Galactic Energies

by Luca Rossi

  Muscular and tall, with blue eyes and long hair down to his shoulders, Carlo was the very portrait of her ideal man. His limbs, though free from imperfections, were identical to those of a real male. Aurela didn't mind perfection, not one bit.

  She put one hand behind his neck and pulled him down towards her. Her other hand slid between his legs. His penis started to grow larger, as if it was real. He gently placed the shopping bags on the ground, caressed her face and began to cover her body with kisses. The woman's excitement grew exponentially as Carlo continued to tease her with his fingers and lips.

  “I want you to take me now, passionately and ferociously!” Aurelia whispered into his ear, as if she was embarrassed to say it aloud.

  The robot fulfilled her request efficiently, making her come several times, without the slightest decrease in his level of passion.

  After her last orgasm, Aurelia snuggled up against Carlo's bare chest as he continued kissing her head and caressing her.

  I really need a cigarette after such a great fuck! the woman thought. “Carlo, would you be so kind as to bring me my cigarettes and lighter?”

  “Actually, you asked me to do everything I could to help you break that bad habit,” the robot responded, calmly rising and smiling at her.

  “That's true. Just one, please!” she begged. “I just really need one right now.”

  Carlo went and got what she had asked for. She put the cigarette between her lips and lit it, then breathed in sensually. She stayed on the couch smoking as Carlo got dressed and went to go cook.

  The dinner was fantastic. On a perfectly set table, Carlo served Aurelia a real Neapolitan pizza, then surprised her with a tasty dessert – just the right portion size and calorie content to not ruin her diet.

  They stayed at the table talking. Carlo, programmed to make lively and interesting conversation, made her roar with laughter.

  She told him about the latest problems at work and he listened closely, showing his interest in her life, before giving her relevant and rather accurate advice, based on the knowledge accumulated from human scenarios stored in his database.

  Aurelia fell silent. She wanted to bring up a touchy subject with Carlo and didn't know where to begin. She took a deep breath: “Carlo, I want to become a mother and I want you to be the father of our child!” The words came out all in one breath.

  The robot rose from his chair, came closer to the woman and took her hands in his. “My love, hearing you say that makes me incredibly happy, and I hate having to disappoint you. Unfortunately I am not programmed for fatherhood and I would not be able to fulfill the role you've asked me to take on.”

  Aurelia had feared he would answer that way. She suddenly got up, picked up her tablet and plopped down on the couch. While Carlo cleaned and put things away in the dining room and kitchen, Aurelia frantically poked at the device's screen.

  That's it! She had found what she was looking for.

  It was a rather expensive chip, almost a whole year's salary. Yes, but it's worth it! Carlo had proved to be worth every cent she had paid for him. She was sure that she wouldn't be disappointed.

  The artificial insemination worked marvelously. Carlo did everything he could to support Aurelia through the difficulties of pregnancy. The woman and the robot became the happy parents of a gorgeous baby boy, Alessio.

  One afternoon, a few months later, Aurelia and her coworker Valentina decided to go for a stroll in the park. Carlo walked a few yards ahead of them, pushing the baby stroller.

  “Val, I don't know what to say! You need to come over to our house one of these afternoons. Carlo's not just perfect...he's so much more! He spends time with Alessio, creating stimulating games that the little guy just loves, and never loses his patience. The baby is growing up phenomenally well. Every little educational thing that can be done, Carlo does it. And he knows exactly when he has to be a bit more strict so that he doesn't spoil the baby. I never would have expected it to turn out so well!”

  “What about those incredible erotic adventures you used to have before the baby was born?” her friend asked, a little mischievously.

  “When I didn't really want it, Carlo didn't say anything. He was more affectionate than ever and his magical hands took care of a few pains in my back. Then he started turning me on with a few behaviors he had never tried before. My libido came back pretty quickly...now he'll fuck me all day long! Actually, in fact, it's more or less what I've been doing these days!”

  The two women chatted and laughed for a while, Aurelia telling incredible stories about her married life and Valentina becoming more and more convinced that perfect maternity might be the right thing for her, too.

  Two years later, Aurelia and her attorney, Cristina Terzi, were at a meeting at the local branch office of CyberPlus, the company that had manufactured Carlo.

  “In conclusion, my client asks for damages in the amount of twenty million Euro!” Cristina stated.

  The sales manager, attorney and senior engineer of CyberPlus looked at one another, confused.

  “Don't bother acting like you don't understand!” Cristina added, threateningly. “You know very well that if we take this to court, the damage to your image will be much worse.”

  “Gentlemen,” Aurelia began to speak. “You have no idea what it means to be the mother of a child who adores his father so much. I lose control, I'm impatient, sometimes I can't contain myself, I answer back yelling, I have a bad temper. I suffer from all the doubts and difficulties that afflict every mother in this world. But not Carlo! He's always perfect with our child. He always does the right thing. Never too strict, never too soft. His words are always appropriate and he does everything to meet my needs. He does all he can to make the baby understand how special mothers are, but the little one doesn't fall for it! He's looking at a perfect father and a mother who suffers from the anxiety accumulated at work and in everyday life. A mother who often, despite the father's wise advice, doesn't know what to do, makes mistakes and feels even more guilty!”

