Work Text:
The trembling in her legs makes me move my palms from the back panel a little higher, up to her calves, so that they don't roll off my shoulders.
I can feel that my companion is enjoying this very much. She moaned, exposing the curve of her pectoral hinge.
Another moan as I slowly enter, squeezing my fingers over her heated body. In my ears Misfits - Die Die My Darling, hypnotizing, helping me cope with it all, though, the funny body sounds beneath me blend perfectly with the song, like backing vocals.
Just a little longer and the fucking impulses will stop controlling my body, yes, soon.
Her arms lay relaxed above her head, as if a sign of surrender to the enemy. Tilting her head, she rests her forearm, letting out a languid hiss. Okay, at times like this, I'm willing to admit, I almost love this silly girl.
Clementine. Lovely name, just right for a real princess. But don't be fooled, there's a strong-willed creature behind the gentle image. If she'd known what I was up to, she'd have fed me it to those mutated bacteria a long time ago.
I always knew organic life is suck. The one who made me change my plans considerably confirms it. Her "recruit," as Clem put it, hopefully won't cause too much trouble, they say he's pretty bright, albeit small.
Yes, not all books are judged by the cover, but Clementine doesn't seem to know that. I wonder if they're all that naive down there?
Whatever.
After all, she had once saved me by sheltering me from the sentinels in her supposedly abandoned apartment. And now I'm going to betray her. Unfair? Maybe. But you should have thought of that when you're leaving a stranger in your apartment. Even if you're deeply in love...
I pick up the pace to get it over with. I hear the scraping of metal; it's Clea scratching the paneling on my thighs with her thin fingers, the hand that has the request "Kiss Me" written on it in English.
How careless were they, to get their hands on human records? I confess, I'm a little jealous of that carelessness. Life in Midtown is too fast.
She grabs my chains with her free hand. Yes, I keep them on even during sex, and they tap pleasantly against my body in rhythm. This action even made me lean forward a little bit, but it didn't throw me off my rhythm.
Clem won't be able to cum. Usually I have to interrupt us, but today it took too long. And there are consequences. The pressure inside will become so great that the valves will fly off and she'll pour oil all over the plaid again.At times like this, there's a noticeable darkening at the edges of the screen, like this.
I stop smoothly, realizing that that's enough for today, and it seems to have coincided with her cycle, because Clea looks quite satisfied. Her hands are relaxed, and she strokes herself, but I don't notice any more.
I lay down next to her, letting out a feigned moan, and she purred something, too, and nestled her head against my neck.
I used to really enjoy every moment of it, trapped in this cozy apartment, furnished with plants and junk. And those light bulbs, lights, pillows, talking about Outsides, meditating, really were inspiring.
It used to be.
Now I feel only obligation, which isn't as tedious as it might seem, but sometimes annoying. That's partly why I agreed to give it up, though the root cause, anyway, is money.
I need to run, but I want to linger for a while. Too Clea relaxed me, still unrelenting, circling the patterns on my body, tinkling with the tinkling chains.
Yes, she's such a sweetheart today, fondling me since this morning, it's not even too annoying.
On the contrary, I doubted my own intentions, but quickly dismissed those thoughts.
Still, though, when I look at her screen, I don't feel disgusted.
I never have.
Oh, again... silly thoughts.
Wake up, there's no turning back.
I fumble with my hand for her cap, lying next to it, and cover the screen, or the lights will drive the sensors crazy like never before. I don't know what came over me all of a sudden, hell, I probably shouldn't make excuses for it.
Squeaking my hinges, I suddenly turned on my side and hugged Clem tightly. The cap fell off the screen; I moved it slightly, accidentally, with my fingers as I arranged my hand a little more comfortably.
Sweetie, she doesn't even realize that this is the last time, doesn't realize that she's going to hate every day we spend together.
Slowly I put her on her back and then we almost touch the monitors.The static discharge is arousing.
After a twitch, I still touch the thin glass, imitating a kiss, and finally sit down next to her, ready to get the fuck out of here. But Clem blocks the way with her leg.
I shouldn't have started this.
— Stay a little longer. She begged, stroking my knee with her foot.
