Lianne nodded, “I like the idea. How is that going to work?”

  I said, “Most companies put out a standard load on all their equipment that asks a few questions during initial turn on at the customer end. Ours will be no different, just adding in naming and setting up the A.I.s appearance, a little like a role-playing video game, or an avatar. To do each one individually would be impossible to me, I’m going to be finishing the base setup, which is just a complicated ward that will pretty much do all the work for me.”

  Cerise asked, “A ward that sets up a power and illusory interaction ward under the control of an A.I., and loads the software and configuration?”

  I nodded, “Exactly. It’s not so far of a leap as it sounds. Most current wards can cast spells if certain conditions are met, such as physically barring people with negative intentions, and a ward in the end is just a complicated spell. All I’ll need to do is charge it often enough. Regardless, all the computers I sell will have a lingering sympathetic connection to it, so software and security updates should be fairly seamless. I just update the master copy, and the owner’s A.I.s will upgrade at an appropriate time.

  “I’m trying to make the interaction magic as all-encompassing as I can, since that’s the only part of it, the magic part, that can’t be changed once set. Adding new functionality as other new technologies develop should be software only. Magic is extremely adaptable, after all. A data connection is a data connection, the only changes will be in security access and handshake and data transfer protocol, which is all software.”

  Cerise frowned, “What if it’s destroyed in an enemy attack, or a house fire?”

  I grunted, “Then we’d have to do it the boring way. Setup an update server website and offer the software and security rollouts that way. I’m trying to avoid as much overhead as I can, but the software will have that set up in case that does happen as a backup, and I already own the domain name OlympusComputing in all extensions.”

  Lianne smiled, “That is amazing. Two days?”

  I smiled, “I hope. I’ve been working on the ward design and rules in my head in the spare moments for two weeks. I already know all the spells involved, so it’s just a matter of putting them all together in one complicated ward structure with appropriate rules. I’ll be testing all the expected functionality along with my A.I. as well, once I have it, and you all will too, once I smooth any major bugs out of mine. If there are any.”

  There probably will be a few problems, there always was in real life.

  Cerise asked, “How long does it take?”

  I replied, “About five minutes. I’ll drop an implant computer in the ward, and the ward will notify me when it’s imprinted and loaded. Which is the size of a room, so we can do tens of thousands at a time in theory, while they’re still in the packaging the manufacturer will put them in. Then we ship them out to customers or retailers. Well, the shipping service will, we’ll just need to provide the address list and a corresponding number of boxed computers. The ward should also warn me of failure, if there was a manufacturing error that makes the device DOA.”

  Lianne asked, “Theft?”

  I chuckled, “Each unit will have a serial number. One of the first things it will do during setup is connect to a database and determine its owner. If the two don’t match it’ll notify us first, then the police if we verify there hasn’t been a mix-up.”

  Cerise said, “One more question, they’re implants right? I mean, you’re shipping to the end user? Are they going to implant it with their at home surgery kits?” she asked with playful sarcasm.

  I grinned, “Not exactly. When they take it out of the box and touch it, it’ll power and activate the wards fully. The implant will then implant itself via magic in the flesh near the clavicle. And before you ask, if the user has a driving reason to want it gone, the A.I. can reverse the procedure. Which will also come in handy for reclaiming them from those theoretical thieves. Also, an option if we ever sell an upgraded version, but I don’t see that happening. They’ll essentially be the most powerful supercomputers on Earth, I can’t imagine they’ll ever come across something too difficult to tackle in an almost instant timeframe.

  “Our hardware sales will be limited as a result, but we’ll have a lot of modestly priced subscription-based services that will keep the money flowing long term. I mean, hardware failure is always a possibility, though the magic side should be stable forever. So cloud data and configuration backups is just one thing we’ll be offering for a dollar a month on a sliding scale.”

  I shrugged, “Even at five grand a piece, if we sold a billion of them which seems possible at an eighth of the world’s population, that’s three trillion dollars in profit. So, we won’t be on the food stamp line anytime soon.”

  Cerise snorted, “That’s a little steep?”

  I shook my head, “The last computer they’ll ever buy, instead of one every few years, with the capability exceeding a supercomputer that costs millions and an artificial intelligence never offered to private consumers before. I don’t think it’s expensive at all given all that, and we could probably charge twice that amount and offer payment plans.”

  Cerise tilted her head, “You may be right, it’s not greedy taken in that context, and a hundred and fifty percent markup isn’t unreasonable either. I suspect large companies would be willing to outfit their employees too, to end their constant reinvestment in IT upgrades, at least on the desktop and tablet side of the equation.”

  “That’s a fantastic idea. Come up with some packages for me to approve. If they come up with enough units, say at least a thousand, I might even build them a custom software package tailored to their company’s needs, including a locked A.I. configuration. The users could be given two login configurations, to keep their work and home stuff separate and ensure sensitive company data integrity and security.”

  Cerise said, “Will do.”

  “After breakfast we’ll drop in on Faith and Edward, get you setup with your own database login, and it’ll be useful for you to meet them.”

