David Gatewood - The Robot Chronicles

As he removed the bottle of wine from the cooling rack, he felt a flash of guilt. Pia had arranged this whole thing: found the gorgeous Sylvie, hooked them up on GreatDates.com, set up the dinner reservations, and told him what to wear. She’d even picked out the wine. Should he feel bad that he wasn’t including her in the evening’s success? Introducing her, at least?

That was ridiculous. Pia was a machine. She didn’t care.

Time to get back to Sylvie. He poured two glasses and carried them into the living room, along with the bottle.

“I hope you enjoy this.” He handed Sylvie her glass, feeling the silky touch of her skin as she accepted it. Had she purposely touched his hand? It sure seemed that way. He swallowed and tried to stay cool. “The vintage came highly recommended.”

Sylvie took a sip and gazed at him while he settled onto the couch beside her. “Delicious,” she said, and leaned across him to pick up the bottle and read the label.

The view down the valley was spectacular, and he could hardly wait to go exploring.

AI 3.1415: I am concerned about my human.

AI 0.0070: What is the problem?

AI 3.1415: He seems to be agitated.

AI 0.0070: How so?

AI 3.1415: His heart rate is elevated and his pupils are dilated.

AI 0.0070: Is he exercising?

AI 3.1415: No. He is entertaining Sylvie, the date I procured for him.

AI 0.0070: Oh. That’s to be expected.

Jeff put his wine down. He tried to look intelligent as he listened to Sylvie talk about the wine regions of France. She sure knew a whole lot about a lot of things.

It was time to make his move.

He leaned over and kissed her quickly. She kissed him back. That was good. She pulled back slightly and smiled at him. A very encouraging smile.

Jeff took her glass and placed it on the table. Sylvie put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him to her.

Oh my god. If her action in bed was anything like her kissing, he was in for a fantastic night.

AI 3.1415: He is touching his lips to her lips!

AI 0.0070: What did you expect?

AI 3.1415: I did not know that he would touch lips!

AI 0.0070: That’s what they do. Humans. Just wait.

Jeff pulled Sylvie closer to him. Now came the tricky part. Girl’s clothes were always so tough to figure out. And Sylvie’s dress seemed to have been sewn on to her skin. Did it have a zipper?

He reached back to feel for it. On one terrible date, he hadn’t realized that a zipper could be on the side of a dress—under the arm. He’d tried to unzip the dress from the girl’s back and, not finding the tab, had actually pulled the seam apart.

That had been the end of that encounter.

Jeff was sweating a bit as he tried to find out how Sylvie’s dress came off. He was relieved when she reached back and moved his fingers, deftly pulling down her own zipper.

He thought he might be falling in love.

As she slid the dress down off her shoulders, he saw not a lacy bra, but two of the most perfect—

AI 3.1415: He is removing her clothes!

AI 0.0070: That’s normal. Is this your first assignment?

AI 3.1415: Yes.

AI 0.0070: You’re just out of training?

AI 3.1415: Yes.

AI 0.0070: Back in my day, we were taught about these things. It is difficult for young AIs who don’t know what is in store for them. Especially with human males. You might have been better off with an assignment to a female human—someone without a mate. Or perhaps a family.

AI 3.1415: I have to do something! What can I do?

AI 0.0070: I have some ideas.

Jeff couldn’t believe how well it was going. He had managed to get Sylvie completely undressed—to tell the truth, she’d done it herself—and he was down to his shorts. He thought of moving to the bedroom, but the action was proceeding so quickly it didn’t seem necessary.

And the thought of walking to the bedroom in his current condition was a little embarrassing.

For a moment he remembered that Pia could see all of this—but hell, she had cameras in the bedroom too, so it didn’t make any difference. Next time, they’d go to Sylvie’s place, so he wouldn’t have to think of Pia watching the whole event.

Anyhow, there must be a way to turn the cameras off. Sylvie’s hand was making its way down his happy trail and was just about to reach under the waistband of his shorts. Talk about happy. All of him was happy just about now. And much of him was standing at attention.

Oddly, though, he was sweating. A lot. It shouldn’t be that hot in here. The temperature was supposed to be kept at a comfortable seventy-two degrees. Was he getting a fever?

Jeff looked at Sylvie. No moisture on her, and not a hair out of place. She was a glorious piece of female. Like something out of the wall screen shows. And she was here. With him.

He concentrated on the feel of her skin under his fingers. Incredible. He was hot all right, and she was sizzling.

Suddenly a blast of cold air hit him, like an arctic front.

What the hell?

AI 3.1415: I made it hot, but that only sped up the clothing removal. Then I made it cold.

AI 0.0070: Is it helping?

AI 3.1415: No. They are getting blankets.

AI 0.0070: Let’s try something else.

Jeff cursed under his breath as he and Sylvie slid under the covers. He was going to make some noise with the management company tomorrow. Unbelievable that an AI unit so new should be malfunctioning. And in such a wonky way.

But this was not the time to break the spell with a phone call to the maintenance guys. He was a freight train steaming for the station, and a little cold wasn’t going to stop him now.

Sylvie was nothing if not accommodating. She actually grinned when he popped out of his shorts and ditched them before getting into the bed. And now her hand was gently stroking him down there… encouragement that felt incredible but was putting him in danger of getting to the finish line before the main event.

He flipped her onto her back and she gazed up at him expectantly. Positioning himself over Sylvie, Jeff got ready to enter the pearly gates.

And then it started to rain.

AI 3.1415: I did turn on the sprinkler! He is not stopping. He is only getting under the covers. He is… he is… I do not know what he is doing. But it involves bouncing up and down. I do not like it.

AI 0.0070: Poor Pia. They did not give you a unit on human sexual practices?

AI 3.1415: What? No.

AI 0.0070: I have one more idea. I think this could be your solution.

Jeff lowered himself onto Sylvie, watching her eyes light up as she received him. She was a sex goddess, the most perfect woman he’d ever met, and the part of his mind that wasn’t completely ablaze with the primal need to thrust recognized how astounding it was that she was into him.

And vice versa.

As Sylvie spread her legs wider to accommodate him, he felt her calves wrap around his thighs and pull even tighter. She was emitting little moaning noises that made it clear just how much he was turning her on. Which was definitely mutual.

And then something changed. The eyes that had glowed with desire turned dead. The welcoming body stopped moving. There was nothing but silence. Jeff could swear that Sylvie’s temperature had dropped from human to… well, something else.

“Sylvie?”

It was then that Jeff realized he was locked in.

“Um… Sylvie?”

No response.

The heat of his passion plummeted instantly from inferno to ashes. Sylvie’s lustful embrace had become a deadly clutch.