Twenty Year Review

"What if he doesn't cover his end?"

"We'll schedule reviews every four years. If you don't have any complaints, you have the option to push them back for a while."

"Why would I push back a review?"asked Derrick.

A heavy sigh came through the speaker, before the voice said, "I'm going to be up front with you, Derrick. The reviews aren't to see if you've earned something better. That's never going to happen. They're to give you a chance to decide whether you want to end this new life and die, or keep doing what you're doing. Even though all your other rights are forfeit; by law, you have the right to decide whether your core lives or dies. Your match is so close. It'd be a shame not to take a chance on it."

"So what's this new body look like?" asked Derrick.

"It doesn't matter. It's the only shell you'll be offered. One way or another, the body of Derrick Wentz will be destroyed tomorrow. You've done enough damage in its lifetime and the people will have their execution. Last chance; do you want to go through with this?"

Derrick asked, "What's the name of my new boss?"

"Until he tells you different, it's Master."

"What's my new name?"

The voice answered, "Until he gives you one, you don't have a name."

Derrick could hear the buzz of some nearby machine as he waited for whatever would happen next. The electrode cap on his head was really starting to itch. Being strapped to the table, there was nothing he could do about it. "Hey? Are we done here? Can I get up?!"

In just a few seconds, the voice replied, "Derrick, we just got confirmation from the buyer. Transportation's been arranged and since you're right here, we thought we'd deliver you today."

"What? Wait! Don't I get a last meal, or something?!"

The voice said, "No. More cleanup involved and your shell is taking up expensive storage space. Don't worry, it happens so fast you don't feel a thing. OK. . . cameras recording, doctor ready to verify. . . death certificate right here. Ready?"

"No last rites?" asked Derrick.

"Says here when we asked you about any religious preference, you replied, 'Fuck that.'."

"I guess I did say that."

"Well then, here we go," said the voice.

* * *

His eyes opened. He was lying on the floor. It was warm there, so much heat bathing his back. He could hear the fire crackling in the fireplace. Sunshine poured in through the big windows and added their own warmth to his skin. He knew he'd never been here before but it felt like home. Everything smelled as it should. "What?" he said aloud.

"Hey Babe, I'm glad you're awake so soon," said a voice behind him.

Derrick spun around and spotted something following behind him. He grabbed it; the end of his tail. Surprised that he felt that hand with that tail, he let go of it and shook his hand for a moment as he looked up at the old man on the couch. Why does he look so damn big? he thought to himself. Quickly, he looked for an exit. Opposite the couch and the old man was a glass door leading outside. It looked cold out there. He had never left the city before, now he was on a damn mountain somewhere. The sun would be setting in a couple of hours.

As if reading his mind, the old man said, "All the doors are unlocked. You have the run of the house. The closest bathroom is down the hall just past the kitchen, first on the right. There's step stools and such, right where you need them."

"What the hell's going on?! Is this really the shell you paid so much for?!" asked Derrick, angrily.

The old man said, "Your memories are new to this body. You haven't learned to speak through it yet. Based on past experience, I'm guessing it'll take at least a few more hours before anything you say comes across to me as anything more than parrot squawk. Just keep that in mind if you get frustrated. Yelling won't help things.

"Yes, I paid quite a lot for you. You are exactly what I wanted. I designed your shell and built your core, myself. I know you don't understand but this is my second time going over this with you. At least this time you haven't tried to kill me."

Derrick squawked incoherently, "Man, I don't know you!"

"You don't believe me, I understand." The old man then ordered, "Servant, go put the laundry in the dryer."

Enraged that this old man would disrespect him this way, Derrick stormed past the man on the couch into the kitchen, then down the hall to the second door on the right. He reached up, pulled on the handle and thrust open the door. He opened up the washer and angrily set aside the silk under garments to dry on the rack. He then screamed as he repeatedly stuffed one garment after another into the dryer. With a huff, he closed the door and started the dry cycle. His task now complete, he suddenly felt a warm glow of satisfaction wash through his body, down to his fingers and toes and clear out to the tip of his tail. He then realized that this room was familiar. He had been here many times before.

