The Non-Standard Man Ch. 08

A light snow fell the next day. The day after a more vicious manifestation of an east coast winter left four inches on the ground. For an entire day the snow clung to the trees before the sun melted it. People remarked that it was pretty. I thought the snow matched the frost in my heart.

It was the only way to survive, to shut down my emotions. I couldn't bear the pain, and I berated myself for feeling it in the first place. I kept telling myself that I had to do it, that it was the best thing, the only way to save my life. I reminded myself over and over that the robot was a thing, not a person. I didn't believe a bit of it, but pretended I did. It was the only way to get through the day. It was now Friday, two days since I lowered Andrew into the ground.

Right now I was sitting in the conference room, across from Jason Wells. The young man was unhappy to be here. I asked him if he would tell the truth, he said yes, but there was no enthusiasm in his voice.

I had to do this. The pictures Andrew kept haunted me. And something was very odd about Jason Wells and his relationship with Androdyne. I couldn't get copies of his non-compete agreement, and they wouldn't acknowledge him as a former employee.

"Jason, how long did you work at Androdyne?"

"Technically, I never worked for them at all."

Surprised, I tapped my pen against my notepad.

"You didn't?"

"I told you I practically grew up at Androdyne."

"You didn't tell me that," I said.

"I told you that since I could sit, I fiddled with the robots. As a child I spent more time in my mother's lab than my own bedroom."

"So you did. You are telling me, then, that you never collected a paycheck?"

"Nope."

"Or received monetary renumeration for anything you did?"

"Nope, we were one big happy family."

The way he said 'happy' implied that they weren't.

"So how did you get your name on the patent for biologic skin?"

"I developed it. It was a project for a high school biology class. When Sinta saw it, she got very excited. She encouraged me to work on it in the lab, gave me my own lab to do it. For a fourteen-year-old kid, that was huge. It made me feel very important."

"Sinta? What about your mother?"

"She was good with it, as long as it kept me out of her hair."

"That sounds harsh."

"She was a busy woman. The Andrews took up all of her time."

I wondered about that. That must have sucked that his mother found robots more interesting than her own brilliant son.

"Tell me about your mother's work with the Andrews."

He looked at his cell phone. "Can't," he said without looking up.

"Can't?"

"I'm under a confidentiality agreement that I signed before I went to work for Talbot Pharmaceuticals."

"I'd like to see that agreement."

"I'll ask Sinta to send it over."

"You will?"

"She takes my calls," he said.

"What the fuck is going on here, Jason?" I snapped. "Why are you so friendly with the people that are suing your employers?"

Jason leveled his gaze.

"Why the hell wouldn't I be? Sinta is like family to me, just about the only family I have left. Just because I didn't want to play with 'bots for the rest of my life doesn't change that! Now if you'll excuse me, I've had enough of your questions."

Wells left in a huff, and I sat there in the conference room staring after him. What the fuck was going on?

#

"Ms. Shipley," said Caroline, in her most efficient 'I'm the gatekeeper voice', "your husband is here to see you."

I'd avoided Roger's calls all week, since that day I last saw him.

"Tell him I'm busy," I said, knowing that Roger listened to what I said since she was on speakerphone.

"Goddammit," said Roger in the background.

I typed something in my instant messenger window to her.

"Did you find him a new apartment," I wrote.

"Yes, he moved in yesterday," she replied.

"Excuse me, Mr. Shipley, I have to answer this call. Yes, Ms. Carruthers, I'll ring you through. There was more swearing from Roger.

"Liz—" said Caroline.

"I know."

"Hello, Liz. I didn't expect—"

"This isn't business, Evaline. Sorry to call. But if you see Roger, please have him get in touch with me."

"Liz, I'm sorry, but I don't get involved with my husband's social life. I hope you understand."

"Yes, of course, it's just that, well, I have to talk with him."

"Of course, Liz, if he gets in touch, I'll tell him you called." I clicked off the call more than a little annoyed that Liz was using her relationship with me to contact my husband. I made sent a message to Caroline to make this a billable hour.

Just then my door flung open.

"Roger, what the hell!"

"Why are you ducking me?"

"I'm not avoiding you. I've been busy."

He scrubbed his face with his hands. "Geez, this is such a mess."

"Come in, shut the door, and tell me what's bothering you."

He shut the door, then went to my bar, and poured himself a generous amount of whiskey. He drank it straight down. I typed in a note to Caroline to get another bottle.

