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by Chris Gladstone

  "It's pretty boring. They've been divorced for about twelve years now. Mum still lives in Esperance and Dad lives in Albany. He moved away not long after they first separated. I don't get to see either of them much because it's such a long trip. There are so many damn stops along the way. Dad comes up to Perth about once a year." She hesitated. She didn't want to go into details about what had happened with her dad at this stage. It would be a case of too much too soon. "He calls me every couple of months to see how I'm going. We're… not close. Let's leave it at that." She focused on her plate.

  Luke took the hint. "What about your mum?"

  "She's happy enough; she does various cleaning jobs around town to supplement the payments from Dad. She's passionate about the local history, and she writes short stories. They're quite brilliant, and she's had a few published in various anthologies from time to time. She paints too. I vidcall her once a week and we usually chat for about half an hour. I think you'd like her, she's warm, laid back and nothing fazes her. There's a long weekend coming up in a couple of months, we could take a trip down there although at that time of year it's bloody cold." She immediately regretted suggesting it. God, I hope I'm not moving too fast again. A quick glance at Luke reassured her––he still seemed relaxed.

  After a few moments, he said, "Yes, why not. I've not been anywhere much since Jenna died. Do you know some good places to stay?"

  "We can stay with Mum. She's still in our family home, and there's plenty of room. It's a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house, and there is even a queen size bed. I mean, assuming you will want to sleep with me."

  Luke stared at his feet. "We'll see." He smiled broadly as he looked up.

  By the time she and Luke had finished their meal they were too full to have sweets, so they decided to have tea back at Luke's apartment. After thanking Giovanni profusely for the wonderful meal, they waddled slowly back, hand in hand. They took the lift to the fifteenth floor, and Kiera was soon happily ensconced on Luke's lounge.

  "Would you like tea or coffee?"

  "Do you have green tea?" Kiera grinned. "No, just joking. Ordinary tea will be fine."

  Several minutes later, they were sitting comfortably enjoying their tea.

  "Since I've told you a bit about my parents, how about you tell me about yours––if you're okay talking about them," Kiera said.

  "Yes, I am okay talking about them. Jenna and I had a happy childhood. My dad was an entomologist. He was a strong, fun loving person. I went out camping with him during the school holidays and some weekends, when he did some of his collection runs. It was great fun, especially the butterflies. To anyone else, we must've looked like lunatics because we were jumping around all over the place waving our butterfly nets. Dad's main interest was jewel beetles, they're exquisitely beautiful but not easy to find."

  "Jewel beetles. I don't think I've ever seen one," Kiera said.

  "I kept a box of specimens." Luke leapt up and disappeared into a room off the lounge. He soon emerged, carrying a small wooden box. He sat down next to her, opened it with reverence and handed it to her.

  "Wow!" The box held around half a dozen specimens. They were mounted on small pieces of cardboard, skewered through and pinned to the bottom of the box. There were males and females of each species. The insects had been glued to the cardboard and there were tiny, neat labels on each piece. The beetles glowed in iridescent colours of blue, green and gold. "I had no idea there were beetles out there with colours like these, Luke. These are beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing one of your precious treasures with me." She closed the lid carefully and handed him the box.

  Luke set it down the table.

  "What did your mum do, Luke?"

  "Mum loved animals, so she became a vet. She came with us on some of our camps, when she could. Sometimes work rosters got in the way."

  "What was she like, Luke?"

  "She was a quiet, thoughtful person, probably a bit introverted. I think I take after her more than Dad. They loved one another so much, Kiera. They were such intelligent, moral, ethical people. They didn't deserve to die when they did, it was so unfair."

  "Life's just life, Luke. It's never fair." Kiera could see Luke was becoming upset so she changed the subject. "Do you think Williamson's noticed anything?" Kiera set her mug down carefully on the glass topped table. Williamson, thankfully, had been away at a conference in Sydney, and wouldn't be back until the middle of the next week.

