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“What…the…fuck…?” he muttered savagely, pushing with each word. Was there some kind of latch on the outside of the padded coffin he found himself in? Had it snicked shut when he pulled down the top? Was he trapped in here forever?
Okay, deep breath! he told himself. Don’t panic! At least the air inside the sarcophagus seemed to be as fresh as when he’d first climbed inside—that meant it must have some kind of circulating air flow. So he wouldn’t suffocate. His heart was still pounding like a piston, though. He might not be claustrophobic, but he sure didn’t like tight enclosed spaces. Oh, hell, Pierce admitted to himself, maybe he was claustrophobic after all.
“Companion 2000, I detect elevated heart rate and oxygen consumption. Is there a problem?” The soft feminine voice in his ear nearly gave Pierce a coronary.
“What the…who are you?” he demanded, looking around in the dark as though he could see anything. He couldn’t, of course, but the soft voice continued anyway.
“This is the voice of your containment system as you very well know. Please explain the reason for elevated levels or I will be forced to dispense a calming agent into your air flow.”
“What? Wait a minute—there’s been a mistake!” Pierce protested, still pushing on the lid. “I am not a Companion. I’m human and I got in here by mistake. Open the lid and let me out!”
“Negative, Companion 2000,” the soft female voice said in his ear. “Shipment is scheduled for tomorrow. Free time is therefore suspended.”
“I don’t want free time, I want to get out!” Pierce shouted. “Let me the fuck out!”
“Now dispensing calming agent,” the voice said.
Pierce took in a deep breath to shout some more and choked on the sickly sweetish scent that suddenly permeated the air. Son of a bitch—the stupid coffin had gassed him!
“No,” his voice sounded weak, even to him. “No, let…let me out.”
“You will be released when your new mistress opens the lid upon delivery,” the smug female voice of the sarcophagus informed him. “Until then, you will be kept sedated during shipment. Pleasant slumber, Companion 2000.”
“I’m not…not a Compan…” But he lost consciousness before he could finish the word.
Chapter 2
“Oh, this is so not what you ordered.” Schneider stood on his hind legs, his tiny black-furred hands braced on the lip of the containment unit and stared down at the contents of Leita’s package.
Leita bit her lip. “No,” she admitted, “It’s not. It’s…he’s…” Exactly what I wished for but couldn’t afford. “Completely different,” she finished lamely.
Truly, the Companion 2000 lying in the long silver box, which had been delivered to her door via remote drone ship, looked nothing like the small, smooth, vanilla blond model she had ordered. Instead, what was unmistakably an extra large was occupying the box, complete with dark brown facial hair and large, knowing hands. He was at least six-foot-four if he was an inch and Leita estimated he might run as much as two hundred thirty Old Earth standard pounds, all of it rock-hard muscle. Mouthwatering.
“Why is he dressed like that?” Schneider demanded, swishing his tufted tail. “Did you ask for the scruffy mercenary model or something?” He nodded at the tight black leather pants and the black tank top that showed off the Companion’s tanned muscular arms and hairy chest. He also had on combat boots so large they gave Leita great hopes for the size of another, as yet unrevealed, appendage.
“I don’t know, Schneider,” she said in irritation. “I guess they have to dress him in something. Besides, I kinda like it. It gives him a…dangerous look.”
“He looks dangerous all right,” Schneider sniffed. “Like he might jump out of that box and kill us both.” He leaned his pointed snout over the lip of the box and inhaled, then wrinkled his small black nose. “If his smell doesn’t slay us first. I don’t like to hurt your feelings, Leita, but humans don’t smell so good in the first place. And this one really stinks!”
“He’s not really human, remember? Besides…” Leita frowned and consulted the vid-clipboard in her hand that had come packed with the Companion 2000. It was a complete owner’s manual and warranty so she intended to read it from start to finish. “It says here that any lingering odor is simply the chemical aftermath from the flesh vats. After a few washings, it should come right off.”
Personally she didn’t find the smell coming from the Companion offensive. Sure, it was strong, but also very masculine. Musky, spicy, delicious…oh, she was so horny. It had been well over a year since she’d been with a man and her vibrator just wasn’t cutting it anymore. She wished the Companion’s sedation would wear off already—she was ready to jump his bones no matter how he smelled.
“Well, it doesn’t matter what he smells like,” Schneider said, cutting into her graphic fantasies of ripping the leather pants down and having her way with the unconscious Companion. “Because you can’t keep him.”
