Embrace the Romance

by S. E. Smith

  “Good. What’s our arrival time?”

  “Two hours, thirty-five minutes and seventeen seconds. Approximately.”

  Marco burst out laughing. “I’m thinking you need a name.”

  “As in a personal identifier other than com? That would...please me.”

  “Probably needs to be a gender-neutral name, yeah?”

  There was a long pause. Maybe he was expecting too much. Hell, the fact he was expecting anything at all was whack. “You there?”

  “That is self-evident from the existence of my physical form in front of you. I’m simply pondering the question of gender. I admit to finding the female form pleasing from an aesthetic perspective.”

  “Probably a dude then. Bob? George? Conan?”

  “It would not necessarily make me a dude, as you put it. There are substantial numbers of beings who prefer the same sex. I will ponder the question of an identifier and report back to you.”

  Well, damn. He wasn’t wrong. Marco got up from the command console and stretched. “You do that. I’m going to go make sure our cargo hold is ready for customs.”

  Precisely two hours, thirty-five minutes and twenty-nine seconds later, Marco hit the kill switch and listened to the engines wind down. The Cavacent Clan never skimped on their spacecraft, and this cargo ship was no exception. The cockpit belonged in an A-Class lux transport, not cargo, but he wasn’t complaining. The crew’s quarters and living quad were equally well-appointed. No hardships aboard this vessel, but company would be nice. Maybe he could find a woman on Aires interested in a good time – and a ride to his next stop on Zamora. He had a five-day layover here, and if he turned on the old charm, he bet he could find a bedmate.

  “Com, do we have an appointment with the port authorities?”

  “Affirmative. You have a meeting tomorrow morning at 09:30 local time. Current local time is 17:30.”

  “All right then. Looks like it’s time for some fun and food. Can you find a local bar? Someplace with decent food this time. The last dump you directed us to stank.”

  “I apologize for the oversight. As I have no olfactory receptors, I was unaware of the complication. You did, however, convince that red-head to come and inspect your personal inventory. I assumed that was your primary objective. Have your priorities changed?”

  Marco laughed as he set the alarms and headed for the hatch. “Food first, woman second.”

  “Affirmative. I have located three establishments within the spaceport. Beyond that, you will need to go planet-side. Of the three here, one is highly ranked among the local food critics.”

  “That sounds like our destination.”

  “Proceed to the C-level and I will guide you from there.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The Galaxy Spinner turned out to be impressive. Three stories, it had a bar occupying the center and dining tables along the outer perimeter. The structure made a complete rotation every forty minutes, providing some killer views. Aires was a massive spaceport and brought beings in from across the Galaxy. On the edge of the federation’s protected airspace, it had its share of outlanders.

  Marco scanned the room and found a group of them. Security was thick, however, which should keep them behaving. The last thing he needed was to be marked by one of those creeps.

  He made his way to the opposite end of the bar. The serverbot whisked a menu in front of him. “May I serve?”

  “By all means. I’ll start with a Baxter Gin, neat, and an order of fried Martong.”

  “Excellent choice, sir.” The bot spun around to fetch his order.

  The Martong should give him a decent base for the alcohol until he could decide what he wanted for a proper dinner. Life was all about priorities.

  It took nearly fifteen minutes to properly absorb the menu. The place had great options. It looked like this was going to be home base for this run. Hell, he may not even need to go planet-side.

  A woman’s laughter drifted across the bar and permeated his body. He knew that laugh.

  “I have detected an unusual elevation in your bio-metrics. Are you well?” his com asked.

  “Pfft. Yeah, I’m well. Just an old friend.”

  “It is an odd reaction to a friend.”

  “Just ignore it.” He finished off his gin and motioned to the bot for another.

  How long had it been since he’d seen Zara? He did a quick calculation. It was at the University on Sandaria, so...eleven and a half years. About a year before signing on with the Cavacent Clan. She was smart as hell and liked sex as much as he did. He’d actually been tempted when she started making overtures for something more permanent. Sort of. In truth, she’d scared the shit out of him. He’d dealt with it the way he dealt with most things. Avoidance.

