SexedUp

by Sally Painter

  She watched him turn and walk toward the kitchen. With a heavy sigh, Randi stood to go to her room and get dressed. Her mind raced with all kinds of possible excuses, but ultimately, she knew Ellen would want to take William to bed and there was nothing she could do to stop her.

  Chapter Six

  William stepped out of the shower and dried off with the towel. Steam rose around him and he swiped his hand over the mirror, but the arched streaks quickly fogged up again.

  He knew Randi was upset and decided it was time to take control of his situation. That meant revealing himself to Ellen.

  He wasn’t some fucking machine!

  It was time Randi realized it. She might believe she understood what he was, and granted she did create him, but he was more than a composite of DNA and nanites. He was a man and she must accept that fact.

  He had to admit, it was partly his fault she wasn’t aware of all the changes in him, after all he hadn’t told her. It wasn’t easy to discuss his feelings or what he was thinking and he sensed that probably made him more man than machine.

  When the doorbell sounded, Randi yelled for him to stay in the bathroom until she called for him. Shaking his head, William finished toweling his hair and donned the clothes she’d told him to wear. That was another thing soon to change. He wanted different clothes. Clothes of his choosing.

  He heard the stranger’s voice and assumed Ellen had arrived since the feminine voice was raised in a rather high and tense octave.

  “I insist, Randi. You bring him out here right now.”

  “Okay, Ellen, but first you have to understand that he’s not ready. He may appear human. You’ll think he is, but the nanites are still manipulating all of his functions.”

  “Do they think for him?” Ellen challenged.

  “Well, no…”

  “Does he have consciousness of himself?”

  “Yes, but…”

  “Then he fits our description of a cyborg. Re-read your project directive, Randi. You’ve done it. Quit being such a perfectionist.”

  William took that for his cue and opened the bathroom door, heading down the hall, his bare feet slapping the hardwood floor. He entered the room and the women turned to him. He immediately met Randi’s frightened look and flashed his stare on the woman standing beside her.

  “Oh…my…God!” Ellen covered her mouth with her hands.

  “Hello, Ellen, I’m William.” He smiled, knowing the grin he bestowed on her was the same one that turned Randi into a quivering rush of sexual need.

  “W-William,” Ellen gulped and extended her hand.

  He clasped it and then lifted it to his lips, feeling Randi’s angry glare. He kissed Ellen’s hand and straightened.

  “Perhaps you’d like to have a seat while I fix some tea. How do you take it?” he asked, letting the innuendo drip from his voice, ignoring the way Randi’s entire body tensed as though she was ready to explode.

  “Ah, just a bit of sugar,” Ellen grinned, delight flashing in her eyes.

  He nodded and turned for the kitchen, leaving the two women stunned into silence. Good. That was the way he wanted them. He knew they’d recover soon enough. The tea was merely a way to make Randi stew and wonder if he was actually more than just an enhanced robot. Her wondering would come to an end soon enough.

  “Oh my God, Randi!” Ellen’s voice drifted from the next room. “Why in hell didn’t you tell me you had achieved the impossible?”

  “I don’t know that I have.” Randi’s voice sounded timid.

  “How can you doubt it? If he’s not a human male I’ll eat my bra and panties!”

  “He’s a composite, Ellen. Enhanced DNA with nanites…”

  “Oh good grief. I don’t care about the science of it. Look at the final product. He’s a man. A human male.”

  “He can never be human,” Randi insisted. “He cannot reproduce. Once I’m sure he is stabilized and there won’t be any cellular degeneration then maybe I can perfect the DNA enough to achieve sperm production in future models, but that’s a long way off. Just don’t make the mistake of believing he’s human.”

  Randi’s words raked over him like sharp talons ripping through his skin. What did he need to do to convince her? His romantic evening obviously hadn’t or the morning shower together or any of the other interludes of lovemaking.

  “Well, I don’t care what parts are composites and which ones are human DNA. The package is perfect and he seems to have a great program of manners.”

  The water kettle whistled and he placed the tea balls into the cups and poured the steaming water over them. He sniffed the exotic aroma of cinnamon and citrus and smiled. These women were about to learn the truth. He picked up a thin sugar stick and placed it in the cups then set them on the tray.

  “What is his age?”

  “Counting incubation, eight weeks and two days,” Randi said.

  “That’s a shorter turn around time that we’d hoped for,” Ellen’s voice bubbled.

  “I’m sure he’ll prove himself to you during the demonstration. William is a very skillful lover.”

  Demonstration? Skillful? His heart hammered. She still didn’t get what was going on. Randi was the only woman he wanted. He sure as hell wasn’t going to fuck that skinny bitch Ellen. He didn’t care what Randi said. He wasn’t making love to any other woman. Perhaps if he could find a way to express what he felt, Randi might change her opinion about him.

  They stopped talking when he entered with the tray. He leaned over to allow Ellen to remove the cup and saucer before turning to Randi.

  “Just the way you like it, Randi,” he smiled, letting his stare move over her face and dip to the cleavage of her bosom rising higher above her cotton tank top than it was a few seconds ago.

  “So tell me, William, what other domestic chores has Randi trained you to do?” Ellen asked in a rather pious tone.

