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Fathom's Phantoms Finale

Sigma-Echo closing was an end of an era for Kamrn. Having been a recruited security officer, he was let go after the station was shut down and his contract with DRC was voided when the corporation went bankrupt. He wasn't sent back to regulatory detainment, but his record wasn't cleared either, which meant that his time in security was finished. For a Gorumn that made it his duty in life to help keep the peace, it was a big blow.

He spent the next several months bouncing from star port to star port, earning money doing odd jobs that required a bad attitude and the muscle to back it up. It didn't give him enough credits to make it but he scraped together enough to make due. Of course, working as an unregulated 'body guard' eventually caught up to him, and he found himself in a 'council appointed housing unit' more commonly referred to as jail. It was a low point for him, but it was also a new beginning.

He served his sentence, which wasn't too bad since nobody was interested in messing with him. Electing to be a model prisoner, Kamrn was even released early with merit. He didn't particularly mind that a legal black mark on his record would keep him from holding an official military or police rank; that chance had already long-since passed him by, but something completely different eventually found him; an opportunity he never expected to come his way literally crashed into him an hour after his release.

The advertisement bus had been going slow, but it still sustained a fair amount of damage; Kamrn, other than a few bumps and bruises was just fine. The driver turned out to be a producer for a mixed-racial cast of performers who were recruiting for a three system, twelve planet series of operatic performances. Not only did the man beg for Kamrn's pardon, but it ended up turning into an offer to join the cast.

Kamrn had never before thought of singing in front of anyone but the songs chosen by the producer were not only perfect for him but they were ones he already knew-- most of them by heart. The Gorumn's love of music won out over his discomfort of performing and he signed on. The tour ended up repeating twice, meaning that he was kept on with the cast for over a year. It was time well spent, he decided and, although he came to enjoy performing almost as much as he enjoyed the music itself, the spot in his heart reserved for the love of combat and the value brought to him by protecting people never left it entirely.

Having all but given up any opportunity for being satisfied the Gorumn became listless after the conclusion of the music group's tours. He very nearly followed through with his idea of returning to life as a thug but that's when he received a very strange, very cryptic, and very intriguing transmission: a new company, AETHER Corp was looking for people-- for HIM specifically to work on a newly commissioned exploration vessel.

Kamrn didn't know what to think at first but it took very little convincing for him to sign on when he realized that the contract would allow him to work as part of the company's private security team. He would be assigned the rank of Sergeant and would be stationed aboard the ship as part of its martial detail with the same rights and responsibility of any other member of its security force.

Although he didn't realize it at the time the Gorumn quickly came to understand that he wasn't the only person the corporation sought out by name; many of the other security officers had apparently been plucked right off of the old Sigma-Echo roster. It was all the more gratifying that, in his new position, he outranked several of the men who had given him the most grief back aboard the station. He didn't use that fact to his advantage... too often.

It was a strange change of pace for him and one he readily accepted. The ship was scheduled for a nine month exploratory mission into the Sigma system and apparently AETHER Corp wanted people who had been there before; they weren't content with just winning the auction of rights to the system from the imploding DRC Corporation-- they wanted as many of the original employees as they could get too. Kamrn didn't care about any of that; he was assured in the hiring letter that there would be a place on the corporations security team for him even after the nine month project and in the end that was all he needed to know.

* * * * * *

Life after Sigma-Echo had been a mix of emotions for Kyle LaGriss. On one hand he remembered all of the horrors of the Phantom attack. Then again, the single most spectacular side effect of the Station's failure the 'second time around' (as he and Sherman chose to call it) was that they both found themselves out of a job. One small perk about working for a failing corporation who wanted to stick it to their aggressively hostile investors: Kyle got one hell of a great severance package and even laborers like Sherman got a boost to his final check.

From there the pair spent a lot of time picking up odd jobs that required the brain-and-brawn combination of the duo to help keep Kyle's resume current. The benefit of having sufficient funds to make ends meet meant they weren't always 'just scraping by' and Kyle chose work for them based on the merit; they could afford to take jobs with crummy pay in exchange for good references. That meant that the majority of their jobs were single stints on space freighters or a few months aboard older space stations doing patch work.

