Perfect Boyfriend
"Claire, why are you still single?"
"Where's your boyfriend, Claire?"
"Don't you get lonely, Claire?"
A certain 26 year-old brunette named Claire Redfield groaned as she entered her apartment, a series of gloomy thoughts filling her mind and giving her headaches.
"No, I don't have a boyfriend, and yes, I'm okay with that!" she suddenly yelled at the empty apartment. Well, she had a cat, but she had no idea where it was. Probably hidden behind the fridge.
The young woman heavily sighed as she took off her jacket and messenger bag from her shoulder and then literally fell down on her computer chair.
"I mean…it's not like I NEED one to survive," she mumbled to herself as she turned on her computer. Like every day after work, she checked her e-mails and she was surprised to see one coming from Rebecca Chambers, a medic who used to be in S.T.A.R.S. like her brother so many years ago.
Rebecca was what she could say one of her best friends, but they rarely saw each other. Rebecca was always on the move, working as a medic in her brother's anti-bioterrorism group, but she would leave Claire e-mails here and there, telling her a bit about their missions and general stuff.
Claire was expecting the usual greeting and random stories from the e-mail she got from Rebecca that day, but never in the world would she have guessed that it would be about…
Stupid…
Annoying…
BOYFRIENDS!
"Hey Claire!
How is it going?
Things are pretty smooth on our side, nothing important to say. But after having a conversation with your brother, I heard that you were still single? Is it true? I mean, a nice and cute girl like you! And it's not like you're always moving like me and Chris. You have a home and a more "normal" job. Anyway, I kinda felt bad for you, that's why I'm going to share a little secret with you…
There's a special website where you can find "the perfect boyfriend"! You have all the options, you can choose the guy of your dreams, it's really easy! You should try it Claire! There's really no excuse for you now!
Here's the website: www. perfectboyfriend. com
Oh and…it's a friend who told me about it. Not like I would actually use it ^^;
Tell me about it later!
Bye bye!
Bekki xox"
"Are…you kidding me?" groaned Claire as she finished reading the message. Was Rebecca also going to annoy her with all that boyfriend bullshit? And a website where you can find the guy of your dreams? Yeah right, must be some shitty social site where you get to find people with "similar tastes" and then, get to meet them in a random café just to find out that they're complete morons…
NO THANK YOU.
But…it couldn't really hurt to just take a look at the website, now would it?
Sighing, Claire typed the address and before looking at the page, she went to fetch a glass of Amaretto-orange, a bad habit she had started a few months ago. This was what happened when you were coming back to an empty apartment every day (minus the cat). It made you have weird habits, but she could really care less at the moment. She needed some sort of comfort, of pleasure, and the sweet taste of Amaretto and the hot trail it left in her body brought a bit of both.
"So, let's see what this is all about…" she said to herself as she started checking out the, she had to admit, well-done homepage of the website.
"PERFECT-BOYFRIEND Let all your inner desires take form."
"Huh…" unconsciously emitted Claire as she scrolled down the page and understood that it was actually a place where you could create your own perfect boyfriend.
"FIND YOUR PERFECT-BOYFRIEND NOW"
The brunette took a second to think before clinking on the button. What did she have to lose anyway? This thing was probably not real anyway. Just some sort of game to see how the man of your dreams would look. And so, she was welcomed to a second page where she could start creating her ultimate boyfriend.
First: The body.
"Haha…well well, I won't lie about this then," thought the young woman. "Let's see…taller than me, not that much though: 5.10 ft. Gotta have some muscles, but not like Chris, ugghh. Green eyes. Brown-reddish hair. Hmm…I can put scars? Oh yeah, a few scars here and there, that's sexy. Must be a bit tanned, but not Jersey-shore like. And….no way. Sex size? For real?"
At that, she took a good sip from her drink. Were they REALLY asking about that? "Well, it's just for fun anyway…so how about…8 inches?" she giggled to herself. Man, what a beast that would be! A girl can dream, like they say.
She was then asked about the personality of her Perfect-BoyfriendTM. The girl went for the usual stuff: funny, caring, gentleman-like, serious when the situation asks for it, etc.
And lastly, she was asked to choose between 3 options for the "sexual persona": the Romantic, the Passionate, or the Adventurous.
Claire also giggled at that. At the point where she was now, she didn't think two seconds before choosing "the Adventurous".
After that, she was asked to give her personal information to order her Perfect-Boyfriend™. Claire frowned. They were now asking her to pay? So that thing was really real?
No, no, no, no.
She wasn't going to spend a single dollar on that shady thing. What if it was just a scam?
But then, she read that she had a 1-year warranty on her "toy", if anything was wrong. They would replace it or reimburse her entirely.
Well…why the hell not? I could use some action here.
She was then surprised to see that it wouldn't cost her more than $2,000. That was a lot, but considering how she made a lot of money and barely did anything with it (thanks for being single), she didn't mind that much. She was really curious about this whole thing.
Finally, she clicked on the ORDER button and finished her drink.
As if this is gonna work…
The next day, Claire went to work as she always did, had a pretty normal day but it was enough for her to forget all about that Perfect-Boyfriend thing.
It was only when she arrived at her apartment that she found that something wasn't right. There was this huge wooden box in front of her door. Her name and info were all written on it so it wasn't a mistake and when she saw "Perfect-Boyfriend™ Inc." stamped on the box, she didn't know how to react.
At first, she laughed, unbelieving her eyes. So it had really worked?
And then, curiosity filled her. Looking on her left and right, she opened her door and managed to slide the big box inside her apartment. It wasn't easy, but she managed to do it nonetheless. She could be quite strong when she wanted to.
She put it right in the middle of her living room and stared at it for a long moment.
What if it's some kind of joke? Maybe I'll find an inflated doll inside or something sillier.
But after what felt like forever, she went looking for some tools to open the box. Surprisingly, it hadn't been very hard to unlatch.
Now, she just had to open the lid and see the content…and Claire found herself unable to do it.
I…I need a drink!
