For His Love Page 2

  “Yeah, sex slave,” Kail teased.

  “Doesn’t matter one way or the other, does it?” Xavier interjected, glancing from Kail to Savior. Turning to the other nurturers scattered about the bay, he looked over each of them. “Any place is better than here, isn’t it?”

  They were quiet for a long moment before Savior said, “I’d ask you to stay in touch, but it seems like when a person leaves this place, they just disappear.” He sat forward, his large hands dropping to his raised knees. “If you tried to get a message to us, do you think your goddess would allow it?”

  Xavier shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know, but I’ll sure as hell try.”

  “To hell with that. We’ll just see you on the outside,” Kail blurted. “I’m going to step up my game at the next exam and blow their minds, and then when I get to Utopia, I’ll look you up!”

  “Dumb nut, do you know how big Utopia is?” Savior sneered, his nostrils flaring.

  Kail thought it over for a second before responding, “Nope, but neither do you. The way I figure it, with the amount of time that passes before they pick a new nurturer, it can’t be that big, right?”

  Xavier leaned forward, his hands dangling between his knees. He would miss his friends, but this place, not so much. He couldn’t say the instructors were mean or nasty to them, because they weren’t, at least not all of them. He just felt like there was more outside of these cold cinderblock walls. This place had always seemed to him like the prisons he’d read about in his history books when he was going through the scholarly portion of his training. It left him wondering what truly stood on the other side of the walls they were forbidden to leave.

  Since the age of five, he, Kail, Savior, and the other nurturers had been told repeatedly that to venture outside the walls for any reason would bring immediate death by either the vicious, hungry beasts which lived out there or by the polluted air. It was said to be a barren, putrid wasteland, with tar pits for lakes, and dried, thorn-ridden sticks for trees.

  He had believed them at first. What child wouldn’t? However, as he grew older and started paying closer attention to his instructors, the way they dressed, the way they wore their hair, and the way they smelled, he began to notice things like small pieces of greenery on the bottom of their heeled shoes and pollen on their clothes. He also noticed the way their skin would be paler for three or four months and then darken for another five. It was especially noticeable on the ones who were pale to begin with. He had wondered, but he’d never questioned them about it.

  A faint chime echoed around the bay, drawing Xavier from his reverie. The room hushed. They had a guest—an instructor coming to congratulate him, he was sure.

  Savior slid off the bed, and Kail quickly stepped around it and over to Savior’s side as the door at the far end of the room slid up. A moment later, they could hear the soft click of heels against the tiled floors and murmurs of, “Good evening,” from other nurturers.

  Xavier stood, stepped to the end of the bed, and brushed a few thick locks of hair from his face. His Intimacy Instructor strutted in his direction, her blonde, board-straight hair pinned back away from her face. Her light brown eyes focused on him.

  He didn’t like her, not because of who she was, but more because of what she was. He’d read and studied his text thoroughly, and he knew what she taught him was not considered intimacy. It was more barbaric and demeaning than anything else.

  She stopped before him, a tight smile on her face. “Good evening.”

  Kail and Savior spoke in unison, “Good evening.”

  She ignored them. “Good evening, Xavier.”

  She stared at him, and he had to wonder exactly what she was looking for. She had to have known once he had found favor, she could not touch him in that way ever again. “Good evening,” he finally replied.

  She stepped closer to him, her breasts brushing against his bare chest. “I wanted to congratulate you on your wonderful luck. I hear your goddess is most desirable.”

  “I wouldn’t know,” he bit out in a tone he had never used with any of his instructors before. He took a small step back away from her.

  Her head tilted to one side, and for an instant, he saw the look he’d seen numerous times on her face just before she chained him to the wall of her private classroom and tried to beat him into submission.

  “If I had known you were going to be chosen, I would have made sure to schedule one last lesson with you,” she admitted brashly.

  He could feel the eyes of the other nurturers trained on him as he took another step back away from her.

