Simulations, I was getting better.  My reaction times were extremely high, and I was finally showing competence in the areas where I’d been falling short.  There was definitely room for improvement, but I was making solid progress.

I’d also been right about my guess, by the time I’d shown up on the bridge we were already on the way to Kaprorix.  Vik seemed a bit broody today, so maybe he was worried about his older irresponsible brother, but he was also focused on uncovering whatever the Stolavii were doing with so many humans.  As a result, the bridge was rather quiet, but I didn’t mind since I was busy with simulations. 

Once we arrived at Kaprorix sometime in the early hours of morning the next day, the plan was to stealth and head for Alpha Centauri, which would take about twelve hours.  Then… we’d wait until we gave up, or something happened.

My dinner with Jillintara was later that night, and I hoped she didn’t mind all the questions, I had a few of them saved up from the last three days.  I wasn’t sure about the intimacy with another woman idea yet, but I was far more intrigued by the idea, than closed minded.

At the end of the shift, Jillintara walked next to me as we left.

“Sparring?” she asked hopefully.

I laughed, “Sure, then a shower and food?  You do need to eat, right?”

She giggled, “Yes, fuel for the body, it is organic.”

I followed her to the range and simulator room.  Apparently, there was no workout room on the ship, literally hard bodies by nanites.  I’d have been jealous, except for the fact I didn’t have to work out anymore either to maintain my toned body.

“I was wondering about that, I meant I knew that, but do you ever sleep?  You’re on shift with us, and then run the ship by yourself, while you’re also off in your cabin?”

She smirked, “I don’t sleep.  I also don’t need to be on the bridge, but choose to do so to be near the crew.  Umm, most humanoids sleep for two primary reasons.  To get rid of the fatigue poisons in their body, and because their brains require it for health and sanity.  Technically, you no longer need to sleep for the former reason because of the nanites, only the latter.

“For me, I just meditate in my cabin for a shift, to relax the body, and control everything through the ship interface.”

“So, I can go a long time without sleep?”

She nodded, “With the nanites help yes, which will come in handy sooner or later.  Some confrontations can last for days while playing cat and mouse with enemy ships around planets and moons.  You’re brain still needs sleep, but you won’t start to degrade for three or four days.  It’s still healthier to sleep every night though, you need to dream to maintain sanity, and only stay up when it’s necessary.”

She added as we walked in the range, “Oh, before I forget, removing those safety lockouts has been approved, if you want to give it a try before we get started.”

I nodded, “That’s great.  Thanks Jill.”

She smiled and winked.

I walked up to the range, where there were four fresh targets, and then turned around.  I simply held my hand open, down at my side and slightly behind my body, and while facing Jillintara I mentally aimed the reticule behind me outside of my vision.  It seemed to work, so I fired four times while switching targets in my mind.  I looked over my shoulder, and smiled when all four targets had holes in the middle.

I supposed it wasn’t that big a deal, but having the ability to shoot in two directions at once could come in handy at some point.  I studied Jillintara for a moment.  She really was breathtaking, and I wondered why they made her body so incredibly sexy if there was some taboo against sleeping with an artificial intelligence.

Either the scientist that designed her body was a pervert, or they preferred athletic willowy women, and this was their version of ugly?  I found the latter hard to believe, she was stunning.  I’d rather kiss her than hit her, but I had to admit I was as curious about Isyth hand to hand fighting as Jillintara was about human martial arts.

“Ready for a good view of the ceiling?”

She laughed, “Sure, but I think you’ll have to tell me about it.  I know you’re enhanced, but in a way so am I.  My strength is normal, but no Isythian could match my speed of thought or reflexes.”

We started slow with stand up sparring, and then moved to grappling.  Jillintara’s style was aggressive and she never let up.  In a way, it reminded me of Krav Maga, if not the moves at least the reasoning behind them.  I did better at first, choosing a Yin style of fighting to start out with.  I managed to use her attacks against her, and threw her several times, but she was an artificial intelligence who was vibrant, intelligent, and very quick on the uptake.  That advantage didn’t last long as she analyzed and adjusted, whenever she did, I switched to a different style, including Krav Maga.

She was wickedly fast, but not any stronger than I was, by the time we got close to being finished, she was getting me at least as much as I was getting her.

It seemed the Isyth didn’t have nearly a diverse amount of styles as Earth did, but then they’d been in space for millennia, and were very reliant on technology.  Maybe most of their martial arts had died out over time.

We were both sweaty, a little sore, and grinning when we called it done a half hour later.

Jillintara said, “We need to do that again.”

I smiled, “I’d be happy to, shower and meet for dinner?”