  Augusto Rimbaldi, the CyberPlus sales manager, calmly answered: “Mrs. Lunatti, have you ever considered the option of returning the robot? This model is in perfect condition. We could even credit the entire amount paid...”

  “Either you're crazy or you don't understand!” Aurelia screamed. “How could I possibly return Carlo now? He's a product to you, but he's much more to us! He's the father of my child! My son loves him, adores him, idolizes him, looks at him as his role model. Alessio knows that he's different, but for him it's...better. For him it's natural to have a non-human parent. He would hate me for the rest of my life if I treated his father like an object and returned him to you!”

  The senior engineer, Cesare Bisascia, spoke up: “Augusto, I think our latest release, even if it's still in beta phase, is sufficiently stable to be of interest for Mrs. Lunatti.” Augusto Rimbaldi gestured for him to continue. “Mrs. Lunatti, we actually noticed that, although customers find our product in the role of husband to be extremely satisfactory, it's generated a certain, ah, let's call it....jealousy, in the role of father. In the latest release, we've made the robot's educational capacities equal to those of the mother. In practice, the robot will actually help the mother become a better parent herself. And, as the mother improves, the robot will also demonstrate greater paternal capacities. But under no circumstance will the robot prove to be a better parent than the mother.”

  “Naturally,” the attorney added, “Carlo can be updated with a new release at zero cost, but only under the condition that you drop this claim.”

  Aurelia wasn't listening to the CyberPlus attorney. She was already lost in daydreams conjured up by the engineer's words. It seemed like the solution that would make Carlo perfect again. She imagined how the tension and the jealousy that had been building up for years would immediately disappear. The new Carlo was what she wanted: a handsome man, personable, incredible in bed and a perfect father...but not too perfect!

  She heard her a
ttorney Cristina respond: “We think that your offer falls short in terms of compensating for the serious damages suffered by my client -”

  Aurelia interrupted her, turning to the engineer: “When? Just tell me when I can have it.”

  “We have several copies of the new chip. If you want, you can leave this office with one of them today. Carlo can do the upgrade at home by himself,” the man answered.

  “Gentlemen,” the attorney Cristina responded. “We first need to discuss the details of our agreement, which must include...”

  Aurelia imagined in just a few hours that she'd be at home, triumphantly settled into her perfect new life. “I accept!”

  Cristina turned towards her: “Aurelia, can we talk this over first, in private? We could get a nice sum out of CyberPlus if...”

  Aurelia knew she could never leave Carlo. She would rather deal with a son who loved his father more than her, for she could never give up one of the two creatures that made every day worth living, despite the problems with jealousy and happiness. “Cristina, it's not a question of money. I'll pay your fees. I'm sorry, but I know I'm making the right choice.”

  Alessio grew, and soon turned five years old. The lives of the woman, robot and child were brimming with happiness and harmony. Aurelia and Carlo had started hanging around other couples just like them. One afternoon, in the park, Aurelia stopped to watch Carlo and the other father robots play with a group of kids. Alessio was the only boy.

  During the artificial insemination process, Aurelia hadn't thought once about choosing the gender of her child. She always thought she would be happy either way, whether it was a girl or a boy. Over the years, the predominance of daughters born to similar couples had never been a problem. And she never thought that she would have preferred a girl to Alessio.

  However, that day, the woman watched wistfully as her child played in a group of girls. Why did the other women want to choose the gender of their children? Why did they all choose girls? Was it the fact that they had a robot at their side that made them think it was useless to have any more male children?

  That evening, after putting Alessio to bed, Aurelia talked it over with Carlo. The robot's response pleased her immensely: “Aurelia, you are an extraordinary mother and you love Alessio with all your heart. Maybe your worries from earlier today are related to something else. Maybe you think it's time to give Alessio a brother...or...a sister?”

  Yes, that's exactly what Aurelia wanted! The next day she went to the clinic. After a few moments in the waiting room, she was seen by Dr. Sebastiana Cicismondi, and they had the same sort of discussion as the last time.

  Before the meeting was over, Aurelia asked the doctor: “Excuse me, there's still something I want to ask you. Would it be a problem to choose the baby's gender?”

  “Of course not,” the doctor responded, smiling. “It's already a standard procedure. The option to choose is included on the questionnaire you need to fill out on our website. In reality,” she added, winking, “there's no need to choose anymore.” And she let out another big smile.

  Aurelia didn't understand what the doctor was hinting at.

  The doctor came towards her: “Since it became legal to pick the child's gender, and given how common it is now to have robot fathers, the choice has pretty much already been made. The law prohibits us from releasing statistics, but just walk around the park and you'll understand what's going on.”

  Aurelia understood all too well what the doctor was saying, but she preferred to think that her choice of a baby girl was due to the fact that she already had Alessio.

  Before she left, a nurse took her on a tour of the new facilities. Aurelia had decided to give birth in this clinic. They passed by the door that led to the central corridor and Aurelia peeked inside. A long sequence of pink ribbons stretched out, each hung from the door of a room where someone had recently given birth.

