The Replica

by Ferro Gabro

'Yes. I'm sure that I'm not ready to handle the pain of another rejection just yet.'

  'I'm glad you said that. Imagine that it was possible to control the woman. Then she would never even consider rejecting you.'

  'I don’t understand what you're saying. No man has ever really controlled a woman.'

  'You are, of course, completely right when you say that. But then you are talking about human women.'

  'Sure. Is there any other kind of woman?'

  'There are many things on this planet that you are not aware of yet. The time we live in is filled with possibilities many people have not even considered. To listen to what I want to tell you you'll have to adjust your view of reality a bit though. I call it reality replacement. It's an easy thing to do. All that is required of you is to replace that which you considered as reality until now with an illusion. The only difference is that this illusion is real. You'll only really understand what I'm talking about when you try what I suggest for yourself. So let's return to your situation. You are looking for a woman, but one that can’t cause you pain. Am I right?'

  'Yes, that's exactly it.'

  'You want a woman that won’t mind when you go and have a few drinks after work with your friends, one that would watch sport with you on weekends, who can cook but also stimulate you mentally. You want someone to communicate with emotionally and physically. You know exactly what I'm talking about.'

  'Yes, you're right, but do women like the one you just described really exist?'

  'Definitely.'

  'You must be joking. Where can I meet one?'

  'It's not really that difficult. You don’t even have to do much. All that is required of you is to order one.'

  'Order? Oh, now I understand. I have heard about the websites where you can order a bride from a poor country. Apparently they are all pretty and pleasant, just grateful for being given the opportunity to escape from their countries.'

  'No, that's not what I'm talking about. It's quite different from that. These women I'm referring to get delivered to your house. Well, that's if you order one of the older, cheaper models. If you decide on the latest release she can even drive to your house on her own.'

  'I still don’t understand how this works.'

  'You will. It's the complete solution and end of difficult relationships. It's the future and it's here right now. These women are fully functional. I'll guarantee you'll enjoy their presence more than any other woman's until now. All you need to do is to phone this place,' he said and handed me a brochure of Models Unlimited. 'All they need is her specifications. Simple things like the color of her hair and eyes, her length, even her personality. You can also provide much more specific details than that. What you wish for they supply. You'll be surprised how perfect the woman will be they send to you. As your doctor I strongly suggest that you follow my advice. It will help tremendously in your recovery. Try it and call me again in a month to tell me how everything is going.'

  'Is this place legal?'

  'Yes, of course. Well, let me put it this way, it's not completely illegal. Although many men are using this service most people are not aware of it yet. Models Unlimited doesn’t advertise in newspapers or on television or radio. They believe that the service they provide is so important that the word about it should only be spread by satisfied customers. I've told you about it now so you can decide for yourself if you're interested. If you order a woman and you're not satisfied with her you can at least say that you tried it. And if, on the other hand, you are satisfied with a Models Unlimited woman I can assure you that you won’t soon again need another woman.'

  'How do these women differ from other women?'

  'Read the brochure. They state that they are specialists in reality replacement. They replace your specific reality with a self designed illusion. But it's an illusion that is in many ways more real than reality. In fact, it's an improvement on reality. They give you a woman without the shortcomings of a normal woman. What more than that can any man ask for?'

  'But aren’t these women human?'

  'In behavior these women are more human than human women. But if you want to get technical about it they are actually robots.'

  'Robots?' I asked. I started wondering if the doctor didn’t need a psychologist that could lead him back to accepted reality. How could he, as a registered psychologist, expect of me to get involved with a robotic woman? It was absurd. From the start it would immediately feel unreal. Even if she looked exactly like a real woman and other people didn’t realize that she was a machine I would still know it. I knew it would be like living a lie. Even though I needed a woman I couldn’t accept the doctor's solution.

  'You look confused,' he said.

  'Yes, I am.'

  'I know the feeling. When I found out about Models Unlimited I couldn’t understand how any sane person could be interested in a mechanical woman. I wondered how any man could willingly turn his back on the world of real women and replace the warmth of a human relationship with that of a machine. That's why I already mentioned that you will have to adapt your current view of reality. If you succeed in doing that you'll soon be unable to believe that you had never pictured reality differently. You'll be relieved and impressed with this illusion. It will give you a completely new reality. It can help you to start a new life.'

  'It's just the idea that it's a machine that I find strange.'

  'Believe me, you haven’t yet seen what the anatomical engineers at Models Unlimited have achieved. Don’t ask me about the mechanical specifications of these women. That information you'll have to obtain from Models Unlimited. But if you want to know something about the final product I can tell you a lot. Just a moment. Let me demonstrate.'

  The doctor ordered his receptionist to his office.

  'You've already known Monique for three months, have had many conversations with her while you waited for your appointment. What do you think, is she human or a machine?'

  'Human, of course,' I said immediately, without hesitation.

