Ain’t Enough Hours In The Day (A ‘Slipgates Story)

W.U. New York, 2119

Miho’s heeled shoes click-clacked down the white marble floors as quickly and quietly as she could. In her arms was a tablet full of the day’s business information which she kept clenched tightly to her chest. This was the first time the CEO of her company had ever asked to see her personally to deliver the day’s messages, and she did NOT want to be late. She nodded at two heavily armoured security guards in the hall, their gunmetal grey outfits a stark contrast to the pure whites of the building. She brushed past them and jogged to a halt in front of the massive stone and metal doors. Even way up here on the 179th floor, the walls, floor, ceiling, and even doors were marble with metal accents in the ancient Terran Deco fashion. She took a second to compose herself, using the reflection off the impeccably shiny walls to check that her long pink hair was still up in its sophisticated bun on her head with the two long onyx hair pins stabbed through it and little gold tassels hanging off their ends. She then checked her suit for any specs of dust, straightened her skirt and cleared her throat.

Then, with her facade of professionalism reapplied, she knocked. The door clicked and swung open slightly, and she gently pushed it more open to poke her head inside. “Madam Officer? May I come in?” She asked, her voice slightly hushed. There was a grunt in reply and she ducked inside, the door closing and locking itself behind her.

Dr. Usagi Richards, CEO of Richards Biotech, stood with her back to the door, gazing out the window with hands clasped behind the back of her pristine white suit. She did not turn around when Miho entered, nor when she began to walk towards her slowly. Miho took in the room with her wide-eyed gaze, taking in yet more white marble everything. Even the massive conference table was of white marble, the great columns lining the hall-like room, and even the chairs she realized were white marble accented with bronze polished like gold in the distinctive angular shapes of the Deco period. Her boss certainly did have taste. She meekly walked past these ornamentations, noticing only briefly marble statues, but then taking a second glance when she realized they weren’t busts, but rather body parts. hands, feet, even genitals and brains were cut out of marble to stunning detail. It looked more like a butcher shop for Medusa.

“Good evening, Miho.” Her CEO said, tearing her gaze from the cityscape below at last to face her employee. Dr. Richards looked… tired. there wasn’t enough make up in the world to hide the bags under her eyes, and she had the expression of a person just about ready to jump out of that majestic window.

Miho curtsied as best she could with one arm still holding the data, careful to keep her eyes downcast. “Ma’am. You sent for me personally?”

“I did. Sit.” Dr. Richards said, and seated herself in the massive throne behind her marble desk. Miho quickly sat down in one of the smaller stone chairs in front of her boss, nervously looking at her feet. Dr. Richards sized her up for a moment before speaking again. “I can see you’re wondering ‘why’, aren’t you?”

Miho gulped. “Yes, Yes Miss.”

“Mmm. I will be frank with you, child. Because I tire of the endless half truths and doublespeak of the day to day. Because I’m feeling a bit lonely today, and I thought having someone to talk to over this day’s new batch of information might make the day a bit more bearable. Plus, your superiors give good reports about you. I thought you might like to meet me, voice any questions you might have, that sort of thing.”

Miho blinked and looked up at last. She struggled internally for a moment, and finally said, “Alright, thank you for the opportunity, ma’am. I hope I can be entertaining.”

Dr. Richards snorted. “By saying that alone, you already have been. But don’t worry so much. Now, let me see it.” She did not hold out her hand.

Miho slid the tablet across the desk so it scooted to a halt in front of the CEO. Richards picked it up with one hand and propped her head up with the other, slouching over the desk. She read in silence for several minutes, Miho not sure what she was expected to do or say. Should she be… entertaining? Dance or something? She couldn’t decide, so she chose to just sit quietly until needed again, like a good employee.

After several minutes, Dr. Richards sighed and put down the tablet, then rubbed her eyes, wincing. Miho plucked up some courage and spoke, “Bad news, Miss?”

“Miho… It is ‘Miho’, right? Okay, Miho, why did you join this corporation?”

Miho blinked. “Speaking frankly? Because I needed a job, Miss.” Dreading that might be the wrong answer.

Dr. Richards snorted again. “Don’t we all. But I meant why here. Why not over at Haas or one of the other billions of corporations out there. Why here? Just because we would hire you?”

Miho hesitated. There was another reason, but it seemed very rude to say, so she uncomfortably looked at her feet again.

