It was the second time he’d called her beautiful and ‘an Elite’ whatever that meant. Again, she was disconcerted by how different he was from other Units she’d worked with.
“Thank you, K-lx, but you don’t have to say that,” she said, thinking maybe he had a flattery protocol somewhere in his programming.
He shrugged again.
“I speak only the truth.”
“Okay, well…” Corinne wasn’t sure what to say to that. With a last look at him, she turned back to the manual. It was too long for her to read it all through right now, but she tried to at least skim the intro and the “Getting to Know Your New Cyborg” section.
The first thing you must do when you Link with your new Cyborg is to get him used to your dominance by handling his body, the manual advised. He needs to feel your hands on him everywhere—this will help to meet his extensive physical, sexual and emotional needs. Also, the more you handle him, the closer he will grow to you and the more willing he will be to follow commands.
Corinne frowned. What? Was K-lx really that different from a modern Cyborg? The Units she had worked with in the past hadn’t required much physical handling at all. In fact, a Handler getting too physical with his or her Cyborg was frowned upon and could be sanctioned if anything sexual was suspected. But apparently, it was different with the old K-Units.
The next paragraph she read seemed to emphasize that point.
The best way to get your Cyborg used to you is by bathing him nightly, the manual advised. Take him into the shower unit with you and scrub him thoroughly, handling every part of his body to show him your ownership of him.
During this time, a sexual release will generally be in order—if the male parts are engorged, be sure to ease his tension. Most Units are sexually intact and will welcome your touch. Do NOT neglect this step—giving a sexual release is a VERY important part of establishing your dominance. Nightly bathing time together will help deepen your link with your new Cyborg. He will come to crave your touch, which will make him much more compliant.
There was more, but Corinne needed time to digest what she’d already read. A sexual release? Really? Was she supposed to jerk the big K-Unit off in the shower? But that was against the Handler code of conduct in every way! Sexual interaction with a Cybernetic Unit was grounds for dismissal—it was considered dangerous and unethical in the extreme.
She cut her eyes towards K-lx and saw that he was still staring at her. Was she really going to have to shower with him and touch him every night? It was so odd—she’d never had to have such intimate interaction with any other Unit she worked with before. She wondered if that part could be skipped. But another glance at the manual disabused her of that idea quickly.
Some Handlers may object to these practices, but they are fully necessary in order to keep your new K-Unit Cyborg emotionally, physically, and sexually content. In fact, they are the bare minimum. If you do not follow the instructions in this manual to keep your Link with your new Cyborg strong, there is a high likelihood of depressive or aggressive episodes.
The scene at the lab with the dead techs and the trashed equipment leaped to Corinne’s mind. Depressive and aggressive episodes indeed.
Remember, these Units are new and still unstable, she read. Though we are working with experts and Tolleg surgeons to perfect the interface and we hope to come up with a patch to help with emotional stability in the near future, for now the best way to keep control of your Unit is to meet his physical, emotional, and sexual needs and keep him content.
There was of course, much more to the manual, but Corinne couldn’t deal with it right now. It was already late and she was tired. The adrenaline rush of talking K-lx down and Linking with him was wearing off.
She supposed she ought to do as the manual suggested and give him a shower. Or no—it had recommended that she shower with him. That was certainly going to be interesting. But she wasn’t one to ignore the instructions and she knew how dangerous an unhappy Cyborg could be.
As awkward as it was, she intended to follow the manual.
5
CORINNE
Corinne minimized the manual and turned once more to K-lx.
The Cyborg was sitting on the edge of her bed with his legs spread and his elbows on his knees. He was quiet, as though awaiting orders and she wondered what he was thinking.
Of course, she could have pushed through their Link to find out and she would have with an ordinary Cyborg, but she felt reluctant to invade his privacy. He clearly had more going on mentally than any other Unit she’d worked with before. It would be better to draw him out verbally, she decided.
But first she had to get him cleaned up.
She walked over to the bed and put a hand on his broad, bare shoulder. He looked up at once, his pale blue eyes searching hers.
“Yes, Mistress? What do you require of me? Is there a battle you wish me to fight? Something heavy you need me to lift?”
Corinne smiled despite herself.
“No, K-lx—nothing like that,” she said. “I just want to get you cleaned up and examine you. Come with me to the bathing chamber, all right?”
“Yes, Mistress.”
He rose at once, moving smoothly for such a huge male.
