Sea Legs (Updated 09*21*19)
After a little encouragement from other players I've finally decided to "move" my story from another thread to this one. Moves in quotes simply because I'm not moving anything, just copying the posts...
Forum Discussion
Niella's dad's plane landed a bit late so he just took a cab to the houseboat. He set his suitcase on deck and then wrapped his arms around his daughter. "Little one you look like you're glowing! Am I to believe you're finally getting the rest you need?" "Even more amazing, Dad..." Niella looked down and ran her hand over her barely noticeable belly, "I'm going to be a mother."
https://i.imgur.com/eOr8bEx.jpg
Ammon threw his arms around his daughter again and hugged her extra gently as Connor came out to greet Ammon. "Welcome, Mr. Anippe," Connor grabbed Ammon's hand to shake it. "A Hand shake??" Ammon protested and pulled Connor in for a hug. "Congratulations, Son, I couldn't be happier for either of you!" Ammon said as he gave Connor's back a pat.
https://i.imgur.com/AylQuew.jpg
They stepped into the entry way of the boathouse, where Rajan and Karlie were waiting to say hello. "How's it going, Mr. Anippe?" Raj said, giving Ammon's hand a shake. "It goes quite well Rajan, How are you doing?" Before Rajan could answer Karlie stepped in "Well, about the same as your daughter actually. Rajan and I are going to be parents too!" she exclaimed. "Oh! My! That's wonderful, my dear!" Ammon said as he hugged Karlie.
https://i.imgur.com/Bdz7meF.jpg
They stepped into the living room and all had a seat to chat and catch up. After a few minutes of assuring Ammon that they were both feeling great and Ammon hearing the exciting details of Karlie's reveal, Ammon said "You have a beautiful home. This is much nicer than the houseboat I raised Niella on." "We didn't need much, Dad, we were happy. But it's been a great place for Connor's writing. His office is just upstairs. He looks out onto that beautiful sunrise and is inspired every time." "Oh you're going to love the sun rises from this port!" Karlie chimed in. "It's too bad you're in town for such a short period of time, Mr. Anippe, I know Raj and I would love to be able to do some fishing with you," Connor admitted.
https://i.imgur.com/LQ5Zpcx.jpg
"Actually," Ammon said, "things have changed slightly and I am not needed back as soon as I had thought. I was planning on speaking to Niella about arranging a longer stay, I can stay at a hotel or find a short term apartment if need be." "Nonsense!" Connor said "there's plenty of room here." They had all planned on trying to talk Ammon into a longer visit so when Karlie looked at the gang with a glint in her eye they knew to play along. "Besides," she said non-nonchalantly "It'd be great if you could come to see Raj play a game." "I'd LOVE to see Rajan play sportsball! When's your next game, son?" Connor spoke instead "Well," he said coyly, "Raj's on family leave, so right about the time you'd be meeting your grandchild. And honestly, I'm afraid if you don't stay, Ny wouldn't take the maternity leave she's promised to. Whatever's going on at the science center is too important to her." Ammon was truly touched that these four young adults, just starting a family and so many other adventures, would want him to be a part of the start of it all.
https://i.imgur.com/lw6EDQ0.jpg
After dinner Ammon and Niella sat on the back deck while the others distracted themselves so that Ammon and Niella could talk shop. "I haven't even told my staff about my pregnancy leave yet" Niella admitted. "I just couldn't until I knew whether or not you'd be able to stay. But I have to admit not even the big lab coats will hide it much longer." "Let me meet them all first," Ammon said. "So they can have an opportunity to feel more grounded before you tell them, and if there are any objections we can all work with them directly." "Yeah that's what I was thinking, too, Daaaaaaad" Niella said, stretching and yawning. "Alright," Ammon said, standing up, "If I'm going to be here, you're going to get every bit of sleep you need. Off to bed." and hugged Niella a long soft hug. Sometimes he forgot how much he missed his daughter. He had been so obsessed with trying to find her mother since Niella had graduated high school that he felt like he had missed entire chunks of the every day things that truly shape who we are in his daughter's life. Maybe this was fate telling him that the past had to be left in the past. That what had happened between he and Niella's mother could never be changed, that too much time had passed, too much pain had passed. His heart broke a second time as he let his last resolve to find her mother slip in importance in his life, but he knew Niella's mother would have wanted him to be there for their daughter. "I will find you my dearest dearest love, I will. Someday. I swear." he thought to himself.
