HEARTS OF STEEL An Ellora’s Cave Publication, February 2004 Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc. PO Box 787 Hudson, OH 44236-0787 ISBN MS Reader (LIT) ISBN # 1-84360-709-3 Other available formats (no ISBNs are assigned): Adobe (PDF), Rocketbook (RB), Mobipocket (PRC) & HTML MY DARLING CLEMENTINE © 2004 ELIZABETH STEWART BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED © 2004 CASSIE WALDER ILLICIT PROGRAMMING © 2004 JENNIFER DUNNE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. They are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously. HEARTS OF STEEL edited by Martha Punches. Cover art by Nathalie Moore.
HEARTS OF STEEL My Darling Clementine By Elizabeth Stewart
Batteries Not Included By Cassie Walder
Illicit Programming By Jennifer Dunne
Prologue Everyone knows O’Shea’s Discount Bot Shoppe. It squats on the corner of Mill Street and Main, a big, square, ugly brute of a building with picture windows on two sides and loud halogen floods whose artificial sunlight streams out like ice water onto the gawkers on the sidewalk. And Lord knows there are plenty of those, drawn by the fembots and himbots wearing little more than smiles, all crunched together in poses just short of “Charlie-fetch-the-cops!” From nine in the morning ‘til nine at night, seven days a week, every day of the year (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and Easter) O’Shea’s is filled with the serious (“the buyers”) the curious (“the shoppers”) and the spurious (“perverts in raincoats”). All come to see what today’s new shipment of bots has to offer. “There’s always a bargain to be had at O’Shea’s,” Milo O’Shea likes to bea m. As big and square and brutish as his building, he stands like an oak tree among the saplings, full salt and pepper hair on a jowly, jolly head, black eyes twinkling with the Devil’s own mischief, Roman nose and full lips, always pulled up in a grand Irish grin. Broad shoulders and long arms sweeping the room to call attention to his merchandise. A rich baritone tinged with brogue, sweetly charming a prospective sale. His stomach makes a slight paunch at the waist of his blue jeans but he covers most of it with winter flannel or loose summer tee shirt. “You’ll not find better bots in all the world,” he’d boast cheerfully. “Not in all the fancy shops er high -toned catalogs neither. And you’ll not be payin’ fer their expensive rent er all that avertisin’. Here ya get quality at a price so low ya can’t hardly afford not ta buy. “Anything yer lookin’ fer, we got. Fembots so hot they’d melt a whole tribe of Abominable Snowmen. Himbots ta keep more’n yer feet warm on a cold winter’s night and not run up yer electric bill in the bargain. Every color, every feature, every fantasy ya ever had, right here in stock. New shipments every day. Er custom tailored if that’s yer wish, right here in my own back room workshop. Pick yer own materials and colors and let our crack artisans build ya the bot a yer dreams in short order. All fer practically nothin’.” He threw back his great lion’s head and roared with laughter that seemed to shake the rafters. “Yes, sir,” he chuckled, “sooner er later, everybody comes ta O’Shea’s.”
MY DARLING CLEMENTINE Elizabeth Stewart
Elizabeth Stewart
Chapter One The Money Tingle. O’Shea felt it like a thin charge of static electricity that raised the hair on the back of his neck and announced in the pit of his stomach that money had arrived. Big money. Raising his shaggy head from the computer screen where he’d been going over the monthly sales figures, he squinted out through the glass partitions that separated his office from the main showroom floor. Immediately, he spied the source of the tingle and licked his full lips like a tiger watching a lamb come down to the stream for a drink of water. Glancing at the clock on his wall, he saw it was a few minutes to nine, the long summer sky twilight now, the store all but deserted. Moving quickly, he rose, darted out the door and made for the customer like a heat-seeking missile. As he approached, he saw McKenzie, one of his junior sales people shuffling in their direction. With a curt nod and a glare, O’Shea signaled him off. This was too big a prize to leave to anyone else. “G’day ta ya, sir,” he smiled, stopping just to the gentlemen’s side, strategically cutting him off from the front door and angling him toward the merchandise. “Milo O’Shea at yer service.” O’Shea took him in at a glance, the practiced eye of a life-long salesman tallying up his customer and spitting out the total. Perhaps even a shade taller than himself but lean and muscular, black hair edged at the temples with silver. Piercing black eyes that seemed to look right through him, tailored, expensive black suit, white silk shirt, plain burgundy tie, and matching pocket silk. Even his polished black shoes radiated that elegant, understated quality that so often defines true class. “I’m interested in perhaps purchasing a fembot,” he said simply, the voice a rich, mellow, authoritative baritone. “Ah yes, sir,” O’Shea practically drooled, “you’ve certainly come ta the right place. We’ve everything ya could ever ask. If ya’d like ta tell me what it is yer interested in, specifically, I’d be happy ta show ya what we have.” “Yes…uh…well, actually I’d prefer to just look around if you don’t mind.” The gentleman was obviously ill at ease and O’Shea, while anxious to make the sale, didn’t want to drive him away. “A course,” he agreed amiably, “but if ya should see anythin’ that strikes yer fancy, er ya have any questions, please don’t hesitate ta call me.” “Thanks,” he muttered and moved off toward the first aisle of fembots. O’Shea followed him nervously with his eyes, barely able to keep his feet planted and not trailing after him like a hunting hound on the scent. Damn, O’Shea thought angrily, he’s headin’ to the mid-priced fems. The high-end fembots were still several rows down. What was he doing piddling around with the middies? He could obviously afford the best merchandise in the place.
6
My Darling Clementine
With agonizing slowness, the customer moved up and down the rows, scanning the various models but not stopping to touch them or even examine them closely. As he inched closer to the expensive fembots, O’Shea grew increasingly anxious. He’d shown no interest in anything so far. My God, what if he doesn’t buy anything? The awful thought spurred him to action just as the shopper arrived at “The Gallery,” the part of O’Shea’s reserved for what he termed, “the cream o’ the crop.” “Ah sir,” he grinned, unconsciously rubbing his hands in anticipation, “welcome ta Fembot Paradise. The latest models with everythin’ a discernin’ and worldly gentleman such as yerself could want. I’d be happy ta show ya the features of any ya’d like ta see.” The gentleman frowned and nodded to the nearest fembot, a tall, skinny blonde, naked with round perfect breasts and a dusting of light pubic hair. “I think everything is fairly obvious.” “Well, a course they’re all beautiful and delectable on the outside,” O’Shea told him hurriedly, “but these fems are all state a the art. “Take this one,” he pointed to the blonde. “She has a random pressure, variable speed mouth. A blowjob like ya never dreamed possible. Make ya come like Old Faithful. Never gets tired, never complains and her power source is guaranteed fer ten full years. Adapter’s included free a charge. Just plug her in, let ‘er sit fer two hours and she’s rarin’ ta go.” His deep, raucous laugh echoed through the building. “I’m sure she’s…excellent quality,” the man replied, glancing uncomfortably toward the front door, “but none of these are what I’m looking for.” O’Shea felt his chest tighten with panic. Dear God, all that lovely money and it was slipping through his fingers! “Why…why then you’ve most certainly come ta the right place,” he continued hastily. “O’Shea’s is known far and wide fer havin’ the best built-ta-order bots anywhere. We pride ourselves on bein’ able ta satisfy even the fussiest customer.” “I don’t know…” “Well, before ya say yea er nay, let me show ya our workshop. It’s just here in the back. Ya can glance through some of our catalogs. After all, yer already here and ya’ll not be losin’ anything but a little time, and what’s that, especially compared ta having just the fembot ya’ve always dreamed of, designed by yerself and built ta yer own specifications by the best bot men in the business? True artisans and craftsmen every one.” He pointed toward a door only a few feet away. “All right,” the man relented slowly. “I guess a few more moments won’t hurt anything.” Instead of the small, dark room the man had imagined, the workroom was huge, about half the size of the showroom itself, brightly lit with high ceilings and long tables covered with body parts and electronic components. He felt for a moment as if he’d stumbled into some kind of horror movie where the mad doctor and his assistant cobbled together bits and pieces of bodies to create a human. It gave him a distinctly queasy feeling. “Now sir,” O’Shea told him, “you just come right in here and make yerself comfortable an’ I’ll bring ya a couple a catalogs ta browse.” He guided the man into a small partitioned cubicle and maneuvered him to a battered old chair in front of a battered old desk. “I’ll be right back,” he assured his captive and dashed away. 7
Elizabeth Stewart
The gentleman leaned back in the chair and sighed. He shouldn’t even be here; the fembot idea was ludicrous. He’d known almost from the moment it had first occurred to him. Then, there hadn’t seemed to be any other answer for him. But after looking at hundreds of them and especially now, having been reduced to this place, he didn’t need any more convincing. If he could escape in one piece, he would go home and that would be that. Idly scanning the room, he saw a pair of bare feet, ankles and a little bit of calf showing from under a blanket tossed over something in the corner. Curious, he got up and flipped it off. A fembot stared out into the middle distance, but she wasn’t like any he’d ever seen before. Coming barely to his chin , short black hair cut like a cap around her porcelain face, huge black eyes staring straight ahead, pink lips parted just a fraction. Covered in a shapeless bag of gray flannel that covered her from neck to just below her knees, her soft, white, bare arms and hands hung at her sides. Around her neck, she wore an identification collar, a substantial gold chain, something written in ornate script on the tag at her throat. Clementine, he read, moving his head to get a good look. Even without seeing her body, he knew she wasn’t as perfect or gorgeous as the other fembots he’d seen. But there was something about her face. He studied her, trying to put a word to it. “Ah, here we are,” O’Shea interrupted, dropping a pair of heavy, bound books on the desk. “If you’d just like ta…” “What about this one?” the man asked, jerking his head in the direction of the fembot he’d discovered. Stepping to his side, O’Shea rubbed a big hand over his stubbly chin, as mystified as the gentleman. Still, it was the first thing he’d shown any interest in and a good salesman never missed an opportunity. Reaching out for the tag, he squinted, almost mouthing the name as he read it. “Clementine,” he responded, snapping his fingers. He turned to the man and sighed. “I’d almost fergotten about this poor little creature,” he began. “Ya see, this office used ta belong ta John Harris, my top designer and bot builder. Leonardo de Vinci a the bot world, but not altogether with us, if ya get my meanin’. I suppose it’s the way a creative, artistic minds. Don’t run in the same tracks as yers er mine. “Anyway, he was always tinkerin’ with one thing an’ another, sorta like in his spare time. Brought this one in last year. Said she was ‘special’ and that when she was ready, she’d ‘revolutionize’ bots. Always kept things ta himself though; never did tell me what was so special about her and then, maybe six, seven months ago, he keeled over dead of a heart attack. “All his plans an’ stuff were already out in the workroom and him being a friend as well as an employee…well, I just sorta closed the door and left things be.” “Does she work?” “Haven’t a clue,” O’Shea admitted, “but let’s give ‘er a whirl.” “That’s not…” “Clementine,” he boomed, his voice filling the small office. She blinked once and lifted her face to him. “Yes?” she replied calmly. “Is everythin’ workin’ all right, Darlin’?” 8
My Darling Clementine
“All internal diagnostics read normal.” “Well, ya can see fer yerself,” O’Shea assured him, pointing at the small fembot. “Fine as frog’s hair. An’ I can tell ya fer sure that John Harris built her with his own hands and ya couldn’t ask fer better than that. Granted, she’s not what ya’d call stunnin’ but it’s…it’s a sweet sort a face and there’s somethin’ about them eyes. Whataya think?” Clementine turned her calm, almost expectant face to the customer. O’Shea was right; it was a sweet face. And there seemed to be a curiosity in those huge dark eyes. If he hadn’t known better, he might even have called it intelligence. “Yes,” he agreed slowly, “it is a very sweet face.” “Thank you, sir,” she responded quietly. “Be an angel then and strip down fer us, darlin,” O’Shea ordered cheerfully, “so we can get a better look at ya.” Dutifully, she bent over and grabbed the hem of her covering. “No,” the man barked, “that won’t be necessary. I’m sure Clementine is…anatomically correct.” “Yes sir.” “How much do you want for her?” the man asked suddenly, appearing to have made his decision. Taken by surprise, O’Shea’s head swiveled back and forth between the bot and the stranger. Up until now, he hadn’t even remembered she existed. He had no way of knowing what her capabilities or limitations might be. Harris had been a genius and a nut case. She might be worth a king’s ransom or scrap. “Well, now,” he stalled, rubbing his chin again and considering the floor. “She’s a one-of-akind Harris original. Custom made by and fer the artist himself. I mean, if ya’d have come here and ordered a fembot special from him…well, it’s like ya’d be gettin’ a work a art.” The man glanced at his watch and back to O’Shea. “At best,” he told the big man sharply, “she’s a prototype. You yourself said you’d forgotten about her. This ‘work of art,’ had been stashed under a blanket, in a corner by her creator. And simply because her internal diagnostics are functioning while she’s standing here doing nothing, doesn’t mean she’ll work when I get her home. So here’s what I’ll do. I’ve been doing some bot shopping and I think I’m fairly familiar with the prices. Adding what I would have spent had I had a fembot built to order, here’s what I’m willing to pay.” He scribbled a figure on a datapad lying on the desk. Taking his wallet from his breast pocket, he removed his credit card and held it out. O’Shea looked mournfully at the number. “Oh sir,” he wailed, “I know this is a discount bot shop but surely you don’t expect me to just give away my merchandise. I was thinking more along the lines of…” “The man who designed and built this fembot is dead. You don’t have to pay him a penny. Also, since she was constructed on his ow n time, in his own home, you probably didn’t have to pay for the materials either. And she’s been in his office, not even taking up space in your showroom. All in all, I think what I’m offering is more than fair. However, if you don’t want to sell her, I’m not going to haggle. This is what I’ll pay and no more.”
9
Elizabeth Stewart
Secretly, O’Shea grinned. The man was absolutely right about everything. Even if her body outshone her face (which he seriously doubted)--and he had put her in the “clearance” bin, the chances that someone else would come along and buy her were practically non-existent. Especially for what this gentleman was offering. “Very well,” he feigned reluctance as he reached for the proffered credit card, “you have me over a barrel and it’s almost closin’ time so you’ve got yerself a bargain. And I mean a bargain.” “Good. I’ll give you the address where I want her delivered, as soon as possible. Also, I’ll want all her papers…warranty, instructions, that sort of thing. And any attachments such as an adapter. Of course, if she should prove defective or unsatisfactory in any fashion, I shall expect you to honor your no-questions asked, money back guarantee.” “A course, sir.” “I have no papers or adapter,” she said quietly. “I’m totally voice activated and my power source is solar. I will respond to your vocal commands, and as long as I get daily sunlight, even through a window, I will function indefinitely. I even has long-term storage for power.” Damn, O’Shea growled mentally. Total voice activation. Indefinite solar power. He looked into those round, thoughtful eyes. What else have I given away with you, Clementine? What else indeed?
10
My Darling Clementine
Chapter Two “Delivery for Nathaniel Huntington.” “In here.” The deliveryman peered into the semi-darkness of the front hall, barely able to see the man holding open the door. Glad to be making his last delivery, he’d thought it odd that the instructions specifically stated, “deliver as late as possible.” He’d had trouble finding the place, set by itself behind wrought iron gates, up a long hill from a country lane and now, the sun had faded behind the huge, three story Victorian house. Grabbing the handle of his hand truck, he tilted the tall, narrow, heavy wooden crate slightly and pushed it through the doorway, stopping just inside the front hall. “Sign here,” he commented, handing the man a databoard and pointing at the bottom of a form. While the man signed, he slid the crate off onto the thick, richly patterned rug. The man handed the databoard and a generous tip back to the deliveryman. “Hey, thanks mister,” the guy beamed. “It’s quite all right. This is not an easy house to find.” “Got that right. Never understood why someone’d want to live out in the sticks like this. I like being where the action is. Anyway, to open the crate, just yank real hard on the pull tab. Good night.” When he was gone, Huntington turned his attention to the box. Grabbing the end of the pull-tab, he pulled it, watching as the top slowly separated from the sides and they fell away, one at a time as he moved around the box. Catching the lid before it fell, he gazed in stunned silence at Clementine. She stood in the box just as he’d seen her earlier, except her eyes were closed as if sleeping and she was completely naked. Her small body looked like a porcelain statue, creamy white yet with a soft sort of glow. Breasts not perfectly round, over inflated beach balls but oval and slightly pendulous with pinkish brown nipples…the way a real woman looked. Her stomach rounded slightly and then down to her smooth, hairless pubic area. Soft, smooth hips tapered to short, lovely legs, small calves, and lovely little feet. He felt a start of something in his chest; a sort of unexpected but pleasant thrill and his cock stirred ever so slightly. My God, he thought in amazement, she’s beautiful. She’s… With an effort, he pulled himself together. She’s a machine he reminded himself firmly, a machine like the viewer or the communicator. Nothing more. And her purpose is just as utilitarian. Almost running upstairs, he grabbed a comforter off the bed in the first guest room and brought it downstairs, unfolding it as he reached the crate. “Clementine,” he called quietly. Again, those lovely black eyes blinked open and she looked up at him, seeming not to be the least surprised to find herself no longer in John Harris’ office but in an unfamiliar house.
11
Elizabeth Stewart
“Yes, sir?” “Put this on.” He shoved the comforter at her, averting his eyes with some difficulty. Silently, she did as he said, wrapping the blanket around her so that only her face and hands were visible. If nothing else, it made his breathing easier. “Don’t you have any clothes?” “No, sir. All bots are delivered naked. It is the desire of most owners.” “Well, it is not my desire. Tomorrow I shall take you to purchase suitable clothing. In the meantime, I’m afraid the comforter will have to do.” “Yes, sir.” “And you needn’t call me ‘sir’ all the time. My name is Nathaniel Huntington. You may call me Mr. Huntington.” “Yes, sir.” “Come with me,” he sighed. She turned and went down the hall, Clementine’s small bare feet moving noiselessly on the rich rugs. They went into a large room filled floor to ceiling with books. Someone had laid a fire in the oversized marble fireplace and two large wing chairs sat before it, separated only by a small wooden table and old fashioned reading lamp. “This is my library,” he told her, waving his hand to indicate the books. “Do you read?” “Yes, sir. English is my primary language but I also have six other modules.” “Reading is one of my passions. Discussing fine literature another. One of your first duties will be to read these books so that you and I may have a commonality of interest. Do you understand?” “Yes, sir. I will scan the books and commit them to my memory banks at the first opportunity.” “Good. Do you know anything about cooking?” “Yes, sir. I have several caches of memory devoted to culinary skills. I know how to prepare many different kinds of meals, depending on the need.” “But have you ever been in a kitchen and actually cooked? There’s a huge difference between having knowledge and being able to put that knowledge to use.” “Yes, sir, I understand your question. I cooked often for my father.” The term floored him “Your…father?” he repeated incredulously. “John Harris,” she explained simply. “He asked that I call him that because he gave me life.” “All right. Just so long as you know how to cook. I don’t require anything elaborate. I’ll show you the kitchen later and we can discuss meals. In the meantime, I’ll show you to your room.” “Yes, sir.” She followed him up the stairs to the second floor and down a long hallway to the back of the house. “Those,” he pointed to a stairway going down just across from her door, “are the back stairs. They lead from here down to the kitchen and pantry area. Unless I tell you specifically otherwise, you are to come and go by those stairs at all times.” 12
My Darling Clementine
“Yes, sir.” Opening the door before them, he stood aside and she stepped in. A massive canopied four poster bed dominated the room, a big antique wardrobe closet, bureau and dressing table in a heavy, dark wood stood on either side of it, large windows facing out to the back garden and framed by lace curtains completed the old fashioned, Victorian look. “I don’t know about your…necessities,” he mumbled, “but the bathroom is through that door.” He nodded to a door across the room. “I have need to keep my body covering and hair clean, sir. Thank you.” “I’m an old man and I like surrounding myself with old things,” he told her. “This house is more than two hundred years old. Likewise, the furnishings. They’re sturdy and will wear another hundred years.” “I understand, sir,” she replied quietly. “One more thing. I do not have a job and therefore, do not keep what most people would consider to be ‘regular’ hours. I’m extremely photosensitive and rarely go out of the house during most of the day. In fact, I rarely venture beyond my garden walls. I have professional people who come once a week to clean the house, a laundry and dry cleaning service who pick up and deliver, and the small grocery store in town delivers what few necessities I require. I tend to rattle around a great deal, particularly at night. I trust that won’t disturb you?” “No, sir. I can set my internal clocks to function according to any schedule you like.” “Good. Then I’ll leave you.” “Sir?” “Yes Clementine?” “Mr. O’Shea wanted me to be sure and tell you that not only am I anatomically correct in every detail, but that I’m also well-versed in sexual conduct as well. My memory banks include such classic information as The Kama Sutra and other, more recent sexual manuals. While I have no practical experience in the area, I believe I can perform satisfactorily. Of course, I can adjust to accommodate whatever your preferences may be.” Dumbfounded, Huntington could do nothing but stare at her, mouth wide open. “That will not be necessary Clementine,” he muttered. “I did not buy a sexual plaything. I wish a companion. Nothing more. Is that clear?” “Yes sir. I was only complying with Mr. O’Shea’s instructions that I relay that information to you.” “All right. You’ve done so, but I don’t wish to hear any further discussion of the matter.” “No sir.” “All right then, I’ll leave you. I shall see you tomorrow evening. Good night, Clementine.” “Good night, sir.” After carefully re-folding the comforter and setting it on a chair, Clementine pulled back the covers, shut off the lamp and climbed into the large bed. Receptors in her outer body covering picked up the sensation of slightly starched cotton and her olfactory rec eptors detected a hint of lavender. Nathaniel Huntington. Her memory bank replayed his face, his body, his words.
13
Elizabeth Stewart
Companion. What had he meant? Father had long ago explained the place of bots…especially fembots, in the human world. Second class machines that existed solely to provide pleasure whatever the cost. In the last months, knowing his life was coming to a close, he’d tried to prepare her for what he knew would come after. When she would be sold and become the property of a human male. They had discussed sex and what would be expected of her. But he hadn’t prepared her for a man who spoke only of books and cooking and who seemed openly hostile to the idea of sex with her. Of course, she’d known almost from the beginning of her life that she was not like other fembots. Father had told her so even if he’d never said why exactly. But she would have known anyway. She had only to look around at the tall, beautiful fembots who populated O’Shea’s to see the difference. When she’d asked why he didn’t send her to the showroom, he’d hugged and kissed her, saying he couldn’t bear to part with her. Inside though, she’d wondered if perhaps he regretted her; that all his hard work had produced such a poor specimen. As his life ticked down, she’d asked him to make her like the other fems; tall, big, perfect breasts, blonde hair, blue eyes. Utterly desirable. She’d confessed her fear of being alone. He’d shaken his head an emphatic, “No. You won’t be alone, Darling Clementine,” he’d soothed, brushing his fingertips gently along her cheek. “You’re more special than a hundred…a thousand of those pretty, empty shells of O’Shea’s. “Don’t worry, love. No matter how long it takes, he’ll come along, look into your eyes and know.” “Know what?” she’d prodded, not understanding. “What it is that makes you so special. And you’ll know then, too. Believe me, it has nothing to do with the outside; only what’s inside.” That had been all he would tell her. Twenty-six days later, he’d died, sitting at his desk, his hand resting on his computer mouse as he worked on a new himbot design. As if he’d known, earlier in the day he’d kissed her, told her to shut down and put an old blanket over her. Almost as if he hadn’t wanted her to see what would happen. However, her secondary sensors recorded everything that had happened and stored it for her to process at a later time. Clementine shut her memory bank off. Thoughts of Father disrupted her internal functioning. Slowed her heartbeat and depressed her cortex. Made her feel as though a huge weight was pressing down on her. Father had ceased to exist. Her life, whatever it would be, was here in this strange place with this strange human male, Nathaniel Huntington. And it would begin tomorrow. Satisfied after a last check of her internal diagnostics, Clementine reset her atomic clock to awaken her at seven o’clock the next morning or to respond to any noise indicating her owner was awake. Closing her eyes, Clementine switched herself off for the night.
14
My Darling Clementine
Chapter Three Clementine brushed her fingertips lightly across the front of her skirt and frowned at her reflection. Plain white, short-sleeved blouse with a scoop neck, simple knee-length A-line black skirt, nude stockings, black shoes with low heels. That second evening, after fashioning an outfit from an old shirt and a pair of cut down trousers, Mr. Huntington had taken her to a small, obviously expensive women’s shop. A matronly woman had immediately introduced herself as “Madam Sophia, the owner.” She’d smiled broadly and fawned over him, insisting on waiting on them personally. Until she’d seen Clementine’s name tag. The smile and fawning had instantly ceased; she’d sniffed and summoned a very junior salesgirl. With a mumbled, “Pardon,” she’d vanished. And even the skinny young woman had barely been civil. This was not an establishment accustomed to serving fembots, no matter how rich and stylish their owner. Unlike the common bot identification collar…a simple metal tag, machine etched name and worn on a simple chain, Father had crafted hers of twisted gold and engraved her name with his own hands. But even so, the law required that a bot’s collar must always be visible; that a bot must be always separate, apart. “It’s all right, Clementine,” Father’s soothing voice came to her again. “It’s just a piece of yellow metal with your name on it. Nothing more. And someday, it won’t matter anyway.” Quietly, she padded downstairs to the library and out the French doors to the wide terrace that ran the length of the house and overlooked the garden. The morning sun warmed her as she felt it being absorbed into her body, energizing and recharging her. She enjoyed the mornings; Mr. Huntington usually didn’t stir until late afternoon or early evening. Most of the day, she had the place to herself. Her days generally passed in the library, scanning books into her memory banks. In the evenings, she’d sit at the long, formal dining table with him as he ate the simple dinners she prepared. Then, back to the library or the terrace for coffee and conversation, usually centering on whatever books she’d digested. Late at night, as she lay in her bed, she would hear him moving restlessly around downstairs. Sometimes she wondered about her owner and his strange ways. She’d been prepared for sex, but Nathaniel Huntington perplexed her utterly. Still, he owned her and she could no more disobey him than she could fly. With a sigh, Clementine turned from the garden view and the warm sun and went back into the library. Stopping in front of one of the shelves, she surveyed the row s of books. So many of them. Father, the smartest man she could imagine, hadn’t owned so many books. Even at the advanced rate with which she could scan them, it would take a very long time and a great deal of memory to absorb them all. As she reached for a volume of English poetry, she wondered idly if Nathaniel had read all these books.
15
Elizabeth Stewart
***** “In the center of a golden valley, Dwelt a maiden all divine, A pretty creature, a miner’s daughter And her name was Clementine.” Nathaniel heard the sound as he came down the stairs. A soft, lilting, almost childlike voice coming from the kitchen area. “Oh my darling, oh my darling, My darling Clementine, You are lost for me forever, Dreadful sorry, Clementine.” He paused at the closed door, craning his neck so that he could listen to the gentle, almost mournful tune coming a cappella from the other side. “Her noble father was the foreman Of ev’ry valued mine, And ev’ry miner and ev’ry ranchman Was a brother to Clementine. “The foreman miner, a forty-niner In dreams and thoughts sublime, Lived in comfort with his daughter, His pretty child Clementine.” The song ended abruptly and a moment later, the door opened slightly. Clementine stared up at him with those huge, questioning eyes. “Good evening, sir,” she said quietly. “I thought I sensed you here.” “Good evening, Clementine,” he answered quickly, somewhat startled by her sudden appearance and a little flustered to have been caught eavesdropping. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes,” she continued. “Did you need something?” “No…no, thank you. I…well I heard a noise and was just checking.” “I’m sorry if my singing disturbed you sir. It won’t happen again.” “Oh, no, please Clementine, that’s not what I meant at all. It’s just that…well, I wasn’t aware that fembots could sing. I mean, I know they can be programmed to play songs on musical instruments and to accompany the words of a song. But you…well you sounded as if you were actually singing…the feeling and the depth of the words. I wish you’d continue.” “Very well, sir.” She closed the door and in a moment he heard her pick up the tune. 16
My Darling Clementine
“When far away, he would often pray That in his sunny clime No harm might overtake her His favorite nugget, Clementine “When the day was done and the setting sun Its rays they ceased to shine, Homeward came the brawny miner To caress his Clementine. “None was nearer, none was dearer, Since the days of forty-nine When, in youth, he had another Who was then his Clementine. “She led her ducks down to the river, The weather it was fine, Stubbed her toe against the sliver, Fell into the raging brine.” “He heard her calling: father Her voice was like a chime. But alas he was no swimmer So he lost his Clementine. “Oh my darling, oh my darling My darling Clementine. You are lost for me forever, Dreadful sorry Clementine.” The sweet sound died away and a moment later she appeared again. “Dinner is ready. If you’d like to sit down, I’ll bring it right out.” “That song you were singing,” he began as he took his place and she set down his plate. “Was that, My Darling Clementine?” “Yes, sir. Father taught it to me. It was one of his favorites.” “I suppose that’s why he named you Clementine.” “He never told me why he named me Clementine. I suppose that could be it.”
17
Elizabeth Stewart
“Well, I didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that those are not the words I associate with that song, that’s all. I thought perhaps he might have made them up especially for you.” “No, sir,” she explained patiently. “Those are the original words written by Barker Bradford in 1885. The words you’re more familiar with, ‘In a cavern, in a canyon, excavating for a mine, lived a miner, forty-niner and his daughter Clementine, came after.” She frowned and those eyes took on a tinge of sadness. “Father hated that version of the song. Said the original song was a lament to the loss of a child, of love, and since that was just about the most awful thing he could imagine, he couldn’t understand how anyone could make fun of it like the last verses of the later song does: ‘Listen fellers, heed the warning, of this tragic tale of mine, artificial respiration could have saved my Clementine. How I missed her, how I missed her, how I missed my Clementine, ‘til I kissed her little sister, and forgot my Clementine.’ When he’d hear that, he’d shake his head and say, ‘How could anyone forget their lost love?’” “How indeed,” Nathaniel agreed slowly, fixed by those beautiful eyes. Clementine took her place at the other end of the table, folding her hands in her lap and waiting silently for him to begin his meal. “You have a lovely voice,” he told her, picking up his fork. “Did your father teach you to sing?” “I don’t know, sir. I mean, I can’t remember a time when he sat down and taught me the words and music. They’ve always just sort of…been there. Sometimes he’d sing it while he was working; sometimes I’d sing it. Sometimes we sang together.” Her eyes filled with sadness again. “I liked that very much.” “Do you know any other songs?” She frowned and looked into the middle distance for a moment. “No, sir. I don’t.” She looked at him thoughtfully, as if contemplating the nature of the universe. “I have many pieces of music in my memory banks and could recognize them if I heard them, but My Darling Clementine is the only song I actually know how to sing. I wonder why that is?” “Well, perhaps because it was your father’s favorite song, it was the only one he bothered to teach you.” “Perhaps,” she murmured. “Or maybe the technology, the programming necessary for you to sing was too difficult, too complex to allow for more than one song. At any rate, I’ve never heard of another fembot who could sing anything. You’re very special indeed.” “Thank you, sir,” was all she answered. Yes, he thought, that was what made her so special. He didn’t know very much about the technology of androids, but he imagined it must take quite a bit to give a machine a voice filled with musical expression and feeling. And if a machine could sing with feeling, what else might it be able to do with feeling as well? Obviously, Harris had chosen a song he liked for his experiment and had named his fembot after the song’s tragic heroine. Perhaps that was why he’d also chosen to make her sweet and childlike and to have her call him ‘Father.’ It would have been very much in keeping with his mad, creative genius to think he could give this beautiful machine such a human trait as singing.
18
My Darling Clementine
“Whatever the reason,” he told her at last, “I hope you’ll continue to sing whenever you feel like it.” “Thank you, sir. I will.”
***** It was no use. Closing the book he’d been trying to read for an hour, Nathaniel set it down on the table, rose and wandered out the open doors to the terrace. Wearily, he leaned his body on the wide stone railing and stared up into the star filled night sky. Clementine. Since she’d arrived in his life a scant two weeks before, she’d nagged at him, quietly but insistently. Even as he’d tried to focus on the words, he’d heard her soft voice in his mind, saw her small, slim body in its nakedness, felt those enormous eyes on him. Try as he might, to push her away, she refused to be banished to the realm of insignificance. Of mere machine. This was ludicrous; he’d had nothing more in mind when he’d purchased her that companionship. Someone to fill the long, long void that had become his life. His reaction had been brought on solely by his unfamiliarity with having someone…something else in his house, his life. A perfectly normal reaction to the unsettling presence of another… Another what? The question reared its head like a jack-in-the-box escaping to spring suddenly on his unwary mind. A question that had probably formed there in Harris’ office but which he’d simply chosen not to address. And he didn’t wish to address it now. Fatigue and the late hour conspired against philosophical thought. Tomorrow, perhaps they could return to their respective places, whatever they might be. Perhaps this feeling, this need growing in his belly and his soul would fade if he ignored it another day. Again, the jack-in-the-box sprang out, a different tune but the same face. Clementine, who or what? Master and servant? Employer and employee? Male and female? Stop it! She’s an android. A machine in female form. No more human than… Sleep. With an effort, he forced the grinning toy back into his mental box, shutting the lid tightly and refusing to think about it anymore. All the way upstairs she tugged at him, bringing him finally to an uncertain halt at the top. The easy thing, the intelligent thing would be to simply turn left, walk the few steps to his room and close the door. But Clementine seemed to blot out everything easy, everything intelligent. Silently, he strode to the opposite end of the hall, pausing with his hand on the knob of her door. No doubt she’d shut off for the night, but what if she heard…sensed him there and awoke? What then? So what if she did? After all, this was his house and he’d paid a lot of money for her; he had every right to come to her room any time he wished. Opening the door and crossing the room, he stopped beside the bed, feeling his breath catch and his heart speed up a little as he did so.
19
Elizabeth Stewart
Moonlight filtered through the lace curtains at the open windows, bathing the room in a soft glow. The sheets clung to her body, highlighting the curve of her hips and the swell of her breasts. She was more beautiful than she’d been when he’d first seen her naked in her crate. An unfamiliar, almost forgotten heat surged through him, flashing up from his cock like an unexpected bolt of lightning. It took several seconds for his conscious mind to identify the sensation. Lust. Raw, pure animal need. Pulsing fire and brimstone through his cold veins, thawing and heating his blood with every heartbeat. It couldn’t be. Sex belonged to another time, another place. To a warm, living being. Clementine moved slightly, opened her eyes and gazed up at him. “My sensors detected your presence,” she told him quietly. “Do you have need of me?” Her choice of phrase surprised him almost as much as her waking or the feelings she aroused in him. “No, no,” he answered hastily, trying to cover his feelings, “I…I just wanted to make sure you were all right. That’s all.” Gently, she put out her hand, her fingertips just grazing the bulge in his pants. Lightning struck again as she outlined him through the thin, summer weight linen material. Wordlessly, she looked up at him, willing…waiting. It might be his decision to continue, but he could feel her acceptance, her readiness. For long moments they stood there, Clementine’s long, soft fingers playing lightly over his cock, coaxing it to her ever so tenderly. It felt hot and exciting and tight and almost painful. Needle pricks covered his body in tiny electric jolts. Like a cold, dead limb suddenly returning to life with an infusion of fresh, warm blood. Slowly, carefully, she reached up with both hands and undid his belt and waistband button, lowering his zipper. As she sat up, the sheet dropped, revealing her pale, creamy breasts and soft pink nipples. He had to put out his hand to keep from swooning at the sight. Placing both hands on his hips, she pulled down his gray slacks and emerald green silk boxers. His cock, hard and thick, rose out of his dense, curly, black pubic hair and stood at attention against his light brown belly. As Clementine freed his cock, Nathaniel began fumbling with his shirt buttons, unable to take his eyes off the small creature in front of him. The last button opened, his shirt falling into a pile behind him. Removing his shoes and socks, he stepped out of his pants and boxers, watching Clementine slide over to make room for him in the large bed. He hovered over her, suddenly uncertain as to how to proceed. Before deciding to look at them, Nathaniel had spent many hours researching fembots. They were machines designed, built and programmed for a single purpose; to provide pleasure in whatever form might be demanded of them. Not that he would ever have done anything violent or painful even though all the literature stated they felt nothing, either physically or emotionally. Clementine, though, was different…special. There seemed to be so much more to her than a mere machine. Did she feel? Would she expect pleasure in return?
20
My Darling Clementine
Reaching up, she took his cock in her hand, her smooth, cool skin riding effortlessly over his steel ribbed heat. They watched his cock, a fat red and purple snake slipping in and out of her ivory grasp. For a virgin, she seemed to know exactly what he needed. Firmly but gently, she pulled him forward, sliding his cock inside her, a small gasp of surprise, and he thought, perhaps delight, escaping her as he settled in. Surprised at her warmth and thoroughly human feel, Nathaniel felt a new surge of fire through his body as he slid in and out. Her moisture felt almost human. “My God,” he breathed, closing his eyes and giving himself over to the complete rapture of her pussy forming itself to him, pulsing around it softly. “You feel so good.” In response, she closed her arms tightly around him and pressed her mouth to his. Her lips were soft and giving and she opened her mouth to receive his anxious, seeking tongue. Small, excited gasps escaped her as she moved her body in time to his rhythm. “Oh, Clementine,” he mumbled, moving his lips down her chin and throat to the creamy white skin of her neck. Like fresh cream it glowed pale white and inviting in the moonlight. But even in his lusty haze, he knew there was no rich, full vein beneath that skin; no life-giving, lifesustaining blood pumping hot and alive. Yet the need, the desire pounded in his veins almost as urgently as the lust for release pounded in his cock. At least that was a need she could quench. Turning his attention back to her body, he raised himself a little and took a pink, distended nipple in his mouth, raking his teeth gently over her full flesh and feeling her squirm under him. “Oh…” was all she could manage. Inside, she gripped him like another fist, running herself up and down him as they moved, squeezing and releasing him. Even after a long lifetime of women, he could not remember anyone, anything like this. Like riding a whirlwind, out of control and threatening to sweep him away totally. He could do nothing but surrender. She shuddered slightly beneath him and her internal movements quickened. In another moment, they crested together, both feeding on the fury and energy of the other’s release into ecstatic passion. For an eternal instant, they melded into one glowing, molten point of supreme pleasure, lighting up their own personal universe. Like a dying supernova, they collapsed slowly together, panting and exhausted as much by the emotional explosion as the physical. Gently, he rolled from her and slid onto the bed beside her. Without a word, she snuggled into the crook of his arm, opened her eyes and looked up at him timidly. “This was satisfactory?” she asked in a small, childlike voice. Nathaniel chuckled slightly and pecked her on the nose. “Eminently,” he told her with a smile. “And you?” “I felt as though my whole body was charged with lightning,” she replied solemnly, gazing earnestly into his eyes. “Was this as it is supposed to be?” The chuckle became a full-fledged laugh and fear appeared in Clementine’s dark eyes. “I…I have done something wrong?” Her voice quavered with anxiety. “This is an incorrect response? You are displeased?” He kissed her again, longer, harder this time, full on the lips. “No, my darling Clementine,” he assured her tenderly, “you have not done anything wrong. In fact, I think I would have
21
Elizabeth Stewart
trouble remembering an encounter with a woman more right. And your response was absolutely, precisely correct. You were…are, wonderful.” “I’m glad you’re pleased,” she answered, exhaling a little and settling back. “Go to sleep now,” he whispered, giving her a final kiss and pulling the covers over them. “Good night, sir.” “I think,” he grinned, “after tonight, it would be all right if you called me Nathaniel.” “All right.” She smiled a small, timid smile. “Good night…Nathaniel.” For a long time, he lay there watching her in the dim light, considering everything. How could this have possibly happened? He could barely remember when he’d wanted a woman, when he’d even thought about sex. Clementine’s purpose had been solely companionship, to help fill the endless void that was his life. Of course he’d known she was pretty when he’d first seen her; those eyes had attracted him almost instantly, but for their sweet gentleness and intelligence, not their sex appeal. He’d never had any conscious desire for her. Conscious desire. Perhaps that was it. Perhaps after so long, he’d forgotten even what subtle and insidious things attraction and desire could be. Maybe just her being here had worked its unseen magic. Just her presence for so short a time had seemed to lift a dark weight from the house, his spirit. Fembots were designed, built, and programmed to give sexual pleasure. To satisfy sexual lust. And in her quiet, almost casual way, Clementine had done just that in him. But she touched in him something far deeper than his cock, something more important than his libido. The jack-in-the-box reared his ugly face again, grinning evilly and asking the same question, Who…and what, are you, darling Clementine?
22
My Darling Clementine
Chapter Four “Oh my darling, oh my darling, My darling Clementine. You are lost to me forever, Dreadful sorry, Clementine.” Nathaniel heard her soft voice as he silently pushed open the kitchen door and stopped just inside. Her back was turned to him as she bent over the kitchen table, carefully choosing vegetables for salad. Almost instantly, he felt the stirring in his cock as his eyes drank in the sight of her small, round ass filling out the smooth material of her dark skirt. Stealthily, he crossed the floor, grabbing her and pressing his body against her slightly raised ass as he began nibbling the back of her neck. “Oh, Nathaniel, you scared me.” “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, “but I couldn’t help myself. You look absolutely delicious.” She tried to turn to him but he stopped her. His hands traveled to the buttons in the front of her blouse. Fumbling with them with his right hand, he pulled the tail of her blouse from her waistband with his left hand. Swiftly, he pulled her bra up, exposing her breasts to his searching fingers. Immediately, he felt her nipples rising and hardening under his attention. “You have the softest, most beautiful breasts,” he whispered, “and I never get tired of the way they feel.” He pressed himself tightly against her ass, pinning her against the wide edge of the table and bending her over further. Taking his hands from her breasts, he pulled up her skirt, slid his hands inside the waistband of her panties and pulled them down past her knees. The pale white of her ass finished the job of turning his cock into an iron rod. Carefully, he moved his right hand down between her legs, rubbing his fingers over her soft, clit, feeling a burst of wetness greet him. Pushing himself down between her cheeks, he rubbed himself against her tight little asshole. “You make me hornier than any woman I’ve ever known,” he growled. “Are you sure that’s not just because you haven’t had a woman in a long time?” she teased. Nathaniel knelt down on the floor, nudging Clementine’s feet further apart and allowing him access to her wet, pink pussy. Carefully, he raised himself, steadying against her and began lightly playing his tongue over her clit, already swollen and red with its own heat. She jumped with the force of the sensation and he had to hold on to her tightly to keep himself in contact with her. She steadied herself against the table, closing her eyes and feeling the fire flood up through her. His touch on her skin, his tongue dancing playfully across her clit swept over her in a tidal
23
Elizabeth Stewart
wave of pleasure so intense, she was afraid her circuits would fry. Every movement, every second seemed more excruciatingly wonderful than the last. “Oh, Nathaniel,” she mumbled, her body trembling with ecstasy. The soft sweetness of her pussy, the aroma of her arousal, the small mewling sounds of her pleasure surged through him, focusing like laser heat in his steel hard cock. Every heartbeat seemed to cry out for release. Forcing himself to let go, he got back to his feet, gently easing Clementine’s upper body flat on the table. Slowly, he pressed himself against her, feeling his cock along her hot skin. Carefully, he adjusted himself so that he slid effortlessly into her wet pussy. Instantly, he felt her grab him, running herself along the length of him. Closing his eyes, he leaned forward, curling himself over her and slipping his hands between the table and her breasts. Her nipples were hard and erect as his cock, tender and swollen as her clit. Playing with them made her spasm, her pussy clenching and unclenching like a fist around his rod. “Harder,” she murmured, “faster.” She could barely speak, barely breathe as the sensation grew and expanded inside her toward release. Raising up a little and gripping her ass with both hands, Nathaniel increased his tempo, feeling the large, heavy table move slightly under their movement. Digging his fingers into her round, smooth ass, he kneaded her, watching her pale skin turn pink and then bright red. “Beautiful,” he whispered, “beautiful.” The table scraped on the vinyl floor. Clementine grabbed the edges of the table with both hands as they crested, the howls of their shared climax echoing through the empty house. Sated, she collapsed forward, Nathaniel on top of her. They lay for several seconds, their heartbeats returning to normal, the afterglow of their joining too perfect to disturb. Gently, he kissed the back of her neck, feeling the damp ends of her hair against his cheek. Idly, he wondered how her body could produce “sweat” just as a human body could. But the notion floated away on a cloud of contentment. Reluctantly, they parted, Nathaniel raising up and stepping back. As he pulled up his trousers and pushed his shirt tail back in, Clementine bent down and retrieved her underpants. “Good evening,” he laughed, reaching over and kissing her lips. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.” “Good evening,” she smiled shyly. “No, I was just getting dinner.” Her eyes glistened as she looked up into his face. “You are pleased? Satisfied?” Taking her in his arms, he hugged her and pecked the tip of her nose. “Completely,” he answered happily. “Not just because I enjoy your body, which I do. You are technically the best sex partner I’ve ever known. But more than that, you’re giving and caring and tender, in bed as out. You’ve filled this empty old house and this empty old man with light and beauty. I had almost forgotten what warmth and happiness were. You saved me, my darling Clementine, in ways I could never possibly explain to you. I hope you’ll always want to stay.” “You are my owner,” she told him quietly. “I wish to stay with you always and I will stay as long as you desire. I hope that you will never sell me or trade me in for a new model or…or deactivate me.” “I’ll never get rid of you Clementine. You can be sure of that. I want you to stay, not just because I have a piece of paper that says I ‘own’ you, but because you’re happy here and you 24
My Darling Clementine
want to stay. If the time ever comes that you aren’t happy or you want to go, the door is open and I wouldn’t stop you.” “I will never leave you, Nathaniel.” She paused and took an uncertain breath. “Never.”
***** “Mr. O’Shea?” “Who wants ta know?” he replied warily, rising from his desk to tower over his small visitor. The little man took a step into the office and closed the door behind him. Putting out his hand, he flashed a skin-deep smile at the owner. “My name is Johnston,” he replied in a precise, clipped voice, “Dr. Edward Johnston. I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time to speak to you on a very important matter?” “And what might that be?” “Please, may I sit down?” He gestured to a wooden office chair at the side of O’Shea’s desk. “Suit yerself,” O’Shea told him, settling back in his own chair. As the little man settled himself, O’Shea sized him up. Medium height but thin and pasty looking with narrow shoulders, long thin face, beady little rat eyes, thin nose, a razor slit of a mouth arched by a mustache like a pencil line drawn over it. Dressed in an expensive black suit that seemed oddly ill tailored for his puny body, he looked, O’Shea thought, like a successful undertaker. “So, what is it you want?” “I was looking for John Harris,” the little man said in his little tinny voice. “Well, yer about eight months late,” O’Shea retorted sharply. “Died of a heart attack.” The man sighed deeply and continued. “Yes, I was just recently informed of Mr. Harris’ passing. A tragedy for the whole cybergenetics field.” “Well if you knew he was dead, what’re doin’ here?” “Please, Mr. O’Shea,” Johnston squeaked in growing frustration, “if you’ll allow me to finish…” “Well get on with it,” O’Shea shot back, his own frustration growing. “Fer me, time’s money and sittin’ here talkin’ ta you is wastin’ both.” “I’ve been looking for Mr. Harris for some time. You see, he was working on a project for me when I lost track of him, and by the time I located him again… Anyway, when I discovered that he’d been working for you, I thought perhaps you might be in possession of his papers relating to the project and that I might get them from you.” Instantly, O’Shea recognized the glint of money on the horizon of Johnston’s voice. That faint but unmistakable tremble of nearly disguised desperation that signaled a hefty price tag on whatever the object might be. He moved to his money search mode as automatically as a truffle-seeking hog loosed in a promising forest. “Well, now,” he frowned, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his chin, “I don’t know about that. I mean, when dear John died, I personally went through all his pendin’ orders and
25
Elizabeth Stewart
oversaw their completion and shipment myself. Talked ta several people who were interested in Harris’ bots but hadn’t yet signed on the dotted line. I don’t recall a ‘Dr. Johnston,’ on his list. Fer that matter, I don’t recall him ever mentionin’ yer name. “As fer his drawin’s and designs…well, seein’ as how they were done on my time and I paid John fer ‘em, everythin’ belongs ta me.” Johnston’s little body twitched, his nose wrinkling in discomfort. Whatever it was he wanted, O’Shea knew now that it must be very valuable. “Yes,” he agreed reluctantly, “I’m sure that anything John did in the way of these…these sex bots is certainly yours and I make no claim to them whatsoever. The project I’m referring to was in the nature of…research and development. New cybergenetics technology.” O’Shea shook his massive head emphatically. “Uh-uh. John Harris didn’t do nothin’ like that here. Strictly fembot and himbot design. Didn’t have time fer nothin’ else. Had orders from all over the world.” “I’m sure he…you were…are, very successful in your…enterprise. But perhaps if you would allow me to see John’s papers, I could determine…” “No way,” he replied, shaking his head again. “Those papers er full a trade secrets. John Harris was the best bot designer I ever had. His drawin’s and designs er the foundation a my whole built-ta-order bot business. I sure as hell ain’t gonna let nobody have a free look at ‘em. I do and the next thing I know, I’ll be seein’ my bots in my competitor’s window.” “I can assure you, I have no desire to see any of your fembot or himbot designs. I’m only interested in the technology research that John was doing for me. I gave John the initial funding for his research. The work product of that research, whatever it may have been, is legally and morally, mine. Surely, as a businessman, you must understand the importance of research and development.” “Look, I don’t know what he did on his own time, but on my time, he didn’t do nothin’ but my bots. Wouldn’t a paid him fer anythin’ else. Only papers I got er the bot designs. You’d best look elsewhere fer yer research. Now if ya’ll excuse me…” “But there is nowhere else,” the little man insisted. “I’ve been to the court appointed attorney who handled his estate, what there was of it. He had no heirs, no family. The little cottage where he lived was rented and the garage contained nothing more than a few odds and ends of electronics. And aside from a few personal letters and bills, there were no papers.” “Well, maybe Harris never got around ta doin’ yer research.” “No. John Harris was very much interested in the area he was researching and I’m convinced he was pursuing it. Vigorously. Had been for some time. He must have left some record of his work.” “Uh…this record a his work,” O’Shea ventured, rubbing his chin again. “Would it have had ta have been somethin’ written?” “I don’t understand. What are you getting at?” He leaned toward the big man. “Well, I don’t know much about the technical side a bots but if he was doin’ research fer yer, could he have actually built somethin’ rather than writin’ it down?” Johnston’s eyes grew wide and his voice became an excited squeal. “Yes! Yes! That’s very possible! Did he…did he leave something he’d built? Where is it? Where is it?”
