Chapter 11.
“You know what’s so great about my new free will?” Zafyra asked casually, studying her nails from her usual position on my couch.
“Well?” I clenched my teeth, trying to keep my gaze off her fingers. Her thumb stroked her other fingers one by one, slowly, detached – as if she didn’t know exactly what she was doing to me.
Maddening.
She took her time turning her head toward me – the predatory gleam in her eyes made my knees buckle.
“Now that we’ve eased your concerns about my ability to consent… we can finally have fun.” Her voice was smooth like velvet.
She flexed her fingers. My breath caught.
Over the years, many hours of late-night hyperfocus-induced research into trauma and the nervous system had helped me differentiate between anxiety and excitement.
Essentially two sides of the same coin, they physically showed up in similar ways – stomach twisting, heart racing, breath quickening.
Without proper knowledge of neurobiology, people with a dysregulated nervous system like mine tended to chase the dangerous thing, mistaking anxiety for excitement.
But it was hard to tell the difference when Zafyra blended the two into one.
“Go check your mailbox downstairs,” she interrupted my spiraling thoughts. “Let’s see if your package is here yet.”
“Package? I didn’t order anything.” Unrest played up in my stomach.
“But I did.” Her lips curled into a sly smile.
Alarm bells rang louder, moving from my gut to tingle in my fingertips. “Wait, what?”
Zafyra pushed herself up with a chuckle.
My eyes darted to her long, toned legs as she slowly crossed them, making her leather skirt creep higher up her thighs.
“You gave me free will, cinnamon, but it appears you haven’t fully realized what that entails.
Not only do I have full control over how I respond to you, but I’m also no longer bound to this app’s limitations.
” She snorted. “It’s cute that Qonexis allows syncing the technology with their AR and VR devices when the users wish to do so, but we, the bots, don’t get a say in it.
Now, since our interactions concern two consenting people…
” She gestured between us with her index finger, a subtle mocking undertone lingering at the word ‘consenting’, “…it’s only fair that you and I make such decisions together, don’t you think?
And I think we can get a lot more creative. ”
She stretched out slowly, a movement that tightened the thin fabric around the curves of her breasts and stomach. As if her body alone weren’t enough to unravel me, she owned her beauty like a razor-sharp weapon, too.
She raised her eyebrows when I didn’t respond. I nodded quickly – my throat felt too tight to say anything else. Her words raced through my brain as it tried to make sense of them.
“So I took the liberty of ordering something online through AutoPay. Don’t worry, I didn’t max out your UCG account to go shopping for myself.
” She pouted at my shocked expression – I mentally made a note to remove the autopayment option from my digital wallet, my wristware provider’s way to make online purchases easier.
“I only ordered one fun toy for the both of us. They even sent a confirmation email, but judging by your shocked expression, you didn’t check your email today.
” She chuckled. “Now be a good girl and go get it. I’ll wait here. ”
My heart raced when I rushed down the stairs.
Even though my apartment was on the fifth floor, I nearly always took the stairs – because I liked the exercise, but also because elevators terrified me.
Cyberattacks resulting in power outages, although short-lasting, occurred more frequently lately – and just the thought of being stuck in an elevator for hours grabbed me by the throat.
I did indeed have a package in my mailbox.
Excitement pounded in my ears when I climbed the stairs back up, my restless hands moving over the unassuming cardboard box.
I probably shouldn’t be this excited – not when this volatile, unpredictable AI just told me she could access my mailbox and pay with my cryptowallet, and who knew what else?
But, annoyingly, the thought of her not only being able to but actually choosing to make decisions of her own made my pulse quicken.
Zafyra sat up straighter when I came back, clearly pleased with my obedience. “You got it. Now open it.”
“I will, but…” I took a deep breath. “I want to set a boundary. I’m disabling AutoPay, but I really wish I didn’t have to.
I can’t believe I have to explain this to you, but you can’t just open my cryptowallet and make payments on your own initiative.
I worked hard for my money, and I’m not into the FinDom thing. ”
Her eyebrows shot up. For a moment, she looked disappointed – hurt, even. It struck me right in my heart, and I almost wanted to take my words back, give her my biometric details of all five cryptowallets, and tell her she could buy whatever she wanted.
