Aftermarket Lover (SDS Robots) Read Free Page A

nothing to hide there, right? Shit.”
    The robot’ s lean figure, his soft pale skin, the long line of his back and torso and legs all in perfect proportions still appealed to Ash despite his disgust. Which only made him angrier.
    He strode to Lin and started to pull his hands away. Lin resisted and Ash grabbed his wrists and yanked them upward.
    He stared at the blank expanse of skin where the robot’s legs came together. It was horrifying and pathetic.
    Ash’s mouth tightened. He let go of the robot and shoved him. “Get out of here.”
    The look of shame and despair on Lin’s face took Ash aback. He looked almost human. As he walked out of the bedroom, his eyes still not meeting Ash’s, Ash couldn’t help but watch him go.
     
    ****
     
    The next morning, Lin was in the kitchen when Ash came in. “Good morning,” he said quietly. He was at the sink and turned his head toward Ash slightly as he said it.
    Ash ignored him and sat down at the table where Lin had placed his breakfast. He ate his hot grain cereal and drank his coffee.
    Tiny came in, his little feet padding along the tiled floor. He sat by Ash’s feet and looked up at him.
    Ash glanced down and shook his head. “Can’t take you for a walk, sorry.” Tiny liked two walks a day, one in the morning and one late in the afternoon. But Ash didn’t feel like it right now.
    “I will take Tiny for his walks today and feed him,” Lin said in his soft voice. He turned around and faced Ash, light blue eyes gazing at him with faint hope. “So please do not concern yourself, Ash.”
    Ash bristled. The robot was addressing him like he was as human as Ash, someone who could use his name.
    He abruptly got up, lifting his mug and downing the rest of his coffee, feeling Lin’s eyes on him. It irritated him. Ash put the mug down and went to get his work jacket and keys to the land skiff.
    “If you like, I can prepare lunch—”
    “No, that’s fine,” Ash said shortly. He was almost out the door when Lin tried again. “Ash—”
    He turned, contempt twisting his features, and Lin shrank back. “Leave me alone. I don’t need a machine keeping tabs on me.”
    Ash shut the door behind him, but not before he’d seen the look of hurt on the robot’s face.
    That evening Ash came in tired and dirty. Lin was in the kitchen again, as if he’d never left. “Hello, Ash. How was your day?” he said. “I prepared stew for dinner. Please sit down, I will bring it to you.”
    Ash didn’t answer or look at him, but sat down. Lin brought his bowl of stew along with bread and butter.
    He ate. The stew was tasty and satisfying, but he couldn’t bring himself to thank Lin for making it. He knew he was being childish but couldn’t stop himself.
    Ash turned and saw Tiny sitting on the kitchen floor a few feet from Lin. “Tiny,” he said, smiling. At least he could count on someone. “Tiny, come here.”
    Tiny remained where he was.
    Ash frowned. “Hey. Come here.” He snapped his fingers.
    The dog lay down on his stomach. He lowered his head to the floor, staring at Ash with a sad expression.
    Ash looked from Tiny to Lin and back again. His own dog was taking the robot’s side!
    He got up, exasperated, grabbing his jacket as he headed for the door.
    “Where are you going?”
    “Out.”
    He strode down a well-worn path behind the station, up a brief rise and then a small hill until he reached the top of the ridge.
    The ridge path ended in a small plateau at the highest point. The binary suns had set already and fading strains of sunlight lit the ridge just enough to see. From here Ash could see the flatlands for miles, and the deepening violet skies over the purple mountains in the distance.
    Ash sat down on a large flat rock. It was his favorite place to escape to, a place where he could sit and look out over the view and think about things. Or not think about things.
    His stomach clenched, remembering the feel of the smooth skin where Lin’s genitals should have