Genetic Odyssey Ch. 01

Hello,

I am so delighted to meet you. My name is Griffin.

I am a Pleasure GELF. A Genetically Engineered Life Form built specifically for your enjoyment and companionship. I eagerly anticipate getting to know you and learning how to serve you better. I have taken my current form based on the outward perceptions of what you find attractive in a partner or friend. I can change my appearance to best suit your current needs or desires.

Naturally, sexual satisfaction is a large part of the reason I exist. Rest assured, I will be willing and able to provide for your needs in any way. My creators and I ask that our activities not inflict any damage or serious pain upon me, inhibiting my ability to perform and care for you in the future.

My anatomy can take on any form favorable to you and will function as your desires dictate. Even though I am "anatomically correct," I cannot reproduce or become infected with human diseases. My only requirements are food and water, but I require significantly less than my human counterparts.

If you have any questions about how I function or the nature of what I am, please ask. I look forward to getting to know you and meeting and exceeding expectations.

Your very eager pleasure GELF,

Griffin

ERIN

He stood there with a happy little smile plastered across his gentle face. I was terrified. A man in a Maytag-looking uniform had knocked on my door, handed me a letter, tipped his hat and walked away, leaving this guy standing on my front porch. I glanced down at the sheet of paper in my hand, barely suppressing a gasp while skimming the page. My Aunt had been joking about finding me a boyfriend if I didn't start dating again soon. I brushed it off as sarcasm or heckling by my playful Aunt Sarah.

A bird chirped loudly in the oak tree in the yard, bringing me back to reality. I was deeply annoyed, ushering the man, machine, or whatever he was into my house. He stood quietly in the entryway as I closed the door behind us.

"So, what am I supposed to do with you?!" I asked, throwing up my hands.

The dopey grin slowly faded from his face before he answered, "I'm sorry; have I done something wrong?"

"Well, no," I almost stammered, his voice taking me by surprise. It was soft and deep, like distant thunder. That is not what I expected from a GELF. I'm not sure what I expected, but it wasn't that. "I'm just a little nervous about all of this. I didn't know you were coming. Aunt Sarah is always full of surprises."

"I hope I don't make you uncomfortable," he replied, a little bit of the smirk growing back across his face and a little sparkle in his crystal blue eyes. "My name is Griffin. It's so nice to meet you, Erin."

He reached for me, and I hesitantly shook his hand. He returned the greeting very gently before letting go. "So, what am I supposed to do with you? Aunt Sarah clicks "add to cart" and sends you over without so much as a howdy-do? Oh gods, am I supposed to jump your bones in the hallway here? This is nuts..." my voice threatened to run away from me.

His smile widened, and he politely cleared his throat. "Erin, if I may, deep breath. It's okay. You don't have to do anything. I can be anything you want. If you want a butler, I'm a butler. If you want a pet, I'm a pet. If you want a friend, I'm a..."

"I get it I get it, sorry. This is a lot to take in all at once. Do I have to get a second job to feed you? Take you to the doctor when you get sick? Oh my gods..." I stopped myself as anxiety crept up my throat. I walked over and collapsed onto my usual spot on the deep sofa in the living room and gestured for him to sit in the chair next to it.

After he sat, he tilted his head up slightly like he wanted to say something, and I answered with a "let's have it" gesture.

"At the risk of sounding rude, it's not that serious. I know you were ambushed with this, but the letter that came with me covers most of it. I don't get sick the way humans do and I don't eat much. I came with a bank account for expenses. I'm only a few days old, so I don't know much. From what I understand, your Aunt sent me with a good deal of money," he reassured me. "I'm here to make your life better, not worse."

He smiled at me again, as I let his words sink in. Aunt Sarah is loaded, plain and simple, and the more this bounced around in my head, the more I realized she wouldn't send me a burden. With a little hesitation, I asked, "Griffin, how much money did she send with you?"

He closed his eyes, and his face went blank for an instant before he opened them and continued, "My account balance right now is $250,000. I don't know how much that is."

