Tiernan luxuriated in the aquatub. The water temperature suited his body perfectly, even the suds were exactly right. He gazed up at Claire, watching him bathe, washing himself clean, ridding his blocked skin pores of cloying cryogenic gel. After a satisfying, lengthy soak, he stood in the warm pool and rinsed his muscled ebony body with recycled water from the pump action portable shower head. Claire drained the aquatub. She would purify the water for re-use. Tiernan stepped out of the tub and lay face up on the warming, irradiated sunpad, loving the sensation of its rays drying his skin, tanning, relaxing him,
‘Request.’
‘Yes, Tiernan.’
‘External environmental analysis. Please.’
‘Certainly.’
The lights fell, dropped. An illuminated screen appeared directly above Tiernan’s head. Claire articulated her analysis, even as the shapes and figures appeared in luminous green print lighting up the S.O.’s face:
ANALYSIS: CLAIRE: 11:45: 23.08.2075: SOIL: SILICON, NITRATE, ORGANIC DETRITUS. LIQUID: H20. WATER PRESENT. ATMOSPHERE: PRIMORDIAL: NITROGEN 70.2%, OXYGEN 26.7%, ARGON 1.1%, CARBON DIOXIDE 1.06%, INERT TRACE GASES, WATER VAPOUR VARIABLE. BIOSPHERE: PRIMORDIAL. CONDITIONS SUPPORT HUMAN LIFE.
‘Tiernan,’ she added.
‘Yes.’
‘Would you like your aphrodisiac now?’
Relaxed, comfortable, satisfied that he had restored her trust, Tiernan opened his mouth, and let Claire feed him his dream pill. The light stayed low. The sunpad warmed his body. He drifted off to sleep and wet-dreamed of Rose, naked, alive, wriggling, hatching out of her pupa.
‘Request,’ he murmured.
‘Yes, Tiernan.’
‘Would you mind closing your eyes?’
