"Alex said she told you…" Caroline wondered what her husband looked like aboard that ship, hurtling through nothingness to find more desolation. Had he shaved that morning? What did he eat for breakfast? Was there even morning in space? His voice sounded so close over the intrasolar telephone. That closeness made his body seem all the further.
Right now, Allen would be leaning into his chair, pensively folding and unfolding his hands, sweating vexation. There were voices in the background, female ones. In a flush of irony, Caroline felt a stab of jealousy. She laughed.
"Well, to each according to his needs, to each according to his abilities," Caroline murmured.
"What was that?" Allen demanded. He hated it when she was smug--there was a bit of the rich girl left in her yet.
"Anyway," she continued, "The house has been redone. It's fashionably minimalist but not overtly clinical." Well, that was how Joe had described it when she came home a few weeks ago to find moving vans piled in her driveway, hauling away mountains of mahogany and crystal. Joe hadn't done it for her--he'd been very clear about that. Rather it was because he had to live there too. No wonder David hates to come home, he'd said.
"Allen, are we playing the silent game, now?"
There was a heavy sigh, millions of miles away.
"I've been trying to reach you and David everyday, and finally the only reason I get to talk to you is because you decided to call me and say that the house has been redone?"
For a moment, Caroline was glad she could only hear his voice. She didn't want to see those sincere wrinkles form on Allen's generous forehead, the way they would before his mouth would soften, and he would whisper what she needed to hear to keep her with him. Why wouldn't he do that now? Apologize for never being home, for all the times something went wrong and he wasn't home to fix, and for marrying her and giving her David.
Caroline looked around nervously. The space station was crowded, and there were people behind her waiting to make their calls.
"I love you," she said quickly. For something so sincere, it was a terribly awkward thing for her tongue to get out. She hung up, afraid her husband wouldn't say it back. Terrified that he would.
With an apologetic smile to the line that had accumulated behind her, Caroline turned and left the claustrophobic booth. She was genuinely sorry she had inconvenienced those people, but at the same time she knew they would never say anything. They saw her expensive suit, heard the haughty click of her heels, and noted the way she threw her well formed calves out from under her long skirt. You could never reprimand someone like that, not when they put on that morning and would take off that evening more than you could make in a month.
And they could never reprimand a mecha who didn't know its place, who held its head high, and reveled in its own artificial superiority.
"I thought I told you wait in the car," Caroline said abruptly. She wanted to say as little to Joe as possible; people could think they were associated in some way.
"Yes, you did. And I waited in the car, and then I came in to find you. You didn't say anything about 'staying' in the car." Joe smiled his dimpled smile. He wore his charm on his sleeve.
"Here," she thrust out her coat, "Carry this so it looks like you're…not…so people don't get the wrong idea about us."
He took the coat and fell a few steps behind her. Caroline was amused; it was like having her own entourage. At first she didn't hear his footsteps behind her. She glanced behind. Joe was still following her, and was matching each of his steps to hers. Vaguely, she wondered that if she hopped on one foot, would Joe too.
Joe spun around in front of her--to hold the door with a gracious bow.
"You know, when you're not complaining, you are really quite charming, Joe," she remarked as he opened the car door for her in a quick, effortless movement.
"And when you're not avoiding me, I find I rather like you," Joe replied.
Caroline looked up at him. Was his seduction mode kicking in? She couldn't detect any hint of wantonness, but who could really judge a mecha's facial expression?
After they settled into the car and Caroline punched in their destination, she spoke.
"You think I avoid you?" she asked offhandedly.
"I don't think, I know you do. David says that you don't get along well with mecha. That's not to say you don't like us, but that the idea of engaging one of us in a conversation is not appealing. I think I know why." Joe didn't seem distraught in the slightest. Why would he be? For him, Caroline Hobby was just another orga who could further his interests if played correctly.
"Why would that be?"
"Because," Joe said, peering down his sunglasses at her, "For you, we're the competition. We're what your husband spends all his time on, his true love and obsession. Frankly, we're the other woman, so to speak."
Now it was Caroline's turn to peer down her sunglasses.
"Want to know what I think?"
"No, not really." Joe ran his finger around the dashboard, disappointed at the dust.
"I think you talk too much."
They both looked at one another, and shared a smile.
************************************
David was running as fast as he could. The clouds of smoke he had inhaled were clenching his lungs. He pleaded with his legs to move faster. He couldn't get caught, not like this. The security robots were closing in on him.
Expertly turning a corner, David thumbed through the stolen purse, fishing out the wallet. He tossed the cumbersome purse aside, cringing as he did. That purse was probably worth more than the contents of the wallet, but he wasn't going to a pawn shop. For his purposes, only cash would do.