"Uhh, that's a lot. That's around the price of a house around here," I sputtered, heat rising into my cheeks. This guy showed up loaded, huh? Good Ol' Aunt Sarah. Maybe this won't be all bad. He is kinda cute. "Okay... we don't have to worry about grocery bills. I won't lie; this is so weird I don't know how to process it. I only heard about GELFs in an article on The Verge last week. I'm sure I've never seen one of you before. What exactly are you?" I asked, my eyes tracing over his body.

"I'm a pleasure GELF. That stands for Genetically Engineered Life form. Essentially, I am a vat-grown humanoid creature designed to mirror whatever you want most in a companion. That could be anything from a housemate to hired help, a lover, or anything in between. My current physical form is based on information derived from a personality profile given to Genetic Odysseys by your Aunt," Griffin explained.

"So my Aunt assumed I like bearded gentle giant types. I mean, doesn't everyone?" I said.

He chuckled softly, "I'm glad my current form works for you. My creators told me sometimes these first meetings can be a little... tough."

"I can see why. Don't get me wrong, this is strange, but we'll be okay," I reassure him. He seems nice, and yeah, this is fucking weird. However, the house has been feeling really empty lately, and it's not like I can kick him out, right? "I was getting ready to run errands, and I'm not gonna leave you here while I do it. No offense. Do you have any luggage or anything?" I asked.

"Nope, I came here with what I'm wearing and a change of underwear in my back pocket," he answered with a sheepish bow.

"Shopping trip! We can get you some clothes. I'll show you to your room, and then we can go." I stood and motioned for Griffin to follow me.

GRIFFIN

I was so nervous to meet Erin. On the way over, the driver told me my owner might not want me. I don't know what happens when one of my kind gets rejected, although I can't imagine it would be good. She was really freaked out when I arrived, but in a few minutes, it seemed she was warming to me.

I followed her down the hall and stopped when she opened the door to my room. I took a step inside and looked around to take in the small room. Against the far wall, under a big picture window, was a queen-sized bed. I took a seat on it and enjoyed the gentle give of the plush mattress as I sank into it slightly before it settled under me. There was a nightstand with a lamp and a round disk plugged into the wall. For some reason, I knew it was a phone charger. The dresser was next to the door, and a closet was in the wall across from the foot of the bed.

"I love it! Thank you so much for letting me stay. I was worried for a second," I told her honestly, looking up at her.

"What were you worried about?" She gently asked with concern clouding her face. "That I would kick you out or something?"

"The driver told me it happens sometimes," I answered.

"I'm still pretty unnerved by all this, but I'm certainly not returning you," she assured. "Anyway, I'm sorry the room is a little blah. This was my housemate's before she moved out, and she took all her decorations with her."

"Oh, not at all, it's great! I'm just excited to be here." I replied before I stood up from the bed. "When we go out for errands, can we get some groceries? I want to cook dinner for you tonight."

"Trying to spoil me, huh?" Erin asked, her brown eyes sparkling. "Yeah, that sounds good. What can you cook?"

"I don't know. I feel like I can, though. They gave us knowledge at emergence, and it's something I think I know how to do. It's strange, like I don't know what I know," I explained.

Erin turned to walk out of the room, and I went with her. Pausing to pull the pair of trunk-style underwear from my back pocket, I set them in the top drawer of the dresser. She looked over her shoulder as we headed down the hall, asking, "I hope this isn't a rude question, but how old are you?"

"That's not rude at all. I'm about three days old. In physical terms, I'm about 25, if that makes sense."

"Yeah, that makes sense. You're three days old with the body of a 25-year-old. Do you age?" Erin's voice held a hint of sarcasm.

"Strictly speaking, no. I can and will change over time to suit your tastes. If you would like me to appear older, I will. If you pay close attention over the next few days, I will change more to your liking."

"I don't know, you're already pretty cute," Erin told me, taking her purse from the hook by the door.

Creator, she said I'm cute! We walked to the car, and I blushed, hoping she didn't notice.

ERIN

Opening the door to my black Jeep Grand Cherokee, I climbed in and watched Griffin walk around the front of the car. Despite the weirdness of the whole situation, he was handsome. He was taller than me and muscular; his gray t-shirt strained against his chest, arms, and shoulders. He looked strong enough to scoop me up in his arms and... it was probably best not to go down that rabbit hole.

