Chapter 54 - Teaser!

I thought the chapter was complete when I decided to add an entire action subplot to it, so I need a day or two more before I'm ready to release it. Hopefully you guys like it.

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“Good, good,” I said, feeling awkward now, cutting off what Lauren was trying to next offend with. “Lauren, I’ll just transport all your luggage directly to your stateroom.”

“There are a lot of delicate things in there that require a man’s pesonal touch, Gothic. You’re a big strong man, aren’t you?” she challenged.

It was patently obvious that Lauren was messing with me. I had enhanced strength and balance, but there was a shit ton of luggage here and I would look ridiculous trying to get this shit to her room over multiple trips.

“Security Team alpha, I require assistance,” I said aloud.

Materializing holographically in the transporter room was security team alpha, made up of three gigantic and heavily armed space marines who promptly knelt before me on a single knee, one fist pressed against the ground, ready to spring up to defend me or to fight my enemies.

“Our greatest God Emperor, you have called and we have answered,” the giant leader of the space marine security team said in a powerful voice, his head bowed in apparent reverence. “Direct us Creator, our lives are yours, by your will, point us to your enemies and they shall fall!!”

I was taken aback by their devotion, respect, and worship. It was like I could feel those things like palpable things in the room. My current crew were familiar with my space marines and their devotion for me, but Annika and Lauren looked on intrigued. Not for the first time I wondered how using the neural interface to create them had potentially given them that spark of life. Had I accidentally given them life in the same way that Hermione and Natasha were alive? If asking the Enterprise’s computer to create a holo-character that could defeat Data accidentally created a unique existence like Moriarity, could using the neural interface, coupled with the powerful mind of an Augment, lead to accidentally creating life?