https://i.imgur.com/OFAqKir.jpg
"Here it is, sir, your home away from, well, your new digs!" Raj said as he showed Ammon the guest room below deck. "Feel free to make yourself at home." As he unpacked he could sense home. It must be because he's back in Isla Paradiso, where he raised Niella. Maybe it was because he was on a houseboat again, feeling the ocean from under his feet rather than the arid sands of Egypt. Maybe it was because he was starting to understand that in order to move forward with his life he had to be willing to let go of the past. To let go of Adrastria, of the hope of finding her, and concentrate on being the father, the grandfather his love, his mon cher, would want him to be.
The next morning Niella and Ammon set out early for the science center. By the time he stepped through the front door he had already made his mind up to give up the search for Adrastria, at least for now. He would find a place of his own here in Isla Paradiso. His daughter needed him, and that was simply that.
https://i.imgur.com/1zmu5KY.jpg
As they stepped off the elevator, Niella motioned in front of them. "That's the rock cutter there in the padded room. The Aquatics lab is there at the end of the hall, but we're going in here, the earth sciences lab." The automatic door slid open and they walked to the back end of the lab where Lopita and Masao were working. "This is my father, Dr. Ammon Anippe," Niella introduced him to Lopita. "Dr. Anippe, it's an honor to meet you! I just finished your journal that was published on gentle excavation through robotic traversers" Lopita exclaimed excitedly. "And this is Masao Hamata, our head of Marine Biology as well as our resident computer expert. He's been dividing his time between helping Lopita in the lab and assisting the head of our technology department with our recent discoveries. "Dr. Anippe! It is a great honor. I attended your lecture at the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, it was quite impressive." Masao stepped forward and shook Ammon's hand. "Oh did you? I'm glad you found it useful! Nice to meet you." Ammon replied.
https://i.imgur.com/7C6Si24.jpg
Masao and Lopita then took a few minutes to show them what they were currently working on, analyzing the different magnetic properties of the debris and then roughly around the Earth Sciences lab in general. When they were done Niella clapped her hands and then rubbed them together. "Ok, we need to be off, I'm a bit behind schedule." Ammon said goodbye and then off they went. The next stop was the Mental and Physical Sciences lab to meet Javiera and Emily. As they walked through the facility to reach the lab, Ammon looked around quite impressed, and silently incredibly proud of what his daughter had built here. Before he moved back to Egypt he had worked at the facility which was ahead of it's time then, but the incredible changes his daughter had made in just the few short years since graduating college and starting her job at the facility as a fertilizer annalist was nothing short of astounding. As they passed the Aquatic's lab without stopping Ammon started to inquire, but decided to give his daughter the full reigns of the day and just trust that she had a reason to skip it.
https://i.imgur.com/gfWev7P.jpg
When they stepped through the door of the Mental and Physical Sciences lab, Javiera and Emily were in the middle of comparing communication differences between the blue projection, Christoph, and the green one, Damien. As the door slid closed behind them, Niella said "Ladies, I'd like you to meet my father, Dr. Ammon Anippe." After the formalities were over, Niella asked the women to show her father the disc's "most recent projection." Javiera placed her finger on the top of the disc and said "Christoph?" as if she was waking a sleeping child. https://i.imgur.com/y7T1LxY.jpg
After an extremely rudimentary description Ammon, amazed, asked if he could see the disc. As he did Christoph immediately became visibly excited as he began the familiar chitter, beeps and clicks that the women had become acquainted with. Ammon instantly recognized that the projection seemed to be aware of it's surroundings as it focused it's gaze at Ammon but would occasionally look at the others in the room, as though it was talking about them. "Place your finger on top of the disc and say "Goodbye." Javiera directed. Ammon did so and Christoph disappeared. "Incredible" Ammon said in astonishment, mostly to himself. "So is there any visible pattern in behavior? As in a set of scripted reactions? Or is this genuine A.I. that we're talking about? Or something else all together?" Ammon questioned. "There are definitely patterns to the speech the same way there are patterns to the way we speak, but if you're asking about AI, that'd be Alex's department." Emily answered. Niella said "That's where we're off to next." They made their goodbye and then headed to the tech lab. Akone was sitting at his desk working on something when Niella and Ammon stepped through the door and hurriedly clicked his monitor off.
