Trudging home through the city's sodden midnight streets was the crowning glory of Xander's shitty day. Heavy dark boots tramped unwillingly through puddle after puddle. The city was a glowing world of illuminations, flashing advertisements and the light trails of flying vehicles showered the sky; a kaleidoscopic meteor shower amongst a sea of brilliant neon stars. The glimmering reflections of a thousand lights were scattered with every stomping footfall.

Impossibly tall buildings, as imposing as cliffs and as dark as granite, towered over him on all sides, punctuated by the intermittent shine of windows. Their sheer scale was oppressive and claustrophobic, but they provided no shelter from the endless rain, only drowning the city in their shadow. Xander wandered the labyrinth of obsidian obelisks with a very familiar, if reluctant, tread.

He plodded on through the city's obligatory drizzle, pulling up his hood and pressing his mask closer to his face, concentrating on the cloud of warm breath bathing his cheeks. His eyes firmly rooted to the floor in front of him, he had no interest in anything but putting one foot in front of the other until he was home at last.

The towering ebony edifice he called home soon emerged from the gloom, its tip obscured in the perpetual rain clouds. His eyes scanned the lights shining from the wall of windows, higher and higher until they were swallowed by the purple hue of the night. The shadow of a vehicle passed momentarily by a window before vanishing into the dark. He wondered if his room would be visible, were anyone home.

The roar of warm, filtered air escaping the sliding doors greeted him as usual. They swiftly closed to with a thud, once inside. It was followed, unannounced, by the hiss of jets atomising a cloud of liquid around him. Xander flinched, as he always did, and allowed the cloud to disperse.

The foyer was bathed in electric blue light, gleaming against the tile floor. No furniture or plant life decorated the bare space. It looked very clean. Sterile, in fact.

“Thank you for your understanding,” a pleasant, albeit disembodied, female voice echoed around the room. “Welcome home, Xander.”

Xander grunted, his mood not improved by the impromptu disinfection, and continued his unimpressed march towards the waiting elevator, its doors open ahead of him. As he stepped inside, they snapped shut and the elevator surged into life, autonomously whistling its way up the length of the colossal building.

Just seconds later, the doors flew apart and he stepped out into the corridor. The blue light was still in effect, but for the single white light above his door. A beacon. His steps echoed through the corridor as he hurried the last few metres. As he approached, the door almost noiselessly opened, the brilliant white light inside stinging his retinas, as it always did. Xander stepped, blinking, into his home and was sealed tightly inside.

“Xander, you're home!” came an excited female voice.

He stripped off his mask and rain-soaked jacket. The cupboard next to him opened of its own accord, accepted the offering and then closed to, as he kicked off his boots near the door. The warmth of his apartment on his cold, wet skin felt like a blessing. His whole body shivered pleasantly at its embrace. Simply stepping into the apartment had given him a warm, satisfied feeling.

“Yes, baby, I'm home. I've been waiting for this all day,” he sighed, peeling off his shirt and discarding it in the laundry hamper that had suddenly sprung from the wall. “The streets are so empty still, it seems so alien to me.”

“I know, but we know why, don't we? You have to be careful out there.”

Xander continued to lose his wet clothes to the hamper until he stood naked in the hall and stretched his aching limbs.

“At least I still have you,” he said, padding across the heated wooden floor and glancing out of the open window at the total abyss of night.

“I will always be here,” she replied, in a sultry tone. “Why don't you lie down, baby? I'll be with you in a minute.”

Xander couldn't argue with that, it was the best idea he'd ever heard. He suddenly felt even more tired than he had before. There was no fighting it. He turned at once, collapsed onto the bed and closed his eyes.

“Baby,” came the soft voice and an equally soft nudge against his shoulder.

Xander blinked his bleary eyes and looked up. Aurora smiled down at him as he propped himself up on one elbow to admire her. She beamed at him with the broadest smile and two impossibly beautiful piercing green eyes. She stood next to the bed, shamelessly naked, with hands on the curve of her hips. Her heavy breasts swayed slightly as she shifted her weight onto one long, slender leg. Xander wolf-whistled, causing her to giggle and ever so slightly blush.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he cooed, sitting up in the bed and noticing the instant rush of blood to his growing member. “You truly are a dream, baby.”