After putting away the step stool, he gently closed the laundry room door behind him and slowly walked back to the living room; ignoring the old man as he passed by that giant couch. He could look over the seat cushions, but not over the back. He lay himself in front of the fire. It felt so soothing there, in front of the fire. After a half-hour or so, he finally said, "I think I get it."

"You're smart. You catch on quick. That's one of the reasons you're here. Still don't know what you're saying. Keep trying," said the old man.

Derrick stood up, reached for a piece of wood and added it to the fire. He then paused a moment to look at his hands before he asked, "Is this my life now? A pet that can keep house?"

The old man said, "For the last forty years, the one I counted on to keep my life together, every day, was you. You kept me presentable in public and made it bearable for me. You anticipated my every need and you always had my back. I could always trust your advice because I knew you had my best interest at heart. But this was the you that developed after the man who died on that table; after the person you think you are right now."

As Derrick just stood there, stunned, the old man continued, "Look at it from my side. Somebody I don't know visits every twenty years and we get to go dig up his nightmares together. Only this guy can take out someone I love if he doesn't like what he sees on his visit. Keep talking; otherwise I won't know when Secundus' memories start kicking in."

Derrick said, "I don't know what to ask."

"Getting better, sounds like it meant something that time."

"What do you want from me?"

The old man smiled. "That sounded familiar. I want you to consider that you might have had a good life with me. I'm hoping enough of Secundus returns in time to help me convince you to stay."

"Like I have a choice!" argued Derrick.

"Try not moving your mouth around so much. Your lips don't work like that anymore. Your body can make the sounds; just takes time to make the connections. I know you want to look in a mirror. Don't. You're still plugged into the device. It's monitoring and recording all of your vital functions, your actions, your words, and everything you see and hear. The damn thing scares me to look at it and I don't have to wear it."

"Here," said the old man as he reached for his computer, tapped a few keys and turned the computer around to face Derrick, "By then Secundus was talking and had a well-developed personality. Primus was certainly glad when you'd learned enough to take care of yourself and help out around the house. You're the one on my right."

Derrick looked at the magazine article picture. He saw the old man; much younger, handsome and sharply dressed. Lizard-like creatures stood on either side of him, looking at the camera. Their short horns reached nearly as high as the man's belt. They had piercing, bright eyes; orange on the man's left, green on his right. Under their horns were small, pointed ears. One's body was colored in patterns of black and subdued red scales. The other carried a different pattern, done in browns and pale greens. Their hands were large in comparison to their bodies; almost as large as the man's hands that rested on their heads. Their hands only had four fingers, tipped with short claws instead of nails. Their legs ended in three-toed paws with no heels, just hocks. Their bodies were muscular and fit and each had a thick, heavy tail they held up behind them; keeping them balanced.

"Dammit," said Derrick, "I look cute! Why did you have to make me look cute?!" He then looked at his hand. Why didn't I notice the missing finger before? he mused.

"I'm guessing you're not thrilled about your appearance. You'll get used to it. You and Primus debuted that day. You became the most popular model overnight. Everyone who had the money lined up to order one. I never dreamed that our fantasy line would take off like that."

Derrick said, "I can read the letters, but not the words. What language is this, old man?"

"Better! I heard 'not words' and 'Master'. Come on, Secundus, I need you here," said the old man.

The man explained, "You can't read. You carry a text randomizing program. I can command you to look for certain words or phrases, so you can help me find something like a road sign or our flight information, but it's only temporary."

"What does this say, then?" asked Derrick as he pointed to the words.

Seemingly embarrassed, the old man read aloud, "'Bioengineering's Hermit on the Hill has done it again. Martin Boardman, inventor and CEO of TechAlive Corporation, surprises the world with the first of his new, fantasy line. Each in the Kobold series will carry a unique personality that never requires updating. The days of clunky, hollow personalities are over, folks. They tell me that these servants feel as alive as you and me from day one. Over time, their personalities are said to only become better suited to life with you. They will be available in three standard personality formats; The Pet, The Assistant, and The Companion. Any format is fully up-gradable! Then they top that with a truly impressive selection of color and other physical options, standard. Hypoallergenic, and meeting all current bio-engineering regulations, these certified non-human servants are yours for life; no term limits with minimal renewal hassles.' It goes on for a while but you get the gist."

