Where Nothing Ill Can Dwell

Chapter 19- ARIEL

I rose from my recharging port in response to my creator's commands. The storm that had driven me back to the compound had begun to dissipate, and I was ninety-nine percent certain Dr. Prospero would want me to return to spying on Admiral Santos now that I was no longer in any danger of being flung about by the wind.

But when I found her at her computer, she was watching a live video feed from Miranda's room. "She's falling in with my plan far better than I'd first assumed."

I hovered behind my creator to analyze the data on the screen. My young mistress was lying on her bed with a soft smile of her face as she watched something on a small tablet. I zeroed in on it and saw that she was watching a video of Ferdinand in the kitchen. "It appears that Miranda has hacked into your closed circuit cameras. Shall I add another layer of security to block her?"

"No, don't." Dr. Prospero leaned forward and mirrored her daughter's posture with her chin propped up in one hand, but she lacked the smile. Instead, her mouth was set in a straight line. "I want her to think she's getting away with it all. Besides, it shows a new level of ingenuity on her part."

"She is disobeying commands."

"No, ARIEL, she is following my commands. She is in her room, as I'd ordered. But her devotion to this young man has forced her to find ways around the rules." She pushed back from her console. "Which is good. I want her to question things. I want her to search out alternative solutions. It's something that will become important as she reaches adulthood."

"But do you not fear that she is in danger of rebellion?" I asked. After all, my programs were specifically written to keep me from disobeying orders. However, as part of my learning protocol, I was allowed to question them to better gain understanding to the motives behind them. Perhaps this was a preview of the next level of freedom that awaited me.

"Every parent fears rebellion from their teenager, but I would be more worried if she continued to numbly consent to everything I said, even when she felt I was wrong. The fear of speaking out has led to more atrocities in the history of mankind than I care to go into."

"So the purpose of dividing them like this is to make her find ways to defy you?" As illogical as it first seemed, the more I considered the implications and my creator's motivations, the more sense it made.

"I want her to make her own decisions and not just play the part of the obedient daughter as she has up until this point. And now she's found a reason to speak up and act."

Dr. Prospero shifted the feed to a camera outside. "The storm has dissipated, and the future projections suggest that we won't have another one for at least three more days. Now is the time to put the next stage of my plan into action."

"Which is?"

She grinned as she began typing. "I have a few things in mind, but first, I need more evidence. Therefore, continue to watch over Alonso and his crew, but also try to catch more footage of my snake of a brother luring Sebastian into assassinating the Admiral. Once I have enough of it, I can use it to ensure they get what's coming to them."

"And what are your intentions for Admiral Santos?"

She paused, and for a brief moment, I witnessed a change in her strategy. Before, she had been all about revenge. Now there was a discernable softening in her expression. "I want to prove to him that's he's been a fool all these years for trusting Antonio. And I want him to know remorse for all he's done to me." She shooed me away. "Now go."

The winds were still brisk when I exited the compound, but not strong enough to pose a threat to me. The sun was setting behind the parting clouds, the diffused light creating hues of red and orange on the horizon. Occasional glimpses of the darkening sky revealed the twinkle of the stars. Such vistas had often inspired awe in my young mistress. From an artistic standpoint, the scene could be considered beautiful by human standards, but to me, it only offered evidence of fairer weather.