A Strange Kiss
The night rolled away powered by our flights of fancy. We were outside the city on a small hill. The Zinian’s alu-boats could be seen far above us ferrying important members of their entourage for a night out in the glittering city that glowed behind our backs. I looked at her sitting by my side lost in contemplation of the crystal sand at her feet. I brushed away the dark hair falling into her eyes. She did not turn. I don’t think she even felt my fingers.
We had to come to a decision soon. For the thing between us would not be a secret for long. Most importantly, our actions would have grave repercussions that could and would concern a hundred planets in the multi-verse. It was not just about simple and pure love. It was also about big words like inter-life relations, space-culture dynamics and other arcane jargon.
She was still an enigma to me. From the time my eyes fell on her in Tulot’s hybrid party I’ve been fascinated by her inscrutable looks. She had the looks of a goddess but the face of a diplomat. We got talking soon. I did not find out her true nature until much later. But how does that matter? For the first time I found someone with whom I could discuss my inner dreams without that person secretly laughing at my naïve notions. Three thousand years of human development and still we hunger for the old basics; love, companionship and emotional bonding. She had a resolve and intelligence within her that could have propelled her to great fame in the known inti-verse. Strangely, she was not in the least bit interested in that. She was the exact opposite of me in that respect. As far back as I can remember I’ve wanted to be famous. I’ve always desired for people to talk about me, to recognize me from a distance as I walked down the virtual boulevards of Semperi City, or when I took a weekend break in the brilliant blue waters of Hintenia’s famous never-ending oceans. It was a hunger that had been driving me mad with frustration. But being with her soothed the raging fires of my twisted ambition. I had never felt more at peace with myself.
“Do you want to talk about it?�?, I asked her. She shook her head gently. I sighed silently. She had been difficult that way, refusing to discuss our situation, even though more than me she knew how difficult it would be for us once everything came out into the open. I let her drift back to wherever she had been mentally. I suddenly started. Perhaps she was consulting the RCI. She trusted that…that thing too much in spite of knowing that I did not like it. What would the RCI say? Would it agree to mediate on our behalf in front of the Global Bureau? I snorted at that. The RCI was notorious for its cunning, almost like a bio-human many said.
She got up suddenly and nodded at me. It was time to go back. I got up and brushed the sand off my clothes and looked at her. We stared at each other trying to divine our respective thoughts. Her eyes were wet with some deep emotion. Was I right? What had that hulking monster advised her? All of a sudden she pulled me to her and kissed me full on my mouth. A deep, deep metallic kiss. I could taste her cold tears in my mouth. Her lips melting and her tongue searching for mine with some desperation. Her hands gripping my head with a fierce determination. I had never been kissed like that before. She let me go as suddenly as she had pulled me. She turned towards the city and started walking without a backward glance. Confusion was stalking my thoughts and nothing seemed to make sense. Perhaps, there would be time for words later. I shrugged and set off after her.
Tell me can a man ever fall so utterly and madly in love with a robot?
I really enjoyed reading this. Experimentative?
This is really well written. REALLY! Amazing. 🙂
if the robot has a heart. what a kiss!! this seems to be a connection were words were not necessary but still vital especially for the one being left behind. great story.
I will wait for the man who “wants to be famous” to really be famous one day with a short story, a screenplay, or maybe even a book. The theme is sci-fi, as the mask of the underlying triumphs and torments of the real world.
On first reading this is terrific. I’m coming back for a slower second course and leave a slower, more thoughtful response.
:M: oh thank you very much…I’m happy you liked it…hmm…well a bit I guess but I’ve always wanted to write sci-fi so I guess this is the result of that desire…
Princessse: *smiles* thank you very much!
lorena: so would you fall in love with a robot one with a heart no doubt? and thank you…I’m glad you liked it..
Mermaid: *grins sheepishly*..as always you are very perceptive…lets hope he does one day…
finnegan: thank a lot…sure..sure…I’d love to know your ‘slower’ response being that this is more or less my first stab at this genre!
“The theme is sci-fi, as the mask of the underlying triumphs and torments of the real world.”
Exactly what I thought while reading this, but it was already put in much better words. 🙂
Shades here of the great Philip K. Dick: “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” (IMHO one of the most underestimated writers of the 20th century.) That “academia” doesn’t regard the Sci-Fi genre with the respect accorded others betrays their own irrelevance.
You obviously have a deep fascination with the genre, or you wouldn’t be putting such loving attention towards it. I would say that this writing of yours here is one of the best things I’ve read on your blog. If it’s merely experimental, I’m impressed 10 fold.
If you don’t know of Philip K. Dicks’s Sci-Fi works, you’d better do so before you head off into the multi-verse!
You bring her to life with your writing!
that was awesome and totally unexpected. the reason why i enjoy reading your work 🙂
you sure are talented mister! 🙂
Aran: I’m glad you agree with Mermaid!
finnegan: that’s one of the highest compliments any one can pay me….I adore sci-i writing and as you said it is a pity that it still hasn’t gained widespread critical acclaim or greater readership….looked on by many as an attempt to escape from reality…but little do they know that good sci-fi writing is, to use Mermaid’s excellent words, âThe theme is sci-fi, as the mask of the underlying triumphs and torments of the real world.â?
I love Philip K. Dick…he is only now gaining his rightful place among the great writers of the 20th century..I’ve read almost all of his short stories and two novels of his viz, ‘Game Players of Titan’ and quite recently ‘The Man In The High Castle’, the latter being one of the first examples of the use of alternate history in sci-fi…it is a classic in the genre and I strongly recommend it…even though the ending left me high and dry…I need to read it again! And a bit of trivia..as far as I know it is the only book of his to have won a Hugo award…
:A: thank you…
stella: thank you very much…I hope I’ll continue to do that!
gulnaz: *humbly bows*…thank you!
a robot with a big heart and a great personality, sure why not 🙂
Salut – je suis rentre a la vie normale…je m’excuse pour le derniere comment – je ne sais pas comment j’ai ecrit tel de nonsense!
Est-ce que tu as entendu de Enki Bilal? Il est un dessinateur et metter-en-scene, d’orgine Yogoslavie, qui vit actuellement en France – ses BDs, en particulier “Le Monstre du Sommeil” vont t’interesser – elle s’agit d’une theme similaire. C’est le style plutot, que je trouve analogue..C’est bien ecrit cette conte – tu ameliores dans cette genre! Bravo!
lorena: lets hope that will happen some day!
Geetanjali: ah bienvenue encore! je suis heureux que tu es normale….oui, j’ai entendu de Enki Bilal, en effet je possede le derniere film de luis ‘Immortel-Ad Vitam’…le premier film qui a utilise CGI comme par example en ‘Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow’…
Although, I dont know much about his comic book work I’m surprised that you think his and my style are similar as whatever lil I know of his wok (mainly thru the film) his work seems to have more elements of fantasy…whereas this story was more classic sci-fi I thought in the vein of Assimov, Phlip K. Dick et al…perhaps you could elaborate a lil more?? am quite curious to say the least! thanks for the reco I’ll try and get my hands on his work…and thank you very much for the words of encouragement…hope I do better next time…