Echo

2. Suppra

The next morning, daddy stays home from work to teach us how to use the suppra's. We've got a special room in the house for them. Momma and daddy have them. But they're boring and never use them.

"I'm not explaining this 64 times, girls. Pay attention."

"We are."

"You will lie on the table. You will be hooked up to several machines. This is to check for heart rate, breathing. Things like that. Then you will begin a countdown. Your conscious mind will then be transferred to your suppra. What does suppra mean?"

"Solar-powered universal personal piloted robot android."

"Good. Once you wake up, you will be controlling the suppra from inside of it. You'll be able to see your body on the table. Let's do that for now. Both of you lay down, and the servants can hook you up."

10 minutes later, I've got sticky pads all over me and a tube in my mouth.

"Countdown from 20 ma'am."

"20... 19... 18..." It feels like I fall asleep. "17... 16..."

"Transfer successful. Open your eyes, Echo."

I'm standing against the wall. I see myself lying on the bed. I'm in a different body. I check my hand and move my fingers. They move just like my normal fingers would. I can't tell the difference.

Eriska takes a step in her suppra. "This is so weird."

Daddy smiles. "Doing good girls. The suppra's or androids. Whatever you want to call them. Can be controlled like you would control your own body. You can run, jump, type, talk. Everything is normal. The suppra's are stronger than your bodies. So, if you fall off a roof, you probably won't even be injured. The biggest difference is the way things feel. Touch each other's arms."

I can feel Eriska rub my arm. It feels like I have long sleeves on and she's rubbing the sleeves. I touch her arm and I can barely feel anything. "It's different."

"Correct. Technology isn't perfect. They are still working on touch and feeling in the skin. So, if you pick up something and your hand starts melting. Please drop it. It's probably hot and your suppra will need repair at that point."

"Would I be injured for real?"

"No. Your body will remain in bed unharmed. In the event your suppra sustains heavy damage, you will wake up."

"So, if we jump out of a plane and the parachute doesn't open, we'll wake up?"

"Somewhat correct. You will not wake up until the suppra sustains heavy damage. It forces you back into your body."

Eriska nods. "The suppra won't get any damage because the parachute doesn't open. We have hit the ground for that."

I put an eyebrow up. "Does it hurt?"

"No. It will shock you. You may wake up reaching for the parachute cord and screaming, but you will not be injured."

"We can do whatever we want? We won't be injured." I stare at daddy.

"Correct. However, these things are very expensive. If you destroy them just to do it, I will not replace them. The insurance would not cover that either. If a parachute fails to open, that's understandable. You weren't trying to hurt the suppra in that situation."

"I understand."

"Good. Now, they are waterproof. But you do not need to wash them unless they get dirty. The box they come in will sanitize them. However, don't put dirt or mud in the box. Wash them off first."

"Ok."

"The boxes are wired to the power station in the yard. You have to keep an eye on battery life. A full battery will last 100 hours. There is no reason to run them that long. Also, you are the owner of the suppra you are in. Nobody else can be placed into it. It is yours alone."

I jump up and down. "I WANT TO GO DO SOMETHING."

"Yes, that. There is a company a few blocks away from my office. I'll be taking you there. They will put you through a course today. It's about learning to work and move the suppra's you are in. It takes about 4 hours. You're doing that. Then you can be free. However, the suppra's must return here. You have to put them in their boxes when you are done with them. Don't leave them on the beach. Take money and phones. Whatever else you can't live without."

Eriska puts her hand up. "What do we do if ours takes damage and we wake up? It won't be in the box."

"Good question. This red button inside its box. Push this. It will alert the company. They will collect it and lead an investigation into what happened."

"What do I look like?"

Daddy laughs. "Go look in the mirror and get your things for today. I'm leaving in an hour for work. Make sure you take money. Transportation is not free."

We run up the steps to the bathroom.

"I look so different."

She nods. "We're still sexy though."

"I think my clothes will fit. I'm small, like the real me."

"Me too. Let's pick something sexy, then do our hair."

"We're doing the training thing."

"True. I guess it's ponytails and t-shirts with shorts today."

Daddy drops us off an hour later. It's a box building with no windows. A man smiles at us when we walk in. "Good afternoon ladies. How can I help you today?"

"We're supposed to do a training thing."

He gets on a computer. "Names?"

"Echo and Eriska."

"Suppra training. Are you in them now?"

"Yes."

"Let me check." He gets a needle and syringe. Then he pulls something green out of my finger. He must sense my confusion. "Humans are red. Suppra's are green. Hybrids are blue. I have to double-check. The courses are not safe for humans. Some want to try them out. Then they get hurt." He checks Eriska, then we go into a huge obstacle course room.

"We have to do this?"

"You can do this. Suppra's have a lot of strength. They are faster and stronger than your regular bodies. It's all about getting used to them and figuring out their limitations. For example, can you jump over that 4-foot table and never touch it?"

"No."

"A suppra can. You'll be learning about the different abilities it has today. Have a seat over there. You're going to watch a movie. Then a trainer will take you through the course."

"Thank you, sir."

"My pleasure."

We learn so much in class. Suppra's are fast. Faster than I could ever dream of running as a human. They can also lift 500 pounds without problems. They can jump up to 7 feet straight up. Their skeletons are made of metal. They are strong and solid. Yet they seem human and gentle. It's amazing.

We finish the course then walk towards home.

"I have no idea what to do."

"There has to be some trouble we can get into."

"I wonder if they can drink alcohol?"

"Let's try. We look old enough. Can we even drink anything? Or eat?"

I text my dad. "Yes. We can eat and drink. There is a container in us that gets emptied when we return to the box. But our bodies are being fed. So, they're not hungry either."

"Good to know. There's a bar."

We barely sit down and a man at the bar buys us a couple of drinks.

Eriska stands up. Then she whispers, "I'm going to go try s*x. Wait here."

"Good plan."

She goes into the bathroom with the guy. I take a drink. It's terrible. These things must not have taste buds. I don't taste anything. I think about taking a man to the bathroom, but I wouldn't even know what to do with him. I've never had a boyfriend. I don't even think a boy has ever looked at me like that. Someday, I would like to go on a date.

I finish the drinks so they don't go to waste and she comes back. "s*x is pointless. I can barely feel anything. He got off fine though."

"Drinking is pointless. Nothing has taste and alcohol doesn't affect us."

"Maybe we will have to go skydiving."

"Yea, we're quickly running out of things to do."

"$50."

Eriska puts an eyebrow up and takes the money. "Yes, sir. Right this way." She leads him into the bathroom too.

I sit and stare at the wall. I'm not spending money on something that will be emptied out of a tank later.

A drink gets put in front of me. "From the gentleman over there."

I peek over, and a man winks at me. He's very sexy. He's got a suit on. He's with a group of business people. He turns his attention back to them.

I drink my drink and smile. No one has ever bought me a drink before. It's always Eriska.

The man she roamed away with, smacks her ass as she gets back to the table. "Thanks, babe."

"Anytime, sir." She giggles then pulls me up. We get outside and she jumps up and down. "We can make so much money with these."

"With s*x?"

"Yes."

"I don't know."

"Come on. At least try. There's no health risk. It's not really us. No chance of pregnancy. Our bodies are perfectly safe on the table."

"I'll try, but later. It's not even dinner time yet."

"Oh, I have to go home for dinner tonight." She pulls out her phone. "I'm getting us a cab back to your house. We'll go out later. I'll be back about 9."

"Good plan."