by Andrew Gates
“Goddammit,” Lyla said, throwing her arms to the air. “I knew I wasn’t going to like the answer.”
The Dollhouse
Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 05.03.5673
Location: The Dollhouse, Neu Taargus, Mateo, Thrace System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space
Ellen stepped into the dimly lit room. The smell of incents and aphrodisiac vapor tickled her nostrils. Soft carpet squished underneath her feet. Thick sheets of bedding decorated the soundproof walls.
Finding this place was easy. Ellen only needed to follow the right people. A few scumbags here and there always left the right trail. After about 30 minutes of tailing four different people, Ellen finally stumbled upon her prize: a brothel tucked away in the back of an alley. They called it the Dollhouse, a name that made even her surprisingly uncomfortable.
A woman greeted Ellen as she entered, garbed in a robe and heels and nothing else. She stopped before Ellen and eyed her up, curiously.
“My, my, we don’t often see female visitors as well-endowed as yourself,” the woman greeted. Her vocal chords had clearly undergone some modifications to make her voice sound more high-pitched and childlike.
Dave, Lyla and Natalie entered behind Ellen and joined by her side. The three of them looked horribly out of place in their mismatched clothes. They stood as still as boards and crept up like nervous children.
“My, my, you are a large group! We don’t usually offer services to this many at a time, but I see no reason why we can’t,” the woman noted. A grin formed across her face. She winked to Dave.
“And I thought Neil’s made me uncomfortable,” Lyla muttered.
“You’re telling me,” Natalie added. “Is this really the best place to stay?”
“Who’s Neil?” Dave asked.
“So, what’ll it be?” the woman wondered, ignoring their comments. She met Ellen’s eyes. “Machine or organic?”
“Machine,” Ellen replied.
“Wait… what?” Dave asked. He looked around, confused.
Relax, we’re not actually going to have sex with a machine, Gloria said, trying to calm him down.
“One for each of you?” the woman asked.
“One to share,” Ellen replied.
“My, my, you four like to have fun, don’t you?” the woman retorted. “And how long will you be staying with us?”
“One night.”
“A full night? Very well. One night. I take it you’ll be sharing a room as well?”
“We will.” Ellen nodded.
“My, my, aren’t you a fun group? You all like to share the experience, don’t you? Well, you four can follow me,” the woman explained. She quickly turned around and led them through a dim hallway.
What the hell are we doing here, Ellen? Dave asked.
Relax. We’ll disable the sex machine once we’re in our room. This place is as removed as they come. Daltus and Vexa Corp have no influence here and nobody here is going to talk to them about us.
Goddamn, I hate that you’re right, Natalie said.
I hate that we’re here. I feel so awkward, Lyla added.
Just act natural, Ellen replied. Try to blend in.
I’m wearing too many clothes to blend in, Natalie retorted.
Ellen had to admit, the clothes they had stolen from the pleasure cruiser were not the most flattering, but they were certainly inconspicuous out in the streets.
The woman stopped before a room on the right side of the hall and grasped the old-fashioned round doorknob.
“This is your room here,” she said. She pressed on the door. It slowly opened.
Ellen stepped in first. The room was smaller than she expected. There were no windows, just thick red walls and large circular bed, big enough to hold almost ten at a time.
A woman, or a non-sentient machine meant to look human, sat on the bed, legs crossed. She wore a black and white corset and thick heels. Her long, curly brown hair dangled down behind her head. She grinned at Ellen and winked her piercing blue eyes.
“This is Sierra. I trust she will do?” the woman said.
“Yes, she will do just fine,” Ellen confirmed.
“Before we begin, I would like to accept payment upfront. That’ll be 100 units from each of you,” the woman explained. “Do not worry about a trail. We are very good at hiding your transaction. We funnel the payment through numerous sources before it reaches us. You wouldn’t be able to track us if you had the resources of President Tano himself.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Ellen said. She nodded and turned to Lyla, seeking her approval. She was the one with the money, after all.