  "I don't think so. Although he did comment at my rapid progress, so I hope he thinks he has underestimated my intellect and expertise in the area." Luke grinned. He got up and took the two empty mugs back to the kitchen. When he returned, he sat a little closer to Kiera on the lounge.

  Kiera reached up and stroked his face.

  Luke closed his eyes.

  "You look like a contented cat," she said, as she ran her fingers through his hair.

  His eyes flicked open, and as his gaze held hers she went back to stroking his face.

  "You make me purr," he said, fondling her ear. "Can I kiss you?"

  "You don't need to ask," she giggled before adding, "Yes please." She drew his face towards her until their lips met.

  He kissed her briefly at first, but soon, his kisses became long, intense and passionate.

  Kiera, breathless now, murmured, "I really want you, Luke."

  "Let's go to bed." He pulled her up and led her into his bedroom. He pulled down the bed covers.

  Kiera sat on the smooth, soft sheets.

  "I bought some condoms."

  "No need, Luke. I have it covered."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Are all your shots up-to-date?"

  "Yes, of course."

  "Then I'm sure." She inwardly smiled at his sweet naiveté.

  Luke knelt in front of her and began to undo her blouse buttons.

  God, this was getting too much. He was taking too long. She fumbled with the next button, but Luke grabbed her hand.

  "Slow down, Kiera. Let me do it, I want to look at your body. I don't want our first time to be a blurred rush. I want us to remember this forever."

  She took a deep breath as Luke finished unbuttoning her blouse. He slipped the blouse off and began to stroke her breasts. "You are so beautiful, Kiera."

  She undid his shirt and ran her hands down his chest. When she gazed into his eyes, they held such a loving intensity that something inside her gave way. Her eyes blurred with tears.

  "Kiera, what's wrong?" Luke brushed the tears away with his fingers.

  "I love you, Luke." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.

  "Oh, Kiera. I love you too."

  He kissed her eyelids, her mouth, her neck and her breasts. Ripples of pleasure ran through her as he moved his lips down her body.

  She trailed her fingers in circles, up and down his spine, around his buttocks, up his abdomen and around his chest. She surrendered to his slow rhythm; she let go and relaxed. She trusted him and felt so safe in his arms; safe enough to relinquish control, to let him set the pace.

  With his help, her jeans and pants came off and were flung aside. She tugged at his belt buckle and it finally gave way. She giggled, when his bulging zip refused to budge and Luke had to come to her aid. Even he had trouble. Once he'd wriggled out of his jeans, she peeled off his underpants. She pulled him down onto the bed, and drank in his scent, his taste, and the electric sensation of his skin on hers. When Luke finally slid into her, she was swept away into a universe of sensation and movement. As they climaxed, time melted.

  When it was over they collapsed onto the bed, laughing and crying simultaneously. Afterwards, they just lay there, quiet in one another's arms.

  Kiera experienced a sense of completeness, and she was still brimming with an exquisite ecstasy of joy and love. Now she knew the difference between sex and real love-making. What she'd just experienced with Luke was so profoundly intense it transcended anything that had gone before. She propped herself up on one elbow.
One look at Luke's face was enough to tell her that she didn't need to ask how it had been for him.

  #

  Kiera woke up and checked the bedside clock. It showed almost two a.m. Luke breathed gently beside her. She lay there, quiet and content, listening to the susurration of the ocean and drinking in the starlight glittering through the open curtain. A deep relaxed calm enveloped her, and she felt happy, deliriously happy. I'm in love. My God, I'm really in love with this guy. He's so sweet and gentle. She chuckled inwardly. He'd have to be the most considerate guy she had ever made love to but passionate even so. Right now, I feel like I could spend the rest of my life with him. He had whispered 'I love you' in her ear just before she had dropped off to sleep. She had believed him.

  Chapter 9

  Logan Williamson sat pondering Kiera's work. Her algorithms were exquisite. He marvelled at her ability to spot and effortlessly remedy flaws that he'd been blind to. Interestingly though, Luke appeared to be equally skilled. He'd also managed to fix faults in the various program sections that he'd been allocated but in a totally different way.

