SexedUp

by Sally Painter

  Chapter Seven

  The next few weeks were hectic. Randi was at the offsite secret lab Ellen set up for the mass production and only able to steal a few hours every couple of days to go home and be with William. Guards were placed outside her home and although she talked with him via the holograph phone, it still wasn’t the same. She ached for him when they were apart. Even the sex they shared when she stole an hour or two wasn’t enough to appease her longing.

  He began to tell her about his life—the life he remembered. It sounded so strange and at the same time very romantic. It was impossible to imagine the expanse of land mass and all the cities now underwater. But the things she thought about whenever her thoughts locked on to him, like a radar seeking its target, were her memories of him. The way the corners of his lips turned up. The excitement mirroring in his brown eyes whenever he looked at her. How wonderful his hands felt gliding over her, massaging and touching. Those were the things she knew about William, not the man who had lived before.

  She had trouble keeping her mind on work. It was more than the great sex…so much more. It was the way he talked to her, expressed his ideas and beliefs that made her crave more time with him.

  She worked with three other scientists around the clock producing more Williams and Randi still found it unsettling to watch one William after another incubate and remain in stasis awaiting the moment of activation. The cloning process impacted her in ways she’d not considered. Fear and doubt seeped in and confused her. Were her feelings for her William real? Was he unique or would his clones be exact copies of him down to his personality and distinct quirks that made him so human?

  It required all her mental will to shove those concerns aside and keep the main reason for this project in her forethoughts. This was for the future of her race. The days and nights felt endless and as the weeks dragged on, she began to feel claustrophobic confined to the production facility, even though it was a mass complex.

  She’d help set up the security protocols but worried there would be a breach before the project was launched. She constantly sensed the lurking presence of the opposition and should they discover the real product she was creating, Randi had no doubt her life would be forfeited in an attack to destroy the clones.

  With her colleagues’ help, they’d enhanced the DNA with more nanites, making the steel skeletal structure unnecessary since the nanites could now stimulate the DNA to grow a complete body. This shortcut increased the turn-around time to one week for one male with the capacity to create five hundred a week.

  It was midafternoon when Randi left the lab for an hour break. She was so excited just thinking about being with William, she nearly had an orgasm on the limo ride from the lab. She left the two security guards in the penthouse lobby and closed the door leading to her private foyer. Protocol didn’t allow her to lock the guards out of the penthouse, but at least the door would allow her some privacy with her lover.

  She found William sitting on the secluded penthouse balcony, looking out over the ocean. The wind lifted his hair, revealing the face chiseled into her heart. Her breath caught in her throat. Deep emotions welled inside her and she pushed the words past the rising lump in her throat.

  “I hope you’re thinking about me,” she said.

  He jumped from the chair, turning to her with a wide smile.

  “Baby, I’ve missed you so much.” He took long strides to her and Randi fell into his arms, loving the way it felt being held by him.

  Their kiss was hot and urgent. His mouth covered hers and his tongue pushed past her lips before she could open her mouth to receive him. He plunged his tongue inside, imitating how he fucked her, and her pulse jumped. Moaning against his kiss, Randi found herself swept up into powerful arms as he carried her through the rooms and to their bed.

  Their bed.

  The thought filled her with warm satisfaction. He was her man. Her lover. She broke from the kiss, gasping for breath.

  “William,” she panted.

  “Baby, I want to kiss every inch of you,” he groaned and slipped his hands underneath her clothes. He tugged the bra above her breasts, not bothering to unclasp it, and toyed with her nipples until they puckered hard beneath his touch. Heat lashed her throat and she trembled under his lovemaking.

  “I don’t have much time,” she gasped.

  “Just long enough for a quickie then? That’s what we used to call them, or is this a lunch break? Those were called nooners.”

  “Did you have many lovers? Your other self?” The thought struck her. She’d never thought about his past lovers.

  “We’re not going to discuss that. Ever,” he said and lowered his head. Firm lips closed over one of her nipples and he flicked his tongue over it.

  Her breath latched in her throat and a low groan parted her lips. This seemed to incite him, driving him wild with desire as he rushed to remove her clothes. Randi found herself tugging the tunic over his head. His tousled hair fell over his eyes and he jerked his head to one side, sending the unruly strands from his face.

  The look in his eyes made Randi’s pulse throb. Warm hands traveled up her thighs and underneath her skirt, groping for her panties. He cursed under his breath as the silk stretched from her. The ripping sound as the material split under his determination sent a new wave of excitement tumbling through her.

  “Sorry,” William mumbled and tossed the torn panties to the floor. The appreciative look on his face told her that he wasn’t the least bit sorry.

  Neither was she when he moved down the bed and separated her legs so he could wedge himself between them. He lowered his head and the sensation of his tongue dancing over the building heat in her clit took her breath in a deep groan. She would never get tired of his wonderful touch. She’d always crave more.

  “William.”

  Strong fingers plunged inside her pussy while he lapped up her juices, sending fire streaking through her with the rush of need his touch sent up her spine. Writhing and rolling her hips to the frenetic rhythm, the orgasm flashed and burst in her head. She cried out and gripped his head as delightful spasms racked her, making her clench tightly around his fingers.