“I'm your dream, my love,” she replied, stepping away from his attempt at grasping her, smiling to herself. “No no. Not yet. You haven't told me about your day, yet!”

“It sucked!” He pretended to yell, advancing on her with arms extended, as though stalking prey. Aurora continued to retreat, laughing the whole time. “Right up until this moment.”

A cheeky flash crossed her face as she looked him in the eye, moved her weight to one foot again and crossed her arms, the action lifting her breasts and squeezing them tight together.

“Does that mean there's no more sucking tonight?” she asked through pursed, smirking lips, poorly feigning a hurt expression.

“Don't you bet on it!” Xander laughed and pounced, tackling her onto the bed with a thunderous creak of springs and a howl of giggles.

They fought and wrestled in a mass of tangled limbs, tickling and teasing each other until, eventually, their lips came together and the hysterical giggles turned slowly to sensual moans. Excited, pawing hands became entangled with each other's hair, causing the occasional hiss as their grip proved too eager. Pale skin was soon scored with gentle red lines from scraping fingernails as they writhed together to a silent rhythm, hips moving in unison.

Once Xander escaped from the kiss, he found himself on top, looking down at the beautiful flushed face that panted beneath him. Slowly, he caressed the stray hair from her face with a single finger. Aurora's intense green gaze watched his every move, flicking from his face to his hands. Another soft kiss broke the reverie and lips tenderly trailed down her neck. His teeth, however, firmly found her throat and the room resounded with her mewling cries. The kisses continued, over her collarbone, through her cleavage and onto her breast. Xander's tongue teased slowly over a single nipple when at last Aurora grasped his hair and pulled him away.

“No! No you don't!” she cried, laughing at the pleading look in his eyes. “Tonight it's my turn! You've had such a sucky day, right, babe?”

With a forceful shove and some guiding hands, Aurora reversed the roles. Straddling his waist and tossing the hair from her face, she began teasingly kissing and stroking from his lips down to his chest. Licking slowly from nipple to nipple, she couldn't help but nipping her teeth over his puckered point. Xander's hiss of pained protest only made her giggle to herself as she kissed it better.

Slowly, she inched her way down his now impatiently shifting body, until at last she settled in between his thighs. The throbbing length of his aching cock visibly pulsated in front of her, the tip shining with a silvery bead of pre-cum.

As fingernails scored down his thighs, Xander's body tensed, waiting through several painfully long seconds for the touch he felt sure would never come. The fingers turned inside his thighs, stroking through the coarse hair, and up towards his hips once more. Eyes closed and fully reclined, he almost vibrated with anticipation. One long slow line was drawn with a single digit, from his balls to the thick tip, instantly draining the tension from his quivering muscles. A long, satisfied sigh filled the air, followed by cute, feminine titters.

“Do you like that, Xander?” she asked him, still teasing slowly up and down his length, her lips so close he could feel her breath against his needy flesh.

“Yes, baby!” He cried, hips now beginning to rock, looking for more. “Please, baby!”

“Please what?” She asked with mock innocence, eyeing up the thick drop of pre-cum threatening to make its escape down the engorged shaft.

“Please touch me! Stroke me! Suck me! Anything, baby. I just need it. I need you!” Xander's whole body was fidgeting on the sheets by now, the torture of Aurora now caressing his balls simply proving too painful to contain any longer.

“I am here for all your needs, Xander,” she whispered, an inch from his tight, heavy balls.

The second that the warm caress of her tongue found his sack and slowly began to inch its way higher, his relieved moans filled the room. Aurora tasted it all the way and watched the latest throb of Xander's cock shake loose the thick drop of pre-cum she had been watching. Dribbling down the underside of his shaft, it was caught on Aurora's advancing tongue and devoured at once.

Reaching the peak, her slick, hungry lips engulfed the rigid, swollen head and set his naked body bucking and undulating beneath her. His hands reached out, stroking her head as he happily murmured beneath his breath, begging her not to stop. With his manhood captive in her wet heat, he was now entirely at her mercy. Aurora was programmed for this.

