THIRTY-FOUR
While the storm savagely battered the LA basin, Louie Sinreich was high and dry inside the small high-tech studio on the second floor of his office building. Even though the building abutted the Van Nuys Airport, you could not hear the planes taking off, thanks to the sophisticated soundproofing. The improvement to the space had not come cheaply, but Louie had regarded the money for the laboratory', as the computer geeks called it, a small price to pay for the absolute control of SINSEX, since once the product came on line, his investment would be recouped a million times over.
Behind the small control room's glass wall, Bob Olsen and Ur Bell were powering up the banks of computers for a demonstration. Neither of them had expected Louie to fulfill his promise, especially not dressed, as if she were applying for a Silicon Valley job.
"T-t-t-the computer's binary interface.....with the program....er....h-h-helps transfer the responses of the body to the sensor.....h-h-harness." Ur Bell gulped, nearly overcome by the young actress's presence. "Ah....t-t-the electronic pulses of your body...is read along the same lines as...ah...t-t-the points of acupuncture...ah...ah...w-w-will fit in the program for the SOMA____"
"I get it.” Lena paused a second, as she swiftly assimilated the information, and then began, "The levels of the harness reads match up with the simulated image portrayed by the computer in the visor and the sensations stimulated by the body suit the viewer will be wearing. To him, the woman will be real. Real like me. An electrical pulse will activate his hippocampus, heightening his sensual memories, so all her passion, lust, and pleasure will really be felt by him, right?"
"Right." Both inventors answered with awed voices, for Lena's comprehending the process once more justified their holding out for their chosen goddess.
Fingering the plastic harness laced with fiber optic wire and impulse electrodes, Lena grasped that these two men were close to creating the ultimate dream machine for the terminally solitary man or woman and, if they succeeded, this device would revolutionize pornography. "And you envision a world with less prostitution, fewer strip shows, and no need for porno as it existed now."
"Yes, and also less violence and exploitation of women.” Bob Olson added, sweating profusely.
"Except within the program itself.” Lena commented, though the fat inventor shook his head. "We wouldn't do that."
"You couldn't, but plenty of men would.” And looking through the control room's window she could spot suspect number one, but better in cyberspace than reality and she said, "If that means the crime rates against women would go down, then it can't be all bad."
"W-w-we hadn't t-t-thought of it that way, but you're r-r-right." Ur Bell nodded, even more impressed with Lena.
"Still I don't understand why you need me.” Realizing that both men were harmlessly obsessed with her, Lena gave them a thrill, however cheap, by leaning on the table with her legs apart. "Wouldn't any woman do?"
"W-w-we were a-a-at a electronics convention last year, looking for the r-r-r-r-r___"
Ur didn't like Bob finishing his sentences, but sometimes it was, as if time was stuck, and they didn't have forever, so he said, "We thought maybe a porno actress would be good, but as soon as Ur saw you, he said you were the only one."
"And you agreed?” Lena smiled, basking in their gentle adoration, which was unlike the rabid desire from most of her fans, both male and female.
"I've seen your films,” Bob admitted, sneaking a glance at Ur, who nodded his assent. "Every other actress seemed to be faking it, but not you. You don't fake it, do you?"
"No, never,” Every time she had intercourse, whether with a man, woman, or herself, had ended in orgasm. Some people might have viewed this as a curse, however Lena could only think of it as a blessing.
"Good, if you were faking it, then the responses from your body would be useless for this program,” Bob said, wiping the sweat from his hands.
"Is this dangerous?” Lena held up the harness attached to a series of wires leading into the control room.
"No, they project zero-electricity, but if someone was to turn up the electrical charge, while using the suit, then they might fry their mind." the rotund scientist assured her, while his stoop-shouldered compatriot once more bobbed his head in accord. "We will supervise the entire experiment', Lena. You have nothing to fear from us or the harness."
Having spent the last six months in a society of man-hating feminists had jaundiced Lena's opinion of all men on the whole, but neither of these men appeared to be capable of hurting a woman and her intuition was rarely wrong. Louie Sinreich was another story entirely and she was reminded of this, when his voice came over the intercom. "Miss de Gama, if you've completed the tour, could you please come back to the office?"
"I'll be seeing you shortly," Lena beamed, pulling down the hem of her skirt.
"S-s-s-so are you going to do it?" Ur Bell blurted out, for her participation in the erotic mapping of the female simulacrum had been only a fantasy, until today.
"If the money and terms meet my satisfaction, then I will do it."
"Thank you.” Both men's faces shone with naive delight.
"Thank me, when it works, boys.” Lena left the control room and a bearded hulk held open the door for Lena, as she entered the outer office, which was furnished with the bare minimums; three chairs, a desk, a file cabinet, a water cooler, and two telephones next to a computer terminal, video screen, and VCR. Getting up from the desk, Louie Sinreich greeted Lena cordially and introduced her to a young redhead in a jumpsuit. "This is Alice BeBadd, my newest protégé.
"Hi," Alice said, lowering her head, as if she wasn't good enough to be in Lena's presence.
"Alice, I won't bite." Lena reached over to touch the redhead's arm and discovered she was quivering.
"Can I get you something to drink?” Louie asked, opening a small refrigerator stocked with various bottles.
"Some water."
"So what did you think?” Louie poured two glasses, which he handed to Lena and Alice. Catching his reflection in the wall mirror, he decided that a gray suit, white shirt, and green tie had been the right touch for this afternoon's business.
"Seems like a great idea, if you can bring it to market, though it's not exactly something you'll find on the Home Shopping Network." She took a sip of water, which tasted funny, but so did all the water in the West.
"Japan and Europe will be the showcases before we hit the major electronic shows.” Louie beamed his most sincere smile and said, "But the financial risk is none of your concern. Are you interested?"
