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Alpha Rising
Sophie
Silva meets us at the back door. “LP, Brothers, Pres is in his meeting room. Troy has the VIP Bit house ready.”
Alder stops so we all do. “You make Bit VIP? We equal, stay to Bits bunkhouse.”
Silva smiles at me. “You are always more but the bunkhouse was rebranded in your honor. Odell decorated it with a VIP banner so Troy went with it and called it the Bit ‘VIP’ when he ordered the little fruit baskets.”
Asa gives me a big-eyed look.
I hold my laugh in at Alder’s horrified face. “Baskets?”
Silva nods. “A few grapes, a big strawberry, some have a nectarine or apple. His boys needed a job so Troy gave them an invoice for the mini baskets.”
Alder nods once and starts his run so we all follow at a jog. At the stairs, I lift Asa in front of me and jog up. His feet keep going as if he’s helping propel us up with a little giggle. I do it a lot and love that little giggle.
Stella laughs with a little one in her arms as we reach the top. I set Asa down and throw her chin. “Which one?”
“LJ.”
I smile at Little Jax. “Who has Peter?”
“Troy. Budgie has a shift so he needs a little one today. I need to get LJ to Brinks.”
I take the three steps toward the meeting room and turn. Hud ignores me.
“New guy on your team?” Silva throws chin to the big guy, who does it back, but doesn’t speak.
I smile thinking I need to pick up a hand puppet so I can answer for him in a way that makes the point without dragging me to annoyance for being an unpaid spokesperson for him. “Hud Girard. He’s Alder’s away Lead and doesn’t talk much.” Rolling my eyes as I deliver it has Silva smiling.
“You coming to the Club later?”
I nod. “I’m on Asa until Clay picks them up later.”
He throws chin walking toward the stairs. “Bring your mime with you.”
I smile without answering. When we’re alone in the hall, I tell Hud the Club is the next building. He looks through me and nods. It’s his normal look for me so I go back to watching who is coming and going at the stairs. The man barely recognizes me as human. It’s weird because he at least makes eye contact withother Protectors.
A good twenty minutes goes by before the door opens. “Boss Sophie, you show Boss Hud robot docs?” Alder asks.
I nod. “I can. The website or doc sheet?”
He’s surprised. I don’t see that often. “Both. You understand impact?” He watches me nod but doesn’t say anything.
I explain figuring that’s what he wants. “Yeah. They’re great for the manual labor and returning information quicker but human interaction can’t be replaced without major societal breakdowns. Guidance, updates and maintenance jobs will replace manual jobs that the machines take. Any diversion or lack of updates from facts is a real threat so all interaction is monitored and code is updated and regulated according to strict guidelines.”
He nods. “I add you to meet, show Boss Hud, explain protocol like military.”
Before he goes back in, I ask, “Now? We’re on the room.”
His eyes change from intense to amused. “Good to ask. Alpha have cover to VIP.” He points at the camera in the corner but I see the little translucent butterfly on it.
“The new drones.” They’re amazingly fast at shit.
“You quick. Pres Jordan test to them. Drone in all hall to schedule meets. He use to shadow Alpha-Bits today. You stay to us physical. Talk is allow to alert procedure.” They’re a little scary but they’ve got reason.
