Before returning home, he had one more trip. He needed to visit Caltech. In particular, the robotics department.
Ordinarily, he wouldn’t be allowed to without an escort, but a quick message to Howard handled that part. As one of the leading researchers in the engineering department, a quick call to him netted him a temporary access card rather than a visitor’s pass.
All he needed was to listen to Howard bitching about how much his muscles were burning.
The robotics lab was surprisingly clean, but he suspected it was because it was one of the locations that was used to impress prospective students as well as it existed for actual research.
It was surprisingly loud, as most experimental parts were whirling in different, annoying pitches that assaulted his musical sensibilities. It felt like listening to the orchestra of horror.
The subtle smell of burnt plastic that hung in the air despite the industrial-grade air filtration completed the puzzle. He was confident that he could never enjoy working there.
He ignored the details, and instead walked toward the group of six people, three male, three female. Three were at workstations along the wall, eyes on their monitors, mostly discussing furiously rather than typing, a clear debugging session. One was kneeling beside a robot arm in the center of the room, holding a clipboard. And, at the center of the group was Alex, drawing furiously on the whiteboard, in crunch mode, the way her fingers trembled slightly suggesting an overdose of coffee.
That didn’t surprise him, as for the last few days, he had only got one-line replies for most of his messages. At least he was lucky to get a response.
He didn’t mind, as the biggest perk of their arrangement for her was that she could disappear to her work without someone clingy to bother her constantly. Alex wanted a romantic connection in her life, but never in a way that would suborn her ambitions.
He didn’t reveal himself immediately, just watching her.
It was fascinating to see her in her element. Gone was the hesitant young woman, unsure of her place, replaced by a sexy dictator who was barking orders. The way other five tightened whenever she said something signaled that she was the de facto leader, and not one with a kind reputation.
Though, he couldn’t help but shake his head at the number of granola bars piled next to them. She wasn’t eating well, always a mistake during a long project.
One of the guys trying to debug the code looked up first, and was surprised. Ethan didn’t blame him, as he hardly looked like someone who was a fit for the robotics lab. “Can I help you? This is a private lab,” he said.
The rest of the group looked up, surprised, though only Alex smiled in surprise.
“Don’t worry, I have permission to enter,” Ethan said as he waved his card, and walked toward them.
“Why—“ the guy started, only for Alex to cover the distance between them and hug him. He touched her chin, and, quick to turn that into a kiss. When he pulled back, the expressions of the rest of the group were amusing. The guys were glaring at him as if they hoped they could melt his brain, while the girls mostly looked at Alex, very shocked.
“E-everyone, this is Ethan. My—“
“Her boytoy,” he interjected with a smirk, only for Alex to poke him in the side. “Recently promoted to her punching bag,” he added, smirking.
Alex’s blush was spectacular. “One minute, guys,” she said as she dragged him to the far corner of the robotics lab. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.
“You were locked in the lab for the last week. You deserve a nice picnic for a break,” he said, smiling.
“I can’t. We have three days to finish the project.”
“Nope. You can. You have been locked in the lab for the last week, and you need a breather.”
“I have to finish—“
“Alex, I didn’t say you deserve a breather. You need one, because getting locked in a room and crunching without interruption is the worst way to solve a problem,” he said. “Tunnel vision is a thing. It won’t take long. Just an hour,” he explained, then smirked. “Maybe three, if you are willing to give me a tour of your dorm.”
She blushed, her attitude quick to change. “Let me talk with the group first.”
“Hi, guys. Do you mind if I take a quick break?” she said.
“Of course, go ahead,” one of the girls said, her smile somewhere between mischievous and fascinated. Then, she leaned towards Alex, and whispered in a way she believed only Alex could hear, but he caught thanks to Perception. “But, we’ll have a talk about hiding such prime eye candy. We might not have him, but at least let us look.”
While the girls giggled, the boys were looking at him as if he were their mortal enemy. Understandable, considering their very obvious crush on Alex.
“Really, Alex, a jock,” one of them muttered, clearly still from the high school clique mentality. Or, least, his looks awakened past traumas. He did look like a jock, handsome face, expensive clothes, and defined muscles.
Alex immediately turned to the boy, about to eviscerate him. Ethan interrupted, mostly because he wanted to show off himself. Especially since a glimpse at the screen was enough to show the reason for their program not working. “Really, buddy. If I were you, I would spend less time trying to strut like a mechanical peacock, and focus more on not writing recursive logic loops that a middle school student would catch.”
