Alien Proliferation

help.” His voice sounded filled with dread and remorse.
    “ACE, you didn’t hurt them. You helped them. Why are you feeling so guilty?”
    “Others do not like ACE to help.”
    “Who? Anyone in this room?”
    “No.”
    “Then I don’t care what they think.” Another thought occurred. “ACE . . . are there sentient nets, like you were, up in places other than around Earth and in the Alpha Centauri system?”
    “Yes, Kitty. Around other star systems with intelligent life. They are not A-C made, but . . . we can speak. Occasionally. They . . . do not like what ACE has done.”
    “You mean help your penguins instead of hurt them?”
    Reader coughed. “Girlfriend, really, the penguin analogy was confusing enough when you first put it out there. Don’t stress ACE out, please. Paul’s hell to deal with when you do.”
    “ACE understands Kitty’s penguins. Kitty is right. The others do not . . . love . . . their penguins as ACE does.”
    “See? ACE understands me.”
    “At least someone does,” Mom muttered.
    “So, ACE, you’re the one who helped the Gower girls and Serene?”
    “Yes.”
    “Okay, thank God, and more on that later. Thanks, ACE, love you as always, carry on, give us Paul back, do not berate yourself, we adore you and all you do for us, and so forth.”
    Paul twitched. “God, the palsy stops when? ACE is relieved you’re not upset with him, Kitty. Couldn’t care less what anyone else thinks, just for the record.”
    “ACE is the best, Paul, just like you. Now, Richard, since ACE doesn’t lie, and that means whoever contacted you was lying, it stands to reason that you need to stop protecting them and tell us what the hell’s going on. Before Jamie’s next feeding, please.”
    White sighed. “Understood, and agreed. I got a call from someone who said he’d been helping them and wanted to speak to me about their futures.”
    “Who?”
    “He identified himself as Herbert Gaultier.”
    Mom, Chuckie, and I all looked at Amy. She shook her head. “My dad’s in New York right now, not Paris.” Mom pulled out her phone and made a call.
    “Did you meet with this man?” Chuckie’s eyes were narrowed.
    “Yes, well, I thought I was.”
    “Describe him.” Chuckie’s voice was clipped, and I noted he was watching Amy.
    “Shorter than me, small, dark hair, eyes, and skin. Not black, darker than Mister Hernandez, however.”
    Chuckie relaxed. “Amy’s father’s my height, redheaded, and fair skinned.”
    Amy glared at him. “You really think I, or my father, had something to do with . . . whatever this is?”
    “Yeah. I think it’s awfully coincidental that you’re here and that your father’s name was used to attempt to kidnap the religious leader of a group of exiled aliens, the control of whom is the basis for at least half of the conspiracies active at any one time.”
    Mom hung up. “Herbert Gaultier is in New York with his wife. I’ve assigned an operative team to guard them.”
    “Thanks, Angela,” Amy said gratefully. She glared at Chuckie again. “See? She didn’t think my dad was involved.”
    “Sure I did,” Mom said with a smile. “Just not after I confirmed his whereabouts and Richard confirmed the man he met with looked nothing like your father. Stop thinking this is simple, Amy. We’re dealing with the highest levels of terrorism, internal, international, and interplanetary diplomacy, and a variety of other issues. All of those issues are a lot bigger than you. Catch up fast, or get run over.”
    “She was just chased by twenty thugs and got to discover the world’s not the way she thought it was,” Christopher snapped. “Give her a break.”
    Mom rolled her eyes. “Kitty killed a superbeing and was dragged off to fight Mephistopheles in less time than Amy’s had to get with the program. I note that never at any time, Christopher, did you suggest cutting her any kind of a break.”
    Wow, hadn’t even thought Mom had noticed that, in between her pushing me to notice that Christopher liked me. Felt all special for a couple of seconds.
    “Kitty’s different.” Christopher had patented Glare #1 going. He never glared at my mother. Something was really off with him.
    “Hey, I’m as smart and capable as Kitty.” Amy sounded really offended.
    “Not saying you aren’t.” Christopher shot her Glare #2.
    I nudged Jeff. He bent down. “I want full medical run on Christopher, right now. You and Paul are probably going to have