jRobot, Ch. 4, [NC-17], RPS, J2 AU

[sandymg]

It took several minutes before Jensen reemerged from the bedroom.

“Are you alright, Doctor Ackles?”

Jensen approached his machine. “Yes, Pro-One. I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”

Jared watched as the robot lifted his hand and gently tapped Jensen’s shoulder. If he didn’t know better it looked like one brother comforting another. There were a million things he wanted to say, but Jared didn’t want to let on that he was aware of Jensen’s conversation. He stood and looked at Chad pointedly. His friend caught on instantly.

“C’mon lil’ dude ... wanna try your hand at some video games? I’m pretty sure we have Guitar Hero.”

The robot’s eyes got larger and he practically skipped toward Chad. Jared approached Jensen slowly. “There’s some coffee left. Or ... the liquor cabinet’s pretty well stocked.”

“Hell, yes. Man, I could use a drink.”

Jared nodded. They all could. He pulled out a good scotch and told himself he’d replace it eventually. He poured them all glasses and added some ice. Chad looked grateful but continued playing with Pro-One leaving Jared to talk to Jensen. Catching Chad’s eye again, Jared made it clear he wanted to talk to Jensen in private.

Wordlessly, Jensen followed Jared to the enclosed back porch, looking back over his shoulder briefly at his baby. A small smile filled his face. “He’s having fun.”

Jared smiled back. “Looks like.”

“Jared, do you have any idea how extraordinary that is?”

“I’m catching on.”

It was cool and Jared lit the corner stove. They sat on a cushioned wicker loveseat facing out at the stream. Jared had loved this space whenever he visited. He and Chad sat out here, staring into the darkness, nursing beers and talking shit for hours. The only light the glow of the stove and the moonlight creeping in. He’d brought a boyfriend here once. But Charles hadn’t appreciated the space. He was such a city boy. Kept saying the cricket noise was making him itchy. Personally, Jared thought the man probably just had a skin condition. Either way it hadn’t lasted long. Nobody lasted long.

Jensen sighed. “If this were mine I’d never leave it.”

“It’s my favorite spot in the house.”

“I can see why. God, it’s like nothing can touch you here.”

Jared turned his head to look at Jensen. He was right in a way. He did look untouchable. Hiding terabytes of secrets in his freakishly smart brain. Isolated. Cut off. Alone. Suddenly Jared wanted to know more about the man inside the genius.

“Jensen ... if you’ve been working on the artificial intelligence for so long, it must not leave much time for … anything else.”

Puzzled eyes met his. “No. It doesn’t. It ... he ... is my life.” Jensen seemed to literally shake himself. “What about you? You’re a teacher?”

“Yes. I work with preschoolers. I run a daycare center slash preschool. My kids are just amazing. At that age, every day is this huge spurt of growth and learning and development. You can see them working things out, creating new relationships with their teachers, with each other. Learning about themselves while watching others. They look like they’re hardly paying attention. And then an hour later, leap ahead of whatever you were talking about.”

“Jared ... was Pro-One like that? During your time with him?”

“Yes. He is learning. That’s a big deal, right? I mean, not just that he’s learning. But how.”

Jensen nodded. But his eyes moved away from Jared’s.

Jared took another sip of his drink. “So ... what do you do for fun when you’re not working?”

“I’m always working,” Jensen answered bluntly. He didn’t sound sorry for himself. Just stated a fact.

“Doesn’t leave much room for a social life.”

This earned Jared a sarcastic laugh from Jensen. “Social life? What’s that?” Jensen paused. Sipped from his glass before half turning toward Jared. “How ‘bout you? I get that the chimp owner didn’t work out. Are you seeing anyone now?”

Jared looked down. “I was. He was a librarian. It didn’t ... we’re not dating any longer.”

“You do that, eh?”

“Do what?”

“Date.”

“Don’t you?”

Another slightly bitter laugh. “Not since high school. And then it was a girl.”

“Oh ... are you bi-“

“No. Was just expected then. By the time high school ended, I’d figured out what I liked. But then I was working on the algorithm and that took care of my dating life.”