“Wait, what?” he said, clearly not expecting it.
“Line six hundred and forty. I mean, check the error message.”
One of the other boys looked at it. “How the hell did we miss it?”
“Sleep deprivation and overdosing on coffee are hardly a good combination for a healthy attention span,” Ethan said graciously. “You know what? How about a deal?”
“What kind of deal?”
“I’ll fix whatever mess your code is dealing with, and the group will take the rest of the night off and gather for breakfast.”
“We don’t need your help,” the boys said, which was less about academic integrity and more about being territorial. But, under the combined gaze of the girls of the group, they flinched.
“Look, how about a bet?” Ethan said. “Give me fifteen minutes, and then see where you are and decide.”
“Fifteen minutes? That’s not even enough to understand the code,” he said.
Admittedly, he would normally be right, but he didn’t know he was betting against someone with rather extraordinary mental edge. Ethan cracked his fingers and leaned against the keyboard, quickly reading the code.
The function of the robot they were building was simple. An autonomous robot with legs that processed audiovisual inputs to traverse a randomized labyrinth, with ability to respond to some hidden traps. His programming skills meant he was capable of reading the code, even if it was an abomination made of C++, Phyton, and low-level hardware language.
At its core, the most of issues came from the incompatibility between the three languages. His programming skill already gave him a sensitivity toward bugs. To his surprise, the Master Investigation he got from Annie synergized well with his bug hunting, allowing him to fix the mistakes easily.
“Done,” he said after ten minutes while they looked at the screen. Seeing their shock and shame, he decided not to be too mean. “I mean, the code was solid, and the issues came from a few edge cases where integration suffered. Each segment must have its own author, so some bugs slipped.”The boys nodded hesitantly. “Exhaustion doesn’t help in such issues. All of you should go and sleep, and continue tomorrow. Either way, I won my bet, so I’m stealing Alex away. She will need to be pampered by her boytoy—“ he started.
Alex slapped his shoulder again, blushing. “S-shut up. Don’t call yourself that.”
“Careful with the violence, woman,” he teased her even as he hooked his arm with hers, and they walked out together.
[Achievement complete. Help Alex teach a lesson to her project group and stabilize her position as a leader.
Challenge: Hard]
[+10 Intelligence
1 Random Gold Skill
1 Random Gold Reward]
He hummed as he picked Intelligence, which had been somewhat lagging behind other stats.
“That was mean,” she said once they were out of the room.
“Oh, I disagree. That was a perfectly measured response. If I wanted to be mean, I would have left them crying,” he said. “And, don’t tell me you’re unhappy about showing off. I know you too well to believe that.”
She blushed. “Fine. I might have been planning a campus date for us once my project finished to keep them from flirting with me…”
“And to show off,” he added.
“And, to show off,” she added with a blush. “But, mainly to stop them flirting with me. God, why do they think mumbling compliments from a distance while failing to maintain eye contact is attractive?”
Ethan shrugged, not really wanting to waste too much time discussing her project group’s inability to flirt. Instead, he started sharing stories about his trip, particularly about the paintball war.
“You are kidding,” she said.
“Nope, I have the pictures,” he responded as he showed her the pictures from the paintball war, which, he had to admit, was rather spectacular. Greendale students took the premise seriously, and that was reflected in the pictures.
It looked amazing.
They stopped by the car, and Alex’s eyes widened. “The new car? If so, don’t show it to Haley!”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t take any more arguments about the best way to utilize her money,” she said. “My mother is determined to keep Haley from wasting it, and whenever one of them loses an argument, they nag me for my help.”
“Don’t worry, the car is just a rental, and frankly, I’m not the biggest fan,” he said. “I’ll probably go with something classic I can tinker with if I ever get bored with my Mustang.”
“Good. That car has character,” she said. After picking the picnic basket, she led them to a nice, relatively concealed spot. She took a bite of the sandwich he prepared, and her eyes widened. “Damn, this is delicious,” she said.
“I’m a decent cook, especially I finally had the chance to shop properly,” he said, quickly blaming the previous breakfast he had prepared on substandard ingredients. It was easier to explain than his magical skill improvement.
She hummed happily as she devoured the first two sandwiches, and even started the third one when she realized he wasn’t eating, just drinking. “Where’s your sandwich?”
“I would have, but someone was hungrier than I expected and stole mine as well,” he teased, and she blushed hard.
“Oh, no.”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, you clearly needed it more. How long has it been since you ate anything but granola bars?”
She avoided answering, which was telling in itself.
