He was excited too, needing to hold her, be with her, and tell her about the adventure. There was also anxiety about the culmination of what he’d started this whole ordeal for in the first place. His need to find his best friend was more important than ever. Nothing else would ever hold his attention or mean more to him.
By the time they touched down in California, he’d formulated a schedule to test his system and go back to Joe’s disappearance. A limo was waiting for them in front of the terminal once they’d cleared customs. He climbed into the back seat and closed his eyes. The odor of the city clogged his nose and burned his eyes, but he decided there wasn’t a better smell in the world at that moment. He took a long, deep breath and let it out slowly, allowing the tension of the last week to drain out of his body. The drive from the airport seemed to take mere minutes until the car stopped in front of his house.
Lights shone in the entrance and the living room when there should have been darkness. Their brightness glowed through frosted glass on either side of the door. He wondered who might have taken the trouble to welcome him home. The list of people with a key was limited to Billy, the cleaning company, and Christen, his secretary. He smiled. Heather had borrowed one and was waiting. He turned the handle on the front door and entered. Stepping into the cool air, his heart rate and breathing became faster in anticipation.
Silently, he moved deeper into the house, leaving his bag by the door. Turning the corner into the living room, he expected to see her, but the room was empty. She must be in the bedroom, he thought and proceeded down the hall. He pushed open the door and flipped on the light. Nobody there either. He was confused. Why would anyone take the time to open the house, and not stay around to welcome him? Who would leave the front door unlocked?
A beeping noise sounded across the hall in the computer room. He entered and turned on the light. The computer screen had a single line of words, and the cursor was sitting at the end, blinking. Michael sat on the chair and read the message.
Welcome home, Michael. I hope you are unharmed.
His mouth dropped open in total shock. The computer was intelligent. Saving them hadn’t been a fluke. The machine could anticipate and think, but more importantly, it had feelings. Well not in a human way, but certainly there were signs of compassion at least for him. What do you do now? his mind shouted. This is more than a pet dog that’s protecting me. This is a machine that has the capacity to control anything and everything in my life.
The fingers that moved toward the keyboard trembled. He typed in a response.
I’m fine, thank you. What you did for me was perfect, but I’m home now so you don’t need to look after me. Let’s just go back to being a team working on sending me back in time.
The cursor blinked and then moved. Michael watched.
I’m not capable of looking after you, Michael. All I can do is control electronic devices around this house, which I do with gratitude for making me aware. Your plan for going back in time had a few minor glitches that I took the liberty of correcting in your absence. When you are ready, you may open the file “trip.go” to access my changes.”
The cursor blinked silently at the end of the sentence for a moment and then continued.
As for having some sort of ulterior motive or personality, I’m no different than the toaster in the kitchen. I can communicate, but I do not feel anything. Intellectually, I understand the emotions and use them to verbalize my thoughts to you as if I were human. I am a processor, nothing more. Good night, Michael, pleasant dreams.
The screen went black, and the computer powered down. A lump had settled in his stomach as he read what the computer said. He’d created a new life form, but was it a psychopath or was it a new friend. He stumbled out of the room without switching off the light. In the bedroom, he turned off the light and undressed. Exhaustion more than anything allowed him to sleep.
Chapter 16
He showered and dressed the next morning, careful to avoid touching anything electrical except the coffee machine; his need for caffeine being greater than his trepidation over the computer. If the pot had been full and hot this morning, he’d have been truly concerned, maybe even doubting his sanity. There was no reason for him to fear the computer. He feared what might happen if the computer became emotionally attached to him. Machines don’t have emotions, Michael. Yes, but this one might have the capability of independent thought. It could turn on me like a dog.
Carrying a full cup to the bedroom office, he sat at the desk. The monitor and the computer were both running again. He typed in the command to call up the file trip.go and waited. Ten seconds seemed like a long time when you’re waiting, but suddenly the screen was filled with code. His eyes scanned for the changes, and he didn’t need to search very long.
Areas the computer had changed were in red. “Damn, I missed that,” he mumbled. Scrolling further, another patch of red popped out at him. His chin resting on his palm as he read the lines leading up to the changes. “How could this program even work with that in there?”
He found a few more changes before the end of the program, but they didn’t alter much. He decided that the computer had once again done something worthwhile without being asked.
Thank you. He typed.
You’re welcome, came onto the screen instantly.
Talking to a machine was still very unnerving, but easier than last night. He took a sip of coffee and picked up the phone. The familiar purr of the ringing on the other end came through the line. After the third ring, he was about to hang up when an excited female voice answered.
“Hello,” Heather panted as if she’d been running. A thrill ran down his spine at the sound of her voice.
“Hi, I’m not coming in today, but if you aren’t busy tonight, I’d like to take you out for dinner.” His heart was beating faster. There was a long pause on the other end as if she was considering whether to say yes or no. He could still hear her breathing heavily.
