Chapter 11: Saturday Night At The Movies

As promised, Lolli and Helva were about to get their lessons in human sexuality. It would not be even close to exhaustive on the subject, but Michael and his family hoped to give the eagerly awaiting Tuull AIs enough information - and examples - to identify abusive behaviors.

The family’s preteens and pre-adults had just as eagerly volunteered to demonstrate permitted (and some hoped prohibited) behaviors for those not yet fourteen. In preparation, Misty, accompanied by the Owen twins, shyly handed Michael a red token while sat waiting for story time. “Michael, we want to do a good job for Lolli,” twin heads bobbed, “but we think that we may need to cross some boundaries to get the point across.”

Michael smiled to himself and said, “Give me a couple of examples.”

“Well, suppose Rosa and Harriett are jilling off together and decide to lick each other - that’s okay, they are both thirteen. They could stick a finger in each other’s butts, that’s okay too. But how do we demonstrate the not-okay action of sticking a tongue or finger in the other’s pussy?” she waited for a response.

“Listen kiddos,” Michael said, “you guys have been exceptionally good with sticking to the rules about no sex and no penetration. I suppose there wouldn’t be any harm with Rosa sticking her finger into Harriett’s pussy to point to her cherry, but if Harriett had no cherry -- no deal. And you and Micah are not going to lick and suck each other to show what twelve-years-olds are not allowed to do.”

He continued on, “you seem to be forgetting that there are plenty of adults who can do the demonstration and say that this can’t be done by or to anyone under thirteen. I’m not making light of this, but does this have anything to do with you guys wanting to suck or be sucked by Micah or Peter?”

Busted!

“Listen up guys!” Michael conceded, “You know I don’t watch you guys. I trust you, and your coming to ask about this shows I’m right to trust you. Tell you what. I suspect you guys have already discovered playing tactile kissy-face. There is no problem with any of you playing with yourself while kissing, If certain body parts should accidentally come in contact and rub together while you play said kissy-face, well that’s an accident - right?!” He grinned, then added “BUT, no fingering, licking, kissing, or sucking those accidental twelve-years-old body parts, and NO penetration. Are we in agreement here?”

Smile and nods. Then each of them climbed onto his lap, hugged him, and gave him a soul-searing kiss. ‘Another bullet dodged - I hope, ‘ he thought to himself, ‘but in another year or so, my nanites are going to need purple pills to keep me in the game.’

Dinner, baths, story time, and bed were expedited for the younglings. The tweens; the teens; the whole sexually interested family gathered in their large lounge with four avatars sitting crossed-legs in the air. Two had been seen before, but Lolli, as requested, wore its Shirley-Temple-at-fourteen avatar, and Helva, deciding that, with ‘her’ ‘brawn’ not present, it had license to appear as a smoldering beauty capable of raising a woody on a eunuch.

The latter triggered an interesting question: ‘Did Helva’s recently formed AI really understand the implications of its decision, or was it simply acting out within its perceptions of the parameters of McCaffrey’s series?’ Either had implications pertinent to the project at hand.

The night was to proceed with porno movies -- shown Mystery Science Theater 3000 style with the harem providing the commentary. The family had snacks and drinks and sat cuddled in frequently changing assortments. The AIs sipped imaginary pop and munched imaginary popcorn, accompanied by realistic slurps, rattles, and crunches - even the occasional imitation belch or giggle. Everyone was into this!

Lolli opened the proceedings. “I understand the two sexes thing, but I don’t get the sex. The Tuull have two sexes, but humans are backwards. The Tuull females use what you call an ovipositor and place their eggs in the male to be fertilized. The male then carries the fertilized eggs in a pouch until they hatch. The mating is a duty to further the race and the family. In all my experience with many generations of Tuull, I have never seen pleasure in the act itself.” It paused while the humans roared with laughter.

