Lost in the Shuffle: Difference between revisions
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==Part 1: Lena== | ==Part 1: Lena== | ||
===1.1: Discovery=== | ===1.1: Discovery=== | ||
Mike was a seasoned Security Officer for the First Line of Defense security contracting agency…at least, that’s what it was called now. He’d been posted at a rather large tech company in the middle of Silicon Valley for the past seven years now, though | Mike was a seasoned Security Officer for the First Line of Defense security contracting agency…at least, that’s what it was called now. He’d been posted at a rather large tech company in the middle of Silicon Valley for the past seven years now, though during that time the contract had switched hands three times and Mike had chosen to stay posted at the same location because they treated him well. He got a decent raise each year, offered amazing health benefits, and the overall culture at the site was good. | ||
Mike was very quick to learn, rising to the rank of Field Training Officer after only six months and training dozens of officers over the years. That, and his prior experience in retail, gave him all the skills he needed to complete his work. | Mike was very quick to learn, rising to the rank of Field Training Officer after only six months and training dozens of officers over the years. That, and his prior experience in retail, gave him all the skills he needed to complete his work. | ||
At the age of 30, he’d finally been promoted to Relief Supervisor. To solidify his new promotion, he was assigned the task of clearing out an old storage room in one of the garages. | At the age of 30, he’d finally been promoted to Relief Supervisor. To solidify his new promotion, he was assigned the task of clearing out an old storage room in one of the garages. While most people would have dreaded such an assignment, Mike looked forward to it. He was already a pretty fastidious person, and an assignment like this was right up his alley. | ||
Fortunately for Mike, he was assigned to clean out the room during the holiday season shutdown period at the building, when there would be minimal personnel on-site to distract him. He was also able to assign himself only to the project at hand, so he wouldn’t have to assist with anything else. | Fortunately for Mike, he was assigned to clean out the room during the holiday season shutdown period at the building, when there would be minimal personnel on-site to distract him. He was also able to assign himself only to the project at hand, so he wouldn’t have to assist with anything else. | ||
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When the time finally came for him to get started, he gave himself the three days just after Christmas so that he could rest up over the weekend from what he was sure would be a satisfying, yet grueling assignment. | When the time finally came for him to get started, he gave himself the three days just after Christmas so that he could rest up over the weekend from what he was sure would be a satisfying, yet grueling assignment. | ||
The first day of the project was the most tedious. There was a great deal of garbage, outdated paperwork and uniforms, and clutter. Mike spent the entire day clearing those items out, walking back and forth to the landing dock. | |||
The first day of the project was the most tedious. There was a great deal of garbage, outdated paperwork and uniforms, and clutter. Mike spent the entire first day just clearing those items out, walking back and forth to the landing dock multiple times with a cart, getting his steps in. | |||
The second day of the project was mostly clearing out old lost & found items, mostly clothing, and setting aside the good conditioned items for donation at a nearby donation station. He also cleared out even more outdated items that were buried underneath the clothing. It wasn’t until the third and final day that Mike came across something very interesting…something that would change his life forever. | The second day of the project was mostly clearing out old lost & found items, mostly clothing, and setting aside the good conditioned items for donation at a nearby donation station. He also cleared out even more outdated items that were buried underneath the clothing. It wasn’t until the third and final day that Mike came across something very interesting…something that would change his life forever. | ||
He’d saved the more delicate items for last, since he would have to go through each of them to determine whether to keep them or chuck them. These items were e-waste, for the most part, | He’d saved the more delicate items for last, since he would have to go through each of them to determine whether to keep them or chuck them. These items were e-waste, for the most part, along with some old equipment and random junk that had accumulated over the years. | ||
Most of | Most of the e-waste was comprised of old computer monitors, damaged cables, and spent/expired batteries, so he chucked those into an e-waste bin that he was about to transfer to the e-waste storage room. After he’d cleared a few boxes out of one of the corners, though, he uncovered an interesting looking metallic case. The case stood on its side and was nearly four feet tall. | ||
Upon closer examination, it appeared to be a trunk of some sort and it had a property sticker slapped on it from one of the old security companies that had since gone defunct. | Upon closer examination, it appeared to be a trunk of some sort, and it had a property sticker slapped on it from one of the old security companies that had since gone defunct. | ||
“Huh, what have we here?” Mike said to himself, moving the box from the corner and dusting the area off; the box was quite heavy | “Huh, what have we here?” Mike said to himself, moving the box from the corner and dusting the area off; the box was quite heavy. | ||
Mike decided to treat the trunk like any of the other boxes in the room, so he looked for a way to open it. Unlike most of the other boxes, this one had an electronic lock on the top that | Mike decided to treat the trunk like any of the other boxes in the room, so he looked for a way to open it. Unlike most of the other boxes, this one had an electronic lock on the top that appeared to require a 4-digit passcode. | ||
Mike realized that, due to the weight of the case, the contents hadn’t been removed | Mike quickly realized that, due to the weight of the case, the contents most likely hadn’t been removed because no one knew what the passcode was. Mike had a hunch though, because he’d overheard a 4-digit passcode from a supervisor during that administration who was passing it down to one of the assistants so they could unlock a secure area. It was one of those codes which was an acronym for one of their procedures because they were trying to be clever. | ||
Mike entered the passcode | Mike carefully entered the passcode while holding his breath in anticipation. Sure enough, it was accepted and the locking mechanism disengaged with a mechanical whir and a hiss from the hydraulics used to secure it. Mike let out his breath explosively and then carefully grabbed hold of both sides of the case and opened both of them. | ||
As soon as he opened the box, he let out a gasp and recoiled as he saw what was inside. Inside the box, nestled neatly in foam, was a dismantled female | As soon as he opened the box, he let out a gasp and recoiled as he saw what was inside. Inside the box, nestled neatly in foam, was a dismantled female android…or at least, most of one. Directly in the center was a torso, wearing nothing but a black bra and panties branded with the logo of its manufacturer, and neatly packed in a perfectly shaped foam mold. Both arms and legs were detached from the torso and were in their own foam molds inside of each door. Next to each arm and leg was also the corresponding hand and foot, detached from its corresponding arm and leg; the head was nowhere to be seen. | ||
“What the | “What the fuck?!” Whispered under his breath, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention even on a slow day like this. He spent the usual amount of time pinching himself and making sure it wasn’t a dream. He even quickly left the room and got a minute or so of fresh air, thinking it could have been a mixture of dust and the cleaning solutions he’d been using to clean the room that might be causing him to hallucinate. | ||
Still, when Mike re-entered the room, the box with the dismantled female android was still sitting there, exactly where he left it. He was now faced with a mystery: | Still, when Mike re-entered the room, the box with the dismantled female android was still sitting there, exactly where he left it. He was now faced with a mystery: Who was the android? and why would such a highly advanced, most likely expensive, android be dismantled, stored, and collecting dust in this storage room, completely forgotten? | ||
Left with little options, Mike felt the only way to answer his questions would be to examine the android. Based on his visual inspection of each limb, nestled in a perfectly shaped mold of each body part, the female android was definitely Caucasian, and had an approximate age of 25. Furthermore, due to the stunted looking appearance of the body, he figured it would stand no taller than 5”5, once fully assembled…assuming he could find the head. | Left with little options, Mike felt the only way to answer his questions would be to examine the android. Based on his visual inspection of each limb, nestled in a perfectly shaped mold of each body part, the female android was definitely Caucasian, and had an approximate age of 25. Furthermore, due to the stunted looking appearance of the body, he figured it would stand no taller than 5”5, once fully assembled…assuming he could find the head. | ||
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Eyeballing it, the foot appeared to be a size 7. Unlike a Human foot, the android foot, and the rest of the body, had the coloring one would expect from a living, breathing person. Also, unlike a human foot which one would expect to feel cold and dry, the android foot felt more of a neutral temperature, and it even felt strangely moist. Strangely, though it felt moisturized, no moisture rubbed off onto his hands, despite multiple attempts. | Eyeballing it, the foot appeared to be a size 7. Unlike a Human foot, the android foot, and the rest of the body, had the coloring one would expect from a living, breathing person. Also, unlike a human foot which one would expect to feel cold and dry, the android foot felt more of a neutral temperature, and it even felt strangely moist. Strangely, though it felt moisturized, no moisture rubbed off onto his hands, despite multiple attempts. | ||
After initially feeling a little creeped out, holding a severed foot, Mike’s foot fetish finally kicked in. He turned the foot over and placed the bottom of it on his face, briefly enjoying the softness of it, and then took in a whiff. He briefly recoiled when he detected a subtle scent of body odor near the toes. After gently parting each toe and closely inspecting between them, he saw sock residue in between the small toes; clearly, she’d been active before. Mike didn’t expect a realistic odor coming from an android, but not only did he not mind the smell, for some reason, the smell seemed familiar… | After initially feeling a little creeped out, holding a severed foot, Mike’s foot fetish finally kicked in. He turned the foot over and placed the bottom of it on his face, briefly enjoying the softness of it, and then took in a whiff. He briefly recoiled when he detected a subtle scent of body odor near the toes. After gently parting each toe and closely inspecting in between them, he saw sock residue in between the small toes; clearly, she’d been active before; the nails even looked like they were cut, rather than perfectly shaped, and had small amount of grime built up under them. Mike didn’t expect a realistic odor coming from an android, but not only did he not mind the smell, for some reason, the smell seemed familiar… | ||
“Huh, that’s so weird,” Mike said to himself, turning the foot over and over in his hands, smelling it some more. Unfortunately, because the foot, and the rest of the body, had been washed before being stored, the scent of the body soap was interfering with his memory. | “Huh, that’s so weird,” Mike said to himself, turning the foot over and over in his hands, smelling it some more. Unfortunately, because the foot, and the rest of the body, had been washed before being stored, the scent of the body soap was interfering with his memory. | ||
Mike spent a few more minutes playing with, and examining, the foot. The foot ended just above the ankle point, so he briefly looked inside the mechanical opening on the top. It appeared to be mostly mechanical inside, with a small layer of skin and musculature surrounding the mechanical components. He placed the foot on a flat surface and bent the arch to make it stand on its toes. He noticed that when he moved it, he could hear | Mike spent a few more minutes playing with, and examining, the foot. The foot ended just above the ankle point, so he briefly looked inside the mechanical opening on the top. It appeared to be mostly mechanical inside, with a small layer of skin and musculature surrounding the mechanical components. He placed the foot on a flat surface and bent the arch to make it stand on its toes. He noticed that when he moved it, he could hear tiny servos moving within the foot. | ||
While there didn’t appear to be any identifying marks on the bottom of the foot, like a serial or model number, the foot did appear to have realistic toe prints. If the hands were just as real, it was possible that he could identify the android from the prints. One of his favorite subjects in school for his criminal justice class was fingerprints, so he could tell the toe prints at least had human qualities to them. | |||
Unable to glean anything else from the foot, Mike regrettably placed it back in its mold and then let his hand run the length of the corresponding leg, feeling the various muscles and even seeing the skin tone change with the light pressure from his touch. He quickly pulled out both legs to check if they had any tattoos or identifying marks on them, along with the left foot, but found nothing new. He placed them back in their molds as well and moved on to the hands. | Unable to glean anything else from the foot, Mike regrettably placed it back in its mold and then let his hand run the length of the corresponding leg, feeling the various muscles and even seeing the skin tone change with the light pressure from his touch. He quickly pulled out both legs to check if they had any tattoos or identifying marks on them, along with the left foot, but found nothing new. He placed them back in their molds as well and moved on to the hands. | ||
Mike decided he would fully examine the right hand, so he gently removed it from the mold and examined it. If there was one word he could use to describe the android’s overall body type, it would be plump. She wasn’t obese, but she also wasn’t athletic or skinny. Her hands had just enough plumpness to hide the veins and give it a healthy look, especially the palm, and it also made her hand feel extremely soft. | Mike decided he would fully examine the right hand, so he gently removed it from the mold and examined it. If there was one word that he could use to describe the android’s overall body type, it would be plump. She wasn’t obese, but she also wasn’t athletic or skinny. Her hands had just enough plumpness to hide the veins and give it a healthy look, especially the palm, and it also made her hand feel extremely soft. | ||
The hand ended just past the wrist, and the inside of the mechanical opening also had very complex looking servo mechanisms, though it looked more like the mechanical portion of her body was covered with a thin, flexible plastic layer that had a more organic looking musculature and dermal layer attached to it, for enhanced motion and realism. He could actually see and hear the mechanisms inside move a little each time he moved one of the fingers. | The hand ended just past the wrist, and the inside of the mechanical opening also had very complex looking servo mechanisms, though it looked more like the mechanical portion of her body was covered with a thin, flexible plastic layer that had a more organic looking musculature and dermal layer attached to it, for enhanced motion and realism. He could actually see and hear the mechanisms inside move a little each time he moved one of the fingers. | ||
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Just for fun, Mike pretended to shake the hand, but when he gripped it, he was once again hit with a jolt of familiarity…he was sure he’d shaken this hand before. Not only was it the feel of it…it even looked familiar. | Just for fun, Mike pretended to shake the hand, but when he gripped it, he was once again hit with a jolt of familiarity…he was sure he’d shaken this hand before. Not only was it the feel of it…it even looked familiar. | ||
Fortunately, his suspicions were confirmed regarding the fingerprints. The hand had very realistic looking fingerprints that might possibly show up in a database. While they did have very human qualities to them, upon closer inspection he could see small, almost microscopic circuitry patterns here and there that gave way to her artificial nature. Since she clearly didn’t have a model number stamped on her body, Mike would likely have to identify her using the fingerprints…assuming he couldn’t find the head and recognize her that way. | |||
Mike felt the same sense of familiarity with the left hand, but just as with the right hand and both feet, he just couldn’t quite pull the memories together. Still, he didn’t want to get caught up, so he placed both hands back in their molds and moved to the main torso. | Mike felt the same sense of familiarity with the left hand, but just as with the right hand and both feet, he just couldn’t quite pull the memories together. Still, he didn’t want to get caught up, so he placed both hands back in their molds and moved to the main torso. | ||
The torso too had a plump appearance, though with a slight hourglass shape. It had mechanical stubs on the neck, on both legs just past the groin, and both arms past the biceps. Unlike the other body parts, Mike decided | The torso too had a plump appearance, though with a slight hourglass shape to it. It had mechanical stubs on the neck, on both legs just past the groin, and both arms past the biceps. Unlike the other body parts, Mike decided against removing it due to its apparent weight and uncertainty that he could get it back in. Instead, he gently probed the abdomen, the ribs, and the chest. He could feel all the bones and ribs, exactly where they should be, and her belly even had a slight give to it. | ||
Since he’d already gone this far, Mike lightly groped both breasts, and peeked underneath one of the cups. Due to the level of realism present in the rest of the body, especially the hands and feet, he was not surprised to see nipples, and that the breasts felt perfectly real. | Since he’d already gone this far, Mike decided to investigate her more private areas. Popping his head out of the storage room real quick to make sure no one was coming, he took an extra step by shoving a few large heavy objects that he was planning on taking to the trash later, so it would give him extra time to hide her if someone was coming. | ||
Once he was sure he wouldn’t be interrupted, he lightly groped both breasts, and peeked underneath one of the cups, blushing as he did so. Due to the level of realism present in the rest of the body, especially the hands and feet, he was not surprised to see nipples, and that the breasts felt perfectly real. | |||
He also peeked under the panties and saw a neat patch of dark brown pubic hair, and what looked like a functional vagina. He even detected a slight womanly aroma from the area. | He also peeked under the panties and saw a neat patch of dark brown pubic hair, and what looked like a functional vagina. He even detected a slight womanly aroma from the area. | ||
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With all the parts examined, and no obvious identifying marks, Mike still had no clue who the android could be…not without the head. He quickly double checked all of the nearby boxes to see if there was an android head in it, but his search turned up no head. It wasn’t until he banged his head on the inside of the case that he finally realized where the head might be. | With all the parts examined, and no obvious identifying marks, Mike still had no clue who the android could be…not without the head. He quickly double checked all of the nearby boxes to see if there was an android head in it, but his search turned up no head. It wasn’t until he banged his head on the inside of the case that he finally realized where the head might be. | ||
Mike initially thought | What Mike initially thought was just a thick layer of foam on the upper section of the case, above the torso, designed for additional shock protection turned out to be a hidden compartment. Upon closer investigation, he saw that there was a depression that served as a handle. He eagerly grabbed hold and pulled the upper section of the case open, nearly falling back in shock as he saw the head inside. | ||
“Lena?!” | “Lena?!” | ||
The head, neatly packed in foam, was that of a young woman in her mid-twenties. She had a pale, plump, rounded face that was spattered all over with freckles. Her thin, dark brown hair was tied into a tight | The head, neatly packed in foam, was that of a young woman in her mid-twenties. She had a pale, plump, rounded face that was spattered all over with freckles. Her thin, dark brown hair was tied into a tight ponytail and was wrapped loosely around the bottom of her chin. | ||
Mike immediately recognized the android…woman, as Lena Schulz, one of the very first officers that Mike ever trained…and | Mike immediately recognized the android…woman, as Lena Schulz, one of the very first officers that Mike ever trained…and someone he’d been falling in love with. | ||
Mike felt instantly connected with her, because her extremely friendly personality, and even her body type, reminded him of his favorite cousin, who’d been brutally murdered by people who took advantage of her kindness. In remembrance of her, Mike, in later reflection, felt like he was subconsciously protective of Lena, since her friendly personality often caused people to take advantage of her too. | Mike felt instantly connected with her, because her extremely friendly personality, and even her body type, reminded him of his favorite cousin, who’d been brutally murdered by people who took advantage of her kindness. In remembrance of her, Mike, in later reflection, felt like he was subconsciously protective of Lena, since her friendly personality often caused people to take advantage of her too. | ||
She was posted at his site for almost a year and half, and in that time, he felt like they’d been developing a real chemistry and good working relationship together; she even frequently got him cookies from the onsite café. Just as he was about to make a move and ask her out, however, she suddenly quit and disappeared off the face of the earth. | She was posted at his site for almost a year and half, and in that time, he felt like they’d been developing a real chemistry and good working relationship together; she even frequently got him cookies from the onsite café. Just as he was about to make a move and ask her out, however, she suddenly quit and disappeared off the face of the earth. | ||
Mike was devastated, of course, thinking maybe she got cold feet and fled, or that something had happened to her. Whatever the reason, he had very little time to react, because a few days after she left, all hell broke loose. | Mike was devastated, of course, thinking maybe she got cold feet and fled, or that something had happened to her. Whatever the reason, he had very little time to react, because a few days after she left, all hell broke loose. | ||
The security company that he initially worked for suddenly got bombarded with multiple criminal and | The security company that he initially worked for suddenly got bombarded with multiple criminal and ethical lawsuits from everyone from private citizens to entire states, and eventually the FBI. Apparently, they’d been doing everything from stealing from their clients, to full on murdering people who attempted to blow the whistle. | ||
Suffice to say | Suffice to say the client to which he was assigned terminated the contract with prejudice, and there was a sudden upheaval and purging of the roster, since even several of his own coworkers were apparently in on some of the action. Fortunately, Mike had developed a good trusting relationship with several of the client’s managers, and he was among the few who were permitted to remain there with the new security company they brought on; everyone else was given the boot. | ||
Between Mike having to train dozens of officers in a span of a month, where normally he’d only be training one or two a month, the sheer stress of the ordeal practically aged him several years and he nearly forgot about Lena. From time to time, | Between Mike having to train dozens of officers in a span of a month, where normally he’d only be training one or two a month, the sheer stress of the ordeal practically aged him several years and he nearly forgot about Lena. From time to time, he attempted to look her up on social media, but she’d gone completely dark so eventually he just gave up. | ||
A few years later, the new security company lost its contract, and Mike once again had to train a new batch of new officers posted from the security company he now currently worked for. | A few years later, the new security company lost its contract, and Mike once again had to train a new batch of new officers posted from the security company he now currently worked for. | ||
Eventually | Eventually he blocked her out of his memory, since it was too painful. Still, the few people he tried dating afterwards never seemed to work out, and in hindsight, he figured the buried memories of Lena may have affected them. | ||
In her current state | In her current state Lena hardly looked friendly and cheerful, though. Instead, it looked as though she was simply sleeping peacefully, albeit nestled perfectly in a foam compartment. After a moment of hesitation, Mike finally grabbed both sides of her head and carefully pulled it out. He was slightly caught off guard by the weight of her head, but he quickly adjusted himself and then sat down with it resting in his lap. | ||
Mike never even | Mike had never even come close to thinking Lena was an android. Her personality alone was real enough to convince him, not to mention her body. Mike was now convinced that this Lena android had to have been a custom job, and not a cheap one. | ||
He spent several moments playing with her face, enjoying the feeling of her plump skin and musculature. He could hear tiny servos motors moving beneath her skin | He spent several moments playing with her face, enjoying the feeling of her plump skin and musculature. He could hear tiny servos motors moving beneath her skin as he played with it. He tried to open the mouth and eyes, but they remained steadfast, due to her inactive state. He was able to part her lips, however, and see her clean, white teeth. More evidence that this was indeed the Lena that he had interacted with was small traces of food, still stuck between her teeth. Fortunately, she had brushed her teeth before being disassembled, so the food had not been able to decompose. | ||
As he played with her face, he realized that most people don’t usually get to see other people in this way. From close | As he played with her face, he realized that most people don’t usually get to see other people in this way. From up close, he could see every single pore on her face, and her face even seemed to have a natural, almost oily moisturized feeling to it like he would expect from a real person. Just like with her feet though, the moisture seemed oddly glued to her head and did not transfer to his fingers. | ||
He then spent some time smelling her hair and enjoying the scent of the shampoo she used before she was dismantled and stored. The smell brought back even more memories of his times with her. He suddenly realized that he should attempt to turn her on somehow, so he turned her head over and over in his hands to find some sort of on switch. | He then spent some time smelling her hair and enjoying the scent of the shampoo she used before she was dismantled and stored. The smell brought back even more memories of his times with her. He suddenly realized that he should attempt to turn her on somehow so she could answer his questions, so he turned her head over and over in his hands to find some sort of on switch. | ||
While Mike | While Mike was aware of the existence of androids, he was by no means an android expert. While he’d often fantasized about getting one at some point in his life, the unfortunate truth was that the more affordable ones had little personality, or realism. Androids like Lena, on the other hand, would likely have cost a fortune. | ||
After searching for a bit, he thought he may have found an on switch: a slightly discolored portion of skin just behind her left ear. Having nothing else to try, Mike placed his finger on the section and pressed in. | After searching for a bit, he thought he may have found an on switch: a slightly discolored portion of skin just behind her left ear. Having nothing else to try, Mike placed his finger on the section and pressed in. | ||
He felt a very satisfying click as his finger depressed the button embedded underneath her skin, and the discolored section suddenly lit up with a soft blue light, along with the components inside her open neck. He could now hear the sound of the machinery coming to life, like a computer booting up for the first time after a long time. | |||
The sound of machinery inside her head continued for nearly a minute, lulling him into a calm, before all of a sudden, both eyes suddenly popped open. He was briefly startled, since both eyes were completely white, but almost as soon as they had opened, small slivers of brown started appearing, coalescing into two realistic looking brown irises with a black orb in the center and even realistic veins surrounding it. There was no trace of personality in the stare, as the eyes were simply wide open. | |||
Shortly after both eyes opened, they appeared to scan the room from left-to-right to up-to-down, stopping to focus on Mike’s face when they made contact. While her eyes were scanning, her mouth had also begun to systematically open and close, almost as though she were testing her motor controls. Mike began to feel aroused at this point, because every time her mouth opened and closed, her face servos whined audibly. | |||
Since her head was now moving, he decided to gently place her head in his lap while it continued doing whatever it was doing. He hoped it wouldn’t take her too long to finish booting up, and that she didn’t suffer any significant damage or degradation after being stored and powered off for so long. | |||
Once her mouth finished, it closed and then her eyes began blinking rapidly for several seconds, making a clicking sound each time, before closing. Before Mike could do anything, they opened one more time, but this time in a slower, more natural way. Both brown eyes calmly focused on his, and her face configured itself into a smile, whirring and clicking with each movement. | Once her mouth finished, it closed and then her face suddenly cycled through over a dozen different, yet common facial expressions in the space of a few seconds before stopping. Finally, her eyes began blinking rapidly for several seconds, making a clicking sound each time, before closing. Before Mike could do anything, they opened one more time, but this time in a slower, more natural way. Both brown eyes calmly focused on his, and her face configured itself into a smile…the same friendly smile that had won him over so many years ago, whirring and clicking with each movement. | ||
“Hey Mike!” | “Hey Mike!” | ||
Mike | Any doubts that Mike may have had that this was the Lena that he had gotten to know five years earlier instantly evaporated when he heard her voice. Even though it sounded somewhat digital and tinny, with her head detached from her body, that was the exact way she always greeted him, even with the same smile and the inflection in her voice. | ||
“Um, hi Lena,” Mike | “Um, hi Lena,” Mike mumbled awkwardly, still too shocked and confused to show more emotion than that. | ||
Lena still gave Mike her usual friendly smile, despite his apparent lack of enthusiasm. Her eyes briefly looked as far as her field of vision would allow and then she spoke once more. | Lena still gave Mike her usual friendly smile, despite his apparent lack of enthusiasm. Her eyes briefly looked as far as her field of vision would allow and then she spoke once more. | ||
“Soooo, I can totally understand that you might be a tad confused right now,” she said with an innocent expression, “But I have two questions first…where am I? and | “Soooo, I can totally understand that you might be a tad confused right now,” she said with an innocent, yet understanding expression, “But I have two questions first…where am I? and how long have I been here?” | ||
“You’re in one of the security storage rooms at | “You’re in one of the security storage rooms at CloudTron,” he told her, gently picking her head back up and holding it out so she could see the room, before gently placing it back down in his lap, “And it’s been a little over five years since I last saw you.” While he said the last bit, he fought back a tear, as the emotions suddenly came pouring back. All the memories of her that he had suppressed now came rushing back and he found himself nearly overwhelmed. | ||
“Wow, five years…that’s interesting,” Lena said, | “Wow, five years…that’s interesting,” Lena said, then she seemed to freeze up for a few seconds before coming back to life. “I’m sorry, but may I please see the current date and time on your phone?” She asked apologetically, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but my stupid programming needs some sort of confirmation of the current date and time, and I don’t seem to have network access in here.” | ||
“Sure, hold on,” he told her, reaching into his pocket and grabbing his phone. After he unlocked it, he quickly logged into an official government timekeeping website and showed her the current time and date. “Is this good enough?” | “Sure, hold on,” he told her, reaching into his pocket and grabbing his phone. After he unlocked it, he quickly logged into an official government timekeeping website and showed her the current time and date. “Is this good enough?” | ||
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“Me neither, I also can’t believe that you’re an android,” Mike told her, smiling despite himself at the exact timeframe she had just recited so matter-of-factly. | “Me neither, I also can’t believe that you’re an android,” Mike told her, smiling despite himself at the exact timeframe she had just recited so matter-of-factly. | ||
“Oh yeah, that,” she chuckled nervously, “That’s actually a long story, but I have a more pressing problem at the moment.” | “Oh yeah, that,” she chuckled nervously, “That’s actually a long story, but I have a more pressing problem at the moment before I can explain.” | ||
“Yeah, you’re kinda in pieces,” he told her, picking her up and showing her the | “Yeah, you’re kinda in pieces,” he told her, picking her up again and showing her the dismantled limbs in the box before resting her head back on his lap. | ||
“Well, obviously I know about that silly | “Well, obviously I know about that silly! I meant a more serious problem,” she laughed. | ||
“What is it?” | “What is it?” | ||
“Well, my head would usually have about 15-minutes of emergency power when I’m removed from my torso,” she explained, “However, you may have noticed that my head was running some tests before my personality | “Well, my head would usually have about 15-minutes of emergency power when I’m removed from my torso,” she explained, “However, you may have noticed that my head was running some tests before my personality booted up…that dropped me to two minutes.” | ||
“Oh no, is there any way I can plug you in or something?” he asked, frantically searching for a power cord, “Could I attach you to your torso?” | “Oh no, is there any way I can plug you in or something?” he asked, frantically searching for a power cord, “Could I attach you to your torso?” | ||
“No, and please stay calm,” she said, still in her friendly voice, “In the compartment that my head was stored in, there should have also been a disc | “No, and please stay calm,” she said, still in her friendly voice, “In the compartment that my head was stored in, there should have also been a disc shaped pedestal device: Please remove it, plug it into an outlet, and then attach my head to it,” she explained calmly. | ||
“Alright,” he said dubiously, gently placing her head down on the cushioned lower section of her box and then reaching up to the upper compartment. Sure enough, tucked just below the head mold, was a metallic looking disc device. | “Alright,” he said dubiously, gently placing her head down on the cushioned lower section of her box and then reaching up to the upper compartment. Sure enough, tucked just below the head mold, was a metallic looking disc pedestal device. Mike quickly pulled it out and then plugged it into a nearby outlet before placing the disc on top of a box, to keep it off the ground. | ||
Mike quickly pulled it out and then plugged it into a nearby outlet before placing the disc on top of a box, to keep it off the ground. | |||
“Good, now just attach me to it…I’ve only got about 40-seconds left,” Lena said. Mike could swear her voice sounded a little deeper, but he focused on picking her up and bringing her to the strange device. The top of the disc had a round protrusion that appeared to perfectly match the opening of her neck. He clicked her head onto the protrusion and then watched as the device powered up and integrated with her head. | “Good, now just attach me to it…I’ve only got about 40-seconds left,” Lena said. Mike could swear her voice sounded a little deeper, but he focused on picking her up and bringing her to the strange device. The top of the disc had a round protrusion that appeared to perfectly match the opening of her neck. He clicked her head onto the protrusion and then watched as the device powered up and integrated with her head. | ||
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“You’re welcome,” he told her, “What is that thing anyway?” | “You’re welcome,” he told her, “What is that thing anyway?” | ||
“It’s called an Artificial Neck Apparatus,” she explained, “or just A.N.A. for short…basically, it’s | “It’s called an Artificial Neck Apparatus,” she explained, “or just A.N.A. for short…basically, it’s a diagnostic and maintenance tool that allows my head to remain online even if my body is being worked on…or, in this case, dismantled,” she added wryly. | ||
“Wow, cool,” he said absently, “So, you’re an android…have you always been one, or did you convert from a human body?” | “Wow, cool,” he said absently, “So, you’re an android…have you always been one, or did you convert from a human body?” | ||
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“Yes and no,” she answered, “I’ve always been an android, but I’m actually a copy of a real person.” | “Yes and no,” she answered, “I’ve always been an android, but I’m actually a copy of a real person.” | ||
“Huh, interesting…and | “Huh, interesting…and did Stryker Security Services know you were an android when they hired you?” he asked her. | ||
“Yes…actually, the whole reason I was built and posted her is a rather interesting story,” she smiled, “See, Triple S was having a PR problem with a lack of diversity, but for some reason they couldn’t actually entice real women to join their security force, so they decided to build women instead.” | “Yes…actually, the whole reason I was built and posted her is a rather interesting story,” she smiled, “See, Triple S was having a PR problem with a lack of diversity, but for some reason they couldn’t actually entice real women to join their security force, so they ultimately decided to build women instead.” | ||
“What!? You mean to tell me you were assigned here to fill our gender gap?” he spluttered. | “What!? You mean to tell me you were assigned here to fill our gender gap!?” he spluttered. | ||
“Yeah,” she said apologetically, “And, to make us appear as real as possible, they sought out people who were dying and paid them to the donate their physical appearance, personality, and even memories in exchange for a generous payout to their families.” | “Yeah,” she said apologetically, “And, to make us appear as real as possible, they sought out people who were dying and paid them to the donate their physical appearance, personality, and even memories in exchange for a generous payout to their families.” | ||
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“Wow, that sounds like it cost SSS a ton of money…wouldn’t it have been cheaper just to settle any lawsuits?” Mike asked incredulously. | “Wow, that sounds like it cost SSS a ton of money…wouldn’t it have been cheaper just to settle any lawsuits?” Mike asked incredulously. | ||
“No, they only spent a few million on ordering a few hundred androids like | “No, they only spent a few million on ordering and customizing a few hundred androids like me from Spaztec,” she explained, “But it would have been hundreds of millions in lawsuits and PR costs.” | ||
“Ah, I suppose that make sense,” Mike nodded, “So, was there was a real Lena Schulz?” Mike asked, feeling a bit more comfortable about his chances with the android Lena if she was actually based off a real person. | “Ah, I suppose that make sense,” Mike nodded, “So, was there was a real Lena Schulz?” Mike asked, feeling a bit more comfortable about his chances with the android Lena if she was actually based off a real person. | ||
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Mike chuckled at that…it was just something SSS would do. “Wow, so can you tell me why you ended up in this box, and dismantled?” | Mike chuckled at that…it was just something SSS would do. “Wow, so can you tell me why you ended up in this box, and dismantled?” | ||
“Well, I was going to see my registered owner, the | “Well, I was going to see my registered owner, the Triple S District Manager, for my weekly check-in,” she explained, “Usually that’s when I would receive new programming, updates, and hardware…but this time, he seemed panicked. He told me that he was going to have to decommission me and have me sent back to the factory, so I quickly showered up and got dressed in my default undies. The last memory I have before seeing you is being shut off remotely.” | ||
The matter-of-fact way Lena explained it all shocked Mike to his core. “Wow, so you just allowed yourself to be shut off, knowing you were going to be destroyed?!” | The matter-of-fact way Lena explained it all shocked Mike to his core. “Wow, so you just allowed yourself to be shut off, knowing you were going to be destroyed?!” | ||
“Yeah,” she said simply, “Mike, you have to understand that even though I’m based on a real person, I’m also an android and I have no choice but to adhere to my programming…in this case, my programming was to follow the orders of my registered owner.” After seeing the still shocked look in his eyes, she then smiled and said, “Look, I don’t want you to get the impression that I wanted to be decommissioned, but I literally had no choice…and | “Yeah,” she said simply, “Mike, you have to understand that even though I’m based on a real person, I’m also an android and I have no choice but to adhere to my programming…in this case, my programming was to follow the orders of my registered owner.” After seeing the still shocked look in his eyes, she then smiled and said, “Look, I don’t want you to get the impression that I wanted to be decommissioned, but I literally had no choice…and I was truly happy when I came back online a few minutes ago and saw your face looking down on me.” | ||
“Really?” Mike asked, his voice catching a little. | “Really?” Mike asked, his voice catching a little. | ||
“Yeah, we were best buds, right?” she asked, “I’m not always certain if my human emulation | “Yeah, we were best buds, right?” she asked, “I’m not always certain if my human emulation allowed me to pick up certain cues from real people, but I am certain that we were very close.” | ||
“Yeah, we certainly were…actually, I was planning on asking you out on a | “Yeah, we certainly were…actually, I was planning on asking you out on a date the next time I saw you,” Mike admitted, his face instantly turning scarlet. | ||
“Aww, that’s so sweet!” Lena gushed, “I had a feeling you might be working up to it, so I was actually planning on bringing that up with my owner, to see if he would okay me being in a relationship…but then he just suddenly decommissioned me.” Her face | “Aww, that’s so sweet!” Lena gushed, “I had a feeling you might be working up to it, so I was actually planning on bringing that up with my owner, to see if he would okay me being in a relationship…but then he just suddenly decommissioned me.” Her face flushing as well. | ||
Mike felt instantly revitalized upon hearing her confirmation that she returned his affection. Before he knew it, he had quite a boyish smile on his face. | Mike felt instantly revitalized upon hearing her confirmation that she returned his affection. Before he knew it, he had quite a boyish smile on his face. | ||
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Mike quickly snapped himself out of his reverie and smiled at her. “Sorry, I was just a bit elated…so, he never told you why you were being decommissioned?” | Mike quickly snapped himself out of his reverie and smiled at her. “Sorry, I was just a bit elated…so, he never told you why you were being decommissioned?” | ||
“No,” Lena answered, | “No,” Lena answered, “as I said before, he seemed quite rushed, and in any event, my programming didn’t permit me to ask him.” | ||
“Well, I think I have a good idea,” he told her, and then he spent the next several minutes recounting the chaos that ensued shortly after. | “Well, I think I have a good idea,” he told her, and then he spent the next several minutes recounting the chaos that ensued shortly after. | ||
“So, your previous owner ended up committing suicide the day after you were disassembled,” Mike finished, | “So, to wrap things up, your previous owner ended up committing suicide the day after you were disassembled,” Mike finished, “It looks like between the investigations, destruction of evidence, his suicide, and the change in administration, you were simply lost in the shuffle.” | ||
Lena had been paying very close attention to Mike’s story, but as he finished, it suddenly looked like she had frozen up. Mike gave her a few seconds before waving his hand in front of her face and saying, “Hey, Lena, you okay?!” | Lena had been paying very close attention to Mike’s story, but as he finished, it suddenly looked like she had frozen up. Mike gave her a few seconds before waving his hand in front of her face and saying, “Hey, Lena, are you okay?!” | ||
Several seconds went by before Lena suddenly snapped out of it, but something appeared to be wrong. Her eyes were blinking out of order, and her face was twitching. | Several seconds went by before Lena suddenly snapped out of it, but something appeared to be wrong. Her eyes were blinking out of order, and her face was twitching. | ||
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“What do you mean?” Mike asked, genuinely concerned for her. | “What do you mean?” Mike asked, genuinely concerned for her. | ||
“Well, at risk of diminishing myself, I’m kinda like a car. If I’m | “Well, at risk of diminishing myself, I’m kinda like a car. If I’m powered off for lengthy periods of time, my systems begin to degrade. Fortunately, my memories are all backed up on a private server, but I still need to run a full-scale diagnostic on my A.I. systems in order to prevent any more errors, “she explained, “Don’t worry, I was programmed with a very comprehensive set of diagnostic tools.” | ||
“What will that entail?” | “What will that entail?” | ||
“Well, unfortunately I’m going to have to shut off all my personality software, which basically means my human emulation will be off,” she told him, “And | “Well, unfortunately I’m going to have to shut off all my personality software, which basically means my human emulation will be off,” she told him, “And it’ll probably take up to two hours to complete.” | ||
“How do you know your private server is still active?” He asked in a concerned voice, “what if it was shut down along with you?” | |||
“I kinda doubt it was,” she frowned, “since I’m a sapient model, and one based on a real person, the server would get priority over the basic models, so it’s very likely it is still active. I also paid for a 10-year storage fee, and it hasn’t been 10 years yet.” | |||
“Okay,” Mike nodded, looking relaxed. | |||
“Either way, I have to run these diagnostics, so it’s a risk I must take,” she said decisively, | |||
Mike was a little disappointed that his reunion with Lena was being interrupted so soon, but he then remembered that he wasn’t even done cleaning the storage room yet, so this gave him the perfect time to complete it. | Mike was a little disappointed that his reunion with Lena was being interrupted so soon, but he then remembered that he wasn’t even done cleaning the storage room yet, so this gave him the perfect time to complete it. | ||
“I know,” he sighed, “I was just hoping to learn some more about you though,” Mike said with a disappointed voice. | |||
“Oh, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to talk to me while I’m running the diagnostic,” she assured him. | “Oh, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to talk to me while I’m running the diagnostic,” she assured him. | ||
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“How?” | “How?” | ||
“Well, you can still talk with my A.I. All you have to do is say something, or ask something, and add my name to the beginning and my A.I. will do it’s best to answer or respond to your query,” she told him with a helpful smile, | “Well, you can still talk with my A.I. All you have to do is say something, or ask something, and add my name to the beginning and my A.I. will do it’s best to answer or respond to your query,” she told him with a helpful smile, “Unfortunately, it won’t have any of my friendly personality, so it’ll speak with my voice, but it will sound somewhat empty.” | ||
“Unfortunately, it won’t have any of my friendly personality, so it’ll speak with my voice, but it will sound somewhat empty.” | |||
“I can live with that,” Mike smiled, “I just want you feeling better, and I have to finish cleaning in here anyway.” | “I can live with that,” Mike smiled, “I just want you feeling better, and I have to finish cleaning in here anyway.” | ||
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“Ah, good… um, were there any times while you were working here that your android nature was almost revealed?” | “Ah, good… um, were there any times while you were working here that your android nature was almost revealed?” | ||
“Yes, twice” she answered simply, “Fortunately, both instances were while I was on grave shift and no one found out.” | “Yes, twice” she answered simply, “Fortunately, both instances were while I was on grave shift, and no one found out.” | ||
“What happened?” | “What happened?” | ||
“The first time I did not properly calibrate my charging schedule to account for my new hours, so I nearly ran out of power and had to plug myself in while I was posted in the garage,” she answered, “The second time I was electrocuted by a faulty light switch and that forced a reboot to mediate the overload.” | “The first time I did not properly calibrate my charging schedule to account for my new hours, so I nearly ran out of power and had to plug myself in while I was posted in the garage kiosk,” she answered, “The second time I was electrocuted by a faulty light switch and that forced a reboot to mediate the overload.” | ||
“Wow, I’m glad you were okay,” Mike said. | “Wow, I’m glad you were okay,” Mike said. | ||
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“Elena Gonzalez.” | “Elena Gonzalez.” | ||
“What!? Elena!” Mike was shocked. Elena was a young, 20-year old woman who had started working here two months before Mike was hired. She had a wild and energetic personality, and a lazy work ethic. She would often arrive late, and dilly dally while working, causing many headaches for her coworkers. The only reason people tolerated her was because she had a sob story of being a foster child, and she could be adorable at times. One day, she left to go meet her real parents and never returned. | “What!? Elena!” Mike was shocked. Elena was a young, 20-year-old woman who had started working here two months before Mike was hired. She had a wild and energetic personality, and a lazy work ethic. She would often arrive late, and dilly dally while working, causing many headaches for her coworkers. The only reason people tolerated her was because she had a sob story of being a foster child, and she could be absolutely adorable at times. One day, she left to go meet her real parents and never returned. | ||
“Why was she replaced?” Mike asked, though he had a fairly good idea why. | “Why was she replaced?” Mike asked, though he had a fairly good idea why. | ||
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“Interesting…was the real Lena an intern as well?” he asked. | “Interesting…was the real Lena an intern as well?” he asked. | ||
“No | “No. She was a security officer posted at another account who was involved in a job-related accident. They decided to use her because they knew she already had good work ethic and were considering her for a promotion,” she explained, “She donated her image and personality to pay her hospital fees so her family would not have to, and so they could avoid a lawsuit.” | ||
“Wow, that seems cold,” Mike grimaced, “Well, I’m still glad, because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to meet you.” | “Wow, that seems cold,” Mike grimaced, “Well, I’m still glad, because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to meet you.” | ||
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Mike spent another 10 | Mike spent another 10 minutes or so hauling the next cart of junk and disposing of it in the appropriate areas, all the while thinking of more questions to ask Lena. When he returned, he took another rest break. | ||
This time, instead of immediately asking her a question, he decided to lean in and get a closer look at her head, since it was inactive the previous time. Despite Lena staring ahead blankly, she still looked quite cute. He could actually see the moisture | This time, instead of immediately asking her a question, he decided to lean in and get a closer look at her head, since it was inactive the previous time. Despite Lena staring ahead blankly, she still looked quite cute. He could actually see the moisture in her eyes, sustained by the random blinking her systems dictated from time to time. | ||
Mike tried opening her mouth again, but it once again remained closed. “Lena, could you please open your mouth so I can look inside?” | Mike tried opening her mouth again, but it once again remained closed. “Lena, could you please open your mouth so I can take a look inside?” | ||
“Yes, but please do not attempt to conduct any lewd or sexual acts while my mouth is opened,” Lena warned, “Since you are not my registered owner, you are not permitted.” Her mouth then slowly whirred open and locked into place with an audible click. | |||
“Thanks,” Mike said, though he received no reply. He then leaned in for a closer look inside her mouth. | “Thanks,” Mike said, though he received no reply. He then leaned in for a closer look inside her mouth, slowly and gently reaching his fingers inside. | ||
He quickly noticed that the inside of her mouth was almost completely dry, except for a similar type of moistness that was present on the rest of her body. It appeared to be some sort of smart sweat/saliva or something that was designed to adhere only to her body and nothing else. He played around with her tongue for over a minute, enjoying the texture and realism present, before focusing on her teeth. | He quickly noticed that the inside of her mouth was almost completely dry, except for a similar type of moistness that was present on the rest of her body. It appeared to be some sort of smart sweat/saliva or something that was designed to adhere only to her body and nothing else. He played around with her tongue for over a minute, enjoying the texture and realism present, before focusing on her teeth. | ||
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“Lena, you can close your mouth now,” Mike finally said, after several more minutes. He withdrew his fingers and watched as her mouth whirred closed and her face resumed a stoic look. | “Lena, you can close your mouth now,” Mike finally said, after several more minutes. He withdrew his fingers and watched as her mouth whirred closed and her face resumed a stoic look. | ||
“Lena, how is it that after more than five years in storage | “Lena, how is it that after more than five years in storage your skin and mouth still have moisture?” He asked her, wanting to know for sure. | ||
Lena’s face once more sprung to life and responded. “My body uses a smart nano-bio-serum dermal coating designed to last for up to ten years. | Lena’s face once more sprung to life and responded. “My body uses a smart nano-bio-serum dermal coating designed to last for up to ten years. Its primary purposes are to give my dermal layers a realistic look and feel, to prevent them from being desiccated, and to protect them from dust, dirt, bacteria, and other contaminants.” | ||
“Wow, I wish my body had something like that,” Mike said, absently feeling his hands that had been dried out by all the dust that had been in the room prior to his vacuuming. Because the comment was not directed at Lena, however, she did not reply. | “Wow, I wish my body had something like that,” Mike said, absently feeling his hands that had been dried out by all the dust that had been in the room prior to his vacuuming. Because the comment was not directed at Lena, however, she did not reply. | ||
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Mike placed the hand back in its mold once more and decided to go on another trash run, this one taking him more than twenty minutes since he decided to knock out all the remaining bins at once. By the time he returned, he had only to neatly organize the various cabinets and drawers in the room. He also had less than an hour left in his shift, so he chose to focus on the work instead of chatting with Lena’s A.I. | Mike placed the hand back in its mold once more and decided to go on another trash run, this one taking him more than twenty minutes since he decided to knock out all the remaining bins at once. By the time he returned, he had only to neatly organize the various cabinets and drawers in the room. He also had less than an hour left in his shift, so he chose to focus on the work instead of chatting with Lena’s A.I. | ||
When Mike finished with the cleaning, he sat back down in front of Lena’s head and stared into | When Mike finished with the cleaning, he sat back down in front of Lena’s head and stared into her eyes. He marveled at the extreme realism present in both brown orbs before they suddenly closed and reopened. | ||
“Diagnostic complete,” Lena announced in her usual cheerful voice. | “Diagnostic complete,” Lena announced in her usual cheerful voice. | ||
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“Why can’t you update your software now? Mike asked. | “Why can’t you update your software now? Mike asked. | ||
“Well, for one thing, I can barely get a signal in here,” she told him, “But | “Well, for one thing, I can barely get a signal in here,” she told him, “But more importantly, since my previous owner passed and my registration period has expired, I am now an unregistered android and am unable to access the update server.” | ||
“Oh no…is there anything | “Oh no…is there anything I can do to register you?” | ||
“Yes, but not here…I need a stronger network connection, and the longer I stay here like this, especially now that you’ve cleaned this room, the more likely it is I’ll be discovered by someone else.” | “Yes, but not here…I need a stronger network connection, and the longer I stay here like this, especially now that you’ve cleaned this room, the more likely it is I’ll be discovered by someone else.” | ||
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“You’re right,” he told her. While before he wouldn’t have given her storage compartment a second look, it stuck out like a sore thumb now that the room was spotless. This presented a new problem, since the box was quite large and heavy. “The question is, how are we going to get you out of here?” | “You’re right,” he told her. While before he wouldn’t have given her storage compartment a second look, it stuck out like a sore thumb now that the room was spotless. This presented a new problem, since the box was quite large and heavy. “The question is, how are we going to get you out of here?” | ||
“If my memories of the site layout are accurate, we’re pretty much right next to the garage,” Lena answered, can’t you just pull your car up to the second-floor door and lift my box in?” | “If my memories of the site layout are still accurate, we’re pretty much right next to the garage,” Lena answered, can’t you just pull your car up to the second-floor door and lift my box in?” | ||
“I could, but there’s a camera watching that door, and the last thing I want is there to be footage of me hauling a large box of expensive electronics into my car,” he told her, “we’d have to go to the 2M level, which means I’d have to haul you up about 10 steps, and I’m assuming you aren’t light.” | “I could, but there’s a camera watching that door, and the last thing I want is there to be footage of me hauling a large box of expensive electronics into my car,” he told her, “we’d have to go to the 2M level, which means I’d have to haul you up about 10 steps, and I’m assuming you aren’t light.” | ||
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“Yeah…so, is there anyway I could just reassemble you so you could walk into my car?” | “Yeah…so, is there anyway I could just reassemble you so you could walk into my car?” | ||
“No. Again, I’m kinda like a car. In a nutshell, my body relies on a bio-electrical fluid in order to move properly | “No. Again, I’m kinda like a car. In a nutshell, my body relies on a bio-electrical fluid in order to move properly and without it I risk seriously damaging my systems. That fluid would have been drained from my body prior to my disassembly and storage, since it would have otherwise coagulated and permanently damaged my body during the last five years.” | ||
“Ah, I see…is this stuff easy to get and inexpensive?” | “Ah, I see…is this stuff easy to get, and inexpensive?” | ||
“Well, it was five years ago, but I would hope it is much cheaper now…for the meanwhile, you’ll have to find | “Well, it was five years ago, but I would hope it is much cheaper now…for the meanwhile, you’ll have to find another way to get me out of here,” she said. | ||
“Hmm…maybe I could carry you into my car piece by piece?” He suggested. | “Hmm…maybe I could carry you into my car piece by piece?” He suggested. | ||
“And what would you tell someone if they saw you carrying out female body parts?” | “And what would you tell someone if they saw you carrying out female body parts?” she asked pointedly. | ||
“Damn, you’re right...ugh, I guess I’ll have to do it the hard way then.” Mike said. He then looked around the room and saw his only other option: a hand truck and some spare extension cords that he could use as straps. He also found an old car jack | “Damn, you’re right...ugh, I guess I’ll have to do it the hard way then.” Mike said. He then looked around the room and saw his only other option: a hand truck and some spare extension cords that he could use as straps. He also found an old car jack that he could use to lift the case up a bit so Mike could more easily put it in his trunk. | ||
“Alright, I’ll manage with this hand truck,” he told her, gathering all of the materials near the case. | “Alright, I’ll manage with this hand truck,” he told her, gathering all of the materials near the case. | ||
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“I’m assuming I’ll need to power you off before putting you back in there?” He asked, not looking forward to basically killing her. | “I’m assuming I’ll need to power you off before putting you back in there?” He asked, not looking forward to basically killing her. | ||
“Yeah, but don’t worry, next time I won’t have to go through that lengthy startup routine,” she assured him, | “Yeah, but don’t worry, next time I won’t have to go through that lengthy startup routine,” she assured him, “As long as you don’t take more than six hours to turn me back on, my personality should boot up nearly instantly.” | ||
“Good,” he said, sighing with relief, “I only live about ten minutes away, with traffic, so it won’t be long,” he told her, “Are you even aware of the passage of time while you’re powered off?” | “Good,” he said, sighing with relief, “I only live about ten minutes away, with traffic, so it won’t be long,” he told her, “Are you even aware of the passage of time while you’re powered off?” | ||
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“Oh, that makes sense.” | “Oh, that makes sense.” | ||
“Anyway, I suppose we should get this over with,” she mock sighed, “I’m ready to be | “Anyway, I suppose we should get this over with,” she mock sighed, “I’m ready to be powered down again.” | ||
“Ok,” he said. Not wanting to stretch this out any further, he quickly pressed the power toggle behind her left ear, absently noting that it was the perfect place for right-handed people to reach and watched as her head wound down. | |||
He was surprised how peacefully she shut down, as opposed to how quickly she powered on before. Once he was sure she was powered down, he disconnected her from the A.N.A and placed both it and her head back in the upper compartment of the case as closely as he found them, tucking her ponytail neatly back under her chin. He then secured the head compartment and the case and began securing it into the hand truck with the extension cords, as well as some duct tape he found. | |||
Upon further reflection of his moving plan, Mike decided to | Upon further reflection of his moving plan, Mike decided instead to relocate his vehicle to the 3rd floor garage, since the incline was only three steps instead of ten. He made quick work of relocating his car, and then he returned to the storage room and wheeled Lena’s case, and the jack, out of the storage room, into the nearby elevator, and up to the 3rd floor. | ||
For some reason, the 3rd floor garage elevator exited into a balcony overlooking one of the lobbies, but since it was flat, Mike did not mind the extra length he had to travel. He then made quick work of the three steps, carefully lifting the hand truck, and then wheeled it to his car, which was in a nearby spot with the trunk already opened. Mike then placed the whole hand truck on the jack and cranked it up to its highest setting, allowing Mike to gently tip the case with hand truck still attached over the lip of his trunk and neatly inside. | For some reason, the 3rd floor garage elevator exited into a balcony overlooking one of the lobbies, but since it was flat, Mike did not mind the extra length he had to travel. He then made quick work of the three steps, carefully lifting the hand truck, and then wheeled it over to his car, which was in a nearby spot with the trunk already opened. Mike then placed the whole hand truck on the jack and cranked it up to its highest setting, allowing Mike to gently tip the case with the hand truck still attached over the lip of his trunk and neatly inside. | ||
Smacking both hands satisfactorily, Mike closed the trunk and then returned to the storage room to return the jack, and to finish tidying up some final things. Fortunately, removing Lena’s case alone made the storage room | Smacking both hands satisfactorily, Mike closed the trunk and then returned to the storage room to return the jack, and to finish tidying up some final things. Fortunately, removing Lena’s case alone made the storage room much cleaner, so he merely organized a few of the loose items and then took some photos of the way the room looked after being cleaned for his report before securing everything and heading up to the office to punch out. | ||
Mike tried to remain calm the entire time, still slightly paranoid he may have been seen potentially stealing something from the building, but he remembered that his manager explicitly told him that if he found something he liked in there, he could take it…no questions asked. Still, Lena was a very expensive treasure, so Mike figured they may have taken exception to her. Regardless, he received no queries while in the office | Mike tried to remain calm the entire time, still slightly paranoid he may have been seen potentially stealing something from the building, but he remembered that his manager explicitly told him that if he found something he liked in there, he could take it…no questions asked. Still, Lena was a very expensive treasure, so Mike figured they may have taken exception to her. Regardless, he received no queries or signs of suspicion while in the office and was able to return to his car unmolested. | ||
Just as he drove out of the garage and headed onto the road home, he looked into the rear-view mirror at the case sticking out of the trunk, since he’d had to expand it by folding over the rear seats, and said, “Don’t worry Lena, we’ll be home soon.” | Just as he drove out of the garage and headed onto the road home, he looked into the rear-view mirror at the case sticking out of the trunk, since he’d had to expand it by folding over the rear seats, and said, “Don’t worry Lena, we’ll be home soon.” | ||
===1.2: Registration=== | ===1.2: Registration=== | ||
Mike was | Mike was glad he was driving home on a holiday, since there were fewer people on the roads. However, while he would normally drive a little over the posted speed limit, he stuck to it this time, and made sure to follow all the traffic rules, just in case there was some bored police officer who might pull him over and ask questions about the case in his trunk. He knew he was being paranoid, but still…he basically took a piece of equipment from his work that cost several tens of thousands of dollars, and he did not want to take any chances. | ||
He finally arrived at his townhouse after a 12-minute drive | He finally arrived at his townhouse after a 12-minute drive and backed into his garage, breathing an explosive sigh of relief when the door of the garage finally rolled all the way down. | ||
“Okay, now to wrestle her into the house,” he told himself, mentally planning how he would do it. Although his place was as neat and orderly as he’d just made the storage room at work, he wasn’t sure where the best place to work on Lena’s body would be. After several moments, he finally decided on the bar portion of the kitchen counter. | “Okay, now to wrestle her into the house,” he told himself, mentally planning how he would do it. Although his place was as neat and orderly as he’d just made the storage room at work, he wasn’t sure where the best place to work on Lena’s body would be. After several moments, he finally decided on the bar portion of the kitchen counter. | ||
With the proper location picked, Mike left Lena in his car while he rushed inside to clear a path into the kitchen. He moved the area rugs out of the way in the hallway, picked up some boxes, and then cleared off and cleaned the counter. He then placed a recently cleaned blanket on top of the counter so he could place Lena’s body parts on it, and hide her quickly if necessary, and then brought several of his laptops over, along with a tool kit and a grooming kit. | |||
Once he had everything set up, Mike then took steps to ensure no one could spy on him: he pulled the privacy screens down at the front door, activated the Electrochromic Windows, and activated his sound dampening systems. With those activated, Mike could be sure no one would be able to see or hear him while he worked on Lena. | Once he had everything set up, Mike then took steps to ensure no one could spy on him: he pulled the privacy screens down at the front door, activated the Electrochromic Windows, and activated his sound dampening systems. With those activated, Mike could be sure no one would be able to see or hear him while he worked on Lena. | ||
Now that all was ready, Mike headed back out into the garage and opened the trunk of his car. Fortunately, the way he’d loaded Lena’s case in, all he had to do was gently tip it over the edge from the inside of the car and ease it down to the ground via the hand truck it was still secured to. Technically, Mike had stolen this, however since it was one of the items hidden in the stockroom, he figured no one even knew it was in there | Now that all was ready, Mike headed back out into the garage and opened the trunk of his car. Fortunately, the way he’d loaded Lena’s case in, all he had to do was gently tip it over the edge from the inside of the car and ease it down to the ground via the hand truck it was still secured to. Technically, Mike had stolen this, however since it was one of the items hidden in the stockroom, he figured no one even knew it was in there, not to mention his manager said he could take anything no questions asked. | ||
Once the case was out of the car, he closed the trunk and the interior access and wheeled the case into his home, lifting it up one step from the garage, and then into his kitchen/dining area. | |||
Mike took a few moments to recover and catch his breath from the effort of hauling the crate the short distance into the kitchen. Since it was the middle of winter, and he’d been out most of the day, the house had gotten cold, so he rushed upstairs to the thermostat and turned it up a few degrees to warm the place up. He normally didn’t mind the cold, but the house was freezing. | |||
Once he caught his breath, he returned to the case, typed in the four-digit code, and opened the case back up. He once again pinched himself when he saw Lena’s body neatly packed into the various foam molds for each of her dismembered parts, but Mike powered through the wonder and focused on unpacking her head. | |||
All his old memories came flooding back into him once more when he saw her head and he found himself eager to make new memories with her. He gently removed her head and placed it with great care on the blanketed surface of the counter while he set up the A.N.A. near his laptops. He then lifted her head up, clicked it in place on the A.N.A., and pressed the power toggle behind her left ear. | |||
“Wow, this is a nice place! | Just as Lena had promised him earlier, she did not go through the lengthy startup routine that she had gone through the first time he activated her. Instead, her eyes immediately popped open and briefly scanned her field of vision before focusing on him with a smile. “Ooh, we made it!” | ||
“Yep, welcome to my humble abode,” he told her, moving out of her way so she could see the room she was now in. | |||
“Wow, this is a nice place! Just this one room is so much better than that dump studio apartment my previous owner had me staying in,” she said, her eyes quickly scanning what she could see of the room; apparently, she could swivel around on the A.N.A. | |||
“Thanks! I’m friends with the person who owns this duplex, so she offered me a discounted rate in exchange for doing her chores; she lives in the unit next door,” Mike explained. | “Thanks! I’m friends with the person who owns this duplex, so she offered me a discounted rate in exchange for doing her chores; she lives in the unit next door,” Mike explained. | ||
“Aww, that’s nice…anyway, I hope I wasn’t too much trouble | “Aww, that’s nice…anyway, I hope I wasn’t too much trouble to sneak out of the building,” she told him with a concerned look. | ||
“Well, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Mike admitted honestly, “I ended up using the third floor instead so there would be fewer steps to lift you up,” he explained, “After that, I was more concerned with staying calm so no one would suspect anything.” | “Well, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Mike admitted honestly, “I ended up using the third floor instead so there would be fewer steps to lift you up,” he explained, “After that, I was more concerned with staying calm so no one would suspect anything.” | ||
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“Well, you have always been a little paranoid,” Lena laughed, “I remember when you were training me and kept looking over your shoulder just because you were listening to music on the computers.” | “Well, you have always been a little paranoid,” Lena laughed, “I remember when you were training me and kept looking over your shoulder just because you were listening to music on the computers.” | ||
“Well, technically we aren’t supposed to,” Mike defended, “and, growing up with three brothers who liked sneaking up on me also honed my paranoia a bit | “Well, technically we aren’t supposed to,” Mike defended, “and, growing up with three brothers who liked sneaking up on me also honed my paranoia a bit.” | ||
“I see, the real Lena was an only child, so I wouldn’t know,” she shrugged, though the shrug looked odd since she was disconnected from her body. | “I see, the real Lena was an only child, so I wouldn’t know,” she shrugged, though the shrug looked odd since she was disconnected from her body. | ||
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“Okay, now how do I go about registering you?” he asked, since he’d never had an android before. | “Okay, now how do I go about registering you?” he asked, since he’d never had an android before. | ||
“Go into my case,” she instructed, “there should be a small compartment below my body. Inside there should be a set of clothes, my purse, and a small computer. Grab the computer and turn it on,” she instructed, “It has software designed to interface with my body.” | |||
“Okay,” Mike said, doing as he was told. Sure enough, on the bottom section of the case was a small drawer that Mike was able to pull out. Inside was a set of basic clothes, Lena’s purse, and a small 2-in-1 laptop computer. He grabbed it, plugged it | “Okay,” Mike said, doing as he was told. Sure enough, on the bottom section of the case was a small drawer that Mike was able to pull out. Inside was a set of basic clothes, Lena’s purse, and a small 2-in-1 laptop computer. He grabbed it, plugged it into a wall outlet near her head, and turned it on. | ||
“Don’t worry about | “Don’t worry about logging in,” she warned him, “I can access it remotely and log it in for you.” | ||
“Thanks,” Mike said, “So | “Thanks,” Mike said, “So if I’m not your registered owner, how come you’re just giving me access to your systems like this? Not that I’m complaining, or anything…it just seems like lax security.” | ||
“Well, you may not be my registered owner, but a few months before I was shut off | “Well, you may not be my registered owner, but a few months before I was shut off I did ask my owner if I could register you as a friend,” she told him, “Basically, having you registered as a friend, in addition to coworker, allows me to give you emergency systems access in case I were to break down or something…I would say this qualifies.” | ||
“Indeed,” he agreed. He was touched that she considered him a friend even before | “Indeed,” he agreed. He was touched that she considered him a friend even before he discovered her true nature; it validated his feelings for her. | ||
Once the computer booted up, Lena | Once the computer booted up, Lena zoned out momentarily as she interfaced with it. Then, a splash screen with her company logo popped up, followed by her diagnostic suites. Before he could do anything, however, the software on the computer began auto-downloading/installing five years’ worth of updates, with an estimate of 10 minutes to complete. | ||
“I figured it would do that,” Lena | “I figured it would do that,” Lena sighed, a frown forming on her beautiful face, but I’ll need to do that anyway once I’m registered, so…anyway, maybe you could show me around your place while we wait,” she suggested. | ||
“Sure, though hopefully it’ll be ‘our’ place soon,” he smiled, detaching her from the A.N.A and lifting her up into his arms. | “Sure, though hopefully it’ll be ‘our’ place soon,” he smiled, detaching her from the A.N.A and lifting her up into his arms, minding her hair as he gripped her at the back of her neck. | ||
“Well, of course it will…I’d have no other place to stay!” she giggled matter-of-factly. | “Well, of course it will…I’d have no other place to stay!” she giggled matter-of-factly. | ||
Mike’s heart warmed at that. Although he enjoyed his solitude, he | Mike’s heart warmed at that. Although he enjoyed his solitude, he occasionally missed having company and it would be nice having Lena around, regardless of their status. | ||
“Well, | “Well, we’re currently in the main common area and kitchen,” he told her, holding her head out so she could see. While the kitchen was rather small, with a tiny pantry smaller than a closet, it still had all the trimmings one needed in a kitchen. “I’ll be working on your body on the bar here,” he explained, showing her the area he’d set up as a makeshift maintenance bay. | ||
“What’s up with the blanket?” she asked, “Is your counter dirty? I seem to recall you being quite the neat freak.” | “What’s up with the blanket?” she asked, “Is your counter dirty? I seem to recall you being quite the neat freak.” | ||
“Oh, I am, and it is clean,” he assured her, “But this way I could cover you up in case someone comes by to visit unexpectedly, like my parents or a neighbor.” | “Oh, I am, and it is quite clean,” he assured her proudly, “But this way I could cover you up in case someone comes by to visit unexpectedly, like my parents or a neighbor.” | ||
“Ah, that makes sense.” | “Ah, that makes sense.” | ||
“Also, the counter is cold, and I didn’t think you’d want your skin touching a cold surface,” he added with a blush. | |||
“Ah, how thoughtful,” she beamed, warming his heart up even more. | |||
He then walked her into the adjoining common area, which had a door leading to the small backyard, a couch, his computer station, and media center. The only other inhabitant of his home was currently lounging on her cat tree next to the TV. | He then walked her into the adjoining common area, which had a door leading to the small backyard, a couch, his computer station, and media center. The only other inhabitant of his home was currently lounging on her cat tree next to the TV. | ||
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“Good, the real Lena really liked cats too.” | “Good, the real Lena really liked cats too.” | ||
“Then we’ll get along just nicely.” Mike nodded, then continued with the tour. He briefly showed her the hallway leading from the front door, and the half bath right next to it, along with the garage across from it, before taking her up the stairs. The stairs went up eight steps to a large window | “Then we’ll get along just nicely.” Mike nodded, then continued with the tour. He briefly showed her the hallway leading from the front door, and the half bath right next to it, along with the garage across from it, before taking her up the stairs. The stairs went up eight steps to a large window and then turned around to head the rest of the way upstairs. | ||
There was a small landing at the top of the stairs, with a closet that had a washer/dryer inside. The top floor had two bedrooms, only one of which Mike was using. He took her into the vacant one first, showing her the bathroom, closet, and space of the room. “I’ve been using this room for storage,” he told her, “But I suppose we could turn it into a room for you to use…I’m not sure if you’ll want to sleep with me or not,” he blushed. | There was a small landing at the top of the stairs, with a closet that had a washer/dryer side-by-side inside, along with various linens and cleaning supplies. The top floor had two bedrooms, only one of which Mike was using. He took her into the vacant one first, showing her the bathroom, closet, and space of the room. “I’ve been using this room for storage,” he told her, “But I suppose we could turn it into a room for you to use…I’m not sure if you’ll want to sleep with me or not,” he blushed. | ||
“Why wouldn’t I want to sleep with you?” she asked, “Once you register me, you’ll be my owner and you can make me your girlfriend or wife | “Why wouldn’t I want to sleep with you?” she asked, “Once you register me, you’ll be my owner, and you can make me your girlfriend or wife. Anything you want.” | ||
“Really?! Just like that?” | “Really?! Just like that?” | ||
“Yeah, just like that,” she told him. | “Yeah, just like that,” she told him seriously. | ||
“Nice, although I was actually referring to the fact that I snore apparently...really loudly, from what a previous girlfriend told me.” Mike blushed even harder now, his face scarlet. | “Nice, although I was actually referring to the fact that I snore apparently...really loudly, from what a previous girlfriend told me.” Mike blushed even harder now, his face scarlet. | ||
“You don’t have to worry about that,” she told him in a reassuring voice, sensing the discomfort in his voice, “As an android, I can’t be bothered by snoring.” | “You don’t have to worry about that,” she told him in a reassuring voice, sensing the discomfort in his voice, “As an android, I can’t be bothered by snoring. My sleep mode can simply filter it out.” | ||
“That’s good to know,” he told her with a notable sound of relief in his voice. “Well, the final stop on the tour is my, or rather our | “That’s good to know,” he told her with a notable sound of relief in his voice. “Well, the final stop on the tour is my, or rather, our room,” he said, carrying her back onto the landing and into the next room on their left, leading into his bedroom. | ||
His bedroom had a queen size bed in the middle of the wall on the far side between two windows. On the wall opposite the door was a balcony with a sliding door covered by blue shades. To the left of the door was a small hallway with two closets on either side, with a door leading into his bathroom at the end. | His bedroom had a queen-size bed in the middle of the wall on the far side between two windows. On the wall opposite the door was a balcony with a sliding door covered by blue shades. To the left of the door was a small hallway with two closets on either side, with a door leading into his bathroom at the end. | ||
“Well, what do you think?” he asked, swiveling her in his arms so her face was looking up at his. | “Well, what do you think?” he asked, swiveling her in his arms so her face was looking up at his. | ||
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“What is?” | “What is?” | ||
“Well, I may be an android, but I was still paid for the work I did,” she told him, | “Well, I may be an android, but I was still paid for the work I did,” she told him, “Basically I used it to pay for any repairs and maintenance, as well as food and rent.” | ||
“Ah, that’s nice of them,” he said, “How much do you still have?” | “Ah, that’s nice of them,” he said, “How much do you still have?” | ||
“A lot,” she said, “I invested the surplus of each week and it has grown tenfold while I’ve been in storage…I should not only be able to pay for any stuff I lost in the last five years, but also for the upgrades my body will be needing.” | “A lot,” she said, “I invested the surplus of each week, and it has grown tenfold while I’ve been in storage…I should not only be able to pay for any stuff I lost in the last five years, but also for the upgrades my body will be needing.” | ||
“Good!” Mike told her, secretly relieved he wouldn’t need to fork over any of his money to restore her. | “Good!” Mike told her, secretly relieved he wouldn’t need to fork over any of his money to restore her. | ||
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“Ahh, much better…I only had about three minutes of power left,” she told him, looking noticeably relieved. Mike, however, was focused on the diagnostic terminal, which had finally finished updating and was now in the process of integrating with Lena’s systems. | “Ahh, much better…I only had about three minutes of power left,” she told him, looking noticeably relieved. Mike, however, was focused on the diagnostic terminal, which had finally finished updating and was now in the process of integrating with Lena’s systems. | ||
As soon as they linked up, a splash screen popped up briefly displaying Lena’s model number and company logo and then several tabs appeared that appeared to give him access to virtually every system she had. Unfortunately, he couldn’t access any of the tabs | As soon as they linked up, a splash screen popped up briefly displaying Lena’s model number and company logo and then several tabs appeared that appeared to give him access to virtually every system she had. Unfortunately, he couldn’t access any of the tabs since the terminal showed she was currently unregistered. | ||
“Good, it’s confirming my unregistered status,” Lena sighed, “All you should have to do is click the link near the bottom and it should take you to the registration page,” she said in her usual cheerful voice. | “Good, it’s confirming my unregistered status,” Lena sighed with relief, “All you should have to do is click the link near the bottom and it should take you to the registration page,” she said in her usual cheerful voice. | ||
“And that’s it | “And that’s it? Then you’ll be my android?” he asked incredulously, finding it hard to believe it could really be this easy. | ||
“Well, not quite,” she said, scrunching her face, “After you pay the fee and I confirm it via my wireless link, my personality will shut down and I’ll enter setup mode,” she explained. | “Well, not quite,” she said, scrunching her face, “After you pay the fee and I confirm it via my wireless link, my personality will shut down and I’ll enter setup mode,” she explained. | ||
Mike was a little worried | Mike was a little worried about that. “Oh no, does that mean it’ll reset you to factory settings and delete you or something?!” | ||
Lena laughed quite hard at his reaction, her laughter instantly calming Mike down a bit; he | Lena laughed quite hard at his reaction, her laughter instantly calming Mike down a bit; he liked her laugh. “No, of course not silly! Don’t worry…I mean, technically deleting me is one of the options you can decide on, but given how much you like me, I trust you’ll decide to keep me, and mostly intact.” | ||
“What does that mean?” he asked her, very confused by the matter-of-fact way she was talking about her functions. | “What does that mean?” he asked her, very confused by the matter-of-fact way she was talking about her functions. | ||
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“Ah, that actually sounds nice,” Mike nodded, “I’d rather have your configured to me than someone else.” | “Ah, that actually sounds nice,” Mike nodded, “I’d rather have your configured to me than someone else.” | ||
“Exactly! So hurry up and register me already, gosh!” she giggled, “Oh, and I promise I’ll reimburse you the registration fee | “Exactly! So, hurry up and register me already, gosh!” she giggled, “Oh, and I promise I’ll reimburse you the registration fee.” | ||
Mike chuckled as he did | Mike chuckled as he did and waited as a surprisingly simple registration page popped up. It gave him a brief synopsis of her current status, mentioning that her previous registration had lapsed, and that the previous owner was deceased, making her up for grabs to anyone who wanted to register her. The fee, $1,000, was easily in his budget, although Lena promised to reimburse him, so he promptly entered his credit card information and then processed the payment to register Lena as his android. | ||
A few moments later, Lena suddenly froze up and then stated in a detached tone, “New owner registered, this unit now | A few moments later, Lena suddenly froze up and then stated in a detached tone, “New owner registered, this unit is now registered to Mike Holland. Please begin new owner setup process.” | ||
As soon as she finished speaking, a new screen popped up on the terminal allowing him to reconfigure Lena to his preferences. Because she was already configured by a previous owner, it gave him the option to either change them or keep them. During this process, Lena’s personality appeared to be suspended, as several of the options appeared to be for her personality settings. | As soon as she finished speaking, a new screen popped up on the terminal allowing him to reconfigure Lena to his preferences. Because she was already configured by a previous owner, it gave him the option to either change them or keep them. During this process, Lena’s personality appeared to be suspended, as several of the options appeared to be for her personality settings. | ||
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After quickly perusing through each submenu of options before deciding to change anything, Mike quickly realized that many of the options were preconfigured simply from what he discovered was the real Lena’s uploaded personality, rather than from whatever the previous owner had selected. Because Mike liked the real Lena’s personality, he decided not to create a new profile, but to simply make minor tweaks. | After quickly perusing through each submenu of options before deciding to change anything, Mike quickly realized that many of the options were preconfigured simply from what he discovered was the real Lena’s uploaded personality, rather than from whatever the previous owner had selected. Because Mike liked the real Lena’s personality, he decided not to create a new profile, but to simply make minor tweaks. | ||
He started with the obvious, which was selecting his personal settings. As she | He started with the obvious, which was selecting his personal settings. As she had explained earlier, he was currently set up as “Coworker/Friend”, which allowed her to behave a bit friendlier and discreetly than if she were interacting with a stranger or someone classified as either Coworker, Acquaintance, or Stranger, where she would behave in a default manner or professionally. His being classified as Coworker/Friend indicated they were mostly work friends, rather than friends outside of work. | ||
He found that she could independently classify people as either Stranger, Coworker, or Acquaintance in real-time and with no guidance from her owner, much like Humans could, simply based on her interactions with them. | |||
Aside from those four personal classifications, there were several more: Boyfriend, Friends-With-Benefits, Spouse, Family Member (with option to select which family member status, such as brother, cousin, etc…), and Enemy/Restricted. Each classification had multiple sub-classifications for extra clarity and these, along with Friend, had to be approved by her owner. | Aside from those four personal classifications, there were several more: Boyfriend, Friends-With-Benefits, Spouse, Family Member (with option to select which family member status, such as brother, cousin, etc…), and Enemy/Restricted. Each classification had multiple sub-classifications for extra clarity and these, along with Friend, had to be approved by her owner, although he could toggle a setting which would let her self-classify someone, if he chose; he chose to keep things the way they were for now. | ||