He hugged her while they chatted. She told about the challenges of returning from sabbatical early and trying to catch up with the curriculum, with all the extra assignments she had to take.
In exchange, he told her more about the Greendale adventure without mentioning Annie yet. He wasn’t sure how well Annie and Alex would get along. They would either become best friends or very determined rivals with nothing in between, as both could be pretty competitive.
Luckily, Alex was too busy to meet, so that would be delayed for a while.
“How about the work?” Alex then asked.
He smiled, as he realized it was an indirect way of asking about Haley, but he played along. “Not bad, other than it being surprisingly busy. There’s always something new to be implemented on the website, and occasional contracts to review. Haley is also flying all over the country. I think right now she’s on a plane to Arizona to coordinate with the tailors of a new brand. After that lunch, it’s only a few hasty phone calls.”
“Yes, the dinner,” Alex said, blushing. “I still can’t believe —“ she started, then paused. “Nope, I decided I don’t care. I just won’t talk about it. How is Mia? We shared a few texts, but she’s difficult to reach.”
“Just like you, she’s absurdly busy. Even the shoot, we had to delay three days, and compress it to half a day rather than the two days we initially planned. The new choreography is challenging, especially since they accepted some of her modifications which threw off the practice schedule, but she’s kicking ass.” He did share a few fun moments from their work.
“Good,” Alex said, resting against his chest while she listened, sipping wine. “I missed you…”
“I missed you as well, my neurotic, sexy scientist,” he teased, and kissed her hair, letting her relax.
“So, anything interesting in New York?” she asked.
“Anything or anyone,” he teased her.
She blushed. “I know it’s not —“
“Nonsense, it’s more than acceptable to ask questions. It only depends on whether the other party is alright with sharing those stories. For example, I know you’ll feel self-conscious, so I don’t go around blabbing about you.”
“So, anyone interesting you can talk about?” Alex asked, her blush crawling down her neck.
“Let me tell you about how I ended up as the majority owner of a new bakery…” he said, starting with his ‘random’ diner visit that escalated into an invitation, and more…
“No, I’m not that gullible. There’s no way they have a horse in their garden. Not in an apartment.”
“And what if it’s true? Are you willing to bet?”
She blushed. “Depends on what we’re betting,” she said.
He chuckled. “Just a sexy favor, to be cashed in later at an appropriate time, where you have to play along.” She looked indecisive.
“Nothing that will humiliate me?” she said.
“Maybe a bit, but in a way that you’ll enjoy,” he bargained.
“Deal,” she said. “You have to be bluffing. Even for you, meeting a random genius baker with a roommate that owns a thoroughbred horse is too absurd—“
He showed her the pictures.
“That’s just absurd. What is your life?” He shrugged before continuing the story. “So, not only did you have multiple threesomes with them but also you invested in their business.”
“Hey, less than a quarter million dollars investment for a Wharton graduate business manager and a genius baker is an excellent deal,” he said. “It’ll probably not make me as much money as the fashion business, but it also requires no effort from my side.” He smirked.
“Max’s cupcakes must be amazing for you to be this complimentary,” Alex said.
“They are. Almost as good as yours. Her baking is amazing as well,” he said with a big grin as he squeezed her breasts playfully.
Alex’s eyes widened. “Bastard!” she gasped as she turned, but he rolled playfully and pinned her under him, stealing a kiss.
“So, now that our picnic is over, why don’t I escort you to your dorm … and help you fall asleep.”
She blushed, her playful anger quick to turn into desire as she nodded. Her dorm was just a quick drive away. When she stepped out, escorted by him, all eyes were on them; which was only mostly due to his looks.
From the show, he knew that Alex had been treated by the queen bee of the nerd section; though her biting sarcasm kept them away. “Everyone is looking at us,” she muttered.
“Own it,” he whispered. “We can always go to a nearby hotel if you want, but…”
“No, I’m not scared of gossip,” Alex decided, quick to embrace the fight response, which was no surprise. She grabbed his hand, dragging him along. He was happy to let Alex show off.
[Achievement complete. Elevate Alex’s reputation into a STEM Queen.
Challenge: Daring]
[+25 Intelligence
1 Random Platinum Skill
1 Random Platinum Reward]
An unexpectedly high reward. It didn’t feel challenging, but then, it was the benefit of timing and accumulation. Alex’s reputation already had the foundation. Not to mention, he looked good. Like, movie star good, which made impressing them even easier.
Intelligence was tempting, especially since he suspected there wouldn’t be anything particularly useful. Still, the utility was beneficial, so he went with it.
