Claws and Curls

Claws 25 - Jaeger Connections

Alli looked at Mac snoring away to himself and a little tremor of affection rippled through her. Humans were such a cute species. No claws or venom and with such slow reflexes they plodded along ignorant of themselves and the rest on the galaxy. Typical Omnivore, really what’s evolution coming to giving a big brain to just any consumer of Dha; she giggled to herself.

The 6er quarantine didn’t help them of course. Try as they might they were only seeing a quanta of what was actually out there. She trembled with excitement again. What a privilege she and Special had being given this assignment and to be here at this time.

Alli turned to leave and phase changing her Suit she took on the appearance of the cleaner that had been coming to Mac’s house for the last six months. She chatted with the gardener from the same agency she was - Special did look cute in those bib and brace overalls - then turned and walked off to her car across the street.

“How does it look Special?” she thought spoke with him as she accessed all the input from Special’s Nodes.

The display came alive in front of her eyes. A series of pulsing circles with ripples and spikes flickering from each of the Nodes in each circle. Behind that was Specials Sensors now laid wide across the planet and tracking all potential Singularity patterns; and tracking the others trying to do the same. It appeared as rippling pulsing cloud and she had no capability in reading that level of complexity. There before here as a visual symbol lay the thinking of an AI. It was just so beautiful. She sighed and trembled again with the sheer ecstasy of its beauty as she allowed herself a Water-Mind-Hands moment.

Alli flicked images to the Jaeger surveillance. She was in the middle of the plot and all the Jaeger drones and personnel showed as various coloured icons. Jaeger International, the largest private security corporation on the planet and now tasked to observe all potential Singularities. The humans were afraid of things going wrong and were getting ready to kill if need be.

Alli focused in on her personnel drone currently hovering a kilometre above her. Come on my pretty let’s go for a drive, she thought as she pulled out into the morning traffic past Mac’s place. She kept the car below the speed limit and its little electric motors whirred and purred to her in a concert of frequencies humans couldn’t hear.

Alli drove to the Employment agency and left the car there. Walked into the agency and sat for awhile waiting for her consultant. She went with him to one of the standing Consultation work stations and went through the protocols for her employment and rearranging the contract according to the clients upcoming Cruise. Signing out and saying she would take this opportunity to go to Queensland to visit her sick mum, she watched the Consultant reassign Mac’s cleaning till after he had come back from his Cruise.

Alli then they went off to ‘lunch with the girls’ and farewelled the Consultant and the Agency. When she was out of view of people and cameras she phase changed into Alli.

All the drones had drifted off to check on more interesting subjects and she headed to Nicko’s to see how the new folks were fairing and sort out Nicko so he didn’t have a stroke or something.

“Alli! How you do this to me, you steal my heart, now you ruin my life, eh!” Nicko called as she entered. Alli walked over to the girl at the front counter who she had picked to take over from her.

“He’s very harmless and lots of fun,” and she winked to the girl. “Just give him more mouth than he gives you and he’ll remember his place,” and she smiled to the girl. The girl giggled and Alli liked her even more.

“Won’t you Nicko?” “”Yeah, sure Alli only, youse just don't teach her bad manners like you eh!”

“Aw Nicko, I’d never do that to you lover!” Alli turned back to the girl, “and it goes on and on and on; with me girl!” “I reckon me and Mr Nicko will get on fine, thanks Alli;” “Aha, Mr Nick! Now this girl knows how to talk to her boss,” and Nicko came from around the nearest aisle shelves and up to Alli. He looked her straight in the eye and without any accent, “when you get back look me up. I need a new business partner!”

“Thanks Nicko, I’ll think about. Now,” and she turned to the new girl, “how are you coping with my system?” “I must say it’s outa this world Alli. I love the way you’ve added the coding to bring up these sub headings and totals it makes it so much easier.” Nicko stopped walking back to his office and pretended to be checking the shelves but Alli could see the new girl had got his attention. Careful Nicko she might bite, she chuckled as the girl continued.

“I reckon I could set up another sub routine and directly link to the news feeds from the big supermarkets so we can directly check prices and trends there as well!” Alli saw Nicko smile. Alli smiled to herself, that was exactly what she wanted a smart person to observe and so try to impress the new boss with. Alli had added those changes to the software this morning just for the new girl to find and see these opportunities. Nicko would not know what hit him once she got started. New business partner, yep.

Alli gave her a big hug, “yahsoo, Nicko!” “Yasou Alli,” Nicko replied and she walked out of the health food store with another loose end sorted.