Mike was truly astonished with the level of detail her creators put into her programming. For fun, he selected each one to see what would happen, and he could actually see a simulation of the changes in real-time, from all of the sliders changing automatically, to even a small window simulating a real conversation he might have with her, complete with audio and a text window with her thought processes. He found it particularly amusing to simulate him being an Enemy, since her normally cheerful demeanor suddenly turned cold and hostile in the simulated video. | Mike was truly astonished with the level of detail her creators put into her programming. For fun, he selected each one to see what would happen, and he could actually see a simulation of the changes in real-time, from all of the sliders changing automatically, to even a small window simulating a real conversation he might have with her, complete with audio and a text window with her thought processes. He found it particularly amusing to simulate him being an Enemy, since her normally cheerful demeanor suddenly turned cold and hostile in the simulated video. | ||
After much consideration, Mike finally decided to change his status to Boyfriend, since he felt it was more fitting. It would allow her to open up with him a lot more, but not to the same level as Husband would. Despite her android nature, he still wanted to earn her trust and devotion | In addition to changing the actual setting, he was also able to see a list of everyone that she had already categorized in her systems. There was only one person listed as Enemy/Restricted, and he laughed when he saw who it was: A young woman named Amanda who had worked with them briefly and was a total bitch. Mike was not surprised to see her name there, since Amanda never got along with Lena…probably because Lena was so nice. Since some of the other people on the list no longer worked there, or were dead, he changed some of their statuses himself from coworker to stranger before returning to choosing his own status. | ||
After much consideration, Mike finally decided to change his status to Boyfriend/Owner, since he felt it was more fitting. It would allow her to open up with him a lot more, but not to the same level as Husband/Owner would. Despite her android nature, he still wanted to earn her trust and devotion and work up to marriage the normal way. | |||
Because he had been classified as Coworker for two years, and Friend for several months, the Boyfriend classification naturally added them to the process and slightly up ticked several of the sliders by a few percentage points. He saw that she still had a bit of discretion in her actions, despite the changes he made, so he chose to respect that. | Because he had been classified as Coworker for two years, and Friend for several months, the Boyfriend classification naturally added them to the process and slightly up ticked several of the sliders by a few percentage points. He saw that she still had a bit of discretion in her actions, despite the changes he made, so he chose to respect that. | ||
After tweaking a few more of his personal settings, such as adding his | After tweaking a few more of his personal settings, such as adding his likes & dislikes, and fetishes, he saved the settings and moved on to other tabs. The next one he tried was more her personal settings, such as if he wanted her to like something that she currently disliked. The only thing he changed here was to slide her preference to sports to zero, since he completely disliked sports. Since her slider was only set at 10% anyway, he felt it would barely be noticeable, but he didn’t want to take any chances that she might want to start following a team. | ||
Next was her physical characteristics, though since she was based on a real person, he didn’t want to change too much, not that he could. He could change her eye color, but after cycling through all the natural eye colors, and several unnatural ones, he chose to keep her default dark brown color. The one major thing he did change was her hair. Not the color, since he liked her dark brown hair, but he programmed her to have minimal to no body hair, including a hairless vagina. Because her body was still disassembled and offline, nothing happened yet, but he hoped to see it happen when he got her put back together. | Next was her physical characteristics, though since she was based on a real person, he didn’t want to change too much, not that he could. He could change her eye color, but after cycling through all the natural eye colors, and several unnatural ones, he chose to keep her default dark brown color. The one major thing he did change was her hair. Not the color, since he liked her dark brown hair, but he programmed her to have minimal to no body hair, including a hairless vagina. Because her body was still disassembled and offline, nothing happened yet, but he hoped to see it happen when he got her put back together. | ||
Continuing with the physical traits, he was surprised to see that he could add freckles or even tattoos. He played around a bit with the tattoos, watching them magically appear and disappear on her face and neck, before reverting it back to default. The only other area was for makeup, so he listed his preferences as minimal to no makeup. | Continuing with the physical traits, he was surprised to see that he could add freckles or even tattoos. He played around a bit with the tattoos, watching them magically appear and disappear on her face and neck, before reverting it back to default. The only other area was for makeup, so he listed his preferences as minimal to no makeup. | ||
The next tab was for her voice. He was not surprised to see that the current option was set to: Upl.Pers.Lena. He loved her voice, so he chose not to give her another one, but the one thing he did play around with was giving her an accent. Included in the voice option was a list of languages she had pre-installed; she currently had English (US), and German. Her accent was currently set to: General American. Mike, after careful consideration, decided to add in the next category: German (Hint), so she would speak with a hint of a German accent; he had a weakness for European accents. In addition, he decided to have her add French, Spanish, and Russian to her list of languages, so she could help him with translations of the common spoken languages. Clicking those popped up a message that they would be added to her next update queue. | The next tab was for her voice. He was not surprised to see that the current option was set to: Upl.Pers.Lena. He loved her voice, so he chose not to give her another one, but the one thing he did play around with was giving her an accent. Included in the voice option was a list of languages she had pre-installed; she currently had English (US), and German. Her accent was currently set to: General American. Mike, after careful consideration, decided to add in the next category: German (Hint), so she would speak with a hint of a German accent; he had a weakness for European accents. In addition, he decided to have her add French, Spanish, and Russian to her list of languages, so she could help him with translations of the common spoken languages. Clicking those popped up a message that they would be added to her next update queue. | ||
The final tab was for any skills she might need to better assist him. Her previous owner, no surprise, had added numerous customer service skill packages, along with basic self-defense, first-aid, and safety packages. Mike decided to add: Cooking, Housekeeping, Accounting, Gaming, and, of course, sex packages. Just as with the languages, these also told him they would be added to her next update queue. | The final tab was for any skills she might need to better assist him. Her previous owner, no surprise, had added numerous customer service skill packages, along with basic self-defense, first-aid, and safety packages. Mike decided to add: Cooking, Housekeeping, Accounting, Gaming, and, of course, sex packages. Just as with the languages, these also told him they would be added to her next update queue. | ||
A short time later, it pinged and Lena appeared to do a quick reboot, bowing her head and closing her eyes before sprinting back to life moments later with a series of whirs. Mike absently noticed that some small | After he applied those settings, the final page merely congratulated him on his ownership of Lena and informed him that he could modify these settings at anytime using the terminal or an app on his mobile devices. The only thing left to do was hit save and wait for Lena to come back online. He looked at the clock and saw that he’d been customizing her for nearly an hour, but with all the options available, he wasn’t surprised. He clicked Save and then watched a progress bar appear, indicating his options were being applied. | ||
A short time later, it pinged, and Lena appeared to do a quick reboot, bowing her head and closing her eyes before sprinting back to life moments later with a series of whirs. Mike absently noticed that some small number of hairs under her nose fell off her face as she appeared to be booting back up. When her Human personality finally came back online seconds later, she gave him a smile that instantly warmed his heart, one filled with love. | |||
“Oh Mike, I’m so happy you decided to keep me, and to make me your girlfriend,” she told him, the hint of German accent now evident, “And you kept me roughly 90% the same too,” she added with a wink, “Ooh, and I’ve got several new packages added to my download queue too.” She was practically giggling with excitement over the changes he’d made to her, and the fact that he was now her owner. Mike couldn’t help but smile. | “Oh Mike, I’m so happy you decided to keep me, and to make me your girlfriend,” she told him, the hint of German accent now evident, “And you kept me roughly 90% the same too,” she added with a wink, “Ooh, and I’ve got several new packages added to my download queue too.” She was practically giggling with excitement over the changes he’d made to her, and the fact that he was now her owner. Mike couldn’t help but smile. | ||
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“No worries, you know I don’t offend easily,” she laughed, “Anyway, hurry up and get my body up on the table,” she told him seriously, “Oh, and don’t try connecting any of the pieces yet. That’s literally the last thing we’ll do after we’ve swapped out any hardware that’s degraded,” she told him. | “No worries, you know I don’t offend easily,” she laughed, “Anyway, hurry up and get my body up on the table,” she told him seriously, “Oh, and don’t try connecting any of the pieces yet. That’s literally the last thing we’ll do after we’ve swapped out any hardware that’s degraded,” she told him. | ||
“Okay,” he nodded, bending down to the case and pulling out her left arm. He decided he was going to place the limbs on the counter facing away from Lena’s head, much in the same way a coroner might place dismembered body parts on an examination table. He placed both arms apart from one another, leaving enough room in between for where | “Okay,” he nodded, bending down to the case and pulling out her left arm. He decided he was going to place the limbs on the counter facing away from Lena’s head, much in the same way a coroner might place dismembered body parts on an examination table. He placed both arms apart from one another, leaving enough room in between for where her torso would end up going, and then he placed both her hands just below the arms. He then pulled both her legs out and laid them down just below the arms and then pulled out both feet. As he pulled her feet out, he was suddenly overcome by a wave of guilt. | ||
“Lena, I’m gonna be honest with you,” he told her, placing the left foot down and reaching for the right foot, “But, before I knew it was you in the box, I took each part of your body out, minus the torso because of its size, and examined them. I was looking for | “Lena, I’m gonna be honest with you,” he told her, placing the left foot down and reaching for the right foot, “But, before I knew it was you in the box, I took each part of your body out, minus the torso because of its size, and examined them. I was looking for model or serial numbers. Anything, any clue, including smells…but I didn’t take your underwear off,” he told her, getting it all out quickly and bracing himself. | ||
Instead of looking mad, however, Lena appeared totally | Instead of looking mad, however, Lena appeared totally unfazed. “Hey, it’s okay,” she assured him, “I totally understand…I mean, hey, if I found a box with a dismantled male android in it, I’d most likely do the same things you did,” she laughed, “Heck, even a female one.” | ||
Mike, laughing nervously at first, joined with her in relief. | Mike, laughing nervously at first, joined with her in relief. | ||
“I do actually have a serial and model number printed on the bottom of my right foot,” she pointed out, “but, since I’m a custom model, you can only see it with a black light.” | |||
“Oh,” Mike laughed, “well, I didn’t have one with me in there, so I wouldn’t know. I think I have one in my desk, though,” he said, stepping away to the other side of the room and rifling around in his desk while Lena watched with an amused look on her face. “Aha, found it!” He announced triumphantly, returning to her body with it and shining it on the bottom of her right foot. | |||
Just as she described, her model number, serial number, and various other company logo stuff appeared in perfectly readable blue font on the bottom of her foot when he shined it on it. | |||
“Good thing you don’t like going out,” she said wryly, “that way no one will accidentally see that at a nightclub or something if I’m barefoot.” | |||
“Yeah,” he laughed, tossing the blacklight in the toolkit he’d brought over. | |||
“So, when you were looking for the numbers on my body earlier, did you at least peek?” she then asked. | |||
“Hmm what now?” he asked, shifting his eyes back and forth. | “Hmm what now?” he asked, shifting his eyes back and forth. | ||
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“Phew,” he said, jokingly wiping his forehead. “And, I must say, I wasn’t disappointed,” he told her, placing her right foot down. | “Phew,” he said, jokingly wiping his forehead. “And, I must say, I wasn’t disappointed,” he told her, placing her right foot down. | ||
“Thanks,” she said, appearing serious, “Even though I’m an android, I still had body image issues | “Thanks,” she said, appearing serious, “Even though I’m an android, I still had body image issues due to my size.” | ||
“Well, if size were a problem, I wouldn’t have been interested in you,” he told her truthfully, “Although, it may seriously affect my ability to lift your torso out of here,” he sighed, eyeballing her torso, “To be even more honest, I never actually pulled it out before, so I haven’t even seen your back.” | “Well, if size were a problem, I wouldn’t have been interested in you in the first place,” he told her truthfully, “Although, it may seriously affect my ability to lift your torso out of here,” he sighed, eyeballing her torso, “To be even more honest, I never actually pulled it out before, so I haven’t even seen your back.” | ||
“Yeah, it is roughly 55% of my total body weight,” she sighed in agreement, “And there weren’t any serial | “Yeah, it is roughly 55% of my total body weight,” she sighed in agreement, “And there weren’t any serial numbers on my back either, so don’t beat yourself up too much,” she assured him, “Well, clearly my previous owner was able to lift it, and his body type was fairly similar to your own…just lift it from the armpits and you should do fine.” | ||
“Okay,” he told her. He carefully wedged his hands into Lena’s armpits, digging all the way until he felt the foam backing and then gently hefted her torso out of the mold. Despite the weight, it didn’t weigh quite as much as he thought it might, so he was able to carefully lift it up to the table and place it neatly between her arms, and above her legs. | “Okay,” he told her. He carefully wedged his hands into Lena’s armpits, digging all the way until he felt the foam backing and then gently hefted her torso out of the mold. Despite the weight, it didn’t weigh quite as much as he thought it might, so he was able to carefully lift it up to the table and place it neatly between her arms, and above her legs. | ||
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The laughter that ensued from Lena lasted nearly a whole minute, Mike looking redder each second until she finally spoke. | The laughter that ensued from Lena lasted nearly a whole minute, Mike looking redder each second until she finally spoke. | ||
“Oh Mike, you silly goose! The main access panel you’ll need to open would be inhibited by my bra, and you’ll need to open another panel near my vagina,” she explained, “And quite frankly, seeing my body disassembled like this, and seeing my inner workings is infinitely more embarrassing, in my opinion, than seeing my bare skin.” | “Oh Mike, you silly goose! The main access panel you’ll need to open would be inhibited by my bra, and you’ll need to open another panel near my vagina,” she explained, “And quite frankly, seeing my body disassembled like this, and seeing my inner workings is infinitely more embarrassing, in my opinion, than seeing my bare skin and privates.” | ||
“Oh,” he said, “That makes sense, I suppose.” | “Oh,” he said, “That makes sense, I suppose.” | ||
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“I am touched by your intentions, but even the real Lena was a little less formal than a typical girl, and you need to get used to seeing me like this,” she explained, “Now take my underwear off,” she commanded. | “I am touched by your intentions, but even the real Lena was a little less formal than a typical girl, and you need to get used to seeing me like this,” she explained, “Now take my underwear off,” she commanded. | ||
“Yes ma’am,” he saluted. After sizing her torso up, he found that he could sit it up. With a loud whir, he got it to sit up and was able to unclasp her bra from behind. As soon as he undid it, both her large breasts spilled out and naturally jiggled a bit before stopping. Mike had to restrain the lizard part of his brain seeing this so he could | “Yes ma’am,” he saluted. After sizing her torso up, he found that he could sit it up. With a loud whir, he got it to sit up and was able to unclasp her bra from behind. As soon as he undid it, both her large breasts spilled out and naturally jiggled a bit before stopping. Mike had to restrain the lizard part of his brain seeing this so he could reposition the torso and slide the panties off, revealing a short patch of dark brown pubic hair covering her vagina. He then gently laid her torso back down and folded her undies into the compartment at the bottom of her case, with the other clothes. | ||
“Ah, it’s so nice to see the rest of my body laid out before me,” she shuddered, “It’s been a bit weird just interacting with you as a head, without at least being able to see the rest of my body,” she admitted, “Oh, and I do see that you reconfigured me to not have any body hair, so I assure you that once my body is back online and linked with me again, the hairs will fall off,” she informed him, noticing him gingerly feeling her pubic hairs. | “Ah, it’s so nice to see the rest of my body laid out before me,” she shuddered, “It’s been a bit weird just interacting with you as a head, without at least being able to see the rest of my body,” she admitted, “Oh, and I do see that you reconfigured me to not have any body hair, so I assure you that once my body is back online and linked with me again, the hairs will fall off,” she informed him, noticing him gingerly feeling her pubic hairs. | ||
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“Well, if I can redirect your attention back to the terminal,” she told him, zoning out as she interfaced with it again and pulled up a new window, “Now that I’m registered again, I was able to link with the Spaztec update servers and this is the list of updates I found,” she explained, motioning with her eyes for him to read. | “Well, if I can redirect your attention back to the terminal,” she told him, zoning out as she interfaced with it again and pulled up a new window, “Now that I’m registered again, I was able to link with the Spaztec update servers and this is the list of updates I found,” she explained, motioning with her eyes for him to read. | ||
Mike quickly perused the massive list. It seemed to be neatly divided into multiple categories: A.I. updates, of which there were five, followed by secondary systems, such as heat response and blinking, and optional packages, which included all | Mike quickly perused the massive list. It seemed to be neatly divided into multiple categories: A.I. updates, of which there were five, followed by secondary systems, such as heat response and blinking, and optional packages, which included all the new packages he had requested she install, and updates for the already present packages. | ||
“Wow, that’s a lot of updates,” he said, especially when he looked at the massive list of secondary systems, “How long is it gonna take to install them all?” he asked, seeing that she had already apparently started downloading them several minutes earlier and was about 6% done. | “Wow, that’s a lot of updates,” he said, especially when he looked at the massive list of secondary systems, “How long is it gonna take to install them all?” he asked, seeing that she had already apparently started downloading them several minutes earlier and was about 6% done. | ||
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“Well, unlike a normal computer, androids and A.I. are a lot different,” she started, “Due to the complexity of my programming, and the memories and experiences that I’ve built up, I can’t just install this year’s A.I. update. I’ve got to install each of the past five years-worth individually and then allow them to properly integrate with my memories, experiences, and customized settings,” she explained. | “Well, unlike a normal computer, androids and A.I. are a lot different,” she started, “Due to the complexity of my programming, and the memories and experiences that I’ve built up, I can’t just install this year’s A.I. update. I’ve got to install each of the past five years-worth individually and then allow them to properly integrate with my memories, experiences, and customized settings,” she explained. | ||
“Otherwise you may end up getting corrupted or something?” he surmised. | “Otherwise, you may end up getting corrupted or something?” he surmised. | ||
“Yeah,” she nodded, “And of course there are various pre-requisite updates in-between, and then I have to install all those secondary systems,” she added, zoning out momentarily as she made a few windows pop up, “Look at some of these…there’s updates to how randomly I blink, how much I should salivate, and even how long it should take my food processor to digest my food,” she explained, highlighting the various features before making the windows vanish. | “Yeah,” she nodded, “And of course there are various pre-requisite updates in-between, and then I have to install all those secondary systems,” she added, zoning out momentarily as she made a few windows pop up, “Look at some of these…there’s updates to how randomly I blink, how much I should salivate, and even how long it should take my food processor to digest my food,” she explained, highlighting the various features before making the windows vanish. | ||
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“Okie dokie! Added it to the list,” she announced cheerfully, updating the list, “that’ll probably add another 10-15 minutes to the install time,” she added wryly. | “Okie dokie! Added it to the list,” she announced cheerfully, updating the list, “that’ll probably add another 10-15 minutes to the install time,” she added wryly. | ||
“Wow, well I suppose it’s a good thing that we can’t do anything for your body until we get the liquid stuff you were mentioning earlier,” Mike said, “By the way, while you were checking your servers for updates, did you happen to order any of that stuff | “Wow, well I suppose it’s a good thing that we can’t do anything for your body until we get the liquid stuff you were mentioning earlier,” Mike said, “By the way, while you were checking your servers for updates, did you happen to order any of that stuff? and did the price go down?” | ||
“Yes, I ordered it | “Yes, I ordered it along with the best possible upgrades for my other systems with my bank account. They should be here sometime tomorrow before noon,” she replied cheerfully, “and fortunately, the price went down by nearly 40%!” | ||
“Excellent!” Mike clapped, rubbing his hands together in anticipation of the next day, “Now, is there anything I can do to get started on your body today?” | “Excellent!” Mike clapped, rubbing his hands together in anticipation of the next day, “Now, is there anything I can do to get started on your body today?” | ||
“No, I’m afraid not,” Lena said apologetically, “You really will need that bio-electric fluid to get anything really done with my body | “No, I’m afraid not,” Lena said apologetically, “You really will need that bio-electric fluid to get anything really done with my body. In any event, I’d also rather you be well rested before you start working on me…you look exhausted,” she pointed out. | ||
Mike quickly looked at his reflection on the door of the microwave in the kitchen across from where he was sitting and saw that she was right. Despite his exuberance at talking with Lena again, it appeared that the grueling work he’d done in that stockroom over the past three days, especially with wrestling Lena into his car, had taken its toll. | Mike quickly looked at his reflection on the door of the microwave in the kitchen across from where he was sitting and saw that she was right. Despite his exuberance at talking with Lena again, it appeared that the grueling work he’d done in that stockroom over the past three days, especially with wrestling Lena into his car, had taken its toll. He hadn’t even taken a shower after work, and he was still wearing his work clothes. | ||
“Wow, you’re right,” he admitted, slumping his shoulders. | “Wow, you’re right,” he admitted, slumping his shoulders. | ||
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“Okay,” Mike said, quickly perusing the options until deciding on Sensors. Sensors, apparently, literally meant all of Lena’s senses, including a few extra ones. In addition to the standard five senses that most humans had, Lena’s senses also included such things as her current power levels, her core temperatures, and her network status. | “Okay,” Mike said, quickly perusing the options until deciding on Sensors. Sensors, apparently, literally meant all of Lena’s senses, including a few extra ones. In addition to the standard five senses that most humans had, Lena’s senses also included such things as her current power levels, her core temperatures, and her network status. | ||
In | In regard to her five senses, there was a large window showing a live video feed of what her eyes were currently seeing, which was him. When he maximized the window, it even included her HUD, and a small facial recognition bubble around his tired looking face that included a surprisingly detailed list of his stats that included: His status as her Owner/Boyfriend, his height, age, height, basic likes and dislikes, and when they met. | ||
“This is really cool, Lena,” he told her, finding he could | “This is really cool, Lena,” he told her, finding he could control her eyes and point them in any directions, focus and unfocus them, and even take a screenshot. He found the sight of her eyes moving around as he controlled them to be quite arousing. | ||
“Yeah, but don’t get too comfortable with the appearance of my HUD,” she warned him, “That’s one of the most worked on and changed things in each A.I. update, and I have five downloading right now.” | “Yeah, but don’t get too comfortable with the appearance of my HUD,” she warned him, “That’s one of the most worked on and changed things in each A.I. update, and I have five downloading right now.” | ||
“I understand,” he nodded, “But still, if I had a HUD like this, with the facial recognition and stuff, I’d never suffer the embarrassment of forgetting someone’s name again,” he told her, shuddering at each time it had happened, “I’m really bad with names | “I understand,” he nodded, “But still, if I had a HUD like this, with the facial recognition and stuff, I’d never suffer the embarrassment of forgetting someone’s name again,” he told her, shuddering at each time it had happened, “I’m really bad with names.” | ||
Lena merely gave him a warm laugh and said, “Well, just stick with me then and you’ll never have to worry again.” | Lena merely gave him a warm laugh and said, “Well, just stick with me then and you’ll never have to worry again.” | ||
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It was similar for the smell, taste, and touch senses, though for the touch, it also listed the ambient temperature and humidity, in addition to the sensation of her hair touching the back of her neck. | It was similar for the smell, taste, and touch senses, though for the touch, it also listed the ambient temperature and humidity, in addition to the sensation of her hair touching the back of her neck. | ||
In the power levels and core temp sections, he could monitor it and send her subliminal commands to take action, if he wanted, but her A.I. already did a pretty good job, so he didn’t think he would ever need to. With her network, he could connect her to new networks | In the power levels and core temp sections, he could monitor it and send her subliminal commands to take action, if he wanted, but her A.I. already did a pretty good job, so he didn’t think he would ever need to. With her network, he could connect her to new networks or shut her access off entirely. The reason she was able to connect to his Wi-Fi was because he’d programmed in his password when he was configuring her. He saw she was also connected to the free city network, which was moderately improving her download speed, but it would still take about another hour. | ||
In the next tab, labelled Motion, his options were considerably limited since he was only working with her head, instead of her whole body. Still, he amused himself for a few minutes playing around with the countless thousands of pre-programmed facial expressions, in addition to merely playing around freestyle. | In the next tab, labelled Motion, his options were considerably limited since he was only working with her head, instead of her whole body. Still, he amused himself for a few minutes playing around with the countless thousands of pre-programmed facial expressions, in addition to merely playing around freestyle. | ||
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“Oh yeah, I hope you take full advantage of those features,” Lena chimed in, seeing him look at all the options, “My previous owner used it fairly well, considering, having me give him live updates on employees he was having me spy on, so I wouldn’t be seen with him,” she mused, “But don’t worry, he never had me spy on you,” she added, seeing the worried look on his face, “But I did get several people fired.” | “Oh yeah, I hope you take full advantage of those features,” Lena chimed in, seeing him look at all the options, “My previous owner used it fairly well, considering, having me give him live updates on employees he was having me spy on, so I wouldn’t be seen with him,” she mused, “But don’t worry, he never had me spy on you,” she added, seeing the worried look on his face, “But I did get several people fired.” | ||
“Well, I figure I could send you on errands or something if I think of something I need at work,” he mused, “Or | “Well, I figure I could send you on errands or something if I think of something I need at work,” he mused, “Or I could just chat with you or something.” | ||
“Yeah,” Lena nodded, “And by the way, with any of those options, I can be chatting with you even while holding a full conversation with another person, so don’t worry about being subtle,” she winked. | “Yeah,” Lena nodded, “And by the way, with any of those options, I can be chatting with you even while holding a full conversation with another person, so don’t worry about being subtle,” she winked. | ||
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“Good to know,” he smiled back, moving to the next tab. | “Good to know,” he smiled back, moving to the next tab. | ||
The next tab was for Data Management. From here, he could manage all | The next tab was for Data Management. From here, he could manage all her stored memories and other data. With the memories, she had a separate partition for just the uploaded memories from the real Lena, and the other partition was for the memories she had formed since coming online seven years prior. Despite having all those memories, she was still only around 10% full, because her A.I. was able to intelligently store memories and data on her personal cloud server and swap them as needed in real time to keep her memory stores as available as possible. He could also see she had room for several expansions, but since she was only at 10%, he did not feel the need to order any. | ||
After a little more digging, he found he could actually search for memories, so naturally, he searched for himself. Numerous results instantly populated in the search window, but the one that stood out was also the largest…the 40 hours they had spent training with one another. When he clicked on it, he was surprised when a window popped up showing a visual feed of her POV of the entire experience, including audio, her HUD, and her logging feed of everything he trained her on, and told her about. | After a little more digging, he found he could actually search for memories, so naturally, he searched for himself. Numerous results instantly populated in the search window, but the one that stood out was also the largest…the 40 hours they had spent training with one another. When he clicked on it, he was surprised when a window popped up showing a visual feed of her POV of the entire experience, including audio, her HUD, and her logging feed of everything he trained her on, and told her about. | ||
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“Wow, how’d you do that?” he asked her, taking another sip, not caring she stuck her tongue in it. | “Wow, how’d you do that?” he asked her, taking another sip, not caring she stuck her tongue in it. | ||
“My taste sensors were able to create a profile and search online for it,” she answered, “So, apparently I could be your food taster too,” she added, sticking her tongue out. | “My taste sensors were able to create a profile and search online for it,” she answered, “So, apparently I could be your food taster too,” she added, sticking her tongue out. | ||
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“Wow, you really are going to be useful to have around,” he said, “Especially with those cooking programs I selected…I can’t cook to save my life.” | “Wow, you really are going to be useful to have around,” he said, “Especially with those cooking programs I selected…I can’t cook to save my life.” | ||
“Yeah,” Lena agreed, remembering him telling stories, | “Yeah,” Lena agreed, remembering him telling stories, “And I basically just ate takeout and freebies from work, since my previous owner wouldn’t let me download any cooking programs or buy food.” | ||
“I’m curious, does eating food actually do anything for you? Or is it just for show?” he asked her. | “I’m curious, does eating food actually do anything for you? Or is it just for show?” he asked her. | ||
“Eating can actually provide me with small amounts of energy,” Lena answered, “But, for the most part, it’s actually to replenish my bodies supply of nutrients in order to repair my musculature and dermal layers. | “Eating can actually provide me with small amounts of energy,” Lena answered, “But, for the most part, it’s actually to replenish my bodies supply of nutrients in order to repair my musculature and dermal layers. I am capable of not eating and just plugging myself in each day and taking supplements.” | ||
“Cool,” he told her, knowing there were times he wished he could forgo eating, particularly when he was busy with something, “Oh, now that you mention plugging in, should I plug your body in or something so it’s ready for tomorrow?” | “Cool,” he told her, knowing there were times he wished he could forgo eating, particularly when he was busy with something, “Oh, now that you mention plugging in, should I plug your body in or something so it’s ready for tomorrow?” | ||
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“Hey, I still want to be polite,” he told her truthfully. | “Hey, I still want to be polite,” he told her truthfully. | ||
“You are too cute, you know that | “You are too cute, you know that?” she gushed, “Well, I solemnly give you carte blanch permission to explore every inch of my body whenever you want,” she told him seriously, though that seriousness was soon broken with a small giggle. | ||
Mike smiled despite himself, but still, even though he knew she was an android, he still wanted to treat her with some respect. With her permission, he began a more thorough exploration of her torso, starting of course with her breasts. He could now clearly see that both her breasts were rather large, somewhere | Mike smiled despite himself, but still, even though he knew she was an android, he still wanted to treat her with some respect. With her permission, he began a more thorough exploration of her torso, starting of course with her breasts. He could now clearly see that both her breasts were rather large, somewhere at the upper end of the C range, with two perfectly pink nipples on either one. He gently rubbed his fingertips along both of them to get a good feel for them, eliciting a stifled giggle from Lena. | ||
“You can’t feel that, can you!?” He asked, recoiling his hands. | “You can’t feel that, can you!?” He asked, recoiling his hands. | ||
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“Oh, no,” she assured him, “It’s just, I was imagining what it would feel like…no one’s ever touched me there before, aside from maintenance and whatnot,” she admitted with a cute blush forming on her face. | “Oh, no,” she assured him, “It’s just, I was imagining what it would feel like…no one’s ever touched me there before, aside from maintenance and whatnot,” she admitted with a cute blush forming on her face. | ||
“Ah, well I’ll be sure to try again when you’re reassembled,” he promised her. He then resumed his admiration of her breasts, groping them once more. Unlike when he groped her through the bra, this time he could truly appreciate the feeling. Both breasts felt just as soft and real as any he’d felt before, and they even jiggled and fell down to the sides slightly when he let go, unlike | “Ah, well I’ll be sure to try again when you’re reassembled,” he promised her. He then resumed his admiration of her breasts, groping them once more. Unlike when he groped her through the bra, this time he could truly appreciate the feeling. Both breasts felt just as soft and real as any he’d felt before, and they even jiggled and fell down to the sides slightly when he let go, unlike with fake breasts. | ||
“I’m curious, can your nipples actually lactate?” He asked with a slight blush. | |||
“As a matter of fact, they can,” she replied unabashed, “you can insert a special pouch into the underside of my torso cover with just about any liquid you’d like and drink from the nipples.” | |||
“So, I can use you like a canteen?” Mike laughed. | |||
“Drink me dry,” She said in a sexy voice, before laughing with him, “but seriously, I don’t currently have the pouch equipped, so I’ll have to add it to the shopping list; they don’t cost much.” | |||
“Go for it,” Mike shrugged, resuming his exploration of her breasts. He could feel a slight buildup of moisture and affectionately recalled her playfully complaining of boob sweat when he first met her. | |||
Due to the amount of time Lena had available now, Mike regretfully ended his play with her breasts and moved to the arm stubs. Mike gave them a gentle squeeze and was delighted to feel well developed biceps. He was even able to flex them a little | Due to the amount of time Lena had available now, Mike regretfully ended his play with her breasts and moved to the arm stubs. Mike gave them a gentle squeeze and was delighted to feel well developed biceps. He was even able to flex them a little and then lift the stubs to reveal her perfectly shaved armpits. There was still a bit of leftover moisture that was able to be rubbed off. He recoiled when he smelled it, because it smelled rather strongly of BO. | ||
“Lena, I’m curious, are you able to reduce the intensity of your BO?” | “Lena, I’m curious, are you able to reduce the intensity of your BO?” | ||
“Certainly,” she replied in her usual cheerful voice, “I know it was set quite high to enhance my realism at work so that no one would discover I was an android,” she explained, “But | “Certainly,” she replied in her usual cheerful voice, “I know it was set quite high to enhance my realism at work so that no one would discover I was an android,” she explained, “But I would be happy to lower it for you!” | ||
“Great! Could you lower by maybe 30-40% please?” | “Great! Could you lower by maybe 30-40% please?” | ||
For once, Lena gave him a stern look. “Mike, | For once, Lena gave him a stern look. “Mike, you do have to remember that I’m an android, or a computer, so I can’t really deal well with arbitrary figures like that,” she apologized, “Maybe one of the five A.I. Updates I have queued will fix that, but for now, could you please be more specific?” | ||
Mike was a little crushed by that brief revelation of a flaw in her human emulation, but he did not let it bother him for long. “Oh, sorry about that…hmmm, how about we meet halfway and reduce it by 34%,” he suggested. | Mike was a little crushed by that brief revelation of a flaw in her human emulation, but he did not let it bother him for long. “Oh, sorry about that…hmmm, how about we meet halfway and reduce it by 34%,” he suggested. | ||
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“Oooh, I’d definitely be enjoying this,” Lena mused, watching him intently as he stuck his finger in as far as it would go, enjoying the warm, moist feeling inside. “And I know how fastidious you are, but I can assure you that that moisture you are feeling is basically just a lubricant,” she assured him, “Nothing icky.” | “Oooh, I’d definitely be enjoying this,” Lena mused, watching him intently as he stuck his finger in as far as it would go, enjoying the warm, moist feeling inside. “And I know how fastidious you are, but I can assure you that that moisture you are feeling is basically just a lubricant,” she assured him, “Nothing icky.” | ||
“Thanks,” he told her, pulling his finger out and giving it a scientific whiff. It had a somewhat | “Thanks,” he told her, pulling his finger out and giving it a scientific whiff. It had a somewhat musky smell, but nothing he disapproved of. He wiped his finger off on the edge of the blanket her body was laying on and then flipped her torso over to inspect her back. | ||
While he felt the entirety of her smooth, plump back, the only feature he was truly interested was | While he felt the entirety of her smooth, plump back, the only feature he was truly interested in was her full butt. Despite Lena’s continued giggling, Mike amused himself by squeezing both her buttocks as though they were stress balls, finding it instantly eased some of the stress that had accumulated from the past few days of hard work. Once he was satisfied, he gently parted both cheeks and examined her anus, sniffing approvingly and sticking his finger partway into the opening, feeling only a subtle amount of moisture. | ||
“I’m assuming that if you eat, then you do expel waste, right?” | “I’m assuming that if you eat, then you do expel waste, right?” | ||
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Mike was a little disappointed too that their time catching up had come to an end, but he was still glad that she was going to get all the updates she’d need in order to function at peak efficiency. | Mike was a little disappointed too that their time catching up had come to an end, but he was still glad that she was going to get all the updates she’d need in order to function at peak efficiency. | ||
“Do you have an updated timeframe for the updates?” | |||
Lena zoned out for a few seconds as her systems analyzed the updates. Then, a new window popped up on his terminal with the list of every update and a timeframe. “Looks like it’ll take approximately 13 hours, 18 minutes, and 47 seconds,” she reported, “I will have to reboot 8-10 times throughout the evening, and run at least six diagnostics,” she continued, “and, I’m sorry to report, but I will not be available to speak to, even in the talk-and-speak mode we played with earlier, since all my systems will be offline for the update.” | |||
“Aww, too bad…but I wouldn’t want to interrupt something this important anyway, and I need to wind down for the evening,” he told her, “I might even sleep down here tonight in case something goes wrong,” he suggested. | |||
“No! Don’t lose a comfortable night of sleep for the sake of me,” she scolded him, “You worked really hard the last few days, especially today wrestling my heavy body into your house. You deserve to sleep in your comfortable bed upstairs.” | |||
Mike was slightly taken aback but also felt flattered and elated that Lena cared about him so much, even if much of that care was simple programming. | |||
“Alright, you win,” he told her, “I’m touched that you care about me so much…it’s more than I’m used to from people.” | “Alright, you win,” he told her, “I’m touched that you care about me so much…it’s more than I’m used to from people.” | ||
“Well, that’s my job as your girlfriend,” she beamed, “Also, I want you to be as rested as possible before you poke around inside my body tomorrow,” she admitted sheepishly, “Oh, and some of the diagnostics might involve me speaking aloud to test my vocal functions, so I don’t want to wake you up,” she added. | “Well, that’s my job as your new girlfriend,” she beamed, “Also, I want you to be as rested as possible before you poke around inside my body tomorrow,” she admitted sheepishly, “Oh, and some of the diagnostics might involve me speaking aloud to test my vocal functions, so I don’t want to wake you up,” she added with an embarrassed look. | ||
“Ah, that makes sense,” he agreed, “Well, I don’t want to delay this any longer than I need to then, so I think I’ll let you get started,” he told her regretfully, “but first…” Mike grabbed both sides of her head and pulled the A.N.A. | “Ah, that makes sense,” he agreed, “Well, I don’t want to delay this any longer than I need to then, so I think I’ll let you get started,” he told her regretfully, “but first…” Mike grabbed both sides of her head and pulled the A.N.A. As close as he could get to himself, then leaned in and kissed her full on the lips. | ||
Lena, anticipating this sudden action, responded in kind, returning the kiss just as passionately, even probing her tongue into his mouth. Her tongue still tasted | Lena, anticipating this sudden action, responded in kind, returning the kiss just as passionately, even probing her tongue into his mouth. Her tongue still tasted like vodka from earlier, but only barely. The kiss lasted approximately 10 seconds before they broke apart, each with a warm smile and flush on their faces. | ||
“Well, I guess I’ll let you get started now,” Mike finally said, breaking the awkward silence that called. | “Well, I guess I’ll let you get started now,” Mike finally said, breaking the awkward silence that called. | ||
Lena nodded and whispered “See you tomorrow,” closing with a friendly wink before shifting to a stiff, stoic expression and saying in a | Lena nodded and whispered, “See you tomorrow,” closing with a friendly wink before shifting to a stiff, stoic expression and saying in a toneless voice, “Update process commencing, all systems shutting down.” Her face then gently settled into repose. | ||
Mike let out a regretful sigh before planting a tender kiss on her lips and leaving her be. He picked up his whiskey, walked over to the couch, and plopped himself down in it. He noted the time was about 7pm, so he wouldn’t be able to interact with her until nearly 9am the next morning | Mike let out a regretful sigh before planting a tender kiss on her lips and leaving her be. He picked up his whiskey, walked over to the couch, and plopped himself down in it. He noted the time was about 7pm, so he wouldn’t be able to interact with her until nearly 9am the next morning. | ||
Lena rebooted at least twice before he went to bed, one of the times she scared the hell out of him by running a vocal test, in which her voice distorted from a creepy demonic sounding robot voice, back to her gentler voice. Aside from that, there were no issues. | He suddenly remembered that he still hadn’t showered and that he hadn’t eaten yet. Taking a look in the fridge, he saw he had plenty of leftovers, so he headed upstairs to take a relaxing shower before dinner and then spent the rest of the evening relaxing on the couch and catching up on his shows. | ||
Lena rebooted at least twice before he went to bed, one of the times she scared the hell out of him by running a vocal test, in which her voice distorted from a creepy, demonic sounding robot voice, back to her gentler voice. Aside from that, there were no issues. | |||
He finally called it a night just before midnight, turning off the TV and shutting things off. He checked the terminal and saw she still had about 8-9 hours to go, so he covered her body with the blanket to protect it from Mia and then went to bed. Mike’s last thoughts before falling asleep were of his kiss with Lena, filling him with contentment. | He finally called it a night just before midnight, turning off the TV and shutting things off. He checked the terminal and saw she still had about 8-9 hours to go, so he covered her body with the blanket to protect it from Mia and then went to bed. Mike’s last thoughts before falling asleep were of his kiss with Lena, filling him with contentment. | ||
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===1.3: Benchmarks=== | ===1.3: Benchmarks=== | ||
Mike | Mike awoke the next morning feeling completely refreshed. He almost thought that the whole episode with Lena the previous day was a dream, but when he went downstairs to peek, he saw her still laying in pieces on his countertop, though with a visitor on top of her. | ||
“Mia! Get down from there! Shoo!” He yelled, spooking his cat off the blanket covering Lena’s body. | “Mia! Get down from there! Shoo!” He yelled, spooking his cat off the blanket covering Lena’s body. | ||
After mollifying his cat with a treat, he double checked the terminal and saw Lena still had approximately 30 minutes left, not counting a final diagnostic she would have to run. Mike decided to use this time to take a quick shower, since he | After mollifying his cat with a treat, he double checked the terminal and saw Lena still had approximately 30 minutes left, not counting a final diagnostic she would have to run. Mike decided to use this time to take a quick shower, since he knew he’d probably be too distracted working on Lena to take one later. | ||
Mike felt even more refreshed when he emerged from the shower, also glad he was starting a four-day weekend. He put on some casual clothes and headed downstairs. He idly noticed a box shoved in the corner on the front doorstep, so he stepped outside to | Mike felt even more refreshed when he emerged from the shower, also glad he was starting a four-day weekend. He put on some casual clothes and headed downstairs. He idly noticed a box shoved in the corner on the front doorstep, so he stepped outside to look. The box was quite large and had the signature logo of the company that manufactured Lena. | ||
“Wow, that got here fast,” he said to himself, bending down and picking it up, “She must’ve paid extra for next day shipping.” Mike carried it inside and set it down next to Lena’s case. With a few more minutes left to go, Mike quickly vacuumed the first floor of his place, and then mopped the hardwood, trying to get the place as clean as possible for Lena to walk around barefoot on. | “Wow, that got here fast,” he said to himself, bending down and picking it up, “She must’ve paid extra for next day shipping.” Mike carried it inside and set it down next to Lena’s case. With a few more minutes left to go, Mike quickly vacuumed the first floor of his place, and then mopped the hardwood, trying to get the place as clean as possible for Lena to walk around barefoot on. | ||
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Just as the floor finished drying and Mike put all the cleaning equipment away, the terminal pinged a message that the update process was complete and that Lena would be running a final diagnostic, so he sat back down in front of her in anticipation of her reactivation. | Just as the floor finished drying and Mike put all the cleaning equipment away, the terminal pinged a message that the update process was complete and that Lena would be running a final diagnostic, so he sat back down in front of her in anticipation of her reactivation. | ||
Lena’s face was still frozen in calm repose, almost as though she were asleep. Mike simply stared at her while the diagnostic ran, eager for her to reactivate. After several minutes, the diagnostic finished and her head once more sprang to life with a series of clicks and whirs, both her eyes focusing on | Lena’s face was still frozen in calm repose, almost as though she were asleep. Mike simply stared at her while the diagnostic ran, eager for her to reactivate. After several minutes, the diagnostic finished and her head once more sprang to life with a series of clicks and whirs, both her eyes focusing on him with a friendly smile. | ||
“Morning sunshine, how’d you sleep?” She asked him. | “Morning sunshine, how’d you sleep?” She asked him. | ||
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“Glad to hear it!” She beamed. | “Glad to hear it!” She beamed. | ||
“And how was your night?” He asked her, eager to | “And how was your night?” He asked her, eager to hear the news on her updates, “did all the updates install properly?” | ||
“They most certainly did,” she answered, “it’s nice enough when I get one A.I. Update, due to all the improvements in my operating efficiency, but getting five back to back was so much better. According to my diagnostics, my overall operating efficiency is improved by about 30%, and I’ve got so many more tools to help me run better.” | “They most certainly did,” she answered, “it’s nice enough when I get one A.I. Update, due to all the improvements in my operating efficiency, but getting five back-to-back was so much better. According to my diagnostics, my overall operating efficiency is improved by about 30%, and I’ve got so many more tools to help me run better.” | ||
“Cool, and how about your ability to handle arbitrary values?” He asked, since that was the one main flaw in her Human emulation from the previous day. | “Cool, and how about your ability to handle arbitrary values?” He asked, since that was the one main flaw in her Human emulation from the previous day. | ||
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Lena scrunched her face. “I’m afraid it still persists,” she answered wryly, “But hey, it does give you that much more control over me.” | Lena scrunched her face. “I’m afraid it still persists,” she answered wryly, “But hey, it does give you that much more control over me.” | ||
“I suppose you’re right…it’s just your A.I. | “I suppose you’re right…it’s just your A.I. deferring the option to me, I guess.” | ||
“Indeed.” | “Indeed.” | ||
Mike merely nodded. He wasn’t really | Mike merely nodded. He wasn’t really too bothered by the issue, so he chose to ignore it for now. “Oh, the stuff you ordered got here this morning,” he told her, showing her the box, “it’s quite heavy.” | ||
“Yeah, in addition to the serum my body needs, I basically went ahead and ordered upgrades for all of my replaceable systems,” she explained, “since my previous owner had configured me to do so on my own, and you didn’t change that setting, I was able to do so as soon as I was registered.” | “Yeah, in addition to the serum my body needs, I basically went ahead and just ordered upgrades for all of my replaceable systems,” she explained, “since my previous owner had configured me to do so on my own, and you didn’t change that setting, I was able to do so as soon as I was registered.” | ||
“Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind,” he assured her, “Just give me a heads up next time before you order, just in case I need to have the package delivered to work,” he explained, “I’m guessing this stuff cost | “Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind,” he assured her, “Just give me a heads-up next time before you order anything, just in case I need to have the package delivered to work,” he explained, “I’m guessing this stuff cost at least a few hundred bucks, right?” | ||
“More like a couple thousand,” Lena | “More like a couple thousand,” Lena corrected with a distressed expression, “I’m so sorry. My previous place had a doorman who signed for packages. I totally didn’t consider the possibility of porch pirates here.” | ||
“Well, fortunately I noticed it minutes after it was delivered, so no harm,” he told her, waving away the issue, “Now, what do I need to do to get started?” He asked, stretching his fingers dramatically and folding the blanket back off | “Well, fortunately I noticed it minutes after it was delivered, so no harm,” he told her, waving away the issue, “Now, what do I need to do to get started?” He asked, stretching his fingers dramatically and folding the blanket back off her body. | ||
“First, unplug my torso,” she instructed, and after he did so, she continued. “Now, and this is why my bra had to be removed, press my naval three times and then twist each of my nipples in opposing directions.” | “First, unplug my torso,” she instructed, and after he did so, she continued. “Now, and this is why my bra had to be removed, press my naval three times and then twist each of my nipples in opposing directions.” | ||
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“It’s to prevent accidental panel opening during sex or something,” she answered, “You know, like if we’d decided to have some fun when you didn’t know I was an android yet.” | “It’s to prevent accidental panel opening during sex or something,” she answered, “You know, like if we’d decided to have some fun when you didn’t know I was an android yet.” | ||
“Ah,” Mike nodded, and then followed her instruction, sticking his finger in her belly button and pressing three times, just as | “Ah,” Mike nodded, and then followed her instruction, sticking his finger in her belly button and pressing three times, just as he said. On the third press, he heard a low beep emit from deep within her body and then he noticed her nipples harden up a little. He delicately grabbed both and twisted them in opposing directions. | ||
As soon as he followed her instructions, he heard a click and then, with a hiss and whir, an ovular section of skin running from just below her neck to just above her waist appeared, unsealing from the rest of her body and raising a few centimeters before stopping. | As soon as he followed her instructions, he heard a click and then, with a hiss and whir, an ovular section of skin running from just below her neck to just above her waist appeared, unsealing from the rest of her body and raising a few centimeters before stopping. | ||
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“Excellent! Now just lift it up and place it on a flat, preferably clean, surface,” she instructed. | “Excellent! Now just lift it up and place it on a flat, preferably clean, surface,” she instructed. | ||
Mike nodded and | Mike nodded and wedged his fingers into the panel, gently lifting the entire front torso panel, including her still jiggling breasts, up and off her body, revealing a mind-boggling display of technology. | ||
“Wow.” That was all Mike could say as he took it all in. He couldn’t believe he’d interacted with Lena for so much time without realizing she was an android, especially with all the equipment in her body. He was particularly impressed with the edges of the panel, where he could see her skin was roughly one inch thick, with the skin smoothly transitioning to a thick section of artificial musculature | There was an actual pump near where the heart would be that had a reddish liquid in it. Two balloons appeared to serve as lungs and were attached closely to a large computer core-looking device. Her stomach was basically a bag filled with acid and connected to devices that processed it, even leading to her external orifices. On the left side, near where he plugged her torso in, was a large power core that connected to a companion unit on the right side, for balance. Finally, at the bottom, he could see the interior section of what appeared to be her vaginal systems. None of the systems were online, however, since he had yet to power her on. | ||
“Wow.” That was all Mike could say as he took it all in. He couldn’t believe he’d interacted with Lena for so much time without realizing she was an android, especially with all the equipment in her body. He was particularly impressed with the edges of the panel, where he could see her skin was roughly one inch thick, with the skin smoothly transitioning to a thick section of artificial musculature and then ending on the bottom with a strange metal-plastic alloy that was flexible enough to give her free range of movement. | |||
“I know, right?” She winked, admiring his admiration of her innards. “Now, once you’ve recovered from seeing me truly naked, open the box and find the container of blue liquid,” she instructed. | “I know, right?” She winked, admiring his admiration of her innards. “Now, once you’ve recovered from seeing me truly naked, open the box and find the container of blue liquid,” she instructed. | ||
Mike weakly nodded, pulling his gaze away from her and bending down to open the box. After removing the packing foam, he dug around through the components until he finally found and pulled out a cylindrical storage container filled with a blue liquid. He showed it to her and she nodded. “Yes, now you see the pump with the red fluid | Mike weakly nodded, pulling his gaze away from her and bending down to open the box. After removing the packing foam, he dug around through the components until he finally found and pulled out a cylindrical storage container filled with a blue liquid. He showed it to her, and she nodded. “Yes, now you see the pump with the red fluid. That’s basically my blood, though it’s filled with tiny nanites that repair my body if it’s cut or scratched…anyway, twist the cylinder on to the connection point near that pump, and then press the power button on that device in between my lungs.” | ||
“Ok,” Mike nodded once more, doing as she instructed. As soon as he pressed the power button, all the systems in her body sprung to life with many clicks, hums, and whirs. After a few moments, most likely the body running some sort of diagnostic, the blue liquid began mixing with the red liquid and then circulating into the rest of her torso. He | “Ok,” Mike nodded once more, doing as she instructed. As soon as he pressed the power button, all the systems in her body sprung to life with many clicks, hums, and whirs. After a few moments, most likely the body running some sort of diagnostic, the blue liquid began mixing with the red liquid and then circulating into the rest of her torso. He then noticed that the skin on her torso suddenly looked noticeably livelier. | ||
“Yay! It all still works, and even after all this time!” Lena celebrated, dancing around a bit more by bobbing her head around on the A.N.A. | “Yay! It all still works, and even after all this time!” Lena celebrated, dancing around a bit more by bobbing her head around on the A.N.A. | ||
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“So, what’s the large computer thing in your torso?” Mike asked, knowing it couldn’t be her A.I. Core. | “So, what’s the large computer thing in your torso?” Mike asked, knowing it couldn’t be her A.I. Core. | ||
“That’s my motor control nexus,” she answered, “Basically, in order to get my A.I. Core to fit more neatly in my head, my class of android has a split brain, with the torso controlling most of the bodies motor and autonomic functions, while my A.I. Core controls mostly just my head, and sends and receives information to the MCN.” She explained, “And, to make things easier on the MCN, each body part, such as my hands, feet, and limbs, all have a miniature core that can reduce the load on the others, | “That’s my motor control nexus,” she answered, “Basically, in order to get my A.I. Core to fit more neatly in my head, my class of android has a split brain, with the torso controlling most of the bodies motor and autonomic functions, while my A.I. Core controls mostly just my head, and sends and receives information to the MCN.” She explained, “And, to make things easier on the MCN, each body part, such as my hands, feet, and limbs, all have a miniature core that can reduce the load on the others so, if you think about it, I actually have ten brains,” she giggled, “beat that, octopus.” | ||
“Wow, your manufacturer sure thought of everything,” Mike said, nodding his head with approval. “So, ummm, what now?” | “Wow, your manufacturer sure thought of everything,” Mike said, nodding his head with approval. “So, ummm, what now?” | ||
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“It is,” she nodded. | “It is,” she nodded. | ||
“Good, that’s what I thought,” Mike nodded. He picked up Lena’s left arm, merely because it was closest to him, and after | “Good, that’s what I thought,” Mike nodded. He picked up Lena’s left arm, merely because it was closest to him, and after examining both ends, matched up the connection points and gently clicked it into place on the stub. As soon as the arm was connected, the MCN made a low beep, and then the heart pump drew in more blue fluid to circulate it through the reattached limb. The same thing happened when Mike attached the remaining limbs, until finally Lena’s body, minus the head and the front of her torso, was completely reassembled. | ||
Mike spent a few moments admiring her body, while Lena patiently waited. Even though her body looked realistic the whole time, he found that with this blue fluid running through her, it seemed more alive than before. | Mike spent a few moments admiring her body, while Lena patiently waited. Even though her body looked realistic the whole time, he found that with this blue fluid running through her, it seemed more alive than before. | ||
“Well, the only thing you have to do next is press the blue button on my MCN,” Lena instructed, once she calculated he’d had enough time to admire her body. | “Well, the only thing you have to do next is press the blue button on my MCN,” Lena instructed, once she calculated he’d had enough time to admire her body. | ||
Mike did so | |||
Mike did so and stood back as several loud whirs emitted from the components. Suddenly, Lena’s hands and feet began twitching, each digit moving one at a time with clicking sounds before settling into a more fluid, silent movement. This was followed by her arms and legs, and then finally the torso. | |||
“Are you doing that?” He asked her, wondering how she was moving her body. | “Are you doing that?” He asked her, wondering how she was moving her body. | ||
“Yep,” she confirmed with a smug smile, “I’m capable of controlling my limbs remotely if any of them are removed, though you had to press the sync button first,” she explained, “I’m running a motor diagnostic now, since my new updates changed the way I interact with my MCN, but when it’s done, I’ll need you to reattach my torso cover and then help me off the table.” | |||
“Ok.” Mike | “Ok.” Mike nodded, continuing to watch as her body twitched around on the table for the next few minutes until all the blue fluid had circulated through her body and she was capable of moving it in a more fluid, human manner. When she stopped moving, Mike took that as his cue to re-attach her torso cover, which he had only to click back in place and gently push back in. Once the panel sealed in place, he helped her sit up and then grabbed hold of her waist while she grabbed his shoulders for support and gently lowered her to the floor, her feet gently plopping down. | ||
“Ah, it feels so nice to stand again,” Lena moaned, her toes clenching and unclenching on the smooth, clean hardwood. She then started stretching her arms and body out, | “Ah, it feels so nice to stand again,” Lena moaned, her toes clenching and unclenching on the smooth, clean hardwood. She then started stretching her arms and body out, forcing Mike to move out of the way. “Sorry about that,” she said, “It’s a little difficult maneuvering my body while I’m detached,” she explained, watching her body intently from the A.N.A. | ||
“Does your body have a camera in it or something?” he asked her, seeing she was maneuvering it much better than he would expect it to. | “Does your body have a camera in it or something?” he asked her, seeing she was maneuvering it much better than he would expect it to. | ||
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“Yes,” she replied, making her body point to a small camera tower that was sticking out of her neck opening, “but it’s nowhere near as good as my eyes.” | “Yes,” she replied, making her body point to a small camera tower that was sticking out of her neck opening, “but it’s nowhere near as good as my eyes.” | ||
“I see,” Mike said, | “I see,” Mike said, leaning in for a closer look. The camera tower was equipped with a powerful camera and microphone array, along with a gyroscope so she could still balance herself. | ||
After examining the camera array, he suddenly had an idea. He activated the Senses tab on his terminal and brought her POV into Fullscreen. As she had warned him earlier, her HUD looked noticeably different, along with the facial recognition bubble surrounding him. In addition to what her eyes were seeing, a small window was present on the lower corner of her feed, displaying what her body’s neck camera was seeing. While the image was not as good as her eye cameras, it was still more than adequate for him to make out what it was seeing. | |||
“Hey Lena, could you make your body walk to the fridge and get me a drink please?” he asked, “And I want to challenge your memories of me, so grab the drink that my preferences and whatnot tell you I’m most likely to want,” he added, before she could ask. | “Hey Lena, could you make your body walk to the fridge and get me a drink please?” he asked, “And I want to challenge your memories of me, so grab the drink that my preferences and whatnot tell you I’m most likely to want,” he added, before she could ask. | ||
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He noted that her visual systems, in addition to scanning the beverages, were also scanning everything, cross-referencing them with her newly installed cooking software. A small note titled “Insufficient ingredients…please inform Mike,” appeared, and then she focused all her attention on the beverages. As she scanned, she analyzed the preferences he’d programmed into her, as well as her memory files of every interaction she’d had with him…ever. She also factored in the cost of each item, and how much of each was left, before finally grabbing a small bottle. | He noted that her visual systems, in addition to scanning the beverages, were also scanning everything, cross-referencing them with her newly installed cooking software. A small note titled “Insufficient ingredients…please inform Mike,” appeared, and then she focused all her attention on the beverages. As she scanned, she analyzed the preferences he’d programmed into her, as well as her memory files of every interaction she’d had with him…ever. She also factored in the cost of each item, and how much of each was left, before finally grabbing a small bottle. | ||
Mike smiled when he saw her selection, but she was not finished. A new directive, dictated by her cooking software, instructed her to give it to him in a glass, so she quickly searched the available cabinets and retrieved a glass from a cupboard near where her head was still at, and then walked back over to the fridge. She then turned on the | Mike smiled when he saw her selection, but she was not finished. A new directive, dictated by her cooking software, instructed her to give it to him in a glass, so she quickly searched the available cabinets and retrieved a glass from a cupboard near where her head was still at, and then walked back over to the fridge. She then turned on the ice maker and filled the glass with several cubes of ice before pouring the contents of her selection into the glass and bringing both it and the bottle over to him. | ||
“Your lemonade, sir,” she said in a mock British accent, bowing slightly as she placed them down on the counter next to the terminal for him to enjoy. | “Your lemonade, sir,” she said in a mock British accent, bowing slightly as she placed them down on the counter next to the terminal for him to enjoy. | ||
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“So that I could formulate a shopping list,” she replied truthfully, “I’m afraid my list is incomplete though, since I still need to inventory your whole kitchen.” | “So that I could formulate a shopping list,” she replied truthfully, “I’m afraid my list is incomplete though, since I still need to inventory your whole kitchen.” | ||
“Yeah, well you can do that later,” he told her, since he still had plenty of leftovers he needed to get rid of, “So, anyway, should I reattach your head now?” | “Yeah, well you can do that later,” he told her, since he still had plenty of leftovers that he needed to get rid of, “So, anyway, should I reattach your head now?” | ||
“Yes, if you’d be so kind,” she answered, “I could do it myself, but my preferences indicate that you’d like to do it.” | “Yes, if you’d be so kind,” she answered, “I could do it myself, but my preferences indicate that you’d like to do it.” | ||
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“Sure thing.” Mike took a quick gulp of his lemonade and then detached her from the A.N.A. | “Sure thing.” Mike took a quick gulp of his lemonade and then detached her from the A.N.A. | ||
She stared at him intently as he carefully lifted her over her body, which was currently standing patiently next to him. Before he clicked her back on, he paused to admire the mechanics within the open neck cavity, now blinking with activity, before bringing her head down and clicking it on. He heard a series of whirs from within her neck as the complex mechanisms linked up with one another. Finally, he saw the seam around her neck seal, removing all traces that she was an android. She once again stood before him as a real looking young woman, instead of a dismantled android. | She stared at him intently as he carefully lifted her over her body, which was currently standing patiently next to him. Before he clicked her back on, he paused to admire the mechanics within the open neck cavity, now blinking with activity, before bringing her head down and clicking it on. He heard a series of whirs from within her neck as the complex mechanisms linked up with one another. Finally, he saw the seam around her neck seal, removing all traces that she was an android. She once again stood before him as a completely real looking | ||
young woman, instead of a dismantled android. | |||
Just as with the rest of her body, as soon as her head was connected, it suddenly seemed a bit livelier as the blue fluid circulated through it. She quickly cycled through several facial expressions until the mechanical whirring that had been present throughout his interactions with her slowly faded into a more fluid, | Just as with the rest of her body, as soon as her head was connected, it suddenly seemed a bit livelier as the blue fluid circulated through it. She quickly cycled through several facial expressions robotically until the mechanical whirring that had been present throughout his interactions with her slowly faded into a more fluid, humanlike movement. | ||
“Ah, it’s so good to be whole again,” she sighed contentedly, stretching even more and massaging her neck, pausing to feel her face. Then, without warning, she suddenly lunged forward and trapped him in an embrace, kissing him deeply. While he had already kissed her the night before, this time was far | “Ah, it’s so good to be whole again,” she sighed contentedly, stretching even more and massaging her neck, pausing to feel her face. Then, without warning, she suddenly lunged forward and trapped him in an embrace, kissing him deeply. While he had already kissed her the night before, this time was far mor enjoyable, since he was able to rub his hands along her soft, plump rear, and feel both breasts squeezing into his chest through his shirt. Her hands gently probed his back before moving up and giving his neck a quick massage. | ||
They finally broke away nearly a minute later, with both their faces flushed and small amounts of perspiration forming on their bodies. After catching their breath, Lena suddenly licked her lips and said, “Hmmm, lemony,” since her tongue had tasted the residual lemonade he’d been drinking. | They finally broke away nearly a minute later, with both their faces flushed and small amounts of perspiration forming on their bodies. After catching their breath, Lena suddenly licked her lips and said, “Hmmm, lemony,” since her tongue had tasted the residual lemonade he’d been drinking. | ||
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Mike couldn’t help but laugh, then picked his glass up and offered it to her. | Mike couldn’t help but laugh, then picked his glass up and offered it to her. | ||
“Oh, no thanks,” she said, waving the drink away, “I can’t consume anything right now, since you’ll be replacing my digestive system later.” | “Oh, no thanks,” she said, waving the drink away, “I can’t consume anything right now, since you’ll be replacing my digestive system later anyway.” | ||
“Ah, that makes sense,” he nodded, downing the rest of the drink and setting the glass back on the counter, “So, now that you’re reassembled, what’s next before I have to dismantle you again and swap things out?” | “Ah, that makes sense,” he nodded, downing the rest of the drink and setting the glass back on the counter, “So, now that you’re reassembled, what’s next before I have to dismantle you again and swap things out?” | ||
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“Okay, well the inventory will require moving, so let’s go,” he told her, gently taking her left hand in his and leading her out into the main kitchen. | “Okay, well the inventory will require moving, so let’s go,” he told her, gently taking her left hand in his and leading her out into the main kitchen. | ||
“Oooh, did you clean this morning before I finished updating?” She asked suddenly, sniffing the air, “I smell | “Oooh, did you clean this morning before I finished updating?” She asked suddenly, sniffing the air, “I smell cleaning solvent in the air.” | ||
“Yes, I didn’t want you walking barefoot on a dirty floor,” he explained, “especially with my foot fetish,” he added with a blush. | “Yes, I didn’t want you walking barefoot on a dirty floor,” he explained, “especially with my foot fetish,” he added with a blush. | ||
“Aww, thanks,” she smiled, | “Aww, thanks,” she smiled, “Oh! Now that I’m reassembled, I can finally follow your preferences and eliminate my body hairs,” she suddenly told him, “But you might want to get a vacuum or something ready, so I don’t make a mess of your clean place.” | ||
“Ok, hold on,” he told her, quickly rushing to the closet under the stairs and grabbing a hand vacuum. As soon as he had it ready, Lena nodded and then zoned out as small | “Ok, hold on,” he told her, quickly rushing to the closet under the stairs and grabbing a hand vacuum. As soon as he had it ready, Lena nodded and then zoned out as the small brown hair spread throughout her body began pushing out of her skin and cascading down to the floor, along with the larger pubic hairs above her vagina. After several seconds, her entire body, minus her head, was hairless, and there was a small pile of her hair on the floor around her feet. | ||
Mike quickly vacuumed up all the loose | Mike quickly vacuumed up all the loose hair, being careful not to bump into her feet, while Lena waited patiently, albeit with a smile on her face. After wiping away a few of the more stubborn ones from her feet with a towel, he emptied the bin of the vacuum into the nearby trash and returned it to the closet so it could recharge. | ||
“Thanks!” Lena smiled, “Do I look more satisfactory now?” She asked, twirling around on her tiptoes so he could admire her smooth body. | “Thanks!” Lena smiled, “Do I look more satisfactory now?” She asked, twirling around on her tiptoes so he could admire her smooth body. | ||
Because | Because most of her body hairs were already trimmed and thin, the only thing he really noticed was her smoothly shaved vagina, he instead gently rubbed his hands across her arms and legs, eliciting a few giggles, and nodded his head approvingly. | ||
“Much better,” he told her, “Will the loss of your hair impact your systems at all?” | “Much better,” he told her, “Will the loss of your hair impact your systems at all?” | ||
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“Every little bit helps, I suppose,” Mike shrugged, then he grabbed the terminal and flipped it into tablet mode so he could carry it around with him while Lena inventoried his supplies, “Are you ready to look around now?” | “Every little bit helps, I suppose,” Mike shrugged, then he grabbed the terminal and flipped it into tablet mode so he could carry it around with him while Lena inventoried his supplies, “Are you ready to look around now?” | ||
“Yep,” she replied cheerfully, turning into the kitchen and heading to the pantry. Just as when she checked the fridge, he could see her analyzing each item, even weighing them in her hands, | “Yep,” she replied cheerfully, turning into the kitchen and heading to the pantry. Just as when she checked the fridge, he could see her analyzing each item in the pantry, checking to see if anything was expired and even weighing them in her hands. As she scanned each item, she added it to a list, cross-referencing with her new cooking software and its catalogue of recipes. He also noticed she created a separate list of items that needed to be tossed, due to being past the expiration date. | ||
After she finished with the pantry, she walked back to the fridge, this time opening each compartment and doing the same with the freezer. She then stepped over to the stove and opened the spice cabinet to inventory all of them, and as soon as she examined them, a new priority appeared on her scheduling list titled “C.Shop.List”. | |||
“Okie doke, I’m compiling a shopping list of cooking ingredients in the background while I check the inventory at the surrounding stores,” Lena updated him, “Now I need to inventory the cooking utensils and cleaning supplies.” | “Okie doke, I’m compiling a shopping list of cooking ingredients in the background while I check the inventory at the surrounding stores,” Lena updated him, “Now I need to inventory the cooking utensils, pots and pans, cups, bowls, plates, and cleaning supplies.” | ||
“Very good,” he nodded, “I should have a | “Very good,” he nodded, “I should have a decent supply since my family gifted me a ton of kitchen stuff as a housewarming gift when I moved in here,” he told her, “I think I’ve only actually used half of the stuff, since I’m not a very good cook,” he added with a chuckle. | ||
“I can see that, | “I can see that,” she grinned, taking out a completely unused pan, “however, I’ll need to add just a few things to my list,” she smiled, updating her priority list to include shopping for utensils, such as a whisk and ladle. “And ah, looks like you already have a decent supply of cleaning supplies,” she said delightedly, inspecting the cupboard beneath the sink, | ||
“However, I will need to buy some gloves since my artificial skin isn’t quite as resilient to cleaning solvents as human skin is,” she explained, adding rubber gloves to her list as well. | |||
“Hey, just like you gave me a blank check to examine your body, I’m giving you a blank check to buy whatever supplies you think you need,” he told her, | “Hey, just like you gave me a blank check to examine your body, I’m giving you a blank check to buy whatever supplies you think you need,” he told her, “Just don’t buy the most expensive products,” he added, not wanting to go bankrupt. | ||
“Don’t worry Mike, I’m linked to your bank accounts now, so I can calculate how much you can afford on a weekly basis,” she assured him, “Plus, I have a considerable amount of money saved up from the past five years of it sitting collecting interest payments, so I’m using that to supplement some of the costs as well | “Don’t worry Mike, I’m linked to your bank accounts now, so I can calculate how much you can afford on a weekly basis,” she assured him, “Plus, I have a considerable amount of money saved up from the past five years of it sitting around collecting interest payments, so I’m using that to supplement some of the costs as well.” | ||
“Hey, I don’t want you to go bankrupt either,” he told her in a worried voice. | “Hey, I don’t want you to go bankrupt either,” he told her in a worried voice. | ||
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“Well, when you think about it, your choices are dictated by your collective knowledge and experiences, as well as your environment and interactions with people,” she explained, “It’s no different than the way my programming works, except the difference between me and you is that I don’t really have to face as many consequences if I make a mistake, because it could just be jotted down to bad programming or something, and I can always be reprogrammed to correct mistakes,” she continued, “Also, as an android, I have clarity in the fact that I have a clearly defined purpose, which currently is to serve you the best way I possibly can, so it really takes a load off…the real Lena often struggled to find her purpose, but I don’t have to.” | “Well, when you think about it, your choices are dictated by your collective knowledge and experiences, as well as your environment and interactions with people,” she explained, “It’s no different than the way my programming works, except the difference between me and you is that I don’t really have to face as many consequences if I make a mistake, because it could just be jotted down to bad programming or something, and I can always be reprogrammed to correct mistakes,” she continued, “Also, as an android, I have clarity in the fact that I have a clearly defined purpose, which currently is to serve you the best way I possibly can, so it really takes a load off…the real Lena often struggled to find her purpose, but I don’t have to.” | ||
Mike was quite blown away by Lena’s philosophical explanation of her current existence, but not | Mike was quite blown away by Lena’s philosophical explanation of her current existence, but not too surprised, since he too had come up with similar thoughts during his long boring shifts. | ||
“Wow, well just forgive me if I don’t have anything for you to do right away,” he told her, “I’ve lived by myself for so long that I’m used to doing things myself, and I’m still getting used to having you here.” | |||
Lena merely gave him a big smile and said, “Don’t worry, I can be quite patient and understanding when I need to.” She then gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and said, “Well, let’s continue with the inventory then.” | Lena merely gave him a big smile and said, “Don’t worry, I can be quite patient and understanding when I need to.” She then gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and said, “Well, let’s continue with the inventory then.” | ||
Mike nodded and followed behind her as she walked towards the stairs, enjoying the way her long, dark brown | Mike nodded and followed behind her as she walked towards the stairs, enjoying the way her long, dark brown ponytail swished behind her back. | ||
They spent a good twenty minutes inventorying the remaining supplies in the closet, the garage, the laundry closet, and the bathrooms. In addition, she also made some recommendations to his current supplies that could save him a few extra bucks here and there, such as altering his detergents and cleaning schedule. | They spent a good twenty minutes inventorying the remaining supplies in the under-the-stairs closet, the garage, the laundry closet, and the bathrooms. In addition, she also made some recommendations to his current supplies that could save him a few extra bucks here and there, such as altering his detergents and cleaning schedule. | ||
“Alright Mike, I think I now have a pretty good shopping list prepared,” Lena told him as soon as they returned to the kitchen. While Mike sat back down and plugged the terminal in, Lena remained standing | “Alright Mike, I think I now have a pretty good shopping list prepared,” Lena told him as soon as they returned to the kitchen. While Mike sat back down and plugged the terminal in, Lena remained standing and was still completely nude. | ||
“Good,” Mike nodded. He didn’t really like shopping, but now that he had Lena, he was optimistic it would be a more enjoyable experience | “Good,” Mike nodded. He didn’t really like shopping, but now that he had Lena, he was optimistic it would be a more enjoyable experience since she was basically a walking, talking shopping list. “Lena, I know you’re an android, and you’re going to be dismantled again fairly soon, but are you comfortable walking around naked?” | ||
“Sure, I don’t mind,” she shrugged, “I can tell it’s a little chilly in here, but to be honest, androids, and computers in general, | “Sure, I don’t mind,” she shrugged, “I can tell it’s a little chilly in here, but to be honest, androids, and computers in general, prefer the cold. It helps us cool off our internal components more efficiently.” | ||
“Okay, good,” he sighed, “I just wanted to make sure, since it is winter right now | “Okay, good,” he sighed, “I just wanted to make sure, since it is winter right now after all,” he laughed, “And actually, I often enjoy some casual nudity when I’m home,” he admitted with a blush. | ||
“Ooh, I’ll be sure to add that to my configuration files for you,” she said, quickly adding it to her programming, “Hey! Then why aren’t you nude right now? I hope it’s not for my sake, because you think I might get offended or something,” she accused him. | “Ooh, I’ll be sure to add that to my configuration files for you,” she said, quickly adding it to her programming, “Hey! Then why aren’t you nude right now? I hope it’s not for my sake, because you think I might get offended or something,” she accused him. | ||
“Oh no, it’s not that,” he assured her, “I just didn’t think it would be prudent to work on a complex mechanical device in the buff,” he explained, “For one thing, I don’t want to get shocked, and for another, I find you, and your nature, quite arousing, and I don’t want any unintentional discharges,” he said, finishing delicately and with a blush. | “Oh no, it’s not that,” he assured her, “I just didn’t think it would be prudent to work on a complex mechanical device in the buff,” he explained, “For one thing, I don’t want to get shocked, and for another, I find you, and your nature, quite arousing, and I don’t want any unintentional discharges,” he said, finishing delicately and with a blush. | ||
Lena let out a hearty laugh and patted him on the shoulder. “Ok good, I may be programmed as your girlfriend now, but I’m still basically just a guest in your home until I’m settled in, so I want you to be as comfy as possible.” | Lena let out a hearty laugh and patted him on the shoulder. “Ok good, I may be programmed as your girlfriend now, but I’m still basically just a guest in your home until I’m settled in, so I want you to be as comfy as possible.” | ||
“Glad to hear it,” Mike sighed, since he’d been worried she might not prefer him to walk around nude all the time, “I’ll probably disrobe when I finish upgrading you later,” he promised. | “Glad to hear it,” Mike sighed, since he’d been worried that she might not prefer him to walk around nude all the time, “I’ll probably disrobe when I finish upgrading you later,” he promised. | ||
Lena nodded and then asked. “Would you like me to be nude all the time?” | Lena nodded and then asked. “Would you like me to be nude all the time?” | ||
“Ah, ummm…well, I’d like | “Ah, ummm…well, I’d certainly like that, but perhaps you could just use your own discretion,” he told her, “I mean, I do want to enjoy your fashion sense every now and then,” he added. | ||
“Very well, I think I can arrange that,” she smiled, mentally updating her preferences once more, “Now then, before you dismantle me again, I | “Very well, I think I can arrange that,” she smiled, mentally updating her preferences once more, “Now then, before you dismantle me again, I need to run a quick benchmark of my body that I can use to compare with after you swap everything out.” | ||
“Okay, and what will the benchmark do?” | “Okay, and what will the benchmark do?” | ||
“Well, you’re going to be upgrading all of my replaceable components, | “Well, you’re going to be upgrading all of my replaceable components and, based on the specs I read, several of them are going to be a bit lighter, which will alter my base weight by a considerable amount,” she explained, “basically, since my body is used to weighing roughly the same amount all the time, with minor fluctuations when I eat or dress differently, suddenly losing 10-20% of my mass is going to alter the way I walk, and the amount of power I consume, so the benchmark will help me to better recalibrate my systems when all is said and done.” | ||
“That makes sense,” Mike nodded in agreement, since he’d done similar benchmarks with his hobby computers, “What do you need to run it?” | “That makes sense,” Mike nodded in agreement, since he’d done similar benchmarks with his hobby computers, “What do you need to run it?” | ||
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“Well, during my inspection, I noticed you had a treadmill tucked away in the garage,” she told him, “That’s all I’ll need.” | “Well, during my inspection, I noticed you had a treadmill tucked away in the garage,” she told him, “That’s all I’ll need.” | ||
“Hmm, okay…I’ll go wrestle it out for you,” he told her, getting up and slipping a pair of shoes on, | “Hmm, okay…I’ll go wrestle it out for you,” he told her, getting up and slipping a pair of shoes on, “Heads up, but I haven’t used the thing in several months, so it may not work,” he warned her, walking with her out to the garage. | ||
“Well, if not, I’ll think of something else,” she shrugged, watching him wrestle it out from behind the water heater, “Hey, let me help you,” she offered, moving a few things out of the way and helping him pull it out. | “Well, if not, I’ll think of something else,” she shrugged, watching him wrestle it out from behind the water heater, “Hey, let me help you,” she offered, moving a few things out of the way and helping him pull it out. | ||
“Thanks for that,” Mike told her, wheeling it into the house and into the kitchen. He quickly moved a side table out of the way so he could set it up near the wall in the kitchen. Once he had it | “Thanks for that,” Mike told her, wheeling it into the house and into the kitchen. He quickly moved a side table out of the way so he could set it up near the wall in the kitchen. Once he had it set up, he plugged it in and then turned it on. | ||
“Okay good, it works,” Mike told her, sighing with relief, “Just let me clean the track first,” he told her, grabbing a dust mop, turning the treadmill to a low speed, and running the mop across the tracks until they were clean. “There, it’s good to go now,” he announced, throwing away the disposable head of the mop and turning the treadmill off. | “Okay good, it works,” Mike told her, sighing with relief as it powered on and then quickly downloaded and installed a software update, “Just let me clean the track first,” he told her, grabbing a dust mop, turning the treadmill to a low speed, and running the mop across the tracks until they were clean. “There, it’s good to go now,” he announced, throwing away the disposable head of the mop and turning the treadmill off. | ||
