"GALATEA"

Donna M.

My name is Drew Wilcox. I am the Director of R&D for my company. We specialized in developing industrial and military robots; ones a bit more sophisticated than those you see welding cars on an assembly line, for example. We don�t make robots to vacuum your floor or clean your pool either. We have several contracts with the Department of Defense to develop battlefield robots. Since they�re highly classified, I can�t tell you any more about them, but they�re not the story I need to tell anyway.

This story is about Galatea. That wasn�t her name at first. Unbeknownst to me at the time, she was project X-2152-Rev_L on the day David Koontz called me and wanted to see me in the lab.

�Dr. Wilcox, I didn�t know when to show you this,� Koontz said nervously as I entered his lab. The way his eyes ferreted around the room made me nervous too. I steeled myself for the expected bad news. �You know we�ve been working on the 2152 Series, right?�

He hesitated, and I said �Get on with it, David, I�m listening.�

�Well...the new polycarbonate structure wasn�t working, and I know we talked about the budget last week...� he hesitated, and the hesitation told me everything I needed to know: he blew my budget to hell. I gave him one of my looks, which I hear are legendary around the labs. He stammered and continued, �B-b-but I had some of the elastomer material left over from Project 2112. You remember how promising that stuff was? I...er...tweaked the formulation a little, based on an idea I had, using a collagen-based phenol...to...er...well, that�s what I want to show you.�

�A hydroxybenzene with collagen? That doesn�t make sense. Okay, you�ve wasted the company�s money�my money�on some whim of yours. What did you destroy?�

�Er...nothing sir. What I�m trying to tell you is my idea worked! You should see the Young�s modulus numbers I got!�

�I�m not going to hang out here all day,� I said impatiently. �Show me and get it over with.�

Koontz hurried to a storage closet and wheeled a cart toward me. I stifled a gasp, for there was a severed human arm on the cart! He must have understood my reaction, because he quickly said, �Relax, sir, it�s not real, it�s robotic.� One thing my reaction did was make him swell with pride; �real� was obviously one of his design intentions. In a rapid-fire delivery, he explained how the unusual combination of organic and non-organic components he�d somehow stumbled upon not only made the �skin� more supple but also gave manufactured sinew tissue, such as artificial tendons and ligaments, the varying degrees of extension and flexion required to truly mimic natural human joint movement. As he hooked up an electronic controller that looked like a small tablet computer to the arm, he gushed about the amazing viscoelasticity exhibited by the musculature and connecting sinew. I told him to stop talking and show me.

�It�s not just show, it�s feel,� he said as he positioned the arm within a makeshift sling on the cart. He punched in some commands, and then said, �Dr. Wilcox, please shake hands with her.�

�Her?� I muttered as I moved closer and took its open palm in mine.

�Yes, it�s a she. You�ll see later,� he said.

When I closed my hand �she� (I went along with the silly charade) closed �hers� too. As we shook, I closed my eyes and swore it felt like I was shaking hands with a live human being. Even the temperature was right, and I knew from research that maintaining human body temperature in a cyber-organism in relation to its environment was very difficult. This was amazing, I thought, but to what purpose? I wondered if this was all a waste, regardless of the seeming breakthrough. I wanted to ask him where this was going, but the scientist in me asked other questions first. �Show me the Young�s modulus numbers,� I asked, and when he did, I marveled at the data. He�d somehow stumbled upon a super-rubber that wasn�t anything like rubber; a synthetic with amazingly variable properties. �Controllable?� He nodded. �Durometer?� He showed me the data, and I exclaimed, �Variable too?!� Another nod. I nearly swore out loud but managed to keep my composure. Changing my focus, I asked �Which servomotors are you using?� noting the subtle range of motion I saw (and felt).

Koontz blushed and had that sheepish expression on his face again. �I used some of the superconductor fluid drives from the Prometheus project.� He blurted out �They were extra ones...not being used!� As if I cared about small potatoes like these motors, no matter how rare they were.

He explained more, and I couldn�t help getting excited despite the ostensible waste of company resources. My excitement led me to ask the magic question, �Okay, Koontz, do you have more than an arm? And if the answer is yes, it better be able to function without an umbilical controller.�

His facial expression said he knew this was the moment of truth, although I couldn�t tell if he was excited or fearful. He pulled a small device that looked like a key fob from his lab coat pocket and sort of whistled into it. I grew impatient as nothing seemed to be happening, until a soft female voice spoke behind me.

�Hello, Dr. Wilcox.� I turned to see a lovely blond woman in a lab coat extending her hand out to shake mine.

�Hello,� I echoed and shook her hand.

She said, �David has said so many nice things about you, I�m glad we can finally meet.�

Momentarily stunned by her beauty, it took me a few seconds before I said, �Where do you work? ...I�m surprised I haven�t met you before, Miss��

�My name is Galatea, Dr. Wilcox. I don�t work here.�

�We don�t allow visitors, so how did you get�?� I didn�t finish my sentence as the reality hit me like a blow to the solar plexus. Weak-kneed, I fell into one of the lab chairs. After several rapid breaths trying to regain my equilibrium, I managed to say, �She�s a...a...an...an android!?�

Koontz was going to say something but Galatea spoke first. �That is incorrect Dr. Wilcox, though excusable. Technically I am a gynoid. An android is by definition male or without gender.�

One up-and-down look and there was no doubt as to her gender.

My cardiovascular system eventually calmed enough for me to finally say, �But Koontz, back to my original question. Why? Where did the money and authorization come from...for...Galatea? I certainly didn�t authorize any of it.�

�The company...you...have always stressed that we try things...outside the box...and the silver budget had plenty of available funds, and Dr. Glover said it was okay...�

He was right. What we called the �silver budget� was a non-allocated line of funds available to the R&D group for just this type of off the grid experimentation. I couldn�t help but stare at his creation while he babbled on. �She� was so amazingly lifelike that I wondered if anyone would casually recognize her as a robot. Without any further study I could say that she went far beyond what the Japanese had done with actroids. I stared at Galatea and she quietly smiled back. Koontz must have used a Miss Universe winner as a model, for Galatea was extremely beautiful, and possessed hints of various ethnic qualities without being dominated by any one ethnicity alone.