He stepped up and got comfortable in the leather passenger seat, looked over and offered me a warm smile. He buckled his seat belt when I started the car. I backed out of the driveway into the street, cleared my throat and asked, "So what do you need? Clothes? Toiletries? A phone?"

"Definitely clothes. I don't need a phone," he answered sheepishly before going on. "You're the only person I know."

"You'll probably want to call me at some point, so we'll have to get you one. Plus, it's nice to be able to look stuff up. You know, get the news and weather. Check your bank account, all that," I suggested.

"I can do some of that in my head. I can see my account balance and check the weather. If I want to talk to you, then I should get one."

"Okay, we can do that," I answered.

We passed the rest of our ride into Spokane in silence, yet it was weirdly not an awkward silence. It should have been because I didn't know this guy. Something about his presence was comforting, regardless of how bizarre this all was. It was so easy.

I turned into the shopping center and parked in front of the H&M to get him some clothes. Before we went in, I asked if he knew his sizes; strangely, he did. In the store, we went through the aisles and grabbed a few things here and there from the racks before heading to the fitting rooms to try them on. The attendant ran through what we had and ushered us to a room before telling me with a wink I could go in with him. I rolled my eyes as we went inside the medium-sized cubicle.

The moment the door shut behind me, he tugged his shirt over his head, exposing his broad, muscular back. I must have let out a little gasp because he turned around and immediately blushed before pulling it back on. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. You can wait outside if you want," he bashfully apologized.

"No, no. It's okay. I was just a little surprised, that's all. If we're going to be living together, I'm going to see you eventually. Go ahead," I answered awkwardly. Geez, Erin, get it together. What is with you?

I've never seen anyone undress politely, but he managed to do it. I definitely stole a couple of looks while flipping through the clothes I had picked for him. Aunt Sarah sure can pick 'em. His shoulders are broad and strong, running into a wide, muscular chest. His abs are a real treat, not chiseled and hard yet still defined. His waist nips in before his body flairs out into powerful thighs. I'll snap back to reality when he says my name.

"Erin? What do you think?" He asked, turning in front of the mirror.

I looked him up and down in the gray Henley and jeans before I nodded, "Looks good, kind of a cozy guy look. I like it. What's next?"

He tried on five or six different outfits for the next fifteen minutes before deciding on a good mix. He stood facing away from me in his underwear, and I realized it was the one piece of clothing I didn't get for him. I leaned forward and pulled his waistband away from his lean body to check the size on the tag. Oh, my gods! What is wrong with me?! I just did that?! Way to let the intrusive thoughts win, Erin.

"Is everything okay?" Griffin asked, looking back over his shoulder.

"Oh...yeah, sorry. I realized we have to get you some underwear, and I didn't know the size," I replied with embarrassment.

"Oh, okay, yeah, I'll need that." Griffin turned and dressed without a care in the world.

After finishing in the fitting room, we walked through the store toward the register, stopping for underwear in various styles and colors and a couple of packs of socks.

"I didn't know what you'd like, so it's best to have options," I told Griffin during our wait in line for the register.

With the clothes shopping done, we headed to the local Herizon location for a cell phone. With the new smartphone in hand, Griffin familiarized himself with it during our drive to the grocery store. I noticed he learned quickly but seemed to lose interest in the device rather than treat it like a fidget toy the way most people did.

At the grocery store, we perused the aisles for several minutes before Griffin asked, "What do you like?"

"What can you cook?" I reply coyly.

"It seems like I can work with everything I've seen. So it depends on what you want," he answered with a shrug.

"I love Italian food. A good steak is never wrong. Honestly, I rarely eat a nice meal. Usually, it's whatever I prepped on Sunday night. I'm sure whatever you make will be great," I replied.

Griffin responded with a short "hmm" and went through the store, filling our basket with a pair of steaks, half a dozen eggs, some pancetta, pecorino, parmesan, and two large broccoli heads. I picked out a few bottles of wine for the week before we paid and got back in the car.

