Mason had spent the last three days behind the controls of a locomotive. He worked for the Milenar Railway and was stationed in a small rail yard along a spur line in the far flung town of Madison. The line was not very busy, but when they did have work he and his conductor could be gone for days on end. He had just completed a run that took him to one of Milenar’s larger cities. The railroad liked sending Mason on the run because he could talk to the men’s coequals that mainly dwelled in the larger cities. Many wondered where he had developed the talent, but Mason kept them wondering and speculating.
The weather on the previous day had been cloudy and gray, but the sun had returned. The sky was a bright blue and the air carried with it the scents of food being cooked at the local cafes. On occasion a breeze when carry in the scent of the old growth forest that surrounded Madison. On occasion. Men would pass with their compandroids at their side. As was his habit he treated the feminine androids with the respect and deference due to a lady. The act made him stand out as eccentric. The shallow compandroids would murmur a vacant thank you when a door was held or compliment received, but it was the thought that counted to Mason.
Mason stopped in front of a brick building that dominated most of the block. The building was built in a brick art deco style with a green awning over the entrance. The style was a throw back to the old world and an escape from the utilitarian bare outpost look that had formerly dominated Madison. After a moment’s contimplation he decided to step inside and see what was new. Every once in a while Francisco was overpowered with a spirit of generosity and would announce a one time only sale that only shoppers in the store at the moment could enjoy. It was his way of drawing people in.
Cantor’s department store was small compared to the stores in the city, and smaller still if you compared it to the stores back on Earth. It was however the first department store to open on Milenar and they were located throughout the country. Mason had ventured into Cantor’s to more or less browse. He’d had no special reason to be there. That was until he saw her. Standing in the sewing and cloth section was a compandroid with wavy blue hair that hung down just below her shoulders. She was dressed in a brown cardigan, gray turtleneck sweater, long skirt, and had a beret sitting atop her head. If she had been human the compandroid would have been a vision. She had an elegant well turned figure that was not as lush as her sister bots and was dressed quite modestly. She dressed with such purely unbridled feminine taste that he opened the bot skimmer app to make certain she was not a human in disguise.
Mason’s jaw almost dropped when she turned to face him. The compandroid had a fair complexion, high soft cheeks, a delicate chin, and big blue eyes that were crowned with long lashes. The eyes seemed to glisten as if she were alive. She met his gaze and smiled. It was not a calculated come hither smile. It was just a friendly smile. The bot skimmer indicated that the woman before him was purely synthetic, but his eyes told him that she was alive.
“Forgive me for staring.” Mason began.
“No harm has been done. Tell me, is this store short staffed?” she asked. “I have been trying to buy this machine and have it delivered to my home.” she added with a graceful motion toward the Singer sewing machine that was on display.
“They are usually quite attentive. Too much so sometimes,” Mason confessed. He glanced around and found that there was no staff present, but there were plenty of other men gawking at the blue haired compandroid that he was talking to.
“If you’d like I can try and find someone,” he offered.
“I’d like that.” she replied.
After stepping into the next isle Mason found Francisco, the manager who looked as if he were a nervous wreck. Upon site of Mason he appeared to relax somewhat.
“Mason, I am so glad you are here. I need someone with your talents!” the short manager exhaled after stepping closer to Mason.
“Is it something railroad related?” Mason asked in surprise.
“No, it is something compandroid related. Mason, you have that quirk err I mean talent of treating compandroids more or less like people. There is even a rumor that you can speak with coequals. I’m not asking questions, but I need you to deal with that THING!” he pointed at the blue haired compandroid by the sewing machine display.
“Is she causing trouble? She wants your help actually.” Mason replied.
“It’s uncanny! It does not talk or behave like a regular compandroid. I checked her RF code and it is a machine. There is no remote signal, so I don’t think that some deviant is trying to relive the time before the coequal divide.” Francisco fretted and mopped his brow with a handkerchief.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“She wants to buy things.” Mason said.
“But… it’s a machine….” the manger protested.
Mason knew that after pausing, taking a few deep breaths, and considering store profit margins he would find it in his heart to brave an encounter with the strange compandroid,. Mason did however have to take the lead and almost guide Francisco by the hand.
“Oh! Thank you for finding someone! I was beginning to worry that no one would help me.” the compandroid smiled at Mason when he returned with the manager in tow.
“Errr hmmm… How can I help you?” Francisco managed.
“I would like to buy this sewing machine and have it delivered to my apartment.” she explained.
“Who will this be charged to?” Francisco ventured.
“Me.”
“You?” the manager sputtered.
“I am buying it outright. I have cash.”
Mason and Francisco watched as the compandroid opened her clutch, removed her wallet, and could see that it contained a sizable amount of cash.
“Well… I think that we can handle that.” Francsico’s spirits lifted at the sight of money.
“You can deliver it to this address.” she handed a card to the manager.
“Marina is it?” Francisco began. “Once we ring up the sale you will be the proud owner of a sewing machine.” he continued after she nodded.
“May I call you Marina?” Mason ventured.
“Please do,”
“I am Mason. Mason Barrister.”