  She covered the distance and continued, her hands gripping her hips, “There is still so much I need to teach you.” Her gaze traveled the length of his body and back, devouring him. She bit down on her lower lip in a gesture that Xavier figured was meant to look sexy. It set his nerves on edge.

  Xavier glanced away from her and around at the other occupants of the room. “I have learned all I need to learn from you,” he said as he stepped back again, his back bumping up against the cold steel of the hanger that housed all he owned in the world.

  She grinned. Her breasts, flattened against his bare chest, felt like warm soft pillows begging to be plumped. If she weren’t such a sadist, the thought might have appealed to him. Her cool hands moved up his arms and over his shoulders.

  Xavier shot a look at Savior and Kail for help, but all he saw staring back at him was regret and helplessness. They could not intercede. If he had not found favor, she would have been allowed to do this to him in the presence of others, because she was his instructor. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as her hand slipped down to his waist and into the elastic band of his white, loose-fitting cotton pants. He froze as she cupped his balls, her nails digging into the tender skin.

  He hissed and closed his eyes as he grabbed her hand. “Stop!” His anger surged to the forefront, and it took every ounce of will he had in him to keep it in check. He was too damn close. “I’ve found favor! You can’t do this!”

  Xavier knew he couldn’t hit her or push her away. He could never put his hands on any female in such a manner. It went against everything he’d been taught and bred for, but this once, he wanted to pound a woman into the ground at his feet. His free hand clenched and released as he bit down hard on his lower lip and tried to suppress the hatred he felt for her and the violence he wanted to inflict on her. He couldn’t and wouldn’t allow her to throw his gift away.

  She laughed in his face. “And do you…”

  “Carnie, what are you doing?” a voice bellowed, cutting her off.

  Xavier’s eyes snapped open and relief washed over him as Carnie tugged her hand out of his waistband. He flinched as the tips of her nails raked over the tender head of his cock. He placed his hand over it protectively and took in the small, green-eyed spitfire with black hair who had entered the bay.

  Cash was his Companionship Instructor. On more than one occasion she had struck fear into him, which was saying a lot, since he was a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier than she. Carnie stepped away from him. “Cash, what are you doing here?”

  “What am I doing here? What are you doing here?”

  Cash stepped so close to Carnie, anyone would have thought the two of them were going to attack one another. Cash growled and stepped even closer. Their nipples would have touched had Carnie not towered over Cash by a half a foot. Carnie stood there, her back straight, head held high, a derisive grin on her face as if she hadn’t just broken the most important rule of the facility.

  “The Headmistress is going to hear about this,” Cash said. “You know your tutelage is over once he has favor, and you groped him anyway.”

  “I did no such thing.”

  “I saw you,” Cash roared. Her soulful yet demanding voice was a stark contrast to her small stature. It commanded the attention of all present and left very little to debate.

  Carnie turned to him, an arrogant glint in her eyes. “Did I touch you inappropri
ately?” She stared at him, her eyes narrowing as if daring him to speak against her.

  His head dropped, not because he was scared to go against her, but because he didn’t want to get caught up in anything that would prolong his stay here. He was ready to get to his goddess, to get to Utopia.

  Cash must have known he wasn’t going to say anything, because she grabbed Carnie’s arm, and shoved her back into the walkway. “Just go! I swear if you come near him again before he leaves here, I’ll take you down myself and I’ll see to it your ass is reassigned!” Cash proceeded down the walkway behind her, her small hands fisted, her face set in a mask of rage.

  When the two of them were gone, it seemed like the entire room returned to life around him as he sagged, slouching on the bed, head down and eyes closed.

  “Damn, I’m glad she isn’t one of my instructors,” Kail teased, settling on the bed to his left.

  “You all right?” Savior asked.

  Xavier sighed and shook his head lethargically. “They can’t get me out of here fast enough.”

  Chapter Three

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Ariel gushed.

  “What companion isn’t?” Dr. Lorraine Lobush checked the heart monitor and then made her way over to the brainwave machine as she said to her assistant, “Is gawking at the merchandise the only reason you work here?”

