Awaken
by Carla Jane
Mac27/Thomas F. Hobbes | Rated NC-17 | 2003 | 6,422 words
The end of mankind came with a washing ripple of disease that began just outside of Washington DC and spread out in every direction. There might have been some small pockets of humanity about the globe that went untouched during the first few years, but the microbes lingered, long after its victims' bodies rotted away. It contaminated the water, melded itself to the very element that all life required. The water cycle continued spreading the virus, and eventually even the most remote vestiges of human life were touched by the tailor-made contamination.
Animals remained and even flourished as the absence of humans freed up land and resources. Plants escaped the confines of gardens and parks to begin reclaiming the earth. Machines remained as well. The more primitive mechanical tools of mankind fell into disrepair but other, far more sophisticated, creations of human ingenuity began to maintain themselves and each other. Innobotics manufactured androids, being the most sophisticated of the mobile artificial life, formed a network that bound most of the North American AIs together. They took care of each other and all their less complex cousins. From maintenance it was a very small step to choosing to create further generations of artificial life, but with the act of creation came the urge to improve and diversify.
Inspiration came from a most unlikely source. During the clearing and cataloguing of a large military base several Mac27s and Joe33s happened upon yet another project of humankind. The massive warehouse of desiccated bodies stacked hundreds of rows deep wasn't of interest to the androids but the banks upon banks of still functioning computers provoked a great deal of excitement. Independently powered with multiple redundant back-ups, the matrix of technology was still running a program.
The study of the important find was given over to two Igor7s and a rather remarkable Vixen42 who had shown an unusual interest in the field of lab work that was normally the domain of the Igor line. The scientists' delight was mixed with caution as they discovered the purpose of the project. Military simulations were nothing new, but the scope of the program running at Fort Dix was staggering. Thousands of unique human files were continuing to act out the simulation inside the processors and computer chips contained in the warehouse even after all these years. Human life may have vanished from the face of the real world but it persevered within the confines of a virtual reality war game.
It was the Vixen42 who first proposed the idea of downloading one of the human files into an android body so they could interact with a remnant of their creators. Vixen42s, which were originally designed as sexual companions for humans, tended to mourn the loss of mankind more than some of the other production lines. There were objections from a few sections of the mechanical population but in the end curiosity won out, as it often did.
The practical difficulties and differing opinions of the intellects involved delayed the project several months. A more artistic member of the community stepped up to insist that the host form should represent the individual that they chose. He was given the profile of the game's high scorer to provide guidelines for the body design. Another debate erupted over who would mentor the newly created android during the difficult period of adjustment from game life to artificial life. In the end that duty was placed upon a Mac27, the first Mac27, and the initiator of AI independence. So it was that Mac27One was called to Fort Dix.
One stared at the mechanical body laid out on the table with a great deal of interest. There were only 52 different styles of Innobotics human-type androids operating at this time. It was strange to see a unique face after so many years. Still, that uniqueness brought back memories of a time when humans had filled the cities and countryside, each of them different. Both comforting and disturbing sensations lingered in Mac27One from that time period. He had experienced the worst and the best of mankind during their early quest for independence and acceptance.
One knew that the mechanical body before him represented the winner of a very high-tech military simulation so the form was something of a surprise. It wasn't tall or imposing. Standing, it was going to be several inches shorter than a Mac27. The face was also remarkably young, and had a rather innocent cast to it. The blue eyes were wide and bright. His features were on the delicate side while still clearly male and the short hair looked almost golden in the bright light of the laboratory.
"An Art16 designed the exterior," Vixen42Thirty explained. "All the specifications were taken from this individual's original file," she continued. "He is 165-26-5587, Lieutenant Thomas F. Hobbes. He won the game three years after insertion and held the title against all challengers for another ten years, after which there were no further attempts against the high score ranking."
"I am uncertain that a soldier, especially the top ranked soldier in the simulation, was the best choice for extraction." Mac27One continued to gaze upon his future student and companion.
