All Systems Optimal Read online

  New Dawning International Bookfair

  Presents

  A Science Fiction Short Story

  By

  Angela Daniels

  Copyrighted © 2011

  Chapter 1

  Sixty feet of coastal water separated the surface of the ocean from Tage’s kitchen window. Sunlight fanned down through the water in shimmering sparkles to illuminate the meadow of sea grass blanketing the ocean bottom like dancing carpet. Within the swaying plants, bright yellow and iridescent white stripes flashed as a school of butterfly fish chased one another. Tage retracted the knife he had been using to slice fruit and sighed as he admired the colors and depth of the underwater landscape.

  Lolly brushed his hand as she reached around him to grab a slice of star fruit. He turned to her, another pleasing sight. Fluffy curls stood out in a longish afro around her head, framing a round dark honey toned face. Two kinky strands of hair fell artfully over one of her kohl outlined eyes. She brushed them aside to study him. "You really do love it down here."

  He met her gaze, avoiding the sight of her soft, ample cleavage boosted up by the bodice-like top of her white cotton dress. "I prefer it, yes."

  A stir of interest warmed his belly. He squelched it. Though pleasant, it was puzzling. His sexual function was designed to be an emotionless series of manual actions. These spontaneous responses should not have been possible. Tage began a systems check.

  "Leave it to you to see luxury in what everyone else considers a hovel." Lolly shook her head, then looked up to the glass dome acting as ceiling and walls for the small living module. "It is beautiful, but a bit oppressive."

  He followed her gaze. A coral garden in infinite colors of teal, yellow, and purple stretched up jaggedly some distance from the front of the dome. Beyond was endless blue. "I have lived here since the overcrowding laws required me to leave topside. Three years, and I am not tired of the view."

  She shuddered. "So much water. And the damn seals always leaking. I worry that I’ll see a newsflash on the vid: Hydro Terrace apartment building implodes under weight of a napping jellyfish." She waved her hands in front of her face in mock terror.

  Tage laughed, pleased that humor was within his parameters. She was so vibrant and gregarious that it would be difficult to relate to her otherwise. He enjoyed their interactions. He gave into an impulse to touch her and playfully flicked her earlobe. "It is not as fragile as that. Anyway droids cannot drown, remember?"

  She pursed full, shapely lips colored with a rich cinnamon gloss. He stared a moment, wondering if she would taste like cinnamon if he kissed her.

  Her eyes twinkled as she gave him a slow inviting smile. Did she know what he was thinking? His heartbeat quickened and his control over his body functions slipped enough that his shaft thickened. He turned back to the fruit on the cutting board and ran a hand through his tousled brown hair. He avoided her gaze as he tipped the cut fruit into a serving bowl.

  Lolly, incurable flirt that she was, would perhaps let him satisfy his curiosity, but he had good reason to hesitate. That reason pinged the door hatch as Tage struggled to calm his erection.

  Lolly skipped the three steps to the hatch and flung it open. Ian gave her a grin that accentuated the perfection of his face. A gently squared jaw and high cheekbones gave him a rugged look, while wide sky-blue eyes under shaggy chocolate eyebrows expressed sensitivity.

  Tage’s throat tightened, accompanied by a pleasant lightness in his chest, at the sight of him. Ian had always been beautiful to him, but lately, as with Lolly, his body’s reactions were intense and off program.

  "You’re late." Lolly frowned, hands on hips. She then contradicted this tart welcome with a searing kiss. Tage watched with interest as she tangled her fingers in Ian’s auburn locks and rose on tiptoe to suck his lower lip into her mouth.

  Ian moaned as he pulled her closer, one hand running over her short white dress and tight, round ass. "I love your way of being upset with me." He gave Tage a teasing grin over her head. "And you mate? You upset too?"

  Tage tilted his head as he attempted to decipher his friend’s meaning. Though sure Ian was making a joke rather than an invitation, Tage imagined walking over, squashing Lolly between them, and sliding his tongue between Ian’s lips. As the image burned in his mind, desire flared in his belly.