https://i.imgur.com/U8Z0MMD.jpg
Akone pushed in his desk chair and walked to Niella and Ammon. "I'd like you to meet Akone Kahale, master in all things red tape. Mr. Akone, this is my father, Dr. Ammon Anippe." "Pleased to meet you. You're here to see Alex I take it?" Akone was use to most interactions with him being in digital or printed format rather than face to face. "And you, if you're not in the middle of something" Niella said reassuringly. Akone had to be coaxed out of his grumpy hermit shell occasionally. Akone's demeanor relaxed and he started to lead them back to Alex's office as he spoke. "Actually we both were about to go over some expenditures but I am sure we have a minute for an introduction." Niella honestly didn't know what the facility would do without Akone to keep Alex on schedule and sometimes on track, much like a Watson to a Sherlock. Her genius and ingenuity the momentum of her attention and drive, Alex could get lost in a project for days, even weeks on end stopping only when her stomach growled loud enough or her alarm went off to remind her to go home to her family every night. As they walked, Ammon was amazed at the technology they were passing, barely even hearing the conversation, trying to determine each device's function. When they reached Alex's office door Akone knocked a couple of times and said "Hey Doc, you, uh, dressed?" Akone spoke closely to the door, embarrassed by the question. He had once entered her office to find her completely nude testing the sensory enhanced VR system she was developing to see what it "felt" like. "Huh? What?! Come in here, I can't hear you when you mumble" Alex said on the other side. Akone sighed in relief and opened the door.
https://i.imgur.com/VoXHFfB.jpg
"Dr. Jamie Alexander!" Ammon spoke out in surprise as he stepped forward. "K'Nippy! I heard you were coming for a visit!" Alex exclaimed as she came around her desk to shake Ammon's hand. "I take it you two know each other?" Niella said as she and Akone filed into the small office. "K'Nippy and I go way back, we've worked together a few times in the past." "K'nippy?" Niella raised an eyebrow in an exaggerated quizzical fashion at her dad. "It was 1994 when we first met, she seeing someone in Grease on Broadway and thought my name sounded like Kenickie..." Ammon offered with an uncharacteristic blush and shrug. Alex invited Ammon back to her office in an hour for a meeting with her and Masao regarding what they suspected was a programming language. She knew it was exactly in Ammon's wheelhouse, which is why she scheduled the meeting for the day he arrived. In the meantime, Niella showed Ammon to his office. "It's on the small side but it's the best we could do on the spot. We can arrange for something larger in the future if you need. It's a decent location though, right in the middle of the labs, by the restrooms..." They stepped in, the door shut. Niella asked "Well, what do you think?" Ammon knew she wasn't talking about the office. "I'm honestly astounded, a bit overwhelmed by it all." "I know! Isn't it exciting!" Niella let her inner excited little girl peek out of her professionalism to her dad. "It is incredible, little one, but I was also talking about how proud I am of you. You've got an amazing team which means you're an amazing leader. Your colleagues have a wide range of skills and all genuinely respect you." "Stop before you make a pregnant woman cry in front of those colleagues, dad" Niella smiled softly. "So! Where should I start?" Ammon clapped and then rubbed his hands together. "You start with Alex, K'Nippy." Niella chuckled and then continued "I've got to meet with Javiera to tell her about my maternity leave and explain why I left her in the dark until now about it.