26
My Darling Clementine
“Well now,” O’Shea twisted the knife a little, “I didn’t say he had built anything. I was just wonderin’ if he coulda built somethin’ and if so, what might it’ve been?” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and tried to look innocent. “If he’d built something,” Johnston continued squealing, “it could have been anything from a model to a full-sized android.” He stopped, his eyes narrowed. “He did leave something, didn’t he? What was it?” “Did ya know that when poor, dear John passed ta his reward, he was sittin’ in his office at his desk in my back workroom? Not more than fifty feet from here.” He jerked his head toward the back wall of his office. “I found him. Terrible thing.” “I’m sure it must have been very distressing.” “It was, I can tell ya fer sure. And I knew he had no family er friends. I guess if ya knew him at all, ya knew he was an odd sorta duck. Bright as a new penny but livin’ mostly in his own little world. A world quite apart from the rest of us.” “Where is all this leading Mr. O’Shea?” Johnston was fairly bursting with excitement and anxiety. “Just this, Dr. Johnston. Before he died, John brought in a little fembot that he said he’d designed and built at home. Told me he was still workin’ on her, but that when he’d got her right, she was gonna ‘revolutionize,’ bots. His word exactly. Kept her in his office ‘til the day he died.” Johnston stood up so fast he nearly tipped over the chair. “Yes!” he shouted. “That’s what I’m looking for! Take me to her! Or bring her here! NOW!” “Well, she ain’t here.” O’Shea wouldn’t have believed it, but the little man’s face turned whiter than it had been and he slumped back into the chair. “Where…where is she?” “Now you must understand, Dr. Johnston, that I had no way a knowin’ about Clementine…that’s what John called his little fembot. Clementine. Sweet little creature. Not what you’d call sexy by any means but…well…” “Where is she?” “I…sold her. Not more than a month ago. She stood in John’s office fer more’n six months, and then outta a clear blue sky, a gentleman came in and bought her.” “YOU SOLD HER!” the little man screamed. “How could you possibly have done such a stupid, brainless thing?” “There’s no call ta get huffy and start name callin’” O’Shea answered, his feelings dented and his patience, even for possible profit, running short for this little pest. “If ya can’t be civil, ya can find yer way out the same as ya came in. It makes no difference ta me.” “You’re right,” Johnston agreed hastily, “I’m sorry. I meant no offense. It’s just that I’ve been searching for such a long time and now, to be so close and yet so far away… Please, Mr. O’Shea, tell me who you sold this fembot…Clementine, to.” “Can’t do that,” he replied, knowing full well that the little man would not let it go and that he would undoubtedly pay dearly for the information. “All my business transactions are completely confidential. My clients expect that. I’d be outta business in a flash if I didn’t oblige them.”
27
Elizabeth Stewart
They stared at each other for several moments. Finally, Johnston reached into his pocket, produced his wallet and opened it. O’Shea was overjoyed to see the corners of several bills. Carefully, the doctor removed two large denomination bills and laid them on the desk in front of the big man. “Since this is such a special case, perhaps, just this once, you could make an exception?” “I don’t know…” Two more bills appeared and took their place on top of the others. “This is a matter of the most critical importance,” Johnston cajoled. “I wouldn’t consider asking a man of your obvious moral conviction to bend his business ethics if it weren’t. And when you get right down to it, the fembot John’s research represents, having been funded by me, is mine anyway. You’re simply helping to correct an inadvertent business error and return my property to me.” “I’d have to look up the transaction,” O’Shea continued, never taking his eyes off the money in front of him. “Not bein’ a current one, it could take awhile fer me ta go through all my records ta find it. Don’t know how long it might take.” “I’d appreciate it if you could check,” two more bills landed on the desk, “as expeditiously as possible.” Two more bills joined the stack and the doctor put away his wallet. “Well,” O’Shea grinned, grabbing up the money and stuffing it in his shirt pocket, “since ya asked so politely, let me se what I can do fer ya.” He turned back to his computer and tapped a few keys. A moment later, he turned back. “Buyer was a gentleman named Nathaniel Huntington. Had her delivered so I probably got the address around here somewhere.” Dr. Johnston sighed and reached for his wallet again.
28
My Darling Clementine
Chapter Five “Nathaniel Huntington?” “Yes?” “My name is Dr. Edward Johnston.” He presented his card. “I’d like to come in and speak with you about a fembot you purchased from a Milo O’Shea. A fembot named, Clementine, I believe.” Glancing from the card to the small man standing in his doorway, Nathaniel frowned. “I don’t know of anything we would have to discuss, Dr. Johnston. Good-bye.” He started to close the door but the little man moved nimbly to prevent it. “Please,” he yipped, “I must speak to you. It’s of the utmost importance.” “I don’t think…” “A moment of your time, Mr. Huntington, please. Just let me explain why I’ve come.” Hesitating for a moment, he finally relented. “All right, Dr. Johnston, but only for a moment.” He stepped aside and the little man scurried past him. When they were settled in the library, Nathaniel fixed him with a steady gaze. “Now, first of all Dr. Johnston, how did you know that I’d purchased a fembot?” “I’m afraid I appealed to Mr. O’Shea’s baser instincts to get your name and address. It took a substantial financial consideration for him to surrender the information. I wouldn’t have stooped to such an act except that I’m desperate. I hope you’ll forgive the intrusion, but when you’ve heard my story, perhaps you’ll understand.” “And what, exactly, is your story?” “Before I begin, Mr. Huntington, could I…could I please see the fembot?” “Clementine is upstairs. After you’ve told me your story, we can see about an introduction.” “Yes, of course. Well, I suppose that Mr. O’Shea told you that this fembot was designed and built by John Harris?” Nathaniel nodded. “He said this Harris was some kind of eccentric genius.” “A masterpiece of understatement,” Johnston agreed dryly. “John Harris was the finest cybergeneticist of his age. Brilliant scientist with the soul of an artist. Totally devoted to the concept of blending the best of humanity with the best of artificial intelligence. Made some remarkable breakthroughs. Long ago, I was privileged to be both his colleague and his friend.” “So why would a man like that be producing life-size sex toys?” The little man shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I hadn’t seen him for many years. I didn’t even know he’d died until I began looking for him.” “And why were you looking for him after all this time?”
29
Elizabeth Stewart
“Several years ago, John came to me with a concept for a breakthrough in cybergenetics. Truly brilliant. Revolutionary would not be too strong a word. But, as usual, he was broke and in need of research funds.” “If the concept was so brilliant, so revolutionary, why didn’t he go to a foundation or a corporation?” “Because John was incapable of working in such a structured environment. He could only function in the most flexible circumstances. I would imagine that’s probably one of the reasons he ended up working for Mr. O’Shea. At any rate, I advanced him a considerable sum and gave him several more sums over a period of about four years. The money was given with the explicit understanding that any research or work produced which derived from that research, would belong to me. I was his de facto employer and hence, entitled.” “And what does that have to do with Clementine?” “Clementine is the result…the work product, if you will, of that research. She belongs, legally and morally, to me. O’Shea had no right to sell her to you. It was an unfortunate, regrettable mistake, which I’m here to rectify. I’ve come for my property.” Nathaniel blinked in disbelief. “I’m…I’m sorry. I don’t understand.” “It’s quite simple, Mr. Huntington. The fembot Clementine belongs to me and I’ve come to take her. If you’d summon her, I won’t take any more of your time.” “What proof do you have that you own Clementine?” “Proof?” It was the little man’s turn to be confused. “Yes, proof. A signed copy of your agreement with John Harris, for example.” “John and I were friends. We never needed anything written down. It was understood. I’d given him money several times over the years and he’d always shared his work product.” “From what I understand, Clementine was far more than ‘work product’ to John Harris. In fact, I understand he had her call him ‘Father.’” The little man snorted derisively. “That doesn’t surprise me,” he replied sourly. “It sounds just like him. Foolish, maudlin nonsense. Nevertheless, it doesn’t negate the fact that we did have an agreement.” “I don’t care if you had an agreement or not,” Nathaniel told him coldly. “I paid a great deal of money to Milo O’Shea for the purchase of a fembot named Clementine. O’Shea represented himself as the legal owner of said fembot. She was the property of his employee and was in his store. I have all the legal documentation of that sale and I’m sure it will stand up in any court in this land.” “Ah, I see, Mr. Huntington. A question of money. Well, I can certainly understand that. Mr. O’Shea told me how much you paid for the fembot. I would be more than happy to reimburse you the purchase price and say…a twenty- percent profit? Adding in the…use you’ve no doubt enjoyed of the fembot in the last month, I think that makes for a very nice deal.” He smiled a mean, ugly, knowing smile. “Dr. Johnston,” Nathaniel told him, ice forming on the words, “Clementine is not for sale.” His little rat face fell. “Now see here, Huntington…” “I don’t ‘own’ Clementine. At least not in the way you mean. Clementine is a thinking, feeling, intelligent being. She remains in my house not because she cannot leave. but because
30
My Darling Clementine
she chooses to do so. And she can remain here as long as she likes. Should she ever choose to leave, I would not stand in her way. “Now, since we don’t have anything else to talk about, I’ll ask you to leave and not come back.” He stood up but Johnston remained seated. “I’m not leaving without my fembot,” he announced. “Clementine is not your fembot. Now please leave or I shall be forced to throw you out.” “If you don’t give me my property, Mr. Huntington, I shall be forced to go to the authorities and tell them about you. All about you.” Something cold prickled down his spine. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Of course you do, Mr. Huntington. You don’t think I’d come here without knowing everything I could about you, do you? That would be foolish, indeed. And while I freely admit to being many things, foolish is not one of them.” “What are you going to say that anyone would believe?” “Perhaps nothing. But I can certainly raise a great many questions. Questions, Mr. Huntington, that you might find very difficult to answer.” “You can’t prove anything.” “No, but what’s proof compared to angry, frightened neighbors and the hysteria and media scrutiny that would certainly follow? How long do you think it will take the newspapers and television reporters to dig up the same facts I have?” “Get out, Dr. Johnston, and stay out. If I see or hear of you again, I’ll see you regret it in ways you can’t possibly imagine.” “I want Clementine.” “Good-bye Doctor.” “This isn’t the end of this,” Johnston snarled, “not by a long shot. I’ll go, but be sure I’ll be back. And when I do, you won’t get rid of me so easily.” He stood up and stomped out of the room, Nathaniel close on his heels. From the doorway, he watched the doctor hurry to his car and kept him in sight until he disappeared through the gates at the foot of the hill. As soon as the rear fender had cleared the gate, Nathaniel hit the button that closed and locked them automatically. After locking the front door, Nathaniel went to the foot of the stairs. “All right, Clementine,” he called. “You can come down now.” In a few moments, Clementine appeared at the top of the steps and she tiptoed quietly down to where he waited for her. Taking her in his arms, they shared a passionate embrace. “What did he say?” she asked finally, looking up at him with her large, frightened eyes. “Pretty much what Mr. O’Shea told us when he telephoned earlier. Dr. Johnston claims that he gave your father money for research and that he had an agreement with your father that anything that resulted from that research would belong to him.” “And…and that research resulted in…in me?”
31
Elizabeth Stewart
“There’s no proof of that,” Nathaniel tried to reassure her. “And even if he did give your father money, there’s no proof there was ever any agreement about…well, there’s nothing for you to worry about.” Something very close to fear showed in her eyes. “Perhaps I should go with him,” she ventured softly. “I do not wish to cause you any trouble.” “Trouble? What possible trouble could that little bug cause me?” She bit her lower lip and he felt her arms loosen around him. “He could find out you are a vampire.” Nathaniel felt his jaw go slack and his mouth fall open in surprise. It took several seconds for him to regain his voice. “What? How? How did you…?” Clementine shrugged ever so slightly. “Many little things, I suppose. I knew when I came here that you were not like the other human males I had known. Father. Mr. O’Shea. The salesmen and back room workers. There was something…cold, distant about you. And this house. It had the feeling of being shut up, empty for a long time. You slept during the day and were active all night. Sometimes, I heard you going out or coming in late and twice I found the remains of clothes you’d burned in the incinerator; clothes with traces of blood on them.” Watching his startled, disturbed face, she hesitated before going on. “I…I also found your family history book when I was scanning your books into my memory banks. It was up on the top shelf, in the corner on the left side of the fireplace.” Her voice and eyes dropped. “Everything about the generations of Huntingtons and their…lives, is written there.” “How long have you known?” Silently, she continued to stare at the floor. “Did you know before…before we made love the first time?” Cupping her face in his hands, he raised it so that he could look into her eyes. Without speaking, she nodded. “That first time. It was because you were my sex machine and that was how you’re programmed?” “No. You came to me and I saw the hunger in your face, but I saw something else in your eyes. Something that told me this was not the satisfying of your body, but something more. Something I felt too and that calmed my fears and made me want to bring you joy as no one had ever done before. I had no idea you would return that joy a thousand fold. If I were human, I suppose I would say I love you.” “You have no idea how much that means to me,” he told her, his voice harsh with emotion. “I’ve known many women, human and vampire in my long years, but no one has ever said they loved me before. I’m deeply touched.” “Then…you feel as I do? You love me too?” “Oh my darling Clementine, I only wish I could love you. But vampires are not alive. We have no hearts, no souls.” “My heart pumps lubricating fluid through my internal components,” she replied, gently laying her hand on his chest. “I know that I love you. I feel what I felt for Father, only different.
32
My Darling Clementine
Deeper, more intense. Perhaps since you do not have a heart, you could share mine. I would give it gladly.” “That is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever said to me, Clementine. I wish I could tell you how much you mean to me. Promise me you’ll never leave me, ever.” “But what of Dr. Johnston? If he finds out about you…” “He’s not going to. And even if he does, so what? We’ll simply leave and go somewhere else.” “But this is your place, your home.” “My home is where you are, Clementine. If you left me, I’d be lost. There wouldn’t be anything for me but to walk into the light. Promise me you’ll stay with me.” Clementine understood immediately what he meant. “Yes, Nathaniel, I will stay. As long as you want me to.” They shared another long passionate embrace. “Just to be on the safe side, until I tell you differently, I want you to keep all the windows and doors, including the French doors in the library, closed and locked. And unless I’m awake and downstairs, I don’t want you opening the door for anyone. “Leave the laundry and cleaning on the back porch and have the delivery boy leave the groceries out there, as well. When you go out to get your daily sun re-charge in the morning, I want you to stay on the terrace, close to the library windows, and don’t stay out any longer than absolutely necessary. Promise?” Clementine nodded. “Good. Now, go on into the kitchen and make me a light supper. And I’ll have tea this evening instead of coffee.” He smiled and kissed her. “Everything will be fine.”
33
Elizabeth Stewart
Chapter Six The large white delivery van pulled to a stop at the closed gates. A moment later, the window rolled down and an arm extended to the intercom. “Yes?” Clementine answered. “Delivery for Mr. Nathaniel Huntington,” the driver growled. “Please just leave it in the mail box in the wall.” “Too big,” he replied, “and anyway, it’s insured. Somebody’s gotta sign for it. Marked, ‘urgent.’” “All right. Just a moment.” The intercom switched off and the gates swung silently open. Gunning the engine, the van maneuvered its way up the hill and parked at the bottom of the front steps. Getting down from the cab, the small driver adjusted his arms around a package wrapped in brown wrapping paper, picked up his databoard and moved quickly up the steps. At the top, Clementine stood at the open door, standing just inside the house. “Sign at number eight,” the driver indicated, pushing the databoard at her. Taking it and the proffered pen, Clementine scrawled her signature in the line and handed it back. The driver took it and gave her the package, so big that she needed both hands to hold it. Distracted as she tried to balance the box and close the door, Clementine didn’t see the driver reach into his pocket and produce a small black instrument until he raised and pressed a button. A thin bolt of lightning shot out from his hand and hit her square in the chest. With an anguished scream, Clementine dropped the box and crumpled to the floor, unable to move. Quickly, the driver bent down, grabbed her under the arms and began dragging her out the door. “Don’t worry,” he assured her, “just a little circuit disruption. Make it easier to get you to come along.” With difficulty, he managed to get her across the veranda and down the steps. Laying her down beside the van, he stopped to catch his breath before he slid open the side door and lifted her inside, laying her on her stomach. Pulling her hands behind her, she felt the cold metal of handcuffs. A piece of tape covered her mouth and another covered her eyes. She heard the door slam shut, the engine roared to life and the van jolted back down the driveway.
***** “Clementine,” he called as he came down the stairs. “Clementine?” Nathaniel saw the open door as soon as he got to the bottom of the stairs. Running down the hall, he found the package where it had been dropped. Ripping it open, he discovered it was empty. Cold dread filled him as he rushed out to the edge of the veranda. At the bottom of the drive, the gates stood wide open.
34
My Darling Clementine
Damn! He’d told her not to open the door to anyone. Obviously, she’d been tricked with the package. Dr. Johnston. It couldn’t be anyone else. But how long had she been gone? And where had he taken her? Blind rage mixed with dread, burning away the confusion and galvanizing him to action. The little man’s calling card. Racing back to his study, Nathaniel ran over to his desk and frantically began searching. He’d kept it. At least he was fairly sure he had. But where had he put it? Where? It took several moments of flying papers and slamming drawers for him to find it. As he’d remembered, both the doctor’s phone number and address were printed on it. Nathaniel recognized the address as being in a new, fairly small business park a few miles down the road, on the outskirts of town. Outside, twilight was just falling. It would not be dark for at least another hour. Another hour before he could begin his search. If you harm her, he thought coldly, I’ll kill you.
***** Hands reached out of the darkness and dragged Clementine from the van, pulling her to a wobbly standing position. “Come on,” the voice ordered, grabbing her arm and tugging her along. “The disruption should be eased enough for you to walk.” She heard a door creaking open and their footsteps echoed as they hurried along. Another door opened and she felt herself pushed against some kind of hard table. A second later, she felt the metal handcuffs being removed from her wrists. “You can take off the tape now.” Carefully, Clementine pulled the tape from her mouth and eyes. Taking a deep breath and blinking, she looked around. The room was stark white, spare with some white cupboards and counters around the walls. Harsh, bright light streamed out of every inch of the ceiling and reflected on the snowy floor. In front of her, the table was narrow, stainless steel and cold. “Strip.” Curious, she looked toward the voice. The deliveryman was shedding his coveralls and she recognized him. “Dr. Johnston?” “I said, ‘strip,’” he answered harshly. “Where am I?” she continued. “What are you doing?” He stepped out of the coveralls, threw them to the side and strode to where she was standing. Funny, she hadn’t noticed that the little man was not very much bigger than she was.
35
Elizabeth Stewart
“Shut up,” he barked, “and do as you’re told. Now.” In his eyes, she could see a look that told her he meant business. Being a fembot, she was accustomed to doing what she was told, even if it made no sense. Slowly, she reached for the top button on her blouse, never taking her eyes off Johnston. “Hurry up,” he prodded. “I haven’t got all day.” In a few more moments, Clementine stood naked and confused. “Get up on the table and lie down on your back.” He motioned behind her. Dutifully, Clementine climbed up, the metal registering cold and hard on her body sensors. Quickly, Dr. Johnston closed and snapped metal loops around her wrists and ankles, fastening her securely to the table. Satisfied, Johnston began to exam her thoughtfully. “Hair’s excellent,” he murmured, taking a handful and leaning down. “Real, I’d wager. Fine texture, subtle but definite color variations, individually embedded in the scalp. True craftsmanship.” His hand moved down her face, gripping her chin and turning her head from side to side. “Remarkable bone structure. Titanium?” “No sir,” Clementine replied timidly, “my structure is a combination of brelium and zalerianite. Father’s own formula. Gives far greater strength and flexibility than human calcium.” Johnston chuckled dryly. “Leave it to John to come up with something of his own.” Clementine blinked up at him. “You…you knew Father?” “Father,” he snorted and continued his examination. An index fingertip ran slowly down her neck, down her breastbone and between her breasts. He stopped and cupped each breast in turn, twisting her nipples and feeling the soft fullness of her globes. There was nothing sexual in his attention and his touch was cold as the metal beneath her. Down across the bowl of her stomach, between the hard ridges of her pelvic bones and over the smooth hump to her pussy. Carefully, he separated her outer lips and lowered himself so close to her clit, she could feel his breath on her damp skin. A chill from inside washed over her and she trembled slightly. “Well, well,” Johnston chuckled again, not a trace of humor in it, “you seem quite sensitive. Even for a sexual creature such as yourself.” His fingers rubbed vigorously over her clit and slid down and inside her. The coldness increased and the tremble became a shudder. “Please, Dr. Johnston,” she breathed. “Please what?” he taunted. “Please stop…or please go on? Did John create a sex machine that enjoys the act? Needs to be ‘turned on’ as it were?” The chuckle became a short, harsh guffaw. But before Clementine could answer, Johnston had moved on, touching and feeling her hips, legs, knees, shins, ankles and feet, all the way to her toes. At last, he stood back, his hands on his hips. “Remarkable,” he said mostly to himself, “truly remarkable.” Looking at her a few moments more, he turned finally and crossed back to a sink. Turning on the water, he began washing his hands, squeezing out soap and creating a healthy lather.
36
My Darling Clementine
“What…what do you want with me?” she asked, craning her head to try and watch him. “You’ll find out, soon enough,” he replied, continuing with his washing. “I…I want to go home. Back to Nathaniel.” “You’re not going anywhere. Especially not back to that…creature.” He paused and turned back to her slightly, a mean, cruel smirk curling his thin lips. “Of course, I’ve heard that his kind have a sexual attraction, a magnetism if you will. It’s part of their ability to seduce young, vulnerable women and turn them. Has he seduced you, little sex doll? Has he made you scream and writhe in a mock death? Has he tried to sink his fangs in that creamy little neck of yours? “If he did, I’ll bet getting a mouthful of your lubricating fluid instead of warm blood must have been most disagreeable. But I’ll bet your juices in his mouth as he ate your pussy were sweet as any woman’s. Good old John wouldn’t neglect something as important as that.” Ugly laughter erupted as he turned back and continued washing. Johnston lathered and washed once more, dried his hands and came back to the side of the table. With his foot, he pulled a small rolling tray to him and reached for a pair of rubber gloves. When they were in place, he reached down and picked up a large scalpel, its razor edge gleaming in the harsh light. “Let me go,” she told him, struggling against her restraints. “I belong to Nathaniel Huntington. Stealing me is a crime. He will call the police and have you arrested.” “Shut up, you insufferable slut!” he roared, slapping her hard with his free hand. “I’m tired of listening to your inane claptrap.” He glared down at her. “I can’t believe the culmination of John Harris’s career…his life, should be such a pitiful excuse for a creature. He must have truly reached the bottom of the barrel to have arrived at you.” “I’m not pitiful. Father loved me. He…” “Oh really? Well let me tell you about your loving ‘Father.’ “I’ve known John Harris since we were in college. Even then, he was head and shoulders above us all. A genius who existed solely to pursue the great mysteries of intelligence, human and artificial. We mere mortals simply stood and cowered in his giant shadow. “He was truly the most brilliant human I have ever had the privilege to know. But he was, quite literally, all brain. Totally devoid of all but the most basic, fundamental social graces, he could shut out the whole world and focus like a laser on whatever problem engaged his mind at the moment. Not really cold and unfeeling, just…disinterested in other humans.” The tone of his voice softened somewhat. “That is, until he fell in love and married. A lab technician who managed to break through and find something the rest of us had apparently missed. In due course, she even got pregnant. The delivery was very difficult and both mother and child almost died. I sat with him through the entire ordeal and was there when the doctor came with the news that he had a beautiful baby daughter. Emily.” “Of course, he was delighted. Until the novelty wore off and he became wrapped up in another research project. But his wife was an excellent mother and the little girl thrived, even managing to worm her way into her father’s life occasionally.” Again, the smirk returned. “When Emily was five, her mother got sick. Nothing serious…a cold, I think. But she needed to rest and since it was one of the few times John was actually
37
Elizabeth Stewart
home, he agreed to watch her while his wife took a nap. He took her out in the back yard and promptly began working on a genetics problem that had been plaguing him. “It wasn’t until much later, when he heard his wife screaming, that he realized his daughter had wandered away. She’d fallen into the family swimming pool and drowned.” “I didn’t know.” “Of course you didn’t,” he agreed acidly. “That was not something he would have wanted you to know. “At any rate, his wife was devastated. Because of the problems she’d had, another child was out of the question. She fell into a deep depression from which nothing seemed able to dislodge her. John began to fear for her life as well as her sanity. He couldn’t work, couldn’t think of anything but what he’d done to the woman he loved. So he decided to give her back the child she’d lost.” “I…I don’t understand. If the child drowned…” “John came to me with an idea for an android that would grow and develop, just like a child. The ‘brain’ would be a computer capable of learning, retaining that knowledge and making decisions based on what it learned. When the ‘brain’ reached a certain level of development, it could be removed from one body, installed into a bigger body and augmented with more storage and computing power. It was a magnificent concept from a magnificent mind, and I was honored to fund such far reaching and revolutionary research.” “And…and I’m that child? His replaced Emily?” Clementine could barely believe her ears. “No, Clementine, you are not that child. At least not as you’ve always believed.” “What…who…?” “Before John could bring his research to fruition, his wife killed herself. Took a bottle of her anti-depression pills while he was in his lab. He never recovered. Six months after she died, he came to me asking for more money…a great deal of money. Told me he needed to get away so that he could work. That he needed to concentrate on his work away from everyone…everything. He promised that when he’d completed the project, I could have first right of refusal to any of his work. So I gave him the money and he left. “From time to time, I heard from him, generally when he needed more money, but about five years ago, he disappeared completely. Like he’d simply vanished off the face of the earth. I kept thinking that I’d hear from him, but I didn’t. So, more than a year ago, I began looking for him.” He paused and gripped the scalpel more tightly. “I understand that your ‘Father’ taught you to sing. My Darling Clementine?” She nodded uncertainly. “Then you know the verse that says, ‘None was nearer, none was dearer, Since the days of forty-nine, When, in youth, he had another, Who was then his Clementine?’” Again, she nodded, the light of understanding beginning to dawn. “His wife. She was his first Clementine?” The doctor smiled, seemingly pleased that she’d finally pieced everything together. “John Harris created you to replace Emily. Not just to give Clementine back the child he’d taken from her, but to gain her forgiveness and regain her love. But by the time Clementine died, he was fully involved in the project for its own sake. As time went on and you grew and developed, he
38
My Darling Clementine
gave you more and more of her…hair, eyes, face, build. Perhaps even her likes and dislikes. Her very thoughts. Eventually, for him at least, you became Clementine.” “But…but what do you want with me?” “Don’t you understand anything? You represent a lifetime of achievement by the greatest mind of our age. You are truly the blending of man and machine. Unfortunately, Harris allowed his emotions to override his intellect, and instead of a monument for all time, he sank down to oversized sex toys and a sack of maudlin stupidity. “Well, I won’t allow it. Because of me, rather than an electronic cocksucker, you’re going to be the mother of a new race of beings. Children created and raised for perfection. Doctors with the skill and precision of computers and the dedication and compassion of saints. Legions of soldiers…absolute killing machines filled with nothing but blind obedience and total commitment to duty. Devoid of conscience or any moral principle but victory. The ultimate blending of technology and humanity.” “How? How will you do that?” He moved the scalpel to her temple and pressed the point ever so slightly. “By getting inside that pretty little head of yours,” he chuckled. “By examining, nanosystem by nanosystem, that wonderful, genius inspired computer. I shall build on that foundation, refining and modifying it. Eventually, I shall put every molecule of you under the microscope to learn your secrets, but right now, I’m only interested in your brain.” The scalpel moved down to her throat. “I’m going to remove your head just here.” He dragged the sharp point lightly across her neck just where it joined her shoulders. “I had thought to just make the incision across the front of your skull, but it would probably be better for me to see how the computer is seated and connected before I attempt to remove it. I’m very anxious to see if John followed the structure of the human brain or whether he developed some variation; a hybrid if you will of the computer and the brain.” “You…are going to disassemble me?” Clementine whispered hoarsely. “Yes.” “And…and you will not reassemble me?” “No.” “Then…then I will cease to exist.” Johnston paused, narrowing his eyes as he gazed down at her. It hadn’t occurred to him, but this creature, this hybrid machine, seemed to have a knowledge, an understanding of her own existence. She knew what he planned to do and from the look in her eyes, he could see that prospect frightened her. This was a new consideration. After all, disassembling a machine, even an android in human form, for research was a simple matter. He’d done it a thousand times before. Turn off the power source, slice it open and begin removing its parts. But this…this was different somehow. She was alive; a thinking, feeling creature, Huntington had said. “Please,” she pleaded softly, “I do not wish to be disassembled. I wish to go back to Nathaniel. I wish to continue to exist.” Something stabbed at him and he felt the metal instrument twitch in his hand. John Harris had been his friend once and this was his child, his love, his life. He’d created her, raised her, loved her as his own. She had become more than the sum of her parts.
39
Elizabeth Stewart
“That’s not possible. You’re too valuable, too important,” he told her. “It’s vital that I discover what makes you tick and to replicate you. After all, even Harris himself said that when you were perfected, you’d revolutionize bots. I’m simply picking up the torch. Indeed, I’ve decided to name this generation of bots, ‘The Harris/Johnston…The Johnston/Harris Hybrid, as a tribute to his genius. And I will call my first prototype, ‘Clementine.’” “Father would not have disassembled me,” she insisted in that same soft, plaintive voice. “He cared for me. He loved me. Please do not cause me to cease to exist.” “There’s no other way. Harris didn’t leave any notes, any drawings. You’re all there is. In time, perhaps I can reconstruct you. But for now, I must do what is necessary.” “Please then, allow me a moment to shut down. I do not wish to be aware of what you’re doing.” “All right.” Closing her eyes, Clementine tried to pretend that she was back in her own bed and that she was merely shutting down for the night. Internal diagnostics, normal. Alarm set for seven a.m. Good night…good bye Nathaniel. I love you. And blankness. Carefully, Johnston unclasped her collar. Holding it in his hand, his gaze traced the intricate engraving. Not a mere identification tag as required by law, but the gift of a loving father to his only child. Oh well, he sighed as he dropped it on the small table beside him, it can’t be helped. If only you’d written things down, John, made detailed drawings like other scientists. Turning the android’s head, Johnston placed the scalpel just over her left carotid artery. He’d make the incision down and across, severing the neck to the bone and then use his laser saw to slice through the vertebrae. When he had her head, he’d take it down the hall to his research lab and begin running detailed tests. Her body could remain here; locking the door would prevent any of his staff from disturbing it until he was ready to dissect it. Pressing the point of the blade into her skin, the doctor skillfully applied pressure and the flesh parted, revealing a fine mesh just under the surface. Curious, he stopped to examine it. “My God,” he murmured in astonishment as he ran a gloved finger over the inner surface. “A network of sensors finer than human hair. Like the nerves in human skin. Unbelievable! Absolutely incredible!” He’d only just scratched the surface of this remarkable creature and already her secrets were more than he could have imagined. Slowly, carefully, he pushed the blade deeper as he enlarged the cut. The carotid was visible now, clear tubing pulsing reddish brown. Must be her lubricating fluid, he thought. Not like the black fluid that most androids use. No doubt John’s own concoction. Have to get a sample of it for analysis when I do my dissection of her. The blade moved across her throat. Careful, mustn’t damage the larynx. The connection between the brain and the vocal cords will be a vital area of interest. Just a little more and I can get the laser and disconnect her head. Nathaniel hovered a moment, slipping between the bars at the open basement window and moving to the middle of the empty room. A moment later, his bat shape morphed quickly back to his human form. Darkness had fallen and the small building was deserted. It had not taken him very long to fly here; now all that remained was to find Clementine and the doctor.
40
My Darling Clementine
A door led to a hallway and an elevator. Dr. Johnston’s card said his office was on the first floor so Nathaniel decided to use the fire exit stairs instead. Taking them two at a time, he found the office he was looking for at the far end of the building. Not surprisingly, the door was locked. Gripping the knob, Nathaniel applied all of the supernatural power he possessed as he leaned on the door. It gave way with nothing more than a short groan. The outer office was dark, but he saw a crack of light under one of the doors on the other side. Silently, Nathaniel turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. In the middle of the room, Johnston stood over a naked woman’s body lying on an examining table. Rage, hatred and fear welled up inside him, creating a massive tidal surge of power that pushed him the few steps to the doctor in an instant. Spinning the little man around, he saw surprise and fear in those rat eyes. “Huntington,” he hissed angrily. “Let Clementine go,” Nathaniel ordered. “Never,” the little man bellowed defiantly. Raising the scalpel, Johnston made a lunge for Nathaniel but it was too late. Grabbing the doctor’s matchstick neck, he snapped it with a single twist. Instantly, he let go and the little man slid to the floor in a limp puddle. Kicking him out of the way, Nathaniel leaned over the table and got his first horrifying look at Clementine. A gash, almost from ear to ear, had opened her throat, layers of skin folded back, exposing her insides down to the dull, silver gray of her metallic neck bones. Thick, reddish brown fluid oozed from several cut tubes the length of the gash. “Dear God,” he breathed, gently touching her cheek, “Clementine? Clementine?” She lay deathly still and unresponsive. Gently, he closed the skin, took out his handkerchief and daubed at the fluid. He could feel the unaccustomed sting of tears behind his eyes. “Please Clementine,” he begged softly in her ear, “wake up. Wake up.” Still nothing. Quickly, he undid the wrist restraints and took her limp hand in his, kissing her fingertips. “Oh God, Clementine,” he wailed, “don’t die. Don’t leave me. I couldn’t stand being alone again. To not have you in my life. If you die, I will too. I…I love you darling, Clementine.” Tenderly, he brushed his lips against her cheek. A moment later, her eyelids fluttered and he felt a twitch under his hand. Surprise gave way to overwhelming joy and the tears he’d been fighting slid down his cheek and landed on hers. Her lips moved a little but no sound came out. Nathaniel leaned over and put his ear on her mouth. He could feel her lips as they struggled to form words but again, only her warm breath reached him. “What is it, Clementine?” he urged. Slowly, she brought her fingers the handkerchief at her throat. With difficulty, she pressed them to the cloth.
41
Elizabeth Stewart
“Sealant,” she croaked. “Sealant?” he repeated in total confusion. “I don’t understand, Clementine. What do you mean, ‘sealant’?” In response, she moved the handkerchief, exposing her throat again. “Sealant.” Like the lightbulb in an ancient comic strip coming on over the character’s head, Nathaniel suddenly understood what she meant. Immediately, he ran to the nearest counter and began throwing open cupboards and drawers. It only took a few moments to find what he was looking for and return to Clementine. Opening the tube, he threw the cap on the floor and leaned over her. “What do I do?” he asked anxiously. She moved her fingers over the open wound. “Do I try and hold it closed?” Clementine moved her head from side to side a little. “Just pour it in?” Unable to nod, she looked up at him and he understood. Putting the tip at the edge of the slash, he squeezed the tube. A thick, clear gel gushed out, spreading and filling the opening. Moving the tube along the gash, he quickly sealed it. Almost immediately, the gel began hardening. As it hardened, it began turning a flesh color. In a few moments, the gash had healed, leaving a scar. Slowly, Clementine sat up as Nathaniel undid the ankle restraints. They clung to each other, sharing a desperate, passionate kiss. “I love you, Clementine,” he told her. “I didn’t realize how much until I found you gone and I thought I might never see you again.” “I love you, too, Nathaniel.” Her voice was still harsh and raspy. “I was…afraid too. Afraid that I would cease to exist and no longer be with you.” “It’s all right,” he assured her tenderly. “It’s all right. We’ll go home now.” Bending down, he gathered up her clothes and handed them to her. Helping her down, she stood up unsteadily. And she saw Johnston lying on the floor. “He…he has ceased to exist?” “Yes, Clementine, he has ceased to exist. Now hurry and get your clothes on so that we can get out of here.” “You caused him to cease to exist?” “Clementine, he tried to stab me with a scalpel…kill me. He’d tried to kill you. It was selfdefense. Him or me.” She gazed down a moment more and then looked back at Nathaniel. “Yes,” she said firmly, “I understand. Had you not caused Dr. Johnston to cease to exist, he would have caused you and I to cease to exist.” “Exactly. Now get dressed and let’s get out of here.” Quickly, she dressed. As she did so, Nathaniel took his handkerchief and wiped off everything he’d touched, even replacing the cap on the tube. When she was finished, he picked up Clementine’s collar and the tube of sealant and left, using his handkerchief on the door.
42
My Darling Clementine
Chapter Seven “It is very ugly.” Clementine frowned as she tipped up her chin and ran her finger along the pale scar. She turned from the full-length mirror where she’d been examining herself. “You should have added pigment to the sealant, before you applied it, to more closely match my skin color.” Nathaniel laughed. “Oh, you think so?” he teased, shifting the pillow behind his head. “Yes,” she replied earnestly. “The line is noticeable and very disturbing. I think I will have to go back to Mr. O’Shea and have it repaired.” “Nonsense. It makes you look less…perfect. Gives you a very human, very appealing quality.” “You do not think it unattractive?” “I think everything about you is beautiful. That scar will always remind us of how close we came to losing each other and how lucky we are to be together.” “You are truly glad that we are together?” He patted the big bed beside him and put out his arms. “Come here and I’ll show you just how glad I am.” Clementine padded quickly across the room, hopped in and snuggled down under the covers, wrapping herself around Nathaniel’s nude body, pressing his already throbbing cock between their two bodies. “You see,” he laughed, “just thinking about you, seeing that beautiful body of yours, makes him stand up and salute.” “The sight of you, my love, fills me with hunger and a need for you. And I know many ways to bring you pleasure.” “Such as?” Reaching into the drawer in the nightstand on her side, Clementine produced a small plastic bottle of bright red liquid. Flipping the top open, she squeezed a long, thick line along his cock. Taking him gently with her hand, she began massaging the gel into his skin. “Oh,” he sighed, closing his eyes and settling back into the pillow, “that feels wonderful. I can feel it getting warmer as you rub.” She squirted another small dollop on her finger and brushed it along his lips, easing the tip into his mouth and letting him suck. “Mmmm, cherry. My favorite.” “I know,” she answered, applying more lotion to his cock, “that’s why I bought it. Here.” She nudged his chest with the bottle, getting him to open his eyes and take it. “Now what?” Turning on her stomach, she smiled up at him. “Put lots of it here.” She pointed to the crease in her ass.
43
Elizabeth Stewart
Knowing what she had in mind, Nathaniel grinned and moved to straddle her. Touching the tip of the bottle to her skin, he squirted the thick, red lotion in her crease, moving it to her asshole where he poured on a blob. Squeezing some on his finger, he carefully pressed it through the lotion and into her ass. Clementine squirmed with pleasure. Bending over, he rubbed his cock up and down her crease, feeling the heat of the lotion both on his cock and on her skin. Gently, he grasped her hips, raising them as she parted her legs and balanced on her knees. Slowly, tenderly, he pushed the tip of his cock to her asshole, feeling it taut against his sensitive, swollen head. Bracing himself, he guided his cock inside her, feeling her ass close and relax around it as he inched forward. As he moved, he continued squeezing liberal amounts of the lotion, both on his cock and on her ass. When he was fully in, he paused, letting the feel of her hot body surround him, the lotion and her embrace feeding the fire inside him. Curling himself over her, he softly kissed her back and shoulders as he massaged her ass cheeks. It was a position that he had known only a few times and never with just a willing, knowledgeable partner. He knew that this, like all her sexual knowledge, had been programmed when she’d been built. Only he had been privileged to bring it to life. Combined with her love for him and her desire to please him, it made her almost perfec t. The rhythm of their dance was patient and loving. First pulling out until only the tip of his cock remained clenched in her asshole; now pushing forward until his balls brushed against her ass. Up and back, up and back he moved, listening to her small whimpers of pleasure, feeling her body joined with his. Beneath him, her small body began moving with his, her moans turning to cries, her squirms to shudders. Knowing she was close, Nathaniel dug his hand into her flesh and let her take the lead, feeling himself swept away in an explosion of pleasure that ripped a cry of ecstasy from his own lips and draining him to a limp, sagging dishrag. Still being careful, he pulled himself out, stopping to lick up all the remaining sweet lotion. Lying back against his pillow, she curled up in the crook of his arm and laid her head on his chest. “Do you believe now how glad I am that we’re together?” he asked, his eyes closed in blissful exhaustion. “Yes,” she answered simply, softly kissing his chest. “Good, because I intend for us to stay together,” he said, leaning down and kissing her lips. “What about Dr. Johnston?” she asked between kisses. “What do you mean?” “Well, sooner or later, will someone not find his body? Will the police not come and ask us what happened?” “Probably not. The building was empty and I’m sure that Johnston didn’t tell anyone what he was planning to do with you. He wanted all the credit for your father’s discoveries for himself. I wiped my fingerprints off everything and even took the glue tube with us. I would imagine that the police, with no other explanation, would probably chalk it up to a botched robbery. Someone looking for drugs perhaps. There’s nothing to tie him to us.” “Mr. O’Shea may tell the police that Dr. Johnston was looking for me.”
44
My Darling Clementine
Nathaniel laughed heartily. “I doubt that very much, Clementine. In the first place, Milo O’Shea doesn’t strike me as a man who talks to the police willingly. Certainly not to volunteer information. Also, I’m quite sure that he wouldn’t want the police prying into his business affairs. Especially anything that might pertain to unrecorded sales and possible irregularities in tax payments. And besides, he would never risk alienating a paying customer.” He pecked her nose. “No, my love, we have nothing more to worry about from Milo O’Shea.” “Perhaps you are right,” she agreed reluctantly. “I would hate for anyone else to find out about us. I do not wish for either of us to cease to exist for a long time.” “No one is going to find out about us, I promise.” “How can you promise such a thing?” “Well, I think the first thing we should do is get rid of this.” Reaching behind her neck, he undid the clasp of her collar and removed it. “But you must not do that,” she cried. “It is against the law for a bot to be without their collar, even in the home of their owner. You could go to prison and I could be deactivated.” She reached for it but he pulled his hand away and turned to the nightstand beside the bed. Opening the drawer, he dropped the collar and picked up something else. “If I could, I would do this properly,” he told her seriously. “I mean, in the normal manner. However, since neither of us can produce a birth certificate and for obvious reasons, I can’t go anywhere near a church, we shall just have to do the best we can. Give me your left hand.” She held it out and he slipped a simple gold band on her third finger. “I love you, Clementine and I know you love me too. You are more human than any other person I have ever met in my very long life.” If she’d had tears, Clementine would have cried with joy. She stared at the ring and then at Nathaniel, unable to speak. “Will you have me, love?” Clementine nodded and they hugged and kissed. “Of course, I realize we’re two soul-less beings and I would never presume to know the mind of The Almighty, but if indeed His mercy is infinite, He’ll understand, forgive us our lack of ceremony and recognize our union.” Nathaniel smiled down at her. “Congratulations Mrs. Huntington. I hope you won’t regret your decision.” “I could never regret being with you, Nathaniel.” For a moment, she was quiet, staring at the ring. Finally, she looked up, her eyes filled with questioning. “Your kind are very long lived, are they not?” “In comparison to humans, yes, we vampires live a very long time.” “But you will grow old and one day cease to exist?” “Everything dies, Clementine,” he replied with a gentle smile, “even beautiful, intelligent machines wear out and cease to function.” “Please, be serious. One day, you will cease to exist. This is correct?” “Yes, Clementine, one day I will cease to exist. But not for a very, very long time. You and I will have years and years together.” “What will happen when we cease to exist?”
45
Elizabeth Stewart
Nathaniel laughed, completely caught off guard by her earnest, childlike question. “I have no idea, my love. Philosophers have been debating that question for millennia. It’s certainly too much for an old vampire and a beautiful fembot.” “But…” “No ‘buts’ my darling Clementine. We’re not going to worry about the future or even tomorrow. We’re just going to enjoy every day. Together. Now come here and let me show you how wonderful our lives are going to be. Especially in bed.”
The End
46
About the author: Liz began her career at age three when she started telling her own stories to her dolls and favorite stuffed bear. Her older sister taught her to write at six so she immediately began writing down her stories and reading them to her family. At seven, she decided to become a writer. She won several creative-writing contests in grammar school and by the time she’d moved on to high school, she was working on the school newspaper and had a "lending library" of her popular stories that circulated amongst her peers. Her first paying writing job was in her teens working for the local newspaper, interviewing celebrities who appeared at the local theater-in-the-round. Liz married, had children, and took a “real” job while she went to college at night, finally earning her degree in Business but never giving up her writing. During this time, she continued to learn her craft and hone her skills. Five years ago, she decided to devote herself to writing seriously. In that time, she's had several short stories published and finished four novels. Her work ranges over several genres from romance to the paranormal. Elizabeth welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at P.O. Box 787, Hudson, Ohio 44236-0787.
Also by Elizabeth Stewart: The Academy Harm’s Way Stray Thoughts
BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED Cassie Walder
Cassie Walder
Prologue Miranda Mason put down the voltmeter in disgust and with more force than she should have used on the antique equipment. But, damn, this was all she needed. It was really all she needed on the first Wednesday afternoon in May! There was no sense in her even trying to repair Mike, the old M-2000 android. The entire motivator board was burnt out beyond repair. She didn’t have a spare motivator. In fact, she doubted that anyone had a motivator board she could even begin to attempt to retrofit to the unique specifications of the M-2000 series. Even if she could find something, she wasn’t at all sure that the sockets for the motivator board hadn’t been fried as well when the board shorted out. Yesterday, a collector would have paid a small fortune for this android. Today, Mike was fit only for the scrap heap. She had already done everything she could to keep the old unit functioning. This latest failure was literally the last time the antique would ever let her down. Damn, damn, and triple damn! The reality of this situation was there was no way of fixing Mike, short of finding another M-2000 that was broken in some other vital part other than the motivator and cannibalizing that part from the junked android. Miranda rated the chances of that happening as slim to none. M2000s hadn’t even been manufactured for over thirty years. They’d never been wildly popular. At first, they’d been too “human” and then as people had gotten used to having droids around, the M-2000s had been too “mechanical” for them. The trend had become to have progressively more human characteristics and behaviors from droids. In fact, the last operational M-2000 she knew of beside Mike was in the Smithsonian in Washington. It was there with all the other examples of how far technology had progressed; something for kids to look at and ask their parents, “People didn’t really use such things, did they? EWWW… How terrible!” Miranda could hear it now. With a heavy sigh, she packed Mike away into a large crate. She had to disassemble his upper body from his lower body to be able to comfortably handle him. Maybe she could find someone who could use him for spare parts or could recycle the droid into raw materials to be reused. Maybe she could get some trade-in value for this old unit on wherever she got a new droid. That was a possibility, although she tended to think that it was more likely any store would charge her a disposal fee to get rid of Mike. Was there enough money to buy a new android? Honestly, no. She didn’t have anywhere near the money that a brand new droid would cost. But, she’d been saving to bring in new breeding stock into the line. The bull she wanted would pay for itself in one breeding season with just half the straws she could sell for artificial insemination. Not to mention the prize cattle she would be able to breed herself, which would do nothing but raise the profitability of the ranch. No hope for it. The only way to continue to run the ranch would be to take the money she had been saving for the bull to buy an android to help with the workload around the ranch. Maybe, just maybe, she could get a used model for the cost of the bull. There was only one way to know. This called for a trip into town. She only made that trip as a rule once a year in the
50
Batteries Not Included
fall. She usually went in, sold beef cattle, got supplies for the winter, and came home. The cattle weren’t anywhere near ready for market yet. So, this year, she’d make two trips into town. She didn’t much care for the prospect but there was no help for it. She’d have to get the cowdogs and the cutting horses and take the cattle up into the high pasture by herself on Thursday. There was plenty of fresh grass up there for the herd to graze on and cool, clear water from the mountain stream. They would be fine left there for the several days that she would be gone from the ranch. Driving them up to the pasture was more work than she wanted to do without assistance, but there was no help for it. She’d have to do it. The herd couldn’t be left in the lower pastures without a fresh supply of water being given to them every day. Once the cattle were safely in the high pasture, with the dogs, she would be able to make the trip into town without undue fear for the safety of the herd. It was a little too early to take them up to the high pasture. But, they stood a far better chance up there, even with the risk of spring snows and the possibility of an attack by wolves, than they would down here in the valley with no one to care for them. The other animals—the horses, dogs, poultry—would be fine for a few days if she set up the automatic feeders/waters. She didn’t like doing this. But, there was no other choice. If everything went well, she’d drive to town on Friday, spend Saturday in town shopping for a replacement droid, and be home again with the newer droid by Sunday evening. On Monday, she’d be able to move the cattle back down from the high pasture. Either that or she’d be making arrangements on Monday to liquidate the ranch. Without help, she couldn’t keep the ranch going.
51
Cassie Walder
Chapter One The noise and bustle of Saturday in town wore on her nerves more than Miranda had expected. She had been at the door of the first shop on her list when they had opened this morning. So far, it had been a long and frustrating day. Truthfully, it wasn’t the activity level in the city bothering her as much as it was her own disappointment at not having already accomplished her task. She hated the thought that maybe she wouldn’t even be able to get a used android for what she could afford to pay. She’d been to five android shops already and the time had just passed one thirty in the afternoon. The prices of new, even used, droids were outrageously high, far higher than the ten thousand credits she had saved. But, she had known that new droids would be beyond her reach. The shock had been the price of the used models. O’Shea’s Discount Bot Shoppe, her destination, was the last android shop in town, her last hope of finding the android she needed in order to keep the ranch functional. This store didn’t even advertise in the commercial listings. She probably wouldn’t have found it if one of the consultants at the last shop hadn’t sarcastically suggested, “Lady, if that’s all you can pay, you’re in the wrong neighborhood. Go over to Mill Street. Milo O’Shea might find something for you. Heaven knows he’s in the low rent district precisely to position himself for lowball shoppers. But I’m not sure even he could come with anything you could use in that price range. Still, you never know. Just do yourself a favor, nice looking woman like you. Don’t go into that neighborhood by yourself. It’s not a safe area for a woman to be alone.” Walking down the street, she could almost see what he had meant. She didn’t feel threatened, exactly. There was no violence here. Mill Street had a character all of its own. She wasn’t certain exactly how to best label it. “Seedy” came close as a description. But, that didn’t quite fit either. The area reminded her a good deal of the photos she had seen of Amsterdam’s “red light district” during the late 20th-early 21st centuries. In the last six blocks walking down Mill Street, she had seen fifteen bars advertising either male or female strippers. Those bars had been interspersed with, at her count, twenty-five brothels openly specializing in every variation of sex act she had ever thought of, and then some which until seeing their window displays she had possessed no idea what the terms meant. Added into the mix had been sex toy shops specialized for men and for women, adult bookstores, and a restaurant with waitstaff in costumes who acted out bondage and discipline scenes for the pleasure of the customers. Walking down this street was a real education into several areas of sexuality that she had never known, and really hadn’t wanted to know. Miranda wouldn’t have labeled herself as sexually naïve. Until now, she would have called herself rather experienced having been married for twelve years to a man whom she had loved more than life. Yet, she had to admit to herself, now, after experiencing this street, she had lived a rather sheltered life. Finally, she reached the ugly building whose sign read simply, “O’Shea’s Discount Bot Shoppe.” The large window displays of the android store certainly fit the neighborhood. Male and female androids in the windows were wearing only smiles, leaving no doubt as to their
52
Batteries Not Included
anatomic correctness. Although she had just gotten the come-on from at least a dozen male and female prostitutes in the last few blocks without that raising the slightest interest, Miranda found herself blushing now, looking at the display. She sighed heavily. Sex was the least of the uses she had for a droid. Of course, her sex life had been limited to self-provided satisfaction since she had moved out to the ranch after Dan and Larry had been murdered. How could it have been otherwise? The nearest human had been one hundred miles away from the homestead and she had been grieving too seriously to have even given consideration to looking for involvement with anyone during those first years. Then again, what would the difference be between using a vibrator and a droid for sexual satisfaction? Both were machines. At least the droid could fully simulate a man’s style of lovemaking, could touch her, stroke her, speak words of love to her, and fill her. She wondered how the touch, the kiss of any of these almost human machines would feel? Would they be warm or cold? Would the skin feel human or like a synthetic? Could she bring herself to forget, even in passion, that they were machines? Would it even be healthy for her to forget that? She stood there on the sidewalk for a moment watching two of the male bots caress one of the female bots. Even knowing that these were machines, she couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down her spine as the male standing behind the female lifted her hair and trailed his lips down the female’s neck to her shoulder and as the male in front caressed the female’s breasts and kissed her lips. For just a second, Miranda’s mind put herself in the place of the female droid. She could well imagine, even feel, the sensations of a man’s lips on her neck, another’s lips on hers while his hands were on her breasts. “Oh,” she said on a breath, as she forced herself to look away from the display window. Maybe this wasn’t the place for her to even think about shopping. But, it was the last android store in town. This was her last chance to keep the ranch going. She had to find a new droid. Otherwise, she had to either sell the ranch or scale back the operations to just what she could handle by herself. That was just the way it was. Neither of those options appealed to her. Scaling back would mean she would be struggling to be able to make a living, instead of being able to run at a surplus. The idea of working this hard and not being able to make ends meet did not appeal to her. If she ever had to sell out, she knew that she wouldn’t want to return to city living. There were companies being formed to leave earth for newly terraformed planets. Those companies always needed people who were willing to do hard manual labor and who had a wide variety of skills. If she ever got to the point where she couldn’t keep the ranch going, joining one of those companies sounded like the next great adventure. Then again, she and Dan had always planned on doing just that—leading a company and leaving earth permanently behind them. Somehow, going off-world without him seemed utterly unthinkable. Yet, returning to academia was even more unthinkable. Maybe it wouldn’t come to that. Maybe she’d be able to find the help she needed here. Then she walked to the door of the ugly cube of a building and entered. A big, square, man turned around to face her and walked over to greet her. He had a face to match this building; jowly, Roman-nosed, and full lips displaying a grin as large as Ireland. He wore faded jeans and a loose t-shirt advertising O’Shea’s. Those jeans would have been perfectly at home on the ranch. But, she doubted they, or their owner, had ever seen much in the way of physical work.