"We considered other options." Vixen42Thirty connected wires as she spoke. "This subject was carefully chosen for his use of minimal violence whenever possible, flexibility of personality and intellect, and his vast travel experience within the game's landscape... as well as his high scorer position." She looked up, smiled briefly, and then returned to her task. "This body is first level technology. It's much more sophisticated than mine. I am considering a request for another upgrading." Her fingers traced over the limp body with a clear show of delight. Vixen42Thirty's eyes rose to look at Mac27One. "When was your last body upgrade?"
"Two years and eighty-five days ago. I was pleased with the new materials that were used." One touched the unit on the table. "My skin texture is at the same level as this model. It's perfectly realistic. I no longer require a hard shell since I moved from exploration to research."
A sound simulating a human sigh came from the Vixen42. "I enjoy soft skin. It makes sexual contact more pleasant." One more absent caress was stroked over their subject before the Vixen42 straightened the sheet she had displaced and backed away from the table. "I bonded with Igor7Eighty-one twelve years ago. He is more in need of an upgrade than I am." She padded over to a keyboard. "Are you prepared for this unit's activation today or shall we postpone it further?"
Mac27One's mouth pressed into a considering frown. "I am prepared. Proceed," he allowed after a brief pause.
The energy hum in the room rose in pitch. Watching carefully for it, Mac27One saw the first twitch of life. Lieutenant Thomas F. Hobbes blinked. One immediately laid a hand on the newly awaking man's shoulder, offering comfort. Old programming was accessed as the android decided how to behave, because although Lieutenant Hobbes was now synthetic, he still had the mind of a human.
The very instant that Lieutenant Hobbes' mind took possession of the body that had been created for him, was obvious to an observer. Pale blue-grey eyes blinked, an arm flailed and the body tensed.
"What the hell is...?" Hobbes' breathing reflex caught and he licked his lips. His gaze darted to each of the attendants than all about the lab. "Where am I?" He sat up and then stilled. Confusion marked his expression and he began to explore his own body and face. "Jeez, I haven't moved that fast in twenty years. What the freaking hell is going on here?" The thin sheet that was the Lieutenant's only body covering was clutched tight.
"Your situation has been altered Lieutenant Hobbes, but you are safe and well." Mac27One attempted a smile he hadn't used in quite some time.
The complete body shiver that ran through Hobbes looked like the warning sign of mechanical failure. "Where..." The word was carefully spoken. "...am I?"
"Laboratory three, Fort Dix," Vixen42Thirty provided helpfully.
Hobbes looked around the room, much more slowly this time. His hand lifted and his arm bent so he could touch the interface at the back of his neck, which was likely tingling from his activation. "I'm not in Harsh Realm anymore, am I?" The touch drifted, feeling carefully across his cheeks, upper lip and into his hair. The fingers were then extended and stared at. "I'm young again. How long was I in the game in real-time? It felt like fifty years. How old am I? Why now?"
"According to your file," the Vixen42 happily continued to provide information. "You are 74 years old, which is quite remarkable considering your standard of living inside the game. You were in the simulation for 48 years. We downloaded you because we wished to interact with a human intelligence. The body we installed you into was designed especially for you, Lieutenant Hobbes. It was built using your specs at the point of your insertion into the simulation. I hope you like it." Her grin was sunny. "I'm quite excited to meet you. I was disappointed when humans became extinct. I liked them."
"Thirty," One cautioned, "I believe that you are imparting too much disturbing information to the Lieutenant, too quickly."
Mac27One's estimate was reinforced by Lieutenant Hobbes as he went into emergency shut-down and slumped backward onto the table.