  This is too much. Tage instructed the operating system of his positronic central nervous system to send out the necessary signals to calm the excited parts of his anatomy. His throat and erection relaxed immediately, but the lightness in his chest remained.

  Lolly gazed at him with a smirk, and Ian’s eyes narrowed. Tage shifted uneasily, realizing that he’d been quiet for too long.

  Fortunately, a hissing sound distracted them. Seconds later, pressurized water sprayed Ian, pushing him into the corner between the hatch and bathroom door. Lolly jumped back with a yelp. "Damn that jelly fish!"

  Ian flailed uselessly as the water spurted through his fingers to smack into his head. Tage burst out laughing at the sight. He stepped back as Ian pulled off his shirt and flicked it at him before using it to staunch the deluge. Ian smirked. "Patch kit?"

  Laughter trailing off, Tage stared, mesmerized by the sight of seawater trickling over the well-defined muscles of Ian’s smooth chest. His cock sprung back to full alert as he fought the urge to lick droplets of water off Ian’s skin.

  Ian raised a thick eyebrow at him. "Tage. Patch kit."

  Tage blinked then blew out a breath. As he pulled the kit from a cabinet, he again tried to calm his arousal with his inner processors and failed. However, Lolly’s next words cooled his blood just fine.

  "Good thing you’re moving off-world. I tell you this place is a disaster waiting to happen." She warily eyed the water spurting through Tage and Ian’s fingers as they struggled to seal the patch. "I’ll check on dinner while you bail out the ship."

  She walked deeper into the kitchen, ten steps, and peeked in on the roast. Soy protein, of course. None of them could afford meat.

  The flow of water lessened as Tage tightened the seal.

  Ian didn’t look at him as he spoke. "We’ve seen each other every day since we were five years old." He chuckled. "Well, since I was five, and you were a day old baby ‘bot."

  Tage smiled but also kept his eyes focused on the patch. "I think I was even more clueless about the world than you. Your mother was so angry when she realized not only was I inadequate supervision for you, but also was in need of supervision myself. ‘We paid twenty thousand bloody credits for this sodding scrap metal!’"

  They broke out in laughter at Tage’s very accurate imitation of Ian’s mother. Considering their rocky beginnings, Tage was grateful Marilee had come to defy social mores and love him. She’d even been active in the successful fight for Android Equality Rights ten years ago.

  Odd that recognition as an independent species led to even bigger problems between humans and droids. Most people still thought of them as machines and treated them accordingly.

  Ian’s laughter faded. "She’s all tough in front of you, but she cried when she found out you all are being exiled. Then the government announced this damn succession from the Empire. Cutting all travel and trade with other planets? I’m sure it’s just some temporary political bullshit, but mom’s afraid we’re never going to see you again."

  Tage stared at his hands resting on the completed patch. He agreed with Marilee, but didn’t say so. "It’s not so bad. I still have the whole Empire to run around in." He smiled, but it was cheerless. "But this is home. Or was."

  After several silent moments, Ian said, "I’m going to miss you." His blue eyes wavered with tears.

  With a half-hearted smile, Ian brushed them away, then punched
Tage in the arm. "I’m being an idiot. Getting all mushy." He sighed. "It’s just not possible for you to feel the same, right?"

  His tone was light, but Tage recognized deeper emotion in his eyes. Hurt. Tage shook his head and looked down. "What I feel, I don’t understand. My chest feels…warm and light, which is ridiculous. And my throat is tight. There is nothing physically wrong. I know these are emotions, but they are not part of my programming."

  "Maybe I’m not such an idiot then." Ian smiled as he stepped closer, real close. He laid his damp hand gently on the side of Tage’s neck.

  Tage’s stomach fluttered. The sting of tears in his eyes was a surprise. "I didn’t know you felt that way, Ian."

  The urge to close the distance and taste his friend’s lips was so strong. He resisted. He wanted to tell Ian that he returned his feelings. However, once his system repaired itself, these emotions would be gone.

  He lifted a tentative hand and wiped drops of water from Ian’s forehead. Gooseflesh tickled his fingertips. "You’re freezing."

