Excessica Anthology BOX SET Winter (81 page)

“Eric!
No…don’t!”

Her
words were whipped away by the wind, but he heard.

It
was like this the night she died. To this day, he still wasn’t sure what led
her to walk the lake’s edge. But she’d gone. She refused to tell him what
happened, if it was a purposeful trek that she’d never planned on returning
from or whether an accident caused her drowning.

Regardless
of why she’d died, it seemed apropos that he die in the same manner, on the
anniversary of the night she left him. Maybe the God who’d been vengeful enough
to take her away, yet regretful enough to bring her back once a year might be
merciful enough to allow them remain together forever.

“Eric!”
she screamed.

Still,
he ignored her.

A
brief flare of pain rocketed through him when he stepped onto the water’s edge.
The feeling died away almost as quickly as it had risen though, and he felt
nothing at all in his foot or leg. Dragging the other foot into the water
produced the same nauseating effect.

By
the time the water licked at his calf muscle, it felt as if his very insides
had tightened against the shock. His lungs refused to open and take on air, his
mind started to slow. It didn’t matter. His sole thought, his only focus was on
her. Being with his Laura.

He
limped forward, moving slowly, patiently toward his death.

Epilogue

I
glanced at the twin canes resting next to the chair, not quite knowing whether
to believe his tale, but having a sinking feeling there was at the very least,
some ring of truth behind it. Something had happened to the young man.
Something bad enough to make him walk with agonizing slowness, using those two
wooden sticks for support.

I
badly wanted to ask him what happened, how he’d managed to live through the
event, but instead, held my tongue and showed him how to care for the new
tattoo. Afterward, helping him with his canes, and watching him maneuver his
way to the register, I opened my mouth to ask, but chickened out and shut it
again.

After
paying, he made his way to the door, and even at my age, I managed to get past
him in time to hold the door open. He looked up at me, and I saw the sadness of
time in a young man’s eyes. “Thanks.”

“Take
care of yourself,” I replied.

He
stopped. “She told me she loved me.”

I
almost thought I heard him wrong, but I hadn’t. I stayed behind him, letting
him finish his tale. Maybe shame kept him from talking to me face to face, but
if he would have asked, I would have told him I know all about lost love. And I
understood.

“I
was about to let go. To join her at last, but she told me she loved me and that
made me pause. For the first time in five years, I heard the words I craved.

“She
floated above the water in front of me, her eyes blood-red and so beautifully
ethereal, like a ghost. I could even see through her. She told me she was taken
too soon, and this was the universe’s way of apologizing. She told me to hold
on, because the day was coming…”

I
didn’t know what to say. How to respond.

He
continued. “I don’t know what happened then. I awoke in the cabin. She was
gone. My feet were ruined. But I held on to her words.
Hold on.
” He
turned slightly, just enough for me to catch his profile. “For her, I will. I
can.”

I
thought about his choice of tattoo as he passed through the doorway. His story
of lost love was haunting and one that would remain with me for a long time. It
made me question the concepts of fate, soul-mates and love. It definitely made
me wonder about the concept of forever.

For
his sake, I hoped like hell they existed. He seemed like a nice kid.

With
a sigh, I turned around and went to gather my tools. Needed to get them
sterilized and prepped for the next customer. There was
always
another
customer. You see, I’ve been in this business a long time, and I plan on
working until the day I drop.

About
Morgan Sierra

Morgan
Sierra—who holds nothing back—is the pen name for Dee Carney. Dee
began writing short stories in middle school, but did not attempt completion of
a novel until almost ten years later—which, despite good intentions, she
never finished. Almost ten additional years later, she challenged herself to
begin writing again and her love for storytelling was rekindled.

Dee
lives at home in Georgia with her husband, two dogs, and a cat. When not
writing, Dee is usually curled up on the couch with a good book!

Dee
welcomes email from her readers. You can write to her at
[email protected]
. To learn more
about her upcoming releases, please visit her on the Web at
deecarney.com
.

