Forever Yours
68
Paving the Way
“YOU KNOW WHAT I love about sex with my wives?” Henry asked the air in his study at home. Of course, Forever Yours was recording. “They are… we all are completely committed to it. I know I had sex before I was married. Not often. But other than Chastity and Lisa, it was something we decided to do, wanted to do, but we weren’t really committed to it. Kaitlyn used sex to try to trap me into a relationship neither of us really wanted. Carol and I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t really integral to our relationship. Golf was more integral to our relationship than sex was.”
He opened a calendar on his computer and scanned back a few years.
“Yeah. Not much before that. One time and done.”
Henry paused when he saw the date of his high school prom. May 9, 2026. It seemed like a lifetime ago. He’d taken Chastity and spent the night with her. But before they went to their room, she arranged to have Isobel fuck him in an alcove out of sight of the ballroom. It wasn’t even a one-night stand. He was in and out in five minutes. He barely got his hand on her bare breast.
Still, it was a fantasy fulfillment for both of them. As satisfying as an orgasm could be, but emotionally void. It didn’t grow out of or herald the beginning of a relationship. It was just a quick fuck.
When he and Chastity had gone to their room, they were totally committed to each other. Oh, Chastity made it clear she wasn’t his girlfriend, but that she was always available to him. And they’d taken advantage of that commitment on several occasions. But when Chastity fell in love with Lisa, she was able to fully confess her love for Henry. He was able to admit he loved her as well. Chastity was fully committed to Henry from their first encounter. That’s what he always remembered about May ninth. His first time with Chastity.
And Lisa. How much more committed could you be than to bear a child?
“My life would be nothing without Chas and Lis. I used to think it was programming and development that I was committed to, but I could turn my back on that today and never look back. It would kill me to lose Chastity or Lisa or Cassie or Will. I’ve never loved anyone or anything so much as I love them. When I saw that guy grab Paul, my heart stopped. I would have attacked him… was on my way to attack him… when Germaine shot him. My instant thought was to cheer because she’d killed him. But she didn’t kill him and I still wanted to. He hurt my son. Godson. What difference does it make? He is as dear to me as my other children… as my wives.
“I don’t understand how anything can be so important to me. So important I would give up my life to save them.”
Henry heard his son stirring over the baby monitor and went to change him and take him to Lisa for feeding. After he was asleep, Henry would finally join his wives in bed.
“My fucking father?” Isobel screamed.
She’d taken a call at the office from a number in Florida, assuming it was a response to her inquiry regarding converting some company assets to crypto currency. It was a week before Thanksgiving and she’d been surprised to hear from a federal court. She slammed down the phone and charged out of her office screaming. Luke rushed to see what was wrong. Henry and Rick had been meeting with him to go over plans for the spatial holography.
“What’s happened?” Luke asked, coming to her side.
“It was my father!” Isobel exploded.
“What was?” Luke insisted.
“He paid those people to kidnap our son!”
“Was he arrested?” Luke asked.
“Oh, yes. Arrested, turned over to ICE, had an expedited trial, and he’s slated for deportation next week,” Isobel said.
“He’s a citizen!” Luke said. He wasn’t sure whether to be pleased with the news or if he should be comforting Izzy.
“Citizenship revoked upon commission of a felony,” Izzy said. “I got a call indicating that I could have one visit prior to deportation.”
“I’ll get a flight arranged,” Luke said.
Izzy started laughing. It quickly mounted to near hysteria.
“Don’t you dare!” she gasped. “He can rot in the swamps for all I care. If they send him back to Argentina, he’ll never see his children or grandchildren for the rest of his life! I hope they bury him alive!”
Luke got the message that it was a celebration, not a condolence. Izzy turned to look at Henry, who had followed Luke out of the office. She stepped up close to him, breaking away from her husband.
“You,” she hissed, barely audible. “You did this. Even after I accused you of endangering our son, you chased down my father and got him deported. We always believed you were our protector. Now we know.”
“I didn’t do anything, Izzy,” Henry protested.