Roger fell into one of the chairs in front of my desk.

"Evaline, I'm sorry."

"What did you do now? Did you get kicked out of your new place already."

He glowered at me.

"No, that's not it. But it's a huge mess, and it has to do with that robot of yours."

"You're not making sense."

Roger looked down. "I didn't make it to Saint Barts because I got arrested."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Evie, listen. I got clipped in a men's room. Get it?"

"Oh, Roger," I sighed. "That still doesn't explain why you didn't call me."

"All I thought at the time was that I really messed things up. The scandal would affect your firm. The government agents said that they'd make it all go away, if I got them information. And I thought if it was only information-"

I cut him short. "What kind of information?"

"About Lindsey Talbot and Jason Wells."

"Wait," I said counting back the days, "I hadn't even met them then."

"They seemed to think you would."

"Wait? What?"

"It seemed like a long shot to me, but Evaline," he said leaning forward with an earnest look on his face. "I've found since that people have been watching the two of them since Jason left Androdyne to work for her."

"How did you find that out?"

"The government agents let some things slip when they interrogated me."

"For two years they've been tracking Jason?"

"Apparently. Saturday, the day before I met you at the country club, they pulled me again in to see what I found. When I said nothing, they got me evicted, telling me to go live with you to find out."

"Shit." I sat there, mind boggled, trying to trace the intricacies of the conspiracy running around me. This was the kind of black hat operation that kept conspiracy theorists up at night.

"All this. Before we buried Andrew?"

"Yes, and Evaline, Liz is working with them. I don't know what they have on her, but it must be deep. She was too frightened to talk about it."

"Fuck. And that's why you've been avoiding her?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you come to me with this earlier."

"I've tried. You wouldn't take my calls."

He was right. I had my head so far up my ass about Andrew, I ignored Roger even when normally he wouldn't bother to call me that often.

"So, Roger. How deep is this shit that you finally came clean."

"Evaline, they pulled me again after that cluster fuck of a funeral, and threatened to arrest you if I couldn't get them the information they wanted. Since I wouldn't talk, I suspect they will do just that to find out what you know about Androdyne."

Fuck. I needed some answers.

"Roger, it's time to make yourself scarce."

"Is it time for the safe?" said Roger.

"Yes, Roger. It's time to open the safe."

#

I asked Caroline run Roger's arrest record, and found, curiously that his last arrest didn't show on the records.

"But they said-"Roger protested.

"I'm sure they did. And don't think that it can't get dropped into the record when they want. But right now, your passport is clear, so we are going to get you out of the country.

"Please, Evie. Let me help."

"This will help, trust me."

I called Tersa, and filled her in.

"I need you to take Roger down to Florida, and get him on a nice cruise ship."

"Is this legal?"

"Yes, perfectly legal, right now."

"Oh." She sounded disappointed.

"But certain people are using my husband to get to me, and I can't have that, so I imagine there will be some excitement along the way."

"Oh," she said brightening. "Good. Where do I pick him up?"

"Here, at my office in the parking garage. Fifteen minutes."

"It's gonna cost you."

I sighed. "Yes, I know."

#

I announced rather loudly to Caroline that I was going to lunch with my husband. I hoped whoever was planted to watch me would hear me. At this point I was sure there was a spy in my office.

Roger and I walked down several flights of stairs to get entrance to the walkway that took us to the garage. When I opened the door to the garage Tersa's red car was waiting there running, and waiting.

I slipped Roger a black credit card.

"There's no limit and it can't be traced directly to me."

"Where'd you get it?"

"Oh, I'm a good Girl Scout."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really, because 'be prepared' is the Boy Scout motto.

"Well, we took that too when we took over the world."

He gave me a kiss.

"Be safe, Evie."

"Wait, give me your hat and coat."

"My hat and coat, why? It's fucking cold out here."

"You'll be in a nice warm car and in Florida by tomorrow morning, so you won't need it. Give it."

Shaking his head, he shrugged over the gray wool overcoat and felt fedora and handed them to me.

I looked through the pockets of his coat, and handed him was in there, including the black credit card.

"Be careful with this," I hissed.

"Okay," he said annoyed. "I didn't think you'd steal my coat."

I almost made a remark about not being able to steal what I paid for, but time was getting short.

"You'll know when to call me. Until then, don't. And Roger, should this not work, keep your damn mouth shut and call your lawyer."

"Okay, love. Bye."