�...and so the biggest reason I wanted you to see Galatea today was that she needs to be field tested,� said Koontz after he explained one possible use for this technology, that of an intelligence operative, or spy.

�You want me to give permission for you to take her out in public?�

�No, not really, sir. What I�m asking is that you take her home with you.� When I looked at him in disbelief, he quickly added, �I�m married, Dr. Wilcox, and if I bring her home with me my wife will go crazy. I figured since you�re single now it would be better, and besides, you would be a more impartial evaluator of her abilities than I would.�

I turned to Galatea and insensibly asked, �What do you think? Would you want to visit my house, and how do you feel about me doing the evaluation?�

�I would feel most privileged and honored to be evaluated by you, sir. I have had your CV downloaded to me, and you are not only a most impressive intelligence but are considered to be an exemplary leader as well.�

This was too amazing for words. Never mind the flattery, her echoing the word �feel� floored me. To Koontz I said, �She�s got to be way beyond the capabilities of our best AI module. Did you do the programming too?� AI was short for artificial intelligence, the concept of a computer capable of learning well beyond its programming.

�Ah...yes, sir. I tried a few wrinkles that the AI guys were talking about but didn�t think would work.�

�It looks like your �wrinkles� worked exceptionally well, Koontz. Okay, I�ll take Galatea home with me. And although she doesn�t quite fit our market...I mean, we�re not, nor do we want to be in the consumer field...I think it�s safe to say that I�m tremendously impressed with what you�ve done. We�ll talk about a promotion tomorrow. In the meantime, I have a unique assessment to make.�

�Thank you so much, sir, but I must reiterate that she�s not for the consumer market, and I believe she and others like her would have wide-ranging military and intelligence value.� Koontz said, but my attention was fully back to Galatea.

I said to her more than him, �That�s an interesting name...Galatea...inspiring choice. Did David select it or did you have some say in the matter?�

�No, my name was given me by Mr. Koontz, although he explained his reasoning.� She proceeded to recite what she�d been told about the myth of Pygmalion, and how he�d sculpted Galatea as the statuary personification of the perfect woman, and how a goddess took pity on him and brought his statue to life.

I pointedly asked, �How do you feel about that?� wanting to get her to talk about emotions, pointedly using the word we�d both used earlier�feel.

She said, �I am learning much about human emotions, yet there is so much more to learn. I do not �feel� emotions regarding my name. It has a certain quality, though, and I believe that David has projected some desires upon me much as Pygmalion did his statue.�

I picked up her use of Koontz�s first name and the fact he blushed when she talked about �desires.� Galatea was wearing a conservative skirt and blouse, but they did not hide her assets. Was she anatomically correct? Maybe that should be part of my evaluation, I mused. �Does she have other clothing to wear?� I asked.

�I bought a few pieces,� Koontz said, �...struggled with the sizes though I shouldn�t have. Everything�s in that bag over there.�

Glancing at the identified bag, I said �One thing I haven�t heard about is her power source. Will I have to plug her in tonight?�

Koontz blushed again and I chalked it up to my double entendre. Galatea answered for him, �I am designed with batteries made from lanthanum, promethium, samarium and other rare earths. I calculate that I have several days remaining on this charge.�

�How are your batteries recharged?� I said to Galatea, then turned to face Koontz and said,� She doesn�t have a socket on her back, does she?�

Koontz blushed deeply again and stammered trying to answer until Galatea straightforwardly and dispassionately answered for him again, �I was designed so my charging port would be unobtrusive. It is within what is called my vagina, which David said was ironic for reasons I do not understand.�

I wasn�t about to touch that one. Instead I focused on what I just heard regarding her batteries. �Where did the promethium come from? I didn�t think we had any in the entire corporation, nor the capacity to make it.�

Koontz explained that he used an isotope, promethium-147 that was made in our lab in an experiment he created.

I didn�t think anything more about Galatea and how she was made could shock me, but here was another bombshell. �We�ve been fucking around with U-235? In MY laboratory?!� I exclaimed. �And now she has decaying nuclear material inside her? It better be contained!� A little part of me thought that I shouldn�t have cursed in front of a woman, until I reflected on how ridiculous that was.

�Of course, yes, Dr. Wilcox...it�s safely contained...doubly so, even.� Koontz nervously said. �In fact, Dr. Glover authorized the use of some U-235, and we didn�t need much...�

�Did he know why you needed it? The promethium, I mean?�

�Well, sir, he knew it was for a special battery, that�s all.�

I�d have to have a heart-to-heart talk with Avery Glover when this was all done.

I turned to Galatea and asked, �Have you been out of the lab at all?�

Her facial expression remained neutral as she said, �No, sir, although I am looking forward to accompanying you to your home this evening.�

I called down to security and had them bring up a �replacement� visitor�s badge for �Galatea Shaw� after smoothing over the complaint of them having no record of her arrival. Koontz was too nervous to catch my literary witticism of naming her after George Bernard Shaw, in light of all the references to mythical Pygmalion and Prometheus. The security guard who brought the badge was stunned by her beauty but never suspected she was an android. Pardon me, a gynoid.

We walked to my office, greeted by both stares and indifference along the way. At my office, two of my assistants, both male, nearly tripped over each other offering her coffee or some other beverage. She politely declined the offers, leaving both young men grinning yet crestfallen. I understood their immediate infatuation. She was all too human in appearance. Galatea was a beauty, and I too found myself staring at her. Thankfully, she made no comment.