Back home, we unloaded my Jeep as the autumn evening chill crept over the neighborhood. Making our way up the walk with the day's purchases, I lightly shivered. Griffin took his clothes to his room, and I put the groceries away, still shivering. I heard Griffin walk back into the kitchen. "There you are!" I said, "Do you want red or white wi— hey, what are you doing?!" I was cut off mid-sentence by the big GELF wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his chest.

"You're cold. I can hear the chill in your voice. If you don't get warmed, you could get sick," he softly chided me.

"Well, you can't just grab—" my voice trailed off when I realized how soft he was. His touch was gentle, and despite being a surprise, the hug was respectful and non-threatening. I took a deep breath and eased myself out of his arms. He smelled like spices and pine smoke with something sweet I couldn't quite place.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, letting me go, "I don't mean to overstep. You seemed..."

"It's fine. I wasn't expecting it," I smiled before going on. "Do you prefer red or white wine for dinner?"

"I don't know. It's supposed to be red for beef, right?" He asked with a tilt of his head. I nodded and uncorked a Malbec we had bought earlier.

Griffin worked in the kitchen, salting the steaks and allowing them to sit out and come to room temperature while he prepped the rest of the meal. "Erin, why don't you rest in the living room? I'll let you know when dinner is ready. Oh, I almost forgot; do you have a favorite cocktail?" He asked with a mischievous smile. Was he flirting with me?

"Probably a dirty martini," I answered with a curious look.

He nodded in reply as I walked into the living room and settled into my usual spot on the couch. I heard the telltale sounds of a drink being made through the little window into the kitchen. Is he making me a drink?

In minutes, he was in front of me, offering a chilled dirty martini.

"Just thought you might like one. It's been a big day for you," he said, setting the drink on the coffee table and retreating to the kitchen. I took a sip and was shocked by how good it was. This had to be the best martini I have ever had.

GRIFFIN

I had a pot of water boiling for the pasta and several eggs waiting to go in when it was time. I hoped I wasn't overdoing it, but steak and carbonara sounded perfect. With the carbonara thickening, I put the broccoli in the steamer and the steaks in the skillet. The meat rested at an ideal medium rare within a few minutes, and the wine breathed in the glasses.

When the broccoli came out of the steamer, everything was plated and ready to go.

"Erin, dinner is ready!" I called loud enough for her to hear in the other room.

I entered the dining room and was happy to see her already at the table with a pretty smile on her kind face. I set the plate in front of her and was surprised to see her warm brown eyes sparkling at me. That has to be my imagination.

"This is amazing!" She said, around a fork full of pasta.

"Thank you! I didn't know I could do that so well," I answered, beaming proudly. It made me happy I could cook things she loved.

We spent the rest of the meal making small talk. She was a "software engineer" who wrote computer programs with a team of people she managed. It sounded like hard work. She seemed so passionate about her job. I know I have a computer in my brain, but I have no idea how it works. It was almost intoxicating watching her run through the ins and outs of these little bits and pieces of her life.

We talked a little about our day together. With me being here only a few hours, it was still too fresh and odd for her to be entirely open about her life. I hoped she liked me because I sure liked her. For her to be this kind and welcoming to me when I was literally dropped on her doorstep with no warning was nothing short of heartwarming.

When dinner was finished and the dishes were in the dishwasher, we sat on the couch with a glass of wine each.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" She asked. Her face was flushed; I wondered if that was from the wine.

"Sure, I've never seen one," I cheerfully replied, getting comfortable.

Before starting the movie, we changed clothes. I wore a pair of gray sweatpants and a light blue tank top, and she wore a pair of cotton shorts and a T-shirt.

Erin put on the movie "Easy A," one of her favorites. We watched it quietly, chatting occasionally as we continued to know each other. I was happy to see her opening her up as she seemed to relax. I noticed her body language was more open, warmer, and almost affectionate as the evening went on. I got up to pour us another glass of wine and was surprised to see her under a blanket in the middle of the couch when I returned.

ERIN

Okay, this guy is cute. This whole situation is weird as fuck, but gods is he cute! And holy shit, can he cook! I haven't had carbonara like that since that summer abroad in college. I don't know if it's the wine or what, but I keep catching myself checking him out and telling myself to snap out of it. He isn't human; this is too weird. Yet, he looks and acts human enough. Maybe even better than human.