CR1515 – 1

I’ve cut out the more explicit content, which also happens to include pivotal parts of the story. Deal with it.

The first chapter is mostly the same as what I posted before, with few changes.

Aurora’s eyes closed, and for a moment she drifted off before she snapped herself back into consciousness. The horizon was growing lighter, and he still hadn’t appeared. While she was doing her best to maintain the vigil, it was difficult to feel a sense of urgency when their fate rested on someone who was now hours late.

“He’s not coming,” Talon murmured, closing his hand around Aurora’s. His skin felt burning hot over hers, so she snuggled up against his side to soak in his warmth.

“He has to,” she replied quietly.

“As soon as the first sun rays appear, we’re out of time.” Talon motioned to the frozen 12-foot mecha that stood some yards away, still poised in mid-attack. “The artifacts won’t hold it after daybreak.”

“He’ll be here,” Aurora weakly insisted. “He’s the only one who can stop it.”

“We need to leave before we get killed.” Talon stood then pulled on her. “Come on.”

“But what about the artifacts?”

“They’ll probably be destroyed. We’ll have to worry about that later.”

Aurora reluctantly followed Talon, but she couldn’t stop herself from looking back. Recovering the three artifacts had been a long and difficult process, and so had been activating them to imprison the mecha in a force field. The thought of being abandoned by CR1515 at the last minute was too much to bear.

“Let’s go find him,” she suggested hopefully.

“If Robot Boy was coming, he would have been here hours ago,” Talon snapped.

“The Gate isn’t far from here. Let’s go see if we can contact him, at the very least.” Aurora hated the thought of giving up, and even though she knew her idea sounded silly and irrational, it was far better than doing nothing.

“You go then, if it will make you happy. I need to tell the others what’s happened.” Talon stopped and turned to Aurora, put his arms around her waist, then lightly pecked her lips. “Don’t risk waiting around, though,” he whispered. “If he doesn’t answer in two minutes, get underground.”

“I promise I will.” Aurora closed her eyes as they kissed farewell again, then continued on to the Gate alone. She approached the metal door, standing in the middle of an empty lot free from any buildings or walls, and pushed the small button next to it. Silently, she began to count the seconds, feeling the weight of fatigue build with every number.

At 64, the door swung open.

She hesitated, then stepped through.

Aurora was no longer in the empty lot with solid earth beneath her feet. She was inside a large room with monitors and windows on every side, looking out at a dark sky that was speckled with innumerable stars. Her breath caught in her throat at the realization that she was no longer on the planet, but far above it in space.

Metallic footsteps came towards her, and she turned to face CR1515. It hurt to find him home, staring at her with his expressionless face, and she couldn’t stop herself from crying out, “How could you?”

He stopped, and his voice sounded deep with a slight electronic buzz, “Have you never questioned whether or not you are worthy of my help?”

“Aren’t … we?” Aurora was lost for words. The truth was, through all the hard work and sacrifices that they had made to reach their goal, it never once occurred to her to wonder what CR1515 thought of them – she had assumed that he would assist the moment he was needed; he always had in the past.

“I have grown tired of humanity. Save yourselves.” He turned to walk away, but Aurora jumped forward and caught hold of his back, pressing herself against him as she begged,

“Please. Please. We’ve done everything we can, but that mecha is … a lot of people will die if you don’t do something right now!”

“No.” His reply was so flat and blunt, it was like being punched in the chest. Aurora let out a cry of pain, but clung harder to him with increased desperation.

“I swear that I’ll do anything you ask, if only you’ll kill that thing!” she begged.

“You swear?” CR1515’s metal hands pressed down over her wrists, holding her in place with her arms around him.

“I swear!”

“I want what your species takes for granted.” He thrust Aurora’s arms away from him and once again turned to face her. “I want to touch, and to love.”

She stood, numbed by the words, unable to stop the thought, He’s a robot, from repeating itself over and over in her mind. CR1515 possessed the likeness of a human, but he was undoubtedly made of hard metal. How could he touch?

“Will you be mine?” he asked.

“But …” Aurora’s voice faded.

“Those are my terms. If you won’t accept, then begone.”

“…Yes.” Her lower lip trembled, and she wondered if she should try to take back the word despite having said it.

A seam appeared down the center of CR1515’s chest, and Aurora watched disbelievingly as the metal parted and a man of flesh and blood stepped out, with golden skin that gleamed softly. She blushed and turned away, not daring to look at his completely nude form.

“You are shocked,” he intoned, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Your species is the greatest work of engineering to ever grace the universe, with your only major flaw being the softness of your bodies. I was created to utilize your strengths while correcting your weaknesses.”

“Are you actually human?” Aurora asked, then immediately felt stupid for the words. Of course he wasn’t, she chastised herself, but it was difficult to think clearly with a naked man standing next to her.

“I was born one, but ceased to be long ago.” His lips touched her ear. “Give yourself to me.”

“I’m betrothed.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “If you want someone to love, then it should be easy to find …”

“I want you.” CR1515’s fingers lightly brushed her cheek as he turned her around. The undeniably masculine part of him was pressed against her, and she found herself flushing as her heart quickened. “No one else.” He took the end of her long braid and pulled out the tie, then worked his fingers through her hair to loosen it, so that strands flowed freely around her.

“But …”

“You’re running out of time.” His hands found the zipper in the back of her skirt, and once it was undone the fabric readily slipped down to the floor. “You have only 32 minutes until sunrise.”

“But, Talon …” she protested weakly as CR1515 removed her blouse over her head and tossed it aside.

“Then I will stand back, and watch as your kind dies.” Her bra came off next, and he paused to place a hand over one of her exposed breasts. Aurora shivered as goosebumps prickled her skin.

“This isn’t fair.” Tears slipped from her eyes.

“No. It isn’t.” Finally, her panties were stripped from her, leaving her as completely naked as CR1515 was. He held her firmly against him, skin touching skin, as he trailed his fingers along her back and around the curves of her body, tasting her mouth with his own. He picked her up and carried her to another room, where he placed her down on a soft bed and levied himself over her.

“Unlike your species,” he whispered, “I will never take this bliss for granted.”

…

…

Finished, he kissed her then whispered, “I wish I could linger, but I have precisely 15 minutes to destroy your menace. I will return to you shortly afterwards.”

The finality of his words hit hard. Before he disappeared through the door, Aurora sat up and called out, “I’m never going home again, am I.”

He paused. “No. Never again.”

She sank down into the pillows and pulled the blankets around herself, no longer possessing the energy to react. With a heavy breath, she closed her eyes and let the events of the last 24 hours press her down into a deep sleep.