https://i.imgur.com/TewFvrX.jpg
When Javiera sat down in Niella's office across from her, Niella wasn't at all confident on how it would go. Javeria was her second mostly only in formality and Javiera had been kept abreast of nearly every situation and decision that Niella made, as an equal. Until this one... Niella wasn't sure Javiera would understand her decision to offer her father a full access position at the facility without first discussing it with Javiera or be happy about Niella's maternity leave at such a short notice. And indeed Javiera was slightly stung by it, so Niella did her best to put Javiera at ease, assuring Javiera that though her father would be acting as a lead consultant in the new work regarding the meteorite and the tech involved, that Javiera was still very much her right hand and obviously would be in charge of the entire facility, projects old and new. Niella tried to highlight the asset her father was, both as a scientist and a skilled lesion between her and the departments working on the meteorite projects.
https://i.imgur.com/CJN2O5a.jpg
When Ammon stepped into Alex's office Masao was already there. Alex invited them both to look at her monitor as soon as he arrived. Masao let him pass and then got up behind him. Both Alex and Masao took turns explaining what they had deciphered, what they hadn't, and their theories about what they thought might be a programming language that had been intermixed with electrical schematics. When they finished explaining Ammon asked if he could take a look at the suspected programming language separate from the text regarding electrical schematics. Alex clicked a key and her desktop opened to a page with a block of text and symbols. "This is only a section, but it's definitely something other than electrical schematics and very strongly resembles programming language, though what we don't know. Ammon pushed his glasses up and leaned in to examine it. When he did his eyes grew wide with shock. Could it be? There's no way it could be, it's completely impossible. He stood up abruptly and said "Do you think I could get you to send these files to my computer for me to look? I have such bad eyesight anymore..." Ammon chuckled uncomfortably. Alex, still lost in her own examination said nothing until Masao broke her free "Alex, send this to both me and Dr. Anippe, please?" "Who??!" Alex mumbled through her hand as she rubbed her chin. "Me and Dr. Anippe" Masao restated. "K'Nippe? yeah sure ok." Alex affirmed before being pulled back into thought. Ammon excused himself to take a closer look. As he was leaving Alex said "Don't mind him, he's kind of strange." "Dr. Anippe??" Masao asked. "Who?? Oh, no, you. I was talking to him."
https://i.imgur.com/3cn6IYP.jpg
In her office, Niella had succeeded in quelling Javiera's concerns and preparing her to run the facility. "You've actually been here longer than I have, Javiera. You've got to know how much I value you. Not only as a scientist, not only as someone I can trust to run this place, but as a dear dear friend and colleague." "I hope you understand my trepidation, Niella. It's not a slight against you, I just really care about this place." Javiera explained. "Of course I do, Javi. This place is as much your baby as it is mine." Niella reassured her. "And speaking of, I want you to know how excited and thrilled I am for you and Connor. I hope you weren't offended. You two are going to be amazing parents. I also want you to know you have nothing to worry about while you're gone." Javiera said and then hugged Niella warmly. "Just... Just take good care of those here and they'll all take care of you, of this - of our baby," Niella said, gesturing to the building around them "because something tells me things just might start to get pretty crazy here."
https://i.imgur.com/7WKLAMH.jpg
Ammon sat down to his desk and entered in his password and then pulled up the files already there from Alex. He opened the first file and scanned it. It was unmistakable. He opened the next and found the same thing. Assuming the rest would only reveal more of the same he went back to the first file. His code. The A.I. he had developed for the excavation robots he had utilized in Egypt. No, wait. Not his code but definitely framed off of it, but far more advanced - chunks that were completely unrecognizable in fact, but absolutely pieces that Ammon knew to be his code. He had kept that code strictly to himself, worrying that it would be used for things such as infiltration and surveillance micro bots which, in the wrong hands, could be devastating. How did his A.I. programming get into someone else's hands? Into someone else's technology that was embedded in a meteorite that just happened to hit property co-owned by his daughter?? Ammon decided he first needed to decipher the AI programming that he recognized and see if he could use it to decipher the rest, then and only then would he tell Niella or the team about it. He couldn't risk the people he had hidden Niella from all those years ago finding a way to hurt her after all of this time. Though he been lead to believe they were no longer a threat by various government agencies, obviously someone was trying very hard to send him or Niella a message and he was going to find out exactly what that message was.