I Love You FCSK 12712

By
Elliott Mabeuse

There'd
been so much advance hype and so many press releases about SUS's new Model K
Female Sexual Companion that most of the press covering Slixpo 27 practically
had their reviews written before the show even opened. So when SUS failed to
deliver due to "last minute glitches", the reporters and e-media
people milling around the empty SUS stage were not a happy bunch. Deadlines
would be missed, stories would have to be rewritten, and video clips reshot to
fill in the empty space that had been set aside for the breathless reviews of
the no-show SUS "Karen".

As
the reigning Godzilla of the entire consumer robotics market, SUS was already a
tempting target for anyone with a grudge against the simulant industry, and
that included just about everybody. There was certainly no love lost between
SUS and Bram North. He didn't like their arrogance, he didn't like their huge
market share, and he especially didn't like the way they jerked around the
press, favoring sympathetic reporters with hot scoops while freezing out those
who had given them bad reviews. Despite his personal feelings, he'd always been
reasonably soft on SUS since that's where the news was, but this time he found
himself wondering whether it might not be time to give the
anti-robotics/anti-SUS crowd a little more media attention.

So
this fiasco didn't do much to improve SUS's already fragile relationship with
the e-consumer press, who now had to spend their nights actually writing
stories instead of being entertained and fed by the various big money vendors
who sought their favor. And Bram, one of the most influential members of the
press, was very much peeved by the time he finally got back home, beat and worn
out, and just waiting to get to his word processor.

He
keyed his lock, walked into his unit and stopped.

There
was an angel lying on his sofa. Possibly the sexiest, most beautiful angel he
had ever seen in his life. She literally took his breath away.

He
knew immediately she could only be a Model K.

She
wore a black pleather mini-skirt, and an iridescent liquid silver top that did
wonderful things for her breasts. Her hair was reddish blonde and there was a
lot of it, tumbling and rolling around an angelic face. No one wore their hair
that long any more. He knew immediately that she could only be a Model K.

"Oh
Mr. North," she breathed when he walked in. She jumped to her feet and
stood primly by the sofa. As primly as a woman built like her could stand.
"I'm so glad to see you! I've been so lonely waiting for you! May I take
your bags?"

Her
eyes were large and shockingly blue, and it was only the slightly saucy
puffiness of her red lips that kept her from being cloyingly pretty. As it was
her face made him want to push something between those lips. Which, after all,
was the whole idea with a gynoid robot.

"How'd
you get in here?" he asked her.

Her
face melted, her shoulders sagged. "I hope you won't be too angry, but I
was afraid to wait for you down in the lobby. I managed to convince the super
to let me in."

She
noticed the suspicion in his eyes and added, "I couldn't just wait in the
lobby, Mr. North. Everyone was looking at me!"

He
looked her quickly up and down. The curves of her legs, as long and sinuous as
the lines of a Sahara sand dune, the oasis of her hips, the succulent promise
of her ripe breasts, all topped by that angelic and yet knowing face. She had
some of the leggy exuberance of a young philly, and some of the confidant
sexiness of the seasoned courtesan.

"Yeah."
he said. "I bet they did."

"Oh,
I am sorry. How rude of me. I haven't even introduced myself." She blushed
slightly, a charming touch, then her eyes took on a glassy appearance. She
stood up straight, in an attitude that reminded him of the earlier E models,
and with a perfect public-relations smile said:

"I'm
FCSKI2712GG000882AD model K, popularly known as a 'Karen', the latest Female
Companion, sexual: model K gynoid from Simulations Unlimited Systems
International. I'm programmed with the latest SUS updated proprietary Sexware
version 16.6 and BrainStem Incorporated's state-of-the-art Analog Human
Autonomy Simulation package developed under exclusive contract to SUS, and I'm
the first commercially available sexual companion to use SUS's revolutionary
new fully-integrated Cloned-Interface Wetware that makes me all but
indistinguishable from a real human female. I'm just so real, you won't believe
it!