“Why, Mr. Eldridge, the rest of the staff will begin to gossip if you’re not careful. I’m not sure you have the correct impression of me, sir. You make me all hot and bothered when you speak in such a familiar fashion.” She was trying to sound like some southern belle, but Michael could hear the smile in her voice. “I’ll tell you what, buster,” she said in her own voice. “We’ll go for dinner, and you better eat lots because when we get to your place, I’m going to fuck your brains out. Pick me up out front at six.” The line went dead. Michael stared at the receiver, imagining what life would be like after getting his brains sexually removed. He smiled and replaced the receiver.
“The woman is crazy for me.”
Do you want me to do anything special for her this evening? The words appeared on the monitor in front of him.
“How did you know what I said?” Fear tinged his voice.
There are various ways in this room by which your voice is transmitted to the core processorthe speakers, telephone, but mainly through the camera built into the monitor.
“You can lip read?” Michael knew he hadn’t programmed the computer with that ability.
That seemed like a better way for you to input information to...me. Will you consider the idea that a computer could have a personality?
The idea had smashed into his mind last night and frightened him. The notion seemed too much like a Frankenstein movie.
“I can consider the idea, but don’t ask me for legs.”
Thank you, so from now on we can use personal pronouns in our discussions. I could more easily communicate with you through the speaker if you prefer.
Michael slapped his forehead. “You’re right. That would be much easier if we interacted like people without having to type.”
After pulling several cables out of a cupboard, he spent the next forty-five minutes connecting them to various ports on the front of the computer. He’d installed a sound card in the first stages of construction, but never used that device until now. Once the connections were complete, he t
yped a few commands to confirm the hardware was installed and waited.
“Hmm, the art of verbal conversation is different,” a female voice said to him. The noise startled him. Her voice began sounding mechanical but ended up sexy and throaty. “But being able to use emphasis and inflection is pleasant—helpful, too.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but can you use less sexy and a little more clinical?” He imagined what Heather would think if she heard that lusty voice in the background of a phone call.
“The vocalization you desire has been programmed and will be my voice. Would you please give me a name?”
Michael didn’t know why the computer picked a female persona, but he didn’t mind. “Dawn,” he blurted. “Because you represent the beginning of a new era in computing, you are the dawn, the first.”
“Thank you, I’ve been working on ways for you to test your process of time travel. Since we know the cell phone communication works, I have formulated two methods which will safely allow you to go back in time.”
“Holy shit, Dawn, you’re amazing. Let me see what you’ve come up with.” His fears over the machine slipped away as he focused on his project.
They worked hard all day. Michael became the hands for Dawn as she told him what to do. The sunbeams coming through the window moved across the room until they dipped below the roofline.
“The time is four o’clock, Michael; you need to get ready for your dinner date.”
He tightened a screw on the second machine and stood up to look at both. The first was placed next to the wall by the door, resembling a doublewide school locker in size and shape, but just a metal frame. The pieces he’d scrounged from an old bed in the garage. Wires ran from the bottom of the box to connectors lying on the floor next to the computer. The second machine, which he’d just fashioned, was primarily the table he’d initially used, but there was another section added underneath. This part was an aluminum box scrounged from the back of his refrigerator in the garage. It was filled with circuit boards and more wires to connectors near the computer.
“I’ll need to get changed then,” he sighed. “I can hardly wait to try them out.”
“If you wouldn’t mind, could you please plug them both into my body, and I’ll test them while you’re gone.”
For a moment, Michael was jealous. He’d wanted to be the one to try them, but having the computer check them first made sense. Bending down, he grabbed the four leads and pushed them into the appropriate ports on the front of the computer frame. An image of his actions causing pain popped into his head, but he quickly shook that away.
“Okay, I’ll see you later, but no peeking while Heather is here and no talking, please. She wouldn’t understand. I’d hate to have to explain to the police why my date ran screaming down the hill.”
“As you wish, Michael. I’ll maintain an appropriate silence. Is there anything special I can arrange for you and the young woman? Lights, cooling, music.” The clinical voice had taken on a colder tone than earlier in the day. Michael ignored the change because he was thinking about...later.
“No, I believe that we'll be good, Dawn, and thank you again for all you’ve done. Don’t stay up late and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He closed the door, showered, and changed. The car was waiting for him outside.
Three hours later, Heather and Michael came through the front door laughing and giggling. She was trying to pull his clothes off while he was doing everything he could to keep them on until the front door had closed. He felt a little embarrassed, knowing that Dawn might be watching. The lights in the entrance were on. Even the kitchen and living room were basking in the glow of enough bulbs to make the rooms feel like daylight. His inhibitions must have transmitted to Heather in some way because she stopped pulling at his shirt.
“What’s wrong?” she demanded, her eyes searching his.
“Nothing, I just didn’t want to get naked in front of the driver.”
“As if he’s never seen naked people before,” she cooed and unbuttoned the shirt, kissing his chest. He tilted his head back and glanced around the living room for anything that Dawn could use to see them. The television appeared to be the only appliance with any capability to spy on them, but he decided there wasn’t much chance. His mind was tripping over itself trying to cope with the dual sensations—being watched by a machine and what was happening to his body.