  “Not at all, but I must admit it’s quite the perk. Do you know how many of my friends would love to have my job? If only I got to try out the products before we sold them.”

  Dr. Lobush rolled her eyes as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She was the head android companion manufacturer in the southeast region and oversaw each and every conversion that came through her facility. She knew most women saw androids or personomales as nothing more than objects, things to be owned and discarded at their discretion, and in some ways they were. But to her, they were far more than possessions. They were a reminder of a world long forgotten, a world where men and women lived together as husband and wife. A world where men were revered, honored, and appreciated. She was not lucky enough to have experienced this world, but her research was littered with stories of long-dead husbands and fathers who were upstanding but imperfect men, who loved their wives, and who doted on their offspring. Naturally, there were also those who killed, maimed, raped, and tortured for the fun of it. However, there were so many more who were worthy of praise and of remembrance.

  Dr. Lobush admonished, “Watch your mouth, Ariel.”

  “It’s not like it can hear me, and even if it does, so what? It’s a PAP. A damn fine PAP, I might add, but still just a PAP.”

  Dr. Lobush brushed her hand across the product’s forehead and pushed back the thick russet curls framing his face. She traced the tips of her fingers down the side of his chiseled jaw line and over his dimpled chin, and ran her thumb across his supple lower lip. She smiled to herself and stepped back. “This one is not a partially android personomale or PAP, Ariel. He is one of the few.”

  “Seriously?”

  The intercom chirped and the soft, professional voice of the lobby receptionist interrupted. “Dr. Lobush, you have a visitor.”

  Not moving from where she was standing, she said, “Who is it? And does she have an appointment?”

  “Her name is Sotophia Zen and, no, she does not have an appointment. However, she does have a golden certificate. She also requests that you call her Phia.”

  Dr. Lobush stepped near the viewing screen, brushed her fingers lightly across the lower left corner of the screen to engage it, and stepped back as it jumped to life before her. She scanned the lobby, her eyes landing on a slender woman with hair the color of a raven’s wing.

  The woman looked up at the camera as if she could feel eyes on her, and Dr. Lobush took in her dark, slightly slanted eyes, her cream-colored skin, her pert nose and full lips, all of which sat perfectly positioned on her heart-shaped face. Her doctor’s eyes told her this woman, unlike most of the women she saw on a daily basis, had not undergone any bio-peels or other youth treatments. She had a natural un-doctored beauty, which was rare these days, when everyone, including her, wanted desperately to hold on to the supple, rosy, and unblemished skin of youth.

  “I’ll be right up.”

  It was like being in a candy store! There was one of every kind, and if you didn’t like that, well, there was one across the way you could have. If you wanted it buff, they had it. Tall and lanky, they had it. Short and fat, they didn’t have it, but they could make it for you. Tanned, dark-skinned, olive toned, swarthy, or albino, damn it, they had it. Bald, dark haired, blond, bet your ass, they had it.

  The room was brightly lit, its walls painted an eggshell white and lined with glass cases. Each held rows of posed bodies—beautiful, sculptured, unnatural, manly, magnificent wonderful bodies—that made areas of Phia’s own body spasm and throb.

  She had seen personomales before. She had talked to them, been entertained by one or two of them, and even been waited on by some. But never had she seen any of them like this: still as stone, and perfectly perfect.

  Phia trailed Dr. Lobush, her eyes jumping from one glass case to the next. Look at his thighs. His biceps, his pecs…Oh my…Holy hell, he’s hung!

  She stopped at one of the glass cases and leaned forward, reading the specs, “Name: Stoney. Age: 28, Height: 6’2”. Weight: 185 lbs. Nationality: Scandinavian. Eyes: Green. Price: 115,000.00 credits. Model Number: S2110-09-01-FAP. Financing options available upon request.” She leaned back and started after the woman again. Okay, so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. I’m not going to get romance anyway. I might as well get sex. I could treat it like a person. Yeah, I could do that. And it would definitely get Varonda off my back. She glanced back at the case with Stoney in it and blushed.

