Robots of Avery Five.

Chapter 11

Sadie sat under a bookshelf, flipping through the pages of a colorful picture book. Under each image, there was a description in a language she didn’t recognize.

“So beautiful.” She traced her finger over a fruit basket.

“Look, this one talks about the white sand.” Cam showed her the book he had chosen.

“Let me see.” She put the paper relic back on the shelf and stood beside him.

“It’s English.” She gaped and snatched the book from his hands. “It shows how to make it.”

Sadie stopped at the recipe she found most appetizing and began translating.

“One cup of rise-e, rice. The white sand; they called it rice. This is amazing. I’ll ask Kimiora to teach me how to use her stove.” Her jaw dropped as she flipped the page and wetness increased in her mouth. Bright red, brown, and yellow ooze out of a crystal container. Never had she ever wanted to eat a picture desperately. 

“P-pasta, tom-ato,” she read. 

“Here’s someone I recognize.” Cam grinned at a page of another book.

Sadie lifted her head over his forearms to see the portrait of a dark-skinned man with a thick black beard and a lab coat. It was an excerpt from a newspaper with the headline, Promising Young Americans: Dr. Carter Monk.

“I’ve never seen him before. Who is he?” she asked.

“He’s my father,” he replied.

Sadie’s chin met her neck as she read through the description.

“Cam, you got some cables mixed up. This guy was a neurosurgeon—a brain doctor, it says. Plus, he was an American. How could you have known an American person?”

“I didn’t get to meet him, exactly. My father died a long time ago. He’s not like your father.”

“My father? What are you talking about?” Sadie didn’t know of her past life as a human, much less of her parents. 

“Yeah, you know, God,” Cam specified. 

“God? Like the god from the banned religions?”

“Have you ever met your father?” Cam snickered and continued flipping through the pages.

Not knowing how to react, Sadie stood in silence. An Ai-consort’s only function was to fulfill his master’s s****l needs, but this one surprised her with new pieces of information that no one should know, or wasn’t supposed to know. If it was all part of this so called sexy trivia, the game was way too specific for a human to have fun with it.

“Cam, I’d like to learn more about Carter Monk,” she said. 

“Carter Monk was one of many American scientists who joined the resistance against the Human Federation and escaped to Avery Five,” Cam spoke as if he were in an infomercial. “He was one of its first colonizers. When Avery Five was taken by the Human Federation, he turned to the field of robotics and created the first line of Ai-consorts.”

“How does a renowned neurosurgeon end up making s*x toys?”

“God has a plan for all humans.”

Sadie became frustrated. “It’s obvious that, by the looks of it, Americans spoke English. I learned English in school but there was no mention of Americans in the textbooks.”

“That’s because the Human Federation’s first mission was to unite the world,” he replied.

“Rid their citizens of their individual identities,” she added. ”How many groups of people spoke against the Federation?”

“Now that, sweetheart,” Cam closed his book and put it behind his back with a smirk, “is part of sexy trivia.”

“Solar-flair, Cam. Tell me what I want to know.” Sadie lowered the robot’s arms and stood on the balls of her feet. 

“I can’t. I’m not programmed to do so.”

Sadie groaned and rolled her eyes. She wondered if there was a way to hook the Ai to a computer and retrieve everything he knew. The robot however, didn’t have a compatible power source. To recharge, he closed his eyes and fed off the wireless energy from the surrounding electricity. There was no guarantee that looking inside him might give her what she wanted.

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll play sexy trivia.”

Cam put his book back on the shelf and wiggled his tongue at her. 

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Alex didn’t care about the ancient books section of the library, but he took interest in the people of Isaac. It was inconceivable to him that thousands of men and women chose to die young because they refused to take a pill. Even if they did not want to be part of the Human Federation, they could have bought or stole Met pills. The result of his grandfather’s legacy had proven, countless times, it saved lives.

What is the deal with food, anyway? It’s impractical: most of it requires heat and time to eat. It’s not sterilized: it was the main source of diseases before the twenty-first century.

Alex walked toward a panel that read, History of Isaac. He swiped to the right and rushed through the biography of irrelevant figures. He came across articles on its population, which lead him to interesting statistics.

It seemed that, throughout history, Isaac’s population had increased as expected. But the numbers of men and women had been of almost equal percentages. Alexander kept scrolling back to previous numbers and comparing them to the present.

He spun around, looking at other panels that hung down from the ceiling. He hurried toward another one and put his hand on it.

“Population of Earth, early twenty-first century,” he said.

“The average population of early twenty-first century Earth was eight billion humans,” the computer replied.

“How many were female?”

“4 billion female. 4 billion males.”

“What about today?”