Dr. Richards seemed to sense this, and smirked at her. “I think I know what you’re not saying. And I agree. Maybe I can explain.” She leaned back in the massive chair and stuck an e-cig in her mouth, the white glow at the end disappearing as she let out her gout of white vapor. “I started this company because I had a vision. I saw a changing world, an unstable world. And I saw a way to stabilize it, even just a bit, in what I hoped was a good direction.” She reached out with the end of the e-cig and tilted Miho’s chin up to look at her. “We’re not so different, you and I.” She then tapped the back of her head and winced. “See the bags under my eyes? Oh don’t lie, it’s quite obvious. It is because I haven’t been getting sleep. I haven’t slept in almost 2 years now. Cybernetic enhancement got plugged in there to re-balance my various neural chemicals and keep me working, all the time. Because I really, really believe in my vision. Miho stared at her boss now, entranced. “And my vision is… you, Miho.” She pointed to the various statues around her office. “I designed some of the first android bodies the moment sentient AI had be proven and were asking for lives as citizens.” She smiled then, but Miho was too shocked to speak. “Those big green eyes of yours? I made those. And your long pretty pink hair. And even your knee caps. Your toes. Even your brain, to some degree. Part mechanical, part organic. Then some other factory coded your…soul, or ‘Ghost,’ for lack of a better Politically Correct term at this time, and popped it into the body I had made for you.”

She leaned in close then, and Miho, to her surprise, didn’t lean back. Richards looked her up and down silently for a moment before Miho managed to speak. “Do… do you regret it?” She said, her breath soft and low, with only a slight tremor of worry there.

Richards recoiled slightly. “What? No, not at all. Of course not. I am like a mother to a whole breed of new people who are finding their new place in this world. I cannot think of anything that would make me happier.” She hesitated. “Well, I also make replacement parts for injured people. The look on a child’s face when he learns he is going to get new, properly working lungs after a horrible illness? That’s like seeing god.”

Miho tried to stop herself but couldn’t. “And doesn’t making me make you think you’re god?”

Dr. Richards laughed. “Hardly. It just makes me feel like I’m the first businessman in a long while to actually start a business for a reason other than sex money and power.”

“All of which you have, madam.” Miho said, internally cursing herself for her impulsiveness.

Richards burst out laughing. “Certainly. But it was never the point. To me… bettering the world was always the point. Will always be the point.”

Miho tilted her pink haired head. “…but?”

Dr. Richards sighed. “But… it can be so damn hard. I assume you didn’t read this report, other than your section. Did you know one of our competitors stole some of our designs, tried to make them themselves, but cheaper and with lower quality components, and those androids all died? Ghosts gone and everything. Dead. Because they wanted to steal my ‘sex money and power’.” She sighed again. “Because they lacked VISION.”

Miho didn’t know what to say. “And… what of the human replacement parts…?” she was afraid of the answer.

“Dead.” Richards said flatly.

Miho fell silent again for a long minute while both women looked at the desk top. Eventually, Richards looked up and Miho caught her gaze. “Can you do something for me, Miho?”

“Of course, Miss.” Miho said nervously.

“Just… Just be a good person. Okay? There are so goddamn few. And I could die happy, knowing I made at least one.”

Miho smiled slightly. “I’ll certainly try, Miss.”

“Good girl.” Richards sat back and let another stream of vapor rise to the ceiling. They both watched it curl and swirl in the artificial air currents for a moment. “I expect good things of you, Girl. …Get to them.”

Miho stood up and bowed. “Yes miss.” Miho started to leave, but after a few paces turned back to face her CEO. “And… thank you, Miss.”

Richards raised an eyebrow sleepily. “For what, honey?”

“For making me a person. And… treating me like a person.” Miho said hesitantly, her voice breathy and worried.

The CEO grinned. “Anything for my children, honey. Here.” She tossed Miho a spare e-cig she kept in her suit, which Miho fumbled to catch. “Take a night off and go be a nice person to somebody. Make a friend. Can you do that for me?”

Miho smiled. “I’ll certainly try.”

“Good girl. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Miss.”

And without another word, Miho left the office silently, the only sound the soft click of the door locking into place. Richards looked at the door for a moment before swiveling around to face the window, which at a gesture filled with hundreds of projected displays. “Back to work. There ain’t no rest for the wicked, the weary, or the just. Just ain’t enough hours in the day.” She said to herself quietly. CEO Richards got to work.