“But ... I don’t ... how do you get to know people?”

Jensen looked at him like he was missing a few thousand brain cells. “Not much to know. For what I want, either it clicks or it doesn’t.”

Jared colored slightly at the obvious perusal he was now getting. “Yeah. I mean, it’s not like I’ve never just hooked up. But these days I’d prefer to know that I can actually have a conversation with someone, you know?”

Jensen blinked and looked away. “I guess. So, how’s all that dating working out for you?”

Jared’s mouth twisted slightly. “I’ve met interesting people.”

“Like the animal trainer?”

“Well, yeah. Didn’t work out, but he was a cool dude. And the pilot got me some discounts. I can still call him to get plane tickets cheap. And the dancer still sends me season passes every year.”

“Sounds like you have smooth breakups.”

“Usually part well.”

“Well, makes sense. You’re a nice guy.”

Jared looked over. Jensen wasn’t trying to provoke. His words were spoken quietly and rang honest. But, dammit, Jared was tired of that word. Nice. He’d had more cycling of emotions in the single day he’d spent with Jensen than in weeks with other men.

“You’re not, are you?” Jared didn’t wait for Jensen to answer. Didn’t care if that question was slightly insulting. He reached out and wrapped his palm around the back of Jensen’s neck and pulled him forward until their lips crashed.

The tiny mmmph of surprise Jensen let out was quickly smothered by the ensuing moan of pleasure as he parted his lips and let Jared just take. The whiskey tingled his tongue and he figured that might help explain the incredible heat flushing through him, as if someone had lit a match after dousing him in the smooth liquor. Fuck. It’s not even that it had been so long, although it had been a while. It was more like this intensity had never happened before.

He pushed Jensen lower on the settee, settling his larger frame over the doctor and feeling muscles bunch and contract as they made contact with his own. Strong, blunt fingers splayed over his back, drifting lower until they kneaded his ass before pulling. Oh god. Jensen’s erection pushed against Jared from below and tendrils of sheer pleasure crept up his spine at the contact. He let out what could really only be a growl and devoured Jensen’s lips again. Tongue fucking into his, harsh and seeking and so not nice. Filthy and hot and needy. He allowed himself to taste and bite and suck. Drawing in saliva and air and Jensen until it was all he could feel.

A firm cough broke his frenzied lust daze.

Shit. Chad.

“I … uh … sorry. I didn’t realize … “

Jared and Jensen pulled apart with a desperate gulp of air.

“Doctor Ackles is a homosexual.”

Everyone started at the new voice. Jared couldn’t help the grin that split his lips as he met Jensen’s eyes.

Chad answered. “Yeah. Lil’ dude, we got that far already.”

“Approximately thirteen percent of the population engages in same-sex activities.”

Nobody said anything.

“The term ‘gay’ can refer to both males and females but lesbians are all female. Doctor Tal is a lesbian.”

Jensen stood abruptly. “What? No, she’s not … “

“I have measured her heart rate upon certain encounters and her physical response to females indicates a preference for same-gender relations. Your heart rate now Doctor Ackles indicates a high level of arousal-“

“That’s enough Pro-One.”

Chad chuckled and Jared bit back another grin. “Sorry to cock block you, dudes, I tried to stop him.”

“We did not obstruct Jared’s penis from Doctor Ackles’ body. In fact, they were pressing against each other at a force of-“

“Pro-One … TMI, lil’ dude. ‘Member we talked about that?”

Pro-One looked at Chad. “I am sorry. Should we leave them alone so they can copulate now?”

Jared choked.

Jensen seemed slightly less nonplussed as he rose from the sofa and moved to Pro-One’s side, then squeezed the robot’s arm. “That’s okay. What did you need?”

“Doctor Ackles? I would speak with you in private. If that is all right?”

Jared looked at Chad who merely shrugged. Jensen didn’t say another word, just followed Pro-One back into one of the bedrooms where the door shut behind them.

“So … “ Chad started.

“Shut up. I know how bad an idea it is.”

