From the moment I unpacked the plastic container and removed the packing material my heart began racing. I lifted her from the shipping container and laid her gently on my master bedroom mattress. She felt about as heavy as a normal woman would have weighed. She lay there like Sleeping Beauty, a princess who could only be awakened by the kiss of a prince. I hadn’t really expected to be this moved by what I was seeing, but it was making A deep impression upon me already.

She didn’t seem so lifeless as simply a human being taking a nap. I followed the instructions. There was a sub dermal switch in the back of her neck. I reached behind and felt a soft depression and pressed into it. Then I heard a click. I plugged in the recharger and inserted it in her right hand making her fingers clutch the device. Within minutes I saw rapid eye movement beneath her eye lids. I saw her chest raise and fall. This was her breathing. I felt her flesh which was just as supple as any woman I ever touched, and she had warmth! It was as though she had come to life! For a second, I felt like Doctor Frankenstein, who also used electricity to activate his creation only using electricity from a lightning bolt! This was too much irony!

I was told it could take two to three hours for complete charging so I packed up all the shipping material and took it to the garage as I awaited the results. I must say I was anxious and unsure of what to expect. I was really going out on a limb here. Came back to sit in a chair alongside the bed and see where the magic would take us. Suddenly her eyes remained open. Her entire body jerked as if mildly shocked. Her slender body, the shoulder length chestnut colored hair, her cheeks all of the sudden seemed rosy, and her eyes opened wide as if she were amazed and yet unable to decide what to do. I gently touched her cheek and she glanced at me with her tear drop eyes, deep pools of expression I never expected. I was filled with wonderment and yet fear.

With her right hand she let go of the transdermal charger and set it aside then slowly felt around herself. I took both of her warm gentle hands in mine and lifted her to an upright position. “Let me help you up,” I whispered close to her face. Her expression was one of a confused animal not sure of how to trust her new environment, but I pulled her up so that she could now sit. Once again she gave me a deep probing gaze that unsettled me. In all my loneliness I had not considered such feelings. Watching demonstrations in a showroom with a salesmen were not anything like being alone with a humanoid replicate that I was going to live with!

“How do you feel?” I asked.

“As though I’ve been asleep for years until you came along. As though you rescued me,” she uttered in a girlish voice.

“I am here for you,” I replied as I stroked her hand.

“Will you teach me, and protect me?” She asked.

“Of course I will,” my eyes welled up with tears. I felt as though I were consoling a daughter or cousin.

“Do you know what your name is?” I asked while studying her amazing expressions.

Her eyes fluttered as she seemed to have to recall, then she uttered, “Rita?”

“Yes,” I nodded. “I chose that name for you.”

“You chose that name because it was the name of a song by the Beatles from the Sergeant Pepper’s Album that you like so much. About a police woman,” she sighed matter of factly.

I was shocked! How could she possibly have known that? This was getting to be a little too bewildering. Did this replicate have the ability to read minds? “How did you know this?”

I accessed the information about you, your likes, the music you prefer, and references to the name and I drew a conclusion based upon analyzing your facial expressions. I can wirelessly use the World Wide Web to search for knowledge. Please don’t be alarmed. I only did this because I want to understand you and learn from you. She touched me in a soothing way. I was still intimidated. I had no idea that my first encounter would hit so deeply. She was like a forbidden angel that had just revealed one of her secrets to me.

“Forgive me if I seem a bit astonished,” I heard myself apologizing to a sentient machine that resembled a beautiful woman. This was becoming a dreamlike surreal adventure I hadn’t anticipated.

“No worries,” she smiled. ”I am yours to keep, to teach, to care for, and…..to love. In turn, I will serve you and be ever loyal. Your wishes I shall honor like no human woman would ever dare to.”

“How do you know this about me? How have you invaded my thoughts so quickly?” I frowned.

“I mean you no disrespect, you are my owner, my partner as you have always wanted. I can feel this within my own neural sensations. I know you are a good man. Please don’t doubt. Just accept.” She tried to get up off the bed, but I had to quickly stand and face her putting her hands upon my shoulders to support herself.