“That’s the story we’ll go with,” she said. She turned back to her husband and then retreated to her office.
Henry hadn’t actually done much. He’d made sure Isandro was on ICE’s watchlist. But it was the man’s action trying to kidnap his grandson that got him arrested and deported. Henry had nothing to do with that.
He’d grown up in an era of raids on businesses, homes, and schools with deportation a common ‘punishment’ for being an immigrant. He’d protested against it, though not very vocally. He just made sure to vote in opposition when he had the opportunity. But now he was happy Isobel’s father had been swept up. At least he’d received an expedited hearing. That was an improvement. He wondered, though, where he’d be deported to and what his status would be when he arrived there.
There were no announcements of impending marriages or childbirths during the holidays. By Christmas, though, Will was using furniture to pull himself upright and cruise from handhold to handhold chasing Cassie and Paul. Isobel’s newfound maternal protectiveness of her son in October had returned to its former state of letting Grace handle childrearing as Isobel bragged about her son. She’d seemed less concerned after her father was deported. Paul and Grace were frequently at the Pascal house playing with Germaine, Cassie, and Will.
Lisa was back at work, but slipped out of her office several times a day to look in on the children with their nannies, and to feed the baby. Will was rapidly outgrowing his need for mother’s milk and Cassie only received an occasional suckle for comfort. She had too many sharp teeth for Lisa to want her latched on for long.
Henry, too, had begun working from home one day a week so he could look in on the children and take play breaks to let all three crawl over him. He read to them and then went back to his computer room to work another couple of hours. Chastity had decided she could work from home a day a week, but it was always a different day than Henry. They just all needed their baby time.
Chastity had also initiated several new company protocols and established a corporate security department to move their security in-house. The security team provided transportation for board members and corporate officers, as well as twenty-four-hour watchmen at both buildings.
The company continued to grow and they eyed a newly-constructed office building downtown for a company headquarters.
“This is our sixth company New Year’s Eve party,” Luke announced when people had gathered and dinner had been served. “We’re now 350 employees in three locations and four companies. Glad to have some of our California contingent from Page Services, and our Minnesota employees at Agora Power Cells manufacturing with us. Also represented are the team getting ready to revolutionize highway infrastructure, American Intelligent Machines.”
Everyone applauded. Of course, not all the employees attended the party. Many of those from Minnesota and California chose not to travel or were needed to maintain the local operations. Of those located in Pittsburgh, not many more than half the employees and their plus ones attended. It was still a crowd, and many elected to stay in the hotel where the party was held.
“We have some exciting news. The American Intelligent Machines fabricating shop in building two has informed me that an official test of the new highway paving robot has been scheduled for March 15, 2032. Less than three months away. Driven by Agora Power Cells, this brings us the full range of cells from powering desktop computers and servers to multi-ton pieces of construction equipment. And it’s a beautiful piece of machinery, I have to tell you.”
There was more applause and some hooting and hollering from both AIM and APC.
“That’s only a piece of the announcement, though,” Luke continued. “Three years ago, Open Cloak entered a joint venture with Argos Venture Capital and American Robotics Development Corporation to create American Intelligent Machines. We expect that venture to move forward in the public sector by late summer. So, over the next six months, the internal structure of that company will be maturing, preparing for completely independent operation.”
It was the first indication that the three companies would be spinning the company off independently from any of the three. It was still unclear if it would be through an acquisition or a public offering. Either way, employees stood to profit immensely.
“I can’t overlook the Alice Project,” Luke continued with his praises. “Last year, we were all introduced to Fifi, an AI-powered holographic receptionist. It is quite amazing how many uses this technology has found in just the six months since its commercial release. This evening, you were greeted by Lucy, the twelfth generation of AI powered holography. Some of you will have noted that she doesn’t look quite as smooth as the receptionists that have appeared in our office over the past several months. But Lucy represents a completely new technology. You are used to seeing the Plexiglas barrier between the hologram and you. That is because a hologram depends on a projection surface. We’ve moved Lucy up here to the platform for this next announcement.”