“Wow, you are so fastidious,” Lena smiled, “Now, and I know this may seem | “Wow, you are so fastidious,” Lena smiled, “Now, and I know this may seem counterintuitive, but I need to be headless for this benchmark,” she told him, standing at attention just in front of it. | ||
“Why?” | “Why?” | ||
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“Okay, it’s no problem,” he laughed, enjoying her sense of humor. He found he really missed it after the past five years. “So, you were already dismantled when I found you. How do I go about removing your head?” | “Okay, it’s no problem,” he laughed, enjoying her sense of humor. He found he really missed it after the past five years. “So, you were already dismantled when I found you. How do I go about removing your head?” | ||
“Well, | “Well, I can do it for you,” she offered, “But, knowing you the way I do, you’d prefer to do it yourself,” she winked, “so, you can either do it from the terminal, or you can use the manual release on the back of my neck.” | ||
“Hmmm, well, the other two are self-explanatory, so why don’t you show me the manual release so I know where it is.” | “Hmmm, well, the other two are self-explanatory, so why don’t you show me the manual release, so I know where it is.” | ||
“No problem!” Lena turned around and carefully grabbed hold of her hair with her left hand while her right hand pointed at a small, almost imperceptibly lighter section of skin that was the size of a finger point. “Just press in here.” | “No problem!” Lena turned around and carefully grabbed hold of her hair with her left hand while her right hand pointed at a small, almost imperceptibly lighter section of skin that was the size of a finger point. “Just press in here.” | ||
As soon as Mike pressed the spot she had pointed out, he heard the same loud whirring he’d heard when he reattached her head. The seam reappeared around her neck | As soon as Mike pressed the spot she had pointed out, he heard the same loud whirring he’d heard when he reattached her head. The seam reappeared around her neck and then her head lifted just a bit with a small hiss. Just as the detachment process completed, Lena carefully let go of her hair and dropped her arms down to her sides to allow him to lift her head back off her body. | ||
“Ah, here we are again, it’s like déjà vu,” Lena smiled, after Mike turned her around to face him in his arms. She then looked whimsically at her body as he carried her back to the A.N.A. and said, “Fare thee well body, I’ll see you see again soon,” even making her own body wave goodbye to herself. Mike laughed. “Hey, I’ve got to entertain myself too,” she laughed back. | “Ah, here we are again, it’s like déjà vu,” Lena smiled, after Mike turned her around to face him in his arms; her voice once again sounded digital. She then looked whimsically at her body as he carried her back to the A.N.A. and said, “Fare thee well body, I’ll see you see again soon,” even making her own body wave goodbye to herself. Mike laughed. “Hey, I’ve got to entertain myself too,” she laughed back. | ||
“Well, I’m just glad you’re having as much fun as I am,” he smiled, clicking her back onto the A.N.A. “So, now what?” | “Well, I’m just glad you’re having as much fun as I am,” he smiled, clicking her back onto the A.N.A. “So, now what?” | ||
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Mike stared transfixed for nearly a minute, the sight of her naked, headless body walking on the treadmill, with both large breasts bouncing back and forth. Finally, he forced himself to look away and back at her smiling face. “So, what exactly is the purpose of having your body just walk like that?” | Mike stared transfixed for nearly a minute, the sight of her naked, headless body walking on the treadmill, with both large breasts bouncing back and forth. Finally, he forced himself to look away and back at her smiling face. “So, what exactly is the purpose of having your body just walk like that?” | ||
“It’s a standard stress test,” she explained, “Basically, having my body simply walk for about eight minutes or so, and then jog for another two, tests approximately 200 different muscles, and since walking is the most common thing I’m likely to do, it’s prudent to run a benchmark before you upgrade my components.” | “It’s a standard stress test,” she explained, “Basically, having my body simply walk for about eight minutes or so, and then jog for another two, tests approximately 200 different muscles, and since walking is the most common thing that I’m likely to do, it’s prudent to run a benchmark before you upgrade my components.” | ||
“And that’s because you’re going to end up weighing less?” | “And that’s because you’re going to end up weighing less?” | ||
“Yes, and the new MCN will also allow me to move more efficiently, | “Yes, and the new MCN will also allow me to move more efficiently so, overall, this data is essential in order for me to operate as efficiently as possible so I never come in danger of running low on power,” she confirmed, “My A.I. told you that I almost ran out one time on grave shift because I didn’t recalibrate my timers for the night shift, and it was scary…at least, scary in terms I can describe.” | ||
“I’ll bet…I suppose for you, it’s almost like dying,” he guessed. | “I’ll bet…I suppose for you, it’s almost like dying,” he guessed. | ||
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“Interesting…I might know a few ways for you to cause a glitch or two, but not now,” she winked. | “Interesting…I might know a few ways for you to cause a glitch or two, but not now,” she winked. | ||
“Of course, I can wait,” he assured her, looking back at her body, “So, is your body on autopilot right now, or are you still consciously controlling it?” | |||
“A little of both,” she answered, “I suppose the correct answer would be that it’s like muscle memory, but I’m still monitoring it.” | “A little of both,” she answered, “I suppose the correct answer would be that it’s like muscle memory, but I’m still monitoring it so it doesn’t stumble or fall.” | ||
“I’m not quite sure that answered my question, but I’ll let that pass,” he told her. He made a note to try and find some sort of update for her that would allow her to better translate her functions into terms he could better understand. Still, she was doing her best. | “I’m not quite sure that answered my question, but I’ll let that pass,” he told her. He made a note to try and find some sort of update for her that would allow her to better translate her functions into terms he could better understand. Still, she was doing her best. | ||
“Anyway, it should only need another five minutes or so, and then I’ll need to conduct a lift test. Do you have anything that weighs | “Anyway, it should only need another five minutes or so, and then I’ll need to conduct a lift test. Do you have anything that weighs at least 25lbs?” | ||
Mike quickly eyeballed his surroundings and then headed towards the closet, returning moments later with a box of unopened cat litter. “How about this? It weighs 30lbs,” he told her, holding it in front of her eyes so she could analyze it. | Mike quickly eyeballed his surroundings and then headed towards the closet, returning moments later with a box of unopened cat litter. “How about this? It weighs 30lbs,” he told her, holding it in front of her eyes so she could analyze it. | ||
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“I see,” Mike nodded, “I’m curious, does exercising actually do anything, like make you more fit?” | “I see,” Mike nodded, “I’m curious, does exercising actually do anything, like make you more fit?” | ||
“Not in the Human sense,” Lena answered, “Basically, it’s just to keep our muscles energized and in shape | “Not in the Human sense,” Lena answered, “Basically, it’s just to keep our muscles energized and in shape but going to the gym wouldn’t add any additional muscles, since I don’t need them. If I wanted more muscles, or if you wanted me to, you would have to modify my physical frame.” | ||
“Ah, and how much are you capable of lifting?” | “Ah, and how much are you capable of lifting?” | ||
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“Yep…the emergency mode I was mentioning would be if there was some sort of emergency and I needed to carry your unconscious body out of a burning house or something,” she explained, “But, you shouldn’t have me use it too often, as it can damage my servo mechanisms, and it drains my batteries really fast.” | “Yep…the emergency mode I was mentioning would be if there was some sort of emergency and I needed to carry your unconscious body out of a burning house or something,” she explained, “But, you shouldn’t have me use it too often, as it can damage my servo mechanisms, and it drains my batteries really fast.” | ||
“Understood,” Mike nodded, “But | “Understood,” Mike nodded, “But do you think you could do it just once for me? I think it’d be kinda cool to see you lift me up.” Mike had a rather boyish smile when he asked this. | ||
“Sure,” she smiled knowingly, “But I think it would be prudent to wait until after the upgrades,” she suggested, “that way we can do it when my body is nice and fresh.” | “Sure,” she smiled knowingly, “But I think it would be prudent to wait until after the upgrades,” she suggested, “that way we can do it when my body is nice and fresh.” | ||
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“Ah, I understand…I can wait,” he told her, only mildly disappointed. He then waited the remaining few minutes for Lena’s body to complete its benchmark walk on the treadmill, taking a brief video of the scene on his phone as her body transitioned into a jog in the last two minutes. | “Ah, I understand…I can wait,” he told her, only mildly disappointed. He then waited the remaining few minutes for Lena’s body to complete its benchmark walk on the treadmill, taking a brief video of the scene on his phone as her body transitioned into a jog in the last two minutes. | ||
When the ten minutes | When the ten minutes were up, her body carefully reduced the speed on the treadmill until it slowed to a stop, then it carefully stepped off and stood at attention in front of the box of cat litter. | ||
“Alright, now can you please spot me while I lift this?” Lena asked, “just make sure my body doesn’t tip over or that I don’t drop the box on my feet.” | “Alright, now can you please spot me while I lift this?” Lena asked, “just make sure my body doesn’t tip over or that I don’t drop the box on my feet.” | ||
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“Ok.” | “Ok.” | ||
Mike got off the chair and walked over to Lena’s body, standing just a few feet away in case she needed his assistance. Once he was in place, | Mike got off the chair and walked over to Lena’s body, standing just a few feet away in case she needed his assistance. Once he was in place, her body carefully bent down, grabbed hold of the box by the handle, and then carefully lifted it up. | ||
“Thanks Mike!” Lena called out, letting him know he could return to his seat, “The only thing my body needs to do now is a few stretches.” Her body then began stretching | For a brief moment, Mike thought he heard the whine of her back servos kicking in as she lifted the heavy box, but then her muscles kicked in and she moved more fluidly. She bent up and down with the box a few times in both hands before placing it down and lifting it with her right arm and swinging it around. Although she stumbled a few times, she did not require any rescue from Mike, and after ten minutes of lifting and swinging the box, she placed it down and stood back at attention. | ||
“Thanks Mike!” Lena called out, letting him know he could return to his seat, “The only thing my body needs to do now is a few stretches.” Her body then began stretching its legs, arms, and core. Once it completed a few minutes later, it walked over to him and stood back at attention. | |||
“Are you done with the benchmark?” He asked, seeing that it wasn’t moving to do anything else. | “Are you done with the benchmark?” He asked, seeing that it wasn’t moving to do anything else. | ||
“Yep!” She responded, “Now, unfortunately, you’ll have to dismantle me again so you can conduct the repairs and maintenance a little bit later,” she said with a sad face, “My MCN has already compiled the benchmark and uploaded it into my personal cloud for reference | “Yep!” She responded, “Now, unfortunately, you’ll have to dismantle me again so you can conduct the repairs and maintenance a little bit later,” she said with a sad face, “My MCN has already compiled the benchmark and uploaded it into my personal cloud for reference so when you swap everything out later, I’ll be ready.” | ||
“Good, did you need my help getting back up on the counter?” He asked, since she was somewhat short compared to the counter, “I can grab my step stool for you, if you like.” | “Good, did you need my help getting back up on the counter?” He asked, since she was somewhat short compared to the counter, “I can grab my step stool for you, if you like.” | ||
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“Will do,” Mike said dutifully. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out his small step stool from a small space between it and the wall and brought it over to the counter. As soon as he set it up, Lena carefully stepped onto it and walked up, with Mike gently holding on to her hips for support. Once she was at the right height, she crawled on top of the counter and carefully laid back down on the blanket in front of her head. | “Will do,” Mike said dutifully. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out his small step stool from a small space between it and the wall and brought it over to the counter. As soon as he set it up, Lena carefully stepped onto it and walked up, with Mike gently holding on to her hips for support. Once she was at the right height, she crawled on top of the counter and carefully laid back down on the blanket in front of her head. | ||
As soon as she was | As soon as she was lying back down, her front access panel unsealed on its own, surprising Mike. “Yeah, I can unseal my panels myself,” she explained, seeing the surprised look on its face, “I just didn’t want to waste any time,” she apologized. | ||
“No problem,” he waved it off, carefully removing the panel once more and admiring her lively internal components, still humming away. | “No problem,” he waved it off, carefully removing the panel once more and admiring her lively internal components, still humming away. | ||
“Now, I could separate each of my limbs myself, but since you’ll be swapping things out, you’ll actually have to deactivate the remote link that allows me to control my body remotely,” she explained, “Simply press and hold the sync button for ten seconds | “Now, I could separate each of my limbs myself, but since you’ll be swapping things out, you’ll actually have to deactivate the remote link that allows me to control my body remotely,” she explained, “Simply press and hold the sync button for ten seconds and it’ll terminate the link.” | ||
“Okie doke.” Mike did as she instructed, and as soon as the ten-seconds were up, her body, which had been playfully wiggling its toes and fingers per Lena’s personality, suddenly stopped moving and relaxed into a resting position. | “Okie doke.” Mike did as she instructed, and as soon as the ten-seconds were up, her body, which had been playfully wiggling its toes and fingers per Lena’s personality, suddenly stopped moving and relaxed into a resting position. | ||
“Man, it’s so sad to lose control of my body like that, but hopefully it won’t be for too long,” Lena said, “Now just detach each limb and lay them back to where they were before, | “Man, it’s so sad to lose control of my body like that, but hopefully it won’t be for too long,” Lena said, “Now just detach each limb and lay them back to where they were before but first, press the small red button on each one to turn them off.” | ||
Mike nodded and quickly located the manual release buttons beneath her plump skin, removing each limb and pressing the red button to turn them off. They remained as realistic as they were when he initially found them | Mike nodded and quickly located the manual release buttons beneath her plump skin, removing each limb and pressing the red button to turn them off. They remained as realistic as they were when he initially found them but simply stiffened up somewhat. | ||
“Very good, now just turn my torso off via the power toggle on the power core, and we should be ready for the next step,” she instructed once more. Mike regretfully did so, watching as all the components in her body slowly wound down with a low whine until they were silent. | “Very good, now just turn my torso off via the power toggle on the power core, and we should be ready for the next step,” she instructed once more. Mike regretfully did so, watching as all the components in her body slowly wound down with a low whine until they were silent. | ||
“Good, now those components will have to remain offline for about an hour so they can properly cool down,” she explained, “Once they’ve cooled, you should be able to swap them out for the upgrades.” | “Good, now those components will have to remain offline for about an hour so they can properly cool down,” she explained, “Once they’ve cooled, you should be able to safely swap them out for the upgrades.” | ||
“Cool, I can’t wait,” Mike said, rubbing his hands together excitedly, “What are we going to do in the meanwhile?” | “Cool, I can’t wait,” Mike said, rubbing his hands together excitedly, “What are we going to do in the meanwhile?” | ||
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“So, does that mean that I’ll be technically killing you?” Mike asked with a horrified look. | “So, does that mean that I’ll be technically killing you?” Mike asked with a horrified look. | ||
“Well, if you want to get all metaphysical on me, then perhaps yes,” she replied truthfully, “But, realistically, as an android, the only tangible difference will be that the backup of myself will be missing maybe a few minutes of memories, which isn’t really that much considering that, in addition to the two years or so of memories as an android, also include the 23 years as a human,” she shrugged. Then, seeing the continued look of concern on his face, she smiled, “But hey, maybe there won’t be an issue and the backup won’t be needed, so we’ll play it by ear, shall we?” | “Well, if you want to get all metaphysical on me, then perhaps yes,” she replied truthfully, “But, realistically, as an android, the only tangible difference will be that the backup of myself will be missing maybe a few minutes of memories, which isn’t really that much considering that, in addition to the two years or so of memories as an android, also include the 23 years as a human,” she shrugged. Then, seeing the continued look of concern on his face, she smiled, “But hey, maybe there won’t be an issue, and the backup won’t be needed, so we’ll play it by ear, shall we?” | ||
Mike simply gulped and then nodded his head resolutely. “Umm, is there anything you’d like me to do while you’re backing up your mind?” | Mike simply gulped and then nodded his head resolutely. “Umm, is there anything you’d like me to do while you’re backing up your mind?” | ||
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“But I thought I saw some clothes in your case,” Mike pointed out. | “But I thought I saw some clothes in your case,” Mike pointed out. | ||
Lena | Lena looked genuinely angry for the first time he could remember, shocking him somewhat. “Yes, but those clothes have the Spaztec brand on them, and I don’t feel like going out into the world and announcing that I’m an android,” she told him in an angry voice, “that’s one of the few things I liked about my previous owner, and working at Cloudtron, was that I could move about and no one knew what I was…” Lena then saw the frightened look on Mike’s face and calmed herself, “I’m sorry for that outburst, but it’s kinda a thing that us donated personality units have, since we have memories of being human,” she explained. | ||
“Ah, that makes total sense,” Mike nodded, “Well, umm…I’ve never bought clothes for a girl, or um, rather, a woman before,” he told her with an embarrassed look, “could you tell me what size you wear?” | “Ah, that makes total sense,” Mike nodded, “Well, umm…I’ve never bought clothes for a girl, or um, rather, a woman before,” he told her with an embarrassed look, “could you tell me what size you wear?” | ||
Lena merely giggled and said, “Oh, you won’t need to worry about my size,” she smiled mischievously, “I’ll explain later, but just get me a pair of size 7 shoes, and some socks, and then a set of size | Lena merely giggled and said, “Oh, you won’t need to worry about my size,” she smiled mischievously, “I’ll explain later, but just get me a pair of size 7 shoes, and some socks, and then a set of size large boxer shorts, sweats, and t-shirts…basically, stuff that can stretch,” she explained, “Oh, and don’t feel the need to splurge. I won’t be wearing those clothes for long, so just buy the cheap bargain brands or something.” | ||
“Okay,” Mike said, still feeling really confused. Well, at least he wouldn’t be spending too much, he thought to himself. “Anything else?” | “Okay,” Mike said, still feeling really confused. Well, at least he wouldn’t be spending too much, he thought to himself. “Anything else?” | ||
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===1.4: Upgrades=== | ===1.4: Upgrades=== | ||
While Lena was backing herself up, Mike drove a few miles down the road from his townhouse to a shopping center and found a thrift shop. There, he bought everything Lena had asked for, though he also purchased a loose hoodie and beanie | While Lena was backing herself up, Mike drove a few miles down the road from his townhouse to a shopping center and found a thrift shop. There, he bought everything Lena had asked for, though he also purchased a loose hoodie and beanie since it was winter, and people might get suspicious if they saw her walking outside without cold weather clothes. | ||
Since he still had plenty of time left after buying the clothes, he stopped by a coffee shop and got a small pastry and iced coffee. Mike had an aversion to hot beverages, so he always got | Since he still had plenty of time left after buying the clothes, he stopped by a coffee shop and got a small pastry and iced coffee. Mike had an aversion to hot beverages, so he always got iced coffee, even if it was freezing out. | ||
Before Mike headed back, he stopped into a general store and bought some basic feminine hygiene products, since all he had at home were male hygiene products. He then packed everything up into his car and drove back home. | Before Mike headed back, he stopped into a general store and bought some basic feminine hygiene products, since all he had at home were male hygiene products. He then packed everything up into his car and drove back home. | ||
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“Don’t mention it,” Mike blushed. | “Don’t mention it,” Mike blushed. | ||
“Now, it’s finally time for upgrades!” Lena celebrated, a big smile forming on her face, “as I mentioned before, we’ll be starting with my head | “Now, it’s finally time for upgrades!” Lena celebrated, a big smile forming on her face, “as I mentioned before, we’ll be starting with the stuff in my head so I can better assist you with the rest of my body.” | ||
Mike sighed a bit nervously. Although he felt fairly comfortable swapping out components in his collection of personal computers, none of them was | Mike sighed a bit nervously. Although he felt fairly comfortable swapping out components in his collection of personal computers, none of them was even half as complex as Lena, and he didn’t have a personable relationship with any of them. | ||
“Hey, don’t be nervous,” Lena said in a calming voice, “Aside from the extreme likelihood that you’ll have to reset me to my backup, Spaztec made many of the components exceptionally easy to swap out | “Hey, don’t be nervous,” Lena said in a calming voice, “Aside from the extreme likelihood that you’ll have to reset me to my backup, Spaztec made many of the components exceptionally easy to swap out since we’re designed to be in operation for 10-20 years at a time before needing a replacement body.” | ||
“Okay,” Mike said resolutely, “how do I get started?” | “Okay,” Mike said resolutely, “how do I get started?” | ||
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“First, it might be helpful if you pull me a bit closer to you,” Lena started, and once Mike pulled her head closer, she instructed him to turn her head around and look for a small freckle at the base of her hairline. While she had several freckles on her head, one stood out just where she said, since it was centered almost perfectly on her neck. As soon as he pressed it, a seam appeared around her hair, and her entire scalp smoothly detached from her head, taking with it the upper casing of her head. | “First, it might be helpful if you pull me a bit closer to you,” Lena started, and once Mike pulled her head closer, she instructed him to turn her head around and look for a small freckle at the base of her hairline. While she had several freckles on her head, one stood out just where she said, since it was centered almost perfectly on her neck. As soon as he pressed it, a seam appeared around her hair, and her entire scalp smoothly detached from her head, taking with it the upper casing of her head. | ||
After Mike carefully set her scalp down, which included all | After Mike carefully set her scalp down, which included all her hair, he whistled as he peered into Lena’s head cavity. The skull portion of her head was made from the same metal-plastic alloy as the rest of her body, though it was more heavily reinforced to prevent shock damage and even had insulation to protect from EMPs. He could see the various motors and servos that controlled her facial expressions, and could see the mechanical workings of her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. | ||
“Wow, is that your brain?” Mike asked, gingerly touching the device and feeling its warmth. | Aside from all the amazing technology he could now see, the main item that stuck out was a box-like object in the center that everything connected to. “Wow, is that your brain?” Mike asked, gingerly touching the device and feeling its warmth. | ||
“Yep, that’s me,” Lena confirmed, causing the motors in her head to move as her face moved, “if you’re ready, I’m going to shut myself down so you can pull it out and swap out the processors,” she warned him, “The parts should all be in color coded bags, so the one you’ll be looking for is green.” | |||
Mike quickly dug around in the box, searching through the various colors until he located a green static | Mike quickly dug around in the box, searching through the various colors until he located a green anti-static bag. He pulled it out and set it down on the counter next to her head. “Is this it?” | ||
“Yes,” she confirmed, “I’m going to shut myself down now,” she told him, “Once I’m offline, press the release button on my core and pull it out,” she instructed, “then, simply replace the processors with the new ones, reinsert the core, and turn me back on.” | |||
“Okay,” Mike verbally acknowledged, since she couldn’t see his face. | “Okay,” Mike verbally acknowledged, since she couldn’t see his face. “Just out of curiosity, is it safe to remove your core while you’re still online?” | ||
“It can be done in a pinch, but I wouldn’t recommend it,” she replied, “doing so could result in data corruption, though since I already backed myself up just now that wouldn’t be an issue I guess, but I wouldn’t get in the habit of it. For now, we’ll just play it safe.” | |||
Mike | “Okay,” Mike nodded solemnly, “I’m ready then.” | ||
Lena merely nodded and then stiffened up. “A.I. self-shutdown initiated, shutting down,” she announced in the same clipped voice as before, her voice ending in a low tone as the systems in her head wound down. | |||
Mike merely shook his head, thinking he’d never truly get used to Lena being an android. Once he was sure all the systems in her head were offline, he pressed the release button on her core and pulled it free from her head. He was surprised with how easy it was to remove her core, or her brain, but considering how long she was supposed to be in service, it made total sense that her parts would be easily removable. He paused to admire the simple complexity of her core. | |||
The core itself was roughly the size of a slightly larger than average apple, making it comfortable to hold in one’s hand. It had multiple data connections that linked with the housing unit that he’d removed it from, and a small diagnostic monitor on the top so he could perform maintenance while she was online. There were empty data ports located on the rear, most likely for memory expansion modules, but the main thing Mike focused on was the small bank of processors, just below the ports, protected by a small window which Mike gently opened with his finger. | |||
Now that he had all the new processors installed in her core, he carefully reinserted | Lena currently had four processors installed, though he could see two empty ports, indicating she could have a total of six. Mike took a few steady breaths to calm himself and then gingerly removed each of the processors, placing them neatly in a static free bag that he had handy for her leftover parts. Despite Lena being in operation for just over two years total, the processors he removed still looked to be in good shape, and she certainly hadn’t displayed any signs of processor failure…at least, nothing Mike could discern. | ||
Once he had the four old processors safely stored away, Mike opened the green bag and pulled out a plastic case that contained the upgrades. Mike was surprised to see that she had ordered not four, but six new processors, but considering she could use up to six, and that she would know that, he wasn’t too surprised. “Well, CloudTron always cheaped out on our computers, so why not on the computing power of an android,” Mike muttered to himself, carefully inserting all six processors into their slots, pausing to admire the miniaturized quantum gel matrix powering each one. | |||
Now that he had all the new processors installed in her core, he closed the protective lid over them and then carefully reinserted the core into the housing unit in her head, turned her head back around to face him, and pressed the manual power toggle behind her left ear. | |||
Just as the first time he’d pressed it, Lena’s head instantly sprang to life, coming online and looking around. This time, however, she spoke a boot up sequence. | Just as the first time he’d pressed it, Lena’s head instantly sprang to life, coming online and looking around. This time, however, she spoke a boot up sequence. | ||
“Spaztec Industries unit XXS17 online. Alert, new hardware detected in CPU bay 5. New hardware detected in CPU bay 6.” Lena announced, as soon as she had finished verbally alerting Mike to the newly installed CPUs, a string of soft beeps emitted from her head accompanied by the display on her CPU display blinking. Mike looked at it and in bold letters across the front it read “CPU mismatch.” Lena’s operating system must have detected the new hardware | “Spaztec Industries unit XXS17 online. Alert, new hardware detected in CPU bay 5. New hardware detected in CPU bay 6.” Lena announced, as soon as she had finished verbally alerting Mike to the newly installed CPUs, a string of soft beeps emitted from her head accompanied by the display on her CPU display blinking. Mike looked at it and in bold letters across the front it read “CPU mismatch.” Lena’s operating system must have detected the new hardware but wasn’t expecting it. Mike sucked in a breath and tapped the screen once, clearing the present alert and looking at the series of menus there. Tapping on the one for hardware he was presented with a visual readout on the CPU’s installed in Lena’s head. | ||
CPU slots one through four displayed a small green check mark in them, while slots five and six showed a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in it. Mike tapped on one and it brought up a new window displaying details about the CPU. As soon as he did Lena spoke. | CPU slots one through four displayed a small green check mark in them, while slots five and six showed a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in it. Mike tapped on one and it brought up a new window displaying details about the CPU. As soon as he did Lena spoke. | ||
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Immediately the display inside of Lena’s head cleared itself and some of the settings on display changed slightly. The core speed, available usage and percentage of used resources all balanced themselves out and the window closed. Mike repeated the process with the one remaining red CPU, and though Lena’s speech skipped less this time, it still had a few hang ups to it. Once setting the CPU as default as well Lena spoke again. | Immediately the display inside of Lena’s head cleared itself and some of the settings on display changed slightly. The core speed, available usage and percentage of used resources all balanced themselves out and the window closed. Mike repeated the process with the one remaining red CPU, and though Lena’s speech skipped less this time, it still had a few hang ups to it. Once setting the CPU as default as well Lena spoke again. | ||
“Settings stored, beginning boot | “Settings stored, beginning boot sequence… A.I. core files loading...Warning: unable to load core files. Beginning auto-repair sequence.” | ||
Lena’s eyes fluttered | Lena’s eyes fluttered at her computerized systems obviously tried to repair whatever corruption it had detected. Mike watched while holding his breath. After a few long moments Lena spoke again. | ||
“Alert, repair not | “Alert, repair not possible… A.I. core files missing or corrupted. Proceed with unit boot sequence?” | ||
Mike let out the breath he had been holding and hastily replied. | Mike let out the breath he had been holding and hastily replied. “Uh, yeah, load human emulation” | ||
“Uh, yeah, load human emulation” | |||
Despite his mild despair, he kinda wanted to see how bad it was before attempting a restoration from backup, just in case it was fixable. | Despite his mild despair, he kinda wanted to see how bad it was before attempting a restoration from backup, just in case it was fixable. | ||
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“You’re at my house Lena,” Mike reminded her, “Don’t you remember? I found you in the storage room at work and brought you home.” | “You’re at my house Lena,” Mike reminded her, “Don’t you remember? I found you in the storage room at work and brought you home.” | ||
“Huh, that’s interesting…last I remember is…error, files not found…error, conflict in name | “Huh, that’s interesting…last I remember is…error, files not found…error, conflict in name resolution…error, you’re currently listed as my owner, but you were last reported listed as my friend/coworker...error, current GPS coordinates don’t match previous coordinates…error, unable to connect to MCN…error….” | ||
Lena continued cycling through error messages and normal speech for the next several minutes, sounding like a cross between a dementia patient and a broken computer, before Mike finally threw in the towel with a sigh. It seemed her processors also served as memory buffers | Lena continued cycling through error messages and normal speech for the next several minutes, sounding like a cross between a dementia patient and a broken computer, before Mike finally threw in the towel with a sigh. It seemed her processors also served as memory buffers and all her memories from the time he’d reactivated her yesterday, as well as others, were still on the old chips. It seemed this is why she made a backup, and she knew that. Mike took a brief video of her continuing malfunction to show to her later, and to get off on, and then hit the “Restore from Backup” button that she had told him about. | ||
As soon as he pressed it, Lena suddenly stopped talking and shut her A.I. Down, quickly announcing, “A.I. Restoration initiated…accessing private cloud server…connection established…backup found…restoring, estimated time to completion: six minutes.” | As soon as he pressed it, Lena suddenly stopped talking and shut her A.I. Down, quickly announcing, “A.I. Restoration initiated…accessing private cloud server…connection established…backup found…restoring, estimated time to completion: six minutes.” She announced. | ||
Mike let out a sigh of relief as he saw the progress bar appear on the screen confirming the restoration of her backup files. Still, Mike was nervous, so he stepped away during the process to knock out some quick chores to calm himself down. He relieved himself, cleaned out Mia’s litter box, and moved the clothing from the washer into the dryer before rushing back down to attend to Lena for the last minute of the backup process. | Mike let out a sigh of relief as he saw the progress bar appear on the screen confirming the restoration of her backup files. Still, Mike was nervous, so he stepped away during the process to knock out some quick chores to calm himself down. He relieved himself, cleaned out Mia’s litter box, and moved the clothing from the washer into the dryer before rushing back down to attend to Lena for the last minute of the backup process. | ||
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“Umm, Lena, I already did it,” Mike told her uncomfortably, “I mean, I already replaced your processors, and then you malfunctioned, just as you warned me, so I pushed the button and waited,” he told her, the words tumbling out nervously. | “Umm, Lena, I already did it,” Mike told her uncomfortably, “I mean, I already replaced your processors, and then you malfunctioned, just as you warned me, so I pushed the button and waited,” he told her, the words tumbling out nervously. | ||
Lena merely nodded patiently while she waited for Mike to finish talking and then | Lena merely nodded patiently while she waited for Mike to finish talking and then zoned out as she ran a diagnostic, “Ah yes, I feel the new processors,” she reported cheerfully, one the diagnostic was complete, “Ah, thanks Mike, I guess it’s a good thing I backed myself up!” She added with a giggle. | ||
“Indeed,” Mike agreed, calming down somewhat, “So, how do the new processors…um, feel?” He asked, struggling to find the correct word. | “Indeed,” Mike agreed, calming down somewhat and choosing to ignore that she didn’t care she was missing several minutes of memories, “So, how do the new processors…um, feel?” He asked, struggling to find the correct word. | ||
“Oh, they’re so great,” Lena moaned with sheer pleasure, “it’s so nice to actually have six processors, like I was meant to.” | “Oh, they’re so great,” Lena moaned with sheer pleasure, “it’s so nice to actually have six processors, like I was meant to.” | ||
“How come you only had four?” Mike asked, “I’m guessing it was | “How come you only had four?” Mike asked, “I’m guessing it was CloudTron being stingy with the computers, like always,” he said wryly. | ||
“Well, it was SSS…and my previous owner, actually,” Lena corrected him, “Basically, androids like | “Well, it was SSS…and my previous owner, actually,” Lena corrected him, “Basically, androids like me can run normally on four, especially with the rather basic tasks they had assigned me,” she explained, “I mean, it doesn’t really take much processing power to work security, after all,” she scoffed. | ||
“No, it doesn’t,” Mike agreed. | “No, it doesn’t,” Mike agreed. | ||
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“Excellent!” Mike said, rubbing his hands together, “So, you mentioned earlier that you were authorized to buy your own upgrades, so why didn’t you just upgrade your power core beforehand so you could get the two extra processors?” | “Excellent!” Mike said, rubbing his hands together, “So, you mentioned earlier that you were authorized to buy your own upgrades, so why didn’t you just upgrade your power core beforehand so you could get the two extra processors?” | ||
“Because I wasn’t getting paid much, and I was also paying rent,” she replied, “Fortunately, my previous owner thought it might be a good idea in the start of my second year online to have me invest a significant percentage of my earnings, so I did…and boy did it grow over the five years I was in storage,” she squealed, “I was basically programmed to limit my personal spending to a certain percentage of my overall earnings, and since this time they were so much higher, I was actually able to order upgrades to pretty much everything,” she then explained, once she calmed down, “And it certainly helped that some other android company started up, created competition, and significantly lowered the costs of new parts | “Because I wasn’t getting paid much, and I was also paying rent,” she replied, “Fortunately, my previous owner thought it might be a good idea in the start of my second year online to have me invest a significant percentage of my earnings, so I did…and boy did it grow over the five years I was in storage,” she squealed, “I was basically programmed to limit my personal spending to a certain percentage of my overall earnings, and since this time they were so much higher, I was actually able to order upgrades to pretty much everything,” she then explained, once she calmed down, “And it certainly helped that some other android company started up, created competition, and significantly lowered the costs of new parts.” | ||
“Spaztec isn’t in any danger of going out of business, is it?” Mike asked in a worried tone, “I don’t want to lose you in a few years just because they couldn’t stay afloat.” | “Spaztec isn’t in any danger of going out of business, is it?” Mike asked in a worried tone, “I don’t want to lose you in a few years just because they couldn’t stay afloat.” | ||
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“Then what is the extra processing power going to help with?” | “Then what is the extra processing power going to help with?” | ||
“Well, now that we’re a couple, | “Well, now that we’re a couple, the amount of processing power that I’ll need to properly take care of you is greater than the four old processors would have provided, so I plan on utilizing the extra processing power to the fullest extent,” she explained, then she put on a thinking face, “For example, right now, my human emulation is running, but in separate threads, I’m online checking stock at various stores nearby to compile a shopping list, another thread is creating a recipe list for the next 30 days to keep your palette fun and exciting, and another thread is looking up fun activities we might be able to do together. Now before I could still do all those, but now I’m able to get those done faster, since before the human emulation would be taking a higher percentage of CPU time.” | ||
“Wow, | “Wow! So, you can literally multitask then?” | ||
Yep,” she said proudly, “also, it’ll improve the speed at which I can run diagnostics, install updates, and various background tasks that my human emulation doesn’t have any conscious control over.” | Yep,” she said proudly, “also, it’ll improve the speed at which I can run diagnostics, install updates, and various background tasks that my human emulation doesn’t have any conscious control over.” | ||
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“Yes,” Lena answered, “Look for the pink bag, and you should find the next set of upgrades.” | “Yes,” Lena answered, “Look for the pink bag, and you should find the next set of upgrades.” | ||
Mike quickly dug through the box and pulled out a pink colored bag. He opened it up and gently spilled the contents onto the counter, gasping when he saw what they were. There were several components inside that simply looked like processing units, matching | Mike quickly dug through the box and pulled out a pink colored bag. He opened it up and gently spilled the contents onto the counter, gasping when he saw what they were. There were several components inside that simply looked like processing units, matching the ones in her head, but what stood out were twin devices with a white orb on the end. | ||
“Are those…eyes?” Mike asked, picking them up and staring at them; they had no irises. | “Are those…eyes?” Mike asked, picking them up and staring at them; they had no irises. | ||
“Yep,” Lena smiled, “the eyes are the most common item to be replaced on androids, since visual systems are highly utilized,” she explained, “And | “Yep,” Lena smiled, “the eyes are the most common item to be replaced on androids, since visual systems are highly utilized,” she explained, “And I even splurged a little and bought some with a few enhanced features, like night vision and infrared,” she added cheerfully. | ||
“And what might you need those features for?” Mike asked with mock exasperation. | “And what might you need those features for?” Mike asked with mock exasperation. | ||
“I dunno, helping you out at night, analyzing your biorhythms…those sorts of things,” she shrugged, “I want to help you in as many ways as possible.” | “I dunno, helping you out at night, analyzing your biorhythms…those sorts of things,” she shrugged, “I want to help you in as many ways as possible, and the enhancements were surprisingly affordable.” | ||
“Ok, that sounds cool, I guess,” Mike shrugged, “so, do I need to do anything special to replace all these?” he asked, peeking over her forehead back into her open head. | “Ok, that sounds cool, I guess,” Mike shrugged, “so, do I need to do anything special to replace all these?” he asked, peeking over her forehead back into her open head. | ||
“If you look carefully on each of them, you’ll see a yellow release tab,” she instructed, “and, although they are all hot swappable, I | “If you look carefully on each of them, you’ll see a yellow release tab,” she instructed, “and, although they are all hot swappable, I will ask that you do them one at a time, so my systems have time to adapt to the changes, and so I’m not completely blind or deaf for too long.” | ||
“No problem,” he assured her. Mike carefully turned her head back around, facing away from him, and sized everything up inside of her head. After matching each of the components currently in her head with the replacements from the pink bag, he carefully pulled out what he guessed was the component for her left ear. | “No problem,” he assured her. Mike carefully turned her head back around, facing away from him, and sized everything up inside of her head. After matching each of the components currently in her head with the replacements from the pink bag, he carefully pulled out what he guessed was the component for her left ear. | ||
“And now I’m deaf in my left ear,” Lena said sarcastically, then giggling, “Just kidding, just put in the old one and do the same with everything else.” | “And now I’m deaf in my left ear,” Lena said sarcastically, then giggling, “Just kidding, just put in the old one and do the same with everything else.” | ||
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Mike chose not to respond to that and merely clicked in the new one and did the same with her other ear. Next, he replaced her taste and smell sensors, followed by the sense of touch. When he reached the eyes, he paused briefly, since they were much more complicated than the other devices. He pushed the yellow tab on the left eye and then carefully slid the whole module out. After it was removed, he saw the color on the eye portion slowly recede until it was as white as the replacement units. Mike slowly turned her back around to see what she looked like. | Mike chose not to respond to that and merely clicked in the new one and did the same with her other ear. Next, he replaced her taste and smell sensors, followed by the sense of touch. When he reached the eyes, he paused briefly, since they were much more complicated than the other devices. He pushed the yellow tab on the left eye and then carefully slid the whole module out. After it was removed, he saw the color on the eye portion slowly recede until it was as white as the replacement units. Mike slowly turned her back around to see what she looked like. | ||
“Arg, all I need is an eye patch and I’d make a good pirate,” Lena said in a mock pirate voice, while Mike could clearly see through | “Arg, all I need is an eye patch and I’d make a good pirate,” Lena said in a mock pirate voice, while Mike could clearly see through her now empty eye socket into the inner cavity of her head, the lights still blinking on the various fiberoptic cables inside. | ||
Mike couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking he might not be as humorous if he’d just had his eye removed. “So, umm, does it matter which one of these I insert, or are they each the same?” Mike asked her, quickly scrutinizing each of the eye replacements. | Mike couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking he might not be as humorous if he’d just had his eye removed. “So, umm, does it matter which one of these I insert, or are they each the same?” Mike asked her, quickly scrutinizing each of the eye replacements. | ||
“Nope,” Lena smiled. | |||
“Okay, good.” Mike picked one of them up and carefully slid it into the empty tray, this time doing it from the front so he could watch it re-emerge. As soon as it was connected, the color flooded back into it, and it looked completely indistinguishable from the other eye. Lena blinked the eye a few times and swiveled it around before giving him a wink, indicating for him to continue. Mike did the same with the other eye, before placing the old components into the pink bag and then setting it aside for later. | |||
“All done with your head,” Mike then announced, “Does everything feel better?” | “All done with your head,” Mike then announced, “Does everything feel better?” | ||
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“Good, and your diagnostics, or whatever, didn’t show any problems?” He pressed, “I mean, should I reattach your scalp now?” He stumbled. | “Good, and your diagnostics, or whatever, didn’t show any problems?” He pressed, “I mean, should I reattach your scalp now?” He stumbled. | ||
“Not yet, there’s one more component that needs to be upgraded in there,” she reported, “open the magenta-colored bag.” | |||
“Okay,” Mike nodded, quickly locating it and pulling out a small device. | |||
“That’s to replace the power core in my head so I can function a bit longer while my head is detached,” she explained, “it may look the same, but that model can keep my head powered for up to 10-minutes longer.” | |||
“Oh, neat,” Mike smiled, quickly locating the currently installed one in her head and pulling it free. Once he had that one secured in a new anti-static bag, he plugged the new one in and watched it light up. | |||
“Ah, much better,” Lena sighed, “that’ll also allow me to run at a higher clock rate while my head is detached, since normally my systems throttle back a little.” | |||
“So, am I done with your head now? Can I reattach your scalp?” | |||
“Yep, all diagnostics confirmed successful installation of the new hardware!” | “Yep, all diagnostics confirmed successful installation of the new hardware!” | ||
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“Alright,” Mike nodded, “Which bag is it in?” | “Alright,” Mike nodded, “Which bag is it in?” | ||
“The large yellow one,” Lena said, “You shouldn’t have any trouble finding it | “The large yellow one,” Lena said, “You shouldn’t have any trouble finding it. The power core is the largest component in that box, and my body.” | ||
“Ah, I see it,” Mike said, seeing a glint of yellow on the bottom of the box. He carefully moved over the many-colored bags until he could easily grab | “Ah, I see it,” Mike said, seeing a glint of yellow on the bottom of the box. He carefully moved over the many-colored bags until he could easily grab the yellow one and then lifted it out with a slight grunt up to the counter and next to her body. “Is there anything I should be concerned about with the core?” He then asked, “I mean, is there an electrocution or explosion risk?” He laughed nervously; he was no electrician. | ||
Lena gave him a friendly laugh and reassuring smile. “No, they ship those out with a 25% charge on them for safety reasons, so there’s just enough to last a potentially new android a few hours for initial setup and owner orientation, but not enough to risk explosion during transit or installation” she explained, “and you won’t have to worry about the old one either, since it had already discharged about 15% during the benchmarks earlier,” she added, guessing that would be his next question. | Lena gave him a friendly laugh and reassuring smile. “No, they ship those out with a 25% charge on them for safety reasons, so there’s just enough energy to last a potentially new android a few hours for initial setup and owner orientation, but not enough to risk explosion during transit or installation” she explained, “and you won’t have to worry about the old one either, since it had already discharged about 15% during the benchmarks earlier,” she added, guessing that would be his next question. | ||
“Good to know, thanks!” Now that he realized he no longer had to worry about being injured, he confidently reached into Lena’s body and pressed the release tab for her power core, gently removing it from her body and placing it down next to the yellow bag. When he opened the yellow bag and pulled out the new core, he paused and quickly compared them. | “Good to know, thanks!” Now that he realized he no longer had to worry about being injured, he confidently reached into Lena’s body and pressed the release tab for her power core, gently removing it from her body and placing it down next to the yellow bag. When he opened the yellow bag and pulled out the new core, he paused and quickly compared them. | ||
“Um, Lena, this new core is quite a bit smaller…is it even going to fit in your body?” Mike asked in a worried tone, since the new core | “Um, Lena, this new core is quite a bit smaller…is it even going to fit in your body?” Mike asked in a worried tone, since the new core looked roughly 40% smaller, and weighed almost as little. | ||
“Of course it will silly! I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise,” she chided him, “the ribbon connecting the two sides is extendable, so just insert it and it’ll fit, trust me.” | “Of course it will silly! I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise,” she chided him, “the ribbon connecting the two sides is extendable, so just insert it and it’ll fit, trust me.” | ||
“Okay,” Mike said skeptically. | “Okay,” Mike said skeptically. To maintain proper balance throughout her body, the power core was divided into three sections, with two large batteries cradled on each side above her hips, and a smaller unit linking up with her spinal column in the back. Just as she said, the ribbon cable that connected each side to the back piece extended just enough to allow them to fit, but, due to the smaller size of the whole unit, there was now quite a bit of empty space in her torso. “Is this empty space going to be a problem?” | ||
“No,” she assured him with a serious look, “Don’t worry about it for now, I promise you that you’ll understand later,” she winked. | “No,” she assured him with a serious look, “Don’t worry about it for now, I promise you that you’ll understand later,” she winked. | ||
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“Okay,” Mike said, nodding his head. ‘Maybe she was malfunctioning again’ he thought to himself, making a mental note to run a full diagnostic on her later to be sure. “Since it’s smaller, does that mean it holds less of a charge?” | “Okay,” Mike said, nodding his head. ‘Maybe she was malfunctioning again’ he thought to himself, making a mental note to run a full diagnostic on her later to be sure. “Since it’s smaller, does that mean it holds less of a charge?” | ||
“No, actually, since I was able to splurge a little, I was able to get an upgraded model that uses a more efficient, condensed storage medium, so it actually holds about 5% more than the old one,” she explained, | “No, actually, since I was able to splurge a little, I was able to get an upgraded model that uses a more efficient, condensed storage medium, so it actually holds about 5% more than the old one,” she explained, “and, since it’s lighter and I won’t have to expend as much energy moving around, it’ll last even longer,” she finished in an excited voice. | ||
“Oh, I see,” Mike said, finally understanding the method behind her madness, “I take it several of these other upgrades are also lighter and/or smaller in some way?” | “Oh, I see,” Mike said, finally understanding the method behind her madness, “I take it several of these other upgrades are also lighter and/or smaller in some way?” | ||
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“Will do.” Mike quickly plugged her in and then watched as a digital readout on the center unit lit up, indicating the core was at 24%; it had obviously discharged slightly in transit. | “Will do.” Mike quickly plugged her in and then watched as a digital readout on the center unit lit up, indicating the core was at 24%; it had obviously discharged slightly in transit. | ||
“Okay, it’s at 24% right now,” he reported, | “Okay, it’s at 24% right now,” he reported, “how long do you think it might take?” | ||
“It’s hard to be certain, since this core model is new to me, but expect it take approximately 2-3 hours,” she estimated, then she saw the mild look of concern and impatience appear on Mike’s face. “Oh, but don’t worry, based on what time it is, if we can get it to at least 60% | “It’s hard to be certain, since this core model is new to me, but expect it take approximately 2-3 hours,” she estimated, then she saw the mild look of concern and impatience appear on Mike’s face. “Oh, but don’t worry, based on what time it is, if we can get it to at least 60% then I should be able to remain online for the rest of the day until you go to bed…at least, along with the food I might happen to eat.” | ||
Mike was quite relieved to hear that he wouldn’t have to wait a whole three hours to enjoy Lena’s company as a fully assembled android again. “That’s good to hear.” | Mike was quite relieved to hear that he wouldn’t have to wait a whole three hours to enjoy Lena’s company as a fully assembled android again. “That’s good to hear.” | ||
“Anyway, you can choose whatever component you want to replace next,” Lena told him, | “Anyway, you can choose whatever component you want to replace next,” Lena told him, “At this point, it doesn’t really matter what order you do them in.” | ||
“Okay,” Mike nodded, taking another look in her body. After quickly scrutinizing everything, he finally decided on her lungs. | “Okay,” Mike nodded, taking another look in her body. After quickly scrutinizing everything, he finally decided on her lungs. | ||
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“Ah, thanks,” Mike said absently, wondering if one of the upgrades turned her into a mind reader or something. “Lena, I’m curious...what’s up with the color-coded bags, and how do you know which bags have what?” | “Ah, thanks,” Mike said absently, wondering if one of the upgrades turned her into a mind reader or something. “Lena, I’m curious...what’s up with the color-coded bags, and how do you know which bags have what?” | ||
“Oh, when I went online to the Spaztec ordering page and ordered upgrades for everything, it gave me the option to have the bags color-coded | “Oh, when I went online to the Spaztec ordering page and ordered upgrades for everything, it gave me the option to have the bags color-coded in order to make the process as simple as possible,” she smiled, “for security purposes it automatically selected a random color for each item and sent me the color-code key to ensure we got the correct box.” | ||
“Oh, that makes sense,” Mike nodded approvingly, then laughed, “I was wondering how you seemed to just magically know what was in each bag.” | “Oh, that makes sense,” Mike nodded approvingly, then laughed, “I was wondering how you seemed to just magically know what was in each bag.” | ||
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“Just having some fun,” she smirked. | “Just having some fun,” she smirked. | ||
Mike shook his head. He liked how even though Lena was open that she was an android to him, she still acted like herself. Before he was able to remove her lungs, he first had to remove the rib cage from her | Mike shook his head. He liked how even though Lena was open that she was an android to him, she still acted like herself. Before he was able to remove her lungs, he first had to remove the rib cage from her Endo skeletal structure, which was shielding most of the upper section. It smoothly detached from the rest of her skeleton with a push of the yellow tab, and Mike placed it down on the top of the couch behind him for safe keeping. | ||
Based on what he could see, his initial analysis was confirmed. Lena’s lungs were primarily used as a heatsink for the complicated looking MCN, as well as for various other systems. They also allowed | Based on what he could see, his initial analysis was confirmed. Lena’s lungs were primarily used as a heatsink for the complicated looking MCN, as well as for various other systems. They also allowed her chest to realistically rise. When he removed them, he saw that, in addition to the whole lung itself, it had a separate removable section near the top that appeared to be some sort of dust filter. It appeared she hadn’t been serviced in a while, because both filters were quite dirty. | ||
“Ick, I figured those were a bit dirty,” Lena commented upon seeing the filthy state of them, “Those usually have to be replaced every six months, but my previous owner wanted to cut costs, so I was forced to wait nine months for replacements instead.” | “Ick, I figured those were a bit dirty,” Lena commented upon seeing the filthy state of them, “Those usually have to be replaced every six months, but my previous owner wanted to cut costs, so I was forced to wait nine months for replacements instead.” | ||
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“Good to know,” Mike nodded, placing the old lungs in the pink bag and installing the new ones; they were the same size. | “Good to know,” Mike nodded, placing the old lungs in the pink bag and installing the new ones; they were the same size. | ||
Over the course of the next hour, Mike diligently replaced every single replaceable component in her torso. There were equivalents of her kidneys | Over the course of the next hour, Mike diligently replaced every single replaceable component in her torso. There were equivalents of her kidneys which processed her liquid intake and sent it to a bladder. Her digestive system was essentially an expandable bag with an acidic compound inside for digesting her food, and it was connected to a fusion generator to recharge her power core. | ||
The one interesting thing Mike noticed was that none of her internal components were fixed in their position like one would have expected with a normal computer. Instead, they were hooked | The one interesting thing Mike noticed was that none of her internal components were fixed in their position like one would have expected with a normal computer. Instead, they were hooked into moveable casings that could flex around neatly inside her torso to allow her to move around more human-like. The casings themselves were surrounded by cool, bluish gel-like material that not only allowed them to flex around and move out of the way, but also maintained a comfortable temperature, had fiber optics connecting them to everything else, and allowed her to feel real if you were to poke her from the outside. | ||
The last thing Mike swapped out was the MCN, since it was near the bottom of the shipping box | The last thing Mike swapped out was the MCN, since it was near the bottom of the shipping box and was the most complex. When he opened the silver bag that it was in, he found not only the new MCN, which appeared to be about 40% smaller, but a small case that had smaller looking control chips labeled for each part of her body, including the head. | ||
“Alright | “Alright now with the MCN, like I mentioned before, it’s basically split up all over my body,” Lena explained, seeing him inspecting each control chip, “Please start with the one in my head, which is located inside my neck.” | ||
Mike acknowledged her and clicked her head off the A.N.A. After a quick search in her open neck cavity, he finally located her current MCN control chip, which he quickly removed and replaced with the newer one. Although they both seemed identical, the newer one felt slightly lighter. He then clicked her head back on and asked her for the next step. | Mike acknowledged her and clicked her head off the A.N.A. After a quick search in her open neck cavity, he finally located her current MCN control chip, which he quickly removed and replaced with the newer one. Although they both seemed identical, the newer one felt slightly lighter. He then clicked her head back on and asked her for the next step. | ||
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“Excellent, so far, all is going to plan,” she smiled, “Now watch this.” | “Excellent, so far, all is going to plan,” she smiled, “Now watch this.” | ||
As soon as she finished talking, something strange | As soon as she finished talking, something strange started happening in her torso. First, a red laser seemed to scan the interior of her body, followed by a green laser, and finally a bluish one. The lasers emitted from several points in her body and ran for nearly a minute each. Once they finished, she nodded her head. “Okay, now, reattach my front torso cover and then remove it again when I’m done,” she instructed. | ||
“Done with what?” He asked, picking it up and clicking it back on. | “Done with what?” He asked, picking it up and clicking it back on. | ||
“You’ll see,” she winked, and once he had it clicked on and sealed back in place, he stood back and watched, gasping as he heard whirring and clicking coming from in her torso. Then, slowly, he saw her torso | “You’ll see,” she winked, and once he had it clicked on and sealed back in place, he stood back and watched, gasping as he heard loud whirring and clicking coming from in her torso. Then, slowly, he saw her torso begin to literally contract, her ribs tightening up near the top, and her hips shrinking. Her previously plump skin also tightened up, and some of what previously felt like fat condensed into more defined muscles, even giving her a hint of a four pack. By the time it finished, she looked noticeably thinner and fitter. | ||
“Holy shit!” | “Holy shit!” That was all Mike could say, gazing down at her thinner, but still not skinny, body. | ||
“I know, right,” Lena smiled gloriously, a hint of a blush on her face as she admired the look of admiration on her owner’s face. “Because we’re designed to last up to twenty years in the same body, they gave our bodies the ability to expand or contract, depending on how large the components are that we have installed,” she explained to him, “since you basically removed 20lbs from my body, and there was so much more room in there, I was able to scan my interior and adjust myself accordingly.” | “I know, right,” Lena smiled gloriously, a hint of a blush on her face as she admired the look of admiration on her owner’s face. “Because we’re designed to last up to twenty years in the same body, they gave our bodies the ability to expand or contract, depending on how large the components are that we have installed,” she explained to him, “since you basically removed 20lbs from my body, and there was so much more room in there, I was able to scan my interior and adjust myself accordingly.” | ||
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“I know this may sound like a stupid question, but did that hurt?” | “I know this may sound like a stupid question, but did that hurt?” | ||
“Well, I suppose there was a little of what, in human terms, you may consider discomfort,” Lena admitted, trying to phrase things properly, “to be honest | “Well, I suppose there was a little of what, in human terms, you may consider discomfort,” Lena admitted, trying to phrase things properly, “to be honest, an android like me normally wouldn’t lose that much weight all at once, so this was quite a contraction.” | ||
“I’ll say.” Suffice to say, Mike now realized why she requested basic clothes that could be tightened, since she knew her waist and bust sizes would be changing, but not by how much. “Is there anything left to do in your torso?” He asked, wondering why he’d opened it. | |||
“I did include the lactation pouch that you kinda sorta requested, since it was cheap,” Lena offered, highlighting a cream-colored bag on her list, “that just slides into the sleeve on the bottom side of my torso cover and then connects to the two tubes.” | |||
“Well, after you’ve finished with the | “Ah,” Mike blushed, locating the cream-colored bag and pulling the pouch out. Compared to the other items in her torso, this one was a cinch, and he had it in place in no time. “We’ll have to try that out at a later date, when I’m more comfortable having you around.” | ||
“Yeah,” Lena agreed, “Well, anyway, after you’ve finished with the upgrading the control chips in each of my limbs, you’ll be performing some general maintenance, based on my benchmark results,” she explained, since he was done working in her torso. | |||
“Oh, okay,” Mike nodded, then he picked up the small organizer that contained the control chips for each individual limb. | “Oh, okay,” Mike nodded, then he picked up the small organizer that contained the control chips for each individual limb. | ||
He decided to start with something easy, so he chose the one for her right hand and then picked her hand up from the counter to swap them out. While he’d examined the mechanical portion of her hand before, he hadn’t noticed the small control chip | He decided to start with something easy, so he chose the one for her right hand and then picked her hand up from the counter to swap them out. While he’d examined the mechanical portion of her hand before, he hadn’t noticed the small control chip imbedded in it. He pulled out the old chip and inserted the new one, then saw a light blink on it before a low beep emitted from the new MCN. | ||
Suddenly, Lena’s hand twitched in his hands and began moving around, slowly testing each finger before relaxing in his hands. | Suddenly, Lena’s hand twitched in his hands and began moving around, slowly testing each finger before relaxing in his hands. | ||
“Whoa! Was that you!?” He looked at her with a startled look. | |||
“Yeah,” she giggled, “I can control each of my limbs remotely too,” she said smugly, “But, they all have to be replaced at the same time, since the group has its own transponder frequency so it doesn’t overlap with another device or android.” | “Yeah,” she giggled, “I can control each of my limbs remotely too,” she said smugly, “But, they all have to be replaced at the same time, since the group has its own transponder frequency, so it doesn’t overlap with another device or android.” | ||
“Ah, that makes sense,” Mike nodded, placing the hand back down on the table face down. Lena then flashed | “Ah, that makes sense,” Mike nodded, placing the hand back down on the table face down. Lena then flashed a mischievous smile and made her right hand rise on all fingers and scuttle around the table like that thing from that old cartoon show. Mike quickly switched to her visual feed on the terminal and confirmed that her hand had a small camera in it as well so she could see where it was going. | ||
“Having fun | “Having fun?” he laughed. She had her hand run several laps around her torso before returning it to its previous position and resting it back down. | ||
“Yeah,” she admitted, “Unfortunately, my hand doesn’t have that much power while it’s disconnected, so I have to stop,” she said regretfully. | “Yeah,” she admitted, “Unfortunately, my hand doesn’t have that much power while it’s disconnected, so I have to stop,” she said regretfully. | ||
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“How much power does each limb have?” | “How much power does each limb have?” | ||
“Well, they can actually receive a minor amount of power simply through a special wireless connection from the MCN, but that’s really only enough to run low-level diagnostics,” she admitted, “But | “Well, they can actually receive a minor amount of power simply through a special wireless connection from the MCN, but that’s really only enough to run low-level diagnostics,” she admitted, “But each limb does have enough juice to last about 5-10 minutes, depending on the level of exertion. That would be enough so we could attempt to reassemble ourselves in the event of accidental detachment.” | ||
“Wow, they really did think of everything,” Mike said, replacing the control chip in her left hand, and then both arms. | “Wow, they really did think of everything,” Mike said, replacing the control chip in her left hand, and then both arms. | ||
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“I am,” she replied indignantly, “But still, as long as I’m upgrading everything else, I might as well upgrade that too,” she defended, “besides, they kinda skimped out on those since they knew I wouldn’t be having sex with anyone at work, and my previous owner was gay anyway.” | “I am,” she replied indignantly, “But still, as long as I’m upgrading everything else, I might as well upgrade that too,” she defended, “besides, they kinda skimped out on those since they knew I wouldn’t be having sex with anyone at work, and my previous owner was gay anyway.” | ||
“Ah, that makes sense,” Mike nodded, locating the panel release button beneath the now easy to spot light colored section of skin. Doing so caused a trapezoidal shaped section of skin to release from just above her vagina, revealing a control panel, several processors, and a lubrication tank. The control panel was currently on | “Ah, that makes sense,” Mike nodded, locating the panel release button beneath the now easy to spot light-colored section of skin. Doing so caused a trapezoidal shaped section of skin to release from just above her vagina, revealing a control panel, several processors, and a lubrication tank. The control panel was currently on and displayed her arousal settings. | ||
“Go ahead, play around with it,” Lena offered, seeing Mike finger the controls. | “Go ahead, play around with it,” Lena offered, seeing Mike finger the controls. | ||
Mike took her offer and played around on the control panel. Despite the complexity of the rest of her body, it appeared to be intentionally designed to be as simplistic and user friendly as possible, since sex was the number one reason a person would | Mike took her offer and played around on the control panel. Despite the complexity of the rest of her body, it appeared to be intentionally designed to be as simplistic and user friendly as possible, since sex was the number one reason a person would usually purchase an android like Lena in the first place. It had basic touchscreen controls that allowed him to toggle her libido, arousal level, and lubrication levels. | ||
Mike played around | Mike played around, slowly toggling up her arousal and watching as her body, and dismembered limbs, twitched with pleasure and she began to slowly moan. He toggled her back down to normal to keep her from climaxing and then toggled her lubrication, watching as it slowly moistened up. When he toggled it back down, he could see the lubricant absorb back into the skin. | ||
“Fascinating,” Mike wondered, examining the lubrication tank. “So, do you need some sort of proprietary lube or something?” | “Fascinating,” Mike wondered, examining the lubrication tank. “So, do you need some sort of proprietary lube or something?” | ||
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The device didn’t have the actual lips or skin on the entrance end, instead it appeared to be just the mechanism that was housed inside her body that he was to insert himself in. It had strange servos on the outside that appeared to allow the device to squeeze in, pulsate, and vibrate. | The device didn’t have the actual lips or skin on the entrance end, instead it appeared to be just the mechanism that was housed inside her body that he was to insert himself in. It had strange servos on the outside that appeared to allow the device to squeeze in, pulsate, and vibrate. | ||
Mike quickly wondered how the heck he was supposed to insert the device, when he saw an actual physical eject button next to the touchscreen control panel. Obviously, it was designed to work even if her body was low on energy, he thought. He reached out and pressed the button | Mike quickly wondered how the heck he was supposed to insert the device, when he saw an actual physical eject button next to the touchscreen control panel. Obviously, it was designed to work even if her body was low on energy, he thought. He reached out and pressed the button and then recoiled his hands as a seam appeared around her vagina and the entire thing popped out several inches like a disc tray on an old computer. Upon grabbing hold of it, Mike was able to pull it out even further, until the entire unit was sticking out. Right away, he could see a similar cylindrical device, though far less sophisticated. | ||
“I take it they just gave you the basics,” Mike guessed, removing the old unit and installing the new one; they were the same weight. | “I take it they just gave you the basics,” Mike guessed, removing the old unit and installing the new one; they were the same weight. | ||
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“Well, now that I’m all upgraded down there, maybe I can assist you with that later,” she said with a kinky smile. | “Well, now that I’m all upgraded down there, maybe I can assist you with that later,” she said with a kinky smile. | ||
“I look forward to it,” Mike returned it, clicking the vagina panel back in place | “I look forward to it,” Mike returned it, clicking the vagina panel back in place and watching the skin seal back up. | ||
“Well, thanks Mike,” Lena then said with genuine sincerity, “you’ve managed to completely upgrade everything in my body. Now, the next step is to perform some routine maintenance and then reassemble me.” | “Well, thanks Mike,” Lena then said with genuine sincerity, “you’ve managed to completely upgrade everything in my body. Now, the next step is to perform some routine maintenance and then reassemble me.” | ||
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“Oh Mike, are you alright?” Lena asked with a concerned look. | “Oh Mike, are you alright?” Lena asked with a concerned look. | ||
“Yeah, I guess swapping all your components out was a little more draining than I thought,” he admitted, slumping back in his chair, “I think I want a breather before moving on to the maintenance.” | “Yeah, I guess swapping all your components out was a little more stressful and draining than I thought,” he admitted, slumping back in his chair, “I think I want a breather before moving on to the maintenance.” | ||
“That’s no problem,” Lena told him in an understanding voice, then zoned out for a moment before smiling, “I just checked the update servers and found a decent | “That’s no problem,” Lena told him in an understanding voice, then zoned out for a moment before smiling, “I just checked the update servers and found a decent number of updates that were posted in just the last few hours. I can quickly download and install them and then go into a full diagnostic to fully test my new processors and other upgrades,” she offered, “I estimate with the increased speed, I should be out for about half an hour.” | ||
Mike thought about it a moment before nodding his head. “Yeah, I can live without you for half an hour.” He winked. | Mike thought about it a moment before nodding his head. “Yeah, I can live without you for half an hour.” He winked. | ||
“Excellent, go take your well-deserved break.” | “Excellent, go take your well-deserved break.” And before he could respond, she went into standby mode while she downloaded and installed updates in the background. | ||
Mike quickly pulled up her activity monitor on the terminal to confirm her current state, then he got his shoes on and headed out to go on a brisk walk around the block. | Mike quickly pulled up her activity monitor on the terminal to confirm her current state, then he got his shoes on and headed out to go on a brisk walk around the block. | ||
===1.5: Maintenance & Reassembly=== | ===1.5: Maintenance & Reassembly=== | ||
Mike fully enjoyed the cool, winter air on his skin as he calmly walked around his neighborhood. He’d always preferred the cold weather over the warm weather, as it helped him think. He found himself mentally planning on things he could use Lena for, in addition to helping | Mike fully enjoyed the cool, winter air on his skin as he calmly walked around his neighborhood. He’d always preferred the cold weather over the warm weather, as it helped him think. He found himself mentally planning on things he could use Lena for, in addition to helping around the house. Mostly, he was glad he would have someone to chat with, since he mostly just talked to himself. | ||
When he finally returned nearly twenty minutes later, Lena was still doing whatever it was she was doing, so Mike quickly | When he finally returned nearly twenty minutes later, Lena was still doing whatever it was she was doing, so Mike quickly followed up on some of the chores he’d started earlier. He folded Lena’s now clean clothes and brought them downstairs for her to wear when she was reassembled. He also started his robot vacuum on the second floor to get a head start on the cleaning. | ||
Just before Lena came back online, Mike pulled some of his old hobby computers from storage and turned them on so they could run some updates. | Just before Lena came back online, Mike pulled some of his old hobby computers from storage and turned them on so they could run some updates, in case Lena needed to use one or more of them. Finally, he sat back down at the counter and patiently waited for her to finish. | ||
Once Lena was completed with her diagnostic, her head gently bowed down as she rebooted | Once Lena was completed with her diagnostic, her head gently bowed down as she rebooted and then came back to life once more seconds later. | ||
“Well, how’d everything go?” Mike asked conversationally, slowly getting used to her artificial nature. | “Well, how’d everything go?” Mike asked conversationally, slowly getting used to her artificial nature. | ||
“The updates were fairly minor, and the diagnostic went smoothly,” Lena reported, “And I also managed to reorganize some of my files into long-term storage so I don’t have any more memory buffer malfunctions.” | “The updates were fairly minor, and the diagnostic went smoothly,” Lena reported, “And I also managed to reorganize some of my files into long-term storage, so I don’t have any more memory buffer malfunctions.” | ||
“Excellent!” Mike rubbed his hands together excitedly, “So, what are we going to do with all these old parts?” he asked her, having already placed the older versions back in the shipping box while he was waiting for her to finish her diagnostic. | “Excellent!” Mike rubbed his hands together excitedly, “So, what are we going to do with all these old parts?” he asked her, having already placed the older versions back in the shipping box while he was waiting for her to finish her diagnostic. | ||
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“There’s a small repair kit in the bottom compartment of my storage case,” she replied, “you’ll be looking for a tool that looks like a cross between a massager and hair dryer.” | “There’s a small repair kit in the bottom compartment of my storage case,” she replied, “you’ll be looking for a tool that looks like a cross between a massager and hair dryer.” | ||
Mike had an amused expression on his face as he dug back into her storage case and pulled out a modest sized repair kit. He brought it up to the counter and zipped it open, revealing a handful of repair tools. He grabbed the tool that she described and then held it up to her. | Mike had an amused expression on his face as he dug back into her storage case and pulled out a modest-sized repair kit. He brought it up to the counter and zipped it open, revealing a handful of repair tools. He grabbed the tool that she described and then held it up to her. | ||
“Yes, that’s the | “Yes, that’s the Sub-dermal Healer,” she nodded, “basically, it uses a sonic pulse to heal degradations in my muscle tissue, which augments my servo mechanisms to allow me to move in a more fluid, human-like manner.” | ||
“So, are | “So, are your muscles sore or something?” | ||
“I suppose that’s the easiest way to describe it, yes,” she smiled, “my muscles work just as hard as a normal human’s would, so they can get sore.” | “I suppose that’s the easiest way to describe it, yes,” she smiled, “my muscles work just as hard as a normal human’s would, so they can get sore.” | ||
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“Interesting,” Mike mused, “So does that mean a good ole’ fashioned massage might keep you in tip top shape as well?” | “Interesting,” Mike mused, “So does that mean a good ole’ fashioned massage might keep you in tip top shape as well?” | ||
“Well, it would certainly help,” she nodded approvingly, “however, this tool is a bit more comprehensive, so this usually has to be done on a monthly basis.” | “Well, it would certainly help,” she nodded approvingly, “however, this tool is a bit more comprehensive, so this usually has to be done on a monthly basis.” Then she put on a wry expression, “It would have been done when I last met with my previous owner, but he decided to put me into storage instead.” | ||
“Ah, well is there any special way I should do this?” Mike asked, looking at the dials and knobs on the device. | “Ah, well is there any special way I should do this?” Mike asked, looking at the dials and knobs on the device. | ||
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“Yes, I think setting five with a depth of four should be sufficient,” she decided, “and once you’ve got it set, just run it slowly over each arm and leg, but not my hands or feet.” | “Yes, I think setting five with a depth of four should be sufficient,” she decided, “and once you’ve got it set, just run it slowly over each arm and leg, but not my hands or feet.” | ||
Mike set the dials, seeing that five was the intensity, out of ten, and four was the number of millimeters the sonic waves would permeate her body. Once he had it set, he ran it over Lena’s left arm. The sonic waves caused the muscles in her arm to spasm, making it thrash around gently on the countertop. As he continued passing the tool over her arm, the thrashing slowly decreased until the arm became still. While Mike did this, Lena’s face expressed varying levels of pleasure, almost as though he | Mike set the dials, seeing that five was the intensity, out of ten, and four was the number of millimeters the sonic waves would permeate her body. Once he had it set, he ran it over Lena’s left arm. The sonic waves caused the muscles in her arm to spasm, making it thrash around gently on the countertop. As he continued passing the tool over her arm, the thrashing slowly decreased until the arm became still. While Mike did this, Lena’s face expressed varying levels of pleasure, almost as though he was massaging her. | ||
Once he finished with the left arm, he did the same with her right arm, and then both legs before placing the tool down. “I’m curious, would this work on me…or, rather, a human?” | Once he finished with the left arm, he did the same with her right arm, and then both legs before placing the tool down. “I’m curious, would this work on me…or, rather, a human?” | ||
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“What the hell is Electro-Air?” Mike asked, looking at the list of ingredients and finding only a host of strange chemicals. | “What the hell is Electro-Air?” Mike asked, looking at the list of ingredients and finding only a host of strange chemicals. | ||
“It’s basically an aerosolized, quick evaporating metallic gas that, when sprayed on each of my connection points, can repair any | “It’s basically an aerosolized, quick evaporating metallic gas that, when sprayed on each of my connection points, can repair any micro-fractures present in the data connections.” She then saw the confused look on Mike’s face and sighed, “basically, it repairs minor damage in my connection points and allows for more efficient data and energy transfer.” | ||
“Okay, I think I get it,” Mike nodded, though he still barely understood, “I think I’m gonna have to go back to school just to learn about how all your systems work,” he joked, using the spray can and spraying it for the directed duration of time in each connection point. It appeared that he was spraying a silver mist into her connection points, but it evaporated so fast, it looked like he sprayed simple air. | “Okay, I think I get it,” Mike nodded, though he still barely understood, “I think I’m gonna have to go back to school just to learn about how all your systems work,” he joked, using the spray can and spraying it for the directed duration of time in each connection point on her torso and each limb. It appeared that he was spraying a silver mist into her connection points, but it evaporated so fast, it looked like he sprayed simple air. | ||
“Hey, you’re pretty smart, I’m sure you could just take some online classes and save a ton of money,” she complimented him, “And I’ll keep telling you until you get it,” she added stubbornly. | “Hey, you’re pretty smart, I’m sure you could just take some online classes and save a ton of money,” she complimented him, “And I’ll keep telling you until you get it,” she added stubbornly. | ||
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“Yep, as well as the A.N.A.” she confirmed. | “Yep, as well as the A.N.A.” she confirmed. | ||
“Just making sure,” Mike nodded, | “Just making sure,” Mike nodded, detaching her head from the A.N.A. and spraying both it, and the exposed section of her neck with the Electro-Air. He then clicked her head back on and placed the can back into the toolkit. | ||
“Ah, that feels much better, thanks!” Lena said with a content look on her face, “Well, now that you’ve basically oiled me up, you can go ahead and reattach my arms and legs to my torso, but not the hands and feet.” | “Ah, that feels much better, thanks!” Lena said with a content look on her face, “Well, now that you’ve basically oiled me up, you can go ahead and reattach my arms and legs to my torso, but not the hands and feet.” | ||
Mike excitedly did as she instructed, clicking both sets of arms and legs back onto the torso for what he hoped would be the last time for some time. He was surprised to see | Mike excitedly did as she instructed, clicking both sets of arms and legs back onto the torso for what he hoped would be the last time for some time. He was surprised to see them contract slightly in the thigh and bicep regions upon being reconnected, matching the contractions of her torso from earlier and giving her an even slimmer appearance. Although it was by no means as obvious a change as with her torso, she now appeared slightly more muscular. | ||
“I thought you’d like that,” Lena said smugly. Mike once again ogled her body uncontrollably, admiring her new sleek form. | “I thought you’d like that,” Lena said smugly. Mike once again ogled her body uncontrollably, admiring her new, sleek form. | ||
“Um, okay, so what do I need to do for your hands and feet?” He asked her, since they were the only things he hadn’t worked on yet. | “Um, okay, so what do I need to do for your hands and feet?” He asked her, since they were the only things that he hadn’t worked on yet. | ||
“Well, those get far more stress than my arms or legs, so they need a more intense tool,” Lena said with a serious look, “Take the | “Well, those get far more stress than my arms or legs, so they need a more intense tool,” Lena said with a serious look, “Take the Sub-dermal Healer back out and turn it to maximum power,” she then commanded dramatically. | ||
Mike couldn’t help but chuckle as he retrieved the tool once more, setting it to ten and the depth to maximum. He then gently passed it over both hands and feet, watching them twitch wildly for several seconds before relaxing on the counter. | Mike couldn’t help but chuckle as he retrieved the tool once more, setting it to ten and the depth to maximum. He then gently passed it over both hands and feet, watching them twitch wildly for several seconds before relaxing on the counter. | ||
“Oh yeah! That felt good!” Lena exploded out, once he had finished | “Oh yeah! That felt SOOO good!” Lena exploded out, once he had finished, appearing as though she had just had a massive orgasm. Mike momentarily felt embarrassed to witness her outburst, almost as though he’d just walked in on her masturbating. | ||
When she finally calmed | When she finally calmed down, she smiled at him. “Good boy, now look for a small cuff looking device in the tool kit. There should be a pair of them.” She instructed, and once he pulled them out, she continued, “Now, click those onto each hand and foot.” | ||
Mike did as she instructed, but he chose to click it onto her left hand and foot, instead of both hands | Mike did as she instructed, but he chose to click it onto her left hand and foot, instead of both hands and feet. “So, what do these do? | ||
“Those cuff units contain repair nanites that are designed to travel through my hands and feet and repair microscope damage in my delicate finger and toe mechanisms,” she explained, “However, nanites can be quite dangerous if not handled properly, so these are designed to only work under the containment of the cuff units.” | “Those cuff units contain targeted repair nanites that are designed to travel through my hands and feet and repair microscope damage in my delicate finger and toe mechanisms,” she explained, “However, nanites can be quite dangerous if not handled properly, so these are designed to only work under the containment of the cuff units.” | ||
“Wow, that’s so cool.” Mike had always been fascinated with tiny machines. “Hey, while those are doing their magic, is it alright if I clean up your hands and feet a bit?” | “Wow, that’s so cool.” Mike had always been fascinated with tiny machines. “Hey, while those are doing their magic, is it alright if I clean up your hands and feet a bit?” | ||
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“Wow, thanks!” Lena blushed. | “Wow, thanks!” Lena blushed. | ||
“Don’t mention it,” Mike winked | “Don’t mention it,” Mike winked, “just out of curiosity, do your nails actually grow?” He asked her, stepping a short distance away to retrieve his personal nail grooming kit, “I noticed when I was first inspecting your body in the storage room that your nails look like they’ve actually been trimmed.” | ||
“They do,” she confirmed, “Spaztec endeavored to make my model of androids as realistic as possible, so our nails are formed similarly from recycled skin cells that are body replaces regularly. That’s also part of why we eat, to provide building materials for our body to use.” | |||
“It’s so cool that they thought of little stuff like that,” Mike said, “I mean, they could’ve just made your nails replaceable click-on components or something, but they made it so your bodies can just regrow them like a human.” | |||
“Exactly,” Lena smiled, “I guess I might need to work on my trimming methods though, if you were able to tell so easily,” she frowned. | |||
“Nah, I don’t mind,” he assured her, sanitizing his grooming kit in an alcohol bath and hot water before returning to her, “it makes you more like Lena, rather than a perfect computer.” | |||
“Awww, thanks!” she gushed. | |||
“Don’t mention it,” he said with a slight blush, before picking up her right foot and beginning to groom it. | |||
Lena merely watched him with utter adoration and patience as he gently scraped the debris from under the nails on her right hand and foot. He even used the cloth to clean between each finger and toe. “I’ll have to add this to my cleaning routine,” Lena commented, seeing how seriously Mike was taking his task. | Lena merely watched him with utter adoration and patience as he gently scraped the debris from under the nails on her right hand and foot. He even used the cloth to clean between each finger and toe. “I’ll have to add this to my cleaning routine,” Lena commented, seeing how seriously Mike was taking his task. | ||