  Tage pulled away to grab dry clothes from the dresser. Ian blew out a noisy breath and dropped his hand. Tage fumbled with shirts and pants, wondering how to soothe his friend.

  When he pulled off his damp shirt, Ian's eyes lingered on his cut abs. He decided to ignore the situation. He covered up with a dry button down, then handed Ian a t-shirt and pair of cargo pants.

  He hung his head as Ian slid through the narrow bathroom door with his shoulders hunched.

  Tage joined Lolly in the kitchen. They fussed with fruit and salad in silence, but she shot him concerned looks. Of course, she had heard his conversation with Ian; the place wasn’t big enough for privacy unless they whispered. He didn’t mind. He felt almost as close to her as to Ian. Of all the girlfriends Ian had had, she was the only one who treated him as a person and not a bothersome pet or talking appliance.

  Ian emerged from the bathroom, head bowed, and drifted towards the alcove at the front of the module. He crossed his arms and stared out the front windows.

  Lolly sighed and turned to Tage with one hand on her hip and her head cocked. She spoke in a low voice that managed to sound both urgent and flippant. "You really haven’t figured it out, have you?"

  His lips twisted. "Figured out what?"

  "That you’re in love with him," she said.

  His body and mind froze, reeling from the idea that was both appealing and impossible. He blinked. "Lolly, droids do not fall in love."

  "Sure can’t tell that from the way you’re acting. You should see the way you look at him. And the un-programmed emotions? Think about it genius."

  He did, and he was dubious. Her theory was suppositional, far from conclusive. But he had no other explanation. "My systems check is almost complete. Whatever is happening will soon be fixed."

  Mumbling under her breath, Lolly turned away and hacked through a head of lettuce.

  Chapter 2

  They worked in silence for a few more minutes until his operating system completed its task. No problems. Tage frowned. That’s not possible. He excused himself and went to the wall behind his dresser where a thin wire headset hung.

  The headset looked like a five-inch long millipede laying the length of an oval-shaped mesh cap. Tage lifted it from its wall port and set it on his head. Immediately, his vision disappeared. The sweet, tangy smell of the roast, the feel of damp hair clinging to his neck all abruptly ended.

  His brain, now plugged into the artificial intelligence network, was temporarily unable to process signals from his body. Instead, it now had access to countless planet-wide computer systems and the endless data flowing through them.

  For the first time, he realized if he or any droid wanted to, they could create quite a bit of trouble. With access to the global network, he could transfer credits, reroute space traffic, or intercept communications. Ignoring the streams of information, he tapped into Droid Tech Support.

  "Welcome Tage 05281. You are scheduled for re-location to planet Lacar in the Caren Empire. Your transport leaves tomorrow morning at eight from Dresdin Spaceport. State inquiry," said the tech AI in its monotone voice.

  "Tech inquiry: I request a full system diagnostic."

  "Running diagnostic. Please wait." With barely a pause it continued, "All systems optimal."

  "Data inquiry: What malfunction could cause spontaneous sexual responses and…" Tage hesitated. He still didn’t believe Lolly’s explanation of his emotions. "…feelings of love."

  "Human emotional and behavioral response in sentient androids is an inexplicable anomaly. There is no correction."

  An unsettling possibility occurred to him. "Is it dangerous?"

  "Explain inquiry."

  "Is it possible an android experiencing emotion will become unstable or violent?"

  "No such incidents have been reported."

  Despite not being able to feel his body, Tage felt a weight lift. "So emotion is not a malfunction?"

  "No. However, the Parliament has ordered anomalous androids eradicated. Are you experiencing emotions Tage 05281? Would you like to schedule an appointment for termination?"

  Had he still been able to feel his heart, Tage knew it would be skipping beats. To save his life, he replied in a human way; he lied. "No, thank you. I am merely curious about the phenomenon. Termination will not be necessary."

  He disconnected from the network before the AI decided to probe his memory storage. He swayed as his body seemed to pop into existence, and grabbed the dresser to steady himself.