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Ammon threw his arms around his daughter again and hugged her extra gently as Connor came out to greet Ammon. "Welcome, Mr. Anippe," Connor grabbed Ammon's hand to shake it. "A Hand shake??" Ammon protested and pulled Connor in for a hug. "Congratulations, Son, I couldn't be happier for either of you!" Ammon said as he gave Connor's back a pat.
https://i.imgur.com/AylQuew.jpg
They stepped into the entry way of the boathouse, where Rajan and Karlie were waiting to say hello. "How's it going, Mr. Anippe?" Raj said, giving Ammon's hand a shake. "It goes quite well Rajan, How are you doing?" Before Rajan could answer Karlie stepped in "Well, about the same as your daughter actually. Rajan and I are going to be parents too!" she exclaimed. "Oh! My! That's wonderful, my dear!" Ammon said as he hugged Karlie.
https://i.imgur.com/Bdz7meF.jpg
They stepped into the living room and all had a seat to chat and catch up. After a few minutes of assuring Ammon that they were both feeling great and Ammon hearing the exciting details of Karlie's reveal, Ammon said "You have a beautiful home. This is much nicer than the houseboat I raised Niella on." "We didn't need much, Dad, we were happy. But it's been a great place for Connor's writing. His office is just upstairs. He looks out onto that beautiful sunrise and is inspired every time." "Oh you're going to love the sun rises from this port!" Karlie chimed in. "It's too bad you're in town for such a short period of time, Mr. Anippe, I know Raj and I would love to be able to do some fishing with you," Connor admitted.
https://i.imgur.com/LQ5Zpcx.jpg
"Actually," Ammon said, "things have changed slightly and I am not needed back as soon as I had thought. I was planning on speaking to Niella about arranging a longer stay, I can stay at a hotel or find a short term apartment if need be." "Nonsense!" Connor said "there's plenty of room here." They had all planned on trying to talk Ammon into a longer visit so when Karlie looked at the gang with a glint in her eye they knew to play along. "Besides," she said non-nonchalantly "It'd be great if you could come to see Raj play a game." "I'd LOVE to see Rajan play sportsball! When's your next game, son?" Connor spoke instead "Well," he said coyly, "Raj's on family leave, so right about the time you'd be meeting your grandchild. And honestly, I'm afraid if you don't stay, Ny wouldn't take the maternity leave she's promised to. Whatever's going on at the science center is too important to her." Ammon was truly touched that these four young adults, just starting a family and so many other adventures, would want him to be a part of the start of it all.
https://i.imgur.com/lw6EDQ0.jpg
After dinner Ammon and Niella sat on the back deck while the others distracted themselves so that Ammon and Niella could talk shop. "I haven't even told my staff about my pregnancy leave yet" Niella admitted. "I just couldn't until I knew whether or not you'd be able to stay. But I have to admit not even the big lab coats will hide it much longer." "Let me meet them all first," Ammon said. "So they can have an opportunity to feel more grounded before you tell them, and if there are any objections we can all work with them directly." "Yeah that's what I was thinking, too, Daaaaaaad" Niella said, stretching and yawning. "Alright," Ammon said, standing up, "If I'm going to be here, you're going to get every bit of sleep you need. Off to bed." and hugged Niella a long soft hug. Sometimes he forgot how much he missed his daughter. He had been so obsessed with trying to find her mother since Niella had graduated high school that he felt like he had missed entire chunks of the every day things that truly shape who we are in his daughter's life. Maybe this was fate telling him that the past had to be left in the past. That what had happened between he and Niella's mother could never be changed, that too much time had passed, too much pain had passed. His heart broke a second time as he let his last resolve to find her mother slip in importance in his life, but he knew Niella's mother would have wanted him to be there for their daughter. "I will find you my dearest dearest love, I will. Someday. I swear." he thought to himself.