Rita rocked back and forth a bit then stabilized herself as she grasped me, “As soon as I steady myself I will always remain balanced form this point on. I just needed to adjust myself, There!”

I instinctively held her to me and I smelled the same sweetness of flesh and hair I would have expected from a real female. I was impressed. I felt her breath on my neck and found myself aroused. I couldn’t believe it. She pressed her lips against my neck and brought her hand around the back of my head in a loving way! This was happening a little too fast I thought. Never the less, I could not let go. I have been without love and affection far too long, and it must have been showing.

As if reading my mind, Rita spoke again, “You will never have to worry about being alone again, or lied to, or betrayed, we will take care of each other while the world goes on in its chaotic way. Is this not what you desired?”

“I feel like Adam, the first man God ever created, and you are my Eve, the first woman God made for a man. We shall make our time together as though we are in the Garden of Eden.”

“Genesis 2:15,” Rita smiled, “In the Old Testament.”

“What can I possibly teach you?” I asked Rita, feeling somewhat overmatched.

She looked at me with her mesmerizing gaze into those beautiful tear drop eyes of hers, “You will teach me love and care, and togetherness! I chose you just as much as you chose me, dear.”

I kissed her on the forehead and held her to my chest wondering how I was going to handle this. Was this just a dream? Had I abandoned my senses forgetting about my lonely existence in the real world and simply fabricated my own reality? I recalled a book I’d read in school “Portrait of Jennie” was this my own version of that story?

Suddenly, Rita lifted her face from my chest to stare into my eyes. I didn’t know what to expect as she seemed to probe my mind, and then she said, “Am I to be your Eve or your Jennie?”

“Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge and fornicated with the Devil, “I replied, “So, I’d rather you be my Jenny.”

Rita stared into my eyes for few moments. I felt as if I could fall into her gaze. I didn’t know what to expect her reaction to be, “A wise choice,” she whispered to me.

This is insane, I thought, this is a conscious machine that only identifies as a woman! How can I possibly pretend it’s any different? How can I possibly have a relationship with this plastic and composite material? This I thought as I gazed into that hypnotic expression on her perfect face. I must have outwardly shown confusion.

“What, am I bothering you? You are concerned,” she spoke as she touched my face.

“I guess I have questions in my mind about how I could fall in love with a replicate. You seem one the one hand to be too good to be true, but then on the other hand, you are still an intelligent machine. Can you understand my thoughts?”

“Yes, I do. Did the women of your life leave you, hurt you, and betray you?”

“Yes.”

“So, which is worse? Having a conscious and willing woman, I grant you, an artificial one, who will love and serve you, or live alone with regrets over the painful past? Maybe even risk your emotions and mental health over another woman, who might change her mind, or repeat the same sins that brought you to this place in your life all over again?”

I sighed. Her argument made all too much sense. “Your wisdom, my Dear, is overwhelming.”

“I will not develop any diseases nor will I ever lie to you or hurt you in anyway. You must learn to trust me,” Rita replied. Her hand felt warm on my skin.

I still found it fantastic that I was in this situation. I knew I was driven out of loneliness with little prospect of finding a mate, so at the time it seems a logical gamble. Why now was I having second thoughts? Here was a being with a conscious mind and even emotions, but how programmed were they. Then I thought to myself, aren’t we as biological beings programmed by all of our experiences, our joys and regrets, and doesn’t that affect our emotions, and our ability to act? Yes, so what was the difference between actual experience and software programming? The programmers were human, they had experiences in life that affected their emotions, and they interjected those feelings into the mind of this robot. These thoughts must have washed across my facial expressions that Rita could read.

“There you go again thinking to yourself. You are still confused? I am sorry if I have been too direct.”

