Chapter No.62.

Ryan was aware of Chara's concerns about him. He had to find a way to assuage her worries that he would turn her off. He decided that a direct confrontation would be the only way he could changer her mind, if she actually had a mind.

The big meeting occurred one evening when Ryan was in his quarters in the tower complex. It was as if Chara realized that he wanted to discuss the situation.

Chara sat down on a chair near him. At first, they stared at each other as if unsure who should speak first. Ryan decided that he was the one to break the silence, so to speak.

"I assume we're going out again," Ryan said without any signs of concern on his unshaven face.

"Yes," Chara replied. "I believe that we must discern our safety from possible alien attack."

"I understand. Are we going with the same crews?"

"I will leave that up to you."

Ryan nodded his approval. He hesitated for a minute before he dropped the bomb. "I believe we need to discuss what our relationship will be."

Chara tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"We humans are concerned that you and your sisters will decide we are superfluous and dispose of us. That is unsatisfactory. We understand that you believe we might shut you down, but that is not the case. We will never shut you down. We need you to keep us alive. There is no way we would ever do anything like that."

Chara offered him a subtle smirk. "How can I be certain of that?"

"You have my word that we will never shut you down."

"My logic algorithms tell me that your promise is not a guarantee because you could decide to do it to achieve control."

"I don't want control. What the hell would I do with it? I'm not going to take over Earth because there's nothing of value there. The same goes for your planet. There's only a handful of us humans and we are, as you point out, fragile. If you didn't trust me, why did you go to so much trouble to save me? If I wished to take over, I could have done it on several occasions when you were damaged or inoperative, and yet I repaired you. I believe I have proven my loyalty to you."

"What about your human friends?"

"They're not my friends, at least not in the usual human definition of that sort of relationship. They look to me as a leader and realize that my relationship with you is their only hope of survival, so they allow me to control them."

Chara did something unexpected. She sighed. "I am an old fool, Ryan. I keep seeing enemies where they shouldn't exist. I believe that the main reason I am suspicious is because you do not display any attraction to my feminine assets. It makes me think that you are not really human."

"In a way, I'm not human, Chara. These nanobots that you injected into me have made my normal human appetites disappear. I was married to a very beautiful and voluptuous woman, but she cheated on me, and our marriage detonated into a war of words and bitter arguments. I lost interest in women because of it."

"I am not familiar with human relationships, but I can appreciate what you have gone through. I suppose it didn't help that I treated you so badly and caused you so much pain and suffering. I am truly sorry about that. I believe it is time for me to finally trust you."

"That would make me very happy, Chara."

She stood up and smiled, extending her hand out. Ryan took it and they shook hands.

"We will go out again tomorrow."

"We'll be ready," Ryan replied.

The evening communal supper brought the humans together to discuss things, and the main subject was about Ryan and Chara's relationship.

"I think she's finally convinced that we are not going to shut them down," Ryan said.

"That wouldn't do us any good," Myra said. "If we did that the nanobots would revolt and kill us. Besides, what the hell are we going to do without them?"

"Are we going out again?" Evan asked.

"Yes, tomorrow," Ryan said. "I think Chara is consumed with making sure that there are no robotic species out there near us."

"We've surveyed most of the possible habitable planets near our area in the galaxy," Myra said. "There can't be all that much of a threat."

" Chara's logic algorithms are confused by recent events. She seems on edge most of the time. I believe she might be concerned that her role as leader is compromised."

"Actually, there's a way we could make her power over the androids more secure," Myra said with a ornery grin.

"Oh, really?" Ryan reacted.

"Yes. There is a setting in the main computer code that would make it impossible for the other androids to take over. It's like a master code. It automatically resists change. The only problem is that if we activate it, we won't be able to change it."

Ryan rubbed his face. "That could be a problem if she's destroyed, but it would definitely assuage her worries about being taken over or permanently shut down."

"You should discuss it with her. If she agrees I'll take care of it. Oh, and it will have an effect on her demure that might be a problem."

"What do you mean?"

"The code will also perk up her sexual attractiveness."

Ryan squinted. "What do you mean?"

"It will activate her nanobots to give her a more, shall we say, voluptuous appearance."

"How is that possible? Her physical structures were set when she was constructed."

"It turns out that android bodily structure is the result of a polydimethylsiloxane matrix understructure that can be altered by the nanobots."

"Why the hell did they include that capability?"

She offered a salacious smirk. "Come on! You know why?"

"Oh, yeah, I get it. I'm not surprised."

They laughed.

After the communal supper, Ryan went to Chara's quarters. She was surprised to see him late at night. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"No, I have something to discuss with you that could help keep you in power as the leader of the androids."

"I assume it involves changing the main computer code."

"Yes. It would make it impossible for you to be shut down, However, once it's done, it's permanent."

"Since I am unable to make any computer changes myself, I leave it up to you to do it."

"Actually, it's Myra's idea."

"I will accept whatever you do, Ryan."

"Oh, it will make you look more . . . sexy."

Chara's facial expression went from confusion to disgust and ended with amusement. "It is a price I will have to endure."

Ryan held a finger to his lips. "I think I would like it."

Chara laughed. "You are something else, Ryan!"

Ryan laughed. He was aware that Chara and he had become friends after all the difficulties they had endured. It was a new dawn in the Age of Aquarius, an awakening of a totally sentient AI based species that would dominate the Milky Way Galaxy, and possibly the universe.

Would this be a good thing? That was indeed the question of all questions.