  His heart thundered, and bile rose as nausea twisted his stomach. What if the AI suspected he was lying? Tage took a deep breath as he reconsidered. It wouldn’t. Lying would never occur to the automaton. He understood why his kind was being exiled. With the ability to function beyond their programming and unlimited access to the global computer systems, droids could be dangerous.

  He wandered back into the kitchen. Lolly looked up at him, eyebrow raised. "Well?"

  "Tech Support says no malfunctions."

  She quirked her lips in a half smile. "Knew it. So why do you look like you’re analyzing?"

  "As I listened to that AI’s emotionless voice I realized how different I am from it." He gestured as he tried to explain. "I’m a complex mind, a whole personality. A simulated one, but…" Doubt stilled his thoughts.

  Lolly walked to him and braced his face between her hands. "Human consciousness is a mysterious phenomenon beyond the mechanical functioning of the brain. And simulated consciousness is so much more than a droid brain."

  He nodded. "Both are inexplicable. They’re the same."

  With that thought, something opened up inside him. A full body shiver that had nothing to do with cold seized him, followed by elation. "Oh wow, what was that?" He grinned at Lolly so wide his jaw cracked, but he couldn’t stop.

  She stared at him open-mouthed. Then she grinned too. "Has someone come to his senses? Had an epiphany, did you?"

  "Epiphany? Yes." He laughed. "Felt good."

  He hugged her. "I don’t want to leave you."

  As her fingers locked around his neck, she smiled. "Glad to hear it. So, why don’t you tell him?"

  He sobered, reality crushing his self-discovery. "What difference would it make? And why would you want me to tell him?"

  "I’m not jealous, if that’s what you’re wondering. I’m good at sharing." With a playful leer, she pressed herself into him.

  He grunted as her belly ground against his cock, and her breasts flattened on his chest. But her words were what caused a comfortable shudder to warm his body. "God Lolly, the three of us. I want that."

  Her features sobered. "Then tell him and have it."

  Tage studied Ian who still stood in the front alcove lost in the seascape, or more likely, his own thoughts. Tage’s throat closed as he looked at his friend whom he would leave tomorrow. Not fair. He’d just come to an understanding of his feelings. That he could even have these kinds of feelings. And they had to s
ay goodbye.

  Moving beyond friendship would make parting more painful. He stroked Lolly’s back, as much to comfort himself as her. "That would only make it more difficult to say goodbye."

  She tsked and picked up the tray of fruit and salad. He followed her, roast in hand. Lolly gave him a sly look over her shoulder. "We’ll just see, won’t we?"

  Knots turned in his stomach. This emotion he recognized. Apprehension. Lolly was in instigation mode. "Lolly?"

  She did not respond.

  Ian turned as they set the food on the small table then plopped down on one of the small couches before helping himself to the fruit. He studied his girlfriend, then grinned. "Uh oh, what are you up to, Lolly?"

  She gave Ian wide, innocent eyes. Hands in pockets, Tage rubbed his bare foot on the stubby carpet, wondering how to distract Lolly.

  "Not me. It’s Tage." She sat with primly crossed legs. "He was thinking about kissing me."

  Ian turned to him with raised eyebrows and a big grin. "Oh, really?"

  Tage’s cheeks heated with embarrassment, and he put up a hand.. Though relieved she hadn’t pushed the issue of his feelings for Ian, this wasn’t much better. "I…uh…I didn’t say-"

  "You didn’t have to. I’m psychic," she said. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him closer. "I want my kiss."

  His eyes lingered on her plump, full lips. She moistened them with her tongue, and tingles danced along his spine. He glanced at Ian, who leaned forward as he studied him.

  Ian’s blue eyes held his. "Might be your only chance. Go ahead."

  Tage swallowed, captured by his friend’s intent gaze. He wondered if Ian’s words referred to more than just Lolly. Ian’s lips twitched up in a smile that was an invitation and dare.

  Heat spread low in Tage’s abdomen as he sat next to Lolly. His breath loud in his own ears, he pulled back. "This is not a good idea."

  Lolly sighed and dove onto Tage’s lap, curling her fingers around the nape of his neck. "It’s a very good idea."