Sojourn Vanguard sat there, sipping at some plutian tea trying to resist the urge to open that capsule. They set the cup down beside the tray of biscuits and cheeses that were virtually untouched. 

The private yacht had left the station only a few hours ago but Vanguard had decided to retire for the evening. They were sitting in the lounge of their quarters upon a richly padded sofa chair. The plasma shield and the transwarp wake shimmered outside the window, filling the room with a gentle iridescence. They were faced towards the transport capsule that had been secured in an alcove between the lounge and the bed chambers.  

“I certainly hope you’re worth what I paid.”

Finally, they stood, smoothed the front of the tunic-style vest, and strode over to the main entrance and using the control panel there, set their quarters to 'do not disturb'. A sequence was added that would lockdown this portion of the ship if the setting wasn’t disengaged properly. 

Vanguard turned, and stared long and hard at the capsule. It’s not that the crew wasn’t trustworthy enough to stow it away properly amongst the other cargo, it was simply that the contents wasn’t merely cargo. It was cargo, ultimately, but to have this exceptional work of art be considered anything less than precious at the very least, was unbearable.

Sojourn was going to open and activate the unit. The hesitation was intentional; each moment was drawn out for effect. Each step taken to cross the room was slow and deliberate, made more resolutely by the tall boots Vanguard currently wore. Placing their hands upon the capsule was both thrilling and calming. Stepping back Sojourn took a few deep breaths. 

“Ok, why delay the inevitable?” 

The cover for the panel slide open easily, it revealed a few buttons and an illuminated read out. A quick tap and a press of a thumb prompted mechanisms somewhere to clink and slide. There was a slight sound of depressurization and suddenly the lid eased open a fraction. 

Vanguard swung the lid open completely and saw immediately that Evenida had chosen to dress the acquisition in a tasteful three piece casual suit that was the trend lately. The dark grey shirt’s form fitting material stopped just about where the indication of a navel was, with matching three quarter length sleeves. The bottoms were similarly styled with a slim waist of orange. The vest was in contrast, a sheer light grey with flecks of orange that hinted at a recurring pattern. The footwear was the functional and casual nanosock with adaptive sole that had become popular again. 

Vanguard pressed the navel with two fingers and the skin around it lit up briefly. He quickly tapped the symbol for user activation. It was directly below the navel which made him smirk. 

“Username and passcode.” That lifeless voice promptly. 

“Sojourn Vanguard,” he paused a heartbeat. “Unicorn.”

Much like the demonstration, it was merely a few details that changed while the unit shifted from lifeless to active, but the change was remarkable. Those dark eyes flickered and focused on Vanguard while the facial expression was subtly flashed with recognition. 

“Welcome to my yacht.” The greeting was meant to give a slight sense of orientation. “These are my quarters and you must remain here.”

For a broadly built frame that belied much power strength and speed, the features gave way to a face of unabashed caution. The clash was endearing in that moment as the unit nodded in response. 

“Come, please join me.” Vanguard motioned and a nervous knot tightened within when they turned away and strode over to where delicious tea was waiting. That knot unraveled when sojourn turned and sat upon the chaise. The unit was following slowly but without hesitation. 

“Please, have a seat.” Vanguard indicated to a matching stool. The unit remained standing for a moment and stared out the window. 

“Oh! The FTL wake is quite the sight when viewed up close, but I’m so used to it now.” Sojourne commented on the sight while the light effects played nicely on the warm skin tone not covered up by the suit. 

“Transwarp. I know what that is. Yet, I’ve never seen this before.” The deep voice was soft and airy. “It’s mesmerizing.”

Vanguard smiled and poured more tea. The newcomer collected himself and lowered himself onto the stool and they locked eyes. 

“Do you have any questions?” 

“Why am I here?” The query came swiftly, quicker than anticipated, which was interesting.

“Well, you being here is a direct result to a financial transaction I made earlier today, shortly after I first saw you.” Vanguard held the tea cup with both hands and shifted into a more comfortable position. 

“Officially, of course the transaction did not occur, because current regulations prohibit the sale or purchase of any AI unit of Beta-class or higher—at least within the core systems. So, I prefer to think of the ordeal as a liberation of sorts.”

Vanguard looked pointedly at the seated figure. After a moment something registered and he uttered a simple, “Understood.”

“What are you called again?”

“D, N, dash, zero.”

“DN0. DNO...” Vanguard repeated different versions and settled on something more palatable.

“May I call you Deeno?”

“It sounds like a name.” The even tone had a hint of surprise. 

