Enhanced

  Six had answered her questions, bemused by her contradictions. More and more he found the tiny Earth girl he had claimed fascinating and enigmatic, which only made him want to know more about her. And then, of course, there was her behavior the night before.

  After they had gone to bed—Six sleeping with her on the sousa instead of in his recharging station for the first time in more years than he could count—she had rolled over close to him. Six had been eager to take her in his arms but she had refused to kiss him. Instead, she had reached for his shaft and taken it in her soft, cool little hand.

  “My turn,” she whispered in his ear and then proceeded to stroke and caress him until he could not contain himself and came, groaning her name.

  It was a novel experience for Six—not just being with a female but being so completely out of control of his own body. If anyone had told him he would not only welcome such a thing but also wish to repeat it, he would have thought something was wrong with their logic circuits. But that seemed to be the case. He found himself wanting to be near Mei-Li, wishing to touch her, eager to hear her unique opinions and engaging thoughts. She seemed to bring a whole new perspective to everything in his existence. It was as though his entire life had been lived in black and white and she had suddenly brought color into his world.

  It was a sensation he was coming to crave and only two things marred the experience. One was the fact that though she snuggled close to his side and allowed her to hold him, Mei-Li still refused to repeat the deliciously addictive kiss which she had first introduced him to aboard the med barge. “I can do the friends with benefits thing,” she had said, mystifying Six with her Earth colloquialisms. “But only if we keep a little distance.”

  The problem was, Six found he didn’t want to keep distance between them. He wanted her close where he could protect and caress her. And he wanted, more than he liked to admit, even to himself, to taste her soft lips again. No matter how often he told himself that she was right to keep part of herself back in order to avoid forming an emotional attachment, he couldn’t stop wanting that.

  Part of him whispered that it was illogical to want her in this way, that it was dangerously close to feeling. But Six pushed such thoughts away, refusing to entertain them. For now, he was content simply to be with Mei-Li and watch her wonder at seeing everything in his world, often using her new enhanced lenses to examine things more closely.

  The other thing that concerned him was the dream that had woken him in the middle of the night. At least, Six assumed it was a dream—he couldn’t really remember it. All he knew was that he had jolted suddenly awake, his forehead bathed in cold sweat, his heart pounding like a joist-hammer in his chest, unable to catch his breath. Mei-Li had half wakened as well, asking him drowsily what was wrong.

  “Nothing. I am…well,” Six had said, telling a deliberate untruth though he normally distained dishonesty. But he told himself he didn’t want to worry her—Feelers were so sensitive, it would be wrong to stir negative emotions of concern for him in her.

  He had lain back down and Mei-Li had curled against his side like a small, contented animal. Stroking her hair and hearing her light, even breathing, Six had felt his heart slowing its frantic pace. After a time, he was able to go back to sleep and he had no more disturbances for the rest of the night.

  Now, as he surveyed the Serlix market and watched Mei-Li weave through traffic, he told himself that the night before had been an anomaly. Certainly it was a one time occurrence that would never happen again. In the meantime, it was time to stop thinking of the past and look to the present. Mei-Li wanted something to spice up her garn and he wanted to get it for her. More and more he found that it gave him a sensation of satisfaction to give her things she longed for and watch the expression of delight and excitement spread across her lovely face.

  If he had not been at her side to protect her, Six would have been concerned about her habit of emoting so obviously. But as he was near and the yellow glowing numbers of her dispensation were so clearly marked, he didn’t reprimand her even when she exclaimed with delight or hugged him with excitement when she found a particularly good “souvenir” as she called the small trinkets she was gathering to distribute to her friends and coworkers when she went back to Earth.

  Back to Earth…He pushed away the hollow sensation he felt at the idea of letting her go. They still had plenty of time. It was only their second week together. In the meantime, he could enjoy her company. Looking ahead, he saw that she was already standing in front of one of the stalls in the market where an older organic male with graying hair and a broken ocular scanner was shouting his wares.

