"Sir." An aide rushed into Dylan's office and turned on the vid. "Andromeda called and said you'd want to see this."

The vid cleared and showed Seamus Harper and Rommie standing at the podium in the press room of Glorious Labs. "It's that simple." Harper was saying.

There was a rush of talk then one reporter edged out the others. "The Droid belongs to Turner. He does have the papers and has filed suit."

"Suit?" Dylan frowned.

"Play it back from the beginning." Tyr ordered.

The aide complied.

"This is Trevor Townsend, for Courier News Service, reporting from Bear, primary satellite of the Kodiak home world, and home and work place of Seamus Harper, best known as the engineer for the Andromeda Ascendant, the first flag ship of the Restored Commonwealth. Mr. Harper has recently come under investigation by Tullumbet Authorities in connection with the apparent theft of a droid sent to the Lab for specialty refit and will be coming out any moment to make a statement.

"Mr. Harper, head of Glorious Labs, named for the Glorious Heritage class a war ship, is the premier engineer in the Commonwealth for repair and refit of droids. Mr. Harper still visits the Andromeda and consults on the designs and programs of the Light and Knowledge class cruisers now under construction by the Commonwealth."

There was a buzz and the camera panned to show Harper and Rommie entering the room and approaching the podium.

"Mr.. Harper is accompanied by Rommie, the first droid he ever built. She is the Avatar for the Andromeda Ascendant. It would appear that Mr. Harper has the backing of Triumvir Hunt, if not the Commonwealth."

Harper cleared his throat. "I'll keep this short. Eleven months ago an Android arrived and requested refit. She had all the proper papers. Papers that stated that she had successfully paid off an indentured period and was free and independent. The papers were authenticated and I made a preliminary examination." Harper sighed. "My examination showed an overlay program on her personality. That is-someone had programmed her to request the refit she said she wanted.

"When that program was lifted she became confused, not knowing where she was or why. Think of it as traumatic amnesia. With what information she could provide we were able to track down her ... previous owner." He couldn't suppress he disgust.

"That would be Albert Turner from Tullumbet. The Android in question then experienced a shut down, she internalized for over a week before she would accept the VR we provided. A number of Androids attempted to interact with her but she refused all attempts for over a month. In computer time this is a very long time.

"When she finally let me look at her matrix I found a dozen messy programs and three partially deleted ones, all over lapping and eroding her basic program. After some explaining she let me begin cleaning up the mess. I erased a total of nine programs completely and splintered five more. She eventually opted to reintegrate three of the remainder and erase the other two, which I did.

"I spoke with all the Androids I have worked with in the past that had suffered splintering and four of them came to help with A ... this
Android's recovery. They've all been of enormous help in therapy and I can't thank them enough." He looked at Rommie and she smiled and nodded.

"Glorious does have lawyers so as soon as I found the overlay I called them and they've been on this from the beginning. Turner does not own the Android in question, she is free and owes no one. It's that simple."

There was a rush of talk then one report edged out the others. "The droid belongs to Turner. He does have the papers and has filed suit."

"I don't know why." Harper shrugged. "There is no slavery in the Milk Way. For any Android to come here they here to be free or indentured. This Android's papers showed her to be free, this was confirmed on Tullumbet before any of this started."

There was a pause; the reporters had obviously expected more of a feeding frenzy.

"Very good." Tyr nodded at the silence.

"Did you know about this?" Dylan asked.

Tyr shook his head. "I knew he was up to something. Teresa is the lawyer, not me."

"Your wife?"

Tyr chuckled. "Harper and his lab are valuable and profitable, even if he is ... frivolous about his droids."

A reporter at the far side of the room stood. "Cam Vertage, Engineering Monthly. A two fold question. First do you have a name for this
Android, aside from the Android in question? And did her base program suffer significant or permanent damage?"

"We tried Jane, like Jane Doe, but she didn't like that. She's got a name, her original name, and likes it fine. She just doesn't want everybody knowing it. As for her base program, I wish I could meet the writer. So much talent, it's beautiful work." He sighed. "Her basic program did suffer damage but the underwriting was intact so we flipped it and rebooted to a shiny new finish. She's fresh."