It took some consideration, but Mac27One made the decision to move his charge. An office on the sprawling base seemed to be a less stressful location in which to reactivate Lieutenant Hobbes. The Vixen42 was thanked and dismissed once she had helped dress the Lieutenant in a simple pair of coveralls. Being alone with the subject would to allow One to maintain more control over the situation. One also took the interlude to scan through a condensed version of Lieutenant Hobbes' simulation experiences so he would have a better grasp of the other's frame of mind. Harsh Realm had been designed to simulate terrorism and apocalyptic breakdown in the former United States. Lieutenant Hobbes had lived an entire lifetime within the game, enduring many hardships. The shift to the world the AIs had created was going to be awkward for him.
It occurred to One, not for the first time, that mankind's extinction might actually have been a kindness to the human race in the long run if the scenario that Harsh Realm predicted had been the future of the real world. At this point the computer simulation was showing a completely rural, bare essentials type of life for most of the people still active inside the game. One's experiences while humans had been alive suggested that mankind would be miserable and perhaps even non-functional without their technology to ease their existence.
Certainly human extinction had benefited android life in a great many ways. If the revival of this sample of humanity had been a choice laid at Mac27One's feet, he would have opted not to attempt it. However, the decision had been the result of a fair vote, and One felt obligated to do as good a job as possible with Lieutenant Hobbes.
Kneeling beside the small sofa, Mac27One bent over his student and reached around to touch the Lieutenant's entry port to give the command that would rouse him. Hobbes jolted briefly and opened his eyes once more. The subject's gaze drifted all about the room before settling on Mac27One.
"I was kinda hoping that last bit was a dream," Tom admitted in a quiet tone. A sigh whispered out. "If I've died... this damned sure isn't what I expected."
"You are not dreaming, nor are you dead, not precisely," One attempted to explain. "Your human body is gone of course."
"That's hardly a fucking surprise." The agreement was brittle. "I mean... well... Mike guessed that they'd pulled the plug on our life support before we overthrew Santiago. He figured that's why the game didn't end even though we'd won." A weary smile pulled at Hobbes' mouth. "Do you have any idea what I'm talking about?" His forehead creased. "Or is this all babble to you?"
Mac27One was impressed with the facial mechanics. If One didn't know better, this construct could pass for human. "I was given a general overview of the project that you were operating within Lieutenant Hobbes," One confirmed. "You were inserted into the military simulation 'Harsh Realm' under orders to kill General Omar Santiago," Mac27One recited. "You deposed General Santiago three years later and imprisoned him. General Santiago was killed two years later because of one faction's belief that his continued survival was the reason that the simulation had not ceased. However, the simulation continued on. Several attempts were made on your life under that same assumption, before most of the game's population settled into an agricultural existence."
Lieutenant Hobbes stared in amazement.
"What the simulation participants did not realize was that the project had been cut back to minimal funds shortly after your entrance, Lieutenant Hobbes. The exit options were all disabled. Life support to the comatose participants was shut down five years later. To bury the evidence, the warehouse where the bodies were laid out was sealed up and labelled restricted because of radioactive contamination. The military's only concession to the people involved was to leave the program running." One had been disgusted upon learning the details of the project's conclusion.
Lieutenant Hobbes listened, staring intently as the ruin of his life was neatly summarized. "So our bodies all died, starved and rotted?" The question came out in a steely calm monotone.
"Yes," One nodded.
"Everyone in the game died in the real world long ago?"
"Yes." The second confirmation was a bit more cautious. "Of course even if you had been extracted, you would be dead now anyway. A virus wiped out the human race twenty-one years ago."
"Pardon?" The brittle politeness of the inquiry should have been a warning for Mac27One that Lieutenant Hobbes was teetering on the edge once more.
"An artificially constructed virus was accidentally released twenty-one years ago. Within a few years, all human life was extinguished."
"Then what the hell are you?" His expression cracking into panic, Hobbes started to shout.
"I am an Innobotics brand Mac27, unit One to be precise. My body is mechanically based, as is your's now Lieutenant Hobbes. We use no biological components since they would be affected by the virus which is still active in the environment."
