Chapter 1 – Will’s Legacy #4
Marci didn’t have the slightest idea how these machines worked; Will had tried to explain to her once how incredibly complex it must be to build and program a humanlike robot that didn’t just look like a human, but also acted like one.
There were now numerous biotech labs in which multinational companies like MacIntyre played God by using organic 3D printers to create thousands of lifelike creatures from genetically modified materials, with raw components that were increasingly similar to human cells.
The finished product could only be distinguished from a real person by using X-rays; their organs were arranged slightly differently and in place of a brain, they had a quantum processor that could be adapted and upgraded with new programming at any time.
Deeply troubled, Marci thought back to that wink that this thing had given her and a horrible suspicion crept over her.
What if this robot actually had a life of its own that Rochelle and her business partners knew nothing about?
Whoever had programmed this kind of robot for its first job almost certainly hadn’t considered that it might engage in light flirtation with a cleaner before sexually satisfying its new owner.
The more Marci thought about it, the more she became gripped by a growing sense of panic.
What if Mr Perfect suddenly got out of control and assaulted Rochelle, or worse?
With her heart hammering, she stood in silence, listening.
Nothing. Should she call security anyway and alert them to a potential problem that they should look into just in case?
Unfortunately, Marci was almost certain that Rochelle hadn’t just hermetically sealed the doors, but had also turned off the cameras in her room, so what would happen if Marci’s suspicions were unfounded and security used the emergency code to open the doors for nothing?
Rochelle would definitely be furious with her and fire her on the spot. Even if her job seemed to be under threat anyway, she really didn’t want to risk this.
Undecided, she looked out of the large windows at Lake Michigan, where the bright morning sun reflected innocently off the turquoise waters.
Maybe she’d only imagined the man’s cheerful wink.
Her senses had been completely muddled by all that masculinity, after all.
She hadn’t had a man in her bed for more than six months and combined with the thought that this guy and his skills might shortly replace her made her feel incredibly anxious.
Sighing, she turned to continue with her work when a rumbling noise made her spin round.
In shock, she watched as the door slid open and Rob 007 stood in front of her.
Barefoot, wearing running tights and a grey gym top that was far too tight for him, he looked like Superman, if Superman had accidentally put his clothes through a hot wash.
He stared down at her as if he’d been waiting for her, and then without warning, ripped the duster out of her hand and threw it over the railings.
When Marci started to protest loudly, he grabbed her upper arm with such force that it felt like being squashed between two automatic doors.
She let out an instinctive yelp of pain and feared for a moment that she was going to follow the duster over the railings.
The robot, however, dragged her towards the stairs.
Marci was too stunned to call for Rochelle or even to shout for help, and Rob 007 was moving so quickly that she had to concentrate on not tripping down the stairs, never mind being able to raise anyone’s attention.
It wasn’t until they reached the ground floor and he dragged her mercilessly towards the exit that she took a deep breath and prepared to scream.
Rob 007 was faster, however, and whipped his hand over her mouth.
As his strong fingers covered both her nose and mouth, Marci couldn’t breathe, but he seemed not to notice, ignoring all her attempts to free herself and dragging her closer to the security doors.
To Marci’s horror, he swept aside the heavily bolted door as if it were nothing, and they were outside.
But instead of being able to inhale the fresh air drifting over from Lake Michigan, Marci still couldn’t breathe.
She felt her legs wobble and black spots swam in front of her eyes.
It’s over then, she thought, her last thoughts about Willie Junior, her younger son, and Logan, who was due to celebrate his eighth birthday in a month and would probably have to do so in an orphanage with no mother or father.
When Marci came to, she initially thought she was dreaming because she was back in her own bed.
It wasn’t a proper bed, just a fold-out sofa that she turned into a bed at night and that was wide enough for her and her two boys.
In confusion, she blinked in the sunlight that was casting its rays through the tiny window.
Had she actually just overslept? Instinctively, she felt to the left of her where Logan normally slept, but he wasn’t there.
