That certainly didn't help. “I'm pretty sure I'd be just as uncomfortable talking to anyone about this.”
“Oh.” She glanced helplessly down at her pad. “Well, would you be willing to give me permission to ask for the necessary information from your companion? It wouldn't be quite as helpful as getting your feedback, but might still offer some useful insights.”
That somehow sounded even worse; ludicrous as it seemed, he could imagine the two women gossiping about his performance in the sack and laughing over his deficiencies. “I'm not sure about that, either.” At her plaintive look he bit back a sigh. “I think I could probably bring myself to discuss the emotional comfort and support part of it.”
The scientist brightened. “Thank you, Captain. Any feedback you can provide would be very helpful.”
Surprisingly, she seemed to mean that literally. Over the next hour or so, she asked him a series of questions that seemed increasingly random and irrelevant, to the point that Aiden found himself wondering how the answer could possibly help her improve her creations.
For example, if he still expected Ali to do things like brush her teeth, even though it was purely unnecessary for her since she had internal processes that did a far better job, so the act only served to make her seem more authentically human. And, when Sarr found out he didn't, why and what had led him to have the companion no longer maintain that pretense. And what his thoughts were about Ali sneezing or doing other human behaviors that were similarly unnecessary.
Finally, Aiden found himself losing patience with the endless tedious and pointless questions. He almost wondered if he shouldn't have agreed to discuss his sex life with his companion after all; at least that would've been a more interesting topic.
“Since you're so concerned with making sure my companion performs optimally, maybe you could help with something,” he finally cut in. “Her hacking abilities are getting out of date, and it's jammed our exhaust ports a couple times recently. Can you update her?”
The scientist blinked at him owlishly behind her absurd glasses. “You realize that she has an in-built updating feature?”
He did his best to contain his annoyance. This again. “Yes, syncing up with your corporation's computers. Which would then reveal where she is and probably everything she knows about me, which is just about everything.”
Sarr frowned. “I can assure you with the utmost vehemence that a companion holds her human's privacy and safety above all other considerations. Syncing is perfectly safe and confidential.” He stared at her in disbelief for a few seconds, and she straightened indignantly. “Even for those who obtained their companions through illegal means, once the companion has imprinted it becomes theirs.”
“Well forgive me if I don't fully trust you on that count,” Aiden said dryly. “Can't you just manually upload that information? Preferably while I'm supervising, to make sure the flow of data only goes one way and you're not trying to slip in any malicious programming?”
The willowy woman sighed. “Firstly, I don't currently have access to the companion update files. And secondly, doing so outside the syncing process would take days of laborious, focused effort.”
Seems like that would just about make up for wasting my time with this pointless interview, he thought. He didn't say it, though.
To be honest, he didn't find Sarr as annoying as he'd expected. She seemed genuinely focused on improving companions, earnest in her work and sincerely motivated by the idea of improving people's lives. And while her social skills were somewhat lacking, whose weren't these days?
He even found himself thinking she was pretty cute a time or two, absurd glasses and all, when he managed to coax a laugh out of her or distract her from her singleminded focus on Ali. Especially when she nibbled her lip, a mannerism that was definitely beginning to grow on him.
It was about the point where he realized some part of him was wondering if he shouldn't shift the conversation in a more informal direction, try a bit of flirting and see if there was some interest there, when he decided it was time to send her on her way and call his companion back.
It wasn't that he was reluctant to cheat on Ali, of course. He'd already considered all that with Lana, although his interest in the young woman had been foolish and unprofessional for other reasons. It was more that he knew Ali would give him the ideal experience, exactly what she knew he enjoyed. He wouldn't have to work to charm a near stranger, only to earn an experience that would probably be subpar, standing out only in its novelty.
Still, he couldn't help but feel some reluctance as he showed Sarr to the door. And it might've been his imagination, but her own disappointment didn't seem fully motivated by any unasked questions about Ali.
Well, he could live with a few regrets about what could've been. As the door closed behind the scientist, he tuned his room's intercom to his companion's channel. “She's finally gone, you can come back. Let's enjoy ourselves while we still can.”
While they could. Before the Last Stand reached the comm node tomorrow, and he had to go back to worrying about the consequences of helping these scientists instead of turning them over to Elyssa.
* * * * *
Terra jumped slightly when her room's intercom buzzed to announce a visitor.
She'd been undressing for bed, but at the sound she hastily refastened her uniform and turned to the door, fighting irritation. Was it that odious little Ishivi again, coming to try to convince her he was doing her a favor by sleeping with her and/or stealing her ova? Maybe the dashing Captain come for a late night rendezvous?
Doubtful, although not a wholly unappealing notion.
When Terra opened the door she was unsurprised, but certainly pleased, to find the adult companion there. She couldn't help but smile eagerly. “Hello! Have you come for