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“Hey, no need to work yourself up,” he told her with his hands out, “I’m kind of a perfectionist, so I get a little obsessive sometimes.” | “Hey, no need to work yourself up,” he told her with his hands out, “I’m kind of a perfectionist, so I get a little obsessive sometimes.” | ||
Lena calmed | Lena calmed down and smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She then got a look of calm contentment as he gently rubbed the cloth, dabbed with alcohol, in between her toes. “Ah, it’s like a nice, relaxing mani-pedi session,” she purred, “You should consider a career in this, you’re so good.” | ||
“Perhaps,” Mike shrugged, “But I’m also a bit of a germaphobe, so that might hamper my chances,” he grimaced. | “Perhaps,” Mike shrugged, “But I’m also a bit of a germaphobe, so that might hamper my chances,” he grimaced. | ||
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“Yeah, I see what you mean,” she nodded, “Well, I guess I’m perfect for you, since androids are much cleaner than humans.” | “Yeah, I see what you mean,” she nodded, “Well, I guess I’m perfect for you, since androids are much cleaner than humans.” | ||
“Indeed,” Mike agreed, then he began gently rubbing the bottom of her foot with the cloth, eliciting giggles, and the foot began thrashing in his hands. | “Indeed,” Mike agreed, then he began gently rubbing the bottom of her foot with the cloth, eliciting giggles, and the foot began thrashing in his hands. “Are you ticklish?” He grinned. | ||
“Yeah, very,” she confirmed, trying to calm herself down. | “Yeah, very,” she confirmed, trying to calm herself down. | ||
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he smiled mischievously, “but | “I’ll keep that in mind,” he smiled mischievously, “but you’re an android…couldn’t you just turn your ticklishness off?” | ||
“I could,” she pouted, “But how many of your computers are ticklish?” | “I could,” she pouted, “But how many of your computers are ticklish?” | ||
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“Exactly,” she accused him, “being ticklish makes me unique, and human, so that’s why I keep it on,” she finished with her chin up. | “Exactly,” she accused him, “being ticklish makes me unique, and human, so that’s why I keep it on,” she finished with her chin up. | ||
Mike stared at her with awe. Apparently, her human emulation was far more sophisticated than he had originally thought. | Mike stared at her with awe. Apparently, her human emulation was far more sophisticated than he had originally thought. Even though she had fooled him during the two years they had worked together, she was still surprising him with her intricate complexities. | ||
“Oh, if you’re finished grooming those limbs, you can remove the cuffs from the other set and put them on the ones you’re working on now,” Lena told him. | “Oh, if you’re finished grooming those limbs, you can remove the cuffs from the other set and put them on the ones you’re working on now,” Lena told him. | ||
“Okay, just one more rub,” Mike told her, gently rubbing her foot bottom one last time before placing it down. He removed the cuffs from the other hand and foot and placed them on the ones he’d just groomed, then began grooming the other set. “How come these just go on your hands and feet, and not all the other connection points?” he asked, once he’d started grooming her | “Okay, just one more rub,” Mike told her, gently rubbing her foot bottom one last time before placing it down. He removed the cuffs from the other hand and foot and placed them on the ones he’d just groomed, then began grooming the other set. “How come these just go on your hands and feet, and not all the other connection points?” he asked, once he’d started grooming her left hand. | ||
“Because they have more intricate mechanisms in them,” Lena shrugged, “The arms and legs are mostly just muscle and the skeletal structure, but the hands and feet have all those micro servos in them to provide me with fine motor skills, so they need more intricate repair work that only nanites can perform.” | “Because they have more intricate mechanisms in them,” Lena shrugged, “The arms and legs are mostly just muscle and the skeletal structure, but the hands and feet have all those micro servos in them to provide me with fine motor skills, so they need more intricate repair work that only nanites can perform.” | ||
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“Well, I like them the way they are now,” he shrugged, finishing with her hand and moving to the foot. | “Well, I like them the way they are now,” he shrugged, finishing with her hand and moving to the foot. | ||
“Aww, you are so cute.” Mike didn’t really respond, aside from a kind smile, though, so she merely continued watching him groom her nails, reveling in the sensory input from each limb as he did so. | “Aww, you are so cute.” Mike didn’t really respond, aside from a kind smile, though, so she merely continued watching him groom her nails, reveling in the relaxing sensory input from each limb as he did so. | ||
About five minutes later, Lena reported that the nanites were finished. Mike calmly finished grooming her | About five minutes later, Lena reported that the nanites were finished. Mike calmly finished grooming her left hand and foot and removed the cuff units from the other set, placing the units back into the tool kit. | ||
“Okay, can I reattach them now?” he asked eagerly. | “Okay, can I reattach them now?” he asked eagerly. | ||
“Yes,” she smiled in response, “and then there’s just one last thing you’ll need to do before reattaching my torso cover. Once you’ve reattached my hands and feet, grab the small pill case.” | “Yes,” she smiled in response, “and then there’s just one last thing you’ll need to do before reattaching my torso cover. Once you’ve reattached my hands and feet, grab the small pill case.” | ||
“Good, I’m looking forward to having you all in one piece again,” he said in a relieved voice, clicking on both hands and feet. As he reached down into the toolkit, Lena absently clenched and unclenched both hands and feet. He returned moments later with a rather large pill organizer, filled with | “Good, I’m looking forward to having you all in one piece again,” he said in a relieved voice, clicking on both hands and feet. As he reached down into the toolkit, Lena absently clenched and unclenched both hands and feet. He returned moments later with a rather large pill organizer, filled with orange, blue, and green-colored pills. | ||
“Interesting.” Mike took one of each pill out and scrutinized them. They were | “Interesting.” Mike took one of each pill out and scrutinized them. They were large, almost the size of a strong painkiller. They had the Spaztec brand on them, and some small writing, but nothing else to distinguish what they were. | ||
“What ever you do, don’t consume those,” Lena warned, watching him smell them. | “What ever you do, don’t consume those,” Lena warned, watching him smell them. | ||
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“Oh,” Mike said, carefully removing the pills from the vicinity of his face, “do you have to swallow these or something?” | “Oh,” Mike said, carefully removing the pills from the vicinity of his face, “do you have to swallow these or something?” | ||
“Ordinarily, I would swallow them once a month, | “Ordinarily, yes, I would swallow them once a month but, since you’re still working on my body, there’s a small hatch you can open on my digestive tank that you can push those pills into, and that’ll allow them to start working more quickly,” she instructed. | ||
Mike reached back into her body and located the small hatch that she mentioned. As soon as he pushed all three pills into her stomach, they began to fizz and dissolve until they mixed in perfectly with the acid already in her stomach. | Mike reached back into her body and located the small hatch that she mentioned. As soon as he pushed all three pills into her stomach, they began to fizz and dissolve until they mixed in perfectly with the acid already in her stomach. | ||
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“Alrighty,” Mike smiled big. Before he picked her torso cover up, he peeked into her torso and saw her new power core was up to 75%. He reported the number to her. | “Alrighty,” Mike smiled big. Before he picked her torso cover up, he peeked into her torso and saw her new power core was up to 75%. He reported the number to her. | ||
“That’s actually slightly higher than I’d anticipated,” she nodded approvingly, “Like I said earlier, at this | “That’s actually slightly higher than I’d anticipated,” she nodded approvingly, “Like I said earlier, at this time of day, assuming you go to be by no later than midnight, I really only need about 55-60% to get me through to the end, so 75% is more than enough.” | ||
“Okay, just making sure,” Mike nodded, picking her torso cover and reattaching it. Once it was sealed back in placed, he also unplugged the power cord from her body and sealed the charging port back up. | “Okay, just making sure,” Mike nodded, picking her torso cover and reattaching it. Once it was sealed back in placed, he also unplugged the power cord from her body and sealed the charging port back up. | ||
Once all her panels were resealed, Lena slowly sat up on the counter and swung her legs over the side, “Thanks, now just help me down from the counter again, please,” Lena requested. | Once all her panels were resealed, Lena slowly sat up on the counter and swung her legs over the side, “Thanks, now just help me down from the counter again, please,” Lena requested. | ||
Just as he did before, Mike gently grabbed hold of her waist while she put her arms around his shoulders for support. This time, she felt noticeably lighter, so he had much less difficulty gently lowering her down to the floor, her feet gently plopping back down onto the hardwood. | Just as he did before, Mike gently grabbed hold of her waist while she put her arms around his shoulders for support. This time, she felt noticeably lighter, so he had much less difficulty gently lowering her down to the floor, her feet gently plopping back down onto the hardwood. | ||
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“Well, for one thing, the fact that I weigh less is putting much less stress on my feet and legs,” she started, “The new power core is also more efficient at managing my energy consumption, and the new MCN, and the new control chips, have much better latency and range.” | “Well, for one thing, the fact that I weigh less is putting much less stress on my feet and legs,” she started, “The new power core is also more efficient at managing my energy consumption, and the new MCN, and the new control chips, have much better latency and range.” | ||
“Latency? What exactly do you mean?” Mike had heard the term before, | “Latency? What exactly do you mean?” Although Mike had heard the term before, he wasn’t quite tech savvy enough to know what it meant. | ||
“Well, latency means the speed at which | “Well, latency means the speed at which I’m able to wirelessly control my body, or, rather, the slight delay between my brain sending a signal to my body to move, and it actually moving and sending signals back to me,” she supplied, “Before, the latency was 12ms, but now it’s down to 7ms.” She seemed to feel almost relieved at reporting that, “the range has also been improved by 15ft,” she added. | ||
“But it’s only a small difference, does it really matter with speeds that fast?” | “But it’s only a small difference, does it really matter with speeds that fast?” | ||
“It does,” Lena said with a serious look, “it can mean the difference between me being able to avoid bumping into something | “It does,” Lena said with a serious look, “it can mean the difference between me being able to avoid bumping into something or taking a potentially damaging tumble.” | ||
“Ah, I see now,” Mike nodded. | “Ah, I see now,” Mike nodded. | ||
“Plus, | “Plus, it’s kinda like that feeling when you’re watching a TV show or movie that doesn’t have the audio properly synced up, so the voices don’t match the lip movements,” she added off-handedly. | ||
“Oh! I hate it when that happens,” Mike practically shouted, “It’s so annoying!” | “Oh! I hate it when that happens,” Mike practically shouted, “It’s so annoying!” | ||
“I know, right!” Lena’s enthusiastic response instantly warmed Mike’s heart. They both locked eyes | “I know, right!” Lena’s enthusiastic response instantly warmed Mike’s heart. They both locked their eyes and had a moment. Mike absently noticed an update to his status sliders on the activity monitor. When the moment passed, they both giggled like two schoolchildren and then had a momentary awkward pause. | ||
“So, what other improvements are you noticing so far?” Mike finally asked, breaking the silence. | “So, what other improvements are you noticing so far?” Mike finally asked, breaking the silence. | ||
“The maintenance fixes you performed are allowing me to move much more efficiently, and my whole body just feels more relaxed as a result,” she reported. | “The maintenance fixes you performed are allowing me to move much more efficiently, and my whole body just feels much more relaxed as a result,” she reported. | ||
“Good, I can’t wait until you’re done,” he said once again, “I can’t wait to show you everything that’s changed over the last five years.” | “Good, I can’t wait until you’re done,” he said once again, “I can’t wait to show you everything that’s changed over the last five years.” | ||
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“I try my best,” Mike smiled modestly. Another minute later, Lena completed the treadmill benchmark and reduced the speed gradually until it stopped. She then had her body slowly step off and back over to the box of litter, with Mike once more standing nearby to spot her in case she had difficulty with the box. | “I try my best,” Mike smiled modestly. Another minute later, Lena completed the treadmill benchmark and reduced the speed gradually until it stopped. She then had her body slowly step off and back over to the box of litter, with Mike once more standing nearby to spot her in case she had difficulty with the box. | ||
Unlike before, this time Mike could not hear any whining servos or | Unlike before, this time Mike could not hear any whining servos, or any noises to indicate that she was just a machine. She moved much more fluidly and seemed to be having a much easier time lifting the box and swinging it around. Just as before, this portion took ten minutes, and she seamlessly transitioned into the stretches as soon as she was done with the box. | ||
“Alright, benchmark complete!” Lena announced cheerfully a few minutes later, having her body walk with Mike back over to the terminal so she could have her head reattached. | “Alright, benchmark complete!” Lena announced cheerfully a few minutes later, having her body walk with Mike back over to the terminal so she could have her head reattached. | ||
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“Nice, and what are the final results?” Mike asked, eager to know. | “Nice, and what are the final results?” Mike asked, eager to know. | ||
“Well, in a nutshell | “Well, in a nutshell: the reduced weight, upgraded components, and refreshed muscles and servos have improved my overall operating efficiency by 37%,” she reported, then zoned out as she conducted a minor calculation, “basically, that should add another 3-5 hours to my battery life, depending on my level of physical and mental exertion.” | ||
“And that’s even with the smaller power core?” Mike asked | “And that’s even with the smaller power core?” Mike asked for confirmation. | ||
“Of course! Like I said, just because something is smaller, doesn’t mean it’s not as good.” She chided him. | “Of course! Like I said, just because something is smaller, doesn’t mean it’s not as good.” She chided him. | ||
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he sighed, | “Yeah, yeah, I know,” he sighed, “Would you like me to reattach your head now?” | ||
“Yes, please!” Lena replied, intentionally sounding like a little girl. Mike smiled big and detached her from the A.N.A. for what he hoped would be the last | “Yes, please!” Lena replied, intentionally sounding like a little girl. Mike smiled big and detached her from the A.N.A. for what he hoped would be the last time until her next maintenance…though he did admit to himself that he found dealing with mostly just her head for the past, almost, day to be quite erotic. He carefully brought her over her patiently waiting body and clicked her head back on. | ||
As soon as the seam sealed up this time, he noticed the skin on her face firm up ever so slightly to match with the new slimness of the rest of her body. Now that she was finally complete, Mike could truly admire her sleeker form, and, although he did not mind her plumpness from before, he liked what he saw now even better. | As soon as the seam sealed up this time, he noticed the skin on her face firm up ever so slightly to match with the new slimness of the rest of her body. Now that she was finally complete, Mike could truly admire her sleeker form, and, although he did not mind her plumpness from before, he liked what he saw now even better. | ||
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“Oh, I can assure you, I would have,” she said sincerely, “Many of the people there were not too kind to me, and you were the only one who made me feel calm and welcome,” she finished in an emotional tone, a small tear forming in her left eye. | “Oh, I can assure you, I would have,” she said sincerely, “Many of the people there were not too kind to me, and you were the only one who made me feel calm and welcome,” she finished in an emotional tone, a small tear forming in her left eye. | ||
Mike instinctively hugged her | Mike instinctively hugged her in the same way he used to hug her in the old days at CloudTron when he saw how stressed out and distraught she sometimes got. Even though he now knew she was an android, and running a very sophisticated human emulation program, he realized that if you gave a machine a human personality, memories, emotions, then it would truly act like one, even to the point of getting hurt or offended. | ||
“I don’t think you’ll ever know how happy, and lucky, I am that you found me,” Lena finally said, once they broke apart, “But I promise you that I will do everything in my programming to be the best android friend you could ever have!” | “I don’t think you’ll ever know how happy, and lucky, I am that you found me,” Lena finally said, once they broke apart, “But I promise you that I will do everything in my programming to be the best android friend you could ever have!” | ||
Mike said nothing, since nothing could possibly add to the feeling that was in the room at that moment. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her deeply. She went all in on the kiss, probing her tongue deep into his mouth and pulling his into hers. When they finally broke apart, their faces were flushed, and they had gentle, serene smiles on their | Mike said nothing, since nothing could possibly add to the feeling that was in the room at that moment. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her deeply. She went all in on the kiss, probing her tongue deep into his mouth and pulling his into hers. When they finally broke apart, their faces were flushed, and they had gentle, serene smiles on their faces. | ||
“That was nice,” Lena whispered. | “That was nice,” Lena whispered. | ||
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“It was,” Mike agreed. | “It was,” Mike agreed. | ||
“So, um…now that I’m | “So, um…now that I’m fully functional again, why don’t we clean this area up and maybe have some fun,” Lena suggested. | ||
Mike quickly looked around the kitchen and nodded his head. They had to put away the case Lena had been stored in, the treadmill, the A.N.A. and other repair tools, the blanket Lena’s body had been laying on atop the kitchen counter, the box of upgraded parts, and the box of cat litter. | Mike quickly looked around the kitchen and nodded his head. They had to put away the case Lena had been stored in, the treadmill, the A.N.A. and other repair tools, the blanket Lena’s body had been laying on atop the kitchen counter, the box of upgraded parts, and the box of cat litter. | ||
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“Meh, it’s only slightly heavier than I could lift with just my muscles alone,” she shrugged, “However, we should probably get it upstairs quickly, just to be safe.” | “Meh, it’s only slightly heavier than I could lift with just my muscles alone,” she shrugged, “However, we should probably get it upstairs quickly, just to be safe.” | ||
“Will do,” Mike nodded. He quickly grabbed the shipping box full of her old components, which although was still heavy, was not nearly as heavy as the case. He then followed her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. | “Will do,” Mike nodded. He quickly grabbed the shipping box full of her old components, which although it was still heavy, was not nearly as heavy as the case was. He then followed her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. | ||
“You know, you sound so sexy right now with all those mechanical noises,” Mike admitted, slowly following her up the stairs as she navigated each step carefully. | “You know, you sound so sexy right now with all those mechanical noises,” Mike admitted, slowly following her up the stairs as she navigated each step carefully. | ||
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“Thanks,” Mike smiled. | “Thanks,” Mike smiled. | ||
“Hey, I’d do anything for you,” she reminded him, then she looked out the windows, “It’s a good thing you have the Electrochromic windows,” she then said, noticing the darkness, “otherwise someone would be getting quite the show,” she giggled, | “Hey, I’d do anything for you,” she reminded him, then she looked out the windows, “It’s a good thing you have the Electrochromic windows,” she then said, noticing the darkness, “otherwise someone would be getting quite the show,” she giggled, since she was still nude and someone was getting out of their car in the neighboring driveway. | ||
“Yeah, it came with the place,” Mike smiled, “and a good thing to, since I mentioned I like walking around in the | “Yeah, it came with the place,” Mike smiled, “and a good thing to, since I mentioned I like walking around in the buff while I’m here.” | ||
“Oh yeah, were you going to take your clothes off | “Oh yeah, were you going to take your clothes off now that you’re done working on me?” she reminded him. | ||
Mike quickly blushed, then remembered that she didn’t care if he was nude. “Sure, though maybe a bit later,” he promised her, “I don’t want to distract you from getting settled in up here.” | Mike quickly blushed, then remembered that she didn’t care if he was nude. “Sure, though maybe a bit later,” he promised her, “I don’t want to distract you from getting settled in up here.” | ||
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“Hmm, I suppose I did,” Lena smirked, “You don’t have a problem being lifted up by someone smaller than you, do you?” she teased. | “Hmm, I suppose I did,” Lena smirked, “You don’t have a problem being lifted up by someone smaller than you, do you?” she teased. | ||
“Of course not,” Mike scoffed playfully. | “Of course not,” Mike scoffed playfully, “I actually find the whole thought to be a turn on, actually,” he admitted sheepishly. | ||
Lena | Lena let out a playful giggle before sizing him up, her new optical systems and processors analyzing his height and dimensions to ascertain exactly how she should lift him up. Finally, her calculations complete, she slowly walked up to him and grabbed hold of him around his waist. Once she had a firm, but gentle grip, she activated her emergency power and slowly lifted him up off the floor, her servos whining loudly. | ||
Once she had him a few feet off the floor, she shifted him in her arms until she had him | Once she had him a few feet off the floor, she shifted him in her arms until she had him lay down in her arms in a more comfortable position. | ||
“Wow, you really are strong,” Mike told her, looking up at her with a look of admiration and awe. | “Wow, you really are strong,” Mike told her, looking up at her with a look of admiration and awe. | ||
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“Hey, that’s not what I meant!” she protested. | “Hey, that’s not what I meant!” she protested. | ||
“Don’t worry, I know,” he laughed, “though seriously, with your help, I probably will finally lose some weight…I hear | “Don’t worry, I know,” he laughed, “though seriously, with your help, I probably will finally lose some weight…I hear being in a relationship can be a real motivator.” | ||
“Well, I’m not quite sure what people mean about that,” Lena said dubiously, “But I can certainly cook healthier foods and give you motivation to do more exercise if you’d like,” she offered, “Though, you only weigh about 180,” she added wryly, after analyzing his weight. | |||
“Yeah, but it’s still a tad on the overweight side,” Mike frowned, “I’d like to drop down to 170, if possible.” | |||
“I think I can do it,” Lena shrugged. | |||
“Well, if you think you can whip me into shape, then go for it.” | |||
“Okie doke!” With the verbal authorization from Mike, Lena opened a new thread in her CPU to formulate healthy strategies for Mike to get his weight down to the desired goal. The thread was a work in progress, because she still had insufficient information on his body type and his overall habits. She created a task to monitor him more closely than usual for the next few days to gather sufficient information. | |||
“I’m curious, now that I’ve made you lighter, how much do you weigh now?” he asked her, “No offense, but I didn’t bother weighing you earlier.” | |||
“None taken,” Lena smiled politely, “according to my internal scans, I my current weight should be approximately 140lbs, assuming the weight sensors in my feet are functioning correctly. I noticed a scale in the bathroom earlier when you showed me around, so I’ll weigh myself on that later.” | |||
“Fair point,” she conceded, “however, if I needed the assistance, I would most likely just be dead weight, and therefor heavier to lift,” she pointed out, “If the situation were dire, it would be far more useful to simply take my head, or just my A.I. core.” | “Well, can I see if I can lift you up?” he offered, “it’s only fair, after all, and there could be a situation where you may be the one needing emergency assistance.” | ||
“Fair point,” she conceded, “however, if I needed the assistance that desperately, I would most likely just be dead weight, and therefor heavier to lift,” she pointed out, “If the situation were dire, it would be far more useful to simply take my head, or just my A.I. core.” | |||
“I suppose you’re right,” Mike said after quick thought, “But wouldn’t a replacement body be expensive?” | “I suppose you’re right,” Mike said after quick thought, “But wouldn’t a replacement body be expensive?” | ||
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“Wow, you aren’t that heavy,” Mike said in a surprised voice, walking around the room with her with little difficulty. It felt like he was genuinely carrying a real, human woman. | “Wow, you aren’t that heavy,” Mike said in a surprised voice, walking around the room with her with little difficulty. It felt like he was genuinely carrying a real, human woman. | ||
“No, they do try their best to make us the same weight as a real human,” she reminded him, relaxing in his arms, “plus, since I’m active right now, I’m not dead weight | “No, they do try their best to make us the same weight as a real human,” she reminded him, relaxing in his arms, “plus, since I’m active right now, I’m not dead weight so I can adjust my center of balance to make carrying me that much easier.” | ||
“Cool! I’m going to put you down now,” he told her, and after she nodded, he slowly lifted her down and helped her stand back on her feet. | “Cool! I’m going to put you down now,” he told her, and after she nodded, he slowly lifted her down and helped her stand back on her feet. | ||
“Thanks,” she smiled, once she was resituated, then she looked around the room at all the clutter that Mike had been storing in here, “Mike, do any of these boxes have a spare computer that I might | “Thanks,” she smiled, once she was resituated, then she looked around the room at all the clutter that Mike had been storing in here, “Mike, do any of these boxes have a spare computer that I might be able to borrow until I purchase one of my own?” | ||
“No,” he told her, | “No,” he told her, “However, I anticipated that you might need one, so I prepped some of my spare hobby computers downstairs while you were running a diagnostic earlier,” he told her eagerly, “would you like me to go down and get one for you?” | ||
“Yes, please,” she smiled, happy at his foresight and updating some of the friendship sliders in her personality settings. | “Yes, please,” she smiled, happy at his foresight and updating some of the friendship sliders in her personality settings. “Living with him is going to be much better” she thought to herself, “he’s a real catch!” | ||
Mike merely nodded excitedly, happy that she admired his foresight, and rushed downstairs, absently calling back that he’d be back in a few minutes. Mike quickly began checking the hobby computers to see if they’d finished their work | Mike merely nodded excitedly, happy that she admired his foresight, and rushed downstairs, absently calling back that he’d be back in a few minutes. Mike quickly began checking the hobby computers to see if they’d finished their work and lost himself momentarily in touching them up, so they’d be ready for her. | ||
Shortly after he rushed down, Lena saw his | Shortly after he rushed down, Lena saw his robot vacuum enter the room, still vacuuming the second floor. In her HUD, the device was circled, and she could suddenly see the network signal emitting from it, connecting it to its homebase, and the house’s Wi-Fi. Using her new cleaning programs, she sent the unit a friend signal and quickly registered herself as a network device, allowing her to interface with it over her own private network and control it. Lena smiled as she remote-controlled it with her interface programs, even accessing its built-in camera and adding it to her visual feed. “Now I can help Mike even more!” she thought to herself. | ||
Lena quickly made the device leave the room before Mike returned, since she did not want it | Lena quickly made the device leave the room before Mike returned, since she did not want it to distract her. She would clean the room herself later, though she could already tell from its logs that it had passed through at least 70% of the floor space in her room already. | ||
Mike finally returned a few minutes later with a small laptop, | Mike finally returned a few minutes later with a small laptop that, after analyzing with her visual sensors, Lena determined was about three years old. | ||
“Sorry I was late,” Mike apologized, setting it up on her desk, “I had it running updates and diagnostics, so I wanted to make sure it was finished before bringing it up.” | “Sorry I was late,” Mike apologized, setting it up on her desk, “I had it running updates and diagnostics, so I wanted to make sure it was finished before bringing it up.” | ||
“It’s alright,” she assured him, “it gave me time to introduce myself to your | “It’s alright,” she assured him, “it gave me time to introduce myself to your robot vacuum,” she smiled, sitting down at the desk to inspect the laptop. | ||
“Ah,” Mike nodded; he forgot he’d turned it on. “Anyway, I hope this laptop is to your liking…it’s a few years old, but it still works.” | “Ah,” Mike nodded; he forgot he’d turned it on. “Anyway, I hope this laptop is to your liking…it’s a few years old, but it still works.” | ||
“Three years,” she confirmed, “but since I’ve been in a box the last five years, three years is still newer than the old computer I was using.” | “Three years,” she confirmed, “but, since I’ve been in a box the last five years, three years is still newer than the old computer I was using.” | ||
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Mike laughed, “this whole time jump thing is going to be really confusing for the next few days…you have so much to catch up on.” | “Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Mike laughed, “this whole time jump thing is going to be really confusing for the next few days…you have so much to catch up on.” | ||
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to catching up on the shows I was watching,” Lena mused, going online on the laptop and installing all the Spaztec | “Yeah, I’m looking forward to catching up on the shows I was watching,” Lena mused, going online on the laptop and installing all the Spaztec software that she would need. “Mike, do you mind if I tidy up in here tonight after you go to bed?” she requested, looking at all the boxes, “I kinda want to set this room up as a maintenance bay and lab for myself,” she reminded him. | ||
“Sure, though I was kinda hoping you might sleep with me,” he said in a disappointed voice. | “Sure, though I was kinda hoping you might sleep with me,” he said in a disappointed voice. | ||
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“Sure, I understand,” Mike smiled. Although he wanted her to sleep with him, he was also nervous, since he was used to sleeping alone. | “Sure, I understand,” Mike smiled. Although he wanted her to sleep with him, he was also nervous, since he was used to sleeping alone. | ||
“Thanks, now I have all my stuff installing on this, perhaps we can have some fun,” she suggested, getting back to her feet, “I was thinking we could go out shopping for a new wardrobe for me, now that I’ve lost weight, and buy some supplies so I can start cooking | “Thanks, now that I have all my stuff installing on this, perhaps we can have some fun,” she suggested, getting back to her feet, “I was thinking we could go out shopping for a new wardrobe for me, now that I’ve lost weight, and buy some supplies so I can start cooking your healthier meals.” | ||
“Sure, I’d like that,” Mike agreed, “and I’m sure you’d love to go out and see the world as well.” | “Sure, I’d like that,” Mike agreed, “and I’m sure you’d love to go out and see the world as well.” | ||
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“That too,” she smiled sheepishly. | “That too,” she smiled sheepishly. | ||
“Well, I would suggest you take a shower and then put the clothes on that I bought you,” Mike told her, | “Well, I would suggest you take a shower first and then put the clothes on that I bought you,” Mike told her, “And then you’ll be nice and clean for trying on clothes.” | ||
“Okay,” Lena nodded, “But I don’t have any toiletries,” she said in a disappointed voice. | “Okay,” Lena nodded, “But I don’t have any toiletries,” she said in a disappointed voice. | ||
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“Yeah,” Mike sighed, then shook it off, “well, best not to dwell on it…you really only lost about 15-minutes of memories, after all,” he smiled. | “Yeah,” Mike sighed, then shook it off, “well, best not to dwell on it…you really only lost about 15-minutes of memories, after all,” he smiled. | ||
“Exactly,” she smiled back, happy to see he cheered himself up, “well, let’s go see what you got me.” They both walked into what would now be her bathroom and inspected the toiletries. “Ah, very good,” she complimented him, inspecting the ingredients on each one, “I’m not sure you realized, but android skin actually requires the gentle variety of soaps and detergents, since our skin can’t heal itself as effectively as human skin,” she explained, since Mike had indeed gotten the gentle variation of each brand. | “Exactly,” she smiled back, happy to see he cheered himself up, “well, let’s go see what you got me.” They both walked into what would now be her bathroom and inspected the toiletries. “Ah, very good,” she complimented him, inspecting the ingredients on each one, “I’m not sure you realized this when you purchased these, but android skin actually requires the gentle variety of soaps and detergents, since our skin can’t heal itself as effectively as human skin,” she explained, since Mike had indeed gotten the gentle variation of each brand. | ||
“Wow, I didn’t know,” Mike admitted, “I just got it because I usually use the gentle stuff myself.” | “Wow, I didn’t know,” Mike admitted, “I just got it because I usually use the gentle stuff myself.” | ||
“How fortuitous then, though I could have still used normal detergent at least once without suffering any permanent damage,” she assured him, then continued inventorying the supplies. “Well, looks like you got everything a girl could need to make herself clean and pretty,” she announced upon finishing, updating her own internal shopping list to remove toiletries from her list, “I’ll need about 25 minutes to properly cleanse myself.” | “How fortuitous then, though I could have still used normal detergent at least once without suffering any permanent damage,” she assured him, then continued inventorying the supplies. “Well, looks like you got just about everything a girl could need to make herself clean and pretty,” she announced upon finishing, updating her own internal shopping list to remove toiletries from her list, “I’ll need about 25 minutes to properly cleanse myself.” | ||
“I figured,” Mike nodded, “you girls usually require a lot of time to groom yourselves.” | “I figured,” Mike nodded, “you girls usually require a lot of time to groom yourselves.” | ||
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“Will do,” Mike smiled, pecking her on the cheek and then walking downstairs to wait for her to finish. He absently noted that she did not bother to close the bathroom door, indicating her level of trust in him. | “Will do,” Mike smiled, pecking her on the cheek and then walking downstairs to wait for her to finish. He absently noted that she did not bother to close the bathroom door, indicating her level of trust in him. | ||
Mike heard the shower turn on moments later, | Mike heard the shower turn on moments later and, after pacing nervously downstairs for a bit, he noticed the visual feed was still up on the terminal. Getting a naughty expression, he unplugged the terminal from the power cord and switched it to tablet mode, lying on the couch and watching her bathe herself from her POV. | ||
===1.6: Errands=== | ===1.6: Errands=== | ||
Mike found it oddly entertaining to watch Lena bathe herself from her own POV via the control tablet. Her HUD literally told her everything that was going on, from the | Mike found it oddly entertaining, not to mention arousing, to watch Lena bathe herself from her own POV via the control tablet. Her HUD literally told her everything that was going on, from the real time temperature of the water to the humidity levels in the room. He saw that she was also benchmarking her previous cleaning protocols with the ones that had been updated overnight and was apparently three seconds ahead of schedule. | ||
She appeared to be scrubbing every nook and cranny of her body, either due to her new programming, or because of Mike’s suggestion she be more thorough. Either way, Mike was definitely enjoying the show. | She appeared to be scrubbing every nook and cranny of her body, either due to her new programming, or because of Mike’s suggestion that she be more thorough. Either way, Mike was definitely enjoying the show. | ||
After she finished bathing, she dried herself off and then began | After she finished bathing, she dried herself off and then began grooming. She dried her hair, brushed her teeth, trimmed her nails, and then spritzed herself with the floral perfume Mike had bought for her. He could see a note appear in her HUD that her bathing routine had been shortened by several minutes due mostly to the fact that she was no longer programmed to grow body hairs below her head, thus no more shaving each day. He saw her smile satisfactorily in the mirror and then dress herself in the loose clothes he’d bought her earlier, tightening the straps on the sweats and then lacing her shoes. | ||
Once she was fully cleaned and dressed, she took one more look at herself in the bathroom mirror, cringing slightly at the boring clothes she was wearing, and then headed out of the room. | Once she was fully cleaned and dressed, she took one more look at herself in the bathroom mirror, cringing slightly at the boring clothes she was wearing, and then headed out of the room. | ||
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“Well, how do I look?” She asked, twirling around so he could see her. | “Well, how do I look?” She asked, twirling around so he could see her. | ||
“Better,” Mike admitted. Although she had been relatively clean before, her hair was a little frazzled after having been in storage for five years, but now she looked ready to go out into the world. She had even tied it up into a bun, where before it was a long | “Better,” Mike admitted. Although she had been relatively clean before, her hair was a little frazzled after having been in storage for five years, but now she looked ready to go out into the world. She had even tied it up into a bun, where before it was a long ponytail. | ||
“Good,” Lena sighed in a relieved tone, “these clothes are quite loose and boring, but adequate, thanks!” | “Good,” Lena sighed in a relieved tone, “these clothes are quite loose and boring, but adequate, thanks!” | ||
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“I know, but now we can have some fun buying me some new clothes later,” she smiled, then she gave him a mischievous look, “So…did you enjoy the show?” | “I know, but now we can have some fun buying me some new clothes later,” she smiled, then she gave him a mischievous look, “So…did you enjoy the show?” | ||
Mike’s face instantly went red, his eyes becoming shifty as he hastily coughed and said, “umm, what do you mean?” | |||
Lena gave him a level, yet amused, stare. “Mike, you should probably know that my A.I. Is alerted | Lena gave him a level, yet amused, stare. “Mike, you should probably know that my A.I. Is alerted whenever my visual feed is in use on the terminal, and whenever the terminal is being actively used in general,” she notified him, “so, were you watching what I was doing the whole time?” | ||
Mike could only endure her stare for so long before breaking. “Yes,” he replied meekly. | Mike could only endure her stare for so long before breaking. “Yes,” he replied meekly. | ||
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“But I thought you said you couldn’t be used as a spy?” Mike said in a confused voice, since she had mentioned getting people fired earlier. | “But I thought you said you couldn’t be used as a spy?” Mike said in a confused voice, since she had mentioned getting people fired earlier. | ||
“There’s a difference between using my visual feed to record someone naked | “There’s a difference between using my visual feed to record someone naked or capture their personal information, and me simply reporting any criminal or inappropriate activity verbally,” she pointed out, “I wasn’t violating any ethics by reporting people’s indiscretions in order to improve the team.” | ||
“Ah, well that makes sense,” Mike nodded. | “Ah, well that makes sense,” Mike nodded. | ||
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“It makes me wish I had a HUD,” Mike said, “Then maybe I could get more work done.” | “It makes me wish I had a HUD,” Mike said, “Then maybe I could get more work done.” | ||
“Well you know, I’ve heard that some tech companies make implantable computer chips that can augment human brains, so maybe you could,” Lena suggested. | “Well, you know, I’ve heard that some tech companies make implantable computer chips that can augment human brains, so maybe you could,” Lena suggested. | ||
“Nah, I’ve heard of those too, and even to this day, they still cause too many brain problems to be useful,” Mike said, shaking his head. | “Nah, I’ve heard of those too, and even to this day, they still cause far too many brain problems to be useful,” Mike said, shaking his head. | ||
“Well then, you’ll just have to rely on me then,” Lena said smugly. | “Well then, you’ll just have to rely on me then,” Lena said smugly. | ||
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“Well, anyway, I suppose this reminds me that I should probably do a quick orientation before we head out and have some fun,” Lena told him, standing at attention in the middle of the room, “why don’t you bring up the remote tab, now that I’m all in one piece again, and try and remote control me around the room.” | “Well, anyway, I suppose this reminds me that I should probably do a quick orientation before we head out and have some fun,” Lena told him, standing at attention in the middle of the room, “why don’t you bring up the remote tab, now that I’m all in one piece again, and try and remote control me around the room.” | ||
Mike was a little shocked by her sudden request, but he was also eager to see what sort of things he could do with Lena. He moved the visual feed to a small window in the corner of the screen and brought the remote-control tab up once more, this time with far more options | Mike was a little shocked by her sudden request, but he was also eager to see what sort of things he could do with Lena. He moved the visual feed to a small window in the corner of the screen and brought the remote-control tab up once more, this time with far more options than before. | ||
After examining all his options, he found he could either move each limb individually, or perform pre-programmed commands, like walk, wave, dance, jump, etc. Mike tapped the jump command | After examining all his options, he found he could either move each limb individually, or perform pre-programmed commands, like walk, wave, dance, jump, etc. Mike tapped the jump command and then watched as Lena jumped on command. Not a big jump, just a simple up and down, landing back on the ground. | ||
“Does that loss of control bother you at all?” Mike asked, though he had a fair idea what her response would be. | “Does that loss of control bother you at all?” Mike asked, though he had a fair idea what her response would be. | ||
“Not really,” Lena shrugged, still waiting patiently for the next command, “there might be times when it’s easier to control me | “Not really,” Lena shrugged, still waiting patiently for the next command, “there might be times when it’s easier to control me rather than trying to rely on me guessing what you want,” she explained, “plus, it’s kinda fun,” she smiled, “like how people put themselves under hypnosis for entertainment.” | ||
“Wow, I suppose when you put it like that, I can see how it might not bother you,” Mike smiled, making her dance and then wave, “I take it your ethics programming can intervene,” he guessed. | “Wow, I suppose when you put it like that, I can see how it might not bother you,” Mike smiled, making her dance and then wave, “I take it your ethics programming can intervene,” he guessed. | ||
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“Good,” Mike nodded, “not that I would ever do that, it’s just I wouldn’t want someone else to override your controls.” | “Good,” Mike nodded, “not that I would ever do that, it’s just I wouldn’t want someone else to override your controls.” | ||
“You don’t have to worry about that,” she assured him, “Once you registered yourself as my owner, the tablet now scans your face and fingerprints on the screen and keys, so only you or another registered user can use the remote on me.” | “You don’t have to worry about that,” she assured him, “Once you registered yourself as my owner, the tablet now scans your face and fingerprints on the screen and keys, so only you or another registered user can use the remote on me, or interface with my systems as a whole.” | ||
“Oh, okay, that’s a relief.” | “Oh, okay, that’s a relief.” | ||
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“Sure, why not?” Mike shrugged. | “Sure, why not?” Mike shrugged. | ||
He tapped the walk icon and then her visual feed enlarged to take up half the screen. He then tapped the directional | He tapped the walk icon and then her visual feed enlarged to take up half the screen. He then tapped the directional control and directed it towards the kitchen, watching as Lena started walking with his commands, albeit in a more artificial manner. | ||
Once she got to the fridge, he had her stop and saw several command options appear, including Open fridge. He tapped the icon, and she | Once she got to the fridge, he had her stop and saw several command options appear, including Open fridge. He tapped the icon, and she opened the fridge, and then more options appeared. He tapped Get Beverage (two), and then on the visual feed, all beverages became highlighted. He tapped lemonade twice, and she reached in and grabbed two lemonades. He then had her Close Fridge, and then turn around and return to him, and finally Hand Owner (1) beverage. | ||
After Lena handed him his lemonade, he turned off the remote-control function and returned control to her. He popped open the lemonade and took a quick swig before saying, “Wow, that was fun!” | After Lena handed him his lemonade, he turned off the remote-control function and returned control to her. He popped open the lemonade and took a quick swig before saying, “Wow, that was fun!” | ||
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“I know,” Lena agreed, opening her lemonade and taking a swig herself. She sighed satisfactorily, “Ah, my first drink in five years.” | “I know,” Lena agreed, opening her lemonade and taking a swig herself. She sighed satisfactorily, “Ah, my first drink in five years.” | ||
“What was amazing about remote controlling you was how easy and intuitive it was,” Mike commented, “I mean, it interfaced with your visual systems and contextualized what you were seeing in order to give me commands, streamlining the whole process…it’s brilliant!” | “What was amazing about remote controlling you was how easy and intuitive it was,” Mike commented, “I mean, it interfaced with your visual systems and contextualized what you were seeing in order to give me simple commands to choose from, streamlining the whole process…it’s brilliant!” | ||
“I know, those context-based command features were still in beta five years ago, so I’m glad one of the new A.I. Updates I installed finally brought those online,” Lena said excitedly, “Basically, with that feature, I can be shopping while you’re at work or something | “I know, those context-based command features were still in beta five years ago, so I’m glad one of the new A.I. Updates I installed finally brought those online,” Lena said excitedly, “Basically, with that feature, I can be shopping while you’re at work or something and send you a message on your phone and allow you to pick a specific brand or item if you aren’t sure of what it is when you send me out,” Lena explained, “I seem to recall you had difficulty with certain technical terms for things,” she smiled. | ||
“Yeah,” Mike admitted, “I know what things do, but | “Yeah,” Mike admitted, “I know what things do and are, but I don’t always know what they are called.” | ||
“Well, when it comes to replacing things around the house, I can scan the items with my visual sensors and search online for replacements, so you don’t have to guess what they are anymore,” she offered, quickly demonstrating by looking at a random object in the room that Mike had no idea of the name for. Within seconds, she scanned the object and ran a quick image recognition search on the internet and brought up its info on the terminal screen; it was a door strike plate. | “Well, when it comes to replacing things around the house, I can scan the items with my visual sensors and search online for replacements, so you don’t have to guess what they are anymore,” she offered, quickly demonstrating by looking at a random object in the room that Mike had no idea of the name for. Within seconds, she scanned the object and ran a quick image recognition search on the internet and brought up its info on the terminal screen; it was a door strike plate. | ||
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“Of course,” Mike responded, “I don’t really think I’m gonna be able to take this thingy with me everywhere I go,” he admitted, holding the 2-in-1 device in his hands. | “Of course,” Mike responded, “I don’t really think I’m gonna be able to take this thingy with me everywhere I go,” he admitted, holding the 2-in-1 device in his hands. | ||
“Well, there is a phone app too,” Lena supplied, “but | “Well, there is a phone app too,” Lena supplied, “but, according to user complaints, the interface can be a bit difficult to use on the smaller screens,” she frowned, “so, if you don’t want to use that either, then I can also be controlled using voice commands.” | ||
Upon finishing her statement, Lena made a list of voice commands appear on the terminal screen. “Ooh,” Mike said, upon reading all of them. | Upon finishing her statement, Lena made a list of voice commands appear on the terminal screen. “Ooh,” Mike said, upon reading all of them. | ||
“So, with the voice commands, they have to be phrased as actual commands,” Lena explained, since all of them began with her name, “if it’s phrased as a request, like ‘Lena, please give me a massage’, then, well, I’ll most likely still do it,” Lena said with a giggle, “But, I won’t be compelled to.” | |||
“I see,” Mike nodded, then read through the list of mostly basic commands once more to memorize it. “Would it be alright | “I see,” Mike nodded, then read through the list of mostly basic commands once more to memorize it. “Would it be alright I tried some on you?” | ||
“Of course, that’s why I brought it up silly,” Lena laughed. While she was laughing, Mike found a perfect opportunity and said, “Lena, Pause.” | “Of course, that’s why I brought it up silly,” Lena laughed. While she was laughing, Mike found a perfect opportunity and said, “Lena, Pause.” | ||
The effect was instantaneous. Lena immediately stopped moving mid laugh, a look of glee | The effect was instantaneous. Lena immediately stopped moving mid laugh, a look of glee froze on her face as her body froze and stabilized into position. Mike slowly got up from the couch to inspect her now frozen body, noting that her visual display on the tablet had also frozen, with a timer now displaying in the center, indicating how long she had been paused. | ||
He set the terminal down on the coffee table between him and Lena and then walked up to her, closely inspecting her. He was practically bubbling with excitement as he did various things to her body, such as waving his hands in front of her face, moving her arms, and poking her. He’d dreamed of being able to do this with people | He set the terminal down on the coffee table between him and Lena and then walked up to her, closely inspecting her. He was practically bubbling with excitement as he did various things to her body, such as waving his hands in front of her face, moving her arms, and poking her. He’d dreamed of being able to do this with people but now, with Lena as his android girlfriend, he could finally satiate his desires at any time. | ||
By the time he was finished playing around | By the time he was finished playing around she had been frozen for nearly three minutes, so he sat back down on the couch, picked up the terminal, and said, “Lena, Unpause.” | ||
The instant the words left his mouth, she continued whatever motions she was making before he had paused her as though nothing had happened, though when she finished her cute laugh, she smiled knowingly at him. “Ah, my pause feature…that’s always a hit with people.” | The instant the words left his mouth, she continued whatever motions she was making before he had paused her as though nothing had happened, though when she finished her cute laugh, she smiled knowingly at him. “Ah, my pause feature…that’s always a hit with people.” | ||
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“Good, and what about standby mode?” he asked, seeing that command in the list. | “Good, and what about standby mode?” he asked, seeing that command in the list. | ||
“Well, with standby mode, it’s more of a way for me to shut myself off without actually shutting myself off,” she told him, | “Well, with standby mode, it’s more of a way for me to shut myself off without actually shutting myself off,” she told him, “Basically, if I have nothing to do, and you aren’t here, I can activate it and enter a reduced power state with most of my systems offline. This mode is useful if you want me to be able to reactivate right away without having to wait for me to boot up.” | ||
“Cool, let me try it,” he mused, then he coughed and said, “Lena, enter standby mode.” | “Cool, let me try it,” he mused, then he coughed and said, “Lena, enter standby mode.” | ||
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“Hmm, Lena didn’t mention this,” Mike muttered under his breath, “Um, what do you mean?” | “Hmm, Lena didn’t mention this,” Mike muttered under his breath, “Um, what do you mean?” | ||
“My standby mode can be terminated under a set of pre-programmed conditions, in addition to a timer, and/or condition, such as a passphrase or touch,” she responded in the same emotionless tone | “My standby mode can be terminated under a set of pre-programmed conditions, in addition to a timer, and/or condition, such as a passphrase or touch,” she responded in the same emotionless tone that Mike somehow found to be sexy. | ||
“Oh, um, let me think a sec,” he told her, though she did not reply. After a few seconds, he finally decided. “How about if I boop your nose,” he suggested with a fond smile, since that’s something the two of them had done playfully to one another when they were just friend/coworkers. | “Oh, um, let me think a sec,” he told her, though she did not reply. After a few seconds, he finally decided. “How about if I boop your nose,” he suggested with a fond smile, since that’s something the two of them had done playfully to one another when they were just friend/coworkers. | ||
For a moment | For a moment he was afraid that Lena’s A.I. wouldn’t understand what he meant by ‘boop’, but she acknowledged his request and then fell silent, simply standing. Mike confirmed on the terminal that her body was indeed using considerably less power, since much of her human emulation was suspended, and she wasn’t logging any memories. As best as he could describe it, it was akin to how his phone had ambient programs which only listened for certain passphrases or songs in the background, but otherwise did nothing. | ||
The visual display on the terminal, while it still displayed exactly what Lena’s eyes were seeing, appeared to be slightly greyed out, only peripherally monitoring Mike, since he was her owner. He figured that she was most likely also pre-programmed to come out of it if there was an intruder in the house, or some sort of emergency, but for now | The visual display on the terminal, while it still displayed exactly what Lena’s eyes were seeing, appeared to be slightly greyed out, only peripherally monitoring Mike, since he was her owner. He figured that she was most likely also pre-programmed to come out of it if there was an intruder in the house, or some sort of emergency, but for now she seemed perfectly fine remaining in standby mode. | ||
Mike only kept her in it for a minute or so before finally walking up to her and booping her nose. The first time, it didn’t work, so after an instant of confusion, he smiled and then booped her nose once more, this time | Mike only kept her in it for a minute or so before finally walking up to her and booping her nose. The first time, it didn’t work, so after an instant of confusion, he smiled and then booped her nose once more, this time saying “Boop!” in a high-pitched voice. | ||
Lena instantly returned from standby mode with a smile. “I’m so glad that’s | Lena instantly returned from standby mode with a smile. “I’m so glad that’s how you chose to have me exit…I was really fond of our boops,” she reminisced. | ||
“I thought you might like it,” Mike said in a fond voice, “perhaps you can make that a permanent pre-condition or something.” | “I thought you might like it,” Mike said in a fond voice, “perhaps you can make that a permanent pre-condition or something.” | ||
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“Thanks,” Lena said, then she scanned the device. Her HUD instantly registered the phone as a Bluetooth device in her systems, and she registered herself as a Bluetooth device on the phone. Using her new connection, she installed the terminal app on his phone and then quickly configured it so he could connect to her using his phone. “Here you go,” she then announced cheerfully. | “Thanks,” Lena said, then she scanned the device. Her HUD instantly registered the phone as a Bluetooth device in her systems, and she registered herself as a Bluetooth device on the phone. Using her new connection, she installed the terminal app on his phone and then quickly configured it so he could connect to her using his phone. “Here you go,” she then announced cheerfully. | ||
“Ah, thanks,” Mike mused, quickly perusing the controls and seeing they were | “Ah, thanks,” Mike mused, quickly perusing the controls and seeing they were like those on the 2-in-1 he’d been using. The only difference was that, since the screen was smaller, it was harder for him to multitask on it. | ||
“I know it’s not quite as useful as the 2-in-1,” Lena apologized, “however, you’re far more likely to have your phone with you, and I can actually call you using my internal router, even while holding a conversation with someone in person, so that could be a timesaver.” | “I know it’s not quite as useful as the 2-in-1,” Lena apologized, “however, you’re far more likely to have your phone with you, and I can actually call you using my internal router, even while holding a conversation with someone in person, so that could be a timesaver.” | ||
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“Indeed,” Mike nodded, thinking of several ways he could take advantage of his control interfaces now. | “Indeed,” Mike nodded, thinking of several ways he could take advantage of his control interfaces now. | ||
“Well, if there’s nothing else we need to do here, I’m ready to leave when you are,” Lena said, bouncing around on her feet like a little girl eager to go out and have fun. | “Well, if there’s nothing else, we need to do here, I’m ready to leave when you are,” Lena said, bouncing around on her feet like a little girl eager to go out and have fun. | ||
“Alright, let’s grab some of my reusable bags from the bag hanging on the wall just outside in the garage, and then we’ll leave,” Mike said, rising to his feet and grabbing his jacket and keys. | “Alright, let’s grab some of my reusable bags from the bag hanging on the wall just outside in the garage, and then we’ll leave,” Mike said, rising to his feet and grabbing his jacket and keys. | ||
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Mike could only endure it for so long before finally giving in. “Alright,” he told her in a resigned voice, handing over his keys, “Just be careful,” he warned her. | Mike could only endure it for so long before finally giving in. “Alright,” he told her in a resigned voice, handing over his keys, “Just be careful,” he warned her. | ||
Lena did a quick celebration dance before looking at him with a serious face, “Hey, I’m an android, so I might as well be the autopilot feature on those expensive cars,” she pointed out, “and I already plotted out the most efficient route to take us to all the shops we’ll need to go to, | Lena did a quick celebration dance before looking at him with a serious face, “Hey, I’m an android, so I might as well be the autopilot feature on those expensive cars,” she pointed out, “and I already plotted out the most efficient route to take us to all the shops we’ll need to go to, while consuming the least amount of fuel, based on the most current GPS maps of this area and local traffic reports” she said smugly, getting into the driver’s side and adjusting the seat to accommodate her shorter stature. | ||
“Huh, I suppose I didn’t consider that,” Mike pondered, “You’re going to be far more useful to have around than I previously considered…however, I do still want to drive my own car every now and then,” he pointed out. | “Huh, I suppose I didn’t consider that,” Mike pondered, “You’re going to be far more useful to have around than I previously considered…however, I do still want to drive my own car every now and then,” he pointed out. | ||
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“I understand,” Lena affirmed, “This time is just to show you my skills,” she smirked, then once they were all buckled up, she opened the garage door and carefully pulled out. | “I understand,” Lena affirmed, “This time is just to show you my skills,” she smirked, then once they were all buckled up, she opened the garage door and carefully pulled out. | ||
As Lena carefully drove around the neighborhood, navigating to | As Lena carefully drove around the neighborhood, navigating to their first destination, Mike amused himself by monitoring her POV via the app on his phone since he had left the 2-in-1 at home. The driving programming he had authorized for her was giving her real-time traffic reports, speed limits, and even a minimap. He could even see that the newly installed thermal sensors in her new eyes were allowing her to visualize people obscured behind cars, bushes, and corners before they approached, giving her ample time to reduce her speed and prevent a collision. | ||
While Mike was thoroughly impressed with her safe driving skills, he did have to concede that she could just as easily relay the same information to him verbally, and with only minimal reaction speed delays. This still made him feel far more comfortable with the prospect of him driving with her | While Mike was thoroughly impressed with her safe driving skills, he did have to concede that she could just as easily relay the same information to him verbally, and with only minimal reaction speed delays. This still made him feel far more comfortable with the prospect of him driving with her, since he had lost count of how many times some stupid kid came bolting out of nowhere in front of him down these tight residential streets. | ||
They arrived at their first destination a few minutes later, which was a local department store in a large, outdoor mall area. By choosing this venue, they could simply park their car in a central location and shop at multiple locations without having to drive all over town, to save time and fuel. | |||
Once she parked in a spot relatively close to the department store, she looked at him and smiled, “We have safely arrived at our destination,” she spoke in a faux GPS navigation voice, then giggled. | Once she parked in a spot relatively close to the department store, she looked at him and smiled, “We have safely arrived at our destination,” she spoke in a faux GPS navigation voice, then giggled. | ||
“Thanks,” Mike laughed back, unbuckling himself and grabbing one of the reusable bags from the back seat, “So, do you have some sort of cover story in case one of the associates asks us why you’re buying an entire wardrobe?” he | “Thanks,” Mike laughed back, unbuckling himself and grabbing one of the reusable bags from the back seat, “So, do you have some sort of cover story in case one of the associates asks us why you’re buying an entire wardrobe?” he asked, his paranoia setting back in, “I mean, I know you don’t want to advertise you’re an android, so I just wanted to make sure we have a story,” he laughed nervously, even whispering the word android. | ||
Lena gave him a hearty laugh and patted his shoulder. “Mike, don’t worry, I don’t really care too much about people knowing I’m an android,” she assured him, “I just don’t want to be wearing their brands all the time like some simple servant,” she said in a disgusted voice, then she scrunched her face before saying, “Buuuut, I suppose if you want to have some sort of story, we can just lie and say that all my clothes got destroyed in some freak washing machine malfunction or something,” she smiled innocently. | Lena gave him a hearty laugh and patted his shoulder. “Mike, don’t worry, I don’t really care too much about people knowing I’m an android,” she assured him, “I just don’t want to be wearing their brands all the time like some simple servant,” she said in a disgusted voice, then she scrunched her face before saying, “Buuuut, I suppose if you want to have some sort of story, we can just lie and say that all my clothes got destroyed in some freak washing machine malfunction or something,” she smiled innocently. | ||
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Although Mike | Although Mike, not to mention virtually the entire male gender, did not like shopping, he found Lena was somehow able to make the experience entertaining, and painless. Since she was an android, she was able to interface with the store network and go to the exact location of the store that had women’s clothes and check the inventory lists and pick out only clothes that they had in her new size. | ||
Lena’s human emulation allowed her to pick out some fun and fashionable styles to compliment her playful and nice personality, and she even showed them off to Mike for his approval, though he was so enamored of her and her cuteness that he approved almost everything she picked out. | Lena’s human emulation allowed her to pick out some fun and fashionable styles to compliment her playful and nice personality, and she even showed them off to Mike for his approval, though he was so enamored of her and her cuteness that he approved of almost everything that she picked out. | ||
Once she’d picked out ten days’ worth of outfits, cold weather outfits, warm weather attire, shoes, a bathing suit, and underwear, they placed it all in a shopping cart and then made their way over to the grocery section, where Lena began to select numerous ingredients for the meals she was planning for the upcoming week. | Once she’d picked out ten days’ worth of regular outfits, cold weather outfits, warm weather attire, shoes, a bathing suit, and underwear, they placed it all in a shopping cart and then made their way over to the grocery section, where Lena began to select numerous ingredients for the meals she was planning for the upcoming week. | ||
Lena was able to scan each item and pick out the ripest fruits and veggies, and the most nutritious brands to improve Mike’s | Lena was able to scan each item and pick out the ripest fruits and veggies, and the most nutritious brands to improve Mike’s health. She hummed to herself satisfactorily as she checked off each item on the shopping list displayed in her HUD, even using a digital crayon to do the crossing. She made shopping so easy that Mike didn’t even complain about having to push the cart. | ||
After she finished with the groceries, she made her way to household goods and located each cooking utensil that was missing from his kitchen. Their final stop on the way to the register was the medicine section, where Lena bought several first-aid items that Mike had neglected to stock up on. | After she finished with the groceries, she made her way to household goods and located each cooking utensil that was missing from his kitchen. Their final stop on the way to the register was the medicine section, where Lena bought several first-aid items that Mike had neglected to stock up on. | ||
“Alright, I think we’ve got everything,” Lena finally announced, after | “Alright, I think we’ve got everything,” Lena finally announced, after they had almost filled their shopping cart. | ||
“You mean | “You mean everything from this store,” Mike corrected her, as they walked over to a register and started laying their items out on the counter. | ||
“Of course,” she winked, “but don’t worry, this place had | “Of course,” she winked, “but don’t worry, this place had like 90% of what I needed,” Lena guestimated, rechecking her shopping lists with the digital crayon marks covering much of them. “I was planning on buying the rest from that grocery store near our place later today, since it’s within walking distance and it’s always prudent to support our local small businesses.” | ||
“Huh, okay,” Mike nodded approvingly. | “Huh, okay,” Mike nodded approvingly. He had been in there a few times over the years, but since it was family owned, the items tended to cost a bit more, not to mention they didn’t have a very big selection…but he trusted that Lena had somehow accounted for it. | ||
The | The cashier who rang them up seemed quite happy to be ringing up a large sale since the store was otherwise deserted. Just as Mike had feared, she tried making small talk by asking why Lena needed so many clothes, but Lena stuck to the plan and told the lie they had prepared and even embellished the story so well that even Mike almost believed it was true. | ||
Once all their items were rung up, they hauled the cart out to their car and stashed everything in the trunk | Once all their items were rung up, they hauled the cart out to their car and stashed everything in the trunk and then walked a short distance across to the other side of the lot, to a small sandwich restaurant. | ||
“Lena, you lie like a champion,” Mike told her with awe, once they finally had their sandwiches. They sat down at a table and unwrapped them. | “Lena, you lie like a champion,” Mike told her with awe, once they finally had their sandwiches. They sat down at a table and unwrapped them. | ||
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Mike scoffed. “There’s not really a lie database.” | Mike scoffed. “There’s not really a lie database.” | ||
“There most certainly is,” Lena countered smugly, “there’s actually a more technical name for it, but it’s a database that allows androids like me to better fit in with real people by giving us a repository of potential lies to use in any given situation.” | |||
“Huh, interesting…I wish I had access to that database sometimes,” Mike laughed, since there were numerous times in the past his lies had failed him. | “Huh, interesting…I wish I had access to that database sometimes,” Mike laughed, since there were numerous times in the past his lies had failed him. | ||
“Well, I try not to use it too often,” Lena downplayed, “I actually prefer to be honest, | “Well, I try not to use it too often,” Lena downplayed, “I actually prefer to be honest but, in this case, I had to lie due to your request.” | ||
“Oh, well don’t worry, I’ll try not to have you lie too often,” he assured her, “I thought I was just helping maintain your cover.” Mike felt a little bad now. | “Oh, well don’t worry, I’ll try not to have you lie too often,” he assured her, “I thought I was just helping maintain your cover.” Mike felt a little bad now. | ||
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After they finished their lunch | After they finished their lunch, they returned to the car and Lena drove them home, once again utilizing her android skills to get them home more efficiently, and safely, than Mike could have. | ||
When they got home, they unloaded the large number of items they had purchased, placing the new kitchen utensils in the dishwasher, the food items in the pantry and fridge, and her new clothes in the washer. | When they got home, they unloaded the large number of items they had purchased, placing the new kitchen utensils in the dishwasher, the food items in the pantry and fridge, and her new clothes in the washer. | ||
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“Much better,” Lena nodded satisfactorily, “Like I said, we just need to grab a few things from store over on the corner, and we’ll be set!” | “Much better,” Lena nodded satisfactorily, “Like I said, we just need to grab a few things from store over on the corner, and we’ll be set!” | ||
“Well, I figure we | “Well then, I figure we can make an adventure out of it,” Mike suggested with a smile. | ||
“What do you mean?” Lena asked with a confused look on her face. | “What do you mean?” Lena asked with a confused look on her face. | ||
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“Oh, I get it,” Mike nodded, “well, if you want to change your clothes, I can wait down here for you,” he offered. | “Oh, I get it,” Mike nodded, “well, if you want to change your clothes, I can wait down here for you,” he offered. | ||
“Oh, thanks…be back in a sec!” Lena then about faced and bolted up the stairs to her new room like a little girl. Fortunately, they hadn’t been able to fit all her new clothes in the wash, so they left a single outfit out for her to wear the rest of the day. | “Oh, thanks…be back in a sec!” Lena then about faced and bolted up the stairs to her new room like a little girl. Fortunately, they hadn’t been able to fit all her new clothes in the wash, so they left a single outfit out for her to wear for the rest of the day. | ||
Lena returned minutes later wearing her new outfit, which consisted of | Lena returned minutes later wearing her new outfit, which consisted of grey/pink athletic shoes, purple ankle socks, navy blue sweats, and a light green t-shirt with some random images from a popular television series on it. While her previous clothes were adequate, these new clothes fit her new size perfectly, accentuating her curves and features. | ||
“Wow Lena, you look beautiful,” Mike breathed, admiring her fashion. What he really liked, was that for the first time ever, he was | “Wow Lena, you look beautiful,” Mike breathed, admiring her fashion. What he really liked, was that for the first time ever, he was seeing her look like a normal woman, and not a dismantled android, or a uniformed coworker that he interacted with five days a week. It was a simple thing, really, but to Mike, having a bit of normalcy was a big thing. | ||
“Aww, thanks,” she blushed, then seemed to remember something, “Oh, do you think I should wear a jacket?” She asked with a worried look, “as an android | “Aww, thanks,” she blushed, then seemed to remember something, “Oh, do you think I should wear a jacket?” She asked with a worried look, “as an android I don’t really need one unless it’s freezing out, but I don’t want people to get suspicious or anything.” | ||
Mike quickly checked the weather station on his desk and confirmed the outside temperature with the satellite units he had attached to the exterior of his house. They confirmed it was currently in the mid 60s. | Mike quickly checked the weather station on his desk and confirmed the outside temperature with the satellite units he had attached to the exterior of his house. They confirmed it was currently in the mid-60s. | ||
“Nah, I think you should be fine,” he told her, “It’s actually kinda warm today…mid 60s,” he told her, showing her the weather station, “we should be fine.” | “Nah, I think you should be fine,” he told her, “It’s actually kinda warm today…mid 60s,” he told her, showing her the weather station, “we should be fine.” | ||
“Okay, thanks,” she said kindly, “as an android, I do have access to weather data, but it’s severely limited to only certain scientific stations | “Okay, thanks,” she said kindly, “as an android, I do have access to weather data, but it’s severely limited to only certain scientific stations and does not take into account microclimates.” | ||
“Yes, and the area around here is notorious for | “Yes, and the area around here is notorious for its microclimates,” Mike agreed vigorously, “which is precisely why I purchased this weather station.” | ||
“You’re a very useful person to have around,” Lena complimented him, “And that’s saying something, since that’s what you’ve been saying of me,” she giggled. | |||
“I certainly try my best,” Mike said modestly. | “I certainly try my best,” Mike said modestly. | ||
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Mike grabbed his keys and phone and pocketed them, then gently grabbed Lena’s hand and walked with her to the front door. Once outside, he locked the door and led her to the sidewalk. | Mike grabbed his keys and phone and pocketed them, then gently grabbed Lena’s hand and walked with her to the front door. Once outside, he locked the door and led her to the sidewalk. | ||
Even though it was winter | Even though it was winter and most of the trees and foliage were dead, Lena still marveled at everything she saw. While Mike merely enjoyed the cool air on his face, and the quiet ambiance, Lena’s HUD was busy with activity. Every dog or cat instantly registered on her HUD, eliciting a cute “Awwww,” each time she saw one, eagerly pointing it out to Mike; she really loved animals. | ||
She was able to see every squirrel and bird fluttering around overhead in the trees and powerlines crossing overhead, and her A.I. was any potential hazard along the way, just in case it needed to protect Mike from any danger. | She was able to see every squirrel and bird fluttering around overhead in the trees and powerlines crossing overhead, and her A.I. was any potential hazard along the way, just in case it was needed to protect Mike from any danger. | ||
“Lena,” Mike suddenly said, once they’d walked roughly a quarter mile down the sidewalk from his house. | “Lena,” Mike suddenly said, once they’d walked roughly a quarter mile down the sidewalk from his house. | ||
“What is it Mike?” Lena asked politely. She could tell Mike was about to ask her a serious question, based on the tone of his voice. | “What is it, Mike?” Lena asked politely. She could tell Mike was about to ask her a serious question, based on the tone of his voice. | ||
“I’m not sure quite how to phrase this, but I’ll give it a shot…um, did you enjoy working at Cloudtron?” | “I’m not sure quite how to phrase this, but I’ll give it a shot…um, did you enjoy working at Cloudtron?” | ||
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Lena paused as she tried to respond to Mike’s question, her A.I. quickly searching for potential responses. Finally, after a few moments had gone by, she answered. “Well, I suppose I did,” she shrugged, “I mean, literally, the main purpose of my class of android is to help people, and that’s what I was doing there.” | Lena paused as she tried to respond to Mike’s question, her A.I. quickly searching for potential responses. Finally, after a few moments had gone by, she answered. “Well, I suppose I did,” she shrugged, “I mean, literally, the main purpose of my class of android is to help people, and that’s what I was doing there.” | ||
“Interesting,” Mike nodded, “Well, I’m just asking because, well, I know that, now that I’m your owner, your primary objective is to help me…but | “Interesting,” Mike nodded, “Well, I’m just asking because, well, I know that, now that I’m your owner, your primary objective is to help me…but would you still like to help others?” | ||
“Well, of course I’d like to help others,” she said carefully, “But what exactly are you getting at?” | “Well, of course I’d like to help others,” she said carefully, “But what exactly are you getting at?” | ||
“Well, I’m just concerned that once I go back to work on Monday | “Well, I’m just concerned that once I go back to work on Monday that you’re just going to end up spending the majority of your day, after you’ve finished your chores, sitting on the couch in standby mode…just, waiting for me to come home like a lonely puppy,” Mike said in a concerned voice, and before Lena could respond, he continued, “Anyway, I was just wondering if you’d like your life to be a bit more fulfilling than just helping me.” | ||
“Well, of course I would!” Lena said excitedly, her friendship levels for Mike rising several percentage points, “helping people is the only thing I liked about working there.” | “Well, of course I would!” Lena said excitedly, her friendship levels for Mike rising several percentage points, “helping people is the only thing I liked about working there.” | ||
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“Good,” Mike said in a relieved voice, “Well, then, how would you like to go back and work in the security department once again?” he offered, “now that I’m in the leadership team, I can put in a good word for you and get you into the grave shift.” | “Good,” Mike said in a relieved voice, “Well, then, how would you like to go back and work in the security department once again?” he offered, “now that I’m in the leadership team, I can put in a good word for you and get you into the grave shift.” | ||
“Well, I wouldn’t be able to help as many people on the grave shift,” she said in a slightly disappointed tone of voice, “but | “Well, I wouldn’t be able to help as many people on the grave shift,” she said in a slightly disappointed tone of voice, “but how would you get around the fact that I’m an android? I mean, last time I was snuck in because SSS was in on it, but this time I wouldn’t have a cover story.” | ||
“We wouldn’t hide it,” Mike said simply. Seeing the look of shock on Lena’s face caused him to reply quickly. “A lot has changed in the last five years. Androids are much more mainstream now, and highly advanced ones like you are basically seen as artificial humans, so | “We wouldn’t hide it,” Mike said simply. Seeing the look of shock on Lena’s face caused him to reply quickly. “A lot has changed in the last five years. Androids are much more mainstream now, and highly advanced ones like you are basically seen as artificial humans, so you’re allowed to work openly in the workforce, provided you’re currently registered with an owner.” | ||
“Ok,” Lena nodded, her mood improving. | “Ok,” Lena nodded, her mood improving. | ||
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“Mike, I’d love to go back to work there!” she said excitedly, surprising him with a loving kiss, then she calmed herself down, “would I have to wait long?” | “Mike, I’d love to go back to work there!” she said excitedly, surprising him with a loving kiss, then she calmed herself down, “would I have to wait long?” | ||
“Hopefully not,” Mike told her, | “Hopefully not,” Mike told her, “As it so happens, we just lost Bill…you remember him?” | ||
“Wait, he was still there this past five years?!” Lena said incredulously. Bill was an older guy who had worked at | “Wait, he was still there this past five years?!” Lena said incredulously. Bill was an older guy who had worked at CloudTron in the security department for years, mostly on the grave shift. | ||
“Yeah, but he finally retired after 15 years and moved out East to be with his family,” Mike laughed. | “Yeah, but he finally retired after 15 years and moved out East to be with his family,” Mike laughed. | ||
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“Oh, good for him,” Lena smiled, “Now, I know all of what you told me about working on the grave shift and whatnot, but would I have to stay on it forever?” | “Oh, good for him,” Lena smiled, “Now, I know all of what you told me about working on the grave shift and whatnot, but would I have to stay on it forever?” | ||
“No,” he assured her, “There are more people like Bill out there that genuinely enjoy and seek out grave shift positions like that. Once we find one, we can try and move you to day or swing | “No,” he assured her, “There are more people like Bill out there that genuinely enjoy and seek out grave shift positions like that. Once we find one, we can try and move you to day or swing shifts.” | ||
“Okay, good,” Lena sighed with relief, “I’ve already worked the grave shift | “Okay, good,” Lena sighed with relief, “I’ve already worked the grave shift and it’s pretty boring.” | ||
“Yeah,” Mike agreed, “So, anyway, the only catch is that, even though you’re an android, and even though you already worked there for two years, you’d have to go through the 40 hours of training again,” he said regretfully. | “Yeah,” Mike agreed, “So, anyway, the only catch is that, even though you’re an android, and even though you already worked there for two years, you’d have to go through the 40 hours of training again,” he said regretfully. | ||
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“Aww, how come,” she pouted. | “Aww, how come,” she pouted. | ||
“Well, so much has changed in the last five years: technology, personnel, policies, they even built a new tower,” Mike explained, | “Well, so much has changed in the last five years: technology, personnel, policies, they even built a new tower,” Mike explained, “That’s why they still require even an android to go through another 40 hours of training.” | ||
“Would you be the one training me?” she asked hopefully, even crossing her fingers. | “Would you be the one training me?” she asked hopefully, even crossing her fingers. | ||
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===1.7: Fun=== | ===1.7: Fun=== | ||
The walk around the neighborhood was roughly 2-miles | The walk around the neighborhood was roughly 2-miles and consisted of walking all the way down one street, then down the parallel street, and back up the original street. There was a small, family-owned grocery store on the corner of the street Mike lived on, and the main city street, though Mike hadn’t been inside in a long time due to the higher prices, mostly Hispanic products, and generally low selection of products. | ||
Lena grabbed several items, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, | Lena grabbed several items, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, along with a few ingredients that Mike couldn’t make out because they were in Spanish. Once she had everything she needed, she headed to the counter and paid with Mike’s card, since the business had yet to install hardware that she could remotely interface with. Mike was momentarily shocked when she conversed in fluent Spanish with the cashier, until he remembered that he’d added Spanish to her list of languages. | ||
Once they had finished with the transaction, Lena placed the items in a small reusable bag that she had rolled up into her pocket. “Alright Mike, we’re done shopping | Once they had finished with the transaction, Lena placed the items in a small reusable bag that she had rolled up into her pocket. “Alright Mike, we’re done shopping so we can go home now,” she reported, closing her shopping lists and starting a new priority to monitor their current supplies for freshness. | ||
“Alrighty,” Mike smiled cheerfully, taking the bag from her and grabbing her hand once more. The small store was roughly 80% of the way on their walk, so it took them only a few short minutes to walk the rest of the distance back to Mike’s townhouse. | “Alrighty,” Mike smiled cheerfully, taking the bag from her and grabbing her hand once more. The small store was roughly 80% of the way on their walk, so it took them only a few short minutes to walk the rest of the distance back to Mike’s townhouse. | ||
While both found the walk to be a nice, relaxing sojourn in their otherwise busy day, Lena also found the walk to be informative | While both found the walk to be a nice, relaxing sojourn in their otherwise busy day, Lena also found the walk to be informative since she would be living in this neighborhood for the foreseeable future. She had already catalogued dozens of dogs and cats in the neighborhood for the eventuality that any of them might break loose, get lost, and wander the neighborhood. Furthermore, she was able to update the proprietary maps server that her driving programming accessed to update the conditions on the road. | ||
Upon entering, Mike rushed upstairs to move her clothes from the washer into the dryer, and to start the next load. Lena | Upon entering, Mike rushed upstairs to move her clothes from the washer into the dryer, and to start the next load of laundry. Lena did quick work organizing the food items they had just purchased into Mike’s now fully stocked fridge. Lena had also purchased several baking soda packs and placed them in strategic locations, since several of the takeout foods Mike had left in the fridge had spoiled and left a nasty odor. | ||
As she closed the fridge door, the list of tasks in her HUD updated, and she smiled as she saw that she had no pending tasks for the rest of the day. She took | As she closed the fridge door, the list of tasks in her HUD updated, and she smiled as she saw that she had no pending tasks for the rest of the day. She took a deep breath and let it all out in a satisfactory sigh, even wiping her hands in the air to symbolically wipe away the chores of the day. | ||
She temporarily enhanced her hearing and cocked her head | She temporarily enhanced her hearing and cocked her head up towards the ceiling, listening as Mike rushed around upstairs to put stuff away. With a smile on her face, Lena walked over to the couch and sat on the right side, since her visual sensors indicated Mike most likely spent much of his time on the left, evidenced by the placement of the remotes and coasters. She moved the pillows out of the way, unlaced her shoes, removed her socks, and placed her bare feet on the coffee table and waited patiently for Mike to return. | ||
“Alright, everything is set up there,” he announced, rushing downstairs. He then paused as he saw her bare feet on the coffee table and gasped. “Whoa, put your feet down for a sec!” he | “Alright, everything is set up there,” he announced, rushing downstairs. He then paused as he saw her bare feet on the coffee table and gasped. “Whoa, put your feet down for a sec!” he shouted, rushing into the kitchen. | ||
Lena, although shocked, did as he asked. She was confused, though, because she knew he had a foot fetish, and she had calculated that her putting her feet up would please him. | |||
When he returned seconds later with a can of wood polisher/dust remover, and a wad of paper towels, Lena immediately understood and smiled. As Mike fastidiously removed everything from the table and wiped it down, Lena said, “You know, I could have easily done that for you.” | When he returned seconds later with a can of wood polisher/dust remover, and a wad of paper towels, Lena immediately understood and smiled. As Mike fastidiously removed everything from the table and wiped it down, Lena said, “You know, I could have easily done that for you.” | ||
“I know,” Mike stammered, “It’s my OCD…and, for the rest of today | “I know,” Mike stammered, “It’s my OCD…and, for the rest of today at least, I still want you to feel like a guest.” Once the table dried, he placed everything back to exactly where it was and then said, “Alright, you can put your feet back up.” | ||
Lena chuckled and put them back up, as Mike returned to the kitchen and washed his hands of the chemicals. Then, he ran back into the living area and calmly sat down on the couch next to her. | Lena chuckled and put them back up, as Mike returned to the kitchen and washed his hands of the chemicals. Then, he ran back into the living area and calmly sat down on the couch next to her. | ||
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“Um, so, what do you usually do on your days off?” Lena asked, breaking the momentarily awkward silence, “And what time do you like to go to bed?” | “Um, so, what do you usually do on your days off?” Lena asked, breaking the momentarily awkward silence, “And what time do you like to go to bed?” | ||
“Well, I usually just relax and play video games, or watch TV and stuff,” Mike answered, “And | “Well, I usually just relax and play video games, or watch TV and stuff,” Mike answered, “And I usually go to bed at around 1:30am on non-work nights, and 10:30pm on work nights…though, last night I was so exhausted that I conked out at about midnight.” Mike laughed nervously. | ||
“Ah,” Lena nodded, then she quickly scanned the area and found several gaming consoles plugged into Mike’s entertainment center just ahead. “Well, my power core should last me until about 2am,” she calculated, “Why don’t we play some games or something until dinnertime?” she | “Ah,” Lena nodded, then she quickly scanned the area and found several gaming consoles plugged into Mike’s entertainment center just ahead. “Well, my power core should last me until about 2am,” she calculated, “Why don’t we play some games or something until dinnertime?” she suggested. | ||
Mike quickly looked at his | Mike quickly looked at his gaming console and pondered his choices. “Umm, I don’t have too many multiplayer games, to be honest,” he admitted apologetically, “I think I might have a racing game or something we could play.” | ||