  Faith and Edward both looked a little dubious, at a vampire being allowed access to the inner workings of the gods’ government, but neither of them tried to gainsay me on it.

  The next few days passed quickly as I focused on getting things ready. Three and not two, because the fabrication of the prototype had run into a few delays, and it took four days in total, not three, for them to configure their systems to build the first one.

  I spent almost all my work time working on that base and imprint warding structure, actually getting it ready for loading and updating the implant computers as laid out earlier. It would all be automatic, both extremely complicated in setup to account for everything, but in the end far simpler and quicker to get all the units loaded. Like most wards, I’d have to charge them once a week or so to prevent the magic from degrading, which would be easy enough.

  Outside of that we did a lot of eating out, dancing, and burning up the sheets. Both my goddess and my vampire seemed insatiable, and while Cerise never got insanely needy like Lianne, she was never less than breathlessly submissive and thrilled in her wantonness as she carried out my orders or simply accepted my physical attentions. Of course, so early in the honeymoon phase of a relationship not being in the mood for sex was unlikely, but I got the impression it wasn’t going to change.

  The pair of them were exuberantly accommodating that way, and more often than not initiated the fun with a subtle or blunt seduction. They also both loved the way I touched them and held them when it wasn’t about sex at all. We were also doing all the typical first through third date conversations, getting to know each other. I mean, I spent probably a third of those two days on the computer template and warding structure room, and the rest on them and our personal lives, which was time very well spent.

  We even went skydiving once, no plane required, and Cerise was the only one that needed a parachute, but free falling was an amazing sensation.

  I also on each of those days checked for plotters or plots against me, or people hunting me, as well as for my two ladies and the council. So far that was going pretty well and there weren’t any, but it was only a matter of time before that changed. History taught me that much, at least.

  At the end of those three days, it was just ten days until my closing, and only four days before the queen of the gods would return to us. I had some hopes she’d join the council and be more balanced. I mean, I was, so it was more than possible, but I’d be checking on it as soon as we found out who she was.

  Lastly, since I’d decided not to replace phones, just connect with them, I had Cerise download all the development kits for them for slightly deeper integration and synchronization including music, phone calls, texting, mapping, and GPS navigation, etcetera.

  I also made sure the current spells would be compatible with payment systems, door locks, and garage openers. Which they were. Technically, they could open any doors, locks, or garages, not to mention start any car outfitted with an electronic key FOB instead of a physical key. Magic was cool like that. So, adding that functionality would have to include ownership verification of said car, garage, or front door, which would be easy for a semi-sentient A.I. to determine through public records.

  I’d also put Cerise on adding virtual state identifications and driver’s licenses, not to mention virtual passports on the federal level. It would happen, eventually, but it might take a year or two to add that functionality in given all the red tape involved in such arrangements with any government agency. That said, most people in twenty sixty-five already had it on their Apple or Samsung phones, so not that big of a deal. That was just in America, and there were over two hundred other countries to deal with as well.

  There would also be a process to add things that didn’t belong to the user, such as secure entry doors at work, assuming those workplaces allowed it. I imagined most would insist on their physical badges instead of an electronic one. Borrowing a friend’s car, or a hotel room door while registered as a guest, would also be possibilities with permission of the owner.

  I also wouldn’t be advertising that less than legal capability since it’d be well secured and transparent to the end user.

  The only other notable news was my patents came through to preliminary acceptance in pending status, the patent searches had come up empty as I knew they would. Which was good enough to cover me legally until final approval came in eighteen months or so. So far so good, but we’d barely gotten started on either business, so only time would tell if they were both as ridiculously successful as I believed they’d be.

  Chapter Ten

  The conference room was the same one as last time, in the processor manufacturing facility in Mexico. Lianne and I were waiting for Georgina to deliver the processor, and to make the final payment. We were holding hands fingers entwined, and Lianne looked delectable in a red women’s skirt suit with a dark gray verging on black stretchy shirt underneath it.

  Lianne said, “I was talking to Cerise earlier, while you were working in the ward room?”

  She fidgeted, like she had that first day, and she was obviously a little nervous about what was on her mind. At least, not sure how I would react to it. I found it entirely enthralling, as I looked into her doe eyes.

  I nodded, “What’s up?”

  Lianne replied, “Well, the software analyst job. We were thinking you might want to poach Faith from the foundation. I don’t think she’s being challenged anymore, just maintaining a database. She’s brilliant, gorgeous, and we umm…” she trailed off.

  I chuckled, “Spit it out, baby.”

  Lianne bit her lip, “Well we were thinking we might be able to establish personal ties as well. I mean, like Cerise’s need for a steady blood supply, Faith has mantel issues, maybe…”

  I raised an eyebrow, “You want to add her to the family, and sate her seduction mantle in a way that won’t hurt her esteem and will make her feel cared for.”