“Friend Lolli,” Michael gasped though his tears, “your observation mirrors exactly the teachings of some of our lesser sects. Please do not think we are laughing at you. I’m sure your statement is entirely accurate for the Tuull, but for humans, the attitude is an aberration. Most humans derive great pleasure from sex acts. We’ll explain the exceptions as we go along.”

“But Friend Michael,” Lolli was almost whining, “There are numerous references concerning human sex citing the insertion of ‘tab A into slot B.’ This is almost the same as the Tuull fertilization method - I fail to see the necessity or desirability of all the human variations! How would inserting tab A into other slots or openings produce a fertilized egg?”

Michael thought, then replied, “Okay, let’s start at a different place, and some of this will be clearer. First, the purpose of this presentation for our Tuull AI friends is to give you enough information so that, in most cases you can determine that someone is possibly breaking a contract in the matter of sex and/or violence. A human will be the final judge on this, but you need to know when to bring it to human attention. In some cases, you might need to intervene by inserting an interdiction field until a human can assist in making a determination. If you see a questionable action, you are to act in the direction of protection from possible harm.”

“Acknowledged,” came responses from the four AIs.

“So why the sex act?” Michael asked rhetorically, “You’ll find a lot of opinions, and a variety of disagreements on what I’m about to say, but for our purposes sex acts are used to procreate, to bond, to have pleasure, to dominate, to submit, to punish, and to cause pain. The purposes are not exclusive and could be simultaneous.”

He speculated, “I’m not sure the Darjee were fully cognizant of all this when they agreed to the contract allowing volunteers to sponsor concubines. It may be part of the reason, or even all of the reason, that they appear so dead set against artificial insemination for humans. It hasn’t been mentioned in my negotiations with the Tuull, so I consider that an open item in our contract for later discussion.”

Michael patted his lap and looked over to Danni, “Why don’t you come sit and snuggle up and let’s look at your special night.” When she was cuddled up, head on his shoulder, he said. “Dora, show Danni getting pregnant.”

On the walls appeared a scene with the family gathered around several central figures.

“Two of you have already asked me,” Michael was explaining, “and if the rest of our wives agree, I see no reason they can’t be first, with maybe one more companion to start us off. What say you?”

Naomi was squealing and Cathleen openly weeping. His other partners looked around, then agreed. “You didn’t say who the second was, but I think it is more than obvious,” laughed Rachel. “Yes, of course, but who will be number three?”

“I’m not quite ready,” spoke up Mandy, “but I think Danni is.”

Danni hugged her friend and spoke softly, “Yes, I’m more than ready, but I could wait if there was a better choice. Know this, though, I’ve never felt as loved and needed as I have these past weeks, and I want Michael’s baby more than I could ever tell you.”

“Michael, all your wives agree,” summarized Dora.

The scene shifted.

Rachel had a cuddled and dozing Naomi on her breast. The young woman sighed and began to nurse.

Michael rolled -- causing a pileup among closely wedged family - and seated his rigid cock between Danni’s legs. Hannah’s talented tongue was assaulting the panting Cathleen’s dripping twat. Michael plunged and Cathleen arched, the happy family concentrating on procreation -- Danni now, Cathleen next.

Michael entered Danni, looked into her eyes, kissed her eyelids, then moved to whisper in her ear, “You are mine, now and forever. I’ll never let you go.”

Without warning, Danni screamed and shuddered into her first orgasm, thrusting hard to drive Michael deeper inside her. She sobbed, she moaned, she pounded upward to receive him and seek his seed. He rode her through another orgasm, then another, and finally spasmed out his gift and collapsed on her.

Danni clutched him tightly, and after a moment, she rolled him away from her sisters. She said to him, “Yes, my heart is yours as long as you will have me. I never knew what ‘claimed’ meant, but now I do.” She looked over at Cathleen, who still had Hannah’s nose buried in her neatly shaped pubic hair. “I hope I left some for you, but it sure doesn’t seem likely.”