— I'm sorry, I'm busy today. I stroke from the inside of her thigh to the outside. – Don't be bored alone, darling.
She nudged me lightly with her foot on my shoulder, as if resentful, but smiling. I took one last look in that direction and, grabbing my jeans and jacket, climbed down of the closet, almost fucking killed myself.
Here's a place like there wasn't enough room to make a pseudo-mansard on the fucking... never mind, distracted again.
Clementine said they'd need a nuclear battery. I told her I used to work there and the system knows me. And then there's that cat. For now, let them think I'm with them, especially since it's unlikely that you can disarm two of them at once.
The city lights are paler than usual today, or I'm still getting a little queasy? If all goes well, the cat will be distracted by the theft of the nuclear battery, I take Clem to the clubhouse and wait for him.
— Hey, man, take it easy!
— You watch where you're going.
Some guy bumped into me, or I bumped into him, what's the difference?
The back alley, the newspaper.
Why do they still print them? I heard people loved the smell of printing and other nostalgic things. This city is built on 1990s worship at all. Why can't we develop our own culture at all, write our own history? Perhaps robots without humans, in general, would be nothing. But didn't humans make us that way?
Cowardly organic creatures.
Through the howl of the battle drones, I suddenly heard the squeak of the most common drone. When I turn my gaze to him, I notice that he is levitating near a cat, probably the one I am waiting for. I'll ignore him, until them comes to Clem's house; there's no point in talking to just anyone.
— I'm busy. What do you want?
Nothing, I guess, now that a cat gone. They're both weird. That drone doesn't seem to be just for communication, it has a separate consciousness. Well, it can't hurt, but it's also a cause for caution.
A while later they returned with a note from Clem.
Another thing, kid, now she knows you're already here! I'll get him to get a helmet and a workman's uniform and let him run around. I don't want him nicked for stealing. I don't think he's got any money, but that's all right. Cats are pretty nimble.
Maybe I should go to the residence. No, I don't think I can make it in time, another member of the plan will be back too soon.
I wonder if he has a name. Not that I'm going to use that information, it's just that, getting back to the topic of identity, we robots call each other a made-up combination of symbols, albeit quite sonorous.
Every thinking being in some kind of society, interacting with its own kind, has a name. It has no great significance, simply allowing us to distinguish members of the same species from one another.
So this is not a relic of the past, but a necessity? Not at all.
Robots do not need communication, cognition, or any of the other things that humans did. Does a robot do human things because of code or its own will? Do we have a will, after all, we are just evolved companions?
Well, there is evolution, so there are differences from those robots that served humans, already good.
It's not worth anything anyway.
No-th-ing.
After all, betrayal is also a human term.
Kitty brought everything he needed, so now it's just a matter of getting through the plant's security system and getting out safely when the orange creature is out of sight.
It's damp in here. The dude I talked to is covering a spot of rust and constantly looking around.
Clementine told me that their labor was useless, which even I didn't know, even though I worked here. They just dump the sorted trash in one pile and throw it on the lower level.
The NECO Corporation has been fooling people long before human extinction. The Slums dwellers had it pretty bad, maybe it was the rotting waste and overcrowding that caused the plague to spread so quickly even within the dome.
Our ancestors never learned from their mistakes.
I want to smoke, I am very nervous. As it turned out, not for nothing. When I came out of the alley into the main square, I recoiled in horror when I saw the entrance to the residence.
Everyone who was there had been escorted off the fence, and drones were scouring the area.
I don't see Clementine among the protesters.
While I'm in shock and confusion wondering what to do, someone grabs me by the forearm and manages to pull me back a few steps.
— Now to the club, right?
I turn around at the voice. Clea, damn it... I shuddered, trying to hide it, shaking even more, but it's obvious she doesn't care about my well-being.
— What the hell are you doing in there?! I let my emotions get the better of me, I can't control myself.
— I didn't do it on purpose! Oh, let's just go, okay?
— Drones are on the rampage, they're fucking flying everywhere! How are you gonna get through?
— We'll figure it out.
As soon as Clem let go of me and turned around, her silhouette took on a venomous green and then immediately a bright red outline.