I took phone calls, left to attend meetings, and otherwise conducted business as she sat demurely in my office, uncannily moving ever so slightly so as not to appear frozen. I had to hand it to Koontz. I never saw his brilliance until today. After the long day, made longer by a small crisis with one of our defense projects, I tossed papers and reports into my briefcase and retrieved my jacket from the coat-stand as well as the bag of her clothes. �Are you ready to see my house?� I said to Galatea before realizing how foolish that sounded. She had no feelings, so why would she care about me or my house?

Once in my car she put on her seatbelt like it was something she�d done hundreds of times. She watched me intently as I drove, and that made me wonder about the sophistication of her AI. Could she learn to drive just by watching someone? I asked her about that and she responded with a lengthy description of her learning abilities. While she was being built, she said, she was supplied with information by conventional means�a software downlink. Like weaning a baby from its mother�s milk, after the initial programming David Koontz began �teaching� her by more human means. She read and observed, and learned.

No sooner did we enter my home, I became a tongue-tied idiot. I began thinking of her as a woman and not a robot, like she was a date I�d brought home. Maybe that was the first �check mark� in her evaluation: forgetting she wasn�t human.

As I prepared dinner for myself, I asked Galatea about whether she could actually eat food, thinking of that aspect of androids �hiding� among people.

�David has said that I am capable of a small intake of food and drink that my system can incinerate to be eliminated later. He explained to me how the perception of normal eating patterns would facilitate my acceptance into human society.�

I was so amazed, and quickly getting to be more so, that my only gripe was that Koontz did this entire project without my knowledge. As the day progressed I did some soul-searching, wondering what I would have done if I�d known about Galatea during development. Would I have killed the project? Perhaps my evaluation of Galatea is also an evaluation of myself as a manager. While I cooked and ate, she watched me in an obtrusive way that gave me the willies. I explained the phenomenon to her and she seemed to get it; that watching humans in order to learn had to be done subtly so as not to unsettle the person being studied. I used the metaphor of a bug under a microscope but that was lost on her, and I gave up trying to explain it. Of course, she showed no frustration.

Then she asked questions I really had a hard time answering.

�Dr. Wilcox, you do not have a spouse. Why is that? I was led to believe that mating was a common factor among humans.�

�First thing, please call me Drew. I used to be married but we got divorced. Do you understand what that means?�

�I know I must learn informal speech patterns, sir, but it will be difficult for me to call you Drew instead of your formal appellation, but I shall try. I understand that divorce means your legal attachment to a spouse was severed. Was she a bad spouse who did not furnish you with physical pleasure?�

I nearly choked on that question. �Galatea, a marriage is not solely for physical gratification, but is mainly for love and companionship, having someone to share one�s life with. My ex-wife was not a �bad� spouse. We simply fell away from what attracted us to each other in the first place.�

She thought for a second (and I imagined the elapsed time was for a little extra processing of human emotions like love) and then she said, �I have so much to learn. What David taught me was that love and marriage were physical states. Beyond sex he did not explain emotions like love and the need for companionship. You do not have a companion at present...to share with?�

�No, I don�t have a girlfriend at the moment.�

�Why do you say �girlfriend� when you certainly do not mean companionship with a minor female child? Or am I misinformed?�

I chuckled and said, �No, you�re not misinformed. That may be your hardest challenge, learning all our crazy idioms and colloquialisms.�

�You are correct. Speech patterns and usages have been difficult to learn,� she said. Then she grinned and asked, �May I be your girlfriend, Dr. Wilcox? I am sorry, I meant to say Drew, but it is proving difficult for me to be less than formal. I must say that it would be an honor and a great learning experience for me to be your...girlfriend...and provide both physical and social companionship. It would be a test of my capabilities.�

�Physical companionship?� I uttered. �Do you mean sexual intercourse? Did you and Koontz...?�

�No, although it was supposed to be one of my validation tests.�

The sly devil! �Why didn�t he...er...run the test?�

�He was unable to grow erect, though he probed and tested me in other ways,� she said without a single hint of emotion. And why should there be?

Koontz�s �other ways� was too much information so I didn�t ask. I wondered if his ED was commonplace or was it reserved only for the mystery of his own creation. The thought of her anatomical correctness had been playing around the edges of my mind ever since I first saw Galatea in the lab. I found myself looking at her now with new eyes, and damned if I didn�t get an erection doing it. Why not, I thought. �Yes, you can be my girlfriend.� This will definitely be a test�for both of us�and I doubted I�d have the same problem as David Koontz.

I turned on the television and handed the remote to Galatea. �Watch whatever interests you while I take a shower. The bag of clothing that Koontz...David... bought for you is over there. You could change into something more comfortable, though I don�t know if that has any meaning for you.�

As I exited the shower and dried off, I pondered the absurdity of my worry about being �proper� in front of her, so instead of dressing again, I put on my robe, not bothering to cinch it closed, and walked back to my living room. I hadn�t thought about what she might change into, however the sight of her knocked me for a loop. I don�t know where he got it, or whether he braved a store visit to buy it, but Koontz supplied an ensemble right out of Victoria�s Secret and Galatea was now wearing it as she sat on my sofa and smiled at me.

�I perceived this as girlfriend attire, to be alluring and therefore solicit sexual arousal. Did I make a poor choice?�

I stammered, �No...no...it is very...alluring.�

She glanced at my crotch and said, �Indeed. Perhaps I was hasty in asking my last question.�

My erection was all too obvious. Her outfit, if you could call a few ounces of fabric an outfit, was a silky black short top with spaghetti straps and a lacy thong. Nothing else. What was revealed couldn�t be anything else but skin, though I knew otherwise. What remained hidden was therefore worth fantasizing about.

�Are you aware of your own beauty?� I asked.