Kyle had often planned on eventually finding a nice planet side job but the few-months-here, few-months there nature of their work meant that settled life wasn't in the cards. Far from it: they ended up becoming professional Spacers. Despite the almost nomadic lifestyle Kyle really didn't mind all of the chaos in his career because he had the most important thing in his life with him wherever he went. Sherman said it best. "As long as we're together nothing else matters."

The next several years saw them taking trips all across settled space and often to its edges. Kyle was always professional and accommodating and Sherman was always polite-if-curt but they never really took the time to make friends; they'd lost enough of them... some more than once. The pair ended up working on no less than a dozen different ships... most only for one or two voyages. It was after one such 'single shot' mission that Kyle and Sherman found themselves finally back in the Sol system seated in a bar on Mars... and THAT was when their next job found THEM.

The two were spending some time recovering from a particularly unpleasant job rebuilding a portion of a freighter's engine while it was still in space. As two parts of a five man crew, Kyle had been in charge of the work, Sherman was in charge of getting stuff done, and the other three members of the team were in charge of goofing off. By the time the job came to an end only one other member of the five man team aside from the Human and Bull continued working; the other two were fired. The sad thing was that the three of them got more work done than when there had been five.

Sherman had gone through six beers while Kyle had been nursing his single drink for nearly twenty minutes. Kyle was almost ready to call it a night and return to their apartment for some quality time when his PCD sounded off, announcing a message that had apparently been left for him when he wasn't at a linked-in comm port. Sherman's ears went up once he noticed Kyle checking the correspondence.

Rather than a voice message the entirety of the transmission was little more than an advertisement; what caught Kyle's attention however was that the message was specifically prepared for him and for Sherman. AETHER, a relatively young, privately owned corporation was looking to recruit them. Specifically the two of them. Human and Bull. Just them. The message explained that a shuttle would be departing from Mars and that it would take them directly to Farlight. From there they'd board an Aether exploratory cruiser headed for Sigma.

Apparently a prospective employer thought highly enough of the two to reach out and schedule-- not just an appointment... but a recruitment! Kyle had of course heard stories before of up-and-coming corporations head-hunting the cream of the crop... but, despite their experience, Kyle had no illusions about them being one of those sought-after commodities. He had to admit there were many reasons he could have deleted it as more spam but, then again, all the zeroes in their proposed salary were enough reason not to. Once Sherman agreed that it was at least worth looking into the two set things into motion. It turned out to be the best decision they'd ever made.

The deal was in fact genuine, and AETHER followed through with every one of its promises. The entirety of the crew seemed to be newly employed and most of the hiring stories were almost carbon copy of their own. It was strange to think that nobody aboard the newly commissioned star ship had ever met someone from the AETHER home office and even stranger that the corporation would purchase and outfit an entirely new Capital Class Command Cruiser solely for the purpose of a nine month expedition into the Sigma System.

The first few days out of port ended up being more of a homecoming than an introduction; it seemed that he already knew almost half of his work crew. Placed into life support and agroponics, Kyle was surprised to see that they were joined by the entirety of Jeremiah Fowler's engineering team; the rest of the mechanics all seemed to be the ones previously stationed on Sigma-Echo too! The few men and women he didn't recognize turned out to be well suited for introduction into their work team and things went far smoother than he ever expected possible. It was strange to think that Kyle and Sherman had spent the last several years essentially flying solo and like the wave of a magic wand suddenly they felt as if they'd returned to being part of a real team.

The positive standing continued as the ship made its way toward the Sigma system. Despite not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, however, Kyle and Sherman couldn't stop wondering about their incredible good fortune. Three days from their arrival in the Sigma system, however, it all became clear in the form of a ship-wide message from their captain. Kyle was with the work team on the top level of engineering when the 'attention' signal sounded. A moment later the monitor in front of him started the broadcast of a still-familiar-looking Collie and Sherman stepped up behind the Human, resting a hand on his shoulder as they both watched the announcement.

"Men, women, and hemales of the ACS Sentinel... please let me be the first to welcome you to the AETHER Corporate family. My name is ALVIN, and it is my pleasure and privilege to greet you-- not only as your Captain, but as your CEO..."