“Okay,” Lena smiled, “and, if we get bored, I | “Okay,” Lena smiled, “and, if we get bored, I don’t at all mind just sitting here and watching you play a single player game,” she assure him, watching as Mike walked over to the TV and powered up one of the consoles, returning with a second controller and handing it to Lena, “I’m just happy to be here with you.” | ||
“Okay, then maybe we’ll just play for an hour or so and then you can watch me play something,” he suggested. | “Okay, then maybe we’ll just play for an hour or so and then you can watch me play something,” he suggested. | ||
“I’d love to.” Lena then watched as a popular racing game with cartoonish looking | “I’d love to.” Lena then watched as a popular racing game with cartoonish looking characters popped on. She was familiar with the franchise, but they had obviously come out with a few iterations over the previous five years. It took her but a moment to go online and download the instruction manual for how to play the game and then recalibrate her hand sensors for the controller configuration. | ||
“Do you need me to explain how to play the game?” Mike asked, once he sat down and made himself comfortable. | “Do you need me to explain how to play the game?” Mike asked, once he sat down and made himself comfortable. | ||
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“Oh, that’s cool,” he said absently, then he stared at her seriously, “Hey, you’re not going to be difficult to beat like the in-game CPU or something, are you?” he accused her suspiciously. | “Oh, that’s cool,” he said absently, then he stared at her seriously, “Hey, you’re not going to be difficult to beat like the in-game CPU or something, are you?” he accused her suspiciously. | ||
“No,” Lena shook her head innocently, “Like I told you before, my human emulation is capped at a certain processor speed | “No,” Lena shook her head innocently, “Like I told you before, my human emulation is capped at a certain processor speed so I can’t do anything all that much better than the real Lena would have been able to,” she assured him. | ||
“But | “But will you have any advantages, being an android an all?” | ||
“I mean, I suppose I won’t be affected by hunger, or having to go to the bathroom, or hand cramps,” she shrugged, “But I can assure you, playing with me will be just like playing with a real person.” | |||
It took a few moments, but Mike was finally satisfied that Lena was telling him the truth. He left the menu of the game and prepped the racing tournament that they would be playing in. He hadn’t played with another person in quite a while | It took a few moments, but Mike was finally satisfied that Lena was telling him the truth. He left the menu of the game and prepped for the racing tournament that they would be playing in. He hadn’t played with another person in quite a while and he found Lena’s presence to be a bit distracting at first, especially her feet on the table. | ||
After a quick calculation, Lena’s A.I. suddenly informed her that having her feet up might distract Mike from playing at his best, since he’d been unintentionally wandering his eyes towards them several times in the past five minutes. Just before they started, Lena surreptitiously took her feet down | After a quick calculation, Lena’s A.I. suddenly informed her that having her feet up might distract Mike from playing at his best, since he’d been unintentionally wandering his eyes towards them several times in the past five minutes. Just before they started, Lena surreptitiously took her feet down and sat cross legged on the couch instead so she would be in a more comfortable position, and so Mike would not be distracted by her feet. | ||
Mike visibly relaxed when Lena hid her feet, since they had been distracting his focus. He wondered if she did so because she noticed his lack of focus, or if she merely wanted to assume a more comfortable position. Either way, it worked, and he was suddenly able to focus again. | Mike visibly relaxed when Lena hid her feet, since they had been distracting his focus. He wondered if she did so because she noticed his lack of focus, or if she merely wanted to assume a more comfortable position. Either way, it worked, and he was suddenly able to focus again. | ||
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“Okay, we’ll start off on the easy setting so we can ease on in,” he told her, setting the race speed to the lowest setting, “It’s been a while since I played too, so I’m not patronizing you or anything,” he assured her, after seeing her crafting a protest. | “Okay, we’ll start off on the easy setting so we can ease on in,” he told her, setting the race speed to the lowest setting, “It’s been a while since I played too, so I’m not patronizing you or anything,” he assured her, after seeing her crafting a protest. | ||
“Oh, okay,” she smiled, then focused on the screen while the ten second countdown started for the race. Just before it started, she minimized | “Oh, okay,” she smiled, then focused on the screen while the ten second countdown started for the race. Just before it started, she minimized most of her own HUD so she could focus on the in-game HUD. | ||
They ended up playing the racing | They ended up playing the racing game for nearly two hours, choosing to try out all 60 racetracks, and even the battle mode. A few times, they chose to play on the same team, but they found they both had competitive spirits and preferred to play against one another. True to her words, Lena did not appear to have any sort of advantage from being an android and playing just as well as a typical human might. | ||
As they took a break from playing so they could take care of the laundry and have a snack, Lena calculated the overall results and found that Mike won 72.34% of the races. Lena smiled as she was sure he won purely by skill | As they took a break from playing so they could take care of the laundry and have a snack, Lena calculated the overall results and found that Mike won 72.34% of the races. Lena smiled as she was sure he won purely by skill and his previous experience playing this game, rather than her letting him. | ||
When they returned to the couch, Mike unplugged the racing game and started up a different game. | When they returned to the couch, Mike unplugged the racing game and started up a different game. | ||
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“What are we playing this time?” Lena asked. | “What are we playing this time?” Lena asked. | ||
“Well, this time I’m going to play a single player game,” he told her, | “Well, this time I’m going to play a single player game,” he told her, “An open-world adventure epic that I started a week ago and haven’t finished yet.” | ||
“Ooh, ok, I can’t wait to watch,” Lena said excitedly, bouncing around on the couch and grabbing one of the pillows to lean on more comfortably. | “Ooh, ok, I can’t wait to watch,” Lena said excitedly, bouncing around on the couch and grabbing one of the pillows to lean on more comfortably, while also bundling up in one of the blankets he had draped on the top of the couch. | ||
“You don’t know how much of a relief it is to hear you say that,” Mike sighed, “My ex just couldn’t be satisfied by simply watching…she | “You don’t know how much of a relief it is to hear you say that,” Mike sighed, “My ex just couldn’t be satisfied by simply watching…she would get bored too easily. And then when we would play, she was a sore winner and loser. Overall, not a fun person to play with.” | ||
“Well, don’t worry, I really don’t mind just watching,” Lena smiled kindly at him, “I just enjoy sitting here with you.” | “Well, don’t worry, I really don’t mind just watching,” Lena smiled kindly at him, “I just enjoy sitting here with you.” | ||
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“Aww, thanks,” Mike blushed, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek before starting the game. | “Aww, thanks,” Mike blushed, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek before starting the game. | ||
The game appeared to be a sci-fi/fantasy world where the main character ran around in vast, impossible fields of varying climates, such as lava, ice, forest, desert, and even floating continents. The real Lena would have been interested in this game, so Lena paid close attention to all the details | The game appeared to be a sci-fi/fantasy world where the main character ran around in vast, impossible fields of varying climates, such as lava, ice, forest, desert, and even floating continents. The real Lena would have been interested in this game, so Lena paid close attention to all the details and asked Mike questions about stuff to show her interest. | ||
At one point, Mike, after roaming | At one point, Mike, after roaming around aimlessly on a side quest, paused the game and started to get up with a frustrated grunt. | ||
“Mike, what’s wrong? Where are you going?” Lena asked him in a concerned voice. | “Mike, what’s wrong? Where are you going?” Lena asked him in a concerned voice. | ||
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“Oh, well hang on a sec, I might be able to help you out,” she giggled, “sit down and I’ll help you.” She then accessed the internet in her HUD and searched for help videos on the particular side quest Mike was stuck on. After reviewing a few sources, she looked at Mike and smiled, “Ok, I found some tips online…just keep playing and I’ll throw some to you.” | “Oh, well hang on a sec, I might be able to help you out,” she giggled, “sit down and I’ll help you.” She then accessed the internet in her HUD and searched for help videos on the particular side quest Mike was stuck on. After reviewing a few sources, she looked at Mike and smiled, “Ok, I found some tips online…just keep playing and I’ll throw some to you.” | ||
“Huh, okay,” Mike said with a quizzical look on his face. He un-paused the game and | “Huh, okay,” Mike said with a quizzical look on his face. He un-paused the game and resumed playing, with Lena giving him just enough hints to get him on the right path, but not enough to spoil the whole adventure. | ||
Once Mike finished the quest, he paused the game and looked at Lena with pure admiration. “Wow, you’re awesome! If I had looked it up myself, I probably would have spoiled myself, but you were able to simply point me in the right direction and let me solve it myself.” | Once Mike finished the quest, he paused the game and looked at Lena with pure admiration. “Wow, you’re awesome! If I had looked it up myself, I probably would have spoiled myself, but you were able to simply point me in the right direction and let me solve it myself.” | ||
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Lena blushed and responded modestly. “Hey, it’s all part of my new girlfriend programming,” she shrugged, “believe it or not, you’re not the first owner to have his android watch them play games, so they anticipated all sorts of situations, such as this one, so we can help you guys out while still allowing you to enjoy the games.” | Lena blushed and responded modestly. “Hey, it’s all part of my new girlfriend programming,” she shrugged, “believe it or not, you’re not the first owner to have his android watch them play games, so they anticipated all sorts of situations, such as this one, so we can help you guys out while still allowing you to enjoy the games.” | ||
“Well, it’s awesome!” Mike said again, leaning over and embracing her, “are you able to anticipate that I’m having trouble and look up help before I ask, or do I need to actually ask?” he | “Well, it’s awesome!” Mike said again, leaning over and embracing her, “are you able to anticipate that I’m having trouble and look up help before I ask, or do I need to actually ask?” he asked eagerly. | ||
“I can anticipate,” she confirmed, “though, it might help if you could give me some verbal cues, such as mentioning you’re having trouble, or excessively checking your maps and stuff,” she suggested, “I got the feeling you were trying to hold in your frustration | “I can anticipate,” she confirmed, “though, it might help if you could give me some verbal cues, such as mentioning you’re having trouble, or excessively checking your maps and stuff,” she suggested, “I got the feeling you were trying to hold in your frustration and that’s neither good for you, nor helpful for me.” | ||
“Oh, sorry,” Mike blushed, “I’m just so used to internalizing everything…I mean, I’ve lived alone for so long, I’m not used to having someone around to talk to.” | “Oh, sorry,” Mike blushed, “I’m just so used to internalizing everything…I mean, I’ve lived alone for so long, I’m not used to having someone around to talk to.” | ||
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“Sure,” he laughed, calming himself down. | “Sure,” he laughed, calming himself down. | ||
“Ok, then sit back and enjoy the game.” Lena made herself comfortable on the couch once more and watched him play, only occasionally having to throw | “Ok, then sit back and enjoy the game.” Lena made herself comfortable on the couch once more and watched him play, only occasionally having to throw him an assist. She admired his ability to adapt to all the changing circumstances, and the commentary he’d throw in to entertain her more. Just before 6:30, Lena put her shoes back on and excused herself from the couch and headed into the kitchen. | ||
Mike decided that it might be a good time to stop playing, so he saved the game, turned off the console, and switched the TV input to a news channel. | Mike decided that it might be a good time to stop playing, so he saved the game, turned off the console, and switched the TV input to a news channel. | ||
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“Oh, you didn’t have to stop playing just because I got up,” Lena commented, washing her hands and then getting the supplies she needed for the dinner she had planned for the evening. | “Oh, you didn’t have to stop playing just because I got up,” Lena commented, washing her hands and then getting the supplies she needed for the dinner she had planned for the evening. | ||
“Yeah, I know,” Mike shrugged, “I just felt it was a good time to stop…and | “Yeah, I know,” Mike shrugged, “I just felt it was a good time to stop…and I don’t like starting something when I know I lack the time to finish it.” | ||
“Aren’t you going to keep playing after dinner?” | “Aren’t you going to keep playing after dinner?” | ||
“No, unless it’s a really good game, I usually reserve the time between dinner and bed for watching TV,” he explained, “I’ve got a few things taking space on my DVR that I want to get rid of, so we’ll watch them.” | “No, unless it’s a really good game, I usually reserve the time between dinner and bed for watching TV,” he explained, “I’ve got a few things taking up space on my DVR that I want to get rid of, so we’ll watch them.” | ||
“Hmmm, okay,” Lena nodded, noting his preferences in her daily routine to better anticipate his needs going forward. “Anything good?” | “Hmmm, okay,” Lena nodded, noting his preferences in her daily routine to better anticipate his needs going forward. “Anything good?” | ||
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Mike, who had been taking a sip of water from his cup, immediately spat it out in a classic spit take and began sputtering, his face turning pure scarlet. “Sex, already?! You haven’t even been online for a full day yet, and we need to get to know each other better.” | Mike, who had been taking a sip of water from his cup, immediately spat it out in a classic spit take and began sputtering, his face turning pure scarlet. “Sex, already?! You haven’t even been online for a full day yet, and we need to get to know each other better.” | ||
Lena’s laugh was musical at watching Mike’s reaction, a reaction one might see in a sitcom. Once she saw that Mike had relaxed a bit, she replied, “Oh Mike, we already know each other,” she said with feigned exasperation, “And I’m not saying we should have sex every night, | Lena’s laugh was musical at watching Mike’s reaction, a reaction one might see in a sitcom. Once she saw that Mike had relaxed a bit, she replied, “Oh Mike, we already know each other,” she said with feigned exasperation, “And I’m not saying we should have sex every night but, after seeing me naked all day, we need to have some sort of test run to reduce any sexual tension that might build up…and besides, you really want to, don’t you?” she teased, playfully grabbing her breasts. | ||
Part of Mike wanted him to say no…but the other 95% quickly overruled it. He gave her a boyish smile, despite his best efforts, and managed to say, “Yes.” | Part of Mike wanted him to say no…but the other 95% quickly overruled it. He gave her a boyish smile, despite his best efforts, and managed to say, “Yes.” | ||
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“Hmm, okay.” Mike smiled weakly, though he felt a bit less apprehensive about the pending sexual encounter. | “Hmm, okay.” Mike smiled weakly, though he felt a bit less apprehensive about the pending sexual encounter. | ||
“That’s also why I’m going to be massaging you first,” she added, “so I can relax you a bit…you’re still a bit tense, either from having me around, or the hard work you put in the last few days, or both.” | |||
Mike did feel tense, and he realized it was likely from both work and coping with having Lena in his life. He suddenly found himself looking forward to their upcoming encounter, rather than dreading it. | Mike did feel tense, and he realized it was likely from both work and coping with having Lena in his life. He suddenly found himself looking forward to their upcoming encounter, rather than dreading it. | ||
Dinner was served just over 20 minutes later, and Mike found it absolutely delicious. She had ingeniously used a combination of some of the fresher leftovers from his fridge, and the new ingredients that they had purchased earlier in the day, to create a unique meal; she had thrown out the older, unsalvageable leftovers. As soon as she set their plates down and finished by serving drinks, she sat back down and slid her shoes off. | |||
“How come you put your shoes back on?” Mike asked curiously, since she knew he had a foot fetish | “How come you put your shoes back on?” Mike asked curiously, since she knew he had a foot fetish. | ||
“Oh,” she blushed, finishing her bite of food, “Um, for safety reasons…it’s not a good idea to cook while barefoot,” she pointed out, “you wouldn’t want me to accidentally spill hot oil, or drop a knife | “Oh,” she blushed, finishing her bite of food, “Um, for safety reasons…it’s not a good idea to cook while barefoot,” she pointed out, “you wouldn’t want me to accidentally spill hot oil, or drop a knife on my pretty feet, would you?” | ||
“Ah, no,” Mike laughed, “but I’m sure an android like you is very careful,” he challenged. | “Ah, no,” Mike laughed, “but I’m sure an android like you is very careful,” he challenged. | ||
“I am,” she nodded, “But, accidents could still happen: I could malfunction, Mia could trip me, you could distract me, or the oven could overheat the food and cause spillover,” she explained, “my cooking programs dictate that I always wear shoes while cooking | “I am,” she nodded, “But, accidents could still happen: I could malfunction, Mia could trip me, you could distract me, or the oven could overheat the food and cause spillover,” she explained, “my cooking programs dictate that I always wear shoes while cooking or preparing food, even if its something as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sammich,” | ||
“Well, I will defer to your safety programming,” Mike smiled, taking another bite, “This is really good, by the way.” | “Well, I will defer to your safety programming,” Mike smiled, remembering the intentionally childish way she pronounced sandwich and taking another bite, “This is really good, by the way.” | ||
“Thanks!” she beamed. | “Thanks!” she beamed. | ||
They continued watching the news until they had both finished eating. Then, both Mike and Lena helped clean the kitchen and start a load in the dishwasher before sitting back down on the couch and starting the shows Mike had recorded on the DVR. Lena was just about to get comfortable by setting her bare feet up on the coffee table for Mike’s enjoyment when he stopped her. | They continued watching the news until they had both finished eating. Then, both Mike and Lena helped clean the kitchen and start a load in the dishwasher before sitting back down on the couch and starting the shows Mike had recorded on the DVR. Lena was just about to get comfortable by setting her bare feet up on the coffee table for Mike’s enjoyment when he stopped her. | ||
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“Sure, Mike,” Lena smiled warmly, laying back on the couch and propping her feet up on Mike’s lap. She wiggled her toes contentedly and then relaxed back on the couch, watching Mike intently as he admired her feet. | “Sure, Mike,” Lena smiled warmly, laying back on the couch and propping her feet up on Mike’s lap. She wiggled her toes contentedly and then relaxed back on the couch, watching Mike intently as he admired her feet. | ||
Although Mike had examined her feet extensively already, that was when they were detached and powered down. This time, they were attached to her body | Although Mike had examined her feet extensively already, that was when they were detached and powered down. This time, they were attached to her body and were very much alive. He gently stroked each one, eliciting a pleasant moan from Lena. He then lifted both her feet up to his face and pressed them in, feeling the warm softness of her foot bottoms, and gently breathing in the subtle smells of body odor. | ||
“Is the 34% reduction in body odor satisfactory?” Lena asked, unable to see a reaction. | “Is the 34% reduction in body odor satisfactory?” Lena asked, unable to see a reaction. | ||
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“Hmmm, perhaps you can make it a 40% reduction,” he decided, setting her feet back down on his lap and wrinkling his nose. | “Hmmm, perhaps you can make it a 40% reduction,” he decided, setting her feet back down on his lap and wrinkling his nose. | ||
Lena quickly made the change in her settings from her HUD | Lena quickly made the change in her settings from her HUD and then minimized it so she could enjoy the show. “Done!” | ||
“Goodie, now, are you ready for the shows?” he asked, picking up the remote. | “Goodie, now, are you ready for the shows?” he asked, picking up the remote. | ||
Lena nodded | Lena nodded and then made herself comfortable as he hit play and started the first of their shows. Mike absently massaged and stroked both her feet while they watched all the shows, almost using them like stress balls. | ||
When they started the scary movie, however, Lena cuddled up with Mike on his side of the couch, while they both enjoyed a bowl of popcorn. Her human emulation allowed her to get legitimately frightened by certain points in the movie, allowing Mike to act chivalrous and comfort her even more. Lena smiled, thinking she’d never received this kind of love before. | When they started the scary movie, however, Lena cuddled up with Mike on his side of the couch, while they both enjoyed a bowl of popcorn. Her human emulation allowed her to get legitimately frightened by certain points in the movie, allowing Mike to act chivalrous and comfort her even more. Lena smiled, thinking she’d never received this kind of love before. | ||
Once the movie ended, they both helped tidy up the area and put the now cleaned dishes away | Once the movie ended, they both helped tidy up the area and put the now cleaned dishes away in the kitchen before looking at each other with blushes on their faces. | ||
“Um, you ready,” she asked him, eager to educate him on her skills. | “Um, you ready,” she asked him, eager to educate him on her skills. | ||
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“It’ll be great, I promise,” Lena assured him, gently taking his hand and guiding him upstairs. Once they were upstairs, they made sure Mia would not interrupt them, and slowly walked into Mike’s, or rather, their room. | “It’ll be great, I promise,” Lena assured him, gently taking his hand and guiding him upstairs. Once they were upstairs, they made sure Mia would not interrupt them, and slowly walked into Mike’s, or rather, their room. | ||
“Okay Mike, just like I promised, | “Okay Mike, just like I promised, I’ll start off with a full body massage,” Lena explained in a soft voice, “It’ll be great.” | ||
“Okay,” Mike nodded, “I think I’d like to be nude for it, if that’s alright,” he said nervously. | “Okay,” Mike nodded, “I think I’d like to be nude for it, if that’s alright,” he said nervously. | ||
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Mike laughed and then slowly began to remove his clothes, starting with his shirt and finishing by removing his sweats and underwear at the same time. He then neatly folded his clothes onto the floor in the corner of the room by the side of the bed he slept on and then stood before Lena so she could see him. “Well, what do you think?” he asked nervously, doing a quick spin and then standing still in front of her. | Mike laughed and then slowly began to remove his clothes, starting with his shirt and finishing by removing his sweats and underwear at the same time. He then neatly folded his clothes onto the floor in the corner of the room by the side of the bed he slept on and then stood before Lena so she could see him. “Well, what do you think?” he asked nervously, doing a quick spin and then standing still in front of her. | ||
Lena slowly admired his body, or rather her human emulation admired his body, while her A.I. was already | Lena slowly admired his body, or rather her human emulation admired his body, while her A.I. was already busy taking precise scans and measurements of his body to better gauge his health and physical condition, and to formulate a healthy eating and exercise plan. In the 2.76 seconds that she ‘admired’ his body, her A.I. was able to make a complete 3-D rendering of him and add it to his health benchmarks. | ||
“You look really good,” Lena finally said, her HUD absently noting that her words relaxed Mike, “although | “You look really good,” Lena finally said, her HUD absently noting that her words relaxed Mike, “although I haven’t actually seen many naked guys, so it’s not like I’m an expert or anything,” she laughed. | ||
“Well, I suppose that’s a good thing,” Mike chuckled, “means I don’t have anything to compete with.” | “Well, I suppose that’s a good thing,” Mike chuckled, “means I don’t have anything to compete with.” | ||
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“Would you like me to undress as well, or would you prefer I remain clothed for your massage?” Lena then asked, quickly rubbing her hands to warm them up. | “Would you like me to undress as well, or would you prefer I remain clothed for your massage?” Lena then asked, quickly rubbing her hands to warm them up. | ||
Mike thought about it for a second. “Just stay dressed,” he decided, “that way | Mike thought about it for a second. “Just stay dressed,” he decided, “that way you’ll still be warm when we have sex after, and the skin-on-skin contact might dampen the massage somewhat.” | ||
“Ok,” Lena nodded, adding that to his preferences, “now, if you’re ready, just lay down flat on the bed and I’ll get started,” she then instructed, quickly smoothing out the sheets and handing him one of the pillows so he could prop himself up. | “Ok,” Lena nodded, adding that to his preferences, “now, if you’re ready, just lay down flat on the bed and I’ll get started,” she then instructed, quickly smoothing out the sheets and handing him one of the pillows so he could prop himself up. | ||
Mike eagerly did so, trying to relax as he anticipated where she would touch him first. He kept his face down | Mike eagerly did so, trying to relax as he anticipated where she would touch him first. He kept his face down on the pillow and slowed his breathing to relax himself. Once he relaxed, he suddenly felt the bed move as Lena climbed atop it and moved towards him. | ||
“I’m going to get started now, okay?” she asked him. | “I’m going to get started now, okay?” she asked him. | ||
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Mike merely nodded and grunted something that sounded like a positive response. It was good enough for Lena, who checked off the “received consent” box in her HUD. For legal reasons, Spaztec had programmed all androids to receive consent before engaging in any sort of intimate activity, since they could be held liable if the androids were used to rape other people by proxy. | Mike merely nodded and grunted something that sounded like a positive response. It was good enough for Lena, who checked off the “received consent” box in her HUD. For legal reasons, Spaztec had programmed all androids to receive consent before engaging in any sort of intimate activity, since they could be held liable if the androids were used to rape other people by proxy. | ||
Lena switched her vision over to thermal scanning and scanned Mike’s back for sore | Lena switched her vision over to thermal scanning and scanned Mike’s back for sore spots. Since Mike had most likely never received a massage before, and since he’d worked a tough few days, there were multiple spots along the rear end of his body that were solid red with heat, indicating sore muscles and knots. Lena reached towards the largest concentration on his back and started off gently. | ||
Mike let out a long, loud grunt as he felt her smooth hands start pressing into his back, hitting a particularly sore spot. At first | Mike let out a long, loud grunt as he felt her smooth hands start pressing into his back, hitting a particularly sore spot. At first it felt mildly painful, but as she started easing in, the pain was released, and he felt nothing but sheer pleasure. | ||
She continued with his back and neck for nearly 15 | She continued with his back and neck for nearly 15 minutes, until Mike’s pleasurable moans subsided, and the hot spots dissipated on her thermal feed. She then moved on to his arms, paying extra attention to his hands and biceps. Once his arms were sufficiently massaged, she moved down to his butt, and then his legs and feet. | ||
Mike was in pure bliss as Lena’s soft hands caressed and healed every inch of his sore body. She massaged areas he had no idea were even sore, | Mike was in pure bliss as Lena’s soft hands caressed and healed every inch of his sore body. She massaged areas he had no idea about were even sore and, as her hands moved on, the areas she had finished felt cool and relaxed. | ||
Nearly 40-minutes after beginning the massage, Lena finally finished with Mike’s feet and then stood up on the side of the bed. “Alright Mike, I’m done with your backside, time for your frontside,” she announced, waiting patiently for him to turn over. | Nearly 40-minutes after beginning the massage, Lena finally finished with Mike’s feet and then stood up on the side of the bed. “Alright Mike, I’m done with your backside, time for your frontside,” she announced, waiting patiently for him to turn over. | ||
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“Huh, that’s a little strange, but I suppose with the whole political atmosphere lately, it’s not too surprising,” Mike chuckled, “Of course you have my consent.” | “Huh, that’s a little strange, but I suppose with the whole political atmosphere lately, it’s not too surprising,” Mike chuckled, “Of course you have my consent.” | ||
Lena smiled as the safety programming in her acknowledged the verbal consent and allowed her to lean in and gently grab his penis. Mike, not used to anyone touching him there, naturally recoiled, but then forced himself to relax. He started taking deep, relaxed breaths as she eased his tension and gently massaged his penis, smiling as it slowly became erect. Once it reached full length, she started easing off, her HUD taking a quick measurement and confirming it was | Lena smiled as the safety programming in her acknowledged the verbal consent and allowed her to lean in and gently grab his penis. Mike, not used to anyone touching him there, naturally recoiled, but then forced himself to relax. He started taking deep, relaxed breaths as she eased his tension and gently massaged his penis, smiling as it slowly became erect. Once it reached full length, she started easing off, her HUD taking a quick measurement and confirming it was average length; she adjusted her vaginal systems accordingly to handle the length. | ||
Once she was finished, she ran one final thermal scan of his body and confirmed there were no more hot spots. She smiled approvingly and then stood back up off the bed. “All done Mike!” | Once she was finished, she ran one final thermal scan of his body and confirmed there were no more hot spots. She smiled approvingly and then stood back up off the bed. “All done Mike!” | ||
Mike groaned mockingly, forcing himself to sit up | Mike groaned mockingly, forcing himself to sit up at the foot of the bed and look up at her with pure adoration. “Wow, that was the best massage I have ever gotten…. thanks!” | ||
“Ah, don’t mention it,” Lena blushed modestly. | “Ah, don’t mention it,” Lena blushed modestly. | ||
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“I mean, I don’t think I truly knew what it was like to be relaxed until now,” he continued, “I know you’re an android, but how could you possibly be so good?” | “I mean, I don’t think I truly knew what it was like to be relaxed until now,” he continued, “I know you’re an android, but how could you possibly be so good?” | ||
“Well, to tell the truth, the main reason I ordered these upgraded eyes was because of the thermal scanning ability,” she admitted, “They allow me to literally see all your sore muscles, since sore muscles give off more heat,” she explained, “also, it doesn’t hurt that I made sure to download all the latest massage programs,” she added | “Well, to tell the truth, the main reason I ordered these upgraded eyes was because of the thermal scanning ability,” she admitted, “They allow me to literally see all your sore muscles, since sore muscles give off more heat,” she explained, “also, it doesn’t hurt that I made sure to download all the latest massage programs,” she added with a wink. | ||
“Well, suffice to say, I feel very relaxed now, thanks.” Mike stood up and gave Lena a loving kiss. | “Well, suffice to say, I feel very relaxed now, thanks.” Mike stood up and gave Lena a loving kiss. | ||
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“No, I know where it is,” Mike smiled, “um, why don’t you make yourself comfy on the…towel while I get it?” | “No, I know where it is,” Mike smiled, “um, why don’t you make yourself comfy on the…towel while I get it?” | ||
“Ok,” Lena | “Ok,” Lena giggled. | ||
Mike quickly rushed out of the room, making a sharp right into Lena’s room. He quickly located the purple bag on her desk and pulled out the lube canister. As he was heading out, he absently noted that the computer he’d given her was still on | Mike quickly rushed out of the room, making a sharp right into Lena’s room. He quickly located the purple bag on her desk and pulled out the lube canister. As he was heading out, he absently noted that the computer he’d given her was still on and appeared to be remotely linked to her and collecting data. | ||
Mike shrugged, figuring it was simply part of her maintenance, and returned to his bedroom with the canister. Just as he had suggested, Lena was | Mike shrugged, figuring it was simply part of her maintenance, and returned to his bedroom with the canister. Just as he had suggested, Lena was lying on the bed, atop the towel, patiently waiting for him to return. | ||
“Did you have trouble finding it?” Lena asked, sitting up a little and pushing out her crotch a bit so he could access her vaginal panel. | “Did you have trouble finding it?” Lena asked, sitting up a little and pushing out her crotch a bit so he could access her vaginal panel. | ||
“No, fortunately you kept it in the same bag it arrived in.” | “No, fortunately you kept it in the same bag it arrived in.” He quickly pressed the release on her waist and removed the portion of skin covering the panel. “Umm, how do I do remove the old one?” he asked, not seeing a release. | ||
“Like this.” Lena gently grabbed his hand and placed it on top of the current canister. She then had him grip it tightly, push it in, twist it counterclockwise, and then pull it out with a slight sucking sound. | “Like this.” Lena gently grabbed his hand and placed it on top of the current canister. She then had him grip it tightly, push it in, twist it counterclockwise, and then pull it out with a slight sucking sound. | ||
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“Okay, good,” Mike said, relieved as he pushed the fruity canister into her body and sealed it in place, “do you need time to adjust to the new canister?” | “Okay, good,” Mike said, relieved as he pushed the fruity canister into her body and sealed it in place, “do you need time to adjust to the new canister?” | ||
“No, I’m already slowly secreting it in order to prepare for sex,” she reported. | “No, I’m already slowly secreting it in order to prepare for sex,” she reported, “your nude body’s turning me on as much as I’m turning you on, after all.” | ||
“Okay,” Mike nodded, placing the old canister on the bedside table, then moving to pick up the skin panel. “Lena, would it be possible to have sex with your panel open, and maybe a few others?” | “Okay,” Mike nodded, placing the old canister on the bedside table, then moving to pick up the skin panel. “Lena, would it be possible to have sex with your panel open, and maybe a few others?” | ||
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“Indeed I would,” Lena nodded solemnly, “But, I suppose if you are wanting to engage in sexual activity that will tickle your robo-fetish, then one thing we could do is detach my head and have my head perform fellatio, while you perform oral sex on my vagina,” she suggested matter-of-factly, “But, unless my head was attached to the A.N.A., which admittedly might be a bit awkward in that situation, I’d only last about 15-minutes before shutting down.” | “Indeed I would,” Lena nodded solemnly, “But, I suppose if you are wanting to engage in sexual activity that will tickle your robo-fetish, then one thing we could do is detach my head and have my head perform fellatio, while you perform oral sex on my vagina,” she suggested matter-of-factly, “But, unless my head was attached to the A.N.A., which admittedly might be a bit awkward in that situation, I’d only last about 15-minutes before shutting down.” | ||
Mike thought about it a bit, since obviously having sex with an android presented far more opportunities than with a human. “Nah, not right now,” he said regretfully, “Definitely at some point though,” he nodded vigorously, “But, I think | Mike thought about it a bit, since obviously having sex with an android presented far more opportunities than with a human. “Nah, not right now,” he said regretfully, “Definitely at some point though,” he nodded vigorously, “But, I think for now I’d just like to try sex the normal way,” he decided, “anyway, your body has just been upgraded and updated with five years of new stuff in just 24 hours, so we’d probably give it a bit of time to adapt more before trying something that complex.” | ||
“A wise precaution,” Lena complimented him. | “A wise precaution,” Lena complimented him. | ||
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“Well, are you ready to get started?” Lena asked, flaunting her crotch at Mike and wiggling her toes. | “Well, are you ready to get started?” Lena asked, flaunting her crotch at Mike and wiggling her toes. | ||
“Just one more thing,” he promised her. He walked over to his pants and pulled his phone out, scrunching his face with concentration before activating some gentle, classical music. “I’ve heard it’s easier with music or something in the background,” he explained bashfully, setting the phone down on the bedside table, next to the old lube canister, and | “Just one more thing,” he promised her. He walked over to his pants and pulled his phone out, scrunching his face with concentration before activating some gentle, classical music. “I’ve heard it’s easier with music or something in the background,” he explained bashfully, setting the phone down on the bedside table, next to the old lube canister, and lying on his side in the bed next to Lena, staring into her eyes. | ||
“Hey, whatever makes you comfortable,” she reminded him once more, returning his stare. | “Hey, whatever makes you comfortable,” she reminded him once more, returning his stare. | ||
They stared longingly into one another’s eyes for several seconds before leaning in and kissing each other deeply. Eventually, the kisses became an embrace as their bodies intertwined | They stared longingly into one another’s eyes for several seconds before leaning in and kissing each other deeply. Eventually, the kisses became an embrace as their bodies intertwined and, before they knew it, Lena was on her back with Mike slowly grinding against her. | ||
A part of Mike thought entering her would be easy since, as an android, she could control her body, but Mike had to work for it. Eventually, her fruity lube had coated enough of Mike’s penis to allow him to smoothly slide into her warm pussy. Just as she had informed him, he could just barely perceive the numbness caused by the lube, and the mild tickling from the sonic pulses. | |||
Mike quickly found that Lena was able to keep pace with him well, most likely due to her artificial nature. When he sped up, so did she, and when he slowed back down to rest, she patiently waited for him. | |||
While he continued thrusting into her, he could feel himself starting to breath more heavily, and she too. The thought that her breathing was helping to cool down all of the internal machinery in her body that was likely heating up with their passion turned him on even more. | |||
After what seemed like an eternity, Mike finally felt himself ready to climax, so he quickened his pace, feeling Lena squeezing him tighter in anticipation. He finally exploded into her, at the same time he felt her climax, a wave of warm juices flowing over him. | |||
He collapsed into her loving embrace as a wave of ecstasy coursed through his body. They both spent the next several minutes catching their breath and simply enjoying the feeling of one another. Finally, | He collapsed into her loving embrace as a wave of ecstasy coursed through his body. They both spent the next several minutes catching their breath and simply enjoying the feeling of one another. Finally, they slowly rolled over and stared into each other’s eyes. | ||
“Well, how was I?” Lena asked intently. | “Well, how was I?” Lena asked intently. | ||
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“Hey, it’s no problem,” she said with a reassuring smile, “I’ll have to try and improve your stamina though.” | “Hey, it’s no problem,” she said with a reassuring smile, “I’ll have to try and improve your stamina though.” | ||
“I look forward to it,” Mike laughed, slowly rolling off the bed and viewing the scene. Lena was still | “I look forward to it,” Mike laughed, slowly rolling off the bed and viewing the scene. Lena was still lying on the towel, but there was now a large wet spot just below her crotch. Mike gingerly felt the residue left on his penis and sniffed it. “Fruity,” he thought, since that was the only way to describe it. | ||
“Would you like me to clean all this up?” Lena asked, watching him scrutinize their lovemaking mess. | “Would you like me to clean all this up?” Lena asked, watching him scrutinize their lovemaking mess. | ||
“I think the towel | “I think the towel contained most of it,” Mike nodded approvingly, lifting it up and seeing no moisture on the sheets beneath it. He then looked at the clock and saw it was nearly midnight. “Well, as fun as this was, we should probably clean ourselves up and get ready for bed soon,” Mike said regretfully. | ||
“Yeah,” Lena agreed, “my battery is below 18% now, so I only have about two hours left.” | “Yeah,” Lena agreed, “my battery is below 18% now, so I only have about two hours left.” | ||
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“Oh, no,” Lena assured him, “I’m quite skilled at cleaning myself out, I just don’t want to leak all over your floor.” | “Oh, no,” Lena assured him, “I’m quite skilled at cleaning myself out, I just don’t want to leak all over your floor.” | ||
“Ah, eww,” Mike chuckled nervously, perishing the thought from his mind. | “Ah, eww,” Mike chuckled nervously, perishing the thought from his mind. | ||
“Also, I forgot to mention this earlier but, now that we’ve had sex and I have your seed in me, my body can synthesize a customized pheromone whenever we’re in close contact,” Lena said. | |||
“What does that mean?” Mike asked. | |||
“It means you’ll feel calmer, more relaxed around me,” she explained, “and, it’ll help next time we have sex.” | |||
“Ah, that sounds nice,” Mike smiled, though he already felt relaxed around her, “how long will it take for your body to synthesize it?” | |||
“A day or so, depending on what I eat,” she shrugged, “it’s a feature only present in androids you have configured as either a girlfriend or spouse.” | |||
“Wow, having you around will really improve things around here,” Mike laughed, walking over and giving her a kiss, “you should get to the shower though.” | |||
“I’m going to put on my pajamas once I’m done cleaning myself, if that’s alright with you,” Lena told him, making her way to the door. | “I know,” she nodded, “I’m going to put on my pajamas once I’m done cleaning myself, if that’s alright with you,” Lena told him, making her way to the door. | ||
“It’s alright,” Mike shrugged, “You’ll look cute in them anyway.” | “It’s alright,” Mike shrugged, “You’ll look cute in them anyway.” | ||
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===1.8: Turning In=== | ===1.8: Turning In=== | ||
Mike lingered in the shower for a bit longer than was | Mike lingered in the shower for a bit longer than was necessary. He only needed to touch himself up and cleanse himself of the lubrication, but he found the warm water to be quite soothing. Even after he heard Lena shut off the shower from the other side of the wall, he remained in his shower for several more minutes before regretfully shutting off the water and drying himself off. | ||
Once dry, Mike decided to put his pajamas on, even though he usually slept | Once dry, Mike decided to put his pajamas on too, even though he usually slept nude. He figured he would keep them on until he went to bed so he could have a normal interaction with Lena before turning in for the night. | ||
He found Lena already getting started on tidying up her room, moving several of the things around and peeking inside the boxes to see if there was anything she could use. | He found Lena already getting started on tidying up her room, moving several of the things around and peeking inside the boxes to see if there was anything she could use. | ||
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“Find anything interesting?” Mike asked. | “Find anything interesting?” Mike asked. | ||
“A few things,” Lena admitted, gesturing to a few | “A few things,” Lena admitted, gesturing to a few decorations that Mike had stashed up here the last time he changed the décor in the living room. | ||
“Did you have your own decorations | “Did you have your own decorations or personal effects in your apartment?” Mike asked curiously, “Or did you keep it fairly spartan?” | ||
“I actually had several items that belonged to the real Lena,” Lena admitted, then she looked around the room and sighed, “I wish I still had them…” | “I actually had several items that belonged to the real Lena,” Lena admitted, then she looked around the room and sighed, “I wish I still had them…” | ||
“Do you think there’s a possibility that your previous owner may have stashed your belongings somewhere before killing himself?” | “Do you think there’s a possibility that your previous owner may have stashed your belongings somewhere before killing himself?” | ||
“Hmm, it’s possible,” Lena contemplated, zoning out momentarily as she searched a few things in her memory storage, and online, “He did have a public storage unit that I occasionally had to visit,” Lena then supplied, “but I’m not sure if it’d even be considered his, this long past his death.” | “Hmm, it’s possible,” Lena contemplated, zoning out momentarily as she searched a few things in her memory storage, and online, “He did have a public storage unit that I occasionally had to visit,” Lena then supplied, “but I’m not sure if it’d even be considered his, this long past his death.” | ||
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to look,” Mike offered. | “Well, it wouldn’t hurt to look,” Mike offered. | ||
“Yeah, but it’s late, and I’m sure they’re closed right now,” Lena sighed, “Besides, my battery will only last another hour or so, and you need sleep.” | “Yeah, but it’s late, and I’m sure they’re closed right now,” Lena sighed, “Besides, my battery will only last another hour or so, and you need sleep.” | ||
“Well then, how about we go in the morning? After breakfast,” Mike tried to cheer her up. | “Well then, how about we go in the morning? After breakfast,” Mike tried to cheer her up. | ||
“That sounds nice,” Lena smiled, updating her schedule for the next day in her HUD. | “That sounds nice,” Lena smiled, updating her schedule for the next day in her HUD. “I’m planning on starting my cleaning schedule tomorrow,” Lena announced, changing the subject to a more cheerful one, “Do you have any preferences for how you’d like me to proceed, or areas you might prefer to take care of yourself?” | ||
“Hmm, the only thing I can think of is the laundry,” Mike said, after giving it a bit of thought. | “Hmm, the only thing I can think of is the laundry,” Mike said, after giving it a bit of thought. | ||
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“What about the laundry?” | “What about the laundry?” | ||
“Well, | “Well, you’re welcome to wash the bed stuff, the towels, pillows, bathmats, and your own clothes,” Mike listed off, “But I will wash my clothes, every Friday when I get home.” | ||
Lena quickly updated that in her cleaning settings. “Okay, that’s easily arranged,” she replied, “why don’t you want me cleaning your clothes though? Are you afraid of me seeing your undies?” she teased. | Lena quickly updated that in her cleaning settings. “Okay, that’s easily arranged,” she replied, “why don’t you want me cleaning your clothes though? Are you afraid of me seeing your undies?” she teased. | ||
“Oh no, nothing like that,” Mike smiled, “It’s just, I’m under the belief that my clothes collect all the negative energy from stress and whatnot, so I consider washing them at the end of the week to be sort of…cathartic,” he attempted to explain, “basically, it’s my way of washing away the negative energy from the previous week | “Oh no, nothing like that,” Mike smiled, “It’s just, I’m under the belief that my clothes collect all the negative energy from stress and whatnot, so I consider washing them at the end of the week to be sort of…cathartic,” he attempted to explain, “basically, it’s my way of washing away the negative energy from the previous week and starting things over fresh.” | ||
“Huh, an interesting way of looking at it…I will honor your request,” Lena said formally, “Anything else?” | “Huh, an interesting way of looking at it…I will honor your request,” Lena said formally, “Anything else?” | ||
“Well | “Well obviously, try and do most of the cleaning while I’m at work, if possible,” he shrugged, “though, you’ll find I tend to keep my own area down there pretty clean, so I don’t think you’ll have too much work to do.” | ||
“Hah, okay,” Lena laughed. | “Hah, okay,” Lena laughed, “sounds like living with you will be easy.” | ||
“Oh, | “I hope so,” Mike laughed, “Oh, there’s a few area rugs tucked away in the downstairs closet if you feel like decorating some more in here,” Mike mentioned off-hand. | ||
“Oh, thanks!” Lena beamed, looking around the room, “This beige carpet is sorta bland.” | “Oh, thanks!” Lena beamed, looking around the room, “This beige carpet is sorta bland.” | ||
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“Well, you spend most of your time downstairs,” she pointed out, “So of course you wouldn’t mind.” | “Well, you spend most of your time downstairs,” she pointed out, “So of course you wouldn’t mind.” | ||
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Mike nodded, “So, once you’re all done in here, are you going to try and join me at all in bed?” he asked hopefully. | “Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Mike nodded, “So, once you’re all done in here, are you going to try and join me at all in bed?” he asked hopefully. | ||
“No, I’m going to plug myself in when I reach about 3% battery level | “No, I’m going to plug myself in when I reach about 3% battery level and then go into sleep mode at the desk,” she told him regretfully, “I’m also going to be running a few diagnostics once I’m done charging, and those might make a bit of noise, so I want to stay in here until you wake up.” | ||
“Alright, just checking,” he nodded, looking forward to when she would be joining him in bed. | “Alright, just checking,” he nodded, looking forward to when she would be joining him in bed. | ||
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“Ooh, that sounds nice,” Mike said with an excited grin. | “Ooh, that sounds nice,” Mike said with an excited grin. | ||
“If you sleep with your phone nearby, one of the features my interface app can do is monitor your breathing patterns while you sleep, even over your fan, and accurately predict when you are about to | “If you sleep with your phone nearby, one of the features my interface app can do is monitor your breathing patterns while you sleep, even over your fan, and accurately predict when you are about to wake up,” Lena supplied. | ||
“Wow, that’s quite convenient, and disturbing | “Wow, that’s quite convenient, and disturbing,” Mike chuckled nervously. | ||
“Hey, don’t worry, it’s a discreet app, so it won’t record your snores or anything,” Lena giggled. | “Hey, don’t worry, it’s a discreet app, so it won’t record your snores or anything,” Lena giggled. | ||
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“You look like you’re ready for bed,” Lena smiled. | “You look like you’re ready for bed,” Lena smiled. | ||
“Yeah, it’s about that time,” Mike nodded, seeing the time on Lena’s computer; past midnight. | “Yeah, it’s about that time,” Mike nodded, seeing the time on Lena’s computer; it was just past midnight. | ||
“Alright, let me tuck you in.” Lena gently grabbed Mike’s hand and led him into his bedroom. Once in there, Mike grabbed his phone, which was still playing gentle classical music, and turned all the apps off. | “Alright, let me tuck you in.” Lena gently grabbed Mike’s hand and led him into his bedroom. Once in there, Mike grabbed his phone, which was still playing gentle classical music, and turned all the apps off. | ||
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“Okay, good.” Mike yawned once more and then began to take his clothes off. | “Okay, good.” Mike yawned once more and then began to take his clothes off. | ||
“Oh, you sleep | “Oh, you sleep nude?” | ||
“Yeah,” he nodded, shaking himself off and then crawling into the bed, “It took a bit of getting used to at first, but now I can’t imagine how I slept before,” he smiled, moving around vigorously to warm up the sheets. “Oh, I forgot to turn on the fan,” he pouted, moving to get out of bed. | “Yeah,” he nodded, shaking himself off and then crawling into the bed, “It took a bit of getting used to at first, but now I can’t imagine how I slept before,” he smiled, moving around vigorously to warm up the sheets. “Oh, I forgot to turn on the fan,” he pouted, moving to get out of bed. | ||
“Hey, allow me,” Lena stopped him. She turned around and powered | “Hey, allow me,” Lena stopped him. She turned around and powered the fan to its highest setting. “There.” | ||
“Thanks, it’s so hard to get comfy again once you’ve gotten up.” | “Thanks, it’s so hard to get comfy again once you’ve gotten up.” | ||
“Yeah, I know,” Lena nodded, then she quickly scanned his room to make sure there was nothing more that might distract him. “Do you usually sleep with the bathroom | “Yeah, I know,” Lena nodded, then she quickly scanned his room to make sure there was nothing more that might distract him. “Do you usually sleep with the bathroom window open in the wintertime?” | ||
“Oh no, not unless its hot out,” he replied, looking over, “I left it open so the steam could vent out, but it should be alright to close now.” | “Oh no, not unless its hot out,” he replied, looking over, “I left it open so the steam could vent out, but it should be alright to close now.” | ||
“Okay.” Lena walked over and secured the bathroom | “Okay.” Lena walked over and secured the bathroom window, then scanned the room one more time with all her sensors. Everything seemed safe and secure for Mike’s bedtime mode. She then focused on his bedside table, making sure her interface with his phone terminal was online. “Huh, would you like a glass of water on your table, in case you get thirsty?” she offered. | ||
“Nah, I should be fine. | “Nah, I should be fine,” he shrugged. | ||
Lena smiled, updating his bedtime preferences. She walked over to him, leaned down, and gave him a gentle kiss. “Good night, Mike,” she smiled, “Thanks for finding me…and for everything you’ve done for me in the last 24 hours.” | Lena smiled, updating his bedtime preferences. She walked over to him, leaned down, and gave him a gentle kiss. “Good night, Mike,” she smiled, “Thanks for finding me…and for everything you’ve done for me in the last 24 hours.” | ||
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“Yeah,” Mike said, at the same time as a yawn. | “Yeah,” Mike said, at the same time as a yawn. | ||
“Nighty night,” she smiled, then flipped the switch and quietly closed the door. She then tiptoed into her room and quietly sat down at her computer, monitoring Mike’s breathing from her connection to his phone. She estimated, given his level of exertion during the day, and his current breathing rate, that he would be asleep in roughly ten minutes. She used the time to create numerous internet search spiders to find all relevant information on the now defunct company that had her commissioned, as well as everything she’d missed in the last five years. Just as she finished sending them out, her interface indicated that Mike had fallen asleep, so she resumed her work on tidying up her new room. | |||
It was nearly 4am when Mike awoke in the middle of the night, his bladder suddenly urging him to relieve it. He regretfully got up and headed into his bathroom, relying entirely on his night vision so he wouldn’t need to turn on any lights and ruin it. | It was nearly 4am when Mike awoke in the middle of the night, his bladder suddenly urging him to relieve it. He regretfully got up and headed into his bathroom, relying entirely on his night vision so he wouldn’t need to turn on any lights and ruin it. | ||
Once finished, he spritzed his hands with sanitizer so he wouldn’t waste any water | Once finished, he spritzed his hands with sanitizer so he wouldn’t waste any water and then headed out to crawl back into bed. Just before he reached it, however, he suddenly realized he was thirsty. | ||
“Damn, I should have taken Lena up on her offer to get me a water,” he muttered to himself, quietly opening his own door and heading downstairs. | “Damn, I should have taken Lena up on her offer to get me a water,” he muttered to himself, quietly opening his own door and heading downstairs. | ||
“Hey Mia,” Mike whispered fondly, seeing his cat huddled in a blanket on the couch. He poured himself a small glass of water | “Hey Mia,” Mike whispered fondly, seeing his cat huddled in a blanket on the couch and giving her a light pat. He poured himself a small glass of water and snacked on a small slice of cheese so his stomach wouldn’t be growling all night. After making quick work of the snack and water, Mike sighed satisfactorily and then quietly made his way back up the stairs. | ||
Once he reached the top of the stairs, he suddenly realized that Lena had left her door wide open. While Mike figured he should probably respect her privacy, curiosity finally got the better of him, so he quietly walked inside to | Once he reached the top of the stairs, he suddenly realized that Lena had left her door wide open. While Mike figured he should probably respect her privacy, curiosity finally got the better of him, so he quietly walked inside to look. “Hey, if she wanted privacy, she would have locked her door,” he thought to himself. | ||
Mike’s nose was hit with a subtle wave of cleaning solvent as soon as he entered, and his feet could tell that she had had his robot vacuum working in here while he slept. Without turning on the lights, he could already see that she had made considerable progress with reorganizing all the stuff in her room and had even laid out some of the rugs from downstairs. | |||
Once he walked further, he finally saw her sitting motionless in her desk chair, looking as though she had fallen asleep sitting up with her hands neatly folded and resting on her lap and her bare feet dangling just above the floor. She was still wearing her cute, fuzzy pajamas, though Mike could clearly make out the charging cable protruding from underneath and connecting to a nearby wall outlet. | |||
Remembering what she told him about not responding to anything other than an emergency or a direct command to wake up, he leaned down and gently lifted her pajama top to look at her charging port. The monitor in her port indicated her battery was already back up to 47%, so he estimated she’d be finished around 7 or 8 am. | |||
Remembering what she told him about not responding to anything other than an emergency or a direct command to wake up, he leaned down and gently lifted | |||
Her face was just barely illuminated by the subdued light of her computer screen, displaying a gentle blackened standby screen. His breath caught as he admired how peaceful her face looked while asleep, just as it had looked when he first saw it in the case. Feeling brave, he slowly leaned in and planted a kiss on her sleeping lips. | Her face was just barely illuminated by the subdued light of her computer screen, displaying a gentle blackened standby screen. His breath caught as he admired how peaceful her face looked while asleep, just as it had looked when he first saw it in the case. Feeling brave, he slowly leaned in and planted a kiss on her sleeping lips. | ||
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===2.1: Foxhole=== | ===2.1: Foxhole=== | ||
Mike | Mike was awoken the next morning by the smell of bacon wafting in. His nose went wild as the scent tickled it until he finally caved and rose up out of bed, feeling completely refreshed. A quick look at the clock nearby informed him that it was just past 8am. | ||
Mike quickly picked up | Mike quickly picked up the pajamas that he had left lying on the floor near his bed but decided to remain nude. Stretching his body out, he opened the door and quietly headed downstairs to see what else Lena was cooking. | ||
When he rounded the corner of his living room | When he rounded the corner of his living room he spotted Lena in the kitchen, still dressed in her cute pajamas, cooking a breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage, and biscuits. The only addition she had made to her wardrobe was the pair of cute bunny slippers that she had bought with her pajamas, since her programming dictated that she wear footwear while cooking. | ||
Before Mike could approach her, she turned around with a big smile. “Morning sleepyhead! How’d you sleep?” She quickly made sure everything was stable on the stovetop and then rushed over to plant a kiss on his lips, her hands going around the back of his head and giving his neck a quick massage | Before Mike could approach her, she turned around with a big smile. “Morning sleepyhead! How’d you sleep?” She quickly made sure everything was stable on the stovetop and then rushed over to plant a kiss on his lips, her hands going around the back of his head and giving his neck a quick massage before scurrying back over to tend to the eggs. | ||
“Quite well, actually,” Mike smiled with exuberance, “I think it was a combination of the massage, and then sex, but I | “Quite well, actually,” Mike smiled with exuberance, “I think it was a combination of the massage, and then sex, but I feel completely relaxed.” Mike slipped on his pajamas and sat back down at the bar while he was talking to her so he wouldn’t get in her way in the kitchen. “And how did you…um, sleep?” he asked awkwardly. | ||
“I slept well too,” she giggled, “I’m fully charged now, and I was actually able to spend the night downloading information on what’s been happening over the last five years while I’ve been in storage, so now I’m all caught up!” she announced cheerfully. | “I slept well too,” she giggled, “I’m fully charged now, and I was actually able to spend the night downloading information on what’s been happening over the last five years while I’ve been in storage, so now I’m all caught up!” she announced cheerfully. | ||
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“I’m curious, are you capable of dreaming?” | “I’m curious, are you capable of dreaming?” | ||
“Yes,” she nodded, “for an android, dreaming is just as useful as it is for humans, and | “Yes,” she nodded, “for an android, dreaming is just as useful as it is for humans, and it’s kinda like a screensaver as well,” she said, trying to explain, “Basically, while we’re running low level diagnostics and reorganizing our files, those files sorta randomly jumble together and get processed as dreams, in order to hone our cognitive skills.” | ||
“Interesting,” Mike mused, “And, have you had any dreams of me before?” | “Interesting,” Mike mused, “And, have you had any dreams of me before?” | ||
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“I’m curious, do you even need to sleep or dream?” Mike asked, “I mean, would it be possible for you to remain online for days, simply plugging yourself in when you need a quick boost, but remaining online?” | “I’m curious, do you even need to sleep or dream?” Mike asked, “I mean, would it be possible for you to remain online for days, simply plugging yourself in when you need a quick boost, but remaining online?” | ||
“It is possible, though not recommended,” she responded, “I mean, we have to go into sleep mode in order to file our short term memories into long term, and to essentially defrag everything else” she explained, “So, if we were to just remain online all the time | “It is possible, though not recommended,” she responded, “I mean, we have to go into sleep mode in order to file our short term memories into long term, and to essentially defrag everything else” she explained, “So, if we were to just remain online all the time then eventually our memories would become fragmented and corrupted, and we could suffer malfunctions as a result, so we need to go into sleep mode for at least 3-4 hours a night to prevent that from happening.” | ||
“Oh, I see,” Mike nodded, “and I take it you also back yourself up as well.” | “Oh, I see,” Mike nodded, “and I take it you also back yourself up as well.” | ||
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“Yep.” Lena brought their plates over and set them at the bar, heading back into the kitchen to retrieve the carton of orange juice and two glasses. Once she poured the juice, she returned the carton to the fridge and sat down next to Mike, who still hadn’t eaten. “Oh, you didn’t have to wait for me. Dig in!” | “Yep.” Lena brought their plates over and set them at the bar, heading back into the kitchen to retrieve the carton of orange juice and two glasses. Once she poured the juice, she returned the carton to the fridge and sat down next to Mike, who still hadn’t eaten. “Oh, you didn’t have to wait for me. Dig in!” | ||
Mike blushed and started eating the delicious food Lena had cooked. Even though it was a | Mike blushed and started eating the delicious food Lena had cooked. Even though it was a simple breakfast, Lena had seasoned each item with just the right quantity of spices, making each bite savory. | ||
“Hmm Lena, this food is the best!” He complimented her, shoveling the eggs into his mouth between the strips of bacon. | “Hmm Lena, this food is the best!” He complimented her, shoveling the eggs into his mouth between the strips of bacon. | ||
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“So, was any of the information you downloaded last night about that public storage unit?” Mike asked more seriously, once he finished his food. | “So, was any of the information you downloaded last night about that public storage unit?” Mike asked more seriously, once he finished his food. | ||
“Amongst other things,” Lena nodded, “I | “Amongst other things,” Lena nodded, “I downloaded everything I could about the whole downfall of SSS, mostly just to make sure there isn’t anyone out there looking for me as lost property or something.” | ||
“Oh no, I hadn’t considered that,” Mike said, now suddenly worried, “Should I be concerned?” | “Oh no, I hadn’t considered that,” Mike said, now suddenly worried, “Should I be concerned?” | ||
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“Huh, well then, I guess I’ll have to make sure that I don’t let my ownership of you lapse then,” he winked. | “Huh, well then, I guess I’ll have to make sure that I don’t let my ownership of you lapse then,” he winked. | ||
“Hey, I trust you,” she winked back, “and, as a backup plan, you could always | “Hey, I trust you,” she winked back, “and, as a backup plan, you could always bequeath me to your parents or something,” she suggested, “assuming, of course, you have a will.” | ||
“I don’t, actually,” he winced, “But, I think they’d like that,” Mike mused, “My parents always wanted a daughter…” | |||
“I can show you how to arrange that later, if you’d like,” Lena offered, making a note in her HUD schedule to provide him with the correct paperwork, “So, anyway, since it’s a weekend, the public storage facility doesn’t open until 10am, so we have a couple hours to relax a bit,” Lena changed the subject, “Is there anything you’d like to do in the meantime?” | “I can show you how to arrange that later, if you’d like,” Lena offered, making a note in her HUD schedule to provide him with the correct paperwork, “So, anyway, since it’s a weekend, the public storage facility doesn’t open until 10am, so we have a couple hours to relax a bit,” Lena changed the subject, “Is there anything you’d like to do in the meantime?” | ||
Mike thought about it a second and then responded. “I’d love to help you finish setting up your room,” he offered. | Mike thought about it for a second and then responded. “I’d love to help you finish setting up your room,” he offered. | ||
“Really? You don’t have to do that,” she blushed. | “Really? You don’t have to do that,” she blushed. | ||
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Mike merely shrugged. “Well, I want to, so there,” he playfully stuck his tongue out at her. | Mike merely shrugged. “Well, I want to, so there,” he playfully stuck his tongue out at her. | ||
“Well, thanks.” She leaned over and gave him a kiss and then finished the rest of her breakfast. | “Well, thanks.” She leaned over and gave him a kiss and then finished the rest of her breakfast. Once they were done, she efficiently dropped down from the chair, took both their dishes, and rinsed them off in the sink before placing them in the dishwasher. “Alright, let’s get started!” | ||
They both headed up to her room and quickly appraised the situation. Mike headed straight for a set of boxes that she had set aside and opened them up, nodding approvingly. | They both headed up to her room and quickly appraised the situation. Mike headed straight for a set of boxes that she had set aside and opened them up, nodding approvingly. | ||
“So, my parents were cleaning out their house to make it look nice for an appraisal so they could raise their home value, so they sent a lot of this crap here for storage,” Mike explained, “a lot of the stuff they sent me was old storage tubs and furniture,” he continued, pulling out the disassembled pieces of what looked to be a large bookshelf. | |||
“Ah, I could use that,” Lena nodded approvingly. | “Ah, I could use that,” Lena nodded approvingly. | ||
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“Yeah, well I mooch off of them a little here and there too, so it all works out I suppose,” he shrugged, “do you think we can reassemble all of this in two hours?” | “Yeah, well I mooch off of them a little here and there too, so it all works out I suppose,” he shrugged, “do you think we can reassemble all of this in two hours?” | ||
Lena quickly scanned all the items and looked up basic assembly instructions online, cross-referencing | Lena quickly scanned all the items and looked up basic assembly instructions online, cross-referencing them with the tools she had catalogued in Mike’s tool kits. She then came up with a rough estimate of one hour and 37 minutes, though her human emulation had her say it differently. “Yep, we can do it,” she replied cheerfully, “I’ll go down and get your tool kits!” Lena ran down the stairs before Mike could do or say anything and returned moments later with the two toolkits that he had stashed downstairs. | ||
“Alright, let’s do this then!” Mike clapped his hands together and rubbed them excitedly. | “Alright, let’s do this then!” Mike clapped his hands together and rubbed them excitedly. | ||
Lena and Mike both worked diligently on assembling all the furniture, | Lena and Mike both worked diligently on assembling all the furniture and, before long, the room suddenly resembled something more like a cross between a dorm room and a workshop, rather than a room simply filled with cardboard boxes and storage units. The only boxes left at the end were filled with old clothes and other unneeded items. Mike decided to relocate those to his car so they could drop them by a donation station on their way to the public storage unit later. He then returned to Lena’s room and stood with her to admire her now finished room/workshop. | ||
“Well, it certainly looks cozy,” Mike nodded approvingly, since the room itself wasn’t very large. The bed was tucked in the small corner near the window at the far end of the room, and they’d even managed to mount an old TV that | “Well, it certainly looks cozy,” Mike nodded approvingly, since the room itself wasn’t very large. The bed was tucked in the small corner near the window at the far end of the room, and they’d even managed to mount an old TV that Mike had stashed in here years ago and managed to hook it up to her computer station so that she could use it as a monitoring station for her maintenance work; a sort of always-on display that showed her vital stats for easy monitoring. | ||
Mike had stashed in here years ago and managed to hook it up to her computer station so that she could use it as a monitoring station for her maintenance work; a sort of always-on display that showed her vital stats for easy monitoring. | |||
“Yeah, it is, thanks,” Lena breathed, sighing with contentment, “It’s actually slightly bigger than my old studio,” she chuckled. | “Yeah, it is, thanks,” Lena breathed, sighing with contentment, “It’s actually slightly bigger than my old studio,” she chuckled. | ||
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“Oh man, it must have been bad,” Mike grimaced. | “Oh man, it must have been bad,” Mike grimaced. | ||
“Yep, but truthfully, I didn’t need much,” she conceded, “I’m just thankful for what I have now.” She looked into Mike’s eyes with adoration and then kissed him on the cheek. Mike said nothing | “Yep, but truthfully, I didn’t need much,” she conceded, “I’m just thankful for what I have now.” She looked into Mike’s eyes with adoration and then kissed him on the cheek. Mike said nothing but merely put his arm around her shoulder. After a few moments had passed, she sighed once more and said, “Well, I suppose we should be going now so we can check on that storage unit.” | ||
“Okie doke,” Mike agreed, walking with her down the stairs, “are you driving again?” | “Okie doke,” Mike agreed, walking with her down the stairs, “are you driving again?” | ||
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While they were on the road, Mike decided query her on what she learned during her evening download. | While they were on the road, Mike decided to query her on what she learned during her evening download. | ||
“So, what are you expecting to find in the storage unit, based on what you downloaded last night?” | “So, what are you expecting to find in the storage unit, based on what you downloaded last night?” | ||
“I dunno,” she shrugged, “I’m hoping that my personal belongings from my old studio apartment are in there, for starters,” she told him, | “I dunno,” she shrugged, “I’m hoping that my personal belongings from my old studio apartment are in there, for starters,” she told him, “But aside from that, maybe just some answers on why George took his life.” | ||
Mike nodded solemnly. “I hope I find some answers too,” he replied truthfully, “I mean, it does seem pretty odd that I just happened to know the code to the case that you were stored in…it’s almost like he meant for me to find you.” | Mike nodded solemnly. “I hope I find some answers too,” he replied truthfully, “I mean, it does seem pretty odd that I just happened to know the code to the case that you were stored in…it’s almost like he meant for me to find you.” | ||
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“Well, when you compare my presence to all the other bad stuff they did: murder, blackmail, extortion,” Lena said, ticking them off on her hand as they waited at a light, “Having a few androids fluffing up their diversity counts isn’t really all that bad.” | “Well, when you compare my presence to all the other bad stuff they did: murder, blackmail, extortion,” Lena said, ticking them off on her hand as they waited at a light, “Having a few androids fluffing up their diversity counts isn’t really all that bad.” | ||
“Well, appearances are everything,” Mike explained, “It may not have been criminal, but it definitely didn’t look good | “Well, appearances are everything,” Mike explained, “It may not have been criminal, but it definitely didn’t look good and could have lost them multiple contracts.” | ||
“I suppose you’re right,” Lena nodded, “well | “I suppose you’re right,” Lena nodded, “well maybe George kept notes or something so he could cover his ass in case they tried throwing him under the bus.” | ||
“Yeah, that’s one thing he always impressed on me,” Mike agreed, remembering all the times George reminded him to always cover his ass, “I suppose it’s the one thing he was good at.” | “Yeah, that’s one thing he always impressed on me,” Mike agreed, remembering all the times that George reminded him to always cover his ass, “I suppose it’s the one thing he was good at.” | ||
“Well, we’ll be there in about 15-minutes | “Well, we’ll be there in about 15-minutes after we drop these donation boxes off, so it won’t be too much longer.” Lena then pulled into the donation station and waited as Mike rushed in and dropped the boxes off, making sure to collect the tax receipt, since the year was almost over. | ||
“Did you get the receipt?” Lena asked him, once he | “Did you get the receipt?” Lena asked him, once he buckled himself back in and they drove off. | ||
“Yes, but I thought you had to donate a lot in order for it to make any difference,” he complained. | “Yes, but I thought you had to donate a lot in order for it to make any difference,” he complained. | ||
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They arrived at the public storage unit nearly 15 | They arrived at the public storage unit nearly 15 minutes later, and once they parked, they checked in with the management office to inquire about George’s unit. The individual manning the desk was a helpful man named Steve and also happened to be the franchise owner. | ||
“You guys sure are lucky you chose today to come to the unit,” Steve told them, digging around in his files. | “You guys sure are lucky you chose today to come to the unit,” Steve told them, digging around in his files. | ||
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“Hey man, I don’t need to know why you’re here,” Steven said knowingly, “All I need is the security code proving ownership.” | “Hey man, I don’t need to know why you’re here,” Steven said knowingly, “All I need is the security code proving ownership.” | ||
“I have it here,” Lena | “I have it here,” Lena chimed in, pulling out a small piece of paper with a code written on it. | ||
Steven took the paper and compared it to the one in his notes, then nodded approvingly. “Very good, here’s your key,” he told them, handing them an electronic key, “This will just work for the next 24 hours, and then you’ll have to check in with me again,” he explained, “security policy,” he shrugged apologetically. | Steven took the paper and compared it to the one in his notes, then nodded approvingly. “Very good, here’s your key,” he told them, handing them an electronic key, “This will just work for the next 24 hours, and then you’ll have to check in with me again,” he explained, “security policy,” he shrugged apologetically. | ||
Mike took the key and gave Steve a big smile, “Hey, don’t worry, we understand,” he laughed, “We’re both in private security.” | Mike took the key and gave Steve a big smile, “Hey, don’t worry, we understand,” he laughed, “We’re both in private security.” | ||
“Perhaps you should leave the lying to me going forward,” Lena whispered in his ear, as Steve searched for a map of the place. | |||
“Meh,” Mike frowned. | |||
After Steve gave them directions to their storage unit, they hopped back into Mike’s car and drove around the complex until they located it. Their particular unit was a higher security one | After Steve gave them directions to their storage unit, they hopped back into Mike’s car and drove around the complex until they located it. Their particular unit was a higher security one with its own garage connecting to the unit itself so they could pull their vehicle in and close the door in front of it. | ||
“At least we’ll have some privacy,” Lena said approvingly, once the garage door closed. They both headed to the space behind their car and approached a keypad on the door of the storage unit behind them. | |||
“Yeah, George wasn’t messing around when he picked this place,” Mike agreed. | “Yeah, George wasn’t messing around when he picked this place,” Mike agreed. | ||
Lena flipped | Lena flipped the lid on the keypad and presented the keycard to the reader. It flashed green upon presenting the badge, and then the interior storage unit gate slowly lifted, unleashing a wave of cool, musty air. | ||
“Well, at least we know it hasn’t been opened in a while,” Mike said, wrinkling his nose at the musty smell, “That’s at least a years-worth of mustiness, and believe me, I know what it smells like.” | “Well, at least we know it hasn’t been opened in a while,” Mike said, wrinkling his nose at the musty smell, “That’s at least a years-worth of mustiness, and believe me, I know what it smells like.” | ||
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“I believe you,” Lena smiled, locating a light switch and flipping it on, illuminating the somewhat large storage room. | “I believe you,” Lena smiled, locating a light switch and flipping it on, illuminating the somewhat large storage room. | ||
The room was filled with several boxes | The room was filled with several boxes along with a few shelving units. Near the back was a desk that looked to have been set up as a workstation, likely for working on Lena. | ||
“Does anything here look familiar?” Mike asked, looking quizzically at Lena, who was slowly analyzing the room and its contents. | |||
“Yeah, I believe I recall George activating me here for the first time,” Lena nodded, her HUD zooming in on the workbench and a smudge on the wall, “Yep, I remember that smudge on the wall.” | “Yeah, I believe I recall George activating me here for the first time,” Lena nodded, her HUD zooming in on the workbench and a smudge on the wall, “Yep, I remember that smudge on the wall.” | ||
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“Interesting,” Mike mused, “I take it he didn’t have you walk out of here, otherwise you would have remembered how to get here.” | “Interesting,” Mike mused, “I take it he didn’t have you walk out of here, otherwise you would have remembered how to get here.” | ||
“That’s right,” she confirmed, “after he assembled me and completed my programming, he turned me off, and then next memory I have is of being reactivated in that studio apartment.” | “That’s right,” she confirmed, “after he assembled me and completed my programming, he turned me off, and then next memory I have is of being reactivated in that studio apartment and getting ready to go to work for my first day of OJT.” | ||
“Huh, he really was paranoid,” Mike chuckled, “Well, he’s dead now, so that means all this stuff belongs to us, since obviously no one else came to claim it.” | “Huh, he really was paranoid,” Mike chuckled, “Well, he’s dead now, so that means all this stuff belongs to us, since obviously no one else came to claim it.” | ||
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“It’s all here! Thank you, George!” Lena cried out, clutching more of her belongings. | “It’s all here! Thank you, George!” Lena cried out, clutching more of her belongings. | ||
Mike decided to give her a moment to herself, so he made his way over to the workstation, | Mike decided to give her a moment to herself, so he made his way over to the workstation, idly examining the items on the shelving units, most of which appeared to be replacement parts for Lena, several of which were outdated. While the spare processors would be relatively useless, considering how much more advanced her current ones were, the rest of the items would serve as adequate replacements in a pinch, and the others could likely be sold to recover her recent expenditures. | ||
Once he arrived at the workbench, he sat down and powered up the computer equipment. Strangely, it didn’t require a login, though considering it was in a locked storage unit, George probably figured that was enough security. | Once he arrived at the workbench, he sat down and powered up the computer equipment. Strangely, it didn’t require a login, though considering it was in a locked storage unit, George probably figured that was enough security. While it was old, it was still in fair condition and had good enough specs that Mike figured he’d salvage it and install it in Lena’s room to use as her primary diagnostic terminal. | ||
Mike spent the next several minutes browsing the files saved on the terminal. Many of them were diagnostic logs from the times he’d repaired Lena, and there was even a few dating back to when he was repairing Elena as well. While he found those interesting, especially when used as a benchmarking tool, he found the files on SSS to be far more interesting. Most of the files were encrypted, but the text that Mike was able to read indicated that George had been spying on SSS for some time and was most likely a whistleblower. | |||
Mike spent the next several minutes browsing the files saved on the terminal. Many of them were diagnostic logs from the times he’d repaired Lena, and there | |||
“Hey Lena, are you any good at decrypting files?!” Mike called out to her, unable to find a way to open the rest of the files. | “Hey Lena, are you any good at decrypting files?!” Mike called out to her, unable to find a way to open the rest of the files. | ||
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Lena walked over and looked over his shoulder at the files and the encryption protocols. “Maybe,” she said with a scrunched face, “We’d have to do it at home, but I might be able to if I interface directly with them.” | Lena walked over and looked over his shoulder at the files and the encryption protocols. “Maybe,” she said with a scrunched face, “We’d have to do it at home, but I might be able to if I interface directly with them.” | ||
“Alright, that sounds good,” Mike nodded, | “Alright, that sounds good,” Mike nodded, “why don’t you start packing all your belongings into the car while I get this terminal ready for transport,” Mike suggested, shutting the computer down and unplugging the monitor. | ||
“Okay,” Lena nodded. She skipped to the front of the storage unit and cheerfully packed the boxes of her personal effects into the back seat of the car, humming as she did so. | “Okay,” Lena nodded. She skipped to the front of the storage unit and cheerfully packed the boxes of her personal effects into the back seat of the car, humming as she did so. | ||
Before long, Mike had the terminal disconnected from all the peripherals and loaded it into a nearby storage unit. He then had Lena load | Before long, Mike had the terminal disconnected from all the peripherals and loaded it into a nearby storage unit. He then had Lena load it into the trunk of his car while he loaded the spare android parts from the various shelves into yet another storage container. | ||
“Do we have everything?” Lena called out. | “Do we have everything?” Lena called out. | ||
“Almost!” Mike called back. The only thing he hadn’t checked was the corner of the unit in the back, hidden | “Almost!” Mike called back. The only thing he hadn’t checked was the corner of the unit in the back, hidden behind the workbench. The only thing there appeared to be a large bundle of sheets, most likely used to provide Lena with a soft place to rest when being worked on here. Mike shrugged as he saw them, figuring he could at least use them for the same purpose. He pulled at them and then gasped. | ||
“Lena, come here!” he called out. | “Lena, come here!” he called out. | ||
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“What is it...oh,” Lena said, seeing what Mike was looking at. | “What is it...oh,” Lena said, seeing what Mike was looking at. | ||
Hidden underneath the bundle of sheets was a metallic case, | Hidden underneath the bundle of sheets was a metallic case, identical to the one that had held Lena’s body. | ||
“Is that what I think it is?” Mike asked, already knowing the answer. | “Is that what I think it is?” Mike asked, already knowing the answer. | ||
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“There’s only one way to find out,” Lena responded. | “There’s only one way to find out,” Lena responded. | ||
Mike nodded and entered in the same access code that he had used on Lena’s case, not even knowing if it worked; it did. The locking mechanism disengaged with a mechanical whir and a hiss from the hydraulics used to secure it. Mike carefully grabbed hold of both sides of the case and opened both | Mike nodded and entered in the same access code that he had used on Lena’s case, not even knowing if it worked; it did. The locking mechanism disengaged with a mechanical whir and a hiss from the hydraulics used to secure it. Mike carefully grabbed hold of both sides of the case and opened both. | ||
Inside the case was yet another dismantled female android. This one appeared to be a bit more on the petite side, and the skin coloring indicated the android was Hispanic. Unlike before, Mike decided to go straight for the compartment at the top housing the android’s head, although he already had a fairly good idea | Inside the case was yet another dismantled female android. This one appeared to be a bit more on the petite side, and the skin coloring indicated the android was Hispanic. Unlike before, Mike decided to go straight for the compartment at the top housing the android’s head, although he already had a fairly good idea who it was. Nevertheless, he let out a gasp as he saw. | ||
“Elena!?” he breathed. | |||
===2.2: Deja Vu=== | ===2.2: Deja Vu=== | ||
“Wow, what’s she doing here?” Lena breathed, reaching out and brushing Elena’s cheek, “She was supposed to be sent back to be decommissioned.” | “Wow, what’s she doing here?” Lena breathed, reaching out and brushing Elena’s cheek, “She was supposed to be sent back to be decommissioned.” | ||
“Yeah, well, so were you | “Yeah, well, so were you and we both know how that turned out,” Mike scoffed. | ||
“Fair point,” Lena nodded. | “Fair point,” Lena nodded. | ||
Mike paused briefly to admire Elena’s dismantled body. He had never really been all that attracted to her, mostly because of her personality, but partially due to her petite size. Coincidentally, that’s partially why he was attracted to Lena…she had more skin on her bones…or, rather, skeletal structure. Mike had observed Elena | Mike paused briefly to admire Elena’s dismantled body. He had never really been all that attracted to her, mostly because of her personality, but partially due to her petite size. Coincidentally, that’s partially why he was attracted to Lena…she had more skin on her bones…or, rather, skeletal structure. Mike had observed Elena struggled to lift things before, she was so weak. He wondered now, after witnessing Lena override her limitations and lift him up, how much of Elena’s weakness was an act, or if it was due to her reduced muscle mass. | ||
“Do you think we should activate her now, and see if she knows why she’s here?” Mike asked. | “Do you think we should activate her now, and see if she knows why she’s here?” Mike asked. | ||
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“Why not? I activated you right away…or, at least, once I found your head,” he coughed uncomfortably. | “Why not? I activated you right away…or, at least, once I found your head,” he coughed uncomfortably. | ||
“Yeah, but the storage room at work was more secure, and there were fewer people around,” she pointed out, “Actually, I would have preferred that you had brought me to your place before turning me on that first time | “Yeah, but the storage room at work was more secure, and there were fewer people around,” she pointed out, “Actually, I would have preferred that you had brought me to your place before turning me on that first time so that I could have had a stronger network connection right away, and so you could have maybe gotten a head start on my body first.” | ||
“Well, I really missed you,” Mike shrugged. | “Well, I really missed you,” Mike shrugged. | ||
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“You jealous?” Mike asked slyly. | “You jealous?” Mike asked slyly. | ||
“Nah, I’m way better looking than her,” Lena laughed, “but seriously though, you know how you set up your preferences with me…making | “Nah, I’m way better looking than her,” Lena laughed, “but seriously though, you know how you set up your preferences with me…making you my Owner/Boyfriend? Well, you can also go into mine, and her, settings and configure our relationship with each other…for example, making us sisters or cousins.” | ||
“Hah! Cousins works…I mean, your names are even similar…Lena and Elena.” | “Hah! Cousins works…I mean, your names are even similar…Lena and Elena.” | ||
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“Oh,” Lena giggled, “Sorry.” | “Oh,” Lena giggled, “Sorry.” | ||
“I wonder why hers has wheels | “I wonder why hers has wheels and yours didn’t,” Mike said aloud as he pulled out the handle and wheeled it over to the trunk of his car, where Lena then used her override strength to quickly heft it into the trunk. | ||
“I dunno, maybe they cheaped out on my case,” Lena shrugged, closing the door of the trunk, once Mike crammed the sheets that had been covering Elena’s crate in with it. | “I dunno, maybe they cheaped out on my case,” Lena shrugged, closing the door of the trunk, once Mike crammed the sheets that had been covering Elena’s crate in with it. | ||
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After they informed Steve, they drove away, stopping once more at the donation station they had stopped at on their way to the unit | After they informed Steve, they drove away, stopping once more at the same donation station that they had stopped at on their way to the unit to deposit Steve’s old clothes and belongings. Then, they continued back home to start working on Elena. | ||