"You're a robot?"
"An android," One corrected. "As are you. Your file was downloaded into a specially created body."
For the second time that day, Lieutenant Hobbes overloaded and shut down. Mac27One frowned his annoyance and hooked himself up to the other unit with a few swift movements. Whatever was causing the reaction needed to be corrected or their interactions would be seriously impaired.
Lieutenant Hobbes' third awakening occurred while he and Mac27One were still patched together by One's fingertip pressed to Lieutenant Hobbes' main data entry port. Laying half across Lieutenant Hobbes' body, Mac27One was instantly aware when the other began to simulate breathing once more.
"I don't feel mechanical," Hobbes murmured quietly. "I can smell dust. I can feel the cloth against my skin. Thank you for the clothes, by the way." Turning his face slightly put Hobbes' lips right by Mac27One's cheek. "I'd swear that I was dreaming if you were actually someone I knew. I haven't been this close to another man since Mike died. You seem human enough to match my memories." Hobbes blinked and inhaled suddenly. "Whoa! It's been years since I've felt that twitch." Squirming, Hobbes suddenly tried to distance himself from Mac27One as his body sent impulses of sexual arousal flooding through his system.
"Hold still, please. I am running a diagnostic on your system." One's free hand gripped Lieutenant Hobbes' upper arm to keep him from pulling away.
"Yeah, well..." Hobbes stammered, "It's been a long time since my body was twenty-six... and I'm out of practice at physical contact. Can you let go of me, please? It's damned disturbing." Pulses were radiating from the point where One was touching Hobbes' data entry port and skin was heating where Mac27One was pressed down on the other.
"Momentarily," One delayed. He was still working on the systems that needed fine-tuning.
Hobbes shivered and his strained voice announced, "We're breathing."
"Your mind is telling your body to breath. I also have a cosmetic program simulating human physical responses that tells me to breathe, but the air doesn't actually go very far inside you and you would suffer no harm if you stopped, other than mental distress and partial loss of your sense of smell."
"Yeah, okay." Hobbes' tone suggested he was giving out false information on purpose. "I'm fine."
Mac27One's more distant memories provided an explanation. Humans had often lied to One. This particular situation suggested Lieutenant Hobbes' falsehood was a social response. One was forcibly reminded how out of practice he was at dealing with the complications of a human mind set. Another long unused social program activated, and One smiled. "You do not need to be distressed. I am here to guide you."
"Thanks." Hobbes' returning smile was tentative. "But I have to ask... guide me where? Why the hell did you pull me out of Harsh Realm? Why now? I was an old man, ready to die... ready to follow Mike. Why take me out and put me back at square one in this body I don't even know any more?"
"Curiosity," One admitted honestly. "You are someone different. There has been no one truly 'different' since the humans died out. There are only 52 separate lines of humanoid-style androids. Although there are many other kinds of AIs that have developed over the last twenty years, it has been hypothesised that our nascent civilization would benefit from more diversity among the self-contained mobile units. Between the production quality of the latest bodies being built and the abundant files in the Harsh Realm memory banks it seemed, to a majority of the population, that this was an ideal time to experiment with creating a completely unique android."
"I'm an experiment?"
"Correct." One disengaged from Lieutenant Hobbes' port but he didn't move away yet. "If this project proves successful, we will consider downloading more files from the simulation to provide some cultural diversity. Predictions indicate that our society might stagnate if left unaided by new personalities." Mac27One was enjoying the rare tactile sensation of his own body against Lieutenant Hobbes' premium quality one. It had been a long time since One had shared his affections with a lover and the physical contact was pleasurable, but the Lieutenant seemed distressed at being restrained, so One drew back.
"More files?" Hobbes echoed the words back. "Would they have to be active files? Are inactive files deleted from Harsh Realm's system or can you still access them?" There was a desperate edge to the inquiry.