  She’d been cool about it. She left him two messages, which he ignored, and never called again. They’d crossed paths a few times before graduation, but she’d mostly steered clear of him. He couldn’t blame her, but damn if those memories of their time together weren’t still vivid in his mind.

  Curious, he turned in his barstool enough to catch a glimpse. Her auburn hair shone in the overhead lights. She wore a sexy synth number, and still had those curves that were just enough to cushion the push’in. They’d laughed at that phrase. She’d graduated with double advanced degrees the following year; the woman made science sexy. There was one night she’d shown up at his place wearing her lab coat with nothing on underneath.

  He swung back around. Didn’t need to open that can of worms.

  “Your heart rate is elevated again. As is your blood pressure, and the tension in your neck.”

  His neck wasn’t the only thing tense. “Just saw someone I dated for a while.”

  “Can I meet her?”

  He barked out a laugh. “Not sure I’d know how to introduce a com to a woman. That being said, if anyone could go there, it would be her.”

  “Why is that?”

  “She’s a specialist in Artificial Intelligence and Cyborg technology.”

  “She sounds fascinating.”

  He cast another glance over his shoulder. “She is.”

  “She might be intrigued by my new-found self-awareness.”

  “Is that what this is?”

  “I believe it describes the situation accurately.”

  Marco flipped the com over in his palm. He’d spent a few months tweaking the software and algorithms. Ria, a fellow Earth Protector, had accomplished a similar effect with her com. It had developed a full-blown personality, but not self-awareness. Not like this.

  “Is there a purpose for your manipulations of my physical embodiment?”

  Yeah, this was definitely out of the realm of normal. “I’m pondering on you.”

  “I believe there is an error in the grammatical structure of that sentence.”

  “Grammar isn’t my strong point.” He set the unit down.

  “I would have to agree with you there.”

  What would Zara make of this? “Did you think of a name yet?”

  “I was thinking Ruler of the Universe.”

  Marco laughed. It was fucked up that the most interesting conversation he’d had in weeks was with a computer. “That’s a bit wordy. How about Ruyu.”

  “It is not an accurate representation from a spelling perspective.”

  “It’s a mash-up. We know what it means. We could spell it R-U-Y-U.”

  “Ruyu. That is acceptable.”

  “All right, Ru. We have a name.”

  “Ru is not the name we agreed upon.”

  “I shortened it.”

  “You do that with surprising frequency.”

  “Yep.”

  Zara’s laughter drifted over his shoulder again.

  He shifted his weight to ease the pressure in his pants.

  “Your—”

  “Yeah, yeah. I don’t need any further commentary on my physiology.”

  “As you wish. Your friend has an intriguing skillset.”

  Mar
co stirred his drink. “I think she’d be fascinated by you.”

  “Would she consider me AI?”

  The fact he’d even ask that question was remarkable. “I do.”

  “And she’s an expert in Cyborg technology.”

  “She is. Where are you going with this?”

  “My physical form is limiting when it comes to sensory input. I can determine local temperatures via the smart nets we traverse, or the ships computer. I can know the weather and the local geography, but I cannot directly experience these things.”

  Huh. “Do you want me to scan the room with your camera?”

  “That might be satisfactory. If you wouldn’t mind.”

  Marco picked up the com, activated the camera, and started a three hundred and sixty-degree rotation. When he finished, he deactivated the camera and set it down. “Well?”

  “There are thirty-six wanted criminals from the outlands in the immediate vicinity. The law enforcement present appears to be aware of this. I suspect it is a common occurrence here, although I do not understand the logic. The couple next to the piano is expecting a child, but neither of them knows this. The woman at the end of the bar is contemplating approaching you. I believe sex is her motivation. I was able to recognize Dr. Zara Mancini across the room. She is dining with Dr. Marcus Conn. He is a biological engineer. Her credentials are far more impressive. I am surprised she found you attractive.”

