Chapter 70: Invite

By the time I came back upstairs, I had finished most of what I needed to do for the day.

Obadiah’s deal was complete, Research Assistant was working on my version of the Arc Reactor, and I finally had a proper idea of how I was going to power the underground facility.

Unfortunately, I still had to deal with my unofficial girlfriend’s tantrum.

Gwen had been acting strange since this morning.

At first, I’d assumed she was thinking about everything that happened with Obadiah, but after getting several short answers from her, even I could tell something was wrong.

She wasn’t ignoring me.

She answered whenever I spoke to her, but every answer made it obvious she was annoyed about something.

I sat beside her on the couch and waited for a few seconds.

Gwen continued looking at her phone as if I wasn’t there.

“Okay. What did I do?” Her eyes finally moved toward me before returning to the screen.

“You don’t know?” I thought about everything I’d done today and couldn’t find anything that should have made her this angry.

“If I knew, I probably wouldn’t be asking.”

Gwen put her phone down.

“What did you tell Mom this morning?” That narrowed things down, although I still wasn’t sure which part she meant.

I mentioned apologizing to Helen for offering Gwen the job without asking her first, but Gwen shook her head.

“After that.” I thought for another second before remembering.

“That I’d make sure nothing touched you?”

“Yeah. That.” Gwen turned fully toward me.

“What exactly does that mean?” I stared at her for a moment, still not seeing the problem.

“It means I’ll keep you safe.” Her expression immediately told me that had been the wrong answer.

“Chris, I don’t need you deciding everything for me because you think it’s safer.”

Before I could answer, Gwen continued.

“And don’t pretend this started today. Do you really think I don’t know how you got me to agree to work for you?” I stopped.

That wasn’t where I’d expected this conversation to go.

Gwen crossed her arms.

“You asked me whether I wanted my own company more than I wanted to spend time with you. You knew exactly what you were doing.”

I couldn’t deny that.

It hadn’t exactly been one of my more subtle moments.

“You still agreed.” Gwen stared at me for a second before saying, “That’s the point. Do you think I didn’t know you were manipulating me? I knew what you were doing. I wasn’t angry because, whatever your reason was, it was still my choice. You pushed me toward it, but I was the one who said yes.”

I leaned back slightly as I finally understood what she was actually upset about.

Gwen continued, “But then you tell Mom you’ll make sure nothing touches me like that’s completely up to you. What happens when I want to do something you think is dangerous? Do you decide I can’t? Do I have to stay here because you know I’m safe here?”

“No.” The answer came immediately, although even I could see the problem considering why I’d wanted her working with me in the first place.

Gwen raised an eyebrow, and I sighed.

“Okay. Maybe I haven’t exactly been great at this.”

“Maybe?” Gwen asked, and I ignored that part.

“If I know something is about to kill you, I’m stopping it.

I’m not changing my mind about that.” Her expression softened slightly as she answered, “I’m not asking you to let something kill me.

I’m asking you not to decide how I live just because something might happen.”

My first solution whenever someone I cared about might be in danger was usually to keep them somewhere I could protect them.

The underground facility had only made that easier.

I could probably make this house and everything beneath it one of the safest places on Earth, but that didn’t mean everyone should have to stay here.

“I understand.” Gwen studied my face suspiciously.

“Do you?” I nodded.

“Probably not completely, but enough to know why you’re angry.” That finally got a small smile from her.

I reached over and took her hand.

“And I wasn’t planning to lock you inside the house.”

“You better not.” I smiled slightly.

“You’d probably break something trying to get out anyway.” Gwen hit my arm with her free hand, although there wasn’t enough force behind it to hurt.

At least she wasn’t angry anymore, and I was smart enough not to call what had just happened a tantrum where she could hear me.

The conversation stayed in my mind afterward, mostly because Gwen wasn’t the only person I’d been doing this with.

Helen had been spending far more time at the house lately because of everything happening with us.

Keeping her nearby made things easier for me, but she couldn’t spend her life here just because I knew nothing could reach her.

“Research Assistant, can I keep Helen safe without limiting her to this house?” I asked in my mind.

Her answer came immediately.

“Yes. I can create a skill that automatically teleports a designated person when their life is under immediate threat.”

That caught my attention.

“Automatically?

I wouldn’t have to know something was happening first?” Research Assistant replied, “Correct.

The skill would recognize an immediate lethal threat and teleport the protected individual to a location designated by you.”

I thought about it for a moment before asking whether it could work on more than one person.

“Yes. Multiple individuals can be designated.”

My first thought was Gwen.

Putting her on it immediately would’ve been easy, and I probably would have done exactly that before the conversation we’d just had.

This time, I stopped myself.

“Create the skill, but don’t designate anyone yet.

I’ll ask them first.” Research Assistant replied, “Understood.”

That was better than trying to keep Helen close all the time.

She could go wherever she needed, and I wouldn’t have to worry every time she left the house.

When Helen came downstairs later, I looked toward her.

“I’m working on something that can teleport someone somewhere safe if their life is in danger.” Helen stopped walking and looked at me, while Gwen’s attention immediately moved away from her phone.

“Automatically?” Helen asked.

I nodded.

“That’s the idea. You wouldn’t have to do anything. If your life was actually in danger, you’d be moved somewhere safe automatically.” Helen stared at me for a few seconds.

“And you can do that?” I shrugged slightly.

“Not yet. I’m still working on it, but I should be able to.”

“What does this have to do with me?” Helen asked.

I looked at her.

“I want to use it on you, if you’re okay with it.” Helen’s expression changed slightly at that, and Gwen looked toward me as well.

“You’re asking me first?” Helen asked.

I nodded.

“Yes.”

Gwen smiled at that, and I ignored her.

Helen thought about it for a moment before saying, “If it only activates when my life is actually in danger and doesn’t interfere with anything else, then I’m fine with it.” I nodded.

“That’s how I’m planning to make it work.”

That reminded me of something else I needed to deal with before I spent most of my time downstairs.

“Actually, while I’m busy with the reactor, you can act as CEO whenever I’m not available.” Helen looked at me.

“Of your company?” I nodded.

“I’m going to be busy with research and building it for some time. I don’t want every decision waiting until I come upstairs.”

Helen thought about it before asking, “How much authority are you giving me?” I shrugged slightly.

“Enough to handle normal decisions without asking me every time. If something major happens, tell me. Otherwise, deal with it however you think is best.”

She was already handling the legal side and involved in most of the business decisions I cared about, so giving her more authority wasn’t much of a change.

Helen eventually nodded.

“Fine. But if I think you need to know something, I’m interrupting your research.”

“That’s fine.” I wasn’t planning to disappear completely.

I just wanted enough time to work without being called upstairs for things Helen could easily handle herself.

With that dealt with, I looked toward Gwen.

She had spent most of the last few days around me, Helen and White, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen any of her friends around.

“Why don’t you invite your friends out tomorrow?” Gwen looked at me.

“For what?” I thought about it for a moment before answering, “Lunch. Invite whoever you want. My treat.”

Gwen stared at me for a second.

“You’re inviting my friends to lunch?” I nodded.

“Yes. It’s been a while since you’ve spent time with them, and I haven’t really met most of them properly.” Besides, meeting them wouldn’t hurt.

I was going to need more people eventually, and maybe one of them would be worth remembering when the labs were ready.

A smile appeared on Gwen’s face as she picked up her phone.

“Okay. I’ll ask them.” I leaned back against the couch while she started typing.