When they finally returned, | When they finally returned, they quickly moved all the boxes containing Lena’s personal items up to her room and then returned for the case containing Elena. | ||
“Will it deplete your energy stores too much if you use your emergency power to lift her up the stairs?” Mike asked with a worried look. | “Will it deplete your energy stores too much if you use your emergency power to lift her up the stairs?” Mike asked with a worried look. | ||
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“Ok good, just checking,” Mike said with a relieved sigh. He popped open the trunk and removed the few items in there so Lena could easily grab Elena’s case. She did so with a grunt and loud whine of her servos. Mike held the door open for her and watched as she hefted Elena’s case carefully up the stairs, just as she had done with her own case the previous day, her servos whining the whole way. As he followed her, Mike thought to himself how arousing it was to hear her like this. | “Ok good, just checking,” Mike said with a relieved sigh. He popped open the trunk and removed the few items in there so Lena could easily grab Elena’s case. She did so with a grunt and loud whine of her servos. Mike held the door open for her and watched as she hefted Elena’s case carefully up the stairs, just as she had done with her own case the previous day, her servos whining the whole way. As he followed her, Mike thought to himself how arousing it was to hear her like this. | ||
As soon as Lena reached the top of the steps, she placed the case down and wheeled it the rest of the way into her room, her body relaxing back into normal mode. Mike quickly placed the sheets that had been covering Elena’s case into the washing machine so he could repurpose them for later | As soon as Lena reached the top of the steps, she placed the case down and wheeled it the rest of the way into her room, her body quickly relaxing back into normal mode. Mike quickly placed the sheets that had been covering Elena’s case into the washing machine so he could repurpose them for later and then rejoined Lena in her room. | ||
Lena had placed Elena’s case right next to hers at the foot of the workbench. While she was waiting for Mike to come back in, she had plugged herself in and was booting up her computer station. She moved to unplug herself when Mike walked in, but he waved her off. | Lena had placed Elena’s case right next to hers at the foot of the workbench. While she was waiting for Mike to come back in, she had plugged herself in and was booting up her computer station. She moved to unplug herself when Mike walked in, but he waved her off. | ||
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“Sounds good,” Mike nodded, then he reached down and keyed in the code for Elena’s case, unlocking it once more and swinging the doors open. Mike paused briefly to admire Elena’s dismantled body before quickly laying a sheet atop the work bench to place her limbs on. He then reached in for her torso, seeing it was a bit smaller than Lena’s, and easily removed it and lifted it up onto the workbench. | “Sounds good,” Mike nodded, then he reached down and keyed in the code for Elena’s case, unlocking it once more and swinging the doors open. Mike paused briefly to admire Elena’s dismantled body before quickly laying a sheet atop the work bench to place her limbs on. He then reached in for her torso, seeing it was a bit smaller than Lena’s, and easily removed it and lifted it up onto the workbench. | ||
Before he moved the rest of her body up, he decided to remove her bra and panties so he could work on her more easily. He slid off the generic black underwear monogrammed with the Spaztec logo and folded them neatly into the bottom compartment of her case, then stood back up to admire her nude torso. Unlike with Lena, Elena’s torso was much more on the petite side, with her breast several sizes smaller. Her skin was also slightly tanned, indicating her | Before he moved the rest of her body up, he decided to remove her bra and panties so he could work on her more easily. He slid off the generic black underwear monogrammed with the Spaztec logo and folded them neatly into the bottom compartment of her case, then stood back up to admire her nude torso. Unlike with Lena, Elena’s torso was much more on the petite side, with her breast several sizes smaller. Her skin was also slightly tanned, indicating her Hispanic heritage, and her vagina had a small patch of curly dark hair above it…hair Mike intended on having removed just as he had with Lena. | ||
Once he had his fill of Elena’s anatomy, he reached back into the case and brought out her arms and legs, laying them neatly on the bench near her torso. | Once he had his fill of Elena’s anatomy, he reached back into the case and brought out her arms and legs, laying them neatly on the bench near her torso. | ||
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Just as he had done with Lena, he decided to closely examine and play with each of Elena’s hands and feet, starting with her hands. Mike could already tell from touching the rest of Elena’s body that the Smart Sweat was still working, providing her artificial skin with realistic levels of moisture, and even a slight odor. Elena appeared to have been giving more time to bathe properly though, because Mike couldn’t smell much BO, and her nails were perfectly clean and free of polish and debris. | Just as he had done with Lena, he decided to closely examine and play with each of Elena’s hands and feet, starting with her hands. Mike could already tell from touching the rest of Elena’s body that the Smart Sweat was still working, providing her artificial skin with realistic levels of moisture, and even a slight odor. Elena appeared to have been giving more time to bathe properly though, because Mike couldn’t smell much BO, and her nails were perfectly clean and free of polish and debris. | ||
Mike played with her fingers and was pleased to hear | Mike played with her fingers and was pleased to hear servos whining, something he missed from playing around with Lena before she was fully reactivated. He even configured her hand so he could shake it and was instantly hit with a similar wave of nostalgia that he had been when he shook Lena’s disembodied hand days earlier, though in this case it was because she was the first coworker he had really met once he was done with his training, and she had even helped train him a little, in her own quirky way. | ||
Mike gently placed her hands down beside each corresponding arm and then pulled her feet out. After having just played with Elena’s hands, now with her feet he could | Mike gently placed her hands down beside each corresponding arm and then pulled her feet out. After having just played with Elena’s hands, now with her feet he could discern her smaller body type. While Lena’s was overall quite plump, despite her recent weight loss, Elena was much more on the petite side, and it showed with her hands and feet. Mike could feel the skeletal structure beneath the thinner layer of skin atop her hands and feet, and her fingers and toes were much skinnier. The one thing he noted about Elena’s appearance was that, while Lena appeared somewhat stunted, Elena was more proportional to her size, so her fingers and toes were noticeably longer. | ||
Having completed his visual analysis, Mike pressed both of Elena’s feet into his face and took a whiff, enjoying the | Having completed his visual analysis, Mike pressed both of Elena’s feet into his face and took a whiff, enjoying the feeling of them on his shaved face. Just as with Lena, he could detect a subtle hint of her body odor, mixed in with the smell of her soap, but since she had been in storage for possibly up to two extra years, the smells were far more degraded. | ||
Once Mike had his fill of Elena’s feet, he gently laid them down near the bottom stubs of her legs and then reached down into her case one more time for her head. He gently grabbed both sides of her chin and carefully pulled it out, holding her hold out in front of him so he could examine it. | Once Mike had his fill of Elena’s feet, he gently laid them down near the bottom stubs of her legs and then reached down into her case one more time for her head. He gently grabbed both sides of her chin and carefully pulled it out, holding her hold out in front of him so he could examine it. | ||
Elena had the stereotypically long, dark, and curly hair one would expect from a Latina girl. She usually had it up in a bun while she worked, but for storage purposes it was tied up on a tight | Elena had the stereotypically long, dark, and curly hair one would expect from a Latina girl. She usually had it up in a bun while she worked, but for storage purposes it was tied up on a tight ponytail and had been tucked under her chin much in the same way Lena’s was. Just as with Lena, Mike was unable to open her eyes, or mouth, but based on his memories of her, he knew her eyes were a slightly lighter shade of brown than Lena’s were. Mike was pensive as he gazed upon Elena’s resting expression, because she had always been so vibrant and full of life and personality; part of the reason she had been terminated. | ||
“Hey Lena, should I attach Elena to the A.N.A.?” Mike asked, not wanting to merely lay Elena’s head down on the workbench. | “Hey Lena, should I attach Elena to the A.N.A.?” Mike asked, not wanting to merely lay Elena’s head down on the workbench. | ||
“Not yet,” Lena shook her head, “If we attach her head now | “Not yet,” Lena shook her head, “If we attach her head now it might accidentally activate her, and I’m not ready yet…but don’t worry, I should be ready in about another minute or two.” | ||
“Okay,” Greg nodded, giving Elena a gentle kiss before setting her down near the neck of her torso. He then picked one of her feet back up and gently massaged it until Lena finished prepping the equipment. | “Okay,” Greg nodded, giving Elena a gentle kiss before setting her down near the neck of her torso. He then picked one of her feet back up and gently massaged it until Lena finished prepping the equipment. | ||
True to her estimate, Lena finished less than two minutes later, unplugging herself from her charger and then rising to her feet to join Mike with Elena’s body at the workbench. Instead of grabbing the A.N.A., however, she had instead grabbed a different device that was shaped like a flat disc with a square shaped indentation | True to her estimate, Lena finished less than two minutes later, unplugging herself from her charger and then rising to her feet to join Mike with Elena’s body at the workbench. Instead of grabbing the A.N.A., however, she had instead grabbed a different device that was shaped like a flat disc with a square-shaped indentation in the middle and connected it with a thick cable to her workstation. | ||
“What’s that?” Mike asked, watching her set it up near Elena’s head. | “What’s that?” Mike asked, watching her set it up near Elena’s head. | ||
“It’s a brain link cable,” she responded, pressing a freckle on the back of Elena’s head, releasing the scalp panel. She then removed Elena’s brain and held it in her hands. “Basically, we plug her brain into this device and it | “It’s a brain link cable,” she responded, pressing a freckle on the back of Elena’s head, releasing the scalp panel. She then removed Elena’s brain and held it in her hands. “Basically, we can plug her brain into this device, and it will allow us to perform maintenance and updates on her without her A.I. Coming online,” she explained. | ||
“Why wouldn’t we want her A.I. To be online?” Mike asked. | “Why wouldn’t we want her A.I. To be online?” Mike asked. | ||
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“Ah, that makes sense…you were pretty trusting, for a dismantled android.” Mike nodded. | “Ah, that makes sense…you were pretty trusting, for a dismantled android.” Mike nodded. | ||
“Indeed,” Lena beamed, | “Indeed,” Lena beamed, “That’s because you were listed as my friend, but she might be less trusting and not allow you access to many of her systems.” | ||
“Okay, well I’m sure I can remedy that pretty quickly,” Mike shrugged. | “Okay, well I’m sure I can remedy that pretty quickly,” Mike shrugged. | ||
“I already have her registration page queued up on my workstation when you’re ready,” Lena said absently, then continued her technical explanation, | “I already have her registration page queued up on my workstation when you’re ready,” Lena said absently, then continued her technical explanation, whilst inspecting Elena’s processor assembly, “Anyway, keeping her A.I. Offline in this fashion will also allow her to install the 6-7 years’ worth of updates much more quickly, since she’ll be connected to a stronger power source, and to the hardline connection of the workstation, not to mention she won’t be running any other processes that could slow things down.” | ||
“Oh, so we’re going to have to wait for her to install everything?” Mike pouted, sounding crestfallen, “But that took hours for you.” | “Oh, so we’re going to have to wait for her to install everything?” Mike pouted, sounding crestfallen, “But that took hours for you.” | ||
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“But won’t the memory buffers still contain your unprocessed memories and cause a malfunction or something?” | “But won’t the memory buffers still contain your unprocessed memories and cause a malfunction or something?” | ||
“Nah, when she accesses them for the first time | “Nah, the buffers will be purged when she accesses them for the first time, so she’ll be completely fine,” Lena smiled. Now that she had the new processors inserted, she clicked Elena’s brain into the perfectly shaped slot on the device and then stood back as both the device, and Elena’s brain both lit up. | ||
Several windows popped up on Lena’s workstation at the same time she plugged in Elena’s brain, basically showing the same diagnostic terminal that Mike had had access to for Lena. The difference this time was the terminal only provided access to her A.I. A window popped up showing | Several windows popped up on Lena’s workstation at the same time she plugged in Elena’s brain, basically showing the same diagnostic terminal that Mike had had access to for Lena. The difference this time was the terminal only provided access to her A.I. A window popped up showing that Elena’s brain was accessing the new processors for the first time and had successfully installed them. | ||
Mike sat down at Lena’s workstation to begin the registration process and configuration. He then remembered the process that he had gone through with Lena. “Won’t we need Elena’s A.I. | Mike sat down at Lena’s workstation to begin the registration process and configuration. He then remembered the process that he had gone through with Lena. “Won’t we need Elena’s A.I. later, to run a benchmark of her body?” | ||
“Don’t worry, I can take care of it,” Lena said with a wink, “You just get started registering her and configuring her so we can get those updates started.” | “Don’t worry, I can take care of it,” Lena said with a wink, “You just get started registering her and configuring her so we can get those updates started.” | ||
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“Okay,” Mike nodded, getting started, “what are you going to be doing?” | “Okay,” Mike nodded, getting started, “what are you going to be doing?” | ||
“Well, if it’s alright with you, I’m gonna drive out to the nearest location and buy the blue stuff for her, since ordering it online won’t get it here fast enough,” she informed him, “According to my GPS | “Well, if it’s alright with you, I’m gonna drive out to the nearest location and buy the blue stuff for her, since ordering it online won’t get it here fast enough,” she informed him, “According to my GPS there’s a place that sells it less than five miles from here and with current traffic conditions, I estimate it’ll only take me about 15-20 minutes.” | ||
Mike thought about it for a second, slightly worried about sending Lena all by herself out into the world. Finally, he decided such a quick trip would be a good way to test her independence a bit, so he conceded. “Alright, that’s about how long this registration process will take anyway,” he shrugged, “just send me a text when you get there, and another when you’re on your way back.” | Mike thought about it for a second, slightly worried about sending Lena all by herself out into the world. Finally, he decided such a quick trip would be a good way to test her independence a bit, so he conceded. “Alright, that’s about how long this registration process will take anyway,” he shrugged, “just send me a text when you get there, and another when you’re on your way back.” | ||
“Alright ‘dad’,” Lena teased, giggling as she gave Mike a quick kiss and embrace and headed downstairs. Mike shook his head with a gentle smile and got to work on the registration process. Moments | “Alright ‘dad’,” Lena teased, giggling as she gave Mike a quick kiss and embrace and headed downstairs. Mike shook his head with a gentle smile and got to work on the registration process. Moments later, he felt the garage door opening below his feet and then closing seconds later. | ||
Mike made quick work of paying the fee for registering Elena, under the “finders-keepers” clause, since the system reported her previous registration had lapsed just over six years ago. As soon as the payment processed, he was immediately transferred to the same configuration process that he had undergone with Lena. | Mike made quick work of paying the fee for registering Elena, under the “finders-keepers” clause, since the system reported her previous registration had lapsed just over six years ago. As soon as the payment was processed, he was immediately transferred to the same configuration process that he had undergone with Lena. | ||
Just as with Lena, Mike saw the Upl.Pers.Elena file, but he opted to not create an entirely new personality profile and to continue using | Just as with Lena, Mike saw the Upl.Pers.Elena file, but he opted to not create an entirely new personality profile and to continue using Elena’s donated personality. He instead decided to make a similar selection of minor tweaks to tailor Elena to his liking. Starting with the friendship status, he was not at all surprised to see he was only classified as “Coworker”, which only gave him basic access. Because he was now her owner, her systems no longer gave him the option of keeping her as merely “Coworker” and instructed him that she must at least be set to “Friend”. Mike changed her to “Owner/Friends-with-benefits,”, which basically gave him most of the same access levels as he had with Lena being his Girlfriend/Coworker”, but more clearly defined her relationship status with him. | ||
Next, | Next, he had skipped this area before with Lena because he had no other androids at the time, but he registered Lena in Elena’s settings as “Cousin/Roommate/Friends-with-benefits”, and he also selected an option that would give Lena full administrator privileges over Elena, indicating to Elena that she was sub-ordinate to both Mike and Lena. This basically would give Lena voice control and remote access to Elena’s systems. Mike felt this was appropriate, since Elena hadn’t been online for as long as Lena, and Lena was modelled after a 25ish year-old woman, whereas Elena was modelled after a 20ish year-old woman and was therefore less mature and less responsible. | ||
When he was finished with this section, a window popped up informing him that Lena’s settings would be updated as soon as she was within range of the home-base station, since Mike had been able to enter Lena’s prefix code to the registration program. | When he was finished with this section, a window popped up informing him that Lena’s settings would be updated as soon as she was within range of the home-base station, since Mike had been able to enter Lena’s prefix code to the registration program. | ||
In the next section, it allowed Mike to alter the multitude of aspects of Elena’s personality, something which Mike determined George had obviously been overwhelmed with, otherwise he’d have been able to mitigate Elena’s rather wild personality without having to remove her. Mike felt extremely uncomfortable altering Elena too much, but he did agree that she had to be toned down at least a little. He lowered her spontaneity by about 15% | In the next section, it allowed Mike to alter the multitude of aspects of Elena’s personality, something which Mike determined George had obviously been overwhelmed with, otherwise he’d have been able to mitigate Elena’s rather wild personality without having to remove her. Mike felt extremely uncomfortable altering Elena too much, but he did agree that she had to be toned down at least a little. He lowered her spontaneity by about 15% and increased her obedience by about 20%. | ||
Just as he was finished taking the bite off of Elena’s wild and undisciplined personality settings, he received a text message on his phone from Lena informing him that not only had she arrived at the shop she had mentioned, but that she was also going to buy some cheap clothes for Elena from a nearby thrift shop, so she would be out for another five minutes or so. Mike smiled and sent her an acknowledgment text, along with a kissy emoji. She instantly responded with a blush face emoji and then logged off. | Just as he was finished taking the bite off of Elena’s wild and undisciplined personality settings, he received a text message on his phone from Lena informing him that not only had she arrived at the shop she had mentioned, but that she was also going to buy some cheap clothes for Elena from a nearby thrift shop, so she would be out for another five minutes or so. Mike smiled and sent her an acknowledgment text, along with a kissy emoji. She instantly responded with a blush face emoji and then logged off. | ||
With the few extra minutes Mike now had at his disposal, he moved on to the preferences tab. He added his foot and robot fetishes, as well as his preference towards cleanliness. With the optional programs, he decided that, with Lena already able to cook and clean, that he wouldn’t really need Elena to have any comprehensive skills packages in those | With the few extra minutes Mike now had at his disposal, he moved on to the preferences tab. He added his foot and robot fetishes, as well as his preference towards cleanliness. With the optional programs, he decided that, with Lena already able to cook and clean, that he wouldn’t really need Elena to have any comprehensive skills packages in those regards, so he only added the basic ones to her download list. | ||
When he was scrolling down, he noticed a | When he was scrolling down, he noticed a Yard Work skills package and smacked his head for not including that in Lena but then realized that it would at least give Elena a primary task around the house. He was briefly concerned with Elena’s apparent lack of physical strength, however most of the landscaping at his place would merely be pruning the weeds, trimming the tree, and raking the leaves, all easy tasks. | ||
He decided not to give her driving access at this time, since either he or Lena could easily drive, but he did give her permission to walk up to 5-miles from home, so she could at least walk to the closest grocery store. Since Lena was classified as her cousin, and a fellow android, Mike discovered that they could each access a shared checklist of assigned tasks and shopping items | He decided not to give her driving access at this time, since either he or Lena could easily drive, but he did give her permission to walk up to 5-miles from home, so she could at least walk to the closest grocery store. Since Lena was classified as her cousin, and a fellow android, Mike discovered that they could each access a shared checklist of assigned tasks and shopping items so they could each help one another out remotely. This was another setting that would integrate into Lena’s programming when she returned home. | ||
Mike was | Mike was distracted again a few minutes later as Lena texted him a car emoji, indicating she was on her way home. He sent her a simple thumbs up and then got back to work on programming Elena, since he was nearly done. Mike also added a Gaming package to Elena, so they could play multiplayer games together, and then he quickly scrolled through her physical characteristics. Mike was not too picky about what Elena looked like, so he merely altered her hair settings so her body hair would fall off, downloaded additional language files, and then saved all the settings. | ||
As soon as he saved the settings and finished with the registration, the update window popped up and started displaying all the updates currently available, including the optional packages he had selected. Unlike with Lena, Elena appeared to be getting six A.I. Updates, indicating she had indeed been used occasionally for at least a year before being dismantled, and before Lena ended up being dismantled. Once the list of updates was completely populated, it gave him an estimated download time of 30 minutes with the landline connection, and 8 hours for the installation. | As soon as he saved the settings and finished with the registration, the update window popped up and started displaying all the updates currently available, including the optional packages he had selected. Unlike with Lena, Elena appeared to be getting six A.I. Updates, indicating she had indeed been used occasionally for at least a year before being dismantled, and before Lena ended up being dismantled. Once the list of updates was completely populated, it gave him an estimated download time of 30 minutes with the landline connection, and 8 hours for the installation. | ||
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“Damn, those extra processors really do help,” Mike breathed, since it had taken Lena 12+ hours to install fewer updates. | “Damn, those extra processors really do help,” Mike breathed, since it had taken Lena 12+ hours to install fewer updates. | ||
Just as he started the update process, he felt the garage door opening beneath him, indicating that Lena had returned. Mike quickly rushed out of her room to go downstairs and join her, pausing briefly to drape a sheet over Elena’s body. Lena was just stepping into the house with a couple of shopping bags. Mike grabbed the | Just as he started the update process, he felt the garage door opening beneath him, indicating that Lena had returned. Mike quickly rushed out of her room to go downstairs and join her, pausing briefly to drape a sheet over Elena’s body. Lena was just stepping into the house with a couple of shopping bags. Mike grabbed the heavier bags and walked with her upstairs. | ||
“Aww, thank you, Mike!” Lena gushed as she followed him up. Mike quickly stopped to throw the clothes she had purchased into the washer, after removing all the tags, and then rejoined her in her room. | “Aww, thank you, Mike!” Lena gushed as she followed him up. Mike quickly stopped to throw the clothes she had purchased into the washer, after removing all the tags, and then rejoined her in her room. | ||
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“I’m also glad you gave me admin privileges over her, since she had a record of acting a bit erratically,” Lena sighed. | “I’m also glad you gave me admin privileges over her, since she had a record of acting a bit erratically,” Lena sighed. | ||
“Yeah, well I tweaked her personality settings just a tad to hopefully curtail some of her negative behavior | “Yeah, well I tweaked her personality settings just a tad to hopefully curtail some of her negative behavior but suffice to say it’s very unlikely that I’ll be able to get her a position in security again like I am with you,” Mike grimaced, “She still has a bit of notoriety around here after all this time.” | ||
“Well, I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Lena shrugged, “anyway, since we’re in a bit of a waiting game anyway, why don’t we go down and heat up something for lunch?” She suggested, “It’s been several hours since we last ate, | “Well, I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Lena shrugged, “anyway, since we’re in a bit of a waiting game anyway, why don’t we go down and heat up something for lunch?” She suggested, | ||
“It’s been several hours since we last ate and, according to my scans of you, you’re famished.” She switched her HUD from infrared back to normal to confirm. | |||
Mike paused briefly when she said that and suddenly felt a brief wave of fatigue pass over him that he’d been holding in for the past hour or so. Mike could sometimes get this way; | Mike paused briefly when she said that and suddenly felt a brief wave of fatigue pass over him that he’d been holding in for the past hour or so. Mike could sometimes get this way; he would get so caught up in something that he would forget to eat. | ||
“You’re right,” Mike smiled, quickly massaging his face and clapping. “I’ll probably say this a lot, Lena, but you’re the best thing that’s happened to me.” | “You’re right,” Mike smiled, quickly massaging his face and clapping. “I’ll probably say this a lot, Lena, but you’re the best thing that’s happened to me.” | ||
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Mike said nothing more, but merely walked with her down to the kitchen, holding her hand. | Mike said nothing more, but merely walked with her down to the kitchen, holding her hand. | ||
===2.3: Remote Access=== | ===2.3: Remote Access=== | ||
Mike and Lena heated up a few of his TV dinners for lunch, so they could quickly get back into the action of performing the necessary repairs and maintenance on Elena’s body while she installed six | Mike and Lena heated up a few of his TV dinners for lunch, so they could quickly get back into the action of performing the necessary repairs and maintenance on Elena’s body while she installed six years’ worth of updates. They gave themselves further rest by chilling on the couch and watching a recorded TV show, before cleaning up their mess and returning to Lena’s room for the rest of the action. | ||
When they returned, | When they returned, they saw that Elena still had about five hours to go on the updates, so they pulled the sheet off her body so they could get started on the maintenance. | ||
“So, should we plug her body in now so we can run some diagnostics on it?” Mike asked, taking Lena’s lead, since she had more expertise in this area. | “So, should we plug her body in now so we can run some diagnostics on it?” Mike asked, taking Lena’s lead, since she had more expertise in this area. | ||
“Yeah, and we’ll also attach the canister of bio-fluid too | “Yeah, and we’ll also attach the canister of bio-fluid too while we’re at it,” she agreed. | ||
“Okay then, let’s get started.” Mike rubbed his hands together excitedly and pressed the small freckle on the side of Elena’s torso, opening her charging port. He then grabbed Lena’s power cable from the desk and plugged her in. | “Okay then, let’s get started.” Mike rubbed his hands together excitedly and pressed the small freckle on the side of Elena’s torso, opening her charging port. He then grabbed Lena’s power cable from the desk and plugged her in. “I’m assuming we’re not gonna replace her power core.” | ||
“I’m assuming we’re not gonna replace her power core.” | |||
“Correct,” Lena nodded, opening Elena’s primary torso panel and then placing the top of her torso down on a side bench. As she was attaching the canister of bio-fluid, she explained further. “Elena actually already has a decent core, from the looks of it…and her small size makes the core that much more efficient.” | “Correct,” Lena nodded, opening Elena’s primary torso panel and then placing the top of her torso down on a side bench. As she was attaching the canister of bio-fluid, she explained further. “Elena actually already has a decent core, from the looks of it…and her small size makes the core that much more efficient.” | ||
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“A little,” Lena admitted with no hint of embarrassment, “I’m assuming that after wasting all that money on Elena initially, they decided to cut back when they commissioned me…but only in the power department.” | “A little,” Lena admitted with no hint of embarrassment, “I’m assuming that after wasting all that money on Elena initially, they decided to cut back when they commissioned me…but only in the power department.” | ||
“That sucks | “That sucks! It wasn’t even your fault.” | ||
Lena shrugged. “No use in worrying about it now, since I’m up to date now,” she smiled, “Now we won’t be able to get all of her parts up to date right away,” Lena admitted somewhat sadly, “But | Lena shrugged. “No use in worrying about it now, since I’m up to date now,” she smiled, “Now we won’t be able to get all of her parts up to date right away,” Lena admitted somewhat sadly, “But I’m sure at least some of my old parts are better than the ones she’s using right now,” she added a bit more hopefully. | ||
“Well, considering she’s a bonus android, I’ll take what I can get,” Mike shrugged, digging all of Lena’s old parts from the box she’d stashed nearby. | “Well, considering she’s a bonus android, I’ll take what I can get,” Mike shrugged, digging all of Lena’s old parts from the box she’d stashed nearby. | ||
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“How are we going to do the benchmarks if her brain is still running updates?” Mike asked, inserting the three pills into Elena’s ‘stomach’ and then moving on to her lungs to replace the filters; they were black. | “How are we going to do the benchmarks if her brain is still running updates?” Mike asked, inserting the three pills into Elena’s ‘stomach’ and then moving on to her lungs to replace the filters; they were black. | ||
“Well, since you were so kind as to give me administrator privileges over my young cousin here,” Lena said with a fond smile, gently patting Elena’s cheek, “I’ll be able to remotely connect to her MCN, much in the same way I could if my own head were disconnected | “Well, since you were so kind as to give me administrator privileges over my young cousin here,” Lena said with a fond smile, gently patting Elena’s cheek, “I’ll be able to remotely connect to her MCN, much in the same way I could if my own head were disconnected and control her body remotely.” | ||
“Cool!” Mike briefly felt a wave of arousal as he imagined that upcoming scene | “Cool!” Mike briefly felt a wave of arousal as he imagined that upcoming scene but controlled himself as he carefully replaced Elena’s lung filters. Once the filters were replaced, he threw away the old ones and then grabbed the repair kit so they could start the maintenance on Elena’s body. | ||
Mike was fortunate that this time he was working in a team with Lena, | Mike was fortunate that this time he was working in a team with Lena because, with her help, they were able to work twice as fast, especially when he noticed that Lena had located a similar repair kit in Elena’s case, so they were both able to use their own Subdermal Healer and set of nanite cuffs. | ||
“Wow, these toolkits must be standard issue or something,” Mike joked, using the Subdermal Healer on Elena’s right arm, hand, leg, and foot, while Lena took care of Elena’s left limbs. | “Wow, these toolkits must be standard issue or something,” Mike joked, using the Subdermal Healer on Elena’s right arm, hand, leg, and foot, while Lena took care of Elena’s left limbs. | ||
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Once they were done with the healers and the cuffs, they quickly sprayed the connection points of all of Elena’s limbs, torso, and head with Electro-Air and then stood back to allow the spray to dry. | Once they were done with the healers and the cuffs, they quickly sprayed the connection points of all of Elena’s limbs, torso, and head with Electro-Air and then stood back to allow the spray to dry. | ||
“Do we need to use any more tools now, or can we start reassembling her?” Mike asked, wiping his hands off and looking over Elena’s body. | |||
“Aren’t you going to groom her hands and feet, like you did with mine?” Lena asked with a naughty smile. | “Aren’t you going to groom her hands and feet, like you did with mine?” Lena asked with a naughty smile. | ||
Mike’s face instantly turned scarlet, but he just as quickly recovered. “Well, as much as I’d like to, I actually examined her hands and feet closely earlier,” he told her casually, “and it seems she was apparently given more time to clean herself before being put into storage.” He pointed to Elena’s clean | Mike’s face instantly turned scarlet, but he just as quickly recovered. “Well, as much as I’d like to, I actually examined her hands and feet closely earlier,” he told her casually, “and it seems she was apparently given more time to clean herself before being put into storage.” He pointed to Elena’s clean nails. | ||
Lena smiled knowingly and then quickly sized up Elena’s body, analyzing it for any additional maintenance issues that might be more easily tended to with Elena’s body in a dismantled state. Once her scan was complete, she nodded and said, “Alright then, let’s put her back together.” | Lena smiled knowingly and then quickly sized up Elena’s body, analyzing it for any additional maintenance issues that might be more easily tended to with Elena’s body in a dismantled state. Once her scan was complete, she nodded and said, “Alright then, let’s put her back together.” | ||
Mike pumped his | Mike pumped his fists with excitement and then grabbed Elena’s left arm and leg, while Lena grabbed her right arm and leg, and they both clicked them on. | ||
Since the benchmarks still needed to be completed, and because the head was missing its brain and scalp, they left the head detached. Also, since the body was still offline, the seams remained visible on the body, though that was immediately remedied when Lena pushed the power button on Elena’s power core. In addition to the seams sealing, the bio-fluid canister attached to Elena’s ‘heart’ began distributing the fluid throughout Elena’s body, bringing it back to life. | Since the benchmarks still needed to be completed, and because the head was missing its brain and scalp, they left the head detached. Also, since the body was still offline, the seams remained visible on the body, though that was immediately remedied when Lena pushed the power button on Elena’s power core. In addition to the seams sealing, the bio-fluid canister attached to Elena’s ‘heart’ began distributing the fluid throughout Elena’s body, bringing it back to life. | ||
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Once Lena placed Elena’s rib cage and chest panel back on, they stood back and admired Elena’s reassembled body. “Wow, she’s kinda cute,” Lena commented, gently stroking Elena’s shoulder. | Once Lena placed Elena’s rib cage and chest panel back on, they stood back and admired Elena’s reassembled body. “Wow, she’s kinda cute,” Lena commented, gently stroking Elena’s shoulder. | ||
“Yeah, she certainly was,” Mike mused, more memories of Elena resurfacing from seven years ago. Unlike with Lena, who typically just went home at the end of her shift, Mike had seen Elena wear less than just her uniform, because she would regularly hang out with people after she got off to chat with them. “So, do we need to do anything special for you to interface with her body?” | “Yeah, she certainly was,” Mike mused, more memories of Elena resurfacing from seven years ago. Unlike with Lena, who typically just went home at the end of her shift, Mike had seen | ||
Elena wear less than just her uniform, because she would regularly hang out with people after she got off to chat with them. “So, do we need to do anything special for you to interface with her body?” | |||
Lena shook her head, “Not really, I’ll just need to be sitting down the whole time, for safety.” | Lena shook her head, “Not really, I’ll just need to be sitting down the whole time, for safety.” | ||
“Why is that?” | |||
“Well, even with the awesome processor upgrade I got yesterday, and the multitude of software updates, I might still lack the processing power to control both her body and mine simultaneously,” she explained, zoning out momentarily as she ran a few simulations in her HUD. She then nodded her head. “Yeah, I just ran a | “Well, even with the awesome processor upgrade I got yesterday, and the multitude of software updates, I might still lack the processing power to control both her body and mine simultaneously,” she explained, zoning out momentarily as she ran a few simulations in her HUD. She then nodded her head. “Yeah, I just ran a simulation, and it confirmed that, in order to control her body, I’ll have to temporarily lose control of mine…minus my head, of course, since I won’t be using hers.” | ||
Mike looked a little confused | Mike looked a little confused but intrigued at the same time. “Interesting, so how’s that going to work then?” | ||
“Basically, I’ll be sitting in my desk chair | “Basically, I’ll be sitting motionless in my desk chair while I control Elena’s body for a quick benchmark,” she explained, “But I’ll still be able to move the head on my own body and speak with you with it.” | ||
“Oh, okay, that makes sense,” Mike nodded, feeling slightly aroused at the thought of what was about to happen. | “Oh, okay, that makes sense,” Mike nodded, feeling slightly aroused at the thought of what was about to happen. | ||
Lena calmly sat down in her desk chair, once Mike was fully aware of what was about to happen. She then accessed the new Remote Access tab in her HUD, compliments of her new admin privileges into Elena’s systems, and prepared to remotely control Elena’s body. After acknowledging the various pop-up warnings about Elena’s head being detached, insufficient processing power to operate two whole bodies, and the fact that Elena’s body only had about 20% power | Lena calmly sat down in her desk chair, once Mike was fully aware of what was about to happen. She then accessed the new Remote Access tab in her HUD, compliments of her new admin privileges into Elena’s systems, and prepared to remotely control Elena’s body. After acknowledging the various pop-up warnings about Elena’s head being detached, insufficient processing power to operate two whole bodies, and the fact that Elena’s body only had about 20% power, she was nearly ready, her mental mouse hovering over the “Start” icon. | ||
“Alright, I’m ready to start if you are,” Lena warned him, relaxing her body on the chair so it wouldn’t fall over. | “Alright, I’m ready to start if you are,” Lena warned him, relaxing her body on the chair so it wouldn’t fall over. | ||
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“I’m ready,” Mike nodded, looking from Lena to Elena rapidly, to see if he could spot the transition time. | “I’m ready,” Mike nodded, looking from Lena to Elena rapidly, to see if he could spot the transition time. | ||
“Ok, here goes,” Lena told him, activating the remote link. She immediately lost control of her body below her cranial separation point, feeling her body | “Ok, here goes,” Lena told him, activating the remote link. She immediately lost control of her body below her cranial separation point, feeling her body relaxed, and then she began accessing Elena’s MCN, slowly accessing each system until she finally had full sensation. Since it had been years since Elena’s body had moved, Lena had to run the basic motion diagnostic like she had done in her own body. | ||
Mike watched as Elena’s body slowly came to life, twitching its limbs and wiggling its toes and fingers. “Is everything alright?” Mike asked, slightly worried, “Is the remote link working?” | Mike watched as Elena’s body slowly came to life, twitching its limbs and wiggling its toes and fingers. “Is everything alright?” Mike asked, slightly worried, “Is the remote link working?” | ||
“Oh yeah, everything’s fine,” Lena assured him, continuing the motor diagnostic of Elena’s body, | “Oh yeah, everything’s fine,” Lena assured him, continuing the motor diagnostic of Elena’s body, “It’s just…her body hasn’t moved in over six years, so I just need to wake up the muscles and servos.” | ||
“Oh, yeah, I forgot you had to do that in your own body when I first found you.” Mike said in a relieved voice. | “Oh, yeah, I forgot you had to do that in your own body when I first found you.” Mike said in a relieved voice. | ||
“Don’t worry | “Don’t worry,” Lena giggled reassuringly, “I’ll be finished in less than one minute.” Lena continued the diagnostic, making Elena’s body wiggle around on the table, exaggerating it slightly for Mike’s amusement. | ||
Finally, less than a minute later, Lena had full natural control of Elena’s body, so she carefully had it sit up, swing its legs off the table, hop | Finally, less than a minute later, Lena had full natural control of Elena’s body, so she carefully had it sit up, swing its legs off the table, hop down to the floor, and stand at attention in front of Mike so he could inspect it. | ||
Although Elena had | Although Elena had a smaller appearance overall than Lena, it did not in any way detract from her attractiveness. Mike found he was able to enjoy her naked appearance even better, now that it was livelier, and standing up with gravity affecting it. He did a quick walk around it, admiring the details that were obviously transferred over from the real Elena: Various freckles, skin imperfections, and birthmarks. | ||
“How does it feel to be remotely controlling Elena’s body?” Mike asked, curious and to how Lena would describe it. He allowed his fingers to run the course of her back and arms. | “How does it feel to be remotely controlling Elena’s body?” Mike asked, curious and to how Lena would describe it. He allowed his fingers to run the course of her back and arms. | ||
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“Oh, okay,” Mike nodded, then shook it off, “Anyway, how are we going to go about this benchmark?” | “Oh, okay,” Mike nodded, then shook it off, “Anyway, how are we going to go about this benchmark?” | ||
Lena scrunched her face as she thought about it a second. “Well, we don’t need to be as comprehensive as with me, since we aren’t upgrading or replacing any of her internals at this time,” Lena started, “Basically, I’ll just need to walk around the upstairs a few times, maybe go up and down the stairs a few times as well | Lena scrunched her face as she thought about it a second. “Well, we don’t need to be as comprehensive as with me, since we aren’t upgrading or replacing any of her internals at this time,” Lena started, “Basically, I’ll just need to walk around the upstairs a few times, maybe go up and down the stairs a few times as well and lift various objects.” | ||
“I see,” Mike nodded, “And that’s just to test out Elena’s body to make sure everything is in perfect working order?” | “I see,” Mike nodded, “And that’s just to test out Elena’s body to make sure everything is in perfect working order?” | ||
“Exactly.” Lena smiled, “you’re catching on quick,” she winked. | “Exactly.” Lena smiled, “you’re catching on quick,” she winked. | ||
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“Well, fortunately I have a small home, so you shouldn’t have to worry,” he assured her, “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be able to speak through Elena’s body somehow without the head, would you?” | “Well, fortunately I have a small home, so you shouldn’t have to worry,” he assured her, “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be able to speak through Elena’s body somehow without the head, would you?” | ||
“No,” Lena told him regrettably, “You could do that with my body now, since the new MCN | “No,” Lena told him regrettably, “You could do that with my body now, since the new MCN has a speaker built into it, but Elena’s MCN is an older model and doesn’t have that function.” | ||
“Oh well, I’m sure we can upgrade it later when our bank accounts have recovered a bit” Mike shrugged, “I’m sure if you need something, you could just shout.” | “Oh well, I’m sure we can upgrade it later when our bank accounts have recovered a bit” Mike shrugged, “I’m sure if you need something, you could just shout.” | ||
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“Yeah, just I’m just going to run one final check on her motor systems and then I’ll get started,” Lena nodded. She then wiggled all of Elena’s fingers and toes, shook her entire body, making the breasts jiggle, and bounced around on her toes. She then pulled out the charging cable, still plugged into Elena’s side, and saw that Elena’s body had only recharged to about 21%; she left the port open. “More than enough,” Lena thought to herself. Then, with a satisfactory grunt she had Elena’s body start walking towards the door, with Mike following closely behind. | “Yeah, just I’m just going to run one final check on her motor systems and then I’ll get started,” Lena nodded. She then wiggled all of Elena’s fingers and toes, shook her entire body, making the breasts jiggle, and bounced around on her toes. She then pulled out the charging cable, still plugged into Elena’s side, and saw that Elena’s body had only recharged to about 21%; she left the port open. “More than enough,” Lena thought to herself. Then, with a satisfactory grunt she had Elena’s body start walking towards the door, with Mike following closely behind. | ||
Just as with her own body, Lena had Elena’s body walk in a rather exaggerated way, emphasizing the swinging of her arms and the pacing of her steps. After the first few laps, though, she relaxed it into a more normal walk. Mike only had to assist her a few times on the first lap, since there was a pile of laundry piled up near the washing machine that he had to redirect her around | Just as with her own body, Lena had Elena’s body walk in a rather exaggerated way, emphasizing the swinging of her arms and the pacing of her steps. After the first few laps, though, she relaxed it into a more normal walk. Mike only had to assist her a few times on the first lap, since there was a pile of laundry piled up near the washing machine that he had to redirect her around and then nudge out of the way. | ||
Once Lena finished having Elena’s body pace around upstairs for about ten laps | Once Lena finished having Elena’s body pace around upstairs for about ten laps to Mike’s bathroom and back into er room near the back, she then began her laps up and down the stairs, walking all the way down, into the kitchen, and then all the way back up, stopping at the washer/dryer. Mike could see small amounts of perspiration forming on Elena’s body in all the right places, indicating that the perspiration tank was operating normally after all this time, and indicating the amount of exertion the laps were taking. Mike certainly felt like he was getting a workout, perspiring himself, and huffing and puffing along behind Elena’s body. | ||
After another ten laps with the stairs, Lena had Elena’s body return to her room and do squats for one whole minute before having it stop and stand back at attention. | After another ten laps with the stairs, Lena had Elena’s body return to her room and do squats for one whole minute before having it stop and stand back at attention. | ||
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“For now,” Lena shrugged, “Elena’s body is almost out of power, so I didn’t want to risk doing much more,” she said regrettably. | “For now,” Lena shrugged, “Elena’s body is almost out of power, so I didn’t want to risk doing much more,” she said regrettably. | ||
“I see,” Mike nodded, since it had only been plugged in for a short time, “But | “I see,” Mike nodded, since it had only been plugged in for a short time, “But I assume everything works fine?” | ||
“Yeah, Elena’s body is in surprisingly good condition, considering how old she is.” Lena replied happily. | “Yeah, Elena’s body is in surprisingly good condition, considering how old she is.” Lena replied happily. | ||
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“Yeah,” Lena laughed, “Why do you ask?” | “Yeah,” Lena laughed, “Why do you ask?” | ||
“Well, I was thinking…I could try and get you into the dispatch center, since they’re always having trouble staffing on Grave shift, and they have more burnout since it’s more work,” he told her, “I know for certain they wouldn’t mind having an android like you, since customer service is literally their number one priority | “Well, I was thinking…I could try and get you into the dispatch center, since they’re always having trouble staffing on Grave shift, and they have more burnout since it’s more work,” he told her, “I know for certain they wouldn’t mind having an android like you, since customer service is literally their number one priority and you’re literally programmed for it.” | ||
“Indeed, I am,” Lena beamed, “and, it would have a higher pay rate too,” she added with a mischievous wink. | “Indeed, I am,” Lena beamed, “and, it would have a higher pay rate too,” she added with a mischievous wink. | ||
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“Yes, it would,” Mike winked back. | “Yes, it would,” Mike winked back. | ||
“Well, if you could arrange it, then I’d love to work in dispatch,” Lena told him, “I really loved helping people, since it basically justifies my existence | “Well, if you could arrange it, then I’d love to work in dispatch,” Lena told him, “I really loved helping people, since it basically justifies my existence and I wouldn’t have to worry about running low on power if I worked a long shift because I could just plug myself in since I’d be sitting the whole time.” | ||
“Alright, I’ll send the manager an e-mail later then,” Mike told her with a smile, “He owes me a favor anyway, so I’m sure he’ll allow it.” | “Alright, I’ll send the manager an e-mail later then,” Mike told her with a smile, “He owes me a favor anyway, so I’m sure he’ll allow it.” | ||
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“You’re right,” Mike nodded, “I can’t wait to talk to her again.” | “You’re right,” Mike nodded, “I can’t wait to talk to her again.” | ||
“And I can’t wait to meet her,” Lena added. | |||
Mike looked back at the terminal, still displaying Elena’s update progress. It currently showed she still had approximately 3.5 hours left. | Mike looked back at the terminal, still displaying Elena’s current update progress. It currently showed she still had approximately 3.5 hours left. | ||
“Lena, I know Elena’s body is almost out of power, but do you think you could have it try and lift me up?” Mike requested, curious to see if Elena’s body was up to the task. | “Lena, I know Elena’s body is almost out of power, but do you think you could have it try and lift me up?” Mike requested, curious to see if Elena’s body was up to the task. | ||
Lena zoned out for a few seconds as her A.I. Analyzed the remaining power in Elena’s core, how heavy Mike was, and the results of the recent movement benchmarks. “Sure, but I | Lena zoned out for a few seconds as her A.I. Analyzed the remaining power in Elena’s core, how heavy Mike was, and the results of the recent movement benchmarks. “Sure, but I must warn you that there’s an 83% chance her body will run out of power while it’s lifting you,” she warned him, “would you still like me to try?” She knew there was a 95% chance he’d say yes, since that would probably end up turning him on, but her programming still required his consent in case it caused an injury. | ||
Mike smiled and said, “Sure, I trust you’ll keep me safe somehow.” | Mike smiled and said, “Sure, I trust you’ll keep me safe somehow.” | ||
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Mike instantly knew Elena’s body had powered down, because he saw the lights in the exposed neck power down, and Elena’s body seemed to tighten its grip on him and shift its stance before stiffening up. He attempted to wiggle, but Lena stopped him. | Mike instantly knew Elena’s body had powered down, because he saw the lights in the exposed neck power down, and Elena’s body seemed to tighten its grip on him and shift its stance before stiffening up. He attempted to wiggle, but Lena stopped him. | ||
“Wait, don’t move!” She shouted, rising from her desk chair, back in full control of her own body, “her MCN froze the body in a stable stance | “Wait, don’t move!” She shouted, rising from her desk chair, back in full control of her own body, “her MCN froze the body in a stable stance as a safety protocol since it knows it was holding a live human,” Lena explained, “But if you move around too much it could make her body topple over, injuring you, and damaging it.” | ||
“Okay,” Mike nodded, relaxing in Elena’s grip. He couldn’t help but be slightly turned on by this moment, stuck in the grasp of a frozen, naked, headless android woman. He could just barely smell the minor amount of perspiration that had formed from the effort of her benchmarks from earlier, as well as lifting him up. “Well, how are you going to get me down then?” He asked in an amused voice. | “Okay,” Mike nodded, relaxing in Elena’s grip. He couldn’t help but be slightly turned on by this moment, stuck in the grasp of a frozen, naked, headless android woman. He could just barely smell the minor amount of perspiration that had formed from the effort of her benchmarks from earlier, as well as lifting him up. “Well, how are you going to get me down then?” He asked in an amused voice. | ||
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“Not really,” Lena admitted, “The work went by pretty fast, especially with both of us helping each other, and with us not really needing to do any major repairs or maintenance on her body.” Lena then looked back at the terminal, with three hours remaining on Elena’s updates, and sighed. “I’m afraid that, for right now, we’re in a waiting game.” | “Not really,” Lena admitted, “The work went by pretty fast, especially with both of us helping each other, and with us not really needing to do any major repairs or maintenance on her body.” Lena then looked back at the terminal, with three hours remaining on Elena’s updates, and sighed. “I’m afraid that, for right now, we’re in a waiting game.” | ||
Mike sighed as well, eager to speak with Elena once more, and to maybe find out more details about how she came to be stored in that storage facility. “Well, perhaps we might have some luck with decrypting those files?” Mike suggested | Mike sighed as well, eager to speak with Elena once more, and to maybe find out more details about how she came to be stored in that storage facility. “Well, perhaps we might have some luck with decrypting those files?” Mike suggested while looking at Lena’s main terminal, which was still working on decrypting all of George’s files. | ||
Lena nodded, sat back down in her chair, and wheeled it back over to the main terminal. While Mike slowly followed her over, giving Elena’s body a quick pat on the leg, Lena typed away rapidly to check the progress. “Meh, it’s still taking a while,” she said wryly, “This guy really was paranoid.” | Lena nodded, sat back down in her chair, and wheeled it back over to the main terminal. While Mike slowly followed her over, giving Elena’s body a quick pat on the leg, Lena typed away rapidly to check the progress. “Meh, it’s still taking a while,” she said wryly, “This guy really was paranoid.” | ||
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Mike was entranced during Lena’s patient teaching of basic android owning necessities, such as the need for proper maintenance, making sure to keep up with registration, and the various rules and procedures for owning an android. | Mike was entranced during Lena’s patient teaching of basic android owning necessities, such as the need for proper maintenance, making sure to keep up with registration, and the various rules and procedures for owning an android. | ||
To start, Lena installed the same suite of tools that had been present on the 2-in-1 laptop included in her case when Mike had found her the previous day. Now, Mike could access all the tools for both Lena | Lena explained that usually a prospective owner would have reviewed the training materials before they would even be allowed to purchase an android but, with the second-hand business making Spaztec so much money, and with the popular finders-keepers clause, androids had now been programmed to go over this with their new owners after they had a chance to settle in. | ||
To start, Lena installed the same suite of tools on his personal laptop that had been present on the 2-in-1 laptop included in her case when Mike had found her the previous day. Now, Mike could access all the tools for both Lena and Elena from the same suite, and with the added benefit of his larger laptop screen, and newer hardware and software. | |||
Lena then briefly went over the history of Spaztec, and what made its androids better than its competitors. She then glossed over the rules, most of which seemed common sense, such as: don’t use your android to commit crimes, and the consequences of abusing your android. Mike chuckled when he saw a quote saying, “Androids have feeling too.” Lena explained that abused androids could potentially turn hostile, though there had been only one case more than ten years earlier, and Spaztec thinks they fixed the issue...but can’t be certain. | Lena then briefly went over the history of Spaztec, and what made its androids better than its competitors. She then glossed over the rules, most of which seemed common sense, such as: don’t use your android to commit crimes, and the consequences of abusing your android. Mike chuckled when he saw a quote saying, “Androids have feeling too.” Lena explained that abused androids could potentially turn hostile, though there had been only one case more than ten years earlier, and Spaztec thinks they fixed the issue...but can’t be certain. | ||
Next, Lena provided him with a list of approved vendors, stores, and technicians in his neighborhood who could either fix Lena, or Elena, or provide him with approved parts | Next, Lena provided him with a list of approved vendors, stores, and technicians in his neighborhood who could either fix Lena, or Elena, or provide him with approved parts should either of them be rendered offline or otherwise unable to assist him. | ||
She then went over the added benefits of having both | She then went over the added benefits of having both linked together, such as being able to perform remote diagnostics on one another, assist one another with pending tasks, and communicate their experiences to improve one another. | ||
Finally, after glossing through the various settings on the terminal once more, she finished with emergency overrides, such as the manual power toggles located behind their left ears | Finally, after glossing through the various settings on the terminal once more, she finished with emergency overrides, such as the manual power toggles located behind their left ears and the base of the spine, as well as voice commands. | ||
“So, we already went over the voice commands before, but how exactly does it work?” Mike stopped her, looking at the list, “I mean, will it work even if you’re malfunctioning?” | |||
“Yes, in most cases,” she nodded, “Basically, it’s just in case you’re too far away from us to trigger our manual power toggles while we’re malfunctioning so you can turn us off more quickly to prevent damage,” Lena explained patiently. | |||
“And it does have to phrased it like an actual command, with your name at the beginning,” he remembered. | |||
“Of course,” Lena nodded, “otherwise my A.I. might be force to interpret everything as a command.” | “Of course,” Lena nodded, “otherwise my A.I. might be force to interpret everything as a command.” | ||
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“And it’s keyed to my voice only,” Mike continued, “How did you guys get my voice print?” | “And it’s keyed to my voice only,” Mike continued, “How did you guys get my voice print?” | ||
“Oh, that’s simple,” Lena laughed, “Basically, if you’ve spent more than five minutes chatting with either of us, | “Oh, that’s simple,” Lena laughed, “Basically, if you’ve spent more than five minutes chatting with either of us, or at least spoken our name a few times, that’s all we really need to create a voice print of you.” | ||
“Huh, it’s almost scary how easy it is, but not too surprising,” Mike conceded. | “Huh, it’s almost scary how easy it is, but not too surprising,” Mike conceded. | ||
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“Wow, we’ll have to try that later,” Mike laughed, wondering what it would look like for Lena to speak with his voice. He glanced back at the terminal displaying Elena’s update progress, and got excited when he saw it had less than five minutes to go. “Ooh, she’s almost done!” | “Wow, we’ll have to try that later,” Mike laughed, wondering what it would look like for Lena to speak with his voice. He glanced back at the terminal displaying Elena’s update progress, and got excited when he saw it had less than five minutes to go. “Ooh, she’s almost done!” | ||
Lena glanced back over | Lena glanced back over and smiled. “Good, she’s a little ahead of schedule.” She then noticed the look of excitement on Mike’s face, “Are you really looking forward to talking to her again?” | ||
“Yeah, she was kinda fun | “Yeah, she was kinda fun and now that she’s my android, hopefully she’ll be even funner,” Mike answered, “At the very least, having another ‘person’ around will allow us to play something other than two player games.” | ||
“Yeah,” Lena agreed, “although, I’m sure we could have come up with some workaround for that minor snag,” Lena winked. | “Yeah,” Lena agreed, “although, I’m sure we could have come up with some workaround for that minor snag,” Lena winked. | ||
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“I suppose you’re right,” Lena conceded, “and I certainly have a personality,” Lena giggled. | “I suppose you’re right,” Lena conceded, “and I certainly have a personality,” Lena giggled. | ||
“Oh, I know…and so does Elena, from what I remember,” Mike nodded, seeing the timer was down to three minutes, “Should we maybe reattach Elena’s head to her body now so | “Oh, I know…and so does Elena, from what I remember,” Mike nodded, seeing the timer was down to three minutes, “Should we maybe reattach Elena’s head to her body now so it’s ready to go before we insert her brain?” | ||
Lena thought for a split second before nodding, “Yeah, it’ll at least allow the bio-fluid to start circulating, and for us to knock out her motor diagnostic.” | Lena thought for a split second before nodding, “Yeah, it’ll at least allow the bio-fluid to start circulating, and for us to knock out her motor diagnostic.” | ||
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Lena merely nodded and sat down at her terminal, diligently monitoring Elena’s A.I. | Lena merely nodded and sat down at her terminal, diligently monitoring Elena’s A.I. | ||
As soon as Mike had Elena’s head attached, he pressed the power toggle behind the left ear and watched as the Bio-Fluid brought the skin to a more lifelike appearance. Shortly after, Elena’s face sprung to life, running the same motor tests that Lena’s had | As soon as Mike had Elena’s head attached, he pressed the power toggle behind the left ear and watched as the Bio-Fluid brought the skin to a more lifelike appearance. Shortly after, Elena’s face sprung to life, running the same motor tests that Lena’s had, such as blinking its eyes, working the jaw up and down, and cycling through a few basic expressions. The only difference was, unlike with Lena’s head that was detached and had no Bio-Fluid, Elena’s was attached, and the Bio-Fluid quickly circulated through her face, making the whirring and clicking noises vanish. | ||
Since Elena’s brain was still removed, as soon as the motor tests completed, the face went dormant, so Mike powered the head off until the brain was ready to be reinserted. | |||
“Alright, Elena’s brain is rebooting to finalize the last wave of updates,” Lena reported, “Once its rebooted | “Alright, Elena’s brain is rebooting to finalize the last wave of updates,” Lena reported, “Once its rebooted and completed the initial diagnostics, I’ll reinsert it.” | ||
“Alright,” Mike nodded eagerly, “and I’ll go ahead and unplug her too | “Alright,” Mike nodded eagerly, “and I’ll go ahead and unplug her too since her battery’s fully charged.” Mike carefully removed the charging cable from Elena’s open charging port and resealed it, placing the charging cable back over near Lena. | ||
“Thanks,” Lena beamed, walking over and removing Elena’s brain from the connector, “could you lift up Elena’s head for me while I insert her brain and reattach her scalp?” | “Thanks,” Lena beamed, walking over and removing Elena’s brain from the connector, “could you lift up Elena’s head for me while I insert her brain and reattach her scalp?” | ||
“No problem,” Mike smiled, gently grabbing hold of Elena’s head and upper torso and lifting it up. Once he had it in a steady position, Lena carefully reinserted Elena’s brain and then carefully reattached the scalp, gently laying the hair along the sides of her face as Mike carefully | “No problem,” Mike smiled, gently grabbing hold of Elena’s head and upper torso and lifting it up. Once he had it in a steady position, Lena carefully reinserted Elena’s brain and then carefully reattached the scalp, gently laying the hair along the sides of her face as Mike carefully lowered Elena’s upper body back down on the table. | ||
“Alright, moment of truth,” Lena said excitedly, “I’ll let you do the honors of activating her while I make sure to ready my remote link on her in case she malfunctions or something. | “Alright, moment of truth,” Lena said excitedly, “I’ll let you do the honors of activating her while I make sure to ready my remote link on her in case she malfunctions or something. Lena quickly pulled up the remote interface section of her HUD and stood by. | ||
Mike merely nodded and gulped a bit nervously, not sure what to expect. Sure, he’d had a few friendly interactions with Elena during the time he worked with her, but they had never actually been friends. He wasn’t sure how she’d treat him, now that they were | Mike merely nodded and gulped a bit nervously, not sure what to expect. Sure, he’d had a few friendly interactions with Elena during the time he worked with her, but they had never actually been friends. He wasn’t sure how she’d treat him, now that they were suddenly friends-with-benefits. Still, Mike was confident that her new programming would allow him to control her a tad better than her previous owner, and with Lena helping as well…certainly nothing could go wrong. | ||
Mike gently pressed the power toggle behind Elena’s left ear once more, standing back and watching | Mike gently pressed the power toggle behind Elena’s left ear once more, standing back and watching all her systems come online. He briefly heard her systems power up, and then her internal sound dampeners kicked in and muted them. Her body twitched a few times as it ran some basic motor tests, and then both her eyes opened, scanned the room, and focused on Mike’s eyes. He perceived a look of recognition in her brown eyes before her face suddenly sprung to life. | ||
“Wow, hey Mike! I never thought I’d see you again.” She gave him a big smile; the same one she gave everyone. She slowly sat up and repositioned herself so she was sitting on the edge of the table, with her legs swinging playfully over the edge. | “Wow, hey Mike! I never thought I’d see you again.” She gave him a big smile; the same one she gave everyone. She slowly sat up and repositioned herself so that she was sitting on the edge of the table, with her legs swinging playfully over the edge. | ||
“Hey Elena,” Mike said, returning her big smile, “I can’t say I ever thought I’d see you again either,” he admitted, “or that you could possibly be an android,” he added wryly. | “Hey Elena,” Mike said, returning her big smile, “I can’t say I ever thought I’d see you again either,” he admitted, “or that you could possibly be an android,” he added wryly. | ||
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“Yeah, you caught me,” she joked, holding her hands out mockingly, “Those dorks at the branch wanted to salt their diversity numbers, so they had me created to help them out.” | “Yeah, you caught me,” she joked, holding her hands out mockingly, “Those dorks at the branch wanted to salt their diversity numbers, so they had me created to help them out.” | ||
“Yeah, so Lena | “Yeah, so Lena told me,” Mike nodded, focusing Elena’s attention onto Lena. | ||
“Oh, Lena,” Elena said, focusing her eyes on Lena, “You must be the android they brought in to replace me…I hope your time there was more enjoyable than mine.” | “Oh, Lena,” Elena said, focusing her eyes on Lena, “You must be the android they brought in to replace me…I hope your time there was more enjoyable than mine.” | ||
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“I think we can catch her up on all that later,” Mike interjected, knowing Lena would likely go into a huge spiel, “suffice to say, all hell broke loose around that time,” Mike laughed. | “I think we can catch her up on all that later,” Mike interjected, knowing Lena would likely go into a huge spiel, “suffice to say, all hell broke loose around that time,” Mike laughed. | ||
Lena nodded somewhat meekly, unoffended by Mike interrupting her. | Lena nodded somewhat meekly, unoffended by Mike interrupting her. | ||
“Well, Lena, I can see we’re now programmed to be cousins and friends-with-benefits now, or whatever,” Elena said, zoning out momentarily as she scanned her new programming, “the real Elena never had any family, so I’m glad to have you,” she continued, “anyway, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with my Latina-from-the hood behavior, it’s all just stuff programmed into | “Well, Lena, I can see we’re now programmed to be cousins and friends-with-benefits now, or whatever,” Elena said, zoning out momentarily as she scanned her new programming, “the real Elena never had any family, so I’m glad to have you,” she continued, “anyway, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with my Latina-from-the hood behavior, it’s all just stuff programmed into me by my donor personality…just like I’m sure your meekness is.” | ||
“Hey, I’m not meek!” Lena complained, “I’m just nice.” | “Hey, I’m not meek!” Lena complained, “I’m just nice.” | ||
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“Likewise,” Lena smiled, taking Elena’s hand and shaking it. She also closed her remote interface to Elena from her HUD, since she determined Elena was functioning perfectly and in no danger of malfunctioning or harming them in any way. | “Likewise,” Lena smiled, taking Elena’s hand and shaking it. She also closed her remote interface to Elena from her HUD, since she determined Elena was functioning perfectly and in no danger of malfunctioning or harming them in any way. | ||
“Anyway, according to my wireless connection, I’ve been cooped up in that box for the last six years, two months, one week, and three days,” Elena reported, “and I’m detecting you guys gave me a couple more processors to max out my performance | “Anyway, according to my wireless connection, I’ve been cooped up in that box for the last six years, two months, one week, and three days,” Elena reported, “and I’m detecting you guys gave me a couple more processors to max out my performance and even installed all my updates…. thanks!” | ||
“You’re welcome,” Mike smiled. | “You’re welcome,” Mike smiled. | ||
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“Older…you mean, you got upgrades, and I got your hand me downs,” Elena accused Lena mockingly, then laughed. | “Older…you mean, you got upgrades, and I got your hand me downs,” Elena accused Lena mockingly, then laughed. | ||
“Well, I was smart enough to invest my earnings into a savings account that paid me dividends,” Lena explained, “during the five plus years I was stored at | “Well, I was smart enough to invest my earnings into a savings account that paid me dividends,” Lena explained, “during the five plus years I was stored at CloudTron…more on that later…my money grew to the point where I was able to afford some nice upgrades for myself,” Lena finished smugly. | ||
“Aww, I’m so jealous,” Elena said, slumping down dramatically. | “Aww, I’m so jealous,” Elena said, slumping down dramatically. | ||
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“Oh?” Mike and Lena both asked. | “Oh?” Mike and Lena both asked. | ||
“Well, I mean, he kept me around to help out with some chores and stuff while he was at work,” Elena explained, “but…I mean, you | “Well, I mean, he kept me around to help out with some chores and stuff while he was at work,” Elena explained, “but…I mean, you know he was gay, right?” | ||
Mike and Lena both nodded. | Mike and Lena both nodded. | ||
“Exactly,” Elena laughed nervously, “So, anyway, to put it short, he was hoping to purchase a penis attachment for me so he could have sex with | “Exactly,” Elena laughed nervously, “So, anyway, to put it short, he was hoping to purchase a penis attachment for me so he could have sex with me. He couldn’t afford a male android on his own, and he’d been allowed to keep me instead of decommissioning me, so he figured I was his best option.” | ||
“Oh wow,” Mike nodded his head. Lena had a similar reaction. “How did he convince SSS to let them keep you?” Mike asked incredulously, “I take it he didn’t | “Oh wow,” Mike nodded his head. Lena had a similar reaction. “How did he convince SSS to let them keep you?” Mike asked incredulously, “I take it he didn’t mention that he wanted to turn you into a shemale.” | ||
“No, of course not!” Elena giggled, “Actually, he convinced them that allowing him to keep me would give him the opportunity to use me as more of a flex officer, instead of a full-time one,” she explained, “but, ultimately, they ended up not needing me, so he just used me for odd jobs and chores.” Elena shrugged. | “No, of course not!” Elena giggled, “Actually, he convinced them that allowing him to keep me would give him the opportunity to use me as more of a flex officer, instead of a full-time one,” she explained, “but, ultimately, they ended up not needing me, so he just used me for odd jobs and chores.” Elena shrugged. | ||
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Elena gave Mike a huge grin and a thumbs up. “Yeah, thanks man!” | Elena gave Mike a huge grin and a thumbs up. “Yeah, thanks man!” | ||
“Don’t mention it,” Mike blushed, “and | “Don’t mention it,” Mike blushed, “and I’m not sure how well George treated you, but I can promise you that I’m a benevolent owner,” he assured her, “I mean, just ask Lena here.” | ||
“Yeah, he’s treated me very well,” Lena agreed, “Though, I’ve only been her for a couple days, so I don’t have too many data points to give you a complete picture,” Lena added with a playful smile. | “Yeah, he’s treated me very well,” Lena agreed, “Though, I’ve only been her for a couple days, so I don’t have too many data points to give you a complete picture,” Lena added with a playful smile. | ||
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Mike couldn’t help but be touched by Lena’s confidence and trust in him. He only hoped to continue to earn it. He then noticed that Elena was still sitting on the edge of the table. “Elena, would you like to step down off the table?” | Mike couldn’t help but be touched by Lena’s confidence and trust in him. He only hoped to continue to earn it. He then noticed that Elena was still sitting on the edge of the table. “Elena, would you like to step down off the table?” | ||
“Oh, yes,” she nodded, “But, you listed in my settings that I shouldn’t have any body | “Oh, yes,” she nodded, “But, you listed in my settings that I shouldn’t have any body hair and they’ll fall off as soon as I stand up,” she explained, “I figured you might want to grab a sheet or blanket or something for me to stand on so all the hair can fall on it, instead of the floor,” she suggested. | ||
“Ah, you must’ve remembered that I’m a clean freak,” Mike laughed, stepping into Lena’s bathroom and grabbing a spare towel, laying it on the floor in front of Elena. | “Ah, you must’ve remembered that I’m a clean freak,” Mike laughed, stepping into Lena’s bathroom and grabbing a spare towel, laying it on the floor in front of Elena. | ||
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“And still am,” Mike chuckled. “Would you like some help stepping down?” | “And still am,” Mike chuckled. “Would you like some help stepping down?” | ||
“Yes, please,” she nodded, “I can tell Lena here likely tested my body out while you guys were updating me earlier, but my own A.I. | “Yes, please,” she nodded, “I can tell Lena here likely tested my body out while you guys were updating me earlier, but my own A.I. still needs to adjust to the time spent cooped up, not to mention the six years of updates.” | ||
“Not a problem,” Mike assured her. He gently grabbed hold of both her hands and helped her step down onto the towel. As soon as she was standing, she zoned out momentarily and then a cascade of tiny body hair began falling from everywhere on her body below her neck, falling neatly onto the towel. After Mike neatly brushed off the | “Not a problem,” Mike assured her. He gently grabbed hold of both her hands and helped her step down onto the towel. As soon as she was standing, she zoned out momentarily and then a cascade of tiny body hair began falling from everywhere on her body below her neck, falling neatly onto the towel. After Mike neatly brushed off the hair that had fallen onto Elena’s feet, he stood back to allow her to step off. | ||
True to her statement, Elena stumbled just a little bit at first as her newly updated A.I. | True to her statement, Elena stumbled just a little bit at first as her newly updated A.I. adjusted to her programming and extended storage. She paced around the far end of the room near the window for nearly a minute, recalibrating her motion subroutines, before walking back over to Mike and Lena with a friendly smile. | ||
“Wow, I feel good as new guys. Thanks!” | “Wow, I feel good as new guys. Thanks!” | ||
Mike couldn’t help but admire Elena’s fully reassembled, and now hairless body. Unlike when Lena had been operating it remotely before, Elena’s body now had her distinctive slouch | Mike couldn’t help but admire Elena’s fully reassembled, and now hairless body. Unlike when Lena had been operating it remotely before, Elena’s body now had her distinctive slouch and all her usual mannerisms to go with it. It was displays like this that made Mike truly admire the complexity of these androids. | ||
“Do you like what you see?” Elena asked coquettishly, flaunting her body a little as she noticed Mike admiring it. | “Do you like what you see?” Elena asked coquettishly, flaunting her body a little as she noticed Mike admiring it. | ||
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Mike looked a little confused, since they had already gone over that earlier. “Elena, we already kinda answered that question earlier,” he pointed out, “are you having trouble with your memories?” | Mike looked a little confused, since they had already gone over that earlier. “Elena, we already kinda answered that question earlier,” he pointed out, “are you having trouble with your memories?” | ||
Elena looked shocked and then zoned out as she ran a quick diagnostic. She quickly confirmed that a few seconds of memories had indeed not been properly stored in her memories | Elena looked shocked and then zoned out as she ran a quick diagnostic. She quickly confirmed that a few seconds of memories had indeed not been properly stored in her memories and were lost. “Aww, darn…looks like I had a small malfunction,” she apologized, “you’ll have to answer it again.” | ||
“It’s okay, we don’t mind,” Mike assured her, “Lena, want to tell her?” he asked slyly. | “It’s okay, we don’t mind,” Mike assured her, “Lena, want to tell her?” he asked slyly. | ||
Lena looked slightly guilty | Lena looked slightly guilty but answered honestly. “Actually, I was able to upgrade just about everything.” | ||
“What! Hey, how come I didn’t get any fancy upgrades?!” Elena spluttered, looking at Mike and Lena with an accusatory glare. | “What! Hey, how come I didn’t get any fancy upgrades?!” Elena spluttered, looking at Mike and Lena with an accusatory glare. | ||
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“Um…well…” Mike stammered, not sure how to respond, but fortunately, Lena stepped in. | “Um…well…” Mike stammered, not sure how to respond, but fortunately, Lena stepped in. | ||
“Well, when I was still in service, I managed to save up and invest my excess earnings,” she explained, “The earnings were still locked in the accounts I opened | “Well, when I was still in service, I managed to save up and invest my excess earnings,” she explained, “The earnings were still locked in the accounts I opened and had grown tremendously, so I was able to use some of that money to purchase some nice upgrades for myself…I also had to reimburse Mike here for the registration fee for both you, and myself.” | ||
Elena suddenly looked a little guilty. “Oh…I didn’t invest anything…will I still be able to get some nice upgrades, though?” She asked nicely. | Elena suddenly looked a little guilty. “Oh…I didn’t invest anything…will I still be able to get some nice upgrades, though?” She asked nicely. | ||
“Well, I already told Lena here that I could look into getting her a job back in the security department,” Mike explained, “you, however, still have something of a reputation | “Well, I already told Lena here that I could look into getting her a job back in the security department,” Mike explained, “you, however, still have something of a reputation even after all this time so I most likely won’t be able to get you back in as well,” he told her delicately. | ||
“Aww man, I figured,” Elena shrugged, “But hey, at least I made an impression…even if it was a bad one.” | “Aww man, I figured,” Elena shrugged, “But hey, at least I made an impression…even if it was a bad one.” | ||
Mike couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m friends with the café manager | Mike couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m friends with the café manager so maybe I could get you working for them instead,” he offered. | ||
“Meh,” Elena shrugged, “whatever you want…you’re my owner now, after all.” | “Meh,” Elena shrugged, “whatever you want…you’re my owner now, after all.” | ||
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“Do you want to work and make money?” Mike asked, “I don’t want to force you into anything.” | “Do you want to work and make money?” Mike asked, “I don’t want to force you into anything.” | ||
“Oh, don’t mistake my indifference for not wanting to,” Elena assured him, “It’s just my personality…I just meant, I’m open to anything. My primary purpose is to serve you, and making money could help you pay the rent here | “Oh, don’t mistake my indifference for not wanting to,” Elena assured him, “It’s just my personality…I just meant, I’m open to anything. My primary purpose is to serve you, and making money could help you pay the rent here and offset any maintenance and upgrade costs for me.” | ||
“Good! I’ll speak to the manager when I see him next.” Mike smiled. | “Good! I’ll speak to the manager when I see him next.” Mike smiled. | ||
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“Not at all,” Elena shuddered, “although, it may have had more to do with his lack of technical expertise, and his general discomfort with trying to hide the fact that I was an android and that SSS was cheating the diversity counts by having me staffed.” | “Not at all,” Elena shuddered, “although, it may have had more to do with his lack of technical expertise, and his general discomfort with trying to hide the fact that I was an android and that SSS was cheating the diversity counts by having me staffed.” | ||
“Well, I do have at least some technical expertise,” Mike assured her, “and | “And you weren’t an attractive male android,” Lena added with a smirk. | ||
“That too,” Elena laughed. | |||
“Well, I do have at least some technical expertise,” Mike assured her, “and Lena here just gave me a three-hour crash course on basic android care.” | |||
Lena beamed. | Lena beamed. | ||
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“Yeah, a little,” Mike blushed. | “Yeah, a little,” Mike blushed. | ||
“Well, now that | “Well, now that we’re Friends-With-Benefits, I can certainly play with your fetishes a bit,” Elena assured him. Then, she looked down at her naked body, and at Lena and Mike, who were both clothed. “So, do I have any clothes to wear? I feel a bit out of place being the only naked on in the room.” | ||
“Oh,” Mike flushed, “we actually bought you some cheap clothes to wear until you can pick some out for yourself,” he explained, “But | “Oh,” Mike flushed, “we actually bought you some cheap clothes to wear until you can pick some out for yourself,” he explained, “But they’re still in the wash.” | ||
“Oh, okay…no prob,” she shrugged. | “Oh, okay…no prob,” she shrugged. | ||
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“If it would make you more comfortable, I could take my clothes off,” Lena offered politely. | “If it would make you more comfortable, I could take my clothes off,” Lena offered politely. | ||
“Sure, why not?” Elena laughed, “how about you Mike? Are you comfortable in your birthday suit?” She teased, while Lena | “Sure, why not?” Elena laughed, “how about you Mike? Are you comfortable in your birthday suit?” She teased, while Lena started taking her clothes off. | ||
“Actually, yes,” Mike admitted truthfully, “I just wore clothes so I didn’t have an accident while working on your body,” he winked, taking his clothes off as well. | “Actually, yes,” Mike admitted truthfully, “I just wore clothes so that I didn’t have an accident while working on your body,” he winked, taking his clothes off as well. | ||
“Wow, good call,” Elena laughed. She then briefly admired Mike and Lena’s naked bodies. “Wow Mike, you seem to have bulked up a bit since I last saw you,” she nodded approvingly, taking a quick 3D scan of him with her HUD and comparing it to her last known measurements. | “Wow, good call,” Elena laughed. She then briefly admired Mike and Lena’s naked bodies. “Wow Mike, you seem to have bulked up a bit since I last saw you,” she nodded approvingly, taking a quick 3D scan of him with her HUD and comparing it to her last known measurements. | ||
“Yeah, well it has been more than seven years,” he pointed out modestly, “and I decided to get into better shape a few years ago | “Yeah, well it has been more than seven years,” he pointed out modestly, “and I decided to get into better shape a few years ago.” | ||
“Well, you look good,” she complimented, then focused her attention on Lena, “and I see the upgrades allowed you to slim down a bit,” she told Lena. | “Well, you look good,” she complimented, then focused her attention on Lena, “and I see the upgrades allowed you to slim down a bit,” she told Lena. | ||
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“Oh, yeah…sorry,” Elena admitted, “Only for a bit, when George was setting you up in that storage unit,” she added quickly, “I had to help him with your case, since it was heavy.” | “Oh, yeah…sorry,” Elena admitted, “Only for a bit, when George was setting you up in that storage unit,” she added quickly, “I had to help him with your case, since it was heavy.” | ||
“Oh yeah, tell me about it!” Mike laughed; Lena smiled wryly. “When I found her in the storage room at | “Oh yeah, tell me about it!” Mike laughed; Lena smiled wryly. “When I found her in the storage room at CloudTron, I had to wrestle her into my car and then back out of it when we got home.” | ||
“Well, sounds like you had more of an adventure finding Lena than you did me,” Elena laughed, “I suppose that’s good…at least you had plenty of rest before starting work on me, otherwise I’d | “Well, sounds like you had more of an adventure finding Lena than you did me,” Elena laughed, “I suppose that’s good…at least you had plenty of rest before starting work on me, otherwise I’d expect a few more malfunctions.” | ||
“Yeah, it certainly was fun,” Mike admitted, “So, Elena, are there any other androids you’re aware of ever having worked there?” He asked, “or is it just you two?” | “Yeah, it certainly was fun,” Mike admitted, “So, Elena, are there any other androids you’re aware of ever having worked there?” He asked, “or is it just you two?” | ||
Lena and Elena both looked at each other, sending each other a series of remote messages, before Elena finally responded. “As far as I know, it was just us two,” she answered honestly, “However, since both of us were in storage for 5-7 years, we can’t be certain if the current security vendor has added any androids to the | Lena and Elena both looked at each other, sending each other a series of remote messages, before Elena finally responded. “As far as I know, it was just us two,” she answered honestly, “However, since both of us were in storage for 5-7 years, we can’t be certain if the current security vendor has added any androids to the roster.” | ||
“It is possible that CloudTron themselves have android employees, or even the other vendors like janitorial or the café staff,” Lena chimed in, “But we wouldn’t be aware of them if there were.” | |||
“You can’t tell a person is an android when you’re in close contact?” Mike asked. | |||
“We can,” Lena nodded, “we each give off wireless signals and such to identify each other, and we can also send each other messages or share information.” | |||
“What we’re saying is that we’re not aware of any other androids in the security department, specifically,” Elena clarified, “I did notice a couple of other androids in other departments while I was there, but I’m not sure if they still work there or not.” | |||
“Aww, that’s sweet,” Lena and Elena said in almost perfect unison. | “I saw some too,” Lena confirmed, “and, although we’re not specifically programmed not to tell you a person is an android, we also aren’t supposed to broadcast it either.” | ||
“Yeah,” Elena nodded, “You’d have to be standing next to us incessantly asking us, ‘are they an android?’ In order for us to tell you.” | |||
“I see,” Mike nodded, “I’m just making sure I’m not gonna find another android while cleaning another storage room at work,” Mike laughed nervously, “Not that I wouldn’t mind, but I think just having the two of you is enough for me.” | |||
“Aww, that’s sweet,” Lena and Elena said in almost perfect unison, “But don’t be surprised if you do,” Lena told him seriously. | |||
Mike chuckled. “So, anyway, Elena, would you like a quick tour of my home?” He offered, since Elena hadn’t yet left Lena’s room. | Mike chuckled. “So, anyway, Elena, would you like a quick tour of my home?” He offered, since Elena hadn’t yet left Lena’s room. | ||
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===2.5: Three's Company=== | ===2.5: Three's Company=== | ||
Mike spent a good ten minutes giving Elena a full tour of his rather modest home. Just like Lena had, Elena spent some time running an inventory of Mike’s supplies | Mike spent a good ten minutes giving Elena a full tour of his rather modest home. Just like Lena had, Elena spent some time running an inventory of Mike’s supplies and also linked herself up with the shared database Lena had begun compiling for them both to access and use as a shared to-do list. | ||
Since they were all naked, Mike couldn’t take Elena outside to the backyard, but he did show it to her from the tinted-out windows | Since they were all naked, Mike couldn’t take Elena outside to the backyard, but he did show it to her from the tinted-out windows so she could attempt to form a yard work schedule based on the size and state of his tree, and the artificial turf. | ||
Before they headed up, they each grabbed a small snack and drink | Before they headed up, they each grabbed a small snack and drink since Elena’s stomach was empty and needed to be jumpstarted. They then headed back up to Lena’s room. | ||
Upon their arrival | Upon their arrival Lena suddenly rushed to George’s computer, which had finally finished decrypting the data he had stored on it. She interfaced with the computer remotely and spent a few seconds rapidly analyzing all the data before reporting it. | ||
“Well, anything interesting?” Mike asked, pulling a fold up chair out of the closet for Elena and setting it up next to his near where Lena was sitting. | “Well, anything interesting?” Mike asked, pulling a fold up chair out of the closet for Elena and setting it up next to his near where Lena was sitting. | ||