Then to the right, where Willie Junior normally lay, snuggled up to her like a puppy.
But there was no one there either. She sat bolt upright in panic…
and looked into the emotionless face of Rob 007.
For a moment, she felt like she was suffocating and the panic that she thought she would always associate with the sight of this man returned.
He had nearly strangled her! And it didn’t help when he gave her the gentlest of smiles.
All indications suggested that he was clearly working for the other side.
“Where are the children?” she yelled once she had found her breath again, beside herself with worry.
“Here,” came a squeaky little voice. It was Willie Junior, his short blond hair sticking up all over the place, rushing out of the bathroom with his trousers still round his ankles. He was followed by Logan, his dark-haired older brother, who, as usual, had been helping him go to the toilet.
Marci couldn’t stay on the sofa for another second.
Like a lioness protecting her young with her own life, she leapt up and grabbed the two boys into her arms, quickly pulling up Willie’s trousers.
She cast a hostile look at Rob 007. “If you do anything to hurt my children, I will rip your cold heart out of your chest myself!”
“Mom, why are you being so mean to the man?” complained Willie squeakily. “He made us hot chocolate and ordered pizza while you were sleeping.”
I wasn’t sleeping, she wanted to scream at him. I was kidnapped and almost died. But that would have only frightened the boys. She was just pleased that this monster hadn’t hurt her children.
“Marci, I’m sorry if I scared you,” the man started to say, his voice surprisingly deep and friendly, only serving to emphasise how incredibly attractive he was.
“You and the children have nothing to fear from me. I didn’t mean for you to faint, even if it was quite useful,” he added with an apologetic smile, briefly revealing his flawless white teeth.
“As you can see, at least your vital systems seem to be functioning properly.”
“Seriously?” Marci stared at him in disbelief.
This guy clearly had a screw loose – literally.
Maybe screwing Rochelle had burnt a fuse and now he was back to playing the charmer, despite his brutishness.
He stood next to the kitchen units looking relaxed, his arms crossed, which made his shoulders and upper arms appear even more muscular than they had before.
His pose was a painful reminder of Will, who often stood the same way, even if he hadn’t been quite so huge and overpowering.
“Who are you and what do you want here?” she asked in a shaky voice. She realised he was still wearing the tight clothes from Rochelle’s wardrobe; standing there with his perfectly shaped bare feet, he looked like some kind of Adonis, fleeing from a jealous husband.
“If you just want something more sensible to wear, you can have some of my ex-husband’s things,” she continued, pointing to a wardrobe in which she stored Will’s old clothes.
She hadn’t yet been able to bring herself to give his clothes away, maybe because she hoped that he might come back to her one day.
When she was feeling melancholic, she sometimes sniffed his shirts just so that she could at least remember his scent.
“Will was about your size and the stuff’s just lying around.
There’s probably a pair of boots that might fit you, too. ”
“It’s not about clothes, Marci,” said the robot calmly, looking into her eyes with surprising directness.
The way he said her name so naturally, as if they’d known each other for ages, unsettled her even more.
But she didn’t dare say anything. Maybe it was better if she didn’t know that much about him and just gave him what he wanted so that he would disappear as quickly as possible.
“I can’t give you any money,” she said apologetically, pointing almost bitterly to the shabby furniture. “Look around, I’ve got barely enough to buy food for the children and my credit card is maxed out. I can’t give you anything.”
“It’s not about money, either,” he said quietly, unfolding his arms.
“For God’s sake, what’s it about, then?” she cried in desperation, the fear rising in her again.
Maybe this guy wanted to rape her, after all, he was a sex robot and it looked like he hadn’t had his chance with Rochelle.
Maybe his creators had given him the ability to be permanently up for it, programming him with an infinite libido that now demanded satisfaction.
Marci’s gaze wandered discreetly to his crotch where, she was relieved to see, the tight trousers seemed to be holding the instrument of his lust under control.
She looked hurriedly at the exit. At least if he sends the children out before he… she hoped fervently…