* * * * * *

Things had changed a LOT for Lydia since her stint on Sigma-Echo. Never in her wildest dreams did she figure that a program she wrote would become the capable, skilled, worldly individual ALVIN had become in the scant few years since she had activated him. True, she was a programmer of immense talent, but she still managed to surprise herself sometimes. The fact that ALVIN had succeeded beyond her expectations just proved that she was capable of accomplishing anything she set her mind to. She even had a friend who would help her in anything and everything she chose to accomplish. Unfortunately, ALVIN also had a mind of his own, and that meant some 'unforeseen side effects'.

The first time Lydia realized that the scope of ALVIN's programming went far beyond the original boundaries was when she discovered that he was systematically sabotaging Sigma-Echo's productivity. The program had spent HOURS going over various reasons behind its decision to shoot DRC Corp in the foot and, despite Lydia's concerns over getting in trouble she had to admit that ALVIN had really covered all the bases. Not only that but it was just a single step in a larger goal of dismantling DRC Corp altogether. Lydia had never really had any great love for DRC Corp-- in fact they were just as much a thorn in her side as much as they were an employer. What really made it difficult in refusing ALVIN the opportunity to execute his plan was the fact that he promised things would turn out better for her because of it even if it didn't seem like it at the time.

The program did in fact have a habit of doing what was best for her even when she didn't think she wanted it. In that regard he was almost like a parent; growing up she hadn't had the best experience with parents. One such 'trivial' matter on the program's mind had been to reintroduce her to her adopted father, a man she figured she'd never see again after their headed argument was followed by his computer 'mysteriously exploding'. The fact that he had long-since forgiven her and just wanted to be in her life again had never occurred to her and so it took ALVIN to bridge that gap. It was then and there that she realized that 'unforeseen side effects' weren't always the worst thing in the world.

It was after the mothballing of Sigma-Echo but before DRC Corp's complete and total self-destruction that ALVIN engineered an opportunity for Lydia and her father to meet. She hadn't realized what the program had been doing at the time but he'd mentioned a new lead on employment and so Lydia had gone to the lunch meeting expecting to be hired on in some new company's tech department-- little did she realize that she was going to become a new company's lead tech... and be working with her father... whom she'd meet at that very same lunch.

Things were awkward at first as would be expected since she hadn't seen him in years. The lunch wasn't exactly a huge success but it was a start and according to ALVIN everything needs a beginning. As the program continued working to help them reestablish a relationship the largest difference was the fact that she and her father saw one another on a regular basis. Lydia then learned that the corporation they were working for was actually owned by ALVIN himself. Shortly thereafter the father and daughter team were given completely ownership of the newly burgeoned AETHER Corp with the program taking the lead in its operations as its CEO.

Lydia didn't really know how ALVIN would respond to having her father back in her life; she knew the program was capable of jealousy but in all the time since she and Dr. Parker and reconciled ALVIN seemed nothing but content... happy even. The program and Lydia's father shared a bond of 'knowing' that transcended anything she realized she shared with either. That should have made her jealous but perhaps ALVIN's lack of exclusion ended up doing the same thing for her as having her father back for her life did for the program. It was confusing, but reaffirming.

Yet ALVIN's interference in her life didn't end there. She and her father had been preparing for ALVIN's latest corporate maneuver for months. None of them had been to the Sigma system in years and yet, seemingly out of the blue the program announced that they would be doing an exploratory survey of the system as part of AETHER Corp's newest 'Phantom Initiative'. It sounded clandestine, which meant that even without full details Lydia was on board from the get go. Before she knew it she was on board a newly built cruiser and was being shown to her room by one of her father's business associates, a well-dressed, polite-mannered Bengal Tiger Geneticon named Dr. Surresh Makowi.

Despite the pleasant company she really didn't like being catered to. "I think I can find my way to C-Deck all on my own, Dr. Makowi."

The Tiger smiled, patting her hand which he held within the crook of his arm. "Of that I have no doubt, Ms. Parker, but ALVIN asked me specifically to accompany you."

Lydia's first thought was that ALVIN was trying to set her up with the Doctor; she had always carried a certain spark for Gens but the Tiger's slightly 'swishy' demeanor really didn't do a thing for her. When he stopped outside her quarters without any indication of expecting to go in Lydia ended up confused. He smiled. "ALVIN is waiting for you, Ms. Parker."