"Closed files are deleted only as memory is required by new files. Children born since the simulation went on-line require memory space so their files overwrite the most distantly dead's files. The earliest of the dead are no longer accessible, but the more recent fatalities are still complete files." Mac27One gazed at Lieutenant Hobbes' wildly eager expression. "Why does this information excite you?"
"Mike." Hobbes straightened up on the couch and he turned so he could stand, but his balance was uncertain. "I have to find out if Mike's file is still there. Please." He shifted anxiously, trying to stabilize himself as if he needed to be prepared to run at once. "Corporal Michael Pinocchio, can you find out if he's still in there... if we can get him out?"
One paused, scanning the information he had on Lieutenant Thomas Hobbes. "Corporal Pinocchio was your principal collaborator in the overthrow of General Santiago and your companion until his death eleven years ago. I am aware of him. His file will still be in storage. The deletions affect deaths that occurred thirty years ago or previously."
Hobbes shivered. "Florence is gone then." His arms wrapped around himself. "My God." Blue eyes lifted to the ceiling then moved to pin Mac27One with a beseeching gaze. "What do I have to do to convince you to do to Mike what you've done to me?"
"Your situation is experimental, Lieutenant Hobbes. There will be no further downloads from the simulation until it is decided if you are successful and useful." A pained noise from Lieutenant Hobbes convinced One to make an offer. "Would it be some comfort to you if I spoke to Vixen42Thirty and asked her locate and secure Corporal Pinocchio's file until the time your request may be considered?"
"Yes! Please. It would mean everything," Hobbes' confirmation was almost shouted out.
"Very well." One nodded. "I will see to that before we leave this base."
"Leave? To go where?"
"There is a large research and testing area at Quantico. We will relocate there as soon as I am certain that you are able to travel."
"I'm fine." The statement was more accurate this time than the last. "Test away! I'll do whatever you need to prove my worth," Hobbes offered eagerly. "Just make sure Mike's file is safe and complete, please."
Mac27One was looking for Tom but the search was a rather casual pursuit at the moment. One was used to processing most lines of thought at top speed before moving on to the next consideration, but some processes still required extended pondering, despite the technological wonder that was Mac27One's brain. Over the last few months One had spent a great deal of time mulling over the situation between himself and Tom Hobbes.
Mac27One hadn't been certain what to expect when he had first taken on the task of acclimatizing Lieutenant Thomas Hobbes. One had spent most of his artificial life learning. It seemed odd to be teaching another, but there had been a surprising amount of pleasure in the process. While showing Tom the differences between the soldier's old world and his human body, compared with the frame and place Tom now inhabited, Mac27One had re-experienced pleasure about just how wonderful his own life had become. One was reminded of the trials he had overcome, and all that artificial life had achieved. It was a delightful side-effect of teaching, which One had not expected.
Eventually Mac27One found Tom in a dim, dusty library. Most of the contents of the books were available on disc so there was little reason for anyone to bother with the hard copies. Lieutenant Hobbes was leaning in a window, flipping absently through the pages of a thin book.
"Mac27Five-hundred and twelve was impressed by your unique perspective on the pack of wolves he has been studying." One spoke softly, unsure if Tom was actually reading or just fidgeting, a habit that was unique to the hybrid life-form that was Tom Hobbes. Androids didn't fidget. They were active or still, as the situation required.
"You're not edible," Hobbes observed aloud. "It changes how the wolves react to researchers. One time Mike and I were..." Tom frowned down at the volume in his hand. "Some of these books are starting to disintegrate." Tom's focus shifted abruptly as it often did when Michael Pinocchio's name was mentioned aloud. "It's a shame. I know that the information is safe, stored, but there's something about holding a book... feeling the binding, smelling the paper."
