Mulier Unit 05-22-E

by Freya Gersemi

©Copyright 2025 Freya Gersemi. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact freyagersemi@gmail.com.

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Book Cover Design by ahorsewithnoname

My first attempt at a science fiction tale is dedicated to:

AlexFourways who has always been a friend and supporter.

Figjamkiss, my trusty editor and fact-checker.

They have both been so helpful in my author journey.

Thank you!

Foreword

Welcome to my first science fiction story.

I tried to write it in the style of “classic” “pulp” sci-fi. In other words, there are some spots where you need to suspend disbelief a tab and I have definitely played with some scientific principles a little, but it’s a fun story and could totally be true in the future. In my defense, we’re well into the 21st century right now and I’m still waiting for the flying cars that were written about 100 years ago! And where’s my maid, Rosie?

Come on, science. Let’s get on with all of that!

Chapter 1

“Name?”

“Adam Renovare.”

“Identification number?”

“Five, four, five, N.”

“Just a few moments, please.”

Adam stood before the imposing granite reception desk. His fingers fidgeted with each other as he looked around at the enormous foyer of Vivus-Droid, Inc. The floor and walls were of the same mottled gray as the desk. Only the sheen of the highly polished surfaces tempered the industrial blandness of the stone.

The minutes ticked by.

Adam leaned forward. “Excuse me, miss?”

“Just a few more moments,” was the dry, emotionless response.

More minutes creeped along.

“You may go in now.” The receptionist pointed to an almost invisible door at the far end of the hall.

“Uh… Thank you, miss.”

Without looking up, the receptionist, again, pointed towards the door.

Adam turned and trudged towards the inevitable.

He had turned twenty-five years old last week and the only birthday greeting he received - if you could even call it a birthday greeting - was a plain envelope addressed to him. It had no return address or other markings on it.

The single piece of paper inside read:

Adam Renovare, ID No. 05-04-05-N,

{i}Today you have reached your twenty-fifth year.

As you are still unmarried, please report to

your local Vivus-Droid, Inc. office at:{/i}

785 Industry Drive

to begin your mulier unit assignment.

Please report within twenty-eight (28) days.

Adam waited until the twenty-seventh day.

Entering the nondescript door, a man looked up from a computer screen. “Please sit down.” He went back to the screen as Adam sat in the rigid aluminum chair and waited.

Without looking up from the harsh glow of the screen, the man told Adam, “As an unmarried twenty-fiver, you have been assigned a mulier unit. Your mulier unit is ID Number five, twenty-two, E. It will arrive at your house this upcoming Saturday at 2:40 p.m. It will knock on your door. You are to answer the door. The unit will claim that its car has broken down and it needs to use your telephone. You will allow the unit entry into your house. You will then close the door to your house.”

He looked up at Adam through horn-rimmed glasses. “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any questions?”

“What’s a ‘twenty-fiver?’”

“You.”

“Oh.”

“Do you have any other questions?”

“Do you have to call me that?”

“No. Do you have any other questions?”

Adam shifted uncomfortably in the chair. “Um… Won’t the neighbors know it’s… Uh… Um, an android?”

The man recited, “We have various scenarios to deliver mulier units to twenty-fivers so as not to arouse suspicion. Of course, observers may still have their suspicions, but no one will have any way to know for certain that the mulier unit isn’t, in fact, a human. Do you have any other questions?”

Chapter 2

Adam looked around the small room. “I guess not.”

“Again, the mulier unit’s Planetary ID Number is five, twenty-two, E.” He handed Adam a small card with those numbers printed on it.

Still uneasy about the entire process, Adam asked, “And the unit will tell me what to do when it gets there?”

“Yes. Do you have any other questions?”

Adam shrugged. “No.”

“Please check in with the receptionist on the way out.” The man returned his attention to the computer screen in front of him.

“Uh, okay.” Adam stood up. “Thanks.”

He got no response, so he opened the door and left.

The next three days were very uneasy for Adam. He didn’t know what to do with himself or what was going to happen once the unit arrived. People rarely spoke of such things and when they did, it was in hushed, secretive tones. Having a mulier unit assigned to you was shameful. It meant that at the age of twenty-five, you still had not been able to find a spouse. Out of the billions of people on Earth, you had been unable to find someone that loved you and wanted to spend the rest of their life with you.

A mulier unit assignment simply proved that you were a loser in life. Or worse. Completely unlovable.

And Adam guessed that he was.

Both of his parents had passed away. He had no siblings. He had no other relatives that he was aware of. He had no friends. He barely had work acquaintances. Despite all of this, he didn’t mind his lonely life. He actually enjoyed being left alone and simply existing. And he certainly didn’t want a mulier unit.

No man wanted a mulier unit.