53
Cassie Walder
It didn’t take much to determine that this was Milo O’Shea himself. The back of the t-shirt was emblazoned with his name across his broad shoulders. Below his name were the words, “Proprietor, O’Shea’s Discount Bot Shop.” “Well, hello, there, Miss. How can we be helping you today?” he greeted her in a rich baritone that was slightly kissed by a brogue. Miranda wasn’t sure if that accent was genuine or an affectation. But, it didn’t make a lot of difference to her. She was here to buy a droid, not to make a new friend. “I need a new android,” she said, her voice firm. “A new android, eh? That usually means that you are replacing an old model. What are you replacing?” Milo asked easily. “Mike is a Mastersystems M-2000,” Miranda told him, steadying herself for the abuse and mockery that she had received in the other shops today. “Where in the world did you acquire an M-2000?” he asked, genuine amazement in his voice. “From the factory, when he was fresh off the assembly line as one of the first year’s models. His serial number is 39. My grandfather acquired him,” Miranda told him. “He’s worked for us since that time.” A look of utter respect came into Milo’s eyes. “You’ve kept an M-2000 running until now? That has to be some kind of record.” Miranda shrugged. “I kept him running until a few days ago, at any rate. The motivator board burned out completely. You wouldn’t happen to have a motivator unit for an M-2000 or even one that I could retrofit with a lot of labor would you? If you had a unit for an M-3000, I could rewire the leads and make it work,” she asked, allowing a hint of hope to creep into her voice. “If he can be repaired, I’d just as soon do that as opposed to replacing him. He’s been a part of our operations so long that it’s going to be odd to be without him.” Milo shook his head negatively. “No, m’am. I wish I did have either of those parts in stock. But, I haven’t had an M-2000 motivator in probably fifteen years. I haven’t seen a motivator for an M-3000 in five years, at least. I’d gladly give it to you just to see an M-2000 still working somewhere in the world, aside from a museum, if I did. That was a fine line of bots. The entire motivator board is gone? Not just a couple of the circuit components that could be replaced? ” “The whole board is dead. Testing the leads with a voltmeter showed no flow of current at all through the board. Mike was out in the east pasture working, I heard a loud crackling sound, saw a puff of black smoke emit from his chest, and then he fell over,” she said quietly. “Oh, yeah,” Milo said with a shake of his head, “that sounds like a burnt out motivator board to me. Catastrophic failures like that did happen from time to time with the older bots. But, like I said, I haven’t had a motivator board for that model for a very long time.” “That’s what I thought you’d say, unfortunately,” Miranda replied, her voice resigned. Milo smiled. “There aren’t many people who could take care of any droid that well. That’s really something special. Something very special. I wouldn’t have any trouble placing any unit with you. You know how to take care of these very special mechsons.” Miranda smiled at the word ‘mechsons. ’ It was akin to the ‘fursons’ label some people gave to their domestic pets. It was a term of great affection.
54
Batteries Not Included
“Would you take what’s left of Mike in trade towards a new unit?” Miranda asked, again half-afraid of the scorn that request had gotten from other places today. Milo smiled broadly. “Yes, m’am, I’d be happy to do that, and I’ll give you a fair price too for him. One of my techs might even be able to tinker with him, reroute or replace some of his innards to get him partially working again, at least well enough to be a curiosity in the shop. Barring that, he could always make an interesting display.” “But, no chance of getting him fixed well enough to work for me as he used to? Pulling his circuits and completely retrofitting him with a new parts?” Miranda asked. “I don’t know. What kind of work do you need an android to do?” Milo asked, carefully. So, Miranda described the work needed around the ranch, in substantial detail. Milo stood there listening, then whistled through his teeth when she was done. “You do all that yourself, with only a bot for help?” “With a droid, some dogs, and some horses. Can you fix Mike and get him working for me again as he once did? ” Milo shook his head negatively. “No, m’am. I can’t. And you know that equipment well enough to know that I can’t.” “Yes. I just let my hope run ahead of my sense,” she admitted, with a small smile and a sigh. “Mike is an old friend. I hate to let go of him. I hadn’t thought that he could be repaired at all. Then you began to talk about fixing him. Gave me hope, even though I knew there was none.” “I understand that,” Milo answered, his voice gentle. “We frequently get very attached to the bots in our lives. They become part of our family, essential and even loved. As for fixing him, the best I might do is to reactivate his speech and facial circuits and, maybe, the use of one arm. That’s the best I could do, and I’m not certain that much is possible. I thought if I could jury-rig him that much, I could sit him at a desk and let him serve as a receptionist, to greet customers. There’s no way I would be able to get him up and running well enough to go back to work as he used to. I don’t believe anyone could.” “No. I don’t think so either,” she agreed with a sigh. “Well, light duty here is better than him ending up in the scrap heap. He’s always worked hard. I really hate the thought of his being disassembled and recycled back to base material. It doesn ’t seem right,” Miranda replied. Milo smiled broadly. “I understand. Not everyone cares for their bots as you obviously do. I’m sure that any unit we’d place with you would be well cared for. Anyone who can keep an old M-2000 operational this long could do wonders with any of the newer units.” “I don’t have a lot of money, Mr. O’Shea,” Miranda warned. He threw back his head and laughed. “Who does? You’ll not find better bots in all the world. Not in all the fancy shops, er high-toned catalogs neither. And you’ll not be payin’ fer their expensive rent er all that avertisin’ neither. Here ya get quality at a price so low ya can’t hardly afford not ta buy.” Miranda smiled. “No sales spin, please. I don’t want, or need, the good ole boy presentation. You know what I need in an android. I need a general purpose machine capable of learning and carrying out the physical work I need done on the ranch. He needs to be capable of working both with and without supervision, of being gentle and firm with the animals, of doing a wide variety of tasks around the homestead and around the ranch, of helping me in all that I
55
Cassie Walder
do to manage the ranch. He needs to be low maintenance. I need this droid for less than the ten thousand credits I’ve set aside to purchase a new breeding bull.” Milo was thoughtful for a moment. “That’s a tall order. A very tall order, indeed.” “Yes. It is. Can you help me? ” “Keeping you company would be an added advantage in a bot?” the shop owner asked carefully. “I live a solitary life, Mr. O’Shea. A bit of company, a chess game, an evening of music, or conversation would not be at all unwelcome.” “Not many would choose that kind of isolated life. Miss?” “Missus or Doctor, choose which title you want to use. Mason. Miranda Mason. I hold a Ph.D. in technological history from Cal Tech.” “Which explains why you were able to keep that Mastersystems unit functioning so long,” Milo said in almost an undertone. Then he spoke in a more normal tone, “Miranda. ‘tis a beautiful name for a lovely woman. Your husband doesn’t help around the ranch?” “My husband died five years ago,” she said tightly, not wanting to discuss this. Then she added in a more animated tone, “Besides, flattery, Milo O’Shea, will get you nowhere.” He frowned for a moment. “You’re young to be a widow, Doctor Mason,” Milo observed quietly, obviously thinking hard. “Dan was murdered,” she replied flatly, waiting for the pain to come fresh as it always did when she thought of Dan and of the violent way he and Larry had died. Yet, the pain she expected did not come. Milo looked at her and nodded. “Daniel Mason,” the store owner said quietly, thoughtfully. “I knew his work. Brilliant man of science. ‘Twas a serious loss to this world and to all the worlds that he might have remade fit for huma n habitation when he was taken from us like that. A terrible, terrible, shame. I am sorry for the loss of your husband and son.” “So am I, but it can’t be changed,” she agreed, still trying to deal with the fact that the pain was no longer there. She had thought she would never be rid of it. But now, the pain was gone. Not that she wanted the pain back, mind you. The absence of it however was more than a bit disturbing. “Do you think we could get down to today’s business now?” Milo nodded. “Very well. You know what you want. “ “Yes. I know what I want.” “That is rare. A good many people come in saying they want one thing and actually wanting another thing entirely. Awfully hard to please those people.” Miranda couldn’t contain the laugh. “I should imagine.” Milo looked around the showroom, thoughtfully. When he spoke, his voice was subdued and serious, “None of these units will suit your purpose for a bot that has to work that hard. These are relatively light duty models intended for urban environments. Most of them are suitable only for domestic, light office, or pleasure duty. They could handle the work short term, but then they’d be wearing out beyond repair. You can’t afford to keep replacing those units.” “No, I need a droid that will stand up to the work.” The shopkeeper’s voice became even lower, almost conspiratorial, and another edge to his tone that she couldn’t quite decipher. “I have only two units that would suit you. One isn’t here 56
Batteries Not Included
at the moment. I’ve loaned her out to a bakery. I’ve got only the male in-house. They’re relatively new, but not prototypes.” “Show me what you have.” Milo nodded. “Clayton,” he called out. “I’m going to show a client the workshop. You have the show room.” “Yes, sir,” a young male voice answered from the far corner of the large showroom. “Come with me,” Milo said, his voice low once more. “I’m going to show you a biomechanoid.” “Bio-mechanoid?” Miranda asked, her voice matching his in volume. “A really interesting advance in cybernetics. The skeleton is an alloy that has the same density of human bone, and shows as bone in medical imaging. But it will not break under normal conditions. The units consume food and water. They receive the energy to run and lubrication from the food they consume,” Milo said, in the same subdued voice, as he led her towards the workshop. Miranda looked at him. “Are you telling me they are more than just androids, that they are synthetic human?” “For all practical purposes, they are human. They have living flesh that regenerates and heals itself. The hair grows, the nails grow, and the skin refreshes itself. They have human personality engrams programmed into their central units. They have feelings, as well as the ability to think and act independently. A casual, or even a detailed, medical examination would reveal that they are human. They have a pulse. They have blood, or rather something that looks like and has the physical and biochemical qualities of blood. They breathe. Their eyes dilate. They eat, digest food, and eliminate. And they find sex acts to be greatly enjoyable. Consequently, they’re very good at them.” “They need to breathe?” Miranda asked, not even wanting to think about android sexuality. That was more information than she needed. But, she couldn’t stop the images from streaming into her head. An android capable of sexual enjoyment? That opened the worlds of possibilities she’d think about for a long time. Sexual androids. Oh, she knew that modern droids were often used for sex toys. The first anatomically correct droids almost two decades ago had made quite a stir. Certainly, the window display in this store was proof enough that the idea of sexual droids was now acceptable. But to have a droid be capable of experiencing pleasure, not just being a way of a human taking pleasure, made that machine much more than a machine. To know what it made them was an issue for ethicists and for philosophers, not for historians turned ranchers like herself. The ability to enjoy, the ability to be self-aware, the ability to think and act independently definitely crossed the line between man and machine. “No, ma’am, they don’t need to breathe. They are programmed to breathe as part of the routines that make them seem fully human. They can shut that off, if necessary. They don’t need to eat either in times of food shortages. There is a provision that they can absorb solar energy and store it to run on. Or they can put themselves into sleep mode in which virtually all systems shut down to conserve energy. There are no batteries to discharge or be replaced.” “Sounds perfect. Almost too perfect. What’s the drawback?” Miranda demanded.
57
Cassie Walder
“Ah, there’s Tim,” Milo said, lowly after they entered the workshop at the back of the store. He touched the technician’s shoulder and the other man removed his headset and looked up at them from his workstation. “Milo?” the man called Tim asked. “What do you need?” The bass voice of the man called Tim sent shivers through her. She’d always loved men with deep, masculine voices. This man’s voice was deeper than most. “This is Doctor Mason. She’s interested in acquiring a bio-mech.” Then Milo’s pager sounded. He looked at the device. “Excuse me for a few minutes. Suppose that I leave her with you, Tim, for a few moments and you answer her technical questions.” “Sure thing, Milo. Give me a minute to finish this, first, though, please?” Tim asked. “Doctor Mason, if you’ll have a seat over at the conference table, I’ll be with you shortly.” Then Milo left them alone, or as alone as they could be in a workshop where several technicians, human and droid, were quite busy working. All of them were wearing the same kind of noise canceling headsets isolating them from the noise of the room, and probably providing them with audio versions of the manuals for the tasks they were doing or music, each of them in a large carrel, separated from the others. Miranda looked around the workshop. Milo said he’d show her the bio-mechanoids. But, instead, he’d left her here to talk to one of the techs. She wanted to see one of these so-called biomechs. After completing the intricate task before him, the man called Tim rose from the workbench where he had been replacing the servo within an older android arm. He was a tall man, a little taller than average, but not so tall as to call attention to himself. He was average looking, dark wavy hair that was just a shade on the long side as was currently fashionable. He had just a touch of silver at the temples, dark eyes, lightly tanned skin that proclaimed he didn’t spend all of his time in the shop, and a smile that took her breath away. It was hard to guess his age. She thought he was probably somewhere around her age, late thirties-early forties. He wore a gray workman’s jumpsuit with a name patch that read “Timothy”. He was slim, not skinny, and strong. His hands were the hands of a working man, graced with calluses, showing the signs of work. His hands were clean except for a hint of graphite under his closely clipped nails. Miranda found herself looking at his face, at his mouth. She couldn’t remember when in recent history she had found any man sexy. But, she found herself wondering about him. What would his kiss be like? Would he be a considerate or demanding lover? Would he be able to fully touch that part of her that she’d sealed off since Dan’s death? “Hi, Doctor Mason. I’m Tim Johnson,” he introduced himself, offering his hand, breaking into her speculations. “Glad to meet you, Tim. Call me Miranda,” she said as she took his hand. She could feel his strength as he shook her hand. But that wasn’t all she felt. Flesh meeting flesh couldn’t really send off an electrical shock, Miranda tried to convince herself. Yet, there was something almost electric in his touch. Her hand tingled and the sensation spread through her body, settling in her breasts and pussy. She couldn’t deny it. She wanted him. She wanted him very badly. She wanted him more than she could remember
58
Batteries Not Included
wanting any man, except Dan. She couldn’t remember wanting any particular man from Dan’s death until now. “Beautiful name for a beautiful woman,” Tim said his tone low. Neither of them were in any hurry to let loose of one another’s hands. Tim raised her hand to his mouth. Then he turned it over and planted a light kiss at the pulse spot on her wrist. She drew a shuddering breath as she reeled from the caress. “What…what was that for?” she asked him breathlessly. He smiled at her. When he spoke, his voice was low and intimate, a volume intended to carry no further than her ears, “It was the safest way to kiss you. There are entirely too many witnesses here for me to kiss you the way that I want to kiss you and the way you want me to kiss you. When my lips meet yours, neither one of us will want to stop until we lie exhausted in one another’s arms.” She looked at him and saw only honest desire in his eyes. Was her interest that obvious? “Miranda, would you like a cup of coffee while we talk? Maybe a piece of cake?” Tim asked, his voice more conversational as he released her hand. “I was just about to take a snack break.” “Thanks. I missed lunch,” Miranda replied, trying to regain her equilibrium. “A snack would come in handy.” Tim looked at her in concern. “That’s not good. You shouldn’t skip meals. It’s bad for your blood sugar and metabolism. People are just as much machines as the ones I work on, and no less dependant on a steady supply of fuel. Let me make you a sandwich along with that cake and coffee. Have a seat at the conference table. I’ll bring you the food and we’ll talk.” Miranda smiled. “That isn’t necessary. You don’t need to wait on me.” “Maybe not. But O’Shea’s Discount Bot prides itself on going the extra mile in customer satisfaction,” Tim said easily, returning the smile. “Just take a seat and I’ll be right back with something for you to eat.” The food Tim brought over wasn’t elaborate. Cashew butter sandwich on soft whole wheat bread, a shiny Red Delicious apple, a reasonably sized slice of Black Forrest cake, and large mug of rich, dark, coffee. But, since she had settled for coffee for breakfast and had skipped lunch, this was more than welcome. He’d also brought himself over a cup of coffee and a larger piece of cake that was easily twice the size of her slice. She bit into the crisp red apple and savored the sweet juice. The apple trees at the ranch were both Granny Smiths. So, while she had an abundance of apples each year, the flavor was markedly different than that of the Red Delicious. She couldn’t remember the last time she had sunk her teeth into this kind of apple. At least two years, maybe more. She had forgotten how sweet these were. “There’s nothing quite like the crunch and juice of a Delicious apple, is there?” Tim asked indulgently. “It’s a sensual experience.” “No. There’s nothing quite like one of these apples.” “Could be the reason the Garden of Eden myth featured an apple as it was once told?” Miranda smiled. “Could be,” she agreed. Tim smiled at her. Something about that smile made her feel giddy as a girl.
59
Cassie Walder
“I’m sorry for the meagerness of the lunch. We don’t keep a lot of food here. Mostly snack items.” “This is lovely, thank you. I don’t need any more than this,” Miranda replied as she tucked into the sandwich. “So, tell me about these bio-mechanoids Milo told me about.” “What do you want to know?” Tim asked, as he watched her enjoy the food. “I need an android for ranch work. I’ve been using a Mastersystems M-2000 that has finally reached the point it can’t be repaired.” Tim whistled through his very nice teeth. Miranda wondered what it would feel like to have those teeth close over her nipples. Then she forced herself to push that thought away. This was business. She needed to keep it business. But how she was tempted to push this into something much more intimate. He spoke, “I’m surprised that you were able to keep him running this long. Last M-2000 functioning I knew of serves as a curiosity at the Smithsonian.” “I know. I used to maintain Charlie,” Miranda replied. Tim looked puzzled. Miranda explained, “Before I inherited the ranch, I was an assistant curator for antique technology at the Smithsonian.” Tim looked at her, suddenly very curious. “That’s quite a change of careers, Miranda.” “Yes. It was. Then again, I desperately needed that change of careers at the time.” “Miranda Mason,” he said his voice thoughtful. “You would be the widow of Daniel Mason, then. Doctor Miranda Mason, formerly of the Smithsonian, formerly of CalTech, who pulled a hermit act after tragedy struck at the hands of an Only Earth assassin.” “I wouldn’t go that far. I’m not a hermit,” Miranda replied, forcing a smile. This man had to be one of the most tactless people she had ever met. Tim smiled and sighed. “Of course not, I meant no offense.” “None taken,” she lied politely. She had taken offense, mostly because he was right. She did live what many would consider a hermetical existence. But, she didn’t like to admit it. She smiled at him, in spite of herself. “You have a remarkable memory.” “So I’ve been told,” he dismissed. “I’ve studied your late husband’s work in terraforming.” “And what do you think of it?” she asked carefully. “He had an extraordinary mind. His work remains stunning in its scope and impact.” Miranda nodded. “Yes.” “I’ve often thought about joining one of the off-world companies. It would be an adventure to be one of the founders of a world,” Tim said wistfully. “Wouldn’t it, though?” Miranda replied with a small smile. “You’ve thought of it yourself?” “Dan and I were on the lists to lead a colony. Then…” her voice trailed off. “It was such a shame that he and your son both died as they did,” Tim said, his voice both gentle and sympathetic. “Terrorism is such a rotten waste.”
60
Batteries Not Included
“Yes,” she answered, her voice quiet, reflective, as she tried to understand what the lack of pain might mean to her. Was she no longer able to feel strong emotion, or had time simply healed those wounds without her noticing it? Either way, it was disturbing. “It was a shame and worse,” she added. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Tim said gently, obviously meaning every word. “Me too. But, life moves on and takes us with it.” “Yes, it does. The strong survive and thrive. The weak don’t. You strike me as one of the strong ones. I know your mind is strong. I’ve read your work as well, by the way, ” Tim replied with a small smile. “The series of papers you did on the development of computer technology in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries was utterly brilliant.” “Interested in antique technology, are you?” Miranda asked, her voice genuinely curious. “I’m interested in a great many things. How people have chosen to accomplish things over the years is only one of my interests,” Tim allowed. “I found your work to be enthralling. You really make history come alive.” “Thanks.” “Not only is your mind strong, your body seems strong and fit as well. Your body is as beautiful as your mind is. And that is rare.” Miranda laughed. “Tim, you have a way with words.” A clumsy way, but a way nonetheless, she thought, but did not say. Why of all the men in the world, do I find myself attracted to him? “Now tell me what you need an android to do.” “Basically, I need help with the ranch work. Tell me more about the bio-mechanoids and their capacity for work,” she requested. “If you can specify to me exactly what sort of tasks you need help with, I can tell you the functionality of the bio-mech in respect to those tasks.” “I need a general hand to help me with ranch work. I run a herd of three hundred head of beef cattle. There are a wide variety of jobs that need doing. I need a droid to be able to be a general ranch hand. He needs to be reliable. I can’t be stopping in the middle of driving cattle to repair him.” “That’s a lot of cattle.” “Not really. My grandfather used to run several thousand head. But, I can’t do much more than I’m doing with just a single droid and myself.” Tim nodded as he handled his coffee cup. “No. Probably not. Then there are market issues. Not many people eat beef regularly. Not many can afford to.” “Enough do that it’s still a valid way to make a living. But, you are right about the market issues. Still, if I could run a thousand head, I’d have a market for them.” “It’s a lonely life, this ranch life of yours, isn’t it?” Tim asked, his voice gentle. “Lonesome, yes. Not necessarily lonely. There’s a distinction. I never feel quite as lonely as I do when I am in the middle of a city. ” “Yes, I take your mea ning. What did your old android do around the ranch that you still need a hand doing?”
61
Cassie Walder
“Help me care for the animals. That means helping with the calving, with the spring tasks of castrating young bulls, with the branding of new calves,” Miranda said. “Do people still do that?” Tim asked in surprise. “Do what?” “Brand cattle. I thought that went out with the adoption of subdural chipping, ” Tim said. “We don’t burn a brand into the animal’s hide anymore. But, the process of branding still exists. The method is to implant a subdural chip along the spine of each animal. It’s less painful for the animal, but it still requires work on the part of the rancher to separate the calves from their mothers and to identify each calf as to genetics and then to determine which animals are to be kept for breeding purposes and which are to go into beef production. The young bulls destined for beef production have to be castrated, turned into steers. The young bulls chosen for the breeding program are separated out from the herd.” Tim nodded. “Castration is standard practice to keep the meat from being turned tough by the male hormones as the animals mature, right?” “Yes. And, trust me, you don’t want a large number of bulls in the herd. It tends to create trouble with them fighting one another over females.” Tim smiled. “I see. I suppose that would be bad for the health of your herd.” “Very bad. I try to manage the breeding of the cattle instead of allowing for random breedings. I need the droid to help with the care of the cattle. Helping with the matters of my cattle artificial insemination breeding program is also a part of the work the droid will do. Taking care of the horses, caring for the cowdogs, both of these are part of the job. Maintaining the buildings—the house, the barns, the other buildings on the ranch—this is also part of the work. Helping me with repairing fencing falls under the duties. Working with me in the gardening, the preserving of food, the management of the orchard is also part of it. It’s a lot of hard physical work as well as mentally demanding work. But, it’s varied enough that there is always something new and different to be doing.” Tim nodded. “And the duties of the droid include taking care of you on top of everything else. I should imagine that you get tired muscles from all that work and could use some pampering. ” “I am less worried about myself than taking care of everything that needs caring for. Ranching is not an easy life.” Tim just looked at her for a long moment. “Yes. You would be more concerned with your animals than for yourself,” he said thoughtfully. “Finish your lunch. Someone has to look out for you. Right now, that’s me.” Miranda sighed, then finished her sandwich. “Can bio-mechanoids stand up to the work? Can they be taught to ride horses, care for dogs, tend cattle, do carpentry, and be a general ranch hand? ” “Of course,” Tim replied, cutting his cake with the edge of his fork. “A bio-mechanoid can do everything a human can do, except get sick.” She looked at him for a long moment. “There are many humans who would not consider living my life. They are too soft for the work,” Miranda said just before she took a bite of the luscious chocolate cake. “I doubt that most of the droids in the front of the shop here could handle the work without breaking. ”
62
Batteries Not Included
“That’s a fair assessment on both counts. Do you never worry that this life of yours is making you hard?” Tim asked her, genuinely curious. Miranda smiled. “I used to, but I don’t anymore. It’s my life and I do the best I can with it,” she told him. “This is excellent cake, by the way.” “It is rather good. Milo’s wife is a commercial baker. She has a large shop over on Elmwood. She sends over treats like this all the time,” Tim replied. “We’ve all gotten rather spoiled, actually. This cake was baked by a bio-mech.” “Was it?” Miranda asked without much interest. It was good cake. But the fact that a cake tasted good was no proof of the suitability of bio-mechs for ranch work. “As for being spoiled, I can see why. My own cooking tends to be rather plain. Aside from basic bread, I don’t bake much. I probably wouldn’t bake my own bread if I could buy it fresh locally.” “That’s just a matter of necessity. I should imagine that you are simply too tired at the end of a day to worry about cooking anything more than just what you need to in order to stay alive,” Tim said gently. “Slow cookers help. I start something in the morning before going out for the day, and supper is ready when I come in. But, I never was much of a cook. When Dan was alive, we had a household staff including a cook/housekeeper.” “What kind of things do you make in the slow cooker?” “Soups, stews, casseroles, roast meats and vegetables.” Tim nodded. “I can see that. Probably slice the meat for lunch sandwiches during the week.” “Generally.” “Makes sense,” Tim replied with a smile. “Do you never think of giving up the hard work of ranching and moving back to a city? I’m sure that you could find employment teaching at a University.” “I have a chair open to me at the University here anytime that I want it. I don’t care to live in any city. Not any more. I like my life on the ranch,” Miranda said. “It’s a hard life, but a satisfying one.” “Hard things can often be very satisfying,” Tim told her, his voice low, intimate. Miranda looked at him for a long moment. She didn’t want to read too much into that comment. But, given his earlier comments, there was little doubt in her mind that this was intended as she took it, suggestively. The only question in her mind was whether he was serious in his flirting with her. She didn’t really know how to take him. “Yes,” she answered, “challenges can be profoundly satisfying.” “Speaking of challenges, will you have dinner with me tonight? Dinner, dancing, and whatever else suits us?” Miranda looked at him. “Are you married? ” “No,” he told her with a small chuckle, as though he found her question amusing. “I belong to no one. I wouldn’t be asking you if I were bound to anyone.” “Are you healthy?” “Of course,” he told her with a smile. “You don’t need to worry about anything. Are you healthy? ” “Yes.” 63
Cassie Walder
“Then neither of us have anything to worry about, do we?” Tim asked, his voice low and intimate. “I’m staying at the Belleview.” “On Harrison?” “Yes.” “Not a wonderful hotel.” “It’s clean, safe, and relatively inexpensive. I usually stay there when I come to town. The owner is an old college friend of mine. She cuts me a good deal on the room whenever I come to town.” “A good deal? ” Miranda chuckled. “Yeah, she lets me have the room for free.” “That’s what I call a good deal,” he said with appreciation his voice. “I bring her a few pounds of frozen meat when I come.” “That sounds like she’s getting the better end of the deal. I’ll collect you at eight. We’ll have a nice evening. I think you could use an evening out and a little bit of fun for a change.” “Probably.” “Somehow, I don’t think you get much fun on the ranch.” “I don’t. If you mean entertainment, no. But I enjoy my work. It’s very satisfying.” Tim smiled. “I’m happy for you. Having work that you like is a good thing. ” Milo returned to find them talking. “Now that you have talked to Tim, are you still interested in acquiring a bio-mech?” “Tim is quite persuasive. He answered my questions and made his case. What kind of money is involved?” Miranda asked, her voice cautious. “Why don’t you and I discuss that in my office?” Milo urged. “Certainly,” Miranda replied. “Don’t forget, Miranda. Eight o’clock,” Tim told her. Milo looked at Tim, questioningly. “I invited Miranda out to dinner and dancing,” Tim explained. “Did you, now?” Milo said, amusement in his voice, and something else that Miranda couldn’t quite understand. “Is there some reason we shouldn’t?” Miranda asked. “No. I’m just surprised,” Milo replied. “Come to my office, now, Miranda, if you would.” Milo’s office was a small room as run down as his building. Miranda took a seat on the well-worn leather upholstered chair. “Why are you surprised?” Miranda demanded. “Tim is reserved, shy almost to the point of pain around women.” “He seemed quite sweet, actually. Not a tactful bone in his body, but there is no malice in him,” Miranda replied with a small shake of her head. “Yet I wouldn’t call him shy. He’s actually quite straightforward, or least he was with me. I don’t know how he is with anyone else.”
64
Batteries Not Included
“Oh, he’s a good-un, don’t get me wrong. He’s just usually very reserved,” Milo replied. Then he looked at his calendar. “I can take delivery from you of the M-2000 unit tomorrow morning and complete the transfer to you then. You do have the M-2000 with you?” “I do.” “Good. Then by noon tomorrow, you can be back on your way to your ranch.” “That’s what I’d planned. But, you still haven’t told me what you want for the droid.” “The list price of that unit is fifty thousand credits.” “I see. I don’t have that kind of liquidity. Thank you for your time,” Miranda said her voice stiff, with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, as she rose to her feet. He knew how much, or rather how little, she had to spend on a droid and still he tried to sell her something way beyond her means. The sinking feeling morphed into anger. How dare he do this to her? Get her hopes up, then dash them like this? How dare he? She wanted to slap his face. She wanted to scream at him. But, she wouldn’t. She still had too much of the control that had been drilled into her as a child. There was something to be said for self-control. “Just settle down, Miranda. Sit back down. List ain ’t necessarily what things sell for, especially at O’Shea’s. I’ve never sold anything for list, or anywhere near list, in my entire life. That’s why the shop is called Discount Bot.” “OK, I’ll bite. What do you want for him?” she demanded as she continued to stand. “What I will do is spot you the bot. You transfer the M-2000 to me now. After your harvest this year, if you find him satisfactory, then you will pay me a processed beef. The rest, minus the trade of the M-2000, we can work out in barter of your giving me a processed beef for each of the following four years. That will give me the wholesale cost of the bot and a little interest above that. I’m not above taking barter. It gets me my money back and I don’t have to report it as income, so there is no tax burden on it. If the bot doesn’t prove satisfactory after the end of this first trial season, then you will return him to me with a processed beef, and we’ll call it a short term rental.” “Why would you give me such favorable terms?” Miranda asked, her voice suspicious, as she sat down again. “I like beef steak, ribs, a good hamburger, even liver and tongue, more often than I can afford to indulge the passion. The diet police have gone way out of their way to make red meat unaffordable except as an occasional treat.” “Tell me about it. The producer doesn’t see anything like the meat market price when we sell animals on the hoof to the butchers. ” Milo nodded. “I’m going to get nosy here.” “Oh, geez, thanks for the warning,” Miranda teased him. Milo laughed. Then he asked, his voice serious, “How can you make ends meet with only three hundred head of cattle? How can you even begin to pay the taxes on the land? Let alone live?” “Fair enough. You need to know that you will be paid for your droid. Grandfather put the ranch into the wildlife refuge conservatory. Half of the ranch land is left as a wildlife refuge. That allows me to escape paying land taxes on the whole thing. The half that is set aside for
65
Cassie Walder
wildlife is the higher mountains and most of the timber, areas I couldn’t use to run cattle on anyway. Most of the meadows are still available for the cattle.” Milo nodded. “That makes sense.” “Now, tell me why you are cutting me this large of a deal?” “I like placing units where I know they will be taken care of. It’s rare that I can indulge my two passions at the same time,” he explained. She didn’t buy that. “There’s more to it than that,” she said, her voice flat. “Don’t even try to bluff an old poker player. There is much more to this than you’re saying.” Milo sighed. “Yes, there is,” he agreed after a brief pause. “What else?” “I doubt that you keep too close a track on current events,” Milo began, obvious reluctance in his voice. “No. I don’t watch the news very often. I live in a no-signal area and by the time I get the papers, the news is history. I was too tired last night when I got into town to care about finding the news programs. And I’ve been too busy today to pay much attention.” “Naturally,” Milo replied, with an indulgent smile. “Tell me the rest of the story, Milo.” “There is a growing upswell of opinion surrounding the idea of bio-mechs. Two very distinct groups are up in arms about this technology. And it’s getting quite ugly.” “How ugly is quite ugly?” she asked, care in her voice. “The first group see bio-mechs as an erosion of the difference between man and machine. They claim that the existence of these machines is the creation of another species endangering the evolution of the human race. Utter nonsense. Yes, they are different, but no way they could ever be a threat to human evolution. They can’t reproduce. They’ll last for their own lifespan, but no longer.” Miranda nodded. “Okay. I understand that. That’s the first group. Tell me about the others.” “The second group holds that bio-mechs should have the protection of human rights since they are indistinguishable from humans. They claim that to use the labor of one of these machines is to constructively engage in slavery. That’s also ridiculous. No one could ever force bio-mechs to do labor that they weren’t interested in doing. They aren’t mindless drones. As long as they have food, clothing, and shelter, as well as work they like, and people they can care for, they’re profoundly happy. ” “They can be happy? They have emotional awareness to that degree?” “Of course. They are totally self-aware.” “I see,” she said quietly. “If they are self-aware, then I’d call them alive.” “Some would disagree. But, for what it’s worth, I’m with you. I do consider them to be living as they are sentient.” “Okay. So why do you want to place this droid with me?” “I’d just as soon have the couple of bio-mechs I have out of my shop and placed in homes where they will be valued and cared for.”
66
Batteries Not Included
“Again. There is more to it. Tell me everything. I have the right to make an informed decision.” He sighed. “Yeah, you deserve to know. Last night, rioters damaged the factory in Iowa when both sides clashed. People died and bots were destroyed—how many of each we don’t know yet as they’re still sorting out the bodies of humans and bio-mechs but the initial body count is well over five hundred. The factory and warehouse went up in a ball of flames,” Milo said. “I hadn’t heard about that destruction and loss of life,” she said quietly, horrified at the prospect of having to deal with more violence in her life. “Sorting out the bodies? Wasn’t it evident who was human?” “No, it wasn’t evident. The medical examiners were still scratching their heads over this, last I heard.” Miranda thought about that for a moment. These bio-mechs were really synthetic human. That opened a whole area of ethics she would rather not deal with. “I see.” “I’m trying to be completely straight up with you.” “I appreciate that. If the bio-mechs are so controversial, then I’m not certain that I want one. I’ve had enough violence in my life, Milo. It’s enough that I’ve lost my husband and child to unreasoning violence by modern Luddites. I don’t want to put myself at risk of being a target for more of the same because of something I don’t have to risk.” Milo nodded. “I understand your point. However, the bio-mechanoid is the only android on the market that will meet your needs. You can’t run the ranch by yourself, can you?” he demanded. “You know I can’t,” she admitted, her voice low. “If I could, I wouldn’t have bothered to come to town.” “Do you really want to quit ranching?” Milo asked, his voice gentle. Miranda sighed. That’s what it came down to. They both knew it. She either took this biomech on these terms or she would have to scale the ranch back to a subsistence level. And that would be just too hard. So, she would have to do something else and the ranch would fail. Hundreds of years of family history tied to that parcel of land would end with her now. Milo spoke before she could reply. “I don’t want to see these bots scrapped when they can be profoundly useful. They are alive, for lack of any better way to describe them. I’ll leave the philosophers to hash out what it means to be human. Biomechs are human enough for me to consider them people. I try to place them according to their desires.” Miranda looked at him. “And this droid wants to come with me? Just what do you mean ‘them’?” she asked, suspicion in her voice. “They both want to be out of the city, as soon as possible. Placing them with you is as good as or better than anything else. In fact, it is a perfect placement for them. They will be somewhere they can be useful, with someone who will care for them.” “There could be violence aimed at me if I take one droid. And you want me to take more than one? I’ve had enough trouble in my life. I don’t need any more trouble, Milo.” “There won’t be any trouble for you. No one will be able to tell they’re bots. There won’t be any document trail tying you to them.”
67
Cassie Walder
“You’d better explain that one. Why wouldn’t there be a document trail? There has to be title to the androids. That’s the law.” “All of the business records at the factory were destroyed in the fire.” “So?” “I hold them for resale. They were never titled to me, although I paid wholesale for them upfront. The original title would’ve come from the factory. No one even knows that I have them, except for the sales manager at the factory who is my wife’s cousin. And he’s missing, presumed dead in the fire.” Miranda closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry, Milo. That has to be hard.” He nodded. “Yeah, Sean was a good man. I still can’t believe he’s gone.” “And you want me to run the same risk of dealing with these violent people? ” “I will keep no records of the placement so that no one can ever find them, if things go really sour. I will never tell anyone where they went, if they get traced to me. Most of the staff hasn’t even been aware that I had biomechs in the shop. I kept a low profile on this. You needn’t worry at all.” “Milo, look I run very close to the margin with the ranch as it is. How in the world am I going to explain suddenly having two extra people around place? ” “Introduce them as your new partners, new hired hands, whatever you want. It’s none of anyone’s business, anyway. And, damnit Miranda, you really need the help. Even you have to admit that. A ranch is a terrible lot of work for single woman.” “Milo O’Shea, you are a piece of work.” The shop owner smiled. “Yes, ma’am. That I am. Now, do you want the bots or not?” “How much trade are you willing to give me on Mike?” “Five thousand.” Miranda nodded. That was about ten times the scrap value. “That’s more than fair.” “Then I’ll call by your hotel in the morning to finish the delivery and to pick up the M2000?” “Sounds good to me. Thank you, Milo. I appreciate this. I can buy that bull I was saving for, get through the rest of the year and make my ranch that much more profitable in the long run. I’ll have your beef in the fall. I have to tell you that I’m still leery about the violence surrounding the controversy.” “There shouldn’t be any problem for you.” “There’s enough of a problem that you admit yourself that you don’t want to keep the droids in your shop because you are afraid of the backlash.” Milo sighed. “That’s different. I’m here in the city. I own a bot shop. That puts me under far higher risk of scrutiny. It would be easy for me to be picketed or worse. You are isolated out there in the country. Your ranch is a perfect placement for these mechsons. I want you take both of them.” “I can’t afford both of them.” “Come on. You can use the help. Tell me you couldn’t use another hand around the homestead, as a housekeeper/cook, to work the garden and preserve food, and to be an extra hand in a pinch with the cattle.”
68
Batteries Not Included
“I can’t tell you that. It wouldn’t be true. But, the fact remains I can’t afford that level of help. Everyone knows I can’t afford that level of help. It would start tongues waging.” “What tongues? You are in the middle of nowhere, with over a hundred miles between you and your nearest neighbor.” Miranda looked at him. “That was an awfully convenient summons on your beeper. Gave you the opportunity to do a little research on my situation. Did you look at my credit history while you were investigating me? ” “Naturally,” Milo replied unrepentantly. “It’s impeccable, of course. But, I expected nothing less.” “I don’t see many people. This is true. But, I can’t afford both droids. Most of the time, the ranch hovers near the edge of insolvency. I’m making a living but not too much of a surplus. And what neighbors I do have, well they have a pretty good idea of exactly what my economic standing is. Most of them are in at the same boat. That’s just the plain truth of it. If you weren’t making me a deal, I couldn’t afford the male.” “Suppose I made a gift to you of the second bot?” Milo asked. She looked at him for a long moment. “Why would you do that?” “Because you will give them both a good home. You’ll care for them. You’ll keep them safe. They won’t have to be around too many people who could ask too many awkward questions. This is a perfect placement for them. I don’t want to risk their being destroyed. Will you take both units? Please?”
69
Cassie Walder
Chapter Two Miranda looked at herself in the mirror. The ankle length black dress was a slinky, timeless, classic with its long straight sleeves, jewel neckline, and princess seams. She always packed it, a string of pearls, and a pair of low heeled dressy shoes, just in case she needed to go someplace more formal than she had initially planned for any business trip. She was glad that she had gotten into the habit. For very formal occasions, she was slightly underdressed. For casual chic evenings, she was marginally overdressed. But the dress let her go almost anywhere and blend in without calling undue attention to herself. Cosmetics were something that she normally did without. She couldn’t remember the last time she had spent any credits on something so frivolous. So, here she was with the utterly natural “barefaced” look that many people spent hours trying to achieve with cosmetics. She’d taken down her long deep auburn hair and brushed it out until it seemed to be a cloud of fire surrounding her face and flowing down over her shoulders and down to her waist. The time was fifteen until eight. Tim would be here any moment. She felt as nervous as a schoolgirl on her first date. It had been a long time since she had been out on the town with a man, or had stayed in with a man for that matter. There was no doubt in her mind that the evening would end with them back here, making love. He wanted her. There was no doubt in her mind as to that. The feeling was quite mutual. Insanity. Plain insanity, she thought. No one slept with someone on the first date. But, she knew that she would sleep with Tim tonight. But, she doubted that either of them were going to do much in the way of sleeping. Miranda wasn’t sure if she was shocked by her own behavior or not. All she knew was that she wasn’t going to deny herself the pleasure of his company wherever that led tonight. She could deal with the consequences later. Consequences! It had been a long time since she had thought about contraception. She wasn’t prepared to deal with this. It was the wrong time in her cycle for her to be overly concerned with conceiving. She shouldn’t be fertile for another six days or so. But, it could still happen. Human bodies could and did throw surprises from time to time. A baby. No. As much as she would enjoy another child, she didn’t want to be a single mother. Raising a child was hard enough when you had the help of the child’s father. With her life the way it was, a pregnancy would mean she couldn’t hold the ranch together. So, she could permit no pregnancy. The drugstore off the lobby would be open for another hour. She grabbed her handbag, checked that she had her cardkey, and left the room. Leaving the pharmacy, and placing her purchase into her handbag, she saw Tim walk into the lobby. He had been attractive even in the work jumpsuit, but in semi-formal dress, he was devastatingly handsome. He looked at her and smiled. “Are you ready to go to dinner, Miranda?” he asked as he came to stand beside her. “Certainly.” “You look incredibly beautiful tonight.” 70
Batteries Not Included
“You clean up well, yourself,” she told him with appreciation in her voice. Tim offered her his arm, which she took. “There’s a nice restaurant just down the street. Do you like Italian food?” “That would be Salvatore’s?” “Indeed. Do you like the food there?” “I do.” “Then there is a club about four blocks from here that has dancing until three. Do you mind if we walk?” “No. I’d rather, if the truth be told.” “Then let’s go.” On the way, Tim said, “I understand that you agreed to take Jean.” “Jean?” “The female,” he explained quietly. “Yes. I told Milo I would take her to the ranch, but he didn’t tell me her name.” “She’s a good worker and has a wicked sense of humor,” Tim said easily as they walked along. “She’ll be a great assistance to you. Milo has had her working for his wife at the bakery. She makes wonderful pies and pastries. She baked that cake we had this afternoon.” Miranda thought about that for moment. Milo had said that no one knew he had these droids. Obviously he was wrong. If Tim knew, who else did? Would it be safe to take them? Or was she merely inviting more trouble than she could deal with? “Miranda?” Tim asked in concern, as she remained silent. “I could actually use another hand around the homestead, and even outside with the cattle at times,” Miranda told him. “Once, there were almost thirty people working at the ranch. I’ve been making do with my own labor and Mike’s.” “Mike?” he asked carefully. If Miranda hadn’t known better, she would have thought that his voice held a touch of jealousy. “My old M-2000, the droid I’m replacing.” “Ah,” he said as they reached the restaurant. The restaurant was a small family run operation. Miranda had eaten there before. The food was good, the prices were fair, the service friendly. They were shown to a small table in a corner of the softly lit restaurant. Miranda looked at her menu and decided on what she would have. Then she placed the menu on the table and looked at Tim. His glance had not left her face. “Have you worked for O’Shea very long?” she asked him. “Not really.” “Is being an android tech what you set out to do with your life?” Miranda asked. “Until recently, I was at a loss to know what I intended to do with my life,” he replied with a small smile. “Which means that you are no longer at a loss?” she asked, his meaning clear, or at least she thought she understood him. And it took her breath away. “No. I now know precisely what I want to do with the next fifty or so years of my life.” 71
Cassie Walder
Then he reached for her right hand. Gently, he took it within his. He turned her hand palm up. Then he lightly traced the lines in her palm with his right index finger. His touch took her breath away. She knew that she should pull away from him. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to end even this most innocent of caresses. “What’s that, what do you want to do with your life, Tim?” He smiled, but didn’t answer her, “Once upon a time, people used to tell fortunes by reading these lines in a person’s palm. This one,” he said lingering a moment upon a specific line, “was used to predict a person’s lifespan. I’m pleased to see that yours is long. That makes me happy.” “Why?” “Because it gives us more time to be happy together.” Miranda drew a deep breath. Oh, how she wanted to believe. Tim continued. “This line,” he said touching the outer base of her wrist, “is the travel line. It’s deep and unusually long.” “Which means?” He smiled at her, again. That smile, and the frankly sexual look in his eyes, made her face grow warm. “I do not know. But it’s interesting, nonetheless. Are you planning a trip?” “No. Why is it interesting?” she asked. “Anything that brings heat to your face and makes your pulse jump in your throat, anything that makes you more aware of me as a man is something I find interesting, ” he told her, his voice little more than a sensuous whisper. “Tim…” but her breath caught in her throat. There was much to say, but all she wanted to do was simply enjoy the moment. Words could come later. He traced his finger over palm until it came to rest at the base of her ring finger. “See this line?” he asked, his voice soft and sensual. “Yes, I see it.” “That’s your sex line,” he told her, his voice low. “Another line that I’m very glad to see is long and deep. You are a sensual woman. I intend to explore that and make you very glad that you are so in tune with your senses.” She forced herself to breathe. “I want to make you happy, Miranda. I never believed in love at first sight until today. But there is no other explanation for what I feel for you, other than love. It’s a little bit frightening, more than a little bit, actually. But, I don’t hide from the truth. I’ve fallen in love with you, Miranda. I can’t put it any more straightforward than that.” She looked at him in disbelief. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Surely, he hadn’t said what she thought he had said. She was spared the necessity of the immediately answering him by the appearance of the waiter who had come to take their orders. Making her happy. He wanted to make her happy. He loved her. Miranda couldn’t get over the warm feelings those words of his gave to her. She couldn’t free herself of the fear those words engendered. She didn’t want to be the center of anyone’s universe. The last thing she
72
Batteries Not Included
wanted was ever to cause the kind of pain that the center of one’s universe suddenly not being there gave. Miranda, needing something to do, gave the waiter her own food order. Tim placed his own order and then ordered a fairly good bottle of wine that would go with both entrees. When the waiter left, the silence between them stretched uncomfortably. Miranda didn’t know what to say. Her mind spun with the implications of his declaration. No one fell in love that quickly, did they? “I’m sorry,” Tim said, his voice genuinely contrite. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just thought you ought to know.” “Not uncomfortable as much as just surprised,” Miranda replied, her voice gentle. “Just give me a little time to think this out. This has happened very suddenly.” Tim smiled. “Fair enough. Now, tell me about the ranch.” “It’s my family’s spread. There is no more beautiful place on earth, in my opinion.” “A person should be biased about their family home,” Tim said quietly. “I’ve always envied people who had roots.” “The ranch has been in the family for four hundred years.” “That’s a long time to hold any piece of ground.” “Yes, it is. My mother was raised there. She left as soon as she reasonably could, hating the place, hating what the hard work did to her mother. I was raised to think of the ranch as a backwards place to be avoided at all costs. It wasn’t until I was twelve that I went to the ranch for the first time. I loved it from the start. But, I didn’t see any way of merging that life with the way I’d planned to live my life. I still went to the ranch every summer and helped Grandfather until I finished my doctorate. I don’t know how much help I was in those early years. I was as green as they come.” Tim smiled. “I’m sure that your grandfather enjoyed having you with him.” Miranda shrugged. “I don’t know about that. He wasn’t a person to show his emotions. He was distant, cool, reserved. He was a hard man. Praise came rarely from him. But, then, he left me the ranch saying that I was the only one in the family who would even come close to appreciating it.” “What do you like most about the ranch?” Tim asked. “The quiet. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s only really quiet in comparison to the sounds of the city. There is a whole range of sounds that nature makes completely unique to an isolated place in the country. The wind is so fierce coming down the mountains into the valley floor at times that you wonder if anything can stand in its path. In the mountains, I have a pack of wolves. Well, they aren’t really mine. They’re feral as they come. The first time I heard them howl at night sent shivers down my spine. The sound still does that. Every once in a while a wolf will take down one of my cattle. Usually, they only take down the old, the sick, and the animals that wouldn’t survive the winter anyway. They only take down what they’ll eat. Most of the time, they go after the abundant small wild game rather than my prize cattle. It’s easier to take down a rabbit than a cow. The pack isn’t growing in numbers. And they were there long before my cattle were, so we’re really the intruders. If they were a larger threat, I’d have to take the rifle and reduce their numbers whenever they leave the refuge area.” “That’s a different way of looking at it. Most people are so involved with their own lives that they can’t see a larger picture to things.” 73
Cassie Walder
“Predation is part of nature. Everything eats something else. Even strict vegetarians consume insect parts in flour and grains. There’s no way around it.” Tim was silent for a moment. “That much is true,” he agreed as the waiter placed a tray of appetizers with hot Italian bread and whipped butter on the table, followed by small plates for each of them. Miranda took some of the pickled peppers, dried sausage slices, a couple pieces of cheese, some of the marinated vegetables, and some of the ripe olives onto her plate. Then she sliced into the small loaf of hot bread and buttered two slices, giving one to Tim. “Thank you,” he told her. She sipped the wine that the waiter had poured for them. “Sometimes, I think the nibbles are the best part of the meal.” He laughed. “Only because you are hungriest when that course comes.” “Probably. So, tell me about yourself.” “There isn’t much to tell, really.” “Now, I think you’re being modest,” Miranda replied. He shrugged. “I like music.” “Play any instruments?” He nodded after he finished chewing his bite of bread. “Guitar, trumpet, and keyboard.” “No woodwinds?” she teased. “I tried to learn to play flute, but I never could learn to hold my mouth right,” he confessed. “The sound I produce is thin and unpleasant. One of these days, I’ll try again.” Miranda chuckled. “I play flute, not at any professional level. But when Dan was alive, we used to have a small group that would get together to play music on Friday nights, strictly for our own amusement. I wouldn’t want you to be discouraged, it takes a while to learn to produce a full rich sound.” “Ah, then you’re a better musician than I.” “I don’t know about that,” she said quietly. “Music is a diversion on a cold winter’s night, nothing more.” “Making music is a joy.” “Yes, it is. Do you have a style that you enjoy more than others?” “Classical guitar.” Miranda smiled. “I could sit and listen to a classical guitar for hours.” “At least, that’s one way I could make you happy.” “I’m not convinced that anyone can make anyone else happy. People can share joys with others, bring a smile to their lips, but true happiness comes from a person being simply willing to be happy.” Tim nodded as he finished the last bite of his bread. Once he swallowed, he asked, “Are you willing to be happy, Miranda?” She worked on her food. When her mouth was clear, she told him, “For a long time, all I wanted was to be left alone to grieve, to work, and to be too tired to have to either think about my loss or feel pain. The ranch did that for me. I was able to bury myself in the workload and just concentrate on everything that needed doing there. So, the ranch work probably saved my 74
Batteries Not Included
sanity, letting me work out my grief, giving me time to heal. Now, I think I am ready to be happy. ” “I can’t even imagine what you went through in your loss of your family,” Tim told her, his voice gentle. “I hope you never know that kind of pain. Now, tell me more about your interests.” Tim shrugged. “I draw, and paint in both oils and watercolors. Never did like acrylics very much, they dry too rapidly and are too unforgiving.” “And watercolor isn’t an unforgiving medium? ” Miranda asked, her voice incredulous. “Color can be removed,” Tim said. “It’s not easy, but it can be done with a little patience. I have lots of patience.” “Do you? Then you’re rare. I want to know more about Tim Johnson.” “I’m good with mechanical things and with electronics. Dogs and small children seem to like me.” “It’s hard to fool those two groups,” Miranda replied thoughtfully. “So, I’m told.” Miranda laughed. Just being with him made her feel happier than she had felt in years. Tim reached across the table and took her hand in his. Why did even the most innocent of caresses fill her with need? Of all the men in the world who could turn her on, why this one? “We can be happy together, Miranda. All I want is the opportunity to prove it to you.” “My life is on the ranch.” He nodded. “I know. It will be a big change for me, but one that I’m looking forward to making.” “You want to relocate to my ranch?” Miranda asked, keeping her voice level although she felt his bare foot caressing her leg under the table. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone played “footsie” with her. But it was all she could do not to let him see how much he was affecting her. A woman had to have some pride. “Of course,” Tim told her, a shade of puzzlement on his face. “I don’t see any other option, other than my coming to the ranch, if we are to pursue this relationship. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” “If things don’t work out?” “Milo will take me back,” he said, his voice bleak at the prospect as he removed his foot from her leg. “And your life will go on.” The waiter brought them big bowls of minestrone, with another loaf of bread. Quickly, he cleared away the remnants of the appetizers. She watched as Tim took a bite of his soup. “This is really very good. I could probably duplicate it with very little trouble,” Tim told her. “You cook?” “I cook. Not to the quality of a five star chef but well enough to get by,” he told her, his voice gentle. “When you’re alone, you learn to fend for yourself.”
