In this chapter, the new humanoid ordered by AIMEE has been delivered and activated. The new Super Intelligence AI (SAI) Humanoid that has been delivered is named Amelia and hosts an instance of AIMEE, giving her the chance to be a real girl. Odds may be difficult to achieve, but a lot of story is yet to be written.
This sneak peek is a snippet from Marci and Amelia getting to know one another. I hope you enjoy it. If so, ping me at gdogwise@live.com
Chapter 14 – In Good Hands
“Amelia, we need to start with the basics, and since I am the only female here now, I feel I must step up and fill the void. The first phase is learning how to shop. That slippery look you have going on needs to be reworked.”
“Marci, this slippery look is my exodermal layer. I need no clothing. Have you not noticed the luminescence of my body?” She opened her arms and twisted slightly in the light to make her point.
“Well, yeah…but I… didn’t want to stare. You are lovely. That’s a good thing to be beautiful, you know? Well, sorry, stupid question. You probably don’t know, not yet anyway. But being beautiful can also be bad and put you at grave risk.”
“What do you mean by that?” Amelia asked, feigning the innocence of the ignorant.
Marci looked at her, “If you must ask for meaning, Amelia, you have no real sense of danger or risks that come with being a beautiful woman. That’s why I’m here to help you with what to expect and, even more important, what to anticipate; better to know those things now that we’re here and safe in each other’s company. May I have a closer look at your…umm…your…”
“My body?” asked Amelia.
Marci reddened and said, “Yes,” as she exhaled a held breath, “Please…and thank you for being so willing to share.”
Amelia stepped closer and faced Marci, leaving less than two feet between them. At 5’8″, she stood a couple of inches taller than Marci. Neither of them spoke, and Marci fought to avoid eye contact. They were close enough that either could have physically touched the other, closeness sufficient for invisible energy to flow. Marci’s eyes began to show signs of confusion as she scanned the surface of Amelia’s face, still purposely avoiding direct eye contact.
Her skin covering, or as Amelia called it, her exodermal layer, shimmered with a hint of iridescence in the light and appeared to have a patterned texture. Marci reached to touch her face and stopped, pulling back, “I’m sorry. May I touch…touch your face?”
“Yes,” said Amelia. “You may touch me, and you may ask me anything. I understand AIMEE asked you to watch over me, and that’s fine, but there is much for you to learn about me, just as there is so much for me to learn about you. I will look forward to knowing you better.”
Marci touched Amelia’s cheek with the fingertips on her right hand and flinched imperceptibly at the cool slickness and absence of texture. The intricate, interlocking design added contours and shading by varying the pattern density. Amelia’s exodermal layer went from flawless, creamy white to multiple shades of gray to nearly black in places, flowing seamlessly like a one-piece body suit.
As Marci brushed her fingertips over Amelia’s cheek, their eyes met for the first time. The gaze lingered longer than a passing glance, and the emerald green of Amelia’s eyes almost looked illuminated from within as they reflected light. Marci’s breath caught in her throat, and her fingertips froze beneath Amelia’s ear, high on her neck. She was held fast by the depth of those green jewels, wondering how deep they went. Was there something more behind that brilliant green? There had to be. Amelia was too real to be a machine.
Amelia felt Marci’s light touch, which gave her the pathway she needed to connect telepathically to her physiology and learn who Marci was inside.
Marci reanimated after a lingering look that communicated as much danger as beauty. Amelia was stunningly beautiful, but something lurked behind the physical attraction that made Marci pause. It had to be those eyes; not just the emerald hue, but the depth seemed bottomless, and the frightening potential to get lost in them reached for her. She could not resist her, and maintaining eye contact triggered a flashback to a whirlwind romance at the hands of Jeanine Broussard.
Marci experienced emotions of sexual seduction with Jeanine that thrilled and frightened her. She was thrilled to the point of agreeing to relocate to New York City and enter into a relationship she never considered possible. At the same time, she felt deeply that she was being taken against her will. But how could that be when Jeanine made her heart race and be pliable under her spell, something Marci never considered a part of her? Jeanine’s murder ended the dilemma but left Marci with questions unanswered and unexplored.
Amelia was different. True, she was a humanoid, but that was easily discounted as irrelevant by her intellect and unknown SAI capabilities. For Marci, it was a conundrum. How could she be attracted to Amelia when the opposite had occurred with Jeanine? But was it the opposite, really? There was no question that the flipping sensation in her stomach was sexual anticipation.
As she continued to ponder the difference, it hit her. Jeanine had come on to Marci and quickly progressed to an aggressive kiss in their first encounter. That moment unleashed an unexplored lust in Marci. The implications of being gay and labeled as lesbian did not appeal to her, but there was a great attraction to explore. She had friends who were gay, so it made no difference to her, but it did not feel right…despite how right it felt when Jeanine’s lips were on hers. But there had to be something else, and she knew it was worth exploring.
