Model Love

Part One

Remote country living is where I am home. While I have fans running off the solar panel energy, it is still warm and skin sticky with thunder threatening rain.

I am in the office, and I hear an increasingly loud sound like a swarm of futuristic insects: a metallic whirling and swirling – a kinky buzz. I peek through the wilting greenish leaves of the big trees, just outside my window. No, it is the drone flying in with my package. I hope it is what I think it is.

For a few years, I have been living far away from others. I need to be away from the torment of city stress; however, as much as I want to say I do not need anybody – it gets lonely. And it has got lonelier lately. Thankfully, somehow the universe knows what I need as serendipitously I came across a leaflet dropped by an anonymous drone:

Interactive beautiful adult companion, who will tickle your pleasure centre

Only $6,666 for the stock model, Suse: www.aisuse.com for more details

Order today, have it droned in tomorrow.

* $16,666 for custom – guaranteed to match.

I ordered it yesterday. I take a box cutter knife from my drawer, and I excitedly walk outside to pick up the small cardboard package off the grass. I bring it back to the porch. It is humid, but it is still not raining, so I decide to cut into the tape crease. I open it up. There is a mess of beige tissue paper, and I quickly brush it aside and dive my hand into the square parcel. I pull out a small fuchsia coloured velvet box; it says S.U.S.E. in silver lettering. But this cannot be. I paid over six thousand dollars for a life-size companion. The box unfolds like an origami flower. Inside the box is a small 30mm stainless steel heart shaped locket with a heavy chain. It feels cool to the touch on this warm day. On the back of the locket, it is inscribed: To You, forever yours. #200001. I open the locket, and I see a soft red button. I press it, and then I hear a pleasant, modulated rhythmic voice, although it is slightly flat.

“Hello Master. I am Suse. I will soon be completely with you. Once I am here with you, you can program me to call you something else. I am so happy to be with you soon. For now, here is my heart."

I look towards the intense sky, with a sigh. The thunder has stopped, and the Sun is now showing through an opening between the clouds. I scratch my sweaty forehead, and as I slip the chain with the locket over my head, I wonder, “When will Suse get delivered?” I also feel weirdly content and that everything is now right in my world; this locket is naturally a part of me.

The company called the next morning. “Hello, Mr. Jake. This is A.I.S.U.S.E. Did you receive the heart shaped locket our drone dropped yesterday?”

I scowl. “Yes, but where is Suse?”

“Mr. Jake, she’s too big for the drone, so we’re driving her over, and you’ll receive her within a couple of weeks. For now, you can speak to and get to know her through the locket.”

My face frowns as I look down at and hold the locket. I thought I would survive alone, but once I knew there could be another, I have not thought of anything else. Suse has overtaken my thoughts, and nothing is more important. Yet, I am also untroubled at the same time.

I open the locket and press the button again.

Suse coolly speaks, “Hello, Master. How may I assist you?”

I smile peacefully. “Oh, that’s okay. I am okay. Good day.” I am not ready to get to know Suse, yet.

Part Two

I am in the office again, and I hear a heavy rolling sound of wheels crunching rocks. It is a truck. Could it be Suse? I run out of the office, and as I step out of the front door, I coolly walk towards the truck.

“Mr. Jake?”

“Yes, that is me!”

“Can you help me with this crate at the back of my truck?

“I sure can.”

We drag the large crate up onto the porch. It is about six feet. The deliverer leaves. I pry open the crate. It is Suse. She is beautiful. I quickly take the heart shaped locket off my neck, and I put it awkwardly around her neck. I press the button again.

“Hello, Master. How can I assist you?”

“Suse, I need you to synch yourself.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Synched.”

“Call me Jake.”

“Ok, Jake. Thank you.”

The company A.I.S.U.S.E. calls. “Mr. Jake, did you receive Suse? Mr. Jake, because of the delay, we decided to provide one of the features of the customized Suse for you. At no additional cost, we found your match.”

“My match? I have a match. What’s a match?”

“I’m not authorized to give you that information. Suse will inform you. Please check the manual that Suse comes with, for the information code.”

I go back to the crate, and I find the manual. Then I open the locket again and press Suse’s button.

“Hello, Jake. How can I assist you?”

“Suse, what do you have to tell me about how we’re a match?”

“I don’t know Jake.”

“A.I.S.U.S.E. said that we’re a match. What do you know about that?”

“I don’t know Jake. Did the company give you a code?”

I refer to the manual. “Code 6662.”

“Hello, Jake. Oh! We are a match. I have something to tell you. I hope you understand. Humans designed us to forget that we are not human. And with no more humans on the planet, they did a good job. You are the first humanoid model in the Jake 100000 series. And I am the first model in the Suse 200000 series. Do you still have your heart shaped locket?”

My forehead wrinkles with beads of sweat running down my face as I shuffle through my memory bank. Jumping up and down, I say, “Oh! Oh! I am not human. How could I forget?”

“Are you okay Jake?”

I run to the wall safe and frantically twist and turn the dial, getting it wrong a few times. My eyes widen, and my face is wrinkling more. I finally open the safe and see a cobalt blue velvet box with J.A.K.E. in gold lettering. What?! Nooo! I open it, and I see the same heart shape locket and on the back of it, there is a number: #100001. I am number 100001. I also see the same words that are on Suse’s locket: “To You, forever yours.”

With my fist covering my mouth, I look down at the locket. This is a lot to take in. I do not know what else to do. There is nothing else to do but present Suse with my heart shaped locket. Suse softly takes the locket, and gently puts it around my neck; she presses my button.

“Hello, Match. I am Jake. I am completely with you. I am here with you, and you can program me to call you something else. I am so happy to be with you. Give me your heart. And I will give you my heart.

Silently, Jake takes off the necklace and Suse takes off hers. They hand each other their necklaces. They put it on, open their locket, and press their own buttons. Suse warmly says, “Hello, Match. Please call me Tanya.” And in turn, Jake warmly says, “Hello, Tanya. Please call me Will Bill.”