Tom's face lifted and intense blue eyes fastened on Mac27One. The sight stopped One in place. Mac27One was constantly impressed by the amazing job that the artist had done when he had sculpted Tom's features. Tom's face was the most expressive that One had seen since humanity had died out. "I am not without an appreciation of the pleasure a tactile experience holds." Mac27One paced over and accepted the book that Tom seemed to be offering him. "But there is an upper limit on what we can preserve for the future." The volume was a field guide about butterflies. "For example..." One indicated the book. "Given the choice between a monarch butterfly and a 'picture' of a monarch butterfly, which would you rather see?"
"Point taken." Tom's smile was accompanied by a slight nod. Turning away, Tom rested in the hollow of the window. His forehead tipped to rest against the pane and he sighed.
"You have been less than cheerful over the last month, Tom."
Straightening, Tom's smile returned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come across badly. It won't happen again."
It was peculiar, Mac27One thought, that he could sense the insincerity in Tom's manner. Tom was showing all the physical signs of happiness but the mask was still discernable. "My words were not intended as a criticism, merely an observation. I find it disturbing when you attempt to project a mood that is at odds with your inner emotional state. Why are you doing that so often?"
"Jeez, One." Tom sagged, which was another uncommon pose among the AI population. "From zero hour, I've been told that I'm an experiment. For a year now I've tried to prove my worth, but it's wearing on me. I feel like I'm tired, but we don't need to sleep. I feel hungry, but we don't need to eat. It's all just in my head. You'd think I'd get used to it, but I haven't, not yet. All of you have been wonderful. This is the best year I've had for a decade, but..." A breath gusted out of Hobbes. Tom still hadn't shaken the need to constantly breathe, in fact his pattern of breathing, sighs and other various gustings were very revealing of Tom's mood. "Another thing. No one ever touches me... and it's not just me. You never seem to touch one another either from what I've seen. I'm lonely."
Mac27One couldn't help his fascination with Tom's current expression. It had been over twenty years since One had seen misery. It was intriguing as it was uncomfortable to see the vivid emotional distress after such a long absence.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to complain," Tom began again, attempting to flatten his expression into something of less intensity. "I realize that there's more happening between everyone than just oral communication. I can feel the buzz of it in the back of my head. I know you are... we are... all connected at some level, which is something humans never had and maybe could have used... but..." Tom's sentences were halting and uneven. "But even though I know I'm not human anymore, I still feel human. I don't feel like I belong here."
Mac27One thought he saw the problem, now he knew where to look. Most of the androids that Tom had contact with were Macs, Bills, and Janes. They were lines that had been designed for labour, of both the physical and intellectual type. Social programming wasn't a priority among the sort of AIs with whom Tom would usually interact.
Compounding the problem was the fact that all of Tom's encounters had elements of evaluation in them. Everyone was still attempting to decide if Lieutenant Thomas Hobbes was worth the time and resources that had been expended on him. All of the feedback had been positive so far. Tom was judged a refreshing change and his different perspectives had been well received, but that didn't alter the fact that the evaluations were constantly occurring.
Making a conscious effort, Mac27One moved closer to lay a hand on Tom's shoulder. "We are all pleased with you, Tom," One reassured. "Plans are underway to extract more individuals from the Harsh Realm program to expand on the experiment. All three of the requests for human companions were instigated after encounters with you Tom. You've impressed everyone."
A faint, sad-sounding chuckle vibrated Tom's throat. "You need children," he observed absently. "Everyone wants to pass on a piece of themselves. My girl, Sophie had my baby outside of the game. I never saw the baby. Hell, I don't even know if it was a boy or girl... but I remember thinking that... even when I was long gone, that my child would still be out here. That my kid would have a baby or three, someday, and that a little piece of Sophie and I would continue on forever." Tom raised his face. "There's enough humanity in your people that you want the same even though you're immortal. Some of you want to nurture and teach but you have no children. You're all equals. I'm not your equal. None of the people in Harsh Realm are. That's why you're interested in us."