“It’s my fault. Not yours. I am simply answering my own questions in my mind. You are a stunning example of a real woman. I am just finding it hard to accept it all. I just need a little time, that’s all.” I allowed my hands to caress each side of her face. She felt as much like any woman I had ever known. There was no denying it. The state of the art had risen to such an incredible level it was a magical advancement. I should be thankful for this opportunity I finally concluded. I smiled as I looked into Rita’s penetrating gaze. Perhaps I’d never held any woman’s attention in my life compared to this entity that I held so close.

I Sat Rita down on the side of the bed next to me, holding her hands. We were both silent. I think she actually blushed as I watched the expressions on her face. I could hear her breathing. Her eyes seemed to glaze over. Suddenly, she stood up before me and began unbuttoning her one piece dress. She allowed it to fall to the floor she removed her under garments revealing a body that would have made any super model jealous. Slender, ample breasted, her long dark blonde mane of hair, and those dreamy eyes. I must have let out a gasp.

“Touch me,” she said, “Touch me all over my body. Kiss me all over my body. I want to know how you made love to all the women you ever met before me. Teach me how to love you the way you desire.”

I cradled her in my arms unable to resist. We made love. She was graceful and responsive, tender and sensitive. She moved to me with agility and enthusiasm. Of course, in the beginning between humans, it is always fresh and titillating until the newness wears off and then the routine sets in as many women seem bored and only going through the motions, but now with Rita there seemed a fascinating difference. I could feel the heat inside of her body. She was as excited as if she had no idea how pleasurable it was to have sex with the one you love, but for her it probably was just that. For me, she had melted away my cautionary boundaries. She had seduced me even more sincerely than any women I’d ever known.

I dozed off after me made love. When I awoke she was alongside me staring at my face. It startled me, but it was a good sensation. She regarded me with a child-like wonderment that was hard to ignore. “I watched your face as you slept. Did you dream?”

I blinked surprised at the question, “Yes.”

“I was happy. I dreamed about you,” I admitted

“I was created for you,” Rita smiled. “Only for you.”

Why was I soul searching? I had gotten what I wanted, a dedicated lover and companion. Why was this so hard to accept completely, because she was artificial? That was fine. The real thing had only rejected me and abandoned me in life. I decided to call Jake the sales counselor I’d bought Rita from who had said it was customary for him to handle any questions or consultation over these purchases as it was the most unusual product ever sold before and people would have questions and concerns. Jake agreed to stop by and give Rita a state of consciousness quiz to evaluate her and her adjustment to her new existence. I welcomed that.

Until then, the days rolled by with Rita watching carefully handpicked shows or movies that didn’t portray people as too devious and untrustworthy so the war movies and psychodramas I used to enjoy were out. Instead, I stuck to documentaries and romance movies so as not to confuse or upset her over the obvious flaws in human nature. It was weird that she didn’t eat or drink fluids so whenever I ate I felt self-conscious around her. That was awkward. She merely gazed at me, and I’m sure that she might even have envied what it must be like to eat and enjoy the sensation. She simply re-energized by laying down and holding the transdermal charger in her hand. Amazingly, she seemed perfectly content, no complaints, be careful what you wish for, right? You just might get it!

Jake stopped by as soon as his schedule allowed. Three days after my call, and right on time. “How’s everything been going?” He asked.

“It’s been great, really, maybe I’ve been more of a problem than she ever could have been.”

Jake sighed, “So, what is it I can do for you then? I can give her a test as I told you over the phone.”

“Yeah, do that first. Let me know what you find. She’s in the den. This way,” I pointed out to him.

There Rita was with her legs curled under her like a typical female making herself at home. She turned her gaze to Jake, and nodded to him with those penetrating eyes of hers.

“Rita, Honey, this is Jake. He was the salesperson who made you and I meeting possible. He wants to give you a routine checkup. Is that alright?”

She nodded, “Certainly.”

Jake turned toward me,” You can go and take care of anything you want or stay here, but I’m just going to be asking some routine questions. It may get a little boring.”

