Alien Proliferation

someone? Unknowingly, I mean.
    Jeff implanted blocks. When Christopher is well, Christopher should implant blocks, too. ACE will watch over Jamie.
    When you say you’ll be watching over her, does that mean protecting her from emotional onslaught and things like that?
    ACE was silent for a few long moments. The blocks will work as Jeff and Christopher want them to.
    As they want them to. I wasn’t sure if this meant that ACE felt the blocks were a-okay on their own, or if ACE was going to be giving the blocks a superconsciousness assist.
    Does that mean you’re helping the blocks?
    ACE will do for Jamie what ACE did for Naomi, Abigail, and Serene. Jamie will not lose Jamie’s free will.
    Sometimes children want things that aren’t safe for them or for others.
    Jamie will not do something like that. The way he said this, I was pretty sure this meant that ACE both wouldn’t allow it and also didn’t want to explain any more.
    ACE, what did you mean about Jamie’s free will?
    ACE will not interfere if Jamie wishes to do something that is not a wrong thing for Jamie to wish to do. I’d been a marketing manager before I ran into the gang from Centaurion Division, so I knew doublespeak really well. I was almost impressed that ACE had developed the skill.
    I also got the impression this was all I was going to get out of ACE for a while. Okay, thank you. Truly. I don’t mind at all that you’re protecting my baby. You may have a lot of other babies to worry about soon, ACE. I give you permission to help them and protect them, too, if they need it.
    Thank you, Kitty. ACE appreciates Kitty’s love and support.
    As always, not deserting you, either, okay?
    Okay, Kitty. ACE needs to help Paul now. Paul is working with Christopher.
    Okay, big guy, thanks again. I opened my eyes.
    “Good nap?” Jeff nuzzled the side of my head.
    “Wide awake. Jeff? Why were you worried I was going to die in labor?” He didn’t answer. “Was it because of the drug?”
    “That, and I did a lot of research. It’s hard enough when you’re having a regular baby. I just never thought about it, how dangerous it would be for you.” He sounded guilty and worried.
    “It’s okay. Women do it all the time. But, baby? Really, try not to focus on the negative, okay?”
    “Why not?” He sounded suspicious. “What did ACE tell you?”
    “Yeah, okay, I wasn’t napping, and yes, I was asking ACE some things. Put it this way—Jamie thinks her daddy is always right.”
    He clutched me. “Oh, my God, so it was my fault?” He sounded guilty like I’d never heard before.
    I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “No. I don’t remember a thing, but ACE said I brought myself back. And I know if I came back, I came back for you. But she’s a baby, and she doesn’t understand. I couldn’t get everything out of ACE, but I think she thought she was doing the right thing but couldn’t fix it when it wasn’t the right thing. So, just don’t dwell on bad things, okay? So she doesn’t. She’s really in tune with both of us.”
    He was shaking. “Okay. I’ll work on that.”
    I pulled his mouth down to mine and kissed him. “Stop. No guilt. ACE said you asked to die if I died. I don’t want you to do that, especially now. If something does happen to me, you have to take care of Jamie. Promise me.”
    Jeff moved me so I was on his lap and he could hold me more tightly. I buried my face in his neck. “I promise,” he said finally. “But if it’s a choice, I’ll die to protect you or save you, or Jamie, you know that.”
    “Yes, I do. I don’t want to face that kind of choice. So let’s stop dwelling on it. Not good for us, not good for the baby.” I yawned. “I really want to be in our own bed.”
    Before I could whine for this, Tito and Camilla came in. Jamie and I both got a full once-over. Since they were there, I asked them to watch the baby while I showered. Neither one of them seemed to feel confident that Jeff and I wouldn’t have sex in there, but we promised we’d be good.
    Jeff opened a drawer, and there were clothes for me. I still had no idea how this worked. You were in a room, you needed clothes, you opened a drawer, there were the clothes, in your size. Almost always Armani, which was the A-C designer of loyal choice. You’d separate an A-C from his or her Armani only if world safety depended upon it.
    It worked the same way with the refrigerators. Say what you wanted, it was in there. My Coca-Cola addiction was