Returning with a massive glass of Amaretto-orange, she stared once again at the box. Nothing moved inside, so it reassured her. But she didn't even know what to expect. Maybe it really was an inflated doll that looked like the man she had described in her order. If that was the case, it had been a huge waste of money.
Finally, curiosity overcame her fear and with all her courage, she opened the lid!
Only to find shredded paper….EVERYWHERE.
It was as if she was looking at a huge Easter chocolate bunny in a wooden box…only there wasn't chocolate. Just paper.
But after a second look, she could see that something was UNDER the paper. And so…slowly and with shaky hands, she started to remove the paper and came in contact with…
Something warm and soft…and mushy.
What the…
What the hell was she touching? Her heart started to beat faster. She wasn't sure if she wanted to discover that thing under the paper. But she wanted to see, oh yes did she want to.
So, she kept removing the shredded paper, more and more, until she was finally able to see what was hidden in that weird box.
And what she saw turned her blood cold.
Lying in that wooden box filled with paper was the naked body of a young man. A young man who looked exactly like…
"Steve…"
The woman immediately felt tears falling down her face. No…that couldn't be right. Her eyes weren't seeing right. There was no way in hell that the man inside that box could be Steve. Steve was…was…
"…dead," she whispered in her empty apartment.
But that "person" inside the box wasn't moving and it didn't seem to even breathe. What was going on? Was this some kind of a sick joke? Could it be that someone…had sent her Steve's…corpse?
No, that would be stupid and impossible. After staring some more, she could see that he looked like Steve, but there were many differences. He seemed older and bigger, had scars over his smooth skin and…
Where the hell are you looking? Claire's eyes had made contact below the waist of the man, but had quickly diverted them when she realized that he was…completely…naked.
Where's…my drink?
After taking a huge gulp and coming back to her senses, she noticed a sheet of paper inside the box, beside the head of the unmoving Steve replica…or whatever that was.
She was scared to approach it, but since it hadn't moved a single hair since she had brought the box inside, she thought she was safe. For now…
Quickly, like lightning, she grabbed the sheet of paper, making her best to not touch the…handsome and…more masculine face of Steve Burnside.
"No, no…that's not him…this can't be...it's just…a coincidence…" she babbled to herself as she stepped back and sat down on her couch. She then took a glance at the sheet of paper and saw that it was a typed letter with a seal of warranty.
"Thank you for your purchase! We have no doubt that you'll enjoy the company and expertise of your Perfect-Boyfriend!
Just keep in mind that your "companion" has certain needs like a real human. However, all our units were programmed to take care of themselves in case you wouldn't be around. They don't need to eat, but they have to be washed regularly.
If there's any problem with the behavior of your "companion" or if it ends up being damaged, you don't have to worry. Your purchase comes with a one-year warranty that covers EVERYTHING.
For any question or comment, feel free to contact us via our website.
Enjoy your Perfect-Boyfriend!
Alberto Vescovi
President
.com"
After reading that somewhat professional-looking letter, Claire flipped the page to see more writing on the back side.
"Congratulations on purchasing 'The Adventurous Perfect-Boyfriend'!
To activate your 'companion', press his belly button. If for some reason it does not work, you can use the alternate activation button situated inside his-"
"WHAT?" shrieked Claire, so loud that it made her cat, hidden under her loveseat, jumped out in sheer terror and run away inside her bedroom.
That was a joke, right? All this…this thing was a big joke. It couldn't be any other way. Who would put an activation button…THERE? Claire felt like she started to have a headache. She took another giant gulp from her alcoholic drink.
She resumed her reading, still not believing what she had just read.
Skipping that part, she went to another interesting part that left her speechless:
"With the purchase of 'The Adventurous Perfect-Boyfriend', we offer you for FREE, 2 refill bottles of 'Spermalacious' (original flavor) so you can have great sexy moments with your "companion". Each bottle is worth $14.99!
You can buy more refill bottles of 'Spermalacious' on our website. They come in many flavors! Try them out!"
What…the….fuck…did she just read?
Are they really saying that she can…fill…her "companion" as they like to say with a liquid imitating actual sperm?
She took a moment to digest that information and then emptied her glass in one shot. Looking back at the inside of the box, she did notice a small box, probably containing the bottles of…whatever. She couldn't bring herself to think about it.
What sick mind came up with that perfect-boyfriend thing anyway?
So.
What now?
She had to activate that…android or whatever that was. But man did it look real! And damn did it look like Steve from Rockfort Island.
Does that mean that Steve was actually my perfect type of boyfriend?
She couldn't answer that question. Thinking about that boy always made her heart ache, so she avoided having his blazing grinning face come up into her mind as much as possible.
Sighing, she got up from her couch and approached her "companion" (always trying to avoid looking below the waist). He really looked real and when she actually touched his arm, it wasn't warm or cold. Just in the middle. And it felt like real skin. She wondered how this thing was actually made. Pushing those thoughts aside, she slid her hand to the level of his bellybutton and…she waited, her heart hammering in her ears.
It probably won't work…of course it won't work. Why would it work? We're just in 2005, this is not a sci-fi movie!
And as her mind was raging, trying to determine if this thing would work or not, her hand moved on its own and then Claire heard a distinct click.
Click?
Did it just click?
And then Claire thought she would really go insane when she realized she had actually pushed a button inside the android's bellybutton.
She then heard herself sighing in relief when nothing moved. Not even a finger.
What did I just say?
But as she took a step back from the box, feeling a bit disappointed nonetheless, she felt a gust of wind around her. Her eyes widened when she realized it had come from the android. Her jaw then dropped when she saw the body moving. First the fingers, then the toes and finally, the eyes opened to reveal two glowing green gems (Claire thought at first they were going to shoot lasers at her, but she was thankfully wrong).
Then, the android took a step forward and removed itself from the box. It did a slow survey of its surroundings and finally spotted the speechless young woman. Its eyes roamed her entire body and its mouth finally opened to reveal perfect white teeth:
"Good day to you, beautiful!" he said in a not so masculine voice. Actually, in a voice very similar to Steve's. Maybe a bit deeper. He had dropped to one knee in a dramatic fashion. Claire guessed it was its way to greet people.