“Your name.” Vanguard stressed the point. 

“Deeno. My name is Deeno.” A note of acceptance layered over that low voice. 

“Great! Now let’s move on.” 

“Thank you for giving me a name.” Deeno regarded Vanguard with open gratitude. The next question in Sojourn’s mind vanished—that look struck him so resolutely. 

“It’s a matter of efficiency. Efficiency and decorum, really. But, you’re welcome nonetheless.”  Vanguard imparted a smile and a slight nod, unsure of how to properly react to an emulation of emotion. “Speaking of which, you will be known as my personal attaché. I am the Castellan of Mayville, a small moon in the Argus System. Effectively, I am your boss, which should satisfy most anyone’s curiosity for the moment.”

Vanguard reached for a biscuit and added a question, “Do you eat?”

“I don’t need to. Although I can consume most any food item and process it much like humans do and extract energy from such things. Typically, in most environments I can suss out enough energy from latent ambient sources to keep my power reserves within acceptable operating limits.”

“Do you sleep?” The biscuit was still in Vanguard’s hand, nearly forgotten. 

“Not as you would call it, no. I do have a number of operating modes that keep a balance of efficiency and performance, in accordance to what is required. I do have a hibernation mode which has a near one hundred percent power retention rate for dire situations.”

Sojourn Vanguard pondered this info for a moment before realizing they were still holding a biscuit. The Castellan nibbled at it while forming the next question. 

“Do you have any skill sets that I, your new employer, should be aware of?”

“I have a basic knowledge of cooking, literature, music, and sports. As for practical applications, I’m not an expert in any given field. I can easily learn and study theory for nearly all fields of knowledge, though true expertise can only be achieved through rigorous study and practice.”

“For instance, political and economical strategy, or perhaps physical combat?”

“I could access relevant information on any of those subjects and process information quickly via any network available to me, however without any prior experience I would be nothing more than a source of incomplete analytical data.”

“Fair enough, Deeno! Fair enough.” Sojourn was quite amused with how Deeno answered the questions. 

Deeno sat quietly and watched Sojourne with an interest that rested between passive curiosity and analytical observation. 

“Can you access any networks now?” Vanguard tilted their head.

“Access? Only a few. Mostly low level redundant systems on this ship. I can detect all of the signals emitted by and received by the ship, however my capabilities in this regard are limited. To access and decipher some of them would invariably alert said systems to my presence.”

“No doubt! Security is tight on this ship.” Vanguard was pleased to hear this. There were a handful of instances where Deeno would have been incredibly useful in the past. 

“The way you speak is very interesting.” Vanguard changed topics abruptly when a thought had prompted the statement.  

“How so?” Deeno asked. 

“Well understandably, your vocabulary and articulation is high. But it’s your cadence and rhythm that is reminiscent of... Solarian.”

Deeno seemed to consider Vanguard’s comment while not having a response to it. 

“It’s just an observation. I’m curious to know more about you, I suppose.”

“I feel I should apologize for not meeting your expectations, but my own memory is limited. I know what I know, but my recollections are few and far between. It seems that I have been operational and aware a handful of times prior to our first meeting. I haven’t had the opportunity to discover much of the information you no doubt would like to know.

“Beyond what Evenida herself would have imparted, I don’t imagine I can provide you with anything of value.” Deeno looked resigned sitting there looking at a very intense Sojourn. 

“What do you remember?” 

Deeno locked eyes with Vanguard for a moment. He then glanced out the window to the ripples and shimmers produced by the ship as it travelled. 

“Most of my early awareness was while in a testing facility. Digital input from automated or remotes sources. The occasional interaction with a human was usually done by voice communication. I performed tasks and I was tested on my abilities. Once, I was in a service mode and I saw a man who was nearby. I’m not sure what he had done, but I was shut down shortly afterwards. The next time I was in operation was in the facility where you had first seen me, though Evenida’s technicians had worked on me for only a short while before your arrival.”

“She’s notoriously thorough when it comes to her... inventory.”

“That may be, but she seemed uneasy when I awoke.”

Sojourn Vanguard wished to have spied those moments. To see that woman unnerved in the slightest would have been a true rarity. To be honest, knowing this made them slightly curious about why she would have reacted this way. Then again, this was the first AI unit of this caliber that Sojourn had ever encountered. It’s entirely possible that the elevated awareness simply allowed for more subjective observations. 

“Interesting,” Vanguard commented absently. 

“What tasks and duties will be required of me while in your employ?” Deeno added those last few words as an afterthought. He asked the question to further the conversation after Vanguard seemed to have lost focus. It was a few more moments before the lounging figure straightened and provided a reply. 