Pausing, the programmer glanced around. "ALVIN... I KNOW you can talk to me anywhere. Why wait until my quarters? Is it THAT private a--"

She froze when the door to her room opened, revealing a slim, wiry muscled, well-built, smiling Gen 1 Collie. It was ALVIN... in the flesh. "Not entirely private, Lydia, but I wanted to surprise you with one of my newest iterations."

She didn't know what to say. "Y... you... you... you have...a...."

Surresh clarified for her. "A body. Yes. It was a project your father and I have been working on for the last ten months."

A number of thoughts ran through Lydia's head even as the Tiger took his leave. ALVIN reached out and took gentle hold of her hand, leading her into her quarters. "I was hoping you would like it. Everything was constructed to proper specifications using a combination of cyber-organic tissues and synthetic components."

She was still stunned. "But... how?"

The Collie's smile widened and he lifted his AETHER Corp approved uniform top. Running a paw across his luxurious, thick white abdomen fur he took hold of a hidden nob and opened up a panel, revealing the interior workings of a system that looked like some kind of surgery training analogue. "Between Surresh and your father there is a lot of technical know-how. What holes existed in their data were filled by proprietary information provided to us by Ms. Thurstenburger of LHI before she dissolved the company. I was hoping you would appreciate the completed project."

Finally starting to come around, Lydia took a step forward and pressed her hand to the side of ALVIN's face; the fur felt so real, and she was certain that he was warm to the touch. "It's amazing... YOU'RE amazing."

The Collie leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "I am glad you think so, Lydia. Your opinion is very important to me."

She paused when he circled past her for the door and she reached out to take hold of his paw. He turned around to regard her and she tried her best at using the right kind of smile; she was sure she failed but she pushed on. "I... I thought we could have some... you know.... time together."

ALVIN took a step back toward her and slid his arms around her. His muzzle brushed across the top of her head. "Although I can operate a body and function independently within the ship's systems at the same time I wouldn't want to decrease the quality of the Oh-Oh program by having to multitask."

Lydia's smile split her face from ear to ear. "You didn't call it the Zero-Zero program."

The Collie took a step closer still and slid a finger underneath her chin, raising it so he could move his muzzle into position for a kiss. The velvety texture of the fur almost tickled Lydia's lips and then ALVIN disengaged. "I wouldn't be a very good program if I couldn't adapt, now would I?"

Lydia wasn't able to argue the point but it didn't stop her from giving him some grief. "So... if you're busy preparing the ship for its nav rendezvous, what should I do?"

Just how adaptive ALVIN could be wasn't quite as apparent as his answer to the question. "Your personal assistant will be along shortly; I have prepared a few hours in your schedule so you can get to know one another."

Her smile disappeared. "You know I don't like meeting new people, ALVIN... that's why YOU'VE always been my assistant."

The Collie lingered at the doorway. "I know, Lydia, and I will continue to help you in every conceivable way-- which is precisely the reason why you now have an assistant."

Lydia scowled more. "What if I don't like him?"

She fell silent when she realized that someone out in the hall had ALVIN's attention. ALVIN looked to the person speaking with him and then back to Lydia. "I am certain the two of you will get along famously."

Lydia crossed her arms indignantly. "Is that so?"

ALVIN stepped out of the doorway, motioning the newcomer in. She was struck dumb by the handsome Fox who stepped into her life-- ROOM... who stepped into her room. Without a moment's hesitation, the man reached forward and took hold of her hand; instead of shaking it he raised it to his muzzle and offered her a kiss. "Henry Maxfield, Ms. Parker; your new aide. I'm told you're AETHER Corp's premier programmer."

She nodded, taking a moment to sort out everything she was experiencing. He was CUTE... AND he had a British accent... AND he was a Fox. "Um... yes. That's... uh... me."

He flashed her a winning smile and she was CERTAIN she saw a wink. "I was hoping to meet you... your corp profile said you've done work with Artificial Personality Programs."

Lydia glanced toward ALVIN, who was standing outside the room with a smile. "Some... but they always end up with a mind of their own."

The Fox let out a faint whistle. "Wow... I've never had a chance to work with an AP before... been interested in programs like that ever since I was a kit."