“I am simply Marina.”
“Marina, it is nice to meet you.”
Francisco had one of the cashiers ring up Marina’s order. Like the manager and most of the customers in the store, the clerk was mystified and unnerved by the compandroid that seemed to be human. If Marina noticed she did not let it bother her. Mason himself was fascinated by her. He was also worried about her too. A crowd of onlookers had surrounded them and were watching with rapt attention. Marina behaved as if she were human and not a mere automaton modeled after the beauty and femininity that existed before the genders entered the coequal revolution. Not only was Marina pretty, but she had cash and wore a gold heart shaped necklace around her neck. Those that were not enamored by her charm, could surely fall victim to their greed. There were few laws protecting companroids from being robbed. No one had ever thought of them as having property so any laws related to theft might not protect her.
“Marina, would you like to get a cup of coffee?” he ventured as he walked with her to the magazine rack.
“That sounds nice.” she replied after picking up an issue of Charm magazine, glancing at it, and putting it back on the rack.
Mason and Marina exited the store together and walked down the sidewalk to the town coffee shop. The cafe was modeled after an old world coffee shop and had a large outdoor covered dining area. Since the weather was pleasant the couple chose to sit outside.
“I’m sorry about the confusion,” Mason began after returning with a mocha in one hand and a black coffee in the other. “For you” he continued after placing the Mocha on the table in front of Marina.
“It was worth the wait,” she replied after picking the cup up, sipping it, and placing it back on the table.
“People here are not rude as a rule. It’s just that you are so different from other compandroids,” Mason explained after taking a seat across from her.
“I suppose I am,” she conceded. “Is it bad?”
“I don’t think so. But the laws of Milenar created a coequal division between the genders. Men and women who desire the old ways are seen as something like deviants.” Mason began. “ There are rumors that people have hacked into compandroids in order to have experiences. Others have pretended to be compandroids. I just don’t want you to get in trouble. Those that are caught have to flee society. I would not be an honorable man if I did not warn you.” he continued after leaning closer to Marina.
Marina looked thoughtful for a moment.
“You ARE a good man. I am a compandroid and am quite safe from the coequality rules,” she answered.
“I just wanted to make sure.”
“Mason, you don’t seem to react to me the way that the others do. Why is that?” Marina ventured.
“It’s just how I am.” he shrugged. “Are you new to town?”
“You could say that. I found myself here and decided that this is the place that I needed to be. From what I know your town is much more accommodating than the larger cities. You have vidcart rentals and more.”
“Do you have a companion?” Mason asked in spite of himself.
“No. I am single. Perhaps a boyfriend will be in my future. Time will tell. What about you? Are you single?” she replied.
“If single is the word for having no girlfriend, then I am indeed single.”
“No compandroid at home counting her cpu cycles until your return?” her gaze never wavered.
“No companion.” he shook his head.
“So… why were you in the market for a sewing machine?” Mason shifted the subject.
“I make my own clothes.”
“That’s a real talent you have. Is that why you were looking at Charm magazine?”
“I like my clothes cute and suited to my taste and sense of style. Most compandroid clothing is tailored toward other people’s tastes.” she explained.
Mason had noticed the difference in fashion between Marina and many compandroids when they had entered the coffee shop. The other compandroid was dressed in a far more revelaing clothing than Marina. She dressed in a way that was feminine and cute without looking like she was attempting to compete with the scandalous courtisan model compandroids who worked the infamous bawdy district near the city.
“My choices are buy what is in the ‘doll catalog’, dress in the hideous Hillunn style of the captial, or make my own clothing.” her nose wrinkled at the very mention of the drab office authoritarian style that had taken over the fashion industry. “I’m very good with patterns, cloth, needle, thread, and a sewing machine.” Marina added.
As they talked over coffee Mason found himself growing more and more at ease with Marina. Most compandroids based their “conversation” on pre written scripts and other material that their primitive AI’s had been trained on. Marina talked and thought like a human and her words were not the sing song prattle of a companroid. That was what caused people to feel self conscious when they were out with a companroid. This was like stepping back in time and talking to a woman before the co equalizing of the genders did not allow them to be recognized as women.
“Oh!” Marina exclaimed when she realized the time. “I have been having so much fun talking with you that I forgot about the time. I need to make certain that my packages were delivered.”
“Marina, would you like to exchange numbers? Maybe we could meet together and talk more,” Mason asked. Once finding such a delightful companion he did not want to risk never seeing her again.
“I would like that,” she replied and then retrieved her phone.
“Don’t hesitate to call.” he said after giving her his number. “Please stay safe he added.”
“I’m glad we met. You stay safe as well.” she replied.
Mason watched Marina glide away carried by graceful steps. Moments later the enchantment faded and he turned to find the other men at the cafe staring at him. They appeared to be just as amazed by the presence of Marina as he had been. Some who had brought their compandroids to the cafe had asked Mason what software upgrades his compandroid had. Others wanted to know what model she was. The ones that asked in front of their compandroids made Mason feel ill. Without another word he left the cafe and went home.