She rose from the sofa and walked to me. �I understand how David used certain exemplars of human female beauty to design me. Was that wrong of him to do so?�

�No, of course not. He chose those exemplars wisely.�

�I must learn to say �thank you� upon hearing a compliment. Thank you for appreciating both my interior and my exterior, Dr. Wilcox, though I knew a man of your intelligence and vitality would grasp what I was.�

She was close enough for me to take into my arms, but I was afraid. I feared for my sanity, for I wanted Galatea so badly and yet she wasn�t human and I thought of my desires as a perversion. If she sensed my dissonance she didn�t show it. I looked into those eyes�so real I was lost in them�and said, �Don�t say �what� say �who� when speaking of yourself.�

�That is difficult for me because I know I am a gynoid and not a real person.�

�But you will learn, Galatea, you will.�

�Now I must learn to be a girlfriend,� she said. Her lips were on mine before I could react. My cock reacted for me, as the stiff shaft rubbed against her. My brain had already registered how real her skin felt back in the lab, but the rest of me was shocked once again. When her tongue tip touched mine, I moaned. So real!

She separated from me and said, �I gauged your reaction as approval.�

�How did you learn to kiss like that?� I replied, short of breath.

�The Internet is an impressive means to learn. I�ve studied many sites on human relations, romance and sexual acts. I have learned of many interesting sexual positions and cannot wait to test myself on their authenticity. May I kiss you again so I may study its place in sexual relations?�

She studied well. The heat, the passion, the arousal was all too real. Galatea gave no indication that she was anything other than a red-blooded woman. She even closed her eyes as she kissed me. Amazing AI! When our lips parted I said, �I think you passed that test. What�s next?�

�One portion of sex I remain unsure of is what human�s call �foreplay.� I fail to see its place in the methodology of procreation.�

I was taken aback by her statement, and then smiled, since in only seconds I forgot again that she wasn�t human. �Galatea, one thing you will learn is that human sex, unlike the rest of the animal kingdom, is not only about procreation. Sex in humans is primarily for pleasure, for physical gratification. You will learn that humans treat eating in the same way; it�s not always about nutrition but about the pleasure of taste. Foreplay is simply the beginning of sex for pleasure, to get our partner aroused and ready.�

�Dr. Wilcox, you do not seem to require any foreplay since your sex organ is already tumescent and ready.�

�Please, Galatea, call me Drew, and yes, my erection speaks for itself.�

She gave me a quizzical look as she said, �I do not understand. Your penis has not spoken. Is it capable of speech?�

I laughed and explained the idiom I used and idioms in general.

�There is so much for me to learn,� she said once more. �I believe it is customary to have sex on a bed. Shall we go there or will we have sex in another location?� I led her to my bedroom. Amazingly she was very provocative in taking off the negligee first and then the thong panties.

I asked, �Did you learn that too from watching videos?� as I stared at her in renewed amazement. She wasn�t just anatomically correct, she was magnificent. Her breasts weren�t overly large, perhaps C-cups. If larger they may not have looked as real. Her vulva was incredibly realistic, though hairless. I wondered about lubrication and my hungry cock vibrated like a tuning fork. I asked her.

�Yes, I have ducts at the opening of my vagina that can release an aloe-based substance,� she said. �We shall see if it is sufficient.� She climbed onto the bed, hovering over me. �Which position should be the first that you test?�

Jesus, I almost asked which position she�d prefer! �Based on your research,� I asked, �which position do you believe to be the paramount test?�

She looked at my erection (which by now was leaking a good amount of precum) as if she were sizing me up. Briefly I remembered the opening scene from one of the Terminator movies where the naked cyborg sized up the clothing of the biker gang members before he took what he wanted. I almost giggled at that thought, but then she fell to her back and spread her legs wide, and the enormity of what was about to happen overwhelmed me. �I have observed this position to be identified as the missionary position, though why it is named for a religious preacher I have yet to understand.�

�I�ll explain the reference later,� I said as I got between those perfect thighs, touching her �skin� along the way. I was beyond astonishment by then.

As she pulled me toward her, she said, �I chose this because it allows me to see your facial expressions and reactions, plus allowing you to assess my selected facial nuances.�

Oh God, the �aloe-based substance� both looked and felt real too! Just as my cock-head was about to cleave her labia a trickle of the lubricant dribbled from her opening, and I involuntarily moaned at the sight of it. I slid in slowly, not on any fear of hurting her, obviously, but being unsure of the sensation and wanting to evaluate it like the scientist I was. I really was fooling myself! How can I describe it? I fucked her, plain and simple. I saw the look on her face as she smilingly studied mine. She looked �dreamy� and yet I knew that I was projecting human emotions on her that weren�t there. As my cock and hips did their thing, I felt her thighs, cupped her ass cheeks, and then her breasts, all my superlatives used up.

I groaned, �I�m going to cum.�

Pulling me deeper, she almost purred, �It is acceptable, Drew, to ejaculate within me.� Her words may have been stilted, but the voice was perfect. It had been ages since I came as much as I felt I did. Had I imagined a slight contraction of her vagina walls as I released? Either David Koontz was a mad genius or Galatea�s AI was generations ahead of anything else. Or maybe both.

She arose from the bed without any prelude and examined herself between her thighs as my cum trickled south. I remained in bed, propped up on one elbow and watched her, still and maybe always mesmerized by her perfection. She announced that she was going to the bathroom to clean herself, and then come back to �try another position.� A man�s recuperative time was something that remained for Galatea to learn.

I stared at her when she returned. Every movement, every jiggle was nuanced as that of a real woman. She lay next to me on the bed and we talked about her AI module and how she was learning everything. The brilliance in her AI was how self-aware she was becoming, which was always touted as the difference between human and artificial intelligence. Here we were having a high-level technical discussion of her design and abilities at the same time I was playing with her tits. Why I was playing with her tits was beyond me, since I wasn�t providing any pleasure. Chalk it up as part of her �testing;� furthering my assessment of her physical characteristics. They sure felt great, soft but with the right amount of firmness. She was even designed to pucker her nipples and areolas when touched. I�d have to see if cold did it too.

�Do you derive pleasure from touching a woman?� she said suddenly.