“No, I’d never say that. Clearly this is one of your more brilliant hook-ups.”

“It’s not … “

“Of course it’s not … for you at least. But he’s not some wimp librarian or touchy-feely nurse or nerdy virgin accountant.”

“He wasn’t a virgin. Well … not in everything.”

“Right.”

“What’s your point?”

Chad turned on Jared with an exasperated sigh. “The point is that you’re falling for this guy. And he’s caught up in something illegal, unethical and so goddamn wrong I’m pretty sure there aren’t words in the English language to describe it!”

“What do you know? Did Pro-One share more with you about what’s going on?”

“No. He’s protecting that bastard like a good son. But I do know that Doctor Frankenstein created way more than he realized. More than he knows what to do with now. I also know he’s steeped in that shady organization - Cybernon? I asked the little dude how long the doc’s worked there - if he was with some other software maker before or whatnot.”

Jared stared at his friend, unwittingly remembering Jensen’s words. I am Cybernon. “What he say?”

“Ackles has been with Cybernon since it was founded. His work before, during, and forever is all classified. Whatever happened. Whatever reason Pro-One is out and folks are looking for him … the doctor is in no way an innocent bystander. You get that, right? The guy is up to his gills in this.”

Jared looked down. “He … cares for Pro-One.”

“What if he’s looking to sell him?”

“What?!”

“Think about it. There’s something wrong with the robot. We know this even if we don’t know what it is. What if he’s looking to sell it so he can get out before his failure is known. It explains why he didn’t listen to his friend about bringing him back. Hell, how do you know who was shooting at us? Never made much sense, that part. Why would the organization that made him act like that? What if Ackles had multiple bids out … and now the sides are fighting?”

Before Jared could respond to this ridiculous accusation, Jensen and Pro-One emerged. It didn’t take a genius in body language to see that Jensen was upset. Mad. Pro-One came over to them looking very much like a frightened child.

Jared immediately approached and put one arm around Pro-One’s shoulder. “What’s up, buddy?”

The robot hesitated. “Doctor Ackles and I do not agree.”

“Agree on what?”

The doctor glared at Pro-One and the robot shifted out of Jared’s grip. “I cannot say.”

Chad approached his other side. “Sure you can. He doesn’t own you. You say what you want.”

Jared was about to agree, his head was already nodding that way when Jensen erupted. “No. He can’t! I do fucking own him. He can’t say anything I didn’t program into it. Stop anthropomorphizing him. It’s a machine. An application. Sure, the best fucking application to mimic human behavior ever created. But that’s all it is. It’s not really feeling. He can’t be really--“

If Jared hadn’t seen the tear tracking down Jensen’s face he would have thought he imagined the crack in his voice, the sob that almost escaped. Jensen pivoted and strode back into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. The silence rang loud as the remaining three just stared at the closed door.

Chad spoke first. “Pro-One, you’re not a thing. No matter what that bastard says.”

Jared met the robot’s steady stare, but his face gave nothing away. “You can’t tell us what you disagreed about.” It wasn’t a question. Pro-One just looked at him. “Can you tell me why you disagreed? Does he want you to do something you don’t think is right?”

Pro-One’s head tilted slightly in that way that meant he was processing. “I think I can tell you why,” he said after a minute. “It is because Doctor Ackles is too good.”



There wasn’t much more to be done. Jared still had no facts to form anywhere near an informed opinion on anything. Especially when it came to Jensen, it was all gut feeling. Except. Truthfully, that was how Jared led his life overall. Sandy said he was all heart and that’s why he was so good with the kids. Chad said he was a sap, but Jared knew his friend appreciated Jared’s softer side, all teasing aside. Every one of his admittedly many past boyfriends had parted well with him. Jensen was by no means a boyfriend. They hadn’t even known each other for twenty-four hours yet. But already Jared knew that breaking up with Jensen wouldn’t be pleasant. Jensen didn’t do pleasant.

Chad claimed the master bedroom and offered to share the bed with Jared. But Jared couldn’t deal with Chad’s snoring and said he’d be fine on the sofa. Jensen could have the second bedroom. Pro-One looked between them a long moment. Then his eyes settled on Chad. Jared knew that look. He did work with pre-schoolers after all.

