The Ride Home
Roga twisted the cast on his left foot back and forth. The damn machine had put the cast on his leg when he was not ready, resulting in it hardening at a strange angle where his ankle would constantly run against its side. His co worker Evanston watched helplessly as they sat in the break room together.
"So how did it happen?" Evans asked.
"Slipped on some gunk, got my foot caught in the tracks of the loader." Roga replied.
Evans moved closer to inspect the misaligned cast, eyeing it with suspicion.
"The miracles of modern medicare, portable reconstruction surgery in 30 minutes but can't put a cast in straight. It still hurting in there?"
" It hurts like hell alright, the doctor said I shouldn't be on my feet for at least a week."
"Alright Rogs, take it easy, see ya next week I guess."
Evans had already taken off his work overalls and had switched to his rain jacket and boots, leaving squeaks as he left on his commute home. Roga let out a heavy sigh as his last co-worker disappeared behind the heavy metal doors. He was a bit disappointed that Evans had not thought to ask if he needed help to get home. Even if they did not know where he lived. A thought about his predicament and a helping hand would be nice. But at last, not a single person out of the 14 men and women offered any help. Roga stared at the 7 foot tall monitor that cycled through ads and motivational pics. It flickered to a scene where the silhouette of a man stood over an army of androids. The figure raised his arm and pointed his fingers towards the sky of an alien planet. Buildings and roads faded into existence in the background along with the words "Build your future, humanity's future!" It was all a bunch of lies, only disappointment awaited those who choose to be pioneers. He had worked on a colony for a few years. Before he went broke and had to return home from the ever-increasing price of accommodation compared to the stagnant wages. The colonies were mostly funded by the companies and they cared more about working people like slaves than building a new home for humans to live in.
So here he was, washed up, back in the city he grew up in. Working in some small-time data recovery service in a city that spanned a thousand kilometres in the United Americas. But life was good, he had friends, less than he thought upon his return, but it was still better than the colonies. The screen changed again, but he decided to look away.
Now he's worried about the immediate problem of how to get home. In the megacities here on earth personal transports were banned. Streets were designed for only pedestrians and the occasional bicycle for those that lived in the far districts. The buses that ran on the skyways only had stops far and wide in between. Roga looked at his pair of brand new crutches and his bike sitting by the back exit.
"Why did you have to ban scooters you FUCKING POLITICAL HYPOCRITES!" He shouted into the room.
"Are you okay Mr Lawson?" A girl's voice came from behind. Roga panicked for a second and quickly turned around and began apologizing. He thought all his co-workers had left and he was alone.
"Oh, oh. Sorry I'm not usually like this, must be the meds that…" his voice trailed off as he noticed it was Laura, the only android that worked at the business. He remembers the boss introduced the cute but otherwise bland looking blond to the crew. He did not pay much attention to her through the years, all he knew was that she did all the secretary work up front. Often he would hear frustrated customers cursing the poor android out front. People often vented at the androids knowing full well that they would just take it without any recourse to be had.
She placed the stack of orders she was holding on a nearby table and approached him.
"I'm sorry about the accident Mr Lawson, it is really unfortunate that you got hurt. I know it's not much coming from me, but I apologize on behalf of Miss Wilner and the…"
"Company." Roga said.
Laura flashed a smile and nodded at him.
"How long have you worked here?" He asked.
"Five years. Miss Wilner purchased me to help with the business."
"That's all you do? You don't seem to go home with the boss when she leaves." Roga asked, now he was getting curious.
"Yes, Miss Wilner has no need for me in her home. She has a domestic android already. So when we close I head to do some maintenance and just hang around till day time."
"Oh… I see." Roga looked around, twisting his crutches in his arms, feeling it's weight. He was starting to feel the medicine is kicking in. It didn't make him sleepy or nauseous, it felt like he had just drank a whole bottle of liquor, everything was simply numb.
"If you don't mind… I noticed no one offered you any help in getting home..." she added.
Roga noticed Laura was holding her hands clasped together, her fingers fidgeting. In his younger days he would often mistake the human like androids as real people. But as he got older, he got better at telling them apart. But looking at Laura now he was having second thoughts; when did they make them so real?
"I could take you home on your bike. I have your address on file after all." She extended her hand towards him, offering to help him stand up.
Roga cocked his head to the side. Was he now going to receive help from an android after everyone had forsaken him? Was this his new low?
"Are you even allowed to help me get home?"
"I am! Your also part of the company, so of course I should help you. Also I'm technically off work now just like you so I can do whatever I wished." She thrusted her hand in offering again. "If you want me to of course ."
Reluctantly Roga took her hand. They were soft, more so than his. The way her hands felt made him remember the last time he held someone else's hands. In his memory, they were his sister's when she also left for one of the many colonies. Lost in thought he watched as Laura pulled his breathing mask from his locker and pulled it over his head. She helped him outside where the sharp smell of the ozone permeating the streets and the frigid wet air seeped through the edges of his mask and stung his nose and eyes. She left him standing outside the door for a while but quickly came back out side with his bike. Helping him get on the back then she took the front seat.
"So you have everything Mr Lawson?" She asked, ready to pedal.
Roga noticed that now on the busy street there were people looking at them. He thought he must look like a child right now. He could have called for a porter. But he didn't mind the attention he felt Laura was giving him even if Laura was just a droid.
"Call me Rogs." He said as he put his hands on her hips.
As she began to peddle they quickly weaved through the street. People walked about with respirators and masks of various kinds. Those without were obviously androids, but the majority of the denizens on the streets were non-humanoid androids of various designs. Carriers took on quadrupedal forms with packages on their backs, construction and repair workers walked in groups of slender and tall human shapes and eight-legged crawlers whose feet could double as hands as they saw fit. The streets themselves were narrow with various obstacles, garbage, and abandoned junk scattered around. But that messy part of the district were quickly behind them.