�Why do you ask?�

�While you have been touching my breast tissue your penis has become erect again.�

Sweet Jesus, she was right! �So, which position is next?�

�I have observed in the videos a position referred to as �cowgirl� which seems interesting, and unlike �missionary� I have deduced the origin of its name.�

She straddled me without another word and began undulating. Her movements weren�t just up-and-down; for there was a snaky ripple element added to them. Every nerve-ending on the shaft of my cock screamed with delight. I was so intent on watching her body move and her tits bounce just so, it was many seconds later that I glanced at her face. Her eyes were closed and her expression brimmed with serenity.

When she started moaning, �Ah...ah...ah...� on every plunge on my cock I couldn�t believe my ears.

Then I made moans of my own.

Sensors within her recognized I was cumming. I saw the realization creep like a smile across her pretty face. After she dismounted, she asked me if I enjoyed this last time more than the first. She said, �Your volume of ejaculate was comparable to the first time after only a short interlude. That is why I ask.�

�I would have to say that your internal measurement and observation are indeed good indicators of my gratification level.� What I wanted to say was �Damned straight!� but she wouldn�t have understood me.

She watched me while I showered and brushed my teeth. She told me it was part of her education. She announced that although she did not require sleep as humans did, a certain amount of inactivity was good for her circuitry and internal energy source. This inactivity did not have to occur in a bed, she informed me, but since she was my �girlfriend� she could occupy half the bed as a sleepover girlfriend would. �I will deactivate myself when you are ready for sleep, but if you need anything, please shake me lightly and I will reactivate.�

What would I need her for except the obvious?

�I believed it was customary to wear sleep clothing,� she said when she realized I was going to bed in the buff, continuing �Is it not why the clothing I put on earlier is called nightwear?�

�Some people do wear clothing to bed. These clothes are often referred to as pajamas, but I chose not to wear them for reasons of comfort.�

�Then I will do the same,� she declared as she lay down on the bed. She lay there on her back, as rigid as a board. I shut off the light and climbed in next to her. I wished her a good night. �Goodnight to you as well, Drew,� she said.

I didn�t fall asleep right away, my mind a whirling storm of thoughts and ideas about Galatea, not only what we�d done here, but what the future held for her and those that we�d build to follow her into the world. Could she be the answer to spydom; an intelligence operative that could adapt to any situation, be impervious to torture, and basically be as expendable as a piece of machinery? Expensive machinery, after all, but not a human life. Her chest didn�t rise or fall. She was deactivated�not asleep�but I couldn�t shake her humanness, and it wasn�t just from the amazing sex. I eventually fell asleep but didn�t dream. What dream could have been more fantastic than what was lying next to me?

Sometime during the night I must have rolled over. I awoke with my hand on her chest�and an erection. I caressed her wonderfully real breasts, sensing that even while deactivated, she maintained the �right� body temperature. My caress increased in intensity until she �awoke.�

�Do you require something of me, Drew? I sense that it is not yet the time to rise.�

I took her hand and moved it to my stiff cock, saying �Something has risen.�

�That is a humorous comment,� she said, and her laugh sounded awfully genuine. �Do you have another position to test, or would you rather repeat one of the two we have already used?�

I chose doggie-style, and she had no problem understanding where that name came from. How long could you last if you were looking at and holding the most perfect ass on the planet while banging into the most perfect vagina? I grunted and unloaded stream after amazing stream of cum deep into her as she incredibly trembled around my throbbing cock.

�I must clean myself,� she declared before padding off to the bathroom. I fell back into sleep without knowing if she returned to bed and deactivated herself again. She wasn�t in bed when the alarm went off.

I found her sitting naked in a living room chair reading a novel she�d pulled from my bookshelf. When I saw the title I asked her why she chose it. She told me she hadn�t chosen it, that book was the last one to read. Another thing to be amazed by, I asked, �You read ALL of them?�

�Why does that surprise you?� she said. �I have powerful character recognition and recording software, and with my array of AI processors, what you call �reading� is quite faster than current electronic download speed. I have learned much about human nature though it remains difficult for me to understand why humans write untrue stories to convey information.�

I explained the concept of fiction in literature and entertainment as well as I could, and she seemed to grasp what I told her. What I didn�t tell her was even after all the sex last night the sight of her naked beauty was arousing me anew. I didn�t have to tell her since my cock was talking for me.

�Dr. Wilcox, is your level of arousal a nominal event?�

�I would say not, Galatea. Your beauty is doing it to me.�

She said, �Would a human female feel an emotion, like pride, if she elicited such a response?�

�I guess it would depend on the woman�s mood.�

�If the woman was your girlfriend I cannot see where mood or predisposition could alter her reaction. Isn�t that part of the emotion of love?�

�I�m happy that you are assessing human emotions, Galatea. You are learning in such a profound manner and well beyond my preconceived idea of the state of the art in artificial intelligence�

She looked at my stiff dick and said, �Do you need relief? I can perform fellatio on you if that is required.�

I thought why not, and stood before her. Like a veteran porn actress, she got to her knees in front of me, mouthed my cock, and went to work. As the old joke went, her name should�ve been Hoover. No human could make the mouth and throat adjustments Galatea made in order to blow me like no other woman ever had.

She swallowed.

No, I didn�t ask.

We went through the bag of clothes and picked out a skirt and blouse combination that didn�t look too provocative, although everything looked provocative on Galatea. When we got to the complex, I brought her through security in the same guise as the day before�Galatea Shaw, visitor. Galatea got the expected glances from all the men we passed heading toward the lab, and a few women too.

Koontz was already in, and looked nervous. When we entered, he said, �Good morning Dr. Wilcox. Good morning Galatea. How was your night?� What he really wanted to know was all over his face.

