A Perfect World: An Erotic Science Fiction Short Story by Kris Cook Page A

pre-ordered, but then let the
thought go. Even if we had to break into our tiny savings account, so be it.
Seana needed to be distracted. Hell, so did I.
    None of our relatives had consented to help us start our
family. We’d even asked our parents but got the answer we expected since they
were only in their seventies, except my dad who was eighty-two. Both our
mothers were very understanding as they’d gone through the same ordeal, though
not to the late age limit like Seana. But neither would agree to it.
    When we got married, Seana told me she didn’t want a baby. I
should’ve known better. When we were dating, every chance she got to be around
any child, she took it.
    Seana sat up and dug in her purse, pulling out the Vid of
Anthony. I pretended not to notice. She activated it, and a miniature of Rick
and Shelia’s beautiful baby boy sat in her hand, smiling. The image was from
his first birthday party. I remembered the crowd of fifty-two couples and
seventeen singles. It was the event of the year in our neighborhood. Shelia’s
great-grandmother had been struck by lightning over a year earlier. She and
Rick had been so lucky.
    “We’ll be landing in Dallas in fifteen minutes,” a voice
announced and continued with other information and instructions. Passengers
followed the mandates of the attendants and brought their seats to the upright
position in the customary shuffling.
    Seana visibly tensed.
    William, whose late wife was a distant relative of mine,
would be waiting at the baggage claim for us. I didn’t remember ever meeting
him, though my mother thought he’d come to my high school graduation. Still, I
had the Vid of him, so I knew what he looked like. Chasing the elusive rainbow
had been hell for Seana and me. I was out of family members. William was the
end of my prospects for Seana, no matter what the outcome.
    The bumpy landing briefly pulled me from my thoughts, but my
nerves were already shot.
    I wondered how Seana would react if he didn’t agree to it? I
realized this could be the end of us, too. Would she try to find someone with
more potential to give her the child she desired so much, even if she only had
eleven months for the attempt? As much as it pained me, I believed she would.
    As we disembarked, Seana motioned that she was going to the
ladies room to freshen up. I nodded. Her normally perfect hair needed a bit of
attention but that was all. Everything else about her was flawless. I looked
around at the crowd, and, per our DNA-corrected world, saw only attractive
women. Still, Seana had a slight edge on all of them.
    “We would have such a beautiful child,” I said aloud to the
air.
    All the forms were completed and approved. Only one thing
was left to get. But would William give it to us?
    Over the past three years, we’d tried to acquire what we
needed from anyone we could think of. We even attempted to purchase an
accidental death, but the average month only produced about thirteen hundred
worldwide. And only two to three of those went on the open market. Every time
we would bid, they were snatched up at prices far beyond our reach. It had to
come from a family member and, though not a blood relative, William was my last
hope.
    From the ladies room, Seana emerged looking stunning. Her
white leather pants and black silk top only added to her awesome presence. We
were ready to meet him; I hoped it was enough.
    I saw William before he saw us.
    He was talking to a gorgeous woman, who was understandably
captivated by him. I’ve been called a nine point eight-two, even a ten once or
twice—but William? He busted the ten-scale wide open. He wore his dark, wavy
locks long. His eyes sparkled with the deepest blue, and his shoulders were
Olympian in breadth. He wore gym shorts and a tank top, I assumed to better
show off his muscular physique, which was matchless. The baggage claim was his
to rule as most eyes were on him. I saw why he still modeled for major
advertising firms. There was no