She shrugged, feeling he cheeks flush at his admiration. "Well... you'll have a lot of time to do just that if you're working under me."

It took a moment for Lydia to realize that she inadvertently let a VERY suggestive double entendre slip out. If the Fox's wink was any indication it didn't go unnoticed. "Can't hardly wait."

* * * * * *

Although ALVIN had previously required assistance from Dr. Makowi to recall important details about Phantoms, Echoes, and Transitive Waves the fact that the program spontaneously developed an understanding of it the moment Lydia pressed 'Enter' was an important milestone for him. ALVIN was able to effectively and efficiently recall all aspects of existing prior to the quarter second it took to assimilate all of that information. It left the program with a jumpstart on events that had yet to transpire and with the station's communication system in full effect and the knowledge of how to bypass all of its safeguards still present in his operating code he was ready to go.

With an entire log of events that had happened aboard the station it was very easy for ALVIN to formulate a plan, send messages, and create opportunities that had not existed the last time he'd attempted to save Sigma-Echo. In fact, with weeks to process all of the data the program was not only able to figure out how to save everyone but he had engineered a far-reaching vision that allowed him to achieve so much more. ALVIN was still uncertain whether the term 'friends' fit into his programming but if it didn't that was a change he would certainly be able to make to himself; he liked the idea of friends.

While Lydia continued to repeat the same activities of daily life that he knew was distinctly her, ALVIN was able to go through the motions of limited capabilities since he was able to run at nearly 800% higher capacity than he had by that point in the previous go-around. The rest of his processing power was put to even greater effect. The program went systematically through the roster of individuals who had survived Sigma-Echo and cross-referenced that against the new registry even as DRC Corp was formulating it. With a few nudges and some minor rewrites, ALVIN managed to make certain that any of the changes in the newest version of reality did not disclude those 'in-the-know' from having the opportunity to help out on the station. Of course, DRC Corp's version of 'helping out' and the one HE had in mind were completely different.

While some of the survivors of the previous go-around wanted nothing to do with the station others were much less reluctant when it came to helping him with sabotaging not only the events that brought Phantoms into the world but also had a willingness to bring down DRC Corp that rivaled their desire for continued existence; after reading all of DRC Corp's black-tagged files the program was bemused to discover how closely linked those two things actually were. ALVIN had some difficulty calling any bureaucratic entity 'evil', but it seemed a decent enough term for use. That single trait helped the program confirm the course of action and ALVIN went about dismantling DRC Corp using its own tools against it.

By the time Sigma-Echo was pushed into early operation all of the elements for the success-of-failure had been put in place. Management and supervisory positions were filled with individuals who had previously experienced Sigma-Echo. Those who had died in the prior Echo were recruited or excluded based on their individual merits and ability to contribute something to the plan. Once ALVIN had completely hijacked the Sigma-Echo HR system the remaining holes in the roster were filled based on an algorithm Dr Parker and Dr Makowi assisted in preparing that maximized the effectiveness of teams doing as they were told rather than hiring any mavericks who would try to improve operations for the benefit of the corporation (and detriment to the plan).

The first hurdle that had to be overcome for victory to be achieved was an exploration to a planetoid within the asteroid belt listed as H-17. With help from Kyle LaGriss, Clinton Paisley, and Jocelyn Schultz ALVIN prevented the control transponder for Sigma-Echo's Central Column from being brought within operational distance to the station. Second, the DRC Largess was never sent for ice processing on Gamma, another of the Sigma system's planets. Instead, the program had the survey freighter repurposed to act as an additional cargo hauler for the extra supplies afforded to the station since the corporation wasn't repurposing investor funds to fund the Yggdrasil Project.

As the final piece of the puzzle, the Yggdrasil Project simply didn't exist; without Nida Jorn to inspire the executives nobody who knew of it ever thought to reveal such a thing to the DRC Corp. Instead, the Sigma-Echo station existed simply because the Sigma system was so rich in natural resources. If ALVIN and his team succeeded in keeping the control transponder from the Central Column and prevent ice sampling on Gamma then the easiest part of the task ahead of them would be done and the final task would require a lot more effort; the Central Column would have to be subtly dismantled. That, of course, was achieved by dismantling DRC Corp in a less-than-subtle way.

