Dale (POV)
[Egg - Unfertilized
To fertilize the egg, the User must complete the following stages in any order. Stages 6-10 will unlock if you clear stages 1-5.
Stage 1 - Walk/Run 5 Kilometers daily (3/5)
Stage 2 - 50 consecutive Push-ups daily (0/5)
Stage 3 - 50 consecutive Surya Namaskar/Greet the sun Yoga daily (3/5)
Stage 4 - 50 consecutive squats daily (0/5)
Stage 5 - 50 consecutive Leg Lifts daily (0/5)
Stage 6 - Locked
Stage 7 - Locked
Stage 8 - Locked
Stage 9 - Locked
Stage 10 - Locked]
It has been three days since Dale began exercising to complete the fitness goals set by the Monster App. During this time, the daily walk and yoga requirements were being cleared by pushing the limits of his current endurance. Unfortunately, when Dale attempted the other workouts, his body collapsed after reaching ten of each.
Dale understood that he needed to build up his body before he gave another go at clearing the rest of the goals. He tried to not think about the locked goals as they probably would be on another level than the initial five. It is better to take it one step at a time instead of trying to rush for completion, which might hurt him both physically and mentally.
Dale chose to work out on the rooftop of his apartment since it was quiet, had lots of fresh air from the mini garden, a cool breeze, and a clear view of the sun rising in the distance. It has a swimming pool, sauna, and a jacuzzi installed for a resident's use as long as they met the conditions in the gym that held almost every kind of equipment one could desire.
Dale hadn't bothered to come up here before because fitness wasn't a priority. Actually, he had no idea that these facilities existed until the security AI of the building grew curious about his sudden change in routine. When the intelligence learned about his need to get some exercise, it suggested Dale check out the rooftop and avoid the neighborhood streets due to the news about criminals targeting the area's wealthy residents who were dumb enough to walk around without protection. Of course, Dale had nothing much worth stealing other than his father's phone, so he wasn't too worried about that, but the facilities intrigued him.
When Dale inherited the apartment after his father passed, he wasn't in the right mood to explore and enjoy the benefits of being a resident in the building for the wealthy. But now, he needed the right environment to exercise in since the gym held almost every kind of equipment one could desire.
The Gym's AI instructor would analyze Dale's health condition and prescribe a few short-term workout goals to improve his endurance. Once completed, he received points that granted him access to the leisure and entertainment facilities within the building that he would have to pay money to access elsewhere.
It was meant to encourage the residents to keep fit and prevent the facilities from being abused. However, this requirement deterred people like Dale, who didn't care about their body weight and avoided exercise like the plague. Which left most of the facilities unused by the vast majority of the residents. Now that Dale had an incentive to exercise, he was more than happy to follow the gym AI's prescriptions and add the Monster App's goals to the mix, which earned him extra points.
By 7.30 am, Rebecca came to his rooftop in her Hover car to pick him up for work. While her Butler Ali drove the vehicle, the two of them would eat breakfast that she brought with her, discuss their schedule for the day, and admire the view of the city until they arrived at the President's personal residence in the capitol. When they entered the building, Dale was knocked to the floor by the seven-year-old twin girls who had made it their mission to greet him this way every day.
Rebecca did not try to stop them as this was punishment for Dale for the accident on his first day on the job. He had tripped and nearly fell on top of the twin's pointy plastic Dinosaurs.
Dale had expected to get fired, but the girls didn't report the incident to their father. In exchange for their silence, Dale agreed to be their plaything who could not refuse to do whatever they wanted during playtime. Rebecca's primary duty was to handle the twins' study schedule and diet prescribed by their doctors. She was their home school teacher and pseudo mother figure, while Dale took on the role of the fun older brother figure who abused to their heart's content.
Aurora and Annette were identical twins who differentiated themselves by dying their hair in different colors. Green for Aurora and Red for Annette was the standard. Even their clothes reflected their color preferences. Aurora is loud and proud in her behavior, and Annette is quiet and shy. However, they both had a love for paleontology, rare amongst girls.
It wasn't just the two of them who were raising the kids. A heavy-built middle-aged man called Mash Royce was in charge of security. He is a bodyguard by profession, an ex-secret service agent who keeps to himself most of the time. Mash gave an hourly report directly to the President throughout the day about the status of his daughters.
Mash always wore sunglasses connected to over a dozen surveillance drones armed and ready to detonate at his will. He also served as their self-defense teacher and taught them a few moves after completing their studies for the day.
The girls would use Dale as their punching bag since Mash recommended practice against a physical target. Dale's bulk was thick and soft enough for their fists and feet, which were too small to hurt him. But that didn't mean Dale enjoyed being treated as a punching bag.
At the end of the day, once the twins were tucked away in bed, Dale and Rebecca would head home and leave them under the watchful care of Mash. But as they were about to leave the house, everyone got an alert on their phones that the President wanted them to stay back so that he could have a meeting with them.
Dale hadn't got a chance to meet the President before, so he was very nervous. His mind concluded that he screwed up somehow, and the big man wanted to fire him in person. Rebecca would slap on his back to get him to calm down and reassure him that it had nothing to do with their prior work.