“Primarily you’ll be in charge of my personal safety, my scheduling, my health and nutrition, and anything else I deem necessary.” 

Deeno nodded lightly. The slight movement seemed incredibly natural. Fluid and concise, just as it was perfunctory and graceful. 

For the next while the conversation centered around the logistics and management of the goals set upon Deeno by Sojourn. Aside from some of the terminology used, the conversation progressed quite naturally even though it was akin to programming algorithms into a computer system. 

“Much of the protocols we’ve been discussing would have to use exact values for the thresholds and ranges of the various objectives if you were to input them directly into my system. Since we are setting up theses conditions verbally with conversational language there is an inherent degree of interpretation and error. Is this acceptable?”

“Of course! I don’t expect your role to be driven by percentages and fractions. As long as we can make adjustments and adapt accordingly, I’m sure you’ll do great!”

Deeno nodded with a smile.

“Honestly, that’s how most relationships work. A set of agreed upon conditions that are periodically added to, or amended.”

Deeno’s smile twitched briefly into a lopsided and pensive state. 

“You know, your mannerisms and idiosyncrasies are remarkable. For any AI unit to develop such personality quirks in a short time is, I believe, truly unprecedented.”

“I’m afraid I can offer no validation one way or another. Any behaviour I display just comes naturally to me.” Deeno offered a slight shrug. 

“At any rate, it’s highly convincing—and charming!”

Vanguard studied the new staff member in silence. Memories of first seeing the realistic version of a human male completely revealed ignited a wave of arousal. The fact that the two of them are secluded together on the ship did add to the excitement but Sojourn was aware that most AI units were programmed for many activities. 

“When I first viewed you, what was your impression of me?”

Deeno considered the question for a moment and adjusted his posture and faced his boss squarely before starting. 

“That’s a difficult question to answer. I don’t have any real frame of reference for first impressions. I was confused at first when I first awoke, but I gathered very quickly the scenario in which I found myself.”

“There was the conversation between myself and Evenida for context, I suppose.”

“Yes, that too,” Deeno agreed. “I recall the way you looked at me and I felt unsure of your intentions. At one point when you placed your hands on me I questioned my own compliance momentarily.”

“Did you, now?” Vanguard was curious about this.

“Evenida had transferred user control to you, but I don’t believe I had to explicitly comply to your directions. Though I didn’t want to comply, I had no overriding reason to refuse either. I had wondered why you hadn’t just asked, even out of politeness.”

Sojourn found themself momentarily speechless. Once those moments replayed, the realization came that their treatment of Deeno was typical of how they inspected and tested most service units. From a near-human perspective, Vanguard must have acted positively uncouth. 

“I’ll be honest, I never considered your point of view. Had you been a typical AI unit nothing would have been amiss. Obviously, you’re much more advanced than any other example I’ve been in contact with, nevertheless, I can see how that would have been uncomfortable. 

“My sincerest apologies, Deeno! I will be sure to amend my own tendencies in the future.” 

Deeno gave a nod and smile in acceptance of the apology. 

Vanguard, thought about it more. “If, in the future, I continue to be oblivious to your consideration I want you to remind me! Obviously, how you do that will depend on the situation but don’t be afraid to speak up when the moment arises.”

“Of course,” Deeno affirmed. 

Vanguard sighed in relief and glanced around the large room. It wasn’t that the conversation was boring, or that chatting with Deeno tiresome. It was simply that their natural tendency was to be introverted. Sojourn very much enjoyed personal space and time alone as much as they did sharing it with others whose company was pleasant. They didn’t want Deeno to leave either, just to enjoy a moment of silence. 

Deeno watched as Vanguard finished a cup of tea and quietly snacked on another biscuit. He saw the slim built figure was typically very deliberate with movements, though somehow it seemed from his perspective that Vanguard’s overall composure had slipped. Fatigue began to show. 

“We never discussed what I am to call you.” Deeno edged the conversation along. 

“Oh, that’s correct.” Sojourn suddenly focused on Deeno’s posture. “Are you comfortable? Do you want to sit over on the sofa?”

Vanguard rose and waved over at the other furniture in the room. They began to walk across the room when one of their boots caught the corner of a lush decorative rug. Sojourn stumbled and regained footing swiftly but not before Deeno had suddenly appeared nearby and braced them firmly. 

“Sir, you’re tired. You don’t have to keep me entertained.”

“Don’t be silly, I’m—” Vanguard winced taking a next step. “I’m fine.”