Are you sure we can trust her? Lyla asked, staring back at Ellen.
Her business thrives on secrecy. Trust me, brothels like these know how to cover their tracks, Ellen explained, hoping to put Lyla’s worries to rest.
I’m finding nothing about the Dollhouse anywhere on the ATG, Yuri confirmed. It’s like it doesn’t exist.
Very well. Lyla sighed and stepped forward.
“I’ll pay,” Lyla said, approaching the woman. “Just tell me what I need to do.”
“I will send payment instructions over the ATG. Just give me one second… and… there we go. You should see the instructions now.”
“Yes, I got it,” Lyla replied. She stared off into space.
There was silence for a moment as Lyla made the transaction. After a few seconds, the woman smiled and clapped her hands together.
“Payment received,” she declared. “Excellent. I will leave you four with Sierra. She’s yours for the night. Try not to break her!”
“Trust me, we won’t,” Ellen said as the woman exited the room. The door shut behind her.
“Hey there.” Sierra stood up from the bed and winked at each of them. She licked her lips with her elongated tongue.
Yuri, can you handle this? Ellen asked.
Already on it. Hacking into her system now… and… done.
The robot suddenly powered down. She dropped to the floor, lifeless.
“Alright, now we have the place to ourselves,” Ellen explained. She walked over to the bed and sat down. It felt like the softest surface she had ever felt. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. “We need to rest. We’ll stay here and hide for the night. Then tomorrow, we’ll figure out our next step.”
“I’m waiting to hear that next step. We can’t keep running and we can’t hide in brothels forever,” Natalie said, stepping forward. “I hope we figure something out soon.”
“We will,” Dave said, placing his hand on Natalie’s shoulder. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Ellen, it’s that she can always find a way out of any situation.”
Ellen smiled as she heard those words. She leaned back on the bed, keeping her eyes closed the entire time.
“You’d better be right about this,” Lyla said. “Because I just spent 400 units at a whorehouse. I hope I didn’t just waste my money.”
“Trust me,” Ellen said as she quickly fell asleep. “A full night of sleep will be worth the cost.”
Dreams of a Safe Place
Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 05.04.5673
Location: The Dollhouse, Neu Taargus, Mateo, Thrace System, Vexa Corp Controlled Space
Ellen opened her eyes to the dim lighting of the Dollhouse pleasure room. She adjusted beneath the thick blankets, feeling their warmth. She wiped her eyes.
The time displayed on her retinal screens. It was 08:12. Ellen could not believe it. She had not slept so well in ages.
Wakey, wakey, Yuri greeted as she began studying the room.
Ellen sat up and looked around. The other three had all fallen asleep on various parts of the enormous bed. Dave and Lyla held one another in their arms. Natalie was by herself.
Good morning, Ellen replied as she stretched her arms and let out a yawn.
You obtained a substantial amount of rest. How do you feel? Yuri wondered.
Like I obtained a
substantial amount of rest, Ellen replied, bluntly.
Natalie began to shift now. Ellen instinctively turned her gaze to the woman.
She’s waking up, Yuri explained.
Who? Natalie? She’s just moving around. What makes you think she’s waking up?
Her breathing patterns, Yuri replied. It may be lost on you humans, but it’s really quite clear to us AI.
Natalie suddenly lifted her head and opened her eyes. She looked around, studying the room.
Damn, Yuri, can’t you ever leave anything a mystery for me? Ellen joked.
Natalie smiled as her eyes met Ellen. It seemed she was glad not to be the only one awake. She slowly adjusted in the bed, inching ever so closer to Ellen.
Hey, Natalie said over the ATG, obviously trying to stay quiet. She stretched her arms out wide.
Hey, Ellen replied.
How long have you been up?
Not long. I woke up only a few seconds before you.
Oh.
How did you sleep?