75
Cassie Walder
“What’s your favorite thing to cook?” she asked him as she slid her foot out of her own shoe. Did she have enough courage to tease him? “I like Chinese food. There’s a lot of fine chopping and slicing in the preparation, but then everything goes together rather quickly. And the flavors and textures of the foods are good. I really like the very hot stuff with lots of dried peppers, Szechwan style cooking. But some of the Cantonese and Mandarin dishes are very good too.” “I’ve never had the patience for prep work on Chinese. The knife work was what Dan really liked to do in the kitchen. But, most of the time, the cook prepared all of our meals. Dan and Larry only had to put up with my cooking when the cook was on holiday.” “Jean is an exceptionally fine cook.” “Good. Then I’ll enjoy having her around.” “Yes, you will. I enjoy her company. She’s bright, funny, and a generally fine companion,” Tim said. “She’s not afraid of hard work, and will put her hand to anything that she’s asked to do.” “Then she’ll fit in just fine at the ranch. There’s always lots of work to do.” “Tell me about your son,” Tim asked, suddenly changing the subject. Miranda smiled, deciding that she was glad the pain was gone and that she could think about Larry without feeling a sharp dagger of loss through her heart. “Larry was all boy. He could be neck deep in trouble one moment and smiling like an angel the next. He loved baseball, and soccer. But, then again, he never met a sport he didn’t like. He was a bundle of energy, always in motion. Sitting still was hard for him. But, that’s hard for most boys.” Tim was silent for a long moment. “I think sometimes about having children, about what that would mean. It makes me sad to know that I will never be able to feel my child kick from inside his mother or to have a new life I’ve had a part in creating born into my hands. That I’ll never have a toddler running after me calling ‘Daddy, pick me up’ or see a child of mine graduate from college, get married, and start a family of his own. But, I’ll never experience any of that as I’m infertile.” Miranda heard the sadness in his voice and knew that it was genuine. She felt his pain. She didn’t want to cause him more pain by asking questions. Cautiously, she stretched out her stocking clad foot to reach for his foot or leg. He ate some more of his soup. Her foot made soft contact with his ankle. She watched his face as he realized it was her toes sneaking under the hem of his trousers. His smile was enough reward. When he spoke again, the sadness was replaced by joy. “You know, we really should stop being so maudlin, Miranda. The night is young and you are so incredibly beautiful.” She felt beautiful tonight in his company; beautiful, sexy, desirable. All of which were things she hadn’t felt in a very long time. “I’m glad you think so,” she told him as she ran her foot up his leg as far as his trousers would allow. “So, tell me more about the other things you like to cook, besides Chinese food,” she urged while her foot slowly retreated down his leg. Tim laughed, his voice quiet, as he returned the foot play under the table. “Aside from Chinese? Spaghetti, with meatballs. I like eating that.”
76
Batteries Not Included
“Most little boys do. And there is a core of little boy at the center of your personality,” she told him, her voice thoughtful. “And the rest of you is strictly delectable man. It’s an appealing combination, that sexiness blended with playfulness.” He smiled at her, sexual awareness burning in his eyes. “How observant of you. I hope I never lose touch with the inner child. I hope you always find me appealing and delectable.” Miranda wet her lips with her tongue. Tim’s glance was fixed on her mouth. “Soon, I’ll have to have that tongue of yours on my lips as well,” he told her, his voice thick with desire. “I can hardly wait.” She smiled at him. “Maybe.” “Miranda, there’s a playful inner child in you, as well.” “I lost touch with her for a while. But, I think she’s back.” Tim smiled at her. “That’s good. Everyone should be in touch with his or her inner child. The ability to wonder, to appreciate things fresh, to enjoy simple things is a valuable gift.” Miranda smiled in return. “Yes. It is.” “Finish your soup. They’ll be bringing out the entrée in a few minutes.” And he wasn’t wrong in that assessment. The waiter cleared away the soup bowls and brought out their main dishes. Tim’s spinach lasagna looked good. But Miranda also liked the scent of her chicken marsala. “You like chicken?” he asked. “Sure. I keep some chickens for eggs and meat. But, I don’t like taking a hen out of production before she’s done laying. And by that time, she’s tough enough that she’s only really fit for stewing or braising. So younger tender chicken is a real treat.” “You could keep a few more chickens and plan on harvesting them for fryers. That way you’d have the young, tender, chicken you like.” “Have you ever butchered chickens?” she asked, her voice dry. “I can’t say that I have. I’ve read about it. I think I could do it easily enough.” “It’s a lot of work for very little meat. At least when you butcher a cow, you get quite a lot from the exercise.” “I’ve never been afraid of work.” Miranda smiled. “No. I don’t think you have been.” “I’m going to need to get some riding boots and work clothes for the ranch,” he said. “Can you ride?” “Yes. I can ride.” “Western?” “Of course. But, I’ve ridden English as well.” “When was the last time you were on a horse?” “It’s been a while,” he admitted. “Then you’re going to have some muscle soreness. At least until you get used to being back in the saddle again.” Mischief danced in his eyes. She could see he was trying not to say something that was amusing him. 77
Cassie Walder
“What’s so funny, Tim?” “Nothing, really. You’re so incredibly cute when you get all so concerned about me. It’s good to have someone care about me.” “I’d be concerned about anyone coming into ranch life from city life.” “I know that. You’ve got a good heart, Miranda,” he told her, his voice tender. “That’s one of the things I love about you.” Miranda sipped her wine. “I don’t know about you, Tim.” “Yes, you do. And you will know me better as the years go along. Is there anyplace in town I could get the gear I need for working on the ranch? Or do I need to wait until we get closer to the ranch?” “There isn’t much closer source for anything. Rural communities don’t really exist anymore. There aren’t enough of us in the country to amount to much in the way of business. I do business with a farm and ranch supply at the edge of town that will have what you need. I’ll take you there tomorrow before we leave.” “I’d appreciate that.” “The pasta looks really good.” Tim cut off a bite, put it on his fork and held it out to her. The intimacy of that gesture touched her. The lasagna was as good as it looked. “Do you want to have dessert? Or shall we simply go down to the club?” Tim asked a bit later after they finished dinner. “I don’t think I could eat another bite.” “Then we’ll go dance some of those calories away.” Tim paid the bill with a credit card. Miranda noticed that the card was issued to O’Shea’s Discount Bot. He smiled. “I’m mixing business with pleasure. Milo will write this off as a business expense, entertaining clients.” Miranda chuckled. “Tonight has been anything except business.” Tim shrugged. “I guess that depends on how you define business. Shall we go? ”
***** The music in the club slowed down as the evening progressed. Lively tunes became soft, slow, and sentimental pieces requiring slow dancing. Being held in his arms, dancing slowly, closely to him, was exquisite torment. Her breasts brushed up against his chest. Anticipation flooded her. All she wanted was to be alone with him, to have the barrier of their clothes gone, and to make love to him. He planted a light kiss on her neck that sent shudders through her. “Miranda?” Tim asked. “I think it’s time to go.”
78
Batteries Not Included
“I was hoping that you would say that.” They left the club and walked the several blocks back to the hotel. The night was cool. The scent of coming rain was heavy in the air. Tim put his arm around her and pulled her closer as they walked on. “Are you going to invite me to come into your room, tonight, Miranda?” “I am thinking about it.” “What are you thinking about it?” he asked care in his voice. “Wondering if it would be wise, and knowing whether it’s wise or not that I don’t want to deny myself the pleasure of your company, Tim. I want you.” He planted a kiss on her temple. There was relief in his voice, “What do you want from me, Miranda?” “What do you want to give me?” “Pleasure. Ultimate pleasure.” “Ummm… Sounds decadent.” “There’s nothing decadent about it, unless you want it that way. ” “Let’s just see what develops, shall we?” “Miranda, my mind is so full of the things I want to do with you, if we made love five times a day for the next hundred years I still couldn’t love you in every way I want to love you,” Tim told her, his voice smoky and so sexy it took her breath away. Miranda cleared her throat. “I don’t think there are that many positions possible,” she only half-teased in return. “You might be surprised how inventive I can be in the giving of pleasure,” Tim replied. “You have never been loved as completely as I love you, as completely as I will love you for the rest of our days together.” Miranda stopped walking.
her.
Tim stopped and turned to her. “Is there a problem?” She drew a deep breath. How she wanted this, for him to love her! But, it still frightened “Have I offended you?” he asked, his voice careful.
“Don’t love me like that,” she said in a low, pained, voice. “Why not?” “I don’t want to hurt you, Tim,” she told him as she lightly touched his face. “I don’t ever want to hurt you.” “You could never hurt me. It’s not in you to purposefully set out to hurt anyone.” “I don’t want to be the center of anyone’s life, Tim.” “Too late, Miranda. You already are the center of my life. Nothing can change that now,” he told her as he took her hand in his. “I will love you forever.” “Love can hurt.” “Only when it ends.” “That’s what I mean,” she told him, her voice tight. He smiled at her. “Doesn’t apply. What we have will never end.” 79
Cassie Walder
“Everything ends. No one lives forever.” Tim sighed. “You will never lose me.” “Don’t make promises.” He looked at her. “This really frightens you, doesn’t it?” “I’d be lying if I said otherwise.” “There is nothing to be afraid of.” “So sure of yourself,” Miranda told him. “No. I’m sure about us.” Miranda smiled at him. But the smile was reserved, doubtful. “Let’s just take this one step at a time, Tim. Okay? ” “For now,” he agreed. “You are moving very fast.” He smiled at her. “It’s not like you live around here and I have the luxury of courting you slowly.” She laughed. “No. It’s not.” “If I’m pushing you too fast, Miranda, then send me away tonight. I don’t want you to feel pressured,” he told her. “There is plenty of time ahead of us. We don’t need to rush into anything that you aren’t ready for. The last thing I want between us is regrets.” “No regrets,” she told him. “Life’s too short for that.” He smiled at her. “I do love you.” “That amazes me.” Tim kissed her forehead. “I can see that it does. Eventually, you will get used to the idea.” Miranda chuckled. “Maybe.” “I grow on people.” “Like a fungus? ” “That’s me, I’m a real fun-guy,” he teased as he touched her face again. “Oh, that was horrible,” Miranda told him through her laughter. “Come on. The night is chilly, and the air smells of rain,” he told her as he wrapped his strong arm around her and urged her forward as lightning traced a pattern through the night sky.
***** They got back to her hotel just as the clouds opened up and rain began to fall heavily. “I’m glad we aren’t out in that,” Miranda said as she watched the sudden downpour. “You don’t like rain?” he asked. “Love it. But, I prefer to be inside a dry house looking out when it comes,” Miranda replied. “Preferably a house with a lightning rod, so that any lightning strike will go to ground instead of causing a fire. You want a drink? We could go to the bar?”
80
Batteries Not Included
“You’re nervous,” he observed. She nodded once, tightly. “Of course. I don’t do things like this.” “You don’t fall in love?” “Only once in my life, until now, have I ever been in love.” Tim smiled. “Good. Then you still have more experience with this than I do. You’ve already done it once before now.” “Do you want to go to the bar?” Miranda asked. “No,” Tim told her. “Let me walk you to your door.” “I’m in 113.” “Lead on.” Her room was just off the shabby lobby, a short distance down a hall. She opened the door and ushered him inside. She followed him into the room then firmly closed and locked the door behind her. “It isn’t much,” she told him, apologetically. “It has what you need; a bed and a bathroom. You can’t ask more of a hotel room than that.” “This is silly. I’m nervous.” “So am I,” Tim said quietly as he crossed over to her. She touched his face. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a man.” “You didn’t use Mike this way? ” “No!” she told him, fla bbergasted at thought. Tim laughed. “Of course not. The M-2000 series wasn’t anatomically correct, was it?” he asked before he leaned towards her and fit his mouth over hers. It had been years since she had been kissed. She had almost forgotten how it felt. But it seemed to be like riding a bicycle. The knowledge of how came flooding back to her. His tongue traced her lips and urged them to part. She didn’t need much urging. He tasted of Irish coffee, the last drink he had ordered at the club. Rich and smoky, creamy and dark. The desire she had recognized between them, the fire that she thought would exist between them, burst into flames at the rasp of his tongue against hers. She moaned deep in her throat as she felt her breasts become heavier and her panties become even wetter than before. He pulled away from her. “Did I hurt you?” “No, Tim, the only thing that would hurt would be if you wouldn’t keep kissing me.” “Not a chance of that,” he told her before he began kissing her again. Although the kissing was good, beyond good, it would never be enough for her. She pulled away from him, slightly. In spite of the fact he told her he was both sterile and healthy, she still needed to protect herself. “Give me a couple of minutes, will you?” Tim smiled. “Anything you need.” “You may regret saying that.” 81
Cassie Walder
“Why?” he asked, his volume low, his tone so sexy she could barely stand it. “I’m very needy,” she said as she removed his necktie and began to unbutton his shirt. “You know, turn about is fair play.” “Not tonight,” she said on a whisper, as she slid her hand between his shirt and his skin. He had a furry chest. She loved hairy men. “Tonight, I’m being selfish. Do you mind?” Tim smiled. “A man would have to be mad to mind a woman wanting him like you want me. Just tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you, Miranda. It’s my pleasure to see you enjoy yourself.” “Everything. I want everything,” she said as she finished unbuttoning his shirt and reached the buttons of his trouser fly. Miranda let her hand caress his hard cock through the fine cloth of his trousers. She cupped his balls in her hand through his slacks. He drew a shuddering breath. “Miranda!” She chuckled as she took her purse with her to the bathroom. She turned to face him. “Take off your shoes, socks, jacket, and shirt. Get comfortable. Leave on your trousers for now, otherwise this will all be over before it starts. I’ll be back in a couple of moments.” After removing her wringing wet panties, and using the facilities, Miranda looked at herself in the bathroom mirror as she unbuttoned the back of her dress. She pulled it off over her head and hung it on the back of the door. The black lace slip was the most feminine thing she owned. She never wore a bra. She wasn ’t large enough through the bust to actually need the support of a bra. This was a good deal sexier than the man’s shirt she normally slept in. Insanity, she argued with herself. Total insanity. He won’t last a week on the ranch. But, she didn’t want to deny herself the possibility of having him with her. It was worth a gamble. She removed her shoes and stockings. She gave herself the hypospray of broad spectrum antibiotics she had purchased in the drugstore. Then she inserted both the spermicidal cervical cap and the female condom. Better safe than sorry. This would protect her from any consequences coming from sex tonight, either pregnancy or disease. Just in case her cycle wasn’t exactly where she thought it was, this should cover her. She’d buy a year’s contraceptive injection kit before she left town tomorrow. She wanted to believe him. She just didn’t know if she could. Nothing like better living through chemistry, she thought. Then she looked at herself in the mirror. What are you doing having sex with a man you don’t trust, Miranda? Isn’t life dangerous enough without this? But she had no answer for herself aside from the fact that she wanted him. She wanted him, and she was going to enjoy every minute of the time they were together, however long that might be. She left the bathroom. Tim was sitting on the bed, with his head resting on the headboard and his long legs stretched out, waiting for her. As she asked, he had left on his trousers. Miranda hadn’t truly realized until this moment how strong and well formed he was. The man was utterly beautiful. His chest muscles were well defined under the mat of dark hair. The upper part of his stomach muscles, what she could see above his waistline, gave every indication of being what was formerly known as “six-pack” abs. He was strong, and sleek, and beautiful. So much so that she felt her mouth go dry and her fingers itch to touch him.
82
Batteries Not Included
He smiled at her. “You are so beautiful.”
83
Cassie Walder
Chapter Three She crossed the few steps towards him. “Beauty is subjective,” she told him before she climbed onto the bed, moved to straddle his legs, and sat facing him. Only the fabric of his trousers separated his cock from her pussy. The feeling of being this close to him, of his hard cock straining at the fabric, was almost more than she could bear. All she had to do was to unbutton the fly and release him. That was all. But she wasn ’t willing to do that yet. She didn’t want this to be over quickly. It had been a while for her, and she wanted to play. He moaned as she rotated her hips, grinding her pussy against his groin. “That’s not fair,” he said. She chuckled. “Touch me.” His hands gently cupped her breasts. “You have beautiful breasts.” “They’re small.” “Anything more than a palm full or a mouthful is an utter waste,” he told her as he moved his thumbs over her nipples. The sensation of being touched there, through the lace of the slip, gave her pleasure so intense she thought she would die from it. It could have been only moments, it could have been an eternity, that he played with her nipples, stroking them, rolling them between his fingers, even pinching them lightly, getting to know her reactions. Then he slid the ribbon straps of her slip from her shoulders and freed her breasts. Tim lowered his head to take her right nipple into his mouth. Miranda threw back her head and arched against him. The man was driving her mad. She knew herself well enough to know that she was well on her way to an orgasm. She felt the pressure, the need, build. She wrapped her hands around his head and held his mouth to her breast. His tongue circled and flicked at the nipple as his lips suckled from her. Then he lifted his head, breaking her hold on him and began to tease the other breast. “TIM!” He lifted his head and looked at her. The expression on his face was both satisfied and hungry. “Like that?” “Do you have to ask?” “Then you’ll love this,” he told her as he rolled them over so that she lay back on the bed and he was atop her. “Now relax and let me love you.” She shifted her hips and rolled them back over so that he lay on the bed and she straddled him. “Not so fast, boyo,” she told him. “Let’s play a bit longer.” He chuckled. “I do love you, woman.” Miranda nodded. “Words are cheap,” she said with a smile.
84
Batteries Not Included
Tim sat up and wrapped his arms around her waist. “What kind of games do you like to play?” Miranda looked at him for a long moment. All she wanted to do was have him inside her. She laughed. “Are you willing to play any games I want to play?” “Of course. I want you to be happy. What is your pleasure?” Miranda shook her head. “Let’s just get to know one another. I want to know your body as well as I know my own. I want to find out what turns you on.” “That’s easy. You do. All you have to do is breathe,” he told her. “I knew from the first second I saw you that you were my destiny.” Miranda didn’t want to talk about destiny, forever, or commitments. All she wanted was to fuck him silly. “Let go of me,” she told him quietly. He released her. She moved away from him. “Did I offend you?” “No. Stand up and take off your pants,” she told him. He smiled as he rose from the bed. Facing her, he unbuttoned his fly and let the trousers drop to the floor. He wore no underwear. Looking at him took her breath away. He was such a beautiful man. Well formed, well hung. Extremely well hung. Freed of his clothing, his thick cock jutted forward, not too long, but long enough to make a woman know she had been fucked. All she could think about was how much she wanted him inside her. “Do you normally not wear underwear?” she heard herself asking. “Semper ubi sub ubi,” he teased. She looked at him with and blinked. It took her a moment to catch the joke. It was bad Latin translated into a worse joke in English. Always where under where. Always wear underwear. “That’s horrible,” she said with a chuckle as he stepped out of his clothes. “But this will be the best thing to ever happen to either of us,” he told her seriously. “How do you like to have sex? Do you have any preferences?” Miranda stood, and dropped her slip to the floor. “Come here, and give me pleasure.” “Yes, mistress.” Miranda smiled. Dominatrix she had never been. Probably never would be. But, having a man who wanted to please her could go to her head. “What would you like?” Tim asked her. “Everything. Whatever you want to give me.” Tim drew a deep breath. “Pleasure. I want to give you pleasure, then share pleasure with you. I want to give you sex in every position ever discovered and a few we’ll make some up ourselves. I want to watch your face as you orgasm time and time again throughout the night.” She smiled and sat down on the bed. “Come here, Tim.” “You’ll never have to ask me twice,” he told her. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” “I’m not,” he told her as he took hold of her hands. Miranda wished she could be as confident of anything as he was of this.
85
Cassie Walder
Tim pulled her to her feet and into his embrace. She couldn’t stop the soft gasp that came at the pleasure of being in his arms, of feeling him against her without anything separating them. His cock pressed against her lower stomach. “When we were dancing, I kept imagining what it would feel like to be skin to skin with you like this,” Tim told her, his voice low, as he spoke into her ear. “Me too. It’s better than I thought.” “Yes.” His tongue darted out to lick the tender skin behind her ea r. Miranda threw back her head and moaned with the pleasure of his caress. He moved his lips and tongue down her neck, to her shoulder. She found her breath coming hard. “Tell me what you want!” Tim demanded in a whisper, not raising his head. “Everything.” Tim chuckled. “Then you shall have it. Come. Lay back on the bed, close your eyes, and simply enjoy. Tonight it is my pleasure to give you pleasure.” “I’m not the type to be passive,” she warned. “All the more reason for you to just relax and let someone else worry about you. Now lay back, and just let me love you. Know that you are so precious to me. Trust me.” Miranda looked at him and fought for her breath. “I trust you. You wouldn’t be here otherwise.” He smiled. “Miranda, honey, just lay back and enjoy.” She sat down on the bed. “Lay on your stomach,” Tim suggested. She looked at him, her face puzzled. Tim went into the bathroom for a moment, then returned with a small bottle of hand lotion. “Touching you, learning your body, sounds like a good place to begin. It’s just a massage,” Tim stated as he warmed some lotion in his hands. “Move your hair out of the way, then lay down. The hair is beautiful. I don’t want to pull it. Lay face down on the bed and let me give you the best massage of your life.” “Don’t be overly sure of yourself,” she warned. Tim laughed. It was a sound rich and full. “You don’t believe me?” “Only time will tell,” Miranda said as she twisted her hair into a knot at the back of her head. “Let’s just say I’m willing to give you a chance to prove yourself.” Then she stretched out on the bed, pillowing her head on her forearms. The bed moved slightly as he climbed onto the coverlet. She drew a deep breath as he took her left leg in his hands and began working to reduce the tension in her foot. “Breathe in slowly, to a count of five. Exhale to a count of seven. Let your body go limp. Relax,” he coached her. “Think about the most beautiful place you’ve ever been.” Relax? Not when his every touch was pumping excitement through her. His hands moved slowly from her foot to her ankle to her calf. When his fingers reached her thigh, she moaned. “Did I hurt you?” he asked in genuine concern.
86
Batteries Not Included
“The only thing that would hurt is if you’d stop.” “No chance of that,” Tim told her. As his fingers reached her hip, he lingered just a brief moment. But it was enough of a moment to take her remaining breath away. Then he began the process all over again with her other leg. Until now, she wouldn’t have thought one person could survive so much pleasure. Again, when he reached her hip, his fingers lingered just for a moment. Oh yes, he definitely knew what he was doing. She felt the bed shift as Tim straddled her legs, keeping his weight off of her, keeping the only contact between them to be her back and his hands. Miranda thought of shifting her weight, bringing her legs up under her, lifting her hips, spreading her legs and rocking back against him, until she tempted him into fucking her. Yet before she could do any of that, he continued with the massage. Feather light strokes on her bottom gave way to firmer cupping, even light pummeling. If the man didn’t stop this soon, she would explode. His hands moved on, steadily about their job. Oh yes, he certainly, with no shadow of a doubt, knew what he was about. His hands on her shoulders were both a taste of heaven and a touch of hell. The massage was both relaxing and stimulating, much more stimulating than relaxing. After lightly rubbing her neck, Tim planted a light kiss at the juncture of her neck and left shoulder. Then, he stretched out, placing much of his weight upon her for just a moment. Oh, oh my! Miranda thought as the pleasure took her breath away. She felt his cock nudging between her thighs A quick turning saw Tim on the bottom, with Miranda looking up at the ceiling. Tim jackknifed so that he was sitting with Miranda just in front of him. “Tim!” she breathed as his hands began to stroke her ribcage, up from her waist, over her ribs, just under her breasts, around and over them. “Tease!” His hands skimmed back down over her small, firm, breasts. His thumbs teased the both nipples. Miranda drew another shuddering breath. “Like that, do you?” he asked, with satisfaction in his voice, as his hands moved lower, past her waist, down to her hips, down to her thighs. “Spread your legs for me, Miranda.” Gently, he spread the lips of her labia and found her clitoris. It didn’t take much more stimulation before she cried out with the force of her climax. When she finally calmed, she pulled away from him. Turning to face him, she pushed him backwards and moved to straddle him. Miranda took him inside her. The fullness of his cock within her stung a little, as it had been a number of years since the last time she had made love. Yet the stinging quickly faded away, lost in the utter pleasure of the moment. His hands went to her hips, urging her to set a quick pace, as though he could no more wait for her than she for him. Breath was coming hard for both of them as tension built and they rushed headlong towards release. She closed her eyes and let the wave of sensation of her second orgasm wash over her. Then she collapsed onto him.
87
Cassie Walder
Tim trailed light kisses over her face, neck, and shoulders as she lay there catching her breath and riding out the spasms of her release. Not quite giving her time to settle down, Tim wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over, keeping his cock within her. She looked up at his face. The tenderness mixed with strong need she saw there made her want to cry. Cherished. Yes. That’s the word, she thought. It had been a long time since anyone had cherished her. It was a good feeling. He kissed her hungrily, his tongue probing, tasting, mating with hers. Her hunger for him was just as great as his for her. How did this man manage to make me want him so much? She lost herself in the cloud of pleasure he was wrapping around both of them. She whimpered as he pulled his cock from her hot, wet, pussy. His mouth left hers. He began to kiss her neck, her shoulders, down her chest, to tease each of her breasts. Miranda held his head to her right breast. His tongue and teeth on her pebbled nipple felt incredible. She’d forgotten how good that could feel until now. Her breath was coming hard. Breathing is so overrated. If I die now, at least I’ll go happy, she mused. His lips moved lower, kissing her as he went. He was playing her body as if it were fine instrument in the hands of a master. And master, he was. His mouth felt like hot satin against her skin. She couldn’t stop trembling. Nor could she keep her eyes open. All she could do was feel. And he was certainly making her feel. Miranda nearly climaxed when his tongue touched her labia. She spread her legs even more broadly. That was all the invitation he needed. It was on her tongue to beg him to put his mouth on her, when there was suddenly no need to beg. His tongue flicked at her clit. Then he began to lightly suck on it. “Oh, God!” she cried out in a small keening voice as she bucked against his mouth. He lifted his head. “Do you want me to stop?” “No!” Then he resumed his tender torment. It wasn’t more than a couple of minutes later when she climaxed for the third time. He lay beside her on the bed, looking at her as her breath slowed to something approaching normalcy. “You are amazing,” she told him. Tim smiled. “No. You are amazing.” “You’ve given me pleasure, but you still haven’t had your own release,” she said as she wrapped her hand around his still erect cock. “I have a lot of endurance, but I don’t recycle very quickly. I need to make sure you’re satisfied before I climax because I won’t be able to be get hard again for an hour.” “Only an hour?” she teased him. Then she became more serious, “Tim, you’ve given me more pleasure than I’ve had in years.” 88
Batteries Not Included
He smiled at her and touched her face. “You are a responsive woman. You deserve to have pleasure after pleasure in your life. I intend to give you as much as I can. I’ve told you before, that we could make love several times a day and we would never exhaust all the ways that I want to love you.” Miranda looked at him. “Come on, Tim. It’s your turn. You’ve given so much to me. Let me give you some pleasure in return.” Tim touched her between the legs to check her responsiveness. She drew a sharp breath as she bucked against his hand. “You aren’t too sore? You’ve had more of a sexual workout than you’re used to. I don’t want to hurt you.” “You would never hurt me. Come.” Gently, he rolled her onto her side, facing away from him, then he lay just behind her in the “spoon” position. Carefully, he slid his cock into her waiting pussy as he held her tenderly. With slow and shallow strokes, he moved within her as he planted light kisses on her neck and shoulders. At the same time, he caressed her breasts. “Harder!” she urged him. He didn’t take much urging to increase either the speed or intensity of his strokes. Whispering love words to her, words she registered only peripherally, he moved his left hand downward until he had access to her clitoris once more. He pressed on that spot then slowly teased it with circles. Her breath was coming harder again. Her own urgency grew dramatically as the speed and intensity of his strokes built. “I’m going to come,” she warned him. As her own spasms began afresh, she felt him shudder with the power of his own release. That shuddering was accompanied by a low cry of pleasure that could have been her name. He reached over her and grabbed hold of the bedspread. He pulled it and the blanket over her. She rolled away from his embrace, then turned to face him and scooted towards him once more. He pulled the bedspread and blanket back over her. She kissed his cheek. “That was wonderful,” she told him as she reached for the bedspread on his side of the bed and brought those covers over him as he had done for her. They lay there together, embracing, the scent of sex heavily in the air before the hormonal induced sleepiness took her away from him.
89
Cassie Walder
Chapter Four Miranda awoke to find herself alone in bed. There was a note on the pillow. Dearest Miranda, I decided to let you sleep. Milo and I will be here sometime around eleven. He said you wanted to leave town by noon. This should be enough time. I just didn’t have the heart to wake you, although leaving you this morning has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. Still, I leave with the knowledge that I am going in order to prepare to spend a very long time with you. I’ll stop at the store and get my own gear. I assume I’ll need riding boots and a good hat, as well as work clothes. Will try hard not to come back looking like a cityslicker attempting to look like a rancher, even though that’s what I am. That was supposed to bring a smile to your face. You can tell me when I return if I succeeded. I’ll see that Jean is equipped for the work as well. You made the right decision in taking her out of the city. I would have been very worried about her safety if she had stayed here. My darling, I love you, as I never thought I could love anyone. Tim. She looked at the clock. It was ten-fifteen. Oh, my! She hadn’t slept this late in years. Rolling out of bed, she headed for the bathroom. Removing and disposing of the barrier and chemical contraceptives, she found herself remembering the sex the night before. He was certainly something! Standing in front of the mirror, she quickly brushed out her hair and piled it on the back of her head in a loose knot. She looked at her body in the mirror. Odd, she thought as she pulled on the shower cap, he didn’t say anything about the male droid. The water sluiced down upon her. Long hot showers were a luxury on the ranch. There was never enough time, although since the new well had been drilled there was now enough water at the house. How much water there would be for anyone with four people, two people and two droids, in the house was an unknown. How much water could a bio-mech use anyway? She shut off the water and grabbed a towel. Back home, her bathroom towels were big and fluffy, the large bathsheets she loved. It was her one utter luxury. Hotel towels were always so thin and small. Well, now two luxuries. Or three, counting both droids. She would have liked to have met the droids before taking them, particularly as they had personalities. The machines could be difficult or unpleasant for all she knew. Maybe that was really why O’Shea was unloading them on her. She forced herself to dismiss that notion as paranoia. Drying off, she pulled off the shower cap. The bed still was a mess from their lovemaking. Having Tim with her was one of the good things coming out of this. He was nearly insatiable. She liked that. She liked that a lot. Miranda wasn’t certain that she could keep up
90
Batteries Not Included
with him, but she would have a lot of fun trying until he gave up and decided that ranch life was just too hard. Eventually, he’d decide that she just wasn ’t worth it. She didn’t want to think about that. Miranda was getting used to the idea of having him around. She looked at the clock. They’d be arriving at eleven. That gave her a half hour. Getting four people home to the ranch in her old truck was going to be a trick. She had barely gotten dressed and stripped the bed when the knock came. They were early. Miranda drew a deep breath as a wave of panic washed over her. Did she really want to take him home with her? Could she stand to tell him, ‘no’? The knock sounded again. The sudden surge of fear took her aback. She hadn’t expected to feel this way. It was one thing to share a hotel room with a stranger. Yet, it was another thing entirely to face a future with that stranger, to take him home to a place where the nearest other person was at least one hundred miles away in any direction. The enormity of all of this stunned her. A third knock came. “Miranda?” She heard Tim’s muffled voice through the door. “Just a minute,” she heard herself answer. She looked around the room one more time to make sure everything was as presentable as possible. Then she went to answer the door. Milo stood there with Tim and a woman Miranda didn’t know. The woman was an average looking brown-eyed brunette who wore her hair cropped short. This had to be Jean. Certainly the woman was normal enough looking. She was a little shorter than either of the men beside her. She was not exactly a beautiful woman. Miranda would’ve called the woman pleasant looking, average and not exceptional in any way. If this was Jean, the droid would have been able to blend into almost any crowd anywhere in the world without drawing undue attention. But then, that was the point, wasn’t it? “Can we come in?” Milo queried. “Of course,” she said as she turned away from the door. Where is the male droid? Miranda wondered as a cold feeling of mixed dread and stupidity settled in on her stomach. An android. Tim is an android, a bio-mech. She had fallen in love with an android, with a machine. How could she have been so utterly stupid? Dammit! She felt like a Grade-A certifiable fool. All the signs were there. She just hadn’t picked up on it. Milo had said he was going to show her the bio-mech, then he had left her with Tim. Milo had been surprised at the dinner invitation. None of his staff has known about the biomechs but Tim had. She simply hadn’t seen, or understood, what was going on in time. She felt betrayed. Yet, she knew, forcing herself to be utterly honest, the only one who had betrayed her was herself. Tim obviously thought she knew all about him. He certainly had not made any bones about who or what he was. She could see that, as she thought about his comments the night before. Like the old joke, assumptions had made an ass. Unfortunately, she was the ass in question, as she had assumed him to have been human. Now she would have to deal with it as best she could. She would have liked to have been anywhere else this moment. But she was here and she had to deal with this. Although she wanted to throw a fit about this, she was aware she had only herself to blame. Throwing a fit would only let them know about her assumptions. That would be too embarrassing for words. 91
Cassie Walder
So, she would put a good face on this. There was no sense of letting anyone know what kind of fool she had been. If no one knew, then there would be no problem. She was going to have to live with these two. She couldn’t afford to do anything to make them feel uncomfortable around her. She needed them too much. Keeping the ranch together and functional depended on them. Miranda heard the room door closed behind her. Then she turned around and forced a smile for the trio. “Hello, Jean,” she said. “Milo, Tim.” “Hi Miranda. I’m looking forward to working with you on your ranch,” Jean said, her voice uncertain, almost frightened. “I don’t know much about animals. But I learn quickly. I’ve already read about poultry management, dairy cattle management, beef cattle management, taking care of horses, and about some basic household maintenance. Already made a trip out to the ranch supply store to get supplies I’ll need to be able to do the job for you. This is such an adventure. Thank you for including me. I’m sure this will all work out just fine.” “You don’t need to sell me, Jean,” Miranda said, her voice gentle. Then she forced another smile. “I’ve already agreed to take you with me. I’m certain it will work out fine.” But, she really wasn’t certain of this at all. Milo smiled at her. “Well, Miranda. Is that the M-2000 unit?” he said as he nodded at box in the corner. “Yes. That’s Mike,” she agreed as she walked over to the box. Then she asked uncertainly, “You will take good care of him, won’t you?” He nodded. “Mike will be just fine with me. I guarantee you he will be saved from the scrap heap and will have useful work. ” Miranda unlocked the box and opened it up. “Hello, old friend.” Tim walked over to the crate and looked at Mike. “You kept him running for a very long time. You have nothing to feel bad about, Miranda.” “I’ve disconnected the power to him. I don’t think he would have enjoyed being aware and unable to communicate or move,” she told them. “You’re a kind soul, Miranda,” Jean said, her voice more at ease. “Not everyone would care about the preferences of an android.” Miranda looked at Mike one last time. Then she closed the box, and turned the key in the lock. She turned and handed the key to Milo, who stood just behind her. “Take good care of him. He’s been a good friend for many years.” Milo took the key from her. “Jean and Tim are now in your care. These are their documents.” He handed her a thin portfolio. She opened up the portfolio and thumbed through the papers. “How?” she demanded, her voice shocked at what she saw included there. “It would be best if you did not ask too many details,” Milo told her. “You have birth certificates here, stating that they are fraternal twins. Their school certificates. A military retirement certificate for Tim. Baptismal certificates. First Communion certificates. Confirmation certificates. Paperwork certifying release from the solemn vows of a Benedictine nun for Jean. That’s a lot of paperwork,” Miranda observed. “Then there are driver’s licenses. Pension papers. Medical records. I’m not sure I could put together all this paperwork for myself.”
92
Batteries Not Included
Milo explained, “None of this will hold up very long if anyone starts digging too deeply. But it should do for most uses. They need to have a life of their own. This should do it for them. Tim and Jean are now in your care. Keep them safe.” Miranda handed the package of paperwork to Jean. “These papers belong to you and Tim. They are yours.” Jean refused the paperwork. “You hold onto it right now. We trust you.” Tim spoke, “How in the world did you handle this box by yourself?” Miranda smiled, genuinely for the first time since they arrived. “I’m stronger than I look. And I’m not afraid to use antique technology.” “Antique technology?” Tim asked. “It’s called a hand cart.” Milo chuckled. “I haven’t seen one of those in years. Most of us use hovertons to handle heavy objects.” “Some of us don’t have the money for that kind of technology. We use the things we have along with good old-fashioned muscle power.” Milo handed two small levitation devices to Tim. Both of them briefly worked to apply the devices to the box. Miranda shook her head. “Leave it to boys to have toys.” “Of course,” Milo said with a chuckle. “No call to be in my business without a fascination for toys of various vintages.” “We’ll see you in the fall, when I bring in the cattle in to market,” Miranda said. The shop owner smiled and nodded. “I’m not going to worry about it. I trust you. And none of us really want to call any attention to this transaction. So, if you will just have the processor call me when the beef is ready, that will be fine. There’s no need for us ever to talk again. Now, I will take Mike back to the shop. Have a safe trip back to the ranch. And have a good life, all three of you.” Milo activated the devices on the box. “I have their possessions in my transport. Are you ready to go?”
***** The two androids loaded their meager belonging into the bed of the antique truck. Neither of the pair she was taking back to the ranch possessed more than a couple of bags. Tim had one bag and a guitar. Jean had one suitcase and a footlocker. Miranda understood traveling light. When she went to the ranch after her grandfather died, she had taken only one dufflebag. Milo looked at those two androids. “Have a good life.” Then he walked way. Miranda sighed. “I suppose we’d better get going ourselves. It’s a long way home. We won’t have a lot of time to waste. It may be dark before were get home now.” “Do you want me to drive?” Tim offered. “I’ll drive, thank you. We’ll need to stop at the food co-op and pick up more supplies,” Miranda said.
93
Cassie Walder
They took an hour and walked away from the co-op with the bed of the truck practically filled with big bags of grains, wheels of hard cheeses, bulk canisters of dried vegetables, beans, spices, various pastas, oils, and all the other things they would need to eat. Her pantry at home was relatively well-stocked but it was stocked for one person, not for three. Together, the three of them made short work of loading the truck and securing the tarp over the bed to protect the food and other possessions. Then they left the city. Miranda couldn’t help but be impressed by their reactions as the city faded away into countryside. “The ranch is beautiful. You’ll get to see part of it tomorrow,” Miranda offered, “but it will take some time for you to see it all.” Both of them kept conversation going, asking questions and discussing duties, for most of the drive to the ranch. About 125 miles away from her ranch, Miranda stopped at another spread. This was the closest ranch to her own. Their borders marched on one side. “This is the Meade place. As far as anyone here has to know, you both are my new partners. We’ll pick up the new bull the ranch needs. Frank Meade will loan me the use of a trailer, which we’ll return next week. Do you feel up to doing a little real work?” “Sure,” Tim said. “I see someone coming now.” “That’s Frank. I’m going to introduce you. Just stay to your cover stories. No one needs to know anything different.” “Thank you,” Jean said, her voice awed. “Tell me about him. I like his looks.” Miranda nodded. Frank was tall, lean, with a face too craggy to be really handsome, dark hair with more than a touch of gray. He was a strong man. “Frank’s wife died three years ago. He’s a good man. He’s 50. His children are grown. His son works here as the foreman of the ranch. His daughters live in the city with their husbands and children. He is a good friend.” “A good friend, nothing more?” Tim asked, his voice holding jealousy. “Nothing more.” Frank came up to the truck door and opened it for Miranda. “You didn’t get another android to help around the place?” “No, I didn’t. I took on a couple of partners, instead. Frank meet Tim and Jean Johnson. Tim and Jean this is Frank Meade.” Frank looked at the three of them. “Pleased to meet you, Johnson. Mrs. Johnson.” Tim laughed. “Jean is my sister, not my wife.” Frank’s smile became warmer. “Even more reason to be pleased. Pretty, single women are thin on the ground in these parts. Aside from Miranda, and now you Jean, there’s not an unattached woman in over 100 miles.” Jean smiled. “I doubt there are very many men either, judging by the landscape.” “Bright and beautiful,” he said, his voice conveying interest. Then he looked back Miranda. “Are you still interested in that bull, Miranda?” “I would be if he’s still available.” “I have been holding him for you.” Miranda smiled. “That’s music to my ears. Could you loan me a trailer?” “Invite me to lunch during the week and I’ll bring the bull over then.”
94
Batteries Not Included
“Sounds good to me,” Jean said. “I’ll make a special meal.” Frank nodded and smiled. “I will be there any day you say.” “Let’s look at Friday. We have got to bring the herd down from the high pasture tomorrow. And Jean and Tim need a couple days to settle in and find their feet around the homeplace,” Miranda said. “We all may need more than a couple of days to settle into a routine.” Frank found that agreeable. “Probably. Then I’ll see you on Friday. I’ll come over about midmorning, if that’s okay.” “Sounds good,” Miranda agreed. “We will have lunch after we get the bull settled in. Thanks, Frank.”
***** in.”
They arrived at the ranch just before sunset. “I have to check on the horses. You can settle
The dogs came running as soon as the truck stopped in the driveway. The cowdogs sniffed twice at the androids, then made sounds of pleasure as the dogs allowed the new occupants of the ranch to scratch them behind the ears. Miranda smiled. The dogs didn’t like everyone. That they liked Tim and Jean was a good sign. “I need to check on the horses,” she told the pair. “Here are the keys to the house. Go on then, and settle in.” “I will come with you,” Tim said. “No, that’s not necessary. I’ll be back in a while.” She left him standing there as she went towards the barn. Yet Tim followed her. “You want to tell me what’s wrong? ” he demanded, his voice insistent. “Did I say anything was wrong? ” “Come on. Do you think I’m stupid?” “No,” Miranda said on a sigh. “Stupid is not a word I’d use to describe you.” Myself maybe, she thought but did not say. “You have been on edge since we came to the hotel. You want to tell me what’s wrong?” “Look, Tim, I’m really not used to having people around. This is going to take some getting used to. Just give me some space. And some time to work through this. This is a big change in my life. I went to town looking for a machine to replace Mike, and came home with a couple of people, instead.” He smiled at her as he reached out to your stroke her face. “I guess I can understand that.” Even knowing what he was, that he wasn’t fully human, she found that caress pleasurable. Did it make any difference that he was created, not born? Wasn ’t he as sentient as any born person? Shylock’s speech from the Merchant of Venice echoed in her mind, with variations appropriate to the situation. “What are you thinking?” Tim demanded softly. “How well do you know Shakespeare? ” she asked him. 95
Cassie Walder
His brow furled. “Fairly well, or as well as anyone does, I suppose. Why?” “Act III, Scene 1, Merchant of Venice,” she told him. He looked even more puzzled. “Shylock’s speech. What about it?” “Substitute Bio-mechanoid for Jew, born person for Christian. Omit health concerns and take it down only to the part about tickling and laughing. ” Tim recited the changed passage. “I am a Bio-mechanoid. Hath not a Bio-mechanoid eyes? Hath not a Bio-mechanoid hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Born Person is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?” “Precisely.” Tim smiled. “That’s quite a bit of musing, my dear.” “I’ve had quite a bit to muse about.” “Yes, you have,” he agreed. “And have you come to any conclusions? ” “Here’s the only conclusion that matters at the moment. The dog food is on the back porch. Go make a friend of the pack and feed them.” “You don’t need any help with the horses?” “No, I don’t. I’d rather be alone right now to think. Feed the dogs and poultry.” “If you say so. Are you sure, Miranda? If I work with you on the horses, it will go much faster.” “Tim, the dog food and chicken feed is on the back porch. Stow your stuff. There are five bedrooms upstairs. My room is next to the bathroom on the left. You and Jean each take your choice of one of the other rooms for your personal space. Settle in, make yourselves at home. I need to tend my horses. I’ll probably be just a little under an hour. If Jean could cook something for dinner, I’d really appreciate it.” He smiled at her then turned and left. “This may have been a mistake,” she muttered to herself as she went to check on the horses. Still, if it were a mistake, it would be one that she would have to live with for a long time. Forty-five minutes later, after mucking out the stalls, feeding and watering the horses, and giving them each an all-too-brief brushing, she returned in the house. The lights streaming from the windows of the homestead made her feel like she had indeed come home. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d come home to find the house lit and welcoming. It was a good feeling. She came into the house through the back door. The scent of garlic, herbs and other spices filled the air. She thought there was an underpinning of cinnamon. Miranda didn’t know what was cooking, but it smelled good. She stood at the door of the kitchen and closed her eyes, just enjoying the delicious smell of food that she didn’t have to cook. Suddenly she was very hungry. She opened her eyes and removed her boots before going into the kitchen. Jean spoke to her, in concern, as she cleaned the counter, “Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes. Tim told me you’d be an hour. I’m sorry it’s not ready.” “It’s okay, Jean. You’re on schedule. I just finished faster than I thought. Any meal I don’t have to cook is perfectly fine with me. I’ll go clean up a bit. Thank you for cooking.”
96
Batteries Not Included
Jean smiled, obviously relieved. “I put my things in the blue room at the end of the hall. Is that okay? ” “Sure, you could have taken any room you wanted, except mine. Is the blue room the one you want?” “Yes. It suits me just fine. In fact I think it’s beautiful. This first time that either Tim or I have had a room of our own in a real home. It’s a real luxury. Thank you, Miranda. You don’t know what this means to me.” “I want you to consider this your home. As far as I’m concerned, you are both free to stay here or to leave and go anywhere you want to go. I’d appreciate it if you’d stay and help me with the ranch.” Jean smiled. “Where else would we go? ” she asked with a shrug. “It’s not exactly a friendly world out there. People either want to exploit us or destroy us. There is very little middle ground. All we want is a chance to live our lives as we see fit.” “That’s all any of us want. Everyone has pressures. People want to use or destroy each other. But I promise you that as long as I’m around and I’m able to make a living on the ranch, both of you will have a home here for as long as you want to stay. If I can count on you to help, you can make it that much more likely that the ranch can remain a going concern.” Jean looked at her for long time before she spoke again. “Tim said you were good woman. I’m glad to see he was right. Dinner will be ready shortly.” “I’ll go wash up. Where is Tim?” “I believe he was reading the manuals on the electrical system and the water pump, trying to bring himself up to speed on the mechanical systems here. They both looked fairly simple. But he wanted to make sure he could fix either one, if necessary.” Miranda smiled. She walked through the kitchen and to the back stairs. Tim was standing in the upstairs hall when she left the bathroom, wearing her bathrobe as she hadn’t felt like wearing those grubby clothes any longer. “Feeling better?” “Actually, no. I’m very tired at the moment.” “You look exhausted.” She shrugged. “Dinner should just about be ready.” Tim smiled, then he said in a tone full of sensual promise, “Probably. After dinner, Jean and I will give you a thorough massage.” Miranda drew a shuddering breath at the promise in his eyes. Both of them? Considering last night had begun with a massage that was more than she wanted to think about. But she couldn’t dismiss images from her mind. She’d never been in a threesome, but it had been one of her quiet fantasies. This was moving entirely too fast. She forced herself to be ‘sensible’, although that was the last thing she really wanted to be. “I’m awfully tired, Tim. Neither of us got a lot of sleep last night. We’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow. We need to be out of here just slightly after dawn, if we’re to bring the herd down from the high pasture before sunset. It’s a lot of work compared to sitting at a workbench repairing androids. After dinner, I’ve got to do some work on my ledgers. Then I’m going to bed.” His smile became broader.
97
Cassie Walder
“Alone. I need to sleep, if the work is going to get done.” His smile faltered. “I’m sure Jean has dinner about ready.” Miranda touched his face with the back of her hand. “Give me some time, okay? Adjusting to new people in my life is going to take me some time. I am a solitary person by nature. I’ve been alone here, except for Mike and the animals, for years.” He nodded. “You also have to be getting hungry. I know I am.” His comments were punctuated by the ringing of a bell from downstairs. “I wonder where she found the dinner bell,” Miranda said mostly to herself. “Obviously, dinner is served.” “It appears that way.” “Tell her I’ll be down in a couple of minutes. I need to put on some clothes.” “You look fine to me.” “I’ll be down in two minutes.” It was just a few seconds shy of that, when Miranda appeared in a gray cotton jersey knit lounger and house-slippers in the kitchen. Jean had set the oak table with a red and white cotton checked cloth and napkins. Miranda ’s everyday stoneware and flatware were laid. Miranda couldn’t remember the last time she had even bothered to put a tablecloth on the old round oak table, or the last time she had even sat down at the table for a meal, instead of taking her food to the office to eat while she worked. It was obvious Jean had made a trip out to the garden. Mixed fresh greens ready for tossing filled a salad bowl. Salad tongs lay across the top rim of the bowl. A cruet of thick cheesy dressing sat beside the salad. Jean had cut a few flowers from one of the perennial beds and had arranged them in a small cut glass vase in the center of the table. It all looked very pretty. Miranda smiled. “Dinner smells delicious. And the table looks so pretty. Thank you, Jean.” “I’m afraid it’s nothing extraordinary, either way. I wanted our first dinner together to be as nice as I could make it on such short notice.” “It’s lovely, Jean. Thank you.” “Is it your custom to say a blessing?” Jean asked. Miranda looked at her. “Do you believe in God?” Jean smiled. “Pascal’s Wager.” Miranda chuckled. Blaise Pascal had once written that one loses nothing by living in the anticipation that God exists but could lose everything if one lived as though God does not. She remembered that from undergraduate philosophy. “Then let us pray, by all means,” she allowed in a gentle voice. She couldn’t remember the last time she said blessing over food. Probably when Larry was still alive. They had been more careful about those kinds of observances then. She couldn’t remember having prayed since then, not since the funerals at least. But it was like riding a bicycle. It came back rather easily. All three of them crossed themselves as Tim offered a standard meal grace.
