I arrived at Synthetic Android Technology Inc, or SATinc, as it was more commonly known, at ten to ten on an already cool autumn Melbourne morning. I thanked my driver, a government standard C-Class android, and got out of the vehicle.

I stood in front of the large, white, glass-wall building for a brief moment. My reflection met me. My hair matched my camel-coloured wool coat; my chocolate-brown scarf was the exact colour of my eyes, though the set of my jaw belied my nerves. I took a deep, affirming breath—today was the day I took control of my life. I fixed my coat collar, and went inside.

The interior was as sparse as the exterior. Vast shiny floors led to a seamless reception desk, the only object in the huge room. Despite twenty-foot ceilings and walls of glass, it was surprisingly warm and eerily silent. My anxiety about what environment I would be walking into eased, and I felt comfortable in the minimalistic room.

The woman behind the counter smiled at me. She was strikingly beautiful, possibly Japanese, with straight black hair and perfectly white teeth. It took me a moment to fully realise that she wasn’t human. Jesus. She was so… real.

“Can I help you?” she said. Even her voice sounded real.

“Yes, my name is Lloyd Salter. I have an appointment at ten o’clock.”

She didn’t need to check a computer. She was one. “Yes, of course. Mr Kingsley is expecting you.” She stood, walked around the side of the desk, and gestured with her hand. “This way, please.”

She walked like a human, behaved like a human, spoke like a human. She was by far the most advanced synthetic android I’d seen.

She led me to a white door in the white wall, which I might not have even known existed if it hadn’t opened as we approached. The hall was yet more white, though there were doors leading off the hall to what I assumed were offices. She stopped at one door in particular, which opened as if on cue, and stepped inside. “Mr Salter to see you, sir.”

The man she spoke to stood at the end of his very large office, looking out through an internal window. He was younger than I’d expected. Younger than me even. He wore tailored navy suit pants and a crisp white shirt. He was rather handsome, his features even a little perfect, and I might’ve thought he was an android too if his smile didn’t produce wrinkles at his eyes.

“Ah, Mr Salter,” he greeted me as if we were old friends. He walked over to me and stood just a fraction too close. “Are you ready to change your life?”

Well, I was here, wasn’t I?

“I assume for the better,” I said.

His smile became a grin. “Like you can’t even imagine.”

Within five minutes of meeting Sasha Kingsley, I knew several things. He was an elite salesman, and he was incredibly intelligent. Genius even. He was the mastermind behind SATinc. At thirty-four years old, he was the CEO of the biggest synthetic android company in Australia. He was astute, critical, streamlined in his conversation and movements, and I might have even liked him.

If I liked people.

And he wasted no time in getting to the point. “You’ve purchased the newest A-Class synthetic android,” he said, slowly nodding.

I almost smiled. “I’m two hundred thousand credits shorter in my account, so I assume it’s purchased.”

He smiled right back at me, and I decided he was on the smarmy side of confident. A trait I didn’t truly care for. He clapped his hands together, a loud noise in an otherwise silent space. “Then let’s get down to business. To the showroom.”

He waved his hand toward the door, much like the android receptionist had, though I was grateful he was pretty much no-nonsense after that. If he expected me to need pandering for dropping a rather large sum of money in his account, he was wrong. I didn’t need my ego polished. He already had my money.

I followed him further down the hall where a set of doors opened as we approached. The room inside—the showroom, as he called it—was large and white, like everything else. But, the way a car showroom might display the best vehicles, this showroom displayed synthetic androids. And not just the full bodies, but the parts as well. Six almost naked forms, save underwear, three gynoid, three android, stood along a wall like almost naked mannequins, only very, very humanlike. There was a section of wall dedicated to hair, to eyes, to feet, to breasts, to pecs, to skin colour and texture. It was like I’d walked into a body workshop. In many ways, I guess I had.

“Something the matter?” he asked.

“I uh, I thought it would be more digital,” I said. “That I’d be selecting from 3D holograms.”

“Here at SATinc, we want you to know what you’re getting. Especially with the A-Class, I want you to feel the hair, feel the skin.” He reached out and almost touched one of the gynoids but paused. “If you were ordering ten C-Class units out of a catalogue to be fitted as tram drivers, then sure. But when customers expect the very best, they’ll get exactly what they ordered.”

Fair enough. I stared at the three android models. I’d researched online for quite some time, so I knew which one I preferred, but to see him up close… And nearly naked… God, the bulge in his underwear was impressive. It made me feel warm all over.