Very well. Better than I’ve slept in ages. You were right. It was worth coming here, Natalie admitted.
Glad to hear it, Ellen replied as she adjusted in the sheets. She smiled and nodded to Natalie. How are you holding up?
Holding up? What do you mean?
I mean, with all this. It’s got to be a lot. You’re not used to this life. You’re just a regular reporter, right? How are you dealing with this excitement?
Natalie snickered and shook her head. I’m definitely not a regular reporter, she challenged. I’m a videographer, or at least, I was.
Not a reporter? Lyla told me you were working on a story to expose Daltus’s conspiracy.
I was, Natalie confirmed, nodding, but that was my first time doing the whole reporter thing. I didn’t really know what I was getting into. I didn’t understand how this world worked, how I could make myself a target by poking my nose into the wrong things.
I see, Ellen responded. This must be a rude awakening, then.
You’re telling me. Natalie looked down to the bed, as if ashamed.
Don’t beat yourself up over it. What’s done is done. For what it’s worth, I think it was very noble of you to try to take this story on, even if you didn’t know what you were doing. It takes someone with guts to stand up to the captain like that.
Natalie slowly lifted her head again and nodded. A solemn look covered her face.
I’m not beating myself up over it. I guess I’m just scared more than anything, she finally said.
You have reason to be scared. I understand.
How long until we are free of her?
Of Daltus? I don’t know. Ellen shook her head. Maybe never.
That’s a scary thought. Natalie sighed. I just want to live. I don’t want to die. If I’d known any of this would have happened, I would have just remained a videographer. I wouldn’t have done any of this! Natalie threw her hands to the air in frustration. Tears slowly began to form across her cheeks.
Ellen placed her hands on Natalie’s and stared into her eyes.
I know it’s hard, but try to stay calm, Ellen said.
Natalie sniffled and closed her eyes. She clenched her fists. Ellen could only wonder what was going through her mind right now.
How do you do it? Natalie finally asked, opening her eyes again.
Do what?
How do you stay so calm all the time? You had people shooting at you back in the ship and you kept your cool. I don’t understand how you can do that.
I was a Marine for a long time. It takes years of practice, trust me, Ellen replied. I wasn’t always like that.
How long were you in the Marines?
More years than I care to count.
How many times have you been shot at?
Far too many.
Sounds like a dangerous life. Did you actually enjoy it?
At the time, I did, Ellen admitted. But over the years, the countless battles took their toll on me. At some point, the excitement wore off. Instead of seeing action and adventure, I could only see pain and difficulty. I put up with it for more years than I cared to and by the time Vexa Corp decided to colonize this far out from Sol, I was more than ready to sign my life away to the company.
What pulled you back into this kind of action? Natalie asked.
Vexa Corp did. Daltus did.
I’m sorry. It must not be easy returning to this life.
No, Ellen replied. She shook her head. I thought I was done with being a soldier, but I guess I can never truly escape it. Being a soldier is in my blood. Like it or not, I guess fate always has a way of pulling me back in.
Let’s hope not. I wish, for both our sakes, that when this is all over, we can find a place to stay and live a safe life, Natalie said. She looked away, facing the entrance to the pleasure room. You of all people deserve it.
I had a place like that once. Ellen lowered her head as she recalled her old home, now just a heap of dust and ashes.
I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t trying to remind you of what you’ve lost.
No, it’s alright. I know you didn’t mean it that way.
I’m sorry to hear what happened to your home, Natalie said, comfortingly, to your house, to your son, to your daughter, to everything in your life.
Ellen paused for a moment. The room was silent. She could not even hear the sound of her own breath.
It’s like you said, Ellen finally replied, interrupting the calmness of it all, hopefully we can find somewhere new, somewhere to rebuild, somewhere we can be safe to live our lives.
It’s a good thought.