Over the course of the months following the catastrophic losses for the DRC Corp in the Sigma system ALVIN was able to leverage corporate assets of the company against it. With pin-point strikes at infrastructure, personnel, and media relations, the program was (with help from Lydia, Sean, and Surresh) able to cause the multi-system conglomerate to implode. The galactic business world was in shambles, providing amazing opportunities for those who knew how to utilize them. ALVIN was one such individual.

ALVIN was able to effectively 'assist' with the liquidation of company assets while at the same time using shell companies and business fronts to purchase large swaths of the desired portions of ownership at rock bottom prices. Between efficient management of modest start up capital and a generous investment from LHI Incorporated's new CEO Jennifer Thurstenburger, ALVIN was able to make things happen. None of it took place overnight but ALVIN had a reasonable timeline planned and that meant a long-term view of things.

Leveraging the new collection of companies over the course of the next few years the program was able to complete mergers, buy-outs, sell-offs, and restructuring so that one of the smaller, less obvious corporations under his ownership was able to quickly rise to acclaim within the business world. AETHER Corp, a wholly private company became a new player in galactic business. Built on approximately 40% of old DRC Corp assets, the AETHER Corporation also stood on its own foundation as a profitable company that made excellent business decisions to turn a profit without having to lean heavily on abused workers or shoe-horning its operations into mostly fitting the gray area between laws.

Once the AETHER Corporation attained multi-system corporate status ALVIN was ready to put the final portion of the plan into effect. Although it had been several years since Sigma-Echo it was not hard for the program to track down the most effective, efficient, and desirable employees who had since moved on with their lives. It was a big step for many of them to return to the Sigma system but ALVIN realized that there were few people the program could trust more than those who had helped him shape the future of existence. Most who knew what was going on said yes without a second thought; ALVIN was even able to tempt most of the employees who hadn't survived the last Echo with offers that were unbeatable anywhere else.

AETHER Corporation would be able to stand as a guardian of the Sigma system and the two relics of a conflict that spanned multiple iterations of existence; individuals he knew, respected, and liked from Sigma-Echo would be able to stay at his side. Those who didn't or couldn't accept the invitation would be looked after-- all-in-all ALVIN was able to give the execution of the plan a resounding COMPLETE status. It gave the program a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment to bring a 'family' back together. It was an apropos statement both figuratively and literally.

* * * * * *

Theo yawned, stretching out his arms and legs as he shifted his position in bed so he could get a better glimpse of the alarm clock: 5:42. It hadn't been difficult getting used to the twenty hour work day schedule on Farlight since it was the same one used in space. The fact that the planet actually had a 20.04 hour day cycle made it even better. The one problem it DID create though was that it was still dark when he got up at 6:00. His attention was drawn back to the bed when a soft hand gently took hold of his wrist.

Jen let out one of her cute little half-awake sounds as she pulled him back toward her. "Mmm... it's not time to get up yet."

Smiling, the Wolf locked his arm and instead pulled her over to him instead of the other way around. "Fifteen more minutes and it will be time to get up."

She immediately slid her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest fur. He drew his claws gently through her hair as he leaned back against the headboard of the bed, gazing down lovingly at his best friend... his lover... his Jennifer. She kissed his sternum softly. "Well... that's still fifteen minutes then, isn't it?"

A pawful of years ago Theo would never have imagined that he and Jen would ever have grown so close; he'd envisioned them being friends until the day they died; he saw himself being her vice president some day; he expected to be a live-in employee renting a room from her; he completely anticipated watching her get married and standing by as her life moved on with him in the wings.

He never expected that he would fill in the 'to be announced' place that he'd always expected would eventually supersede him as the most important thing in her life even though she'd always be the most important thing in his. Truth be told, Theodocious never expected that he would be as happy as he was... and yet, despite all of the trials and tribulations that had come to pass since Sigma-Echo, he was.

It wasn't long after DRC Corp surrendered ownership of LHI that Sigma-Echo was dismantled. From there, DRC eventually folded and all of its corporate holdings were liquidated to cover debts and reimburse shareholders. In the numerous auctions that followed deals were made, power was gained, and princes became kings. In LHI's case, however, a princess became a queen. Jennifer's father stepped down as CEO, choosing to retire on a high note rather than push his luck in an increasingly aggressive corporate atmosphere.