"Uhh….hello?" tentatively replied Claire, on the verge on panic.
The "man" then quickly went back to his feet and Claire couldn't miss this time the thing wobbling between his legs as she immediately looked away, her cheeks as red as tomatoes.
"What is your name, mistress?" then said the android, completely ignoring the woman's awkward pose.
"M-mistress?" blurted out Claire as she returned her gaze to the android's face. He looked exactly like him with that grin on his face. Claire could feel tears streaming down her face again.
"Yes, from now on, you are my mistress and I am here to please you," answered the man from the box. It then took a pause to scan her. "Why are you crying, mistress? Did I do something wrong?" he then asked, his face filled with worry.
"W-what's your name…?" whispered Claire, whipping her tears with her hands like a little girl.
"Whatever you desire, mistress."
"…can I call you Steve?" she then asked, the words escaping her lips before she could think.
"Steve? I like that. I think it will sound wonderful once you'll scream it in pleasure," casually said the android, his expression not changing a bit.
"What? What did you say?!"
"I said it will sound wonderful once you'll scream it in pleasure. Do you want to try it now? I am always ready to fulfill your desires," replied the Steve lookalike as he pointed below his waist and Claire fully understood what he meant by "being ready".
"Oh God!" screamed the girl as she twirled around and left the living room just to end up in the kitchen.
She screamed even more when she realized that he had followed her and that he was now standing, completely naked and "turned on", in the doorway to her kitchen.
"The kitchen? Any place will do. We can do it on the table if you want. I know at least 30 positions that we can do on the table," he added as he actually moved toward the kitchen table.
"WOAH! WHOAAA! Time out!" she then shouted and was successfully at making him stop. He then stared at her, waiting for her to say something.
"What…is…that…all…about?" she then asked, panting hard.
"As I said: I am here to please you, my mistress. And by judging from the heat of your body and face, you probably want to be pleased."
"But that makes no sense! I didn't ask any of this! And stop calling me "mistress!"
"What shall I call you then, mistress?"
The girl resisted the urge to groan. "My name is Claire Redfield. You can call me Claire."
"Claire, huh? I'll remember that."
She wanted to roll her eyes at that when a vivid memory of Rockfort Island resurfaced.
Steve had said the same thing when we first met…
She didn't want to think anymore. That…thing…was Steve and it wasn't him at the same time. She suddenly wanted all of this to be a dream, a bad dream. This whole experience had tired her and now she just didn't know what to do.
"Claire?"
"Just…put some clothes on, please."
"I don't have any."
"Oh, right…you can put on the bathrobe hung behind the bathroom door for now," she said as she heavily sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. She then covered her face with her hands, wishing to be somewhere else.
"Where's the bathroom?" asked "Steve".
Without moving from her spot, she just pointed a finger in the right direction and then heard him walking away.
"What did I doooo?" she whined, firmly keeping her eyes closed.
She then heard "Steve" walking back in the kitchen and she dared to open one eye. He was actually wearing her big red fluffy bathrobe. It was a bit short for him, but not that much. At least he wasn't naked.
Not that his body isn't worth looking at…she added to herself, feeling her cheeks burning.
"What shall I do then?" asked Steve as he stayed still in front of the table.
"Sit d-, no scratch that. Can you mix drinks?" she inquired as she removed her hands from her face.
"I have some basic knowledge."
"Good. Can you make me an Orange-Amaretto? The liquor is in the left cupboard."
"Absolutely," replied the man in the red bathrobe as he immediately reached for the right ingredients while the woman slumped even more in her chair.
So…what now?
Nothing she guessed. She found herself being in the most absurd situation ever. Even Raccoon City felt less unreal than this.
She couldn't tell anyone about this. Not even Chris. What would he think? His sister buying a real-life sized sex toy in the shape of a boy she met during an outbreak 7 years ago? That just sounded crazy. And it was crazy. She was still having a hard time convincing herself that there was actually a talking and moving android in her apartment.
She would have to hide him. There was no way she was letting someone see him. But as she looked at him preparing her beverage, she realized how realistic he looked. If you didn't know he was coming from a box, you wouldn't believe that he's not human. She could just pretend that he's really her…boyfriend, and no one would question it. But she had to see the extend of what he was capable of. Could he make decisions on his own?
So far, he had only showed interest in…pleasing her…not that the idea wasn't tempting but she didn't know if she would allow him…this thing…to touch her. His skin had felt realistic enough, but…this was just wrong.
Her thoughts were cut when "Steve" reappeared in front of her with her drink. She took it and was surprised by the taste.
"Wow, that's good. What did you do?" she asked. That drink was simple enough but it had an edge to it that she couldn't pinpoint at all.
"I added a secret ingredient," he replied smiling.
Claire smiled back but never dared to ask him what that "secret ingredient" was.
The next morning…
Claire couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. She could feel rays of morning light in her face, but her bed was so comfortable! She had slept like a baby and even had pleasant dreams for once. She had dreamt that Steve Burnside was alive for some mysterious reasons and had showed up at her door like that. She was so happy…it was like a miracle coming true. Until she realized that he had showed up naked…and that the first thing he had said to her was if she wanted to hit the sheets. Well, it was a dream, so she didn't decline the invitation…not after spending so many years dreaming of him dying in her arms in all the worst possible ways. It was a nice change!
And boy, was it hot!
The young woman giggled at the thought as she rolled in her bed, trying to slowly wake up. She rolled happily on the left side of her bed when she hit something.
At first, she thought it was her cat but when she realized what she was touching wasn't as fluffy and hairy, she shot her eyes open only to find a naked man in her bed.
"WHAT THE—" she shouted as she moved back to the other side of the bed on her butt, trying her best to not give in to panic and throw the first thing in her range of vision, which was her night lamp, at the sleeping man in her bed.
And then, it all came back to her.
The website.
The box.
The Steve-lookalike.
That Perfect-Boyfriend shady thing.
