Unfettered Bones Part 2: Liquid Assets

As he entered, the music roared and pounded his eardrums beating a vicious and merciless tune that brought out his perversions.

AI-generated image created by Aaron and Open.AI

San Tokyo was a brightly colored city in the night with strange erected buildings held high up above the red sky. Green lightning flashed above, thunder roared in the distance. Drizzling rain came down upon the black concrete all mangled and cracked. He took the trolley car across the city to Liquid Assets to meet his friend. On his way, he messaged Scy.

Scy was already there.

He took it a few blocks down as people from many different races and tongues with their umbrellas filled the busy noisy streets.

Marv got off the trolley with its green neon lights on the sides. Every time it stopped the lights flashed and flowed down the stream of pipes on its side running horizontally. He stepped off and walked one block to the strip club.

In his younger days, he practically lived there seeing all the naked bodies dancing in the darkened red light. The rooms of sexual pleasure for all to see and take in.

As he entered, the music roared and pounded his eardrums beating a vicious and merciless tune that brought out his perversions. He entered and saw young naked women dancing on poles all around the room as men drank, ate, and gave coin to them who lavishly touched their cheeks and called them ‘Baby’. He shielded his eyes but peeked to see just what he wanted.

Why did he have me meet him here? he thought. And as he came around the bend two girls danced off to a side table in a funky fashion barely clothed. The one to the right saw him and winked. “Like what you see, big boy?” He didn’t acknowledge her, eying Scy.

Annoyed, he found Scy in a corner in a leather booth with sake drinking it from a wooden cup with Japanese written on it. The full bottle was presented on the wooden table all chipped from men doing knife tricks.

“‘And here the minstrel comes, riding on his black steed waiting to make love to his wench.’” He said smiling pouring his sake. A red lantern hung up above Scy’s thinning hair that was slicked across his round shiny head. His plump face and obese body made him look ten years older. His red cheeks became rosier as he drank and his eyes were brown but had lost color turning an almost hazy yellow. His huge thick fingers grabbed the cup as he drank continuously wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He wore a three-piece suit with his collar ruffed up exposing his hairy chest.

“From The Apathy?”

“You got it chief. Only book that’s worth reading.”

“Yeah, Aoki was a sex addict though.”

“We’re all sex addicts, chief. Especially me.” He said taking a sip and downing his drink. “We’re all just swimming in a sea of madness. Try not to get swept away completely.” Scy poured himself another.

“You don’t know what else to do that’s the problem.”

“And you? Are you any different?”

“Forget about me.”

“‘The lost will not be found amid these polluted skies filling the desolate earth’.”

“Stop quoting at me.”

“Why are you here if you aren’t like the rest of us then?”

“Because you said I had to come.”

“Let’s be clear: I never said that. It was simply a suggestion. We could’ve went anywhere.”

“Unbelievable,” Marv said sipping. “What did you drag me here for? Have a good ol’ time?”

“It’s not like anyone marries anymore. Open relationships are the thing now. Get with the program, man.”

“Well, we haven’t decided that.”

“Yet,” he said smiling.

“If that’s what you had in mind, I’m leaving,” he said getting up.

“Come on, come on, Marv, sit down. If that’s what I wanted you to do I’d have dragged myself to your place with hookers and blow. No, that’s not why I brought you here.”

“Well, then what?”

“You see those girls dancing on the tables?” He pointed.

“Stop it.”

“If you really didn’t want to see them you wouldn’t have come at all.”

Marv’s chest tightened and said nothing.

“Truth is stranger than fiction. Look.” Two girls were dancing on a table with their panties and bras still on.

“Yeah, I see ‘em.”

“Those two are the first of their kind. Sex bots. Real ones.”

“Come on, the one spoke to me. Those’re real.”

“No, they’re not. You gotta understand one thing: this is what Laix designed. They have a monopoly on this thing.”

“What’re you talking about, Scy?”

“I’m talking about real sex robots that look like real women. They’re experimenting with them tonight for the first time and you thinking them real, just made ’em pass the test.”

“Bro stop, they’re-”

“Let’s go over there and talk with them, then,” Scy got up abruptly and motioned for Marv to come along. Approaching the women not far, they looked young.

“Hi, ladies,” Scy said.

“Hi,” they both said together dancing sensually to the dank music. The one who spoke to Marv came right up to his face.

“How you doin’, baby? Gettin’ over your shyness,” she asked smiling. She looked like a nice lady who wanted to dance the night away while she was young in her youthful beauty. Flesh and bone were on her artificial face. Sweat dripped from her forehead, wrinkles in the appropriate places. She looked so unique and she smelled divine but in the darkest pupil in her eyes, he could see the shutter. The camera, in her black pupils.

“Wha- Wow.”

“Yeah, right?”

“You like what you see, baby?” she said sultrily.