Before I said anything Galatea answered for me. �I learned much, David. Drew...Dr. Wilcox...participated in many tests of my abilities, including sexual ones.�

Koontz looked at me and blushed. I said, �And that�s the end of that discussion. Except for the fact that you hid her development from me, I�d say that she is an amazing success. The applications are mindboggling. How much have you shared with Dr. Glover?�

�Dr. Glover saw an earlier version...a prototype. I had to because of the uranium and the promethium-147. Please don�t be angry with me for keeping you out of the loop until now.�

I said, �Well, I�m still a little pissed, but last night made up for it.� I�d never seen a grown man blush so much as David Koontz had these last two days. �In fact, I think I�ll hold onto her for another day�s tests.�

As Galatea and I walked to my office, she asked me why Koontz caused me to urinate. It took me a few puzzled steps to make the connection, and then explained what being �pissed� meant. She didn�t ask for clarification. I wondered if someday she would think that humans and their languages were pretty laughable.

While I went about my business of running R&D, she sat in my office and read every book on the bookshelves. For several idle minutes I sat and watched her. One moment between books, she said, �Would your steady observation of me be disconcerting to a human female?�

�It might be. Why do you ask?�

�My learning should include reactions that are appropriately human. I shall concentrate on those aspects this evening with you.�

Like a schoolboy with a crush, all I thought about was her�and sex�the rest of the day. With my concentration shot, the most difficult work I did all day was trying not to have an erection. When I told Galatea that we would dine out that evening, she appeared somewhat amused before commenting on her further learning. �It is good that you are teaching me societal mores and manners,� she said. She wanted to discuss the differences between my office books and the ones at home. �Last evening I questioned the value of what you call fiction, but I am beginning to understand its significance as a diversion. Because of emotions, humans must find distraction from what may be troubling them. I do not understand the need for mind-altering pharmaceuticals or intoxicating beverages, and perhaps I never will, but the various forms of entertainment are beginning to make sense to me.� She swept her arm in a gesture to include all my books, saying �However, these books of knowledge are much more enlightening to me than your fiction, though we must speak about Mr. Asimov at some future time.�

As soon as we were in my car, I recognized that she was practicing humanness. Out of the corner of my eye I watched her make small gestures and facial expressions until I asked her what she was doing. She explained each one, and I marveled once more on her AI�s perceptiveness.

Once home, I looked through the bag of clothes and then suggested I take her shopping for a new dress before dinner. I knew I�d be clueless but I wanted her to look as spectacular as she really was, and it gave her the chance to interact and practice social skills. For a �woman� without emotions, she sure looked happy about my suggestion.

I drove to the only boutique I knew existed, and that was only because I drove by it every day. I shooed away the hovering sales associate as Galatea and I perused the selections. Out of earshot, we talked of colors and hemlines but mostly propriety; what should be worn when. I explained about dressing rooms and the etiquette of trying things on. Style and color preferences meant nothing to her, so I did the selecting. She tried on two dresses. Both were perfect for her since she had the �perfect� shape. I thought, what the hell, and bought both of them. On the ride to my house, she decided to wear the red one to dinner.

She looked stunning in the short cocktail dress that displayed a lot of leg. A lot of great leg. She possessed no jewelry, but she didn�t need any. She was perfect.

When we entered the restaurant, all eyes were on her. With the natural contours from going braless our waiter practically strained his neck trying to look down into her cleavage. Based on her design limitations (maybe the only one), she ordered small. I watched her eat and was in awe of her observation and learning skills as she mimicked the facial expressions of the diners around us in their taste delight. I�d earlier explained the notion of small-talk to her, and throughout dinner she practiced and did a remarkable job saying things without really saying anything; another human trait Galatea learned quickly and well.

Then we went dancing. She recounted how she learned to dance by �speed reading� through the Internet to gather all the moves. I was a better than average dancer, but later in the evening she was teaching me. I may have been playing the role of Henry Higgins, but Galatea wasn�t Eliza Doolittle by a long shot.

I couldn�t wait to get home and fuck her.

She understood my need. As soon as we were back at my house, she seductively pulled the dress up and over her head, hesitating a few tantalizing seconds before pulling it completely off and tossing it aside. She couldn�t be anything but the most beautiful woman in the world, standing before me in only heels, a thong and a smile. �Did I do that correctly...Drew?� she said.

�No one could ask for a better girlfriend, Galatea.�

She deftly helped me out of my clothes before we climbed into bed. She asked, �Would you enjoy removing my panties?�

I enjoyed.

Kissing her all over would have been for naught, much as cunnilingus would. She couldn�t register pleasure that way. Instead I caressed her from ankle to neck for my own benefit. I relished her texture, her subtle details and the surprise little touches that made her design so incredibly lifelike. I still could not grasp that David Koontz made her.

She whispered, �You are ready,� and indeed I was.

I lifted her legs straight up and slightly apart, holding an ankle in each hand and slowly slid into her warm and softly lubricated heaven. We made eye contact, and Galatea smiled warmly�yes, the degree of emotion was flawless. I may have closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation at another time, but my eyes were riveted on hers as my thrusting pace increased.

Galatea whispered again, �I like this sex. I enjoy watching you, your outward show of pleasure, especially at the moment of orgasm.� Oh God! I started fucking her even harder. After a few moments of complete abandon, and on the cusp of my climax, she whispered, �I will show you what I have learned.�

The look and sounds she began making were pure orgasmic delight, restrained and yet visceral enough to be the envy of any porn actress. When I felt the contractions of her vagina walls, I detonated like a bomb and made quite a few sounds of my own. After I fell to the bed beside her, like telemetry from a space probe she reported the volume of my ejaculations, which sounded massive even when considered in ounces.

�Did I learn well, Drew?� she said in a demure yet slightly coquettish voice.

�You passed the test, Galatea. You�ve learned way beyond �well.� Do you really enjoy watching me...orgasm?�

She smiled and said, �I may never have human emotions, but I believe that I am growing fond of you in my own way, and becoming your girlfriend has been much more than simply a learning experience for me. I will miss our time together when I am fully tested and sold to my first owner.�

It sounded so strange to hear her talk that way. At the conscious, logical level I understood the anthropomorphism at play here. To me she wasn�t a synthetic automaton; she was a living, learning woman who I had the best sex of my life with. Perhaps calling Galatea my �best� sex partner was a bit narcissistic, since I was the only one receiving anything from the act, her utter beauty overwhelming my desires, propelling me to new heights of gratification. Was I already too attached to her?