"What does 'certified non-human' mean?" asked Derrick.

"That was damn close. Say it again," said the old man.

"What does 'certified non-human' mean?" the squawking sounded like words, this time. Damn, I do sound like a parrot, he thought.

"There's the voice I know! A little rough yet. It means you're certified and registered as a non-human; a non-competitive, non-reproductive, artificial life form. You have no rights beyond that granted to a pet. You are not allowed to own assets, beyond a few personal items, and you can never own property, own a business, or vote."

In his mind, Derrick saw the other one, face to face for the first time. It and Master took care of him and kept him warm. It taught him how to speak and comforted him when Master refused his affection. "You will be all right," it told him, "Master does not always have time for us, but he always loves us."

"Primus. . ." the word drifted out of Derrick's mouth.

The old man sat up and leaned forward from the couch. He said, "You're beginning to remember, Secundus. You loved Primus, just as I did."

Derrick remembered Primus teaching him how to do the household chores and how to cook. Being close to Primus felt so good; almost as good as Master's touch.

He remembered running with Primus on the beach near Cancun; swimming alongside it in the water then chasing Primus back to their bungalow. Out front, in the shade, they found Master napping in the huge hammock. Primus carefully crept into the hammock from the foot end and crawled up between Master's legs. It gently opened up his pants and lowered its head. Its tongue curled around Master's cock and its mouth gently closed. Master feigned sleep as his cock began to swell. Within those teeth, that tongue slithered over and curled around his cock in ways impossible for humans to replicate. Soon, his cock was hard and wet.

With Master now occupied, Primus raised its tail high over its back. Its pink lips were already swollen and wet. Its phallus soon emerged. Also careful not to tip the hammock, Secundus carefully climbed up behind Primus, opened its mouth and thrust its tongue deep inside that inviting tunnel. Primus shuddered and lost its rhythm. It almost dropped Master's cock.

Master said, "Primus, back on task," and Primus resumed its skillful work.

Secundus switched to lapping at those lips and the base of that phallus that held them apart. It was rewarded with moans of pleasure from both Master and Primus. Secundus continued to lick as its own body buzzed with pleasure.

Between clenched teeth, Master ordered, "Secundus, fuck your mate."

As Secundus moved to comply, Primus squealed in anticipation. Secundus thrust its phallus inward until its swollen lips mashed against Primus. Primus wanted to cry out in pleasure. Its mouth full, it dutifully tended to Master's cock instead. Primus began grunting in time with Secundus' thrusts.

Before Secundus could bring Primus, or itself, to climax, Master ordered, "Primus, turn around and sit on my cock. Secundus, ride Primus."

As Primus lowered itself onto Master's cock, Master took hold of Primus' tail in one hand and used it to pull Primus' lips tight against his groin. When Secundus slid down over Primus' phallus, Master said, "Fuck us both, Secundus. Hard!"

Secundus soon set a steady rhythm as it slapped its lips down hard against Primus' body. Primus' body bounced against Master's groin in response. Secundus continued this hard, fast pace until Master had reached his peak. When Master came, filling Primus' insides, it in turn came inside Secundus. Secundus pumped semen all over Master's legs and the space between them. Still together, they all caught their breath for a time.

When his servants separated from him and each other, and moved to begin cleanup, Master said, "Let's not worry about that now. Clean up after our nap."

Happy to oblige, they curled up on either side of Master and held each other's hand, across his belly, as they drifted off to sleep together.

"Where are you?" asked the old ma. . . asked Master.

Derrick answered, "We're in Cancun in a hammock. All three of us. It's a beautiful day. We went everywhere together." He then noticed that, outside the chalet, the sun had set and the sky was growing dark.

"Yes, we did," said Master. "You and Primus were together at my side for twenty years."

"What happened to Primus," asked Derrick. A sense of dread filled him. He knew what happened, the moment he asked.