Ellen smiled. Such a place probably didn’t exist, not anymore. With the most powerful captain in the system chasing her down, Ellen did not think she would ever be free again. But she had to agree with Natalie: it was a good thought.
In that moment, a faint, muffled scream suddenly emanated from the next room over. Ellen perked up. She instinctively turned to the door. If she could hear someone scream through the soundproofing, something must have been wrong.
“What is it?” Natalie asked, not even bothering to communicate through the ATG. The expression on Ellen’s face must have been enough for her to know that this was serious.
“Huh?” Lyla muttered. She twisted in the bedsheets, slowly waking up.
Pew! A single shot of weapon fire erupted in the next room over.
Ellen immediately jumped up from the bed as quickly as she could. She still wore her sweatshirt and pants from the day before.
“Lyla, Dave, wake up,” Ellen said as she stepped onto the floor. She walked over to the doorway and stood directly next to it, pressing her body against the wall.
“Wha-?” Dave asked, flipping over.
“This is serious. Get up now,” Ellen repeated. She waved for them to join her.
Her words seemed to work this time. Within a few seconds, all three of her companions were up. They emerged from the bed and stood next to Ellen against the wall, all still garbed in their clothes from the day before.
Natalie was closest to her. She trembled. Sweat dripped down her face.
Remember what I said: stay calm, Ellen told her over the ATG. She turned to face her. Think of that safe place we spoke about. Imagine what it looks like, what is sounds like, what it smells like. Dwell on it and know we’ll get through this.
Natalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She slowly stopped shaking. Within a few seconds, she was as still as a beam.
It was suddenly very quiet once again. Ellen turned back to the door and held still, simply waiting… waiting… waiting…
Smash! The door popped open, breaking free of its hinges. A hulking man stepped inside, armed with a pistol in hand. He had thin brown hair and wore a long, black leather jacket.
Ellen pounced before the man knew what hit him. She knocked the pistol out of his grip and elbowed him in the neck. The gun slid across the floor and back into the hallway.
“Ellen Milsen, at las
t!” the man said, swiping up with both fists.
Ellen stumbled as he hit her square in the jaw. The man’s blows were powerful. She took a few steps back into the room. The man followed like a predator chasing its kill.
“Guys, go! Run!” Ellen shouted, waving the others on.
Dave and Lyla exited first, wasting no time at all. Natalie was last to leave. She ran to the open doorway, but then stopped in the hall and stared back at Ellen.
“What are you doing, Natalie? Run!” Ellen shouted to her.
The man grunted and stared into Ellen’s eyes with a look of pure rage. Ellen looked away from Natalie and faced her adversary. There was something strangely familiar in his gaze. It was as if she had seen those eyes somewhere else.
Before she had time to dwell on it any longer, the man swung his left fist. Ellen quickly ducked, missing the strike entirely. She took a few more steps back and raised her fists.
“Do I know you?” Ellen asked.
The man grunted and stepped toward her again.
Ellen swung at the hulking man, but he parried with his forearm and returned the attack with a knee to her chest. Ellen heard a cracking sound. She doubled down in pain.
That was your xiphoid process, Yuri explained.
Spare me the injury report. Who the hell is this guy? Ellen demanded.
I don’t know, but he sure as hell seems to know you.
There’s something familiar about him, something I can’t identify.
Let’s worry about that later. It looks like right now he’s trying to kill you, Yuri retorted.
The man grabbed hold of Ellen by the shoulders and pushed her across the room. She flew five feet through the air and landed on top of the disabled Sierra.
Yuri, I have an idea. Can you get this stupid sex robot working again?
I can try, but I don’t think it’s programmed to fight.
I don’t need it to fight. I just need a distraction.
Ellen stood up and stumbled across the room. Her chest ached from the man’s blow. It was hard to breathe.
“So this is the mighty Ellen Milsen,” the man teased in a deep, powerful voice. “I must say, I am disappointed. After all these years, I thought you would be a worthier foe.”