98
Batteries Not Included
Jean removed two corn stick muffin pans from the oven and turned out the hot shaped corn bread into a napkin lined basket. Then she ladled the thick, spicy, meaty, chili into the bowls. “Dinner isn’t anything exciting. Chili, corn bread, a mixed green salad, and a peach cobbler still in the oven. There’s plenty of food in the house, between what you had in your pantry, what we brought from town today, and what’s in cold storage. We can eat well far into the winter on the amount of food here. I just didn’t have the time to cook anything very complicated.” “You need a lot of food to do this work. It’s heavy physical labor. And it’s not at all unusual to burn several thousand calories a day,” Miranda told her as Jean put the bowl of chili before her. “The garden and the orchard, along with the chickens, ducks, turkeys, a couple of geese, and a head of beef, will supplement the stored food until fall. You will need to keep a list of what you want and what you need, so that it can be gotten on the next trip to town, which will be the trip when we take the cattle to market. The pantry and the kitchen are now in your care, if you’d like to take them on.” “That’s what I’m best at,” Jean said as she took her place at the table. Miranda tucked into the chili. Then, she smiled broadly. “This is really delicious!” “It’s just chili, not haut cuisine,” Jean said. “It’s very good chili,” Miranda said as she reached for one of the cornbread sticks. She broke it, spread the hot cornbread liberally with butter, then ate a bit. “And cornbread is just as good. My cornbread usually ends up grainy and falling apart. But I’m not much of a cook.” Tim smiled. “Then again, you have other skills.” Miranda fought back a blush. “Everyone has their own skills. Cooking isn’t one of mine. Oh, I haven’t yet starved, but I’m not a particularly good cook.” “I’m glad you like dinner,” Jean said, her voice genuinely pleased. Miranda smiled at the other woman. “It’s lovely. Thank you.” “It’s one way I can help out around here and earn my keep.” “There are many ways you can help out around here, Jean. I’d like it very much if you could give us a hand tomorrow as we move the herd back down from the high pasture. An extra hand would make the world of difference in doing that task.” Jean’s face looked somewhat panic stricken at the prospect. She swallowed hard. “Of course. I’ll help anyway you need help.” “If you don’t feel comfortable with this just say so,” Miranda stated after she took a drink of the freshly brewed iced tea. “I’m not going to ask you to do something you don’t want to do.” Both Jean and Tim looked at her for a long moment. It was clear that neither one of them quite knew what to make of that statement. When Jean spoke, her voice was quiet and thoughtful, “You actually mean that, don’t you?” “Is there a reason I shouldn’t?” Miranda asked. “We’re property, ” Jean replied, her voice tight. “You are free to do with us anything that you want.” “You’re sentient. I don’t believe in involuntary servitude of sentient beings. You’re welcome to stay as long as I’m here. If you can help me make the ranch be more profitable, then
99
Cassie Walder
the chances of my staying here are much better than they would be without your help. I’m not going to lie to you. Ranching is a hard life. It’s profoundly difficult to make a living doing this. I’ve been doing it for a few years now, but every year I wonder if there will be enough money to pay the bills, to give me something to live on, to keep everything up, and to basically make this worth doing.” “And if the day comes that ranching is no longer worth doing?” Jean asked, a shade of panic in her voice. “Then I’ll sell the ranch. I’ll provide for you and Tim out of the proceeds. You will never be left without all the support and protection I can give you, as long as I have the ability to do so. I promise you that. You both are part of my family now, if you want to be.” Both of them looked at her. Tim smiled. Jean blinked back tears. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” Jean said. “You see why I love her, Jean?” Tim asked. Then he turned to Miranda. “Yes, we would very much like to stay here as long as you’ll have us.” “Good,” Miranda answered. “It will probably take me awhile to get used to having you guys around. But, as long as we’re all here together, then you will have food, clothing and shelter, plus a spending money allowance so that you can have a little money of your own to do with as you please. No one should have to live without a little money of their own. I wish I could afford to pay both of you a salary, but the ranch isn’t that profitable. I haven’t taken any real luxuries for myself, or spent as much as a single credit that wasn’t related to keeping the ranch running for a number of years now. But, I will find a way of giving you each some spending money for when we rarely go into town.” “You don’t give yourself an allowance for spending on non-essentials. Why should you treat us better than you treat yourself?” Jean demanded. “I want you to both be happy here.” “What time will we leave in the morning?” Jean asked after a pause. “Early. Near dawn. I want to get the herd back in the lower pasture before evening.” “How far a ride is it?” Tim asked. “About an hour if you aren’t herding cattle,” she explained as she finished her bowl of chili. “Pushing the herd can take a lot longer. Jean, is there enough for seconds?” “Certainly,” Jean said as she reached for Miranda’s bowl. “You don’t need to wait on me,” Miranda said as she stood. “Miranda, will you sit dow n and let your cook-housekeeper do her job?” Jean demanded with a small laugh. Miranda returned to her seat. “Well, if you put it that way.” “I do,” Jean replied with a smile. “Tim, do you want another serving as well?” “Yes, please. It’s very good, Jean.” While she was serving them seconds, Jean asked, “What will we do for food tomorrow?” “We’ll take lunch with us. Sandwiches or something. Before we leave in the morning, something will go into the slow cooker so that we can have a hot dinner when we come back tomorrow,” Miranda said as Jean put her bowl in front of her. “There isn’t any bread in the house for sandwiches,” Jean stated.
100
Batteries Not Included
“I’ll have to bake some tonight. It doesn’t really take long. ” Jean rolled her eyes. “No, Miranda. Mixing, raising, punching down, raising, punching down shaping, and proofing until doubled, then baking. No time at all.” “I have an antique bread machine. I throw in the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, turn it on, and pull out a finished pound and a quarter loaf in an hour,” Miranda said with a smile. “Saves me tremendous time.” Jean chuckled. “You’re kidding? What kind of quality does it turn out?” “It’s okay for sandwiches.” “I’ll bake better bread a couple of times a week for us. Baguettes, croissants, buns, rolls, challah, pita; there are hundreds of kinds of yeast breads we could have with our meals,” Jean stated, her voice thoughtful. “There’s no sense wearing out an antique when I’m perfectly capable of baking much better bread for us to enjoy.” Tim smiled. “I did tell you, you’d like having her around.” “Assuming we have that machine bread,” Jean demanded softly, “what would be the filling for sandwiches?” “I’ve got plenty of sliced roast meats preserved in cold storage.” “Okay. After dinner, I’ll make cookies to go with the sandwiches.” “That really isn’t necessary.” “Yes, it is. Tim and I will do much better with heavy labor if we have a variety of calorie dense snacks available at a moment’s notice.” Miranda thought about that for a moment. “Whatever you need. This is your home, now. I want you to be able to take care of yourselves and be comfortable.” “But what do you need?” Jean asked quietly. “Help holding onto the ranch.” Both Tim and Jean nodded. Silence stretched between the three of them for a moment. “And if you are no longer able to hold the ranch together, some day?” Tim asked. “What will you do then?” “I can always return to academia. Or if I’m still young enough, join a party going to a newly terraformed planet,” Miranda said. “Dan and I had planned to do that before he died.” “Off-world colonization,” Jean said her voice awed. “That sounds so unbelievably exciting. Frightening, but exciting. I’ve often wondered about doing that. I’ve often thought that would be a terrific adventure.” “I still have enough influence in certain circles that I could get you both placements on a party, with no questions asked, if you wanted to go. All you would have to do was to tell me that’s what you wanted.” Both Tim and Jean looked at her for a long moment. “Do you want us to go?” Jean asked, carefully. “No. I would very much like it if you would stay here and help me with the ranch. But if you ever wanted to go, I’d help you. I want you both to be happy.” Jean smiled. “I’m happy enough here. I’m needed here. During the next week, I intend to give the place a top-to-bottom cleaning. Not that it’s dirty here, just a little worn and tired,
101
Cassie Walder
which is understandable. I’d like to repaint the walls and refinish the floors to brighten the place up.” “That will have to wait a while. I don’t have the money for paint right now. Maybe after the cattle are sold.” Jean nodded. “Okay. I’ll do what I can by cleaning and brightening the place up. I saw some small amounts of paint in the storage room. Maybe I can do some little tromp l’oil to freshen up the main rooms.” “That might work,” Miranda allowed. While Miranda was finishing her second bowl of chili, Jean pulled the peach cobbler from the oven.
***** Tim started to wash the dishes while Miranda began bread in the antique machine and Jean began making cookies. “I’ll be working on the ledgers if you need me,” Miranda told them as she left the room. Her office, she decided as she stood at the door looking at it as a stranger would, was ratty, just like the rest of the house. The walls needed fresh paint. The hardwood floor needed refinishing. The whole house was that way, now that she thought about it. No wonder Jean wanted to paint the place. Then she dismissed the thought. She had work to do. It wouldn’t get done if she didn’t do it. About ninety minutes later, Tim stood at the doorway to her office with a plate of cookies in one hand, and two mugs in the hot chocolate in the other. There were three different kinds of cookies on the plate; peanut butter, chocolate chip, and a nutty shortbread. “Thought you could use a break. Jean pulled the bread out of the machine when it was done. It’s cooling on the rack. ” “That looks good. Is some of that for me?” Tim put the cookies and her cup of hot chocolate on her desk. “Of course,” he said as he walked around behind her. His hands went to her neck and began to knead out the knots of tension in those muscles. The pleasure she felt at his touch still astonished her. Even knowing he was a droid, even a profoundly advanced one, hadn’t changed how she felt about him. Somehow, she had fallen in love with a machine. She needed to learn to deal with that. How exactly she would deal with it was something she was still trying to determine. The fact was, she needed him, in more than just the sexual way they had discovered the night before. She couldn’t deny that. Miranda wasn’t certain what that said about her. “Woman, you need a good massage. You’ll sleep so much better if you get one.” “Probably,” she admitted. “Are you done here?” “Just finished.” “Then grab your cocoa. I’ve tuned the guitar. You said you liked classical guitar.”
102
Batteries Not Included
“You don’t have to entertain me.” “Maybe I want to give you as much pleasure as I can.” Pleasure. The word on his lips sent shivers through her as she recalled just how much pleasure he had shown to her the night before. “Are you okay?” he asked. “I’m fine, Tim. I’ll get out my flute.”
103
Cassie Walder
Chapter Five With her flute to her lips, Miranda closed her eyes and listened to the blend of music pouring into her living room. Tim played his guitar. Jean played the digital piano that had been Miranda ’s grandmother’s. The trio was unusual. But the sound was full and rich. They played well together. After about thirty minutes, Miranda called a halt. “Tomorrow’s going to be a long day. We all need our rest. I’m going to bed. I would suggest you both do likewise.” “After we give you a massage,” Tim replied as he put down his guitar. “Come on, Jean. She has need of both of us.” Miranda didn’t know what to say. She knew only too well the effect of his massage. She didn’t want to deny herself the pleasure. But to introduce Jean into this? “Jean doesn’t have to do anything that she doesn’t want to do. Neither of you do.” Jean smiled. “We appreciate that. Consider that we might want to do things to help you, to please you.” “We’ve had this conversation before. You are free persons. If you want to help out around here, I’d really appreciate it. You aren’t in any way obligated to serve me, and that includes every interpretation of service, including sexual service. I want to be fully understood.” “Understood,” Jean said with a smile. “You don’t want us to feel obligated to give you pleasure. You need to know that we are acting of our own free will, because we want to, not because we’re going through the motions. Have you considered that we enjoy sex, in lots of variations? There are just the three of us, living very closely together. It would be beyond amazing if we didn’t share sexual pleasure. You are obviously a woman who enjoys her senses. You couldn’t play music like that if there wasn’t a core of passion in your soul.” Miranda just looked at Jean. “What can anyone say to that? We all need a few days to get to know one another before things become sexual between us. Let’s not rush anything. If it happens later, it happens. If it doesn’t, well celibacy isn’t lethal.” Tim just looked at her, a hurt expression on his face, “Miranda? Do you regret the fact that we made love?” “No. We just moved very quickly. I think we need some time to step back and think hard about all of this.” “You’re scared,” Jean observed. “Hell, yes, I’m scared. My life is changing.” Tim smiled at her, his face relaxing. “You never have to be afraid of us. All we want is to help you, to make your life easier, and to live out our own lives in peace.” “Say that you will let us give you pleasure, even if it is only the pleasure of a good massage,” Jean replied. “Is that all it will be?” Miranda asked.
104
Batteries Not Included
“If that’s the way you really want it, it will be. You’re tired. Come on, we’ll get you relaxed enough to sleep,” Tim said. “I won’t need any help falling asleep, thanks,” she said as she rose from her seat. Miranda didn’t know how her legs carried her up the stairs and into her room. Yet, they did. Tim and Jean followed her up the stairs. She drew a deep breath as she realized that they hadn’t come into the bedroom. Relief warred with disappointment as she heard two other doors open, one after another. Disappointment won. Footsteps came down the hall before she had much time to think about it. “Miranda,” Tim said from the doorway, “honey, why don’t you get undressed?” She turned around to face him. He stood there with a couple of towels and a bottle of massage oil in his hand. Just then Jean walked up behind him. In her hand was a satchel. She had changed out of her clothes and into a thigh length, red satin robe, belted at the waist. “What’s in the bag?” Miranda asked. “Stuff to make us all feel good,” Jean answered, her voice soft. “What kind of stuff?” “You’ll see.” “What kind of stuff?” Miranda demanded for the second time, absolutely no humor in her voice. “I swear, if you’ve brought controlled substances into my house…” Jean laughed. “No. No. Nothing like that. They’re just toys. No drugs. Things to stimulate and relax. A heat vibrator to loosen up your muscles along with massage lotions, a couple of wooden rollers, a few sex toys. But nothing pharmacological.” Miranda felt her face grow warm. “I’m sorry.” “It’s okay, Miranda,” Jean allowed gently. “We don’t know each other that well. I can see where you were coming from. Now, pull off your lounger, lay face down on that big bed of yours, and let us relax you so that you can fall to sleep.” “If I’m getting naked, then so are both of you,” Miranda told them. “I won’t be at a disadvantage.” Tim laughed. “Okay,” he said as he began to unbutton his shirt. Miranda felt her mouth go dry as she looked at him undressing. Odd how her mouth went dry as other parts of her got very wet. “He’s a good looking man, isn’t he?” Jean asked quietly as she stood there watching Tim undress. He dropped his pants. It was obvious that he was aroused. Miranda cast a quick glance at Jean. The look on the other woman’s face was one of open desire. She fought back the wave of jealousy she felt at having Jean so openly appreciate Tim. Jealousy? She hadn’t felt jealousy like this since the first time that a young woman had flirted with Dan. Did she want to share Tim? Hell, no! This wasn’t fair to Jean. While Miranda might have had fantasies about making love as part of a three-some, she wasn’t at all sure she was ready to make those come true.
105
Cassie Walder
She moved over to the bed, keeping her eyes on Tim. She pulled her lounger off over her head and let the cotton knit drop to the floor. Her slippers had been kicked off as soon as she got into her room. She felt a little self-conscious about this. But, beneath that was both anticipation that took her breath away and a little bit of fear. The fear surprised her. What if Tim preferred Jean to her? Miranda turned down the spread and the sheets on her king-sized bed. She climbed in and lay stretched out on her stomach in the middle. One side of the bed dipped as Jean climbed in. The other side of the bed dipped signaling Tim’s arrival. She heard the sound of lotion being squirted twice from a tube. Tim spoke. “Jean and I will start on your feet and work up to your shoulders. If you fall asleep, that will be fine. If you don’t, that will be better. This is about giving you what you need tonight, Miranda.” “And what about what you two need? ” Jean chuckled as she took Miranda ’s foot into her hand. “Be a little selfish, Miranda. It’s okay to not always be the strong one, you know. You’re tense and tired. Rest is the best thing for you.” Tim worked on the other foot. Both of them had been trained in reflexology, obviously. Miranda felt herself relaxing more than she had in a very long time. Tim’s massage last night had been good. But having four hands working at once was much better. “A woman could get seriously used to this,” she practically purred. Tim spoke, humor in his voice, “You haven’t seen anything yet.” “What do you have in mind? ” Miranda asked, her voice soft as both Tim and Jean moved on from her feet to her ankles. “We’re taking our clues from you,” Jean said, her voice low and sultry. Miranda thought about that for a moment. “I told you, you aren’t obligated to serve me.” “We’re here because we want to be here,” Tim told her, tenderness in his voice. “Just relax, will you? Your muscles are all tense again. At this rate, you’ll never get any rest. So relax, already.” “Yes, sir.” They returned to working on her feet. Miranda forced her breathing into a slow, meditative, rhythm. She summoned the image of a deep blue mountain lake. That was her favorite guided imagery scene for relaxation. There was a lake very much like this one on the northern edge of the ranch. Someday, when all the chores were well in hand, she’d have to take Jean and Tim there for a picnic. She formed the image in her mind. The three of them on a thick blanket eating when Tim would lean over and kiss her neck. Then she would kiss his lips, lightly, teasingly. Jean would come closer. Jean would pull off her t-shirt revealing her bare upper body, firm breasts with dusky rose nipples. Miranda and Tim would each lower their heads to suckle and tease one of her breasts while Tim would unfasten the waistband and fly on Jean’s slacks and push them down to her knees. After a few frantic moments of each of them undressing, they would lie there on the blanket, the warm sun beating down on them, as they lay on their sides and formed a triangle. Tim’s head between Jean’s legs, Jean’s head between Miranda ’s legs, and Tim’s cock in
106
Batteries Not Included
Miranda ’s mouth. All of them united in giving and receiving pleasure from one another through oral sex. Then the scene in her mind changed to one in which Tim lay beneath her, she straddled him, taking his cock deep within her, while Jean straddled his mouth facing Miranda. Jean’s mouth teased and sucked her breasts. Then Jean kissed her deeply. Then the scene changed again. Jean was the one fucking Tim. Miranda was getting oral sex from Tim. Variation after variation of position of the three of them exchanging pleasures flashed through her mind. The fantasies surrounding the three of them thrilled her. The knowledge that it could be more than fantasy any time she wanted it to be brought her back to reality. She would have to be crazy to turn down pleasure from these two when it was without consequences, when they wanted to give her pleasure, when she had every right to ask for pleasure from them. Wouldn’t she? Or would the turning down of the pleasure be the right thing? Either they were machines she had every right to use since she owned them, or they were persons with the right to choose what they wanted. “I think we’ve put her to sleep,” Jean said lowly as she stroked Miranda ’s thigh. That would be the safest thing to let them believe. Did she want to play it safe? Or did she want more, or maybe less, than safety? “No,” Miranda answered. “I’m just relaxing. That feels so good.” “We can make it feel better,” Tim offered. Miranda rolled over onto her side so that she could look at him. She reached out to stroke his hard cock. “I think I’ve had enough massage for one night. You tell me what you both want. Not what I want. What you want.” Jean rose from the bed and walked around to where she had left her satchel. She brought out an assortment of toys in a smaller bag. She sat down on the bed beside Tim. “We want to give you pleasure,” Jean said. “But what gives you pleasure? ” Miranda demanded. Jean smiled. “I’ve never found a sex act I didn’t like, either in the giving or receiving. You tell me what you want, and I’ll take pleasure in it. Don’t you worry about that.” “Tim,” Miranda asked, “what do you want?” “To make you happy. To give you orgasm, after orgasm, after orgasm, to make you know how deeply I love you,” Tim replied, leaving her no doubt of his sincerity. Miranda wanted to believe him. She just didn’t know that she could. Could a machine really love? Last night, she had no trouble believing he felt love for her. But last night, she hadn’t known that he was an android. Did it make a difference since he was clearly sentient? Wasn’t sentience the mark of existence? She didn’t know what to think or believe. It confused her. Above everything, she didn’t want to hurt him. While she wasn’t certain he could love, she was positive he could be hurt. So, she smiled at him. “Tim,” she said on a breath. “I know,” he said, his voice gentle, “I’m still rushing you faster than you want to go.” That was such a good excuse because it was so blatantly true. It wasn’t the whole truth. It wasn’t even the most significant part of the truth. But it was true, as far as it went. She sighed. “Let’s just give ourselves some time before we talk about anything as serious as love.”
107
Cassie Walder
“Time isn’t going to change how I feel about you. I’ll only love once in my life. You’re it,” Tim told her. “But I understand your caution.” Miranda shook her head. “We’re here on my bed, naked, and you’re talking?” “You’d rather do something else?” Tim teased her. “You’re the one with the big imagination. You tell me what you want to do,” Miranda challenged softly. Jean chuckled. “You’re a marvel.” “Why?” “Most people would be freaking out at the prospect of having two bio-mechs in bed with them,” Jean said dryly. Miranda propped herself up on her elbow as she considered that. “I can keep up with you.” “Can you?” Jean demanded, doubt in her voice. “Try me.” Tim chuckled. “Pleasure, Miranda, awaits.” “Words are cheap. Show me.” He looked at Jean and smiled. Jean opened the bag of toys and brought out a pair of remote controlled vibrating panties. She rose from the bed and pulled them on. Then she handed Miranda the controller. “How much pleasure I have is up to you, Miranda. Turn it on. Leave it off. Turn it up or down. It’s up to you.” Miranda took the controller. “Is that the extent of your pleasure in this, Jean?” “Tim is in love with you. He won’t be able to sustain an erection with anyone else as long as you are alive. It’s the way we are,” Jean explained. “Once our kind fall in love, we are faithful to the end.” Miranda thought about that for a moment. She wasn ’t sure that she believed it. But, she wanted to. Then she turned on the vibrating panties and watched as a look of pleasure passed over Jean’s face. “You tell me when you want or need more, and when you want it turned off.” Jean walked over to the other side of the bed and stretched out behind her. “Yes, m’am. But I’ve a very high tolerance for sexual stimulation. I like sex in every way. What do you like?” “I’ve never done this,” Miranda admitted as she rolled onto her back. “Never had two adults in bed with me. It feels a little odd.” “I’ll bet it does,” Tim agreed as he came to lie beside her. “Just relax and enjoy this, sweetheart. Enjoy our mouths and hands, and any other parts of us you want to enjoy. We’re here for your pleasure.” “You’re here for our mutual pleasure,” Miranda corrected. Tim and Jean both stroked her breasts. Their hands moved down her ribcage, pa st her waist, lingered lovingly on her hips, and went to the inside of her thigh. Miranda was so excited she could barely breathe. She kicked up Jean’s vibrator intensity and heard Jean moan slightly. Then she closed her eyes and just let herself enjoy. There was certainly enough to enjoy. A mouth covered each of her nipples. Tongues licked at her nipples, circled, then both mouths began sucking, teasing, lightly biting, tormenting her. 108
Batteries Not Included
Breathing was most definitely overrated, Miranda decided. She heard a vibrator be turned on. She kept her eyes closed as one of the two of them stroked her outer labia with the vibrator. Oh yes, who needs to breathe. Can anyone survive this? Did she care if she didn’t survive? There were worse things than dying from pleasure. Miranda pressed the button on Jean’s remote, increasing the intensity of Jean’s vibrating panties. Jean pulled away. “More!” she moaned as she lay back on the bed. Miranda opened her eyes. She increased the strength of the other woman’s vibrating panties again. It wasn’t more than a couple of minutes later that Jean moaned, “I’m coming.” Tim lifted his head as he touched the vibrator to Miranda’s clit, sending her headlong into release. Then he took the remote to Jean’s panties from Miranda ’s hand. He turned down Jean’s stimulation. “Was that good?” Tim asked her. Miranda laughed. “Give me more, Tim.” “What do you want?” he asked. “To screw.” Tim laughed. “Oh, baby, I like how you think.” “Is that all you like about me? ” “We have the rest of our lives together for me to show you everything that I like about you.” Jean laughed. “Do you want me to stay and play? ” “That’s up to you,” Miranda said. “Do you want to stay and play? Will it make you feel bad to watch Tim and me make love?” “Tim?” Jean asked, uncertainly. “If you want to stay, Jean, we can certainly all play. I’m not averse to having you with us. I can’t give you everything, but I can make sure that you don’t go away unhappy,” Tim answered. Jean smiled. “I’m not unhappy. Besides, I think I’ll have fairly regular opportunity to fuck with Frank Mead, starting on Friday.” Miranda smiled. “You think so?” “He’s interested,” Jean said quietly. “He’s very interested in me. And I like his looks. It will be no hardship to take him as lover.” “He’s a good man. Suppose that he falls in love with you?” Miranda asked. “I’d be delighted,” Jean replied. “It will keep him coming back. I’m certainly not going to get any serious action from Tim.” “If Frank falls in love with you, it will lead him into asking you to go live with him, or to marry him,” Miranda said, her voice soft. “You know,” Jean said thoughtfully, “this could work out very well.” “You would marry him?” “You have something against a bio-mech having a love life?” Jean challenged.
109
Cassie Walder
“You’ve got a helluva chip on your shoulder, Jean. It’s like you’re using your race to hold everyone else off,” Miranda observed. “Using it as a shield between us, holding people off.” “My race…” Jean answered, her voice thoughtful. “Is that how you see it? As merely a racial designation?” “How else should I see it?” Miranda challenged, sitting up in the bed cross legged and looking at the pair of them. “From all observable clues, we are the same species. Anyone walking into this room right now would see only three naked people in bed. I don’t think enough separates us for you to be even classified as a subspecies. But if you were, the definition would definitely be Homo Superior.” “Homo Superior?” Jean echoed, tasting the phrase. “Honey, we’re not superior, just a little different,” Tim said. “We’re created machines,” Jean said. “And you think that those of us who were born aren’t machines? We were all created by others. None of us in this room brought our own existence into being. The only difference is the mechanism of our creation. But we’re all created beings. And there is no machine more complicated than the biological one we call homo sapiens. Unless it would be the one we call a bio-mechanoid.” Miranda wondered who she was trying to convince them, or herself. Jean was silent for a moment. Then she smiled genuinely for the first time in their time together. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. ” Miranda was struck at the transformation of Jean from a rather plain woman to a truly beautiful one by the simplicity of a smile. “We all have a good deal to learn about one another,” Miranda said. “Yes,” Jean agreed. “Shall we play some more?” “Take off those mechanical panties. You deserve some less mechanical pleasures,” Miranda told her. Jean treated her to another of those blazing smiles. “Tell me what you want,” Tim said. Did she have the courage to stage the fantasy? “Jean, what do you enjoy?” she asked. “Anything you want, Miranda. I’m bisexual. Both Tim and I are trained to enjoy every kind of sexual act that is legal, and a few that aren’t strictly that,” Jean answered quietly, with a laugh in her voice. “Then you come and put your mouth on my pussy, Jean. Tim, you give her oral sex, and I’ll do fellatio on you.” Tim smiled. “That way we all enjoy this.” “Right,” Miranda said as she rolled onto her side as the other two positioned themselves. As Miranda began licking Tim’s heavy cock, Jean’s tongue ran in and out of her vagina. She shuddered and wriggled, then she moaned. She couldn’t believe how good that felt. She was so ready to fuck Tim’s brains out, but until they could do that, she’d enjoy this. His cock was so warm, so hard. Miranda had never liked giving oral sex. But this was different somehow. She didn’t know if it were different just because she was basically in charge,
110
Batteries Not Included
because she was calling the shots, because she had chosen this, or because it hadn’t been demanded of her. It could have been any of those. It could have been none of them. She was thinking about this too much. All she had to do, she told herself, was to relax and enjoy this. Certainly, there was enough to enjoy. Miranda licked and sucked at Tim’s cock while he sucked and licked at Jean’s pussy while his hands were busy teasing Miranda ’s breasts. She was about to have the orgasm of all orgasms. Just then, Jean changed tactics. Her tongue began making small circles all over Miranda’s labia, then Jean’s tongue came to rest heavily on Miranda ’s clit before Jean lightly closed her teeth over it. Throwing back her head, Miranda screamed as she climaxed. Within a minute, Jean herself was screaming with her own release. Miranda ’s breath came back to her slowly. Tim straightened himself up and lay beside her, just looking at her. “I take it that was good?” he asked needlessly. “Yes,” both Jean and Miranda replied. Jean came to lay just behind Miranda, sandwiching her between the pair of them. Jean kissed Miranda’s neck and shoulder. “You are such a beautiful lover,” Jean said. “So responsive. So giving. So open. Do you know how rare that makes you?” Before Miranda could answer, Tim was kissing her. His tongue darted into her mouth. She reciprocated, tasting him as deeply. He tasted like sex. Soon, she didn’t know who was kissing whom. All she knew was that she needed more, wanted more, and could have more. She was lost in the need he was creating in her. All she could think about was how much she wanted him. The presence of another person in their bed was completely forgotten. She rolled over onto her back. Tim positioned himself above her. All her world had shrunk to the man who filled her sight. She wrapped her legs around his hips and guided his hard cock into her. Why does he always take my breath from me? was Miranda’s last rational thought before she was completely lost in the sensations, need, and building tension. Without the muting layers of the female condom and the cervical cap, the sensation of his cock inside her was much more than it had been before. Having him within her was heaven. Neither of them particularly wanted to take this slow, so neither slow nor gentle were words to describe this mating. Hot, fast, hard; those were all more appropriate. But none of those words were adequate. Miranda gasped for breath. She looked into his face and saw nothing but love there as she felt the tension peak and her orgasm begin. “Tim!” she cried out just before she completely lost control and the world dimmed. “I envy Tim the fact that you love him. I envy you the fact that he loves you,” Jean said only a moment or two after Miranda came back to conscious awareness. Tim lay beside Miranda, holding her in his arms. Miranda looked at Jean. She couldn’t deny the fact that she was in love with Tim. Jean touched one of the stretch marks on Miranda ’s stomach. “What was it like to conceive a child, to give birth?” she asked, her voice awed.
111
Cassie Walder
“Like nothing else on earth. I have my journals from that period. You can read them if you want.” “And being trained as academically as you have, the journals are highly detailed,” Jean offered. “Yes, they are.” “You know, we could harvest the sperm from Frank and my screwing and use it to let all of us have a baby together. You have all the artificial insemination equipment here. It would be easy enough to harvest Frank’s sperm, then to turn it around and use it where it can do the most good.” Miranda looked at her, unable to believe what she had just heard. Jean continued, “Don’t dismiss it out of hand, Miranda. It would be perfect. Come on, don’t you want a child? We could introduce the sperm into you when you and Tim make love. Your reproductive clock is ticking. ” Miranda sighed. A baby. Oh. The magnitude of the thought stunned her. “Tim and I, that’s the one thing in our lives that is missing, our inability to father or mother children. Yet, if there was a child in the house, we could have the joy of raising him or her together, and there would be someone to take over the ranch and keep it in the family when you’re gone.” “Raising a child is a lot of work. A baby needs constant care. I’d want to be able to be with the child as an infant to nurse and care for him,” Miranda thought aloud. Then she cleared her throat and shook her head, “I’m too old.” “You still menstruate?” Jean asked. “Yes.” “Then you aren’t too old,” Jean replied with a smile. “I’m in my forties. You know how much that increases the chances of genetic problems?” “Difficulties are by no means certain,” Jean answered. “A baby would mean that I would need you both here to help keep the ranch together more than ever,” Miranda said, her voice thoughtful. “Are you both willing to work that hard?” Tim smiled. “Of course.” “Jean? Would you be willing to stay and help here, no matter what it costs you, personally?” Miranda demanded. Jean nodded. “Yes. If there was a baby, I would stay and help. Having a child to love and help raise would be the fulfillment of a cherished dream. Aside from all the other issues, the presence of a child would be the best additional cover item we could have. If there is a child, then given the fact that bio-mechs are sterile, will be prima facie evidence that neither Tim nor I are anything other than what we appear.” “And you don’t think that Frank is going to see a resemblance between this child and his own children?” Miranda said, realizing that she had accepted the possibility of becoming pregnant. Tim smiled. “There is a certain physical similarity between Frank and myself. We’re both tall, tanned complexioned, and have the same color of eyes. What is there to be seen?” “An effort to deceive is a terrible reason to have a child.”
112
Batteries Not Included
“It’s a subsidiary reason,” Jean replied. “The prime reason is that we all want a child to love and raise, and this is the only reasonably available means for us to have one.” “We’ll have to sleep on it. Friday is a few days away yet. Assuming, that Frank can be that easily seduced to begin with.” Jean laughed. “He’s a man. Men are easy.” Miranda smiled. She looked at Tim. “Are you easy, Tim?” “Sweetheart, I’m putty in your hands.”
113
Cassie Walder
Chapter Six Friday came entirely too quickly. Jean and Tim fit easily into the rhythm of the homestead. Miranda was quite pleased with them. Everything was going well. When the dogs began barking, Miranda thought it was probably Frank, being earlier than he had said. She went to the door of the horse barn to check on that, to see that it wasn’t Frank, but two men in dark suits, hats, and sunglasses. Neither of them were looking her way. The flare of their jackets told her only too well that they were armed. She had gotten used to the look of armed men when she and Dan had briefly lived in a government research complex. She grabbed the shotgun that she kept just inside the door. Checking that it was loaded, Miranda went out to meet them. “I shoot every fifth and sixth salesmen. The fourth one left here a couple of days ago,” she told them in a tone that was intended to be as unwelcoming as possible. “Why don’t you follow him while you still can?” The first man took off his sunglasses and looked at her. “Miranda, put down that damned scattergun before you hurt someone accidentally,” Jason Edwards, Major General Jason Edwards, Dan’s first cousin, said with a chuckle. “If I hurt anyone, it wouldn’t be an accident, Jase. You should know me better than that. This is a surprise,” Miranda said, her voice not much warmer than before. “What do you want?” “You’ve gotten hard over the years, Miranda,” Jase said. “Burying a husband and son can do that to a woman,” Miranda answered. “Now, state your business, Jase, or get the hell off my place. I don’t have the time or the energy for your trademarked mind-games. This is a working ranch and I’m trying to get ready to receive delivery of another bull for my breeding program.” “You aren’t going to shoot me.” “But I would if that became necessary, without prejudice,” Tim said from behind them as he stood about twenty-five feet behind them with the semi-auto rifle that was kept in the insemination shed. Jase and the other man both turned to face Tim. “No sudden moves from either of you,” Tim said. “You move quietly. Special Forces? ” Jase asked. Tim didn’t rise to the bait. “I believe the lady asked you to state your business or to get the hell off the place. It would be wise for you to comply.” Jase smiled as he turned to her. “I need a favor, Miranda.” “Which is why you’ve come armed to the teeth and unannounced? ” she demanded. “I’m always armed,” Jase told her. “And how the hell would I announce my arrival? You don’t have much in the way of communications equipment here. The last of the rugged individualists here cut off from civilization.”
114
Batteries Not Included
“You could have written. I do get mail.” “At a three week lag time. This couldn’t wait. Now, would you put down that gun? This is beginning to get profoundly tiresome.” “Just tell me what kind of favor you need that’s so important that you had to come out here to see me.” “Clay Lannier is dead. He and Margaret. Both of them.” “Sorry to hear that.” “That leaves me with a big leadership hole in the next launch.” “What does this have to do with me?” Miranda demanded. “We’re short of trained team leaders.” “Ah, you want me to come aboard and lead this community at the last minute. That’s quite a favor,” Miranda said dryly. “How did they die?” “Same way Dan did. This time we caught the bastard before he committed suicide.” “When did they die?” “Day before yesterday.” “And when is the launch scheduled?” “In ten days.” Miranda moved her thumb over the lever and “broke” the barrels of the double barrel shotgun. She removed the shells and put them in her pocket. “Nothing like having a large window to work in. Come on inside. We could all use coffee, if not something much stronger.” Jean was standing with her back to the door, cleaning the counters when they walked into the kitchen. She had obviously just finished frosting a chocolate layer cake for lunch’s dessert. The kitchen smelled wonderful with the scent of garlic and rosemary as well as roasting turkey. “Is there any coffee, Jean?” Miranda asked. “Sure,” Jean said, turning around. “I didn’t know we were expecting company this morning.” “We weren’t,” Miranda said. “Coffee?” “Cookies with that, or should I cut into the cake?” Jean asked. “Don’t go to any trouble. Jean, this is General Edwards, my first husband’s cousin. I don’t know the name of his companion.” “Matthew Wilson,” the other man replied. “First husband? ” Jase asked, his voice cautious. “Do I stutter?” Miranda countered. “I didn’t know you’d remarried.” Miranda looked at him. “Have you been keeping tabs on me, Jase?” “No. But you could have invited me or Aunt Clare to the wedding.” “I had one large Church wedding. I have neither the time nor the money for such things these days. This marriage was done without formalities.” “I see,” Jase said with a nod. “Well, you’re certainly past the age of majority. Your life is yours to do with as you will.” “Thanks for the permission,” Miranda replied, her voice peppery. 115
Cassie Walder
Jean put down the cups of coffee and a platter of assorted cookies on the table. Miranda took her place. Tim sat down at her right hand. “Sit down, Jase, Matthew,” Miranda invited. Matt sipped his coffee. “Very good coffee.” Jean replied, “I grind the beans fresh before brewing each pot.” “Introductions are in order, I suppose,” Miranda allowed. “Tim, this is Jase Edwards. Jase, Tim Johnson, my husband, and Jean, his sister.” “Johnson,” Jase acknowledged. “You are retired military.” “Yes, sir,” Tim stated as he took two cookies from the platter. “Your specialty? ” “Sorry, sir. That’s classified,” Tim replied, leaving no room for discussion. Jase looked at him, then nodded. “You could have done worse for yourself, Miranda,” Jase remarked. “I couldn’t have done any better, that’s for certain,” she told her late husband’s cousin. “He’s a good man.” Tim laughed as he took her hand in his. “Just talk about me, woman!” “No. I don’t think I will,” Miranda replied. “Miranda, what do you think? Are you disposed to step in and lead this launch mission?” “Fill me in on the news. I was in town last week for a couple of days after parts and supplies. What’s happened in the last week, beside the assassinations?” Miranda asked. “The usual insanity. Yesterday, Congress passed a law demanding the surrender of all of any android that isn’t readily identifiable as an android, as well as the public destruction of those droids by crushing.” “In reaction to the bio-mechanoid controversy?” Miranda asked, her voice even as if she were only marginally interested. “Yes. Technophobes. Modern Luddites,” Jase dismissed. “Bio-mechs are no threat to humans. Those who fear them are reactionary fools.” “The world has always been laced with those. Same song, new verse. What else is going on?” Miranda asked. “More of the same. The military budget has been slashed again to the point that we have either to downsize our forces to the point of putting operational readiness at risk, or cut pay. Neither is particularly good for morale among the enlisted ranks,” Jase continued. Tim cleared his throat. “Damned politicians.” “It’s utter stupidity,” Jase replied. “Life is frequently full of stupidity,” Jean offered as she leaned against a cabinet. The man named Matthew smiled at her. Jean returned the smile. “I’m going to go feed the chickens. Matthew, come with me, and let them talk,” Jean invited. “I’ll give you the nickel tour of the place.” Matt looked at his boss. Jase nodded. The two of them left the kitchen. “What else is going on?” Miranda asked.
116
Batteries Not Included
Jase spoke for about an hour bringing her up to date on world events, and the status of the mission he was asking her to step into. About forty-five minutes into Jase’s presentation, the other man returned alone. Another twelve minutes elapsed before Jean returned. “So, Miranda, are you in?” Jase asked carefully when he finished bringing her up to speed. “There’s more than myself to consider here, Jase. Tim, Jean, what’s your mind on this?” “I’ve always thought it would be a blast,” Jean said. “We’ve talked about this, when we discussed Dan’s work. You know what I think.” “Sweetheart, my home is where you are,” Tim replied. “I want you to be happy. If that’s here, in town with your teaching again, or somewhere far away, it doesn’t matter to me. We’ve talked about this before. It’s your decision. The last thing I want is for you to live with regrets, either way. Aside from my sister, and my commitment to you, I have no ties left anywhere. My commitment is to making you happy. What would make you happiest, Miranda?” Miranda nodded. She took Tim’s hand. “Leaving Earth will mean never returning. Our children will never see the high pasture. They’ll never see many of the things we were raised with.” “But who knows the different wonders our children will see on the new world? ” Tim answered. “That’s the trade-off, Miranda.” “Do you both want to go?” Miranda asked. “Yes,” Tim answered. Jean nodded. “Even if you and Tim didn’t want to take part, I’d still want to go.” Miranda looked at Jase. “Fine. The Johnsons, all three of us, are aboard. I have to sell the ranch for our share of the expenses of launching the new colony. But, I’ve got a neighbor who wants to buy me out and has made a standing offer on the place. So, I should be able to sell out in fairly short order.” Jase smiled. “You don’t need to do that. We’ll waive your investment.” “And just what good will the ranch do me on another planet?” Miranda asked, humor in her voice. “Once we’re settled on the new planet, the chances are pretty good that interstellar communications are going to be rare. And there never was a provision put in place for interstellar banking. Not that money is going to mean much in the subsistence/agricultural society that will be founded on a new planet. It’s going to be a lot of hard work.” Jase laughed out loud. “No. That much is true. Money won’t do anyone a lot of good initially there. Talent and hard work will carry the day.” “We’ll carry our own weight with the fees, Jase. Have you ever known me to do otherwise?” “No,” her former cousin-in-law replied. “I’ve never known you to fail to carry your own weight in anything you set your hand to.” “I’m not about to start now. Are you going to stay for lunch?” “No. I’ve got to get back. I’ve got a transport landed a couple of miles down the road.” “Surprised you just didn’t fly in and set down in my pasture,” Miranda said dryly. “Figured that would scare the horses, then you really would shoot me.” Miranda smiled.
117
Cassie Walder
Tim laughed out loud. “No one should know her that well,” he said. Jase sighed. “Johnson, you take good care of her. She’s a special lady.” “I know. Taking care of her is what I’m here for.”
***** “Now,” Tim said as they stood on the front porch of the ranch house after Jase and Matthew drove away. “Here’s the only important thing. Do you really want to go?” “There isn’t a choice, Tim. If you and Jean stay here, you will be destroyed. When the waiting for volunteers fails, there will be coercion. Hysteria. Droid hunts. Humans taken into custody and executed by mistake. I really don’t want to watch this unfold. I told you. I will take care of you and protect you to the best of my ability. Leaving is the best option for your safety.” “Look, Jean and I can go to ground. No one here would ever find out who and what we are. If this is only to protect us, then it’s unnecessary.” “Dan and I would have led a mission if he hadn’t been killed. It seems only right that I step into it.” “Children, Miranda? You spoke to your husband’s cousin about children,” Tim said. “It’s a long term terraforming project. The long term genetic diversity of the community will depend on most of the females in the colony giving birth to at least two children from banked sperm brought from earth as well as one from a member of the team.” “That’s a lot of babies,” Jean replied from her position on the porch swing. “Babies, lots of babies, are the foundation for building a society on a new planet. The gene pool has to be diverse enough for the society not to become inbred. In a small colony, that’s difficult without in tervention. The broader that base goes in the first few generations, the better it will be.” Tim nodded. “I see that. But, taking that much banked sperm with the colony?” “The reproductive biology team should see to enough unique samples provided that we will be able to do this for the first three generations.” “Jean won’t be able to give birth to children.” “The younger women in the community will have to make up some slack for us older ones and for Jean. I don’t think I really have time to give birth to three children before menopause sets in, either. Might have to do some multiple ovulation forcing and selective fertilizations to get three children out of this. I hope not, but if necessary, we’ll have the equipment and the personnel to do it in the colony. “Well,” Jean said from the porch swing, “I took care of some of that for you. Young Matthew has particularly high sperm count, judging from the sample I looked at before I preserved two straws of the sperm.” Miranda laughed. “I thought that was what you were up to.” “It became obvious to me,” Jean said, “that we were going to need to leave here. Matthew is a younger, more vigorous specimen than Frank is. Matt oozes testosterone out his pores. The
118
Batteries Not Included
chances of his being highly fertile were higher. And he looks enough like Tim for no one to question it.” “What kind of lover was he?” Miranda asked in amusement. “Young, with more enthusiasm than skill,” Jean answered. “It’s such a shame that youth is wasted on the young.” “You are really going to sell the ranch?” Tim asked. “Yes. There’s no other choice. I won’t go into the colonization team without paying my own way. I’ll need to buy in for both of you as well. The surest way to start resentment in the community would be for rumors to rise that someone’s not carrying their fair share of the community burden. The sale of the ranch will provide that. It will also give me enough money that I can pay Milo what I owe him for both of you your freedom. That much will have to be done carefully. I can’t endanger you or open him up to danger, either.” “Why would you sell out? The ranch means everything to you,” Tim demanded. “Once, yes, it did. It doesn ’t now, Tim. You mean everything to me.”
The End
119
About the author: Cassie welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at P.O. Box 787, Hudson, Ohio 44236-0787.
Also by Cassie Walder: Aunts and the Dove Dream Job Dream Lover The Peasant’s Wise Daughter Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh
ILLICIT PROGRAMMING Jennifer Dunne
Illicit Programming
Chapter One Koie sat in the foam-molded chair in front of the munadmin ’s desk, folded his hands, and tried not to be nervous. It wasn’t time for his shift rotation to be changed, and he couldn’t think of any other reason why he would be summoned by the woman. The munadmin smiled at him. “Koie, your work in the hydroponics labs has come to my attention. Your process improvement of recycling the wastewater runoff has increased the functional yield by eight percent.” “I serve the mun.” Koie leaned back in the chair, basking in the munadmin’s approval. The woman flipped a switch on her desk, activating the holos in the walls so that they were surrounded by nodding, smiling munmembers. Koie squirmed with pleasure, aching to share his joy. The munadmin flipped off the switch, dispelling the adoring throng and returning the office setting to just the two of them. Her expression turned serious, and she held up a transmit cube. “We have received a request from the Council of Muns. Current rates of expansion and resource utilization indicate that we will face an overpopulation crisis within the next quartercentury. We must begin terraforming a new location, to establish off-planet muns.” “And you think my hydroponics process improvement can help?” “I think you can help.” Koie frowned at the munadmin. “I don’t understand.” “Our mun has been asked for a volunteer to go on the scouting mission to the planet identified for terraforming. You are the best candidate.” New muns were normally formed by cleaving existing muns, so that the munmembers would already know and be familiar with each other. But it was not unheard of to start a mun by combining volunteers from other muns, if no existing mun was large enough to be safely cleaved. It actually made more sense to take no more than a single person from each mun for the new colony, since otherwise the vast distance separating so many former munmates would cause great distress. “How many members will the new mun have?” The munadmin shook her head, reaching across her desk to clasp Koie’s hands. “You misunderstand, Koie. This is not the settlement mission. It is a scouting mission. There will only be two of you.” Koie cringed backward, deep into the foam of his chair, and began shaking. Only two? To be isolated without a mun to depend upon? He’d never even slept in a room with less than four munmates in it. What had he done that was so horrible that the munadmin thought banishment was a suitable punishment? With the perception munadmins were known for, the woman recognized Koie’s distress, and sought to alleviate it. “This is not a punishment, Koie. You give value to our mun, and we are all pleased to call you munmate. But we must send someone. Since reaching your 123
Jennifer Dunne
adulthood, you have proven your skills in agronautics and hydroponics in your first two duty rotations, both skills needed for terraforming.” The munadmin hesitated, as if unwilling to voice the terrible truth, but eventually added, “And you like your silence more than most.” “It is true I appreciate silence, but only so that I can think through the puzzles of process and function,” Koie protested. “At the end of the day, when my work shift is over, I enjoy the gatherings in the common room and the sharing over the dinner table as much as any of my munmates.” “The Council has decided. We must send someone. Can you suggest a munmate who would be better suited for this mission than you?” Koie wracked his brain, trying to find anyone else onto whom he could shift this duty. But the munadmin was correct. He might not be the right person for the job, but he was the closest the mun had. He would have to do. He sighed, and bowed his head in acceptance. “When do I leave?” “The ship will leave in two days. Your partner on this mission will be a woman named Maeko, from the Callendula Ridge Mun. You will meet her tomorrow, when the mission controllers begin your preparations.” The munadmin smiled, and squeezed Koie’s hands encouragingly. “You give great value to our mun. We will celebrate tonight with a sharing of pleasure.” Koie forced himself to return the munadmin’s smile. His recently sworn vow of adulthood pledged him to perform whatever service the mun required of him, using his body and his skills for the good of the mun. He didn’t have to like it. He just had to do it. The scouting mission couldn’t last forever. He’d give himself fully to tonight’s pleasure sharing, and hope that the memories would be enough to sustain him in the loneliness of space.
***** Maeko slouched in the foam-molded chair in front of the munadmin’s desk. These weekly discipline hearings were becoming routine. He would list her errors and grievances, Maeko would sulk and protest that she was trying to fit in but she just couldn’t do it, and then they’d both sigh and stare at each other until it was time for his next appointment. The munadmin did not follow the script this time. Instead, he shook his head and sighed. “I can’t pretend that I’ll miss you when you’re gone.” She blinked, then shot to quivering alertness as hope coursed through her. “Has the Far Flight mun reconsidered my request for transfer?” “You cannot fly. They will never accept you. But we’ve found another opportunity for you.” “You said I’d be leaving. Are you sending me to another mun?” Technically, the munadmin couldn’t send her anywhere without her permission, but they both realized it was a formality. Maeko was desperately unhappy in the mun, insisting on claiming personal property and assigning personal space, then arguing and fighting with her munmates when they ignored her arbitrary assignments. They could understand sentimental belongings, which everyone collected and respected the individual ownership of, but when she selected “her” towels or 124
Illicit Programming
“her” seat at the table, they ignored her claims as nonsensical and childish, which never failed to send her into a towering fury. She knew her insistence on personal property and space stemmed from her long years as a sickly child suffering from Ruie’s Syndrome. She was often the only one in the otherwise deserted hospital ward, except for the two days each year when newly mature female munmembers had the operation to stop their monthly bleeding. Even then, she had been kept isolated from the others. Unlike the normal behaviors of communal living, she had learned to keep anything she touched separated from the untouched items, so that she would not contaminate others with her rare disease. Even though the doctors had finally cured her, the habits of her childhood were too thoroughly ingrained. She’d learned those habits so that none of her munmates would have to suffer as she did. It galled her that they made no effort to try and understand her behavior, or make allowances for her experiences. Her explosive temper ensured that they knew of her displeasure. That’s why she wanted to be a pilot. Their mun was only loosely connected, since the pilots were expected to be with their ships most of the time. Their ships. Property ownership was expected in the Far Flight mun, since so much responsibility rested on the pilots. It was understood that for optimum performance, a pilot needed to work with a single ship, learning all of its nuances, rather than flying whichever ship the luck of the draw awarded him or her. Sooner or later, all the people who were dissatisfied with mun life ended up in the Far Flight mun, as pilots or crew on the larger ships. Except her. One of the lingering aftereffects of her battle with Ruie’s Syndrome was badly damaged ears. She was highly susceptible to vertigo and motion sickness, which made her unsuitable for a life in space travel. But some members of the Far Flight mun remained on the ground, servicing their ships, maintaining the base, and trading with the other muns. Why couldn’t she be given one of those jobs? The munadmin smiled, and tapped a transmit cube. “Tomorrow, an expedition will begin to survey and analyze a new planet for colonization. You will be part of that expedition.” “You said yourself, I can’t fly.” “The Far Flight mun is aware of your condition, and has medicine that will help you.” Maeko couldn’t believe her ears. There had to be a catch. “How big is this expedition?” “Only two people. You and a young man named Koie. A pilot will fly you to the planet, where you will stay for six months conducting your survey, and if feasible, begin terraforming. At the end of the six months, a pilot will come retrieve you, and replace you with a terraforming crew.” “So it’s only for six months.” “Yes.” The munadmin spread his hands. “Perhaps all you needed was a more gradual reintroduction to common living. Six months should be long enough for you to adjust to living with one other person. When you return, you may find living in the mun no longer bothers you.” She nodded, not wanting to insult him by telling him what she thought the likelihood of that would be. It would only be for six months, but that would be six months of peace and personal space she wouldn’t otherwise enjoy. “I accept.”