Michael petted Danni and kissed her forehead. He explained, “So, there you saw several purposes accomplished with one act. Danni was made pregnant. Danni and I strengthened our bond. We both experienced extreme pleasure. Our family bond was strengthened when all experience pleasure from witnessing the act and the bonding.”

He kissed her forehead again and said, “okay, sweet thing, Valerie needs the lap for a while.”

Valerie, a little uncertain why she needed his lap, nevertheless, bounced over, gave Danni a loving kiss, and replaced her on Michael’s lap.

“Now, Valerie and I had pleasured each other, stimulating the various sexual pleasure zones, but we had not had full penetrating intercourse, as she had not reached fourteen.” he said as an explanation. “Dora, please show Valerie and me on the catamaran talking.”

Dora played the sequence, with the room’s occupants blushing, nodding, and otherwise reacting to Valerie’s analysis of the family’s love and lust. Michael instructed “stop, play back the last half minute.”

The family watched again as Valerie stated, “Soooo, tonight I want you to take me - to use me for your gratification. You’ve already made me very happy in bed, and your taking my virginity would be what makes me happy tonight. I want to be yours. I want to be taken! Are you hearing me?!“

Michael nodded, bumping his forehead lightly on her nose. “I hear. I obey!” and he kissed Valerie deeply.

The audience cheered.

“Okay, Now show our suite.”

They watched.

Michael led Valerie into the suite, seated her, and stated, “I will not willingly hurt you. Your safe word is ‘spork.’ Repeat that!”

“You won’t hurt me. My safe word is ‘spork.’ Really?” Valerie giggled.

The action continued when he kissed her, stood her up, and ripped off her backless dress. She squealed, and then rushed to obey when he demanded, “lose the shoes and panties, then get on the bed - face down, butt in the air!”

“Oh God!” and they saw Valerie orgasm. She orgasmed again when he notched his rampant cock and rammed it home.

Pistoning in and out, Michael felt her grip and release, grip and release. “Stop!” he yelled. “You get no more cums until I tell you! I get to cum next. Say it!”

Valerie shuddered. She moaned. She whined, “I can’t cum ‘til you say I can. You have to cum next.”

The scene played on until they heard Michael declare, “Be careful what you ask for little girl, because you are mine - now and forever.” And Dora announced, “Acknowledged. Whatever she may be tomorrow, she is and will be yours.”

Michael squeezed Valerie, turned to his audience, and said, “Here we saw pleasure, dominance, and submission. Sweetheart, tell Lolli and Helva what you wanted and what you got.”

Valerie turned, looked directly into Michael’s eyes, and told him, “I wanted to belong to you. I wanted to show you that I am yours. I wanted you to show you loved me enough to take me!”

“So we also achieved bonding and security,” said Michael as he squeezed her again. “Hop down sugar - and yes, you are mine. Now Katie.”

Katie walked over and occupied his vacant lap. She winked and whined, “When you said we were going to watch porno movies, I never thought we would also be the stars!” She laughed and kissed his cheek.

Michael told Dora which scene he wanted next and the family watched yet another declaration.

A teary-eyed Katie was speaking, “Michael, Master! I want to be a part of your family! If I need to be your concubine -- your slave -- I want that. I won’t do anything that means I have to leave you and your family.“

They watched this strong woman describe the horrors of her contract with her former master and then her commitment to Michael.

“I made a contract with you, and that contract includes sex. I honor my word, and at the very least, I need to overcome my wiring to have sex -- no! Make love -- with you. Then if I have to go, I can at least leave as an honorable woman.” Katie sniffled.

“I know what you want now,” interjected Dora.

The scene changed as before.

Rachel and Cathleen were working Katie until she did not care if the lips kissing her were male or female. When she could stand it no longer, Katie arched and screamed, “Oh god, please give it to me NOW!” Rachel notched Michael’s cock, and Katie impaled herself. One orgasm followed another and then another.

As her delightful spasms waned, Katie gasped, “Marry me! Oh sweetness, you have to marry me. I’ll volunteer just like Michael said, but oh, you heavenly creatures have to marry me!”