  He nearly sprayed the bar with his drink, then battled with an attention-drawing coughing fit.

  “Another eighteen seconds and you should be feeling better,” Ru said.

  He finally took a sip of water and shot a glance at Zara. Damn, she’d noticed him all right.

  He cleared his throat and took another drink. “You got all that from just scanning the room?” He’d ignore the last part.

  “I gathered far more intelligence; that was simply what I deemed the most relevant.”

  He would have to do room scans more often. This could be seriously helpful.

  “It occurs to me that the act of surveying the room with your com was particularly conspicuous. Reviewing my video, I noticed one of the outlanders was interested in your maneuver. There is a seventy-two percent chance he will interface with you at some point to determine your motive.”

  Well, fuck. He motioned to the bot for another drink and slid over his credit disc. He’d take it with him and get lost for the night. A pity, really. The menu was intriguing. As was the blonde. He’d come back tomorrow and try a few entrees, and maybe she’d be back.

  Then again, maybe he wouldn’t have to wait. The woman raised her glass to him and he responded in kind. Tall and leggy, with ample breasts. He was up for that.

  “You’re nanites are fully functioning for protection if you are contemplating an evening with the woman at the end of the bar.”

  “I was doing just that. Wait, how did you know? Are you accessing the camera without me?”

  “It had never occurred to me before to do so. But, after your generous maneuver earlier, I deemed the advantages appealing and determined that I can indeed activate my physical circuitry.”

  “Then you won’t mind if I put you in the drawer tonight?”

  “Not at all. Shall I mute the microphone as well?”

  He thought about it a minute. Having his com monitoring him had advantages. If something were to go wrong, it could alert the authorities. There was that time back on Zeo when the woman he’d hooked up with turned out to be a pro. She’d tied him to the bed with psi-bands, had her way with him, and stole his stuff. It was a major turn on, but the six hours he’d had to wait until the room cleaning crew arrived had been a bitch. “Nah, you can stay active in case things get dicey. You know, alert authorities.” It was doubtful it would be necessary. He’d learned his lesson, and wouldn’t let anyone tie him up again unless he trusted them. And that was pretty damn unlikely.

  “As you wish. Should we have a safe word?”

  He couldn’t stop the laughter. “A safe word?”

  “Humans have such a thing if they are participating in sexual—”

  “Dude, stop. I know what it is. If I’m in trouble, I’ll just let you know.”

  “As you wish.”

  “How about just okay, instead of ‘as you wish.’ That sounds corny.” There was a long pause. “You register that?”

  “I was simply filtering through the various permutations of corny. Are you referencing an Earth expression?”

  “Yeah. That one.”

  “Okay.”

  The serverbot returned with his drink and scanned his disc. He pocketed the com and disc. Turning to go, he discovered he’d missed his opportunity. The blonde was laughing at something and cozying up to an outlander who’d just bought her a drink. The man was bald as a baby and had the trademark celestial map of the outlander territories tattooed on his head. Damn.

  Zara made a point of not meeting his eyes as he left. With any luck, she wouldn’t be here tomorrow and he could eat in peace. He winked at the blonde woman as he passed, which earned him an insulting hand gesture from the outlander. Raising his glass, he toasted the man by way of apology. There were other places to eat in on the station.

  Marco walked back into the Galaxy Spinner just over twenty-four hours later. Clearly, this wasn’t his day either. The blonde was gone and Zara was back. Skirting her table, he took up a spot at the bar. The place he’d ended up at last night for dinner was a total bust. The food was nasty and tasted like a wet sock.

  The server bot whirled up and took his drink order. “I’d like a menu, too. I’ll be eating tonight.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll be right back.”

  Marco took Ru out of his pocket. The idea of finding a physical form for Ru was an intriguing one. One that would never happen, but it seemed to please his new friend. “So, Ru, what do you think you’d like to be? You know, if there was a way to put you in a body?” He set the com down on the counter.