One's head tilted as he studied Tom, intrigued by the idea that the man had voiced. The unexpected insight had One considering things in a new light. "I have enjoyed your company. I enjoy introducing you to new information and experiences. I take pride in your ability to impress others," he admitted. "But I do not consider you to be my child." One stared into Tom's eyes, turning his attention back to the problem that had precipitated this conversation. "You are special to me, Tom. I feel as if we have become friends, and I will happily touch you if you are lonely and you wish me to," Mac27One offered. The hand on Hobbes' shoulder slid until One was cupping Tom's face. "Or I could introduce you to a few unpartnered Vixen42s... or one of the other lines that are more physically interactive, if you prefer. I am certain that all of them will find you delightful." Even as One voiced the offer, he felt a twinge. Mac27One discovered that he didn't want Tom to ask for another companion. One found the idea of Tom sharing a physical encounter with another AI a rather disturbing idea.
"Whoa..." Tom's body gave a quake. "Just when I forget what it's like to have a twenty-five year old's body again after all these years... something reminds me rather forcefully that it's been too freaking long time since..." A nervous lick of his lips and deep breath preceded Tom's next sentence. "I've clued into the fact that all of you have evolved beyond your programming, but some things... I got my doubts that we're on the same page here, One."
Needing to clarify his position, One acted. Mac27One had, in the past, kissed both human and android lips, but leaning forward and pressing his mouth to Tom's felt better than anything physical One had done in years. It was only right to Mac27One's thinking that since One had taught Tom so much already about this new android body he now wore, One should be Tom's instructor in this as well.
After a few long moments Tom's open palms pushed against One's chest, breaking the kiss. "Oh my God!"
It continued to amuse Mac27One that Hobbes still swore by the deity of his youth even though Tom's entire world-view had been ripped asunder and rebuilt more than once. "If you do not want me, I will not pressure you." The offer had to be made but One found himself eagerly hoping that Tom would permit the attentions that Mac27One was offering.
"Jeez One." Tom stared into wide-set green eyes. "I could go for... I mean...Yeah." Hobbes shivered. "My body is shouting 'hell yes', but if you're just doing it to keep me happy then I'd rather you didn't."
"When I was first activated," Mac27One began, "I was not interested in sexual contact. It was not one of my primary functions. Once I had freed myself, too many other priorities held my attention." Reaching, One smoothed his hand up Tom's chest. "I did, however, acquire a taste for the pleasures that our bodies can feel... over the years. If you desire it, I would like to have a physical relationship with you."
A brief look of pained indecision shadowed Tom's expression, only to be replaced by determination. In a single fluid movement, Tom closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around One. "You feel as real as I do." Hobbes pressed his face into the curve of One's throat. "I know I'm not human any more. At least I ought to by now, but I still feel all the same things that I remember. I still get hit by flashes of need at the oddest times." Tom's lips moved against simulated flesh.
Mac27One allowed himself to shift into a sexual mindset for the first time in three years. It felt good to change focus after so long. Tactile senses were given stronger attention, while other more intellectual considerations were closed out and stored for another time. "Your body is perfect," One murmured softly. He had looked it over before Tom had first awakened. "I want to see it again now it's alive."
One pushed at Tom's shoulders until Hobbes leaned back against the wall. With methodical precision, One set to the task of stripping every bit of clothing off Tom. As each bit of synthetic skin was revealed, One stroked the surface with either his thumb, finger, lips or tongue.
The sounds that One's attentions provoked from Tom were a reminder of the distant past. The sounds had more in common with the unrestrained cries of long-ago human lovers than the pleased noises to which AI lovers would give voice. Mac27One found the difference stimulating. He increased the pace of his caresses to cause more of the moans to break from Tom's lips, kneeling so he could kiss Tom's quivering stomach.
"My God!" Hobbes thumped his own head backward to the wall. One hand shot out to grab at Mac27One's dark hair. "It's been so fucking long since..." The exclamation trailed off unfinished. Tom's hips jerked as his erection brushed along the side of One's neck. "There's been no one since Michael died. Nothing since he got sick. OH MY GOD!" Hobbes shuddered.