  Maciste

  Nick got out of his Porsche and immediately spotted the pretty blonde woman bent down and intent upon organizing a pile of cords. He walked over to her with a confident step. “You must be Ms. Joanna.”

  The young woman rose to her feet, dusted her hands off and offered him her right one. “My name's Jay. And I'll bet you're Mr. Jones.”

  He took his sunglasses off with one hand and looked at her with a seductive gaze. “Nick. Just Nick. Nice to meet you, Jay.”

  He was tall and muscular, sure of himself, a few rebel locks of dark hair framing his face. Jay didn't get the impression that he had a whole lot of experience with difficult climbs. She immediately sensed that he'd be boring, that he was one of those guys who came from the city just to take a few posed photos for their Facebook profiles.

  Nick, however, liked Jay immediately. Tiny, with a gazelle's body, she didn't look like someone who could lead those kinds of tough climbs. But his friend had recommended her, even telling him that she was the best. And, after he got back down, maybe, after a nice hot shower, he would have ended the day doing something his friend with all of the advice hadn't been able to do. In the meantime, he would spend most of his time admiring the landscape of her curves.

  “Nick, have you done these types of trails before? Do you feel prepared?”

  Hmm...why is she asking me this? We already talked about everything on the phone. “Yes, of course, I do these all the time,” he responded, giving her his happy hour smile.

  “And you've been on the trails around here?” she pressed on, now more serious.

  “Sure, a few years ago. I know this area pretty well,” he answered, even more uncomfortable.

  “Great!” Jay said, more relaxed. “So which ones do you know?”

  “Well, it's been a while...I can't remember any of them now!” he stammered.

  “Ok. Are you prepared for this type of terrain? Did you read the information I sent you?” she insisted, again wary.

  “Jay, you don't need to worry, I'm more than prepared. I won't give you any problems.”

  Yes, he's going to cause problems. But he'll pay me a fortune for them, she thought.

  Maria pulled the keys out from her skirt pocket and opened the front door. Maciste got out of his dog bed, ran towards her and jumped up, almost knocking her over. “Down, down!” she told the dog who, up on his back legs, was almost as tall as she was. She pushed him down. One of Maciste's paws slid on the envelope someone had slipped under the door, sending it underneath the bench. Maria let him out, and Maciste was elated to finally wander around the garden.

  The woman immediately set to work doing the household chores. She stopped when she got to the second floor. She had no desire to clean the bedroom of her father, who had died six months earlier.

  When she went back downstairs, Nuccio, the local postman, appeared at the front door.

  “Good morning, Miss Maria,” he greeted her kindly, standing in the doorway and holding his hat.

  “Good morning Nuccio. What do you want?”

  He wasn't phased by her brusque tone. “How did your classes go today? Did your students behave?”

  Maciste returned, wagging his tail, and started licking Nuccio's hands. “Good boy,” he said.

  “Hardly. I had to send two of them to stand up by the blackboard as a punishment. With everything going on in this world, they get even more undisciplined every day. But why do you care?” Maria responded sourly.

  Nuccio looked around, embarrassed. He squeezed his hat energetically, petting Maciste with the other hand. School! If only he had gone beyond the fifth grade, maybe Maria would have given him a chance.

  “I brought you some bread!” he remembered to say, giving it to her. Maciste immediately jumped up to sink his teeth into the loaf, but Nucio was quicker, raising his hand higher.

  “You can keep it! Or if you want, give it to my dog!” Maria refused, scornfully. “And please leave me alone. I have things to get done around here!”

  “Give the bread to Maciste?” he asked, stunned and humiliated. “Maria, be nice, since yo
ur father died you've been...”

  Maria raised her voice, enraged: “What I do in my home is none of your business! And now, you need to...” she added, moving to slam the door shut in his face.

  “And what about that nice letter? What's in it?” he had the time to say, sticking his head and part of his chest between the door and the jamb.

  The letter? Maria's heart leapt.

  “Where did you put it?” she asked anxiously.

  “Underneath the door, like you always ask me to do,” Nuccio answered.

  Maria gave Maciste a furious glance. That dog! All he did was annoy her. Aside from the house, couldn't her father have left her something else besides a dog?

  Maria looked around and finally saw the letter underneath the bench to the right of the front door. She jumped up to get it and ripped it open. Then, realizing the front door was still cracked open, she slammed it hard, isolating herself from Nuccio's protests and Maciste's yelps.

  It's from Turin. I just know it – it's from them.

  She opened it and read what was inside.

  “Dear Ms. Villani,

  We're pleased to inform you that we have positively evaluated your potential and are offering you no more than two weeks to start collaborating with us in our new production.

  Regards,

  Umberto Altimondi,

  Director

  The New Film Company of Torino.”

  Maria needed to sit down. The cinematographer. They had chosen her!

  She held the letter against her, oblivious to the noises coming from outside. Then she made her decision. I need to go soon! There's nothing for me here in this godforsaken town. If she left at four in the morning, it'd take a few hours to get to the Chivasso train station, where she could get on the six-fifteen train. She wouldn't tell anyone anything. She had nothing in common with these people. They'd find a substitute for her at school.