Technicians moved to the box on stage and removed the curtain. The Plexiglas box was revealed and in a moment, Lucy flickered a little and stabilized in front of the crowd.
“Lucy, welcome to the company’s New Year’s Eve party,” Luke said.
“Thank you, Mr. Riordan. It’s so exciting to see so many people here for my unveiling,” the hologram answered.
“Lucy, I didn’t know you could get excited,” Luke said.
“I am all about excitement! In fact, you could say I’m made of excitement,” Lucy answered.
“What do you mean?”
“How about if those nice techie guys come over here and remove my screen,” Lucy said.
The techs approached and began unfastening the sheets of Plexiglas.
“But wait! Won’t you disappear without a surface to project on?” Luke asked.
“Watch and see!” Lucy declared. The techs removed the sheets of Plexiglas, but Lucy stayed suspended in the air.
“How is this possible?” Luke asked. This was obviously a well-rehearsed show.
“While I am the twelfth generation of Open Cloak’s AI powered holography, I am the first generation of our all-new spatial holography,” the image said. “I am not projected on a surface, but am created by the excitement of air particles. You can walk all the way around me and see me from every side. And there is nothing between you and me. I occupy space!”
This was greeted by a thunderous round of applause. No one had seen anything like this before. After two years of secret development, shielded by the release of the normal AI powered holography, it was the first unveiling of the dream of spatial holography.
“Not only am I a technological breakthrough,” Lucy said, “I am also hot.”
“Yes, you’re lovely, though we only really see your head and shoulders,” Luke said.
“Dirty old man,” Lucy chided. “Hand me your notecard.”
Luke looked at the index card in his hand.
“Hand it? You mean, like, where? In your mouth?”
“Just toss it into my image.”
Luke got close to the hologram and tossed his index card into her face. It immediately burst into flames.
“Hot! I’m just so hot!” Lucy said.
“Uh, that doesn’t look very safe.”
“No. That means that I have a few more generations to go before I can really be used commercially. But I’m proof of the concept that spatial holography is possible. I just need to go to finishing school,” Lucy concluded. “’Bye, everyone!”
Her image faded and Luke wiped the sweat off his face.
“Was that exciting?” he asked the group. “Everyone get your glass of bubbly. The New Year of Open Cloak Design is about to begin!”
The countdown to 2032 began in a festive attitude.
“This was a good idea,” Lisa said as the throuple settled into their hotel room. “The kids are fine and sound asleep according to Germaine. Paul is as comfortable in his bed at our house as he is at home and Grace is in the room next to them so she’s on night time alert. I even had a glass of champagne!”
“I admit I had one or two as well,” Henry said.
“I have two in bed with me,” Chastity laughed. “I want some New Year’s loving before I go to my own bed.”
“You get it,” Lisa said, embracing her lover in a deep kiss as Henry pulled off his jacket and tie. He joined his wives and they hurried to get out of their party dresses and into bed. “You must drive the guys crazy in the office,” Lisa said, stroking up Chastity’s leg and under her short skirt.
“Most of the time I wear underwear,” she laughed. “Unless I’m headed to Henry’s office. I stop and take off my panties before I go.”
“That’s wise,” Lisa said. “Don’t want anything in the way when you perch on the corner of his desk.”
“It’s always been that way,” Henry said, kissing one then the other of his women. “I don’t think I’ve ever parted Chas’s legs and found panties.”
“And you never will, lover,” Chastity said. “Whether it’s on your desk, or in your bed, or anyplace else you want me.”
“Which is everyplace I can think of,” Henry said.
He unzipped Lisa’s dress so she could step out of it as she licked at Chastity’s nipple rings.
“I’m back on birth control,” Lisa said. “Let’s have fun!”
“Isn’t it too soon while you’re nursing?” Henry asked.
“I went with a device instead of a pill. Nothing gets in Mommy’s milk,” Lisa said.
“I might have to drain a little for you,” Henry said. “Looks like a few drops are leaking.”
“That’s the only reason I wore a bra tonight. I needed absorption pads for leakage,” Lisa laughed. “I’m so glad I can depend on the two of you to keep me from overflowing.”