With a wave, Tersa drove away with Roger in the back seat. I saw Roger slide down in the seat to hide. I wonder if Tersa would make him sit that way the whole distance to Florida.

It would serve him right, traitorous bastard.

I waited. In a couple minutes my limo arrived and I was off on the second part of my mission. I needed to meet with my lawyer.

At least, I hoped she'd take my case.

#

I made the driver pull into the garage of Betty's office building. With my scarf wrapped around my head, and wearing sun glasses from my purse, I thought I looked chic and mysterious at the same time. If me, my career and my firm weren't in so much trouble, I'd enjoy this. The the old juice from when me, and my girls ran the streets of Boston, avoiding the law, ran through me.

Betty's secretary didn't know what to make of me with the get-up on my head and my expensive camel hair coat.

"And you would be?"

"Evie Rimes," I said.

"I'll see what I can do. She's very busy."

She would be. Betty was a successful criminal lawyer. The secretary was surprised when Betty told her to send me in.

Betty looked me up and down.

"What shit have you gotten into this time, Evaline?"

"Shortly, I will be arrested on false charges, and they'll probably be federal ones. I'll need lawyer to bail me out."

I set a bag on the table with the money I took out of my office safe.

"This should cover your fee and the bail money."

Betty looked in the bag.

"Jesus, Evaline. What are you going to be arrested for?"

"Not quite sure how they will play it."

"They?"

"The RIB."

"Shit, Evaline."

"Yes, I know."

"Were did you get all this cash?" she said amazed.

"I'm very good at saving money. A little here, a little there."

In fact, it was why my condo when I could have purchased something three times its value. It gave me the ability to draw a grand of week from the bank for "spending money" that I socked into the safe. I've done this since I became managing partner, for the past five years. I had a quarter million squirreled away in that safe. A hundred and fifty thousand was in the bag in front of Betty.

"Gee," she said sarcasm dripping her voice, "do you think it will be enough?"

"I can't imagine getting a bail amount more than a million dollars for my first offense," I said. "Otherwise you're a pretty sucky lawyer."

"Hmph," said Betty. " My billable hours rise even as we speak."

"Go ahead. I need you on this. If you don't get a call from me every twenty-four hours on the dot file a writ of habeas corpus as soon as I miss contacting you.

"Shit's that serious?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

I waited an hour or so in Betty's office to give Roger and Tersa time to get out of Washington. Looking at my phone clock, I figured they'd be Virginia by now, so I left Betty's office and got back in my car. Hopefully I managed convince whoever was following me that Roger was still with me, and that we'd just visited a criminal lawyer.

"Where to now?" said the driver.

Hmm. Just where does one go to be arrested for harboring a sentient robot?

"The Washington Crowne Plaza, the one downtown."

#

I had the driver park in the garage again.

"Here's five grand," I said. "Go rent a room for a night. Keep the rest for yourself."

"A room? Any room? There's a convention here."

It was toward the end of the week, so I had to imagine that a few rooms opened up by now.

"See the manager, and give her a grand off the top. She'll get you a room."

"She will?" The driver sounded doubtful.

"Yes. And then bring the key right back. And if anyone asks questions, you don't know a thing, got it?"

"Got it."

"After that, take a nice dinner, then come back here and wait for me."

"All night?"

"No, I'm not sleeping in the room. I just want people to think I'm sleeping in the room."

"This aint' nothing illegal is it?" she said.

I sighed. I paid enough to this limo service where anything I asked shouldn't be questioned.

"No. I'm just playing a little joke on some friends. Now go."

"Yes, ma'am."

It took about thirty minutes before the driver returned with the room key.

"Now enjoy a nice dinner here. Later."

"Yes, ma'am."

I took Roger's coat and hat, and walked into the hotel.

#

The Crowne was like any other hotel, with a wide, broad lobby with a long front desk against the further wall. To the left was a bank of elevators. To the right sat the restaurant, and a hallway that led to the conference rooms.

Manned at the entrance of the conference rooms stood a long banquet table dressed with a white table skirt. The woman looked bored.

"I'd like two of those passes where I can visit the pleasure 'bots." I said, trying to maintain the cover Roger was with me.

She frowned. "Those passes only come with the full week conference package."

"Okay." I said.

"Okay? Ma'am, that's a thousand dollars apiece."

I slapped twenty one hundred dollar bills in front of her.

"You take cash, don't you?"