Concerned, Master said, "Stay with me! Ride it out. I'm right here if you need someone to hold onto."

Suddenly, Derrick had just been executed and was awakening for the first time. Or is this the second? he thought. He was in this kitchen, disoriented. He was on the lap of some huge stranger. Some sort of demon rushed toward him. It had a knife! Almost as a reflex, he turned the knife point toward the creature and plunged the weapon in, clear to the hilt. As the monster fell and cleared a path for him, he pulled the knife from its body and ran with it, out the kitchen door and into the spring sunshine.

He quickly got lost and tired. By the time the giant man found him, he was so cold. He could barely move. It was all he could do to thrust the knife at the man, to try to keep him away. He passed out. A low, keening cry came from somewhere. It was his own voice he heard.

"Primus is dead now, right?" asked Master. "You can come over here if you want. You don't have to stand there alone. You never have to be alone."

It was full dark, outside the chalet. The stars shined here in numbers that Derrick had never seen before. The fireplace was now the only light source from within the home. None of that mattered right now. In anguish, Derrick shouted, "But I killed Primus! I didn't want to hurt it but I killed it anyway! I miss Primus; it hurts how much I miss it!"

Quietly, Master said, "From your point of view, you had just died a convict. You'd known nothing but hunger, want and violence all of your short life. You were a natural killer and something you didn't recognize came at you with a knife. The fail-safes didn't kick in.

"It was my fault. I should have isolated us from everyone until you settled down. Secundus was so sweet the first time, an innocent soul with your first review still years away. I thought I knew what to expect, on your 20-year review. It was stupid of me to think I could handle the man you once were.

"Primus was peeling apples when you woke. It was just so excited to see you awake that it rushed over to you, its mate. Primus must have forgotten about the knife in its hand. It died quickly, as I reached to catch it. After I laid it on the floor, I went looking for you."

"I should just die and save the world from me forever," moaned Derrick.

"No, wait a little longer," pleaded Master as he cried. "You've grown so much since then. You've done so much good that you haven't remembered yet. We still have hours before your decision is due."

"How have I grown?" asked Derrick.

He, Secundus, found itself standing next to Master, who was sitting at the large table with the other powerful people. This was the world conference on bio-engineering ethics and Secundus was here to translate.

After the session was adjourned, one of the dignitaries walked up and asked, "Would it be alright if talked to your servant? May I touch it?"

"Of course," answered Master.

"You are just so cute!" said the dignitary as she bent down and scratched behind one of Secundus' ears. "I'm amazed at how lifelike you are. Your personality is flawless."

"You are very kind, miss." Secundus patiently waited for the petting to stop. It was pleasant, just not satisfying like Master's touch.

The woman asked, "Is it true that you are your master's valet and housekeeper?"

"I am also Master's cook, caregiver and translator, miss."

"Amazing. How many languages do you know?" asked the woman as she turned Secundus' head to the side, by its horn, and looked at its profile.

"I hold fluency in seventeen languages, miss."

"How many languages can you read?" asked the woman.

Secundus replied, "Those with non-human classification are incapable of understanding text, miss. Written words and numbers make no sense to us."

"Then my private e-mails and business transactions are safe with you?" The woman let go of its horn and picked up one of its hands. She turned it over.

As it turned its head to face the woman, Secundus answered, "Random patterns on the screen, miss."

The woman let go of the hand, looked up at Master and said, "May I take it into the washroom? I would like to inspect its recreational features."

"Yes, of course. Please don't take too long," answered Master.

Secundus understood, customers wanted assurances of the full value of an expensive purchase like this. It followed the woman into the washroom. When the woman stopped and turned around, Secundus stopped and waited.

The woman commanded, "Show me your vent, closed."

The servant turned to face away from the woman and bent over, placing its hands on the floor. It lifted its tail over its back and displayed its tight, smooth and unobtrusive slit. It held its pose, there.

"How does it look when aroused?" asked the woman.

Soon, blood began to engorge the tissues just underneath that slit. Pale pink lips slowly forced it open. Clear, slick fluid began to seep out and collect at its lowest point, before running toward its belly.