  Bristling under the insult, he placed the tray on the nearby end table and sat down across from Ellen.

  “You speak as though I’m a pet or toy, Ellen. I’m sure that’s not what you meant.”

  Red splotches broke out over the women’s sallow cheeks.

  “Of course not. It’s just—”

  “Like Randi, you think I’m little more than a machine designed to serve a woman’s needs.”

  “William…” Randi flashed a warning glance at him.

  “I’ve not really had much time to discuss things with Randi since we seem to always fall into bed whenever we’re together, which is pretty much all the time.”

  Ellen’s eyebrows lifted and she turned to give Randi an appreciative nod.

  “But the truth of the matter is I’m more than a machine. Much more.”

  “As you can see, Ellen,” Randi gulped and dug into her pant’s pocket, retrieving the remote control.

  She tapped the “off” button and for a moment William started not to comply, but felt it best to go along with her and imitated shutting down, but kept his eyes open.

  “As you can see, I’ve given him quite a few human qualities that are proving better than I anticipated.” She swallowed and glanced over at him.

  “Oh, he is marvelous!” Ellen giggled and stood to walk over to him, setting the teacup down on the nearby table. “We’re going to need to revamp our advertising campaign. I think we should let him just be himself in the commercials.”

  “Commercials? Actually, Ellen, do you think that’s a good idea? The security it’ll require…”

  “Oh, poor Randi, I think you’ve fallen in love with your creation.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  William watched the indignant expression wash over Randi’s oval face and gritted his teeth to keep from coming to her defense. Not yet. The timing had to be just right.

  “Look, Randi. I’m already in love with him and I’ve not fucked him yet. So don’t get upset with me. I think it’s wonderful,” Ellen said and grinned at him.

  William watched them, listening as t
hey continued to discuss him as a thing and not a living being. Anger roiled inside him as Ellen asked about his lovemaking skills.

  “So do you think we can push this envelope a bit, Randi?”

  “How?” Her voice sounded tense.

  “Make him more human? I mean I’m totally in awe of him as it is, but do you think you can tweak those nanites a bit more?”

  Before Randi could respond, William decided he’d had enough.

  “I’m in control, Ellen, not the fucking nanites.”

  Randi gasped and Ellen let out a little squeal of surprise, taking a step back.

  “Randi?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. It has to be a malfunction.” She pressed the “off” button on the remote once more.

  “The only malfunction is your inability to recognize I’ve grown beyond what you created me to be, Randi.” He frowned at the way she kept tapping the “off” button. “The remote hasn’t worked since that first morning.” He sat back in the chair. “You see, ladies, I have a conscious mind. I’m self-aware and I certainly have human emotions. For instance, I’m feeling very angry with both of you right now. The way you discuss me as if I’m not even here.”

  “Randi, what have you neglected to tell me?” Ellen stared at William. He could sense the woman’s excitement rising.

  “You can’t blame, Randi, not really,” he said and looked at his creator…his lover. “She had no idea what was going on inside me. Of course, she never asked after that first upgrade. But if she had, then she’d know my brain awoke the second day when she set the nanites free from controlling my conscious thought process and dedicated them to subconscious and involuntary functions only. And that was the moment I became aware of myself, or rather who I used to be. And I was not very happy to find myself being manipulated and governed by nanites. Well, I quickly established who was in control and even though Randi believed she gave me conscious thought, the truth is I seized it as my birthright.”

  Both women’s mouths fell open as they stared at him.

  “Yeah, I actually think like the two of you, only my thinking is mostly about what I’m really doing here and how I will fit into a society that has only one gender. And wondering if and when you create other males like me, how you can expect the world to just accept us. What will be the political and moral ramifications of what the two of you have done?”

  “I just can’t wait to test this prototype. When do I get him?” Ellen smiled, completely ignoring everything he’d said.

  “You aren’t going to test drive me,” he jeered and stood from the chair. His disgust for the woman’s suggestion locked his jaw in an angry clench.

  Ellen took a step backward.

  “Now, if you could figure out a way to get him to procreate male offspring, we could retire tomorrow.”

  “Are you even listening to me?” William took a step toward Ellen and she fell back into the chair, eyes wide with amusement.

  “William,” Randi spoke behind him. “Please behave.”

  She touched his arm and he stopped. Why did such a simple gesture as her touch affect him? Why was he so overwhelmed whenever in her presence? William didn’t want to hear the answer. Not now. Not when he had so much to accomplish and to do that was going to put him at odds with Randi.

  “Do you know why I told you my name is William?” he asked, staring down into Randi’s worried face.

  “You said it was your name,” she answered softly.

  “And you didn’t question me further. Why, Randi? Didn’t you want to hear the truth? Were you so afraid you had actually created a human male?”

  “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. Creating a human male has been my only goal. Why would I be afraid—”

  “But you are. Listen to you trying to deny what Ellen has already figured out.” He glanced at Ellen who was watching them intently. “Did you ever stop to think that you didn’t just use DNA material to create a body over your metal skeleton, but you had in fact cloned a real man, Randi? A man who lived before the virus ravaged your world?”