[Expert Math]
[Elite Skill: You are an exceptional mathematician. You can develop cutting edge algorithms, analytically model complex phenomenon, and with dedicated effort, even come up with new theorems.]
Like he expected. He doubted he would be using advanced math too much … but maybe it would be useful.
Soon, the door of her dorm room clicked shut behind them, and he focused on the more important things. A sound that barely registered before he pressed her against the door. “Does the t-shirt you’re wearing have any special meaning?” he asked.
“No, just a random—“ Alex started, which was all he needed to rip it, and while she processed, unhooked her bra, immediately attacking her ‘cupcakes’.
“Yes, yes, yes,” she moaned as she desperately unbuttoned her jeans, pushing them down with her panties, leaving herself naked. He responded by throwing her onto the bed.
At the same time, he noticed a glimpse of movement at the bathroom door, with lights still turned, and shadows peeking, suggested they weren’t alone.
Most likely her roommate, he decided, his perception allowing him to hear the distinct sounds of heels. She was probably getting ready to go out.
He shed his clothes and landed on her, giving her a heated kiss. Then, he whispered. “How’s your relationship with your roommate?” he asked.
“We barely know each other. She’s an exchange student from Stanford, though we have the same name—“ she started, then her eyes widened, realizing he wouldn’t ask that question randomly.
She immediately turned to the bathroom door and noticed the light coming from under it. “I …”
“We can put on a show if you want,” he tempted. “She’s peeking from the keyhole. She’s clearly curious.”
Alex bit her lip, looking indecisive, but soon, it solidified. “If she doesn’t want to watch, all she needs to do is give a shout, right?” she whispered and kissed him.
Ethan was sure that was not a problem, because the shadow patterns suggested that she was already kneeling in front of the keyhole.
Since they were putting on a show, it needed to be a proper one, he decided even as he flicked Alex’s nipple, a moan ripping from her throat. Then, his lips landed there, letting Alex’s mouth free to moan.
“Tell me. Slow, or fast?”
She paused a second. “As much as I want to make love all night long, I’m too sleep deprived to last for long,” Alex whispered as she flipped, switching to doggy position, her amazing tits dangling with every push, her moans filling the room, and no doubt reaching the other rooms as well.
But then, it was a college dorm. Hardly something they weren’t used to.
One underrated advantage of the position, that it technically meant neither of them were facing the bathroom door; giving the roommate a way to be even more daring. Turning off the bathroom light before cracking the door open was a pretty good way to show that she wanted to see more.
Ethan didn’t blame her. Alex was beautiful, and he was sculpted to a supernatural degree, which meant they were giving the other Alex a rather excellent show, especially since Alex was showing off with her moans.
The only negative thing was that it didn’t take long for exhaustion to catch up with her. Two climaxes, barely twenty minutes later, Alex collapsed, so he let himself go, covering her back with his seed. “Just a minute, I’ll…”
“You’ll do nothing,” he chuckled as he pulled a wet wipe to clean her back before he opened her drawer and pulled a nightshirt, helping her to put it on. “You have been running on fumes for a week. Just sleep, and continue your project tomorrow.”
“No, I’m not that tired. I just need to catch my breath,” she said. “How can I prove it?”
“How about lying in your bed, pull the covers, and closing your eyes? If you can manage not to fall asleep for five minutes, I’ll accept.”
“Fine. I won’t fall asleep,” she said. Ten seconds later, her breathing pattern, already asleep.
Then, the achievements arrived.
[Achievement complete. Convince Alex to give a proper, impressive show to her roommate.
Challenge: Hard]
[Achievement complete. Teach Alex Jensen the perks of being a voyeur.
Challenge: Medium]
[Achievement complete. Help Alex Jensen climax.
Challenge: Medium]
[Achievement complete. Seduce Alex Jensen.
Challenge: Easy]
His eyes widened in amusement as he recognized the name. Alex Jensen, Sheldon’s future assistant, and the woman who would have developed a pretty intense crush on Leonard if it wasn’t for this little encounter.
Unsurprisingly, all those achievements granted Intelligence, which he picked quickly, which finally brought his Intelligence to two hundred.
Admittedly, he was tempted to walk in have talk with Alex-J, but two things changed his mind. First, Annie had sent him a message while he was ‘tending’ Alex, which told him that she was finally awake, and he didn’t want to leave her alone in an unfamiliar apartment.
Also, poor Alex Jensen deserved a sporting chance to resist him rather than a devastating ambush.