Wanda's Voyage (3 of 3) - At the Museum

The Mammoth-5 transport ship had finally delivered its passengers. Before it would take another eight hundred Einherjar to Vandergast for military training, half of the concubine crew members got the opportunity for a short visit on Earth. Most of them had requests from their owners to fulfill, like buying a case of beer or a few bottles of wine. Hector had the opportunity to pay his dues to Wanda. Normally unassigned concubines weren't allowed to visit the surface on their own. However, after the successful mission against the Earth First bunker where Wanda was involved, the captain made an exception.

So Hector got some decent clothing and a small urban backpack from the replicator. The backpack was for Wanda, so she could be carried in a side bag with the opportunity to look around and enjoy the tour. A thirty centimeter doll walking or even worse flying would have caused too much attention.

Hector had lived in New York for a while. He thought the Museum of Modern Art was a great place to show Wanda. They only got four hours, so they used a transporter nexus at the nearest CAP testing center.

Wanda was impressed by the sheer size of the buildings of Manhattan and the large number of people walking the streets. The museum was a revelation for Wanda. All those pieces of art were made by humans, expressing their personal view on things. Several of the exhibits were just weird for her, but there were a lot of pictures and sculptures that touched something in her mind. Wanda decided that she liked the pictures of Salvatore Dali and Vincent van Gogh most, followed by Andy Warhol, Edward Hopper and Magritte.

Hector and Wanda were already near the exit then they noticed the big number of teenaged women around. There were obviously several girl's school classes visiting the museum.

"Do you think what I think will happen shortly?" Hector mumbled.

"I don't know what you think, but this would be a great opportunity to collect a lot of concubines. The place is safe since there are metal detectors at the entrance. Let's go before we are caught in an extraction. We don't have that much time left," Wanda replied.

"You are right. Let's go."

They didn't make it. When they reached the exit a big Marine in decent clothing was already politely asking several people to stay a little longer. Then the interdiction field went up.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Lieutenant Mike Lamo and the museum is currently the location of a Confederacy extraction. We don't want to harm the pieces of art, so we'll try to concentrate the activities on the entrance area. Would you all please come to the foyer so we can get started?" The voice of the officer in charge could be heard everywhere in the museum over the museum's speaker system.

Hector approached the Marine at the exit. "Sorry sir, do you already have set up a teleporter disc? I need to leave within thirty minutes..." Hector started to talk.

"Sorry boy, it takes as long as it takes," the Marine answered. "Nobody leaves the interdiction field until the extraction is over."

"You don't understand." Hector showed his Confederacy ID card. "I'm already a concubine and I have a job."

The Marine looked at the card and nodded. "Yeah, sure, I see. Go over there to Sergeant Zimmerman. He's responsible for the transporter."

"Thank you sir." Hector went where the Marine had shown him and spotted two Marines setting up a transporter disc. One of them had sergeant's insignia. Hector waited until they were finished before he asked, "Excuse me sir, Sergeant Zimmerman?"

The sergeant took a closer look at Hector. "Yes?"

Hector showed his ID card again. "I am already a concubine, crewman on the Mammoth-5, home colony Vandergast. I need to reach my ship. Can you help me?"

"A concubine?" the sergeant looked at the card without much interest. "Where is your sponsor?"

Hector sighed. "Technically I'm assigned to Tribune Marc Evans Benish. You may say I'm unassigned."

"An unassigned concubine? You'll have to wait until we are finished here," the sergeant snorted. Hector walked away and sat down on a chair at the wall of the foyer.

In the meantime, the lieutenant had explained to all the people what was going on. The extraction was only part of a bigger setting. The main extraction was set up at the Chrysler Building, with several extractions supporting the main extraction with additional concubines. The eight sponsors that had been at the museum took the opportunity for some hot action and selected their concubines from a pool of nearly three hundred females. From time to time the lieutenant asked a group of women to go through the transporter, all naked and ready to be selected by a sponsor at the Chrysler building.

After a while, Wanda asked Hector, "You are aware that we are running out of time?"

"Yes, but what can we do? They are probably filling a kilo or two and the sergeant made clear to me that unassigned concubines are of no importance for him."

"You could ask the lieutenant," Wanda suggested.

"Like hell I will do that. They are not from Vandergast and I am only property to them. As a male, I have the lowest possible value," Hector responded.

