A Science Fiction Romance

Weary and hot, he dropped the weight of his body on to a park bench. Twisting his neck and giving his shoulders a loosening shake, he gazed automatically at the summer people in the park. He peered intently at several, his own eyes hidden behind shiny reflecting glasses. For a moment he stiffened, watching a young girl who came toward him alone across the grass. But as she passed, he sagged again, a small frown of tired disappointment passing over his face. Apparently relaxing his scrutiny of the park people, the man let his gaze wander to a small green island in the center of the muddy pond.

After a few seconds, a small speculative smile appeared. "What if . . . it might be an easier way than scanning every likely individual in the sector . . . damn this planet, unlivable in this season . . ." The stranger's mind set itself in strange gears, as though a tiny switch marked "Build" had been flipped on. In his mind a heavy shoulder appeared, and a dark golden muscled arm curved down to strong fingers, relaxed in an arc toward an oil slick on the water. To connect the other arm, which rested on an invisible knee, the stranger's eye drifted downward over smooth and knotted muscles - not heavy with useless show but lithe with waiting strength. His mind flickered for a moment over his knowledge of the park's inhabitants, then with a small smile of amusement, he finished off a strong, heavy penis and moved on to turn out long legs, as naturally muscled as the arms, and the long-toed feet of a Byzantine statue that suddenly crossed his mind.


Satisfied, even enjoying himself, he returned to the shoulders and built the neck and head of an oblivious, thoughtful Greek athlete, absorbed and self-contained, eyes turned down toward the grasses and trash on the islet. Leaning back on his bench, the stranger tilted his head slightly, positioned his creation, a hand on one knee, the other leg stretched out loosely, comfortably. Drawing a gentle breath, the stranger sighed and suddenly the creation appeared, blowing out gently from chest to fingertips, dark, full, and real. With another breath its chest rose and fell and a hand absentmindedly brushed away an insect. The stranger closed his eyes behind the shining glasses; when he opened them, the creation blinked and focussed his gaze calmly on the grass at his feet. With a smile the stranger touched his own dark hair and the breeze stirred the heavy hair of the creation.


Raising his gaze, then, the stranger left the creation motionless and looked searchingly across the open park. People were already stopping, whispering, peering. Some drew close to the bank but the naked golden man remained oblivious on his island. The stranger sat still on his bench, a white cane now completing his appearance of quiet withdrawal. People drifted by, small boys hastened toward the hoots of their friends.


Turning slightly, the stranger noted two uniformed men approaching from an official car. Apparently unconcerned for his creation, his eyes continued to pass over the curious gathered near the pond. One by one, he noted, then passed over, single people close to the water. In his lap, his hands fluttered briefly and the creation moved slowly to his feet, stretched with animal grace, surveyed the island. A few gasps were audible in feminine voices and the officers quickened their steps.


Intent now, the stranger's stare narrowed and flickered between two young women who were standing almost on the edge of the pond. Suddenly one of them stepped forward. As the officers voices broke authoritatively through the crowd's murmurs, the stranger strained forward with a low cry and the creation disappeared in a faint dusty glow. For a moment, the young woman's foot rested full on the water, then she drew back unnoticed into the amazed cries and questions of the crowd. In confusion, she turned through the people and at the crowd's edge met the stranger, tapping hesitantly toward the commotion. As she brushed past, his hand grasped at her arm and she turned, wary and defensive as a cat. Anxiously, he held her eyes with an intent gaze and she seemed to return it with no regard for the shining impenetrable glass. At an instant both faces relaxed, hands met across space and all the puzzling officers found, returning to their car, was a small pile of clothes, a cane and a faint rosy dust hovering around a pair of shiny one-way glasses.
"Must be the heat," said one.
"People do anything for a little excitement," said the other as they pulled into the midtown traffic.