"That depends.” Lena sat on the only comfortable chair and crossed her legs.
"Depends on what?” Louie perched on the desk across from the black-haired woman, trying to concentrate on the matter at hand rather than his fantasies.
"One is money, two is when do we do this, and three is my choice of a man.” Lena reflected for a moment and then said, "That's all."
"Okay, you said, "Money."$30,000 in cash.” There was no way Lena would refuse the offer, for while not many people would sell their soul, almost everyone would rent it, and he opened an attaché case filled with money. "Nobody gets paid this in the industry for a day's work. Hell, like no one in Hollywood either. That work for you?"
The smell of money crept across the office. The sum was ten times her normal rate for a full shooting schedule and Lena said, "I can live with that."
"The money's here. The gear is ready to rock. The inventors are on site. All we need is for you to say, "Go.", then we can begin countdown.” Louie smiled to himself, for it would take thirty, maybe forty minutes for the concoction of MDMA and a newly hybrid version of Propofol in the water to be ingested into her system, after which she would be open to anything. Louie held out both hands, palms open, to indicate the next step was up to her.
What Lena had heard about Louie Sinreich from other women in the industry unmasked his friendly façade, but the $30,000 would allow Sherri to complete the film. If the producer acceded to her last request, then she could only say, "Yes.".
Before she could mention her final condition, a cellular phone buzzed. Louie excused himself, saying, "I'll only be a moment. Alice, show Lena the portfolio of men we have available."
Louie exited from the office into the corridor and pulled out the compact phone, saying, "So you have good news, I hope?"
"I got him,” deRocco announced.
"You do?” Louie had almost given up on ever finding this man from Che Chasta's house, but then he asked himself, "What do I have to gain from meeting this man?"
A cut-up compilation of Che Chasta's films paled in comparison to the Virtual Sex Machine. Alice was more than willing to replace Che in the ALL COMERS series, so this man was of no interest to him anymore and he said, "Get rid of him."
"Huh?
"Drop him on the street corner or put him on a bus. I don't care."
"You don't?"
"No, I don’t.” He had too much on the line to be involved with some stumblebum.
"So I just dump him?"
"Do whatever you want."
"As you like,” Frank deRocco answered and then hung up.
Switching off his portable, Louie held no illusions about what Frank deRocco would do with the mystery man and the producer handed Jimmo the cellular phone and said, "No more calls and no on in. This is a closed set."
"I understand, Mr. Sinreich,” Jimmo replied, fighting back sniffles from his flu.
Louie hurried to the control room, declaring, "Boys, I think we might have a go."
"She has agreed?” Bob Olsen clapped his hands together with surprise.
"She only has to pick out a stud. I'd give you guys a try, but I need you behind the wheel,” Louie joked, feeling like the head of Mission Control in Houston, for this was a new frontier. Once they fed Lena's read-out into the computer program, then it was just a question of organizing patents, marketing, and sales, plus eliminating the geeks once they had outlived their usefulness. Only one cloud loomed on the horizon and he asked, "Are you guys like sure this will really work?"
Ur Bell answered faintly, "I'm as s-s-s-sure of it.....as the s-s-s-sun comes up in the morning."
Normally Louie might have been comforted by the reply, except no one in Southern California had seen the sun for days. "So how long will it take you guys to like get this ready?"
"We can be ready the minute she's strapped in.” Bob Olsen punched a button on the terminal and a low hum emanated from the equipment to prove his point. The noise served no real function, but they had installed it, so the computer illiterates could hear the machine function.
"Great.” Louie left the control room and poked his head inside the laboratory'. The stark room with the bed in the center slightly resembled the death chamber, where fatal injections were administered, but no one was going to die here.
When he entered the office, Alice and Lena were flipping through a portfolio of male porn stars and he said, "These boys are really big fans of yours. I've never seen them so excited. Did you find anyone you want in the book?"
"Not really. Plus I have a few more questions.” Lena shut the portfolio, having no interest in any of male actors' gym rat bodies.
"Such as?"
"Will you be filming this?"
"Like the camera we're using strictly capture the essence of your heat signature for the program.” Louie had camouflaged one Super 8mm camera in the ceiling, which no one could detect. "Anything else, Lena?"
"Yes, what is the dildo for?"
"To take an auto-erotic stimulation of your vagina during clitoral masturbation. That's what the boys' told me, but I'm no rocket scientist."
"Neither am I." Lena answered, as she experienced a series of hot flashes.
"Anything wrong?" Louie asked.
"Just a little warm, that's all." After sudden wave of euphoria swept over her, then dissipated, she undid the top buttons of her dress.
"Alice, get the star a glass of water."
Alice poured another glass of water and Lena drank half of it without quenching her thirst.
"You have any problem with the masturbating? Like only you will be in the room.” Louie demanded, hoping the drugs would soon peak, so she could refuse nothing.
"No problem,” Lena replied, though her voice sounded far away.
"Alice will help you,” Louie informed her and said, "I can see that you're not interested in any of the studs. I don't blame you. Most of them are fakes, but if you have a friend in mind, you can call him."
"I want this man.” Lena placed a Polaroid on the desk and Louie swore inwardly, "Why does this fucking guy keeps popping up?"
"You want him?” Louie hid his anger.
"And only him.” Lena could almost feel the man from nowhere between her thighs, but noticed that the redhead was caressing her legs and the pleasure was something a little too out of the body to be normal. Something was out of synch, but she was fine with that as long as she had her man in the end. "Can you get him?"
"No problem.” Louie put the Polaroid back on the desk and he snapped his fingers at Jimmo for the cellular phone. Further down the corridor, he punched out Star 69, saying, "Answer the phone."
He could only hope he was not too late.
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