But he had my bathrobe on last night…she thought and her eyes widened in total horror when she realized that she was also naked. She usually slept naked, but…
What…what…did we do last night?
She couldn't remember. Well, barely. She had asked him to make her a drink and he had said that he had added a "secret ingredient". Claire's jaw dropped open.
DID HE PUT ROOFIES IN MY DRINK?
Could he do that? Well, why not? He knew how to make drinks so it wouldn't be surprising.
S-so…did he…
She did a quick survey of her body and didn't find, didn't feel anything strange. She relaxed a bit but quickly stood up her from her bed to put some clothes on. She wasn't used having someone in her apartment, even less in her bedroom.
Now away for the bed, she watched Steve's replica−she couldn't bring herself to consider him the same as the sweet, but troubled teenager she met on Rockfort Island. It was just an android that looked like him.
But his skin was so warm…
Unconsciously, she quietly moved to the opposite bed side and crouched next to the sleeping figure. He was actually breathing, even snoring a bit.
If it's an android, a robot really, why does it have to sleep? she asked herself, getting more confused by the second.
She stared at him for a while, looking at his relaxed face, his masculine features that were contrasted by delicate brows and full lips that she suddenly had the urge to kiss.
I wonder if they feel like real ones…
And then, she actually moved her mouth toward his, her heart exploding in her chest, entirely sure that he would wake up before she had the chance to touch. But he didn't move and Claire was pleasantly shocked by the soft feeling of his lips, how warm and flexible they were and she felt her body heating up. She quickly withdrew, more in fear of her strange reaction than of finding him waking up. Because he was in fact still sleeping soundly.
It's impossible…he must be human…
Unsure what to think or do, she slapped his butt hard (he was sleeping on his stomach, luckily). That also felt quite realistic she noticed as she stared at her hand. And it seemed to be very effective as "Steve" woke up somewhat startled and she was then thrown on her back as he stood up on the bed in a combat stance.
"What's happening? Who's attacking my beloved Claire?!" he shouted, looking around the bedroom angrily.
"Whoa, whoa! Calm down! It's just me, Claire!" she cried back, diverting her eyes when she realized once more that he wasn't wearing any clothes.
"Oh, good morning beautiful!" he cheerily replied as he stepped down from the bed and advanced toward her.
"God, can you please put some clothes on?!" she shot back, frantically looking around for her bathrobe. She found it lying beside the bed. She quickly crawled to it and threw it at the man.
He put it on without complain and seemed to be in a state of reflection for a few seconds. It pained her to see that pensive expression on his face. It reminded her way too much of Steve. It then disappeared when he stared back at her, looking a bit silly in her fluffy bathrobe.
"Tell me, Claire. Why do you react that way when I'm not wearing clothes? You're supposed to like it. You're the one who asked for it," he then said, an indescribable tone in his voice.
"I…what, I asked for it, you say?" she replied as she finally got on her feet.
"Yes. You have asked for an 'Adventurous Perfect-Boyfriend' and that's what I am."
"So…you'll always…act like this?" she said, uneasy, circling around her bedroom.
"That is what I'm supposed to do. But you don't want me to make love to you. So, what am I supposed to do?" he said, following her movements with his eyes.
So…in the end…he's really just a life-sized sex toy…she realized, unsure about how she should feel about it.
"I…I don't know…"
"Am I not of your liking? I am supposed to be the impersonation of your perfect boyfriend…" he said, his voice drastically changing, surprising Claire. His previous speech had been a bit monotonous, like a robot, but now it sounded perfectly human…
"Steve" slowly moved toward her and the girl found herself trapped between the window and his body. Too small for him, her bathrobe had opened at the front, letting her see his toned chest. She could actually see it rising. She could feel his warmth. She could smell him.
Breathing was now hard. A knot had appeared in her throat and she could feel her whole body trembling.
"You're…really Steve…aren't you?" she managed to whisper.
"I am who you want me to be," he simply replied, his face just a few inches from hers.
Claire couldn't tell if it was a yes or a no and she honestly didn't care as she slowly slid her arms around his neck and then delicately brought his face to hers. Their lips met, gently and sweetly and for a second the young woman was scared that he would react weirdly, take charge, but he didn't move. He waited. Claire then took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, covering the entire length of his lips and then making him open them. Even his mouth felt human, it was warm and comforting. She tentatively touched his tongue with her own and felt an electric shock through her spine.
This is crazy…this is just crazy…
But her body didn't care. It instinctively got closer to his, her hands prying open the red bathrobe he was still wearing and letting it drop on the floor. She then hungrily touched and caressed his whole bare body, feeling herself getting hotter and hotter, her mind fogging. Reacting to her ministrations, he had wrapped his arms around her slim waist and broke their kiss so he could plant his lips all over Claire's neck, causing her to moan hotly.
"Claire…" he hoarsely whispered in her ear as he started to lift up her top.
Abruptly, the young woman backed off, her arms pushing him away.
It was too much.
Too much to bear.
"I…I can't do this…" she blurted out before leaving her room and her apartment for some fresh air.
She had expected him to follow her, but he stood in the middle of her room, naked and expressionless.
When she returned, he hadn't moved from her bedroom. But he was wearing her bathrobe and sitting on her bed, seemingly lost in thoughts.
"You're back," he smiled when she entered.
"Sorry about earlier…it's just…you're so much like someone I met…" she replied, sitting beside him on the bed, sadness filling her face.
"Someone you loved?" he asked, turning his head to look at her.
"I…I cared a lot about him…we just…never got the chance to really know each other," she said, struggling with her words. It felt weird, talking about her feelings with this android…but she could feel a strange calmness around him, like she could trust him.
"I see. In other words, I am your second chance."
"My second chance?" she repeated, looking back at him.
"To get to know him, to know me," he explained, slowly placing his hand over hers. She didn't move it away.
"Who are you in the end…?" She was getting tired of all that mystery. Even if it was an android, it had a soul, there was really someone there…and she was determined to find the truth.
"I am your boyfriend. If you want me to be," he replied, squeezing her hand lightly. She felt her heart skip a beat, her stomach tightening.