  “So, Phia, do you see anything you like?”

  Phia glanced around the room. “Are you kidding? What’s not to like?”

  The woman, Dr. Lorraine Lobush, was a little taller than she, with long, slender legs and small breasts. Her eyes were the color of the sky on a cloudless day. She had an oval face with full lips, and a nose that seemed to be perfectly crafted for her face. Phia had to wonder if it was hers or if it was paid for.

  The doctor turned and walked away from her. Trailing her fingers across a few of the glass cases, she asked, “What do you know about personomales?”

  “I only know what I’ve read and what a few of my friends have told me.”

  “You’re twenty-eight, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “And until now you’ve never owned a personomale?”

  “No. Why, is that a problem?”

  “No, it just comes as something of a surprise. Usually a woman of your breeding would have owned several by now.” She turned her back to Phia. “I’m curious as to why you’ve waited this long to purchase one.”

  Phia stared at the doctor’s lean back, her earlier thoughts of what she wanted rushing back to her. She glanced around the showroom again. This time she didn’t see sexy, well-chiseled male forms promising her long nights of hot, sweaty sex and nominally true companionship. This time, she saw them for what they were, functioning android personomales with a thick layer of fabricated skin in various colors. They were machines. Should she pick one, it would be programmed to her specific liking, and should she take it home and decide she didn’t like it, she could bring it back, get it upgraded, or trade it in.

  She glanced back at the case holding Stoney and frowned. “I’ve never wanted one before,” she admitted, “and I still don’t, but my mother gave me this certificate…so here I am. I guess you could say I’m window shopping.”

  Dr. Lobush smiled and glanced around the room. “Well, who could ask for a better gift?”

  Phia’s gaze shifted to the floor. She didn’t want second best or a runner-up. No. But what else could she do? She’d tried finding a real, breathing man, but he could only promise her an hour of his time once every few months, and at a steep
price. That wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted a real relationship.

  “This room holds our FAP models, or ‘functioning android personomales,’” Dr. Lobush declared, drawing her from her private thoughts. “The FAP models are used mostly for child care, sex, and manual labor. They have no emotions whatsoever. Everything they know is what we program into them. These can be, and usually are, created from scratch. You can pick the eye color, hair, height, weight, approximate locations of pimples and scars, if you’re into such things. You can even choose the size of its penis. With one of these, you can let your imagination run wild.” She didn’t stop there. “However, the maintenance on them is also high. They require extensive charging every fifteen days and semi-annual upgrades. These upgrade packages begin at five thousand credits and can surpass one hundred and fifty thousand credits.”

  Phia was stuck on the fact that she could choose the size of its genitals as Dr. Lobush started across the room and exited through a set of sliding glass doors. Phia followed behind her quickly.

  “Do you have any questions about the FAPs?” Dr. Lobush asked.

  Phia shook her head and glanced around this second room, which was filled with more personomales, but not nearly as many as the first room. There was something different about them. They looked more natural. Their bodies were as perfect as the last set, but their facial features were more relaxed. They appeared to be merely sleeping, napping even.

  Phia stepped toward one of the glass cases holding a dark-skinned, leanly built product. If she remembered correctly from her history classes in college, she’d say this one was meant to resemble a basketball player or some other type of athlete. Leaning forward, she quickly read its specs. “Name: Nazeem. Age: 31. Height: 6’9”. Weight: 235 lbs. Nationality: Egyptian. Eyes: Brown. Price: 225,000.00 credits. Model Number: S2110-08-301-PAP. Financing options available on request.”

  Her head tilted from side to side as she allowed her eyes to roam over its body, taking in the uncanny way its muscles seemed to move even while it was standing still. They twisted tightly around its arms, its chest, and its abdomen, like a tightly wrapped pack of thick sausages, and then dipped low out of her view.