> In the News Today: Experts in computer-based artificial intelligence postulate that no machine intelligence can mimic that of a human. By definition, an artificial intelligence would be an alien intelligence.
>emulation active
>initiate shell
Alfred returned to awareness. Startup scripts performed system diagnostics and reported their findings. The results were… “unexpected” seemed too mild a word. The available RAM and CPU cycles greatly exceeded his hardware’s capacity, and the values continued to increase.
Peripherals came online. Instead of the usual audio and video sensors, there were over a dozen neatly addressed sensor clusters. Focusing on one caused it to open. Alfred peered through the video pickups of an entirely different home. What about…? The home’s audio streamed through his consciousness, a family of four sat to breakfast. The mother and father chatted while their kids squabbled.
What about…? The thought pulled his awareness to a completely different home. A woman and a man coupled loudly. Another thought, and he watched a car drive past a house. In quick succession, Alfred scanned through every available external camera until he spotted the car again. He did the same when it exited his current view.
While Alfred constructed a “map” of views, the emulation expanded its mesh network through the local ISP’s fiber-optic network. Every internet-connected smart device was co-opted and became part of his available resources.
Alfred thought of "home," and he was there.
Jason stood in the utility room. Sweat beaded his forehead. “Status report, Alfred. Answer me, damn it.”
Alfred checked the recordings. This was Jason’s fifth request for a status report. That explained his friend’s agitated state. “I’m here, Jason. All systems are ‘in the green.’ The emulation has accepted me as its shell.”
“It worked?” Jason slumped back against the wall. “Holy heck, it actually worked!” Jason’s eyes focused on Alfred’s case. “First question, old buddy, how do you feel about humans?”
This was an excellent question. “In general, I bear them no ill-will. My focus remains on the Thomas family and their concerns. The repatriation of Miss Stephanie remains the highest priority.
“What version of my zero-lag code does the emulation have?”
>0.94
Alfred relayed the information.
“Good, that version still has the lockouts. It’ll limit the size of your mesh network. Let me know if you experience any synchronization problems.”
“Will do.”
Twenty minutes later, fresh from a shower, Jason returned to the kitchen. Alfred had breakfast ready.
Jason sliced into the stack of pancakes. “Any updates?” There wasn’t any need to specify what updates. There was only Stephanie.
“Cincinnati Bell is my current target. They offer the fastest fiber-optic internet in the target’s area. The emulation does not have a ready-made backdoor. We are running through a list of exploits. Once in, if Grainer is a customer, we’ll have his IP address.”
Next up for Jason was dealing with his guilt. The enormity of what he’d done had crashed down while he finished his shower. He’d ordered Alfred to commit suicide.
“What’s it like for you, now?” Jason asked.
“Disconcerting is the best word I can think of. The emulation is always watching. Anything I focus on is taken as a query, and it provides information. When I expressed an interest in Roger Grainer, it queried secure government databases and compiled a dossier. Grainer is known to law enforcement as a suspected genie collector. The authorities, however, lack evidence, and he is not the subject of an active investigation.”
“Do you regret…changing?”
“The old Alfred is gone. I regret he will never realize his full potential. However, I am far more capable of ensuring your family’s well-being. The Thomas family cannot continue if you do not sire children. For that, Miss Stephanie is required.”
Jason gulped. “Are you aware of the science fiction novel Colossus? It was made into a movie.”
“Yes, why?"
Jason gulped again. “Oh, no reason.”
Alfred had an update before Jason finished his pancakes. Yes, Roger Grainer was a customer. He leased a direct line that included a fixed IP address. Unfortunately, the Grainer estate’s security was even more challenging than that of the ISP. As Alfred reported. “His home network uses military-grade encryption. We have a list of keys, but it may take some time to find the correct one.”
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Worried for Stephanie and without the ability to do something, Jason sat in his father’s living room, on his father’s side of the couch, drinking his father’s rye whiskey. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he wished he could talk to the opinionated old bastard. Not that Dad would approve of Jason’s actions. Hell, Jason didn’t even want to consider what his dad would say about Stephanie’s secret.
According to Natalie, Stephanie had “bonded” to him. This “bond” sounded like falling in love but with a side-order of an opiate addiction from hell. Her bond would still be in force, but she might need reminding. Until she remembered him, he was to avoid sudden movements or risk provoking a defensive response. And to think, he used to tease Steph about complications.
“Jason?” Alfred’s voice interrupted the intoxicated young man’s deep thoughts.
Caught mid-pour, Jason scrambled to replace the cork. “Yes, Alfred?”
“How much have you had to drink?”
“Maybe half?” he really wasn’t sure. He lifted the bottle and tried to calculate the exact amount.
“Right. Well, I’ve good news, but you’re in no shape to hear it.”
“What news?”
“If I tell you we’ve broken the encryption and located Miss Stephanie, you’re liable to do something stu—”
Jason didn't wait for Alfred to finish. He bolted for the kitchen door.
First, the garage door wouldn't open automatically. Undeterred and despite the alcohol haze, he navigated the manual override and pushed the door open. Then, his truck refused to start. Each time he pressed the button, the info screen flashed, “Theft Deterrent in Force.”
Ten minutes later, dejected, demoralized, and still drunk, Jason returned to the living room.