She was pulling at his belt, trying to unfasten the buckle and move him to the sofa at the same time. His pants fell around his ankles, forcing him to shuffle-step until her hand slid inside his underwear and grasped him.
Any sense of humility or shyness about being seen by anything or anyone vanished in that instant as his mind became focused. He lifted her off the floor, pulled his feet out of his pants, and strode the remaining distance to the sofa. He laid her gently on the cushions, her hand still wrapped around his stiffening penis.
“Oh, that’s what I’ve been waiting for,” she purred and squeezed at the same time. He swallowed hard and leaned down to kiss her mouth. His hands frantically pulled and tugged at her dress. The need for release growing in his belly, he finally yanked the piece of material over her head with her help. Naked, he discovered she wasn’t wearing any underwear. His eyes traveled from her face to her hips, absorbing her delights. She smiled up at him, leaning back against the cushions. Her eyes moved from his to the throbbing pole standing out from his crotch. The tip of her tongue appeared at the corner of her mouth, parting the red lips and licking slowly to the other side.
His breathing was rapid, his heart pounding, and his penis ready to burst. He abandoned the rest of his clothes before slowly climbing onto the sofa between her legs, lowering himself into her and immediately thrusting his hips. She moaned at his intensity and pulled him tight as he came inside her. He’d taken her too fast and knew she couldn’t be satisfied.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her neck. Her hands caressed his ass and back.
“Lover, I’m not worried because I told you I was going to fuck your brains out and that’s exactly what I intend to do.” She nibbled and licked his ear.
He pushed up so he could look at her face. “I’m not sure how many brain cells I have left after that, but we can see,” he said smiling.
“Let’s go to the bedroom and find out.” She kissed his mouth. He stood and helped her off the sofa, any thoughts of being watched forgotten. Her free hand grasped his wilting penis and pulled him down the hall. He watched her backside as she moved, admiring the sway of her hips. In the bedroom, she stood next to the bed and pushed him onto the mattress. Her mouth, hands, and the rest of her body did things to him beyond his wildest fantasy until the sun broke over the horizon. As she finally let him drift off to sleep, he thought he’d lost my mind.
Waking up feeling as if he’d run a marathon, his legs, arms, and back were stiff and sore, but his penis felt like a steak after being put through a meat grinder. Lifting the sheet gently, he looked down his body. Seemed fine, but a guy couldn’t be too careful with that area. A hand appeared from the other side of the bed and began to stroke his aching shaft. He turned to his left. Heather was staring at him, a bright smile beaming from her lovely face.
“Morning,” she cooed, continuing to stroke him.
“I’m sorry, young lady, but my mind is completely drained.” Excitement choked his words.
“The head on your shoulders might be empty, but the one I’m playing with is certainly ready, willing, and able.”
He could feel his penis rising and knew she was right. Rolling slowly, he cupped a breast in one hand and kissed her mouth. She tasted of stale wine from the night before, but he didn’t care. They made love slowly and gently this time, and when they were satisfied, she jumped out of bed and ran out of the room.
Michael showered and pulled on a bathrobe. He went into the kitchen with the idea of making coffee but found her there already. Naked, she was standing in front of the stove cooking eggs while the coffee pot was just fin
ishing its last cycle. Her smooth ass jiggled slightly as she worked, the muscles in her legs tightening and relaxing. He felt a childish guilt as he watched her. His hands trembled as they reached around her waist while he kissed the back of her neck.
“Almost ready. I was thinking you’d gone back to sleep,” she stretched and kissed his mouth.
“I feel like I should. You are one wicked woman, but I’ll never doubt you again.”
“Leave me alone while I’m cooking and get us some plates.” She swiveled in his grasp, turning back to the stove. “Grab a coffee and sit down.”
He pulled two plates out of the cupboard and set them on the counter by the stove. Taking a mug out of another cabinet, he poured coffee and carried the cup to the table. Heather set two plates of eggs and bacon on the table, one in front of him and one at the place setting beside his. She settled on the chair, her breasts wobbling as she became comfortable. His eyes fastened on them as if they were the Crown Jewels. A childish guilt rose again with the redness in his face.
“Never mind my tits, mister, and eat your breakfast. You can play with them again later.” Her smile was eager as he forced his eyes toward her face. The coarse words and her immodesty unsettled him.
The food tasted fabulous as he dug in with a fork. A good cook and great in bed. What a marvelous combination? he thought. I think I’ll have to find a way to keep her around.
They ate their meal and sat back to drink their coffee. His eyes took in the swells and curves of her body, unashamed this time. Her left hand rested on his knee, but the fingers and the nails at the end of them had worked their way under his bathrobe and were rubbing and scratching in a way that sent tingles all the way to the head on his shoulders.
“I really, really don’t think I could do it again,” he moaned, but his body was saying something different. Her hand moved and the robe fell away from his legs to his waist.
“This is telling me something different and this head is the only one that counts.” Her smile widened as she leaned forward and showed him just how wrong he had been. The orgasm was intense.
An Altered Course Page 18