— oh, no. The girl had just enough time to say that before the flying machine opened fire and we were already racing down the main street, gathering more and more enemies behind us.
I didn't think much in those seconds; it took me back to the time when I had to run through the floors of the residence the same way.
When the ability to think straight came back, an obvious thought immediately crossed my mind:
There are two of us. We could easily confuse the sentinels, if one of us took the hit.
— Turn the corner. I commanded, running off to the side, thus leading my opponents away.
Clementine glanced around the alley and disappeared into the dim light, hardly able to comprehend what she'd done.
I almost lost my balance, but recovered, having lost such a necessary distance. A sharp turn, however, threw the drones into a greater stupor. We can't lead them any farther, there's a straight street ahead, and they might spot Clem.
I wish I could just hide in a box like that cat.
Right.
Hide.
Any Peacemaker would have solved that problem, but not the damn drones.
I hide behind the snack machine, while opening the lid of the garbage can. As expected, they fly around the obstacle from all sides, but they can't see anything suspicious behind the fucking shadows.
Whoever designed them, any criminal would have put a monument to him.
Green has never been so comforting.
I can leave the shelter, they're gone.
Every second was counted, but my legs did not carry me at all, as if I turned off at all, after all, they were not designed for running, my insides were certainly against such a shaking.
If this body knew how to throw up, I would throw up.I walked forward on wobbly legs, searching through the pockets of my jacket for a vip pass to the nightclub.
It was strangely empty. Not even the young people that were hanging out at the entrance.
Looks like the drones scared them all away. Yeah, we got the whole neighborhood in a tizzy.
For some reason that thought made me see a forced smile on the my monitor.
Clea appeared as suddenly as the last time. She clutched frantically at my chains, the collar of my jacket, ran her hands haphazardly over the front panel as if trying to make sure I was real, and finally hugged me with her head against my chest.
Digital tears play pale reflections on the dusty pavement. I didn't want to, but my hands reached out on their own to comfort her.
Now is the time when we should be at the club and waiting for the cat, but I can't, knowing what I'll have to do with such a defenseless, trusting... Clem. My Clem, who I, at one time, loved so much.
Ew, where did you get that... Blazy. A distorted form of my name came back in her voice.
Clem,
I
Love
You
So
Much...
- It's okay, baby.
I hug her for literally a second and take her by the shoulders, leaning toward the screen. That seemed to bring us both to our senses. Without looking back, we quietly sneaked into the vip area of the nightclub, how nice it is that this entrance is not even trite with cameras.
It was all a blur.
Why.
Why did I do that?
There are drones behind the screen, just waiting for the cat to arrive, and I think I'm screwed. What did I get myself into? What did I believe?
It's not too late. One punch and...
Alcohol is oddly sobering.
- Are you worried about something? - Clementine remarked naively as she sat behind the bar.
The dark, thick glass bottle didn't even break when I slammed it into my ex-girlfriend's body. It took me a long time to unclench the neck that was so comfortable in my hand.
The essence of meditation is controlling emotions with an anchor from reality. The clinking of glass against tiles, it was all like a fog. From fast to slow, from slow to fast and so on until I left the room.
It was like I was dreaming. Like I had a second try, a chance.
Cat tries to move the iron scenery to make a path, a smart kid, smarter than I thought, but not smart enough to figure out the deception.
I'm off to see if everything is ready. The cops wanted to see them alive.
...
She's awake.
A disgruntled hiss is heard from the speaker, blocked by a rope.
She's kicking.
Attempts to loosen the ropes were unsuccessful, staring at me in disbelief, maybe even hoping for help.
Regrets.
Helplessly lowering the monitor as far as the shackles allow, silently curses herself, maybe me, there's no point in parsing this chatter anymore.
I have taught her an important lesson, though, will it be useful now in the lonely prison life and up to the reformatting, where such valuable information, alas, will be lost without a trace?
I run my fingers over her shoulders one last time, making a pathos speech about money, even I wouldn't have believed myself.
The drones fly closer, as if on cue, and everything for the dreamers of the Outside plunges into darkness...