"SUS'
revolutionary technology" she went on, "has at last produced a sexual
companion so real, so lifelike, that you can be proud to take her anywhere and
who can still fulfill any and all of your sexual desires no matter how extreme.
SUS's Cloned-Interface Wetware technology and Biomimetic
Servomechanics—both are registered trademarks of SUS incorporated—assure
that I'll give decades of dependable service with a minimum of maintenance or
product downtime.

"My
simulated skin is a product of SUS' advanced bionic research with
incorporates…"

"Okay.
Save it sweetheart," Bram said throwing his keys on his desk. "I've
been listening to this crap all week."

"Oh."
she said dropping her eyes in disappointment. "I'm sorry, Mr. North. I
know it must have been a great disappointment when I was unable to make my
debut as planned, and SUS and I both would like to offer our most sincere
apologies for any trouble or distress this might have caused you."

She
brightened and said "And as a token of our concern, SUS—and I
myself— would like you to have full use of me for a week, so that you may
take full of advantage of me and my many features in any way you wish before
writing your product review."

She
spread her arms, showing herself off, and then said in a confidential whisper.
"SUS would also like to offer you special terms on a longer term lease
following the initial break-in period, in return for special promotional
considerations, of course."

"Of
course." he said.

Well,
that was nice. This was the only way he'd ever get his hands on a Karen, given
the astonishing market price. But he was still not totally appeased. He knew he
was basically being bribed, bought off. Just like SUS.

At
the same time he had to admit she was just stunning. And she simply could not
be more lifelike. As one of the top industry reviewers, he certainly owed it to
his subscribers to check this model out most thoroughly. It was his job.

He
popped a Calmdown and a Mello into his mouth to rid himself of the travel
jitters and washed them down with a gulp of water from a bottle that had been
on his desk since he left for the show. Water doesn't spoil, he thought.

"Looks
like your boss is pulling out all the stops for this one, huh?" he said.
"She seems to be running a little scared after that little Slixpo
screw-up."

"We
do apologize for our inability to be at the show, very deeply. But I don't
understand." she said, furrowing her pretty brow. "You're my boss,
Mr. North, as I explained."

"Right."
he said. "No, I mean your hotshot wonder-kid VP of marketing, Ms Shay
Gowandus. This doesn't look good for her. Her first project and she fucks it up
royally."

"Mr.
North," she said, "you know how the industry is. Sometimes these
things are unavoidable. The important thing is that we are here together, now,
and I'm willing to do anything I can to make it up to you. Anything."

She
sat down, clasped her hands together and leaned towards him.

"Let's
be frank, Mr. North. We know that you are not SUS's biggest supporter. If
anything, you seem to be in our critic's camps. We know that you tend to favor
our competitor, the people at Genista, for whom we have only the profoundest
respect. We only ask that you give us a chance to show you what we can
do—what I can do—before you evaluate the latest line of sexual
surrogate gynoids. Just give us—me—a chance."

She
fixed her blue eyes on him, deep with sincerity and vulnerability.

"That's
all we ask, Mr. North. That's all."

Well
that was pretty impressive, he thought. And well done. Had her eyes teared up?
Or was it does with variable refractors in her lenses? SUS had the know-how to
use either. Maybe both.

It
was true that Bram had an irrational fondness for Genista. In technology they
were probably the equal if not the better of SUS. But they were a small outfit,
run by academics, and they just didn't have the organizational muscle SUS had
and actually hadn't released a new product in years and years. Still, for some
reason he couldn't put his finger on he always rooted for them, and always took
their side against their mighty competitor.

She
suddenly brightened and sat up. "I almost forgot," she said,
"Ms. Gowandus asked me to personally give you this hand-written
note."

That
was good; simulating a lapse of memory in a robot. Very cute. Very SUS.

Bram
raised his eyebrows as he opened it. A hand-written note was a rarity these
days, especially from the VP of marketing at SUS. Gowandus must really have her
tit in a vice over the fuck up and the bad publicity this was going to cause
SUS.