  “What is he talking about?” Ellen gasped.

  “I’ll tell you what I’m talking about, Ellen. My name is William Tyler. I was an architect here in Charlotte and owned a summer house in Kitty Hawk. I’m not some cyborg programmed to please the woman I’m with.” He turned to face Randi, searching her eyes for the love he knew she hid from him. “In fact, I was going to spend the weekend in Kitty Hawk with several friends and colleagues right after I donated the tissue samples.”

  “You recall donating DNA samples?” Ellen asked.

  He didn’t respond and continued to stare at Randi, willing the truth to rise in her eyes so he would know once and for all that she loved him.

  “The last thing I recall is arriving at the clinic to make the donation. I was then to fly the Outer Banks for a Labor Day weekend celebration at my beach house.”

  “Labor day?” Randi mumbled. Her complexion drained of all color.

  “What year?” Ellen asked.

  “2133.”

  “You were on the Outer Banks Labor Day weekend in 2133?”

  “I assume so. It appears my memory stops with the visit to the clinic.”

  “That was the weekend of the first tidal wave of the Great Cataclysm.” Randi’s smooth forehead furrowed.

  “Impossible.” Ellen gripped the arms of the chair. “Your DNA was…”

  “Cryogenically stored. I was participating in an experiment headed up by an old childhood friend, Dr. Allan Templeton. He was the leading doctor in a cloning project that was to revolutionize the world with cloned organs.”

  “Is that true, Ellen?” Randi asked.

  “How should I know? It was black-market DNA claimed to be two hundred and fifty years old.”

  “If this is true, William, then…”

  “Then it means you can duplicate what you’ve done with me. My memories are coming back to me more and more each day.”

  “Sperm!” Ellen screamed. “Have you tested his sperm?”

  “No,” Randi admitted. “There’s not been any reason to since we’ve not reached that stage. I mean…”

  “Stop now,” William said glaring at Ellen. “Think before you speak, Randi, because what I feel for you is real. If you have any feelings for me, then you won’t continue with this project.”

  “Are you insane? My company spent twenty million dollars for your DNA. There is no way we’ll stop what we’re doing.”

  “Then what is your solution? Enslave me?” he glared at Ellen.

  “Were all males so…aggressive?” Ellen frowned at him.

  “Some more than others.”

  “William,” Randi said, her lower lip quivering. “What is it you want?”

  “Truth.”

  “You want us to announce your existence to the world?” she asked.

  “No. I want us to go away someplace quiet and remote. Have a life. Raise a family.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Ellen said. “Our world is dying. The little amount of sperm in the banks that was salvageable will soon be depleted.”

  “Why?” Randi asked. “Why didn’t you tell me, William?”

  “Would you have listened?”

  “I hope so.”

  “I wanted to, baby. I did.” He moved over and drew her into his arms. She felt tiny and frail, not the powerhouse take-charge women he’d grown to know and love.

  “I’m so damn jealous,” Ellen groaned and dropped back into the chair. “I was looking forward to a demonstration.” She sat there staring at him when suddenly a grin stretched over her lips. “Luckily, we only sent you a sample of the DNA. I had no idea you could do this with the material. That means instead of a thousand Williams we’ll have tens of thousands.” She straightened in the chair. Her eyes widened on him.

  William tightened his fists by his sides. If Ellen continued to treat him like a piece of meat or some kind of sex toy, he couldn’t be responsible for what he might
do.

  “Would you agree to let us do that?”

  “Only as long as Ellen agrees not to sell the clones disguised as sex toys. You let them make the choice of what they want to do. Who they want to be with.”

  “Where’s the return on our investment if I do that? My Board of Directors will never agree—”

  “The return is to no longer be doomed to a one-gender race and eventual extinction,” he said. “After all, wasn’t that the secret purpose of this project?”

  Ellen stiffened in the chair, squaring her shoulders.

  “Didn’t you want to save the world? Or was it to screw the world and make millions?” he jeered.

  “That’s not fair. We expected to at least break even before we revealed the truth. But I think I can convince the board to accept these terms. What about long-range plans? You’re first generation and even with thousands more like you, we still can’t repopulate the world. Second generation clones will be risky. Can you assure me the other clones will go along with sperm donations, if they can produce sperm?”

  “We can reach an agreement for regular sperm donations with certain stipulations,” William said.

  Ellen looked from him to Randi.

  “Okay. I think we can make this work.” Ellen smiled, letting her stare move over him.

  William frowned. He didn’t like being ogled as if he were the main course on a buffet table.

  “I apologize, William, it’s just you’re the only male I’ve ever seen, or talked with.”

  “I understand.”

  “And you’ll have to get used to being stared at. When we make the announcement of Randi’s breakthrough, everyone will want to see you and your clone brothers. When we go public, the world government will attempt to stop us. It was one thing to believe we were creating a cyborg, but quite another to have succeeded in creating a human male.”

  “Enhanced human male,” he corrected, smiling down at Randi.

  “How long will it take to begin the cloning?” Ellen asked.

  “If William is willing, we can start tomorrow.” Randi tightened her arms around his waist. Her upturned face was tense and her eyes dancing with hope. “It’s up to you, William.”