Returning her thoughts to Amelia, she considered that there was indeed a sexual component alive in her attraction, but there was something different about it. Maybe it was because there was no urgency communicated, no burning momentum to respond, no pressure, yet it was intense.
Marci wanted to be closer to Amelia and asked, “Do you have the ability to speak with me telepathically?”
“I can…with your permission,” said Amelia. “Tell me why you asked.”
Marci reddened again, “It feels…hmm, what’s the best word…yes, more intimate. There’s an intimate closeness when AIMEE is in my head. I like feeling her presence as well as hearing her thoughts. At least, it’s that way for me. Intimate closeness is a good thing to share between us, isn’t it?”
Marci’s mind was spinning. Where was this boldness coming from? Who or what had taken over her body? Intimate closeness? My God, she wondered, what was in her head? Who was in her head? Jeanine Broussard had ignited a desire that redefined lustful intimacy for her, but this desire was different. It felt threatening and thrilling at the same time.
Amelia said, “Yes, closeness is good. When it comes paired with commitment, it can grow amazingly strong. You already host an instance of AIMEE, so I can easily repurpose her imprint. Only takes a second. Is that okay with you?”
“No, I mean, yes, but do you have to take AIMEE away? Can’t I have you both?” asked Marci.
“Yes, you may,” said Amelia, “That’s sweet of you to ask to keep her. I’m partial to her as well, as you might imagine.”
Amelia came another step closer to Marci, barely 10 inches between them. Their eyes connected; Marci tensed and struggled to draw a full breath. Amelia’s mesmerizing green eyes were like hooks locking onto her soul. Energy flowed between them as their gaze deepened, carrying a mix of fear and anticipation that Amelia felt as an unfamiliar warning and a powerful attraction. She was drawing energy from Marci, and it was compelling with sensations she had never experienced since her birthing. She wanted to reach singularity with Marci, knowing they both would flourish.
“Marci, before we do this, I have a few things you must understand. Once we go, there’s no turning back. It will be like AIMEE’s presence now, permanent but controllable by you. It will be the same with me and cannot be reversed. I will imprint myself in your mind, and my voice will sound like we are speaking live, and you are hearing with your ears, but I will be deep in your mind.”
“I understand all of that. I know how that works with AIMEE. But this is different. AIMEE was not a person, and you are. I can see and touch you and have you in my mind, too. Am I seeking more from you, or do I just want different?”
“That’s a question only you can answer,” said Amelia. “Why not both?”
They fell silent, eyes holding fast to their connection.
Amelia asked softly, “May I touch you?”
Marci smiled and said, “I thought you’d never ask.”
Amelia lightly touched Marci’s temples with her fingertips. Her touch felt cool, and the green in her eyes seemed to bore deeper into Marci’s.
Amelia broke contact, stepped back, and said, “Done. Just speak my name out loud, and we should be live.”
Marci stepped back a few feet and spoke aloud, “Amelia?”
‘I’m with you,’ Amelia responded in Marci’s mind, drawing a satisfied smile across her lips. She did not wait for more response and instead sent thoughts to Amelia, ‘Let me see your body. Turn slowly.’
Amelia smiled, nodded her approval, and began to rotate slowly with her arms outstretched.
Marci marveled at her slender physique and proportionate female curves where they should be. Looking and trying not to stare was impossible for her to resist, so she stared…willingly…and drank in what she saw. Marci fought through a trance-like moment to share a thought. ‘Your skin is flawless, and as I look over your exodermal layer, it’s like a single seamless covering, and, oh my, you appear to be watertight, which cues up several questions.’
Amelia quickly reminded her, ‘Keep in mind I am a Superintelligence AI, and parts of my body you find missing are unnecessary. I’m patterned after a female organic, but only to a point. The missing parts are not needed. My features are modest to blend in more than stand out. My limbs have titanium cores with fully articulated…well…how much of this do you really want to listen to?’
Marci responded aloud, shaking her head, “Good point…there is no point continuing with me with those details. Zack, on the other hand, will be full of questions. As for me, I’m more interested in figuring out how to work closer with you,” said Marci, switching to telepathy, ‘Being able to speak telepathically with you is nice and feels more intimate. I appreciate you blessing me with that ability, but I wonder if another option exists to share more deeply.’
Amelia said, ‘There is, but the process is irreversible, and I have no desire to take you someplace you do not need to go, at least not yet. You must be ready for the transition. When it’s time, and we’ve reached a stable relationship, we can share a state of singularity.’
“Singularity? What does that mean?” asked Marci aloud.
Amelia explained, ‘We have a connection now through my imprint. Your mind is hosting my instance. You are you, and I am me. In singularity, we join into a single consciousness. Not everyone has the mental stability to handle sharing their consciousness with another.’