“You should rest.” 

“Seriously?” Noticeably limping, Vanguard made a few more steps to the full size sofas but instead of sitting he turned to Deeno and sighed. 

“Okay, fine. I’ll retire for the evening. l—”

“Let me help.” 

Deeno received a sharp look from Sojourn for the suggestion. 

“If I’m to be your personal assistant,” Deeno insisted. “Allow me to assist your person.”

Vanguard was known to be a stubborn individual, and up until that moment they had no intention of letting Deeno help. However, standing there with a new companion eagerly and willing to help while in some pain was comforting. In fact, it was the expression on Deeno’s face when he had first rushed in that somehow stuck in Sojourn’s mind. It wasn’t disimilar to one of genuine concern. Even if it wasn’t technically true concern it, for all intents and purposes, looked closer to genuine concern than it did to the shallow imitations they were accustomed to. 

“Assist away!” Vanguard acquiesced. “But don’t call me sir.”

Deeno nodded. He offered a forearm and Vanguard used it for balance as they hobbled back into the bed chambers. 

“You don’t like being like this, do you?” Deeno asked quietly as they passed the alcove with the storage unit. Sojourn cast a sour glance over to his aide. Though spacious, the bedchambers were in a smaller space than the lounge area and they were thankful that the distance wasn’t much further. 

“See? I didn’t die and collapse.” Vanguard hopped the last steps and landed awkwardly. 

“You may need medical attention.” 

“Well, I can worry about that in the morning.” Vanguard waved Deeno off as he adjusted his sitting position. 

“I’m here to help,” Deeno suggested. 

Vanguard exhaled slowly and stifled a yawn which inevitably defeated his efforts. 

“Ok! You can start by removing my boots.” Vanguard settled on small tasks for the moment. He figured it would be a good litmus for Deeno’s sensibilities. 

Deeno knelt before Vanguard and gently lifted the uninjured leg and placed the boot onto his thigh. He then unfastened the buttons at the top and the clips along the front. He braced the leg behind the knee and swiveled to the side to pull the boot off. Vanguard was pleasantly surprised that it seems so effortless. When Deeno repeated the process for the other boot, he was noticeably more delicate. 

“Over there with my other footwear, please.” Sojourn indicated with a tilt of the chin. A plain wide door in the corner of his quarters revealed his closet when Deeno approached it. A fair selection of his wardrobe was on this ship, as he used it quite regularly. 

When Deeno turned around he saw that Vanguard had stood up and had begun to remove some of the layers of clothing, he quickly returned to Vanguard’s side. 

“Calm down. I can stand just fine.” Trying to placate the aide. Sojourn handed over their outer jacket. When Deeno took it, they began to remove off the shawl-style tunic. Sojourn offered it to Deeno as well.

“You can just fold all these neatly and leave them on the bench by the closet. I’ll have them sorted out tomorrow.” 

After a few more items, Sojourn was standing in simple but well made under garments. A pair of light grey trunks that shimmered with a nanotechnology fibre weave hugged his waist and hips closely. The support they provided was useful in other ways as well. 

“You’ve been helpful. But as I stand here ready for sleep, I realize I don’t have adequate accommodations for you.” 

“I don’t necessarily sleep, as you would.” Deeno explained quickly. “I could sit in the other room, or return to the transport pod.”

“No!” Vanguard immediately disliked either idea. The thought of Deeno sitting by himself while he slept just seemed highly impolite and set him on edge. And having Deeno return to the—was cruel. 

“Well,” Sojourn regarded the other with feigned resolution. “The courteous thing to do in the face of limited options would be to offer any guest my own bed. As long as you don’t mind sharing it with me.”

“I have no reason to mind.” Deeno gave a perfectly neutral look. Deeno briefly gestured to Vaguard. “Shall I undress similarly?”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with, Deeno.” Sojourn turned and pulled back the covered on the generously sized bed before gingerly sitting upon it and slipping under the bountiful covers. 

“Comfort is a strange concept. I understand what it is yet I don’t know what is comfortable, at least not for myself. Not yet.” Deeno removed his vest and folded neatly like he had with Sojourn’s times but he placed his clothing at the other end of the bench. Underneath that he placed his footwear.  

“Having said that, I’m sure that as time goes on, I’ll learn what I’m comfortable with, among many other things.”

Deeno circled around the bed as he spoke and carefully got himself settled beside Vanguard. After a few moments he looked over at his host.

“Are you comfortable?”

