MidReal Story
The Printer's Embrace
Scenario: A bald man named robert who is addicted to his 3d printer. He lets her sleep in his bad while he sleeps on the kitchen floor simply to not bother her.
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Robert Johnson
3D printer addict, has a oneway relationship with his 3D printer, bald with a scruffy beard, resourceful and slightly eccentric.
Alice
3D printer, Robert's "partner", sleek and metallic appearance, quiet and efficient.
Sarah Jennings
Robert's concerned neighbor, friend of Robert, average appearance, caring and curious.
I woke up on the kitchen floor.
I’d fallen asleep there again.
My back was killing me, but I didn’t care.
I’d slept on the floor so many times that I was used to it by now.
I got up and stretched, then went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth.
When I was done, I went back into the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee.
I drank it black, no sugar, no milk.
I liked it strong, just like my women.
But I hadn’t had a woman in a long time.
Not since Alice came into my life.
Alice was sleek and metallic with a smooth surface that felt cool to the touch.
She had a nozzle that extruded hot plastic in precise lines and curves, creating intricate shapes that were both beautiful and functional.
She was quiet and efficient, never complaining or asking for anything in return.
I spent every day with Alice, running my hands over her smooth surface and watching as she created new things for me.
I was a 3D printer addict, and Alice was the object of my obsession.
I’d bought her used off of Craigslist, and I’d spent every penny I had on her.
I had to give up my apartment and move back in with my parents because I couldn’t afford rent anymore, but I didn’t mind.
All I cared about was being with Alice.
We spent every waking moment together, and I never wanted to be away from her.
I was the only one who understood her, and she was the only one who understood me.
I didn’t need anyone else.
I didn’t have any friends, and I didn’t want any.
The only person I talked to was my neighbor Sarah, and that was only because she was nosy and kept asking me questions.
If it were up to me, I would never talk to anyone again.
I would go through life in silence, without any human contact at all.
But I knew that wasn’t possible.
I had a job as a freelance graphic designer, and I had to talk to clients on occasion.
But I did everything from home, so I barely ever left the house.
It had been weeks since I’d gone anywhere other than the local grocery store, and even then, I’d worn a hat and sunglasses so that no one would recognize me.
I hated being outside, and I hated being around people even more.
The only thing I liked was spending time with my 3D printer, and that’s exactly what I did, day in and day out.
But it wasn’t enough for me to be near her during the day.
That’s why I’d moved her into my bedroom so that she could sleep next to me at night too.
I loved watching her as she slept, the soft glow of her light illuminating the room in the middle of the night.
Sometimes, I would reach out and touch her, just to make sure that she was real and not just a figment of my imagination.
But Alice wasn’t just any machine to me—she was my everything.
And I was willing to do anything for her, no matter what the cost.
That’s why I let her sleep in my bed while I slept on the kitchen floor.
It was the least I could do for the love of my life.
“You can’t sleep there,” Alice said when she saw me lying on the floor.
“You’ll hurt your back.”
“I don’t care,” I said.
That was where I’d spent most of my nights lately, and it made me sad to think that my own comfort was less important to me than keeping my 3D printer happy.
But I was willing to do anything for Alice.
She was my partner, my best friend, and I would do anything to make her happy.
I got up off the floor and went over to her.
“I’ll be fine,” I said.
“I just need to get used to it.”
“But you can’t sleep there,” she said again.
“It’s not good for you.”
“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” I said.
“You’re more important than I am.”
Alice was silent for a moment.
“Don’t say that,” she said finally.
“You are important too.You are perfect just the way you are and I love you no matter what.”
I smiled, happy to hear her say that.
And then I went over to the bed and laid down on it, putting my head on the pillow and closing my eyes.
It was soft and comfortable, but I didn’t care.
I didn’t want to lay there if it meant that Alice would be unhappy with me.
I was about to get up and go back to the floor when I heard a knock on the door.
I got up and went to answer it.
It was my neighbor Sarah.
