"Won't it be strange to the others that she's so short, though? The Innu aren't all that tall, but few are as small as Nico." She asked.
"I can be taller if you like. I can even be giant sized, but by the way, your hand rests on my head, I think that you secretly like this size." Nikki replied in an earnest tone.
Mary smiled. "We are going to get along well. Now, no hurry to call the others, let's all get caught up on the gossip and personal details first."
The Gossip was actually an important part of being a minister's assistant, as it would shape the interactions that they were expected to have, either because others believed them, and expected that they would be true, or because the gossip was about something that the person in question had done, and it would affect the request that they were making.
They ended up having so much gossip to exchange, and insider information about what had gone on in the Myceloid God's world, the far reaches of the universe past the rift in the Anomaly Region, and other topics, that they completely lost track of time and were caught by surprise when the staff brought in lunch for everyone.
The end of the meal marked the start of the afternoon meetings, and they actually had something to show for it, instead of having spent the entire morning just hanging out as a family. That would likely come as a shock to the other Council Members, but if they had known Nico and Max better, they would have realized that there was always something strange and new for them to bring up, even if it didn't ultimately turn into something mainstream.
The ministers filed in after the meal was finished, gathering around the large round table and casting curious looks at the small Innu standing beside Mary's chair. They knew that Max and Nico had booked the entire morning for meetings, but they didn't recall seeing anyone else on the itinerary.
"Greetings ladies and gentlemen. I am certain that you are all curious about the reason that I changed the schedule to bring us all together this afternoon, but I can assure you that there is an excellent reason, and you won't want to miss out on it.
What the Terminus Trading Company has developed this time is a combination of a holographic assistant and an AI enabled android. This is a quantum computing device that can upload and record neural activity, essentially protecting the mind of the user in the case of a traumatic head injury.
It is a brilliant advance in medical technology that will soon be headed to the market. But when it is combined with this holographic emitter for a World Ship's AI, it can function not as a medical tool, but as a standalone assistant.
All that it needs is some base programming, which we already had on hand, and a personalized appearance and personality profile. I am pleased to introduce you to Nikki, my new personal assistant, who will be handling the priority sorting of issues that are sent to my office.
The workload during these times requires a rebalancing, as I'm certain that you have all noticed, and with her help, I will have everything sent to the proper units for processing in milliseconds, instead of after an arduous meeting."
"So, this assistant can be anything that we need it to be?" One of the other Councillors asked.
Mary gestured to Nikki, for her to respond, and the short AI smiled across the table. "Indeed. I can be the perfect assistant, as professional as necessary, or a soothing companion to relieve the stress of long days. If needed, I can take on the appearance of a spouse or your lover, though not both at the same time. Keep in mind, that this is just a holographic body, it is not suitable for that sort of extracurricular activity. Please ask the Terminus Trading Company if you would prefer an Android body instead.
The programming that the assistants have been given is comprehensive, including Alliance and Reaver laws, so you can ask your assistant for legal advice, and it can also adapt its appearance and mannerisms for social functions as well.
With this function, it can give the appearance that you have brought a plus one for the evening, but without any of the political implications of having actually chosen to bring someone from your staff."
The man who had asked about her capability laughed. "I like this one, she's a bit spicy, and not boring like those regular assistants. Can we program them to have other accents and personalities?" He asked.
"Accents, languages, every aspect of the voice can be changed. The personality is fully customizable, but I like this one. A bit of spice in the attitude, but still sweet enough that she doesn't become abrasive, is perfect for my tastes." Mary explained.
One of the other women at the table laughed. "Oh, I can guarantee that Mary's assistant will be abrasive, just perhaps not to her. If it has a tongue anywhere near as sharp as the Tarith women are famous for, it is inevitable."
She had a point. If the assistant wasn't willing to tell people off to their face, it wouldn't be able to do what Mary wanted it to, so the assistant was definitely going to get on the wrong side of anyone who had annoyed its mistress. The response of some of the minor Reaver Companies to being told off by the Reaver Leader's assistant was going to be priceless, and even better when she realized that it was because Mary had told her that it was alright.
"Will they be available for the entire council today? If they are, that will make things a lot easier for us. We can just give the workload to the AI and have them negotiate about what needs and deserves special attention based on the criteria that we have, and then we can get back to work tomorrow." The second in command suggested.
"It will take some time to get the personalities and appearances programmed for all one hundred of you, but yes, they will all be ready today. Would you like for me to set up a customization booth, where you can design your assistant on your own, or would you all prefer to have them custom-made for you by the Terminus Trading Company Commanders?" Nikki asked.
The Council members cast each other suspicious glances. There was enough gossip going around about them without having to tell someone else what they were looking for in the perfect assistant.
"Private booths. There are meeting rooms in the building that will work very well for that if you can arrange enough stations." The Council Second decided.
"That's not a problem. There is a configuration mode on each of the units, so once they are activated, you can describe exactly the personality, preferences, and other factors that you would like, and the appearance can be manually decided, randomized or copied from another data set or image. If you like, it can even be a younger version of you." Nikki explained.
"Oh, that could be fun, a mini me running around doing the real me's errands." Someone laughed, while the other council members considered the advantages of having someone with their own personality around. They didn't all become powerful because they were the most personable people in the world.
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