Cupid and the Lioness - Part 1

This short story is a personal project. Will work on it in parts. Don't know when I will finish it. If someone wants to share an opinion of the story or constructive criticism, please leave a comment below.

Thank you.

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It is the year 2069, and humanity is in a perilous situation. The peaceful modern civilization of the 21st century is on the verge of collapse, giving in to the pressure of a resentment-filled, loveless dystopia.

The cause of this downfall can be traced back to the first two decades of the 21st century when a series of ideological movements gained political power and demonized the male sex. The emasculation of men led to a loss of their drive to build and protect society, and the role of fathers in families became almost non-existent.

However, this did not go unchecked. There was a retaliation of the male sex against the female sex due to the perceived hostilities of society towards men. Chivalry practically died, and a woman could be attacked in the street without any man lifting a finger to help. Men saw women as objects to be used and hated, even if they were family members.

As the decades went on, the situation only worsened. A global birth rate crisis emerged, leading to a shrinkage in the economy and a deterioration of the quality of life in even the wealthiest countries. At the same time, the older generation - the "silver wave" - began to die off en masse, taking with them the knowledge and expertise needed to rebuild society.

In response, a global regime was established in first-world countries, forbidding any form of relationship between men and women. "A man shall not be with a woman," the ruling stated, "for the resentment built up between them knows no bounds and will only bring dissolution and confusion." Society was divided, with men and women living in separate wards and interacting only for necessary work.

Despite their advanced technology, including incubation pods for artificial childbirth and virtual reality sets for simulated intimacy, the quality of life was bleak. Men and women alike were left with soulless, artificial companions to alleviate their loneliness. Eros Cruz was such a man that felt this loneliness.

Of the horrible life that this dystopia had to give, Eros was in a good place in society. He was tall with reddish black hair indicated a passionate yet very cynical view of things and light brown complexation that would indicate an ancestry of Caribbean, Central, or South American descent that coupled well with a healthy and strong physic.

He was one of the principal minds behind the AI systems that would give company to males based on books regarding what biologically speaking would incite men into desiring women. He didn’t have personal experience due to the government policy that no reunion would take place between a man and a woman that wasn’t mediated by the regime.

Eros only had books, magazines, comics, shows, and any form of entertainment that had to do with the romanticization and sensuality of the fabled relationship between the male and the female sex. From there he made an incredibly sophisticated AI that had a 96.6% chance to please whatever male use it.

His genius with cybernetics, computing, and AI made him a very valuable asset to the regime and the regime make sure to put him in the few upper echelons of society. Resources like money, food, refuge, and whatever opportunity or thing he could desire, he could get.

Except for one. And this was his main crux. He was part of the 3.4% that could not be pleased with his creation. He had never been pleased. This was because, to him, there was no soul in this. No passion. And no flame. This made him bitter for he was a little bit more sensible than what he would let people know. And this made him have the habit of having a weirdly confident frown.

He didn’t smile much and was always feeling like something important was missing in his life. “For a fire and a flame’s sake, what the hell am I missing? I feel greedy and disgusting for thinking this. I have no qualms with my station. I wouldn’t mind being a little humbler. But something is so off and can think of anything no matter what?!” He said this while being at a tower in the massive Male ward of what used to be the Bronx in New York as years long passed.

On the other side of the ocean, in what used to be the United Kingdom, was someone that ironically was screaming to the skies inside the European female ward. “THE FUCK?! Why is the percentage so low!? I am the best in all the female wards, and this is the best percentage?! Dammit, all! (Heavy breathing) But screw it. Is not as if I understand. After all, I also am not pleased by a stupid virtual reality”. Another genius with a lot more passion was openly shown to anyone that saw her.

For she didn’t care what others thought. She was as wild and indomitable as the lions of Africa. But you would not guess it by the way she looks. She was tall for a woman, well-built yet sensual physic that was well endowed that showed grace but also a sense of strength weirdly enough. Her complexion was white as snow and her hair was cyan blue.

Her name was Leonora Løve. The woman in charge of the AI would please females throughout the female wards. Her AI was such a marvel that the Regime gave everything she asked. She was the regime's little darling girl. But her percentage of success made all the rage all day. The AI she made only had an 86.9% percent of success.

This might seem lower than the male percentage, but the truth is that the female sex was harder to please. Before Leonora came to the scene, the percentage of female pleasure was 14.2%. For comparison’s sake, before Eros took charge of the male wards in general, the percentage of males was 42.7%. So, the regime saw her as a veritable savant in her field in the same way the regime saw Eros.

But doesn’t matter how much people may admire her. She was in the same position as the 13.1% percent of women that were not happy with AI. For her, the AI was not only cold but it also lacked the passion and flame that she desired. She was also a little more sensible than Eros, but she was also a little more open about her feelings.

Both were smart and were looking for something. They related this to work in their heads, but it was something more personal driving them. They were unhappy and they hated this feeling because they both knew how blessed they were especially knowing that outside of their station, most of the planet was a wasteland that would kill anyone that try to live there. Due to the conflicts of the past, the low birthrate, the death of the older generations, and the regime’s corruption, the planet was a horrid no-mans-land that was not habitable in most places.

After thinking of this horrible thought that brought a heavy sense of guilt, the two of them thought deeply and said the following things at the same time:

“I need to meet a woman”.

“I need to meet a man”.

And from here, an unexpected burning love might bloom.

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End of part one.

Might continue another day.