"Can…can you love me?" she barely whispered, her free hand reaching for his face. It was smooth and warm. She could feel the heat of her body slowly rising.
"Yes…" he whispered back as he gently laid her down on her bed. He started kissing her face and then her neck. His fingers expertly unbuttoned her top, making her lightly gasp as his lips made contact with the skin of her bossom. He then lowered to her stomach and it was when Claire realized something.
"What day are we?" she asked out of the blue.
"Friday," he replied not even bothering to stop kissing her, he had gotten to her hips and the hem of her pants.
"Oh…I HAVE WORK TODAY!" she unexpectedly shouted, standing up on her bed and throwing the man on the floor.
"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit…" she repeated as she tried buttoning her shirt as fast as possible and placing her ponytail.
"How could I forget? This is all you fault!" she glared at "Steve" who was comically sitting on the floor and watching her as she got her things ready for work.
"You'll pay for this when I'll return!" she added before running out of her apartment and leaving once again the man alone.
She had been lucky. She had arrived at work 30 minutes late but her boss wasn't around so she had had the chance to sneakily enter her office and pretend that nothing had happened.
But the rest of the day had been stressful. All she could think of was this android living in her apartment. This man, really. She was damn sure that he wasn't a robot or anything of that sort.
But I did activate him with his navel…
All of this was driving her crazy. But after thinking about it calmly she came to the conclusion that the only way to find the truth was to go to the source.
So she had made some research on the Internet, trying to find an address to this Perfect-Boyfriend business, but she couldn't find any. That was strange.
Maybe if I call them, saying that something is wrong with him…
She had decided to do that once she would be home and now she was standing in her entrance, having a bad vibe. It was quiet. Too quiet.
"Steve?"
No reply.
She frowned as she took off her boots and jacket. She then went directly to her bedroom and saw him lying down on the floor, her kitten sniffing him. She scared the small animal as she rushed to the man's side.
"Steve! What's wrong?"
And she could suddenly feel her whole body tremble. Memories of the Antarctica base resurfaced. Memories of that cold room. Of his naked and bloody body against the wall. Of his dying words.
"No, no, no…" she muttered as she took him in her arms. He wasn't moving. But he was breathing and she felt a bit more at ease. But no matter what she was doing, he wouldn't wake up. It was as if he had entered a deep coma.
"Shit…what should I do?"
Her first reflex was to call 9-1-1 but then she realized how silly it would be.
The company. They said that she could contact them if anything wrong would happen with her companion. She then went looking for the letter that came with the box and found a number.
She then shakily dialed the numbers on her wireless phone and felt her heart hammering in her chest. After a few seconds, a sensual voice greeted her:
"Perfect-Boyfriend, good evening. How may I help you?"
"Yes! Hello! Ste-my, my 'companion', something is wrong with him!"
"Just calm down, miss. Can I have your name?"
"Claire Redfield."
She could hear the woman on the line typing something.
"You've bought an Adventurous Perfect-Boyfriend two days ago," she stated.
"Yes! I don't know what happened, but something is wrong with him," she said, trying to control her voice.
"Can you describe me what exactly is wrong?" asked the other woman.
"Well, I got back home and I found him lying on the floor…he-he seems to be in some sort of coma, no matter what I do, he won't wake up."
"Can you think of something that caused this? It's probably identity disorder,"
"Identity disorder?" repeated Claire as she looked around her and into the other rooms. She then noticed that her computer was left on.
"Hold on…I think he went on my computer and…"
"And?"
"Oh no…" the girl couldn't continue as she realized that he had been looking inside her folder containing all the data she managed to gather about the T-Veronica virus, the Rockfort Island incident, the Ashford Antarctic base and Steve Burnside. Ever since 1999, she had been obsessed with finding what had happened to Steve's body. Even if it were bad news. She had wanted to get over it. But it hadn't been easy, and she still hadn't found the exact location. But thanks to Leon and other reliable sources, she was pretty convinced that his body still existed. As to know if it was just a chunk of flesh or his whole body was another question. But no matter what, she wanted to find it and come to terms with her morbid past.
"Miss Redfield?"
"Y-yeah…it seems he's been looking at information about someone who…looked like him, if I can say."
"That makes sense."
"So what am I supposed to do?" asked the girl as she looked back at the sleeping form in her bedroom.
"We'll send people to retrieve your companion tomorrow with its box and we'll replace him if it's beyond repair. Otherwise, we'll send it back to you."
"Hold on! You're just going to take him away like this?"
"If you want us to remedy to this situation, yes. Otherwise, we can't guarantee that he'll return to 'normal'."
"Can I go with him?"
"Customers aren't supposed to come to the facility."
"Can you make an exception?"
"Miss, I am not allowed to…"
"Can you?!" growled the brunette in the phone, she was holding it so tightly that it hurt her hand.
"I'll…I'll ask my superior. Two staff members will be at your door tomorrow by 10 o'clock." replied the support employee, a bit nervously.
"Thank you," muttered the Redfield girl as she ended the call and heavily sighed. Her gaze went once more toward the bathrobe-clad man lying on her floor.
What the hell are you doing to me…?
Claire was lucky that the next day was Saturday or else she would have taken her day off just so she could visit that Perfect-Boyfriend facility.
They came around 10 o'clock like the lady said.
She'd been awake since seven, too anxious to oversleep and miss them. She had managed to drag "Steve" in her bed the previous night (also managing to open the bathrobe per accident, causing her to drop the body and groan in utter frustration…even though she had taken the opportunity that time to check him out a bit…only a bit…), and placing him beside her. Once she got the sheets, she wondered if it had been a good idea, having him close to her like that…but looking almost dead. She had turned on the other side and had managed to sleep a bit. Barely.
And now, she was drinking her 5th cup of coffee when her doorbell rang. She was greeted by two men in black suit wearing black sunglasses.
"Uhh…are you from MIB? Or the Matrix maybe?" She couldn't help herself.