The engineering reporters nodded while the 'real news' reporters were left in the dust.

"William Coulor, Systems Commonwealth news service."

"Here it comes." Dylan groaned.

"Hi." Harper smiled easily.

Coulor sniffed. "I am curious why Triumvir Hunt would become involved in what is obviously a private sector legal matter?"

Harper frowned. "What's Dylan got to do with anything?"

Tyr snorted.

"That is the Avatar for the Andromeda Ascendant standing beside you." Coulor snided.

"Control your tongue." Tyr warned as if Harper might hear him.

Harper frowned but pulled back as Rommie touched his arm gently then turned to her. "This delectable vision of loveliness is most definitely Andromeda's Avatar, Rommie."

Rommie shook her head at him but smiled indulgently.

"Want to talk to them?" Harper asked.

"Not really."

Harper shrugged and winked then turned back to the reporters. "Next question?"

"You haven't answered mine." Coulor stated.

"I didn't?"

"No."

"What was your question?"

Dylan groaned. "I remember this, it nearly got him killed."

Tyr laughed. "That beta never had a chance."

"Why is Triumvir Hunt involving himself in the private sector?"

"He isn't." Harper shrugged. "Next question?"

"Why would the Avatar for the Andromeda Ascendant be here if not to represent Hunt?"

"There are other people here." Harper shot back. "When everybody has had their turn then you can ask another question."

"You are avoiding the issue."

"And you don't play nice with others. Sit down or you'll go to the principal's office. Next question, please."

"David Peters, Mobius Daily. I am not an engineer so could you explain something?"

"If I can. What's up?"

"It is my understanding that all programs added to AIs influence the final personality of said AI. Isn't erasing programs, erasing personality?"

Harper nodded. "To some degree programs do influence personality. But the base or core program is the basis of the personality. In organics, if I have it right, the core of their personality is formed in childhood then refined with age and experience. The same can be said for AIs. In most cases the program being added is integrated into the core personality. Some times the program isn't meant to be or can't be integrated. And sometime," He hardened. "The job is botched or the data is written badly, it's ..."

Rommie caught his arm. "Don't preach." She hissed.

"I'm not. I'm not." He rushed. "Okay, I was going to. Sorry." He blushed. "I, ah, sorry. I promised I wouldn't preach about AI rights and I'm not going to. Sorry about that." He cleared his throat. "Did I answer your question?"

"I think so but I don't understand how you can erase programs from 'the Android in question' and not alter her personality."

"Oh." Harper smiled and leaned on the podium. "Her core program was, is a real beautiful piece of work. A good programmer will install the core twice, the first time it will be ingrained, imprinted, so it's near impossible to erase it completely. Then a second copy is installed, this is what the AI will work from day to day. The other programs were sloppy work. Sometimes you can't just erase a program but in this case I could. Think of it as ... a piece of the Empress's fine crystal wrapped in layers of cloth and glue. You can't just cut through, you might cut the glass, so you peel it back. In this case a few bits of glue seeped through the paper but I was able to reboot her core from the underwriting."

The reporter nodded slowly then smiled. "I see."

Harper smiled broadly then nodded. "Next question?"

"Andrew Lewis, INS. My question is directed to Rommie."

Harper grinned. "To be honest, Rommie only here to keep me from pissing people off. No preaching."

There was a round of chuckles.

Lewis thought for a moment then nodded. "Then Rommie's presence is not to represent Triumvir Hunt or the Commonwealth?"

"Nah. Rommie ... " He looked to her. "How much?"

"It's all right." She nodded and stepped forward.

Harper gave her the podium.

"As Harper stated earlier, he called all the AIs that had suffered splintering to ask for advice and help. I was one of those called. I suffered a splinter not long after I was rescued from the black hole. I was able to integrate the splinter back into my core personality but Harper knows how traumatic it was to suffer though and to recover from. I was lucky, some AIs aren't, so when Harper called me I requested personal leave and came to help.

