sex toys, just glorified masturbation aids. But this was different. Talking to Selena was like talking to another human being, if you got past the system messages and having to discuss her processing functions.
She was still an assemblage of silicone, metal, and circuitry. But her AI brain made her much more than that.
I took her hand and examined it. Even up close, it was very, very hard to tell apart from human flesh. Even her fingernails looked real.
“I can’t get over this.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re warm.”
“My systems maintain a normal human body temperature. Not doing so would be a rather large giveaway, don’t you think? The eGirl3 and 4 could do the same thing, though the effect was not as convincing.”
“Can I look in your mouth?” I had to see just how far they’d taken this simulation.
She smiled slyly. “Is that all you want to do with my mouth?” But she opened it.
Again, the attention to detail was amazing. There were even little imperfections in her teeth. I had to put my finger in and feel her. She let me for a moment, then closed her lips around it and began to suck, massaging her tongue against it.
“Mmm.”
I pulled my finger out before anyone saw what she was doing. She pouted at me.
“I like Sultry and Seductive. But can we back it down a bit unless we’re alone?”
“Yes. It’s fun, but being like this all the time is going to be distracting, for both of us. I can be more discreet about it.”
When the game ended, two Vertex techs came over to explain what was going to be involved in owning Selena. She had an internal battery that she would normally recharge each night, though she could go for several days without a recharge if necessary. She needed to consume about a gallon of water a week, depending on what she was doing. There was also a chemical supplement to go with the water, which she would use to produce saliva, keep her eyes moist, and maintain other functions; she came with a year’s supply. They also gave me a box of accessories, telling me I could look through them later.
They ran through other precautions about potential damage. Her body was completely waterproof as long as her charging port—which they showed me at the base of her scalp—was closed and undamaged. She could withstand substantially higher temperatures than a human being, but fire could still discolor her skin.
She was not self-healing, though, so any superficial damage would have to be repaired. But I was not to attempt repairs myself; her skin was a sophisticated composite that only Vertex’s technicians knew how to deal with. She was warranted for five years of normal operation. Everything I needed to know was in the app. What I didn’t need to know, I could call them for help with.
Selena had come to the game with a small suitcase, and I had her change into more basic clothes—the tank dress she had on was way too much for a first meeting with my kids. After asking if I wanted to dress her myself—I declined, for now—she came out in a pair of yoga pants and a 49ers jersey. Attractive, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Then, with a final congratulations, they let us go.
♦ ♦
I expected to find people waiting for us as we left the stadium, but the changes I had made in Selena’s appearance seemed to let us blend in and escape. If anyone was looking for her—and I thought I saw some men watching the departing crowd as if they were—they would likely be looking for the bombshell I had appeared on the balcony with, not the middle-aged but still hot woman I had with me now.
When we got on the BART-R home and found some seats, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out, seeing a notification from the Vertex app. I opened it, and it brought me to the Messages section, which I hadn’t had a chance to explore yet.
There was a message from Selena.
They forgot to mention that I can communicate with you in here.
I looked up at her. She smiled. The phone buzzed again.
The messages are
She was still an assemblage of silicone, metal, and circuitry. But her AI brain made her much more than that.
I took her hand and examined it. Even up close, it was very, very hard to tell apart from human flesh. Even her fingernails looked real.
“I can’t get over this.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re warm.”
“My systems maintain a normal human body temperature. Not doing so would be a rather large giveaway, don’t you think? The eGirl3 and 4 could do the same thing, though the effect was not as convincing.”
“Can I look in your mouth?” I had to see just how far they’d taken this simulation.
She smiled slyly. “Is that all you want to do with my mouth?” But she opened it.
Again, the attention to detail was amazing. There were even little imperfections in her teeth. I had to put my finger in and feel her. She let me for a moment, then closed her lips around it and began to suck, massaging her tongue against it.
“Mmm.”
I pulled my finger out before anyone saw what she was doing. She pouted at me.
“I like Sultry and Seductive. But can we back it down a bit unless we’re alone?”
“Yes. It’s fun, but being like this all the time is going to be distracting, for both of us. I can be more discreet about it.”
When the game ended, two Vertex techs came over to explain what was going to be involved in owning Selena. She had an internal battery that she would normally recharge each night, though she could go for several days without a recharge if necessary. She needed to consume about a gallon of water a week, depending on what she was doing. There was also a chemical supplement to go with the water, which she would use to produce saliva, keep her eyes moist, and maintain other functions; she came with a year’s supply. They also gave me a box of accessories, telling me I could look through them later.
They ran through other precautions about potential damage. Her body was completely waterproof as long as her charging port—which they showed me at the base of her scalp—was closed and undamaged. She could withstand substantially higher temperatures than a human being, but fire could still discolor her skin.
She was not self-healing, though, so any superficial damage would have to be repaired. But I was not to attempt repairs myself; her skin was a sophisticated composite that only Vertex’s technicians knew how to deal with. She was warranted for five years of normal operation. Everything I needed to know was in the app. What I didn’t need to know, I could call them for help with.
Selena had come to the game with a small suitcase, and I had her change into more basic clothes—the tank dress she had on was way too much for a first meeting with my kids. After asking if I wanted to dress her myself—I declined, for now—she came out in a pair of yoga pants and a 49ers jersey. Attractive, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Then, with a final congratulations, they let us go.
♦ ♦
I expected to find people waiting for us as we left the stadium, but the changes I had made in Selena’s appearance seemed to let us blend in and escape. If anyone was looking for her—and I thought I saw some men watching the departing crowd as if they were—they would likely be looking for the bombshell I had appeared on the balcony with, not the middle-aged but still hot woman I had with me now.
When we got on the BART-R home and found some seats, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out, seeing a notification from the Vertex app. I opened it, and it brought me to the Messages section, which I hadn’t had a chance to explore yet.
There was a message from Selena.
They forgot to mention that I can communicate with you in here.
I looked up at her. She smiled. The phone buzzed again.
The messages are
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