Bonus Chapter - Movie Night

Note : Chapter 318 has been written and added to the queue !

I may integrate this chapter in the story as part of Alexandra's flashbacks, especially as I think it's a good intro to Arcadia. We will see.

Bonus Chapter - Movie Night

28th of June, 2130

Earth, Sol System

Valduc Strategic Research Base, European Federation

'Alex' sighed as she set down the report.

Delays, delays, more delays, nothing but delays...

When she'd been assigned to project New Dawn, she'd seen it as her stepping stone to flag rank. But now she was languishing in a hive of corporate interests, political infighting and military indecision. The higher ups wanted a new generation of warships, to counter the United Interstellar States' dreadnoughts. Great. Except that they couldn't settle on what the hell they wanted!

So delays. Because they kept adding more things onto the project. Better lasers, better power plants, better grav drives, better missiles. Better damned near everything! If this went on, they'd have so much new crap for a single generation of ships they'd only be able to push out the prototypes and then hobble along trying to get them into actual volume production.

She picked up her holopen, and jumped as she felt arms embracing her.

"Hey there darling. Working late again~?" Whispered a voice into her ear.

Alexandra rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I am. And before you say anything Arcie, so are you!"

The AI giggled.

"Perhaps." Her android quickly went around the officer's chair, and unceremoniously dropped into her girlfriend's lap. This time the robot was slim, with chin length, yet still flowing white hair, piercing purple eyes that seemed like a perpetually aflame nebula, and coming up barely a head shorter than her partner. The AI regularly changed bodies, but if one things was certain, it was that none of them even remotely qualified as 'normal'. "But I'm an AI. I don't sleep. Or need rest. You do."

"Depending on what you mean by 'sleep', you do sleep a lot." Said Alex with a grin.

"Oh, you're the one cracking dirty jokes now?" The AI lifted the woman's chin with her index, before kissing her, actually purring as they pulled apart. "We'll see how long that last."

"Uh huh. So, what brings you to my humble abode?"

The AI smiled, in her slightly deranged fashion. Alexandra had used to be slightly concerned by that, but she'd long since embraced it. Everyone had some kind of damage, and what if the AI was slightly crazy? Get in line, no one had gone through the Terran Hegemony Wars with their sanity intact, and those people ruled the Federation. Decrepit, riddled with biotoxin and genetic anomalies politicians with febrile eyes, seeing chemical bombs under their beds every night. Better an eccentric AI than these maniacs.

"There's a new movie showing in the Molrovia theater tonight! I got us tickets!"

"New movie? Wait." Alexandra's eyes widened. "Molrovia?!? That's-"

"The most exclusive theater in the Federation, I know." Purred the AI. "And you're coming with me. No ifs, no buts, I'll tie you up if I have to."

Alex mumbled something to the effect of 'you'll tie me up anyway you tin can', before clearing her throat as Arcadia's smile only widened.

"So what are we going to watch?"

"Interstellar Justice Three: Galactic Sword of Judgment!"

Alexandra blinked.

"Damn, I thought that hadn't come out yet." Then it hit her. "Stars damn it, Arcie is it the premiere?"

The AI looked away.

"Mayyyybe?"

"Oh you've got to be kidding me! Arcie, how much did those tickets cost?"

"Well nothing, why do you ask?" The AI gave her girlfriend a brilliant smile.

Alexandra gazed at the android suspiciously."

"Of course...And how did you get those invitations."

"Weeeelll, the firm that made the film was glad to have some corporate publicity, plus a few celebrities, the new, the old, the up and coming, and I got invited."

"And added me as your plus one, is that it?" Alexandra's eyes narrowed, and the AI whistled innocently. "As well as no doubt hyping me up a fair bit."

"Well, you are an up and coming member of the navy."

"I'm a freaking captain in an office working on a semi secret project!"

"And I can guarantee you you'll be admiral by the end of the decade!"

"Yeah, with your patronage."

"Don't be like that!" The AI flicked her forehead, and Alexandra winced. Slim or not, that android was strong enough to rip apart power armor. Arcadia only used the best for her 'personal' forms. Supposedly for vanity, by she knew the AI had made them into machines of war to get those she cared about out of the line of fire. It was...flattering, in a way. "You know you need the help. And I'm not asking for anything."

"Yet."

They exchanged glares, but the AI finally subsided, lowering her eyes.

"You know I wouldn't. Unless it was...dire."

Alexandra sighed, and wrapped her arms around the android, which the automata returned after a few seconds.

"I know, I know..."

They just stayed there, in companionable silence, hugging each other.

Then, at long last, the officer took in a deep breath.

"Alright, I'll accompany you to that premiere." Arcadia's face brightened, and she opened her mouth...only to close it as her girlfriend held up a finger. "On one condition."

"Ooooh? Conditions, a deal, a contract?" The AI climbed up all over her partner, almost tipping the chair over as the human leaned back, as the officer was reminded that despite everything, Arcadia was a businesswoman first and foremost now. "What is it? Out with it temptress!"

"You have to wear that dress I bought you."

Blood truly couldn't drain from the AI's face, but the android did a very passable imitation of the phenomenon.

"What? But-"

"No ifs, no buts, either you wear it or I don't go."

"It's...it's dreadful though!"

"It's regal!"

"I'll look like a beached whale in that!"

"Better than you looking like a damned stripper you nymphomaniac! I've seen barbie dolls with more square centimeters of clothing than some of your outfits!"

The AI sat back, crossing her arms, almost pouting.

"That's-"

"If you say a matter of taste, I'm going to see if my foot can bend the titanium of your ass."

"Ow. Catty." The AI threw her hands up as Alexandra glared at her. "Fine! You win, alright? But!" She smiled. "You have to wear your dress uniform in exchange. Deal?"

Alexandra winced, but nodded.

"Deal."

"Excellent!" The AI slapped her thighs, before jumping off of her girlfriend's lap, and unceremoniously grabbing her hand, practically dragging her to her feet. "Now let's go!"

"What, now?" Said Alexandra as the AI began leading her out of her office, the door opening at her approach. A door Alex knew she had set to manual.

Damn it Arcie, stop hacking my shit! Thought Alex, though she knew better than to voice it. Complaining would only mean the AI would double down.

"No time like the present!"

"But...this is a military base!" One where nuclear bombs were still being produced, as a matter of fact, despite the site being far from its heyday as the last nuclear weapons production facility remaining in Europe after the devastation of the Terran Hegemony War, and the rabid expansion of its capabilities during the Interplanetary Wars.

The AI simply laughed.

"And I own your entire logistics pipeline, the shuttles carry whatever the hell I want! Now move it, we need to make sure your makeup is good before we go on the red carpet!"