125
Jennifer Dunne
“Good! Would you like to schedule a sharing before you leave?” A bitter smile twisted Maeko’s lips. “No. I wouldn’t enjoy it, knowing their happy thoughts were most likely joy at my departure.” The munadmin did not correct her.
***** Koie was given the place of honor in the large silver chair beneath the framed charter of the Chiko Lake Mun. The agemates who shared his sleeping quarters were seated in smaller chairs curving away on either side of him, followed by the rest of his munmates arranged in a large circle. Headsets rested on the backs of each of the chairs, their lead lines connected to the matte black box humming in the center of the circle. On top of that rested a clear box, in which a glowing silver orb floated. All eyes were on the orb. All eyes except Koie’s. He was watching the eager faces of his munmates, recording each and every one in his memory. The munadmin rose to her feet. “Munmates, we are here to wish Koie well on the journey he undertakes tomorrow, for the honor and prestige of our mun. Let us send him off with a sharing full of our love and well wishes.” A spattering of handclaps and finger-snaps answered the munadmin. She smiled and lifted her headset, positioning the side sensors against her temples, securing the front sensor against her forehead, and tucking the foam earpieces securely into her ears. She continued to smile, priming the sharing with her own happy thoughts, then waved her hands to indicate the others should proceed. The munmembers reached for their headsets as one, Koie included. He lowered it onto his head as the munadmin sat down, turning his thoughts inward as the familiar weight of the headset slipped over his skull. The sensor pads rested snugly against his temples, registering the nervous anticipation of his racing heart, as he pulled the front sensor against his forehead to register the temperature fluctuations in his flushed skin. As the last step, he pressed the foam padded earpieces into his ear canals, shutting out the rustling sounds of his munmates centering their own headpieces. The headset began its calibration routine, sending pulses of low frequency wave energy through his skull. Although he could not hear the wave pulses, he could feel the effects of the gradually changing frequencies as the amplitude spike of the crossed waves shifted fractionally within his brain. Odd smells of baked cinnamon and damp soil drifted through his senses, and ghostly feelings of heat and cold skittered across his awareness. Then the calibration locked onto its target, the pleasure center of his brain. Koie gasped at the fleeting touch, closing his eyes to savor the pleasure. Unseen, he knew the light above his lead lines in the central controller had shifted from yellow to green. As the last of his munmates’ headsets finished calibrating, the central controller began broadcasting through the web of linked minds. The munadmin’s priming thought echoed through the brains of the other munmembers, sparking pleasant memories which were fed back into the system, stroking the brains of yet other munmembers. He would miss this sharing when he was gone.
126
Illicit Programming
His headset picked up his fear and trepidation, his reluctance to leave in the morning, and his dread of being without the comfort and support of a mun for six months. The system fed his dark thoughts into the web, where they were nullified by the joyful memories of his munmates. Gradually, his fears dissipated. They were not gone. He knew the fears would come back when the sharing ended. But for now, they could not stand against the united power of positive thoughts his munmates were sending into the web. Pleasure tickled his brain, feathery touches and ghostly sensations that rippled both everywhere and nowhere in his body. Koie let his head fall backward, resting against the cushioned foam support of his chair, and gripped the chair arms tightly to keep from spinning into the endless star field of space bursting behind his eyelids. His breathing deepened, as warm pleasure flowed through his veins. He could feel the love of his munmates, their desire that he be safe on his journey and that he soon return to them. Echoes of other munmembers’ memories flickered through his awareness, not enough to know what they were thinking, but enough to awaken similar memories in his own brain. He recalled laughing and playing with a group of his agemates, some silly game whose rules he no longer remembered involving lots of screaming and running, and the tolerant smiles of love and affection from the older munmembers as the children rampaged through the buildings. He remembered the triumph of successfully completing their graduation project with his team, the five of them dancing in jubilation when the test moderator awarded them the coveted badges of completion. Other memories did not feature him so prominently. He was one of twenty teenaged munmembers helping to bring in the corn crop, then one of the young boys who handed water and tools to older munmembers erecting a new building for the mun. But those memories were memories of joy and triumph for the older munmembers who had featured prominently in them, and they included him. It shocked him to realize the older munmembers knew so little about him, that these were the only joyful memories of him they had to offer. Then he realized that if tonight’s sharing had honored them, he too would have been able to offer only memories in which they played a peripheral part. The mun was his life. But many of the members of the mun were little more than vague faces lumped in groups; the older munmembers who worked in the kitchens, the munmembers who patrolled the outskirts of the mun in rotating bands of six, protecting the livestock and repairing buildings and fences, the munmembers responsible for traveling to other muns and trading for what their mun needed. Sensing his distress, although they wouldn’t know what had caused it, his munmates redoubled their efforts to think of pleasant memories involving him. He was reassured over and over again that he was loved, cared for, desired as part of the mun. But those reassurances only worsened the ache in his heart. His munmates loved him, as only munmates could. But there must be something wrong with him after all. The munadmin had chosen well when she selected Koie as the best one to separate from the mun. After all, if he could not even remember the names of all of his munmates, he could not possibly care for them as deeply as they cared for him. He was a fraud. He deserved to be sent away from the mun. The pleasurable memories built upon each other, cascading in waves as each memory triggered dozens of happy echoes in other munmembers’ brains. The warmth and love overwhelmed Koie’s dark thoughts, humming through his blood until his pulse raced, and he
127
Jennifer Dunne
struggled to breathe. If he opened his eyes now, he knew he’d see the circle of his munmates with their heads tipped back, mouths open, succumbing to the pleasure of the sharing. A separate warmth began spiraling through him. They were doing this for him. He was the reason his munmates were convulsing with ecstasy. Their memories of him were driving them to the brink of rapture. He might not know all of their names, but in this, the mun was united. And in this, he could show his love for the mun as a whole. He fed his love of the mun into the system, letting the sensors take his emotions and spread them across the web. As he did, he felt the shuddering echoes of munmate after munmate tipping into the mindless realm of pure pleasure. The pleasure built within him, warmed in addition by the knowledge that he was responsible for the others’ joy. It bubbled and tickled, unable to be contained by his skin. And then he burst, his mind soaring free on a wave of sensation that carried him to a world of rumbling heat and molten sweetness that had no words to describe the purity of emotion filling him. He drifted, complete, until his exhausted and overwhelmed body finally collapsed and the safety protocols in the headset shut down his feed. Slowly, he forced open his eyes. His arms felt as if ripened melons had been tied to them, weighing them down and making it nearly impossible to lift them up to remove his headset. Around him, other members of the mun were slowly regaining awareness, or lay sprawled in their seats gasping at the pleasure rippling through them. One by one, his munmates removed their headsets, rolled up the lead wires, and disconnected themselves from the central controller. Most did so silently, although they smiled dreamily in his direction. A few wished him luck on his journey. Tajie, the boy who had slept beside him since his earliest memories, grinned as he rolled up his wires. “It won’t be the same at night without you snoring like a mulching machine. I’m sure none of us will get a decent night’s sleep until you come home again.” Koie reached out and clasped his munmate’s arm, feeling Tajie’s skin still flushed with heat from the sharing. “Neither will I. I’ve never been alone.” Tajie shook his head, his job as assistant munadmin making him privy to details Koie had not yet been informed of. “You won’t be alone. The Council authorized the purchase of two androids, one for you and one for Maeko.” “Androids?” He shrugged. “It won’t be the same as living munmates, of course. But it’s the best they could do.” Koie sighed, but his heart warmed again at the munadmin’s consideration for him. It wouldn’t be the same. But it was better than he’d feared. Two people and two androids were not a mun. But it was closer than two people alone. Somehow, he would survive the next six months, and return to his mun as a hero. Dreaming of the mun’s eager reacceptance of him upon his return, he followed Tajie upstairs to their room.
128
Illicit Programming
***** Maeko sat cross-legged on her bed, listening to the sounds of her munmates’ sharing in the common room below. One by one, they gasped and cried out, succumbing to the pleasure, until all was silent. A restless ache filled her, wishing she could have joined them. But even if she hadn’t been kept away by the hypocrisy of celebrating their relief at her leaving, she knew she would not have enjoyed the sharing as they did. Just another reminder of her long battle with Ruie’s Syndrome. Her ears were too sensitive to minute vibrations, so that the wave frequencies that stroked others’ brains with such tenderness and affection sliced through her skull like a carving knife. When the wave spikes crossed her pleasure center, she did not feel the gentle warmth her munmates described. She felt like white-hot flames scorched her body, immolating her in a pleasure too intense to bear. And when the wave spikes shifted away from her pleasure center, trying to trigger her memories, thousands of needles plunged into her flesh until she screamed in agony. But none of her munmates could hear her screams, lost as they were in their own worlds of pleasure. It was just another way that she would never fit in, never be a real member of the mun. At the time of her first sharing, to celebrate her cure and acceptance as an adult of the mun, she desired nothing so much as fitting in with the mun. So she hadn’t said anything afterwards when her munmates opened their eyes and removed their headsets. Later, when she realized she could never fit in, it was too late to say anything without revealing how she had lied to them. Even though she knew she would never really be one of them, she was unwilling to take the last step that would completely ostracize her from her munmates. Instead, she suffered through the few sharings she’d been unable to excuse herself from, and pretended she enjoyed them just as her munmates did. She fed the transmit cube the munadmin had given her into her datapad, distracting herself by studying the details of her upcoming trip. The habitat she and Koie would share contained two small bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a maintenance closet, a science lab, a workout room, and a general purpose living space. They would occupy that habitat for six months, and no doubt it would grow smaller with every passing day. Fortunately, their duties would require them to spend many hours if not days or even weeks at a time away from the habitat, exploring the surface of the planet in a rover and setting up inflatable bioshelters to initiate terraforming experiments. Their livable space would expand rapidly from the core habitat. He was supposed to be an expert on plants. But she knew all there was to know about geology, having occupied her childhood by quietly playing with the collection of rocks her guilty munmates brought to her sickroom, and later turning that experience into the basis of her advanced education option. She would be assigned all of the duties regarding the planet’s geology, mapping its geothermal energies and determining the composition of rocks and minerals that composed its crust. Those tasks would take her far afield, while Koie remained behind with his greenhouses. Best of all, the machinery she would need to conduct her studies could not possibly be used to analyze his plants. It would be her machinery. Her rover. Her planet. As long as Koie kept to the habitat, the greenhouses, and his plants, the two of them would get along just fine. Maeko smiled. Not even her munmates’ gasping cries of ecstasy from downstairs could dampen her tingling pleasure. She was finally going to find someplace where she belonged.
129
Jennifer Dunne
Once she got there, she’d figure out how to extend her stay, because she had no intention of coming back to the mun when the six month assignment was over. Hopefully Koie would feel the same way, and whatever truce they’d established for their living arrangements would not by broken by the arrival of new munmembers. But if he wanted to return, he could return without her. She wasn’t about to let his feelings interfere with her taking the best opportunity for happiness she’d ever get.
130
Illicit Programming
Chapter Two Maeko gazed around her in awe. Evidence of the Far Flight mun’s spacefaring exploits decorated all four walls of the conference chamber. Holofilms of munmembers meeting delegates from other worlds framed the blank holopanel on the far wall, while holofilms of space stations, planets, stars, moons, ships, and shuttles graced the remaining walls. Silently, she sat in one of the two foamchairs drawn up before the center of the U-shaped table. Her escort from the mun clasped her hands before her in a gesture of leave-taking. “Is there anything else the mun may provide for you?” “No, thank you.” Maeko hesitated, but curiosity overcame good manners. She gestured at the plain tunic the woman wore. “Your pardon, but you are not a pilot?” The woman smiled and shook her head. “No. I don’t have the reflexes for it. I’m an electronics specialist.” “Do you fly?” “I just finished crewing as an electronics secondary. I’m waiting for a ship that needs an electronics primary, and servicing returning ships while I wait.” “Oh.” Maeko’s last hope that there was some possible job she could do in the Far Flight mun, some ground-based work kept secret from outsiders, vaporized. Even the munmembers who weren’t pilots were required to fly. Planetside maintenance of ships was used to keep active munmembers busy between flight assignments. The few ground jobs necessary to maintain the mun, such as cooking for the planetside munmembers and cleaning the base, were given to the older munmembers who had served the mun well, but whose bodies could no longer withstand the strain of space travel. They had no room in their ranks for a woman who could never serve in space. The conference room door opened and two men walked in. The first, judging by his almost shuffling gait, was a member of the Far Flight mun who had recently returned from space and not yet readjusted to the heavier gravity. That meant the man behind him was Koie, her partner for this expedition. For someone she was about to spend six months with, trapped in the small confines of the survey habitat, he looked pleasant enough. His pants and tunic were a harmonious blend of light and dark browns, patterned in asymmetrical blocks of color that hinted at more flexibility than the average munmember possessed. Certainly more flexibility than any member of her mun. No more than a few years past his adulthood oath, his features were only just beginning to take on a cast of steady determination. His dark brown eyes scanned the room, hesitating briefly at the images of space, then his jaw stiffened and his gaze moved on. Silently, he took the seat next to her, passing close enough that she was able to smell the trace of dirt and growing things that clung to his skin. She glanced at his hands. Scrupulously clean, not a hint of dirt showed beneath the nails or in the creases of his skin. But she had no trouble imagining those strong, blunt fingers digging in the soil, scooping out a home for a new seedling, then firmly pressing the dirt around the fragile stem.
131
Jennifer Dunne
At the moment, he was engaged in the same polite exchange with his escort that she’d just finished, although unlike her, he had no personal questions to add. The conference room door opened again, letting in an older woman and letting out the two escorts. She wore the same simple pants and tunic as everyone else in the mun, but her blue tunic was decorated with a spinning nebula embroidered in gold on the left chest. She was a pilot. The woman stepped up to the blank holopanel, which flared to brilliant life behind her. A murky red and brown planet, lightly obscured by thin clouds, floated against a black backdrop. “Koie, Maeko, welcome to your project briefing. I am Sachiko, the director of this mission. The planet you see behind me is your destination.” The image zoomed in on the topography of the planet, focusing on a roughly fish-shaped hilly region, with a chain of three peaks rising from the fish’s eye to his dorsal fin. Another tall mountain stood in solitary splendor to the northwest of the fish. A strangely flattened area to the north stretched out two smooth extensions to curve around the fish and its attendant mountain, reinforcing their height. “The planet, Aysha, shows signs of volcanic activity, as well as evidence of past surface water. We believe this region to the north once held water, which sank below the surface as the planet cooled. The volcanic mountains, here—” The director turned to point to the chain of three peaks. “—indicate there will likely be a source of geothermal energy in this vicinity from subsurface hot lakes.” Maeko nodded, suddenly understanding what she was seeing. The flattened area was an ocean bed, and the extensions had once been bays. Then the meaning of the director’s words penetrated her brain. “Your pardon, Director Sachiko, but you said past surface water? The planet is now completely arid? ” Koie drew in a sharp breath and stiffened beside her, no doubt thinking of the implications upon his plants. “That is correct. We believe the planet can be terraformed, and made habitable. But that depends upon finding a geothermal power source, usable water, and a location for our first underground dwellings and crop domes. These are the things we are sending you to search for.” Maeko and Koie traded a shocked look, then he asked, “You plan to establish muns underground, like a warren of rabbits?” The director laughed, and the picture behind her shifted to a sketch of gracefully arched brick buildings, their balconies draped with hanging flowers. “Hardly a rabbit warren. We will excavate a suitable space, line it with brick, and cover it with an arched ceiling of brick, within which we will build the mun. Sealed fiber optic cables will bring light down from the surface, but the weight of the soil above the mun will protect the inhabitants from the planet’s frigid surface as well as trapping a sufficient quantity of breathable air. The plants will help maintain that air, although it will of course be manually monitored and adjusted as necessary.” Maeko’s eyes widened. “You can’t breathe the air on this planet?” The director shrugged. “We are not a space-faring empire, sending colonists to every possible planet that could support life, then protecting our planets with force of arms. We had to negotiate the right to explore and colonize a planet from someone who’d already found a likely one, and this is the best we could afford.”
132
Illicit Programming
Koie shifted in his seat. “Your pardon, Director Sachiko, but are we to merely identify the location for this first mun, or build it? It seems that there will be nowhere for the first colonists to live, while it is being constructed.” “Once you identify all of the things we need for construction—in addition to what I’ve named so far, we need a source of clay to make the bricks, and need to ensure the area you have selected is not seismically active. The details are all in the project materials you will be given to study after this meeting—we will send a colonization team of four Far Flight munmembers to replace you. They will do the initial construction of the vaulted space, and the colonists will arrive to finish the building.” Maeko frowned. That hardly sounded like a task requiring six months. Before she could ask her question, the scene behind the director shifted again, to display a series of pipes, insulated storage tanks, dials and gauges. “Identifying a location for our first mun will not be your only task on Aysha. One of your first duties will be to begin synthesizing fuel. It is too expensive to ship all your supplies to Aysha with you, so you will need to use the planet’s bounty. Maeko, you will be responsible for this synthesizing process.” The picture shifted again, to a sketch of a half-dome covering abundant greenery. “Koie, you will be responsible for establishing the greenhouse dome and growing the crops for you—and the colonization team after you—to eat.” The director stepped forward and placed a data cube on the table in front of each of them. “Review the material this afternoon and ask any questions when we gather for dinner. Now, I will tell you about your travel and living arrangements. Your trip will consist of two parts. First, a short-run mun ship will fly you to Space Station Seti-Omega. There, you will transfer to a colony ship we have engaged for this purpose. The habitat module will be delivered to the colony ship by the time you arrive. All you will need to do is pick up your two android assistants and board the colony ship.” Maeko glanced in confusion at Koie, but he was nodding in agreement with the director, as if he’d known about this all along. There were only three of them in the room, but somehow, she’d managed to be the outsider again. Anger and bitterness turned her voice petulant as she demanded, “What android assistants? ” Koie turned to her, his eyes wide with surprise. “Did you think we were being sent by ourselves? There will be many times one or the other of us is required to explore away from the habitat. If we had no androids, we would be completely isolated and alone.” Horror vibrated through his words, the horror of any well-adjusted munmember upon contemplating a life of solitude and isolation, without the constant presence of munmates. Maeko sighed. So much for his being a pleasant companion for six months. Oh, well. At least she would only have one person to fight with, rather than an entire mun. She didn’t count the androids. They were programmed to do as you instructed, so she would simply order them to leave her alone. Or maybe she’d leave them both with Koie when she went out to explore. He would need them more than she would. She forced herself to pay attention to the director’s discussion of their pressure suits, well aware that her life might depend on the information being reviewed. But her heart was no longer in the adventure. Even on another planet, as far from the muns as she could go, she did not belong. There was nowhere she would ever fit in.
133
Jennifer Dunne
***** Koie distracted himself from his fears and misgivings by losing himself in his work. As always, focusing on problems and processes transported him outside of his body, to a realm of pure thought where nothing mattered other than the patterns he studied. And the problems he studied now provided more than enough challenge to distract him. He’d reviewed and analyzed all of the recommendations for the greenhouses on Aysha. The work would be hard, no question of that. But it was just possible that he’d be part of something truly momentous. If he and Maeko succeeded, they would give unimaginable glory to their muns. His thoughts turned to the conundrum of his partner in this adventure. Maeko. When he’d first seen her at the briefing, he’d been struck by her air of confident professionalism. She knew her geology, that much was clear from her expression as she’d watched Director Sachiko’s presentation. He’d looked forward to working with her, thinking that they’d make a good team. But that had all changed when the Director mentioned the androids. He still wasn ’t sure why. At first, he’d thought Maeko was insulted by the thought that androids could do the work she was trained for. He’d tried to talk to her later, about how her knowledge would be vital for the success of their mission, and how the androids would function simply in support roles. She’d sneered at him, declared that he needed the androids’ support far more than she did, and turned away. It almost made him think she had no faith in his skills. But she’d made no effort to try and control his portion of the mission. In fact, she’d freely offered him the decision-making on tasks she felt fell within his area of expertise, even when they were not among the tasks originally assigned to him by the Director. He was no closer to a solution the next morning, as they prepared to board the rocket for the first stage of their journey. Then the mun doctor drew Maeko aside and lectured her in a whisper before rolling back her sleeve and affixing a patch to her inner arm. He handed her a small pouch, no doubt containing more patches. Maeko pulled down her sleeve and returned to Koie’s side, but her face was paler than it had been a moment ago, and fear had replaced the sparkle in her dark eyes. “Anything wrong?” he asked. “No. I’m fine,” she snapped. “You don’t have to worry about me not holding up my half of this mission.” Aha! She wasn ’t fine, or the doctor wouldn’t have needed to give her a medication patch. She must have thought the androids were included on the mission to carry on for her if her ailment, whatever it was, physically prevented her from performing her duties. That would explain her waspish insistence that he’d need their help more than her. She’d been reassuring him that she would not be incapacitated, at the same time as she’d been insulted by his apparent assumption that she would be. It was too late for him to apologize for his inadvertent offense. He’d insult her further if he brought the topic up again now. The best he could do would be to show her that he had faith in her abilities. Koie smiled at her. “I have enough to worry about with how I’ll build a greenhouse and grow plants on a planet with no water or breathable air, and dangerous dust storms. I don’t have time to worry about your half of the mission.” 134
Illicit Programming
She blinked, then relaxed and returned his smile. “Let’s just worry about getting there, first.” A slender young man entered the waiting area, making notes on his datapad as he walked. When he lowered the pad, Koie could see the nebula design emblazoned on his tunic. “May your muns flourish,” he greeted them both. “I’m Denzo, your pilot. I’ll be taking you as far as the space station. Are you ready to board?” Koie and Maeko traded a look, then she answered, “Waiting won’t make us any more ready.” The pilot laughed. “Follow me, then. I’ll get you both strapped down for the blast-off. We’ll be flying without gravity until we leave orbit, then the ship will open up and start spinning to create her own gravity for us. But until then, you’ll need to stay strapped in.” Maeko’s face lost what little color she’d regained. “The ship will be spinning the entire time we’re in flight?” “While we’re not in atmosphere, yes.” Denzo smiled, and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, you won’t feel the rotation, any more than you feel this planet spinning beneath your feet. You’ll see.” The pilot turned, striding quickly out of the room. After a moment, Koie and Maeko followed him, jogging to catch up. They left the building, following a paved concrete walkway raised a foot above the flooded launch pad, and Koie got his first look at the ship that would take them into space. The ship itself looked like the body of an insect, with two long, narrow carapaces joined in the center. The lower body was flanked by two tall cylindrical rockets, twice Koie’s height, and two short pyramidal thrusters that barely came up to his waist. Vertical lines scored the upper body, marking where the ship would open while in flight. The hatch-like door was a dark opening in the center of the ship’s body, with a narrow ladder angling up to it. The pilot swarmed up the ladder like an ant climbing a blade of grass. Koie and Maeko stood at the base of the ladder, staring at each other. “Do you think it will hold all of us? Or should we wait until he’s inside before we start climbing?” she asked. Denzo answered her question by shouting down, “Shake a leg, you two.” Maeko waved her hand at the ladder, offering to let Koie climb up first. “K before M.” Wishing he’d been named Zado, he gripped the cold metal rungs and began climbing. A moment later, he heard the muffled clangs of her feet hitting the rungs below him. He glanced down once to check on her progress. He’d climbed higher than he’d realized. And there was nothing below him. Nothing to stop his fall if his feet slipped off of the narrow rungs. Koie grabbed the ladder, hugging it tightly, and squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. All he could see was his body hurtling toward the wet concrete below. “Koie?” Maeko’s voice penetrated the fog of his fear. “Don’t look down,” he gasped.
135
Jennifer Dunne
“I’ve got you.” Her hands reached around the ladder’s supports and closed about his ankles, anchoring him to the ladder. “If you would, open your eyes, and look straight ahead at the ship in front of you.” He did as she instructed, staring at the neatly interlocking ceramic tiles that made up the ship’s skin. The ship was closer than it had been. He was almost to the door, almost safe. His lungs began working again, and he released his death grip on the ladder. Slowly, carefully, he reached upward and grabbed the next rung. She must have been watching him, because she released his ankles as soon as he started moving. He lifted his foot up one rung. Then his other hand, his other foot. Slowly, never taking his eyes off of the ship’s skin, he resumed his climb. Although she didn’t say anything else, he felt Maeko’s watching presence behind him, ready to help him if he panicked again. His heart warmed. They looked out for each other and depended upon each other. They were only two, but they were still a mun. The Aysha mun.
136
Illicit Programming
Chapter Three Soon, Koie and Maeko were strapped into their back-tilted foam seats, the thick padded webbing holding them in place. Denzo pointed out the release buckles, to be used after they’d broken atmosphere. “Not before I tell you, mind,” he warned. “I don’t want you two bouncing around like a furbit on a rampage. You’ll only break yourselves, or worse, my ship.” Then he handed them each a stack of neatly folded self-sealing plastic bags. “One in five grounders can’t handle the shaking of liftoff. If you feel sick, use a bag. You throw up on my ship, I’ll make you clean it up with a microsponge. Have a nice flight.” He pulled himself up into the cockpit, using his arms to lever himself through the hole in the ceiling that would become a doorway once the ship’s gravity was engaged. Koie clutched his bags, and made a point of not looking at Maeko. He suspected his face was white with fear and dread. He didn’t need to embarrass her further by catching the same expression on her face. A low vibration quivered through his chair, setting his teeth on edge. Denzo had started the engines. The pilot’s brisk voice carried back to the passenger cabin as he ran through the preflight checklist and confirmed his status with the base flight controller. The final countdown began. The flight controller’s clearly enunciated numbers were overwhelmed by the roar of the engines. Then the roar became deafening, and Koie was tossed from side to side against his restraining straps as the rockets struggled to lift the ship. The tossing eased, replaced by a gentle pressure against the back of his chair. It quickly built into an almost unbearable force, crushing him into the foam. He couldn’t breathe. He was going to pass out. Then the shaking started. If he hadn’t been belted in, he was sure he would have been shaken right out of his skin. As it was, he was going to have terrible bruises where his body hit the straps, over and over again. And still, the heavy hand of their acceleration pressed against his chest, choking him. He struggled to draw air into his flattened lungs, as flashes of brilliant blue speckled his vision. To his right, he heard Maeko being violently ill into one of her bags. He wondered how she had enough breath to be able to throw up. The shaking stopped. He gasped for breath, sucking in lungfuls of air as he floated, weightless, in his chair. Maeko moaned, and threw up again. Even with the sealed bags, the cabin stunk of vomit, and Koie wished briefly that he hadn’t regained the ability to breathe quite so quickly. A deep shudder passed through the ship, and a slight pressure against his side indicated they were beginning to rotate. Slowly, he settled into his seat as the artificial gravity took effect. Maeko groaned. “How long is the flight?” “Eight days.”
137
Jennifer Dunne
“Just kill me now, and save us both the suffering. ” Then she threw up again. Denzo’s voice announced through the ship’s speakers, “We’ve achieved partial gravity. You can release your buckles, now.” Koie unsnapped his harness and stumbled out of his chair, swaying and trying to find his balance. The ship had gravity, but it was not as strong as he was used to, and his smallest movements threatened to send him spinning out of control. Eventually, he figured out that if he barely lifted his feet, skating more than walking, he could propel himself safely across the cabin. He hurried to Maeko’s side. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her long black lashes stark against her colorless face, and her pale lips twisted in a grimace of pain. She clutched one of the empty bags, ready to raise it to her mouth at a moment’s notice. “Maeko? The ship is in flight now. The worst is over.” Slowly, he reached out and rested his hand on her shoulder. She seemed trapped in her own suffering, and might not have heard his voice, but his touch should get through to her. She blinked her eyes, then slanted a look toward him without moving her head. He edged to the side, placing himself in the center of her field of vision, and was rewarded by the brief flash of a tight smile. “I had Ruie’s Syndrome as a child,” she admitted. “It destroyed my inner ears. The medic gave me something for travel sickness, but it isn’t working.” Koie instinctively removed his hand from her shoulder at the name of the highly contagious disease. A retrovirus cure had been developed a few years ago, relegating the disease to the ranks of nuisances that could be overcome with proper diagnosis and treatment, but before that, it had been a life sentence of bedridden flare-ups interspersed with weakened lethargy, if the initial onset of the disease didn’t kill you. The things he’d taken for granted as a child, running and playing with his agemates, working in the fields, gathering with his munmates at dinner or for mun functions, all of those would have been denied to her. Her lips twisted into another attempt at a smile, but she didn’t quite succeed. “I was cured. I’m not contagious.” “Of course. Your pardon, Maeko.” He brushed her dark bangs away from her face and felt her forehead. It was clammy with sweat, but not feverish. “Is there anything I can do to help you?” She closed her eyes softly, no longer squeezing them tightly shut. The tension that had gripped her eased out of her body. “Just let me sit here and recover.” “I will ask the pilot if there is someplace more comfortable for you. It will be an eight day journey. There must be beds for us somewhere on this ship.” A soft smile played upon her lips, transforming her face with a gentleness he’d never seen on her, and never would have expected. Now that he knew her secret, she had let her mask slip, no longer fearing his rejection. His heart ached, unable to imagine the horror of not only being deprived of a mun’s support, but being actively shunned by your munmates. Whatever her former mun had been like, he’d make sure that she realized she was a vital and desired part of the Aysha mun.
138
Illicit Programming
He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “The Aysha mun takes care of its own. You helped me on the ladder. Now it’s my turn to help you.” Making his gliding way through the cabin and the hatchway, he found Denzo busily recording information from various displays into his datapad. “Your pardon, Pilot Denzo, but may I have a word? ” The pilot glanced over, his ready grin breaking out over his face. “How’d you do on the lift?” Koie shuddered. “I have the highest respect for the members of your mun who willingly subject themselves to that punishment for the greater good of the muns.” Denzo laughed heartily. “You’ve got it all wrong. We love the rush. The rest of the muns think we’re crazy, but we can’t wait to get into space. If you tied us to the ground, that would really drive us insane.” Koie smiled politely. Denzo probably was crazy, but no doubt that made him an excellent pilot. Who knows, maybe Koie and Maeko would be crazy, too, after six months with only themselves and two androids on a deserted planet. Thoughts of Maeko brought his mind back to the reason he’d come to see the pilot. “The lift was difficult for Maeko. She still does not feel well. Is there a bed where she can lie down?” “The medic warned me that might be the case. The two of you are sharing the spare sleep cabin. It’s small, but more comfortable than a chair if you’re not moving around.” The pilot made a few last notations on his datapad, then stowed it in the dock on his console. “I’ll show you to your cabin.” Koie followed the pilot’s bounding strides with his patient shuffle, and joined Denzo at Maeko’s side. She’d regained a little of her color, but still looked pale and washed out. “I was going to wait to give you the grand tour,” the pilot said. “But essentially, the two cabins are on the right side of the hallway as you go to the rear of the ship, with the sanitation facilities between them. Your cabin will be the one further back. Don’t go through the door at the end. It’s a big first step down.” Denzo chuckled at his joke, while Koie and Maeko just stared at him. “You two have got to lighten up, or you’ll never survive out here.” “We don’t need to survive out here,” Koie pointed out. “We need to survive on the planet Aysha.” “A desolate rock with no water or breathable air,” Maeko added. “I think we’ll need to be serious to survive.” Denzo shrugged. “Suit yourselves. If you want to go to your cabin now, I’ll show you how everything works.” Maeko nodded, and got to her feet. Just as Koie had done, she swayed at first, and grabbed the back of the foamchair to support herself. Then her eyes widened, and one hand flew up to cover her mouth, as the other clutched her stomach. “Bend over,” Denzo ordered. “Put your head down where there’s higher gravity.” She complied, bracing her arms against her knees and breathing hea vily, while Koie asked, “The gravity varies?” “This is a very small ship. When it opens up, the span is not large enough to get constant gravity. There’s about twenty percent difference from floor to ceiling. You’ll literally feel lightheaded when you stand up.”
139
Jennifer Dunne
That explained why Koie was having such trouble staying vertical while walking. It must be excruciating for Maeko, with her inner ear problems. Still hunched over and clutching her legs, she nodded. “Just get me to the cabin.” The pilot led the way to the back of the ship, and Koie walked beside Maeko to gently guide her to their cabin. Denzo slid open the door and stepped into what looked like an empty room. An exceedingly small empty room. “Everything’s stored for liftoff,” he said, moving to one of the side walls and popping a hatch with his thumb. A molded foambed pivoted out of the wall, its base firmly attached to the back of the wall unit, with two metal braces supporting the weight of the bed. The unfolded bed occupied nearly half of the room. When the other bed was also unfolded, there would be a slender corridor of space between them where one could stand while stowing and unstowing the beds, but that was it. Denzo pressed a button on the chronometer around his wrist. “Lunch will be in three hours. I’ve got plenty to do before then, so unless you need anything else, I’ll see you in three hours.” “We’re fine,” Maeko grunted from her bent position. “Thank you for your assistance,” Koie added. Chuckling to himself, the pilot left the cabin and headed back up to the cockpit, leaving them alone. Gently, Koie guided Maeko to the edge of the bed, then helped her clamber on top of it. She sighed in contentment as she stretched out. “Oh, that’s better. I think I’ll just stay here for the next eight days.” Koie bit his lip. “I can bring all your meals in to you. You’ll still need to walk to get to the sanitation facilities, though.” “I can hunch over, like I just did.” She chuckled, in a fair imitation of the pilot. “I’ll just wait until feeling sick is the least offensive alternative.”
***** The eight days of the trip to Seti-Omega merged together into a crazy quilt pattern of long stretches of bed rest, trying to relieve her boredom by studying the datacubes about her mission, punctuated by brief bouts of illness whenever she ventured out of bed. The pattern was all too familiar to her from her childhood. But unlike the lonely and isolated flare-ups of Ruie’s Syndrome from her childhood, this time she hadn’t been alone. Koie had stayed with her, bringing her meals, helping her in and out of bed on her trips to the sanitation facilities, and sleeping on the bed beside hers every night. He snored. But it was a slow, even rumble much like a cat’s purr, and it lulled her to sleep rather than keeping her awake. And when she was awake, he was forever touching her. Resting his hand on her shoulder, or brushing her hair out of her eyes, or feeling her forehead with the back of his hand. Once he’d even chafed her hands and feet, insisting that she needed to keep her blood flowing while 140
Illicit Programming
she was in bed. He seemed to take the casual gestures for granted, yet no one in her former mun had ever touched her like this. Perhaps it was a difference in muns, or perhaps her former munmates still subconsciously treated her at though she was contagious, even though consciously they knew she’d been cured. Perhaps it was as simple as she’d touched him first, grabbing his ankles on the ladder up to the ship, and she’d never reached out to touch any of her munmates. She wouldn’t have touched Koie if he hadn’t been panicked and afraid of falling. In the daily life of the mun, she’d had no reason to touch her munmates. If she had, if she’d reached out to them and placed a hand on one of their shoulders, would she have felt less alone? She suspected it would have made no difference. Koie’s attitude was nothing like her former munmates. The first time she’d used a towel and washcloth, then put them in the sonic sanitizer to sterilize them, she’d instinctively told him which ones she’d selected. He’d given her the same blank look her munmates always did. “But you sterilized them. What does it matter which ones you used?” “I just feel better knowing which ones are mine.” His face still furrowed with confusion, he’d shrugged and answered, “Well, if it makes you feel better, I’ll use the other ones.” He hadn’t laughed, and dismissed her claims of ownership as silly and childish. Thinking the towels belonged to her made her feel better, and that was a good enough reason for him. As if her thoughts had summoned him, Koie slid aside the door to their cabin and entered. “Is it time for lunch already?” she asked. She must’ve been lost in her daydreams for longer than she’d realized. “No. We’ll be arriving at the space station soon. Denzo has to close the ship to dock, and we’ll be losing gravity.” Maeko groaned, anticipating another spate of motion sickness. “He says the docking is very smooth, and that we’ll barely feel it.” “I’ll believe that when it happens. Doesn’t the space station spin, too? ” Koie shrugged. “It’s bigger. That makes a difference. I just don’t know if it will be enough of a difference for you.” “Only one way to find out.” He helped her out of the bed, then folded it up and stowed it inside the wall while she sat on the floor, braced against the walls in the corner of the room. He checked the cabin one last time, ensuring nothing remained that could bounce around in zero-gravity. Then he raised her to her feet, and guided her in her hunched over shuffle to one of the foamchairs in the main cabin. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she collapsed into the chair, fighting her nausea. She focused on her breathing, while Koie buckled her into the seat. As he often did, he rested his hand briefly on her shoulder when he was done. This time, however, she reached up and covered his hand with hers. His eyes widened briefly, then he smiled, the expression lighting his entire face. “Thank you,” she said. “For everything.” “That’s what munmates do.”
141
Jennifer Dunne
Not her munmates in Callendula Ridge. But the Aysha mun was already shaping up to be a much better mun, one where she could actually belong. Despite her fears, the docking was almost anticlimactic. The ship rumbled and lost gravity as the rotating sections closed and ceased their movement. A short time later, slight pressures that nudged her against the restraining straps or into her foamchair indicated that the pilot was firing thrusters, matching their ship’s trajectory with the space station. A loud clang of metal striking metal reverberated through the ship. And that was it. They had docked. As their ship rotated with the station’s spin, the pull of gravity reasserted itself. But this time, she felt none of the associated queasiness. As Koie had promised, the size of the station did make a difference. Denzo bounced out of the cockpit a few minutes later. “Here we are. Seti-Omega. The station will be sending a crew over to unload the supplies from the cargo bay, and carry them over to your next ship. Meanwhile, we’ll go pick up the androids.” Maeko traded a confused look with her munmate. They’d both assumed the pilot’s duties ended when he delivered them to the space station. “You’re going with us? ” Koie asked. Denzo laughed. “You’ll never find the Bot Shoppe without me. O’Shea’s has the best prices, but it’s because they pay next to nothing in rental. They’re tucked into the space between waste reprocessors.” Maeko and Koie traded another look, this one tinged with horror. They were getting their androids from someone in a garbage dump. “Hey! I know what you’re thinking, that Milo helps himself to the bits and pieces of bots that have been scrapped to make his own. And maybe he does. But the two that were ordered for you are factory deliveries. Milo just did the programming.” That didn’t sound so bad. And after all, if the muns couldn’t afford a first-quality planet to colonize, what made her expect they could afford first-quality androids to help explore it? As long as the androids worked, that was really all she cared about. She unsnapped her restraint buckles, and pulled herself out of the foamchair. “Then let’s go get our androids. No offense, Pilot Denzo, but I’m extremely eager to leave your ship.” Not surprisingly, Denzo’s only response was to laugh.
142
Illicit Programming
Chapter Four Koie and Maeko walked one behind the other through the dark passageways as they followed Denzo into the depths of the space station. They’d long since left behind the wide, well-lit corridors where reputable business was conducted. They’d even passed the section of non-sanctioned drug dens and brothels. Now they were traveling down narrow, twisting corridors lined with pipes and conduits, lit only by dim yellow floor lamps. A dull vibration shuddered through the metal floor and walls at regular intervals, growing more pronounced the deeper they went. Koie glanced at the woman in front of him. She strode forward with her head up, chest puffed out, and elbows swinging, making her look much larger and fiercer than she really was. He tried to emulate her walk, but gave it up after a few minutes as a hopeless cause. No potential attacker would ever be fooled into thinking Koie was anything other than what he was, a gardener who’d never seen the need to study any kind of self defense. They turned another corner, and confronted a glowing neon sign advertising O’Shea’s Discount Bot Shoppe. Denzo pushed open the battered metal door beneath the sign and disappeared inside. Hesitating only briefly, Koie and Maeko followed. They blinked, adjusting their eyes to the brightly lit interior. Rows of deactivated androids lined the walls, some silvery, some gleaming brass, and the rest in a wide range of flesh tones. Most were naked, allowing him to see that the metallic androids tended to be designed for function, with efficient, hydraulic-assisted joints that would enable them to lift heavier loads, or work longer hours, than a human doing the same job. The flesh-toned androids, on the other hand, were designed to be anatomically correct. Most had painted metal skin and stylized features, like a minimalist’s sculpture, while a few, marked with signs reading “Discontinued — bio-mechanoid,” wore a realistic skin and had finely sculpted features that made them seem eerily like sleeping humans. A robust, bearded man came from the back of the shop to great them. “Welcome to O’Shea’s, home of the best bots at the lowest prices. What can I get for you fine people today? ” At Denzo’s nod, Maeko answered, “We’re here to pick up an order of two androids for the Council of Muns.” “Ah! Lovely work, those two. Your council didn’t have any specifics, other than they were to be programmed for assisting a geologist and an herbologist on a colonizing mission. And they wanted them to be sociable.” The man winked broadly. “Best be sure to keep them by your side if you don’t want them socializing with each other.” The man turned and disappeared into the back of the shop, returning a minute later followed by two naked androids, one male and one female. They were both of the anatomically correct, flesh-covered variety, with short black hair and facial features similar to Koie and Maeko. If he didn’t know they were androids, he’d have easily mistaken them for members of another mun. The two androids stopped, and in unison said, “We serve.” Their voices destroyed the illusion of humanity. They were properly pitched, the male android’s a full register lower than
143
Jennifer Dunne
the female’s, and carried complete inflections, just as a human voice would. But they were curiously flat, lacking the resonance of a human voice that echoed in the chest before escaping the throat. Still, the androids sounded more human than he’d expected. He’d pictured a metallic, tinny voice—if they’d been able to speak at all. Their voices were close enough to human that he would probably soon adjust to them. After all, these two were going to be all the company he and Maeko had for the next six months. The sooner they came to seem like munmembers, the better. But first, he needed to ensure they were correctly programmed. It would be too late to turn around and get them reprogrammed if they discovered an omission or error after they were on Aysha. “Your pardon, store manager, but we would like to review the androids’ programming before we complete the purchase.” “Right and proper. O’Shea’s stands behind every bot we sell, one hundred percent.” The man pulled out two printouts from his back pocket, and handed one to Koie and one to Maeko. Koie stared at the paper in dismay. They didn’t use holofilm, or at least datacubes? What sort of backwater technology did they use in this bot shop? The store manager opened his datapad, reassuring Koie that they did indeed understand modern technology. The paper reports must be one of the ways O’Shea’s kept their prices low, along with selling discontinued models of androids. “First is the male android. His name is Sean, although you can change that if you don’t like it. He’s programmed to support your geologist.” He proceeded down the list of applications and functions programmed into the android, describing everything on the page, until he got to the final listing. He glanced at Koie and Denzo, before looking at Maeko. “Last, we installed the solo miner/explorer companion package. That’s the standard code we use for customers out alone in space, who want their android to be more of a companion than a simple work drone.” Without pausing for a response, he then turned to Koie and detailed all of the programs that had been loaded into the female android, Meghan. Again, he finished with the solo miner/explorer companion package. “Both bots have a pseudoskin covering, protecting their gears and joints from dust and other particulate matter that could wreck their workings. But you’ll need to keep the pseudoskin lubricated, or it will dry out and flake off. Every two or three days, rub the bots with a cloth soaked in lubricant. More frequently if they’re working outside or exposed to harsh conditions, less frequently if they’re inside in a controlled environment. Every two weeks, they’ll need to soak overnight in a lubricant bath.” Maeko frowned. “Your pardon, store manager, but where are they supposed to soak in these baths? We do not have bathing facilities in the habitat unit, only a standard shower.” The man waved a hand dismissively. “That’s already been taken care of. Two lube units were delivered to your colony ship as soon as it docked.” He waited a moment, and when neither Koie nor Maeko had any other questions, he held out his datapad to Denzo. “Right, then. If they meet your specifications, I need your signature authorizing the payment transfer.”
144
Illicit Programming
Denzo linked his datapad to the store manager’s and signed. The manager entered a string of commands, no doubt checking to ensure the transfer had been completed. “They’re all yours. Thank you for doing business with O’Shea’s Discount Bot Shoppe. We hope to serve your bot needs in the future.” It was obviously a dismissal. Koie turned to the androids. “Your pardons, androids Sean and Meghan. Would you please follow us to our colony ship?” The shop manager roared with laughter. “They’re androids. You don’t ask them if they’d like to do something. You give them orders. Like this.” He tossed two shapeless bundles of cloth at the androids. “Get dressed.” As Sean and Meghan draped themselves in loose tunics, Koie and Maeko exchanged confused glances with ea ch other. Koie thought he had given them an order. Her eyes widened, and she said softly, “You mean, since the order was phrased as a question, they have the option of refusing to do it?” Koie gaped at her. He’d never heard of such a thing. Everyone knew refusing an order was not allowed, regardless of how it was phrased. Why should androids be allowed a freedom denied to human munmembers? The store manager frowned. “Do you want them reprogrammed? I can fix that, but it will take a few days.” Denzo answered for them. “The colony ship leaves in a few hours. There isn’t time to reprogram.” “Well, they do have adaptive intelligences. They’ll figure it out eventually. But to start with, you’ll need to reinforce your questions by telling them the answers, so it sounds like an order to them.” Koie nodded, and repeated his request to the androids. He backed toward the door of the shop, and when they did not move, said, “Yes, you will be pleased to follow me to the colony ship.” The two androids stepped forward. He and Maeko traded relieved grins, then they all left the shop, heading for the colony ship.
***** Denzo left them at the docking portal of the colony ship, leaving them to board themselves and the androids. From the space station, they could look out at the waiting ship, a long central cylinder bristling with round habitat modules that would be jettisoned in orbit around the chosen colony worlds. Maeko considered the spin radius of the ship, and how that would affect the gravity of the habitats. It was significantly larger than the mun ship they’d taken on the first leg of their journey. For the first time, she began to believe everyone’s assurances that she’d be able to travel on the colony ship in something approaching comfort. A young man in a clinging uniform of blue and gold stood beside the portal, his datapad at the ready. “Greetings, gentles. Are you booked on the Juniper Wind? ” 145
Jennifer Dunne
Maeko nodded. “Yes. Two people and two androids, bound for the planet Aysha.” “Aysha?” He consulted his datapad. “Your habitat is already loaded, and your supplies were delivered this morning. You’ll be in habitat 4C. Please register your thumbprints.” He held out his datapad, and Maeko dutifully pressed her thumb against the glowing square, followed a moment later by Koie. The crew member made some additional notations on his pad, then reached into the breast pocket of his uniform and retrieved a folded piece of holofilm, which he held out to them. Koie took it and shook it out, holding the holofilm of the ship’s schematic so that she could see it as well. The crew member tapped their current location at the portal with his electric pen, then habitat 4C. A bright blue line burst into being between the two locations. “Follow the line,” he said. “That will take you up the main corridor of the ship. The first ring contains common rooms colonists can share during the flight. At the second ring take the corridor labeled Arc Number Four. When you reach the arc, turn toward the front of the ship and keep going until you reach C.” Maeko and Koie bent their heads together, studying the map. Four arcs—long corridors that ran along the outer hull of the ship with seven evenly spaced docking portals holding habitat modules—quartered the central half of the ship. The front quarter of the ship was declared off-limits, as was the rear quarter of the ship beyond the portal entrance, where the habitats gave way to engines and exhaust tubes. The area between was laid out in three rings, the first ring containing lounges, dining areas, exercise areas, and entertainment areas, the second containing the four corridors leading to the arcs, and the final area containing storage and passenger cabins. “How many people are on the ship?” Koie asked. “We’ve got a full load of habitat modules,” the crew member answered. “And some colonists are getting transferred to another space station. Five androids, counting your two. A total of ninety-three passengers, just under our maximum of one hundred. You’re lucky. Aysha is one of our first stops. The passengers staying on until the space station at the end of the line will be with us for nearly a year.” Maeko shuddered, unable to imagine being trapped on a space ship for nearly a year. Koie released the map and put his hand on her shoulder, rubbing reassuringly. “It’s a very large ship,” he said. “Then we’d better find our place.” She grabbed the map from his one-handed grasp and marched past the crew member. The androids interpreted her statement as a command, and followed her. Behind them, she heard Koie stopping to thank the crew member for his assistance, and exchange other ritual pleasantries, before sprinting to catch up with them at the end of the steeply sloped docking tube. She pressed her thumb to the lock plate beside the sealed portal. “Aysha Colonist — Enter,” scrolled across the screen above it as the portal irised open. The two androids followed her through the opening, then Koie pressed his thumb to the lock plate and stepped through the iris. It sealed behind him. Together with the androids, they walked down the central corridor, noting the ladder and hand grips that ran along the ceiling for use during flight. They were taking advantage of the
146
Illicit Programming
space station’s spin for gravity, now, but once the ship was underway, this corridor would be the axis of its gravitational spin, and be almost zero-gee. Lounge Number Three, where gravity was directed toward the floor, was already full of passengers. A few laughing teenagers occupied the upside-down Lounge Number One on the other side of the ship, dancing on the ceiling. Maeko and Koie traded glances. “I hadn’t realized there would be pre-adult colonists,” he said softly. “They must be staffing a fully-developed colony that needs help in the fields.” He nodded, accepting her explanation. They proceeded to follow the directions they’d been given, using the ladder to ascend the shaft to Arc Number Four. She pressed her thumb to the lock plate next to 4C, and the portal opened to the airlock tube underneath the habitat module. Through the clear walls of the tube, she could see their two rovers, bolted for the journey to storage brackets on the landing struts. Beyond the rovers, she caught unnerving glimpses of the star field to one side, and the space station to the other. The module hatch opened manually, swinging down, and Maeko pulled herself up into the module. The first thing she noticed was that she was standing on the wall of the large, open living area. Space station gravity was at right angles to normal ship gravity for their habitat. The second thing she noticed was that the room was nearly completely filled with the machinery they would be using on the planet, and refrigerated canisters of hydrogen that they would use to seed the chemical reactions. Awkwardly climbing along the walls and pulling themselves through the portals between chambers, she and Koie left the androids in the main room and investigated the habitat module that would be their home for the next six months. They finished in one of the two mirror-image bedrooms, with one bed and one portable android lube unit, now bolted to the wall for transit. “They must have assumed we’d each be caring for one of the androids,” Koie said. “We can rearrange things after launch.” “What about during launch?” She frowned at the bed, positioned vertically to the current gravity. “Are we supposed to lean against the mattress and wait for gravity to reestablish itself when the ship leaves the space station?” “I don’t think so. That’s probably why so many people are in the lounge.” A vaguely wistful tone colored his answer. He was missing his munmates already. Her munmates had probably never given her a second thought, or if they had, were relieved that she’d finally left and removed her burdensome self from their well ordered mun. Anger made her answer sharper than warranted. “We’ll tie the androids down, and find seats for ourselves in the lounge, then. I’ll take this room, and get Sean settled. You take Meghan to the other room.” Koie nodded and called to the androids, who entered the room a moment later. “Android Meghan, please follow me.” They left the room, leaving Maeko alone with her android. “What can I use to tie you down?” she wondered, glancing around the room for inspiration.