“Which model do you like?” he asked, though he didn’t really need to. I hadn’t stopped staring at him.

“Shaun.”

“Oh, very good choice,” Sasha said. “You won’t be disappointed.”

I walked over to the inanimate android and looked him in the eyes. My God, he was so lifelike.

“Have you owned androids before?” Sasha asked behind me.

“Yes. A driver, a cleaner.”

He stood closer to me now. “But never a fully compatible unit.”

I shook my head.

Fully Compatible Unit meant the android was programmed to meet my every need. Every need. Even sexual.

Especially sexual.

“You can touch him,” Sasha whispered before he stepped back, giving me space. Giving me time.

I lifted my hand to Shaun and lightly touched his chest, gasping as I did.

“Feels very real, doesn’t he?” Sasha sounded pleased.

I didn’t turn to see his face. I nodded instead. Then I flattened my palm over Shaun’s pec and slid it up to his neck. His jaw, his bottom lip. “My God.”

“Shall I turn him on for you?” Sasha asked.

I nodded once. “Please.”

“Shaun, Power On,” Sasha said clearly, and the android in front of me blinked. Then Sasha smiled. “Like all androids, voice command operated to power up and down.” He turned to the android next to Shaun. “Shane, Power On.”

Shane blinked and looked at Sasha expectantly. “Shane, Power Down.”

And Shane did.

Sasha walked over to stand beside me. “Shaun, this is Lloyd.”

“Hello, Lloyd,” Shaun said; his voice was like warmed honey. It matched his eyes. He extended his hand and I shook it.

It felt real. It felt very real, like a human hand. It was even warm.

“All modules have a running temperature of thirty-six degrees Celsius,” Sasha said as if he could read my mind. “Helps enhance the human factor during intercourse.”

I blanched. “Right.”

Sasha put a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Let me run through some specs with you first. I’m sure you’ve read all about them, but it helps to establish a clinical approach. Discussing their sexual capabilities is no different than discussing their cooking or cleaning capabilities. It’s easy to empathise with them because they look human, and they’re designed to look human but they’re not human. I assume you read the AI Humanoid Commission Act before signing and forwarding payment?”

I nodded.

“Good. Though I’m sure you understood it perfectly well, by law I am obliged to reiterate.” Then he proceeded to give me a well-rehearsed spiel, one that he’d no doubt given a thousand times before. “The International Roboethics Act and the AI Humanoid Rights Commission Act is a law under Australian Federal legislation that sets industry standards and the legal rights of all androids. There are certain laws that are obvious, such as the prohibition of child androids, but also the intricate laws that deal with ethics and consent. There are common laws that ensure no malice or deliberate harm comes to any android, and with the introduction of All Purpose Units, laws pertaining to consent.

“All sexual relations must be consensual, which companies such as SATinc have ensured by programming sexual desire into their synthetic androids. Yes, sexual desire. Not programmed to say ‘yes’ if asked, but actual desire. Neural networks within their mainframe recognise their owner’s face, body, and their synthetic hormone sensors react accordingly, all within the Roboethics Guidelines of course. By law, all of SATinc’s units also have built-in security features, which enable an automatic shutdown and the AMA, the Artificial Moral Agency, and the police are notified should the unit’s pain receptors be activated. In accordance with our mission statement, SATinc prides itself on integrity and all customers are subject to full background checks, yourself included.”

I resisted giving him applause for his performance. “I trust you found no red flags.”

He humoured me with a smile. “Of course. I trust you’re happy with the contractual terms and conditions within these laws.”

I signed the contract, didn’t I? “Of course.”

“Excellent. Though I’m happy to address any concerns you might have.”

“I have no concerns.”

“Good. But our products are also a purpose-built unit. They are purchased for a purpose; a range of reasons, really, including sexual activity. They are designed for it. So, we can get all those details out of the way before we choose aesthetics, yes?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“All units are temperature controlled, waterproof, and self-cleaning. You can help him clean himself, but he is capable of doing so on his own.” Then he turned to Shaun. “Shaun, please take off your underwear.”

I could have sworn the android smirked. But then he slid his fingers under the elastic of his briefs and slid them down to the floor. He picked them up, folded them, and set them on the desk.

Oh boy.

“Very life-like, yes?”

His cock hung heavy, great girth and length. It was unnerving, in a totally arousing kind of way. I nodded. “Yes.”

“Would you like to touch it?”

I spun to look at Sasha. “No. That would be… inappropriate.”

