Chapter 4 – Enemy Territory #7
“Can he clean and cook as well?” asked Atkinson sarcastically, having missed the women’s earlier conversation with Jack. “I mean, then Lorna could get rid of me and her domestic robot.”
“Of course he can, Mr Atkinson,” Marci replied, pleased that Jack was refraining from answering for now. “Our robots can hold their own in any situation.”
Jill grinned broadly. “I do wonder, though, whether a woman would even think of housework with a guy like that. He’s intended more for the pleasurable things in life.”
“I have an idea,” murmured MacIntyre, who had been listening intently to the conversation and now gave Jack an assessing look.
“Skyla, how about letting Jill Ambush have your robot for the night? I’ll pay for the suite and Jill can write a test report for our ‘CyberWar’ magazine.
If he does what you say he can, it’ll be the best advertising you can imagine. What do you think?”
Marci swallowed nervously. She was surprised how quickly their mission was heading in the right direction, but she didn’t like how Jill’s eyes widened with delight, looking as if she had literally won the jackpot. “Oh, Monty!” she gushed. “You are a darling. What a wonderful idea!”
MacIntyre’s twisted smile should have warned Marci, but she and Jack didn’t have any other option but to go for it.
While the voice in her head gave a clear ‘Go’, she was tempted to put her foot down and call off the whole thing.
Despite, or maybe because of, the fact that they were so close to achieving their aim, she felt a burning in her chest that could definitely be called jealousy.
Without pondering it any further, she cast a questioning look at Jack. What precisely was she expecting? That he might say no? Definitely not.
Quite the opposite; he looked completely relaxed about what might happen next. After all, he was the robot and he had to follow her instructions.
“Well?” asked MacIntyre when Marci didn’t immediately answer.
“Have you got cold feet, Skyla, about handing your robot over to an independent, influential tester? Are you worried that he won’t follow her orders?
Or maybe he’s not got the goods? I mean, he doesn’t just have to be brilliant at fucking, he also needs to be skilled at all kinds of sexual games.
Some women harbour the strangest desires, after all. ”
No, Marci wanted to shout. He’s actually too good to be true, but I don’t want to share him, especially not with that bitch.
“He can certainly manage all kinds of positions, believe me,” she replied dismissively.
MacIntyre leered at the woman next to him.
“What do you say, Jill? I mean, motionless dolls that look like real men and talk crap in one hundred and forty different languages have been around for a while. But male robots that act as if they have a soul and respond to a woman as if she were his? Now that’s something new.
I mean, a man could be jealous of a robot like that. Isn’t that right, Doug?”
The Governor snorted, which Marci took as a sign that he took a dim view of what MacIntyre had just said. He threw his wife a look of warning that strictly forbade her from getting any stupid ideas and volunteering to test out the robot as well.
“Robots don’t carry any infectious diseases, they can’t have children and they won’t fall in love with other women,” said Jill, defending her enthusiasm for Jack to Lorna and her visibly less keen husband.
And no doubt dreaming of all the new, wonderful opportunities that came to mind simply by looking at Jack.
“As long as women don’t forget that this romantic facade hides a soulless fucking machine that’s simply responding to its programming, everything should be fine,” added MacIntyre in a less than complimentary tone.
“How about it, Lorna?” he asked, ignoring the Governor.
“Would you like to test him as well? Maybe when Jill’s finished with him? ”
“Absolutely not.” Doug Atkinson aimed a scathing look at Jack, who was currently trying to look as harmless as a lamb, and Lorna flushed with embarrassment. Jill, however, looked unperturbed and licked her lips.
“I can hardly wait for this glorious specimen to rip my clothes off,” she murmured.
The thought of it made Marci’s stomach churn; the idea of Jack with this woman in all kinds of positions went round in her head and was almost too much to bear.
The Governor paused for a moment and let out a scornful sound. “And how will he react if the woman fancies some sadistic games?” he asked hotly. “I mean, he’s seven times stronger than a human. What if he doesn’t know his limits?”
“Don’t worry, Doug.” Marci sipped hastily at her wine, hoping her voice wouldn’t sound too hoarse. “The robot is completely capable of differentiating between fun and serious.”