Allison - His Robot Wife

HIS ROBOT WIFE

By Wesley Allison

Kindle Edition

His Robot Wife

Copyright 2011 by Wesley Allison

All Rights Reserved. This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If sold, shared, or given away it is a violation of the copyright of this work. This is a work of fiction. Names, places, and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously.

Cover design by Wesley Allison

Cover Image Copyright Neoblues | Dreamstime.c om

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For Tom Swift Jr.

In July 1971, I found a box in my grandparents basement. It was filled with books that had belonged to my uncle, killed in action three years before in Viet Nam. Chief among the books in that box were thirteen Tom Swift Jr. books. I read them all that summer, and ordered more in the series through the local bookstore. Tom Swift would be followed by John Carter, Tarzan of the Apes, Perry Rhodan, and many others, but Tom, Bud, Chow, and Tom Sr. will always have a special place in my heart.

His Robot Wife

By Wesley Allison

Chapter One

Mike Smith first noticed the bright blue sign on his sixth circuit around the indoor jogging track. It was Thursday and he came every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning to jog twenty-five laps. Twenty-five laps equaled two miles. The sign was in somebodys yard. Thats why he noticed it. It wasnt an advertisement like the ones on businesses you could see from the other side of the track. It was bright blue and it had yellow writing and some kind of picture. The seventh lap around, he tried to make out the three large words at the top. It looked like they said stop the perverts. The next lap, he looked again. Now he was sure that it said stop the perverts, but what did it say below that? He strained his eyes but after three more laps, he couldnt make out the smaller words below.

He put it out of his mind and instead watched the people on the track with him as he ran. There were two girls in their late teens or early twenties who both looked too chubby to be jogging. Never the less, they lapped him about every fourth circuit. There were eight or ten people walking, mostly in pairs. But one little old man was walking quite fast, about half as fast as Mike was jogging, and he constantly leaned to the left. Mike was sure he was going to just fall right over sooner or later. Twenty-four. Twenty-five. Mike hit the finish line and immediately dropped his speed, walking over to get a towel and a bottle of water. Remembering the sign, he walked to the back wall of the running track and looked down over the neighborhood. There was the sign. He pressed his forehead against the hot glass and squinted. Stop the perverts. Vote yes on 22. Or was that thirty three?

Wiping his face and finishing his water, Mike walked back to the cubbyhole and picked up his texTee. What is California proposition twenty-two? The screen immediately came to life and began playing a news story. Just let me read it. The video dissolved into a page of text. Blah blah blah. Supporters include blah blah blah. The proposition will amend the state constitution to define a person as a biological entity, preventing robots seeking redress for blah blah blah. Blah blah blah essentially an anti-robot marriage proposal. What? If this amendment is passed it will prohibit the state of California from acknowledging the marriages between humans and robots currently being performed in four states.

Son of a bitch.

Hopping down the stairs with much more energy than he usually had after jogging, Mike crossed the blistering parking lot and climbed into his Chevy, letting the cool air wash over him before he turned on the ignition. He counted it as a blessing that all cars now had auto-cooled interiors. He wouldnt want to have to wait for the cool air. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove up the street, turning left into the neighboring block so that he could get a better look at the blue sign. But it took him several minutes to find the correct house. Finally he stopped in from of the one featuring the placard. Stop the perverts. Vote yes on 22. Beneath the words was a stick figure diagram, the kind used on street signs, of what looked like a man trying to have sex with a toaster. Mike thought about getting out of his car and ripping the sign out of the ground, but he saw the face of a little old lady looking out at him through the blinds.

Assholes, he said, and slammed his foot on the gas pedal. The car sped away, but failed to make the screeching tire noise that he was hoping for.

His house at 11 North Willow was a five minute drive from the track, which was not nearly enough time for Mike to calm down before he pulled into the driveway. Then on his way from the car to the front door, he tripped over the yardbot, which was busy pulling gnarled desert weeds from between the red brick stepping stones. Finally, the front door lock seemed to take forever to recognize him and allow him to enter the cool interior of the house.

The world is going to hell, he growled as he kicked off his track shoes. Literally. It is literally as hot as hell outside.

Here you go, Mike. Patience was suddenly beside him, with a towel in one hand and a tall glass of iced water in the other.

She looked as perfect as she had they day she came out of the box. Big blue eyes, a cute little button nose, and that slender, curvy body; all of which were just outside the possibilities of a real human form. She stood there with a smile not only on her lips but radiating from her eyes as well.

What are you so happy about? He took the towel and wiped the back of his neck and then took several long gulps from the water glass.

Im happy that youre home. Why dont you sit down and cool off for six and one half minutes, then you can take a nice cool shower. Patience turned and glided down the hallway to the kitchen.

Dont you want to know why Im in a bad mood? he called out, taking a seat on the sofa and propping his feet up on the coffee table.

Youre always in a bad mood when you come back from the track, she called from the other room.

I am not. vueTee. The large screen above the fireplace came to life, the image of a daffodil filling the browser screen.

What are you doing browsing the Daffodil site? Do you need an update? He picked up the remote and began flipping through the feeds.

My software is completely up-to-date, said Patience, walking back into the room with a plate of sliced fruit. Just tell the vueTee what you want to watch.

I dont want to have to talk. I can flip through them faster.

You cant flip through all four thousand feeds.

Sure I can. It will just take me a while.

Patience took the remote from his hands and replaced it with the plate of fruit.

Feed seventy-six, she said toward the screen. Star Trek: the Original Series season one, episode fifteen.

The starship Enterprise appeared on the screen arriving in orbit around a green planet. This was quickly followed by a female crewmember giving Captain Kirk a massage while he sat in his captains chair.

This is a great episode, said Mike, leaning back and popping an apple slice into his mouth. You know it looks like Kirk is going to sleep with her just like he does with every other female in the galaxy, but this time Dr. McCoy actually gets the girl.

It would be a shame if the poor captain had to go without for a week, said Patience, sitting down beside him.

Dont worry. He gets a robot version of an old girlfriend.

I know, she replied. Thats why I like this episode so much.

I thought you turned it on for me.

No. Im going to watch it while you take a shower. Now finish your fruit.

After eating, Mike went upstairs to take a shower, tossing his sweaty clothes on the bedroom floor on his way to the bathroom. He stopped, looked at the shorts and t-shirt, then went and picked them up and threw them in the hamper. When he climbed into the enclosure and turned on the water, if felt so good. He ended up staying longer than he should have, and as he dried off he realized he would probably get a fine when the next water bill came.