147
Jennifer Dunne
“You do not need to tie me,” the android answered. “I am stronger than a human, and can grip the bed frame so that I do not float away when gravity ceases.” “Really?” The android moved to stand in front of the bed. He flexed his arm extenders and contractors, then grabbed the frame above his head. His pseudoskin bulged with simulated rippling muscles as his arms locked into place. He smiled, the simulated expression oddly more welcoming than any smile she’d received from her own munmates. Her old munmates, she corrected herself. Koie had smiled at her with similar warmth. Belatedly, she regretted snapping at him. He couldn’t help being conditioned to want the security and support of a full mun, any more than she could help her conditioning to prefer isolation. “I have much more strength and endurance than human males, in all ways,” Sean interrupted her thoughts. “Would you like to test me now?” He scissored his legs, stretching his feet to the edges of the bed, while his locked arms suspended him from the frame in front of the mattress. “Not now,” she answered. “I need to find Koie.” She turned away, intent on finding her munmate and getting to the lounge before the colony ship left the space station and dropped into zero gravity. She paused, remembering her reaction to zero gravity on the Far Flight mun’s ship. The last thing she wanted to serve as her introduction to this ship full of people was an image of her vomiting profusely as they started their trip. Hesitantly, she looked back at the android. “How strong? Could you hold me when the gravity goes out, as well as yourself?” “Of course. Although I’ll need something to hook my feet under, since I’ll only be holding the bed frame with one hand.” Maeko undid the sash of his shapeless tunic, whipping it through the belt loops, and tied it to the bottom of the bed frame. Sean lowered his body until he could slip his feet under the sash, then pulled himself up again until it was tight. She fancied she heard the slight whine of servomotors as the pseudoskin over his arms rippled like muscled flesh. He took one hand off of the bed frame, extending it to her in invitation. “Can you pull yourself up, or shall I lift you?” Maeko patted the folded bags in her pocket and double-checked the patch on the inside of her forearm. She was ready. Jumping up, she grabbed the bed frame and pulled herself up so that she was looking Sean in the eye. This close, she could see the reflective lenses of the tiny cameras that supplied his vision behind the golden brown irises of his eyes. His free arm tightened around her waist, easily supporting her weight. Her body was pressed close to his, her breasts flattened against his chest and a strange lump beneath his tunic digging into her stomach. The soft outflow of his air recycling breezed across her cheek, and the smooth pseudoskin of his cheek was practically next to her lips. “I need to turn around.” She pulled away from his too-close face, and struggled against his rigid hold. Then she remembered to make it a command. “Help me turn around.”
148
Illicit Programming
His grasp on her waist gentled, still supporting most of her weight but allowing her to move. She crossed her arms, moving her hands to the opposite supports, and twisted herself around. Just in time to see Koie lever himself through the doorway and stop, staring at her, his face darkening with some unreadable emotion. “What are you doing there? We need to go to the lounge before launch.” “I’m not going.” “But the habitat doesn’t have zero-gravity restraints. You’ll—” “Throw up like I did the last time I was in zero-gravity. I don’t want to do that in a room full of people. I want them to like me.” Koie’s expression softened, and he smiled at her. “They will like you, once they get to know you. But that can wait until you’re feeling your best. Are you sure you’ll be safe here? ” “Android Sean assures me that he can hold my weight aga inst the loss of gravity as well as his own.” The android’s arm tightened slightly around her waist, silently confirming her statement. “Do you want me to stay with you?” Koie asked. She did. She remembered his solicitousness on the previous flight, how his soft words and gentle hands made her feel better even when she was so ill. But Sean could not support them both. Koie would have to be in the other room with Meghan, so he could just as well be in the lounge with the crowd of people. She smiled. “I know how much you’ve been missing your munmates. You will enjoy the launch more in the lounge.” He nodded and turned to leave, then stopped and looked back over his shoulder at her. “You are my munmate now.” His simple declaration filled her heart with warmth as she watched him struggle through the gravity-skewed door frame then drop out of sight into the habitat module beyond. She was his munmate. He accepted her. She belonged. Her mind was so busy contemplating these new facts that she failed to notice the shifting movements of the android behind her, until she felt the touch of his pseudoskin fingers on her bare stomach. “What are you doing? ” He’d bent one leg, thrusting it between her thighs to support her weight, while he’d pulled up the hem of her tunic and slipped his hand beneath the fabric. That hand now stroked soft circles on the sensitive skin of her stomach, making her muscles clench with unfamiliar tension. “You indicated that you suffered from gravity-shift distress. I am distracting you from the gravity, so that you will not feel the affects of its shifts as keenly.” “Oh.” It was all she could think of to say. Sean continued his teasing strokes, gradually creeping higher until he brushed his fingertips across her breasts. Maeko gripped the bed frame tightly with both fists, arching into his touch. “Oh,” she gasped, then his fingers squeezed one of her nipples and she repeated herself in a shaky moan.
149
Jennifer Dunne
His lifted leg shifted, the simulated muscles pressing hard between her legs. The pressure both soothed and inflamed her, and she rocked her hips, at first meaning to escape from the pressure, but then wanting to feel it again. And again. Her face flushed with heat, followed a moment later by a cold chill, then returned to flaming heat. He cupped her brea st in his palm, kneading it, as his thumb flicked back and forth against her nipple. A distant chime sounded, merging with the roaring in her ears like the bells warning of a summer squall on Chiko Lake. She’d been to the lake only once, shortly after her cure. Although she’d enjoyed the weightless feel of her body floating in the water, she’d been unwilling to stay immersed for long lest she take ill. Nothing would make her go back to the hospital wing. She felt like that again, floating beneath Sean’s touch as his fingers teased and tormented her, hinting at more pleasure to be experienced, yet never delivering. “Please,” she whispered. Then her stomach lurched, and she clapped one hand across her mouth. She was going to be ill. Sean’s strong arm drew her gently against him, settling the length of her body against the length of his, nestled in the soft foam pad of the bed. The gravity shift was over. She could safely leave and find Koie. The heaving sensation in her stomach quieted to a queasy rumble. Then even that was lost beneath the fluttering sensation of both his hands skimming over her stomach and fondling her breasts. She covered his hands with hers, urging him to squeeze her breasts tighter, harder. He did, and she moaned with distraction. Grabbing his raised thigh with both hands, she pulled herself against him, crushing his steel to her sensitive, aching core. “More,” she gasped. “More.” As she flung herself against his thigh one last time, he pinched both her nipples. Her attention fragmented, casting her adrift to float mindless in zero-thought, until she recovered enough to realize she was laying atop him, held there by gravity. Gravity that now pulled them into the bed foam, toward of the floor of the room, as it should. Tentatively, she eased herself into a sitting position, straddling Sean’s thighs. His hand now rested on the bed, fingers loosely curled. She reached out and brushed the tips of his fingers, amazed at how warm and real the pseudoskin felt. But what really amazed her was how much she wished Koie had been the one to discover this method of distracting her from her gravity-shift sickness.
150
Illicit Programming
Chapter Five Maeko found Koie in the lounge, where she’d expected him to be. She hadn’t expected him to look so dejected, however. She’d never seen him in any mood other than upbeat and cheerful, or focused and intense when he worried or shifted into his problem solving mode. The throng of passengers that had filled the lounge for the colony ship’s launch had dispersed to other rooms, leaving the lounge sparsely populated. But she didn’t think the loss of people was what was bothering Koie. He sat slumped at a small table, elbows braced on the tabletop in defiance of his normally perfect manners, and his face buried in his hands. Perhaps this time he was the one who had been ill. She hurried toward his table, but was cut off by a burly man in green overalls. He stopped directly in front of Koie, blocking him from her sight. She edged carefully around him. “Is what they’re saying true?” the man asked. “Are you a munie?” “Yes,” Koie answered into his hands. “What’s it like? Do you really have orgies where everyone in the mun participates? ” “Go away.” Maeko’s eyes widened at Koie’s rudeness. Something was definitely wrong. This was her fault, for putting her own concerns about appearing weak and sickly over the good of the mun. He was her munmate, and the colony ship was an unfamiliar environment for both of them. She never should have sent him to face it alone. Ignoring the strange man, and the hungry way he was staring at Koie, she hurried around the table to her munmate’s side. Kneeling beside him, she whispered, “Koie? Are you unwell?” He lifted his head, his brown eyes so desolate that her breath caught in fear. What had happened to him while they were separated? Then his expression warmed, although some trouble still shadowed his eyes. “Maeko. I am so glad to see you.” He reached out and clasped both of her hands in his. His palms were moist. “Koie, what is it? What happened? ” He shook his head. “I’ll tell you in the habitat module.” She helped him to his feet, then turned to find the man who’d been questioning him staring at her like she was an Acceptance Banquet, and he’d just finished his ritual day of fasting. “Are you one, too? ” he asked, then licked his lips, reinforcing her impression that he saw her as a tasty food source. Her fingers tightened on Koie’s, and he squeezed back reassuringly. “Please excuse us,” she said, pulling Koie behind her as she circled the table. “My munmate is unwell.” “Sure thing. There’s plenty of time yet. You just remember to look me up before your next orgy. B7.”
151
Jennifer Dunne
“I will not forget you,” she answered, placating him with the truth without agreeing to his request, since she had no idea what he was talking about. No doubt that was one of the things Koie would explain to her when they were safely in the habitat module. He kept his head down during the walk back to the module and said nothing, remaining silent even after they were safely seated in the crowded living area. She tugged lightly on his hands, getting his attention. “Koie? Are you going to explain what happened?” He nodded, then took a deep breath, his fingers tightening around hers. “The people on this colony ship are from many different worlds. Many different cultures. They all have one thing in common, though. None of them are from muns.” Maeko shook her head. “I don’t understand. How could they afford to buy passage if they were cast out from their muns?” “They weren’t cast out. They never belonged to any. There are no muns on other worlds, only ours.” “But…how do they live?” “I don’t know. I was trying to find out, but the man I was speaking to used terms I did not understand. He spoke of families, and clans. He was being so helpful, I felt it was only right that I answer his questions about mun life in turn.” He sighed, and shook his head. “He used more terms I wasn ’t familiar with, asking about sex. He explained sex as being people giving each other pleasure. So of course I said that the entire mun takes part in a pleasure sharing.” Maeko nodded, tacitly agreeing with his answer. As far as she knew, she was the only one who tried to get out of participating in a sharing. “I must have misunderstood his question, because the woman he was with immediately pulled him away, and most of the other people around me left as well. The few that remained ganged up on me and started slapping my back, and when I tried to defend myself by pushing their hands away, they called me terrible names.” She frowned. Hitting and slapping was virtually unheard of among adult munmembers, although it did occasionally happen. To have multiple people slapping someone at once, though, was something completely outside of her comprehension. Perhaps she’d misunderstood Koie’s story. “They attacked you? Should we report them to the colony ship crew?” “I don’t know.” His shoulders slumped, and he radiated misery. “Maybe it would be better to stay in the habitat module until we reach Aysha.” “No. The members of the Far Flight mun are able to successfully interact with people from other worlds. The members of the Aysha mun can do no less.” Koie looked up at her, a tremulous smile on his lips and a glimmer of hope lighting his eyes. “The Aysha mun is strong.” She suspected he meant that she gave strength to their mun, and she didn’t have the heart to tell him what she’d learned of herself with the android Sean. There was something wrong with her, deeply wrong, that allowed her to experience pleasure with complete disregard for the emotions of her munmates. Such selfishness must be a legacy from her long years of isolation, but the explanation made her feel no better about it. Perhaps her former munmates had sensed her fault somehow, and that’s why they never truly accepted her, fearing that she would put her own needs above the needs of the mun. 152
Illicit Programming
Koie needed her now, and she’d prove to him that she could think of the mun first. She would think of the mun first. Now that she knew about her weakness, she would take time to analyze her decisions, and make sure her selfish failings were not coloring her thoughts and deeds. The Aysha mun would be strong. She would make it strong. She stiffened her shoulders, ready for the battle ahead. “We will seek out this man to whom you originally spoke, going to him together, as a proper mun. We will explain to him that there was a miscommunication, and he will explain to his families and clans. We will not make the mistake again of separating ourselves.” “Your pardon, Maeko. Forgive me. I did not ask how you fared during the launch.” She shook her head, dismissing her gravity sickness as unimportant. “The android Sean knew a trick to distract me during the gravity change, so that I felt queasy but did not become ill.” She flushed, once again wondering what it would be like if Koie had been the one to distract her, if his hands had been the ones touching her body. Not that she would ever find out, of course. She would not give in to her selfish weaknesses again. “There is no time like this time.” Clasping his hands firmly, she tugged him to his feet. He nodded as he rose. “I believe he and his companions were going to one of the dining areas. We should still be able to find them there.”
***** Koie felt better after telling Maeko his problem, as all troubles were lessened after sharing among munmates. He had a brief flash of pity for all those people from worlds without muns, forced to shoulder the burdens of their problems alone, with no munmates to help find solutions. Then he remembered how the men had attacked him, and his pity withered. They found the first man he’d spoken to in the dining room at a table with his seven companions. The man clearly did not want to speak to them, but also did not want to make a scene in the crowded dining room, so Maeko took advantage of his indecision to explain that she thought he and Koie had been speaking of two different things when they discussed pleasure sharing. “I do not know what you were referring to, but my munmate Koie was talking about a sonic brain wave stimulator that allows all the members of a mun connected to it to experience the same happy memories, sharing their joy among all the munmembers. ” The group blushed and laughed nervously, as the man admitted that was not what he’d been referring to. They refused to enlighten Maeko and Koie as to what sort of pleasure sharing they had meant instead, but to apologize for their mistake, invited Maeko and Koie to join them for dinner. During the meal, they continued to learn more about each other. The man and his companions were not a single group, as Koie had first assumed. Instead, they were four sets of what they called husbands and wives, which appeared to be a mun of two people. Maeko glanced at him after this was revealed. “Koie and I are also traveling together. Are we a husband and wife, then?”
153
Jennifer Dunne
The group had laughed again. “No, dear,” one of the women replied. “Being a married couple isn’t about sharing a habitat module. It’s about sharing your lives. The two of you against the world, whatever world you happen to be on.” That sparked a series of toasts to Braxias, the world the colonists were bound for, followed by another set of toasts to Aysha. Then the conversation turned naturally to discussions of terraforming and what they would do when they arrived on their respective worlds, until the meal ended and they all returned to their habitat modules to sleep. Although Koie and Maeko spent most of their later meals with the colonists bound for Braxias, finding them a cheerful and almost mun-like group, by unspoken consensus they never spoke of pleasure sharing or marriages again. He asked Maeko once if she had any ideas what sort of pleasure the Braxians had referred to, but she grew sharp and irritable at his question, so he filed the thought with others to which he did not anticipate receiving answers. She grew equally irritated when he mentioned the androids who had been powered off for the duration of their trip, after exchanging the placement of one of the heavy lube units with the second bed. “Should we wake them, and tell them about the mission?” he asked. “That way they will know what it is we’ll be asking them to do.” “They’re androids. They’ll do what they’re told to do, regardless of whether we explain it in advance or not. They’ll find out what we want from them soon enough when we reach Aysha.” He frowned, not entirely convinced. “But shouldn’t we take advantage of their specialized programming—?” “No!” she interrupted, then flushed and ducked her head in chagrin at her rudeness. “Forgive me, Koie. I did not mean to interrupt. Please continue.” “I only meant to say that the Council of Muns paid for specialized geological and herbological knowledge to be programmed into them. It seems that we are depriving our mun of a resource if we do not consult them prior to embarking upon the final leg of our mission.” Maeko considered his argument at length before finally answering, “I do not think we know enough about Aysha and the conditions we will find there to give them any useful information. Our first tasks when we land, after setting up the machinery, will be explorations to determine exactly what situation we are facing. Their programming will not be of any help until we know more.” “Yes, I see your point. We should leave them turned off until we land on Aysha.” “Besides, it’s too crowded in here already. We don’t want two more bodies crashing around, bumping into us.” Koie was about to protest that he’d already agreed to keep them shut down. Then her phrasing penetrated his brain. Two more bodies crashing around. He knew he hadn’t crashed into anything, so she must be talking about herself. Perhaps the scarring on her inner ears was still causing her to have balance problems, even though she’d assured him that the radius of the colony ship was sufficient not to trigger the queasiness that had plagued her in the smaller mun ship. So he simply smiled and nodded. “It will be for the good of the mun.”
154
Illicit Programming
***** Eventually, a member of the crew stopped by their habitat module, informing them that she had been sent to ensure that everything was locked down and ready for planetfall. They woke both androids so they could hold themselves on the two beds in Maeko and Koie’s room, as they had during the launch from the space station. Maeko avoided looking at Sean. She could still remember the touch of his fingers stroking and caressing her. The skin of her breasts and stomach burned, and her nipples tightened with a painful ache. But Maeko refused to give in to the demands of selfishness. She would act for the good of the mun, and ignore the lure of the android’s distraction. Even if that meant she spent the entire descent to the planet throwing up. The crew member pronounced everything in readiness, and gave them a cursory briefing. “The colony ship will swing past the planet in high orbit, wait until your arc is toward the planet, and launch you toward it. Your habitat module will lose gravity, as you stop rotating, then pick up the planet’s gravity. While you’re without gravity, the module will apply thrusters to flip you over, so your roof side is up. The aeroshield will deploy, slowing your descent, and the landing gear will fully deploy. It’s all automated. You won’t have to touch the controls at all.” “Can we touch the controls?” Koie asked. “Are either of you interplanetary shuttle pilots?” “No,” Maeko answered. “Then no, you can’t touch the controls. Strap yourselves into your chairs and have a nice flight. You have about—” she paused and checked her datapad, “twenty minutes.” “But none of the chairs have straps,” Maeko protested. The woman sighed. “Over here.” She led them through the clutter of battened down machinery to the built-in couch against the outer wall of the module in the lounge area. The foampad cushions of the couch back tore free easily, as they were attached in the corners with sticky fabric. Behind the cushions were recessed niches containing neatly folded safety straps. The woman pulled out two sets of straps, then replaced the cushions. Maeko and Koie traded shocked looks. No one had told them about the safety straps hidden behind the couch cushions. What else had they not been told? The crew member correctly interpreted their expressions. “You’ll find a full schematic and instruction book already loaded on the habitat’s computer systems. After you land, you can take some time to review it, and ensure that you know about all of the module’s features.” She slipped through the narrow space between the machinery with the ease of long practice. As she stepped into the airlock, she gave them a brilliant if insincere smile. “Thank you for traveling on the colony ship Juniper Wind. Enjoy your flight to the planet Aysha, and we hope you recommend us to the rest of your colony.” Then she was gone. The inner hatch of the air lock slammed closed, locking in place, followed a moment later by the clang and rumble of the outer hatch sealing and the air lock tube retracting from the colony ship. Maeko silently took her seat on the couch, tightening the safety straps around her chest and hips so that she was held firmly in place. The straps blocked her access to her pocket. Annoyed,
155
Jennifer Dunne
she undid the straps, retrieved her folded space sickness bags, and strapped herself in again. She held the bags in her lap, and focused her gaze on the fascinating steel canister in front of her face. There had been no need for her to be held by the android during the colony ship’s launch. If she’d known about the safety straps in the couch, she and Koie would have ridden out the launch there. He wouldn’t have been attacked by the men in the lounge. And she wouldn’t have learned of the strange way the android could make her body feel. It was just another way that the mission director had failed them, failed her, and kept Maeko from ever truly belonging to a mun. Even the tiny two-person Aysha mun. A deep, blazing fire consumed her soul, and she hated the mission director. Then Koie reached over and clasped her hand. “We won’t be weightless for long. Would it help if I tried to distract you as android Sean did?” She caught her breath. He didn’t know what he was offering. The fire of hatred shifted, broke, and flowed across her skin like molten lava. More than anything, she longed to say yes. But she could not. She had to think of the mun. She could not corrupt Koie with her selfish desires. “Just hold my hand.” His fingers tightened around hers and they sat, silently, holding hands as they waited to be launched into Aysha’s atmosphere. And she dreamed that his warm fingers stroked her stomach and breasts.
156
Illicit Programming
Chapter Six The planetfall went exactly as the colony ship crew member had described, and was uneventful except for Maeko throwing up at the loss of gravity. Even that had become distressingly routine. The landing gear settled softly into the dust of the planet’s surface, computer calibrators extending and retracting the shafts on the legs until the habitat module was level. A pleasant chime sounded throughout the module, an audible signal that somewhere on an unseen control panel, a status light had switched to green. She groaned and unsnapped herself from the couch. “I hate weightlessness. At least I’ll have six months of solid, stable gravity before I have to go through that again.” “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to distract you as well as android Sean.” Her face heating, she was saved from having to answer him by hurrying off to dispose of the sickness bag. She hadn’t explained how the android had distracted her, so Koie had tried talking to her during the gravity shift. It hadn’t helped. Even remembering the way she’d felt while android Sean had stroked and fondled her body hadn’t helped. She’d merely felt restless and achy, as well as queasy. She hadn’t thought anything could feel worse than gravity sickness, but that had. She’d learned her lesson. Daydreaming about Koie touching her the way the android had done was a dangerous occupation. Their mission on Aysha was dangerous enough. She would not fail their tiny mun by dwelling on what could never be. Her resolution to conform to proper mun behavior bolstered, she confidently returned to the lounge to find Koie already unfastening the gear filling the room. Their first task on this planet was to set up the ethylene converter and water condenser. He was wasting no time getting started. She began unbuckling the restraints securing the canisters of hydrogen. “I’m so glad to be someplace where the gravity is in no danger of moving around. Maybe I should ask to stay here permanently, so I never have to go into space again.” Koie drew in a sharp breath. “You can’t be serious! You’d give up belonging to a full mun because of a few minutes of discomfort?” “The Aysha mun will get bigger. Another crew is coming in six months. ” “Four people. That hardly counts. They’ll excavate for the first mun, but people won’t arrive to start building for at least another year or two. It will take that long to find people willing to permanently live underground and in isolation. Then they’ll have to actually build the mun. Only when it’s finished will people start coming in any numbers. Aysha won’t have a fully developed mun for at least twenty years.” Maeko smiled to herself. Twenty years without worrying about whether or not she was acting out of selfishness or for the good of the mun. Twenty years without arguing about personal space and possessions. “Sounds good to me.” “That’s the sickness talking. You just wait until the loneliness and isolation starts getting to you. By the time our six months is through, we’ll both be eager to return.”
157
Jennifer Dunne
“We’ll see.” She wouldn’t convince him. But that was all right. He could go back without her. And she would lose the only munmate who’d ever truly accepted her. A sudden sharp pain sliced through her chest. She set down the canister she was moving and pressed her palm between her breasts, but it didn’t seem to help the ache. “Maeko? Are you all right?” “I just had trouble catching my breath for a moment.” He nodded. “Remember to bend your knees and inhale before you lift.” “I’ll do that.” She didn’t think it would help. But then he smiled, and that made her feel better.
***** A week into their mission, Maeko was finally ready to take her first exploration in the pressurized rover. In the last two days, she’d taken soundings and soil samples within a short radius of their landing site, buzzing across the dusty surface of the planet in the open rover. They’d set down on the flatland to the south of the volcanic ridge, thinking that would have the best chance for underground reservoirs. But whatever volcanic furnace had powered these mountains had long since grown cold. The next most likely location of water would be to the northwest, toward the isolated volcanic mountain. But she couldn’t make the trip there and back in one day. That meant an overnight trip, which required the pressurized rover. There was a possibility she would dislodge the breathing mask of her pressure suit during sleep, as she shifted position, so safety regulations dictated that she sleep in a pressurized environment. They also dictated that an android accompany her. If they encountered any problem that caused the rover to lose pressure, an android would be capable of fixing it, no matter how long it took, while she would have to conserve her emergency oxygen supplies by moving as little as possible. Android Sean was programmed with geological data, so he was the logical choice of which android to take. She’d carefully avoided spending any time alone with him since he’d been reactivated. Every night, the two androids disappeared into one room to carry out routine maintenance for each other then put themselves into a dormant state, while she and Koie slept in the other room. In the morning, Maeko waited until she was protected by her pressure suit before banging on their door, bringing android Sean out of his dormancy, and giving him his orders for the day. She limited her communications with him to simple directions and requests for information. For a week, she’d given herself no opportunity for a relapse into the selfish behavior that had caused her so much distress. Now she stood with Koie beside the rover, android Sean waiting attentively on the other side of the vehicle, and wished one of Aysha’s swirling dust storms would engulf her so she wouldn’t have to face the temptation of two days alone in the rover with the android. The rover was little bigger than two seats and a tiny science lab on wheels. There would be no place where she could get away from him. She didn’t want to go, but since she had to leave, she wished Koie would let her go already, before his delay added another day to her trip.
158
Illicit Programming
He finished triple-checking her supplies of oxygen and water, already loaded in the rover, then confirmed that the fuel tank was full, as if it might have mysteriously emptied since the last time he’d checked it. His voice muffled by the close-range transmission to the pickup in her ear, he wished her a safe journey. She caught the memory of his voice, knowing from experience with the open rover that fifteen minutes from now, she’d be too far away to hear him. As if his thoughts followed the same tracks as hers, he said, “The rover has a short-wave radio. You can stay in contact.” “But only if you’re in the habitat to receive my transmission. You’ll be outside, digging the hole for your greenhouse.” “That’s only while I work. But I’ll miss you at dinner. And the habitat will be quiet at night without you.” Maeko smiled, a pleasant warmth soaking through her all the way to her toes. She wouldn’t be alone with the android. Koie would be with her, via radio. He was always there for her. “I’ll radio in at dinner time. We can share our ration packs together. The company will make the meal worth eating.” “The greenhouse will be finished in another few days. We’ll have real food soon enough.” She didn’t want to leave, but she and Koie both had work to do. Koie was obviously not going to be the one to say the time had come for her to go, so she had to be the strong one. Reluctantly, she stepped away, then pointed to android Sean and motioned for him to enter the rover. She rested her pressure-suited palm briefly against the head bubble of Koie’s suit, pushing in the flexible material until she could feel the breathing mask that covered the lower half of his face. That was as close as she could come to resting her hand against his cheek. Koie tilted his head slightly, returning the pressure. Then he backed away. She took a deep breath, and entered the rover. She’d focus on her work, and ignore the android beside her. She’d be safely home to the habitat tomorrow night. She started the rover’s engine, listening carefully for any sounds of dust clogging the engineworks. Nothing. It was safe for her to go. Delaying her departure any longer would just prolong Koie’s anxiety, and she’d vowed that her selfishness would not hinder the mun. Waving cheerily, she drove away, angling her trajectory so that she could see Koie, his hand raised in an answering wave, for as long as possible. When she could no longer see him without turning around in her seat and completely ignoring where she was driving, she turned further west, and drove toward the mountain. Her course tacked back and forth, alternating between stretches driving due west and stretches where she drove due north, stopping at regular intervals to take soundings and send android Sean outside for a soil sample. Her crooked route was calculated to maximize the area of her readings, as a straight-line course would not. On her return, she would take the opposite tack, driving east where she now drove north, and south where she now drove west, so that she covered all of the ground. Each time, she ran a preliminary moisture and spectral analysis, then labeled the sample and stowed it carefully in the chill unit. She’d taken off her pressure suit, to more easily manipulate the delicate controls of the machinery, but her focus on the rocks she was analyzing and the picture gradually building kept her attention safely occupied.
159
Jennifer Dunne
There were no traces of a serpentine belt, where an ocean was folded closed by continental drift in the ancient past, if oceans had existed on this world, but there was plenty of basalt. The land mass in this part of the world was expanding, not contracting. That was good news for future mun development, since expanding regions were less prone to destructive earthquakes than the active regions where plates met and rubbed against each other. More importantly, she found plenty of traces of sedimentary rocks. There had been water flow on this world. Much of that water remained trapped in the permafrost of the soil, as android Sean’s soil samples showed. But if this area was still expanding, the volcanoes would have heated magma pools beneath them. That would thaw the permafrost. There might well be underground reservoirs just waiting to be tapped. She arrived at the volcanic region late in the afternoon. After comparing the charts she’d been given by the mission director with the initial soil samples and soundings, she decided that the most likely location for an underground reservoir would be on the north side. “Your pardon, android Sean, but I would appreciate your interpretation of this data. I want to see if your programming comes up with the same answer I have.” The android reviewed her analysis. “I estimate probability of finding an underground reservoir to the north at slightly less than sixty percent. And just over twenty percent to the south.” She nodded. “That’s what I thought. I’ll send you out to plant the receivers in triangular patterns for the best soundings. We’ll repeat at overlapping intervals, for the most comprehensive coverage. Starting to the north. If there’s water down there, we’ll find it.” When she called a halt at the end of the day, they hadn’t found any reservoirs, but the traces of water in the permafrost had increased. The depth of the permafrost had also decreased, indicating that the ground was being warmed more than the surrounding areas they’d already canvassed. She reported her findings to Koie when she called in at dinner time. He was pleased that she’d made such good progress, but seemed even more pleased just to talk to her. “It was so quiet here with you gone,” he complained. “You talk to yourself when you work, did you know that?” Maeko chuckled, familiar with the close-range transmitters’ habit of transmitting things you didn’t intend for them to hear. “And you hum. I can tell how your work is going by whether it’s snatches of melodies, or more of a droning sound.” “Is that how you always seem to know? I’d wondered.” They drew out the dinner, describing how they were opening the ration kits and spreading the protein paste on the crackers, then debating the merits of open-faced sandw iches with a thin layer of protein paste versus a thick layer between two crackers. They sipped the vitamin fortified fruit juice, and compared their favorite flavors. But eventually, it was obvious that they had exhausted the possibilities of dinnertime conversation. If they kept talking, it would be solely to hear each other’s voices. She liked Koie’s voice. Even his silly humming had a certain charm to it. But she couldn’t keep him on the radio, talking into the night, just so she wouldn’t be alone with android Sean. Koie was a restless sleeper in the best of circumstances. Being alone in the habitat module certainly wasn’t a good circumstance, so he’d no doubt be even more restless and fretful. He needed to go to bed and sleep, or he wouldn’t be able to work in the morning.
160
Illicit Programming
And she needed to sleep as well, so that she could get an early start on finding the water reservoir. The sooner she found it, the sooner she could return to the module. “I suppose I should go,” she said slowly, drawing out each word as if she could hold them back and keep from saying them. Koie sighed heavily into the transmitter pickup. “You need to get a good night’s sleep. If you’re tired, you might make mistakes in your readings, or miss some sign.” He had the excuses all planned, reeling them off with no thought. Obviously he’d been thinking about it, too, and equally reluctant to end their call. Once again, she’d have to be the strong one. Koie needed her, and she wouldn’t let him down. “You’re right. I’ll radio in as soon as I find anything, tomorrow.” “Don’t you want to call to share breakfast?” The naked longing in his voice nearly convinced her. But she needed to be strong for him. “I want to, but it’s better that I get an early start as soon as it’s light.” “If you’re certain.” “I am. Sleep well, Koie.” “Sleep well. Good luck finding the water reservoir early tomorrow.” Silence crackled along the line, neither of them willing to be the first to disconnect. Eventually, Maeko reached out and flipped off the switch. The faint static faded to stillness, leaving her alone in the rover with android Sean.
***** Koie turned the receiver to automatic recording. He didn’t want to miss a message from Maeko tomorrow because he was working at the greenhouse site and hadn’t heard the signal of an incoming call. Toying with the knob, he considered calling her back. He was already lonely, and the silent habitat seemed to press in on him, suffocating him with its solitude. She didn’t have to talk to him. He’d be happy just to listen to her breathe, to know she was there. Sighing, he pulled his hand away from the knob, then stood up and carried the remnants of his dinner to the recycler. He was being foolish. Radio contact required power, and draining the fuel reserves on the rover just so that he could listen to Maeko’s breathing was a waste of resources. She needed that fuel to finish her scouting missing. The colonists who would follow them to Aysha had to have that water to survive. He wandered aimlessly around the habitat, picking up then discarding bookcubes for his datapad, making a halfhearted effort to pedal the exercise equipment, and double-checking that he’d cleaned everything away from dinner. Finally, he admitted that he was simply lonely, and he might as well go to bed early. At least in his dreams, he wouldn’t be bothered by Maeko’s absence. After he rolled over in bed for the tenth time in as many minutes, he realized sleep would not come easily. Maeko’s empty bed taunted him, and the small room echoed with the silence normally filled with the soft sounds of her steady breathing.
161
Jennifer Dunne
A brilliant inspiration struck him, and he sat bolt upright in bed. Maeko’s bed didn’t have to remain empty. Android Meghan could sleep in it tonight. Maybe she could even mimic the sound of breathing. It wouldn’t be the same as if Maeko was really there, but it might be close enough that he’d be able to fall asleep. He padded next door to the androids’ room, habit and politeness making him knock on the door rather than simply pushing it open and walking in side. Android Meghan answered the door. She was naked, holding a damp cloth in one hand. He must have interrupted her nightly application of pseudoskin lubricant. “Your pardon, android Meghan. Would you be willing to sleep in my room tonight rather than in your room?” She smiled, and tilted her head. “Yes.” “Did I interrupt your nightly maintenance? I don’t want to inconvenience you. You can come over when you finish.” “I will do that.” Koie nodded, made a brief gesture of leave-taking, and returned to his bed. He’d never really paid attention to the faint sounds that carried through the wall between the two rooms as the androids carried out their nightly maintenance. He wasn ’t sure how much longer android Meghan’s maintenance would require, but hoped she would be there soon. The sooner she pretended to be Maeko, the sooner he could relax and go to sleep, which meant he’d see the real Maeko again that much faster. A few minutes later, android Meghan walked through the door of his room. Surprisingly, she was still naked. Perhaps she needed to let her pseudoskin dry after applying the lubricant. He was considering this possibility, and so wasn ’t paying attention to where she was going. He only realized she had come to his bed instead of Maeko’s when she lifted up the heat sheet. “Wait! This is my bed.” “I know.” She curled up beside him, pulling the heat sheet down over them both. “How else am I supposed to sleep with you?” “I thought you’d sleep in Maeko’s bed. I wanted you to pretend to be her, so I could relax and go to sleep.” He shook his head, realizing as he said it what a silly idea it had been. Even half asleep, he’d never mistake the android for Maeko. It would never work. Android Meghan pursed her lips and tilted her head, her signal that she was processing a difficult or conflicting set of instructions. Finally, she asked, “Do you wish to relax?” “Yes. That’s why I asked you to sleep here.” She nodded, her expression clearing. “Then I will help you relax.” He expected her to get out of his bed then, but instead, she reached over and slid her hand inside his sleep tunic, and began stroking his chest. He gasped, and tried to sit up. “What are you doing? ” “Helping you to relax.” Her gentle fingers on his chest were made of steel, with the force of her powerful extenders and contractors behind them. They would not let him rise. He wasn’t going anywhere until she finished her program. “Close your eyes. Pay attention to the feel of my fingers on your chest.” “I am.” 162
Illicit Programming
“You did not close your eyes.” Koie let out a frustrated sigh, and let himself sprawl out on the bed, sinking deep into the foam. He forced his eyelids closed as he waited to find out how this was supposed to relax him. The bedfoam shifted, the heat sheet rustling, as android Meghan moved to kneel astride his legs, pinning him to the bed with her weight. She pulled off his sleep tunic, then resumed stroking his bare chest. Despite himself, Koie found that the slow, even strokes were relaxing him. Gradually, his tension and nervousness at the unfamiliar situation drained away, and he breathed slowly and evenly, matching the rhythm of her hands. “Good. You’re beginning to relax.” Her fingertips circled his nipples, and his breath caught. A ripple of pleasure flowed from his nipples to his groin, like nothing he’d ever felt before. It was similar to the initial probes of the pleasure sharing headset as it calibrated, lightly brushing across the pleasure center in his brain. But this pleasurable feeling was strangely tied to his physical body, the sensations rooted in his skin and muscles, rather than filling his head as he was used to. She swirled her fingers twice more in tight circles, then lightly squeezed the erect nipples. Koie gasped again, arching upward in shock and pleasure. He didn’t know what she was doing, but he wasn’t finding it the least bit relaxing. Alarming, yes. Pleasurable, yes. Relaxing, no. Then she lowered her head and swept her tongue across one nipple, closing her mouth around it a moment later and tugging gently. Koie moaned, aching for her to repeat the motion, but confused and nervous about her unknown actions. What else did she plan to do? Could he stop her, if he directly ordered her to stop? Did he want to? She nibbled his other nipple, scratching the sides of it with her teeth. Panicked, he pictured those teeth closing with all the strength of her robotic contractors, biting right through his skin. Instead she pulled his nipple into her mouth. He moaned again. His groin was on fire, just inches from where her thighs pinned him to the bed, and he struggled beneath her, blindly searching for relief. The torture of his nipples ended. Koie gulped in a shaky breath, bracing himself for something even worse. Her fingers slid down his ribs, to stroke and caress his midsection. His stomach muscles clenched and quivered beneath her touch, and he arched upward. Whether to escape her teasing fingers or to encourage them, he wasn’t sure. “What…are…you…doing?” he panted. “Relaxing you.” “I’m…not…relaxed.” “I’m not finished.” Her fingers slipped further down his body, to circle the root of his penis. He cried out as the fire filling his groin found expression. His penis was on fire. She stroked her circled fingers down the length of it, trailing flames in her wake, and sudden fear filled him, damping the fire. Something had happened to his penis. It was no longer soft and flexible. Instead, it was hard and straight, with every stroke of her fingers only making it worse.
163
Jennifer Dunne
He whimpered, deep in his throat, wanting to hide, wanting to get away. But she pinned him to the bed. He couldn’t escape her. Another wave of flames swept up the length of his penis, and he bucked his hips, drawing out her caress. He didn’t understand. He hurt, the pressure building to an intense level beyond his experience. But at the same time, her every touch filled him with pleasure, focused and physical pleasure of a kind he’d never known existed. She shifted position again, sliding further down his legs, and he moaned, wondering what new torment this presaged. He didn’t have long to wait. Android Meghan opened her mouth and slid his penis into it. He gasped, his eyes flying open in shock. His entire body quivered, every muscle straining to put an end to this exquisite torture. But he didn’t know what to do. Her hands reached under him and cupped his buttocks, then lifted him upward, thrusting the full length of his engorged penis into her mouth. She lowered him a moment later, letting him slide most of the way out of her mouth, before lifting and swallowing him again. Realizing what she wanted him to do, Koie’s hips bucked in the rhythm she set, sliding himself in and out of her freshly lubricated lips. Her talented fingers slipped between his legs, finding and fingering his balls. He pumped harder, faster, gasping for air as the world narrowed to a single point of focus. Then his point of focus exploded, rupturing and spewing hot liquid like a geyser. He cried out, deep convulsions shaking his body as it tried to force every drop of liquid he contained out the end of his penis. He collapsed, unable to hold himself up any longer. His penis, now soft and pliant again as it should be, slid from android Meghan’s mouth, glistening with her lubricant and his own ejaculation. His eyelids drifted shut as a bone-deep weariness swept over him. Maybe that explained the oddly limp feeling suffusing his body. His bones were too tired to remain rigid. Or had whatever stiffened his bones gone into stiffening his penis, and been lost when his penis exploded? The familiar sensation of worried confusion tried to spur him into asking the android what she’d done to him, but he was too tired for the effort speech would require. He would ask her in the morning. If he lived that long. She slid off of his legs and out of his bed, tucking the heat sheet around his body as soon as she was no longer under it. “Now I’m finished.” She brushed his cheek lightly with her hand, the gesture strangely evocative of Maeko’s parting gesture. “Are you relaxed? ” Drifting in a half-conscious state, Koie’s thoughts tumbled together, confusing the identities of the woman he missed and the android who’d briefly made him forget that longing. “Maeko,” he whispered.
164
Illicit Programming
Chapter Seven Ignoring android Sean sitting quietly in the darkening rover beside her, Maeko reclined her seat to the fully horizontal position. The top edge of the seat back met up with the edge of the bench seat in front of the miniature science station at the back of the rover, forming a bed. It wasn’t as comfortable as a foambed, but she figured comfort was the least of her worries at the moment. She stretched out on her bed, unpacking a heat sheet from the under seat storage then wrapping it around herself. She lay on her side, facing the rover’s wall, and pretended to sleep. Her thoughts refused to be still, however. She kept remembering how android Sean had touched her during weightlessness. How she’d urged him on with incoherent pleas that he’d nevertheless understood. Her body heated, growing heavy and aching to feel the same way again. She shifted restlessly on her bed, opening the heat sheet to allow the rover’s cooler air underneath. It didn’t help. She thought of Koie, how lost and alone he’d sounded on the radio. She had to be strong for him. He was depending on her to do her job well and quickly, as were the colonists who would come to Aysha after them. Staring out the clear wall of the rover at the darkening countryside around her, she admired the wild power of Aysha. They’d only been here a week, and already they’d seen one of the legendary dust storms—fortunately only from a distance!—and experienced the planet’s bitter cold nights. The days weren’t much warmer, but at least they were bright, which gave the illusion of warmth from inside a pressure suit. Idly, she tried to catalog the geological formations she could see in the dim light. Of most interest was the columnar joining from a previous lava flow. It the shadows, the blocky towers eroded by dust storms looked like the remains of an ancient civilization’s city, the underlying right angles still visible. Perhaps, someday in the distant future, legends would spring up about a lost mun, the people who had been here before them, and left only the skeletons of their buildings behind, similar to the legends of muns that sank beneath the sea or were swallowed by mountains on her home world. She smiled, reminded of some of her favorite childhood stories. All too soon, the last of the light faded, and the rock formations could no longer be seen. Normally, she fell asleep as soon as she lay down. But tonight she just couldn’t relax. She tried telling herself that it was the uncomfortably hard bed. Then she tried to convince herself that she was eager and excited about what tomorrow ’s expedition would uncover, and if she would find the reservoir or not. Eventually she admitted the truth. Despite her efforts to distract herself, she was still aware of android Sean sitting silently in the other seat. Her body hummed as if a low level of electricity coursed through it, ready to burst into showers of sparks if he touched her.
165
Jennifer Dunne
There was no way she could fall asleep, not as wound up and tense as she was. And as Koie had pointed out earlier, she needed to get a restful night’s sleep to be at her best tomorrow, so that she did not miss any clues to the location of the reservoir. When she thought about it that way, wasn ’t it actually more selfish of her to resist android Sean’s attentions? She needed to sleep soundly, for the good of the mun. She wasn’t going to fall asleep until she let him distract her again, finding out if the feelings she’d experienced had been a side effect of her weightlessness, or if there was something about what he’d done that made her thoughts shatter and her body shiver with delight. Her course was clear. For the good of the mun, she should ask android Sean to distract her again. It was the only solution. She rolled onto her other side, facing the silent android. Briefly, she wondered if he was experiencing the android equivalent of sleep, and would object to her interruption. Well, there was only one way to find out. “Your pardon, android Sean.” The android’s eyes opened and his head turned to look at her. “Yes? Is there some function I can perform for you?” “I’m not able to go to sleep. I keep thinking about the way you distracted me on the colony ship.” “You would like to be distracted again?” “Just enough to go to sleep.” “Then would you prefer to be relaxed? Or exhausted?” She nibbled on her lower lip as she thought. She wanted to be distracted again, to feel the way she had in the ship. But this was not about her wants, it was for the good of the mun. And the good of the mun demanded that she be relaxed and fall asleep. “I would prefer to be relaxed, please.” “As you wish. Please remove your clothing. ” Maeko’s hands trembled with anticipation as she pulled off the thin tunic and pants she wore under her pressure suit. She’d discarded the protective bulk of the pressure suit itself hours earlier, since it was unnecessary in the pressurized rover. Android Sean removed his own tunic, then tugged aside her heat sheet, revealing her naked body. The rover’s cool air turned her skin to goose flesh. “Turn on your side, facing the wall,” he ordered. She did as he requested. It was now dark enough outside that the dim lighting of the rover’s interior turned the windows to reflective glass, so she could see the naked android climbing onto the narrow bed behind her, even as she felt the pseudoskin of his chest pressing against her back, and his legs tucking up to match her bended-knee position. He shook out the heat sheet, covering them in a warm, dark cocoon. Reaching around her, he tucked the sheet in securely, then left his arm encircling her. He shifted his position slightly, fully aligning his body with hers. Although his flesh was not warmed by blood flow as a human’s was, he did have a radiant discharge of the overflow heat from his power supply that allowed him to function in freezing temperatures such as Aysha’s without requiring a pressure suit. He’d been using that feature of
166
Illicit Programming
his design heavily today, with all of his excursions out of the rover. As a result, his pseudoskin was significantly warmer than ambient temperature. Maeko sighed with pleasure and snuggled closer to his warmth. Android Sean began slowly, at first merely fluttering his fingertips against her skin. He stroked gentle circles on her abdomen, making her stomach muscles clench and shiver. Then his hand crept higher, always circling, and brushed the lower edges of her breasts at the height of his arcs. She gasped, instinctively jerking backwards against his unyielding body. That felt good, too, his warm chest hard and strong against her spine. His other hand, the one that was effectively trapped beneath her, nudged her closer still, the powerful extenders and contractors in his steel fingers easily moving her body and holding her where he wanted her. His pseudoskin felt smooth against her where they touched, except for an unexpected ridge near his waist. The ridge fit comfortably along the indentation between her buttocks, though, so she didn’t mind. She’d felt something similar when he’d held her on the colony ship. She’d seen no signs of any strange ridge on his body when he was naked, so it must have something to do with his programming for distracting or relaxing her, and not be used otherwise. He flexed his hips, pressing the ridge firmly between her buttocks, making her moan with pleasure. With no conscious thought, she lifted her top leg and wrapped it around his, forcing herself even tighter against him. Warm threads of pleasure swirled through her, circling from her buttocks to curl deep inside her where it spiraled tighter and tighter, shifting from pleasure to a painful ache. His fingers continued to draw patterns on her skin, creeping higher and higher up her breasts, until his fingertips brushed across her swollen nipples. Fire arced directly to the aching spiral deep inside her. She gasped again, jerking at the unexpected rush of pleasure, then moaned as that pressed his hard ridge deeper between the cheeks of her buttocks, stretching and spreading her so that he could fit. Again, his fingertips flicked across her nipples, first one then the other. Each flick sent flashes of fire along her skin to burn deep inside her. And each time, she gasped and pulled backward, spreading her buttocks ever so slightly wider until his ridge was nestled completely in her crevice. Then his hand moved higher still, tracing teasing circles around the outside of each breast before spiraling slowly up to the top. She held her breath, waiting. Waiting. He was coming so close, but still not touching her nipple. Finally, his fingertips circled her nipple. Then he pinched it. Maeko cried out as the tightening coil within her center released like a powerful spring. She felt a curious dampness between her legs, and the nearly unbearable agony of pleasure from his fingers on her sensitive breasts was replaced by a dull ache where he’d pinched her. But the skin of her buttocks where his ridge nestled still tingled with awareness, and the aching coil was already tightening inside her body. “That’s not what you did on the colony ship,” she said. Her voice sounded whiny and petulant, like a child denied a promised candy. “And you said this would relax me.” “It will. When I am finished. That was just to get you ready for relaxing.” 167
Jennifer Dunne
“Nonsense. You get ready for relaxing by breathing deeply and calming your body, not gasping and growing excited.” “You must tense your muscles as tight as they can be before you relax them, to gain the deepest relaxation.” His words sounded vaguely familiar. Dimly, Maeko remembered an experimental treatment the doctors had tried when she was a child to help her handle the pain during a flare up of her symptoms. There had been deep breathing and postures designed to coax her body into relaxation, and one of the postures called for tensing all of her muscles as tightly as she could before releasing them all at once. The thought had been that she would release the pain with her tension. It had helped. A little. But when the doctors had discovered a better solution, she’d abandoned the breathing postures. She hadn’t thought of them in years. “Maybe,” she admitted. “We’ll see.” “Then you wish me to continue?” Did he think she wanted him to leave her aching and more tense than she had been before he’d started? But no, he didn’t think any such thing. He was only an android, programmed to ask for clarification when he received what he considered to be conflicting instructions. If it had been Koie beside her, touching and teasing her, he would not have needed to ask. Briefly, she imagined her munmate’s strong fingers stroking and squeezing her breasts. Her breath hitched, and the aching coil within her tightened another revolution. But she could not ask him to give her pleasure like this, not when he would get nothing in return. It would be purely selfish desire on her part. She’d have to be satisfied with the android. And she would be satisfied, once he started stroking her again. “Continue. Please, continue.” Instead, android Sean pulled away from her, wringing a wordless protest from her as the sweet fullness of his ridge disappeared from the crevice between her buttocks. He rolled her over, onto her back, and pushed her legs apart so that he could kneel between them. The heat sheet crackled as he settled it over his new position. His fingers stroked up the insides of her thighs, teasing her with gentle circles. Each touch tightened the spiral of need inside her. She moaned, spreading her legs wider so that he could reach even higher. Then his fingers reached between her legs, sliding over her heated flesh, and pressed inside her. Maeko’s hips lifted, instinctively trying to take his fingers deeper, as her eyes closed so she could focus all of her attention on the wonderful feelings rippling through her. She felt muscles she’d never known about deep inside her, clenching and releasing his fingers in a pulsing rhythm. His fingers stroked her walls, still making those circles that drove her wild, and she bucked and writhed beneath his hand. When he slid his fingers out of her, she whimpered, aching and needing him to fill her. But he pressed against her again, his fingers somehow thicker than before, too thick to pass through the opening he’d just been using. Another wave shuddered through her inner muscles, clenching and releasing, and in that brief moment before they contracted again, he pushed inside her.
168
Illicit Programming
Maeko cried out. He filled her completely, pressing against her walls, going far deeper than he had before. She began shaking, trembling uncontrollably as spasms seized her body, all focused on the hard length of him inside her. Her inner muscles clenched, gripping and releasing him over and over as if they could not believe he was really there, and needing to feel him to be sure it was really true. And what a feeling! Every time her walls touched him, pleasure spiraled through her, stronger and more intense. She panted, unable to catch her breath, and lifted her hips in mute entreaty. More! One of the android’s arms slipped around her waist, his hand at the small of her back, and he lifted her even higher. Her back arched and her knees bent, until only her shoulders and feet touched the bed. The rest of her body was bent like a bow, and vibrated like a recently released bowstring. Then he began moving. Slowly at first, he pulled his length almost all the way out of her, then pushed himself in again. Not only could she feel him moving within her, stroking her walls, but as he brushed against her entrance, a tiny flame burst to life. Every time he rubbed across the flame, it grew, until it pulsed with heat, driving her mad with need. Broken cries escaped her lips, gasps and moans and hoarse, breathy sighs. Each vocalization spurred the android to greater feats, pumping harder and faster until she could no longer feel the sliding friction of his touch, only the growing pressure as he filled her, again and again. He lowered her to the bed, her back pressing into the firm cushion, although her legs stayed bent. Maeko cried out and grabbed his arm, fearful that he had finished his program and planned to leave her like this, mindless with an aching need. But instead, he grabbed her ankles and lifted them, pushing her knees toward her chest. She moaned with pleasure as her inner chamber shifted around him, and he sank even deeper inside her. He rested her heels against his shoulders, bracing his arms against the bed to both support himself and pin her legs in the bent position. She urged him onward with fervent pleas, incoherent strings of sound punctuated by panting breaths. This time, he started fast and hard, driving deep and pressing her down into the bed cushion with every thrust. The need filled her, consumed her. She was nothing but an aching channel, straining toward a completion she sensed must exist. It had to exist, or she would go mad, killing herself in a frenzied attempt to find the satisfaction that eluded her. He pumped harder, short, sharp thrusts that rocked her backward. A desperate mewl broke from her lips, climbing the scale and rising in volume as she struggled nearer and nearer her goal. Then he thrust all the way, touching something deep inside her. She screamed, spasming uncontrollably as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her. Her entire body was a single throbbing pulse, and every beat of her heart carried her further and further into the starry wonder of the moment. Android Sean pulled out of her for the last time, the stroke of his length as he left her sending her into further ecstasies of delight. She wanted to reach for him, to keep him inside her so she could feel this way forever, but her arms were not answering her brain’s call to action. Her mouth refused to shape words to call him back.