Her eyes widened, but she handed me two envelopes that said across the front, VIP.

Yep, that's me. Very Important Person-waiting-to-get-arrested.

#

From one of the envelops I took out the bracelet that allowed me entrance to the pleasure 'bot rooms. I looked for and found Androdyne's room. It wasn't hard. It was the largest in the convention.

Cubicles of different sizes with light-blocking holodoors sliced up the room. Smaller ones sat on the side while a bigger one stretched across the back. While the holodoors blocked light they didn't block sound, and I heard the moans of a couple different women.

A perky service 'bot greeted me at the door.

"What can I do for you, miss?

"Do you have the latest Andrews?"

"Yes, miss. Fresh off the assembly line."

"Good, I'd like to see one."

"Right this way. You can pick the one you want."

She led me to the makeshift room in the back, where a line of five Andrews sat posed on a couch against the wall.

"Andrews, say hello to our guest," said the service 'bot.

"Hello, darling," they said in unison.

"I'll leave you alone to make your selection," she said. The 'bot turned smartly.

"Hello, Andrews. Please stand."

"Sure darling," they said.

All five of the 'bots stood. I put down Roger's coat and hat on a chair, and walked over to them.

I looked over each carefully. While superficially they all appeared to be like my Andrew, there was something different. I touched the penis of one of the 'bots. It did not have the soft skin of my Andrew.

"Do you want sex?" the 'bot asked.

I shivered. The sound of his voice was identical to my Andrew's.

"What if I wanted to please you?" I said.

"I'm sorry. I don't understand your question."

"Can I please you in sex, Andrew?"

"I'm sorry. I don't understand the question."

I stood there thinking. Unlike my Andrew, this 'bot lacked the capacity to analyze my questions and synthesize an answer.

"I'm programmed to give you pleasure," said the Andrew. "Can I give you pleasure, Mistress?" He reached his hand out to touch my breast.

"Can I give you pleasure, Mistress?" the other 'bots repeated.

"Do you want to get to know me?" I said.

"I can give you pleasure, Mistress," said the Andrew.

"How would you give me pleasure? How do you know what pleases me?"

"Are you asking about technical specifications?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, I'm not programmed to give that information."

The Andrew leaned in and tweaked my breast and I gasped.

"Do you enjoy this?" he said.

"Yes."

He pulled up my shirt, and pressed his hands to my breasts. Unlike my Andrew, however, his face didn't display enjoyment.

"And this?" he said.

"Yes."

Another Andrew closest to me pressed his hands against my ass.

"Do you like this, mistress?" he asked.

I swallowed. "Yes."

He slid my skirt up over my ass and rubbed his hand along my crack.

"Does that give you pleasure, Mistress?" said the backside Andrew.

"Yes."

The Andrew at my front slid his hand to my mound, making soft circles with his fingers.

He moved his fingers down seeking the folds of my pussy.

"Does that feel good?" he asked again.

"Um, yes."

"You are wet," he said. "Aroused."

"Yes."

He push his finger up into my slit.

"Ah."

The backside Andrew leaned over and picked up something from the table by the couch. Something cool and gel-like hit my back hole. His finger ran circles around my rosebud. Then he pushed in.

The front Andrew added a second finger, and pushed in while the backside Andrew pulled his finger out. They fell into this alternating rhythm while I squirmed on their fingers.

The backside Andrew bent over again, and I heard a curious snapping. I turned my head and saw him roll a condom on his phallus. The other Andrew turned my head back to him and had me watch him roll a condom on his.

Condoms were outlawed, as was any birth control.

"Aren't those illegal?'

"The company has a special permit. It's a health requirement for this convention to protect you. Do not worry about it. It's well lubricated."

"I'm not worried, but, ahhh."

More gel slid down my crack, and the back-endAndrew pressed into my hole. As he pushed, the forward Andrew pulled my panties farther to one side. He slid his arms under my arms, and bent a knee between my legs. With that he angled his phallus toward my pussy. He pushed, holding me up. My head fell forward on his shoulder as the back end Andrew pushed and gained entrance gripping my hips. The two pleasure 'bots pushed and pulled me between them like a rag doll.

With tingles of pleasure in both holes, my excitement quickly rose. I begged them to fuck me harder, and like the good pleasure 'bots they were, they complied. Cradled between their robotically strong arms, I was lost in the rising heat of our fucking. Rocked between the two 'bot I exploded. I muffled my cries in the forward Andrew's shoulder.