by D. R. Rosier
Maybe that old bastard gave them super pheromones or something. Although, all things being equal it was more likely I was just a horny bastard. Or maybe, it was simply because she’d stopped looking at me like I was a puzzle under a microscope, and more like a person she actually liked the last day or so, and I’d finally stopped being nervous about any attention she gave me. I decided it was probably a mixture of the last two options.
Still, I chickened out on getting my lips close to her sexy neck and earlobe again, not to mention it would avoid her insanely alluring scent, so instead I simply touched her shoulder lightly to get her attention. When she looked at me I did the pointing thing, first at me, then her, and then the dance floor with a tentative smile on my face. Not the smoothest way to ask a woman to dance, but I figured she was practically family, so it should do.
Her eyes flickered over to Aisa questioningly. I’m not sure what Aisa did, but it seemed to reassure Aida this would be an approved activity, so she smiled at me, and then took my hand and we made our way to the dance floor.
I won’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy the hell out of myself, but I was relieved dancing with Aida was nothing like dancing with Aisa. Aisa smiled naughtily, flirted, and her eyes were filled with desire and promise for later. After a few nervous moments with Aida, once I got used to having my hands on her, and our body parts touching, I started to relax and enjoy it.
She smiled at me, and we had a good time, but it was just a friendly thing, and I loosened up a bit realizing I’d built it all up in my head. Yes, I enjoyed her in my arms, but it was just fun and there wasn’t all that much sexual tension, whereas dancing with Aisa was more provocative and more like… foreplay.
We wound up dancing two songs, and afterwards she smiled at me gratefully and hooked her arm in mine as we went back to the table. Cal was back at the table, with that brunette wrapped around him, and when I got back on my seat Aisa snuggled back into my side. Aida didn’t let go of my arm either, so I had them both hanging off me. When I gave her a questioning look Aida leaned in.
“It will keep the other men away. You don’t mind do you?”
Mind two beautiful women hanging on me? No, not at all. Like it too much? Maybe.
I smiled and shook my head no, and finished off my drink before we ordered another round.
The rest of the night went well, and I wound up dancing with both Aisa and Aida a couple of more times before we left.
Cal surprised me, and let the brunette take him home, and said he’d see us tomorrow morning. I supposed I couldn’t blame him at all, she was cute, he was eighteen and I was guessing he’d had no females around him at all except sisters until tonight. Shit, I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t see him for a week, that’s a lot of pent up hormones for an eighteen-year-old guy to work out.
When we got home, Aisa and I probably pushed the boundaries of rudeness as we said a quick goodnight to Aida and practically dashed straight to the bedroom. She’d been teasing me all night, dancing with her was definitely a form of foreplay. When we were alone in the bedroom, her brazen flirty attitude turned to faux innocent submissiveness, and she teasingly made me catch her and strip her down. She was insatiable that night, and it was far from a chore pleasing her thoroughly until she was a puddle of orgasmic flesh lying in the middle of our bed.
I pulled her close and cuddled, fairly sated and completely happy myself. That’s when she asked me one of those questions, one of those female questions that don’t have a right answer, not even if I had a five-hundred-page manual and a slide rule, which of course I didn’t have.
“Do you think Aida’s pretty?”
Oh man, maybe if I knock my head against the head board hard enough I’ll pass out.
I sighed and tried for nonchalance, even though I knew it was doomed to fail. I wondered why she was even asking me that, why do women ask questions they really don’t want the answer to?
“Sure.”
I’d intended to add a qualifier, like, almost as pretty as she was, or something similar, but went with brevity instead.
I looked over, and she was looking at me as if I said something wrong.
“Why do you ask?”
Aisa ignored my question and asked, “Do you like her?”
Holy hell, the lamp, surely the lamp could knock me out. It looked sturdy.
I stuck with casualness I didn’t feel and shrugged, “She’s growing on me the last day or so, Carl too, that’s a good thing right? Getting along with your siblings?”
