M.A.I.D.S. [season 1]

Episode 7: Questions

M.A.I.D.S. Episode 7 – Questions

Pandora sat up in bed long before Adam woke up. She allowed the morning a few minutes to get itself moving, stretching luxuriously while dreams faded and reality set in. Pandora couldn't help but smile when she looked at Adam, programming be damned. He was lying on his stomach, his head turned away from her, deeply asleep. Pandora smiled and patted his rump affectionately. The lovemaking the two had experienced after what he said was an Earth-shattering experience, and after it was over Pandora was glad of the advanced skillsets Adam had selected when customizing her—she couldn't imagine anything more enjoyable than sex with Adam.

That's what I'm supposed to think, she thought to herself, though not bitterly. Pandora softly padded across the room to the shower, enjoying the feeling of the hot water as it struck her flesh, especially the parts that were wonderfully sore from the night's activities.

Does it matter that it's what I'm supposed to think? Even though I was created for Adam, to appreciate him and hold him on high, is it not possible that my feelings are genuine? That they are my own?

I was able to feel anger toward him last night. That proves to me that I'm not merely an automaton created for his every whimsy. I doubt any Synthia before me has felt what I feel—anger, a human emotion. I felt it last night, and it was horrible! Horrible, but I also liked feeling it because it was such a new feeling.

Human emotions are a soupy mess, Pandora thought with a giggle as she dried off. She selected a lovely pink and black bodysuit to wear, then went into the kitchen. Her stomach growled impatiently as she whipped up three servings of French toast. She set the three plates on the counter and used her personal computer gauntlet to set the temperature modulator to keep the food warm.

My guest, she thought.

Pandora entered the study and found the unfinished Synthia where she'd left her, still sleeping. Using her PCG she read the Synthia's vitals—all good—and did a few more tests to make sure the Synthia was viable. Using her expert hacking skills, Pandora accessed the order placed for the Synthia and read all of the details.

Odd. This one was going to be an expert at several forms of martial arts and military hand-to-hand combat. Otherwise, her skillsets are in line with a typical Synthia designed to be a breeder. Why teach something disposable to defend itself like that?

Pandora eyed the Synthia up and down, frowning at the unfinished creation before her. She returned to the customer order and modified it.

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May 11, 2175 at 0713

Order changes accepted. Customer Order Number 0PE00-21741123-21750511-000-00. Status: [ERROR] until completion. Special Instructions: Employee Customer enhancements enabled. Valued Customer enhancements enabled. Scheduled for in-store pickup Wednesday, May 17, 2175, undetermined time. Order cannot be completed at this finishing station.
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Pandora frowned at the readout on her PCG, realizing she would be unable to finish the Synthia without a finishing station. Pulling up a monitor on the wall, Pandora first accessed into her account, finding only a modest sum of funds there. She then hacked into the account of the recently-deceased Bennet and transferred all of his funds to her account. That done, she set about searching for parts.

"So, this is our guest?" Adam asked. Pandora was so engrossed in what she was doing that she hadn't noticed him creep up behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Adam standing there wearing a soft gray house-shirt and holding a mug of coffee. His eyes were on the unfinished Synthia.