Thirty-three Knightsbridge Palace Gardens was an august address. In the heart of London's walled off billionaire quarter, that stretched from Hyde Park to Shepherds Bush, the area was so exclusive that unless you were part of Saudi Royal Family or some titan of industry, you couldn't get past the checkpoints.
Sebastian showed the private security bot his temporary right to visit on his phone and was waved through. He travelled the quiet streets of a part of the City that most Londoners never got to see. Even Sebastian, who by anyone's standards was top of the food chain, felt inadequate and out of place whenever he came here.
The taxi glided to a stop outside. Sebastian paid using his private, untraceable Crypto Wallet. The door opened and he stepped onto the pavement and watched the Robo-Taxi silently glide away. He was alone on the wide residential street flanked by tall terraced town houses. Feeling exposed, he jogged up the stairs to the front door and presented his phone to the scanner. The large heavy wooden door opened inwards on a slow hinge. He stepped into the tasteful vestibule and headed straight for the elevator. He knew the way.
Sebastian stepped out onto the fifth floor. It was tastefully decorated with a heavy-pile cream carpet, light green walls, off shade paneling. Five large doors were evenly spaced around three walls of the landing. Large and dark green, none had any numbers, markings or handles on them.
Sebastian waded through the carpet and stood in front of the second door on the right. He pulled out his phone and navigated to the black square again and clicked into it. His phone vibrated and gave off a quiet ping. The big heavy door swung inward gently revealing a long corridor of more panelled walls, this time black, with dim picture lights illuminated the way to a reception desk at the end. Once the door had finished opening fully he walked in. It closed abruptly behind him.
As he approached the desk a man rose from behind it and smiled a practiced smile. He was tall, dressed in a black suit and tie, black hair combed back into a slight quiff, angular features and a strong jaw line. His blue eyes twinkled as he watched Sebastian get nearer.
"Good to see ya Mr Black, how's it goin?" Vincent always grated on Sebastian. The way he looked, the decor around him, the address he was standing in, all jarred with his common wide boy manner and casual banter. Sebastian felt they should have had some French sophisticate or slightly camp German front of house; someone who could carry the weight of class and style around them. Not some pleb who sound like they'd been on a market stall a few hours ago.
"I'm fine thanks Vincent, how are you?" replied Mr Black. Vincent tapped away on a keyboard and stared into a screen out of view, behind the shelf of the reception desk.
"So you're here for Susie, then Mr Black, yeah?"
"Susan," corrected Sebastian firmly. Vincent Gulped and then smiled.
"You like the old Model-19s do ya Mr Black? Are you sure I couldn't tempt you with a something a little newer. We've just launched four brand new Zanbotix-398s from Korea, they've all been broken in but the feedback has been absolutely off the charts, they're booked solid through till November, but as it's you, I could arrange a quick fifteen minute sample session for ya." He looked at Sebastian eagerly, but sensing a lack of enthusiasm quickly added, "On the house of course," finishing with a beaming smile.
"No thanks Vincent, I'm good. I'll just take Susan," replied Sebastian unconvincingly feigning a smile.
"Up to you mate, nothing wrong with the 19s, a reliable unit," Sebastian's patience was depleting, "The workhorses of the whorehouses," blurted Vincent with a flourish, expecting some form of acknowledgement if not all out applause. He didn't get it. Hearing Vincent refer to her as a workhorse made Sebastian's skin crawl. He struggled to define what being with her gave him, but hearing her reduced to an it, or a unit, or a part number angered him greatly.
"Is she ready?" Vincent's demeanour hardened.
"I'm afraid the unit is still being prepared."
"Really?" asked Sebastian sharply, "How long will it take?"
"Not long now. I'm afraid whenever we get a unit out that's been in storage for a while there's a bit of a checklist our techs need to run through before we can put it out onto the floor. Don't worry you'll still get your full allocation."
"Will she at least be configured?" Asked Sebastian, agitated.
"Let me just double check for ya," He tapped away on the keyboard, "Yep," he confirmed, "Tech has your config file, it'll be set up for ya just the way you like it."
He made her sound like an ice cream maker, "Thanks. I'll just wait over there," Sebastian motioned to the seating area to the right of the desk.
"Just one more thing," interjected Vincent, "There's a small matter of a damage charge on your account."
"Excuse me?"
"Pertaining to your last visit with us," Vincent was looking to his screen reading off the particulars, "It seems the unit incurred some damage that needed repair and replacement," Vincent gave a naughty side glance to Sebastian.
"What kind of damage?" Asked Sebastian getting defensive.
"Looks like bite marks, would you like to see?" Sebastian visibly deflated as Vincent's words washed over him, "Got a bit carried away did ya?" asked Vincent smugly.
Sebastian's mind started to race. He did get carried away. God, she'd asked him to, but what did that matter now? He wanted Vincent to move past this. Fast. He needed it gone, "Okay, how much?" he asked, fishing for his phone in his jacket pocket.
"Seven thousand three hundred and forty eight pounds Sir."
"Really! For a couple of tiny marks," protested Sebastian
"Plus VAT" added Vincent.
Sebastian rolled his eye, now clearly beaten, prepared the payment on his phone's crypto wallet and held it up to the reader in Vincent's hand.
"Thanks very much, Your unit is going to be ready soon," Concluded Vincent.
Sebastian put away his phone, "I'll wait over there." He moved to the seating area.
His butterflies were starting. They did every time; that familiar flutter in his chest that he couldn't quite explain or control. Despite knowing she was synthetic, the time with her felt like some of the most gratifying moments he'd ever experienced. He wondered what the said about him. He wondered if he should really be seeing a shrink instead.