"No ma'am. We're from Perfect-Boyfriend and we're here to retrieve the defective unit," said the man on the left.
"He's not really defective you know, he's just in some sort of coma…" she said, opening the door to let them in.
"It's defective then," replied the same man. "Where is it?"
"In the bedroom, on the bed."
"I'm curious, did you try doing it while it was like that?" asked the other man, grinning at her.
"If I…? What?! Hell no!" shouted the young woman, taken aback.
"That's what they all say…" he added before joining his partner and getting "Steve" from the bedroom.
Claire watched them as they brought him in the living room and put him back in the box.
She felt something pinching her heart as they started to take it outside.
"So hum…I asked to come. Should I get my motorcycle and follow you?" she said as they reached her door.
"Oh yeah, the boss told us about it. It's a rare thing. Usually customers aren't supposed to visit."
"And why is that? Why is it kept so secret? Does your company hide something? Like Umbrella?"
"Umbrella? Oh, you mean that shit that happened a few years ago."
Claire restrained herself from replying. No need revealing her past to employees.
"There's just no need for customers to come, that's all."
"But your boss made an exception for me?"
"You were supposedly very insistent."
She couldn't deny it.
And thus, she ended up in their little truck on the cramped back seat. They were about to leave.
"So…are you going to blindfold me or something?" she mockingly asked.
"Actually, we got something more effective for that," said the man on the right seat as he turned around and showed her a slim cylindrical device. "Please stare at the little eye here…"
"You've got to be kid-…" started Claire before she was blinded by a very bright light and then…
Then…
"Uuhh…is it supposed to do something except hurting my eyes like crazy?" groaned the young woman as she rubbed her face.
"It was a joke."
"That wasn't funny."
"Joe, cut it," said the man at the wheel as he finally turned the engine and engaged the road. "No need to blindfold you, lady."
"Gosh…you better not," replied Claire as she tried to relax.
"Mint?" asked the driver, presenting her a little metallic box. She gladly took one and realized too late it had been a mistake.
When she opened her eyes, she had no idea where she was and what time it was. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was still in the Perfect-Boyfriend truck. It wasn't moving. She then remembered the mint and slapped her head hard.
"What an idiot!"
"You awake lady?"
She then saw the two men in black looking at her from outside the vehicle.
"You! You fooled me!" she shouted as she tried to get out, but she had the safety belt around her.
"We're sorry, but we couldn't let you know the location of the facility."
"Now…you're really not helping your case. As if you think you'll get away with that. And you better not threaten me…"
"You want your companion back to normal, don't you?" said the man who was driving, opening the door to let her out.
And answers…
She really wasn't reassured by the way things had turned out, but now she was sure that something was really wrong with that company. She couldn't do something stupid or else she'd never get another chance to get to the bottom of things.
"Yes…please do something about it," she said as the men started taking the box from the truck.
"Our boss will see to it," said one of them.
"Your boss….I wonder what he looks like…" she whispered to herself. She noticed they were in some sort of a big warehouse. There wasn't much inside except the truck. She then heard sliding doors opening and closing behind her and then loud footsteps.
A tall blonde man clad in a lab coat and wearing the most ridiculous mustache and glasses she had ever seen was approaching her, a wide smile on his lips.
"Welcome! I am Alberto Vescovi, president of Perfect-Boyfriend!" he said in a very thick Italian accent, moving his arms dramatically. "And you must be Miss Claire Redfield! Such a lovely lady you are!"
"Uhhh….have we met?"
"Met? Oh no no no, I do not think so. I would remember a lovely young woman like yourself, senorita," he replied, grinning.
"Uh uhhh…"
Something was fishy, so horribly fishy it could have sunk the Titanic.
"Ahem! So, is this your companion?" he asked as he pointed the box on the ground next to the truck.
"Yes…he's been in a coma since yesterday…do you think you can 'fix' it?" she replied as they walked to the box.
The president opened the lid and looked at the content. Claire saw with embarrassment that "Steve" was still wearing her bathrobe. She thought she heard the blonde man snicker, but he tried to hide the best he could.
"He's really handsome. You know how to pick them," he lightly said, looking back at her through his tinted glasses.
Claire was taken aback. There was something about this man…the way the right corner of his mouth was turning up. He was the mastermind behind all this shady business. She had to play along if she wanted answers.
"Uh, thanks," she nervously replied.
"How did you call him?"
"Steve…"
"…Burnside?"
"I didn't give him a last name…hey! How do you know that?!" she suddenly shouted, grabbing the man's wrist. He swiftly got free and quickly stood up, looking away from her, obviously shaken.
"Ahem, I didn't say that…I-I said 'does it burn inside?', of course!" he babbled as he started walking away. "Take him in, boys!" he then ordered the two other men.
"Hey, hey! Come back, here! You know something! What's going on, damnit?!" she growled as she saw the men taking the box – and its content – toward the sliding doors.
The blonde man turned back sharply and stared at her "We'll do what we can for your boyfriend, but I can't make any promise, Miss Redfield…"
"Tell me one thing…is he human?"
The man just chuckled in reply. "How could that be?"
"Well, I sure do know he's not synthetic either. So what is he exactly? What do you do so that your facility is so secret and all?"
"You're good Miss Redfield, very good. Just like your br-…" started the president who suddenly turned back and headed to the other side of the door. Claire followed him and the two men in black.
"My what…?" she asked as she noticed she had entered a white corridor that led to labs, she could see through huge windows.
"Just like your brilliant mind!" he corrected.
"That doesn't make sense…" she said as she approached one of the windows. There was dozens and dozens of capsules on the other side.
"So…how do you 'manufacture' those big dolls?" she then asked, turning around to see the blonde man standing in front of the door next to her, the two employees and the box behind him.
"Do you know the secret of the Caramilk?"
"Uh, no…but I don't see how this has anything to do with…"
"Every company has its secret, dear heart. That's all," he responded as he started typing the door passcode.
Dear heart…
"Hold on!" cried out Claire before the man could enter the lab.
"Aren't you…Albert Wesker?"
The man flinched and she could swear she saw sweat drops all over his brow.