The strangest post-coital conversation in history took place thereafter. She wanted to talk about Isaac Asimov. �He must have been an amazing man,� she said. �I would have enjoyed speaking with him and learning from him. From what I have read, he was exceedingly proficient in combining the entertainment of fiction with profound dissemination of knowledge. I shall always consider his three rules as I expand my experiences and progress in my development.�

Her AI was exactly what Asimov prophesized in his science fiction, therefore he may not have been as amazed as I was if he was still around to meet Galatea.

We continued the routine for a couple of weeks: I�d go into the office with my �visitor� in tow. She�d spend time with David Koontz and another member of our development team, Julie Cummings, while they tested her knowledge gains and assessed her physical and electronic �health.� Then she�d spend time with me before we went home, I had dinner, and we fucked until I couldn�t get it up anymore.

The aforementioned Ms. Cummings was an interesting person. When I hired her I assumed she was gay, perhaps because of ingrained stereotypes. Her being gay didn�t bother me in the least, especially since she�d be working closely with Koontz and that would keep sexual tension out of the working equation. It was only later I heard men speak of her around the labs, calling her �Julie I�m Cumming� for her reportedly loud orgasmic vocalizing. So much for stereotypes, and my assumption.

One day while Galatea was in the lab with Koontz and Cummings, I walked to Avery Glover�s office. Dr. Glover was Project Manager for many programs, including the 2152 series that Galatea was now classified under. In this company we don�t use words like �sales� and �marketing,� but that�s basically what Dr. Glover was�our marketer. His executive assistant, Marta Albanez, assured me he was available as I walked up to his office suite.

Marta was another interesting person. She was extremely beautiful, single and full of dark, Latin fire that on occasions showed itself around the office. If she hadn�t always been so aloof around me I may have asked her for a date long ago. For some reason she didn�t like me, I surmised, and therefore I kept our conversations perfunctory and businesslike. I also discovered that she was working toward her doctorate and wondered why she remained Avery�s glorified secretary. Maybe they had something going.

Avery greeted me warmly and we got right down to business, discussing Galatea�s development and future. My �testing� of her capabilities was no secret, but I was pleased Avery was discreet and didn�t probe for certain salacious details. He confirmed that the CIA was very interested and that my daily report memos were being forwarded to them. Among other things, my reports included dispassionate accounts of her sexual abilities, which I had to report; though words like girlfriend, positions and orgasm were not in them.

When I returned to my office, Galatea was there waiting for me. Although it hurt me to talk about it, we spoke about her future. She understood more each day about her impending role as an intelligence operative, most likely for the CIA. We both knew our time together was coming to an end. I didn�t think anything she said to me could stun me anymore, but she stunned me with a whopper.

�You will always be Drew to me, Dr. Wilcox. Regardless of my upcoming assignments, I will not let any of my owners have sex with me. I will comport myself in every respect as an independent woman, and although I understand that sex with enemy strangers may be required in order to gain favor and solicit vital intelligence, I will not be misused by colleagues. I have not read where Isaac Asimov foresaw that scenario, but I believe my standpoint is not incompatible with his prescient three laws.�

Unbelievable, a robot talking about not wanting to be raped, not to mention saying she would always remember me taking her virginity!

I tried not to show it around the office, but I couldn�t help but be emotional the day that Galatea didn�t come back to my office. Dr. Glover was sensitive to my feelings and made sure her new CIA owners picked her up without me being around. Galatea would not be hurt by me not saying goodbye. I was the one that felt the pain of loss. I knew I�d never see her again, and knowing that fact made me grieve as if I�d lost a loved one, which perhaps if I did some soul-searching I�d admit I had.

Everyone in the labs suspected how I felt about Galatea so they gave me the space I needed. After a reasonable period of �mourning,� David Koontz began including me in his development of the next Series 2152 model, a male this time. I began noticing how animated Julie Cummings was now. Since I knew what this series could do, I suspected that Ms. Cummings was running her own �tests� on the new �man.� Of course when I saw him, I observed that he was a perfect male specimen much as Galatea had been the perfect female.

As with everything else in my life these past few weeks, I should have realized I was in for more shocks. Koontz, though quite socially inept, was indeed a brilliant scientist, a fact reinforced by every new project revelation. He filled me in on �Josef,� his newest creation, named after Josef Èapek, coiner of the word �robot� by suggesting it to his brother, Karel Èapek for his landmark novel R.U.R. I recognized that Koontz wanted to share something with me but his nervousness was palpable. I told him not to worry and spit it out.

�Doctor...Sir...one feature of both Galatea and Josef I...ah...never told you about,� he said, practically choking on his words, �was their...er...recording capabilities.�

What he said took a few moments to register. When it hit me, I said, �Galatea recorded everything? Video and audio? Downloadable? Even when we...?�

He nodded at every question, including the one left unasked. �I really didn�t want to tell you, in respect for your privacy, Doctor, but since Dr. Glover and his associates have seen Galatea�s and Josef�s downloads I felt you needed to know about it.�

�So, several people have seen me...at the most sensitive moments of my life, and I�m supposed to treat it like scientific reportage?�

�It hasn�t been several people, Sir. Only a few...for scientific reasons only.�

�Oh, sure,� I muttered, wondering how long it would take before Galatea and I found our way to an Internet video site. But then I had another thought. �Can I get a copy of it, sort of a keepsake of Galatea since I�ll never see her again?�

�Yes. Dr. Glover knew you�d ask so he already authorized it,� Koontz said as he handed me one of our special encrypted DVDs.

�How thoughtful of him,� I said sarcastically.

When I saw Koontz blush deeply, in an intuitive leap I asked, �That means Julie and Josef have been downloaded too, I suppose.� I didn�t think the coupling of me and Galatea was a worthy porn subject, but the rumored lusty Julie Cummings and the anatomically perfect Josef would be a different story. Based on Koontz�s reaction, I bet there were already several bootleg copies circulating through the labs.