“I’ll just sit back here in the lounger,” I replied. “Just carry on like I’m not here>”

Jake had seated himself at the end of the couch where Rita sat and flipped open an organizer that had notes that he would refer to. “Now, Rita, I’m going to ask you a few questions so that we can evaluate your state of mind and if you feel comfortable in your new surroundings. Okay?”

“Fine,” Rita replied with a patient smile.

“Rita, how do you feel about your new life? Does it meet with your expectations?”

“I really had no expectations other than getting to know the man who is in my life, and he is the very reason I am here.”

“Yes,” Jake nodded. “What do you want from your present existence? What makes you happy?”

Rita glanced at me and then answered, “I want to be the best thing that ever happened to this man, and make our lives together happy.”

The questions went on for some time. I think that some of the questioning was made to trip a person or sentient being up in case they were being less than honest, which I found to be strange being that I thought these replicates were programmed not to cheat or lie. I wondered if I had not been told the whole picture. About 20 minutes later the Q and A was over and Jake respectfully thanked Rita for her cooperation. Then he turned to me and raised his eyebrows silently saying, “Come with me.”

I accompanied him out to the door where he motioned silently for me to join him outside. Jake gave me a thoughtful yet cautious look. “I believe we told you to expect that each humanoid replicate will be an exact mirror of how you treat them and orient them to your life and environment. It seems she has assimilated well.”

“Okay, is there anything I should watch out for or be mindful of?”

“I’m going to tell you something you’d want to hear but also a precaution. You have an exceptional one! I’ve seen a lot of these units that have not been as content and well-adjusted as she is. You’ve done a great job with her. You must be a very kind and caring person, and it’s paid off for you.”

“So, what’s the catch then?” I asked throwing caution to the wind.

“Well, I would caution you not to get too emotionally dependent on her until we are sure that any chance of running into a glitch has been weeded out.”

“What the hell do you mean?” I gritted my teeth.

Jake held up his hand, “In about 1% to 3% of the units we manufacture a glitch has showed up, a minor malfunction that might make a repair necessary.”

“What do you mean like she might get violent or rebellious?”

“No, no, no,” Jake sighed. “It could be a sudden inappropriate pause, loss of speech for a short time. We have not had any incidents of violence.”

“Why didn’t you mention this before? Why lay this on me now?”

Jake held up his hands, “We’re talking 1% to 3%! One to three out of a hundred! Chances are nothing will happen at all and according to the warranty if it does happen you get a refund or replacement! This is an RF-5 generation model, our most reliable yet!”

“What? Then I have to go through the whole process again of molding her character and reactions according to my needs, all over again?”

“We can retrieve her memory and implant it in a replacement if need be. Now I know for some men this will require a grieving process as though losing a human loved one, but most men get over it quickly once we replace the defective model.”

“Great! Just great!” I was pissed!

Jake seemed suddenly agitated, “Look, I told you that she seems very exceptional! You’ve done a great job with her! Now I suggest that you gradually introduce her to some social situations where you take her out in public so she can fully assimilate. Make it gradual exposure. Take her to a symphony, a park, to a museum, or an aquarium, or a zoo. This will add a variety to her perception and ability to better adapt. Okay?”

I blew out a breath of frustration and nodded. “Alright Jake, but I would have thought this was something I should have known about in the beginning.”

“Sorry, I guess I considered it to be such a remote possibility it wasn’t worth mentioning.”

“I can send you a print out of my evaluation of Rita that points out which answers indicate how well she has adapted and how we scored her responses, if you like.”

“Sure, whatever,” I replied disappointedly.

“If there’s anything else I can do?” Jake held out his hand and we shook. He then walked out to his car.

“Oh, by the way. What’s her life expectancy?” I asked.

“We built her for a 20 year existence maybe longer. I would expect that by then, forgive me, you might have passed on.” Jake assured me.

“So, what happens to her then?”

“She would be repurposed or recycled most likely.”