"I am not representing anyone but myself and my mother program, Andromeda. Thank you." She nodded and stepped back.

"Love ya, Babe." Harper kissed her cheek then returned to the podium. "Next question?"

"Are there risks of splinters in any of the other old ships?" A Nietzschean reporter stood.

"Tact if you please." Harper frowned. "Never call a lady old when she still has effective claws. But to answer your question. When the Commonwealth ships were liberated from Tartarus I checked them over. There were a couple of locked splinters but we reintegrated them safely. The ships are stable. Next question."

"Jeffery Polis. Humanity Quarterly."

Harper's groan was picked up by the mic but he pressed out a smile.

"Being a kludge, what are your views on the rumors coming out of Sabre space?"

Harper sighed. "I think that rumors are rumors. Next quest..."

"And I think you are a spineless kludge fuck toy for a Nietzschean Beta."

The Nietzschean stood and the reporters around Polis rushed to get out of the way.

"Listen, Jack." Harper warned.

"Jeffery Polis."

"Whatever." Harper waved the name away. "I am not going to get into pride politics with you. I'm from Earth, there isn't anything you can tell me about the Nietzschean boot. I lived under the Dragan boot, I have the scars. You want to compare beatings, hunting parties, rapes, round-ups, the dead? Sure, we could do that. You want to paint a target on my ass? I don't think so.

"Do I have opinions on what I'm hearing? Yes! Do I discuss what I'm hearing with people I trust? Yes. Do I trust you? Hell NO!

"I am a kludge, totally unmodified. I wouldn't last a minute in a knife fight against Ramses and he's only twelve. I couldn't calculate the
odds of surviving him." He motioned to the Nietzschean reporter. "But at least I don't need a brain transplant. And another thing, I don't do betas, you freakin' idi ..."

"Enough!" Tyr's first wife snapped as she made her presence known.

"Upwards of eleven million to one." Rommie estimated as Catherine crossed her arms at the edge of the podium area.

"What?!" Harper stared at Rommie. "Oh, come on. I've got to have better odds then that. I survived Dragans. I ..."

"You were lucky."

"I survived the Magog, three times! I was infested once!"

"That was twenty years ago."

"Heah." Harper was insulted.

"Knife or skin?" Rommie sighed.

"Skin. He'd have to catch me first."

"Seven million." Rommie calculated. "It wouldn't take much to panic them and they'd get in the way."

"Clear the room."

"Four million. The room isn't big enough for ..."

"I could hide behind Catherine." Harper grinned triumphantly.

Rommie laughed. "We'd win."

"If you two are finished." Catherine glowered, it scared the reporters but not Harper; it was the one she used with the children. "You, Genite, get out."

"How do you feel about your husband fucking a kludge?" Polis asked.

She eyed him then made a subtle head movement and a guard grabbed Polis's arm. "I have to question his fitness to breed." She sighed then glared at Rommie. "What is wrong with you?"

Rommie shrugged. "I like calculating Harper's odds. I haven't done it in a long time."

"You should stay until Tyr returns. You can calculate decimal and length of what is sure to be an interesting conversation."

"It's not my fault!" Harper rushed. "He started it!"

Dylan couldn't help laughing but sobered and leaned forward. "You okay?"

"I will have to redemonstrate my Alpha status when I get back." Tyr stated blandly then allowed a grin.

"I'm sure you will struggle through it." Dylan nodded then sighed, returning to their earlier conversation. "I wish I was going with you."

"You complain but you make a good politician." Tyr stood. "At least now you know why she left so suddenly."

"Rommie never told me."

"She was in love with you back then."

Dylan nodded then stood and walked Tyr out. "Please convey my respects to your wives."

Tyr nodded. "And mine to yours."

One week later the Jaguar and Naja prides attacked Sabre pride. The next day Beka took her students at the academy and the Andromeda Ascendant for an 'emergency deployment exercise' in orbit of the Kodiak home world. The Sabre fell in two weeks. Three days after the surrender Tyr was home and reestablishing his status with his wives and Harper.

Nooky. Nooky.
 

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