Gratitude and Resentment "So, when do you want to meet again?" Somiir Neska said.
"I'll let you know."
Her voice was cold and indifferent. She daintily wiped the sweat from her brow and sighed, stretching languorously. Somiir never got tired of the view of her lithe body silhouetted against the window, the moon's light exposing every luscious curve of her attractive form.
"The money is on the dresser," he said, reaching over to trace a finger down her back. She gave no response.
"I saw it." She said.
"Will it be enough?"
"It is adequate."
For the first two months, their liaisons had been frequent and intense. He had to admit that android or otherwise, he had never had a woman as talented as she was. Since she had no master, their meetings and subsequent payment had to be on her terms alone. Her demands were not prohibitively expensive, but he had grown quite fond of her, and money ceased to be an object.
But now, he had begun to come around less frequently; their meetings had been growing fewer and farther between. Her speech had become less affectionate, and during their acts, she had lost her enthusiasm.
Somiir had at first denied it, placing the blame for her lessening interest on "female things," but he was no fool. The plain truth was that she had become bored with him. At first, he was surprised that an android of her make and model could ever truly become bored in that way. But then again, he had never known a model like hers with such a high level of intellect.
He sighed, and laid his head back on the pillow as he watched her dress, enjoying her sylph-like frame.
"You'll be glad to know that I've approved the feature," he said as she picked up her purse from the table.
To this, she paused. Somiir saw the silhouette change as she turned her face towards him.
"It has?" She said in a curious tone. It sounded almost expectant.
"It took us awhile to find some willing participants," he said, "but I believe we now have enough in order to make a good news column of it."
Even in the dark, he was aware that she was smiling.
"But tell me," he said, scratching his chin through his thick beard, "why do you want this so badly? You know what could happen because of this, don't you? It could cause unparalleled chaos concerning race relations … and not just here."