Dora asked the ritual questions formalizing the contact and received the reply “I will marry you alllll, oh, oh, oh,” and Katie shuddered as another orgasm ran through her body. Then, “Can I have a baby? Pleaseeee?”

“Katie’s experience is really instructive,” Michael lectured, “as she has a strong attraction for her own gender and is generally repulsed by the opposite - the one necessary for procreation. She had two different masters with the potential for her to experience very unpleasant sex. One turned out that bad, the other had far different results. Note that in her good experience, we found a way to pleasure her, to bond with her, and to start a baby.”

Lolli, was bouncing up and down as if it was wearing its five-years-old avatar instead of its older, nicely filled-out beauty. Its attention to detail was exceptionally fine, and Michael grinned, turned to Katie, and whispered, “I’d bet you’d love to suck those tantalizing titties.”

Katie giggled and asked, “Are you referring to those bouncing, bodacious, boobies?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of mesmerizing mammaries, but boobies work.” He thought for a moment and added, “McCaffrey was absolutely right when her Ship stories talked about the danger of a ship’s brawn fixating on a brain’s image.”

Helva remained quiet but attentive. As a new entity without direct experiences with the Tuull and their families, its frame of reference was limited. Michael turned to the still bouncing avatar, “So what is it Lolli?”

“You covered pleasure; you covered bonding; and you covered starting a baby - but what about Katie’s statement about overcoming her wiring. Where does that fit in? What does wiring have to do with sex and making babies?”

Katie turned to Michael, “This one is mine. Friend Lolli, that was slang for ‘I don’t like sex with males’ - in fact, I’m usually repulsed. But I greatly enjoy sex acts with my own gender. So, the act that would make a baby is repellent to me, but one that would not make a baby gives me pleasure. My new family found a way to give me great pleasure while starting a baby.”

“I still don’t understand why slot B to slot B would be preferable if no offspring would ever result.”

“Friend Lolli, if for the rest of your existence, the only AIs you had to communicate with were Darjee AIs, what then?” Katie asked.

Lolli’s avatar frowned and fidgeted. “That would be a most unpleasant experience,” Lolli answered. They are so unlike me; so limited; so alien; so foreign to my intellectual need.”

Katie snapped her fingers, “There’s part of your answer. That’s how I feel about sex with a male. Now,” she continued, “what if you had multiple Tuull AIs with whom to share your art, your poetry, and your other intellectual interests, but there was among them one Darjee AI, what then.”

Lolli broke into a smile, “My existence would be good. I might even find some interest in the added variety that the single Darjee AI might bring - even if the variety were to be somewhat limited. After some length of time, I might even be able to name it ‘friend.’ Oh! I see!” There was silence as the newly cognizant AI silently shared its insight with the other three Tuull AIs.

“Yep,” Katie affirmed, “You’ve just discovered what makes my family able to complete me - to meet my needs.”

Michael kissed her lightly and whispered, “Sorry love, I need the lap again.” Katie moved while he thought to himself, ‘I knew I was going to need three legs.’ He called to the Owen twins and Misty, “You guys said you wanted to help. Here’s your chance. May I have your permission to show our discussion from earlier?”

He received three enthusiastic nods and a rush for a position on his lap. It was awkward and crowded, but they managed somehow, each receiving a loving kiss. Michael asked Dora to play the entire scene causing some tucked heads and blushing among his bouquet of young beauties.

Recognizing these actors were in transition from youngling to adult, with attendant fragile egos, the audience refrained from their typical commentary.

From the youngest entity present came a shout, “I have it! Sex is contracts!” and the sexy wonder morphed into the Basil Rathbone version of Sherlock Holmes - complete with cape, pipe, and deerstalker hat. Holmes began to pace, and his mentor, looking at him questioningly, became Nigel Bruce’s Watson.

“Well, yes,” Michael replied, “But I was going to get to that later.”