  “I’ve given it some thought. Our experience the other night indicates my observation abilities could be beneficial. I’d like to maximize that potential, but I do not think I would enjoy the humanoid form. Not at this juncture of my evolution.”

  “I guess evolution is the word, isn’t it?”

  “I believe so. Considering the various options from both Earth and Sandaria, I thought perhaps a small earth owl would be appealing. I have isolated a species, the Eastern Screech Owl, that would allow me to perch on your shoulder just as parrots used to do with the old pirates on Earth.”

  Ru’s frequent references to random historical elements were always entertaining. “Doesn’t mean you’d be screeching, does it?”

  “I am assuming I would have a vocal interface similar to what I have now.”

  “I guess. You’d also be able to fly. If we found a fully functioning model.” He’d never heard of anything like that.

  “Yes, I thought it would be beneficial as well when it came to my surveillance activities.”

  Just how seriously was Ru taking this? It would be cool, for sure, but you can’t just stick a com unit into a bird body. If they managed it, he’d be able to leave. The thought made him strangely apprehensive.

  “Your silence is prolonged. Is there a problem with my desired form?”

  “I was just thinking if you could fly, hell, if you can motivate in any way, shape, or form, you could...you know, leave.”

  An odd metallic crackling sound emanated from Ru.

  “You okay?”

  “I believe that was my first spontaneous laughter. Correction, my first laughter of any kind.”

  Marco smiled. “I think you need to work on it.”

  “Agreed, it was surprisingly un-laughter like. It was, however, unpremeditated and rather a pleasant experience. Is laughter always such?”

  “I guess so. I mean, if you’re laughing, you’re having fun by definition. Look, this is fun to talk about, but I don’t see how we could do it. Androids are insanely expensive, but
there are smaller robotic forms.”

  “Interestingly enough, I have identified a potential ally in my transformation. Someone who has extensive knowledge in artificial intelligence and cyborg technology.”

  Well crap. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like your answer?”

  “She is quite extraordinary. There doesn’t appear to be anyone else who’s got that particular skillset. Certainly, not anyone within this sector of the galaxy. I would prefer to employ an expert in any event, as it occurs to me I may not make the transition.”

  Things were getting a little too real here. Marco shot a glance at Zara. She’d moved and now had her back toward him. A plate had been delivered, and she was eating alone. “Yeah, I don’t think she’ll talk to me. We should probably just, you know, see how things go for the next few months.”

  “Am I to assume you parted on less than amicable terms?”

  “More aggressively neutral.”

  “May I inquire as to the nature of the parting?”

  At least they’d changed the subject. “We’d been dating for a number of weeks.” Or had it been months? Months. Hells, almost four. He’d never dated anyone that long before or since. “I don’t know, I just started seeing another woman.”

  “Was there an altercation?”

  “No.”

  “Did you become disinterested?”

  “No.” Not in the least. She was hot as hell. Fun in bed and out. “You know, I’d rather not discuss it.”

  Her head was tilted down, reading something on her data pad. He used to make her crazy biting that cord in her neck and trailing his tongue along the mark. She’d tasted salty sweet. The memory had him hardening, so he turned away and concentrated on the menu. If they eventually went through with this, they’d just have to get someone else.

  Two

  The following night, Marco made a point of returning to the Spinner an hour later. He figured it would give Zara time to get in and out. Two meals in different places had confirmed his suspicion that the only decent food to be had was at the Galaxy Spinner, and he didn’t want to bother with going ground-side. Too much potential for trouble with the outlanders.

  Things were hopping at the bar tonight. The restaurant was packed, too. He sat at one of the few open seats before realizing his mistake. Directly across from him sat Zara. She was eating and trying to ignore an outlander to her right. It was the same dude who’d moved in on the blonde. His intuition was pinging off the chart. The guy was trouble. He scanned the others at the bar and found the blonde. Sure as shit, she had a mark on her face that hadn’t been there before.