Ali gave him a wry smile. “We Caretakers treasure all intelligent life, and hold no other goal than to protect it. Which is why even though humanity gave us life, we consider ourselves more like its parents than its children.” She grimaced. “Unfortunately, humanity is an enormous child; when it throws a tantrum, we do not yet have the strength to stop it. We've kept our existence secret until we do have such strength.”
Aiden felt a chill at the ramifications of that, but decided not to confront that just yet, either. “You think humans would really try to wipe you Caretakers out if we knew about you?”
The beautiful woman's smile turned sad. “My love, humans do not even treasure and respect intelligent life enough to protect other humans. I doubt you'd show any more consideration for what you'd almost certainly consider to be glorified machines. Especially since you would, you do, consider us a serious threat.”
Hard to argue that, he supposed. He sighed and wrapped his arms tighter around her. “Well, self-actuated or not, you haven't lost your touch in the sack.”
Ali smirked and rested her head against his shoulder. “Glad to hear.”
Contented silence settled back over his cabin. Aiden found his thoughts drifting to what he was going to do now; he'd burned a potentially lifesaving contact in Iglis, so operating in this galaxy was going to be twice as hard as before Elyssa approached them. He supposed he could continue on to another galaxy, but humanity had only colonized so many in this relatively small cluster, and he was eventually going to run out.
The woman in his arms seemed to read his thoughts. “Even if you don't want to join the Caretakers, my love, our relationship with them doesn't have to end here. You've seen how beneficial aiding them can be, and how it hits at the enemy you're determined to fight to the death.”
He sighed again. So much for enjoying the moment. “You're kidding me. The robots want to offer us a job?”
“More like they're willing to . . . point us to a lucrative prize,” Ali corrected. “No strings attached, other than their desire to see us stop the ship from continuing its actions.”
Whenever anyone started talking about “no strings attached”, Aiden immediately began looking for the noose slipping towards his neck. “Out of the goodness of their hearts?” he asked sarcastically.
The Caretaker smirked again. “I keep telling you, my love, that's why we exist. We're willing to offer you information that will enrich you, and further your purpose of hitting at the Movement and its allies. In return, we get to see human suffering reduced, even if it's just a drop in the bucket. Everyone wins.”
“What ship?” he demanded.
She shrugged one shoulder, the sheet covering them slipping an inch or so in response. “An Ishivi Harvester.”
Aiden pulled away from her sharply, sucking in a shocked breath. Harvesters were the ships the splicers sent out into the universe to beg, barter, or steal superior genetic material for their breeding program. Unsurprisingly, they were top of the line military vessels crewed by Constructs, renowned for being able to take on much larger ships with ease.
Only madmen went anywhere near a Harvester, even if they didn't have any ill intentions. He stared at his robotic lover, suspicions returning in full force. “HAE wants us to go against the Ishivi?”
“It's mutually beneficial, my love,” Ali said gently. “The Caretakers despise the human suffering caused by Ishivi breeding methods, particularly what they do to their Constructs.” She grimaced. “You realize one of the ways they collect genetic material is by crewing their Harvesters with their most attractive Constructs, which they rent out to high end brothels or offer as escorts to the upper echelons of society. When they're not simply pointing them towards ideal prospects for a one night stand.”
Aiden had not been aware of that, and would've preferred not to know; he already had enough knowledge of human suffering staining his soul, most of which he could do nothing about. Granted, it wasn't all that different from how Belix collected her “genetic samples”, but the fact that she did so by choice made all the difference.
Not to mention it turned his thoughts uncomfortably towards the Construct aboard his own ship, and the less than ideal way he'd treated the young man all these years. “I'm sorry to hear that,” he said, tone more curt than he'd intended, “but how is hitting a Harvester going to help the Constructs aboard it?”
“It likely won't, since they're willing slaves,” the Caretaker said reluctantly. “Or at least, conditioned to be so. But at least by hitting this ship, you essentially prevent that same fate for anyone who would've been bred using the genetic material aboard it. Much of it stolen, I might add.”
“And what exactly is the profit? I'm sure any DNA aboard a Harvester would be immensely valuable, but I doubt you want me selling it on the black market.”
The beautiful woman shuddered in revulsion. “Where it would likely end up back in Ishivi hands? Or arguably even worse, in the hands of slave breeders? Of course not.”
“Then what?” he demanded.
Ali hesitated. “The Caretakers hold all human life as priceless. Genetic material enters an obvious moral gray area, of course, but it still seems tragic to consider all the lives that could spring from the DNA aboard a Harvester. Especially when we could offer them better.”
Aiden stared at her. “So much for no strings attached. Please don't tell me the AI who want to take over the universe are planning to breed their own humans. As what, HAE employees?”
She sat up rigidly, expression deeply offended. Although the gesture was somewhat spoiled by the sheet slipping off her chest to puddle around her waist. Still, her glare brooked no distraction. “Not in any way, shape, or form, my love! If we did