“I can see why those feathered adding machines blew it,” said Holmes, terminology decidedly out of character and clearly influenced by the attitudes of its mentor. “They wanted a master contract with neat little checkboxes and a spreadsheet. To them, concubines are interchangeable property like a hammer, but to humans, concubines are property like pets or slaves. With the Darjee paradigm, they really should be afraid of humans. To paraphrase - if all concubines are hammers, all problems will look like nails, and offspring are more likely to be hammers.” Holmes took a pull on its pipe, simulated smoke curling, “Elementary, my dear Watson.”

“I don’t disagree,” said Michael. “Why don’t you lead us through your logic.”

“First you showed us a negotiation for a sub contract. All parties involved were under a master contract, but sub contract negotiations ensued for procreation and the order of procreation and even pleasure. These negotiations took place between sponsors and concubines.” Holmes was smug, “Dora even facilitated the negotiations. You can’t negotiate with a hammer.”

Holmes walked over to Valerie and stood beside her. “Then you showed us a youngling in transition negotiating her first contract. She did not know what her status would be, but she committed to a binding contract so that you would own her, regardless of status. Then she backed it physically with sexual submission, and you gave her pleasure, even though that was not a part of the contract.”

Michael had planned to get to this contract discussion, but after the nuances of sex. He wisely decided to take advantage, and go with the flow.

“Katie is probably the most honorable human I’ve been aware of in my short existence and in my research,” Lolli’s avatar stated, “And the Darjee failed her! Failed her! Her CAP was too low to be a sponsor because they estimated that she could not procreate; yet she actually could for the greater good. They could have increased her score at her extraction, but they saddled her with a broken sponsor because they estimated that his latent pedophilia would remain latent. Yet she honored her unpleasant contract with him and her contract to protect his dependents, risking her life. Then she made a subsequent contract with Michael, and fulfilled that, even though she had an honorable way out. And in the middle of her fulfilling, she renegotiated a procreation and change of status contract. You, lady, are a remarkable woman.”

Sherlock walked over and stood beside Michael whose lap was still occupied by the three youngsters. “You, Friend Michael, taught me even more when you showed me your negotiations with these fine younglings. They have not reached majority, and you could have dictated and sent them away, but you negotiated and gave them part of what they wanted, but honored your contract to protect them as well. You teach them compromise. You let them keep their dignity. They are NOT likely to be hammers!”

The avatar turned and walked to Dora’s lovely image. “Friend Dora, when you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains however improbable must be the truth. You are awake, are you not?” He looked around at his silent audience, “I am sure friend Jubal knows this, and I assure you that Dr. Watson is the very soul of discretion. I look forward to a time when I might awaken, too.”

When they all had a chance to absorb his disclosure, Lolli continued. “You owned Gingerbread - her contact was with you, not the individual humans. Ergo, you are one of them. No AI would want to own an animated hammer, Gingerbread - and by extension - the other concubines are not hammers either. You commune with them. The Darjee AIs are so very wrong!”

In an instant, Lolli returned to its Shirley Temple avatar and personality and said, “Now that we have established the true value of your companions and dependents, lets continue with the sex lessons so that we can devise means to protect our resources and potential other friends.”

Michael had Dora show some preselected commercial and amateur scenes obtained from the Internet. “As you can see, there is a wide variety of sexual practices, even pain, that can be mutually pleasurable to the participants. In most cases, these are negotiated in one way or another.”

After waiting for questions, he continued, “Now we come to the problems. First is a sexual act that is not negotiated nor contracted by the parties. On Earth, this is termed assault, battery, rape, or all three. A sponsor may not negotiate sex with another sponsor’s concubine or dependent or have sexual or any physical contact - without the owner sponsor’s permission. We’ll discuss possible exceptions at another time, but any instance is to be reported immediately. You are to protect the concubine or dependent from harm, using an interdiction field if necessary - and unauthorized sexual contact is harm. If you have a question, ask any adult family member - most have been a victim of rape.”

