This choice: "You are here to keep Albernate happy. He likes nubile human females." • Go Back...Chapter #5Satisfying the Albernate. by: Gimlet   "Nubile...? What?" I manage, my brain locking at the implications. What is going on here?
The man looks up from his clipboard at me with a piercing gaze.
"Yes. His needs are varied and his stay here on Eprantra is short. Estimated from three to seven days. Your task is to keep him entertained any way he needs. His last two visits have allowed us some understanding of his wants, and his fascination with the female human form has forced us to send for you."
This sounds odd. Especially the way this man is wording all this. Um...
"Female 'human?'... wait... are you not human?" I say, stepping back from the now suspiciously handsome person.
He glances up, a look of shock on his face.
"Good lord no! I'm a Langford Construct thank you very much! It took five hours to assemble this visage, for your benefit I might add!"
I blink, for a moment staring at him up and down thoroughly, shortly afterwards reminding myself of his complete lack of doing the same to me this entire time, despite my lack of accoutrements. The reason why is obvious now of course.
"You're... a robot?"
"No! I am a Construct, and please do not refer to me as a robot, synthetic, android or automoton either. It is very insulting!"
"I...sorry. I didn't know." I blink. "Literally."
Having said that though I do vaguely recall something about Langford Constructs being granted sentient rights. Though little else about them.
"Apology accepted. Now, the Albernate will be arriving tomorrow and you should at least familiarize yourself with his..."
He abruptly winces as an ear-piercing screech fills the room. I slam my hands over my ears myself, wincing along with him. After a couple of seconds it ends, and the 'Construct' looks back at his clipboard and sighs melodramatically.
"And of course, he's arrived early. Typical! No consideration for servisors!"
"Wait, he's here? But... I have no idea what to do!"
The still unnamed Construct shakes his head tiredly as he walks to a wall, taps his clipboard against it, and catches the duplicate clipboard that materializes, seemingly from the wall itself.
"Here is all the pertinent data on our guest. Do not insult him, do everything he requests, and above all else do not..."
Again he is interrupted as the door he came in through opens once more and a very obvious mechanical robot floats in, looking like a mishmash of antique hardware and chrome sidings on a spherical body.
"He's here! He's here! Hurry hurry hurry!" It yells in a very obviously electronic voice. The thing extends a concertina like hose-arm which wraps tightly around my right wrist! With a gasp I feel myself yanked forwards. As I pass the Construct he manages to toss the duplicate clipboard to me, which thankfully I catch successfully, and I get a brief, last view of him behind me as he waves sadly at me before the door shuts solidly behind me.
"Hurry hurry hurry!" the thing yammers as it drags me along, my feet practically sliding across the floor now, though surprisingly it was like skating almost, the smooth metallic floor seemingly almost frictionless. Definitely not a human habitat. They'd have carpeting everywhere!
I'm yanked down two corridors, past a hallway where I get brief glances at odd aliens that spur faint recollections in my fragmentary memory, then am dragged further down larger corridors until a double door opens in front of me and the floating robot stops abruptly, letting my inertia slide me smoothly through into the chamber beyond. I catch a glance of the robot giving an electronic sigh of relief before the doors shutting cut off my view of it as my skidding forward slows. A hiss made me turn back in my direction of motion, as the other doors opened.
Beyond was the Albernate.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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