  'Wrong answer. She's the latest receptionist model. She's a considerate improvement on the previous version. Monique is more professional, friendlier, more reliable, able and even cheaper than any receptionist I've ever had, and that includes the human ones.'

  'You must be kidding. I can’t believe it.'

  'Believe it. You're witnessing an example of a futuristic woman. Take her hand.'

  I was hesitant but curious to know what her hand would feel like. I reached out and took her hand in mine. It was soft and warm. There was no difference between her hand and the hand of a real woman.

  'Feel her pulse,' Doc said.

  She really had a heartbeat. I was stunned.

  'Maybe now you understand better why I want you to read that brochure. Get more information and then decide for yourself what you want to do. It definitely changed my life. I believe it can do the same for you. You really don’t have much to lose.'

  'I'll have to go and think about it, Doc. It's a bit overwhelming.'

  'That's a wise approach. Take your time. One's view of reality doesn’t change instantly. But I'm convinced that you are going to contact Models Unlimited as soon as you are ready for a woman in your life.'

  'Just one last question. How much do you pay for this service?'

  'Much less than a real woman, that I can assure you of.'

  'That's good news. Thanks Doc.'

  'You should only thank yourself. Enjoy your new future. And remember to contact me whenever you feel like talking. Have a nice day.'

  'The same to you. See you again.'

  On my way outside I looked at Monique again. I compared her to the photos of the other models in the brochure. They all looked perfect. What made it even better was that they were all available. It still seemed unbelievable.

  I still didn’t fully understand what Models Unlimited involved. What I did know was that it would be pleasant and interesting to have a woman in my life again. But something inside me made me hesitate to o
rder one. Wouldn’t this type of relationship just complicate things instead of simplifying it?

  I decided to phone Models Unlimited in order to gather more information. In my car I immediately switched on my mobile phone. I punched the number into the keypad and pressed the green button. After only one ring my call was answered. It was a female voice - one of the most beautiful I had ever heard.

  'Good morning. I am interested in ordering a woman from you, but I first want to learn more about the different options you have available.'

  'If you want to get to know one of the most perfect, intelligent and pleasant companions, you have reached the right place. How did you find out about us?'

  I mentioned Doc's name.

  'Of course. Doc is one of our oldest and most loyal clients. He always says that we see him so often because he loves change so much. Since he recommended us to you we will take special care of your needs. If you want to have a live display of our models I would suggest that you come to our offices. If, on the other hand, you only want to read more about our services you can visit our website. Have you seen our online information portal?'

  'No, I haven’t had the opportunity yet.'

  'The web address is www.modelsunlimited.com. Do you wish to gather more information first or are you ready to order your future companion immediately?'

  'I want to visit your website first. Just tell me, what time does your showroom close?'

  'We never close. Our service is a full-time one, open during the day and night, the week or on weekends. You can phone whenever it is convenient for you, whether it's today, next week or next month. There will always be a friendly voice here to assist you. Let me just remind you of something. Our women are better than reality. We have taken all the positive qualities of different women, improved it and have included all of it in our latest software that is installed in our models. Our latest operating system is flawless. You can expect the best woman ever and what we provide will exceed your expectations.'

  'Thanks for the information. What is your name?'

  'Chloe.'

  'Enjoy the rest of your day, Chloe. I'll contact you as soon as I'm ready to order.'

  I rushed back home. It was the first time in months that I felt excited about something. I immediately visited the website after arrival. There was a detailed explanation of how the company operated, including the history and prices of their service.

  A complete list of options to the client was provided. You had two options. Firstly it was possible to choose one of the existing models in the online catalogue. All types of women were available - short, tall, blonde, brunette, white, black, whatever you could imagine. Most of them looked like supermodels. There were also some normal women, but they were a minority.

  The second option one had was to create your own woman. All Models Unlimited needed to start creating your custom-made model was a photo of the way you wanted her to look. If you didn’t have a photo you were invited to visit their design studio. There a representative would assist you in creating a computer image of your dream woman. That picture would then be used as blueprint for assembling your companion.

  The second option was of course the more expensive one. But even with regards to payment, Models Unlimited was very accommodating. You could choose the length of the term in which you wanted to pay for your new woman. The first month was the cheapest. If you were not completely satisfied with your order you could return it within that period and either choose another model or void the contract with the company without any further financial obligations on your part.

  Initially I was so excited about the prospect of having a woman in my life again that I nearly ordered one immediately. All the doubts I experienced earlier had vanished. I believed that she would be a welcome substitute for the boredom and loneliness I had been subjected to since Julia's departure. The whole process, including the price, seemed so simple and inviting. It was difficult to resist the offer.

  But although it all looked so easy I wasn’t finally able to place the order. I was unable to get the picture of me walking with a robot woman in the park out of my head. Even though I had held the soft and warm hand of Monique I was unable to remove the image of a cold metallic machine from my head. It was so confusing. I knew she was a machine, but her heartbeat felt real and she even smelled human.