  “Oh baby, I love watching you come,” he whispered and laved her pussy with his tongue, easing his fingers from inside her.

  There was a loud knock on the door and Randi startled from the intense pleasure gripping her body.

  “Dr. Mayers. You’re needed back at the lab, pronto!” came the female security guard’s voice.

  “Dammit,” Randi breathed. “I’m so sorry, William.” She sat up in bed.

  “Give me five minutes,” she called.

  “Ellen Forte is at the lab and insisting you return—now.” The guard’s muffled voice sounded strained.

  “I’m on my way.”

  “William,” she whispered and flattened her hand against his cheek, loving the way his face felt with the beginnings of a five o’clock shadow.

  “It’s okay, baby. Once your project is over, we’ll have our entire lives. I want to marry you, Randi.” His brown eyes were wide and full of emotion. “I love you. Promise me you’ll think about it.”

  Her cheeks rushed hot. Tears welled in her eyes and for the first time Randi realized she had a future with William. All doubts and fears fell away from her.

  “I don’t have to think,” she smiled. “Of course I’ll marry you, William.”

  * * * * *

  Over the next week, Randi and her fellow scientists were no longer allowed offsite due to Ellen’s direct orders. It irritated Randi, but she understood Ellen’s security concerns. The long hours were grueling but by the end of the week, with increased production, they had enough cloned males to go public.

  Ellen arrived to inspect the thousands of Williams still in stasis. She turned to Randi, grinning like a very satisfied cat in a mouse field.

  “We’ll activate the clones in groups first thing tomorrow morning right before we make the public announcement. I want William here when
we do,” Ellen said and Randi nodded, even though she didn’t like the idea of exhibiting her future husband like he was some kind of new sex toy. “I know you don’t want him in the limelight, Randi, but you do understand his importance, don’t you?” Ellen paused and looked down at her. “You have feelings for him.”

  “We’re going to be married, Ellen. I love him.”

  “I see. Then you can announce that as well. It’ll make great press.”

  Randi frowned but nodded, knowing if she didn’t make the nuptials known, Ellen certainly would.

  “Why don’t you go home and be with William tonight. Dr. Lewis can watch over things here. Have Drs. Wiesenton and Fields go home, too.

  Randi was so anxious to talk with William that she didn’t argue with Ellen about parading him about in the media frenzy that would surely follow tomorrow’s announcement. She’d deal with it then. Right now she just wanted to cuddle up with William and be lost in his arms.

  It was after midnight when she finally arrived home and was disappointed to find him asleep. Not at all the homecoming she’d fantasized. She walked around the bed quietly, not wanting to startle him awake and leaned down to touch his bare shoulder. Cold flesh assaulted her fingertips. Ice cold.

  Her pulse pounded erratically.

  “No. No. No,” she sobbed and rolled him over.

  A scream tore from her. His complexion was blue and his eyes lifeless.

  The two guards rushed into the condo and into her bedroom.

  “What’s wrong?” One of the female security guards came over to her.

  Randi’s heart felt as though it was breaking. How had this happened?

  “Oh, William,” she sobbed, wanting to die, and sunk to her knees beside him.

  “Shit, call base. He’s dead.”

  “Come on, Dr. Mayers. You don’t want to be in here.” The guard grabbed onto her arms and helped Randi from the floor. “Go on into the den, ma’am. We’ll handle this for you. Get Ellen Forte on the phone. We have an emergency,” the guard yelled into her mic.

  Randi didn’t remember anything that preceded Ellen’s arrival. She was sitting on the balcony, recalling the evening William had demonstrated how romantic he could be with the wine and rose petals on the bed. Tears flowed down her cheeks. The pain was greater than anything she’d ever known. She felt as though her heart had been ripped from her chest, leaving a big hole of emptiness and longing. The ocean breeze battered against her, tearing at her hair. Was this how her ancestors had felt when the men of the world all died?

  “I’m so sorry, Randi,” Ellen’s voice sounded behind her, but she continued to stare out across the ocean. “I’ll have him taken to the lab and we’ll do—”

  “I don’t want to hear the details. He was more than a project to me, Ellen. I loved him. He was a real man. Not a machine.”

  “I know that, Randi.” Ellen clamped her hand over Randi’s shoulder. “We have to find out what happened though. If it is cellular degeneration—”

  “He was murdered.” Randi sniffed.

  “What?”

  “It’s the only explanation. He was perfect, Ellen. Perfect.” Her voice quivered.

  “No one was allowed inside your penthouse, Randi.”

  “Check your security guards, Ellen. One of them did this.”

  “I just can’t believe it. We cleaned house before you went into the secret lab. I hired all new security. The ones stationed here were approved by your private investigator.”

  “I don’t care. Somehow they got to him and killed him. Do the autopsy. You’ll see.”

  “Why don’t you come stay at my house for a while. Until—”

  “I want to stay here. This is where I feel closest to him,” Randi murmured between sobs.

  “Okay.”

  “Incoming call from security,” the house computer interrupted them.

  “I’ll take it out here,” Randi said and the holographic image opened in front of her.

