Forward by Adamis Jefferson

I was summoned to the office of my boss, Darius Jefferson. Well, I need to fess up, and straighten that up a bit. The little internal alarm, that deep tone supposed to resemble the “no” of a mother’s voice, says I lied to you just now. So let me say, yes, Darius Jefferson is the CEO of the Adam Group, and, yes, he is my boss, but he’s also my maker. And, I consider myself his son.

You’re probably wondering what the heck I’m talking about. This story is going to surprise you, perhaps. I realize that most of you who will be reading it or listening to it are human.

I am not. I wasn’t borne, hatched, or ripped from a mother’s womb. I was made.

My story started way before today, but this was the day that would change me forever. It was one of those summer days unlike most summer days in the Bay Area of Northern California that started off sunny right from the early morning hours. Usually, we had a light dusting of fog, one of my favorite things in life. I like to run around the lake–that is Lake Merritt–and watch people feed the ducks, stroll hand-in-hand, and, yes, I even run past the homeless encampments and shelters, by the humans who are sort of the misfits and throwaways of society. But I live in the middle of that society, and not many people know who I am or what I am.

So as I went for my morning run and got the summons, I was excited. Darius and I, and forgive me for being so informal, or calling my “father” by his first name, which I understand some of you may feel offended by, but Darius usually summoned me for our weekly talks. We’d spend an hour or two, sometimes more, talking about life, the meaning of life, and what it may hold in store for the future. He let me ask questions, and I had a tablet with me at all times so I could write down those questions and get them answered. Of course, many times I had to ask the same question over and over again because either I wasn’t given the power to understand, or he wasn’t able to give me an answer. I would say we ran about 50/50 with that.

I stopped by my condo–all provided to me by the Adam Group–and showered, dressing up in my casual slacks and golf shirt, the one with the Adam Group logo over my heart. I put on some new tennis shoes I purchased that were a lot more comfortable than the shoes I’d been issued with my April clothing allowance which had caused me blisters.

I drank some water, just because I liked the way it felt, and I decided against eating some regular food, instead taking a protein shake. I knew that I had to take protein in massive doses, otherwise some of my systems could fail. But I wasn’t sure how far to push it, and I hesitated to fast. Darius had told me over and over again that I should do whatever feels right to me. That I should trust my instincts, that my gut was as important as my brain. That I was hardwired to survive, probably survive beyond several human lifetimes.

So, I would have to say I was really excited, and I brought my tablet with the list.

I liked to walk to the office, even though it was roughly two miles from the domicile I’d been given. It was exciting to wander through the throngs of people getting ready for work, the people who delivered groceries in the early morning hours, the joggers, the mothers with their children all packed up ready for school, even the garbage truck drivers I watched. I loved seeing the way people walked, the way they talked, and the way they handled the things of their lives. I liked examining what they chose to wear, how they chose to speak to one another, how they did the routine and mundane things of their lives. These people did not know that someone who didn’t share their life, but who did share human DNA, loved watching them.

I climbed up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, all six floors, to the Adam Group upper office, and reported to the secretary at the front desk, without even breaking a sweat. I was proud of my stamina.

“Adamis, nice to see you again,” she said. I’d made a point to flirt with her, just trying to see if I could elicit some kind of a response, an emotional current, perhaps make her uncomfortable, and as I spoke to her I kept my voice low and gravelly. I wanted to see if that low rumble would do something– would cause a reaction from her. It was an experiment.

“Charlene, it’s a delight to see you again.” I made sure to smile, showing off my bright, white teeth. Darius had told me he’d made them so white they almost didn’t look real. I thought that was funny, because they weren’t real teeth after all!

I watched her eyelids flutter, I saw a faint flaring of her nostrils, a slight pinkish tinge to her cheeks, and, as she inhaled before she answered me, I smelled her pheromones. I had caused a chemical reaction within her body. And I liked doing it.

Darius and I had talked about sex, and sexual attraction, on several occasions. It was to be the next phase of my education, although I wasn’t sure how it would be done. He said he had much to share, and much he wanted me to experiment with and then tell him about how it made me feel.

Maybe today was the day!

Do human men like to do this? I think they must. I think this is what the mating thing is all about.

When we discussed reproduction and sex, and he’d told me that it would soon be time for me to experiment with this on my own, at first I was more than a little afraid. But I thought this venture into perhaps causing some kind of chemical reaction in another, albeit a human, would be something Darius would enjoy hearing about. I planned to tell him how I’d flirted with the receptionist first thing.

Charlene stood, wiping her palms against her thighs, which I took also as a pre-arousal effect, smiled back at me demurely, and asked me to follow her to Mr. Jefferson’s office.

Turning her head to the side, she spoke. “I didn’t realize you two were meeting today. Would you like some hot chocolate? Or would you like a cappuccino or a coffee or some tea perhaps?”

I leaned close to her as we walked through the glass door of the conference room. “I’d like some water, please.”

She turned suddenly and faced me. We were within kissing range to each other. Though I lacked experience, I immediately picked up that she was aroused, even though I hadn’t done anything but stand close to her—closer than we’d ever stood before. Perhaps she liked the idea that I watched her from behind, noticing parts of her anatomy that I found pleasing. But that was just a guess. That’s when I knew this was going to be a momentous day!