by Nash, Lisa
She would follow it by cocking her head to the left and saying with a smirk, “We sell lifestyle treatments.”
Thomas sat across from the dour older woman and processed her statement. “So your clients don’t have sex with the women?”
“Females,” she said correcting him. “We don’t refer to this division’s product as women. They may look like women. They may behave as women. They may appear to be women in every conceivable way, but they are not women. It’s something we cover in orientation should you get the job.
“And to your question, yes, our clients have sex with the females, in most cases anyway. It is a crucial element of the treatment, but it’s not just sex. It’s companionship. It’s peace of mind. It’s an escape from the stresses of our clienteles’ lives. We provide relationships without the complications that come with attachment. At the same time, we temporarily alter their day-to-day existence in ways that extend beyond the carnal.”
Thomas cleared his throat and shifted nervously in his chair. “I see.”
Ms. Pope attempted a soft reassuring smile, but it didn’t fit on her angular face. “We help people, Mr. Miller. That is the long and the short of it. Our product is recognized by the Government Office National Psychiatric Association as a prescribed treatment for stress-induced trauma, depression, addiction… name the diagnosis and the GONPA recommends our product as a safe and effective alternative to prescription medication. Our product is covered under most comprehensive, high-end healthcare plans.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Thomas said.
Ms. Pope scanned the documents in the tablet on the conference table in front of her. “You scored very well on our qualifying exams, Mr. Miller. Top 99th percentile across the board.”
He allowed himself to smile. “Thank you…”
She held up a hand. “I’ve found the tests to be almost useless in determining a candidate’s true qualifications for this job.”
He held onto the smile with everything he had. “Really?”
“There’s a reason decommission agents make upper management salaries in this company, Mr. Miller. It’s a thankless, lonely job. Most people don’t understand why any sane person would take the job. It takes a special individual to perform the tasks of a decommission agent and not go out of their ever-loving minds. Our qualifying tests are supposed to identify those applicants that are best suited for the job, but we’ve discovered the tests only have about a 35% success rate.”
“Then why use them?”
“Because while overall they don’t identify who would do well in the job, they do give clear indications about who won’t do well. Your high scores got you here, Mr. Miller, like 89 people before you. I have passed 12 people onto the training program. I am happy to say of those 12, four will be concluding their five-year rotation in three months. The other eight have all been exemplarily employees, and I anticipate they will complete their rotations on time, and enjoy an early retirement with full salary for the rest of their lives.”
Thomas shifted in his chair again. Leaning in closer he said, “Retirement?”
“That’s right.”
“After five years?”
“Yes. Full pay. Full medical. All the benefits they enjoyed during their employment.”
He leaned back and tried to conceal his excitement.
“I’m surprised you didn’t know. That’s what attracts most applicants.”
Thomas considered his reply. “My primary interest is working for Grant Bio-Syn, Ms. Pope. I’ve always admired the company’s community-driven initiatives. Particularly, your donations to public school systems.” He knew nothing about the company’s community-driven initiatives or donations to public school systems, but it was his experience as a seasoned job-seeker that those were the things most companies touted.
She rolled her eyes. “I couldn’t give a shit about education, Mr. Miller. The company couldn’t give a shit about education. Appeasing the public with community-driven initiatives, as you put it, is window dressing for those in Congress who support us.”
“Oh…”
“But I appreciate your attempt to bullshit me. It makes the world go ’round.” She reached across and pressed a button on a panel in the center of the table. A door at the opposite end of the room slid open revealing a nude woman. “This is Cora, Mr. Miller.”
Thomas stared at the woman with a slack jaw and wide eyes. She wasn’t just a nude woman. She was a beautiful nude woman with a flawless body. He fixated on her sparkling blue eyes and rich, full lips, and fought the urge to take in the rest of her out of a sense of embarrassment and unexpected chivalry. But he eventually allowed his eyes to wander over to her straight dark hair. He soon discovered the thick lustrous mane rested on her narrow shoulders, which introduced him to breasts that crested in two soft divine domes a few inches below her shoulders. The curve of her breasts stretched her golden skin taut and gave it an almost glass-like appearance. How could he not look? Her stomach was supple and flat. His eyes fell on her smooth, bare pubic area and locked onto the seemingly carefully crafted structure of her vagina. The lips protruded ever so slightly, and he found himself wanting to kiss them. The firm, muscular thighs matched the perfect structure of the rest of the body, as did her calves and feet.
“The Cora model was this company’s first successful bio-synthetic unit. We now have 500 other models to choose from.”
With his eyes still locked on Cora, he asked, “I don’t exactly understand what Bio-synthetic means. I know it’s not like clones…”
“That is a common mistake. Clones are exact duplicates of natural-borns. Bio-synthetics are engineered humanoids created without humans as source material. We synthesize stem-cells to create bio-synthetic super-enhanced human-like beings. The exact process is unimportant, but we create what nature is unable to create.”
“I can see that,” Thomas said now staring at Cora’s erect nipples.
“Cora,” Ms. Pope said, “please introduce yourself to Mr. Miller.”
