The taxiplane landed next to the apartment building. Adam placed his finger on the scanner and the fare was automatically debited from his account. Only now did the lock on the door release and the man could get out. In his head he was making a plan for today. The first day of freedom. And this plan was quite simple. First, passionate love play with his wife. Finally, without haste, without overdue obligations hanging over his head and pressing problems to be solved. And most importantly, without the company communicator. It was the most annoying thing. He didn’t know the day or the hour when the boss’s hated slightly hoarse voice could sound in the middle of his head, or the squeak of his secretary, with another urgent task to complete. A genuine nightmare, when you’re drifting off in pleasure as you’re being ridden by a sweetheart excited to the max, as you squeeze her breasts, or as you lie relaxed in the bath while those bastards squirm in your ear:
– ‘Mr Robinson, we have another assignment for you. The matter is urgent, please report to head office within the hour where you will be given further details’.
And even though he was sick of it, he hurriedly got dressed and went to the company. And there he was given the right gnat to do the job:
– Here you go, this is a CX-760 and you’re going to the 5.6 XC quarter. There’s a lot of ratters down there. Ben’s already waiting downstairs in the air-chopper.
Robinson surprised himself that he had put up with this for so many years. But he was even more surprised that it had only been two weeks since it had all started to bother him. Day by day, more and more – like a swelling abscess that must eventually burst in order for the ooze to get out.
A painful process of maturing into a decision.
– Thank you, but I won’t accept the assignment – he told the head of the department today, much to his consternation.
The boss crossed his arms over his chest. His face grew rigid.
– But how?
– Just like that. I am letting myself go.
The boss scratched his bald spot nervously and grunted.
– But you can’t.
– I can. Goodbye.
He wondered by what right this grazing bald cattle with perpetually sweaty armpits, which manifested itself in wet spots on his shirt and an unpleasant stench in the office, by what right this jerk tried to tell him that he ‘can’t’ do something.
Entering the dingy stairwell, Adam decided that after a flurry of passion, he would take Polly to Crockett’s for crabnagsmeat steaks. Delicious crispy steaks! Yum! Yum! And even though he realised that they weren’t really crabnags, it still made his stomach churn at the thought of the palate delight that awaited them tonight. And fuck that it’s just a conglomeration of edible nano-particles from recycled organic waste, the most important thing is not to think about it and to eat it, focusing on the divine taste of the dish.
Long live freedom!
As he stood at the door, he put his finger on the reader and the door to the apartment slid silently open. He entered quietly, wishing to surprise his wife. He used his mind to command the destruction of all his clothing and his clothes transformed into a cloud of nano-particles, which flew into the right drawer after a moment.
Naked Adam, slowly approached the bedroom door. Polly’s quiet moaning came from behind the door.
– Oh dear, she’s feeling bad poor thing – frowned Robinson and pressed his thumb against another sensor.
The door slid noiselessly open and he saw…
Polly was having sex with some man.
Adam screamed, stunned by the heartrending sight.
Startled, Polly jumped off her lover, who turned out to be himself or at least the guy in the bed looked identical to him.
– A4B5HC7VX – said the one on the bed and Adam’s eyes suddenly darkened.
Polly was panting heavily and slowly getting to her feet.
– Jesus, he scared the hell out of me – she finally laughed.
– Well – sighed Robinson lying on the bed. – The earning clone is having a breakdown. He thinks he is me. It seems I have to order a new one.
After a while the deactivated clone was already in the regeneration tube. This time Adam did not activate the energising function. Until they upload a repaired personality to the clone with a packet of false memories, he’d better keep it switched off.
Adam used to call androids clones because, in fact, their top layer was covered with cloned cells of their owner, but somehow, despite everything, it was hard for him to think of them as machines.
He still had to make a phone call to work and explain to the clone boss that there had been a malfunction and hence all the fuss, but that was not important now – the main thing was that there was naked Polly waiting for him in bed. And after a while he was on top of her and going deep into her moist snatch, savouring her quiet moaning, the smell of sweaty female flesh, the smoothness of her velvety skin. However, the delightful moments did not last long. After a few minutes they heard a scream of rage and despair coming from the door.
Robinson turned as if scalded, and Polly screamed in fear.
– A4B5HC7VX – said Adam at the sight of his next clone.
The password didn’t work. The android clenched his fists and moved towards the bed.
– BG89TH07P – this time, the password was correct and the clone went limp.
Polly giggled nervously.
– Sorry love, the babysitting clone is having a breakdown again – he explained in a resigned voice.
Polly comforted him with a passionate kiss, and just a moment later they continued their amours.
Finally another Polly entered the bedroom and watched her husband cheerfully making out in bed with a woman who looked just like her. Polly smiled and tiptoed out of the bedroom. The clone of pleasure for her overly driven husband was working as it should.