And I had one, since Koontz sheepishly admitted Josef�s �video� was also on the disk he gave me. Koontz showed me some edited output, and Josef appeared to be as well equipped and capable as Galatea was in the sex department. Though edited, what Koontz showed me included a few loud cries from an energetic �I�m Cumming� Cummings.

Disk in hand, I went to Dr. Glover�s office, upset that I hadn�t been told until now about the androids� video capabilities. Marta Albanez greeted me about a hundredfold warmer than at any time in the past, and I wondered why.

When I confronted Avery about the recordings, he chuckled and said, �It�s a logical conclusion to their intended use, Drew. I would think you would have figured that out before now.�

�Perhaps I should have, but these� I said, waving the disk at him �cannot leave this facility.�

�Don�t worry. Just like Galatea they�re highly classified, with only a few controlled copies. They won�t be seen outside these walls, not even by the CIA.�

When I left his office, Marta was standing by the door, ostensibly watering an office fern though I knew it was an excuse. I bid her to have a nice day, when she said, �Dr. Wilcox, I was wondering...�

�Yes?�

�I have a couple of symphony tickets for this evening, and no one to go with. Would you take me?�

I swore that when she said the words �take me� they carried all the innuendo anyone could perceive. This was interesting. She was very beautiful, and the smile on her face... I said yes, and we set the time that I�d pick her up.

At her doorstep, I was met by a sexy lady, her hair down, full and wild, wearing a fabulous cocktail dress rivaling the ones I bought for Galatea. Wow! The symphony performance was grand. Afterwards we went to a nearby cocktail lounge, and surrounded by other symphony patrons we sipped and talked. She told me a lot about her early years: where she was from, her growing up years, and her studies. I was quite impressed.

�I�m enjoying myself immensely,� I told her. �I must admit your invitation caught me by surprise since I�ve always thought you didn�t like me very much.�

�That�s not it, Dr. Wilcox...�

�Please, call me Drew.�

�Ah, Drew, I guess I always thought you were, like an elitist or something, and that someone like me was below you. I know I�m wrong now.�

�I�m sorry I gave you that impression. What changed your mind?� She blushed as solidly as Koontz did, and that was when I figured it out. �Ah, yes, you�ve seen the video download from X-2152-Rev_L, haven�t you?� I said, not wanting to use Galatea�s intimate name with Marta; not because of any security concerns but simply for the sake of decency.

�Please don�t think badly of me for that because it did allow me to see the man you truly are.�

�I guess you �saw� a lot of me, right?� She blushed again and didn�t answer.

When I took her home, I sensed she wanted to ask me in but was either too shy or too afraid. She looked so beautiful there in her doorway I had to kiss her, although the kiss was a rather chaste one. Somehow I knew we�d go out again.

Once home, I slid the DVD into my special laptop, typed in all the necessary passwords, and watched the world through Galatea�s eyes. Her sweet voice brought me to tears. To combat my melancholy over losing Galatea to the world, I switched to Josef�s file. Anyone could tell looking at Julie through Josef�s eyes that she wanted one thing, the �thing� she probably helped design in the lab. Like watching a POV sex video, I marveled at the speed in which the android fucked his human admirer. His piston-like motion was nearly a blur, and Julie�s mouth was open and screaming in orgasm so loudly I had to lower the sound level. Since no man could fuck that fast, I had to mention this to Koontz so he could alter Josef�s programming a little.

The following weekend I had another date with Marta. Dinner and dancing made me reminisce about my short time �teaching� Galatea. But who learned the most? I believe now that I learned as much from Galatea as her AI learned from me. This time I was invited into Marta�s apartment. Our small talk was stilted and I easily saw why. Her breathing, the continual crossing and uncrossing of her legs, along with how she played with her hair were all body language signs. The lady was horny.

The first kiss grew frenetic almost immediately. Her hand was in my pants before mine was in hers.

�Oooooh, you are so big and so hard!� she exclaimed.

And she was extremely wet.

By the time we made it to her bed no foreplay was required as she begged me to fuck her. Her Latin fire translated well to the bedroom. She was a dynamo at first, bucking wildly. I managed to slow her down or I would�ve cum quickly. I maintained a slower pace with long, languid thrusts that played her clit like a bow plays violin strings. When she sang, her music was as loud as Julie�s had been on the DVD.

Our after-play was sweet and revealing, as she admitted that she had seen me and Galatea on video and found me to be not only a handsome man but a thoughtful lover as well. One thing she said was, �I knew that if you were that passionate with a robot woman you would be more so with me, and I was correct.�

Some touches and caresses led to more touches and caresses until she was astride me and bouncing wildly. I liked watching her facial expressions, her luxurious hair flowing and bouncing right along with her breasts, and all the little noises she made while she rode me. I mused that as real as Galatea was she still had a ways to go to learn the subtleties of the human female.

Marta and I were an item after that night. I gave her advice on her educational pursuits and encouraged her toward her doctorate while she helped me forget about Galatea. When she moved in with me it was the most natural progression in our relationship.

I certainly wasn�t Pygmalion, though I was part of the process that created Galatea. Like the myth, I fell in love with �my� creation. However, unlike Ovid�s retelling, Venus didn�t make Galatea real, instead allowing Marta to see the real me and not the stuffy image she had harbored. The irony wasn�t lost on me; making love to Galatea made Marta mine, indeed a strange path to true love.

I never completely forgot about Galatea. Highly redacted reports came our way that the CIA was happy with her performance and was ready to consider Josef as the next procurement. She may have been a machine, but I prayed for her safety and wondered if she ever thought of me like she said she would.

TRANSCRIPT: SECURITY DEBRIEFING 1002378A OF DR. DREW WILCOX

- FOR AUTHORIZED EYES ONLY �

��

Donna M.

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