The moment Jen took the reins of the company her first course of action was to shut down the Designer Domestics line. In a move that surprised the business world, Jennifer sold the production license back to the Commonwealth, announcing that the last approved Geneticon permit should be forever more out of use. It was a gesture of good will toward Genticons as free people and was met with huge applause by society as a whole... and caused the collapse of numerous cheap-labor businesses.

With LHI's main source of income obliterated, Jen used corporate funds to buy-back Designer Domestics off of the secondary market from the failed companies. Somehow, some way, LHI continued to operate in the black, but only by the tiniest of margins. Jennifer later learned that ALVIN had a lot to do with that. She began to close up portions of the company, extending severance packages to employees as they were laid off. As for the Designer Domestics, she instituted a buy-back program, allowing them to purchase their own contracts so they could become their own managers; they could be free.

Once all outstanding DD contracts were resolved, Jen paid off all final corporate debt, made a healthy contribution to ALVIN's new corporation, and closed the company. It left the two of them comfortable, but, as Jen said, she was much happier with a clean conscience than a full bank account. While they were not rich by any means, Theo had seen enough balance ledgers that he didn't blink twice when she suggested their next course of action.

Last year, the new sub-division on Farlight finally opened, and they chose their property first; the rest of Jen's Gens filled out their residential block. The project was financed fully by Jennifer and, although it was set to make only a mild profit, the true reason behind the living space was far greater. The one hundred and ten housing units were open to any and all DDs looking for homes at reasonable prices. It was zoned as the outpost's first official city and Jennifer was put on the outpost's civilian board of directors to act as it spokeswoman and 'elected official'. That ended up being ideal, as it also assisted ALVIN and AETHER Corp when it came to a base of operations for a foray into the Sigma system.

Theo smiled, leaning down to gently kiss her forehead. He reached over and turned off the alarm a second before it went off. "Madam mayor... it's time to get up."

She opened her eyes, gazing up into his and she let out a deep breath. "I was having the second best dream ever..."

Ears up, the Wolf looked down inquisitively at her. "The second best?"

She grinned. "Mmm-hmm... I woke up to the very best one."

They shared a kiss, and Theo was almost sure it was going to escalate into something more but they were unfortunately interrupted by the double-beep of an incoming call on Jen's PCD. Sighing, she shot him a glance that all but promised a 'to be continued'. She reached across his lap to the night stand to pick up the device and turned on voice only. "This is Jen."

ALVIN's voice was as chipper as always. "Mayor... so good to be speaking with you again."

The AI had been instrumental with helping them secure the coding and permits for the construction and, in return, Jennifer had assisted him with his 'puppet corporation'. It was a fine arrangement, and of mutual benefit to everyone. "Good morning, ALVIN. Is this a social call, or can I help you with something?"

The program's tone almost seemed playful. "I wanted to provide you a status update... as an investor in AETHER Corp, it seemed only reasonable to inform you when we were entering the Sigma System."

Theo felt a faint shiver run through Jennifer's body at the mention of the past. He spoke up over her shoulder. "Are you still sure going there is such a great idea?"

ALVIN's response was a straight forward as ever. "Now that AETHER Corp has rights to the Sigma system there is much less concern about inadvertently opening a rift that will allow Phantoms entry into our dimension but I prefer an even lower likelihood and having a presence in the Sigma system will help me secure its safety."

Jen yawned, laying her head back down on Theo's chest. "I'm glad to hear that, ALVIN... thank you for the update."

The Program didn't relent. "I also wished to inform you that initial projections place profitability at approximately 30.082% for the first month of operations."

That was enough to make Theo and Jen literally fall out of bed. It was Theo that managed to wheeze out "Did you say 30% profitability in ONE MONTH?"

The chuckle that emerged from the PCD seemed immaculately genuine. "Yes... for DRC to have failed to turn a profit on such a lucrative venture it is almost as though they would have to have been sabotaged."

The transmission ended at that, leaving Theo and Jen staring at one another on the floor next to their bed. It was as much a beginning as it was an end.