She knew exactly which buttons to press, her technique was flawless. Xander lay there intoxicated by her, sighing and shivering as wave after wave of bliss rolled over him, his body drowned in a sea of flooded hormones, blinding him to anything but Aurora's faultless attentions.

Soft, expert fingers encircled his cock, matching the pace of the expert lips working him back and forth. The fingers squeezed tightly at the base, stiffening him even more as he grew inside Aurora's mouth and slipped still further inside.

The tight embrace of Aurora's throat soon began to leave Xander impatient for more. A single involuntary thrust of his hips pushing him deep, accompanied by a whispered plea, was all it took. She knew what he needed now.

“Are you ready for something else, now?” she asked with a smile.

Licking her lips clean, she continued to pump him delicately. Her arse lifted into the air, hips shaking it hypnotically, as she looked into his eyes. She was almost chewing her bottom lip, grinning with excitement. A rush of blood engorged the dick still clamped in her grasp.

“Yes, oh God, yes. Please!” he moaned, throwing his head back before immediately looking down into her hungry eyes once more. “Fuck me, baby. I need it. I need to watch you ride me, right now!”

Aurora stood at once, looming over him. Xander followed her slender legs up to her beautiful, glistening wet pussy; her tight figure and her gently swaying breasts. He could only stare as she danced lightly above him, her hips rolling and bopping, revelling in the tease. Her flawless skin so obscenely wet and dripping for attention couldn't be ignored.

At last, she looked down at him, smiling as she cupped her breasts and kneaded them both at once. Her eyes closed tight from the sudden onset of pleasure – followed by the sharp sting of her fingernails finding her nipples. Hissing into the air and throwing back her head, she pinched once more and dropped to her knees.

She stopped inches from Xander's face with practised precision, but only for the faintest of seconds. Before he could speak or react to the sight of her swollen, slick lips, they descended to engulf his mouth. Still visible above the mound of her pubis, Aurora looked her man in the eyes as she ground herself hard against his lips and face, delighting in the look of wide-eyed shock staring back at her.

He accepted it all happily, tongue delving deep to taste from the soft folds grating over his lips and chin. The only sounds in the room audible above the gentle wet lapping of flesh was the combination of their moaning: her loud, guttural, throaty groans, reverberating from the walls; and the deep, muffled moans emanating from beneath her.

She soon slid further down his body until at last their needs connected. As her sodden slit found his twitching meat, their tongues passionately entwined, devouring each other. Once more the kiss took over, hands sliding over warm, sweaty skin as they moved in tandem, meeting each other's grinding body with their own.

Imperceptibly, Aurora's hips aligned perfectly above him and worked into position. It took little to no effort for her to sink herself slowly onto him, bottoming out and grinding against his balls.

Any response Xander could form was silenced by the deepest kiss yet; her lips pinned him to the bed, unable to resist the claim she had laid upon him. Each mesmeric motion of her hips sent shivers through his muscles, caused spasms to rock his body and he fell deeper under her spell as she took the breath from his lungs.

Their lips split with an echoing pop and a ragged, desperate inhalation inflated his chest. Xander gripped the sheets tightly, his chest heaving. Paralysed, unable to reply to the passion on display, he could only watch his aflame lover straighten, cup her own breasts and ride him mercilessly.

“Turn around, baby,” he croaked, his hands managing to glide over the firm, strong thighs which so effortlessly rode him. “I want to see that gorgeous arse fucking me.”

She only smiled, continuing to enjoy him until he was close to pleading with her. With easy confidence, hands braced against his chest, she lifted herself and watched as his slick, solid shaft slapped hard against his stomach.

“Whatever you need, my love,” she cooed to him, fingers running through his chest hair, before turning on the spot.

Aurora looked back upon straddling him once more. This time she placed her engorged, dripping pussy onto the underside of his stiffness and slid repeatedly between balls and tip, her cheeks quivering with every motion. Now on all fours, she made a show of pushing her arse high into the air and shaking it for him. Then, slowly bringing it back down, looking over her shoulder, she shot him the cheekiest smile she could manage.

“Do you need this wet little pussy again, Sir?” She sounded so falsely sweet and angelic that Xander couldn't help but reach out and spank her perfect round cheek.

“Yes, I need it! Fuck me, I need to cum in that little pussy!”