  “Spices! Spice for sale!” he was calling and Mei-Li was trying to get his attention. “Yes, yes, what can I do for you my good…” The words died on the old male’s lips. “My…lady?” he said softly, staring at Mei-Li.

  “Yes, I’m a woman. Probably the only one on this whole planet,” she replied, smiling.

  “But what…how…?” The older male organic looked at her, his faded blue eye wide with wonder.

  Six frowned as he picked up the male’s quickened heart rate and breathing as well as the expression on his face—all clear signs of Feel-crime. But he was not here as a member of the Purge Squad, as he had been so many times in the years before he rose high in the rubric of the Collective. So he let the male’s crime pass and simply watched his reaction to Mei-Li.

  “I’m interested in your spices,” she told him. “Anything that would add some flavor. I can pay—see?” She held out the cred-chip Six had given her which was tied to his account. She had been concerned and asked if she could pay him back for the purchases she made at first but Six told her not to worry about any of it. He had plenty of credit since he never spent any on indulgences for himself and it gave him a warm sensation to watch Mei-Li find and purchase little items she liked.

  But right now she wasn’t having much luck in purchasing any of the spices for sale because the older organic was too overcome.

  “My lady!” he exclaimed, falling to his knees before her. “The prophesy—it is coming true at last!”

  “The prophesy? What prophesy?” Mei-Li looked confused.

  “And one shall come—a female of surpassing loveliness. Small in stature but large in spirit. When you see her you shall know…for she marks the beginning of the end.” The old male sounded like he was quoting something—Six had no idea what. Except the words he had spoken seemed somehow familiar… Jax, please…

  Six pushed the memories aside and concentrated instead on what was happening to his female.

  The older male took Mei-Li’s hand in his and, ignoring the cred-chip she was holding, began to kiss her fingers reverently. “It has come to pass—and in my lifetime! To think I should live to see it. You are so beautiful—so exquisitely lovely, my lady! You light up our dull and dreary world like the sun!”

  “Well, thank you.” Mei-Li smiled at him uncertainly, looking as though she wished she could extract her hand from his grasp. “I came because—”

  “She came because I claimed her and brought her here,” Six growled, coming up to them at last.

  He didn’t like the sight of the old male touching his female and he especially disliked the way he was kissing Mei-Li’s fingers. No one ought to be kissing or touching any part of her but him and he would be damned to the Seven Hells if he stood by and allowed this effusive display of emotion directed at his female to continue.

  “High Executor Twelve?” The old male looked up at him, fear blooming suddenly on his face like a poison flower.

  “I am Six, now. Others have been dispatched and I have grown closer to the Collective,” Six told him. “I am no longer on the Purge Squad but I will not allow you to molest my female.”

  “Molest? Oh, no—certainly not!” The older male organic dropped Mei-Li’s hand as though it was burning hot and stood up straight. His face, so full of fear just a moment before, was suddenly blank. “Apologies, Executor, for the
misunderstanding.” He spoke in a perfect, emotionless monotone, displaying no emotion whatsoever though Six’s scanner detected an elevated heart rate and rapid breathing.

  “It’s all right, Six—he wasn’t hurting me,” Mei-Li protested. “I think he was just surprised to see a girl since you guys don’t have any here. Anyway,” she said, turning back to the older male. “As I was saying, I’d like to buy some of your spices.”

  “Spices? I fear we have no spices here.” The male shook his head.

  “But you were just saying—”

  “Spices to enhance the flavors of comestibles might cause an emotional reaction,” the older male continued. “I would never promote Feel-crime in such a way. In fact, please excuse me. I must go.”

  “But…but…” Mei-Li protested.

  But the older male organic was already packing his wares into a large metal bowl which he tucked under his arm. He strode swiftly away, looking neither left nor right. But as he went, a soft, frightened murmuring spread through the busy marketplace.

  Other organics, both buyers and merchants, looked up from their purchases. When their eyes settled on Six, they, too, hastily packed their wares and left.