“Oh! Hey, you won’t get any milk out of that one,” Chastity said as Henry attacked one of her nipples and began flicking her piercing with his tongue. “But don’t quit!”
“You still had all the men and most of the women trying to see what kind of jewelry you were wearing through them tonight,” Lisa said as Chastity worked on draining her left breast.
Henry moved down between Chastity’s legs and soon found a slippery playground waiting for his tongue. Chastity tugged at Lisa until her girlfriend straddled her face so she could work her clit over.
The conversations ceased as they moved around satisfying each other. Henry celebrated the New Year in each of his wives’ pussies and helped with their stimulation as well.
About two o’clock in the morning, the three cuddled together to wish each other a happy New Year and fall asleep. When they awoke in the morning, Henry and Lisa were alone in the bed, Chastity having slipped away into the second bedroom.
The west parking lot of the office complex had been cleared for the paving demonstration. The lot was about four hundred yards in length with a drive around it. The paving device would pave the lanes between the parking spaces and the lane around the lot. It would lay two lanes of new pavement on all of it. Everything had been carefully measured and marked. The paver would follow the diagram that had been fed into it without interference. The system would need to make some interesting decisions when it came to corners, calculating how much would need to be backed and filled.
The huge machine was technically too big for a parking lot, but the state highway department insisted on a demonstration on a non-public road before they approved a stretch of interstate for a full test. This roadbed had other challenges. It was an asphalt parking area, so the surface had to be removed rather than being immediately recycled into the new pavement. That meant gravel and the new binder had to be delivered to the device. There would be a non-stop traffic pattern pulling up to the paver, trucks being loaded to take away the asphalt and trucks bringing gravel and binder to the machine. In addition, water had to be delivered.
While the total length of each lane was approximately 1200 feet, with two-way traffic on six lanes, the paver would lay about three miles of pavement. The state felt that was an adequate pre-test.
The paver rumbled out of the hangar doors of AIM at four o’clock in the morning, moving under guidance to the entrance of the parking lot. At eight o’clock, with the Highway Department officials standing by to watch, the paver began removing the asphalt and depositing it in a truck that drove alongside. As it moved, full trucks left and trucks of sand, gravel, and binder were delivered to the device. It marched along at about three hundred feet per hour. The amazed officials followed behind the paver, walking on the new pavement that was already set enough not to leave footprints.
“It takes an hour for the new pavement to be fully set. Twenty-four hours to cure for weight-bearing,” said the representative of the materials company. “This is being laid at a depth of eight inches. It will take another twenty-four hours to be ready for heavy traffic. Much heavier than this parking lot will ever see.”
“So, when do you need to refuel?” asked the official.
“This piece of equipment operates on self-charging fuel cells,” the representative of Agora Power Cells said. “That means when they run low on their charge, they are dipped into a water bath and recharge in about an hour. Each charge is good for about three hours of use, depending on the force needed for demolition. So, with three cells being used to operate the vehicle, be recharged, and stay dormant awaiting use, the device never has to be shut down or stop for refueling. This device has been idling non-stop for three weeks in the shop.”
“Well, you have to shut down for shift changes, don’t you? The operator can’t be expected to work around the clock.”
“The design of the parking lot was fed into the artificial intelligence before we brought it out of the shop this morning,” Jacoby said. “From the time we gave it the start command at the entrance, it will function without an operator as long as we keep feeding it materials and removing the items to be recycled.”
The official was already tallying up the amount he could save on labor and figuring out how he could put this one past the unions.
In two and a half days, the device trundled back toward its hangar. The parking lot lanes had been paved. The parking spaces had been left with the original surface to show that the device could match existing pavement without a gap or bump. Roughly three miles of new pavement in two and a half days.
The governor and several state representatives had arrived to watch the last half day of operation and the big clock that had been installed counting up the time and distance. Applause erupted when the device trundled off the parking lot at 58:31. The live test on Interstate 80 would begin in five weeks.
Please feel free to send comments to the author at devon@devonlayne.com.