Sasha gave me a tight smile. “He’s here for display purposes, Mr Salter. If you were buying a new car, would it be inappropriate to touch it?”

“Well, no.”

“This is no different.” He paused, and I was certain he wanted to sigh but didn’t.

I said, “Laws state you can’t touch an android without consent.”

“Under Section Five of the Rights Act, it states all display units can be handled accordingly, for the purposes of selection and sale.”

I studied Shaun. “It’s just that he looks so real.”

Sasha chuckled. “Thank you.” Then he said, “Shaun, please take your penis in your hand.”

Shaun did.

“He has the seven and a half inch,” Sasha said casually. “And I’m sure you read all about genital development before you decided to buy.”

I felt myself blush. “Yes, I did.”

He spoke like I hadn’t answered. “It’s been quite the advancement in PSE, the silicone we use for his skin, but the A-Class 10, which is the model you’ve purchased, has penile capabilities of lengthening and pulsing at point of climax.”

I let out a slow breath. “I read that, yes.” I’d watched many videos on the penile capabilities, which was probably why I couldn’t stop watching Shaun holding his cock. He was only holding it; he hadn’t been instructed to stroke. Thankfully.

“Would you like to see it in action?”

Oh boy. I cleared my throat. “Ah, that won’t be necessary,” I said. I sat down at the desk and pretended an anatomically perfect, naked android wasn’t standing two metres away with his perfect cock in his hand.

Sasha sat opposite me and activated some hologram screens. “Okay, so we have your psychological report already. We use these findings to program the unit so you’re compatible on a psychological level: which social intelligence, automated reasoning parameters are best suited to you. But we’ll start with some information about you to help me understand you and best program your unit.”

It was almost a relief that he already knew I had OCD tendencies and misophonia, and I didn’t have to say it out loud. I let out a steady breath. “Yes, please.”

“Age?”

“Forty-one.”

“Your profession?”

“Professor of Philosophy at Melbourne University.”

“Interesting,” he mused.

“Well, if you’re wondering about my stance on phenomenology and existentialism and what that means in the world of androids, I think we’ll need a longer appointment.”

He studied me for a second, then smirked, and basically ignored me. “Hobbies?”

I cleared my throat. “Reading. I have an extensive library on historical literature, and I’d love for my android to be well versed in this also.”

Sasha nodded. “Done. Any other hobbies?”

“Movies, I guess.” I shifted in my seat. “I prefer to stay at home.”

Sasha continued as if I wasn’t some introverted, socially inept man. He looked up from his screen and smiled. “It suits our units better to be homebodies. Given they need full wireless interconnectivity to your home hub router.”

I knew this. “Yes, that’s probably for the best.”

“You can take your unit out and away from your Wi-Fi for a period of no longer than fourteen days. If you plan on travelling for longer periods than that, you just need to let us know. We can ensure your unit connects to a router wherever you’re staying. It’s no problem. So if you want to take him on a weekend trip or a week in the mountains or to a two-week work conference, or around the world for a year, you have that freedom.”

“Okay.” It wasn’t likely. I rarely left Melbourne for any longer than a day. “That’s good to know.”

“In the information you submitted with your application, you were asked what you found attractive in a mate. You answered intelligence, conversation, confidence.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“You also specified the unit must adhere to certain preferences. You can’t tolerate the sound of people chewing, loud breathing, snoring.”

My heart squeezed at the casual mention of my misophonia triggers. I swallowed. “Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then your unit will be perfect for you. No mess, no noise, and will always adhere to your house cleanliness standards.”

I breathed out slowly. “Good.”

“What about physical attributes?”

I glanced quickly at Shaun, who was still standing beside me, penis in hand. “Um.”

Sasha could read people well enough to know I wasn’t comfortable.

“I’m not a prude, exactly,” I explained. Which wasn’t exactly true. “It’s just I find him rather distracting.”

Sasha turned to the android. “Shaun, please put your underpants back on.”

Shaun did.

God. The bulge in the underwear was more of a turn-on.

When I looked back at Sasha, he was smiling at me. “You ready to build your dream man?”

I ignored the tightening in my belly. “Yes.”

I left an hour later, too embarrassed to be nervous. Choosing hair and eye colour, height, and voice tenor was all easy compared to discussing what kind of ribbing I wanted in the throat and anal cavity.

But it was done. I was now the legal custodian of a Class-A SHAUN. Synthetic Human Android UNit. I just had to wait three months while he was handcrafted, calibrated, and then my fully compatible synthetic android would be delivered.

Three months, and then I wouldn’t be alone anymore.