  Soon the market was empty except for a few mechanoids strolling through it to get to other places.

  Mei-Li looked around, mystified. “What just happened? Why did everybody leave? Are they really that afraid of you?”

  “They fear anyone high in the Collective’s rubric.” He frowned.

  “Well, what was all that about a prophesy? What was he talking about?”

  “I have no idea,” Six said shortly. “Come, today is apparently not a good day for buying spices.”

  * * * * *

  Mei-Li sighed as she wandered around the empty domicile. Six had been called by his boss, One, who apparently was working on some top secret project and needed his help. Six had apologized for leaving her alone and had given her several options for entertainment before he left but she still felt lonely and a little blue without the big Kindred.

  Don’t be silly, she scolded herself. It’s ridiculous to be missing him like this when he’s only going to be gone a few hours. It’s not like you really care about him or have any feelings for him—hit it and quit it, remember?

  But she couldn’t help the way she felt—she did miss Six. They’d had such a good day together. He had shown her around the city and taken her to the weird museum which gave the history of how the Collective—the bank of thinking machines that ran the planet—had risen to power. There was also an exhibit showing how a fully grown “organic” as they called the human-type people who lived on Z4, was raised in a huge tube until he (it was always a he) was ready to come out and join society as a fully grown warrior.

  Six had taken her to lunch too—a little side street vendor which served garn that actually had flavor. It had tasted to Mei-Li like chili-cherry-mango flavored polenta—not something she would have sought out on Earth but it was so much better than the bland paper-paste taste of regular garn she had eaten every bite. Six had even given her his credit card—or cred-chip as he called it—and told her to get anything she wanted. Z4 wasn’t much of a tourist trap but she had found a few little trinkets to give to Claudia and her father (who she hoped wasn’t worried sick about her) once she got home.

  The sights of the city were further enhanced when she used her new lenses. At first Mei-Li had had to concentrate to get them to work but more and more she found she was using them automatically. When she wanted to see fine details of the intricate carvings of the ancient Zeagans at the museum, she simply looked closer and the tiny details came into view at once. And when Six was pointing out some distant landmark or building in the city, all she had to do was stare at it to "zoom in" on it and see it as clearly as if it was standing next to her. After years of having terrible vision and being limited by her glasses, Mei-Li found the new experience exhilarating.

  But it wasn't just her new vision she was enjoying. Though she never would have believed it would be possible due to his taciturn manners and forbidding outer appearance, she found everything about being with Six was fun and exciting.

  Walking down a deserted side street after visiting the spice market, she had taken his hand without even thinking about it. Then she realized what she was doing and started to pull away. But Six had looked right at her and interlaced their fingers.

  “Is this all right?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

  “Well, yes…I guess.” Mei-Li had tried to laugh but it had come out sounding breathless.

  She knew she ought to be keeping her distance but she told herself that holding hands wasn’t the same as kissing. It was just…nice. Comforting and surprisingly sweet, especially coming from the big Kindred who claimed to have no emotions.

  So they had strolled through the strange, robotic city hand in hand and she had marveled at the alien sights around her. Holding Six’s hand, his big, warm fingers enclosing hers, she felt safe— protected from the strange inhabitants and the threatening laws against emotion. Even the bleak urban landscape with its metal streets and looming buildings that blotted out the sun seemed to have its own kind of austere and desolate beauty.

  “Where did you learn to hold hands?” she asked at last, when they came to another deserted street.

  “I didn’t. This seemed the natural way.” He pulled her gently towards him and suddenly they were facing each other.

  “Six?” Mei-Li looked up at him uncertainly. His warm scent washed over her, making it hard to think.

  The big Kindred leaned over her, cupping her chin lightly with his fingertips. His gaze flickered over her face and then held her eyes. “This seems right and natural too,” he murmured. And then his mouth was coming closer and closer to her own.