Cora stepped through the doorway and approached Thomas. The muscles in her thighs and calves contracted and relaxed with each step. Her round ass jiggled just enough to send the blood rushing to the penis of any heterosexual man who laid eyes on it. She extended her hand to Thomas. “How do you do, Mr. Miller? My name is Cora.”
Thomas stood awkwardly and shook her hand. “Hi…” He bent slightly to conceal his growing erection.
“Cora, tell Mr. Miller what you do for us,” Ms. Pope said.
The nude woman considered her request. “I do whatever I am told to do.”
“I see. In that case, I would like you to beg Mr. Miller to allow you to perform oral sex on him.”
Thomas’ eyes opened wide. “What?”
Cora ran her tongue across her lips and her eyes dropped down to his crotch. She ran her fingers through her hair and blew out a long warm breath. “Oh, my… I’m not sure… I’m sorry to be so forward, Mr. Miller, but I couldn’t help but notice…” She bit her bottom lip and giggled. “Well, to put it bluntly, I couldn’t help but notice you have a huge cock hidden in those pants.”
Thomas scooted back in his chair and turned to Ms. Pope. “Is this for real?”
Ms. Pope was peering down at her tablet. “Pretend I’m not here, Mr. Miller.”
“But…”
Cora ran the tip of her index finger across her clitoris and squealed with delight. “I feel so naughty, Mr. Miller. I don’t normally do this sort of thing, but it’s that bulge in your pants.”
“I’m… I’m… I’m… What am I supposed to do?” Thomas asked as he pushed back his chair.
“You’re supposed to let me suck that big cock of yours, Mr. Miller,” Cora said. “Ooh, you’re making me so wet.”
“Cora,” Ms. Pope said calmly, “that’s enough. Take a seat.”
Cora did as requested.
“What was that?” Thomas asked as he struggled to catch his breath.
“That was a demonstration of our “A
miable” personality configuration. It is our baseline persona. Additional configurations are added during the customization process. It appears our conditioners also added a bit of flirtatious flare to her as well.”
“Additional configurations?”
“Our clients have different needs and desires. We cater to them all. Some want the supportive girlfriend persona. Some want the dominatrix. Some want the submissive. Some want what would be considered deviant and depraved experiences. We do not judge. We simply condition our units with personas prescribed by licensed therapists.”
“This one is ‘amiable’?”
“They all are. As I said, it is the baseline persona.” She pulled a clicker from her pocket. “Once the unit is customized, the “Amiable” persona can only be accessed with this device. It shuts down the customization and returns the unit to a manageable state.”
Thomas scanned Cora up and down. “Manageable state?”
“Again, it’s a necessary failsafe. Our customized personas have to be authentic in order to be effective. They don’t just seem real. They are real. If your therapist prescribes a dominatrix, you get a dominatrix. Pain and punishment are her primary directives. It can be dangerous. When things go too far, a manageable state is necessary.”
Thomas leaned in and examined Cora’s face while she stoically stared straight ahead. “Can she hear us?”
“She can, but she won’t acknowledge you until I direct her to do so.”
He chuckled despite all efforts to hold it in. “This is amazing.”
“We have a highly skilled R&D staff, Mr. Miller.”
“I’ll say,” Thomas said. “To be honest, this is the hottest woman I have ever seen.”
“Female, Mr. Miller.”
“Right, female.”
“And I’m glad you like her because she’s yours.”
Thomas turned to her with a confused expression. “Mine?”
“For 72 hours.”
“I don’t understand.”
Ms. Pope crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow. “I’m letting you take her home for the next three days.”
“Does that mean I got the job?”
“No, we’re not quite there yet. I want you to familiarize yourself with our product for the next 72 hours. At the end of which time, she will be returned here and you will observe her being decommissioned by one of our agents.”
“What then?”
“You’ll go through your final evaluation with me. If all goes well, you’ll be offered a job, and should you take it, you will never have another financial concern in your lifetime.” She handed him a piece of paper. “Our staff therapist examined your test results and prescribed this customization for you. There are three personality types that will be conditioned into this Cora unit at the conclusion of our meeting.”
Thomas attempted to read the therapist’s notes, but he couldn’t make out the handwriting.
Ms. Pope allowed a small laugh to escape her lips and said, “It took me several minutes to decipher the prescription as well. Luckily our conditioners are adept at reading Dr. Getman’s handwriting.” She took the note from him and looked it over. “Personality number one is known as Girlfriend Supportive. Cora will find everything you do interesting. She will think your ideas are brilliant. If you paint, she will love your paintings. If you write poetry, she will insist that you publish.”
“I don’t do either of those things.”
“It doesn’t matter. She will love whatever you do. Personality number two is the Tease. She likes to have fun. She will make jokes. She’ll do a striptease to get you in the mood only to refuse your sexual advances with a wink and a nod. Simply put, she will tease you in any way she can just to make things fun and exciting.”
“Why would I want that?”
“Don’t ask me,” Ms. Pope said, “These personas were determined to be the best fit for you based on your test results.”
He wanted to roll his eyes, but he stopped himself. “What’s the third personality type?”