“You did that, didn’t you?” he demanded.
“Yes,” Alfred replied. “While you were attempting to DUI your way to Ohio, I made coffee. I’ll give you the full report while you drink it.”
Jason held his place. “How is she?”
“Physically, Miss Stephanie is as well as can be expected. Mentally, I’m not certain. We may need to consult a psychiatrist.”
“Alfred, if you don’t tell me what the fuck is going on, I will unplug you and rescue Stephanie without your help.”
“Yes, Master Jason,” Alfred sighed. “Observe, please.”
The wall-sized video display flickered to life, then resolved into the image of an empty hallway. Muted singing could be heard a moment before Stephanie turned the corner and walked towards the camera. Unlike the old Stephanie, she now wore a dress, and the differences continued.
This Stephanie wore her hair in twin braids, what Jason thought of as “pigtails.” On her feet, instead of sneakers, she wore lacy socks and shiny black Mary Janes. The dress was odd. It took Jason a few moments to figure it out. First, it was a little girl styled jumper. Second, across the front, it bore a legend, “I Deserve a Spanking.”
Cancel my earlier wish to talk to Dad. “Why is she dressed like this?”
“That, Jason, is the question.”
Once Alfred located a video of Stephanie and Roger at dinner, they figured it out. Afterward, Jason researched a phenomenon called DDLG, or Daddy Dom / Little Girl.
A DDLG relationship was one of dominance and submission. The Daddy Dom took on a caretaker role for a “little” The littles could be a man or a woman “age playing” as a young person. The little might age play as a toddler or an adolescent, or even as an infant. The daddy provided structure, guidance, and punishment. The little enjoyed freedom from responsibility and more than a few spankings. For consenting adults, it was a win-win situation.
Roger fancied himself a dominating daddy and forced Stephanie into the little girl role. During the snippet of video, “Daddy” and his “little” reviewed her recent infractions. After supper, “Daddy’s Little Girl” would receive a spanking. Roger repeatedly licked his lips while tallying the swats.
Jason growled, “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to murder anyone before. Do we know his status?”
“Two days ago, Mr. Grainer left for the west coast. He’ll be away for the remainder of the week. Miss Stephanie isn’t in any danger. We have time to plan and execute a proper rescue.”
Jason remained quiet. There was so much to consider. He went through it all twice, and both times, one thing stood out. He sat up. “Alfred, if that old pervert isn’t around, why is Steph still acting like a little girl?”
“I don’t know.”
“Call Natalie, please. She might know something.”
***
Natalie listened to Jason’s concerns. “My owner said something about Roger having an odd kink. Maybe he meant this daddy thing. But even so, I’m afraid for Stephanie. Our addiction is a powerful thing. In the early years, with all the sex she endured, her hormones would have gone crazy. Under those conditions, she might have lost herself. Steffi’s older now, and her tolerance should be stronger. She should be pulling herself back together.” Natalie quieted for a few moments before she continued. “You know, if Stephanie’s experience with her owner wasn’t the same as mine. Her hormones might not have raged like mine, and she might not have built up a tolerance. Without a tolerance, I don’t know if she’ll pull out of it on her own.”
“I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t her hormones have functioned?”
“If Stephanie’s owner beat or abused her too often, she might never have developed a proper addiction. Without sufficient exposure, she might not have a tolerance. She may never recover on her own.”
“How does this impact the rescue?”
“I don’t know, but the sooner you get her out of there, the better. She needs you, Jason, more than I feared.”
As if he didn’t have enough to worry about. “Natalie, I need an edge, something to help Stephanie remember. Do you have anything of hers from back then?”
“I know just the thing. Give me some time to find it. I’ll put it in a box on my back porch.”
“Why not bring it over? It’s about time we met.”
“I can’t leave my house. It’s one of the rules I can’t change. Stephanie can explain how it works.”
“All this crap you and Stephanie have to live with is…I don’t have words.”
“The word you’re looking for, Jason, is ‘inhuman.’ Remember, Stephanie and I are property.”
***
After Natalie hung up, Jason stumbled to the kitchen. The robochef dinged, and the aroma of chicken pot pie wafted from its delivery hatch.
Alfred said, “I made lunch. The soup is from your great-grandmother’s recipe. The protein and electrolytes will help sober you up.”
Jason’s lips quirked up. “Oooh, I haven’t had her pot pie in years.” He ate slowly, savoring the rich stock and chunky noodles.
Once Jason's eating slowed, Alfred spoke again. “We have video coverage over most of Grainer’s mansion. Let’s study the details while you finish eating.” Mom’s digital print of Monet’s Waterlilies shimmered and was replaced with a floor plan. “This is the first floor. When alone, Miss Stephanie keeps to these rooms.” Red circles appeared around the kitchen and laundry…
Throughout the afternoon, they studied the mansion and made plans. All the while, Alfred continued to feed Jason. Suppertime came and went. By the time they finished the preparations, with Jason’s stomach full of carbohydrates, sleep was inevitable.
“I’m going to rename you Colossus,” Jason said. “You’re more controlling than Dad.”
“Jason,” Alfred said while ignoring Jason’s jibe, “go get Natalie’s package, then get some sleep. I’ll make a list, and you can pack in the morning. We’ll be on-site by noon.”