Michael First was eighteen years old when he graduated from MIT with a master's degree in computer science and programming, with honors. He had promised his mother he would do so before she died, losing a long battle with cancer. He fulfilled his promise, and she died weeks after his graduation ceremony. Michael blamed his father for her death.
People who were able to penetrate his isolation bubble thought he might have Aspergers Syndrome, but those close to him knew he was incredibly brilliant and hyper focused on what interested him. Developing computer software programming was his passion, and he was very, very good at it, especially the development of AI.
During the last year of school, he developed an AI program that he was able to verbally communicate with. He used the features of his mother before her illness to create an on-screen avatar. He had big plans for the software and felt that in time it would become commercially viable, but in the near term he had plans for his new associate, MOM.
Michael's mother's estate was big, billions of dollars big, and his estranged birth father wanted all of it, or at least a big piece of it. Michael was hell bent on making sure he would not touch one cent of the assets.
Ally McGregor adopted the nerdy Michael early in his second year of college. Six years older than him, she was able to guide him through the day-to-day rhythm of college life. After his graduation, he and Ally remained closely involved while she worked on her Doctorate in Biology. They were together nearly every weekend, and their relationship was developing beyond friendship. Michael needed Ally in his life. She had become his rock.
Michael's life was becoming more complex. As he continued to develop his AI application, deal with estate matters and the running of his mother's businesses combined with the growing attention to Ally was drawing away his attention to safeguarding the growth and capabilities of MOM. He knew his MOM application potential was history changing. He also knew that there was a possibility that it could get out of control. What might happen if it did? He did not know.