  I certainly have a gift for ferreting out brilliant people. Logan smiled to himself, and they'd made so much progress. He couldn't in his wildest dreams have anticipated the speed at which things were advancing. Seemingly unsolvable problems were being dealt with at such an incredible rate that he could probably start testing on live subjects early next year.

  He flicked his desk screen into hibernation and sat back in his chair. This is too good to be true. I think there is more going on here than meets the eye. He frowned. I'm going to have to take measures to check my suspicions. He had been sure that his strategy of divide and conquer would work, but it appeared to be going awry. In spite of his plans, Luke and Kiera had already got too friendly, far too friendly for his liking. I think these two have been collaborating. Well, he would soon wipe the smiles off their faces. He would have Kiera in the end. It was only a matter of time. She would come around to his way of thinking, eventually. I think I need to reactivate one of my little spies. He reached up and pressed inside his right ear to turn on his phone connection.

  "Melanie Carter," he enunciated, carefully.

  After a few short rings she picked up.

  Time to turn on the charm. "Melanie," he said, in his long-lost friend voice, "Logan Williamson here, can you come down to my office? Yes, now." He pressed inside his ear, breaking the connection, and allowed a satisfied smirk to slide across his face.

  Presently, he heard her knock at his door. "Come," he boomed.

  The door opened, and a breathless Melanie Carter darted in and stood in front of his desk. She still had her lab coat on. Pity, it hid her voluptuous figure. He always enjoyed getting a view of that. Melanie appeared rather fond of displaying her ample cleavage, not that he would ever complain.

  "It's been quite a while since we caught up, hasn't it?" He sat back, put his hands behind his head and stretched without taking his eyes off her.

  Melanie hovered near the chair opposite him like a robot with a short circuit.

  "Do sit down. I have a little mission for you, similar to the last time."

  Melanie perched on the edge of the chair and pushed her long blonde hair back behind her ears.

  Williamson paused, savouring the moment. "I've noticed that you seem to have a thing for Luke, is that the case?" He watched as her face coloured, and she focused on the floor.

  "Yes," she squeaked, as she clasped her hands tightly in her lap.

  "Have you noticed anything in the tea room between Luke and Kiera that would suggest they have a relationship other than friendship?" He noticed her immediate relaxation, punctuated by an audible sigh. He'd counted on the fact that being smitten by Luke, Melanie would certainly have no great love for Kiera. She would probably jump at the chance to break up the relationship. He knew that in her eyes, Kiera had come between her and Luke. He had not missed the promising start she and Luke had got off to on that first day. Her reaction illustrated that she still had the hots for Luke. Aah, the joys of intense emotions. They always provided such strong tools for manipulation.

  "There hasn't been anything definite." Her lab coat gaped open as she leant forward in her chair, giving him an eyeful, "But the way they look at one another seems to have changed. They look kind of…involved, if you know what I mean." She batted her eyelids.

  "I want you to watch them for me. I suggest that you follow them discreetly on Friday evening. There'll be a substantial bonus for you next month if you should come up with some results. But, be sure of your facts, Melanie. I don't want any false accusations. Is that clear?"

  "Of course, I wouldn't dream of making anything up"

  Her expression held so much sincerity he struggled to stifle laughter. He smiled as Melanie sat waiting for his permission to leave. Excellent! So compliant—as always. He paused for effect before he gave her a dismissive wave. "Off you go." He smirked as she popped up from the chair and hurried out. He chuckled. He did so enjoy watching his people squirm.

  Chapter 10

  On Saturday morning Kiera gripped Luke's hand playfully and pulled him out the front door and down the steps. The day, although icy cold, was awash with sunlight. As was their custom, they had slept late and decided to go out for breakfast. A small café, just around the corner, had become their regular favourite.

  Kiera spotted Melanie on the other side of the street. "Don't look now, but Melanie's over the road from us trying to look inconspicuous."