"Halt!" barked the toneless voices of David's pursuers. But David's legs kept pumping. His body needed its high now. The thought of not making it Ken's made him want to burst into tears. Driven by its primal need, his body found itself dashing across the highway. David allowed his head to turn just in time to see the security robots be smashed by an oncoming bus.
Even Hollywood could never compare.
David approached Ken's door with his usual mixed emotions. Shame bled over into pride and pride bled over into mere acceptance. This was simply the way things were. His fists no longer trembled when they knocked at Ken's dilapidated door. David had had a lot of practice. Ken was David's first and only dealer, there was something of a loyalty between them.
It only took half a knock before the door flew open. Ken felt no shame in what he did and even glorified in it. There was no need to hide. It wasn't as if he did what he dealt.
Ken's spindly fingers reached out, simultaneously taking the illicit wad of cash from David's hand and replacing it with a small package of what looked like powdered sugar. Powdered sugar? Yeah, right.
"Hey, man, can I use your bathroom?" David asked. He would never come out and say that he only felt safe snorting in the presence of Ken. It was like admitting you still slept with a teddy bear.
"Davey, make it quick, I got some company," Ken said. David peered past him and saw a sex bot in the background. The usual sleazy prototype--not at all resembling Joe's cool elegance.
Joe…
Suddenly David remembered about Joe and the kabuki performance tonight. He had begged his mother to bring Joe with them to this stuffy cultural event. He told his mother that Joe and his knowledge of Japanese would be invaluable. In actuality, these sorts of things bored him to tears; Joe could provide some distraction.
"Ken, I gotta go. I'll be late for this thing. And when I'm late, my mom knows I've been…" David let his voice trail off.
"Say no more little man. Hey, be careful with this batch, okay?"
David nodded, like the obedient child he was.
***************************
Throughout the performance, David gingerly fingered the packet of cocaine in his pocket. Anticipation was making him fidgety and its sweat was accumulating around his tuxedo collar. Desperately, he wished he had had time to shower. In an effort, he rolled some deodorant on and Joe spritzed some of his cologne on him, but to no avail. Between the Grace Kelly incarnate that was his mother, and coldly beautiful Joe, David was hopelessly out of place.
Anyway, Joe's cologne smelled better on him. It should, as it was made to order.
"David!" Joe hissed.
"What?"
"I'm trying to explain everything to you, and you are not even paying attention!"
"I'm…preoccupied…." Well, it wasn't like he was lying.
"Hopefully about better personal hygiene. For God's sake, David! Wash your hair once and a while. Really, it's revolting!" Finished with upbraiding David, Joe went on with translating and explaining what each of the movements meant in Kabuki theatre. For a moment, David forgot about his need to get high, and relished the thought that someone, something, paid close enough attention to him to know when he needed to wash his hair.
Caroline was half listening to her son and companion sitting behind her, and half lost in her own thoughts. Dan Tagawa and Alex had been plaguing her this past week to take the final plunge and activate Joe's imprinting code. It hadn't taken long for her to figure out that for them, this was a sort of experiment. In a strange way, it didn't bother her. In fact, it gave Caroline an excuse to distance herself from the situation. But what bothered Caroline was the fact that Joe had absolutely no idea that all she had to do was speak seven little words to him, and in an instant she would take away whatever freedom of thought he had. After that he would just be on autopilot.
None of this mattered to Dan or Alex. They were just as eager to see what the effect of love on Joe would be, as well as its inevitable end. The imprinting code would be hardwired into the mainframe; no going back, no reversal. So, of course, Dan and Alex needed to see how Joe would react in the case his feelings were no reciprocated. If abandoned, would he put up a fight? Would he be dangerous in the presence of a rival? Would he be capable of hurting his owner?
These were the sorts of questions that were theory for Dan and Alex, but reality for her. Caroline knew she couldn't activate the code. In a peculiar way, she liked Joe just the way he was.
****************************************
Alex looked at the box her sister-in-law occupied across the theatre. Actually, it was her step-sister in law, but she was never supposed to say it like that. Her mother had told her never to make a point of calling Allen her step-brother. It sounded like she was trying to deny any relation to him, and who would not want to be associated with the brilliant professor?
Allen's brilliance would wane after she and Dan introduced their new line of companion robots. They would perfect artificial emotions, not Dr.Hobby. It was her chance to shine in a way that had never been possible before.
A smirk crossed her face as she felt Dan's hand slide up her evening dress and rest between her legs. He nipped at her earlobe. The joys of having a private box at the theatre….
"Caroline won't activate the code," she breathed into Dan's ear as her hands tugged expectantly at his pants.
"No matter, we'll do it for her," Dan said as his pants were unzipped. "We don't need her present to activate the code."
"When should we do it?"
"As soon as possible."
There was a look between them. Alex lowered her head into his lap. Conversation was over for the night.