  It took another month before I eventually decided to order a woman. During that time I visited the website daily. I phoned Models Unlimited very often and asked Chloe numerous questions. I also sent electronic mail in which I requested more details of the functioning of a Models Unlimited woman. All my questions were answered satisfactorily.

  Everybody was sympathetic and understood my uncertainty. Chloe assured me that most potential new clients shared my concerns and hesitation. According to her it had a lot to do with the view of reality that had been impressed on me by the establishment since birth. She never put any pressure on me to let go of that reality, only encouraged me to slightly alter the way I saw the so-called real world. Nobody ever forced me to order my woman.

  After that month of weighing up the advantages against the disadvantages I finally picked up the phone and speed dialed the number of Models Unlimited. I had decided that Doc was an intelligent person and that he would not have given me the wrong advice. He was anyway only one of thousands of satisfied customers. All those men couldn’t have been wrong. Anyway, I had seen Monique, had held her hand and felt her pulse. I knew that a woman like her would be more than good enough for me.

  'Is this a catalogue order or a custom-made one?' Chloe wanted to know.

  'Custom-made.'

  'Will you be forwarding a photo to us?'

  'Yes, as soon as we finish speaking.'

  'Good. Remember, the quicker we receive the photo the sooner you'll receive your woman.'

  After answering a few more questions we ended the conversation. I opened my documents on my computer and clicked on my photos. I found the 'Julia' folder easily and started looking for a photo of Julia.

  I had decided to forward a digital image of Julia to Models Unlimited. I wanted my future companion to be a replica of the real Julia. However, I did suggest a few small changes. The most important alteration would have to be to her personality. I wished for her to be more friendly. A smile on a more regular basis would be very welcome. She also had to be less aggressive. I no longer wanted to fight about insignificant issues every day. I also requested a level of superior intelligence, with an extended knowledge of books, music and good movies. The last change I demanded was her performance in bed. She not only had to be better than real-life Julia, she also had to be more adventurous and willing, less prudish.

  I found the right photo, attached it to my electronic order and sent it to Models Unlimited. It was done, my order was finally placed. Barely a minute later I received an e-mail in which my online order was confirmed. It informed me that I had ordered custom-made Model 1783. The last detail that was required was to give her a name. That name would then be programmed into her software.

  The delivery date of my woman was still two weeks away so I had time to think about an appropriate name. Shouldn’t I just call her Julia? I wondered. She was going to look like her anyway. Or would that only make the unreal situation I was busy creating even worse? It would be strange to call her something else when she would be an improved version of Julia. I phoned Chloe and told her the name I desired for my model.

  'Nice name. I will inform our software engineers immediately.'

  I sat back in my chair and stared at the photo of Julia on the screen. I tried to remember when last I had felt that excited. Probably during my childhood. I knew it was going to be difficult to wait for the new Julia for two weeks. I circled the delivery date with a red pen on the calendar in front of me. Then I tried to forget about that day but was unable to. It was impossible not to be reminded that a replica of Julia would soon become part of my life. It no longer even bothered me that she wasn’t going to be a real woman.


  I was really looking forward to seeing the new Julia. How true would the replica be to reality? I wondered. Would the Models Unlimited version of her be a disappointment or an improvement? And would it be possible to feel any kind of love for a machine only because she was going to resemble Julia? Would that love of illusion also be blind?

  I stopped asking questions. All I could do was to wait. Those two weeks passed slowly. I was in a state of uncontrolled excitement. Once in a while a representative of Models Unlimited phoned me to find out more about certain aspects of my dream woman. I was assured that the model that was being assembled for me would be as close to the image of the woman on the photo as possible. The only difference I might see would be an improvement on the real woman.

  The doorbell rang exactly two weeks after I had placed the order. It was a Friday afternoon. I was unable to wait a second longer and rushed to the door. I opened it. Julia stood there in front of me, just the way I remembered her. I was so shocked that I took a few steps back. The new Julia just stood there smiling. It was unbelievable. Replica Julia looked more like Julia than the real Julia did. She was just a little bit younger and prettier.

  'I am Julia,' she said and kissed me on the mouth.

  I introduced myself and invited her in.

  'Make yourself at home,' I said. 'Excuse me for a moment, I must make a phone call.'

  Julia walked outside and sat down next to the swimming pool under a beach umbrella. While I stared in amazement at her I phoned Models Unlimited.

  'Hi Chloe,' I said when she answered. 'I just wanted to make sure if my delivery was dispatched today.'

  'Yes, according to my records she was already delivered. Haven’t you received her yet?'

  'Yes, I have.'

  'Is there a problem with your order?'

  'Are you sure she's a machine? She looks so real.'

  'So you are impressed?'

  'More than I can possibly express in words.'

  'I'm glad that we could have been of service to you. Remember that you can reach us at any time on our toll-free helpline. Now enjoy your new Julia.'