  "Oh Zark!" Luke's grip on her hand tightened.

  "Precisely, let's just pretend we haven't seen her and act accordingly. She's not going to follow us into the café. I doubt it's a coincidence though, I've seen her summoning the trans-bus, and she doesn't live anywhere near here. I'm sure there are no shops of interest to her nearby."

  Once inside the café, after placing their orders, they sat at their usual table near the window where they could view all the passers-by. Kiera loved the cosy quiet of the small café . It had comfortable seats, and its cream walls featured original watercolours of narrow, sloping, cobbled streets and tiny fishing harbours.

  "Is she still there?" Luke asked, looking worried.

  "I can't see her, but I've got no doubt she's spying on us for Williamson. I think it's time we developed a backup plan, and I've got some ideas."

  "Enlighten me."

  "I've come across an organisation called RFA, which stands for Rights for Androids. They've posted some interesting comments regarding AI and the various research streams. Logan Williamson's name often crops up and the site's comments aren't complimentary. I've subscribed to their website, and I'm going to do some digging." She unfolded the paper serviette and smoothed it onto her lap.

  "So, what's your idea?"

  "I want to see if there's anything we can use as leverage if Williamson starts to get heavy-handed." Kiera sat back as their usual waitress deposited bowls of muesli, a fresh fruit platter, a bowl of Greek yoghurt and a jug of milk in front of them. "Thanks," Kiera said.

  "No problem. I'll bring your toast and preserves when you've eaten your cereal. Tea as usual?"

  "Yes thanks, Sarah," Kiera smiled up at her.

  Luke spooned strawberries, sliced banana pieces and some chunks of apple onto his muesli as he waited for the waitress to disappear back into the kitchen. "So you're hoping to dig some dirt on Williamson?" he said between mouthfuls of the fruit laden muesli.

  "That's the general idea." Kiera poured milk onto her muesli followed by a dollop of Greek yoghurt. "As I said before, he gives me the creeps. I have a sense for these things, and I'm not usually wrong. There's something dark there."

  "He certainly likes power. I can see that. But we need to be careful, Kiera. If he cottons on to the fact we're doing some digging, who knows how he will react." Luke sloshed more milk onto his muesli.

  "Well we have to do something! I've got no doubt Melanie will run straight back to him on Monday morning. Anyway, enough of that
for now, let's just relax and enjoy our breakfast, shall we?"

  "Good idea," Luke said with a widening grin.

  #

  First thing on Monday morning Melanie knocked on Logan Williamson's door. Thoughts about reporting to him had been an unpleasant reminder of the last time. She'd had jitters all weekend and wanted to get the meeting over so she could enjoy the rest of her day.

  Williamson had a file on her and knew all about her history. She'd attained first class honours in a robotic design degree from the University of Melbourne but had been convicted of shoplifting and later had become a drug addict. Under extreme pressure at the time, it had been her way of dealing with her mother's chronic health problems. Although arrested, she'd managed to get her sentence converted into time in a rehabilitation facility. It was the best thing that had ever happened to her. She managed to turn her life around and find herself a good job.

  She'd been working in the main robotic lab, a job she'd loved. Someone had been stealing equipment from her lab, so Williamson had recruited her as his spy—no, not recruited—blackmailed her by threatening to tell everyone about her past. Unfortunately, she'd bungled the job, and everyone had known what she was up to. Subsequently ostracised, she'd had to be transferred into another section. Now, she designed and constructed robotic eyes, with some forays into hair and nails. They never did find out the identity of the culprit, but apparently, according to Williamson, the thieving stopped. Everybody probably thought it was her.

  Not averse to some manipulation herself, she had dressed in a tight outfit with a low cleavage. Excusable under the circumstances; she knew what Williamson liked. She would do anything, well almost anything, to keep him happy. She'd seen many staff come and go due to his whims. She wasn't going to be one of them. She liked her job, and it paid well. She aimed to keep it that way.

  "Well, Melanie," Williamson steepled his fingers, "do you have something for me?"