  Mei-Li held her breath, her heart pounding as she stood on tiptoes to meet him. God, she could almost feel the press of his lips to hers, could almost taste the sweet, dark chocolate flavor of his mouth. She could feel herself melting against him, his muscular body surrounding hers. Right here in the middle of this forbidding alien world, she knew she was falling in love…

  No, don’t be stupid! You haven’t known him long enough to feel that way. And you’re not going to know him long enough. You leave here in just a few days—barely more than a week—well, an Earth week anyway. And then you’ll never see him again—don’t be stupid! Don’t give in to emotion, especially when Six doesn’t have any emotions to give in to. You’re just begging for a broken heart…

  Mei-Li couldn’t ignore the little voice in her head. At the last minute she turned away and let him kiss her cheek instead.

  Six had pulled back, frowning. “Is there a problem? I wish to taste your lips again—to ‘kiss’ you, as you call it.”

  “I want that too,” Mei-Li had said. “But I can’t. I told you—I can do the friends with benefits thing but I can’t let my heart get involved. Kissing is just too…too intimate.”

  “You said that before. What do you mean—‘friends with benefits?’” Six had asked.

  “Just what it sounds like—we’re friendly with each other, we enjoy each other’s company and as per the Claiming Contract, we also do…physical things.” Mei-Li had shrugged uncomfortably. “I just don’t want one of those physical things to be kissing. That’s all.”

  “So I am destined never to taste your lips again?” He stroked a strand of hair out of her face, his gaze fixed on her mouth. “Ever?”

  “I’m afraid not…” Mei-Li bit her lip feeling self-conscious. “Look, Six, I’m really fond of you…I just don’t want to get carried away.”

  “Fond? You are fond of me?” Six frowned. “That word denotes a mild liking, does it not? It is scarcely an emotion at all.”

  “Okay, yes I admit it—it’s an emotion,” Mei-Li had found herself getting defensive. How could she tell the big Kindred that she was growing much more than “fond” of him? Answer—she couldn’t. If she did, he would accuse her of forming an emotion
al attachment and even if that was true, she didn’t want him knowing about it.

  “One can be fond of anything,” he said, dropping his hand and stepping back. “A particular dish you find tasty…or a domestic animal you keep as a pet. Is that how you see me, Mei-Li?”

  “No, of course not,” she had protested. “I…I’d like to see you as a friend.”

  “A friend. It keeps coming back to that.” He looked away.

  “What’s wrong with being friends?” Mei-Li had asked, mystified. “A friend is someone you like to spend time with—someone you have fun with. Exactly like we’ve been doing today.”

  “A friend is not someone you have deep emotions for, though. A deeper kind of caring. Is it?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Do you mean love? Like romantic love? No, you don’t,” Mei-Li said shortly. “So don’t worry—you’re safe. I promised you I wouldn’t get emotionally attached during the time we’re together and I’m keeping that promise.”

  “So I see,” Six had said tersely. “Come. It’s time we were getting home.”

  He had been silent the rest of the walk home and Mei-Li had been at a loss to know why. Did he think she was getting too emotionally involved, despite her promises otherwise? And why had he wanted to kiss her in the first place? Just because he liked the physical sensation? Or was he showing emotion he didn’t feel, just for her as Mr. Metal Teeth from the med barge had suggested?

  She had no answers.

  It was really too bad the way things had ended, she reflected now. Aside from the whole kissing incident, everything about the whole day had been perfect—well, aside from the weird scene in the spice market. What had the old man been babbling about when he said she was part of a prophesy? Mei-Li had no idea and if Six knew, he wasn’t telling.

  At least they hadn’t had far to go in awkward silence. The Serlix market was within walking distance of his apartment—or domicile as he called it. Mei-Li had thought about asking him again about the old man and had decided against it. He seemed troubled enough as it was and back at the market he had appeared to get positively jealous. She told herself she was just reading her own feelings into his reactions but there was no doubt about it—Six seemed much more possessive and passionate than he had when she first met him. He was beginning, in fact, to seem almost…human.