“Where does that camera go to?”

“It’s stored in a separate server in Hong Kong,” Scy explained. “Nobody knows about it.”

“Except China.”

“Of course, they control everything but they’ll never sell it. Especially if you own one.”

“Are you advertising this?”

“Soon, maybe tomorrow. Laix has to say something now before it leaks. They pay me to tell a select few. To see if this is something that’s wanted in the market.”

“Stop staring boys,” the young lady said. “You wanna take this somewhere… private?”

“Whatdya say,” Scy asked.

“Nah, man. Let’s go,” Marv said annoyed.

“Suit yourself.” Scy smiled as he winked at the robot.

“Oh, come on, baby,” she said pleading. Her voice was so unique. It terrified him but it resembled Zen’s. Hurriedly they went back to their booth as the robot made an air kiss with her hand and waved smiling the sweetest he had ever seen. He shivered.

“So, whatdya think?”

“I don’t know. It’s a little creepy and wrong.”

“Wrong? The whole damn world is wrong, Marv.” He laughed heartily. “This is far from anything being wrong. Yeah, maybe a little creepy but it’s the same thing as any porn site. It’s all fake. Jerkin’ off to a screen compared to a fake lady. What’s the difference? It’s probably better than porn. Better than sex. No mess.”

“I’ve given up that life.”

“Come on, stop kidding yourself! You hardly work, what’d you do in those dreadful hours? You hate work but you love sex.”

“That’s true but I only make love to Zen.”

“Make love,” he said under his breath and smirked. “If that were true you’d have tied the knot with her long ago.”

“Fuck you.”

“You got no money, no prospects. Your girl is the breadwinner. Chained to a hag.”

“Shut up!”

“Easy, Marv. The hag was meant to be you,” he smiled wryly.

“Piss off. I was gonna tell ya something but now you’re just gonna go on insulting me.”

“Is she finally leaving you for some bum?”

“We just got approved to become parents.”

“OK, well, that’s something. Progress. The right direction. But then again responsibility. That’s what these Trad people talk about. Commitment and order, family ideals and values. They preach responsibility. How can a man be responsible? I never could get it. You used to be a man that had balls, now you’re shackin’ up with Mrs. Right.”

“At least I’m happy.”

He laughed and poured some more into their cups. “I’m not even happy and I’m not chained. Think about it, Marvy. What do you think you’re gonna accomplish by saying you’re better than this?”

“Why did this all of a sudden become about me?”

“Either way, these’ll be in every club in two years. No more slaves. No more human bodies. No murders from pimps, no deaths from some crazed psychopath slashing throats. Just robots that think, feel like us. Lost in a sea of madness being swept away.”

“You’re fucking awful.”

“I like being poetic. It’s the truth and I think it’ll be better for society. Any way in five years’ time they’ll all be holograms.”

“Better for society or better for you? You wanna fill your pockets being a manager at Laix.”

“These robots want to do what they’re doing. They’re programmed to do what we say. No collateral damage.”

“Did you ever think to ask about the consequences?”

“I know you live at your apartment, never to leave your tiny little cubicle where it’s safe and nice and smooth and clean with your bitchy maid but China doesn’t care. They see the numbers, the figures with their advisers, and they just do. You of all people should know all about that.”

“I’m just saying. Thinking about the Hundred Year War? Did they ever learn?”

“No, just look at history. We never learn. But the real reason I wanted to bring you here is because I need your consent.”

“To what?”

“I want you to be my partner. Tons of Yen in it for you. Trillions. It’s a huge dynasty and you and I could be one of the first small companies to try it out. It’s gonna catch on.”

“You slimy prick.”

“Too soon?”

“I’m not gonna go into business with you.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you but your job changed you.”

“For better or worse?”

“I think you know. You’re better than this.”

“The porn industry fell hard during the War. Prostitution skyrocketed after bringing crime up again. You think this won’t improve anything? Come on, let’s be part of a movement bigger than you or me.”

“Are you hearing yourself?”

“Of course. I love my voice. But are you gonna join me? All the coin and sake you ever wanted.”

“I work less hours for a reason.”

“So, you can jerk off to a screen?”

“Stop.”

“Either way, it doesn’t matter anymore Marv. All you gotta do is agree, sign, and have a little coin to buy in.”

“Always about the coin. What happened to you? My friend,” Marv asked sincerely.

“I’m right here.”

Marv rubbed his face and downed his drink. He put some yen on the table and got up. “No, you’re not. You’re lost, Scy.”

As he walked out Scy screamed, “‘Everything surrounded by the sea shall perish. The tides roaring around will consume. One way or another. It will find you.’”

But he paid no attention to it and walked out briskly putting on his hood as he exited. The storms came, the waters roared and the sky opened. Starships sailed in the night sky landing on top of the roof bringing more sex bots to the club.

To Be Continued…