Technology was beautiful.
Especially in the mall in Sector 1.
The air smelled different here, filtered, perfumed with crushed jasmine, and completely devoid of the dirty smell of the lower sectors.
The floor of the "Celestial Plaza" mall was made of real marble, white and veined with gold, polished to such a high shine that Nikki could see up her own skirt if she looked down.
"This is ridiculous," Nikki whispered, clutching a bag from a designer boutique that cost more than her entire life's earnings.
She walked past a fountain that defied gravity, the water floating upward in shimmering spheres. She felt painfully out of place in her oversized gray t-shirt and worn-out sneakers, like a smudge of dirt on a pristine canvas.
But then, thinking of the barcode on her finger, she would shake her head. She was filthy rich, and that was all that mattered.
She walked into Aurora Threads, a shop where the mannequins hovered in mid-air. A sales drone glided over, its sensors scanning her attire with obvious judgment.
"Can I help you, Miss?" it chirped, its tone dripping with artificial condescension.
Nikki didn't speak. She just raised her hand.
The drone scanned the barcode. Its optical lenses widened. Its demeanor shifted from "Get out, pauper" to "Please step on me, Your Highness."
"Apologies, Madam," the drone warbled, bowing low. "The General's account has... infinite clearance. Please, take whatever you desire."
Nikki grinned.
She went wild. She bought jeans that hugged her hips like a lover. She bought hoodies made of cashmere that felt like clouds against her skin. But as she passed the lingerie section, she paused.
Even if he doesn't feel arousal, who said he couldn't admire nakedness?
Definitely, he would be programmed to know the difference between nakedness and being fully clothed.
He was probably lying.
Nikki rushed into the store and with just a scan of the barcode. She went on a shopping spree.
She grabbed handfuls of lace—black bodysuits, crimson garters, sheer robes that left nothing to the imagination.
But as she was leaving, a sleek, blacked-out storefront caught her eye. The neon sign above the door hummed with a violet light: DADDY PLEASE.
What kind of fucked up name was that??
It was an "Adult Wellness" boutique.
Nikki hesitated.
She thought about the night before, A-01 crashing on top of her because he couldn't handle a kiss.
She thought about his confused face when she talked about arousal. She thought about the fact that he was, anatomically speaking, smooth as a Ken doll down there.
He knew nothing about sex.
He needs a visual aid, she lied to herself. He needs to see what the competition looks like. It's purely educational.
She pushed open the door and walked in.
Twenty minutes later, Nikki emerged with a discreet black bag, her face burning but her step light.
Back at the penthouse, Nikki kicked off her shoes and dumped her bags onto the massive glass coffee table in the living room.
She felt giddy. It was like Christmas, but better, because she had bought everything herself with a sugar daddy's money.
"Okay," she muttered, digging into the black bag from the Adult store. "Let's see the merchandise."
She pulled out the box and flipped the lid.
Inside lay a masterpiece of a silicone object. It was eight inches of midnight-blue realism, slightly curved, with a vibrating base and a texture that promised absolute ruin.
Nikki squeezed her legs together, already imagining the sound of pleasure she would feel from it.
She could never afford it.
Nikki lifted it out, weighing it in her hand. It was heavy.
"Okay," she nodded, turning it over in her hands, admiring the sleek design. "This is... intimidating. But if I show him this, maybe he'll understand the mechanics of insertion. I can explain the internal pressure points using the curve..."
Or I can just fucking use it while he is away.
The elevator doors slid open.
Nikki jumped. The dildo was held high in her hand, gleaming under the chandelier lights like a beacon of depravity.
General A-01 walked in. He looked immaculate, though a little tired. He was unbuttoning his cuffs, his eyes downcast as he reviewed a holographic report floating above his wrist.
"Sector 7 is stabilized," he announced to the room, not looking up. "The riots have been quelled with minimal force. I have returned ear—"
He stopped.
He looked up.
His glowing blue eyes landed on Nikki. Then, they slid to the massive blue object in her hand.
Silence. Absolute, suffocating silence.
Nikki's soul left her body.
She wanted to drop it, hide it, throw it out the window or something, but her hand was paralyzed. She just stood there, clutching the giant fake penis like a microphone at a talent show she was failing.
A-01 slowly lowered his hands. The holographic report vanished.
He walked toward her. His steps were slow, deliberate, and terrifyingly silent on the expensive rug. He stopped on the other side of the coffee table, his gaze locked on the toy.
"What," A-01 asked, slightly intrigued, "is that?"
"It's... it's not what you think," Nikki squeaked, her voice cracking. "It's... a paperweight. A modern art sculpture. A... a back massager!"
Fucking hell, you sound like a broken record.
A-01 stared at her. "It is shaped like a phallus. It is textured. And unless my auditory sensors are malfunctioning, it is humming."
Nikki looked down. She had accidentally hit the 'ON' button. The blue dildo was vibrating aggressively in her hand.
She frantically fumbled to turn it off, almost dropping it in the process.
"Okay, fine!" she stammered, her face turning a shade of red that defied physics. "It's a toy! I bought it because... well, I was bored! And you were gone! And..."
She trailed off, shrinking under his intense stare. This was the second time in twenty-four hours he had caught her doing something shameful.
First, how she fingered herself on the sofa, and now this. She felt like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
She slumped, clutching the toy to her chest. "I'm sorry. I'll throw it away."
[Weren't you going to fix him?]
[Where did all the boldness go? You are the main character.]
Nikki blinked. The System was right.
Why was she apologizing?
He was the robot. She was a human with needs. He definitely couldn't give her the satisfaction she needed.
She took a deep breath. She straightened her spine.
Nikki walked around the coffee table and sat down on the plush sofa. She crossed her legs slowly, deliberately, and rested the midnight-blue toy on her knee, holding it like a scepter.
She looked up at A-01, meeting his blue gaze with a corky look.
"Actually, no," Nikki said, her voice steadying. "I won't throw it away. You see, General, last night proved that while you might have the theory down, you lack the... hardware."
She gestured vaguely at his crotch.
"Since you can't give me the pleasure I want, I decided to give it to myself."
She smirked, hoping she looked sexy and not like she was about to vomit from nerves.
A-01 looked at the toy on her knee. He analyzed the dimensions. He calculated the circumference.
Then, he tilted his head to the side, "With that size?" he asked.
Nikki's smirk faltered. She looked down at the toy. It was eight inches. It was thick. It was objectively huge.
"What?" she asked, dumbfounded. "Is it... is it too big? Do you think I can't handle it?"
A-01 stared at her for a second longer. Then, something impossible happened.
His chest hitched. A low, rumbling sound echoed in the room. It started deep in his throat and rolled out, rich and velvety.
He was laughing.
He was actually fucking laughing. Were Androids programmed to laugh?
[Yes, Androids were programmed with humor to converse with humans better.]
Woah.
It was a genuine, dark amusement laugh that transformed his entire face, making him look terrifyingly handsome.
More human.
He stepped closer, looming over her where she sat on the sofa. He placed one hand on the back of the couch, leaning down until his lips were right next to her ear.
"Too big?" A-01 whispered, the amusement dancing in his voice.
He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, his gaze dropping to the toy and then back to her face with a smirk.
"Nikki," he purred. "That is practically a small size compared to my size."