https://i.imgur.com/OFAqKir.jpg
"Here it is, sir, your home away from, well, your new digs!" Raj said as he showed Ammon the guest room below deck. "Feel free to make yourself at home." As he unpacked he could sense home. It must be because he's back in Isla Paradiso, where he raised Niella. Maybe it was because he was on a houseboat again, feeling the ocean from under his feet rather than the arid sands of Egypt. Maybe it was because he was starting to understand that in order to move forward with his life he had to be willing to let go of the past. To let go of Adrastria, of the hope of finding her, and concentrate on being the father, the grandfather his love, his mon cher, would want him to be.
The next morning Niella and Ammon set out early for the science center. By the time he stepped through the front door he had already made his mind up to give up the search for Adrastria, at least for now. He would find a place of his own here in Isla Paradiso. His daughter needed him, and that was simply that.
https://i.imgur.com/1zmu5KY.jpg
As they stepped off the elevator, Niella motioned in front of them. "That's the rock cutter there in the padded room. The Aquatics lab is there at the end of the hall, but we're going in here, the earth sciences lab." The automatic door slid open and they walked to the back end of the lab where Lopita and Masao were working. "This is my father, Dr. Ammon Anippe," Niella introduced him to Lopita. "Dr. Anippe, it's an honor to meet you! I just finished your journal that was published on gentle excavation through robotic traversers" Lopita exclaimed excitedly. "And this is Masao Hamata, our head of Marine Biology as well as our resident computer expert. He's been dividing his time between helping Lopita in the lab and assisting the head of our technology department with our recent discoveries. "Dr. Anippe! It is a great honor. I attended your lecture at the International Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, it was quite impressive." Masao stepped forward and shook Ammon's hand. "Oh did you? I'm glad you found it useful! Nice to meet you." Ammon replied.
https://i.imgur.com/7C6Si24.jpg
Masao and Lopita then took a few minutes to show them what they were currently working on, analyzing the different magnetic properties of the debris and then roughly around the Earth Sciences lab in general. When they were done Niella clapped her hands and then rubbed them together. "Ok, we need to be off, I'm a bit behind schedule." Ammon said goodbye and then off they went. The next stop was the Mental and Physical Sciences lab to meet Javiera and Emily. As they walked through the facility to reach the lab, Ammon looked around quite impressed, and silently incredibly proud of what his daughter had built here. Before he moved back to Egypt he had worked at the facility which was ahead of it's time then, but the incredible changes his daughter had made in just the few short years since graduating college and starting her job at the facility as a fertilizer annalist was nothing short of astounding. As they passed the Aquatic's lab without stopping Ammon started to inquire, but decided to give his daughter the full reigns of the day and just trust that she had a reason to skip it.
https://i.imgur.com/gfWev7P.jpg
When they stepped through the door of the Mental and Physical Sciences lab, Javiera and Emily were in the middle of comparing communication differences between the blue projection, Christoph, and the green one, Damien. As the door slid closed behind them, Niella said "Ladies, I'd like you to meet my father, Dr. Ammon Anippe." After the formalities were over, Niella asked the women to show her father the disc's "most recent projection." Javiera placed her finger on the top of the disc and said "Christoph?" as if she was waking a sleeping child. https://i.imgur.com/y7T1LxY.jpg
After an extremely rudimentary description Ammon, amazed, asked if he could see the disc. As he did Christoph immediately became visibly excited as he began the familiar chitter, beeps and clicks that the women had become acquainted with. Ammon instantly recognized that the projection seemed to be aware of it's surroundings as it focused it's gaze at Ammon but would occasionally look at the others in the room, as though it was talking about them. "Place your finger on top of the disc and say "Goodbye." Javiera directed. Ammon did so and Christoph disappeared. "Incredible" Ammon said in astonishment, mostly to himself. "So is there any visible pattern in behavior? As in a set of scripted reactions? Or is this genuine A.I. that we're talking about? Or something else all together?" Ammon questioned. "There are definitely patterns to the speech the same way there are patterns to the way we speak, but if you're asking about AI, that'd be Alex's department." Emily answered. Niella said "That's where we're off to next." They made their goodbye and then headed to the tech lab. Akone was sitting at his desk working on something when Niella and Ammon stepped through the door and hurriedly clicked his monitor off.