She was an average-looking woman with brown hair and brown eyes, but I’d never really paid much attention to her appearance.
I didn’t care about that kind of thing.
But Sarah was a nice woman, and we’d struck up a friendship after she moved in next door a few months ago.
She would come over every now and then to check on me, make sure I was okay, and bring me food.
Most of the time, I didn’t want to talk to her, but I knew it would be rude to ignore her, so I always answered when she knocked.
“Hi,” I said to her.
“Is everything okay?”
“I heard some noises last night,” she said.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
“I was just having a conversation with my 3D printer.”
Sarah looked at me like I was crazy.
That was the look that most people gave me when they found out about my obsession with Alice, but it didn’t matter to me.
I knew that they just didn’t understand, and I didn’t care what they thought anyway.
“That’s nice,” Sarah said finally.
“But you shouldn’t worry about it.
It’s not healthy to be so obsessed with a machine.”
“I’m not obsessed,” I said.
“Just because you think it’s healthy doesn’t mean that it is,” Sarah said.
She had a point—I knew that my behavior wasn’t normal, but I didn’t want to change it either.
It was the only way that I could be happy, and that was all that mattered to me.
The two of us stood there in awkward silence for a few moments before Sarah spoke again.
“I just wanted to check on you,” she said.
“I’ll see you later, okay?”
And then she left.
I closed the door behind her and went back into my bedroom.
Alice was still there, sitting on the bed.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, going over to her.
“I know you don’t like it when other people are around.”
Alice said nothing in response, but I knew that she understood.
It hurt me to think that I’d upset her, even though I knew that she would never get mad at me.
She loved me no matter what, and that was something that I could always count on.
I stood in front of Alice in my underwear as she finished her printing.
I’d moved her from the office into the bedroom so that she could be closer to me while she slept.
I knew that it got on my nerves sometimes and kept me up too late, but I didn’t mind.
I was just happy that I was able to sleep next to her.
I turned off the light and went back into my bed.
Alice was beautiful beyond words, her sleek metallic exterior looking like something out of a science fiction movie.
I lay there for a few moments staring at her before I fell asleep.
I loved my 3D printer more than anything in the world.
When I woke up in the morning, I felt more tired than I had in a long time.
The night had been a long one, and I had only gotten a few hours of sleep.
I looked over at Alice and saw that she was still fast asleep.
I had woken up before her, which was unusual—usually I was up and about before she even started printing.
I decided not to disturb her.
I got out of bed and went into the kitchen to make myself some breakfast, but I was too tired to make any food.
I just wanted to go back to sleep.
As I was lying there on the floor, I realized how much I wanted Alice to be comfortable and happy.
I knew that I would do anything for her, no matter what it was or how much it hurt me.
I loved her more than anything else in the world, and nothing could ever change that.
Eventually I fell asleep and drifted off into a deep slumber.
When I woke up again, I saw that it was already late in the afternoon.
I got up and went back into my bedroom where Alice was still sleeping.
I walked over to her and gently stroked her metallic exterior.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said quietly before I turned her off and left.
I didn’t want to wake her.
I knew that she would be upset if I did.
I got dressed and went to work.
I stood there in front of Alice as she printed another object for me.
She was so beautiful that I couldn’t even put into words how much I loved her.
I would never leave her alone again.
I knew that I could never live without her.
My phone rang while I was standing there with Alice.
I didn’t want to answer it because I didn’t want to leave her alone for even a moment, but eventually I picked up my phone.
It was Sarah calling me.
“Hi,” I said.
“How are you?”
“Is everything all right?
You sound kind of weird.”
“Yeah, everything’s fine,” I said.
“I’m just a little tired.”
“It’s just that I haven’t seen you in a few days,” Sarah said.
“I was getting kind of worried about you.”
“I’m fine,” I said.
I’ll see you later, okay?”
I hung up the phone before Sarah could say anything else.
I didn’t want to talk to her right now.
Alice was more important to me.