Wanda climbed out of the backpack's side bag. "I'll go ask." Wanda started to float at eye-height and approached the lieutenant. Several hands with stingers came up at the unexpected sight. Hector quickly raised his hands. He didn't want to get shot, not even by a stinger.

"Excuse me Lieutenant Lamo, my friend over there and I need to get to the Mammoth-5 transport ship. Please ask the AI. Hector is a concubine and crewman of that ship. We were caught in this extraction by accident. We just need your permission to use the transporter to get to our ship."

The lieutenant had a longer quiet conversation with the AI before he responded, "The AI mentioned that you have no priority. When I asked who you are, I got some very interesting answers. Did you really attack a sponsor?"

Wanda lowered her head, "Yes I did. I tried to rescue my sponsor's concubine from the attacks of another sponsor. I'm sorry for inflicting a wound. I'm not sorry for saving the concubine."

"And that's the reason why you are banned from the AI network? The AI tried to explain to me what you are but I'm a little confused. Are you an AI or not?" the lieutenant asked.

"It depends," Wanda replied. "An AI is both a piece of hardware and a lot of software running on it, forming an artificial intelligence. I am a different set of software, emulating a personality with emotions. This body contains a tiny piece of hardware that isn't able to run a complete AI. I'm not able to control thousands of communication links at the same time or create animated holograms. So I am like an AI but at the same time I am far less than an AI."

"That's very interesting," Lieutenant Lamo said. "I wish I had more time. Unfortunately I haven't." The lieutenant looked at Wanda and Hector and made his decision. "Sergeant, send these two to their ship, the Mammoth-5."

"Yes sir!" Sergeant Zimmerman confirmed.

Hector quickly grasped the backpack and Wanda and hurried for the transporter disc. He could barely say "thank you sir," before he was pushed through the transporter. He arrived in a well known room on board the Mammoth-5. Hector almost fell over another man. The room was busy. The crew had already started to get the Einherjar on board.

The concubine in charge spotted Hector and shouted, "Damn Hector, where have you been? Call the captain immediately. I think he's short before asking the AI to locate you."

Hector quickly called the captain and apologized, "Sorry sir, we were caught in an extraction at the Museum of Modern Art. They didn't let us go at first."

The captain laughed. "Four hours on the ground and you hit a pick-up. That's a damn good excuse."

"Thank you, sir. I'll go to my station immediately," Hector replied.

Wanda had been quiet since Hector had gripped her. Now she asked, "You can let me go again, you know? Your grip almost hurts."

Hector quickly let go of Wanda. "Sorry, I didn't mean it." He hurried to the engine room.

Wanda was flying next to him. "You are a little pale. You were frightened, weren't you?"

Hector stopped. "You are damn right. When the Marines showed up it hit me like a sledge hammer. At home I am in the wonderful position of having something to do and being treated well. But I'm perfectly aware that for others I am only property. Missing my ship and leaving Earth on another is not a good idea. Remaining on Earth and becoming Sa'arm fodder is even worse."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it," Wanda replied to the now badly shaking Hector. She realized that Hector was drifting towards shock. "Hector, lie down on the floor for a minute, okay?" Hector obeyed. "AI, emergency call. Hector is in shock. Send a medic."

<Confirmed.>

'Thank god, it is listening to me this time,' Wanda thought. "Hector, do you feel better? I didn't know that this would be this traumatic to you."

Hector took a deep breath. "Yeah, that's better. You know, while I was sitting there at the museum I had time to imagine my near future in the darkest colors. I've always been like this. Sometimes I wish I would be as strong as a sponsor, I mean mentally, but I'm not. I'm just a coward. I need a safe place to hide. I'm so glad I held out until we were on board again."

"We are at a safe place again, okay? You made it," Wanda confirmed.

Finally the medic arrived. It was Linda, one of Veronica's roommates. Linda helped Hector to recover and then sent him to his quarters. "Today you are dismissed. Go get some sleep. If you can't sleep get a sleeping pill from the replicator. Tomorrow you visit me before you go to work."

"Okay doc," Hector confirmed meekly.

Wanda stayed with him until he reached his quarters. Then she went to Veronica's quarters and changed into her favorite clothing, shorts and a belly free tank top, before she went for her favorite place on the ship, the window at the canteen. She had a lot to think about during their trip home.