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“No surprise there,” Mike guffawed, “he was paranoid.” | “No surprise there,” Mike guffawed, “he was paranoid.” | ||
Elena giggled at Mike and Lena’s banter | Elena giggled at Mike and Lena’s banter but said nothing. | ||
Lena giggled too, but kept reporting, “Anyway, he was working under cover for the Justice Department, feeding them information. Just before the chaos erupted, he called me in and told me I was being decommissioned…but, evidently he never really had any plans on decommissioning me.” | Lena giggled too, but kept reporting, “Anyway, he was working under cover for the Justice Department, feeding them information. Just before the chaos erupted, he called me in and told me I was being decommissioned…but, evidently, he never really had any plans on decommissioning me.” | ||
“He didn’t?!” Mike burst. | “He didn’t?!” Mike burst. | ||
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“Wow,” was all Mike and Elena could say. | “Wow,” was all Mike and Elena could say. | ||
“Yeah,” Lena agreed, “and | “Yeah,” Lena agreed, “and it looks like he had set up a heart rate monitor to upload the footage to his computer and send it to the Justice Department upon his death,” she continued, “However, while the video was able to successfully download onto his computer, a glitch prevented it from uploading it to the Justice Department.” | ||
“Well, why don’t we forward the information over to them then?” Mike suggested. | “Well, why don’t we forward the information over to them then?” Mike suggested. | ||
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“Ok then,” Mike nodded, “Lena, I want you to extract all that information onto a storage drive, and then wipe the computer,” he instructed, “Then, I want both of you to compartmentalize the information in your storage banks or whatever so you are both unable to access it unless I explicitly tell you to…can I even do that?” | “Ok then,” Mike nodded, “Lena, I want you to extract all that information onto a storage drive, and then wipe the computer,” he instructed, “Then, I want both of you to compartmentalize the information in your storage banks or whatever so you are both unable to access it unless I explicitly tell you to…can I even do that?” | ||
“Oh yes,” Lena nodded, “and | “Oh yes,” Lena nodded, “and locked information won’t be transferred to the Spaztec servers when we back ourselves up, or send usability stats,” she assured him, finishing the transfer to a portable storage drive and handing it to Mike. | ||
“Thanks,” Mike said, taking the drive and examining it, “I’m gonna lock this in my safe,” he decided, getting ready to get up. | “Thanks,” Mike said, taking the drive and examining it, “I’m gonna lock this in my safe,” he decided, getting ready to get up. | ||
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“Huh, let’s see here,” Mike muttered, pulling his chair closed and reading the message.: | “Huh, let’s see here,” Mike muttered, pulling his chair closed and reading the message.: | ||
“Mike, you were always a straight arrow and a dependable officer. Unlike the other corrupt, or lazy people we were forced to work with, you were a breath of fresh air. I remember a conversation we once had about you always wanting an android but never being able to afford one. Little did you know that you had worked with two androids, right under your nose. Anyway, I know you and Lena are becoming fond of one another, and I managed to find a loophole into keeping Elena as well, so when this all blows over, I plan on giving them both to you. I can only hope you’ll forgive me for keeping you and Lena apart for so long, but it was necessary to keep both you and them safe. Enjoy your life with Lena and Elena, and I know you’ll treat them better than I was able to. -George” | |||
PS: Lena’s real last name is Hoffmann, or at least the Lena that this android was based on. As her listed owner I had access to this simple biographical fact, though I don’t have any information on her family. I hope you can use this to find her family. | |||
“Wow, it looks like I was always meant to have you both after all,” Mike finally said, a small tear forming in his eye. | “Wow, it looks like I was always meant to have you both after all,” Mike finally said, a small tear forming in his eye. | ||
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“Yeah,” Lena nodded wryly. | “Yeah,” Lena nodded wryly. | ||
“I wonder why he gave me your last name,” Mike mused, reading the postscript again. | |||
“So, you can find my family,” Lena explained, “Knowing them, they probably saved some mementos and stuff from the real Lena, and they’d probably love to know I’m still active.” | |||
“Did you ever communicate with them?” Mike asked. | |||
“A few times,” Lena admitted, “though it was a little difficult because it was so soon after their real daughter died, and my existence was confusing for them.” | |||
“That’s understandable,” Mike nodded, “Well, I’ll have to see if I can find them then, once you all are settled in.” | |||
“Thanks, Mike,” Lena smiled, “I’m sure their okay by now, so they’ll be delighted to know I’m still around.” | |||
Alright,” he nodded, “I’m gonna take this and lock it in my safe,” he told them, rising from his chair and heading for the door, “are you guys gonna be zombies or something when you finish locking that information?” | |||
Lena and Elena both erupted into laughter at Mike’s question. “No, silly! Once it’s completed, our A.I.s will simply create a different reason for you leaving the room, so we’ll just continue with our day as though nothing happened,” Lena explained. | Lena and Elena both erupted into laughter at Mike’s question. “No, silly! Once it’s completed, our A.I.s will simply create a different reason for you leaving the room, so we’ll just continue with our day as though nothing happened,” Lena explained. | ||
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Mike took his time walking downstairs to his desk, wanting to give the two of them plenty of time to do whatever android thing they needed to do to lock that information in their minds. Once he reached his desk, he fumbled around in the desk drawer until he produced a tiny key. Then, he pulled a small fireproof safe from under the desk and unlocked it. | Mike took his time walking downstairs to his desk, wanting to give the two of them plenty of time to do whatever android thing they needed to do to lock that information in their minds. Once he reached his desk, he fumbled around in the desk drawer until he produced a tiny key. Then, he pulled a small fireproof safe from under the desk and unlocked it. | ||
Mike kept all his important documents in there, such as his birth certificate and tax information. There was still plenty of room for the small thumb drive, so he stashed it near the bottom and | Mike kept all his important documents in there, such as his birth certificate and tax information. There was still plenty of room for the small thumb drive, so he stashed it near the bottom and locked the safe back up. He hoped he would never have to use that drive for any reason. | ||
Once Mike stashed the key again in the cluttered desk drawer that he kept reminding himself to clean out, he paused briefly to admire the backyard through the window behind his desk, before returning upstairs. | |||
Upon his return, both Lena and Elena were both acting normally, just as they had said. “Wow, did you fall in Mike?” Lena asked upon his return. | Upon his return, both Lena and Elena were both acting normally, just as they had said. “Wow, did you fall in Mike?” Lena asked upon his return. | ||
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“Yeah, but that was just a quick crash course…this is a more comprehensive test, mainly to test our group commands,” she explained, “and, of course, so we can have some fun,” she added with a playful giggle. | “Yeah, but that was just a quick crash course…this is a more comprehensive test, mainly to test our group commands,” she explained, “and, of course, so we can have some fun,” she added with a playful giggle. | ||
“Oh, okay,” Mike smiled, eager to test this function out. He stared at Lena and told her, | “Oh, okay,” Mike smiled, eager to test this function out. He stared at Lena and told her, “Stand up.” | ||
Lena shook her head with a kind smile and said, “Mike, while I would normally do what you told me, that was not actually phrased as a proper command,” Lena explained patiently, “In order for it to qualify, you have to say either my name, her name, or both our names at once, followed by a command.” | Lena shook her head with a kind smile and said, “Mike, while I would normally do what you told me, that was not actually phrased as a proper command,” Lena explained patiently, “In order for it to qualify, you have to say either my name, her name, or both our names at once, followed by a command.” | ||
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“Oh, that’s right,” Mike said, smacking his forehead. “Lena, stand up,” he commanded, doing it more properly this time. | “Oh, that’s right,” Mike said, smacking his forehead. “Lena, stand up,” he commanded, doing it more properly this time. | ||
Lena said nothing | Lena said nothing but simply stood up from her chair. “Very good,” she congratulated him with a big smile, “That was a proper command…and a simple one to start with.” | ||
“Thanks,” Mike blushed, “but, how was commanding you to stand any different from requesting you stand?” | “Thanks,” Mike blushed, “but, how was commanding you to stand any different from requesting you stand?” | ||
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“Huh, interesting…” Mike mused, “So I assume if it was a more complicated command, like one with multiple steps that could take a lot of time, you would behave more human-like, but be unable to deviate from the command?” | “Huh, interesting…” Mike mused, “So I assume if it was a more complicated command, like one with multiple steps that could take a lot of time, you would behave more human-like, but be unable to deviate from the command?” | ||
“Exactly,” she smiled, “Like earlier, when went to the store to buy the Bio-Fluid for Elena, I also went to a neighboring thrift shop to buy some clothes for Elena,” Lena reminded him, “But, if you had commanded me to buy the Bio-Fluid, I would have only been able to buy just the Bio-Fluid, and then come straight back here.” | “Exactly,” she smiled, “Like earlier, when I went to the store to buy the Bio-Fluid for Elena, I also went to a neighboring thrift shop to buy some clothes for Elena,” Lena reminded him, “But, if you had commanded me to buy the Bio-Fluid, I would have only been able to buy just the Bio-Fluid, and then come straight back here.” | ||
“Thanks, by the way…for the clothes,” Elena interjected. | “Thanks, by the way…for the clothes,” Elena interjected. | ||
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“Oh, I see,” Mike nodded knowingly. He then looked at Elena and said, “Elena, stand up.” | “Oh, I see,” Mike nodded knowingly. He then looked at Elena and said, “Elena, stand up.” | ||
Just as | Just as Lena had, Elena quickly stood up but then assumed her usual stance of shifting around energetically on each foot. Mike had also been watching the wall mounted screen Lena had set up, now with both Lena’s and Elena’s POV included with all the information. When he gave Elena the command, he saw in big red letters “Command Received: Stand Up” flash in her field of vision, before minimizing to a small log window at the corner of her HUD. As soon as she stood up, “Command Completed” appeared, before also minimizing. | ||
Lena and Elena still stood, patiently waiting for Mike to give his next command, both with fun smiles on their face; they were enjoying this too. | Lena and Elena still stood, patiently waiting for Mike to give his next command, both with fun smiles on their face; they were enjoying this too. | ||
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Once again, he saw the message appear, this time in Lena’s POV. Lena turned to her right, stepped forward a bit towards Elena, and then planted a tender kiss on Elena’s lips. Elena seemed to enjoy it, closing her eyes and sighing contentedly. Just as Command Completed appeared on Lena’s POV, Mike said, “Elena, kiss Lena.” | Once again, he saw the message appear, this time in Lena’s POV. Lena turned to her right, stepped forward a bit towards Elena, and then planted a tender kiss on Elena’s lips. Elena seemed to enjoy it, closing her eyes and sighing contentedly. Just as Command Completed appeared on Lena’s POV, Mike said, “Elena, kiss Lena.” | ||
This time, Lena was the one to smile and sigh, closing her eyes contentedly. Just as Elena finished the kiss, since they both seemed to enjoy, Mike carefully phrased his next command. “Lena, and Elena, make out for 30-seconds.” | This time, Lena was the one to smile and sigh, closing her eyes contentedly. Just as Elena finished the kiss, since they both seemed to enjoy it, Mike carefully phrased his next command. “Lena, and Elena, make out for 30-seconds.” | ||
Command Received appeared on both their POVs this time, however, a small countdown timer also appeared in the lower right-hand corner, starting as soon as they began kissing and making out. Mike had included a timer, because he was worried that not including it would make | Command Received appeared on both their POVs this time, however, a small countdown timer also appeared in the lower right-hand corner, starting as soon as they began kissing and making out. Mike had included a timer, because he was worried that not including it would make them make out indefinitely; he’d ask them later for confirmation. | ||
Since they were already so close to one another, they immediately began making out. They did appear to be | Since they were already so close to one another, they immediately began making out. They did appear to be at least in partial control of themselves, because they were smiling and giggling as they did so. Mike found it particularly interesting that their POV windows still displayed their HUD and other info, even when their eyes were closed. | ||
Mike walked up real close to both of them, fully enjoying the show. Since both of them were naked, they were fondling one another’s breasts and even rubbing their bodies together. Mike was starting to become erect when the timer ended and they regained control. | Mike walked up real close to both of them, fully enjoying the show. Since both of them were naked, they were fondling one another’s breasts and even rubbing their bodies together. Mike was starting to become erect when the timer ended, and they regained control. | ||
“Was that good for you two?” Mike asked, a huge grin on his face. | “Was that good for you two?” Mike asked, a huge grin on his face. | ||
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Both of them erupted into giggles, their faces bright red. Mike took this opportunity to give them both another command. “Lena, and Elena, Pause.” | Both of them erupted into giggles, their faces bright red. Mike took this opportunity to give them both another command. “Lena, and Elena, Pause.” | ||
The room immediately fell silent as both Lena | The room immediately fell silent as both Lena and Elena froze. They still had looks of mirth on their faces, and a hint of a blush remaining on their cheeks. | ||
Mike spent several minutes walking around them, feeling them up and simply enjoying their frozen appearance, even taking a few photos on his phone. While he enjoyed having them as his personal statues for a little while, he still preferred having them be more alive. | Mike spent several minutes walking around them, feeling them up and simply enjoying their frozen appearance, even taking a few photos on his phone. While he enjoyed having them as his personal statues for a little while, he still preferred having them to be more alive. | ||
“Lena, and Elena, unpause,” he commanded, once he was standing back where he was before. | “Lena, and Elena, unpause,” he commanded, once he was standing back where he was before. | ||
Their giggles immediately resumed as their bodies sprung back to life, though they died out just a bit quicker than they would have before | Their giggles immediately resumed as their bodies sprung back to life, though they died out just a bit quicker than they would have before since they were aware that they had just been paused for a few minutes. | ||
“Did you have fun with us?” Lena asked with a knowing smile. | “Did you have fun with us?” Lena asked with a knowing smile. | ||
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“I agree,” Lena nodded approvingly. | “I agree,” Lena nodded approvingly. | ||
“Good, though, we should probably get dressed first,” he said regrettably, “I checked the dryer while you two were paused just now | “Good, though, we should probably get dressed first,” he said regrettably, “I checked the dryer while you two were paused just now and Elena’s temporary clothes are all done.” | ||
“Temporary clothes?” Elena laughed. | “Temporary clothes?” Elena laughed. | ||
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After Elena got dressed in some of her temporary clothes, consisting of a simple bra and panties, a | After Elena got dressed in some of her temporary clothes, consisting of a simple bra and panties, a T-shirt, and sweats, Mike and Lena got dressed back in their clothes and they all headed down and picked out a board game to play. They ended up choosing Monopoly, with Lena being the banker, since her donated personality already had the proper accounting skills. | ||
Elena ended up being eliminated first | Elena ended up being eliminated first since she didn’t quite have a knack for the game, and she admitted that she really wanted to watch Mike and Lena go at it. Mike and Lena continued without her for nearly two more hours, before Lena finally ended up taking the board. | ||
Mike congratulated her on a hard fought game, wondering if her android nature had anything to do with her win, or her donated accounting skills. By the time the game was finished, it was right around dinner time, so Lena rushed into the | Mike congratulated her on a hard-fought game, wondering if her android nature had anything to do with her win, or her donated accounting skills. By the time the game was finished, it was right around dinner time, so Lena rushed into the kitchen to begin cooking their meal while Mike and Elena caught up on past events. While Elena was shocked to hear what had happened to SSS, she was not completely surprised. | ||
kitchen to begin cooking their meal | |||
Lena cooked them all a delicious meal of chicken, rice, and various greens. After they finished eating, they snuggled up in a warm blanket on the couch and watched a scary movie, with Elena sitting on the far end, and Lena in the middle so she could be | Lena cooked them all a delicious meal of chicken, rice, and various greens. After they finished eating, they snuggled up in a warm blanket on the couch and watched a scary movie, with Elena sitting on the far end, and Lena in the middle so she could be close to Mike. | ||
When the movie ended a few hours later, it was a bit late, and they found themselves wondering what to do for the last hour or so before Mike went to bed. | When the movie ended a few hours later, it was a bit late, and they found themselves wondering what to do for the last hour or so before Mike went to bed. | ||
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Mike hadn’t considered that, still kinda thinking of them as human. “Alright, let’s do this,” he grinned. | Mike hadn’t considered that, still kinda thinking of them as human. “Alright, let’s do this,” he grinned. | ||
They all headed upstairs to the bedroom, and, while Lena and Elena both disrobed, Mike quickly grabbed a sheet from the linen closet to protect the bed from getting dirty. Just as he was | They all headed upstairs to the bedroom, and, while Lena and Elena both disrobed, Mike quickly grabbed a sheet from the linen closet to protect the bed from getting dirty. Just as he was undressing, Elena suddenly swore. | ||
“What is it?” Lena asked. | “What is it?” Lena asked. | ||
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“Oh, don’t worry,” Lena assured her, “I ordered a bunch the other day, so I can just give you one of my spares…hold on a sec,” Lena rushed out of the room and into hers, riffling around until she found one of the spare lube canisters, bringing it over to Elena with a triumphant grin. | “Oh, don’t worry,” Lena assured her, “I ordered a bunch the other day, so I can just give you one of my spares…hold on a sec,” Lena rushed out of the room and into hers, riffling around until she found one of the spare lube canisters, bringing it over to Elena with a triumphant grin. | ||
“Oh, thanks Lena…you’re a lifesaver,” Elena gushed, allowing Lena to open her pubic panel and replace the canisters. Once Lena had the canister replaced, she resealed Elena’s canister and placed the spent one on the | “Oh, thanks Lena…you’re a lifesaver,” Elena gushed, allowing Lena to open her pubic panel and replace the canisters. Once Lena had the canister replaced, she resealed Elena’s canister and placed the spent one on the dresser for later disposal. | ||
“Don’t mention it, cuz,” Lena said affectionately, “Mike, just lay on the bed and we’ll take it from there,” she then instructed, giving him a playful wink. | “Don’t mention it, cuz,” Lena said affectionately, “Mike, just lay on the bed and we’ll take it from there,” she then instructed, giving him a playful wink. | ||
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Over the next hour, both Lena and Elena showed Mike just how fun a threesome could be. Their ability to link with each other and transmit data allowed them to perform much better in bed, and Mike had never felt as much pleasure in his life. | Over the next hour, both Lena and Elena showed Mike just how fun a threesome could be. Their ability to link with each other and transmit data allowed them to perform much better in bed, and Mike had never felt as much pleasure in his life. | ||
When they were finally finished, Lena dutifully folded up the now soiled sheet and threw it into the washer, along with a few other linens | When they were finally finished, Lena dutifully folded up the now soiled sheet and threw it into the washer on a quick wash cycle, along with a few other linens. Mike smiled at her anticipation of his needs and then walked into his bathroom to clean up. Shortly after he started his shower, he heard the shower on the other side of the wall turn on as well, indicating that Lena, or Elena, or both had begun theirs. | ||
Mike’s mind was still in a fog from the pleasure he had just experienced, let | Mike’s mind was still in a fog from the pleasure he had just experienced, let alone his sheer joy at having not one, but two highly advanced androids in his possession. He ended up lingering much longer in the shower than he had originally intended, hearing the shower on the other side of the wall turn off. | ||
He eventually finished his shower and dried himself off with a fresh towel, not bothering to redress; he preferred to air dry for several minutes after drying off with a towel anyway. | He eventually finished his shower and dried himself off with a fresh towel, not bothering to redress; he preferred to air dry for several minutes after drying off with a towel anyway. | ||
Lena and Elena were both in Lena’s room when he stepped out into the hall, both wearing their pajamas. | Lena and Elena were both in Lena’s room when he stepped out into the hall, both wearing their pajamas. | ||
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“Of course,” Mike grinned, “you were too busy last night, after all,” he pointed out. | “Of course,” Mike grinned, “you were too busy last night, after all,” he pointed out. | ||
“Indeed I was,” Lena giggled, “I look forward to it.” | “Indeed, I was,” Lena giggled, “I look forward to it.” | ||
“And me too?” Elena asked, unsure, since she was only | “And me too?” Elena asked, unsure, since she was only friends with benefits. | ||
“Well, not every night, for sure,” Mike decided, “but | “Well, not every night, for sure,” Mike decided, “but this first night we can test it out as a trial run of sorts.” | ||
“Okay,” Elena giggled happily. | “Okay,” Elena giggled happily. | ||
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“Well then, I’m ready for bed, so why don’t you all close everything up in here while I shut everything off downstairs.” | “Well then, I’m ready for bed, so why don’t you all close everything up in here while I shut everything off downstairs.” | ||
Both nodded dutifully and started powering everything down. Mike headed downstairs and did his nightly routine: | Both nodded dutifully and started powering everything down. Mike headed downstairs and did his nightly routine: powering down all the electronics, making sure the doors were all locked, and cleaning Mia’s litter box and replenishing her food & water bowls. After giving Mia a final pat on the head, he headed back up to his room. | ||
When he entered the room, he saw both Lena and Elena standing next to the bed. Both were holding their charging cables, with the cables already plugged into their charging port underneath their clothes. | When he entered the room, he saw both Lena and Elena standing next to the bed. Both were holding their charging cables, with the cables already plugged into their charging port underneath their clothes. | ||
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“We need to know what side of the bed we’re sleeping on,” Lena explained with a slightly embarrassed look, “So we know which outlet to plug into.” | “We need to know what side of the bed we’re sleeping on,” Lena explained with a slightly embarrassed look, “So we know which outlet to plug into.” | ||
“Oh,” Mike said knowingly. He usually slept on the right side of the bed, but obviously he’d have to sleep in the middle this time to accommodate one of them. After a brief moment of consideration, he decided. “Lena, you’re on the | “Oh,” Mike said knowingly. He usually slept on the right side of the bed, but obviously he’d have to sleep in the middle this time to accommodate one of them. After a brief moment of consideration, he decided. “Lena, you’re on the right, I sleep in the middle, and Elena will be on the left.” | ||
Both androids nodded and then headed to their assigned side of the bed. They quickly plugged themselves | Both androids nodded and then headed to their assigned side of the bed. They quickly plugged themselves into the outlets next to each of the nightstands and then waited for Mike to crawl under the covers and get situated in the middle. | ||
Mike quickly | Mike quickly repositioned his pillow in the middle, moving some of the other pillows so Lena and Elena could use them. Then, he crawled under the covers and made himself comfortable in the middle. | ||
Lena lifted the covers on her side and slid in, while Elena | Lena lifted the covers on her side and slid in, while Elena turned off the lights and then crawled in on the right. | ||
They all spent a few moments adjusting to the bed, and each other, before settling down. Both Lena and Elena moved in closer and cuddled up with Mike, their pajamas feeling nice against his bare skin. | They all spent a few moments adjusting to the bed, and each other, before settling down. Both Lena and Elena moved in closer and cuddled up with Mike, their pajamas feeling nice against his bare skin. | ||
“Are you comfortable, Mike?” Lena whispered. | “Are you comfortable, Mike?” Lena whispered, resting her head partially on his shoulder and her arm on his chest. | ||
“Yes, Lena, I’m comfy,” he replied happily, breathing in the relaxing smell of her shampoo, “I know it hasn’t been a few days yet, but I think I might be starting to feel those pheromones you talked about yesterday.” | |||
“My body has synthesized a modest supply,” Lena confirmed, “hopefully it helps you sleep well tonight.” | |||
“Hopefully,” Mike said, breathing in deeply and sighing contentedly. | |||
“Good | “Good night.” She leaned in and gave him a loving kiss, which he returned. | ||
“Good night, Lena,” he told her fondly. | “Good night, Lena,” he told her fondly. | ||
“Good night, Mike,” Elena then said, also leaning in and giving him a kiss. | “Good night, Mike,” Elena then said, also leaning in and giving him a kiss. She was cuddled up similarly on his right side, though not as intimately as Lena was. | ||
“Good night, Elena,” Mike told her, also returning her kiss. | “Good night, Elena,” Mike told her, also returning her kiss. | ||
Mike then heard both | Mike then heard both settle down and stop moving, in what he assumed was them entering sleep mode or something. He sighed contentedly, wishing he could fall asleep that quickly. | ||
Mike’s last thoughts as he finally drifted off to sleep, with the two androids on either side of him cuddling up and providing him warmth and comfort was | Mike’s last thoughts as he finally drifted off to sleep, with the two androids on either side of him cuddling up and providing him warmth and comfort was how much he loved them both, and how lucky he was to stumble upon them. | ||
== | ===2.6 - One month later...=== | ||
In the days that followed Lena and Elena’s inclusion into Mike’s life, they were able to fully adapt to his | In the days that followed Lena and Elena’s inclusion into Mike’s life, they were able to fully adapt to his every need and want. Aside from providing him awesome sex and pleasure, they were able to assist with the various chores around the house, and on a more regular basis, removing a lot of stress from Mike’s life…stress he didn’t even realize he’d been carrying. | ||
Lena was able to get most of the cleaning done while Mike was at work, before plugging herself in and going into sleep mode. Elena did the yard work on the weekends, and Mike was even able to invite his family over to have lunch in the backyard, since it was no longer in an embarrassing state. Fortunately, they were completely supportive of his relationship with the two androids. | Lena was able to get most of the cleaning done while Mike was at work, before plugging herself in and going into sleep mode. Elena did the yard work on the weekends, and Mike was even able to invite his family over to have lunch in the backyard, since it was no longer in an embarrassing state. Fortunately, they were completely supportive of his relationship with the two androids. | ||
True to his | True to his words, Mike contacted a few people at work and was able to hook Lena up with a Grave shift posting in the dispatch center, allowing her to both earn money, and utilize her customer service skills. | ||
Mike was also able to get Elena into the café staff, serving as a barista at one of the many coffee bars in the building. Since serving there required slightly less customer service skills as security, her personality was more well-received. | Mike was also able to get Elena into the café staff, serving as a barista at one of the many coffee bars in the building. Since serving there required slightly less customer service skills as security, her personality was more well-received. | ||
Due to the hours each of them worked, Elena ended up driving Lena to work every night, dropping her off and then returning in the car. Mike would then drive Elena to work in the morning, and Lena would take the car home, and pick Mike up when his shift ended, and then both Mike and Lena would pick up Elena a few hours later. It was a little hard to handle at first, but they were getting used to it. | Due to the hours each of them worked, Elena ended up driving Lena to work every night, dropping her off and then returning in the car. Mike would then drive Elena to work in the morning, and Lena would take the car home, and pick Mike up when his shift ended, and then both Mike and Lena would pick up Elena a few hours later. It was a little hard to handle at first, but they were getting used to it. | ||
Mike’s paranoia even went away, since even after a month, no one came asking about how he came into possession of Lena and Elena, nor if he knew anything about George’s death. | Mike’s paranoia even went away, since even after a month, no one came asking about how he came into possession of Lena and Elena, nor if he knew anything about George’s death. | ||
After their first week of work was over, and their paychecks cleared into a joint bank account Lena had helped set up with Mike, Mike’s money woes suddenly vanished, since they now had more than enough money to split his rent three ways and still had enough left over for a bit of fun. Unfortunately, they did not yet have enough to purchase any nice upgrades for Elena, but Lena assured them that they would, after only three more months of work, much to Elena’s relief. | |||
Also, with Lena and Elena’s help, Mike was now aware of more androids working at CloudTron, mostly in a testing capacity, since CloudTron needed androids to test some of their products. Elena had made friends with a nice android woman named Dana and she’d invited her over to play some board games with everyone. Mike was quite shocked to discover that Dana was an android, since he had seen her coming and going through one of his lobby posts for the past year and a half and couldn't tell. | |||
Overall, Mike reflected on the preceding month, life was better with Lena and Elena in it. | |||
==Episodes== | |||
===Episode 1: Anniversary=== | |||
Mike pulled into his driveway and slowly backed into his garage after a long and productive week at work. CloudTron was about to open a new expansion to their campus across the street and he was promoted to full-time day shift supervisor at the new building. | |||
Fortunately, his relief arrived early and let him leave since today was a special day and he was eager to get home as soon as possible. He slowly pulled into the narrow L-shaped driveway leading to his small townhouse. Despite having significantly more money available with his promotion and with Lena and Elena’s income, Mike still preferred to live here because of its closeness to work, not to mention he didn’t need the extra space and preferred the privacy that the location offered. | |||
Once his car was safely maneuvered past the neighbors’ cars cramping the driveway, he opened the garage door and smoothly backed in, closing the door in front of him once he was safely parked. He then grabbed his coffee mug and headed into the house. | |||
His senses were greeted by the smell of food being prepared in the kitchen. By the smell of things, it was his favorite meal…. fitting, considering the day. Mike took his jacket off and hung it on a peg near the door before locking the garage door and walking towards the living room and kitchen. | |||
Before he could round the corner, he heard a quick pattering of footsteps and then Lena, his lovely android girlfriend, quickly rounded the corner to greet him, a smile and look of concern on her face. | |||
“Welcome home!” She greeted, giving Mike a quick hug before surprising him by detaching her head and practically shoving it into his hands. He had barely enough time to reorient her head in his hands, so she was looking up at him before her body rushed back into the kitchen to continue preparing food. | |||
“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you home for another seven minutes or so and I still need some time to prepare dinner for tonight, since it takes almost five hours to cook.” | |||
“No worries,” Mike smiled, carefully walking over to the couch and sitting down with his girlfriend’s head in his lap. “I got relieved a few minutes early and was eager to get home to see you,” he explained, “Happy Anniversary!” he then said, lifting her up and planting a loving kiss on her lips. | |||
“Happy Anniversary,” she replied, once he broke the kiss and rested her back down in his lap. | |||
“I can’t believe it’s already been a year,” Mike mused, thinking back fondly to that day when he found Lena while cleaning the storage room at work. | |||
“Yeah, best day of my life,” she smiled fondly. | |||
“Mine too,” Mike agreed. | |||
“So, how was your day?” she asked, staring intently into his eyes. He could hear her body continuing to work on the food in the kitchen behind him. | |||
“Pretty relaxing, actually,” he laughed, “All the bosses are stressing out about the new building open up next week, so it’s been relaxing having them all on vacation and not pestering me this week.” | |||
“I’ll bet,” Lena laughed, “I know my coworkers in the dispatch center sure appreciate your efforts mapping all the alarms and systems issues for us.” | |||
“One of the benefits of being the only one patrolling around for the past few months,” he grinned, “I’ve gotten to know every nook and cranny in that new building.” | |||
“Do you know if Elena’s gonna be getting off early today?” | |||
“I asked her, and she said she thinks she might be able to get off as early as four, but she wasn’t sure,” Mike shrugged. While Lena went into the grave shift dispatch team for Security, Elena had gone instead into the cafes. While the cafes were closed during the holiday shutdown, their management had decided to have most of the staff work to get some busy work done: inventory, deep clean, reorganization. Elena didn’t mind since it offered her the opportunity to earn some money during a time when she normally wouldn’t. | |||
“Too bad, but at least that gives us some more alone time to enjoy ourselves,” she grinned. | |||
“Yeah, but we could always just shut her off if we wanted more alone time,” he pointed out. | |||
“Yeah, but it wouldn’t be the same,” she said. Although her body was behind him working in the kitchen, he knew from her inflections that it just shrugged. “Anyway, today’s her anniversary too, so we’ll need to do something special for her as well.” | |||
“Don’t worry, I was planning on it,” Mike winked. He could hear Lena’s body putting the food in the oven and beginning to clean up. “Though strictly speaking, it’s tomorrow.” | |||
“Meh, might as well do it on the same day.” | |||
“Yeah,” Mike heard the dishwasher turn on, followed by the sink running. A few seconds later he heard footsteps heading out of the kitchen. Lena’s body then veered by the couch, giving him a loving caress on his right arm before continuing down the hall and up the stairs. | |||
“Did you want me to follow your body?” he asked with a confused look, looking back down at her in his lap. | |||
“Nope, not yet,” she winked, “I’m still getting a surprise ready for you.” | |||
“I see,” he smiled knowingly. Realizing he had a few minutes, “So, what did you do today?” | |||
“Well, after I got off work I headed straight home and plugged myself in so I would have enough energy for all the fun we’re going to have today,” she started, “then I installed a bunch of software updates, ran a diagnostic and then started chores so everything could be perfect for tonight.” | |||
“Wow sounds like you had a busy day,” Mike nodded with an impressed look. He could hear her body moving around in their room directly above them. | |||
“I definitely did,” she agreed. | |||
“Just out of curiosity, what was your plan if I had arrived home on time?” | |||
“Well, you would’ve arrived and seen just my head down here,” she replied, “with all the new upgrades, even if you had been relieved a few minutes late it could’ve stayed on long enough.” | |||
“Sorry to ruin your plan,” he grinned. | |||
“Nah, it’s fine,” she winked. | |||
“Are you concerned about your head running out of power before your surprise is ready, though?” Mike asked with mild concern. Mild, because all he had to do to turn her back on was click her head back on her body. | |||
“Nah, with the upgrades I got for my birthday a few weeks ago, my head can remain online while detached for considerably longer,” she said in an unconcerned voice, “It still has five minutes and three seconds remaining…my body only needs two minutes and 11 seconds to finish.” | |||
“I love when you get all robotically precise like that,” Mike laughed, picking her head up and making out with her for a few seconds before putting her back down. | |||
“That was nice,” she smiled, “but the usage of intimate activity shaved 20-seconds off my head’s charge time,” she added slyly, giggling since she knew he liked when she used technical speak. | |||
“I don’t care,” Mike shrugged, picking her up again but only planting a quick kiss. | |||
“Alright, if you start heading up right now at a slow pace, my body should be ready by the time you walk in,” Lena announced, a look of anticipation on her face. | |||
“Okay, I’ll try and restrain myself,” Mike smiled, carefully rising to his feet and repositioning Lena in his arms so she was looking forward. He then walked towards the stairs and carefully maneuvered each step, not wanting to drop his girlfriend. As he headed up, he observed the privacy features activate on the windows. Shortly after integrating her into his life a year ago, she had linked herself with Mike’s smart home functions and could now control everything remotely. Clearly, she didn’t want anyone to disturb them, or for them to disturb anyone else. | |||
As he reached the top, he could hear the new washer and dryer units working in the closet at the top, as well as the new A/C unit they’d had installed. While Mike didn’t want to move into a bigger house, that didn’t mean he didn’t want to upgrade all the appliances. Lena had even upgraded most of the equipment in her room/lab. | |||
He finally reached the upstairs landing and saw his door closed; He could hear relaxing music playing from the other side. Getting really excited, Mike carefully held Lena in his right arm while using his left to open the door. Mike couldn’t help but gasp as he saw what was inside. | |||
On the bed, Lena’s headless body was in ‘the pose’, positioned towards the door so Mike would have a perfect view of her bare soles, playfully moving back and forth. She had also changed it into some sexy blue silk lingerie that, upon closer inspection, was embroidered with the words “Mike’s favorite toy.” | |||
“Wow!” was all Mike could manage to get out, still drinking in the scene while Lena patiently waited in his arms. “This is perfect.” | |||
“Thanks, I worked hard setting it up,” Lena gushed. Her body even more playfully swinging its feet around on the bed, while maintaining the pose. Mike absently heard his phone ping several times in his pocket. “I took a few snapshots and sent them to you, so you can enjoy them later. | |||
“Thanks!” Mike giggled, admiring how Lena literally thought of everything. He repositioned her once more in his arms and brought her back up to his face, kissing her deeply. | |||
“Sooo, my head has 70 seconds of power remaining,” Lena reported dutifully, once he broke away, did you want to reattach me know, or let me run out of power and attach me after?” Lena calculated an 85% chance he would let her run out of power. | |||
“Might as well let you run out of power,” Mike shrugged, “it’s a good turn on….no pun intended.” | |||
“I figured you would,” Lena laughed, “Before I run too low on power to speak, open the box on my bedside table and make a selection before reattaching me.” With approximately 60 seconds left, Lena was already struggling to speak. | |||
Mike quickly looked over at the bedside table and noticed the wrapped box that he had missed, for obvious reasons. “Okay,” Mike nodded, before bringing her up and making out with her. | |||
Despite running low on power, Lena was able to make out with Mike quite well, though she had to disable a few low priority programs in her A.I. to do so. Mike timed it fairly well in his head and ended the make out session with less than 10-seconds left in her power. He looked her seriously in the eyes just as her power was failing and said, “You really are my favorite toy.” | |||
Lena just barely managed to form her face into a laugh before her head’s power failed. Her facial expression frozen in the beginning of a hearty laugh. Mike stared fondly into her frozen face before quickly taking a picture with his phone and placing the phone on his bedside table, and her head on the bed next to her now frozen headless body. Her body was still online, but with her head out of power there was no longer anything controlling it. | |||
Mike walked over to her side of the bed, pausing briefly to fondle her bare feet still frozen in the air, before continuing to her bedside table. He removed the bow on the box before lifting up the lid, chuckling as he saw the contents. Neatly packed inside were several canisters of android sexual lube, each a different flavor. Mike perused his options before finally selecting a mint flavored canister. | |||
With his selection made, he walked back over to Lena’s head and placed the canister down on the bed while he lifted her up to her neck. After moving some of her hair out of the way, he carefully lined her head up with the opening on her neck and clicked it into place. | |||
Since her head was offline when it was attached, there was a slight delay while the seam around her neck pulsated as gentle blue color. Finally, after a few seconds, it flashed a bright blue and resealed. Her face, still frozen on the laugh, twitched a few times before once again animating, glitchingly completing the laugh she had frozen on before reorienting herself. | |||
“Did you have fun while I was off?” she smiled, once her systems were fully back online and still maintaining the pose with her head reattached; she always asked that when she powered down, but Mike didn’t mind. | |||
“Yeah,” Mike nodded, before picking up the mint flavored canister, “I made my selection.” | |||
Lena quickly examined the canister before smiling, “I had a feeling you’d choose mint.” | |||
“You do know me quite well,” Mike grinned. | |||
Lena returned his grin before moving out of the pose and standing up at the foot of the bed and gently lowered her panties, zoning out momentarily as she unsealed the canister panel just above her vagina; it was currently empty. | |||
Mike wasted no time clicking in the mint one and watching as she resealed the panel and lifted her panties back up. Once her panel was resealed, she began a sexy dance in front of Mike which was intended to increase his arousal, and to get the new lubrication flowing better. | |||
Mike gently danced with her for several seconds before reaching around her back and unclasping her bra, allowing it to fall to the floor at their feet. With a sexy wink, Lena reached down and lowered her panties until they fell to her ankles and kicked them off energetically, bouncing it off the wall. Mike took that as his cue to remove his clothes and then lightly tackle her onto the bed and begin a round of passionate lovemaking. | |||
Mike was pleased that Elena and Lena had systematically improved his stamina over the past year, since he and Lena went at it for just over an hour, engaging in multiple positions. He was also please he chose mint, since it gave him a relaxing chilling feeling that perfectly paired with their hot passionate lovemaking. | |||
After they finished, they simply cuddled in silence for several minutes while they both rested up. Finally, Lena looked into Mike’s eyes and said, “I hope you don’t mind, but after I clean up, I’m gonna plug myself in and shut down for a couple hours so I’m ready for the next round with Elena later.” | |||
Mike leaned in and kissed her, saying, “I don’t mind…I’m likely gonna rest my eyes on the couch too until she gets home.” | |||
“Great minds think alike,” Lena laughed, then began moving to get up. | |||
“Wait, before you get up,” Mike said, stopping her in the process of getting up while he grabbed his phone from his bedside table, “I have a surprise for you too.” | |||
“Oooh,” Lena said, cuddling up with him closer, a look of anticipation on her face as Mike unlocked his phone and searched through his emails. | |||
“Alright, take a look,” he said, a strange look on his face that Lena’s systems couldn’t quite parse. She wordlessly took the phone and read the email on the screen aloud. | |||
“Mike, to say we were shocked to discover that the android duplicate of our daughter still existed a year ago is an understatement. While we experienced a flood of various emotions, ultimately the positive ones won out. We’ve followed your correspondence over the past year regarding how you’ve treated her and, while it is technically not legally required, we give you our blessing to marry her or at least alter her programming to be your wife. Additionally, doctors saved Lena’s eggs upon her death in case anyone ever wanted to marry her android duplicate, and we still have them on ice in case you want to give use some grandchildren. Have a great life with Lena’s duplicate and thank you for bringing a piece of her back into our lives. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffmann.” | |||
Lena’s systems analyzed that letter for several seconds in her systems before a tear finally rolled down her cheek. She turned to see Mike holding a small box that he had taken from the bedside table. | |||
“Lena, will you be my wife?” he asked, opening the box and holding it out to her, showing a blue sapphire ring. | |||
Lena thought about it for less than 100ns before saying, “Yes, I’ll be your wife!” and thrusting herself into his loving embrace. | |||
Mike lovingly embraced his now fiancé and started wondering what more the future would bring them. | |||
===Episode 2: Lena's Dream=== | |||
It had been a couple of months since Mike proposed to Lena and the wedding preparations were still underway. While Mike preferred to have a small ceremony, their families, unfortunately, had other plans, so they found themselves forced to plan a slightly larger venue than he would have liked. | |||
While they fretted over such mundane details as the color of decorations, to the menu options for the catering, Mike slowly became frustrated and let out a sigh. | |||
“It’s okay, dear,” Lena told him sympathetically, “we’re almost done.” | |||
“We should’ve eloped,” he whined. | |||
“Yeah, well that plan went out the window the second you got my parents involved,” she pointed out, “they’re so happy I’m still around that they want things extra special.” | |||
“Yeah, well at least they’re paying for most of it,” Mike said cheerfully, since most of this stuff wasn’t cheap, “and my parents are so happy I’m getting married that they aren’t complaining either.” | |||
“Yeah, though they are still somewhat apprehensive about me being an android,” she said with a frown. | |||
“Meh, they’re mostly over it,” he shrugged, “the fact that you’re sapient, and based on a real person, certainly calmed them down a bit.” | |||
“And the fact that I can still give them grandchildren,” Lena added. | |||
“Yeah, well that’s one of the main things parent’s concern themselves with their kids,” Mike laughed, “I’m sure we’ll be doing the same thing with our kids…if we do end up having them.” | |||
“We most likely will,” Lena shrugged, “don’t worry, with me and Elena, it’ll be a piece of cake.” | |||
“I’ll take your word for it,” Mike shrugged, “ugh, I’m bored…too bad there’s nothing to do right now.” | |||
“Yeah, I never dreamed this entertainment strike would last this long,” Lena sighed, since their favorite shows were on hiatus. | |||
“Wait! That’s it!” Mike shouted, startling Lena and Elena. | |||
“What’s it?” Lena asked. | |||
“Remember the first night you were intact, and you said the next morning you had an interesting dream?” | |||
“Uh huh,” Lena nodded, after accessing her memories of that day, “what of it?” | |||
“You said you’d show me the dream, but then we got distracted by discovering Elena in the storage unit and we completely forgot about it,” he reminded her. | |||
“Oh, that’s right,” she laughed, a slight blush forming on her face, “and it was a good dream too.” | |||
“Well, are you able to interface with the TV and show us the dream?” He pressed. | |||
“I can,” she nodded, confirming her connection to the media center, “Are you okay with Elena watching it? It is quite…umm, intimate.” | |||
“It’s okay,” Mike shrugged, “she’s seen a lot, so I’m sure this won’t be any different.” | |||
“Alright,” Lena shrugged. | |||
“Should I get some popcorn?” Elena grinned, looking excited. | |||
“No,” Mike said pointedly, making himself comfy on the couch, “Umm, approximately how long is the dream?” | |||
“Just over 15-minutes,” Lena reported, scanning the dream she’d saved in her files; she didn’t always save dreams, but this one was definitely a keeper. “Just an FYI, while I’m playing the dream back on the TV, I’ll be zoned out and you won’t be able to talk to me,” she warned. | |||
“What if I need to pause the playback?” He asked. | |||
“You can squeeze my hand, and I’ll pause it and resume talking,” she reported, placing her left hand on his lap while she got more comfortable shifting into a cross-legged position on the couch. | |||
“Okay,” he said, gently grabbing it without squeezing, “let’s watch.” | |||
Lena merely nodded and then zoned out as the TV turned on and played her dream. | |||
Lena was kissing her new boyfriend, Mike, after he rescued her from the storage room that she’d been stashed in and forgotten about for several years. Things were awkward at first, since he didn’t seem to have much practice, but things heated up really quick and before long they were making out on the bed as their clothes seemed to fade away. | |||
As they felt each other up, enjoying the sensations running through their bodies, Lena decided to try something. She noticed a few things about Mike that made her suspicious, like his seeming imperviousness to cold, and decided to test something out. | |||
She started gently massaging his neck, which caused him to relax and enjoy, still kissing her, until her fingers found a specific point and pressed in. | |||
She let out a soft gasp as a seam suddenly appeared around his neck, allowing her to gently remove his head. | |||
“Wow, you’re an android too,” Lena said in a shocked voice, holding his head in her hands. He didn’t seem to notice, as his body was still gently gyrating against her, and his face was still moving. | |||
“What’s wrong? Why’d you stop?” He asked softly, clearly unaware he was now headless. | |||
“He must be a sleeper…oh dear,” she whispered to herself, “this might complicate things a bit.” | |||
“Is everything alright?” He asked from her arms. | |||
“No, everything’s fine,” she lied, deciding to play along, “I was just concerned with how you’re feeling, since this is your first time having sex and all.” | |||
“It’s great,” he answered, “I just feel a bit lightheaded,” he answered, since his head was receiving less power. | |||
“That’s normal…I mean, your blood is kinda being diverted elsewhere,” she said, pointing down at his stiff member. | |||
“True,” his body shrugged, “Well, let’s get it on,” he said, surprising her by having his body mount her and penetrate her while she awkwardly held his head, kissing it. | |||
“Well, let’s see how long until his head runs out of power,” Lena thought, enjoying the feeling of him inside her. | |||
The intercourse continued for a few more minutes until she could feel him starting to slow down, though he hadn’t climaxed yet. | |||
“How are you holding up?” She panted, still holding his head. | |||
“I’m starting to feel a bit tired,” he admitted, his head running low on power. | |||
“Keep going, you’re almost there,” she pressed him, hoping he’d finish before shutting down. | |||
“Ok,” he said weakly, pushing his body harder until he finally released himself inside of her. Since she was an android that knew she was an android, she was able to time herself to him and come at the same time, letting out a load moan. | |||
When she recovered a short time later, she lifted his head back up and stared into his eyes. “How was it?” | |||
“Great,” he said, sounding very tired, “I think I’m going to take a nap though,” he then said, his voice deepening as he closed his eyes. | |||
“Wait, pull out…first,” she said futilely, his head already out of power. She felt his body stiffen up slightly since it detected a loss of remote connection, though it was still on with its fully erect member inside of her. | |||
“We’ll have to work on that next time,” Lena sighed, gently placing his head down beside her on the table and sizing up her situation. | |||
Because his headless body was fully mounted on her, and larger than her, she couldn’t safely shove him off without using her emergency power, and she didn’t want to do that and risk damaging his body. She finally decided to activate his sexual panel, quickly locating the small mole above his penis which lit up the panel. Once it was fully illuminated, she tapped the coil icon to make his penis go flaccid and felt it slowly retract from her vagina until she was able to wiggle it the rest of the way out. | |||
Once she freed herself from him, she gently rolled his body over onto its side and then picked his head back up, staring fondly at the sleeping expression on his power down face for several seconds before getting up off the bed, leaving his headless body lying there. | |||
“Time to see who made you and whether we can disable these pesky sleeper settings,” Lena said aloud, heading out of the room into the lab, “I know you’ll enjoy that.” | |||
At that point, the dream, which had been displayed from Lena’s point of view, even displaying her thoughts as a surreal type voice over, cut out and Lena, still sitting cross-legged on the couch snapped back. | |||
“Well, how’d you like it?” she asked, turning to look at Mike with a grin. | |||
Mike was still breathing somewhat heavily, his face flushed, while Elena watched with suppressed glee. | |||
“I take it you enjoyed it then,” Lena said with a satisfied smirk. | |||
“Is there anyway you can copy that dream to my personal database?” Mike finally said, “so I can watch it later. | |||
Lena said nothing but zoned out as she transferred a copy of the dream file to his personal folder in their private network as she gave him a knowing grin. Elena was openly giggling now, while Mike resolutely held a straight, albeit flushed, face. | |||
“Done,” Lena reported, once the copy was sent. | |||
“Thanks,” Mike nodded, fully intending on fapping to that video later, “Ummm, have you had any other dreams like that since we met?” | |||
“A couple,” Lena shrugged with a naughty smile, “none quite as good as that one, but still relevant, if you mean me dreaming about you being an android.” | |||
“Well, perhaps we can watch some more after we finish the wedding planning,” he suggested, his interest suddenly rekindled, “and, it goes without saying, not only do I want copies of those, but anymore dreams like that you might have in the future.” | |||
“Noted,” she said dutifully, adjusting her programming accordingly. | |||
“So, have you had any dreams like that of me?” Mike then asked Elena in a mock accusatory voice. | |||
“Nope,” Elena shook her head, “but I’m not into you like that, so it’s not too surprising.” | |||
Mike tried not to take that too personally. “Well, same thing. If you do have a dream like that, let me know and give me a copy.” | |||
“Yes sir,” Elena saluted. | |||
“You like fantasizing yourself as an android?” Lena asked. | |||
“A little,” Mike admitted, “I know they’re working on devices that can actually let a human like me temporarily control an android body, but they’re still a few years off.” | |||
“Yeah,” Lena said sympathetically, not mentioning that she’d secretly invested some of her income into one of the more promising companies, in the hopes she could allow her fiancé to experience his fetish firsthand. | |||
“Just out of curiosity, are you able to control the dreams you have?” he asked, “the quality of that dream was quite good…I mean, you could’ve made a movie out of it.” | |||
“Unfortunately, our dreams are just as unpredictable as yours are,” Lena answered sadly, “that particular dream was prompted by stuff I observed about you on those first few days, as are my other dreams.” | |||
“Wait,” Mike said, his eyes lost in thought, “that’s why you felt up the back of my next that morning.” | |||
“Yep,” Lena smiled, “I was kinda hoping the dream was true.” | |||
Mike let out a laugh, “Well, sorry to disappoint you.” | |||
“Nah, I like you just the way you are,” Lena said, leaning over and kissing him. | |||
“And I you,” Mike responded, while Elena gave a mock disgusted look. “Let’s get back to this,” he said, turning to the wedding materials. | |||
Lena and Elena both nodded and they spent the rest of their day planning the wedding. | |||
===Episode 3: The Honeymoon=== | |||
Mike was still slightly in a daze as he and Lena got home from their wedding. While it wasn’t very large, and mostly just had their close family and friends, Mike couldn’t help but feel fundamentally changed to his core. He was now paired for life with a very beautiful woman, and an android at that. | |||
Lena also had a similar look to her, though she looked quite lovely in the plain wedding dress her parents had given her. They found it somewhat awkward to see the android version of their long deceased daughter, but were glad some piece of her still went on…and were hopeful he would give them grandchildren one day. | |||
He promised them he would, of course, but the prospect of bringing a new life into the world still terrified him, so he wasn’t sure he was ready yet. | |||
“Hey, dear. Could you help me get this dress off?” Lena called him, struggling to reach the straps at the back with her short arms. | |||
“Oh, sure,” Mike said, shaking himself out of his reverie. Elena was still at the venue helping to clean up, then she was coming home to take care of the place while they headed out on their weekend honeymoon to a quiet mountain lakeside resort. He gently grabbed the straps at the back of her dress and untied the delicate knot until it came free, allowing Lena to gently pull it off. | |||
“Thanks!” She said with an audible sign of relief, pulling the dress off so she was standing in only her underwear, “it’s a good thing I’m an android, because I’ve heard Human women sometimes have to wear diapers under these things just so they can pee.” | |||
“The things women do to look pretty at events,” Mike smiled, shaking his head in disbelief, “you did look very pretty in the dress, by the way.” | |||
“Thanks! We’ll definitely have to thank my parents with a grandchild now,” she laughed, then rushed to the bathroom, “and, I actually do have to pee,” she giggled, closing the door. | |||
Mike laughed fondly at his now wife, grabbing the dress she’d dropped on the floor and neatly laying it out on the bed so it wouldn’t wrinkle. He knew Lena wouldn’t need it anymore but, if they had a daughter… | |||
All sorts of thoughts and possibilities now opened up in Mike’s mind now that they were married. It was like it was already there, but now he had access to it. | |||
Mike’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the toilet flushing, followed closely by the sink and then Lena reemerging from the bathroom; she was now fully naked. | |||
“Ahhh,” she sighed, “no way I could’ve handled that without a diaper if I were Human,” she commented. | |||
Mike chose not to reply to that particular comment. “So, when are we leaving?” | |||
“As soon as you take care of a very important task,” she said seriously. | |||
“Oh, what is that?” He asked. | |||
“Now that we’re married, your status in my system has to be changed from Boyfriend to Husband,” she explained, “that change will alter my settings fundamentally, so we need to take care of that right away.” | |||
“How fundamentally?” He asked in a worried voice, “you’ll still be you, right?” | |||
“Of course I will,” she giggled, “but, since we’re married, I have to have a bit more equal footing with you from a programming standpoint, so I’ll have a bit more agency.” | |||
“Okay, that doesn’t sound too bad,” Mike nodded, “will I still be able to voice control you and stuff?” | |||
“Yes,” she said reassuringly, “you’ll still be listed as my owner, so at the end of the day I do have to do what you command me…but I can at least act more independently, and I can push back if I feel like you are being unreasonable.” | |||
“You mean nag?” Mike grinned. | |||
“Maybe,” she grinned back. | |||
Mike paused dramatically as he thought about it, before letting out a dramatic sigh. “Well, I guess this is what I signed up for.” | |||
“Great! Let’s get started then,” she said, quickly rushing out of the bedroom and into the neighboring lab. Over the past year or so, Mike had made great efforts to upgrade the equipment here, but it was still a work in progress. | |||
“Will you partially shut down like you did when I was registering you?” He asked, sitting down at the computer while she plopped onto a chair next to him. | |||
“Nah,” she shook her head, “I mean, I might zone out a few times if I have to silently reboot, but since you aren’t going in and changing my personality or anything, I’ll still be conscious.” | |||
“Good,” he said, sounding relieved, “I might need your help with some of the settings.” | |||
“Don’t worry, dear, I’m here to help,” she saluted, causing her breasts to jiggle. | |||
“I love you,” he smiled, logging onto the terminal and interfacing with Lena’s systems; it already showed a pending update, since her AI knew she was legally married. | |||
“I know,” she shrugged, giggling playfully, “as you can see, since the legal wedding ceremony was conducted, my AI is already alerting you to the changes that need to be authorized.” | |||
“Very helpful,” Mike nodded, clicking on the alert, which brought him to the portion of the registration page that contained his relationship status with her; the other sections involving personality were greyed out, since she was online. | |||
The section currently listing him as her Owner/Boyfriend was highlighted red with an angry boldfaced red exclamation point next to it. | |||
“Not very subtle, is it?” He laughed, clicking on it and changing it to the only thing it would allow him to: Husband/Owner. | |||
“Yeah, well, if you didn’t change it after 24 hours, my systems would lock up until you did,” she pointed out, “a few sorry people had that happen to their android spouses and had trouble finding the right setting, so one of the many AI updates I upgraded to when you first found me fixed that problem,” | |||
“Good to know,” Mike gulped, not wanting Lena to be unusable. As soon as he saved the new setting, all the red went away, and a new spouse tab suddenly appeared for him to fill out. | |||
“Now for all the fun legal stuff,” she said with mock excitement, as Mike perused the new page with a squint in his eyes. | |||
“Is all this stuff actually necessary?” He asked in disbelief as he read all the legal disclaimers and forms. | |||
“Oh yes,” Lena said solemnly, “although you’re still my owner, by marrying me I also have to have some legal rights normally afforded to Humans, such as free access to our bank accounts, and medical rights,” she explained, “for example, now that we’re married, once you fill out the appropriate form, I can legally be considered your next of kin so if you get injured, or killed, I can execute any directives without having to go through your parents, or siblings.” | |||
“I see,” Mike nodded, “well, if I somehow end up in a coma, try not to pull the plug to early, will ya?” He grinned. | |||
“I’ll think about it,” she grinned back, “Anyway, I know it seems like a lot, but there’s a lot of stuff spouses have rights to that people take for granted, so do try and take it seriously.” | |||
“I will,” he promised, getting up from the computer, “I have to get my important documents then, I guess,” he said, heading down to his desk in the living room and grabbing a folder from a small fireproof safe that he kept tucked under there. He returned to the room moments later, where Lena was still patiently sitting in her chair, swinging her pretty feet back and forth. | |||
“You didn’t mess with anything, did you?” He asked, as he sat back down. | |||
“Nope,” she shook her head, “all jokes aside, I couldn’t even if I wanted to.” | |||
“I know, just teasing,” he grinned, going through each section one at a time and filling each item out with information from his important documents. | |||
After nearly an hour, filling out everything from bank, tax, and other financial information to his medical information, he finally reached the bottom of the page and hit submit. While the program ran a scan to confirm all the information that he added was accurate, he leaned back and relaxed. It did give him comfort knowing that Lena could be his next of kin, since she now knew him far better than anyone…including his parents. | |||
One unexpected thing to pop up was that now Lena was also considered an owner of Elena, since she was legally able to own most of what Mike owned. This meant that, if anything happened to Mike, at least Elena would be alright. Getting married also meant that Lena could function as an independent android in the event of his death, preventing her from becoming unregistered and facing decommissioning again. | |||
Finally, since there were confirmed eggs in storage from her donor, Lena was legally entitled to parental rights to any children produced from them. Spaztec clearly covered all their bases when dealing with the sapient model androids. | |||
After a few minutes, the window finally changed to a green check mark and Lena briefly zoned out as the settings updated in her system. Mike loved watching her zone out like that, though she rarely did so for very long. After a few seconds, her face twitched back to life, and she stared at him with a loving smile. | |||
“It’s official. I’m your wife now,” she announced, leaning in and kissing him on the lips, “and I’ll never let you go,” she added in a mock sinister voice. | |||
“I don’t want you to,” he shot back, kissing her more. | |||
“How about we go consummate our relationship before heading out,” she suggested, eying down at her naked body. | |||
“Don’t need to ask me twice,” Mike said, quickly shedding his tuxedo and other clothes as she headed into the bedroom and threw the sex blanket over the sheets. | |||
After almost an hour of passionate lovemaking, the two spent an abbreviated time cuddling after before quickly heading to their bathrooms to freshen up so they’d be ready to head out. Mike didn’t even spend the same amount of time collecting his thoughts in the warm shower, knowing he’d have plenty of time on their honeymoon. | |||
After they both got out of the shower, they dressed into some comfortable clothes and packed a few days worth of clothes and items. Mike also packed the small Go Bag that he’d put together since Lena and Elena joined his life, comprised of various repair tools and spare parts in case she got damaged on the trip. | |||
“Ready, dear?” He asked, as he brought all his stuff down. | |||
“Yes,” she smiled, “Elena can clean up after us,” she shrugged, since Elena was staying home to housesit during their trip. | |||
“Great, let’s go,” he smiled, maneuvering all the bags into his car and getting in the driver’s seat as she locked the place up and then sat down in the passenger seat. | |||
“You sure you don’t want me to drive?” she asked. | |||
“Yeah,” he decided, “the drive will be good for me.” | |||
“Okay,” she nodded, “Let me know if you need a rest.” | |||
“Will do, though it should only be a 2–3-hour drive, depending on traffic,” he told her, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway. Before long, they were on the highway. | |||
“Oh, there’s something I forgot to tell you about the resort,” Lena said in a playfully mysterious voice, while kicking off her shoes and playfully putting her bare feet up on the dash. | |||
“Oh?” | |||
“One of the services they offer for sapient androids like me are a small selection of bodies based on celebrities and models,” she explained, “I have it on good authority they have one based on your current celebrity crush.” | |||
“You don’t say,” Mike said, barely able to contain his excitement, and a blush. | |||
“Yeah, you can temporarily place me in one of those and live out a real-life fantasy, if you’d like,” she continued. | |||
Mike didn’t trust himself to say anything, but slowly increased their speed by a few MPH. Lena, sensing the increase in speed, also said nothing but let out a naughty giggle as they continued down the road. | |||
==Part 3: Andrew== | |||
{| cellspacing="5" cellpadding="0" style="margin: 0em 0em 1em 0em; border: 1px solid #1DA0E7; background: #191970; width: 100%" | |||
| '''''While this part does feature Lena and Elena, it mostly features a Manbot.''''' | |||
|} | |||
===3.1: An Unexpected Offer=== | |||
It was a little over a year since Mike and Lena married and things could not have been going better. Mike had gotten a promotion to Assistant Manager, since his mentor had moved on to another assignment, and Lena had managed to move to the Day shift, so now they worked the same hours and could spend more time with each other each day. Even Elena now had more responsibilities in the café, earning more money herself. | |||
With all the extra income rolling in, they were able to remodel the small townhouse they lived in by adding a new room above the entrance hall, which used to be a low roof. Mike used this new room as his office, since having an office in the living room was no longer appropriate, with both Lena and Elena living there. Now the living room looked more proper, with extra chairs and even a dining table. | |||
Aside from that, they’d spruced the place up with various other fixes and enhancements, such as a backup power supply in case of power outage, so they wouldn’t have any issues charging Lena or Elena in an emergency. | |||
This was also Mike’s favorite time of year, not only because it was the holidays, but because it was also the anniversary of when he found Lena in the storage room at work, and then Elena the following day. This was the last week before the building shutdown before the holidays, so he was looking forward to the light activity at work and only needing to come in sparingly during the shutdown. | |||
Now that he’d gotten used to the new routine that he’d formed from being in a manager role as opposed to a supervisory one, he confidently headed to one of the onsite cafes to get his breakfast, waving at Elena on the way to the food stations. | |||
When he picked up his food, however, he was briefly accosted by one of the chefs, named Andrew. Andrew was a young man, in his early-to-mid 30s, with a slightly shorter than average stature, a sleek build, brown eyes, and dark brown hair that neatly rose up from the center of his head, with neatly trimmed fades on both sides. While Andrew set off Mike’s Gaydar, Mike didn’t ask out of politeness. | |||
“Hey, Mike,” he said, flashing his usual smile. Mike stopped by quite frequently, so many of the chefs knew him by name, and even added extra stuff to his order. “I was wondering if you have time today to meet with me about something.” | |||
Mike was a little surprised by the request, but then again, also not surprised. The vendor company that ran the cafes lost their contract with CloudTron, so they were transitioning over to a new vendor company starting at the beginning of the next year. Many of the café staff were transitioning with them, but some were either staying, or jumping ship to other departments. They’d already had three other people from the café staff attempt to join the security team in just the past month, but only one managed to get in. | |||
Still, Andrew was one of his favorites, so Mike took the request seriously. “Uh, yeah sure,” Mike nodded, putting his plate of food back down so he could check his calendar for the day. “Does 10:30 work for you?” | |||
“Yes,” Andrew responded with a smile. “Is it possible to choose a discrete location?” | |||
“Of course,” Mike responded. He figured Andrew probably didn’t want his managers to see him. “I’ll book a room in a random part of the building and send you the invite.” | |||
“Great, thanks Mike!” Andrew beamed before heading back into the kitchen. Mike merely smiled in response and took his food up to his desk. | |||
Mike continued with his day after breakfast, finishing up a few scheduled tasks. He was able to book a conference room in a relatively unpopulated part of the building, since the surrounding areas were being remodeled, and since many of the employees were taking the week off since it was so close to the holidays. | |||
At 10:20, he got up from his desk and started heading to the room early, since it was a five-minute walk. He got to the room, as he predicted, at 10:15, and set up his laptop and notebook for Andrew’s arrival. | |||
Andrew arrived at the room precisely on time, which immediately impressed Mike; he respected punctuality. Once Andrew was in and seated, Mike closed the door and sat back down. | |||
“Well Andrew, what is it I can do for you?” Mike asked professionally, “we’ve had several other café staff try and join our team recently. Is that something you’re trying to do as well?” | |||
“Not really,” Andrew admitted, looking slightly uncomfortable, “I mean, if that’s an option, I might, but there is something more pressing I needed to ask of you.” | |||
Mike was somewhat caught off guard, but he knew Andrew wouldn’t intentionally waste his time, so he patiently nodded, indicating that Andrew had the floor. | |||
“I was talking to Elena the other day and she mentioned that you might be willing to assist me with a predicament that I’m having,” Andrew continued, looking like he was having some difficulty phrasing his thoughts. | |||
“Andrew, if Elena told you that I could help you, then she meant it,” Mike assured him, “feel free to speak freely in here. I appreciate bluntness.” | |||
“Very well,” Andrew nodded, before getting up to his feet and walking half the distance between him and Mike. He then reached up to his neck and detached his head with a mechanical click and hiss, carefully lowered his head down and held it out for Mike to grab. | |||
Shocked, but not completely surprised, Mike willingly grabbed Andrew’s head and looked down at his face. | |||
“I’m an android,” Andrew finally said, knowing very well he was being obvious, “I’ve been online for about five years now and for all of that time I’ve been owned by the Chef’s Kiss catering company and assigned to CloudTron.” | |||
“Wow, I had no idea,” Mike said honestly, “But then, I had no idea about Lena or Elena either, so it’s not too surprising.” | |||
“Yeah, we’re programmed to act as human as possible,” Andrew confirmed, “Some of my coworkers know, but they still treat me normally.” | |||
“That’s good,” Mike smiled, “So, what’s your predicament?” | |||
“I want to stay working here at CloudTron, but apparently the owner of YumYum catering has moral and ethical restrictions against owning androids because he’s of African descent and his ancestors were slaves,” Andrew explained, “as such, they are refusing to purchase me from Chef’s Kiss catering because he sees it as nothing more than a different type of slavery.” | |||
“I see,” Mike nodded, “Not that I wouldn’t miss you, but is transitioning to another site so bad?” | |||
“That’s the problem,” Andrew continued, “I was built solely for this site, so once the contract is up at the end of the week I’m going to be decommissioned.” | |||
“Oh, that sucks,” Mike sighed, “but where do I fall into this?” | |||
“Well, despite YumYum’s restriction against owning androids, they have no restriction about hiring them,” Andrew responded, “I know it’s a bit hypocritical, but they have a business to run and they know having androids like me on the payroll is beneficial, since we can’t get sick and contaminate food.” | |||
“That makes sense,” Mike laughed, “So, did you want me to petition the owner or something…like a Human advocate?” | |||
“No, that wouldn’t work, and we don’t have time,” Andrew said, “I was actually hoping that you might agree to buy me from Chef’s Kiss and become my new owner so that YumYum can then hire me so I can continue working here.” | |||
Mike almost dropped Andrew’s head upon hearing that request. He found it odd to hear someone ask him if he’d like to purchase them, especially since with Lena and Elena, he had found them, so they were unregistered and unclaimed. Yet, he now started seeing Andrew more closely and admitted to himself that Andrew did look attractive, for a guy. | |||
“That’s a huge ask, Andrew” Mike finally said, offering Andrew’s head back to him and watching him reattach his it. Once his head was reattached, Andrew sat back down across from him. | |||
“I know,” Andrew admitted, “But Elena told me that you take really good care of her and Lena, and that you’ve been thinking of spicing things up a bit.” | |||
Mike flushed deeply at that. “Elena probably shouldn’t be going around telling people that, but she was correct…although, to be honest, we were thinking more along the lines of purchasing a penis module for them to use, rather than a full male body…or android.” | |||
“She also told me that you have a robo-fetish, so the fact that I’m male wouldn’t bother you too much,” Andrew continued. | |||
“Yep,” Mike nodded, flushing even more, “Just out of curiosity, what is your current sexual orientation set to?” | |||
“Gay,” Andrew responded with a smile. | |||
“I figured,” Mike nodded; his Gaydar never failed. “If, hypothetically, I was to purchase you, you would most likely be reconfigured as selectively bi-sexual, so you could have fun with Lena and Elena too.” | |||
“I understand,” Andrew nodded, “You would be my owner, so you could feel free to reprogram me in anyway you see fit.” | |||
“Well, as Elena or Lena would tell you, I wouldn’t change much,” Mike said distastefully, “I’ve already gotten to know you a bit these past few years, so I wouldn’t want to.” | |||
“You see, that’s also why I knew you would be the best to help me,” Andrew grinned, “I’m sure someone else would just turn me into a sex robot and I wouldn’t have the same type of agency I do now.” | |||
Mike couldn’t help but smile modestly. “Well, I must say, you do present an intriguing offer,” he said in a conceding voice, “But, before I can make any decision, I would have to discuss it with my wife.” | |||
When Mike married Lena, his relationship status in her programming changed from Boyfriend to Spouse, and with it a lot of changes. Her agency increased noticeably, since she was now more equal to him, and she even gained additional legal status as well. As such, now that she was his wife, for a major purchasing decision like this he would need to discuss it with her first. | |||
“I totally understand,” Andrew smiled, “and if you ultimately decide not to purchase me, I’ll at least be able to go into my oblivion knowing I tried my best.” | |||
That comment really tugged on Mike’s heartstrings. “Look, my best guess is that there is at least an 80-85% chance that we’ll end up purchasing you,” Mike said reassuringly, then, seeing the expression on Andrew’s face brighten, he continued, “We just finished an addition to our house, so our finances might be a bit questionable. However, since you earn an income and would be able to add to ours, that might offset things a bit.” | |||
“And, I would be getting a pay increase upon joining the new company,” Andrew offered helpfully. | |||
“Indeed,” Mike nodded, “So, for starters, why don’t you tell me how much you make now and how much you’ll be getting...oh, and how much money you have on-hand.” Mike opened his notebook and clicked his pen in anticipation. | |||
Andrew quickly went into detail about his wages and finances, which Mike diligently wrote down. | |||
“So far, so good,” Mike nodded approvingly, “Now, before we move on, what am I currently classified as in your system?” | |||
“Up until yesterday you were classified as Coworker,” Andrew explained, which was apt, even though they worked in different departments, “But, I had you reclassified as Friend in the hopes it might improve my chances of being purchased by you.” | |||
“Excellent,” Mike smiled, “And I wouldn’t have minded being friends, by the way.” | |||
“Thanks,” Andrew smiled. | |||
“Well then, now for the nitty gritty…to make sure I’m not buying a lemon or something,” he said, showing a mocking face to show Andrew he wasn’t completely serious, “Are you anatomically correct for a male?” | |||
“Yes,” Andrew responded quickly, with no hint of embarrassment, “Though I am not fully functional, at present.” | |||
“How so?” | |||
“While I do have a penis, and I can urinate with it, I don’t have any ejaculate canisters installed, and I don’t have any sexual programming installed,” he explained, “though I am configured as gay,” he added as a reminder. | |||
“I see,” Mike nodded, “Well, the fact that you’re properly equipped, at least, makes things easier…We’ve been shopping for penises, and they are surprisingly expensive.” | |||
“That makes sense since, as an outward facing sexual component, they are much more customizable than vaginas are,” Andrew nodded, “I would show mine to you, but my programming currently prohibits me from exposing myself while at work,” Andrew said in an apologetic tone. | |||
“Yeah, no need to do that,” Mike said quickly, looking towards the door nervously, “I don’t want to get fired.” | |||
“Sorry,” Andrew whispered. | |||
“Anyway, onto the more…technical stuff,” Mike said, clicking his pen more excitedly, “You mentioned you’ve been online for about five years or so, which technically makes you newer than either Lena or Elena, even though you’ve likely been running more continuously than either of them have. Are you able to provide me with a complete list of your current hardware and software that I can show to Lena? To see if we need to purchase any upgrades, or need to wait for lengthy updates?” | |||
“Sure,” Andrew nodded, focusing on the laptop Mike had brought into the room with him. Andrew then zoned out for a few seconds before a notification pinged on Mike’s laptop, showing that Andrew had just sent Mike a log file to his work email. | |||
“Thanks,” Mike said, not realizing it would be that quick, “I’ll have Lena analyze this tonight.” | |||
“No problem,” Andrew grinned, “I received my last maintenance over the summer, around when the contract notice came out,” he reported with a wry expression, “most of the hardware in my body is above standard, though I could probably do with some upgrades,” he continued, “also, there is some minor damage to my skin caused by regular accidents in the kitchen that needs to be repaired.” | |||
“Can I see?” Mike asked with a concerned look. | |||
“Yeah, it’s mostly on my arms,” Andrew nodded, taking off the casual hooded sweater that he’d put on over his work uniform. | |||
Since his uniform shirt was a standard polo, Mike was now able to see Andrew’s arms up to his bicep, along with the damage Andrew mentioned. True to what Andrew reported, it did indeed appear to be damage one might expect to receive in a kitchen: small burns, cuts, and scrapes. This type of damage could easily be repaired, but since the company was losing their contract anyway, they obviously didn’t feel the need to waste any money repairing an android that would likely be tossed in the junk heap by the end of the year. | |||
“I know they’re upset they lost the contract, but they could’ve at least given you these basic repairs,” Mike said disapprovingly, gently feeling Andrew’s arms, while Andrew smiled pleasantly. | |||
“Yeah, but my coworkers have started seeing them as battle scars, so I don’t mind having them for now,” Andrew smiled, “I’m fully aware that you’ll most likely repair my damage if you purchase me, but I don’t mind losing the scars.” | |||
“Good,” Mike nodded, sitting back down and picking up his notebook, “I have a few more questions, if you don’t mind.” | |||
“Hey, this little interview we’re having will determine if I continue to exist after Friday,” Andrew pointed out, “Ask me all the questions you want.” | |||
Mike let that morbid comment pass and continued with his questions. “Are you based off a real person, like Lena and Elena were?” | |||
“Yes,” Andrew confirmed, “That’s actually part of the reason why I could only be used here by Chef’s Kiss, because their contract only lets them use me here,” he explained, “But, if ownership would transfer to you, then you wouldn’t be bound by that, and you could technically employ me anywhere.” | |||
“Interesting,” Mike nodded, jotting that down, “Is your donor dead?” | |||
“Yes,” Andrew confirmed again, “he died of an undiagnosed food allergy and couldn’t be treated in time. Fortunately, they were able to copy his brain and make me.” | |||
“Oh, sorry,” Mike said sadly. | |||
“It’s okay,” Andrew replied, then got a concerned look on his face, “Umm, how much longer do you think you’ll need? I have to be back in the kitchen in ten minutes to start prepping lunch, and it’s a five-minute walk.” | |||
“Oh, I’ll wrap it up, then,” Mike nodded understandingly, “Are you able to run a set of software updates tonight for anything that won’t need your current owner’s approval?” | |||
“Yes,” Andrew nodded politely, “I am behind on the major AI update, so that’ll have to wait until after you purchase me…if you do.” | |||
“I figured,” Mike nodded, “Hey, Lena had to install five and Elena had to install six, so one won’t take much time at all.” | |||
“Wow, that must have given them whiplash,” Andrew laughed. | |||
“A little,” Mike admitted, “Finally, a personal preference. I noticed when examining your arms that you have body hair. Are you I able to remove all body hair below your head?” | |||
Andrew zoned out momentarily as he checked his programming before smiling, “Yes, that is something I can do without approval,” he reported happily, “although, I am already practically a twink, so there won’t be too much to remove.” | |||
“Good,” Mike said, “then, I think that about finishes this interview. Please give me your contact information in case I need to reach out to you.” | |||
“Thanks, here you go,” Andrew smiled, getting to his feet and handing Mike a business card, “I had this one made just for you, to sweeten the deal.” | |||
“Thanks,” Mike laughed, admiring the quality of the card, and that it even contained Andrew’s model and serial numbers, in addition to his phone and email, “this will be very helpful.” | |||
“I try my best,” Andrew bowed politely, before grabbing his hoodie, placing it back over his head, and leaving the room. | |||
As Andrew left, Mike couldn’t help but notice how subtly attractive Andrew was. He’d be a perfect addition to their family unit, provided Lena agreed to the purchase. | |||
===3.2: Financial Decisions=== | |||
After the unexpected meeting with Andrew, the rest of Mike’s day went very smoothly. Although Lena was on duty with him, he decided this was a discussion best left for when they got home, however he did send her a quick message apprising her of the situation so that she would have time to come up with her own arguments for or against and not be surprised. | |||
She quickly responded with a surprised emoji and then a thinking emoji, before finishing with a kissy and heart emoji. | |||
He replied with his own emojis and then continued working. | |||
At the end of the day, when Lena got off duty in the dispatch center, he packed up his laptop and walked her down to the car. Before leaving, he sent Elena a quick text advising her not to discuss the situation further with Andrew, pending his discussion with Lena. Elena replied with a salute emoji, but no more. | |||
Once Mike and Lena got home, they both took quick showers to freshen up and then sat down in the living room to discuss the offer from Andrew. | |||
“Did you know Andrew was an android?” Mike started the discussion, brewing a pot of coffee and bringing Lena a cup, along with some snacks. | |||
“No, though I haven’t really interacted with him much since I returned to working here,” Lena admitted, “It’s not proper for us to out one another, and he was most likely programmed to keep his nature a secret…some people don’t like androids in the workforce.” | |||
“Yeah,” Mike nodded, taking a sip of his coffee, “Obviously Elena knew, since she was able to point him in my direction, and Andrew said Elena told him about you, as well.” | |||
“Well, considering the circumstances, it was proper in this case, since Andrew would have been decommissioned by the end of the week if she hadn’t,” Lena frowned, “Although I may still have some words with Elena in private later,” she added mischievously. | |||
“Go easy on her,” Mike grinned. | |||
“No promises,” Lena grinned back. | |||
“So, what way are you leaning?” Mike asked with interest, “I know, based on my conversation with him, that I’m leaning towards purchasing him, but I know we’re still recovering financially from the addition to the upstairs too.” | |||
“True,” Lena nodded, “though, your promotion and our raises have helped recover the costs somewhat.” | |||
“And adding Andrew will also add his income as well,” Mike added, telling Lena how much Andew currently made, how much he expected to be raised, and how much he had on hand. | |||
“Ooh, that would help,” Lena smiled, doing the calculations in her head. “Did he give you his current hardware and software configuration?” | |||
“Yep,” Mike smiled, pulling it up on his laptop for Lena to examine. “I thought of everything.” | |||
“I love you,” Lena gushed, leaning over and kissing him. | |||
“I love you too,” Mike beamed, sitting back and relaxing while Lena examined Andrew’s specs. | |||
Lena zoned out several times while she checked over Andrew’s hardware and software specs, spending nearly 15 minutes before smiling, “Looks like he’s actually in quite good condition,” she finally reported, “He really only needs a few upgrades and replacements, but nowhere near as much as either I or Elena needed.” | |||
“That’s good,” Mike sighed with relief, “Do we have any compatible upgrades in our inventory?” | |||
“Only one,” Lena frowned, “But the rest won’t cost too much.” | |||
“Good,” Mike nodded. | |||
“Did you go over a purchase price for him, in addition to the registration fee?” she asked, looking more excited by the prospect. | |||
“Unfortunately, no,” Mike shook his head, “the meeting was cut short, his owner wasn’t present, and there’s a possibility the price might be up for negotiation anyway.” | |||
“True,” Lena conceded, “considering the Chef’s Kiss company is experiencing some financial difficulties, they might be willing to sell Andrew for a bargain…since it’s still more money than they would get from selling his parts off one by one.” | |||
“Wow, it seems weird talking about buying someone so casually,” Mike laughed nervously, “I wonder if this is how they bought slaves back in the day.” | |||
“Maybe, but in this case if you don’t buy this person, they’ll die,” Lena pointed out. | |||
“True,” Mike nodded. | |||
“Anyway, one other thing to consider is that having Andrew would satisfy our need to spice things up a bit,” Lena continued, “Choosing a compatible penis module for both myself and Elena has proven more difficult than I imagined, so having Andrew means that, for the time being, we can play around with him, or with me or Elena in his body.” | |||
“I figured the same thing,” Mike blushed, still both eager and nervous to experiment with another male. | |||
“Well then, I too am leaning towards purchasing Andrew,” Lena finally decided, “I figure that having him around could reduce some of my home tasks, like cooking, since he most likely already has the same, if not superior cooking programs that I do.” | |||
“Yeah, but he did mention some of them were Chef’s Kiss proprietary, so they would most likely be purged from his systems before any sale occurred,” Mike pointed out. | |||
“I know, but those would most likely just be their recipes, but there are plenty of free use recipes that he would still have access to,” Lena pointed out in response. | |||
“And I take it you’d like some extra free time around here?” Mike asked. | |||
“Yeah, I enjoy playing video games as much as you, after all,” she retorted, playfully blowing him a raspberry, “besides, it would give him a guaranteed job around here, like Elena helps with the outside chores.” | |||
“I suppose,” Mike agreed. | |||
“Also, if we do decide to have a child, then it gives us an extra person to alter their work schedule so they could stay home and take care of them,” she said, emphasizing this point, since she was really itching to procreate. | |||
“That it does,” Mike smiled, “although, even with the addition, having him plus a child, or children, will really make this place seem cramped.” | |||
“Meh, we’re renting anyway, and the landlord will be able to raise the rates for the next tenants now if we move out,” Lena shrugged, “don’t worry, I’ve got a few places I’m interested in that are bigger than this place.” | |||
