Tevun-Krus #87 - SnowPunk

Cold Love - A Short Story by @sleepingdraco

Cold Love

V.3.13.21

The engineers neglected to consider the sensual implications of model NN-0609. Had they considered it, they would have been shot. And since they hadn't considered it, they would be shot.

The airlock opened with a great hiss. Gret and Bruno stepped out into the bright sunlight to test model NN-0609, a thin silver thermal bodysuit designed to withstand the 85 Kelvin temperature of the planet Egin. Only a few individuals needed to navigate the inhospitable surface of the planet: scientists, explorers, and miners. Most of the planet's citizens used the safer human pneumatic tube transportation system to move around the warm indoor city.

Over three millennia, Egin's temperature had steadily dropped. First people starved, then some managed to leave aboard a handful of nuclear-powered transport ships. A few of the elite left behind survived and ultimately thrived using technology originally designed to endure a nuclear holocaust. Their descendants never knew anything other than a frozen planet.

Gret peered through the visor of her helmet at the desolate, white landscape. They had timed the first test walk to avoid any of the typical hurricane-strength winds. The excitement of navigating the testing trail gave a flush to her near-translucent skin. Her complexion was typical of her people who hadn't required melanin for thousands of years. She could have been considered beautiful with long straight dark hair and pale blue eyes–if beauty were spoken of–but the vocabulary for beauty had been eliminated hundreds of years ago as had any means to express love or lust. The government felt very satisfied with its success in eliminating these pesky emotions. For without love, hate too disappeared and strife and war were merely forgotten myths of the past.

Physical contact too was banned, the risk of generating a pandemic in this genetically brittle population too great. Conception had been relegated to robotic warehouses; humans did not bond to one another, only their mechanical nannies who remained trusted assistants and companions for a person's entire life. Always there, immortal, and meeting every need. No one feared human death.

Gret began her predetermined job in transportation at age twenty. With an athletic and lithe frame, she enjoyed and took pride in her specialized role in testing various newly designed transportation systems produced by the engineering department.

Bruno was a standard issue male. His zygote had been a popular genetic blend of European, Asian and African genes utilized for its hardiness. He had also trained his entire life for his job. Gret and Bruno had been classmates (remotely of course) since the fourth grade and they worked well as a team. They occasionally met in person during test runs, the highlight of their lives. Their supervisors were pleased with their productivity, but given the lack of conflict on Egina, most people performed at the top of their predetermined genetic abilities.

The airlock closed with a clang behind them. Bruno and Gret ignored the silent thrill they shared of exiting their highly technological city and descending alone into the raw rugged landscape. In fact, they didn't have the vocabulary to discuss it even if they had wanted to. Instead, they turned on the recording equipment embedded into their helmets and suits and began the series of prescribed calisthenics to test ease of movement while wearing the NN-0609.

The first thing Gret noticed was the NN-0609's snugness. The new outer layer, while lighter and more flexible than any used previously, was expensive. The form-fitting design must have been utilized to minimize material waste. As the outer layer squeezed her body, it pressed a warm semi-liquid thermal layer against her bare skin. This heating layer slid across her body redistributing warmth, and it quickly drew her attention to her groin, buttocks and breasts. The sensation felt foreign and delightful. Gret noted cheerfully into her recorder that it felt unusual but not unpleasant.

Bruno found his attention also drawn to Gret's suit, particularly her buttocks and breasts. He had never noticed these curves under the usual robes and uniforms she wore. Soon he noticed the effects of the NN-0609 on his own skin and an erection–something he'd only ever noticed upon waking–quickly rose. The suit soon stretched tight and thermal liquid moved quickly around it gathering precious heat.

Both Gret's and Bruno's eyes bulged at the sight of Bruno's growing penis, but they remained silent, both caught up in the new and overwhelming sensations the NN-0609 provided. Gret finally remembered the task at hand.

"We should commence the mile-long test walk," said Gret.

Bruno's mind snapped back to reality. "Right, ready." Together they took a step out onto the snow-covered test trail and promptly toppled over into a snowbank.

Bruno landed facedown upon a faceup Gret, but the snow cushioned their landing. His chest pressed against her breasts. He couldn't believe their softness. Gret felt Bruno's penis against her pelvis. The sensual pressure heated her further prompting the gelatinous thermal layer to circulate faster around her labia and clitoris. Bruno attempted to pull himself up and free them from the snowbank, but they only sank further into the dry snow.

Had they not been utterly distracted, they would have signaled for help. But, despite repressed genetics for lust and arousal, Gret and Bruno began exploring each other's bodies with wanton abandon. Bruno squeezed Gret's breasts and slid his hands around to cup her bottom. Gret fondled Bruno's penis before wrapping her legs around Bruno's hips and running her fingers over his chest. Instinctively, Bruno ground his groin against Gret's and found an area between her legs where the thin, flexible suit allowed him to push inward just a bit. If their lips wouldn't have instantly frozen and shattered, they might have ripped off their helmets.

And that's when an alarm pierced their ears so loudly their bodies writhed and separated. They could feel the rumble of robots rushing to the scene.

Two large robotic arms fished them out of the snowbank and placed them back on the testing trail. Three government-issued robots escorted them back inside.

Waiting for them stood a battalion of security robots and three somber men: Morse, a government official, Barns, the lead engineer, and Ruberg the chief of police.

"I don't understand," said Ruberg, "were they touching like their monitors indicated or not?"

"No, no they weren't touching," insisted Barns, "or they would be dead having been exposed to the outside air."

"I think I know what happened," said Morse. "Officer Ruberg, arrest Barns and his team and bring them to the interrogation room."

Even the robot guards looked stunned. The interrogation room hadn't been necessary for over a hundred years, maybe more.

"I want to get to the bottom of this abominable design. It's a threat to the stability of our planet," said Morse, "I'll see that Bruno and Gret never work together again."