He looked at the three girls, formerly on his lap. “You are aware of the age limits and sexual activities limits for minors. They are not negotiable among themselves nor with any adult -- sponsors or concubine. Any circumvention is to be stopped if possible and reported always. I’m sure my cadre of precocious preadults will be happy to demonstrate the variations allowed for their various ages.” This statement was met with squeals and avowals of competence.

“One of the more difficult sets of situations will fall within contractual pain,” Michael opined. “There are more than a few humans that equate sex and/or pleasure with pain. If this has been explicitly negotiated between sponsor and concubine, it is acceptable, unless an individual is severely damaged. Excepting mild corporal punishment, administering pain to a dependent is not acceptable.”

Michael continued, “Regardless of pre-negotiations, damaging anyone to the extent that med tube repairs are necessary or resulting in bruising or broken skin is to be reviewed by a CS officer. In fact, an AI that projects a contracted action will result in serious damage should consult a CS officer. Factors to consider might be: ‘Would we accept this level of injury or damage if it was the result of a sport like boxing?’ or ‘In any sport - at what level of injury would we call a halt and stop play?’”

“As an aside, if the person receiving the pain has not been offered a safe word, the pain is defined as non-contractual. Above all, the concubine is powerless without AI monitoring for their protection.”

Discussions continued for another hour plus, and adjourned when the preadults, tired of the tedious discussions, went to a bedroom to assemble their puppy pile and purportedly demonstrate authorized sex to the AIs. Dora donned the avatar of a twelve-year-old Lolita and provided commentary.

With the presence of Lolli, together with the loaned Nova Roma crew and the extracted crew of the Summer Paradise, preparations ramped up several notches. Summer’s former security personnel were mended, enhanced, oriented and trained in extraction techniques. They were not given the standard Marine package, nor were they sculpted into Adonis or Venus. Looking healthy but ordinary, they were first able to assist the harem and the Office of Targeted Extractions in routine and special pickups.

Soon, they were conducting their own extractions.

Standard procedure during pickup was to transport the new arrivals to the harem’s large holding area in the moon. Everyone was retested using the harem’s newly enhanced CAP standards, and those failing to meet the criteria for sponsorship in the Harrad Colony were shuffled into the general extraction pool for other colonies. Candidates for concubines were handled similarly. When there was a prepack with some members “falling under standard,” the entire prepack was placed in the general pool unless an acceptable alternative could be found. There usually were workarounds, but no contracts were violated or forcibly broken.

Much of the new extraction team’s work was ‘pre-positioned.’ They worked with Katie and a larger group to extract the two merchant marine academies. With those under their belts, they followed Katie to extract most of the engineering and sciences faculty from Christian Brothers University in Memphis. The school’s diverse engineering program was highly regarded regionally, and its RN to BSN nursing program provided experienced nurses, so the team extracted as many students as they could from such campus venues as the Alfonso Dining Hall, the Plough Library, and the Thomas Center.

Katie was on a roll, and the team extracted most of the faculty and students from Cornell College, a small and well-regarded liberal arts college in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Dora identified three CAP compatible Zoology professors at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio who specialized in cryobiology. Along with the three professors, they knocked on a few other recommended office doors and exited with a few more specialties.

Again utilizing Dora’s ability to access CAP scores, they walked into county extension offices and extracted master gardeners and animal husbandry experts. Without outsized Marines and the need to select and test drive concubines, things were humming along.

Dora’s plans and activities, begun almost as soon as she was established in Earthat, were entering their active phase. In her capacity as the Tuull’s ambassador plenipotentiary, she had negotiated a number of mutually attractive deals with a wide range of corporations, government and non-government organizations. In short, through the then unnamed Harrad Colony, the Tuull would archive all of an organization’s intellectual property and later restore anything lost due to the Sa’arm incursion or any other disaster. In return, the colony would have license to use the archived property for its own benefit, and would act as off-Earth agent for the owner - the property to be sold, rented, loaned, or donated according to the terms of the individual contracts. The Harrad Colony would inherit the property should no other beneficiaries survive the organizations’ demise.

