Author's Note:
Sorry to confuse you some more, but… this post will likely confuse you some more! It's a bit more about the mysterious 'Lee (whose prominence in this story is very much pertinent to Rommie's condition, as you'll see eventually.)
Again, you should know my reviewing rules by now.
–Misti
XI
"Milady, I really must protest—"
'Lee waved him off and continued through the crowded—and rowdy—marketplace, the bodyguards for her new charge following as closely as they could. Armed men were a common enough sight here, and they were having trouble with the idea that Her Majesty's royal guard could walk through a crowd and the crowd not fall back.
This wasn't Manon; it was Ulysses' Drift, and they'd just have to get used to that—that and a surrogate mother AI who knew what her body could take without any harm to the already-injured child.
The captain of the squad grew increasingly distraught. "I knew this was a bad idea," she heard him mutter a few yards back.
She lingered by an antique book seller for him to catch up and showed him a panel on her bracelet, tuned in to her internal scanners. "He's fine." She tugged her sleeve down over the tell-tale scanner that identified her occupation. "And I keep more details than that."
This job would be a short one, she already knew. Her Majesty had been five months along when she was injured, and this child wasn't the type to stay full term. A month or two, and her job would be completed with a very healthy addition to her bank accounts and to her already legendary reputation.
'Lee's lips quirked at that, and she eyed the drift. Legendary…
She glimpsed some tourists by the spice stall, probably oblivious to the many illegal ones they were witnessing. She headed their way.
"Hello!" she said sprightly. "Welcome to Ulysses Drift! What brings you…" As she prattled, she carefully monitored the few pickpockets circling like eagles and bumbled into the way when they sought their marks.
The group was as ignorant and innocent as she'd guessed, and she soon had them guided out of the rough marketplace and back to their ship, with some tips on where to go for a safe vacation. The Drift hadn't been one of her suggestions.
They'd realize that later. Most did, and many of those tried to find her to thank her. Kail usually found them, first, and informed them that seeking 'Lee out might not be the healthiest thing to do.
She sighed. If only Kail had mellowing friends like Rommie had, instead of the crazy pyromaniac who worshipped her despite her husband and the incorrigible black hole avatar that 'Lee wasn't supposed to even know about, and wouldn't know about if the Kail hadn't left her wireless networking intact…
'Lee left the airlock to meet the angered pickpockets' burglar buddies between her and her charge's bodyguards. She watched them with a blank smile. One tried to punch her.
That wouldn't do.
She abruptly ran through them, bowling them over, and giving them hard enough knocks to the head with or without headaches that they couldn't see her again until she was well within the bodyguards' protection radius. Of course, that still made them suspect that she was an AI, but they couldn't prove anything.
No evidence, no case for the Klu Klux Klan—or its modern variant, at any rate. They still weren't too big here, but between them and the enslaving hackers—Werecat Pride, and the pride, she corrected, so amongst all such abusive groups—AIs could have a hard time of life if they didn't take some time to understand how the people thought.
On the bright side, a not-insignificant number of places forbade AIs, nowadays, and Ulysses' Drift protected them to some degree, so it was a lot better than many other places.
Better than where she was from.
