Page 13 of Jorhee

The other, who was more of a royal blue with sky blue tips on bluish purple hair, copied the gesture. “Praise be! May he guide us forward in harmony and prosperity.”

The first one gave me a small bow. “If you will excuse us, we shall enter the permissions into the main terminal.”

I stared after them as they scurried off as if being chased.

“That was…interesting,” Fethri said, sounding amused.

“The Tyridium are a society ruled by an AI,” I explained. “Around a thousand years ago, they nearly destroyed their planet while warring with each other, and a concerned group of citizens coded an AI to disable all weapons systems and take over communication systems so each faction was unable to communicate with their military. Unintentionally, it became self-aware upon activation and decided that the Tyridium were not to be trusted with weapons or to make good decisions that benefited all without extensive oversight, so she expanded. She brought peace to Tyridia for the first time and made immediatereforms to health care, taxation, education, and so on. Once the dust settled, the Tyridiums began calling her the Great Mother as she looked after them as one would their children.”

“And they hold other sentient AI in high regard. In fact, they were instrumental in helping the Binop’s AI,” Vesh added.

Kiprr blinked. “Helped? Isn’t that one the cautionary tale about why one must be careful to put guardrails in place to prevent AI from turning against its creators?”

I nodded. “Yes, the laws of Respect for Organics. And they prefer to call it help for that AI rather than the other way around, as they saw her actions and thoughts to be a sign of an illness, which they ‘cured’ with aid from The Mother.”

Vesh nodded. “They’re a bit odd by most species’ standards, but harmless, and damned good engineers and computer technicians.”

“Well, with that out of the way, I think I’d like to see the rest of the Town.”

“That’ll be a very short tour,” Vesh said. “Not much to see yet.”

“That’s about to change over the coming weeks,” I reminded him. “The testing began today, which means our first human colonists will be assigned claims and begin to arrive.”

Vesh gestured for me to follow him. He stopped by the bay doors leading to where the cargo was being off-loaded in preparation for pickup by their respective owners.

“Kaelor! You done in here?”

A young Dragonii male close to my age came hurrying over. Spying me and my guards, he gave a deep bow.

“Your Grace! It’s an honor to meet you!”

“Kaelor, if you’ve finished with the paperwork for these, I’m sure His Grace would love for you to take him on the five credit tour of the town.”

“Oh! Yes, I’m all finished. Just let me put my data pad in my office!” He gave me another hasty bow and rushed off to do so.

“He’s young and fresh from Civil Service Induction Training as a Customs Officer Assistant. Unfortunately, he’s all we’ve got, as the Customs officer he was working under quit three months ago, saying he couldn’t work under such primitive conditions. He’s not been replaced yet, as we’ve been told that after review, we don’t have enough cargo coming and going and of sufficient interest to warrant a full time officer and to just use him.”

I frowned. “With the sudden influx we’re bound to experience, he could quite easily become overwhelmed.”

Vesh nodded. “Yes, and a mistake could occur, though probably nothing that can’t be corrected easily, as he is quite conscientious. Merely young, new, and untried."

I purse my lips. “I’ll see if I can get the Civil Service to reconsider.” Then I smoothed my expression to a friendlier one as Kaelor returned.

He bowed again, and I put my hand up. “Please don’t. Once is enough, while we’re out in public like this. Otherwise, please just relax on protocol. And both of you, it’s just Prince Johree and Your Grace in public with others around and Johree when it’s just us. We will be working together as colleagues, after all.”

Both males gaped at me.

“I…I couldn’t!” Kaelor stammered.

I raised an eyebrow at him and pouted. “So, you don’t wish to be not only my colleague, but my friend?”

“Well, that is...I do!” he swallowed. “Jo…Johree, it is my honor to be considered a new friend.”

“It is my privilege as well,” Vesh added.

“Good,” I replied, my tail draping over Kaelor’s shoulder in a friendly manner. “Now that’s settled, how about that tour, hmm?”

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