Vanguard chuckled lightly, nodded, and then adjusted the pillows to sink down further below the blankets. They yawned a handful of times before turning over and seeing Deeno laying still with eyes not yet closed. He lay there with his hands clasp just below his chest. The thermal blankets were thin but had some weight to them and they were drawn up just under Deeno’s arms. Sojourn watched the bare chest remain still. A slight movement of the head alerted him that Deeno was now regarding them. 

“Am I disturbing you?” Deeno’s voice reached Sojourn’s ears at a hushed volume. 

“It’s been awhile since I’ve shared my bed.” Vanguard reflected. “Although, there was a time I frequently filled my bed with intimate partners and the like but it has been quite some time since I’ve taken a regular partner. And it’s been a spell since I’ve had even a fleeting encounter.”

“Would you like to be intimate, then?”

Vanguard propped up on one elbow. The mere suggestion was shocking to hear, but his defensive behaviour partly stemmed from the embarrassment of realizing such ideas were already creeping into his head. 

“No! No, that won’t be necessary. Don’t feel that because you are under my employ, you must perform such activities.”

“I have no desires or urges, as most humans experience them. At least I don’t believe so. But I can perform when it is required.”

“That’s good information to know I suppose,” Vanguard studied the bed fellow a moment longer. 

“I’ll be honest, Deeno. Your shell is incredibly pleasing and while I am certain in the future I would be very curious about your abilities, tonight is much too early in our working relationship to even approach that boundary.”

“Do you form attachments quickly?”

“I simply did not acquire you for basic lust.” Vanguard spoke those words nonchalantly, but the silence that followed was unsettling. They were certain that Deeno could detect it as well. 

“For the moment, I need to relax and get some sleep.” With that, Sojourn turned away from Deeno and got comfortable under the blanket once more. In the silence they couldn’t hear the other breathe or shift at all. It was unnerving. For a while Vanguard struggled to find sleep and even became restless, tossing and turning.

The following day started when Vanguard awoke and rose from the bed lurching towards the lavatory. 

“I can assist.” Deeno’s voice heralded his swift appearance. 

“Orion’s Belt! I forgot about you,” Sojourn was taken by surprise as Deeno offered support. 

“Forgot about my ankle too, actually. I’ll be fine though.”

Deeno let Vanguard proceed onward and decided to put the clothing he had worn yesterday back on in the meantime. While waiting, he also took the opportunity to straighten the bed.

“Great... You’ve made the bed.” Vanguard seemed displeased. 

“Should I not have?” 

“It’s alright. I had thought to return to it for more rest, but for me a made bed signals the start of the day. And you’re dressed as well!”

Deeno looked down at himself confused. 

“Seriously, it’s okay! I’m just teasing. I just feel like I’m so unproductive in comparison.”

“I meant to be useful.”

“I know, Deeno. Don’t worry too much, okay?” Sojourn faced their new aide and patted those strong forearms reassuringly. After a gentle squeeze of the muscles there they made an audible sound of approval. 

“I-I need to decide what I must do today.. more importantly, I need to figure out how to go about my business with you around now.”

“I can—” Deeno began to indicate the storage capsule. 

“No!” Vanguard’s objection burst forth before raising a hand. “Well, perhaps for a short while. I could set the stage for ... your addition to my entourage.”

“Msr,” Deeno used the honorific for effect. “I will not take offence to returning to the capsule. I believe it will alleviate enough undue stress in the short term to warrant the precaution, as I see my usefulness to you is limited until such time that I can fully serve you as you intend.”

Sojourn stared at Deeno as those words cleared away any hesitation. 

“You’re right.” Sojourn nodded finally. 

Deeno unceremoniously strode over to the capsule and lifted the front outward retreated into it by step backward and resting against the slight incline of the back. Vanguard approached and looked upon the curious machine.

“Thank you for staying with me last night.” 

“I’m glad to have been there.”

“The trip back to my estate will be a few days yet. Once I’ve finished with the day I hope to revive you and continue our.. time together.”

Deeno gave a slight nod and closed his eyes. 

Vanguard’s hand moved towards the controls near the navel and then hesitated. It was second nature to force a unit into a sleep or hibernation mode, but this was no regular unit. Even though he would be stowed away even temporarily, Sojourn thought it best to keep Deeno fully active. They closed the capsule and locked it to keep prying eyes from spying what lay inside. 

In the time that Deeno was out of sight, he pondered a few things before he settled into an inactive stand-by mode. His limited recollection gave no indication to who his creator was, what his intended purpose was, or how he came into the care of Evenida. It struck Deeno odd that he was dwelling on those points for any length of time even though it may be important to no one other than himself.