169
Jennifer Dunne
He arranged her on the bed, stretching her out full length and tucking the heat sheet close around her, and she could neither help nor protest. Her muscles had ceased to obey her commands. As he’d promised, she was totally and completely relaxed.
***** Maeko yawned and stretched, squinting and putting her hand over her eyes to block the bright light shining in them. Dawn was breaking, brilliant streamers of color gilding the sky as the sun crested the horizon. She lengthened her stretch, feeling a tightness in her back and a twinge deep inside. Her body ached from the use of unfamiliar muscles. It wasn’t enough to cause her pain, just enough to remind her of what she’d done the night before. A slow smile pulled at her lips as she remembered. Android Sean’s relaxation program had proven even better than his distraction program. She wondered if he had an equally exciting program for waking people in the morning. She glanced at the other seat, and the android’s still form as he waited for his orders. Beyond him, visible through the clear wall on the far side of the rover, the morning sun lit the top of the volcanic mountain with gold. Maeko sighed and pushed off the heat sheet, glancing around for her discarded clothing. She had allowed android Sean to relax her last night for the good of the mun, because a good night’s sleep was necessary to get an early start this morning, and keep her mind alert and focused on her work. Anything that disrupted that focus would be a selfish indulgence. Not only could she not explore the android’s other programming, but she should not even think about the program he’d run the night before. She would have to pretend that it had never happened. For the good of the mun. She located her tunic and pants, pulling them on before heading for the back of the rover and the morning maintenance functions required by humans. Her muscles twinged again, reminding her of the previous night’s exertions. She forced the memory from her mind. She was used to sacrifice and suffering for the good of the mun. For years in her isolated hospital bed, she had turned her thoughts from the joys and indulgences of her agemates, even though she could hear them laughing and playing outside her window. As she had then, she focused her mind on something safe, something strong enough to withstand the force of her regard. Once again, the study of rocks would prove her salvation.
170
Illicit Programming
Chapter Eight Koie pulled off the head bubble of his pressure suit as he stepped through the air lock doorway into the habitat. He vigorously scratched his chin and cheeks, where dried sweat had collected around his breathing ma sk. He could hardly wait until the greenhouse was constructed and pressurized, so that he could work without wearing a pressure suit. They’d finished excavating the area for the concave base of the greenhouse dome today, then spiked a plastic tarp over it to protect the newly excavated pit from filling with dust. Some would still get in, of course. The dust found its way into everything, even without a dust storm. He realized he was blocking the airlock door, and stepped aside to allow android Meghan to follow him inside. She turned and headed straight for the shower unit to wash Aysha’s dust from her tunic and pseudoskin. Normally he’d be doing the same, cleaning his pressure suit and getting it ready for the morning’s work, then cleaning himself. It never ceased to amaze him that he could sweat so much inside his suit when it was so frigidly cold outside. But today, he didn’t care about cleanliness. Instead, he hurried directly to the communications console in the science section of the habitat. An amber light blinked slowly on the panel. Communication received. He punched the button to replay the message. The speakers crackled, then Maeko’s excited voice blurted, “I found it, Koie! The reservoir. And it’s huge! It’s easily twice the size of Chiko Lake, and you know how big that is! There will be plenty of water for the colonists until the temperature rises with the terraforming and the rest of the planet’s water is released. And there’s a section of soil with a higher clay content than average just a short drive away. We still need to do more scouting to determine the optimal location for the first mun, but once we do, we’ll have no problem making the bricks to build it. I’m starting back to the habitat now. I’ll be taking samples and soundings on my way back, but I should still arrive in time for dinner. See you then.” The speaker crackled one last time, then fell silent, and the glowing panel light faded. Koie smiled. No sharing a meal via radio. She’d be home for dinner, sitting next to him where he could see her and feel her presence. Then he realized he hadn’t showered yet. If she came home now, she wouldn’t want to sit anywhere near him. He raced for the sanitation facilities. Android Meghan had long since finished her shower and retired to her room. Stripping off his clothing, he threw it into the sanitizer, then jumped into the shower. He’d noticed that Maeko preferred taking her time and using a washcloth to clean herself, but he favored the speed and thoroughness of the sonically activated, thin mist of water. Quickly scrubbing away the dried sweat, and the smears of dust from touching his pressure suit, Koie finished his shower in record time. The sanitizer was still working on his clothing.
171
Jennifer Dunne
He rubbed himself dry with the towel Maeko had assigned to him, combed his hair, then checked his appearance in the reflective sheet of holofilm on the wall while he waited. He wanted to look his best for Maeko, to show her how pleased he was that she had returned. On the other hand, he didn’t care what she looked like. She could be covered with a thick layer of dust, so that her shining black hair had turned red, and it wouldn’t matter to him. He was just happy to have her home. The sanitizer chimed, notifying him that his clothing was now free of all dirt and stains. He pulled out the pressure suit first. After carefully shaking out the fabric, he rolled it up for storage, so that there would be no uncomfortable creases that might rub against him while he worked tomorrow. Then he dressed in his fresh pants and tunic. He caught himself humming a snatch of master musician Ibu’s Concerto for Two Flutes, one of Maeko’s favorite pieces. Remembering her accusation that he hummed when he was happy, he grinned. Of course he was happy. The greenhouse would go up tomorrow. And he couldn’t do it himself, even with the androids. He’d need Maeko’s help to transport the heavy, prefabricated Kevlar dome to the pit that had been excavated for it, ensure that the correct side was facing up, then spread it evenly and inflate it. While it was inflating, they’d erect the aluminum and Plexiglas shell that would cover it, to protect the fabric from the damaging dust storms. Since the shell was not going to be pressurized, they could easily stake the hemisphere into the ground, unlike the buried bi-dome required for the greenhouse itself. But the important thing was that Maeko would be working beside him all day. He looked forward to that even more than he looked forward to being able to work without his pressure suit.
***** Maeko’s excitement over finding the underground reservoir had long since dissipated by the time she finally pulled the rover up beside the habitat. She’d wanted to drive straight home, but had been forced to follow the same back and forth tacking path she’d taken out to the volcano, stopping regularly to test the soil. The chill unit in the rover was filled with long, slender tubes of soil samples that would take her weeks to analyze completely. Meanwhile, android Sean would be reviewing the stack of datacubes containing radar and sonar images. Just the thought of all the work waiting for her made her tired. As had being trapped in the tiny rover with the android and forcing herself not to think about how she felt when he touched her. When she successfully pulled her thoughts away from the android, they gravitated to Koie, and more than once she found herself imagining what it would feel like to have her munmate’s hands moving across her body as he stroked his pleasure rod in and out of her body. If Koie even had a pleasure rod. She wasn ’t sure about that. The androids were supposed to be anatomically correct, but she’d never seen any munmember whose body included a jutting pleasure rod like android Sean’s. Not that she would investigate. She would never be so selfish as to ask Koie to pleasure her, even if he did have a pleasure rod. Imagining his gentle, caring touch on her body drove
172
Illicit Programming
her half insane, but that was just further proof of her failure as a munmember. She should be focusing all of her attention on her work, and the good of the mun. The effort exhausted her. After the rover came to a stop beside the habitat, she sat for a long moment gathering her energy reserves before putting on her pressure suit and shutting down the rover. “Android Sean, if you would be so good as to unload those soil samples and carry them up to the science center in the habitat?” The android moved to do her bidding. While he was occupied, she popped the hatch and stepped out of the rover. She didn’t want to wait for him to finish unloading before she went up to the habitat, so she went right into the airlock, sealing the door behind her. She climbed the short ladder to the upper platform, waited for the pressure light to go green, then unlocked the upper door and stepped into the habitat proper. As soon as she’d sealed the airlock behind her, she pulled off her pressure suit, sighing with pleasure at being able to stand and stretch her arms over her head. She just wanted a quick dinner, the chance to wash the dust off, and then a long, dreamless sleep. Koie ran over to her, welcoming her back to the mun. But he didn’t stop in front of her. He kept going, running right into her and wrapping his arms around her in a big hug. All she could think about was how android Sean had started his relaxation program by wrapping his arms around her like this. What would Koie do if she threw him to the floor and demanded he relax her? But he was already releasing her, stepping back and grinning broadly. “I’m so glad you’re home. I got your message. Dinner’s ready.” He gestured behind him toward the lounge, where yellow plastic serving plates, cutlery, and matching beverage cups had been arranged neatly along the diagonal of the table. He’d set the table’s holoprojector to display a bouquet of yellow and white flowers, flanked by two flickering white tapers in white and gold holders. She smiled, warmed by his thoughtfulness in preparing a welcome home meal for her. Welcome home. Her heart glowed at his obvious sincerity. She’d never been welcomed anywhere before, not even when she’d first left the hospital ward and returned to the main mun. Her former munmates had said the words, but their refusal to stand near her or take the seats next to her at the communal table had proven that in their minds, she was still linked with her disease, and decidedly unwelcome, whatever they said. Koie, on the other hand, had clearly expended much effort to create a welcoming atmosphere for her. This was just the latest example. From the beginning of this mission, he’d gone out of his way to try and make her feel comfortable and cared for, even when the trip had made her so ill. He was a true munmate. Which was way she would never allow him to be hurt by her selfishness. She took her seat at the table. Koie joined her, just as android Sean entered the habitat with his cargo of soil samples. Maeko welcomed the change of focus. “Finding the reservoir was the main goal of my trip, but it wasn ’t the only one. I brought back enough soil samples to keep me busy for weeks.” She helped herself to a selection of different crackers, and spooned out small amounts of three different protein pastes onto her plate. Nibbling tiny bits of the various combinations made dinner last longer. And while just a little while ago, she’d been eagerly hoping for a quick
173
Jennifer Dunne
meal and a dreamless sleep, now she wanted to stretch the meal for as long as she could, lingering in Koie’s presence. “You don’t have to start tomorrow, I hope. The greenhouse excavation is complete. It would be good to inflate the dome as soon as possible.” She grinned at his hopeful expression. “The soil samples can wait. The greenhouse comes first, for the good of the mun.” They discussed their plans for the next day, and what would be required to inflate the dome. They would initially use Aysha atmosphere, blowing it into the dome with pumps but leaving the double doorway open so that the androids could carry the displaced soil inside to fill up the lower curvature of the bi-dome. Once the soil had been replaced, the doorways would be sealed with an airlock, and the rest of the dome would be inflated with pure oxygen. While the androids did that, she and Koie would be assembling the lightweight dust shield. “Once the dome is finished, I’ll have weeks of work ahead of me, too.” He paused to smea r another layer of protein paste on his cracker. “If there is any other work requiring both of us, perhaps it would be better to do it now, before we get started on our other tasks.” Maeko coughed, the cracker she was eating adhering to her suddenly dry throat. She waved off Koie’s assistance when he started to rise. “We need to dig the well shaft down to the reservoir. It will be capped, so that the water is not wasted. Then it will be ready for the equipment coming with the next Aysha munmates to be set up around it, and driven by the thermal energy.” He nodded. “That was the preferred scenario outlined in the mission datacube. How long will it take to set up?” “If everything is prepared before we leave, three days should be sufficient.” The now familiar coil of heat began its slow spiral through her inner core. Three days on site meant two nights away from the habitat. The two androids would stay in the unpressurized rover, needing only its protection from the omnipresent dust. Since she and Koie needed a breathable atmosphere, they’d be forced to share the pressurized rover. Alone. And no doubt they would be tense and in need of relaxation to fall asleep. She was familiar with the soft sounds Koie made in his sleep. But now she imagined him grunting and pa nting as he strove to fill her eager body, her fingers sinking deep into his muscled arms and back to anchor herself as he sent her spinning out of control. Her breasts burned, the nipples tight and longing for his warm, wet mouth to soothe them. She shifted uncomfortably on the foam chair, her legs spreading and her hips tilting, seeking the pressure that would satisfy her, but the soft foam did little more than tease her. Maeko gulped the remaining water in her cup, hoping it would cool the fire that threatened to burn out of control before she did something unforgivable. If she did something to turn Koie away from her, to make him no longer want her as a munmate, she didn’t think she could bear it. The fear forced her mind away from thoughts of Koie’s body entwined with hers. She’d ask him an innocuous question to distract him from her rude inattention, then excuse herself to the sanitation facilities where she could take the time she needed to compose herself, away from him. “How did everything go back here, while I was gone? The habitat wasn ’t too quiet, was it?”
174
Illicit Programming
Koie’s lips pursed. Had he been five years younger, she’d have thought he was pouting. As is, he looked thoroughly dejected. “It was awful. I just wandered around the empty habitat, but nothing appealed to me. Finally, I decided to go to bed and get an early start on the final excavation. But it was so oppressively silent, I couldn’t get comfortable enough to fall asleep.” Concern for her munmate overrode her passionate imagination and Maeko leaned forward to rest her hand on top of his. “My apologies for leaving you. I am sorry you suffered because of my actions.” “I did suffer. But not very long.” He shrugged, his look of distress clearing. “Android Meghan was able to relax me so that I could fall asleep.” Maeko’s mouth opened to reply, but no words came out. Her brain froze as thoroughly as Aysha’s permafrost. How could he so calmly accept the android’s relaxation programming? She’d been in agonies over her selfish behavior with android Sean, and Koie dismissed his encounter with android Meghan with a shrug. The fingers of her free hand clenched the edge of the tabletop, but she forced her voice to remain light as she asked, “How did she relax you?” “It was the oddest thing. She kissed me, but not on the forehead or cheek where kisses normally go. She kissed my body.” He paused, waiting for Maeko’s comment. When she didn’t say anything, he continued, “It felt a little like a pleasure sharing, but it wasn’t in my mind. It was as if my body experienced the pleasure, and took my mind along with it.” Maeko gawped at him. That was what a pleasure sharing was supposed to feel like? No wonder her former munmates were so eager for a sharing at the least excuse. Koie turned his hand over so that it was palm-to-palm with hers, then put his other hand on top to capture her hand between his. He leaned toward her, his dark eyes wrinkling with concern. “Maeko? Have I distressed you? If I offended you, I offer my sincerest apologies.” “Android Sean used a similar relaxation program with me,” she admitted. “Then…you are not offended? But you still seem distressed.” She snatched her hand from his warm and too welcome grasp. “How can you be so calm about it? I’ve been dying inside all day, thinking about what happened. About my selfishness. Instead of acting for the good of the mun, I acted for my own pleasure.” She clapped her hands over her mouth, too late to stop her secret from escaping. Then she buried her face in her hands. She didn’t want to see Koie’s reaction when he realized what a failure she was. His chair scraped against the floor, and she bit her lip to hold back a sob. He was leaving. He couldn’t stand to be in the same room with someone as selfish as she. Then his hands settled on her shoulders, rubbing gently. She lifted her head, unable to believe not only hadn’t he left her, he’d come closer. But it was true. The chair opposite her was empty, and his warm hands were rubbing back and forth in short arcs across her shoulders. “Maeko, do not distress yourself. You are a wonderful munmate. If android Sean behaved as android Meghan did, it was only to relax you so you could get a good night’s sleep in unfamiliar and frightening surroundings. There is nothing selfish in that.”
175
Jennifer Dunne
“But I enjoyed it so much.” “You enjoy sharings, too, but there’s nothing selfish in those.” “Actually… I don’t.” His hands stilled then released her. He circled around and knelt before her so that his eyes were level with hers. “What do you mean, you don’t enjoy sharings?” “It’s the Ruie’s Syndrome. The same inner ear scarring that makes space flight so difficult makes any sonic technology excruciatingly painful. It’s why I don’t use the shower if I can help it. The few times I was unable to avoid a sharing, it felt like someone was skewering my brain with red-hot grill sticks.” His forehead furrowed. “But if your munmates knew how it affected you, why did—?” “They didn’t know.” “Your pardon?” “I never told them. I wanted to fit in, to be just like the other members of the mun. So I didn’t tell the munadmin how much my first sharing hurt. And I couldn’t say anything later, without admitting I’d lied earlier.” She lowered her gaze, no longer able to meet Koie’s. “You see? Selfishness.” He pulled her to her feet and enfolded her in a reassuring hug. “You are not selfish. The mun is responsible for the happiness and safety of all its members. Your mun failed you. You did not fail your mun.” She stared at him, certain she’d misheard. “My mun was supposed to make me happy?” “Of course. It’s part of the solemn contract you signed during your acceptance as an adult. Didn’t you read it before you signed it?” “No. I was so eager to finally belong, I wasn’t thinking of anything else.” Koie shook his head, although his faint smile took the edge off of his censure. “You belong now, to the Aysha mun. As your munmate, I must help to ensure your happiness and safety, as you would see to mine.” Her heart leaped, not sure what he was suggesting, only knowing that no one had ever cared about her the way he did. “I had been concerned about not having enough munmates for a pleasure sharing for the six months of our mission.” He grinned. “But if we can substitute the androids’ relaxation programs, that would be perfect. I wonder if we could both be relaxed at the same time?” The coil of need throbbed deep inside her, stealing her breath with the sudden realization of how close she stood to Koie, and how warm and strong his arms were around her. “Perhaps,” she whispered, “we could ask the androids if it would be possible for them to teach us how to relax each other.”
176
Illicit Programming
Chapter Nine Holding Maeko’s hand, Koie led her to the androids’ quarters and knocked on the door. Android Sean opened the door, his naked pseudoskin gleaming with freshly applied lubricant. Android Meghan, also naked, stood behind him, washcloth in hand. They had interrupted the androids’ nightly maintenance. “Your pardon, android Sean. We wish to ask you a question.” The android paused, then stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind himself. “What is your question?” Koie tightened his fingers around Maeko’s hand, and she gave him a reassuring squeeze. He had no idea how to ask what he wanted to know without giving offense. Then he remembered that the androids were not munmates, and did not get offended. “Android Meghan’s program to relax me, and your program to relax Maeko—could we learn to do them?” The android frowned. “I do not understand your question. Our programs replicate the human sexual experience. There is nothing either of us did that you do not already know how to perform.” “Other humans, perhaps. We never learned how.” But at least now they knew it was possible. “Can you teach us?” “My programming does not include any teaching subroutines. ” Koie’s heart fell. He’d been so certain that he could learn to give Maeko the pleasure she’d never had in a sharing. He wanted her to be happy. If he couldn’t please her, he’d try to convince her to let android Sean please her, as often as possible. But somehow, the thought lacked any appeal. He didn’t want the android able to do something for her that he could not. Maeko stepped forward, catching the android’s attention. “You don’t need to formally teach us. What if you simply showed us? I could watch while android Meghan pleasured Koie, and he could watch while you pleasured me.” “If you feel that will provide sufficient guidance, we will do as you wish.” “We can learn from watching,” Koie answered. “May we start tonight?” “Is that what you desire? ” “Yes,” Maeko said. “If you would follow Koie to our room, I’ll get android Meghan.” Koie released her hand, smiling as he led android Sean into their room. This would make her very happy. “If you would be so kind as to pleasure Maeko first,” he ordered android Sean. “As you command.” They stood, waiting, until Maeko and android Meghan entered the bedroom. “Android Sean has agreed to pleasure you first,” Koie told Maeko. Her face flushed softly, and she glanced down at the floor. “All right. What should I do? ” 177
Jennifer Dunne
“Remove your clothing and lay down on the bed,” android Sean answered, then looked at Koie and pointed to a spot at the side of the bed. “You should stand here for the best view.” Koie did as the android instructed, watching as Maeko undressed and lay down. Sharing a room with her as he did, he’d seen her dressing and undressing plenty of times before. But now, the sight of her lying naked before him, trembling with eagerness, stirred something deep within him, a primal hunger he only vaguely understood. He only knew that he wanted to be the focus of that anticipation, not the android. After all, he was her munmate. She should rely on him. Android Sean began simply by running his fingertips over Maeko’s skin, stroking her calves, then her thighs, then her stomach. She sighed softly, arching upward into his touch. Koie’s breath caught, and his groin tightened. The android continued stroking her, his fingers tracing circles of various sizes, as he worked his way back and forth from her knees to her breasts. Maeko moaned and arched into his touch every time he brushed his fingers along her inner thighs, or across her nipples. Each soft sound pulled at Koie, as if she’d attached a line from her body to his groin, tugging the line taut with each lift of her hips. He licked his suddenly dry lips, and stepped closer to the bed, as if that could relieve the tension. Android Sean knelt on the bed, his legs bracketing Maeko’s, and leaned down to touch his lips to her dark nipples. She released a long, shuddering sigh, her breath catching in the middle when he moved his mouth to her other breast. The abandoned nipple reflected wetly, and Koie realized he must be licking her as well as kissing. The android stroked and kneaded her breasts, plumping them with his attention, while he continued to lick, kiss, and even suckle their tips. Koie’s fingers twitched, aching to fondle Maeko’s ripe breasts, even as he longed to capture her nipples between his lips. He swallowed, feeling his groin tighten even further at the image of his mouth on her breasts. Glancing downward, he saw that the front of his pants now bulged in a point toward Maeko, giving credence to his theory that a line had been attached between them. Maeko gasped, but Koie wasn ’t sure why. Then android Sean curled back his lips, almost like a dog growling, allowing Koie to see his teeth as he bit Maeko’s tight nipple. She gasped again, then began panting for breath. The android continued licking and biting, moving from one breast to the other, all the while kneading them, raising the nipples to two hard points. Then she cried out, arching off of the bed and driving her breast deep into the android’s mouth. She held the pose for a long moment, shuddering, before she collapsed onto the bed with a sigh. Android Sean shifted the position of his legs, moving them inside of Maeko’s. She spread her thighs wide, revealing a transformation as dramatic as Koie’s lengthening and hardening penis. The flesh between her legs had turned a deep red, and split along two seams. A thick, pearly liquid pooled and dribbled over the edge of the inner opening. Koie licked his lips again, suddenly hungry to put his face between her legs and lick the gathering dew. To his surprise, android Sean did just that. Maeko groaned and flexed her hips, driving herself onto his tongue. Koie whimpered, imagining the taste and texture of her hot, pulsing flesh around his own tongue. Would she taste sweet, like the honey her fluid resembled? Or would it be salty, like tears?
178
Illicit Programming
The android’s tongue stroked in and out, Maeko’s hips rising and falling in the same rhythm. Koie’s hips pumped back and forth with them, although the empty air in front of him provided no satisfaction. Not like Maeko’s hot, wet core. He just knew that a kiss from those sweet lips on his swollen penis would be even better than android Meghan’s mouth had been. Then she cried out again, lifting her hips and crushing herself against android Sean’s mouth. When she fell to the bed a moment later, her liquid stained the android’s lips. His tongue slipped out, licking away the liquid, and Koie wanted to reach over and grab him, shake him, and demand that he not enjoy the bounty of Maeko’s body. That was Koie’s privilege, as her munmate. Then android Sean straightened, revealing a transformed penis of his own. He took it in his hand, and guided the tip of it to the folds he’d just been kissing. Maeko groaned again, then louder as he leaned forward, pushing himself inside her. Koie’s own penis was so tight and swollen, he feared it would explode if he touched it. His breathing came in short, sharp pants matched by the two on the bed as the android rocked back and forth, pulling nearly all the way out of her then sliding deep inside. Maeko’s gasps climbed the scale, gaining in pitch with every one of the android’s thrusts. “Oh, yes. Please. Now,” she begged between gasps. The android lifted her legs, bending her knees back nearly to her chest, and resting her feet on his shoulders. She cried out, then kept crying, incoherent moans and sound fragments that were almost words, as the android pumped in and out, faster and faster. Koie clenched his fists to keep from reaching out and ripping the android away from her. His penis ached, throbbing with a need to be buried inside her, rubbing back and forth across her slick opening, making her moan and cry as her body devoured him. She arched off the bed, her entire body trembling. Then she screamed and collapsed, lying unmoving beneath the android, who slowly retracted his penis. Koie grabbed the android roughly by the shoulder and jerked him off the bed. “What did you do to her? If you hurt her—” “She is merely relaxed.” “Relaxed?” Koie looked down at Maeko, and saw a sleepy, dreamy smile on her face. She was happy. He dropped his hand, shocked by his actions. “Forgive me, android Sean. I don’t know what came over me, and have no defense for such violent behavior.” The android just smiled. “It would appear that you were jealous.” “Jealous? ” But that was impossible. Munmates were never jealous, since they shared everything equally among the mun. A red haze descended over Koie’s vision at the thought of sharing the experience of pleasuring Maeko with his former munmates, or the people who would arrive to join the Aysha mun. He’d kill them rather than let them touch her in that way. Shaking, he ran his hands over his face. What was wrong with him? And how could he fix it before the first load of colony builders arrived?
179
Jennifer Dunne
***** Maeko drifted to awareness in a cloud of warm contentment. Someone was stroking her hair, and a delicious ache between her legs reminded her of android Sean’s vigorous relaxation program. The hand in her hair lacked the android’s studied perfection of gesture, and she realized it was Koie sitting on the side of her bed, touching her. She smiled and pressed her head against his hand. His stroking stopped, then began again, more firmly. “Android Sean made you very happy.” The odd tone in his voice made her open her eyes and look up at him. His expression was strange as well, his tight lips making her think he was angry or upset, and his eyes were shadowed as if he was hurt. She shook her head. “He pleased me, and made me very relaxed. Waking up to find you here with me has made me happy.” He smiled, then, all traces of shadow vanishing. “I’m happy to be here.” “Are you ready for android Meghan to pleasure you, now, so I can see how she does it?” “I don’t think I need android Meghan to show you anything. ” Maeko bolted upright, dislodging his hand. “Oh, but she must! I must be able to pleasure you, or it will be selfish of me. The good of the mun is the good of all members of the mun.” “Very well.” He stood and removed his tunic, then stepped out of his pants. His penis was no longer the stubby tool roosting in its dark nest of hairs that she was used to seeing, but hung thick and long between his legs. He glanced at her, noting the direction of her gaze, and it twitched in response, struggling to rise, like a newborn colt that had not yet mastered the use of its legs. “Android Meghan, if you would be so good as to run your relaxation program now?” The android stepped forward from where she’d been standing ignored against the wall. She cast a look toward Maeko, then frowned and shook her head. “You’ll never see anything useful from over there. Come stand behind me, and look over my shoulder.” Maeko rose, her legs still a little wobbly. She grinned, recalling her imagery for Koie’s penis. They were both still new at this. It would take time before their bodies were as well controlled as they might hope for. Eventually, they would master the androids’ relaxation programs. And judging from the way she reacted to Koie’s simple touch upon her hair, once he learned to use his body the way android Sean did, his touch would thrill her far more than the android’s ever could. Her breath quickened at the thought, and she eagerly hurried to stand behind android Meghan, to discover how she could give him pleasure as well. The android stroked her fingertips over Koie’s hips and thighs, making his penis swell and tremble. Maeko watched the transformation with wide eyes, never having seen anything like it in her life. That something so ordinary, used for the basest of functions, could be transformed into a tool that created such transports of bliss, seemed a miracle of the kind relegated to the origin world. He groaned. “Don’t look at me like that.” “Like what?” 180
Illicit Programming
“Like I’m one of your soil samples, and you’re trying to analyze me.” “Forgive me for causing you offense.” Maeko’s cheeks heated. “I was just wondering how you would feel inside me.” His penis gave a mighty surge upward, now thrusting forward from its nest of dark hair. The colt had found its legs. Android Meghan darted an annoyed look over her shoulder. “That was your doing, not mine. It would normally take another minute at least of caresses to reach that stage.” “Your apologies, android Meghan. I will not interfere again.” After all, she wanted to learn how to pleasure Koie. The best way to do that would be to watch how the android pleased him. But not, she was beginning to realize, the only way. Android Sean had said that the pleasuring programs were based upon human sexuality. It appeared that once their bodies had experienced sexual pleasure, they were capable of finding their own way back to it. It would be a different route than that taken by the androids, perhaps, but an equally enjoyable one. The android was now stroking Koie’s flat nipples. But they did not stay flat for long. Echoing the transformation of his penis, his nipples hardened and rose up, jutting up from his chest. Android Meghan bent her head and began kissing and licking them. Koie’s head tipped back and he groaned. Maeko licked her lips, imagining Koie’s firm flesh between her teeth as she nipped and suckled at him, much as android Sean had done to her. Her breasts tingled, the familiar warmth curling between her legs. If Koie enjoyed having his nipples tasted and teased, as she did, would he enjoy having her mouth on other parts of his body as much as she did, too? As if in answer to Maeko’s unspoken question, android Meghan slid slowly to her knees, her hands trailing down Koie’s body until she held his hips in her firm grasp. She placed her tongue at the base of his swollen penis, then licked his length, all the way to the top. Koie gasped, swaying on his feet, only the android’s firm hold keeping him vertical. His eyes opened and he glanced down, at the top of android Meghan’s dark head. She licked him again, and he swayed. If she let go of his hips, he would fall. Maeko took an instinctive step forward, ready to catch him. Koie looked up. His eyes were out of focus and the pupils were huge, blacking out all but the tiniest sliver of golden brown iris. It made him look somehow lost, as if he’d been blinded. Then his gaze sharpened, focusing on her face. He reached for her, extending both hands. “Maeko.” She clasped his hands in hers. Android Meghan continued pleasuring him, now swallowing his penis entirely. As her head bobbed up and down, working her illicit programming on him, his fingers tightened around Maeko’s, his gaze never leaving her face. He groaned, his face contorting with strain, and his fingers nearly crushing hers. The android moved her hands from his hips to his buttocks, pressing in such a way as to make him gasp, his eyes widening, as his hips jerked forward. Then he was panting, harsh cries escaping with each exhale, as his hips pumped his penis in and out of the android’s mouth. He pulled Maeko’s hands toward him with each of his thrusts, so that she was soon rocking back and forth in an echo of his movements. The hot coil
181
Jennifer Dunne
between her legs tightened, and she imagined shoving android Meghan away, stepping forward to capture Koie’s penis between her thighs, then wrapping her legs around his hips and buttocks where the android’s hands were now, and letting him thrust hard and deep into her newly awakened opening. Warm liquid slid down the inside of her leg, and she couldn’t find her breath. Now she was gripping his hands for balance as much as he was clutching hers. “Koie,” she whispered, needing to feel him inside her where he was meant to be. His breath hitched, and he thrust harder, rocking the android with the force of his need. “Ah, ah, Ah, AH, AHHH!” He gave a final thrust, his head tipping back, and his fingers biting deep into hers. “Maeko!” Then he sagged, only the android’s grip upon his buttocks and Maeko’s hold upon his hands keeping him upright. Android Meghan rose smoothly to her feet, ducking neatly beneath their joined hands. Fastidiously wiping a thick, white liquid from her lips, she said, “You will have no more need of me tonight.” Her gaze flicked over Maeko’s shoulder, to where android Sean waited silent and still, and she smiled. “You’re right,” Maeko agreed. “You may both leave now.” They did, murmuring softly to each other in voices too quiet for human ears. But Maeko didn’t care what they were saying, only about her munmate. Concern for Koie overrode her own burgeoning arousal, and she stepped forward to catch him as he slumped. She needed to get him into his bed before he fell to the floor. Staggering, she half-walked, half-carried him across the mercifully narrow room and tumbled him onto the deep foam of his bed. He pulled her after him, sprawling her across him and sinking them both deep into the foam. She struggled to lift herself off of him, afraid that her weight across his ribs might crush him. When he released her hands and grabbed her shoulders, she thought he meant to help her. Instead, he pulled her more tightly to him. “Don’t go, Maeko. Don’t leave me.” She paused, confused. Had the strain of his passion affected his memory? “I’m not going anywhere. I just got back from my recognizance mission. We’re putting up the greenhouse tomorrow.” “I know you’ll be here. But you’ll be over there.” He nodded toward her bed, on the other side of the room. “I want you here.” He shifted her body, so that she lay lengthwise atop him, instead of across him. “I want you with me.” His words filled her with alarm. They were as selfish as a little child’s demands. Yet her body warmed, curling against his without her conscious volition. Their legs twined, and she nestled her head into the curve of his shoulder. And she admitted, if only to herself, that she wanted to be here, with him, too. How could the desire be selfish, if they both wanted it? It was for the good of the mun that she stay with him, here, in his bed.
182
Illicit Programming
She fumbled for the heat sheet, pulling it up over them, although their flesh was already so heated, the sheet was redundant. Koie sighed, relaxing his grip upon her now that he knew she was staying. His soft exhalation puffed through her hair like a summer breeze, and she smiled. She would have to tell him that. In the morning. Her conscience made a last effort to tell her she was being selfish, that nothing which felt as good as this did could possibly be for the good of the mun. She grunted and nuzzled deeper against Koie’s neck, soothed by his heavy pulse beneath her cheek. No, this couldn’t possibly be for the good of the mun. She’d have to tell Koie that. In the morning.
183
Jennifer Dunne
Chapter Ten Koie woke to the unfamiliar but delightful sensation of holding Maeko in his arms. Last night, holding her hands and looking into her eyes as android Meghan sucked his—he supposed he needed a name for his penis when it was like that, and given its explosive nature, “rocket” seemed appropriate—as android Meghan sucked his rocket to blast off, had been the most powerful experience of his life. He’d been unreasonably jealous when android Sean had pleasured Maeko. But after Maeko had helped to pleasure him, he’d been insanely possessive. He’d refused to let her go, wanting to draw the moment out for as long as possible. He hadn’t thought this far in advance, realizing that falling asleep with her in his arms meant he’d wake up with her there, too. Gently, he stroked his hand down her body, from the soft skin hidden beneath her hair at the nape of her neck, along the muscled planes of her back, to the sweetly curving hips and rounded buttocks. He clutched her to him with a groan, feeling his rocket stir in preparation for takeoff. He wanted to explore every inch of her body, touching her, tasting her, branding her as his. The foreign thought stopped him, chilling his blood. What was wrong with him? He’d never shown the slightest indication of being anything but a devoted munmember. He’d never even fought over toys as a child, as his agemates had before they learned the lessons of the mun. The fault couldn’t lie with him. This possessive need must be a side effect of being separated from a larger mun. He was reassured to realize Maeko must have felt it, too. That’s why she’d asked so many questions about the selfishness of the act. He’d long suspected her of being smarter than he was, and this seemed to prove it. She’d understood the ramifications of learning about physical pleasure long before he had. If it was a side effect of their isolation, he could be consoled with the knowledge that they would return to normal, sharing freely with their munmates once they had returned to a larger mun. He frowned, remembering Maeko’s confession about sonic technology. She would not want to return to the painful sharings that were such a vital part of mun life. But now she could find the happiness she’d been denied previously, sharing her body individually with each of the members of the mun in turn, rather than sharing her mind with them all at once. His arms tightened around her. No! She was not sharing herself with anyone but him. Maeko opened her eyes, blinking in confusion as she worked out where she was. Her expression smoothed, her lips curving in a sultry smile, and she snuggled closer to him. “Good morning, Koie.” She caressed his calf and thigh with her leg, brushing her thigh against his rapidly firming rocket. He groaned, wanting nothing more than to spread her thighs and thrust inside her, docking his rocket deep within her.
184
Illicit Programming
As if she could read his mind, she rose up onto her knees and straddled him, his rocket pinned against his stomach by the very folds he ached to open. She rocked slowly against him, her swaying breasts begging him to reach up and touch them. His hands closed around her breasts, kneading and squeezing them. They were soft, yet firm, like skin covered puddings, ones which he longed to taste as well as touch. She moaned in pleasure. Then she arched her back, pressing her breasts into his hands. Taking one of his hands away only briefly, he pushed himself up enough to take one rosy tip into his mouth. Her nipple was soft, warm and slightly salty. Beneath his tongue, it hardened, tightening into a firm nub. Now he groaned with pleasure, knowing that he had done that to her. His touch, his mouth, his tongue, were making her writhe and moan. She moaned again as his teeth closed upon her nipple, writhing against his pinned rocket. He grabbed her hips, forcing her to stay still. He already felt like he was on the countdown to blast -off. If she kept moving like that, he’d take off. And he didn’t want their first pleasuring to end so quickly. He pulled her torso down to his, then rolled them over so that he pinned her to the bed. Leaning over her, he admired her flushed cheeks and dark eyes, visible signals of how badly she wanted him, too. She bucked beneath him, trying to urge him onward, but he would not be rushed. He wanted to taste every inch of her. Starting with those ripe, delicious breasts. His lips closed around her nipple, and she sighed, her eyes closing and her chest arching upward into his mouth. He licked and suckled, guided by the hitches in her breathing. Then he bit gently, and she cried out, trembling and shaking beneath him. He rode out the storm, although each twitch of her hips sent a burning agony of need through his rigid rocket. When she had quieted, he gave her breasts one last, appreciative caress, then slid down her legs until his mouth was between her thighs. She spread her legs eagerly, twining her fingers in his hair to guide his mouth to her pulsing opening. Wetness deep within her reflected the room’s dim light, and Koie reverently extended his tongue. They sighed in unison as his tongue swept inside her. She was neither salty nor sweet, but a unique combination of both tastes, and he couldn’t get enough of her. His tongue dipped in and out, licking the edges of her folds and plunging deep between them, while she moaned, and bucked, and clutched his head to her. His tongue slid up the edge of her outer fold, and he brushed across a hot, hard nub of flesh, swollen like her nipples. So, as he’d done with her nipples, he licked it, and sucked it, then gently bit it. She lifted her hips, grinding the nub against his teeth, and screamed his name as hot liquid gushed past his mouth. He’d never heard such a beautiful sound. She collapsed limply onto the foam bed, exhausted by her pleasure. But he wasn ’t done yet. Taking his rocket in his hand the way he’d seen android Sean do it, he guided the tip of it to the source of her fluids. Pressing through the pulsing opening, he felt her tighten around him, and nearly blasted into space right then. But he held still, panting, and regained control. Slowly, he eased into her. He wasn’t sure what he would find, but her slick, inner core wrapped around him like a glove caressing a finger. A soft, supple, kid leather glove. Oiled leather.
185
Jennifer Dunne
He gasped, struggling to hold on to some semblance of control. Then she let out her breath in a shaky moan, and he was lost. His hips pumped, driving his rocket in and out of her welcoming dock, while he bent over her, kissing her breasts, her shoulders, her neck, anywhere that his mouth landed as their bodies strained against each other. Their pace built, turning first frenzied, then frantic, and they gasped and panted and urged each other to end it, please. Koie thought he was going to explode, he was so hard, and she was squeezing him so tightly. He pushed deeper, feeling the pressure against his balls. And then, somehow, he knew he was on the final countdown. He pulled back and surged into her, driving her deep into the foam of the bed with the force of his thrust. Once, twice, a third time, and then his rocket launched, and he was shaking, and shouting, and filling her with his own hot rush of fluid. Maeko cried out then, arching up, up, and trembling as she held the position. Then she gave a loud shout, and collapsed beneath him, their mingled fluids running out between their legs. Koie gathered her in his arms and rolled them away from the spreading pool of rapidly cooling liquid. Holding her close, he kissed her neck, her jaw, and her ear. Then he whispered, “Ah, Maeko. The pleasure of sharing is nothing compared to this.” Silently, he added, I am ruined. I never want to return to the mun, if I must leave this behind. But he would not tell her that. They were munmates, but for the good of the mun, some burdens were not meant to be shared.
***** They were still contentedly cuddled in each other’s arms when the soft chime of the alarm sounded, rousing them for their work day. It repeated, fractionally louder, and again, louder still. Maeko gave Koie a quick, full-bodied hug, wrapping both arms and legs around him, then pressed a kiss to the hollow of his throat and forced herself to release him. If she didn’t move now, she would never want to leave the bed, and him. Android Sean had shown her what it meant to experience physical pleasure, but with Koie, she had surpassed that, feeling as if they shared their hearts and souls with their bodies. Tossing aside the heat sheet, she sprang out of bed. There was work to be done, for the good of the mun. Koie rose a moment later, taking the time to silence the incessant alarm before following her to the sa nitation facilities. She was rinsing the scent of passion from her skin with a washcloth when he entered the shower unit. Unbidden, she watched his naked body turning and stretching beneath the mist, her warm washcloth stroking between her legs, as he had stroked her. Her breath quickened, the cloth rasping against her sensitized flesh. She longed to throw open the shower door and join him, feeling him move inside her as the water skittered and shimmied over their flesh, driven by the waves of sonic energy. 186
Illicit Programming
Except that isn’t what would happen. She would whimper, and clutch her ears as the pain blossomed inside her skull, radiating along her jaw, until she could barely stand. With her last coherent thought, she would stumble from the shower, abandoning him. She turned away and finished her morning maintenance functions, then left the sanitation facilities and the sight of what she could not have. By the time Koie returned, a hint of moisture lingering in his thick black hair, she was dressed and pulling on her pressure suit. “I’ll make the tea while you get dressed,” she offered, then fled their room before he could respond. She measured water, powdered cream and sugar, mixing them together then setting the bowl to heat in the sonic oven while she spooned spiced tea leaves into two mugs. The heady fragrance of spices soothed her, helping her think more clearly. When the oven chimed, she poured the heated liquid into the mugs, struck by how much the thick white fluid resembled the fluids of their pleasure sharing. Was this morning ritual originally designed to commemorate a night of sharing such as they’d had, but the meaning had been lost in time? The munmembers were humans, gifted with the human capacity for physical pleasure, but they’d chosen to set that aside, for the greater good of the mun. What other human traits had they done away with? She compared herself to the only non-mun humans she’d known, the other passengers on the colony ship. Looking back, she recalled seeing how pairs of them, husbands and wives as they’d termed themselves, had brushed each other with casual touches, their bodies gravitating toward each other even while they appeared unaware of each other’s presence. In hindsight, she recognized that they had been sharing pleasure with each other the way Koie and she had, perhaps in some cases for years. Yet it clearly had not consumed them. They had been capable of working, eating, and interacting with others. The notion eased her worries. She and Koie were confused, because this was new to them, and they had no tradition on which to draw. But there was a tradition, a human tradition, that they could look to for guidance. Their physical sharing would not weaken their mun. She stirred the teas, inhaling deeply as the leaves unfurled and gave up their dark juices, and the warmed spices released their aromas. She stirred until the sodden leaves sank to the bottom of the mugs, leaving a rich brown tea crowned with spice-specked foam. Koie appeared, also mostly clad in his pressure suit, the head bubble and gloves not yet attached. He sniffed, then sighed appreciatively. “There’s nothing like a good, strong cup of tea to start the day.” She held out one of the mugs to him. His fingers wrapped around hers, capturing her hand along with the mug. Their eyes met, and his smile hinted at a depth and promise she’d never seen in his expression before. “Although, much could be said as well for the way we started the day. ” Maeko’s cheeks heated, burning like her fingers, trapped between the hot mug and Koie’s hotter hands. She knew she should pull her hand away, pick up her own mug, and set out their breakfast. But she was trapped as much by his gaze as by his hold, and could not move. “We should eat breakfast,” she whispered. “We should,” he agreed, but did not release her hand.
187
Jennifer Dunne
“Your tea will get cold.” “Then maybe it will put out this fire in my veins. Maeko, I’ve never felt anything like this. It is consuming me.” “It’s all I can think about.” “I want to pleasure you, again and again, until we’re both too weak to move.” “But we can’t.” He sighed and nodded, releasing her and stepping away, out of range. “We can’t.” In unison, they both added, “For the good of the mun.” Koie tipped his head back, drinking his tea in three long swallows. The foam clung to his lip, and Maeko hungered to lick it away, then taste his lips, his mouth. She turned away and swallowed her own tea, the sweet drink but a bitter replacement for the tastes that she could not allow herself to sample. They ate their breakfast quickly, barely tasting the protein paste, then Maeko finished suiting up while Koie went to rouse the androids. The androids wrestled the folded dome into the back of the open rover. Although the fabric was thin, thinner even than a heat sheet, there was a lot of it, and it made a bulky and unwieldy package. She and Koie drove over to the excavation, with her steering the rover and him kneeling backwards on his seat to balance the folded dome. He couldn’t catch the pile of fabric if it started to fall. It was too heavy for that. But by firmly pressing down on it, as the rover bounced across the rock-strewn surface of Aysha, he could prevent it from overbalancing enough to fall. The androids followed them in the pressurized rover, since they’d be using its power supply to inflate the dome. Koie had dug the greenhouse excavation close enough to the habitat that the two buildings could eventually be connected by a flex tube, so they reached the site quickly. The plastic tarp stretched across the opening was covered with a thin la yer of red dust. “If you would be so good as to clear off the tarp and remove it,” Koie ordered the androids. They did, lifting one edge of the tarp and shaking it so that all the dust flowed over the far edge. The now clear tarp was quickly unstaked and rolled up. Then began the laborious chore of unfolding and positioning the dome. The androids removed it from the rover and carried it to the center of the excavation, placing it in the rectangle Koie had previously scratched in the dirt. Maeko pulled her datapad from the pocket of her pressure suit, and consulted it. “It says that the side with the single fold is to be positioned toward the location of the airlock.” They both looked at the folded dome. Yes, the side with the single fold was pointing toward the habitat, rather than away from it. “But which side is on top?” Koie asked. “It does us no good to unfold it with the hemisphere on the bottom and the shallow dish on the top.” She read further. “The opposite side should have two folds. The thicker fold is the top one.” They circled the pile of fabric, to consult the folds on the other side. The thicker fold was on the bottom. Koie turned to the patiently waiting androids. “We would appreciate your aid in flipping the dome over, so that the thicker fold is on the top, but still on this side.” 188
Illicit Programming
Once the dome was in position, they began unfolding it, each of them taking one of the cardinal sides. The androids positioned themselves in line with the first two folds, as those would be the heaviest to unroll. Koie and Maeko took the remaining sides. Slowly, they unrolled the dome, android Sean, android Meghan, Koie and then Maeko each unfolding their section in turn. As each fold was opened up, it revealed new folds running in the opposite direction, until Maeko felt more like she was solving a puzzle than erecting a greenhouse. She could hear Koie’s labored breathing in her ear, and knew the microphone in her breathing mask must be transmitting her own harsh gasps to him. Another sound carried across the transmission, and she realized he was humming, in between snatches of breath. The bits of melody teased her with an annoying sense of near recognition, until a distinctive chirrupy trill identified the piece as Concerto for Two Flutes. Grinning, she joined in, humming the higher melody line that echoed the first. The piece was for two flutes, after all. There was a moment of silence on the transmission. Then Koie chuckled. “I was doing it again, wasn ’t I?” He rejoined the melody, humming steadily now instead of in snatches. They devoted themselves to the difficult work, each unfolding now requiring them to move up and down the length of the expanding dome to stretch the underlying fabric taut. The growing dome pushed them further and further apart, but they were united by the music. Eventually, the dome was fully unrolled, the fabric of the lower dish stretched evenly across the excavation, with the bunched and creased fabric of the upper hemisphere waiting for the inflation to expand it. Koie directed the androids in the placement of the air blower, then watched until the dome’s fabric rippled and began to rise. Maeko and Koie left the androids to inflate the dome, and refill the base with the dirt that had been excavated, anchoring the dome in place. They uncovered the pile of supplies for the protective shell, shielded by another dirt-covered plastic tarp. “How do you want to work this?” Koie asked. “Should we each assemble our own sections, or one of us put the hinges on the Plexiglas panes and the other attach the panes to the aluminum shafts?” “We should work together. I’ll add the hinges. You can assemble the panes.” He nodded, and they knelt together on the ground, building the shell. They’d assemble the top section first, positioning it on top of the partially inflated dome, then add a series of sections around the lower edge as the inflating dome lifted the top of the shell. The final sections would raise the shell above the fully inflated dome. As they worked, Maeko handing hinged triangles of Plexiglas to Koie to be added to the growing hemisphere, their pressure-suited fingers brushed, lingering longer than necessary in the illusion of touch. Eventually, the section of shell grew too large for Koie to reach across, and he had to walk around it, carrying an armload of panels to attach on the far side. Maeko’s work slowed as she was distracted by the way his pressure suit stretched and flexed across his muscled body as he bent and added the new panels. She sighed, deeply, then realized with chagrin that he’d been able to hear her over the transmission. “Maeko, I’ve been thinking. ”
189
Jennifer Dunne
“Yes?” She didn’t like his hesitant tone. Whatever conclusion he’d come to, it hadn’t been a good one. “About the physical sharing. I think it’s a result of not being able to participate in a normal sharing.” She scowled, even though he couldn’t see her. No wonder he’d waited until he was on the far side of the shell to broach the subject. “That almost sounds as if you prefer the mun’s method of sharing.” “No! I don’t.” He took a deep breath, the rasp of his inhalation clearly transmitted to her. “But unlike you, I don’t have an excuse. There’s obviously something wrong with me.” “Koie—” “And that’s not all,” he blurted out, refusing to stop now that he’d started. “I’m developing all of these non-mun feelings, of selfishness and possessive desires.” He’d finished attaching the panels, but waited on the far side of the shell, as if unsure that he’d be welcome beside her after his confession. Her anger dissipated. Poor Koie. He didn’t understand. “Come back and sit down. I know exactly what you’re going through. I feel it, too.” “I thought you did! That’s why I knew it was a side effect of our isolation here on Aysha, since we both felt the same way.” He returned to her side and sat down. Taking his gloved hand between hers, she held it tightly as she looked into his eyes. They shouldn’t have to say these things while their mouths were hidden behind bulky breathing masks, and their expressions shaded by head bubbles. “Do you remember the people we met on the colony ship? How they spoke of being united in a way we didn’t understand?” Koie nodded. “This is what they were talking about, Koie. What we’re feeling is not a symptom of our isolation, or it wouldn’t matter to me if I was being pleasured by you or by android Sean. But it does matter.” He nodded again. “Android Meghan’s touch was nice, but last night, it was holding you, watching your expression as she pleasured me, that mattered. And this morning, I couldn’t think of anything except touching you, tasting you, making you mine.” His breath caught painfully on the final word, and he lowered his head. “You see? I’m selfish, and possessive, and everything a good munmate should not be. And I want, more than anything, to be a good munmate to you, Maeko.” “I don’t think this is about being munmates. That’s a mun relationship. This is a human relationship, one that the muns have forgotten. I think this is about being a husband and wife.” He looked up, hope shining in his dark eyes. “Like the people on the colony ship?” “Yes.” Slowly, he repeated the description of the woman on the colony ship. “Two people, sharing their lives. Two people against the world, whatever world they happen to be on.” Maeko smiled, her heart warming. He understood now. “Will you share my life, Koie?” “If you will share mine.”
190
Illicit Programming
They held hands and smiled dopily at each other, until a troublesome thought erased Maeko’s happiness. “But what will we do when the next colonists arrive in six months? They will want to join our mun.” Koie grinned. “Not if we explain about the strange mental illness that comes over people separated too long from a mun. For the good of the other muns, we will volunteer to stay on Aysha and continue to ready the planet for colonists. In another ten or twenty years, they can send a full mun.” Maeko felt an answering grin welling forth. “By then, we will be an established mun of our own. A mun of two.” “What about the androids?” They turned and looked at androids Sean and Meghan, working together to carry dirt into the partially inflated dome. They wore no pressure suits, so spoke without needing a transmitter. Maeko and Koie could not hear what they said, but did not need to. Even at this distance, the curve of their bodies toward each other was obvious.” “They have each other,” Maeko answered. “All I want is you.”
The End
191
About the author: Website: www.jenniferdunne.com Email:
[email protected] Jennifer welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at P.O. Box 787, Hudson, Ohio 44236-0787.
Also by Jennifer Dunne: Luck of the Irish Party Favors Sex Magic Tied With a Bow
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
www.ellorascave.com
