Aneka Jansen 6: The Lowest Depths of Shame Read Free Page A

the nearby systems.’
    ‘They expect it to be up and running early next year,’ Drake told them. ‘And then we’ll be able to hop from here to New Earth in a day. Most of that will be getting to the tap system.’
    ‘Well that settles my last worry,’ Ella put in. ‘I thought I’d hardly ever see my mother.’
    ‘And Aggy?’ Aneka asked.
    ‘They finished installing her into the new computer system last week. Abraham and Cassandra have been helping her adjust. She seems quite happy, but she did want to see you.’
    ~~~
    ‘Aggy?’ There had been no sign of the golden-skinned avatar Aggy generally used to make appearances, but Drake had directed them to one of the cabins in the forward section where he said she would be waiting. So far, however, there was no sign of her.
    The ship was definitely a step up from the Garnet Hyde. There were ten cabins as well as a complement of twenty stasis pods. However, these cabins came with facilities to generate as much resource as was required to keep the crew going indefinitely so the pods were there for extra staff or to stave off boredom on exceptionally long trips. And the habitation area had a couple of lounges and a kitchen in which food could be prepared. No one was slumming it on this ship.
    The cabin they had been directed to was like all the others: a large bed, two desks, en-suite bathroom with a shower large enough for three people, and a couple of built-in wardrobes. The walls were video-capable, but currently dark.
    At least they were dark until a section of wall lit up as though a door had opened in it, and there was Aggy, smiling at them from the surface of the wall.
    ‘Good morning, Aneka,’ Aggy said. ‘Welcome to the Amethyst Hyde. What do you think of my new home?’
    ‘We’ve hardly seen any of it,’ Aneka replied, smiling back, ‘but…’
    ‘It’s amazing,’ Ella finished for her.
    ‘It really is,’ Aggy said, and then she walked out of the wall and into the room, giggling at their reaction. ‘More or less everywhere is covered by holographic emitters. I can project myself wherever I’m needed without all that business with connecting through to your visual electronics. Plus, you get full tri-D projected entertainment if you want it and I can provide very realistic training simulations.’
    ‘You know,’ Ella commented, ‘that’s supposed to be impossible. I know they do it with the display tables, but…’
    ‘This is a rather more extensive use of the technology,’ Aggy acknowledged. ‘The AIs thought it would be useful. The light from the projectors interacts with a low-powered force field. That provides the necessary projection surface.’
    ‘So they could make you solid?’ Aneka asked.
    ‘Technically, but a drone body would be more practical. This has the advantage that I can be in several places at once without worrying over motor function and getting there.’
    ‘Huh. You know you do kind of look… sharper. More detailed. It’s kind of… like you’re more there.’
    ‘My processor systems are significantly more powerful, and the technology I have available to provide this avatar is, ahem, rather more advanced than my old equipment. Would you like the tour?’
    ‘Sure, why not?’
    Aggy beamed. She was clearly rather happy to show off her ‘new equipment.’ It was cute in what had to be an extremely intelligent AI now that her processors had been bumped up several technology levels.
    ‘This is your cabin when you’re aboard. I’ve pre-set to your preferences, both modes, sex and sleeping.’
    ‘Thanks, Aggy, it’s nice to know you thought of us.’
    ‘You and I have been together for over a thousand years, Aneka,’ Aggy replied, ‘even if a lot of that time neither of us were active. It would not be the same without you.’ Her projected image set off across the carpet and Aneka could swear she saw the soft fibres deform as her feet touched them.
    She gave short shrift to the control room embedded deep within