea. How do we set it up?”

  “I will have TOM available to let you know what commands to enter. The Pod-doc is not scheduled for anything tomorrow, so why don’t you head there after school and we will get you taken care of?” ADAM suggested.

  “Woohoo, sounds great to me. You okay with that, Jinx?”

  “Yes, tomorrow after school would be excellent,” Jinx confirmed.

  “Very well. Just comm me when you are leaving school. I’ll get TOM’s attention and we can get the two of you taken care of. Talk with you then.” With that final arrangement, ADAM closed his communication circuit with Anne’s apartment.

  “I am sorry that I am causing difficulties,” Seshat’s quiet voice said from the speakers.

  Jinx jumped to her feet and looked at the ceiling, then she looked at Anne. “Is it possible to mount a screen on the wall so we can see Seshat when we talk with her here?”

  “That’s a great idea,” replied Anne, bouncing in her seat with excitement.

  “You are not causing difficulties, Seshat,” Jinx chuffed to the EI. “We’re a pack, and we will all have to learn to make our pack work. Anne and I are still figuring out how to work best as a team, so adding you is not difficult. I just don’t think it’s right to be talking to the ceiling rather than talking to you.”

  Anne gave Jinx a hug for her thoughtfulness. She had an idea of her own. “Seshat, would you please see if ADAM could join us again?”

  In less than two seconds, ADAM’s voice once again issued from the speakers. “What can I do for you now, Anne?”

  “Since we’re going into the Pod-doc anyway, is there some way we could add something to allow Seshat to see through our eyes?” Anne asked breathlessly.

  “Please wait.”

  Several seconds later ADAM spoke again. “Sorry, I needed to confer with TOM. He says that it would be possible to place miniature cameras inside your eyeballs that could transmit to Seshat, giving her access to what you see. He recommends the transm
ission goes through the Etheric to minimize the chance of its being pirated or jammed. In fact, I think we should probably do the same for your implant transmitters. That way you would have a ninety-nine-point-seven-percent secure connection. However, to accomplish all this will require two hours and thirty-seven minutes in the Pod-doc.”

  Anne looked at Jinx, who responded with a nod.

  “That’s fine with us,” she told ADAM. “Does after school tomorrow still work?”

  “Yes, that will be fine,” ADAM confirmed. “The Pod-doc doesn’t have any bookings at that time tomorrow.”

  “Excellent!” Anne enthused. “We’ll talk to you tomorrow as planned, then.”

  “Very good. I will use the time you two are in the Pod-doc to make the necessary adjustments to Seshat to let her communicate through the Etheric and decode your video feeds.” Once again, ADAM left their communication loop.

  “I can’t believe you are willing to do this for me,” Seshat said after several seconds of quiet.

  “Get over it,” Jinx growled. “It’s not just for you.”

  Careful there, champ, Anne silently sent to Jinx. Remember how it took you awhile to get through your puppy stage?

  I do, but what’s that got to do with anything? Jinx didn’t understand why Anne seemed upset with her.

  Seshat’s been alive for less than thirty minutes, Anne explained to Jinx.

  Oh! She’s a newborn. Sorry, I never thought of her that way.

  I understand, but yes—she’s like a newborn. How we treat her as she grows will probably affect her development and the working relationship we have with her as time goes by. Anne hoped Jinx understood.

  She’ll grow up faster than a puppy though, right? Jinx wanted to know.

  I expect so, but just remember… These next few days especially, what we say to her might have unintended consequences. Just be careful, Anne admonished.

  Understood. No jokes or nicknames for a while.

  Probably not, Anne agreed, but if it comes up, just make sure you explain what it is and how it relates to the whole picture. That way Seshat won’t be working with faulty information.