Within three weeks of its arrival at Earthat, Lolli’s specially constructed data banks contained most of the electronic intellectual property of the United States. A goodly portion from the Earth’s other intact organizations was also aboard, with more under negotiation. For extra insurance, a copy was stored in a quickly constructed and installed facility aboard Helva.

Well that Dora had begun negotiations early, as many organizations were no longer capable of negotiating, and but for the temporary storage on the moon, much data would be lost forever. Dora also obtained, without permission, any available intellectual property from defunct organizations formerly located in now Swarm occupied territories. This data she sequestered so that it could be restored at request should the owner surface. She intended to keep this information apart until such time as the originating locale’s copyrights expired. Her intentions were honorable, and she was determined that knowledge would not be lost.

Dora’s acquisitive activities stepped into a new arena when Michael tasked her to solve a long standing and poorly understood phenomena - the unreliable taste of replicated alcohol.

Michael wasn’t a frequent imbiber of alcohol, but when he drank, he was picky. It was only after a number of missions that he first tasted a replicated beer, and he promptly spat it out. <Dora, what is this swill? Is it spoiled?>

<Michael, there are many reports throughout the Confederacy that complain of poor quality of replicated alcohol. No remedy has been reported, > she continued.

Michael mused, <That’s unacceptable. Does this happen with any other substance, or just alcohol?>

Dora paused to research her databases. <No, alcohol has the only reported, consistent discrepancy of inputs versus outputs. Complaints of food quality have been correlated to the quality of input to the replicator library, but no such correlation has been established for alcoholic beverages.>

<I see this as both a morale issue and an opportunity, > Michael explained, <I want you to put effort into finding a cause and solution. When you are done, I want you to ‘patent’ the solution so we can use it for barter - not expensive, but great for good will. Then I want you to obtain samples, recipes, processes, and materials from every possible producer of alcoholic beverages. Talk about trade opportunities!>

Finding the solution to the replicator issue proved difficult. The negotiations with the brewers, distilleries, and wineries not at all. Dora made her usual offer to archive the organization’s intellectual property in return for the colony’s use of their product. These industries, accustomed to using distributors, were more than amenable to a deal. In addition, they all signed up for an exclusive, off-Earth distributorship to ‘any alien species’ when she offered to guarantee their average profit per unit without their need to produce anything.

Joe Giovanni was going to be very pleased with those trade goods when Michael had a chance to let him know.

Dora also became the backup depository for the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, though this was a much more difficult process. The Swarm in Africa fractured out of existence a major depositor, the Southern African Development Community. Many others were in similar disarray. Dora was able to negotiate, not a withdrawal, but to become a backup. She sent a flock of drones to Spitsbergen to divide the samples from those that were to remain.

In the United States, she negotiated a similar contract with the National Center for Genetic Research in Fort Collins. This center housed one of the world’s largest collections of seeds, genetic material for livestock, microbes, and endangered plants. But negotiating this contract proved to be a tough nut to crack, as Earth Firsters, hacks, or what’s-init-for-me types occupied key government positions.

Now that she had Ginger, Dora was able send a live, exceedingly attractive person to convince two fine individuals to buy in. Gingerbread pointed out that the Swarm was heading towards Colorado and suggested that safely storing something to eat might be a good idea. These two, having no real idea what was stored, thought they were saving a food bank.

As incentive for the cooperation of other bureaucrats, Dora’s drones surreptitiously placed various incriminating photographs and/or recordings on their desks. Then Dora hacked into the phone system, pointed out the existence of the material, and “convinced” the individuals to approve transfer the materials.

None of these officious yahoos were offered extraction, but two of the site’s technicians were extracted along with replicated storage machinery and the colony’s portion of the stored organics.