“There are about 30 billion humans living in the Milky Way galaxy. 12 billion of those are female. 18 billion are males.”

“Something’s wrong here,” Alexander whispered.

“Sorry, I don’t understand,” the computer replied.

“Moonlanding!” Alexander rushed out of the room.

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Sadie and Cam left the library before Alex could find them, so he returned to the reception and asked Kimiora if she had seen them. Avoiding eye contact, she pretended to be busy and suggested he might find them around the food courts or her own cabin. That’s where they had been staying since their arrival.

The Earthian noticed she was avoiding him. He wanted to make the situation more bearable, but he couldn’t think of the right words. After she gave him the directions to her cabin, he flashed out of the building. 

In the food court, smells he had never sensed before rushed through his nostrils. Although overwhelming, his stomach growled for it. A man flipped two flat circular sponges and added a paste to it, making them glossy. The iron tray underneath them sizzled, calling his hunger. Alex could almost hear the sponges utter his name.

A high pressure began to crush his temples and the food began to multiply in front of him. He focused on the ground and jostled through the diners.

“Watch it, yabnuck!” A young girl yelled at him as she picked up a juicy golden ball off the floor.

Something about the ball made his mouth water, and he found himself craving it more than anything. Sweat poured down his legs and onto his feet. He bolted as far as he could.

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“Sadie?” Alex found the door to Kimiora’s cabin was unlocked so he let himself inside.

The one story home was small and full of bright cotton fabrics. Pictures of food hung from the walls, making the kitchen the center of the home. There were ceramic bowls on a table and long silver instruments on the counter.

While hypnotized by the varied colors, he heard Sadie’s faint voice and walked toward a room. As he opened the door, he found the clone girl with her legs spread on a bed while Cam buried his head between them.

“Yes.” Sadie held on to the headboard and stretched her neck.

Cam muffled a sound and motioned his head faster. Alexander’s jaw dropped in lust and anger. He wanted to grab Cam’s head, and smash it until his circuits exploded. At the same time, he wished to be the one savoring her juices.

“Alex.” Sadie gasped, pulling Cam’s hair. His head continued to move.

“Can you stop? I need to talk to you.” Alexander clenched his fists.

“Oh, so close.” The warmth inside her was stronger than her shame. “I’m sorry. Alex, I’ve learned so much.”

“Tell him to stop,” he grunted.

“He lost.”

Cam massaged the inside of her thighs and made circles around her womanhood with his tongue. Alex kept his eyes on the scene. His blood gathered in his hips. “What’re you talking about?”

“I need to talk to you. Agh, I’m about to come,” said Sadie, holding onto the pillow. 

"Seriously?”

“So good! We, we, we played sexy trivia.”

“I don’t care.”

“Solar-flair, the Federation...history...they lied. Kiss me,” she struggled to speak. 

The robot took over her breasts.

Alexander hated himself for liking Sadie’s loud moans. He stomped toward the bed in an angry manner and sucked on her upper lip. His hand explored her torso until it found her genitals. 

Cam dropped beside her and wiped his mouth with the back of his hands. Alex watched him grin and he gave him a death stare. He was better than a robot—he had to be because the only night he had with Sadie was better than all other encounters with the android prostitutes from Earth. 

His hand rubbed against Sadie repeatedly, making her bite her lower lip. The Ai-consort cupped his master’s breast, but the Earthian pushed him away and kissed the girl again. 

“Alex,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

“Look at me, Sadie,” said Alex. 

The clone girl tried to meet his gaze but her eyes rolled up and her mouth opened wide. Her legs shook and her muscles contracted. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, then he remembered the damn robot was still there, staring at his woman. “Sadie, as the father of our baby, I—”

“As I was saying,” Sadie interrupted him while she scavenged for her clothes. “The Human Federation lied. The man who built the Ai-consorts, Carter Monk, was against them. That’s why Cam knows so much about the old world.”

“You got that out of playing sexy trivia?” asked Alex. 

“Yes. Dr. Monk was scared of the repercussions and hid his anti-government message into a game. Alex, I know it might seem insane but I believe Cam. He has no reason to lie.”

Alex nodded. Two days ago that might have seemed insane, but after seeing the statistics at the library, Cam’s unusual behavior made sense. He needed more information on Dr. Monk. 

"I think the Met pills are killing women,” he added to their mistrust of the system that raised them.

“What? How do you know?” Sadie stopped by his sudden words. 

“Historical statistics. Male to female ratio was identical for centuries until the Human Federation banned the consumption of plants and animals. Agh.” He held his knees and pressed hard on his stomach.

“Alexander, it seems you are running out of human fuel,” said Cam.

“I need a minute,” said Alex.

“No, Alex, you have to eat, now,” said Sadie. 