https://i.imgur.com/U8Z0MMD.jpg
Akone pushed in his desk chair and walked to Niella and Ammon. "I'd like you to meet Akone Kahale, master in all things red tape. Mr. Akone, this is my father, Dr. Ammon Anippe." "Pleased to meet you. You're here to see Alex I take it?" Akone was use to most interactions with him being in digital or printed format rather than face to face. "And you, if you're not in the middle of something" Niella said reassuringly. Akone had to be coaxed out of his grumpy hermit shell occasionally. Akone's demeanor relaxed and he started to lead them back to Alex's office as he spoke. "Actually we both were about to go over some expenditures but I am sure we have a minute for an introduction." Niella honestly didn't know what the facility would do without Akone to keep Alex on schedule and sometimes on track, much like a Watson to a Sherlock. Her genius and ingenuity the momentum of her attention and drive, Alex could get lost in a project for days, even weeks on end stopping only when her stomach growled loud enough or her alarm went off to remind her to go home to her family every night. As they walked, Ammon was amazed at the technology they were passing, barely even hearing the conversation, trying to determine each device's function. When they reached Alex's office door Akone knocked a couple of times and said "Hey Doc, you, uh, dressed?" Akone spoke closely to the door, embarrassed by the question. He had once entered her office to find her completely nude testing the sensory enhanced VR system she was developing to see what it "felt" like. "Huh? What?! Come in here, I can't hear you when you mumble" Alex said on the other side. Akone sighed in relief and opened the door.
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"Dr. Jamie Alexander!" Ammon spoke out in surprise as he stepped forward. "K'Nippy! I heard you were coming for a visit!" Alex exclaimed as she came around her desk to shake Ammon's hand. "I take it you two know each other?" Niella said as she and Akone filed into the small office. "K'Nippy and I go way back, we've worked together a few times in the past." "K'nippy?" Niella raised an eyebrow in an exaggerated quizzical fashion at her dad. "It was 1994 when we first met, she seeing someone in Grease on Broadway and thought my name sounded like Kenickie..." Ammon offered with an uncharacteristic blush and shrug. Alex invited Ammon back to her office in an hour for a meeting with her and Masao regarding what they suspected was a programming language. She knew it was exactly in Ammon's wheelhouse, which is why she scheduled the meeting for the day he arrived. In the meantime, Niella showed Ammon to his office. "It's on the small side but it's the best we could do on the spot. We can arrange for something larger in the future if you need. It's a decent location though, right in the middle of the labs, by the restrooms..." They stepped in, the door shut. Niella asked "Well, what do you think?" Ammon knew she wasn't talking about the office. "I'm honestly astounded, a bit overwhelmed by it all." "I know! Isn't it exciting!" Niella let her inner excited little girl peek out of her professionalism to her dad. "It is incredible, little one, but I was also talking about how proud I am of you. You've got an amazing team which means you're an amazing leader. Your colleagues have a wide range of skills and all genuinely respect you." "Stop before you make a pregnant woman cry in front of those colleagues, dad" Niella smiled softly. "So! Where should I start?" Ammon clapped and then rubbed his hands together. "You start with Alex, K'Nippy." Niella chuckled and then continued "I've got to meet with Javiera to tell her about my maternity leave and explain why I left her in the dark until now about it.
