Bubblegum Botress: a tale of cyberpunk love by D.A. Xiaolin Spires

For today's flash fiction we head into the realms of cyberpunk with Bubblegum Botress by D.A. Xiaolin Spires, a tale of love lost and lust at a drive-thru burger joint. 

D.A. Xiaolin Spires currently lives in Taipei, Taiwan. You can find her huddled in a mosquito net, speeding through night markets and trudging up the escheresque subway stairs scattered across this urban landscape. Her works appear or are forthcoming in publications such as Clarkesworld, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Retro Future, LONTAR, Eye to the Telescope and several anthologies. Find her on Twitter @spireswriter or at her website: daxiaolinspires.wordpress.com.



​​Bubblegum Botress
by D.A. Xiaolin Spires

We pull up in our two-door convertible. Akari is a great driver. She works the levers on the slick cherry Cadillac like extensions of her body. The engine quiets, as the rounded wings pull in. She touches down just as she makes a call through the telecom at the burger joint. She’s hardly done speaking when the food appears on a tray carried toward us. 

The botress is chewing on bubble gum and blows it in my face as she passes me my burger. The gum is bright pink, reflected on her silver chin. Pop. She scoops gum bits that have burst onto her metal chin and puts them back between her lips with a highly segmented finger.

I’m eyeing Akari as she’s eyeing the botress. The botress now moves the gum to the right side of her mouth, with the left side turned up into a wry grin. Do they manufacture bots to flirt now? I can feel my face getting red. I swear the bot winks at Akari. A deliberate swish of her eyelashes, probably made of airplane sheet metal for all I know. But, they look real and lush. Can botresses afford human hair implants? Probably a mix of synthetics plus generous dabs of mascara. Akari tries to be subtle, but I see her eyes dart to check out her pink mini-hoop skirt. The botress’s hips generously fill the tiny skirt, leaving not much room for imagination.

I grab the burger, take a big bite and let the juices dribble down my face. Akari barely notices me.

The botress turns and leaves. Akari’s pretending to scan the menu but I see her watching the botress as she glides away. Akari places a hefty ten-dollar bill down the tipping tube. Her face is shadowed under the freight-liner floating above us. But, even with the curved shadow cast on her face, I can see something close to lust. Animal energy emanates from her eyes. 

I pull off my silver gloves and rub her cheeks. She’s distracted. I let go and fall back into my seat. There is a mountain at the far edge of the megacity, where there are no globe fountains and no twin skyscrapers. There is no burger joint and no bot ladies at your beck and call.

I secretly want to hide there where no one can find me. I want to crawl up the mountain on my own two legs without the help of an air taxi or its faithful automaton driver. 

Akari now turns to me and looks into my eyes. “You got something there on your cheek,” she says, brushing away the ketchup and flecks of meat. Her pupils are dilated, black as deep space and I can see the whole of the megacity reflected there, bright and energetic like stars. 

I want to break up, I say. But I’m not sure she hears me. I could shout into the city itself and the glass domes and sleek buildings would only echo my words hollow.