  “Dr. Mayers, this is Captain Hanson.” The officer was in a traditional security uniform but was wearing a helmet. “There’s been a breach at the lab. The new lab. There was an explosion. Dr. Lewis was inside. I’m afraid she didn’t make it. All the product has been destroyed.”

  Randi’s breath rushed from her as if she’d been hit in the belly. She doubled over in a wave of nausea.

  “Dr. Mayers?”

  She stared at the officer through blurry eyes, unable to respond.

  “This is Ellen Forte,” Ellen interrupted.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Are you sure all the product was destroyed?”

  “Where the building was there’s now a gigantic hole in the ground resembling a crater, ma’am. See for yourself.” The screen shot moved over the captain’s shoulder to a smoky scene that revealed a smoldering charred crater in the ground.

  A low wail vibrated in Randi’s throat. All that was left of William was gone forever. She hugged herself and rocked forward, trying to find some hope, some small part of the past few months she’d spent with him. Everything had been destroyed. William’s legacy to the world stolen. All hope for the future was gone.

  “Call Drs. Wiesenton and Fields. Make sure extra security is placed at their homes,” Ellen instructed.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’ll call you back in a few minutes. Computer close call.” Ellen touched her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Randi.”

  “It’s over. Everything is gone.” Randi shook her head.

  “So it appears,” Ellen pursed her lips together. “They got through even though we did everything we could to maintain secrecy and security.”

  “And they waited until we were finished. Let us go through all this, believing we had succeeded and then destroyed it all. Why? To show us we can’t beat them? William,” she cried.

  “I know, dear, it hurts me, too.” Ellen leaned over and drew her arm around Randi’s shoulders.

  * * * * *

  Randi spent the next days poring over the autopsy report, looking for something that would stand out as the trigger for William’s death, yet found nothing. Simple degradation of cells. How had she not seen it coming? Missing him was the worst feeling she’d ever known. When she thought of the last months and how often they’d been separated, she was consumed with regrets.

  “If only…” she mumbled, knowing those two words were now her worst enemy.

  She stared down at the data stream flashing over the holograph desk. It was as if William had simply stopped breathing. No cursor markers. Nothing to trace back to the moment it started. She recalled an ancient saying, all living things have a lifespan, some are long while others are short. Could it be so simple? Had William lived out his short lifespan? She wanted to place his death on a single cause, but the only thing she knew for certain was he died in his sleep when his cells had suddenly begun to deteriorate.

  “William,” she whispered his name, afraid to say it louder or she’d surely crumble under the silence when he didn’t respond.

  Days drifted into weeks and Randi returned to Sexed Up, no longer feeling the energetic spark about her work. She created another sex replacement and six months later was working on the next bigger and better version, but she still pined for William. She would always long for him. The robots only reminded her of what she had lost and how her heart had died with William.

  “There is an incoming call for you, Dr. Mayers,” the office computer announced.

  “Put it through.” Randi sat back in the chair and stared at the blank screen. Her pulse spiked when no image appeared.

  “Randi Mayers?”

  “Speaking,” she responded.

  “You don’t know me, but I have some important information for you.”

  “What kind of information?”

  “The William kind.”

  She leaned forward. Now she understood why the call was in the privacy setting with no image showing. She couldn’t be certain if the caller was pro-male or anti-male. Eithe
r way, she didn’t care. William was gone. The hope he’d represented for the world—for her—was gone.

  “Who is this? What do you want?” she asked. Anger rushed through her.

  “All we want is for the truth to be told.”

  “Truth?”

  “I know what really happened to William. I’ll explain more if you can meet me in an hour at Pier Shrimp House. You know where it is?”

  “Yes.”

  “Come alone. You have nothing to fear from me. I’ll recognize you.”

  * * * * *

  When she arrived at the restaurant, Randi was ushered to a table in the back overlooking the ocean. She sat there remembering how William had surprised her that night in the hot tub. The memory darkened when pain rushed in, shoving the joyous thoughts aside with the brutal memory of his cold body.

  She squared her shoulders. Just what kind of information did the caller have? A nervous quivering had settled in her stomach from the moment she’d received the call and hadn’t gone away.

  Tragedy had brought her full circle in her career. Since there was no more DNA, at least no viable DNA, and certainly no original samples on the black market, she was back to creating synthetic sex replacements. Even if there had been more DNA and she’d managed to clone a male, it wouldn’t have been William. He was gone forever. Maybe it was nature’s way of keeping the dead dead.

  She’d been surprised how readily Ellen had accepted that they could no longer pursue the mission to reintroduce human males into society. Her boss had been changed by the destruction of the lab too. She’d said something the day after William’s funeral—held in private and marked with a stone plaque with the name William etched into the stone and no dates—that still haunted Randi. “Perhaps it’s best to just let the world continue on its collision course. This must be God’s will.”

  Did Ellen really feel that way? It was hard to believe the CEO would give up so easily.

  Randi was grateful the press hadn’t picked up on anything and no one outside the handful of Sexed Up employees knew about the project and its horrid demise. The explosion was believed to be an undiscovered underground arsenal that blew up. She knew Ellen had worked hard to perpetuate the cover story and the world had believed it.