"M-me? You're mistaken, I am Alberto Visconi!"
"Vescovi, you mean."
"Yes, yes!"
"And where's your Italian accent, Mister Vescovi?" she asked, her eyes getting darker as she slowly started walking toward the man.
"I…I don't know what you're saying…"
"That's a lovely mustache you have here."
"Thanks, my wife is crazy about it!"
"I bet she is…" replied Claire as she swiftly brought her hand to the man's face and easily removed his glasses…along with the mustache!
"Hey!" cried out the man, trying to grab her arm, but the young woman was quicker and managed to step back out of reach.
"I knew it! It's fake!"
The man only groaned in utter defeat.
"Damn Redfields…"
"So, I was right, Wesker."
"Yes, you happy now?" he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Uh…sir?" tentatively whispered one of the men in black.
"Leave us alone, idiots!"
The men didn't spare a second and disappeared from view.
"So…what's going on exactly? Unless you want to kill me right now?" asked Claire.
"Nah, I'm done with the killing, believe me. I'm just a scientist and business man."
"Selling…life-size dolls to sexually frustrated women?"
"That's an idea like any other…" he muttered looking sideways.
"So…no more conspiracies, vendetta missions?"
"Done with that. I found something a lot more amusing," he smiled, patting the box next to him.
"Okay…so now, can you answer my questions?"
"What?"
"Is…is he really Steve? The boy you stole from me back in 1998?"
"You know he was dead."
"But you said he could come back to life…"
She was cut by the distinctive laughter of the man.
"I said that, did I? Well, it was a possibility, but I hope it didn't prevent you from sleeping, sweetie."
The brunette didn't reply, she just stared back at him, her eyes telling everything there was to know.
He stopped laughing.
"What's inside this box isn't the Burnside boy."
Claire felt her shoulders slumping and her heart tightening. She didn't know if she had to feel relieved or disappointed.
"But…the original is inside this facility."
"What?!" exclaimed the woman, almost losing her balance.
"But…you have to know…he's probably not as you remember him…"
"I don't fucking care! Where is he?" she growled as she grabbed the man by the lab coat, almost spitting in his face.
Wesker just pointed the door next to them.
"Show me."
Claire was amazed, no, astonished, by what she was seeing. All those capsules…they were all hosting a "Perfect-Boyfriend", some very plain and others with distinctive features. She even saw a few of them without a face, it was creepy as hell.
Albert Wesker led her through the pathway between the rows of capsules, some employees looking at them curiously. It was the first time someone from "outside" had entered the lab.
The blonde suddenly stopped and she almost bumped into him. Looming in front of them was a huge capsule, much larger than the others.
At first, Claire didn't know what she was looking at. She had expected to see the body of a young man, but what she saw was…
"What…is this…?" she barely managed to whisper.
"This is Steve Burnside, prisoner of Rockfort Island, son of Peter Burnside and Hélène Bourgeois. Was infected by the T-Veronica and died in Antarctica from blood loss and mutation shock on December 28th, 1998. His body was retrieved by Albert Wesker and measures were taken to bring back the body to life in order to salvage the virus for secret purposes.
As you can see, we were able to revive him…but we failed at keeping his body whole. Many amputations were needed."
Claire couldn't divert her eyes from the "thing" inside the capsule. It was basically…just a mass of flesh, veins…she could see the heart and what she could guess was the brain…
She felt like fainting.
She had thought about that possibility. But never in her darkest dreams had she thought she would find him that way.
Tears were now falling down her face.
"No….no…" she whimpered.
A second later, her knees gave away and she found herself slumping on the floor.
Albert Wesker didn't move. He looked at her and surprisingly, she could see some sympathy in his weird red eyes.
"I told you."
"Oh Steve…" croaked the young woman, giving in to her emotions. She wailed. It was just too much.
It lasted a few minutes. When she finally was able to calm down, the blonde man crouched next to her.
"Do you know how your Perfect-Boyfriend was made?"
The girl only shook her head.
"Originally, Steve here was used to create the physically base of the dolls, with the T-Veronica virus of course. Thanks to some contacts, I was able to get hold of what is called the 'C-Virus'. Merging the two, we were able to create 'bodies' and then using electronic chips, we would give them a pre-programmed persona according to what people were asking for their Perfect-Boyfriend.
When I noticed that a certain Claire Redfield had made an order, I decided we could modify a bit the process, since what you were asking was basically an older version of poor old Burnside. We took his DNA on top of the virus and were able to create an almost perfect copy of him. But like the other dolls, he didn't have a mind of own so we implanted a chip. But I was wrong it seems. A part of Steve's memories seems to have transferred somehow. Seeing information about his 'original' is what most likely caused this shock and coma-like state."
Claire was speechless. She tried to process what the older man told her, but it only gave her a bigger headache.
"So…you're saying…you copied Steve as he was and it could be possible for him to retrieve his memories, his behavior and all?" she asked, whipping the tears off her face.
"I can't say. I do have an idea how to wake him up though."
"What is it?" she said, her eyes lighting up.
The man just smiled back.
"Are you for real?"
"Do I look like a man to joke about this, dear?"
"Well…you did disguise yourself as some silly Italian salesperson…"
"Touché…"
The moment Wesker told her he had an idea, she knew it would be something out of the ordinary. But she never expected THAT.
"So…you're saying if we recreate Steve's last moment alive, he might come back to his senses?"
"Exactly."
"And do you think it will work?"
"No idea! But it's worth a try!"
"Oookaaayy…." sighed Claire as she looked around her. He had led her into some weird part of the facility. It was dark and damp and the walls were made of concrete. It really looked that room back in the Antarctica base. "Steve" was still in his box, next to them, still wearing her bathrobe.
And then, Claire realized something. Steve was completely naked when he died.
"Oh man…"
"What is it?" asked Wesker, who had fetched dark glasses at some point.
"Well…you see…Steve…wasn't wearing clothes…when he died. Do we really have to do the same thing?" she replied, her cheeks reddening madly.