  Lianne shrugged, “It’s been in the back of my mind. I mean, she’s gorgeous, talented, brilliant with computer code, and she hates the fact she has to… be indiscriminate and has trouble finding a permanent relationship and solution. Most men can’t keep up with her needs, but I think you could.”

  I teased, “And you really want to see me plow her lush body.”

  Lianne blushed furiously, “Yes, that too. She’s… well, I’d be jealous if you clearly didn’t love my body so much.”

  I chuckled, “I can see she might be a fit for both our family and our business needs, she’s certainly formidable as well, and I’ll consider it, but I’m surprised you want to expand our triad to a quad. Yes, she’s hot, and you’re a voyeur cuck, but you’re not that shallow, and neither is Cerise nor me. This isn’t about spicing up our bedroom life, so I want to know what you’re thinking.”

  She smiled, “Part what I said. She’d enrich us further, be perfect for your business, and we could help her a lot. So, empathy and serendipity do play a part. The shallow part is true too, I mean with four of us we’d have more mutual support, and our sex lives would be… more manageable, not less. Threesomes can be complicated, and false impressions of neglect or imbalanced attention have to be dealt with, while two rotating couples would be a lot easier to balance out.”

  I could see all that, but I kept waiting patiently for the rest of it. Her core reason. Not that all she said wasn’t true or good reasons in themselves.

  There had to be more, I was all for helping someone deserving, and I’d love to have her lush body bouncing on my cock while she looked down at me with bright sexy green eyes from her innocently and angelically beautiful face. I bet she’d be a challenge too, she was probably jaded when it came to sex and men. But that wasn’t good enough on its own for considering a quadruple lifestyle in the hopes of a lifetime relationship.

  She said, “It would also give Cerise company when we’re running around. I know she said she doesn’t mind being alone at work, but I think a girlfriend and lover being close to her all the time, like we’re close to each other, would be good for her and Faith. There’s no real driving reason, just a lot of small things, including just the opportunity and serendipity as I said earlier.”

  I cleared my throat and gave her a piercing look.

  She blushed, “Okay, damn it. I’m a little worried about what happens when the honeymoon phase runs out.”

  I snickered, “Shifters are extremely sexually active into their second century with their mates, and as I’ll be nineteen in body forever, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

  She nodded, “But having a goddess fill the house with seduction magic… well it would keep things fresh and keep us interested and communicating with each other too.”

  I pondered that a moment, I really didn’t think we’d need it, the whole blood and sex thing would keep Cerise engaged, being a shifter would keep me engaged, and Lianne’s personality and manic nympho tendencies would keep her engaged too. But I could see where Lianne would worry.

  But, given all the rest of it was true as well, it would be worth doing anyway, if those two really wanted a fourth. She’d enhance and enrich us further, help with the business, add more variety to the bedroom, and of course the benefit to her would be a more bleeding edge job and challenge along with the emotional support of finding love and family with a mantel that would make that hard. She’d even make a good companion for Cerise while the two of us were running around.

  That and a valid opportunity was probably enough reason to pursue it, if the others were open to the idea of expanding our family.

  And I did love a challenge. Getting her in bed wouldn’t be a challenge at all, which is why most guys probably got tired of fucking her despite how innocently seductive and angelically beautiful she was. Satisfying her mantel was the easy and empty part. The challenge would be in satisfying the formidable and intelligent woman, in making her feel valued and not just used, and eventually loved. That would be the challenge, convincing her that I was truly different than all the men that had come before in the last forty-six years of her life, spoiling her when I didn’t have to in order to get her into bed. That I wouldn’t get tired of her at some point, which would force her to cheat on or break up with us.

  “I’ll consider it, and I’ll test the waters when it’s time. Just because we can help her mantle, and she’d be a good fit for the job, doesn’t mean she’d be open to polyamory, or that she’ll be compatible with us on a relationship level that intimate. But it’s certainly worth investigating.”

  Lianne smiled, “But you don’t think we need her?”

  I shook my head, “Not even a little bit, I’ll never get tired of touching or ravishing you,” she looked breathless at that statement, “but nothing you said was wrong either, so there’s a lot to recommend it if that’s what we really want.”

  Lianne nodded, “I do, and we know she’s at least Bi. I mean, Cerise said she was attracted to both of you, and I kind of got the vibe she was chemically attracted to us the first time.”

  Being bisexual was a far cry from desiring a polyamorous lifestyle, which was common in shifter packs, but there was no point in arguing or pointing it out. We’d find out one way or another when the time came. Plus, Georgina interrupted the conversation at that point anyway, coming in with the mustard seed sized device in a small anti-static bag. Not that static could harm the thing, but it was probably standard company procedure.

  She put it on the table, “Thanks for understanding on the delay.”

  I said, “Not a problem, Georgina.”

  I cast a quick spell, to check it for any obvious defects. Obvious, because I couldn’t keep the entire structure in my mind to check it thoroughly, no more than they were able to interface with it and run diagnostics. The best they could do that way was x-rays to check for defects. Regardless, the spell told me it was flawless, and I had to assume their A.I. didn’t make any mistakes in the layout.