“Buddy … you wanna go into sleep mode with Chad?”

Chad gave Jared an odd look but then smiled at Pro-One encouragingly. “Plenty of room. It’s a big bed. Bet you don’t snore.”

“I can mimic the sound.”

“No. That’s okay. I’ve been told I do it enough for both of us.”

Jared threw Chad a thoughtful look and watched the very odd pair disappear into the bedroom. He went to secure a spare blanket and pillow from the linen closet, and heard the soft voices coming from behind the closed master bedroom door. He couldn’t make out words but Chad and Pro-One were talking earnestly.

Settling into the sofa he wondered at that bonding. Chad had a childish side and maybe Pro-One appealed to it. But then Jared shook his head because that wasn’t it. The robot was tapping Chad’s paternal side. It made Jared smile.

The sofa was too short of course and so Jared’s feet were sticking out. He jumped when a sudden low chuckle sounded behind him.

“That’s nowhere near big enough for you, Sasquatch.”

“Hah. Original.”

Jensen shrugged. “Day from hell. Don’t have it in me to be witty. Should catch me on a good day.”

Jared sat up, made room for Jensen to sit. “Yeah? You’re normally funny?”

The doctor sat gingerly, moving the blanket and absently draping it over his legs. Jared tried not to study him too hard. Jensen’s eyes were red-rimmed and his face drawn. “Normally?” Jensen looked down and fiddled with the blanket. He let out a soft snort. “Normally, I’m a computer nerd that takes his eyes off the screen only when pissing becomes mandatory.”

“Geek.”

Jensen looked up at that. “Huh?”

“Computer geek.” Jared looked Jensen over slowly. “You. Were never a nerd.”

Jensen laughed at that. “Maybe not. Definitely a geek though. Got the glasses to prove it.”

“Yeah? You’re not wearing them.”

“Well, I don’t really have ‘em any more. I had LASIK surgery so I don’t need them.”

Jared thought about this. Jensen probably looked hotter than hell in glasses. Not that he didn’t look hot without them. Hottest geek in the universe. He looked up from his lustful thoughts when Jensen started speaking again.

“The AI … Pro-One … it’s all I lived for. It fooled them time and again in tests. Figured out things I’d never programmed it to know. But still … it was impossible to be sure until … “

“Until what?”

Jared was surprised when Jensen’s eyes locked with his. “You’ve spent time with him. You tell me. Is it mimicking human behavior? Is it at chimp level or more like a dog? Aiming to please for a virtual dog biscuit?”

“You already know the answer to that. Are there others, though, that are equating him with a dog? Are those the ones that want him back?”

Jensen’s eyes grew cold. “It took billions - plural - to create Pro-One. That’s why they want him back.”

“Do they want you back?”

“Yes.”

Jared pushed on. “To put you in prison?”

Jensen’s brows rose. “Now what would give you an idea like that?”

Whoops. Jared was using information he’d heard when he had Pro-One eavesdrop. “I … well, they were after you, weren’t they?”

“No. They’re after the robot. I’m … supposed to bring him back.”

“But you’re not.” Jensen didn’t reply. “Why not?”

“It’s complicated.”

Jared was losing his patience. “Jensen, please. You know I care about Pro-One and … haven’t I proven my trust yet?”

“There was disagreement about using my AI, Pro-One, in the humanoid models.”

This new fact juggled in among the rest and Jared processed as fast as he could. “That’s what you meant about ‘until’. You didn’t know what your AI could really do in terms of passing as human until he had a human-like body.”

“Yes. We simulated, but it wasn’t clear. Alona … she … her work is extraordinary. Brilliant. Far ahead of anything done to date. It’s not her fault … “

“What’s not her fault?”

“Nothing. The neuronet is suborganic.”

Jared’s eyes opened wide. “It’s partially a human brain?”

“No. But the analogy holds for all essential purposes. The subroutines he writes are unique to Pro-One. He … god, Jared … he’s amazing.” Reverence filled Jensen’s voice.

