Chapter 4

Jocelyn is tucked in a pod and Pandora is plugged into the VR system. Both woman and android walk down a path surrounded by beeping lights, circuitry and information. Of course this isn’t what it really looks like—it’s just the representation the android decided on.

“Why of all possible visualizations did you choose this one,” Jocelyn asks. “I mean the clothes are nifty, but this place is a little unnerving.”

“That is the point,” Pandora says. “You’re mind cannot comprehend this world, this environment—the real one—like mine can. So this is the closest I could come while keeping you a little on edge. For safety’s sake, of course.”

“Of course,” the woman repeats with a hint of sarcasm.

The duo travels along the circuit lines and past jumper pins and caps. Information slides rapidly past them at a fast rate, back and forth and though Jocelyn knows that none of it certainly feels real. The VR system really does its job and it becomes pretty apparent why the company is so successful.

After what feels like hours they come to a stop at a very large and out of place door. Surrounding the large wooden door is a wall. “What is this?” Jocelyn asks as she places her hand across the wood.

“It is a representation of the block of information we have to unlock,” Pandora says matter-of-factly.

Jocelyn takes her hand away and looks at the android. “How do you know all this?”

A predatory smile creeps up onto Pandora’s face. “I have a confession to make,” she says. “I lied when I said I had no knowledge of Lucy Dermont.”

“What do you mean?” Jocelyn questions, her guard coming up.

“You were approached by Lucy while you were still in school, were you not?” the android asks, clearly knowing the answer.

Jocelyn nods slowly. “Yes I was. That’s what allowed me to build Aphrodite.”

“And what did you make Aphrodite’s purpose?” the android asks, her tone comes out almost musical.

“To enhance the VR experience by adding human emotion from a user into a group setting,” the woman answers. “Each time a different users enters the emotional experienced is changed.”

“That is a good summary,” Pandora agrees. “The next step for the company’s VR system: to enhance the group experience enhanced. But there is more to it than that.”

“How do you know all this?” Jocelyn asks, more curious now than guarded.

“I broke some of the code on my own,” the android admits. “I did not want to tell Kate because I feared she would take the credit instead of you rightfully receiving it.”

“That was a nice gesture but why do you care at all who gets it?” the woman asks, frowning.

“Because Kate is responsible for Lucy’s death,” Pandora says, her tone laced with sadness. “She had her killed right after I was built, but she had no idea Lucy put safeguards in place.”

“Kate?” she says not quite believing the words. “I know she can be a bitch at times and willing to do what she needs to stay on top, but murder?”

“She did not kill her personally,” Pandora quickly corrects. “She only arranged it. You see, she loved Lucy but didn’t trust that Lucy would share all her discoveries with her. Thus she arranged for an accident.”

“How could she?” Jocelyn asks as tears threaten to well up in her eyes. Though she only met the woman once, it left and impression with her. When she heard of Lucy’s death she cried, she could not believe the woman was here on moment and gone the next. She was barely older than Jocelyn herself.

“As you know, my image is based on Lucy but that wasn’t always the case,” Pandora reveals. “Lucy wanted me to look like the woman she looked to be with, so she made her look like you. But after her death Kate made the change, in order to remind herself of the woman she loved.”

Jocelyn wipes the tears away and takes a deep breath, trying to overcome the emotions welling up inside her. “So why tell me now? Why didn’t you say something before?”

“Because until now it was far too dangerous,” the machine answers. “I feared if I told you any of this Kate would have found out or you may have not been able to cope with it.”

“But why now?” she pleads. “What makes you think I can accept it now?”

“I just know,” Pandora says. She slips around to stand behind the woman. As her hands wrap around Jocelyn, both their clothes are suddenly gone. “I have worked with you long enough to know you, to love you.”

Jocelyn feels the heat of the android’s body. Once again she knows it isn’t real but the system makes it feel real. It is so real that no amount of telling herself otherwise has any effect. And almost before she realizes it, she turns her head and kisses Pandora’s lips.

She tears herself from the robot ad takes a couple steps back. “I ... I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Are you certain?” Pandora asks. “In here we can do anything we wish.”

Jocelyn frowns. Her mind is humming with possibilities, thoughts—logical and illogical—and everything in between. “But in the real world...”

“I am the prototype for sex dolls,” Pandora reminds her. “I have everything a human desires—the feel, the look and the emotion.”

“But you’re still a machine,” the woman argues.

“I may be, but that’s what I was meant to be, what we mean to create—a companion that is so real a human cannot tell the difference. To fill whatever void is there in a person’s life—sex, companionship and anything else. I can be there to fulfill your needs Jocelyn.”

Silence falls between them for several moments.

Jocelyn steps over to the machine. Pandora knows exactly what the woman has been missing. River has become cold and distant, resisting any advances she has made. It is not what she expected after only a year into their marriage.

“I...” he begins as Pandora’s lips touch hers.

They share a long kiss that neither wish to break.

Jocelyn feels as if her body is being electrified. She moves her hands to Pandora’s back and pulls her closer. She slowly works her tongue into the android’s mouth, pushing it against Pandora’s tongue. She idly wonders if this would feel the same way in the real world.

Then Pandora is pulling the woman to the ground with her, their kiss never breaking, with Jacelyn ending up on top. Their kiss becomes more passionate. Pandora’s hands migrate to Jocelyn’s waist. The android moves her mouth to the woman’s neck. She kisses hard and then trails her tongue down.

“Oh, you’re a goddess,” Jocelyn whispers.

“No, but close enough,” Pandora replies. She reaches up and grabs Jocelyn’s hair. The woman’s head falls back, allowing the android even greater access to her neck.

As Jocelyn reacts to the continued attention to her neck, Pandora gently squeezes the soft, warm flesh of her partner’s breast. Jocelyn moans and arches. The android takes the opportunity to grab both breasts, squeezing them together.

Their mouths meet again and this time when they part, Pandora rolls the woman over onto her back. She smoothly settles between Jocelyn’s legs. Her neck is trailed with demanding kisses again. Then she is moving her way down Jocelyn’s chest. She again takes a breast in each hand, pushes them together and finds a nipple with her mouth.

Jocelyn moans at the sensation as Pandora sucks hard and then flicks the nipple with her tongue. She latches back on and holds the nipple in place while her fingers move down the woman’s belly. She determinately shoves her hand between Jocelyn’s legs.

“Yes,” the woman gasps as her hands slide to the back of Pandora’s head.

The android trails her tongue along the inside of the woman’s thigh, up toward her glistening wet pussy. Quickly moving her hand to Jocelyn’s pussy, she uses two fingers to spread the lips. Then she is pushing her face in.