An Ai Named Al

We step into a white void, and Sasha turns to me with a puzzled look. In every direction, there is nothing but white. Although there is no way to determine distance, it looks as if it continues forever. I knew Sasha was confused, but I was impressed that I could create a portal this far from our intended destination. 

"Your plan is to hide in an empty pocket dimension? Also, how can you portal into an empty pocket dimension?"

"It's not empty. I have been working on expanding it and haven't fine-tuned how to arrive in the area I want to. I figured out how to do it after being in the Preserver's dimension."

"You... figured it out?"

"Yeah, just find space in the multiverse and pump magic into it."

The simplistic explanation dumbfounded Sasha. It was more complicated than that, but trying to explain all of the intricacies would have taken longer than we had. "I'll pretend that makes sense. Why are we here?"

"Hold on. I'll bring you to the location I meant to portal us to." I grab her around the waist and teleport us to a massive computer in a small room. I designed this room to eventually be our living space. There was a large bed, white couches, and a massive kitchen. It was a work in progress, but the computer was the focus of this visit. "This is Al."

The computer speaks, "Hello, Master Healer; how may I assist you?"

Sasha rolls her eyes, "Master Healer? Seriously?"

"Yes, Mistress Sasha, Master Healer created me, so I show him the proper respect."

Sasha laughs and looks at me. "You're ridiculous, Alex, but it is your computer. So what does Al do?"

"Allow me to answer, Master Healer. I am designed to predict and analyze anomalies and create the best route for restabilization. Once a timeline is stable, the Preservers will no longer target it."

"So, how do we fix the timeline Alex fucked with?"

"Incomplete data. A path toward restabilization cannot be determined until more data is acquired."

I intervene, "Al can't perform his primary function yet."

Sasha scowls her famous look, "Then why are we here, Alex? Your calm attitude is starting to piss me off. The preservers will be in Marupiter soon, and they will be looking for us. They might be arrogant, but they aren't stupid. A full ten-man squad is coming."

"I know, but an artificial intelligence like Al can only do so much without good input data. I can't get into the Preservers server, so Al has just been collecting information from the multiverse, but now," I place my watch onto the computer, "Al analyze before and after the timeline branch and determine the cause and effect.

"Yes, Master Healer, one moment."

Sasha looks at me, a mixture of anger and hope on her face. She grabs my hand and grips it tight. "You better hope this works." She's putting on a tough exterior, but I know she desperately wants a way to atone for her time with the Preservers. Saving a timeline destined for elimination would be a significant first step. 

"Master Healer and Mistress Sasha, I have reached a conclusion. Miranda Comen was saved by unknown vigilantes the day she was supposed to go missing. She would have been found murdered three days later. The case would go unsolved. In the altered timeline, Miranda meets and marries Shawn Hansen, the heir of a mutliworld business. This prevents his wife in the previous timeline from finding love, and she ends up running a crime syndicate and is credited with over a million deaths."

Sasha gives me a look that says I told you so. "This is why you don't save girls in alleyways."

"Look, this is easy; we just prevent Miranda and Shawn from meeting. A million people keep their lives, and the timeline returns to normal."

"If I may Master Healer, the easiest course of action would be to kill Miranda."

Sasha chuckles, "I see what you mean by needing good data."

"I'm sorry, Al, but we won't kill anyone innocent; when does Miranda meet Shawn?"

"In one week, Master."

"Perfect! I was worried we would have to fend off Preservers for ten years." I grab a device from the side of the computer and hand another to Sasha. These are cell phones that connect to Al. He can send us the location of the meeting and keep us updated with the Preservers' movement. We can also contact each other."

Sasha reluctantly takes the device and stares at it for a few seconds. "This isn't what I was expecting."

"Look, I know we are a long way from being able to oppose the Preservers actively, but we have to move slowly. If this works, Al can start to look into other timelines, and we can determine better ways to enter timelines at exact places and times, but for now," I take her hands, "We save this timeline, and for the first time, prevent the Preservers from destroying a timeline." 

Sasha likes to play the hardheaded girl but is traumatized from over fifty years of being a Preserver spawn. In front of me now was the soft girl who wants to be forgiven. "I'm glad we can do this together, Alex. Let's go break up a marriage before it starts."

"I have one more surprise for you. It could change the tide of battle for us, especially against a squad of preservers."

I push a button on the console in front of Al, and a rack of tubes comes up. I take one from the rack and hand it to Sasha. She looks it up and down and glances at me. 

"Why did you hand me a vial of your blood?"

"Put some magic into it and throw it."

She follows my instructions, and a full-sized clone of myself appears before us. He stands there blankly, and after a few seconds, Sasha speaks up. "What is it doing?"

"I prefer to call them 'he,' but he doesn't do much. He only has ten percent of my magic capacity and will stand there, but tricking the Preservers into splitting up just for them to find a clone would work great. Plus, the clone has the same amount of blood as I do after forming. As long as you have no problem killing me, you can replenish your magic easily."

Sasha walks up to the clone and touches his face. He doesn't move or flinch as she uses her claws to slit his throat. She absorbs his blood and transforms into her battle look.

"Don't worry about me being hesitant in killing you. I almost did once."

"I remember dodging your attack pretty easily."

She rolls her eyes and walks up to me. As I lean in for a kiss, she brushes past me and grabs a few more vials. "Don't get too excited, lover boy. We have a long week ahead of us."

"That we do." I take the remaining clone tubes and reach for Sasha's hand. She took mine, and I opened a portal to return to our apartment. 

"We aren't going to end up in the middle of the ocean, are we?"

I smirk. "Maybe, but that's part of the fun, right?" And I pull us both through.