At 2:40 on Saturday afternoon, there was a knock on his front door. Adam had been sitting in his living room waiting for it. He rose and walked to the door. When he opened it, he was greeted by a young woman - or rather, an android that looked like a young woman.

Resigned to his fate, Adam mumbled, “Hello.”

“I am so sorry to bother you, but my car,” the unit gestured towards the street, “has broken down. Could I use your telephone, please?”

“Sure, Adam sighed. “Come in.”

Once inside, the unit handed Adam its Planetary ID Card.

Adam glanced at it. “Um-hum.” He handed the card back.

He walked into the living room and the mulier unit followed.

“Do you want to sit down?” Adam asked it.

“That would be lovely, Adam,” it told him as it sat at the edge of a chair and crossed its legs demurely.

Adam sat across from it. “So… What do we do now?”

“As you probably know, at the age of twenty-five, any unmarried citizen is assigned an android companion. Unmarried men are assigned mulier units, such as I, and unmarried women are assigned vir units.”

Slightly interested, Adam asked, “What is a ‘vir unit?’”

“Vir units are androids built to look like a typical male human.”

Chapter 3

“I didn’t know that there were any unmarried women left on Earth,” Adam muttered.

Mulier Unit 05-22-E explained, “Although rare, some women do remain unmarried at the age of twenty-five. Although, of course, the unmarried male is much more common.”

“Of course.” Adam frowned. “Could you stop saying ‘unmarried?’”

“Oh! I apologize if I have offended you. I will not use that word again.”

“No. It’s fine.” Adam slumped back into the cushions of the armchair. “So, now I have you?” He looked out the window. “And your broken car.”

“That is correct. Of course, my car is functional. I simply loosened a fuse after I parked in front of your house. This is all just a written script,” the mulier unit looked around the room then leaned towards Adam and whispered, “for the prying eyes of any nosey Nancys or snooping Stevens that may have been watching.”

“Mmm,” Adam replied.

The mulier unit sat upright and said, “I am sorry that my little joke did not amuse you.”

Adam sighed. “No. I got it.”

“I will do better next time. I am still learning.”

Adam wearily stood up. “I’m going to have some lunch.”

As he started to walk out of the room, Mulier Unit 05-22-E asked, “Adam, would you like me to join you?”

He paused, then turned around. “For lunch?”

“Yes.” The mulier unit stood up. “If that is alright with you.”

“You eat?”

Smiling, the mulier unit answered, “Yes. The caloric energy in human food is what powers my fuel cells.”

Adam shook his head in wonderment. “Technology… Wow.”

“Yes. Technology wow.” Mulier Unit 05-22-E repeated as it followed Adam into the kitchen.

Sitting down and eating ham on rye with potato chips, Adam and the mulier unit looked at each other.

“So, what do I call you?” Adam asked.

“Anything that you would like.”

“Hmm,” Adam commented noncommittally. He continued munching on potato chips.

“At the factory, I did have a designation aside from my serial number. Vivus-Droid, Inc. has found that some unmarrie - some young men may have trouble naming us.”

Adam looked up. “Yeah?”

“My full designation is Mulier Unit 05-22-E Oriella. Maybe that would help?”

“Sure, I guess. Oriella’s good.”

“I think that is a nice name for me,” it told Adam. “Unless you would prefer to use a different name?”

“No. That’s fine.”

“The name Oriella means ‘full of life’ in Latin.” The unit smiled at him. “It seems that someone at Vivus-Droid, Inc. had a bit of an ironic sense of humor, Adam.”

Adam looked up and, for the first time in what felt like years, he smiled.

“I am pleased that you have enjoyed this joke.” The mulier unit stood up and began clearing the table.

As Adam watched it, he really looked at it for the first time. He marveled at how lifelike the mulier unit was. Almost indistinguishable from a real human. From a real woman. And not wholly unattractive.

Chapter 4

It looked like a woman about Adam’s age. Maybe a year or two younger. Blonde hair tied up in a robin’s egg blue silk ribbon that matched the blue in its gingham-patterned dress. Its face was pretty, but nothing that would call undue attention from anyone looking at her. The entire unit seemed tailor made to blend in and not stand out.

The unit finished clearing the table and walked over to Adam. “At this point, Adam, we will go outside and wait for the mechanic. We will engage in a little small talk, he will get my car running, and I will thank you and drive away.”

Adam felt a little pang of regret hearing that.

“Of course,” the unit continued, “this is all for the benefit of your neighbors. Over the next few weeks, I will visit with you - each time of longer duration - and after an appropriate time, I will move in. It will look like we met, briefly dated, and married.”

“Okay.”

“Thank you for lunch. Now, let us go outside.”

As they waited for the mechanic, Adam and the unit sat on the front porch.

“So… Oriella,” the name felt kind of nice in his mouth and sounded pleasant to his ears, “how long do we pretend to date?”