She frowned, “That’s not what I meant.”
I kissed her softly and then whispered, “So what did you mean then?”
“Are you… attracted to her? Physically I mean.”
I frowned, was this a nightmare? Damn it.
“Sure, she’s attractive, but I love you, and I’m with you, so why are you asking me this?”
She shrugged, “Just curious. You looked like you had a lot of fun dancing with her, and I know she enjoyed dancing with you. I’m really not upset, so you can relax now.”
She snuggled up against me, threw a leg over mine, made contented sounds in my ear, and fell asleep quickly. It was surreal, I had expected her to be angry, after all, I’d told the truth. The conversation still didn’t make sense to me when I finally managed to fall asleep.
Chapter 11
Aisa gave me the best kind of wakeup call, and after she’d sucked me dry we jumped in the shower, where I returned the favor in the process of getting cleaned up. We were cooking breakfast when Aida came in with a smile on her face, and touched both of our backs as she passed.
Aida’s voice was full of humor, “Good morning, got a message from Cal, he’s pretty sure he won’t be back until tomorrow sometime.”
I laughed, “I’m not surprised, he seemed rather taken with the brunette.”
Aida raised an eyebrow, “Karen, if it matters,” she took a sip of her coffee, “Thanks for last night by the way, I’m sorry I was such a, drag.”
I shrugged, “Not a problem, I shouldn’t have taken you to such a loud crowded place your first night out, I wasn’t thinking.”
Aisa nodded in agreement, “Do you want to go site seeing today?”
Aida shrugged, “Sure, I can do that, you have time?”
“Of course,” I turned toward her and winked, “It’s the weekend, she won’t let me work.”
Aisa snorted and accused, “Lies.”
I laughed, “What? Did you want to work then?”
She glared, and I quit while I was ahead.
After breakfast, we did the tourist thing that day, the three of us, this time Aisa got to be the guide, and I got to sit back and watch their reactions. It took me a while to get used to the new Aida, apparently I’d passed from acquaintance to familiar friend, because she had no problem touching me to get my attention, or even holding my arm occasionally as we moved around Chicago.
It didn’t really bother me either, in other words, my libido was fairly quiescent in regard to Aida. I still felt attracted to her of course, but I wasn’t overly tempted by her familiarity, it was a relaxed thing, more like just close friends. Compared to dancing last night, and the sexy dress she’d been in… well there wasn’t a comparison there.
Aisa also didn’t seem alarmed by her sister’s behavior, so I concluded the woman was definitely not flirting with me.
When we got home that night, we had a quick dinner, and decided to watch a couple of movies. After which, Aisa and I went to bed, and eventually even got to sleep.
Sunday we just stayed in, talked, and watched movies. Somehow we all ended up on the same couch, with me in the middle. Aida sat rather close to me, our legs and arms often touched, but she wasn’t draped over me the way Aisa was on the other side, so I didn’t give it any further thought as we frittered the day away.
I learned a few things. Aida was actually twenty-two, Aisa was the oldest at twenty-four. The rest followed them in order, once a year after that first two year split, w
as Bill, Dan, and Sally. Cal was the next born, and eighteen. After Cal came the two youngest, Cheryl and Steve who were seventeen and sixteen respectively.
I’d been wondering why eight of them, why had their father kept making them when he thought it would be slavery and that they were just something to be owned by law. So I asked.
It turns out they were all… conceived I guess? They were all zygotes at the same time, and seven of them were put in cryogenic freeze. Aisa was simply the first one allowed to be matured while the rest of them stayed frozen. Apparently James believed destroying the zygotes would be the greater crime, and I couldn’t look at Aida’s bright smile and pretty blue eyes, and disagree with that thought.
Cal made it back Sunday evening around dinnertime, with an embarrassed smile he couldn’t wipe off his face. No one teased him on it though. For me it was against the guy code, at least with the girls there. Aisa was plenty active with me, but I think she remembered how it was, since she’d been a virgin until twenty-four. Aida… well as far as I knew, she was still a virgin.