“I’ll drink some water.”

“How can you still refuse to eat food when you told me Met pills are killing people?”

“It’s killing women, not men.” He grasped a corner of the mattress.

“And that’s okay because you’re a man.” Sadie crossed her arms and tapped her heel on the wooden tile.

“That’s not what I meant. I, I can’t...eat it. I’m, I’m—”

Sadie let her arms fall as she observed every one of his actions. “Scared,” she finished his sentence. “I understand. When you live your whole life thinking one thing is going to kill you, you have to develop an irrational fear.”

The clone girl lifted Alex’s arm over her shoulders and helped him up.

“Where’re we goin’?” he mumbled.

They went with heavy treads toward the kitchen, where she signaled Cam to pull a chair for him. She then helped the Earthian down.

“Alex, listen to me.” She cupped his jaw. “When you found out the Met pill wasn’t working in my body, you didn’t hesitate to find me real food. You knew it was the only way to save the baby. So if you ever want to meet her, you’ll have to do this for her.”

Right as she said that, Kimiora came through the front door. Watching Alex bend over his stomach, she shook her head. “Still refusing to eat, huh.” 

“Can you teach me how to use the stove?” Sadie asked, and Kimiora nodded instantly. “Cam, go get me the books we brought from the library.”

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Alex thought Sadie had put four plates in front of him until he blinked a few times and they morphed into one. Red, green, white, and yellow lured his pupils with an aroma so potent, it was sure to wake the dead.

“The ancients called it lass-agna,” said Sadie. “Well, this is my version of lasagna. Turns out, cooking is not as simple as it looks.”

Kimiora sat on the opposite end of the kitchen table while licking her fork. “This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever had in my life.”

Alexander panned from Sadie, to Kimiora, then to Cam, and back to his plate. Every tastebud was alive and he grabbed the tomato and cheese-filled pasta and stuffed it into his mouth. His neurons fired and his eyes popped out of their sockets. He chewed faster. A few pieces fell off his mouth. He picked them up and forced them back inside.

Both girls gaped at his face smeared in sauce.

“Mow,” he mumbled.

“What?” asked Sadie.

“Mow, mow.”

“I think he means more,” said Kimiora.

Unable to talk, Alexander pointed at her. His cheeks looked like they were about to explode. His lips reduced to a dot as his jaw made circular patterns.

Sadie’s head dropped back as her stomach jumped with laughter. Kimiora covered her mouth, grabbed a bunch of napkins, and set them by Alex’s plate. Cam stood in front of the table studying the human emotion and recording it as a mental breakdown.

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Although it was sunny outside, Kimiora had closed the thick curtains in the living room and went to bed. They soon learned that in Isaac, people went to sleep at different times of the endless daylight. Children went to school while others slept. Businesses opened while others closed; workers chose their shifts. Despite the strict schedule, insomnia and sunburn were the leading cause of doctor’s visits.

Sadie giggled, pointing at Alex’s swollen belly after they had food. “Look at your stomach.” 

Alex leaned over the sink, washing his hands and frowning at himself.

“This. This is what I was trying to avoid.” He dried his hands on a rag and lifted his t-shirt.

“I’m sure tomorrow will go away. It happened to me the second time. I thought I had twins.” She rolled her eyes.

Some light still sneaked into the house, but the kitchen remained dark.

“Thank you,” said Alex.

“You’re welcome. I’m glad you liked the lasagna.” Sadie smiled. She played with her fingers, then scratched the side of her head. “Um, Kimiora’s cabin only has two bedrooms. You can sleep with me, you know, if you don’t want to sleep on the couch.”

“Will your s*x toy be there?” He threw the rag on the counter, remembering the earlier bedroom encounter. 

“Cam? Does it matter?.”

“Yeah, it matters,” he raised his voice in disbelief. How could she dare ask that? If there was to be any relationship between them, the robot had to go. “I don’t want that thing in our lives or in my child’s life.” 

"This is your child," she pointed at her flat belly, “but you don’t get to tell me what to do. It’s not like I’m having s*x with random people.”

“The door was open when I got here. Anyone else could have come into the house and found you two being nasty.”

“The house was empty, and I thought I locked the door. Why are you acting like I belong to you?” She showed him an accusatory finger.

“I can’t believe you still think nothing of your behavior, but that’s expected of a clone,” he said. 

Sadie went silent and crossed her arms. She bit both of her lips and swallowed. Her eyes filled with tears. “You want the couch?” She sniffled and brushed her blonde-silver locks to the side. “Then have the couch, yabnuck.” She walked toward her bedroom then turned around to him. “That’s farmer slang for ‘dickhead,’ in case you didn’t know.”