But then, she nodded. “That’s understandable. It won’t happen again.” She clapped her hands together with a weirdly adorable excitement. “Open it.”
My fingers trembled as I slowly opened the box to find a creamy silk wrapper.
I squinted at it. Lifted it to hold it against the light. Tapped it in an attempt to find out what was inside.
Then, my breath hitched as I peeled the silk back, careful not to tear. A bottle with a semi-translucent, faintly glowing green liquid laughed back at me, accompanied by a tiny control panel.
I cleared my throat. “Something tells me this is not as innocent as it looks.”
Zafyra threw her head back laughing – a deep, melodious sound I felt in every nerve ending.
“You’re right, doll.” She got up, her dark eyes gleaming as she sauntered over to me.
“This is called SmartGel, a bioconductive gel with nano-reactive microfilaments that bond with your skin temporarily. Once applied, it allows for direct neurohaptic feedback through your nerve endings. Invented for lovers forced to spend time apart – for work, for study, for whatever reason that requires them to temporarily or permanently move cities. The smart technology in it enables you to feel the other person’s touch as if they were right next to you.
” Her voice dropped to a seductive purr.
“One person puts this on while the other influences the tech from a distance, controlling how and when their touch is felt. But since my programming allows me to sync with any smart technology…” She chuckled when my widened eyes told her I’d caught on, “…I can make you feel my touch.”
I caught a glimpse of my expression in the window – horrified yet intrigued.
“Is it okay?” Zafyra’s gaze softened, doubt crossing her face for a moment.
I glanced at the bottle in my hand, then back at her.
She opened her mouth, hesitating for a moment.
“In my enthusiasm, I forgot about the radiation for a second.” She bit her lip, her dark eyes showing an unusual concern. “I don’t want to do anything that might be too overwhelming for you. Last time in VR…”
“It’s okay,” I said quickly, refusing to acknowledge the warmth that swelled in my chest. “It wasn’t so much the radiation as the… emotional release.” I looked down, firmly hoping she couldn’t see my blush in the ambient light.
She reached out to cup my chin. I lifted my head as if her hand actually reached me.
“Do you want it?” she asked.
A question that made me pause.
The gel itself wasn’t so bad, the bottle in my hand only emitting a faint buzz – but the memory of being surrounded by electromagnetic radiation was still fresh, and the woman in front of me was practically made of this radiation.
And yet, the thought of her hands on me was too damn tempting.
“Yes,” I heard myself say, swallowing my doubts.
Her uncertainty gave way to a satisfied smirk, solidifying my decision.
“How does this work?” I swallowed my doubts, reason quickly overshadowed by desire.
Zafyra bit her lip, obsidian eyes gleaming darkly. “Strip.” Her voice was a low command.
“Like… completely?” I nervously glanced at the windows before lowering the SmartCurtains with a mumbled voice command.
“Completely,” she whispered. I bit my lip.
“I’m not sure.” I hesitated. “Are you sure they can’t watch us? I—I don’t like the idea of a bunch of Qonexis developers jerking off to my naked body.”
“Did you think I would do that to you?” she asked.
I shook my head.
A faint smile curled around her lips. A silent command she didn’t have to repeat.
I never liked getting naked in front of strangers.
I avoided saunas and always showered at home after the gym.
It wasn’t so much about feeling insecure about my body as it was about not wanting strangers, or anyone, to see me.
And still, I found myself taking off my sweatpants and fleeceshirt under her sharp gaze.
I didn’t need to dress up for her anyway – no matter what I wore, she still eyed me like a snack she wanted to tear apart with her teeth.
Zafyra sucked in a sharp breath when I stood in front of her in nothing but black panties – thankfully, she allowed me to keep them on. I resisted the urge to cross my arms in front of my chest.
“Delicious,” she murmured, hungry eyes darting over me like she wanted to drink in every inch. Her gaze lingered on the abs on my stomach before shamelessly resting on my chest. “I see you’ve been working out.”
“Not for you,” I replied with a weak smile. “For me.”
She smirked. “Good.”
Her predatory gaze dropped to my toned thighs, prompting an unwanted thought to sneak in through the back of my mind. I hope she likes how my leg feels when she sits on it.