So Cal was spared due to glass houses, and we enjoyed a nice meal.
We finished up the day with a few virtual games. I was completely schooled of course, facing three A.I.s in a shooter just meant I was dead. I still had fun though, even if Aida made fun of the slow human while Aisa and Cal laughed at my broken ego. It was all in teasing fun of course.
At least I got to spank Aisa when I took her to bed, Aida and Cal got away with it though…
Before we went to sleep, Aisa cuddled up to me, and caressed my chest absently as she asked me more of those no right answer questions.
Aisa asked, “If I was okay with it, would you want to sleep with Aida?”
This was an easy one.
“No.”
She frowned, “Why not?”
I shrugged, “Because I don’t share, and I love you. That wouldn’t work. Aida’s very attractive, and fun, but I’m yours, and content to be yours. Why, do you want an open relationship?”
She looked confused for a second when I asked that, “No… I don’t want anyone but you.”
Thank all that’s holy, if she’d said yes we’d have had a problem. I’m faithful because I expect my partners to be, and I know how they’d feel if I wasn’t, I don’t share.
She added, “But I love my sister, and I wouldn’t mind if you…” she trailed off.
Shit, the complicated was back.
“You sure about that? You couldn’t even say it. I’m all yours, why would you want to share me?”
She sighed, “She’ll kill me if she finds out I told you, but she really likes you, she likes how you treat me, and how nice you’ve been to her. She also thinks you’re hot.”
“Okay, but I’m still not seeing the reason you would share me. Besides, I’m the first guy she’s met that’s not a father or brother, and she’s a healthy, beautiful, and horny twenty-two-year-old woman. Once she gets out there and meets some more people she’ll find one to connect with… Besides, I’d feel like I was taking advantage of both of you, especially your good and loving nature. I’m yours, no one else’s. My cock is spoken for.”
She giggled, “I love you. Are you sure, she might even give you her ass.”
I didn’t even give it any thought, I spanked her, “There’s only one sweet little ass I’m pining for darling.”
She snorted and cuddled up closer.
The truth I would never tell her was that I didn’t really care all that much about anal, it was just the one thing she wouldn’t even try, so I liked teasing her about it. Not that I’d say no… but it was far from a deal breaker.
The conversation was apparently done for tonight, but I had a feeling it would come up again. The scary thing is I honestly didn’t think she would mind, and sleeping with Aida was a damn tempting thought, but it would also be wrong to take advantage of the situation, wouldn’t it? I was also Aisa’s first relationship, I didn’t think she understood yet what it would do to her emotionally, even if she said it was okay, she didn’t go through high school dating like most everyone else. In other words, even if she didn’t mind right now, I was sure she’d regret that in the future.
I shook those thoughts out of my mind and kissed the top of Aisa’s head, and just enjoyed the heat of her naked nubile body against mine as I fell to sleep with her in my arms. Nothing would be worth the risk of losing that and everything else that made Aisa who she was, and mine.
Chapter 12
We’d barely started work the next morning when we were contacted by Gerald Hainsworth and asked to come into his and Paul’s offices. The four of us got ready to go out, and took an air bus to the right area, and it was around ten in the morning when we found the building and walked up to Bruckheimer and Hainsworth associates.
I smiled slightly at the receptionist when we went in, “We’re here to see Gerald Hainsworth, I’m Tony Sanders.”
She barely glanced up for a moment, “Take a seat, I’ll let him know you’re here.”
I nodded, but I doubt she even noticed as she was looking at her screen again.
The four of us sat and waited for a couple of minutes, and looked over as someone came out from the back hallway.
“Mr. Sanders? I’m Gerald, Gerald Hainsworth, pleased to meet you.”