Ms. Pope looked at him with a disapproving glare. “The third type, which is the overriding persona, the primary personality, if you will, is the Porn Star.”
“Porn star?” Now he fought the urge to jump up and down with utter joy.
“Come now, Mr. Miller. Do I really need to explain that one to you?”
He hesitated.
“Fine. Cora will crave you. She will need unbridled physical attention from you. She will hunger for you, Mr. Miller.”
He felt his heart race. “I just don’t understand how a therapist looked at my test results and determined I wanted a prick-teasing, porn star girlfriend.”
“I assure you these results are based on decades of research. It’s a scientific construct of a mate that will perfectly balance the chemistry levels in your brain. At the end of three days, you will feel better adjusted emotionally and physically than you ever have before. For some, the adjustment is permanent. For others, it last years. In very few instances, the effect only lasts months. But, if that is the case, a client may simply get the prescription refilled.”
“Why only three days?”
“While our product is nearly perfect in human form and sexual appeal, it still has its limitations. We have managed to create life out of nothing, but unfortunately, we cannot sustain that life for very long. Their cellular structure and immune system are nearly indestructible for 72 hours, but by hour 73, living in a non-sterile environment is toxic to them.”
“Toxic?” He looked at Cora again.
Ms. Pope sighed. “Highly toxic, I’m afraid.”
“But, that seems like such a waste. I mean to create something like this – like Cora only to have it last for three days.”
Ms. Pope recognized the questioning look in his eyes. He was wrestling with the morality of working for an industry that created throwaway human-like beings. “You needn’t concern yourself with Cora’s wellbeing, Mr. Miller. Her life, albeit a short one, is lived entirely in the service of others. She is created with a purpose, and she fulfills that purpose. She will never question why she’s here or regret the path she’s taken. She will simply spend the three days of her life enjoying every bit of it with a person she is intensely attracted to. We should all be so lucky.”
“And you’re sure this is legal?” Thomas asked half-jokingly.
“We are tightly monitored by the FDA. They examine our conception, incubation, and engineering specs. They pour over our patient records, and they even helped devise our decommission policies and procedures. We are fined severely for any violations. Therapists can be stripped of their licenses for any improprieties, and our clients can incur significant penalties if they are found to be abusing the bio-synthetic program.”
“But she looks just like a person. I mean an incredibly beautiful person, but still….
“She is enhanced in ways you cannot detect, Mr. Miller. She appears perfect because she was constructed to adhere to laws of symmetry. Upon conditioning, they will match her pheromone structure to be symbiotic with your pheromone structure. We will tweak her DNA markers with a special protein compound to be a complement to your own unique DNA configuration. It won’t change her appearance, but it will change the way she speaks, laughs, walks, crosses her legs when she sits, and a myriad of other things. Her idiosyncratic behavior will be designed to optimize her compatibility with you.” She held up the tablet. “Every answer you’ve given on this test has been coded onto an electrical current that will be fed into her neural pathways. She will know things about you that will stun and amaze you. She will know what your favorite food is, what sport you like best, how much you love or hate your parents, how you like to be kissed, where you like to be kissed, what side of the bed you sleep on.” She leaned back in her chair. “Cora will be that part of you that has been missing. Over the course of your time with her, you will notice things getting better. You’ll smile more. Your mind will stop racing. You’ll enjoy life.”
“I st
ill don’t understand…” He started to question the three-day limitation when she held up a finger stopping him in anticipation of what he was going to say.
“If we could overcome the 72 hour barrier, we would, but science can only do so much, Mr. Miller. I agree that it is a shame, but these are the confines in which we must work.”
Thomas sighed and considered the information. “Are you sure it’s safe? I mean what happens if I bring her back late. I use the shuttle system, and those things are always off schedule.”
“Under our guidelines, it’s perfectly safe. Once you are re-introduced to this Cora unit after conditioning, our decommission agents start your countdown. They will retrieve the unit at exactly 72 hours, not one minute later and not one minute earlier. She will be injected with a tiny GPS tracker. They will know her location at all times. When it’s time to extract her, they will find you. There are no worries on your end. We’ve done this thousands of times.”
He took one last look at the bio-synthetic sitting next to him. “Cora, do you want to spend the next three days with me?”
Cora did not respond.
“Cora, tell Mr. Miller you would love to go with him.”
Cora turned and flashed Thomas a warm, friendly grin. “I would love to go with you, Mr. Miller.”
He looked at Ms. Pope. “When do we get started?”
Ms. Pope stood. “Come with me. We’ll need a few specimens from you, and then our conditioning crew will handle it from there. Your unit will be ready to take home within the hour.” Before she opened the door to the conference room she said, “One last thing, Mr. Miller. You’re to continue to keep your purpose for being here a secret. As far as everyone is concerned, you are a priority client. You mustn’t tell anyone you are here interviewing for a job as a decommission agent. Understood?”
Thomas nodded and followed her out of the room.
-6-
His maid sat on his personal assistant’s face and bucked wildly as her tongue tickled her swollen clit. The maid’s uneven almost panicked shrieks filled the air. Neither woman had noticed that their boss had stopped barking out orders to them. He sat gripping a photograph.