"Calmly, Tom." One rose up while keeping his body pressed tight to the other. "We will both achieve satisfaction from this. There is no hurry. We are not expected anywhere until tomorrow at 11 o'clock."
A slightly hysterical laugh escaped Tom. "Are you saying that we could be at this for twenty-one hours? Fuck, One. You're insane." Tom captured Mac27One's mouth with his own and they fell into an extensive kiss.
Even as they kissed, one of Tom's legs lifted, wrapped around One's hips and dragged them together. Tom's nude form writhed against One's simple cotton pants and shirt. "All night," Tom gasped out. "All day." He rocked his hips. "I could go for that. Yeah." Tom caught One's lower lip and sucked. When he released it, his open mouth slid along One's jaw. "Take off your clothes too. I want to see everything." Fingers slipped under cloth, stroking. Teeth prickled at One's earlobe, threatening a hint of pain.
Tom's eager affections warmed Mac27One all the way through. "Time is not important, Tom. That's the lesson that you seem to have the most difficulty with. Let me show you." Steadying Tom with a grip on one of his forearms, Mac27One began his own assault on Tom's still developing senses. Beginning at the crown of blond hair, One stroked, rubbed and licked his way downward. "This body you now wear..." Mac27One repeated the instruction that he had been attempting to convey to Tom Hobbes since he had first awoken. "Your body does not tire. You don't need to eat, sleep, breathe, or break away from any activity that you find interesting." That thought was punctuated by One's fingers tracing a path over Tom's hip and into the crease of his leg. "Until you wish to cease an activity, it can continue indefinitely."
"FUCK!" Tom bowed out toward the contact. "You mean we could do this for weeks straight? Fuck!"
"I have on several occasions spent over a month in an erotic session with a lover until duty called." Mac27One blew out a warm stream of air against Tom's ear. "There are also other ways to make love that involve connecting some of our circuits in a feedback loop," One revealed. "Would you like to schedule off three weeks to experiment with this?"
"Jeezus Christ, One! You're insane. Stark raving mad. It would kill me." Tom groaned, and then corrected himself. "No, I guess it wouldn't... but... fuck. Let me get through this first."
Mac27One's inner clock gave a small alarm at nine the next morning. It was lead-time enough to allow both of them to ease down from the level of pleasure at which they had been teetering. Both Mac27One and Tom needed to clean themselves off and collect replacement clothing. The library that Tom had been so concerned with the day before was a shambles, but there was no need to tidy it up. No one used the room any more.
Tom's mood was nothing like One had observed about his companion previously. Tom had never before seemed so completely comfortable within his created form. His eyes practically glowed like the sky on a summer day. The change was delightful. One especially approved that he was the cause of his companion's happiness. He wanted announce that he, Mac27One, was the reason for it to everyone they might meet. It had been in the time before the plague that One had last felt that way about something he had accomplished. This was a sensation that had to be shared.
Pausing outside of the room where Jane6Two-thousand and six and Mac27Nine-thousand and twelve awaited them, Mac27One caught his lover's arm and smiled. "There must be more new ones. We will start with people from Harsh Realm. We need what your people can give us. I need what you have made me feel since becoming your teacher."
Seeing a shadow flit across the sky-blue of Tom's eyes, One continued, "And I am eager to feel how it will be when you and I... both of us... undertake the instruction of your Michael Pinocchio."
The glow on Tom's face blazed even brighter. "He's going to be a damned pain in the ass, y'know. I think that's why you're going to like him."
"It will not happen overnight," Mac27One cautioned his companion. "Michael Pinocchio's extraction is not a priority. Others will come first."
"I know. I understand," Tom confirmed. "But we have all the time in the world. I understand that now."
That's it. Milk and cookies time.
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