Chapter 4
Alistair cooked salmon with grilled peaches. Of course it wasn’t real salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, as it had been known in the 21st century. It was a synthetically grown salmon raised in labs that tasted almost as good as the original predecessor, so they say. The peaches had been grilled to perfection.
“This was a perfect meal, Alistair. Thank you,” I said.
“You are welcome, Dr. Grexler. I’m glad you are enjoying it.”
Sterling poured more red wine in my glass.
“Thank you, Sterling,” I said.
“Dr. Grexler, you have a guest,” Alistair announced.
“A guest? I’m not expecting anyone.”
“It’s Dr. Turner,” Alistair said.
I took a big gulp of wine. “Tell him I’m busy.”
“He has a message for you, Dr. Grexler. Shall I play it?” Alistair asked.
“Sure,” I said noticing Sterling’s worried look.
“Aurie, please. I need to talk to you. Let me explain. We’ve been a team for so long. Please!” Wendell’s voice sounded fragile. “Just a few minutes!”
“Let him in, Alistair.” I said with a sigh.
Sterling stood. “Is that a good idea?”
“Sterling, let me handle this. Please wait in the other room.”
Sterling reluctantly walked into the bedroom. “I’ll be right here if you need anything.”
Wendell rushed in. “Aurie! Thank you for seeing me!”
“What do you want, Wendell?” I’d never seen him so disheveled before. His hair was askew. His shirt was half tucked in.
What happened to the sophisticated chic Wendell I’d fallen in love with so long ago?
“I need you, Aurie.”
“What about Zephie?”
“I don’t need Zephie. I need you!”
Sterling strolled in casually. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, Sterling. Everything is okay. Please give us a minute,” I said.
“Absolutely. I’ll be right here if you need anything.” Sterling stared down Wendell, before he went back into the other room.
Wendell’s face twisted into disgust. “What are you going to do? Shack up with a cyborg?”
“That's hardly any of your business,” I said. “Where’s Zephie?”
Wendell pleaded, “It's over between us. All I can think about is how much I need you”.
He stepped closer to me and took my hands in his. “We’ve been through so much together. We can't just throw it away.”
“We've built company together. We have a life together,” he continued.
I tried to pull away.
“I broke it off with Zephie. She means nothing to me. Come back.” He squeezed my hands. “We can be together like we were.”
Pulling away from him, I stepped back. “I don't want to be together like we were.”
“What was wrong with how we were? Don’t you want us to be together again?”
“We were never together, Wendell.”
Wendell let out a frustrated sigh. “We’ll work it out. I promise you. Please, come back. I know if we fix the cyborg we can convince the General to give us a chance.”
That was why Wendell had really come. He didn’t care about me. He needed me not in an emotional sense, but a financial one.
“That’s the real reason you’re here,” I said bitterly.
“What? No. I need you, but you need to think about our company, Aurie. You’re throwing away everything we’ve built.”
“I could care less about it. I’m tired of being used. You just need me for my brain, but the rest of me? You don’t love me. You just want to keep using me.”
Wendell got on his knees and clasped his hands together. “Please, Aurie. Please. I’ve made some bad investments and without this contract… I’m going to lose everything. Please don’t do this to me.”
I’d never seen him look so pitiful. He was pathetic.
“I can’t help you anymore,” I said.
He rose to his feet suddenly angry. “What are you going to do? You won’t survive without me.”
I laugh erupted in my throat. I couldn’t help it. “What am I going to do? I wouldn’t worry about what I’m going to do. You just need to focus on yourself.”
His face crumpled in rage as he charged towards me. “You fucking bitch!”
Sterling barreled into the room and knocked Wendell off his feet. “Don’t even think about laying a hand on her!”
Wendell looked up at him. “Stay out of this, cyborg.”
“Wendell, you need to leave,” I said to him with my voice shaking.
Wendell clumsily scrambled to his feet. “I’m not leaving here until you come to reason!”
Sterling stepped up to him with clenched fists. “Dr. Grexler has asked you nicely to leave. I suggest you follow her request.”
Wendell laughed. “What do you think you’re going to do, cyborg? Aurie has stripped you of all of the combat programming. You don’t want to fight me. I’ll destroy you.”
“If you don’t leave, I’m willing to take the chance,” Sterling snarled.
“Wendell, just get out, okay?” I urged.
Wendell got to his feet. “Are you worried I’ll destroy your precious love bot?” He charged at Sterling and raised his fist to strike him across the face.
Sterling grabbed his hand with his palm and used his other hand to land an uppercut on his chin.
Wendell stumbled backwards grabbing his chin. “I’m going to have to kill you now!”
Wendell came at Sterling again attempting to hit him, but Sterling ducked his blows. He then jabbed Wendell squarely on his nose. Wendell fell to his knees cupping his face. Blood dripped down between his fingers.
“Did you put the combat programs back in?” Wendell muttered.
“I didn’t,” I said helping him to his feet. “Now, please leave.”
Wendell squinted his eyes at me before walking out.