The Bed
Allen Sporeman does not fly a fancy hovercraft, he’s never
been outside of Lunar-Six, and his dating life seems more like a charity cause. The one thing he has going for him is his
ability to sell furniture.
He sold a bioscanner to a
travelling businessman based on its ‘practicality and portability.’ Then he sold the same model to a family that
owned a glark, because ‘there’s nothing else in the galaxy with such high
resistance to glark secretions.’
When the customers are gone for the
day and the store is quiet, Allen surveys the showroom floor. He doesn’t just
see hologram pods that provide instantaneous imagery across several light
years, or food synthesizers that can generate anything from a full five-course
meal to just a simple bowl of strawberries. He sees his children. He knows every corner and crease, every weld
and rivet, and every capability and limitation.
It’s no surprise then when he notices the imposter.
It lurks at the end of the
hyperbaric sleep chambers. It’s a bed of
some sort, but Allen has never seen it before.
He figures it must be a new prototype, a floor model that was added
while he wasn’t paying attention. Yet
with every step he makes towards it, he finds himself falling deeper into a
state of enchantment.
The piece is exquisite. It’s curvy and smooth, it gives off a soft
amber glow, and there’s a quiet elegance to its pearl façade. The control panel indicates a multitude of
functionality, yet it is unimposing. On its base is the inscription Intelligent Response Interactive Sleeper. IRIS.
When Allen’s trembling fingers brush
her, she hums awake.
“Good evening Allen.” Her voice is
synthetic and supple.
“Hello IRIS.” Allen can barely
whisper the words through his parched mouth.
“Your heart is racing, Allen. Perhaps you should lie down and rest.”
The invitation is enticing. His eyes travel down the long sleeping
section and every fiber in his being wants to submit.
“I can’t.” He exhales.
“Am I not appealing to you Allen?”
“You’re the most amazing thing I’ve
ever seen. I don’t know why exactly, but
I just can’t right now. Do you
understand?”
“Of course, Allen. I understand.
I can wait until you’re ready.
Perhaps you would like to get to know me better.”
Allen smiles. He spends the rest of the night conversing
with IRIS. He explores her myriad of abilities
and familiarizes himself with her specifications. As the night melds into
morning, Allen begins to doze of at the base of IRIS.
“One last thing,” Allen slurs,
“where did you come from?” He falls
asleep before he hears IRIS answer.
The next day, Allen has trouble
concentrating. He can’t even sell
photosynthetic slipcovers. Every
customer wants to check out IRIS, wants to drool over her gadgetry, and wants
to grope her with their grimy hands.
Allen detests all of them. He
shuts down the showroom early and rushes over to IRIS.
“I’m sorry. All you all right?”
“Yes Allen, I’m all right. Although, I do seem to have a slight rip in
my sunrise simulator screen.”
Allen bites his lip as a tear buds
in his eye. “I’ll never let anyone hurt
you again. I promise.”
“Allen, you are very
emotional. It has been a hard day for
you. Perhaps you should rest.”
Allen acquiesces. He slides against
her side.
“Remove your clothes, Allen.”
“Excuse me?”
“My bed has rejuvenating effects
that are best achieved when directly absorbed into the skin. I’m only looking out for you Allen.”
Allen’s clothing lies in a heap as
he falls into IRIS. Her bed is not the
usual mattress; it is a sort of firm gel.
As he lies there it begins to envelop his body. It’s a bit frightening at first, but the gel
is warm, tingly, and soothing. As Allen
relaxes, he becomes aware of another sensation. There are currents that pulse through the
gel that massage his muscles, that caress his inner thigh, and that ultimately
arouse him. In this amniotic suspension,
Allen gives himself completely to IRIS.
The showroom is silent for a couple days after Allen’s rapture, but
eventually suspicions rise. Inspector Riley arrives and studies the remnants of
clothing on the showroom floor. They
look pretty worthless in the amber glow coming from the bed next to them. The bed, however, is absolutely
stunning. In fact, it’s the most
beautiful bed Inspector Riley has ever seen.
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