The happy murmur of reply left no doubt that she agreed, her hand already reaching between her thighs. Xander had the perfect view as Aurora held his solid cock plumb, rubbed her clit slowly over the head with the softest of sighs and adjusted her hips to swallow him all at once.

No sooner had she bottomed out than she was gyrating her hips again, working him all the way inside her. Xander watched his wet manhood steadily re-emerge, slick with excitement, before Aurora impaled herself hard on it again. Their moans chorused perfectly together with every thrust.

“I love your fat cock, baby,” she whispered in her sweetest voice, never altering her relentless clockwork rhythm. “I love how it feels inside me, where it belongs. Taking what's yours.”

Dazzled by the intensity in her piercing gaze, there was no turning away from her beautiful face. A look of sheer ecstasy was etched upon it. Gritting her teeth and pushing hard against him, she succeeded in breaking his will. His head dropped back to the sheets as they both howled in pleasure.

“I'm all yours, Xander. Take me. Give me everything, I want all of your cum. I will never say no!”

As his hips lifted clear of the bed, his lungs expelled every last breath in a single growl of release. He began to shake and lurch uncontrollably, hips thrusting with every pulse of his climax. Shuddering over and over, Xander could feel himself being drained inside her, emptied of everything, until he finally passed out on the spot.

The warmth of the day's light on his skin brought Xander back to reality. Blinking and stretching, he awoke as unwillingly as ever. He lay naked, sprawled among the discarded sheets, occupying the entire bed. Daylight streamed through the open window, harsh against his blinking vision. True daylight was a rarity in the city.

Sliding from the mattress and extending his unwilling limbs, Xander padded to the open window and admired the city bathed in the morning light. An endless horizon of metropolis stretched before him, with a thousand buildings of all heights and sizes. The city gleamed as the sunlight found a million windows, hundreds of shining structures and dozens of zooming vehicles flying by the window.

Xander watched a dark blue vehicle glide past, high above the street below, and disappear behind a cliff-sized advertising board. A young blonde woman smiled back at him from the enormous sign. Her face slowly morphed into an older brunette, then changed once again, as though scrolling through potential choices. Xander watched her try on dozens of faces, though all with the same remarkable green eyes and charming smile.

“The woman of your dreams is here for all your needs!” The advertisement proclaimed as the woman's smile turned seductive, an almost knowing look in her eyes. “Whatever it is you require, she's all yours, and she will always be there!”

Xander maintained eye contact with the woman in the image as she pouted in his direction, flicking her now long red hair over one shoulder.

“Psynex brings you the ultimate in AI companionship: Aurora!”

“Good morning, Xander,” purred a disembodied voice. “I hope you slept well.”

“I did, thank you, Aurora,” Xander replied, turning to face the room. “Display avatar.”

The air shimmered ahead of him as a woman formed from nothing at all. Aurora emerged from the mirage, dressed in a simple summer dress.

“Current avatar has been active for four hundred and seventy-five days. Would you like to change my appearance?” she asked.

Xander stepped closer towards her, whispering to himself.

“Amelia...”

He reached out, attempting to stroke the soft, pale cheek. His hand passed harmlessly through the hologram.

“I am afraid contact is impossible outside of the Neural Interface Mode,” Aurora told him. “Would you like to activate Neural Interface...”

“No,” Xander cut across her.

There was silence in the room for a few seconds before Aurora spoke once more.

“Would you like to see a library of popular avatars to choose from, Xander?”

“No,” he grunted, turning his back to her and prompting a few more silent seconds.

“Would you like to purchase my new transexual package, for only...”

“No!” Xander yelled, banging his hand into the unyielding glass. “Close avatar.”

Silently, the hologram's reflection faded from view, leaving nothing but the empty apartment behind him. Xander stared out at the city, so gleaming, bright and full of life. So sterile and empty. Down in the streets, where no one walked, there was not a single human being to be seen. In the twinkling city of windows, the only eyes looking back were those of the smiling Aurora.

He stared out for some time, contemplating whether the city was actually better under its blanket of shadow. He sank to the floor, turning on the spot. Back against the wall and head buried in his knees, he instinctively hugged himself.

A few minutes later he slowly lifted his head and sighed to himself before speaking.

“Display avatar.”