“He’s way more human than you’d thought he’d be.” Chad’s Doctor Frankenstein crack was taking on an ominous truth and Jared didn’t quite know what to do with it. “Is that why there was disagreement about testing the AI in the body? Because they weren’t sure he could be controlled?”

Jensen just stared down at the blanket. After a moment Jared realized he wasn’t going to get an answer. “Can you tell me this much,” he asked Jensen. “Which side did you come down on? Did you want your AI in the robot body?”

The voice that answered sounded like Jensen’s but came from behind Jared. “Doctor Ackles merged me with this neuronet. He is why I am here.”

“Pro-One … we spoke about this. You can’t share classified information.”

The robot tilted his head. “That is not classified.”

“Of course it is!”

“No. There is no record of the merger. It did not happen officially. Therefore, it is a nonevent and cannot be classified as anything.”

Jensen sighed. “Pro-One. Please do not speak any more about this.”

“Yes, Doctor Ackles.”

Jared seethed silently. Clearly Jensen’s downloading, or whatever one called it, of his AI into the robot body was controversial within Cybernon. From what he could piece together, Doctor Tal, the body’s creator, didn’t think it should have been done.

Enough.

He wanted goddamn answers.

“Pro-One … why didn’t Doctor Tal want you to have the AI? I mean, her robot body to have it?”

“Pro-One … you can’t … “

“Yes, he can.”

Jared turned to meet Chad’s eyes. His friend normally had a cool, slightly cocky look. Was pretty much his default mode. The sadness in his expression now made Jared’s stomach knot like his intestines were coiling into a ball.

Chad didn’t wait for Pro-One to answer, instead he spoke right over Jensen’s protests. “Doctor Tal’s work isn’t quite complete. Or … well … wasn’t deemed complete enough by Cybernon’s ethics committee to create a nearly human machine. It was considered good enough for them to serve as temporary drones.”

“Temporary?” Jared asked weakly.

“The lil’ dude comes with an expiration date. Said he’s meant to last ninety days.” Jared stared at his friend. The expression on Chad’s face laid bare the inevitable.

Pro-One spoke out softly. “I have been operational for eighty-four days.”

Jared could barely breathe, his chest felt so tight. “Wh-at will happen?”

Jensen answered. “The skin decays. Cells aren’t reproducing fast enough … Alona was able to manage some regeneration, but in the end it always degenerates and the body fails.”

Jared looked at Jensen’s tight jaw. The words were said more mechanically than Pro-One had ever spoken.

“Can’t they … I mean … there must be other bodies … he’s not the only one, is he?”

Pro-One answered. “There is a second generation suborganic mecho-shell in development. But as far as I am aware the decay issue has not been solved.”

“But still … it would give you ninety more … “

Jensen stopped him. “Jared, it doesn’t work that way. I told you the neuronet is suborganic. Everything he learned since the merging would be lost.“

“So it’s like … “

“Dying,” Chad answered.

Jared turned angry eyes toward Jensen. “And you knew this! How could you-“

A knock on the door stunned the room into sudden silence. All of them looked at each other with intense concern. Jensen and Pro-One approached the door together silently. A voice called out, “Jensen … it’s Misha.”

“Doctor Collins?” Pro-One asked.

“It’s okay,” Jensen assured Jared and Chad. “Misha’s my colleague. A friend.” Jensen swung the door open. “How’d you … “

A disheveled man walked in. Slightly shorter than Jensen, he stood and peered around the room with unnerving bright blue eyes. He spotted the robot and approached. “Pro-One.”

“Doctor Collins. It is good to see you.”

“And you. Really glad to see you.”

“How’d you find us?” Jensen asked.

Collins’s face broke into a slight grin. Jared felt an unexplainable chill and moved instinctively closer to Jensen. “What … you didn’t think I had a back door?”

“I don’t-“

Whatever else Jensen was about to say was stopped cold by the appearance of a pistol in Doctor Collins hand, pointed right at Jensen.

To Chapter 5
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