The President returned to his home by midnight and a dozen secret service agents who looked more menacing than Mash. Rebeccas, Dale, and Mash sat at the dinner table with the President, digging into a plate of Beef Stroganoff with gusto. After he is done with his dinner, he lets out a tired sigh and studies Dale.
"So you are the new hire, Dale Sander?"
"Yes, sir."
"My girls keep hinting that you are a keeper, so I will treat you as such."
"Keeper?"
"You have been on probation until this point since my people were conducting our own extensive background check into your history. Even though Rebecca vouched for you, it is better to be safe than sorry when it concerns children, don't you agree?"
"I understand."
"Good! Now on to business. I wish to relocate you all to a bunker in Alaska for the next few months."
Rebecca and Dale were surprised by that, but Mash seemed unfazed.
"Is it because of the threat of war?" Dale asked since it was highlighted in the daily news.
"The tensions between our nations have reached the point that a new world war could begin in a few days, weeks, or months. That is why I want to make sure my daughters are in a safe place and taken care of if the worst happens. Since the three of you have no family commitments, taking on this task shouldn't be a problem."
When no one protested, the President continued.
"You will be staying in the most advanced doomsday bunker that the Union has built up over the last few decades. The place has been well-stocked to service the needs of thirty people for several years. It is staffed with 10 Neo-Atlas Worker Drones and 2 Industrial 3D Printers. The location is in the middle of the wilderness with no human settlements for hundreds of miles, so the only threat will be the wildlife. If Nukes start flying, the Bunker can lower itself deep into the Earth to survive the fallout. Any questions?"
"Will we be able to use our phones in that bunker?" Rebecca asked.
"All your phones will be blocked from making calls or using the internet for security reasons. I don't want the Bunker's location to be triangulated by hostile forces who might want to use my daughters to blackmail me. But there will be a terminal that will allow you to watch the media."
"When do we leave, sir?" Mash asked.
"Marine One will arrive in an hour and take you all to the Bunker. But, before that, I need to explain the situation to my girls and tell them to listen to you three from now on until I come to bring them back here."
Selvaria (POV)
"You wish to go to Earth?"
High command's avatar hologram, a caucasian brunette in a white military uniform, stood in front of Selvaria. Her synthetic female voice fills the meeting hall. She is an AI that the founding fathers of Vector created several decades ago. They had designed her to take on the role of the supreme leader of Vector and uplift humanity.
The founders believed that Mankind's bright future lay under the rule of a supreme AI. One who was not bound by the degradation of mortal flesh and free from the corruption of sins. Her primary goal was to colonize the stars. An identical clone of herself had been sent to Mars over two hundred years ago for the terraforming initiative. Several Asteroid belts have been infested with her drone army that mines resources from them. Ice, metals, and chemicals are some of the many harvests used to fuel the expansion of spaceships and the Vector's footprint on the Moon.
Initially, everyone addressed her as the 'Supreme AI,' but it changed to 'High Command' over time since there was no one of higher authority in Vector. She was almost god-like in their eyes since every surveillance camera, terminal, worker, and combat drone was connected to her consciousness. This allowed her to see everything and know everything that occurred on the bases of the Moon.
The combat vessels of Vector's fleets had a piece of her. Her clones could take remote control of the ship during an emergency. In addition, she could directly connect with every citizen in Vector since they were all implanted with her Nano Machines that alter their body internally to adapt to the extremities for life on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
High Command's automated workforce and facilities could operate in hazardous conditions without human attention. Because of these factors, Vector achieved independence from the Great Powers of Earth. Moreover, her policy to utterly destroy every secret space program attempt by the nations of Earth gave Vector supremacy in the space race.
A year ago, some areas of the Red planet had finally become green enough to support a sustainable colony. But after the first settlers arrived, something ancient within the soil was awakened. Hideous alien bugs crawled out of the ground and began devouring the fragile ecosystem created over the last century. The colonists had to evacuate back to the Vector to avoid being slaughtered and consumed by the swarm.
A few military regiments stayed behind to exterminate the bugs. But they haven't been able to lower the enemies fast enough due to how quickly they reproduce and evolve. Weapons that could wipe out millions in one shot were needed. Even if it meant scarring the Martian surface, those bugs had to be eradicated before they developed an ability that allowed space flight.
"Yes!" Selvaria replied to High Command's question.
Nearby two men and two women in military uniform that bore the rank of Admiralty were standing in a daze.
"She can't be serious! We are in the middle of a war with freaking aliens." The Admiral of the First Fleet yelled at Selvaria. He is a man who just celebrated his hundredth birthday, yet he looks like he just reached the age of fifty.
"I am not needed here while my flagship is being upgraded. But, once it's ready to go to Mars, I will return."
"What is so important down on Earth?" The Admiral of the Third Fleet asked.
“Personal…” Selvaria replied.
High Command turned her gaze towards the Admirals before they could ask another question. Her stern look clearly conveyed her need for silence.
"Your request is granted, though I will have one of my clones accompany you."
Through the Nano Machines inside Selvaria, High Command sent a private message.
"There is a war brewing on Earth, and I wish to collect as much data as I can through you."
"I understand, but I want to get my Bunnies first."
"Of course, they also are of interest to me. Most of the citizens desire real pets instead of the virtual ones."
"Thank you!"