She nodded, “Looking forward to it.”

We walked out and split up, and it was only fifteen minutes or so later when I walked into the galley feeling clean and very ready to eat.  Maybe she wanted to spar first so we’d have privacy, it looked like the others had already eaten and gone.

Jillintara came in a few minutes later, and we ordered a meal together.  A few things I already knew I liked, and a few that she recommended which I hadn’t tried yet.

Jillintara smirked as we sat down, “I can see the questions in your eyes, go ahead, you won’t offend me.”

I smiled shyly, “Do you have a choice?  I mean, you said you wanted to leave the ship, but you hadn’t yet?  Can’t you control it from anywhere?”

She replied, “A choice?  I was made for this ship.  I don’t mind the lack of choice, she’s a wonderful ship, and mine to control.  It’s my purpose in life, though I wish for more than just that.”

I nodded, “Do you get paid?”

She giggled, “Not officially.  Artificial assistants can’t own anything, not exactly.  But Vik does give me a discretionary fund for my own use, in maintaining the ship, and I have full access to the data net for free since I guess I’m part of it.  There are enough funds there to decorate my quarters, or use the leftovers for what I want.  I think what you really want to know, is if I’m a slave?”

I nodded, “The thought occurred to me, yes.”

She said, “In a way I suppose I am, but I’m not like you, not exactly.  I have a purpose and place, and am content in it.”

I frowned, “Mostly content, since you can’t go outside the ship.”

She sighed, “Yes, but you can’t go back to Earth either, not without the credits to make it happen.  In a way, everyone is a slave to the economy.  I don’t… feel fettered.”

“I’m not sure if I even want to go back anymore.  At least, I have several things I want to accomplish before I do.  But I take your point, I’m enjoying my new job, the ship, and the company.”

The education I wanted would run me about twenty-five thousand credits.  It’ll take a year and a few months to make that much, if I’m really frugal with my pay to get those four courses, then I need another four or five years of pay to afford my own small scout ship.  After six years, I may never want to go back.  I almost already wanted to stay instead of going home, and that was only after a week.

We were quiet for a few minutes, as we started in on the dinner.

I asked, “I got the impression you were… open to physical intimacy in our friendship?”

She smiled, “Yes, you… see me differently than the others.”

I nodded, “I didn’t realize that at the time, is there some taboo against an Isyth and artificial life form being intimate?”

She shook her head, “Not as such.  Sexuality is very open and there are no taboos about it in Isyth culture.  Friends and lovers are open to sex almost all the time, as a result there was never a need for porn or some of the other things commonly found on Earth.  In other words, Isyth never developed A.I. sex workers, or needed to look elsewhere for relief.”

She paused for a minute, “Point being, most A.I.s are in a robot of some sort, integrated into a ship, or inside a person’s body.  I’m new, an experiment like this ship, the first of my kind.  So less a taboo, than a line that had just never been crossed before from lack of need on both sides.”

“But you’re different, and your body has needs like any other organic body.”

She nodded, “And you have no pre-conceived notions.  I think the men are attracted to this body, but in their minds, I’m an artificial intelligence and servant.  I prefer that they haven’t tried to use me in that way, since by society I could never be the one for them.  But you, we could be true friends, and I find you extremely attractive.”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, or if I was mad on her behalf, since she didn’t seem upset about it at all.  Her being just a servant in their eyes I mean.  And at least, as she said, they weren’t using her like a sex toy, which said something good about them.

I blushed, “So are you.  Stunningly beautiful and devastatingly sexy comes to mind.”

She bit her lip, and the smoldering look in her eyes made me feel breathless.

The intense intimacy of the moment broke as we started to finish our meals, but there was a feeling of molten lava running through my core.  I still wasn’t sure, I’d never been with a woman before, but I knew I wanted to.  Wanted to very much.

Fuck it, no matter how Isyth society saw her, she was without a doubt my friend, and she made me want more.  I ignored the inner voice that called me a wanton slut because I was going to give in, not only with her, but with Telidur in a couple of days.  I wasn’t on Earth, and I could do what I wanted.  As long as no one got hurt, and it was in friendship and pleasure, what was the harm?

“Would you spend the night in my quarters Jill?”

Jillintara smiled, “I’d love to Lori.”

“So, are you a virgin?”

She giggled, “Actually, yes.  But not intact.  I have more than one pleasure device in my cabin, for my own sanity.”

I couldn’t argue with that, I’d bought one too.

We finished the meal, while we occasionally gazed at each other, it felt like foreplay, and I was already moist with anticipation as we got up and left the galley arm in arm…