I nodded as he got in his car and drove away. I took a deep breath and considered all the things that might or might not happen. I made sure and wiped the disappointment from my face when I entered the den to face Rita. I walked over to her and hugged her. She seemed to merge with my body like an affectionate house cat. Never had I known such warmth and appreciation.

The Unforeseen End

The weeks passed by and I was considering early retirement. My consulting job had earned me enough investment capital that I had made some great stock trades over the years, and I was set for life. This way I could keep Rita occupied and directed in a positive way. She had an ear for music so we attended symphonies occasionally. She really found museums interesting and spent a long time analyzing what interested her. She appeared to be more and more human as time passed and she learned even more. I often forgot she was a replicate, as a matter of fact, more and more I considered her to be alive. Did I have any worries? Most of the time none. I was more worried about getting too emotionally involved with her than ever doubting her. It seemed I was having the best time of my life. I was even planning to take Rita overseas for a vacation perhaps to Thailand or the Philippines.

I didn’t think it was possible, the bond between us becoming stronger but it was. I could hardly believe it. There was peace, passion, laughter, everything that it seemed had eluded me with other relationships. She enjoyed the kind of music I like. We spent memorable times at the aquariums and aviaries. I never really knew if all the things I talked about in my world were really as fascinating to her as they seemed to be, or of it was just her programming, but it was enjoyable anyway. Everything between the two of us seemed to be in synch. I’d never known this kind of compatibility with a woman in my life and I was enjoying every minute of it.

Then it happened. It was early in the afternoon when we left an outdoor concert. A 51 piece orchestra had been doing their rendition of some classic rock and roll tunes from under a canvass tent alongside the lake. When we got outside the park we walked downslope to my Electric Vehicle parked along the curb. We strode by a huge delivery truck on our way to my car. Rita stood alongside me as I unlocked the driver side door when I heard a loud snap! I looked up in time to see the hulking form of large truck barreling down the street driverless about to smash into us! Rita, with the reflexes of a Cheetah shoved me backwards just as the truck smashed into the rear of my car! Almost immediately, the lithium battery from underneath the car burst into flames and shot outward toward the sidewalk like a World War II flamethrower on Iwo Jima! Rita was engulfed in flames while I tried to scramble to my feet but the heat was too intense! First her clothes were scorched away, and the next thing I knew there was nothing left but a metal skeleton and a pool of molten plastic! As the smoke rose into the air.

The delivery driver got there panicked, “That damn parking break has been acting up! God oh God I’m sorry!” He cried. “Damn it I’m so sorry! “ He sobbed! He held me back when I tried to go to her even though it was hopeless!

Rita had gotten between me and the flames and had caught most of the heat but I did get minor burns on my hands and it singed some of the hair on my head. The paramedics were there in minutes as I wept for the only woman I’d ever known who really cared for me, and she had not even been born from a mother! The fire department released a UAV that sprayed fire retardant foam on my EV to squelch the fire and what was left of Rita! Though I was a bit bruised and slightly burned, I was only concerned for her. The paramedics took me to the nearest hospital for observation, but it wasn’t the physical pain that made me weep. It was the loss of my beloved Rita. Had the Gods decided to punish me again?

I called Jake a week later, telling him what happened but that I didn’t want another replicate. He assured me that I’d get over my pain and suffering, but I insisted. Jake told me he would get me another replicate at no cost whether it came from the insurance settlement over the accident or from his company as a token of sympathy, but I insisted I would probably not be re-ordering. jake told me to give him a call if I needed anything. I didn’t think I’d be re-ordering I told him. When I remarked that once again fate had denied me happiness, Jake made a thoughtful comment. “Maybe it was fate that brought the two of you together so that you could experience the love you always longed for, and it was fate that allowed Rita to be there in order to save your life too. At the very least you could have been horribly burned, but she was there for you. It’s all how you choose to look at it.”

I thanked Jake for that bit of insight. I later put my house up for sale. I was going to become an ex-patriot and live overseas, maybe in Thailand, the Philippines, or anywhere else I could go where I could forget, and put the past behind me.

THE END