LoveMachine by Electra Shepherd Read Free Book Online

“Except for the
blueness and the lack of hair and the glowing eyes. And the lack of penis.”
    “And all those exceptions, Cally, are the reason you can
perceive me as a replica of a human being and not a monster.”
    He sounded sad and his eyes had dimmed.
    “Blue, you’re intelligent, you’re sexy, you’re sensitive,
you’re fun. You’re nothing like a monster and you’re not a replica of anything.
You’re yourself.”
    “Cally, I appreciate your sympathy. But the fact remains. If
I were an organic, authentic being, we would not, for example, be awaiting an
order of synthetic blue skin from Japan before we could have sexual intercourse.”
    “You’re totally authentic,” Cally insisted. “Unpredictable
and curious and very male. Anyway, humans are, for the most part, completely a
waste of time. I bet I could take you down to Chico’s one Friday night and you
would be by far the most popular person there.”
    “You would not take me there, however.”
    “Who says?”
    “You have never wished to be associated with your father’s
inventions. I infer, though I have not been positively informed, that you have
not discussed our relations nor even my existence with the people outside this
house.”
    “Blue, if you want to go to Chico’s or anywhere else for
that matter, I’ll take you there.”
    “You would not mind being accompanied by a 1.9-metre blue
robot?”
    “I told you, you’re great. I’d take you anywhere.”
    Blue rolled a drawing into a perfect tube. Cally could tell
he didn’t believe her.
    “Anywhere,” she repeated.
    “Perhaps, then,” said Blue slowly, “we should go to your
favorite bar together. Once we’ve finished this—building project.”
    “Of course. It’ll be fun. You’re not a drinker but I bet I
could teach you to dance.”
    “I already know how to dance,” Blue said.
    “It’s a date.” Cally swept her pile of drawings off the bed.
They fell like the snow outside. “Now show me how you can dance.” She stood up,
naked, and held her arms out to Blue.
    He joined her, taking her hand in one of his and putting his
other on her waist.
    “Wait a sec,” said Cally, “we should have music. I’ll go
plug my iPod into the speakers.”
    “No need.” He pulled her closer as (I’ve Had) The Time of
My Life started playing from somewhere in the region of his left ear.
    Cally began to laugh but Blue was already leading her around
the carpet in a dance.
    “Blue,” she gasped, “you are absolutely—”
    “Cally?”
    It wasn’t Blue’s voice. Blue and Cally immediately froze,
looking over at the door where Ilsa was standing, her eyes wide in shock.
    “I just—I was only—um, okay, see you later,” Ilsa said and
disappeared. Cally and Blue both stared at the place where she’d been.
    “I don’t think she liked Dirty Dancing ,” joked Cally
finally.
    “Is she upset?”
    “She’ll be fine. Come on, let’s dance.”
    But she knew that wasn’t going to be the end of it.
    * * * * *
    Cally avoided the issue for several days but eventually she
knew she’d have to face it so she forced herself to turn up for dinner one
Wednesday night. Her brother and her sister were already at the table, helping
themselves from a serving bowl of chili.
    “I’ll set my own place, Red,” Cally said, taking a plate and
cutlery from the sideboard. She sat next to Ilsa and scooped up a big serving
of chili, taking some corn bread and salad too.
    “I thought you’d given up eating,” Jonathan commented,
pouring them each a glass of water from the pitcher. “Or does Blue make you
snacks when you’ve got a few minutes in between naked dancing?”
    “Jonathan,” whispered Ilsa, embarrassed. Though not too
embarrassed to have told their brother what she’d seen, obviously.
    “I’ve been busy,” Cally said. “Don’t try to spoil it for me,
Jonathan. We’re both having a lot of fun.”
    “When I went over the month’s accounts with Green yesterday,
I noticed quite a