“You are useless. Absolutely useless. I don’t even know how you can call yourself a man,” Karen said and dropped the fork with a cling in her plate.

She lifted her head and glared at Ken. She despised the guy she brought home just two years back. It was fun at the beginning but now, she learned to hate the man.

“I mean look at it,” she pointed at the roast beef in her plate flanked by roast potatoes and green peas. “Green peas? Really?” She looked disgusted. “And it’s cold, Ken. Cold!”

She pushed away from the dinner table and walked to the window.

By the pool, a new guy was skimming the surface of the water collecting leaves and other debris fallen into the blue waters of the rectangular pool. His body glistened in the sun and muscles twitched under the sleeveless shirt. Sure, he couldn’t carry an intellectual conversation or a political one, but Karen was pretty sure he could carry her in the bed and then the conversation would be much more interesting and…passionate. Karen’s body hummed with desire and a hot knot grew in her belly. She suddenly felt hot.

She turned to Ken, still sitting at the dinner table, head down, ashamed of his less than perfect dinner he labored on over the past two hours.

At 6 pm sharp, Karen had arrived from work and the car parked itself in the glass encased garage—the latest in technology. Once parked, the car turned itself off and the glass darkened. She entered the house and paid little attention to Ken waiting by the door. She mumbled a limp “hello” as a response to his “Good evening, Karen. I hope you had a nice day at the office.”

She showered quickly and while she was decided what she should dress for the diner, she noticed the pool guy working in the back yard. From the window she admired his impressive physique and longed for his smooth moves and well-defined muscles peeking under his shirt.

“Dinner is ready, dear,” Ken’s voice came from the dining room.

Karen rolled her eyes and said nothing. She stared at the lined-up clothes on her bed. “Ahh…the hell with it.” She decided a robe would do just fine and went downstairs. She sat down and nodded when Ken said—”Bon appetite, dear.”

Once she said her piece about how cold the dinner was, Karen pushed the plate away and clasped her hands on the table. “This is not working out, Ken. You gotta go,” she said with raised eyebrows.

The sudden decision found Ken with the fork in his mouth. He took it out slowly and swallowed hard. “But why? I’m doing my best. I can cook you another meal,” he pleaded.

“No. I made up my mind. You are inadequate for my needs. I want a divorce.”

Ken knew what that meant. Total and utter destruction. Useless and discarded like a toy you don’t like anymore. That’s all he as to her—a toy discarded by a petulant child. Two years ago when the agency matched her profile with his, he met more than 99% of her wishes. And now… now he was down to 0%. Well, maybe not 0% —he could still discuss politics, art, social matters and so on and so forth. He was plugged into all news outlets around the world and could broach pretty much any subject. Ken was extremely intelligent and kept up with all sorts of news and develpments. His brain was wired to memorize incredible amounts of information.

“I don’t want to see you anymore,” she said and returned to the window. “Pack your things.”

Ken slowly stood up. “As you wish,” he muttered and went upstairs.

Karen paid no attention to the man going up the stairs defeated and wondering where he would end up. He couldn’t go back to the agency. But he would get lost there with all the other rejects. It’s so hard to be a man now-a-days, he thought and walked in his dressing closet.

Downstairs, Karen knocked on the window and the pool guy raised his head. She waved him to come to the front door. He nodded and walked behind the corner. Karen rushed to meet him and opened the door. Her eyes grew larger when he appeared tall, dark, and handsome just like the men in her bedtime novels. With hunger in her eyes, she scanned him from head to toe. Her gaze stopped for seconds at his crotch area and she tried to imagine what she would find there. Satisfied with her fantasy, she licked her lips.

“I’m Roger. Nice to meet you,” he said with a manly voice betraying his high levels of testosterone.

“Roger…hmm,” Karen said. “I like that…”

She took Roger by the hand and walked him in the living room.

“Do you like me, Roger?” she rolled her “r’s” like a purring cat.

“Yes, of course I do, Miss Karen,” Roger said.

He’s got an accent too. Perfect. The perfect novel, she thought and took a step forward. Instantly she smelled his pungent sweat. Her desires went into overdrive and the heat between her legs increased. She snaked her hand in his pants and when she found what she was looking for, her eyes widened even more.

“Why Roger…you are perfect.”

“Yes, miss Karen,” he shivered, and desire washed over him. She felt his body vibrate and a certain part grew in her hand. She lifted herself up her toes and kissed him passionately. He reciprocated and stuck his tongue in her mouth. With one hand he cupped one of her breasts.

She sighed and the desire became unbearable. She felt her nipples perking under the robe and the flutters in her belly went berserk.

“Then take me upstairs,” she ordered.

He took her in his arms and climbed two stairs at a time. He laid her on the bed and kissed her again working his way down. At the sound of the moans, Ken walked in.

“Oh…sorry,” Ken blurted seeing the two passionately engaged in four play.

Karen stood up. “Out, you good for nothing idiot. Out!”

Ken turned around and went back into the dressing closet. He stopped there and waited for the inevitable. Karen appeared before him.

“Turn around,” she ordered him with an annoyed voice.

He did so and she opened the electrical panel installed in the wall of the dressing closet. From there she pulled a long silver cable. She pressed the back of his neck and a small slit opened up. She connected the cable to the back of his skull, turned off the light and before she shut the door she turned to him.

“You’re being recycled Ken 21XT-11. Shut yourself down. You fucking useless robot.”