04-21-2022, 10:36 AM
The invite:
FEMBOT BLUES
Gary W. Shockley
Daryl peered out at the woman on the step. He had assumed the repairman would be male. A further recognition then settled in.
"Jenny?" he said.
Her eyes brightened. "Daryl?"
They'd gone to high school together, dated for years, even talked of marriage. What were the odds?
Jenny cleared her throat. "So. One of our units is acting up?"
Moments later they stood before an open closet.
Jenn peered at the shadowy figure inside. "Did you name it?"
"Ursula."
"Hi, Ursula." Setting her cap and toolbox aside, she rocked Ursula out of the darkness. Kneeling, she made a cursory inspection. "Never seen a unit so tricked out. You realize these pleasure mods void the warranty."
"So. You can't fix it."
"I didn't say that." She sat back on her haunches, thinking. "Tell you what. I'd be willing to turn a blind eye if you'd do something for me."
"What's that?"
She rose and stood alongside Ursula for comparison. "Explain to me what went wrong. With us. How I failed to, well, measure up. Was I too short? Wrong hair color? Some fatal character flaw?"
He sighed. "Jenn."
"No. Really. I won't get mad. I'd just like to know."
The front door opened and a well-built man entered. He went straight to the fridge for a beer, then flopped down on the living-room sofa. Only then did he spy Jenn.
"The name's Rob," he said, joining them. "Didn't realize we had company. Want a beer?"
Jenn scrutinized them both. "No."
"So. What's the verdict?" He mussed Ursula's blond hair. "Can she be fixed?"
"Who uses this?" Jenn asked.
"Does it matter?" Rob clapped Daryl on the shoulder. "Sure isn't this one-way guy."
They winced at the door-slam. Jenn was gone. Rob looked askance at Daryl. "Was it something I said?"
Quote:Hey Gary... we'd love to see you contribute a 300 word story to the Queer Sci Fi flash fiction contest this year! The theme is "Clarity," and the contest closes May 1st.This wasn't a special invite. I think all members of SFWA got blanketed with it. Lady Cranefly got one. Anyway, what the hell. It seemed like an interesting challenge. If LCF writes up an entry, I'll make certain she posts it as well on DOOM.
FEMBOT BLUES
Gary W. Shockley
Daryl peered out at the woman on the step. He had assumed the repairman would be male. A further recognition then settled in.
"Jenny?" he said.
Her eyes brightened. "Daryl?"
They'd gone to high school together, dated for years, even talked of marriage. What were the odds?
Jenny cleared her throat. "So. One of our units is acting up?"
Moments later they stood before an open closet.
Jenn peered at the shadowy figure inside. "Did you name it?"
"Ursula."
"Hi, Ursula." Setting her cap and toolbox aside, she rocked Ursula out of the darkness. Kneeling, she made a cursory inspection. "Never seen a unit so tricked out. You realize these pleasure mods void the warranty."
"So. You can't fix it."
"I didn't say that." She sat back on her haunches, thinking. "Tell you what. I'd be willing to turn a blind eye if you'd do something for me."
"What's that?"
She rose and stood alongside Ursula for comparison. "Explain to me what went wrong. With us. How I failed to, well, measure up. Was I too short? Wrong hair color? Some fatal character flaw?"
He sighed. "Jenn."
"No. Really. I won't get mad. I'd just like to know."
The front door opened and a well-built man entered. He went straight to the fridge for a beer, then flopped down on the living-room sofa. Only then did he spy Jenn.
"The name's Rob," he said, joining them. "Didn't realize we had company. Want a beer?"
Jenn scrutinized them both. "No."
"So. What's the verdict?" He mussed Ursula's blond hair. "Can she be fixed?"
"Who uses this?" Jenn asked.
"Does it matter?" Rob clapped Daryl on the shoulder. "Sure isn't this one-way guy."
They winced at the door-slam. Jenn was gone. Rob looked askance at Daryl. "Was it something I said?"