"Oh yes totally. We can't do much about your clothes though, but your face and hair should suffice. And why are you embarrassed like that? You probably 'used' that boy the second you received him," he grinned back at her, wiggling his eyebrows.
"No, I didn't! How could I? That was really too fucked-up for me…."
"But you did order him…"
"I…I guess I didn't know what to expect…and by the way, what's up with that Spermilacious-thing or whatever? If he's not a robot or android, why did I get that?" she asked, the red from her face not fading one bit.
"Oh, that? It was just for the lolz. I knew it would upset you, haha!" grinned the man. "Don't worry, he's fully equipped like a normal human being," he winked at her.
The young woman wanted to reply, but she thought she had already embarrassed herself enough for the day. They had to wake him up. No matter what she had to do.
"Alright…help me take him out of the box. We have to put him against the wall."
Wesker didn't protest and helped her and she suddenly felt the strangest thing ever. That man…her brother's arch-enemy, helping her saving a copy of a boy she met seven years ago and watched die in her arms. She just didn't know what to think about it.
He was heavy but with a helping hand, they were able to lay him against the wall, exactly the way he died. Claire then took the task to remove the bathrobe, leaving Steve's more mature (and muscular) body completely bare. The sight gave her goosebumps and stung her heart. He really looked dead even if he was still breathing.
"So…now what?" she whispered, her voice a bit shaky. She tried to control it as much as she could.
"At this point, I think you have react his final moments, acting like he could hear you of course," explained Wesker, arms crossed and looking as if the situation was perfectly normal.
"It's been a long time…I'll try to do my best," replied the brunette as she crouched next to the sleeping form. Truth was she still vividly remembered her last minutes with Steve Burnside. It wasn't something you could forget easily even if you wanted to.
"Okay…" she breathed out. Her heart was hammering in her chest and a small knot had appeared in her throat. She almost felt like she had felt back then. Only this time, there was truly a chance of saving him.
"Can…can you wait outside? This is kinda personal, you know…" she then said.
The tall man just shrugged in reply and soundlessly left the room, leaving the girl and the naked young man alone.
"Well…here goes nothing," she whispered to herself as she crawled closer to the body and gently placed a hand on the man's right cheek. It was warm this time.
"Steve…" she breathed out. It was harder than she thought.
"Hold on…you're going to make it. My brother is here. It's over, we'll escape from here…" she continued, a bit more confident.
"I promised you…I promised you…we'll escape together…together, right? Right?" she finished, her lips starting to tremble when she noticed he wasn't even moving his eyelids.
It wasn't working. Why would it?
"Oh Steve…" she moaned as she cupped his face with her other hand, placing her forehead against his. She could feel tears coming up to her eyes. She firmly shut them as she did something she didn't back then.
She kissed him.
On the lips.
She knew it was foolish to believe that it would do something like in those fairy tales, but she had done it on pure instinct.
When she withdrew, she just felt empty and hopeless.
But the second her hands dropped from his face to his shoulders, she saw his mouth opening.
At first, she thought she only imagined it, but she then saw his eyes moving and slowly opening. She couldn't believe her own eyes. His gaze seemed lost for a few seconds but then it locked upon her and the whole world seemed to brighten.
"Hey there, beautiful," he said grinning.
Claire couldn't find her voice. She harshly dug her face in his neck, hugging him tightly and lightly sobbing.
"I…I thought…" she managed to gasp out.
"Steve" didn't seem to understand, but he hugged her back and managed to calm her shivering body.
"What happened? Where are we?" he then asked after a few seconds.
"It doesn't matter, I'm just glad you're fine," she smiled back, sniffing softly.
"Were you raping me?" he then asked when he noticed he was naked.
"AS IF!" she cried out as she slapped him playfully.
"Well, it seems like everything is back to 'normal'," said Claire. She was back in the warehouse part of the facility with Steve (she told him to wear her bathrobe once again) and Wesker was seeing them off.
"I'm glad it worked. Honestly, I wasn't sure myself," chuckled the man.
"Will this be charged on my credit card?" then hesitantly asked the Redfield girl.
"Not at all. Your Perfect-Boyfriend is still under the warranty," replied Wesker.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that…I have a favor to ask however."
"What?" said the man, interested.
"Can you dispose of Steve's….original body?" She didn't want to ask for it, but she would never forgive herself if she were to leave him like this. Dead or in that state, it was the same.
"I can't do that. We have to keep him in order to…"
"Please."
Wesker stared at her for a few seconds. She didn't know what was going inside that man's crazy head, but she could sense he had really changed.
"Alright…we have another way to create the dolls anyway."
Claire was curious, but also too scared to ask what it was, so she just let it go.
"Thank you," she said, ending their discussion and turning back toward the delivery truck where the same two men in black were waiting for her and Steve (she had at that point decided to call him that way).
"Redfield!"
She turned her head and saw the blonde scientist widely smiling.
"Ask your friend Rebecca Chambers if she's enjoying her Perfect-Boyfriend!" he shouted before she entered the vehicle.
I knew it!
She had expected the men in black to offer them "mints" but since they thought she was buddy-buddy with their boss, they didn't even bother hiding the path back to her apartment.
They dropped them off in front of the building, exclaimed a little "Enjoy!" and off they went their way.
Claire wasn't too disappointed this story was over. She looked at Steve who didn't seem in the least embarrassed to wear her red fluffy bathrobe. She noticed some people in the street looking at them with some weird curiosity.
"Come on…" she said, grabbing his hand and leading him in her apartment.
She sighed in relief when she entered the familiarity of her little cozy home. It had been one hell of a week.
Now what?
"I feel dirty," suddenly said Steve.
She looked back at him, confused.
"My butt is dirty. Can I take a shower?" he then asked, and Claire couldn't help herself from not laughing.
"How about we take it together, lover boy?" she replied, a naughty smile on her lips.
"Oh yes. I know at least 14 positions we can do in the shower," he said as the two of them headed toward the bathroom, undressing along the way.
"Well, isn't that fantastic," grinned the young woman, closing the door behind them.
THE END