https://i.imgur.com/TewFvrX.jpg
When Javiera sat down in Niella's office across from her, Niella wasn't at all confident on how it would go. Javeria was her second mostly only in formality and Javiera had been kept abreast of nearly every situation and decision that Niella made, as an equal. Until this one... Niella wasn't sure Javiera would understand her decision to offer her father a full access position at the facility without first discussing it with Javiera or be happy about Niella's maternity leave at such a short notice. And indeed Javiera was slightly stung by it, so Niella did her best to put Javiera at ease, assuring Javiera that though her father would be acting as a lead consultant in the new work regarding the meteorite and the tech involved, that Javiera was still very much her right hand and obviously would be in charge of the entire facility, projects old and new. Niella tried to highlight the asset her father was, both as a scientist and a skilled lesion between her and the departments working on the meteorite projects.
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When Ammon stepped into Alex's office Masao was already there. Alex invited them both to look at her monitor as soon as he arrived. Masao let him pass and then got up behind him. Both Alex and Masao took turns explaining what they had deciphered, what they hadn't, and their theories about what they thought might be a programming language that had been intermixed with electrical schematics. When they finished explaining Ammon asked if he could take a look at the suspected programming language separate from the text regarding electrical schematics. Alex clicked a key and her desktop opened to a page with a block of text and symbols. "This is only a section, but it's definitely something other than electrical schematics and very strongly resembles programming language, though what we don't know. Ammon pushed his glasses up and leaned in to examine it. When he did his eyes grew wide with shock. Could it be? There's no way it could be, it's completely impossible. He stood up abruptly and said "Do you think I could get you to send these files to my computer for me to look? I have such bad eyesight anymore..." Ammon chuckled uncomfortably. Alex, still lost in her own examination said nothing until Masao broke her free "Alex, send this to both me and Dr. Anippe, please?" "Who??!" Alex mumbled through her hand as she rubbed her chin. "Me and Dr. Anippe" Masao restated. "K'Nippe? yeah sure ok." Alex affirmed before being pulled back into thought. Ammon excused himself to take a closer look. As he was leaving Alex said "Don't mind him, he's kind of strange." "Dr. Anippe??" Masao asked. "Who?? Oh, no, you. I was talking to him."
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In her office, Niella had succeeded in quelling Javiera's concerns and preparing her to run the facility. "You've actually been here longer than I have, Javiera. You've got to know how much I value you. Not only as a scientist, not only as someone I can trust to run this place, but as a dear dear friend and colleague." "I hope you understand my trepidation, Niella. It's not a slight against you, I just really care about this place." Javiera explained. "Of course I do, Javi. This place is as much your baby as it is mine." Niella reassured her. "And speaking of, I want you to know how excited and thrilled I am for you and Connor. I hope you weren't offended. You two are going to be amazing parents. I also want you to know you have nothing to worry about while you're gone." Javiera said and then hugged Niella warmly. "Just... Just take good care of those here and they'll all take care of you, of this - of our baby," Niella said, gesturing to the building around them "because something tells me things just might start to get pretty crazy here."
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Ammon sat down to his desk and entered in his password and then pulled up the files already there from Alex. He opened the first file and scanned it. It was unmistakable. He opened the next and found the same thing. Assuming the rest would only reveal more of the same he went back to the first file. His code. The A.I. he had developed for the excavation robots he had utilized in Egypt. No, wait. Not his code but definitely framed off of it, but far more advanced - chunks that were completely unrecognizable in fact, but absolutely pieces that Ammon knew to be his code. He had kept that code strictly to himself, worrying that it would be used for things such as infiltration and surveillance micro bots which, in the wrong hands, could be devastating. How did his A.I. programming get into someone else's hands? Into someone else's technology that was embedded in a meteorite that just happened to hit property co-owned by his daughter?? Ammon decided he first needed to decipher the AI programming that he recognized and see if he could use it to decipher the rest, then and only then would he tell Niella or the team about it. He couldn't risk the people he had hidden Niella from all those years ago finding a way to hurt her after all of this time. Though he been lead to believe they were no longer a threat by various government agencies, obviously someone was trying very hard to send him or Niella a message and he was going to find out exactly what that message was.
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