They were entering the living districts with endless rows of apartment buildings. Most of them abandoned and decrepitated. With a free one way ticket now sponsored by the government much of the population had left for their false promises. Laura brought them through the area quickly, the wind was starting to penetrate through his jacket. Without noticing Roga found himself with his whole arms wrapped around her, the side of his face rubbed against her shifting back as she peddled. He could feel the dry heat emanating from her body, he found himself holding on tighter to absorb as much heat as he could.
Even through his drugged stupor, he felt the slightest hint of arousal and in-appropriateness holding her this tightly. Through her thin layer of clothes, he could feel the soft structure of her skeleton. At the base of her rib bone he could feel the edge of a square shape, no doubt some component of some kind he thought. Curious, he dug his hand around aimlessly, he could feel the vague shapes of soft tubes and bags as the elastic parts moved about. Her skin was relatively thin compared to real people. With some hesitation, he moved his hands upwards though her clothes as he felt the bottom of her braless breasts. To his surprise her breasts were soft and felt real enough, though he wouldn't be a good judge of that. After a moment of touching he did not notice any objections coming from Laura, he half expected her to swat him away. That's at least how they all acted on the TV shows that he's seen, androids in public acted very cold and detached. His hands moved upwards again and now felt her hard and erect nipples. There was a satin dry smoothness to her skin that made her breasts slippery to the touch. Roga reasoned that if she had let him come this far without any objections that means there would be no repercussions for his behaviour. It was not unheard of for office droids engaging in the act with their co-workers off-hours, as long as their owners have not prohibited these actions of course. Boldened, he began fondling her breasts more candidly, playing with them. Sure enough, Laura began wriggling underneath his hands. He could hear her moaning quietly through the sound of the wind after each of his squeezing and rubbing.
The streets that they are riding through were now completely empty. The air colder, but carried less noise from the surroundings. In the far distance, one could make out giant constructors disassembling silhouettes of buildings piece by piece. Countless arms quietly and slowly picking away at the towers, leaving almost no destruction or waste behind. Soon enough Roga's apartment was next, he would be there to collect the relocation compensation waiting for him.
Laura began to slow down as they approached the base of one of the many identical buildings. All 312 floors were empty, except for him and an old retiree that he almost never sees, only his name on a package delivery box and a faint light by a window on the first floor betrayed his existence. Roga stopped his playing, his hands now stiff from the cold and the drugs together. Arriving at the front door Laura inserted his bike into a receptacle that transported the contents into an unseen place. Roga had some doubts but did not speak up. He always would just leave the bike sitting by the elevator, there was nobody around anyways. With both of his crutches in hand and some fumbling steps, he managed to get through the front door into the building. He stopped and turned towards Laura as he noticed she was standing just outside.
"May I?" She asked.
"Yes! Sure, come on in…"
Laura quickly wrapped her shoulder under his arms, supporting much of his weight. He was sure she could easily have lifted him off the ground and carried him if she wished. On the way up in the elevator Laura remained silent. Her eyes wandered around the ground, avoiding eye contact, a slight flush came on her cheeks as well. She was acting like a cliche schoolgirl on her first date. Cute, but a little strange Roga thought as he stared at her. What could be making her act this way? He had acted pervertedly this whole time towards her, any normal girl would have either beat his ass or called the cops on him he thought. All the androids, especially those who were designed for human interaction should act and react similarly compared to real people. Roga gestured Laura inside his modest apartment. There were not many furnishings and nothing more than the essentials so it was impossible for it to get messy.
"Nice place, very cozy." Laura said as she looked around, peeking around corners and leaving no place unchecked.
Ignoring her Roga immediately went for his bed, rolling over in his jacket he felt he could fall asleep at any moment. The only thing that kept him awake was the presence that now sat beside him. He felt that he should say something, to break the awkward silence.
“So where do you live? Or spend the night, where do you go?”
“Well, My address is at 1-2090 Ryerson Way, in the”
“No no” Roga waved his hands in the air. “I mean do you live in an apartment? Living alone or with others.”
“Well… I live with other androids. We share the same maintenance service in the building.”
“Service, Wow, your place must pretty be nice.”
Roga said looking up at Laura. She had taken off her work uniform and was now in a tight-fitting sleeveless shirt and pants. He could clearly see her erect nipples that he was playing with earlier protruding through the fabric.
“It’s not that kind of building, it's more like a storage space than living space."
Roga paused and thought for a moment.
"Oh, that's too bad, your welcome to stay here for the night."
He replied, remembering. When he was young and devious, he and a few friends had snuck into a storage building to “browse” stuff that they found interesting to take home. Prying opening thin aluminum doors they had once come across a room stuffed with androids. They stood shoulder to shoulder in the large container, some of them awoke and shouted the boys away. He had nightmares that he was stuck in such a claustrophobic place for months afterwards. Roga now closed his eyes and thought of what he should do. His brain told him to sleep away the night. His throbbing member told him he should take advantage of the situation. Before he had decided Laura lifted his hands and placed them to her face. She guided his fingers across her soft lips and Roga felt the warm and soft inside of her mouth. Before he was the wiser he felt her other hand stroking his member. She had worked his pants open without him knowing and now was moving down to kissing and licking his erection. Roga enjoyed the moment as his eyes were too tired from opening. He could feel her tongue wrapping him, stroking.
“Oh fuck your good.” He managed to say while he cummed inside her mouth. Her oral intake pumps efficiently sucking up all his cum along with a surge of her own fluids to help keep things clean. She hummed an acknowledgement.
With his load off his mind, he could not be sure if he was still awake or he was already in his dreams. The last thing he remembers is her pulling the sheets over him and shutting off the lights.