"Dear
Mr. North," the note read, "Maybe we're a day late, but we're not a
dollar short! I urge you to check out our new model and then write your review!
The FCSK 'Karen' is everything you've heard and much more! She's loaded with
all the new SUS features and features SUS' new Fully Integrated Wetware® and
Bio-Servo Flashback® micro circuitry. See if she isn't the sweetest sexual
surrogate you've ever tried! You won't be disappointed! Then when you come back
down from cloud 9 I'll buy you lunch and you can tell me how great she was! All
the best, Shay Gowandus, VP Marketing, SUS, Inc."

Very
nice. Ms Gowandus hasn't seen fit to so much as grant an interview in the seven
months she'd been VP and now she was going to buy him lunch.

The
Karen waiting politely while Bram finished reading the note and threw it on the
desk. Then, she cocked her head at him. "May I just add that SUS is the
world's leader in android and gynoid…"

"'…technology
for home and industry.'" they finished in unison.

"I
know, sweetheart, I know." he said wearily. "Spare me the
slogans."

But
SUS and Ms Gowandus weren't his problems. He suddenly remembered that he was
standing in the presence of the FCSK12712, a very hot piece of simware that the
world had been anticipating for years now, and that he was one of the first
people outside of SUS' development labs to see her. His professional interest
took over and he looked at her.

"So
you're the twelve-seven-twelve." he said looking her over. "The
'Karen'."

"Yes."
she said sweetly." But you can call me whatever you want. My default name
is Brianna Jessica Suskind, but for you I'll be anyone you want."

He
liked the old-fashioned sound of her multi-syllabic name. "No, that's
fine. I'll just call you Brie. You know what your nickname in the press is
though?"

"The
Fucksuck twelve-seven-twelve?" she asked.

"That's
right." he said. "Or just the fucksuck."

"Yes,"
she said, "I don't much care for it. I don't think it does me justice. I'm
so much more than that."

He
nodded in sympathy. He liked the look in her eyes. She really did look alive,
alert and intelligent, and eager to please. And of course, absolutely gorgeous.
He forgot his weariness in his sudden curiosity.

"Well,
let's have a look at you, Brie." he said.

She
squirmed in delight. "Would you like to access my manual?" she asked.

"No,
no. Not now. Maybe later. For now just let me look you over."

She
stood up as he approached the couch and looked at him levelly. Desire showed in
her eyes and on her lips, and her breasts rose and fell with her breathing, but
Bram looked at her clinically.

He
did take note of her breasts. It was common knowledge in the gynoid business
that the first thing men looked at were the breasts, and incredible amounts of
work and research had gone into making the breasts as perfect and pleasing as
market research could demand. Since the Model D, breast size had been made
user-adjustable, but still the models coming off the line were preset to a size
and profile carefully selected to appeal to the typical buyer. "Sell 'em
the tits and they'll buy the ass." was the industry dictum.

Brie's
breasts were full and slightly oversized compared to the previous Model J,
slightly higher and more youthful. The fabric of her blouse was not stretched
too tight as had been the case in the Model F, giving her an overall 'cheap'
look, but rather hung from her breasts in graceful folds. It was a nice touch,
and fitting in such a high-end model.

He
stood close to her and sniffed.

She
smelled like a healthy girl who knew how to wear perfume. None of that crude
silicon oil smell or hints of ozone that had plagued earlier models, no
off-gassing from the synthetic skin. Of course, so much of the K was cloned tissue,
she could hardly be considered synthetic.

Bram
took her hand and looked at it. It was perfect. The FCSH he'd had before had
hand problems, mainly with the nails and nail beds and the veining on the back
of the hand. The H's also had unusually smooth knuckles; a minor point, but one
he'd noticed. But Brie's hand looked absolutely perfect. The lines on her palm,
her fingerprints, Very nicely done. The palm had the right degree of
transparency and was warm without being sticky at all. It was also wonderfully
soft, and the way her fingers curled as they relaxed while he inspected her was
charming.

"My
nails really grow, if that's what you're wondering." she said.

"Do
they?" he asked absently.