I got up and shook his hand. He was somewhere in his mid-forties, and had a firm handshake. He was sharply dressed, but had a distracted casual air about him despite that. He had short thinning salt and pepper hair, gray eyes, and a strong jaw.
I introduced Hainsworth to Aisa, Aida, and Cal. He looked curiously at the latter two, we hadn’t told anyone we were bringing more than one A.I… human? I hadn’t really thought it out before, but I didn’t have a good description for them, except they were sentient, to me they were closer to human than machine. Hell, they were more human than most humans. They were… what they were, sentient beings that shouldn’t be owned.
We headed back through the hallway and into a conference room. Paul was already in the room, I hadn’t been sure if he’d be around or not, and gave him a nod in greeting. The door was closed and we all took seats around the table.
Hainsworth asked, “We weren’t expecting Aida and Cal… they are here to?”
Aida replied, “We are two of Aisa’s siblings. We thought separate results for the three of us would be more… persuasive. We also didn’t want her to have to stand alone…”
Hainsworth raised an eyebrow, “That will help. Welcome. First, a bit of unpleasantness. I want to warn you, if this is simply some marketing gimmick to advertise a new A.I. line, it will not succeed. I am giving you the benefit of the doubt, but I’m putting my reputation on the line with this, and if it comes back to bite me in the ass because of fraud, you won’t like what happens after.
“I don’t mean to be negative, but I thought we should get that out in the open before we get started. Do any of you have any questions, or comments about that before we get started?”
I wasn’t exactly happy at his unveiled threat, but I understood it so I swallowed my retort. I needed him for Aisa’s sake. Cal and Aida too, but when it came down to it, I would do anything for her.
No one spoke so he continued.
“In essence, we are suing the government to recognize you three, and your other… siblings as human.”
Cal asked, “I’m not really sure I understand how that’s possible, we aren’t human.”
Hainsworth shook his head, “Don’t ever say that again. You aren’t homo sapiens. That is true. The definition of human isn’t that narrow, it’s actually a negative definition. A human is a living being that is not an animal, or an alien. Until now, there hasn’t been any other versions of humans outside of homo sapiens, but I assure you, if a Neanderthal woke up from really long nap, they would fit the description of human. In fact, they are often called old humans. Does that answer your question? You should most definitely fall under human rights, if what you claim is true.
�
�Which really brings us to the heart of the matter. We as the plaintiffs need to have all our evidence and proof ready and pristine before we file even one request with the courts. There will be no court time, or press involvement until were finished with that stage. I want all of you to agree with that, here and now, that you won’t contact the press prematurely and until I say so.”
Everyone agreed, it made sense to me, and he was the lawyer.
Gerald continued, “Over the last week I’ve been contacting doctors, biologists, and psychiatrists that the firm has used in past cases and narrowed it down to one expert in each field. They have all signed non-disclosure agreements to maintain silence until the case is over. They also understand there will be no drugs or invasive procedures outside of blood draws, if anything of the sort comes up, contact me immediately.”
He brought up a holographic image of an older man in a doctor’s coat.
“This is Doctor Timothy Lawrence, he’s a psychiatrist and will be visiting you in your home. He will want sessions with all of you three times a week, and he will also want to observe you in your home environment via sensors and cameras. It will be a bit invasive, but better that then being checked into a facility for observation. He told me however, that the observation will be in common rooms only, not the bedrooms or bathrooms so you’ll have at least some privacy.”
Another image came up, this time a woman just under forty in jeans and a t-shirt.
“This is Doctor Carla Marks. She’s a biologist, and you may not meet her at all until she’s on the stand at trial, she’ll be working with our next person, studying the blood samples, DNA strands, and other scans made.”
The image changed again, this time it was another man in his late forties, with blond hair and blue eyes.
“This is Doctor Ben Adams, an M.D. You’ll have to visit him in his office, he’ll be running various bodily scans and other non-invasive techniques, as well as drawing blood for testing. I expect you’ll receive notice when to show up in the next couple of days.”