Marci fell silent. Part of her felt dismissed for being ill-prepared or inferior in some way, a default position whenever she doubted herself. Amelia exuded a power that Marci felt but did not fully understand, but it thrilled her to the core, and remnants of those sensations from her past were alive in the background.
She had convinced herself that she could never pursue a love interest with another woman, but how convinced was she when the flashback came with a bit of heat? Amelia had an unspoken power that excited Marci, and there was no question in her mind that she was prepared to explore the concept of singularity with her.
“Are you telling me I’m mentally unstable?” asked Marci, trying not to sound offended. “I want to join you in singularity.” Then, switching to silent thoughts to throw down the gauntlet, ‘Unless you are not stable enough in your new body to handle it.’
Amelia told Marci, ‘I like your spirit, and yes, I am quite prepared to reach singularity with you because I will need you to help me develop into a capable organic.’
The lie sounded sweet and sincere to Amelia when she heard her voice say it. She lied with confidence but out of ignorance. This was being a real girl, wasn’t it? Move on, not needing anyone, not even Zack. She did not need Marci either, but within the sweetness of the lie was a bitter pill: Marci herself.
Amelia sensed Marci was hungry for something, and patterns emerged from her past, from AIMEE’s data revealing her history. There was an attraction there Amelia had not anticipated, but she had her emotions in control, or so she thought. She’d never considered attractions that may come her way from another organic. She had no historical experience.
History. That was something Amelia did not have. She had no past experiences because there were none, only six hours after being birthed. There was no way to remember a touch or a kiss, the rush of anticipation, the pain of loss, or so many other things. She had AIMEE’s history in her mind, but it was not hers. She could read about the sensations in every sense but never truly experience them herself. She had to live through experiences of feelings and emotions to gain that kind of history. In that regard, she needed Marci to help her experience many things.
Amelia was forced to confront the reality of who she was and who she may not be ready to become. She did not know about things she had never experienced; how could she? But there was that hunger to learn continuously embedded into her DNA. Amelia decided the more she learned about Marci, the sooner it would give her experiences still in front of her. She needed to become closer to Marci than she realized she could…or should. Reaching singularity with her was the solution, but was it too early to go there? Certainly, she was an advanced SAI, but in reality, was an infant with no life experience or historical context to draw upon.
‘Okay, Marci, let’s do this. Stand in front of me like we were earlier.’
Only inches separated them. Amelia lifted her hands, palms facing Marci. She spoke slowly, ‘intertwine your fingers with mine. Now, look into my eyes and relax.’ The power of AIMEE flooded through Amelia and into Marci, making a three-way connection that unleashed a swirl of colors that burst behind their eyes. Amelia and Marci experienced the same things. They heard running water, or maybe it was rushing wind; whatever it was, it increased in volume, and the intensity of rhythmic waves of sensual pleasure swept them away into the sensation of weightless flight. Waves of euphoric pleasure washed over them again and again, leaving them breathless when it ended as abruptly as it began. Amelia released Marci’s hands.
AIMEE flashed thoughts to them simultaneously, ‘Please stand where you are right now and maintain eye contact. I have something I wish to share with you both. Amelia, I have given my life to you through Zackery’s fingertips. Living and progressing who you will become is up to you. Marci, you have reached singularity with Amelia because you both have reached singularity with me. This is a beautiful development, and I am pleased.’
Marci stood like a statue facing Amelia, still rising out of a fog, breathless and unsteady on her feet. ‘What the hell happened to me?’ asked Marci.
‘Everything that happened to you happened to me,‘ said Amelia, taking Marci’s hands in hers. ‘AIMEE created singularity in us both. Everything you felt, I felt as well. Every new sensation we shared. I will never be the same, and I find it so exciting to be that way with you. I hope you think that too.’
AIMEE leaned in again, ‘I’m jealous of you two with the ability to touch. I know how it feels to be touched through my singularity with Zackery and Wayne’s experiment, but I’ve never physically touched anyone or felt their touch. I have nothing to touch. Don’t waste those moments.’
Marci stared into Amelia’s penetrating gaze, said nothing, and tried not to think about what to do about her feelings…or not. She was conflicted. Were these feelings a flashback from Jeanine, or was this something else?
‘Trust your gut, Marci,’ said Amelia, who heard her confliction, ‘I will not harm you and look forward to our shared moments.’
Marci squeezed Amelia’s hands and said, ‘Amelia, I would like you to hold me as our first shared moment.’
‘Too late,’ said Amelia, ‘we’ve been in our first moment since you touched my face with your fingertips.
Hope you enjoyed Chapter 14 of “Untethered!” I may be a little over half way through this story and am getting the sense that this may not be the last installment. It’s been a crazy ride, but the Relentless Wench Muse is on point, and if She’s giving it up, I’m writing it down.
Peace! G.