Virgin Territory: A Space Opera

He closed himself up.

"I came to Peitho 9 to test a new software upgrade that might allow free-willed mechanical humans like myself to experience desire, love, and lust in much the same terms you all do. We call it the, um, 'Sex Drive.'

"This seemed the ideal place to study natural mating compulsions, in all of their various forms. But it looks like the programming is still inadequate to properly simulate the desired effect of desire."

He paused.

"Although lately I'm beginning to suspect that the problem isn't really me at all."

There was some nervous laughter. Miranda smacked herself in the forehead. "Oh dear," she said. "Kamil...I think we may have given you the wrong idea about some things."

Henry turned on his wife. "You knew. Somehow, you knew?"

"I didn't know," said Annabelle. "But I suspected. All it took was paying attention."

By now Kamil had his clothes back on. Most people still hadn't said anything, but the crowd did not quite seem quite ready to disperse either. Kamil cleared his throat.

"Well," he said. "I suppose, if nothing else, I should thank you all for a most educational vacation."

Annabelle laughed. No one else did. But she laughed enough for everybody.

***

Late night was turning back to very early morning. A cluster of meteors streaked blue and green across the purple-black Peitho sky. Dorcas lay on an anti-gravity hammock on the highest hilltop on her estate, while Miranda walked barefoot through the flower paths and watched the sky.

"And if you look very closely," she said, "you might just see the trail of the rocket taking the Virgin of Peitho 9 back out into the great beyond."

"Back to Earth?" Dorcas said.

"To Minvera 4. To keep working on his new software."

"Nice planet. I mean, I've never been there, but I've heard."

"Me too."

It had been two weeks since the party. Contrary to Kamil's fears, shares of Nexus skyrocketed after his big public outing. So too, apparently, had the number of marriage proposals he received daily.

Dorcas eased into the next question as delicately as she could: "Did you...see him again?"

"Yes," said Miranda.

"And did you...?"

"No."

Dorcas sighed. "Neither did we."

"Where is Zelda, anyway?"

"She left the planet unexpectedly. I think a process server is on her trail again. She'll turn up soon. Did you hear about Henry and Annabelle? He's suing to void the terms of the bet. Insists she set him up somehow. I find litigation so unstimulating, don't you?"

Miranda didn't answer. The sky was beginning to lighten.

"Anyway, I'm sure he'll get along on Minerva." Dorcas bounced up off the hammock. She was wearing a top and a skirt and even stockings. Miranda had never seen her so clothed. "You know, you COULD pay him a visit, once he's settled in there. He liked you. Everyone could tell. Zelda was so jealous she spit."

"That wouldn't be a good idea."

"For him, or for you?"

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not."

Dorcas called the mechanical cabana boys. They brought margaritas. One of them was a Casanova Gold. Normally she'd excuse herself right about now for a morning "workout," or better yet, invite Miranda to join her, but somehow she didn't feel like it.

"A whole lot of stars out there. A whole lot of fish in the sea," Dorcas said. "We should all go on a trip. Maybe to Saturn's moons. Just the two of us, and Annabelle if she can get away from the lawyers. Cheer ourselves up."

"That sounds fun," Miranda said, and she meant it, but she knew it wouldn't happen. Life—or its closest equivalent—would go on, but somehow she was quite certain it would never be exactly the same.

She accepted the drink the robot offered her, and sat on the hilltop the rest of the morning, watching the rosy sun rise in the west. It was another day in paradise. Or as close to paradise as money could buy.