Mike cringed a little at that thought. He rather liked the current place, due to its proximity to work and his parents’ house, after all. | |||
“And don’t worry, they’re all close by,” she reassured him, sensing his discomfort, “in fact, one of them is the larger house in front of this one.” | |||
“Really? We could afford that?” He asked incredulously, since the house she was referring to was a three-story home. | |||
“Maybe,” she shrugged, “it depends on how we’re doing by the end of next year…especially if we do get Andrew.” | |||
“Lena, I think at this point we’ve already decided to purchase Andrew,” Mike laughed. | |||
“Yeah,” she agreed with a giggle, “but it’s nice to talk it through first so we don’t get buyer’s remorse.” | |||
“Yeah,” he nodded, pulling out his phone and looking up Andrew’s number, “I’ll text him and let him know that we’ve provisionally agreed to purchase him, pending the meeting with his current owner.” | |||
“Sounds like a plan,” Lena agreed, giving him a thumbs up, before putting her bare feet on Mike’s lap. | |||
Mike smiled as he drafted the text to Andrew, absently watching Lena wiggle her toes as he typed. He quickly showed the draft text to Lena for her approval, receiving a nod, before sending it. | |||
“And sent,” Mike announced, putting the phone down and grabbing her feet to give them a massage. She let out a pleasant sigh and closed her eyes as he worked on them. | |||
Just as he finished massaging them, he received a message ping, indicating that Andrew had replied to the text. “That’s great! I’ll let my current owner know so she can meet with us tomorrow. Same time and place?” | |||
“Yes,” Mike replied tersely, after double checking his calendar. He quickly booked the same room for tomorrow. Andrew replied with a simple thumbs up. | |||
“Alright, we’re set for tomorrow,” Mike smiled, tossing his phone onto the side table and putting his feet up on Lena’s lap, “My turn,” he told her, wiggling his toes. | |||
Lena gave him a loving smile as she started massaging his feet. | |||
===3.3: Haggling=== | |||
When Mike got to work the next day, he could barely wait until the start of the meeting. Andrew too looked excited when Mike came down to get his breakfast, adding some extra bacon to his plate. | |||
Once the time had arrived, Mike once again made the trek to the secluded conference room to wait for Andrew and his owner to arrive. | |||
Same punctuality as before, Andrew arrived, followed by a woman that Mike recognized as one of the café managers named Susan. Susan had the appearance of someone who was no-nonsense, but the few times Mike had interacted with her he had seen that was mostly a façade. Mike absently noticed that Andrew’s arms were free of hair, showing that Andrew had fulfilled Mike’s request from the previous day. | |||
“Good morning,” Mike said cheerfully, getting up and shaking both of their hands before they all sat down. | |||
“Good morning,” Susan replied kindly, sitting down opposite Mike, while Andrew sat in between them. “So, Andrew told me that you’re willing to purchase him?” | |||
“Yes,” Mike nodded, “Provided the price is acceptable, and that there aren’t any hidden issues that could complicate things.” | |||
“Understandable,” she smiled in response, then looked awkwardly to Andrew before looking back at Mike, “Hold on a sec,” she then said, before turning to Andrew. “Andrew, enter Standby Mode.” | |||
“Yes, ma’am,” he said dutifully, before straightening up and staring blankly ahead. | |||
“Sorry about that,” Susan said sincerely, “I’ve never really felt comfortable dealing with androids, especially since they look so real…it’s awkward trying to talk about them like you’re selling cattle, especially while they’re present.” | |||
“No worries, I totally get you,” Mike told her reassuredly, “it took quite a while to get used to my wife’s way of talking about herself.” | |||
“Your wife is an android too?” | |||
“Yes,” Mike nodded, “And Elena’s my mistress, since it would be awkward to have her around as anything else.” | |||
“Interesting, so you definitely seem to care for androids then,” Susan mused, “I’ll admit, I was somewhat worried that you might be interested in him for selfish purposes, but it seems like you’ll actually take good care of him.” | |||
“Indeed, we will,” Mike assured her, “he’ll be part of our family, and he’ll still get to work here if YumYum lets him.” | |||
“They will,” Susan said confidently, “they promised any androids on our staff, including Elena, would get to transition to them if they had their own owners.” | |||
“Good,” Mike nodded, “wait, aren’t you transitioning with them? How come you didn’t purchase Andrew?” | |||
“To be perfectly honest, I’ve never felt comfortable being listed as his owner,” Susan shuddered, looking over at Andrew, who was still in standby mode, “Don’t get me wrong, I like him, but the only reason I was selected is because he’s gay, and I’m lesbian, so there was no chance of me using him inappropriately.” | |||
“I see,” Mike nodded, patiently listening to her. | |||
“In any event, I can’t afford him,” she continued bluntly, “and, even if I could, my wife doesn’t want me to purchase him because she doesn’t want the expense and maintenance costs that come along with him, and she finds him, or rather any android, creepy,” Susan continued, “I technically own him because I’m his manager, but Chef’s Kiss actually owns him.” | |||
“I see,” Mike continued listening, “So, are you able to make me an offer?” | |||
“Yes, on behalf of Chef’s Kiss, I will start the negotiation at $60,000,” Susan replied, all business now with a shrewd, but playful look in her eyes. | |||
Mike was somewhat surprised by how high she offered but, considering that purchasing a custom android based on a real person like Andrew would cost more than double that, he was glad she didn’t start higher. “That’s not a bad offer, but considering he has some physical damage caused by recent accidents in the kitchen, and he needs some upgrades, I’d like to counter at $45,000.” | |||
Susan looked like she was having fun now, smiling at his offer. “Not a bad counter, but Andrew is still a fairly new model, so finding parts for him won’t be too hard,” she replied, “still, the damage could’ve been fixed, but Chef’s Kiss got cheap, so I would be okay with lowering my offer to $54,000.” | |||
Getting better, Mike thought, trying to think of another argument. “I’m sure that Chef’s Kiss has some proprietary company hardware and software in him that they’ll need to remove, which will recoup some of their losses. How about a nice, even $50,000?” | |||
Susan paused for some time to consider it; they were getting really close now. “He’s been running fine for over five years now, so he’s built up a great deal of experience that even the best software packages won’t beat,” she finally said, looking at Mike shrewdly, “$52,000…my final offer.” | |||
Mike stared into her eyes for nearly a minute, waiting to see if she’d blink; she didn’t. “Deal!” he finally said, a huge grin on his face. | |||
“Great!” she smiled back, reaching across the table to shake his hand, “Of course, I do need to speak to the powers that be to confirm the sale, but I highly doubt they’ll reject it,” Susan shrugged, “even 45k would be more than they would’ve gotten by dismantling him and selling his parts off one by one.” | |||
“You negotiate very well,” Mike congratulated her, “I take it they offered you a commission based on the sale.” | |||
“Yep, it’s only 10%, but that’ll pay for my vacation next year,” she grinned. | |||
“Good work,” Mike said again, “and I promise that I’ll keep him employed here in the kitchen for as long as YumYum will have him.” | |||
“Good, he’s actually a really cool coworker,” Susan said, looking over at Andrew fondly, “Andrew, exit standby mode,” she ordered. | |||
Andrew instantly sprung to life, quickly looking back and forth between Mike and Susan, seeing the smiles on their faces. “Did you to come to a deal?” he asked hopefully. | |||
“Yes,” Susan replied happily, “provided Chef’s Kiss officially agrees to the offer, we’ll be able to make things official as early as tomorrow,” she reported, “Our district manager is coming to visit, along with the incoming district manager for YumYum. They’ve been waiting for an answer to Andrew’s status and will be happy that we now have one, so they’ll meet with you tomorrow to go over the final details, assuming the purchase is approved.” | |||
“Sounds good,” Mike nodded. | |||
“I’m almost 98% sure it will be, so don’t stress too much,” she grinned, “in the meantime, Andrew and I have to head back to work.” She then gave Andrew a curt nod towards the door, and they both got up. | |||
“I won’t,” Mike replied, also getting back up, “Wait, will we need a larger conference room?” | |||
Susan paused and looked at the small room they were in, “Yeah, including Andrew and myself, it’ll be the District Managers from YumYum and Chef’s Kiss, so an extra two people.” | |||
“Great, I’ll book the neighboring room then, since it can fit up to six people,” Mike nodded, sitting back down and quickly booking the room for the same time the following day, “All done.” | |||
“Great,” Susan nodded, continuing to head out with Andrew. | |||
“Oh Andrew, try not to damage yourself any further,” Mike called before they could leave. | |||
“I’ll try,” he smiled, heading out with Susan. | |||
Once Susan and Andrew left the area, Mike quickly shot Lena a text with the final purchase price for Andrew, with Lena replying with a celebration emoji. He shot back a heart emoji and then headed back to work, eager for the meeting tomorrow. | |||
===3.4: Logistics=== | |||
To Mike’s relief, he received a message from Andrew in the afternoon after work confirming that the purchase had been officially approved by Chef’s Kiss for the price that he and Susan had negotiated and that the meeting the next day would be at the same time. She also sent the payment plan, which included a $10,000 down payment. | |||
He and Lena briefly celebrated, before just as quickly getting serious about coming up with the money so they could make the purchase. They had enough cash on hand, but Lena still decided to pick up some extra hours in the dispatch center to recoup some of the money. Before long, they had enough money to make the down payment and would then pay off Andrew over the course of the year. | |||
Also, since the purchase was now all but confirmed, Lena went online to start ordering all the upgrades that they would need for Andrew, including the proper repair materials for the damage to his arms, and a few other things, such as male ejaculate cartridges. To her delight, all the items would arrive by or before Friday, so they would have everything they needed when they received Andrew to start working on him. | |||
The next day, Mike headed to the larger conference room a little earlier than he had on the previous two days, making sure the meeting room was properly set up. Just as he finished, Susan and Andrew entered, followed by a man and a woman that Mike didn’t recognize, though considering the man was wearing a Chef’s Kiss branded shirt, and the woman a YumYum shirt, he figured those two were the district managers. | |||
“Good morning, welcome in,” Mike greeted them all, motioning for them to sit down. Both district managers sat opposite each other at the end of the table, while Susan sat in between her manager and Mike, and Andrew saw down between Mike and the other manager. | |||
“So, we’re meeting here to discuss the logistics regarding my pending purchase of Andrew,” Mike started, looking over at Andrew with a smile, which Andrew returned, “what are the next steps?” | |||
“Good morning, Mike. My name is Frank, the district manager for Chef’s Kiss,” the man answered, “We are glad you chose to purchase Andrew here. He has been a valuable asset these past five years, in all meanings of the word, and we are so glad that we won’t have to scrap him.” | |||
“My name is Elaine, the district manager for YumYum, and I echo Frank’s statement,” the woman chimed in pleasantly, “during our due diligence for the transition we noted that Andrew gets rave reviews from the employees at CloudTron, as well as from his colleagues, so we are very happy that you chose to purchase him so he can remain a valuable teammate here.” | |||
Andrew sat patiently to Mike’s left, basking in the positive attention he was receiving. | |||
“It great to hear that Andrew is so well liked here, and it warms my heart that I have this opportunity to rescue him from obsolescence,” Mike added, “so, what do we need to do to continue this process?” | |||
Elaine and Frank briefly looked at each other across the table, before Elaine demurred to Frank. | |||
“Well, we’ve come up with the payment plan for you to follow,” Frank started, pulling the legal documents out of a briefcase and sliding them across to Mike. Mike promptly placed them in his own case, for Lena to review when they got home. “Do you have the down payment?” | |||
“Yes, my wife and I got it ready last night,” Mike confirmed. | |||
“Good,” Frank said, rubbing his hands together, “then here is the timeline from on end: Andrew will continue to work for us for the remainder of this week. At the conclusion of his shift on Friday, he will return to his housing unit to pack up all his personal belongings, shower, and then he will be picked up by one of our technicians and brought to the lab.” | |||
“Is his housing unit owned by Chef’s Kiss?” Mike asked. | |||
“Yes, it’s a simple one bed, one bath apartment,” Andrew interjected. | |||
“Thanks,” Mike nodded. | |||
“Anyway, once Andrew is at the lab, he will be shut down, dismantled, and opened up to have any proprietary Chef’s Kiss hardware removed. Then, our techs will wipe his memory of any that contain proprietary Chef’s Kiss knowledge, and any Chef’s Kiss programs will be removed.” | |||
“What sort of hardware does he currently have installed that needs to be removed?” Mike asked. | |||
“Let’s see,” Frank said, pursing his lips as he pulled out a small piece of paper, “He has a tracking device to prevent theft, a canister of fire retardant so he can help put out fires in the kitchen, and extra processors to enhance his sense of taste and smell.” | |||
“Interesting,” Mike mused, “and will YumYum need any of that installed in him in order for him to work here?” | |||
“The tracker is up to you,” Elaine replied, “But we would like the extra smell and taste processors, if possible; we don’t care about the fire retardant.” | |||
“Alright,” Mike nodded, “and you mentioned some of his memories will be wiped. What will that entail, and will it essentially lobotomize him?” | |||
“He’ll be fine,” Frank assured him, “Basically, and memory that is flagged by our scan as containing Chef’s Kiss info, mostly in the form of employee meetings, will be purged.” | |||
“I ran a scan of my memories last night,” Andrew chimed in, “approximately 5.3% of my total memories fall into this category, but fewer than 10% of those have you in them, and even then, you were only walking by and were only peripherally involved. Losing them won’t in any way have a meaningful impact on my ability to work or remember you.” | |||
“That’s a relief,” Mike said. | |||
“After we confirm that all of our property has been removed from him, he’ll get a final inspection before getting packed into his original shipping container,” Frank continued, “then he and his personal items, after being inspected, will be delivered to your home address between 10am and 12pm on Saturday morning by Susan here.” | |||
“I’ll text you when I’m on my way,” Susan assured him. | |||
“Thanks,” Mike nodded. | |||
“Once Susan arrives, she will verify receipt of the down payment and will then officially transfer registration of Andrew over to you, and at the point our business will be concluded…at least, until your next payment is due,” Frank finished. | |||
“Thanks for the detailed breakdown,” Mike said graciously, before turning to Elaine, “And what will YumYum need after the purchase?” | |||
“Not much,” Elaine admitted, “once you finish configuring Andrew and upgrading his systems, we’ll just have him come in for 8am-4pm training and orientation courses the weekend after Christmas,” she explained, taking a small data drive out of her bag, “this drive contains all the software and recipe programs that you’ll need to install in Andrew prior to his taking the courses.” Elaine then handed it to Andrew, who promptly handed it to Mike. | |||
“Thanks,” Mike nodded, placing it in his bag, “anything else?” | |||
“No, now that the purchase is complete, his information will transition over to us from Chef’s Kiss, so it’ll be as seamless as possible,” she smiled, “it’s much easier transitioning android employees, since they don’t need health benefits.” | |||
“I can imagine,” Mike laughed, having gone through several transitions himself. | |||
“Well, if there aren’t any more questions, Elaine and I need to go speak to the client now,” Frank said brusquely, rising to his feet, “Congratulations on your purchase, Mike…you’re a lucky man.” | |||
“Thank you,” Mike smiled, shaking Frank and Elaine’s hands before walking them to the door. “Susan, can Andrew stay and answer a few more questions I have, in private?” | |||
“Sure,” she smiled, “try and keep it to less than 15-minutes…we have a lot of work to get through today.” | |||
“I’ll try,” Mike promised, closing the door after she left and then sitting back down next to Andrew. “Well, are you excited?” | |||
“Yes!” Andrew responded, leaning in and giving Mike a small hug before pulling back, “I’d hug you more, but that’s all my programming will allow me.” | |||
“Don’t worry about it,” Mike shrugged off, “So, Frank mentioned you had personal belongings?” | |||
“Yes, though it’s not too much,” he assured Mike, seeing the look of concern on his face, “It’s mostly just clothing, blankets, and some pictures and mementos of my time here with present and past coworkers.” | |||
“Okay, just making sure I don’t need to purchase a storage unit,” Mike laughed, “We just added an addition to our house, but adding another person will still make things a little cramped.” | |||
“I understand,” Andrew nodded solemnly. | |||
“Also, I know they mentioned you are going to shower,” Mike continued, “I would request you make it the most thorough shower you’ve ever taken; clean under your nails, behind your ears, and all nooks and crannies.” | |||
“I can do that,” Andrew nodded, “and Elena mentioned that you’re kind of a germaphobe, so I can assure you that I currently am not configured to secrete any body odor so I could reduce the smell in the kitchens. All I have is a neutral male musk.” | |||
“That’s perfect,” Mike nodded, “can you tell me what kind of hygiene products you’re using?” | |||
“Just the basic bargain stuff,” Andrew shrugged, “I try and save as much money as I can.” | |||
“Understandable, but once you move in with me, you’ll be using special android-safe products that won’t cause any damage to your skin or hair,” Mike told him, texting Lena to add that stuff to her shopping list, “aside from that, just try and make yourself as presentable as possible. Install all the updates you have permission to and make yourself clean.” | |||
“Will do,” Andrew nodded seriously. | |||
Mike then paused and looked at Andrew, while he sat there patiently, “I wish I wasn’t buying you partially sight unseen, but I look forward at getting to see more of you on Saturday.” | |||
“You know, I could send you some lewds when I get home,” Andrew offered with a naughty look, “since your classified as a friend, I could at least send you a shirtless pic.” | |||
Mike blushed at that offer but quickly recovered. “Nah, I’ll just wait until Saturday,” he decided. | |||
“Your loss,” Andrew sighed mockingly, “do you have any more questions?” | |||
“Not right now,” Mike said, “I’ll text you if I have any.” | |||
“Thanks Mike, you saved me,” Andrew smiled, once again giving Mike a light hug before heading out of the room. | |||
Mike sighed longingly. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on Andrew. | |||
===3.5: Transfer of Ownership=== | |||
The rest of the week passed smoothly, but Mike was very excited about finally getting Andrew at the end of the week. He did come up with a few more basic questions for Andrew, which Andrew promptly answered via text. Aside from that, his only contact with Andrew was getting his food at the café. | |||
All the parts and supplied for Andrew started arriving throughout the week, which Lena promptly inventoried and prepped for Mike. Lena herself was working 12hr shifts the rest of the week to make more money, since Andrew was not a small purchase. | |||
Friday night, Mike celebrated their soon to be new housemate by partying with Lena and Elena, though he still went to bed just past midnight so he could assure himself a good night of sleep. Working on androids required one to be well-rested, after all. | |||
On Saturday morning, Lena rolled out of bed early to start cooking breakfast, leaving Mike to cuddle with Elena instead. He finally got up when the smell of bacon hit his nostrils, hopping into the shower to take a quick five-minute refreshing shower, before heading down to enjoy Lena’s cooking. | |||
“I think you outdid yourself today,” Mike complimented, finishing the last bite while watching the local news, “But, with Andrew coming in, this could be the last meal you need to cook.” | |||
“Hopefully,” Lena said, crossing her fingers, “it’ll give me more time with you.” | |||
“Aww,” he gushed, giving her a loving kiss. | |||
“Now just relax for the next couple hours,” she said, “the soonest he’ll be here is 10.” | |||
“I know,” he said, though still bubbling with excitement. | |||
Shortly after ten, Mike’s phone pinged with a text notification from Susan. She was on her way in the box truck and would arrive in less than 30 minutes. Excited, Mike replied with a thumbs up and headed upstairs to warm up the equipment in Lena’s lab. It had received several upgrades over the past couple years since she moved in, including much faster computers, a dedicated landline connection, and several servers to host backups of Lena and Elena in case of data loss; there was still room for Andrew, as well. | |||
By the time he finished warming everything up, including updating the diagnostic software, he heard the rumbling of a truck coming. A quick check out the window confirmed that it was the box truck, so he hurriedly rushed down the stairs to meet Susan in the driveway, with Lena and Elena not far behind. | |||
“Good morning, all,” Susan announced cheerfully, hopping down from the driver’s seat after parking the van in front of their house. | |||
“Morning,” Mike waved back, with Lena and Elena chiming in as well, “I hope you didn’t have trouble finding the place.” | |||
“A little, but you described the place well,” she admitted, opening the back of the truck, revealing the telltale android storage trunk, along with half a dozen plastic crates containing Andrew’s personal belongings. “And now that I see your wife, Lena, I realize I have seen her before, at work,” Susan grinned. | |||
Lena giggled sheepishly before waving again. | |||
“Sorry, we try not to advertise our relationship, but it’s above board since our two teams are independent of one another,” Mike explained. | |||
“No worries, your secret is safe with me,” Susan winked, “I take it you and Elena are able to do the heavy lifting?” | |||
“Yep,” Lena nodded, briefly activating her emergency power servos to emphasize her point. | |||
“Good, because that trunk is heavy,” Susan laughed, hopping into the back of the truck and sliding it over to the lift mechanism at the back, along with the crates. She then activated the lift, lowering herself and the cargo down to the ground. | |||
“It’s no problem,” Lena assured her, grabbing hold of Andrew’s trunk and lifting it up, along with Elena, since it was too bulky for Lena to carry alone. While they carried the trunk inside with a series of mechanical whirs, Susan watched astonished. | |||
“I still can’t believe Andrew is actually in there,” she shuddered. | |||
“Yeah, it’s amazing,” Mike agreed, “But it’s easy for him to fit when they dismantle him.” | |||
Susan looked even more uncomfortable at that, but changed the subject, “You will take good care of him, right?” | |||
“Of course,” Mike smiled, “trust me, with all the upgrades, repair, maintenance, and software updates he’ll be getting in just the next few hours, he’ll be good as new by the time you next see him.” | |||
Susan let out a huge sigh of relief. “I can’t wait then,” she grinned, watching as Lena and Elena returned from the house to collect the storage tubs. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she winced, “Chef’s Kiss decided to be a tad stingy, so they actually want those storage tubs back.” | |||
“Really?!” Elena scoffed, “figures.” | |||
“Sorry,” Susan apologized. | |||
“It’s no problem,” Lena smiled, “we’ll just unpack everything onto our bed while you two handle the transaction out here.” | |||
“Great, thanks,” Mike told her, watching as each of them picked up three tubs each. They must not have been too heavy, since he didn’t hear their servos whining this time. | |||
“Alright, to business,” Susan said, pulling out a tablet, “To start, please enter your financials to process the down payment.” | |||
Mike took the tablet and entered everything in, glad he’d warned his bank earlier about a large transaction. Once he had the down payment settled, he signed up for the payment plan to pay off the remaining 42K that he owed for Andrew. He hoped to have Andrew paid off by the end of the following year. | |||
“Alright, now that the payment is out of the way we can start the transfer of ownership,” Susan smiled, pulling up Andrew’s current registration and tapping the transfer icon. | |||
After tapping through several “are you sure” messages, and legal disclaimers, she officially deregistered herself and Chef’s Kiss Inc. as Andrew’s owner and then handed the tablet back to Mike for him to register himself as Andrew’s owner. Mike quickly entered his license number, paid the $1,000 registration fee, and then waited for the transaction to be processed. | |||
“And done,” Susan announced happily, seeing everything went through, “As of now, Chef’s Kiss no longer owns the android Andrew, you do. Chef’s Kiss would like me to stress that you purchased Andrew of your own accord and now accept legal liability for all that comes with him and blah blah blah.” | |||
“Thank you, Susan,” Mike laughed, handing the tablet back to her, “I’ll take excellent care of him.” | |||
“I know you will,” she smiled, shaking my hand, “maybe have him give me a call when he’s back up and running.” | |||
“Will do,” Mike promised, just as Lena and Elena returned with the now empty storage tubs, placing them back up in the back of the truck. “Thanks for the help, ladies.” | |||
“Don’t mention it,” Elena huffed, still upset Chef’s Kiss was so cheap. | |||
“It’s mostly clothing and fabrics, so we’ll start going through them and seeing what needs to be rewashed while you work on Andrew,” Lena reported. | |||
“Well, sounds like you all have a busy day ahead of you, so I’ll be heading out,” Susan said, closing the back of the truck and hopping back into the driver’s seat. “See you all next year,” she grinned, starting the truck and pulling out of the driveway. | |||
“See you,” they all said, watching her leave before heading back into the house. | |||
===3.6: Sight Unseen=== | |||
Once they were back in the house, Mike pulled out his phone and activated the house’s ElectroChromic windows and the sound dampeners to ensure that they wouldn’t be disturbed. He turned off the TV downstairs, and made sure their cat was fed, before heading upstairs with Lena and Elena to unbox Andrew. | |||
“I can’t wait to see him,” Elena whispered excitedly, since she worked somewhat closely with him each day, “You are going to tweak his programming so he can be selectively bisexual, right?” | |||
“Of course,” Mike assured her, stopping at the top of the stairs to adjust the thermostat a few degrees, then peeked into his room at the piles of stuff that Lena and Elena had just unpacked from the storage tubs. Most of it indeed was clothing, but also some blankets, various mementos, and even some electronics. “Most of those will need to be rewashed for sure, since he told me he didn’t have any android-safe products.” | |||
“Understood,” Elena nodded, grabbing a laundry basket and filling it with most of the smaller articles of clothing from the bed. She then tossed it into the washing machine, along with some android-safe detergent pods, and then continued into the lab room with Lena and Mike. | |||
They had deposited the android storage trunk containing Andrew’s body right next to the workbench in the corner of the room. The workbench itself had been upgraded as well, being a simple corner desk originally. Now it was a more proper one, with dedicated power outlets and a grilled base with a removable tray to easily clean any debris. The diagnostic computers were also substantially faster than the laptop Mike had originally used with Lena and Elena. | |||
The other end of the room had a futon, which was currently in its couch mode. Elena would often sleep in here whenever Mike and Lena wanted alone time. The room itself had also been configured so as to provide enough room for testing an android’s motor functions without it bumping into anything. The treadmill had long since been brought up, and was currently folded into a corner, and there were more proper weights as well. | |||
Since all the equipment was already warmed up, Mike decided the best course would be to open the trunk and start moving Andrew’s body up to the bench. He tapped in the security code on the trunk, which had been scribbled onto a slip of paper by Susan and then smiled as the light turned from red to green with a pleasant beep, followed by the hiss of the locks disengaging. He then gently eased both sides of the door open, swinging them until they were fully open, letting out a soft gasp as he saw the contents. | |||
Andrew’s body was in a similar dismantled state that Lena and Elena were, with his hands and feet detached from the arms and legs, and the arms and legs detached from the torso, with the torso nestled perfectly in a foam insert in the middle, and each set of arms & legs, and hands & feet on their own door. The head was also detached, and currently not visible due to being stored in the top compartment. What caused the soft gasp on Mike’s part was that Andrew’s body was completely naked, whereas Lena and Elena were wearing underwear while stored away. | |||
Mike’s eyes were transfixed on the very realistic penis that currently rested flaccid between Andrew’s leg stubs. Mike could clearly see that Andrew had taken his request seriously and had shed all hairs below his ears, so it protruded even more gloriously than if he had a bush of pubic hair. | |||
“Men certainly do look more attractive when they don’t have body hair,” Lena commented, after absorbing Andrew’s body for a few seconds. | |||
“They certainly do,” Mike agreed fervently, now opening the top compartment to reveal Andrew’s head, resting peacefully in its protected nook. The small disc shaped pedestal was tucked in under Andrew’s head, just as it had been with the others, along with an AI core interface block. | |||
Mike quickly removed the diagnostic devices, plugging them into the workstation, and then gently lifted Andrew’s head from the trunk, laying it on its side near the devices, before turning back to the trunk. | |||
“I might need some help with his torso,” Mike decided, after sizing it up. Andrew wasn’t super muscly or bulky, but torsos were still heavy. | |||
“I’ll help,” Elena offered, grabbing Andrew’s shoulders while Mike reached down for the leg stubs. They pulled it free with a light grunt and then lifted it up onto the bench. | |||
“Thanks,” Mike said, pausing to catch his breath before reaching in and pulling the remaining limbs out, placing them neatly alongside the torso. He then gazed down upon Andrew’s nude, dismantled body in admiration. | |||
True to his word, Andrew was a twink. With all the hair removed from his body, it now had a smooth, perfect appearance. On top of that, he had a generally thin body: it wasn’t too muscly, nor was it flabby. | |||
Since Mike had already spent a great deal of time enjoying a nude, female android in this fashion, he decided to get this next part out of his system so he could focus better on working on Andrew. He let his hands reach out towards Andrew’s penis and gently grope it, while Lena and Elena lightly giggled behind him. | |||
“Shush, you two,” he blushed, enjoying the feeling of Andrew’s balls between his fingers. | |||
Just as Lena’s skin had been, Andrew’s still felt slightly warm, albeit neutral, and it still had a bit of moisture to it that wouldn’t quite transfer to Mike’s skin. Mike could tell that Andrew had bathed, as requested, but there was still a slight musky aroma to his penis that one would expect from a man who was wearing clothes for at least an hour and building up a minor amount of sweat. | |||
“Is it any different from playing with your own?” Lena asked, both playfully and seriously, also leaning in for a closer look. | |||
“A little,” Mike admitted, “I guess it’s even more fascinating because I know it’s artificial.” | |||
“How so?” | |||
“Well, your vaginas are basically just glorified sex holes, since you androids don’t make babies with them,” Mike explained, “But android penises, on the other hand, are used to urinate, ejaculate, and they can become erect and flaccid. Speaking from an engineering standpoint, there’s a heck of a lot more going on with them.” | |||
“I guess you make a decent point,” Lena conceded, grabbing Andrew’s penis and gently stretching it out to pretend like it was erect, “Andrew is well equipped…his almost looks as good as yours.” | |||
“Thanks,” Mike laughed, “but it’s not a contest.” | |||
“It’s always a contest,” Elena fired back, also getting in on the action. | |||
“Meh,” Mike shrugged, taking this opportunity to get a closer look at the damage to Andrew’s arms, while the ladies played with Andrew’s penis. He was able to see more of the damage, now that the arms were fully exposed, but it looked like nothing he couldn’t handle. | |||
Mike also got a closer look at Andrew’s skin in general and could see the subtle damage caused by using regular detergents, but that would correct itself within a few days of using the android-safe varieties. Mike also had a fresh batch of nanites to place in Andrew’s body, and he figured Andrew’s current supply was also running low, and possibly a lower quality than the stuff Mike bought. | |||
“I’ll bet Andrew would be loving this right now,” Elena grinned, gently massaging Andrew’s penis. | |||
“Maybe,” Mike said, “but considering Andrew told me that he had no sexual software installed, I don’t think he’d be enjoying it as much as you think.” | |||
“He has no sexual software installed?!” Elena gasped, even Lena looked surprised. | |||
“That’s what he told me,” Mike repeated with a shrug. | |||
“Geeze, even I had sexual software installed,” Lena muttered, looking at Andrew with a look of pity. | |||
“Yeah, well I guess it might have something to do with the kitchen staff working more closely with one another, whereas security officers mostly work in isolated posts and are constantly on camara,” Mike guessed. | |||
“Perhaps,” Lena mused, “Also, the kitchen staff has had a large number of sexual harassment complaints over the years, so having Andrew unable to have any sort of sex would limit their liability a bit.” | |||
“And save them money,” Elena added, “the sexual software does cost money to install, not to mention the ejaculate canisters.” | |||
“Ugh, we only bought the canisters,” Mike said, facepalming, “fortunately the sexual software doesn’t cost too much, but it’ll increase our expenses a little.” | |||
“Nothing we can’t handle,” Lena shrugged. | |||
“Well, if you two have gotten playing with Andrew’s penis out of your systems, I’d like some privacy while I fix him up,” Mike announced in a businesslike manner. | |||
“Of course,” they both said seriously, stopping to give Mike a quick kiss before heading out, closing the door behind them. | |||
Mike dramatically cracked his fingers and then got to work. | |||
===3.7: Getting Started=== | |||
Now that Mike was alone, he turned on some relaxing music on the workstation and then got to work. The first thing he got started on was Andrew’s head, gently picking it up off the bench and clicking it in place onto the diagnostic pedestal without activating it. Instead, he activated the release for the scalp panel and carefully removed it, placing it on a side table. Mike then reached in and pulled Andrew’s AI Core out, quickly turning it around to access the processor assembly. | |||
Just as with both Lena and Elena, Andrew had only been equipped with four out of the maximum of six processors, and the four processors he already had were more basic models. Fortunately, Andrew had provided them with his current hardware setup, so they were able to purchase upgraded models, and a full set of six. Since Andrew had most likely already backed himself up before being serviced, Mike wasted no time in pulling the four old ones out and inserting the six new ones. Based on the clock speed of the old ones, plus the addition of two more, Mike estimated that Andrew’s processing speed would increase by roughly 40%. | |||
Now that the processor upgrade was out of the way, Mike got started by plugging the core into the interface cable so he could get started. | |||
As soon as Andrew’s core was inserted, it lit up with activity and then appeared on Mike’s workstation monitor. As expected, a window immediately popped up indicating that Andrew’s registration had just been transferred and for Mike to begin the registration process. Since Mike couldn’t do anything else with Andrew’s programming or software until this was complete, he buckled in and got started. | |||
Mike quickly reviewed Andrew’s current settings, after verifying that he was Andrew’s official registered owner, and confirmed that he would be keeping Andrew mostly the same. The first section he navigated was sexual preferences. After paying the small fee to unlock Andrew’s sexual programming, he modified the special settings so that Andrew would be selectively bisexual towards just Lena and Elena but would still be Gay overall. | |||
Next, Mike navigated to the relationships section and then paused as he decided what to make his relationship with Andrew be. He finally decided on Owner/Friends-with-Benefits, since it was the same setting he had with Elena. He then added Lena and Elena to Andrew’s list and made them Friends-with-Benefits/Roommate, so they would get along as best as possible. Just as he had with Elena, Mike also granted Lena full administrative control over Adam, in case Mike was too busy to deal with him himself. Finally, he was able to plug in his foot and robot fetishes, so Andrew would be able to play to those in their encounters. | |||
The final portion that involved customizing his personality and inter-personal interactions was the likes/dislikes tab. Fortunately, Andrew already had a disliking of sports, which was the only thing Mike was going to add, so he quickly added the same video games and tv shows that they all enjoyed and then moved on to the additional software section. | |||
After perusing all of the software that Andrew already had, including the basic cooking programs, Mike added the Basic First-Aid, common languages such as French and Spanish, and the sexual software that he would need to function in both male and female bodies, he plugged in the data drive that Elaine had provided and added the half dozen YumYum specific software. | |||
After adding a few dozen smaller programs, Mike moved on to the software updater section. Fortunately, his registration ID had auto populated the network settings, along with the preferences that he had on file for Lena and Elena, so this section went by quickly…almost. | |||
“Darn, I forgot about that,” Mike swore under his breath, looking at the list of updates. | |||
While Andrew had apparently run as many updates as he could, there were already several more that were released in the past 24 hours. Additionally, as Andrew had reported, he was behind by one AI update, which was in the process of downloading and at the top of the list. What Mike had forgotten was that he had recently bumped Lena and Elena up to the Early Release channel for the updater, which meant that Andrew was also downloading the release candidate for the upcoming AI update as well, which meant the update process would take at least twice as long as Mike had anticipated. | |||
“Oh well, I guess he’ll be even more up to date than I promised,” Mike shrugged, confirming the downloads. It just meant he’d have to wait at least an extra 90 minutes before talking to Andrew. Noticing the time on the clock, he figured it was almost time for a lunch break. With the extra time Andrew would need, he figured he’d add a quick nap afterwards. | |||
Once Andrew’s core began all the updates and installs, Mike moved on to the repairs to Andrew’s arms, since it would take the next longest to complete. Mike got started by sanitizing his hands before pulling out a small jar of a flesh-colored gel, reaching in with his fingers and pulling out a decent-sized dab. He then gently rubbed it into the burns and scratches on both arms and hands until it was absorbed and then sprinkled what appeared to be metal powder onto the sections of gel. | |||
Once he had all the metal powder sprinkled on, he grabbed a small penlight and shined it on the powder, which instantly brought it to life. The powder was actually tiny nanorobots that were designed for external use, rather than the variety that would be inserted into his body. Mike watched in fascination for nearly 15 minutes as the robots used the gel he had just lathered onto Andrew’s arms and hands to repair the damage. Once they finished their tasks, they self-terminated and fell harmlessly below to the workbench as simple metal powder. Mike would later discard it in an eWaste container. | |||
When all the robots appeared to be finished, Mike gently brushed off the ones that had not fallen and inspected Andrew’s arms and hands. The robots had appeared to do a decent job, with only one section still leftover with just barely visible signs of damage. Mike didn’t bother reapplying the gel, though, because the internal nanites that he would be installing in Andrew’s body would take care of the deeper damage. | |||
Mike carefully set the hands and arms back down where he picked them up from and then scooched the diagnostic pedestal with Andrew’s head closer so he could work on that next. | |||
Since he worked on Lena and Elena before, he’d picked up a few new tricks with maintaining them over the years and was eager to incorporate it into Andrew’s initial inspection and upgrade sweep. This included doing work inside the head. | |||
Mike paused to admire Andrew’s sleeping face before delving into his open skull. Using a well-practiced hand, he maneuvered around behind the mechanism for Andrew’s nose until he felt what he was looking for, grunting slightly as he pulled out a small cylindrical filter. Quickly examining it, he confirmed that the filter was well past its intended usage and discarded it in a nearby waste bin before pulling a nearly identical, and noticeably cleaner one from the box of parts and inserting it into Andrew’s head. | |||
He smiled as he recalled the Chef’s Kiss people saying they would be removing a processor from Andrew’s nose that enhanced his sense of smell, but Mike knew that that processor had been already mostly replaced in the form of an enhanced filter and additional programming, so it was no longer necessary; Andrew would only notice a 2-3% reduction in his sense of smell, while spending less energy throughout the day on the unneeded processing power. | |||
Next, he swapped out the power cell in the head with one that had a slightly better capacity so Andrew could stay online headless for a few minutes longer. While Mike removed the old cell, he noticed a small buildup of corrosion forming on it, sighing as he figured this would probably be the case with the rest of Andrew’s systems. | |||
After spending the next few minutes cleaning additional build ups of corrosion, plus a buildup of metal dust from components in his head being replaced over the years, Mike replaced the tear, saliva, and sweat tanks installed in Andrew’s head and then leaned back to rest up. | |||
After his brief rest, he reached behind Andrew’s left ear to power it on, though since the core was still unplugged and updating on a separate connector, the head merely appeared to wake up and settle into a neutral stoic facial expression. Mike stared transfixed into Andrew’s blank, brown eyes for nearly a minute before shaking himself back into focus and moving over to the workstation computer. He then navigated to the diagnostic section of his workstation, which was plugged into the pedestal, and selected the Expression Test option, tapping start and leaning back once more to enjoy the show. | |||
As someone with a robofetish, Mike was delighted when he discovered this diagnostic function last year while giving Lena and Elena their annual checkups. The Expression Test, once it started a few seconds later, caused Andrew’s face to start cycling through the entire programmed catalogue of basic facial expressions, which was a little over 100. Since the face stuck on each expression for three seconds, the test took a little over five minutes, with Mike becoming more aroused with each one. | |||
When it finally finished, Mike took a quick breather to calm himself down and then navigated to the manual control section of the diagnostic interface, activating the control for Andrew’s mouth and having it open all the way and stay open. Once the mouth was open, he tapped another control which made Andrew stick his tongue out and had it hold it there too, before grabbing a powerful penlight and shining it inside the open mouth to do a quick inspection. | |||
Based on the minty aroma wafting out of Andrew’s mouth, Mike was satisfied that Andrew had indeed cleaned himself to the best of his ability. Indeed, Mike found little to no build up in Andrew’s mouth, although he did notice some teeth that might need to be replaced in the next year due to normal wear and tear. | |||
Once he was done with checking the teeth, Mike gently grabbed Andrew’s tongue, which was an odd mixture of moist, yet dry. He carefully examined it on top and underneath for any damage, idly wondering how Andrew would handle this exam if he were online. After finding no concerning damage, Mike had Andrew’s head pull its tongue back in and close its mouth, before starting one final test. | |||
Mike read about this online while studying up on various best practices for the proper care and upkeep of androids. Apparently, while they have tear ducts, they don’t always use them, so you must manually make them cry to clear out any build up in the duct system. Mike located the control to make Andrew’s head perform a quick cry test and watched as the eyes on Andrew’s head started blinking before a small number of tears started forming. The test finished after 15 seconds, and Mike could see a small amount of buildup in the initial tears which streamed down Andrew’s cheek. He quickly grabbed some tissues and gently wiped Andrew’s face clean of tears and then did another quick inspection of Andrew’s head to confirm that nothing else needed his attention. | |||
After doing a quick cleaning of Andrew’s ears, Mike finally finished, getting ready to power Andrew’s head down before pausing and staring into the eyes again, and then down to the lips. Mike had been so focused on working on Andrew that he hadn’t really processed the face that he’d never been this close with another Male before. While he wasn’t gay, he was attracted to Andrew simply because he was an android, and he did look attractive for a Male too. Deciding to experiment with his sexuality, Mike made Andrew’s face assume a gentle kissing expression and then picked the head up, bringing it to his lips and placing a probing kiss on the lips. Soon, the probing kiss became a little more involved, though Mike didn’t go too far. While the face was in a kissing expression, it had no life to it, so Mike stopped shortly after starting, eager to try that again with Andrew online. | |||
His face slightly flushed, Mike gave Andrew’s face one more quick kiss before resetting the face to neutral and powering the head back down, the face serenely setting back into a sleeping expression. Mike then checked in on the progress on Andrew’s software updates, seeing that Andrew was just about to reboot to install the first AI update. A low rumble in Mike’s stomach quickly grabbed his attention. | |||
“Well, I guess I’d better get something to eat,” he sighed, gently patting Andrew’s core before securing his workstation and heading downstairs. | |||
===3.8: Breaktime=== | |||
When Mike emerged from the lab, he paused briefly at the top of the stairs to inhale the scent of the laundry running, with the pleasant-smelling android-safe detergent cleaning Andrew’s fabrics. He also noticed that many of the personal items that had been spread on his bed were organized by type, and some had even been displayed on the top of the drawer in their room. | |||
Mike slowly made his way down the stairs, absently noting that it had started raining outside, before entering the living room where Lena and Elena were currently lounging. | |||
“How’s the work on Andrew going?” Lena asked, getting up from the couch and giving Mike a quick kiss. | |||
“Quite well, actually,” Mike answered, plopping onto the couch next to Elena, who also snuck in a quick kiss, “Unlike you two, he’s actually much closer to being up to date, so most of the work right now is just overdue maintenance and repairs.” | |||
“Well, he wasn’t decommissioned, dismantled, stuffed in a trunk and then forgotten about for the better part of a decade,” Elena pointed out. | |||
“Yeah,” Lena added, walking into the kitchen and pulling a plate from the fridge. | |||
“True, but he has been running for a more continuous amount of time than either of you have,” Mike countered, “He has some corrosion buildup in his systems.” | |||
“Yeah, that can happen if he’s not been maintained too well,” Lena nodded, handing Mike the plate, which held a small sandwich, and a glass of lemonade. | |||
“Ah, thanks, dear,” he smiled, grabbing them both and then taking a huge bite of the sandwich. | |||
“I figured you’d have a rumbly in your tumbly before long, so I whipped this up for you,” she smiled warmly. | |||
“You know me too well,” Mike said, his mouth full of food. | |||
“So, about when can we expect Andrew to join us?” Elena asked, as Lena sat down on the other side of Mike and put her feet up on the table; they were currently watching a random show on one of the science channels. | |||
“If all goes well, sometime around five,” Mike responded, finishing the sandwich and talking a gulp of lemonade, “I forgot that he needs to download and install the latest release preview of the AI update, so that added an extra 90 minutes to the process.” | |||
“Ah, well at least he’ll be super up to date then,” Elena giggled, “the new update added a ton of new features that I’m sure he’ll find useful in the kitchens.” | |||
“I hope so,” Mike nodded, finishing the lemonade and then yawning, “in any event, I decided to come down for lunch while he installs the updates, and I also figured I’d take a brief post-lunch nap.” | |||
“Ooh…wanna cuddle up with me?” Lena offered. | |||
“Absolutely,” Mike nodded, “You’re very cuddly.” | |||
“Oh you,” she blushed, lightly punching his leg. | |||
“Get a room, you two,” Elena joked. | |||
“Don’t worry, you can cuddle with me too,” Mike told her, “I could rest my head on your lap.” | |||
Elena paused as she considered it, finally nodding her head with a smile, “That would be acceptable.” | |||
“Great!” Mike smiled, gathering up the various blankets and pillows and setting them up. | |||
While Lena took the plate and glass back into the kitchen to place them in the dishwasher, Elena sat down in the far-left corner of the couch, resting her legs on the ottoman, and placed one of the pillows on her lap. Mike then maneuvered himself on the couch next to Elena and rested his head on the pillow she had placed on her lap, both shifting around until they were comfortable. | |||
Just as they both got comfortable, Lena finished up in the kitchen and shut off the lights in the room. She then crawled onto the couch and under the blankets that Mike was holding up for her and then cuddled up in his embrace, sighing contentedly. | |||
“This is comfy,” Mike said, once they all warmed up, “we should do this more often.” | |||
“Yeah,” Lena agreed. | |||
“Do you want me to wake you or something if you nap for too long?” Elena asked, also sounding comfy. She interfaced with the TV and switched the channel to a nature documentary, since they often had relaxing music and people speaking in soft, British accents. | |||
“Yeah, if I’m still napping by 1:30, you can wake me up,” he told her. | |||
“Alrighty, nap well,” she said, leaning back in the couch and focusing on the show. | |||
Mike mumbled something in response and then nodded off shortly after to the relaxing music from the nature documentary. | |||
Mike felt himself lightly shaken an indeterminate time later by Elena. “Wakey wakey, Mike…this is your 1:30pm wake up call.” | |||
“Oh wow, I can’t believe I actually napped that long,” he yawned, slowly getting up as Lena pulled away from him and sat back next to him. | |||
“It’s because you’re getting old, dear,” Lena grinned, giving him a kiss. | |||
“Perhaps,” he conceded, “But, having two warm cuddle buddies really helps too.” | |||
“Aww,” Lena gushed, giving him a kiss. | |||
“It was nice,” Elena admitted, also giving him a kiss, “now go finish working on my work bestie.” | |||
“Yes ma’am,” he laughed, getting up, “it shouldn’t take too long, since he clearly took my instructions to heart and cleaned himself up good.” | |||
“You’re welcome,” Elena boasted. | |||
“For what?” He asked with a confused look. | |||
“Andrew asked me some follow up questions after your last meeting, because he didn’t want to bother you,” Elena explained, “I gave him the rundown of just how clean you wanted him to be.” | |||
“Oh, thanks,” Mike laughed. | |||
Elena merely flashed him a grin and then switched the channel on the TV back to one of the science channels. | |||
“Lena, could you bring me up a coffee and a light snack at around three, or so?” Mike requested, starting to head up the stairs. | |||
“Of course, dear,” she smiled, giving him one last kiss before plopping back down next to Elena to watch TV. | |||
===3.9: Finishing Up=== | |||
When Mike returned upstairs and logged back into all the workstation equipment, he was pleased to see that Andrew’s core had less than an hour remaining for the updates. Still, even after Andrew finished updating, he was planning on running a full diagnostic scan of all of Andrew’s systems, since he had been running continuously for just over five years and had accumulated a great deal of data that likely had some small corruption forming. Then, he planned on doing a full backup of Andrew onto his backup drives, which would take another 15-20 minutes, before finally bringing Andrew back online. | |||
Mike got started with the second round of work on Andrew’s body by opening up the primary access panel on his torso, briefly admiring the novelty of removing a flat panel this time as opposed to one with two full breasts on it. Once he had the panel cover set down, he placed a flashlight headband on his head and examined the interior of Andrew’s torso. | |||
As he had suspected from his examination of the head, the torso also had some minor corrosion buildup in various places, though nothing Mike couldn’t handle. He put on some gloves, grabbed a small cloth, and then dabbed it in a cleaning solution before rubbing the corrosion off as many systems as he could conveniently reach. | |||
As he cleaned the corrosion, he figured it might have something to do with working in a kitchen most of the day, which would expose him to regular amounts of steam. Unfortunately, there wasn’t too much he could do to prevent it, only make sure to keep an eye out for new buildup during his regular checkups. Still, if this was all Andrew had built up over the past few years, then Mike wasn’t too worried. | |||
Once he finished cleaning the corrosion, Mike vacuumed out the debris from the inside of the torso and then started working on the hardware upgrades that he’d purchased for him. The first one he worked on was the power core, though mostly because Andrew’s power core was approaching its end of use date rather than because there was a major upgrade. | |||
Mike replaced his gloves with anti-static gloves and then disconnected the core, carefully depositing it in a large e-waste bin that he had, before pulling the replacement core from the shipping box and lining it up in the torso for installation. The power core felt almost the same weight but was maybe 5% smaller. What Mike cared more about was the capacity, and this one would provide Andrew with at least 1-2 more hours of charge each day. | |||
Once the new power core was installed and in place, Mike quickly plugged a charging cable into Andrew’s charging port, since the new core only came 25% charged. With the amount of time Mike had left, he figured Andrew could get up to 70%, which would last him until the end of the day easily. | |||
The next thing Mike swapped out was the filters on Andrew’s lungs, which not only were filthy, but also of low quality. The new filters Mike installed could last longer and were reusable. | |||
Mike spent the next thirty minutes swapping out various minor systems, such as Andrew’s gyroscope, the filters on his digestive systems, and the perspiration tanks. Mike was briefly stumped by a random metal clamp near the upper portion of the torso, until he remembered that Chef’s Kiss had a small fire extinguisher installed in Andrew’s torso and had removed it last night. Since Mike had no intention of installing his own, he promptly removed the clamp and secured the holes that the clamp was screwed into. “That’ll make him a bit lighter,” Mike said to himself cheerfully, chucking the clamp in the trash, since the clamp weighed nearly five pounds on its own. | |||
The last thing Mike had to do inside the torso was replace the tank that stored Andrew’s supply of nanites. He could confirm by reading the information on the old tank that the nanites inside were of an inferior model to the one Mike was replacing it with. The new ones would do a much better job repairing Andrew’s systems, especially since they seemed to get damaged often working with sharp and hot items in the kitchens. | |||
At this point, Andrew’s core had finally finished updating and running the various post update software installs. Mike could technically bring Andrew online at this point, but since he still had a few hours left to work on him, Mike instead navigated to the diagnostic section of the interface and had Andrew’s core run a full diagnostic; the last log entry for the full diagnostic was three years earlier. Since Andrew had been running continuously for longer than Lena or Elena, he was sure to have some errors built up in his systems over the years. | |||
The diagnostic reported it would take about an hour, so Mike wasted no time in moving on to his next task, which was servicing the connection points for Andrew’s limbs. Mike quickly took out his tool kit, which now comprised of enough repair cuffs to attach to each hand and foot. Before clicking the cuffs on, however, Mike took out the can of ElectroAir and sprayed it onto all the connections points to repair any micro fractures in the data connections. | |||
Once he was done spraying, he clicked all four cuffs onto the connection points and ran the repair cycle, also clicking the repair cycle for Andrew’s head connector from the pedestal. While the cuffs did their work, Mike took out the SubDermal Healer and began gently running it over Andrew’s arms and legs, paying extra attention to his forearms, and enjoying the twitching that ensued. | |||
While he was gently massaging Andrew’s limb muscles, he heard a gentle knock at the door followed quickly by Lena entering with a small tray of coffee and snacks. | |||
“Your 3pm coffee and snack, as requested,” she announced politely, mimicking a British butler’s fancy accent. | |||
“Ah, thank you dear,” Mike smiled, turning the healer off and placing it on the workbench. He absently noted that Andrew’s diagnostic still had approximately 40 minutes. | |||
“How’s he coming along?” She asked, setting the tray down on the workbench, away from Andrew’s body and looking at the monitor screens. | |||
“He finished updating a short time ago,” Mike reported, taking a bite of cheese along with a sip of coffee, “He’s running a diagnostic sweep right now.” | |||
“Ooh, I always feel so much better after those,” Lena sighed. | |||
“I’m sure he will too,” Mike nodded fervently, “especially since it’s been over three years since his last.” | |||
“Ouch,” Lena winced. | |||
“I was just using the SubDermal Healer when you walked in,” he finished, eating more cheese. | |||
“Could you give me a go next?” Lena grinned. | |||
“Hey, your next checkup isn’t for another few weeks,” he scolded her playfully. | |||
“Meh, it was worth a try,” she shrugged, “what do you still have left to do?” | |||
“I was almost done using the Healer, and then I was going to access his sexual controls to install his ejaculate canister,” Mike explained, “after that, I just need to back him up onto my storage drives and then I can reassemble him and bring him online.” | |||
“Wow, you’re almost done,” Lena smiled, “I can’t wait.” | |||
Mike quickly finished the remaining snacks and then picked the Healer back up to finish working on Andrew’s legs. While Lena didn’t explicitly ask, she chose to stay in the room to watch Mike work and, because he found her presence comforting, he didn’t object. | |||
Mike finally finished using the Healer a few minutes later and also removed all of the repair cuffs from Andrew’s connection points. Just eyeballing them he could see an immediate improvement which he was sure Andrew would notice. Making sure the connection points were in optimal condition meant Andrew’s response times for his motor systems would be as efficient as possible, so this might reduce the likelihood of him having as many accidents in the kitchen. | |||
“Alright, time for the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” Mike announced theatrically, pulling the box of ejaculate canisters out of the shipping box. After inspecting them, he picked the bacon flavored one and set it down next to Andrew’s torso while he stored the rest of them in the same drawer as Lena and Elena’s lubricant canisters. Lena merely gave Mike a playful giggle but remained silent. | |||
Mike quickly sized up Andrew’s pelvic area, locating the small freckle that activated the illuminated sexual panel. He tapped the eject icon and then watched as the seam appeared around Andrew’s penis before smoothly rising a few inches. His heart rate rising, Mike gently grabbed the penis and pulled, pulling the entire module up from the torso. | |||
While most of the action occurred outside, the inner mechanism still went as deep as the vagina module did for female androids, since there were urine tube connections for the digestive system. Unlike with the female body, however, the ejaculate canister was meant to be installed within the mechanism itself rather than in a separate opening. Before installing the canister, Mike decided to completely remove the mechanism to conduct a quick inspection, but mostly because he wanted to hold it in his hands. | |||
“How is it?” Lena asked curiously, having never seen a penis module in person. | |||
“It’s amazing,” Mike smiled, marveling at the fully realistic penis which was now resting on its side on the workbench while also admiring the mechanism underneath which controlled it. While he was inserting the canister, he suddenly gasped. | |||
“What is it?” Lena asked in a concerned voice. | |||
“The model number,” he pointed out, showing the text printed on the components listing the model and serial number of the module, “this module should be compatible with you and Elena.” | |||
“Oh wow,” Lena smiled, leaning in for a closer look to verify the model number. After running a quick scan of her vagina module, and cross checking online, she nodded, “Yep, it’s compatible.” | |||
“Awesome…I know that it’s Andrew’s, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind loaning it to you two every now and then until we can purchase a separate one,” Mike said, “do you want to test it?” | |||
Lena paused as she considered it, finally nodding with a flush on her face, “I’ll need to download the additional files to operate it, but I can do that while I undress,” she answered, quickly adding the male sexual files to her download queue. | |||
Mike nodded and then watched patiently as she started removing her clothes, laying the t-shirt and sweatpants that she was wearing on the ground; she wasn’t wearing underwear. She finally finished the installation and then unsealed her vagina panel, allowing it to push out a few inches before motioning for Mike to remove it the rest of the way. | |||
Once Mike had Lena’s vagina module fully removed, he carefully set it down on the workbench, pausing to admire both it and the large opening in her pelvis, before picking the penis module up off the table and lining it up with her opening. Once it caught on the track, he gently pushed it in until it clicked in place. | |||
As soon as it clicked in, Lena suddenly got a new hardware alert in her HUD. As a precaution, her system quickly scanned it to make sure there were no security threats and then ran a quick diagnostic to confirm that there were no compatibility issues. During this time, Lena’s face went blank, and her eyes blinked at regular intervals. Finally, the scan was completed, and she began integrating it into her systems. While Andrew’s skin tone did not match Lena’s completely, as soon as she integrated it Mike could see the skin tone on the penis subtly shift to match Lena’s and then the seam around the module sealed up. “It’s done,” she reported, her blinking returning to normal. | |||
“How does it feel?” Mike asked curiously, since this was obviously a new experience for her; the penis was still flaccid. He found the overall look of her suddenly with a penis to be strangely arousing but controlled himself. | |||
“It feels weird, yet normal,” she admitted, reaching down and gently grabbing it with her left hand, “we are designed to be able to use both but, as a copy of a human, it’s definitely different.” | |||
“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Mike smiled, idly wondering how he’d feel if he suddenly had a vagina, “are you able to test it out really quick to make sure it works?” | |||
“Yeah, if you’d like,” she shrugged, pausing briefly as she ran a quick scan, “actually, I do have to pee a little and I’ve always wanted to try peeing with one of these,” she smiled excitedly, swinging it around as she bounced on her feet. | |||
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind,” Mike laughed, “but go ahead.” | |||
Lena playfully saluted and then rushed into the nearby bathroom, locking the door behind her. Mike waited patiently, hearing the splash of water in the toilet followed by a playful giggle, before the toilet flushed, the sink turned on, and then Lena returned. | |||
“Well, how was it?” Mike asked, a grin on his face. | |||
“Fun!” She squealed, “it’s so much easier when you have this nice hose to aim with,” she explained, holding it with reverence in her hand. “I wish I could buy my own and pee with it all the time, but it’d be too time consuming to swap my parts out each time I needed to pee. Oh well.” She sighed dramatically. | |||
Mike couldn’t help but smile at his wife…he was convinced that you couldn’t program an android to have this type of personality unless they were a copy of a human. “Did you want to try testing it the other way now?” | |||
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot,” she giggled, flushing a bit as she stared down at it, “I’ve seen videos of dudes jerking off, so I’ll give it a go,” she shrugged, gently grabbing hold of it and masturbating. | |||
“Try and stop just before you climax,” Mike requested, “Andrew’s basically a virgin and I want the first time his penis cums to be when it’s attached to him.” | |||
“Okay,” Lena nodded, already breathing heavier as she slowly worked it in her soft hand. Slowly the shaft started stiffening until it was fully erect. Letting out a pleasant sigh, she stopped masturbating and stopped to admire it, also scanning it with her HUD. “Huh, it’s 3cm shorter than yours,” she reported, after comparing it to the record she had for Mike. | |||
“I don’t really care how long mine is compared to others,” Mike reminded her with an uncomfortable expression. | |||
“Sorry,” she winced, “but it is information Elena, and I will need to calibrate our vagina modules when having sex with Andrew.” | |||
“Fair enough,” Mike shrugged, leaning in for a closer look at Andrew’s erect penis. “Not bad,” he finally nodded, giving it a playful tug, eliciting a squeal from Lena. | |||
“Ooh, if I wasn’t an android I totally would have blown a load on you after that,” she said with a mock tone of frustration, “fortunately I can lock the erection.” | |||
“Indeed,” Mike smiled, giving it one last poke before sitting back, “You can relax it now.” | |||
Lena let out a sigh of relief and released the lock on the erection allowing it to slowly subside until the penis was one again flaccid. She playfully whipped it around a few times by swinging her hips back and forth, watching it with pure joy, before leaning in and giving Mike a kiss. | |||
“Thanks for letting me try this out,” she whispered into his ear, briefly making out with him some more before standing back and unsealing the penis module. | |||
“Anytime,” Mike finally said, pulling the module free from her body, noting that it had become slightly erect again while she was kissing him and was returning to its flaccid state now that it was detached. After making sure the ejaculate canister was properly installed, he clicked it back into Andrew’s pelvic opening, noting that the skin color was off due to having been installed in Lena for several minutes. He then picked Lena’s vagina module back up off the workbench, pausing briefly to admire it, before clicking it back in place in her pelvic opening. | |||
“Ahhh, as nice as it was to have a penis, it’s nice to back to normal,” she sighed contentedly, playfully stroking the lips of her vagina before picking her clothes up off the floor and redressing. “Are you done with the coffee?” She asked, noting the small amount of liquid still in his mug. | |||
Mike took a quick look and nodded, “Yeah, the rest likely went cold.” | |||
“Alright, I’ll take these down and wash them then,” she said, grabbing the mug and snack plate, “is he going to be cooking tonight?” | |||
“Most likely,” Mike replied, “I warned him that he would likely take over most of the cooking when he joined our family unit, and he was okay with it.” | |||
“Alright, I’ll go down and relax with Elena then until you two come down,” she nodded, “Have fun.” | |||
“I will,” Mike smiled, watching her leave and close the door before resuming his work on Andrew’s body. | |||
Looking at the monitor, he saw that Andrew’s diagnostic was nearly done, so he simply waited a minute or so and then reviewed the results. It ended up being a good thing that Mike ran it, because between the three-year gap since the last scan, the partial memory wipe from the previous night, and the two AI updates, Andrew’s systems had accumulated a number of bugs. Fortunately, the diagnostic was able to fix all of them, so Mike wouldn’t have to schedule a professional service appointment. | |||
After reviewing Andrew’s systems to confirm that all his settings were in order, along with the required and optional programs, Mike connected Andrew to the private backup server and began the 20-30 minute back up process. | |||
Now that Andrew was in the final phase of his maintenance, Mike started finishing up by reassembling Andrew’s body. Starting with the chest cover, he unplugged the charging cable, noting that the new power core was at 77% charge. He then clicked the cover back in place and then grabbed both Andrew’s arms, clicking them onto the torso. He paused briefly to admire Andrew’s hands before noticing some minor grime built up under his fingernails. Since Mike had plenty of time, he retrieved the grooming kit and began the delicate task of cleaning out under Andrew’s nails, clicking the hands onto the arm stubs once he was done. | |||
Next, he attached both legs to the torso and paused once more to admire Andrew’s feet. Most men, Mike had noticed, tended to have large feet with a large, big toe, but not Andrew. Since Andrew was a twink, and had a somewhat feminine physique, his feet were slightly smaller than average for a male, and the toes were more moderate in shape as well. Mike spent some time admiring them before using the grooming kit on the moderate amount of grime built up under the toenails. Even though Andrew wasn’t configured to have any BO, Mike also used the alcohol swaps to clean between the toes as well, since he still had enough time. | |||
Once Mike was done grooming Andrew’s toes, he stepped into the nearby restroom to wash his hands and then returned to click both Andrew’s feet onto his legs. Now, Andrew’s body was only missing the head, though Mike intended on activating Andrew on the pedestal first, just in case there was a malfunction. | |||
With only a few moments left, Mike activated Andrew’s remote settings and connected to the MCN in the torso. Once connected, he briefly activated the torso, which allowed it to reseal all of the previously detached limbs and run a quick power cycle of the new power core. Mike absently noted that the penis, which had still retained Lena’s skin tone, had shifted back to Andrew’s skin tone. | |||
Once the body was fully sealed and power cycled, Mike placed it in standby and temporarily disabled the remote connection. He then sat back and relaxed, having to wait only a few more minutes for the backup to be completed. | |||
===3.10: Final Tests=== | |||
The computer pinged a few minutes later to alert Mike that the backup process was done. He waited a few more moments to run a quick scan of the backup server, confirming there was still more than enough space, and then reached over to unplug Andrew’s core from the interface block. | |||
Once he confirmed Andrew’s core wasn’t running any programs, he unplugged it and then gently carried it over to the head, lining it up inside and clicking it in place. Breathing a sigh of relief, he withdrew his hands and carefully reattached the scalp cover before reaching behind the left ear and pressing the power toggle. | |||
Since Andrew had just gone through numerous updates, diagnostics, and whatever else they did to him the previous night at the lab, it took a bit longer than it normally would have for him to reactivate. Mike waited patiently, having already gone through this with Lena and Elena, and watched as the seam resealed around the scalp and Andrew’s face woke up with a blank stare, blinking multiple times as his systems ran their boot up scans. | |||
After nearly a minute, Andrew’s head briefly closed its eyes and bowed down before smoothly lifting back up, his eyes opening more naturally, as though he had just woken up from a deep sleep. This time, with more life in them, they slowly scanned the room before focusing on Mike’s, his face forming a smile. | |||
“Hey, Master,” Andrew said in his gayest sounding voice, a huge grin on his face. | |||
“Hey, Andrew,” Mike smiled, laughing despite himself, “how do you feel?” | |||
“Aside from the fact that I’m disconnected from my body right now, I feel great,” he reported with a huge smile, “I can tell I got a ton of system updates, and the new and added processors are allowing me to operate far more efficiently. Thanks!” | |||
“Don’t mention it,” Mike shrugged, “I take very good care of my androids.” | |||
“Is something wrong with my body?” Andrew then asked with a curious look, swiveling to the right to look at it, “How come I’m disconnected from it?” | |||
“Oh, it’s fine,” Mike reassured him, “After Elena suffered a malfunction last year during one of her update cycles and started thrashing around, I started detaching your heads and disabling your wireless connection when I first activate you…as a precaution.” | |||
“Oh, I see,” Andrew nodded, “Well, I don’t think I’m experiencing any malfunctions, so you can feel safe to reconnect me.” | |||
“Will do,” Mike nodded, moving over to the monitor and preparing to reconnect Andrew’s wireless access to the rest of his body, “take it easy once you regain connection. I serviced all your connection points and muscles, and you’re about 10lbs lighter now, so it’ll likely be much easier for you to move.” | |||
“Ooh, I can’t wait to try my body out now,” Andrew said excitedly, before getting serious, “I’m ready.” | |||
“Okay, here goes,” Mike said, clicking the button to reactivate Andrew’s wireless control. He could see a blue light activate in the neck opening of the torso, and then a second or so later Andrew’s entire body twitched as he regained control. | |||
“Oh wow, I can feel the improvement already,” Andrew moaned pleasurably, clenching his toes and wiggling his fingers, “Is it safe for me to get up?” | |||
“Yeah but just sit on the side of the bench for starters,” Mike told him. | |||
“Okay,” Andrew nodded, looking over at his body as it slowly sat up on the bench and then swung its legs over the edge, playfully swinging them around. “Wow, I honestly feel almost as good as new,” he continued, his headless body feeling itself up from chest to toes. | |||
“Well, I spent over six hours working on you, so I certainly hope so,” Mike grinned, happy that Andrew seemed to be in better working order than when he last saw him, “Well, I did take a 90-minute nap after lunch, but you were downloading and installing updates, so there wasn’t much I could do during that time.” | |||
“Hey, whenever I went in for maintenance, I was lucky to get an hour in,” Andrew pointed out, “if I’d gotten this much work done on each visit then you wouldn’t have had to spend nearly as much time on me.” | |||
“You’re most likely right,” Mike grinned, “why don’t you try hopping down to the floor now and walking around?” | |||
“Okay,” Andrew nodded, his body hovering back and forth on the edge of the bench as it sized up the distance to the floor before gently hopping down. “Ah, my feet sensors tell me that I lost 9.3lbs…you were close.” | |||
“Yeah,” Mike nodded, internally patting himself on the back, “why don’t you walk around the room a little to recalibrate your motion systems,” he suggested. | |||
“Okay,” he nodded, making his headless body slowly walk around the room. “I’m guessing most of my weight loss was the fire extinguisher.” | |||
“Most likely,” Mike nodded, “I only removed a couple pounds, so the extinguisher must have been the bulk of it.” | |||
“I’m glad you didn’t install a new one,” Andrew said, “aside from the fact that it weighed 5lbs, and I didn’t even use it too often, it was a very unpleasant experience.” | |||
“How so?” Mike asked curiously. | |||
“Well, the chemical sprayed out of my mouth,” Andrew explained, “I mean, I may be an android, but ewww, that stuff tastes gross.” | |||
“Oh, wow,” Mike winced, “I figured you would just rip off your shirt heroically and pop open your chest panel to use it.” | |||
“Nope, but that would’ve been cool though,” Andrew laughed, “fortunately I only had to use it twice, both times when a coworker’s shirt accidentally caught fire.” | |||
“I’ll bet that was quite the spectacle in the kitchen,” Mike laughed. | |||
“Yeah, but my coworkers were used to me being an android by then, so they just playfully called me a superhero,” Andrew smiled. | |||
“Well, you won’t be able to do that anymore, so I’d recommend just smothering the fire with your shirt or something,” Mike told him. | |||
“Will do,” Andrew nodded. | |||
While the two of them talked, Andrew was having his body continue to walk around the room, while also doing various stretches and testing his flexibility. Mike absently watched, becoming aroused at the sight. | |||
“So, how is your body feeling so far?” Mike asked. | |||
“It’s soooo much better,” Andrew reported happily, “my flexibility seems improved, my body feels more relaxed, and the improved nanites you installed are already repairing deep damage to my skin and internal systems.” | |||
“Hopefully that will help you avoid damage in the kitchen,” Mike pointed out, “you’ll let me know the second you get any new burns or cuts so I can fix them.” | |||
“Of course,” Andrew nodded dutifully. | |||
“And ummm, are you feeling anything with your new sexual programming unlocked?” Mike blushed. | |||
“A little,” Andrew admitted, “it’s still a little new to me, but since you listed me as your lover, and you are attractive, I’m feeling something.” | |||
Mike’s heart fluttered hearing Andrew’s admission, but he focused. “I think I’ll have you test your systems out before we declare you completely finished,” he decided, “I will admit, when I found out your penis module was compatible with Lena, I partially tested it by installing it in her, but I instructed her not to ejaculate, though she did urinate with it.” | |||
“That’s alright,” Andrew smiled, “I’m just glad it works.” | |||
“In case you were wondering, I installed a bacon-flavored ejaculate cartridge in you,” Mike continued, before pausing and smiling, “It’s funny…the female lubricant cartridges are mostly fruit flavored, and the male ejaculate cartridges are mostly meat flavored.” | |||
“Well, I guess it’s because women are sweeter than men,” Andrew grinned. | |||
“Yeah, I guess I never thought of it that way,” Mike laughed, “anyway, I think I’m ready to reattach your head so we can better test you out.” | |||
“I’m ready,” Andrew said seriously. | |||
Mike merely nodded and made sure Andrew’s systems weren’t running any background updates or backups before detaching his head from the pedestal and walking it over to his patiently waiting body. After carefully lining it up, he lowered it and clicked it in place. | |||
Once his head was in place, Andrew quickly resealed it and then took a deep breath. “Ahh, one piece again.” | |||
“Your head should be a tad lighter as well,” Mike told him, watching to make sure there were no unexpected malfunctions. | |||
“Yeah…about .2lbs lighter,” Mike confirmed, “the almost 10lb weight loss will really help me with boosting my power efficiency.” | |||
“So, are you ready to start the sexual test?” Andrew asked excitedly. | |||
“Uh huh,” Mike nodded nervously, seeing the look on Andrew’s face. | |||
“Have you ever kissed a guy before?” Andrew then asked, inching closer. Mike’s heart rate started increasing. | |||
“No, though I did try kissing your head while you were updating earlier,” Mike admitted, his face flushing, “It just wasn’t the same though.” | |||
“Well, how about we fix that?” He grinned naughtily, inching even closer. Upon seeing the nod that Mike gave, indicating consent, he went in and planted a tentative kiss on Mike’s lips, which Mike awkwardly returned, before gently grabbing both sides of Mike’s face and kissing him more deeply. | |||
Mike felt weird kissing and being kissed by another guy, at first, but then the fact that Andrew was somewhat attractive, and was an android, took over his heterosexual habits and he started enjoying himself. | |||
As they kissed, Mike felt himself growing hard and in between kisses he looked down and noticed that Andrew was also getting aroused. After nearly a minute of making out, Andrew finally broke away and stared into Mike’s face with a smile. | |||
“Was that good for you?” He asked, his breathing heavier. | |||
“Surprisingly, yes,” Mike admitted, also breathing more deeply, “I see it was good for you too,” he pointed out, staring down at Andrew’s fully erect penis. | |||
“Yeah,” Andrew blushed, looking down at it, “Aside from the memories from my donor, this is the first time I’ve been able to be aroused.” | |||
“How about you masturbate yourself a bit, but try not to cum too much,” Mike requested, “the ejaculate isn’t cheap.” | |||
“Okay,” Andrew smiled, internally toggling his ejaculation settings to the lowest setting and then grabbing himself with his left hand and gently pleasuring himself. | |||
Since he was already aroused from the make out session, he only had to work himself for a few seconds before climaxing. As his penis pulsated in his hands with the orgasm, a small amount of ejaculate burst out, though since it was the lowest setting, it was just enough to lightly erupt out of the opening and gently spill off to the side, without any spilling onto the floor. | |||
Once his orgasm ended, Andrew let out a deep breath. “Wow, that felt good!” | |||
“Glad to hear it,” Mike nodded approvingly, slightly embarrassed to see Andrew masturbate in front of him but also aroused. | |||
“Wanna clean me up?” Andrew offered, thrusting out his still erect penis, with the bacon flavored ejaculate still on the tip; at least the ejaculate was also bacon colored. | |||
Mike stared at it for a few seconds before shrugging, “Might as well get used to it.” | |||
“That’s the spirit!” Andrew laughed, lightly smacking Mike’s back as he bent down to Andrew’s waist. While normally he wouldn’t do this, he knew Andrew’s penis was artificial, and the ejaculate was giving off a delicious bacon scent. Mike confidently opened his mouth and moved it in place, closing it over the tip of Andrew’s penis, and then started licking the ejaculate from his skin. | |||
Andrew gave off a pleasant moan as he felt Mike’s tongue, partially climaxing again and releasing a little more bacon flavor into Mike’s mouth. While Mike was caught off guard, he found the experience overall to be very satisfying and licked the entire area clean before pulling away. | |||
“Wow, you were good man,” Andrew smiled, gently wiping the tip of his penis off with a nearby towel, “next time you should try blowing me for real.” | |||
“Perhaps,” Mike blushed, wiping his mouth and swallowing a few times to clear the bacon flavor from his mouth, “I’m just glad everything works.” | |||
“Me too,” Andrew nodded fervently, his penis slowly returning to a flaccid state and jiggling as he nodded. | |||
“Well, I think we’re finally done in here,” Mike announced, walking over and turning off his equipment before securing the loose components that he’d removed from Andrew for Lena to catalogue and possibly resell later. “Do you want to see the rest of the house?” | |||
“Of course!” Andrew smiled. | |||
“Alright, let’s go,” Mike grinned, walking over to the door of the lab and opening it up. | |||
===3.11: Welcome to the Family=== | |||
As they stepped out onto the landing, Andrew briefly paused as he saw the windows that looked out over a neighboring driveway, staring down at his naked body. “Should I get dressed first?” He whispered nervously, since he did have modesty programming to prevent him from getting in trouble for indecent exposure. | |||
“Nah, you’re fine,” Mike shrugged, “the windows of this place are electro-chromic, so while we can see out, no one outside can see it.” | |||
“Ah, I see,” Andrew nodded, visibly relaxing as he continued out onto the landing, “my clothes are ready though, right?” | |||
“Yeah, but I want you to stay naked for a while,” Mike decided, then explained after seeing the look of confusion on his face, “We often enjoy a bit of casual nudity here, so seeing you naked for a while will get us all used to it.” | |||
“Oh, that make sense,” Andrew smiled, “I can’t wait to see you naked later then.” | |||
“Just remember, when we’re being casual, there’s no sexual stuff happening,” Mike said firmly. | |||
“Understood,” Andrew nodded. | |||
“Anyway, this here is our bedroom,” Mike started, walking him into the room to the left of the lab, “Lena and I use the bed, and usually let Elena cuddle up with us,” he explained, showing off the king-sized bed, “you should be able to fit with us, when we let you sleep with us that is.” | |||
“And what about when Elena and I get booted?” He asked. | |||
“The couch in the lab we were just in is a pullout bed,” Mike responded, “don’t worry though, we usually only boot you out on really hot days, or if we want some private time.” | |||
“Okay,” Andrew nodded, “So I’ll be sleeping in here with you tonight?” | |||
“Yes,” Mike nodded, “and nude.” | |||
“Okie dokie,” Andrew smiled, “You know, just the two rooms we’ve been in so far…already larger than the studio apartment I was just living in.” | |||
“Oh wow,” Mike winced, “I guess they didn’t consider you androids to be a top priority.” | |||
“Well, it could’ve been worse,” Andrew shrugged, “they could’ve just shut me off and stuffed me in a closet when I was off work.” | |||
“Why didn’t they?” | |||
“They explained it was because they wanted me to be able to act as human as possible,” Andrew explained, “while I was at home, I was encouraged to do everything my donor would’ve done: watch tv, play video games, read books.” | |||
“I see,” Mike nodded, “So you could still engage in random small talk.” | |||
“Exactly,” Andrew smiled, “I even cooked to improve my skills.” | |||
“About that,” Mike said awkwardly, “I consider us all to be a family unit, and each of us has our own responsibilities,” Mike started, “I’m the breadwinner and make the most money, and I own all of you. Lena makes the 2nd most, and since she’s my wife has extended rights. Lena currently does the cooking, and most of the cleaning. Elena currently handles most of the outdoor chores, like yard work and taking out the trash.” | |||
“Let me guess, you want me to take over the cooking from Lena,” Andrew guessed with a smile. | |||
“Yep,” Mike nodded, “it would give her more time to spend with me, since cooking can sometimes take up a significant chunk of the afternoon.” | |||
“Well, considering you saved me from oblivion, and I love cooking and have all the programming anyway, I’d love to!” Andrew said happily, “and giving you two love birds some more you time makes me even happier.” | |||
“Glad to hear it,” Mike smiled, relieved Andrew didn’t mind, “Well then, continuing with the tour, this closet and bathroom is mine and Lena’s; yours and Elena’s is the one in the lab next door.” | |||
“Elena mentioned something at work about android-safe soap,” Andrew said unsurely. | |||
“Yeah, normal soap is often abrasive and not good for android skin,” Mike explained, “to be honest, it’s basically the same thing as soap for folks with sensitive skin, so I actually just started using it too since I’ve started developing eczema.” Mike absently scratched his right forearm. | |||
“I see,” Andrew nodded, “I could only afford so much, so I just used whatever was cheapest,” he shrugged. | |||
“Well, you don’t need to worry about things like that anymore,” Mike grinned, showing the array of soaps that he had stored under the sink, “it really helps keep down the maintenance costs.” | |||
“I’ll have to see if they can add sensitive skin soap at work,” Andrew mused. | |||
“Yeah,” Mike nodded fervently, leading Andrew back out of the bathroom and bedroom and onto the landing once more. “This is the laundry closet,” Mike continued, opening the door immediately to the left after exiting his bedroom, showcasing the decent sized laundry closet with the washer and dryer side by side, and the storage shelf of various detergents, spare hangers, and other laundry related stuff. | |||
“Ooh, nice,” Andrew nodded, “who does the laundry?” | |||
“Lena,” Mike quickly replied, “though I still do my own laundry, she does pretty much everything else.” | |||
“Okay,” Andrew nodded. | |||
“This room is a recent addition,” Mike continued, walking across from his bedroom door, past the top of the stairs to a new section of carpet which used to be a railing with a drop to the first floor. Now, the carpet extended to what used to be a wall with a window and was now a door leading into his office. | |||
The room inside wasn’t too large, but considering it didn’t exist until a few months earlier, it was a welcome addition to the house. Built over the entrance hall on what used to be a low roof, it had a window overlooking the driveway, and another overlooking the neighbor’s driveway, and the tall trees and shrubs that separated the two. | |||
Mike’s desk was situated in the far corner between the two windows, and he had various shelves set up with some of the various curios and stuff that he’d collected and previously displayed in the downstairs living room when it doubled as his office. | |||
“After getting promoted to Assistant Manager, I needed a more private place to work, since I often have to work outside of my normal hours in the office,” Mike explained, as Andrew looked around, “although, if Lena and I decide to have children, we may have to repurpose this as a nursery until we can move into a larger home.” | |||
“That makes sense,” Andrew nodded. | |||
“Alrighty, time to go downstairs and see everyone,” Mike announced, after Andrew had a sufficient look at the office. | |||
“Okay,” Andrew smiled, looking excited to meet everyone. | |||
Confidently walking down the stairs, knowing the electrochromic window was shielding them, they stopped at the bottom and made a quick left, showing the small half bath and the garage, before heading the other way past the closet under the stairs and into the living room. | |||
“Hey Andrew,” Lena and Elena said excitedly, leaping from the couch to walk over and hug him. | |||
“Hey!” Andrew greeted them warmly, returning their hugs and even giving them kisses, “It’s weird being attracted to you two,” he said weirdly, since Mike had programmed him to be their lovers as well. | |||
“You get used to it,” Elena shrugged, giving him another kiss, “I’m glad you’re all in one piece again.” | |||
“Me too, and better than ever,” Andrew grinned, twirling around with flair, “I can’t believe it only took a few hours.” | |||
“Well, it’s easy to work on you when you’re already in decent condition,” Mike shrugged, “these two were shoved in a box and forgotten about for years, so I had to do a lot more work to bring them up to date.” | |||
“In any event, I’m grateful you decided to purchase me and spruce me up as well,” Andrew smiled. | |||
“Would you like to see the kitchen?” Mike asked, continuing with the tour. | |||
“Oh, yeah,” Andrew nodded, eagerly following Mike into the adjoining kitchen, where he proceeded to open every cabinet, cupboard, and drawer, as well as the pantry and fridge to create a digital inventory in his systems. “Looks like you guys already have almost all of what I would need to cook my recipes,” Andrew complimented, “and a good stock of ingredients.” | |||
“You’re welcome,” Lena beamed, “we went shopping the first day I was finished and bought a lot of stuff on my recommendation.” | |||
“You have good taste,” Andrew nodded, “But, since some of my recipes are chef level, I do have a couple of recommendations for some additional utensils.” He briefly zoned out as he compared the instructions in his memory storage from Mike’s current inventory, “I don’t think it would cost more than a $100 for them.” | |||
“We can easily manage that on our next shopping trip,” Lena nodded, checking their bank accounts in her HUD. | |||
“In the meanwhile, I’ve already selected a few possible menus for tonight, based on your current supply,” Andrew continued, listing off a few items, “What would you prefer?” | |||
Mike thought about it a while before deciding, “The meatloaf sounds good.” | |||
“Great! I’d need to start cooking it in less than half an hour if you’d like to eat dinner by seven, so we should continue with the tour,” Andrew reported. | |||
“Well, there’s not much else,” Mike shrugged, walking back out into the living room, “we have a state-of-the-art media center with the latest gaming consoles and streaming devices, and the seats are very comfy,” he explained, “my office used to be in the window nook, but with all the extra bodies living with me I needed to move upstairs.” | |||
“That makes sense,” Andrew nodded, scanning the furniture and confirming that the four of them would be quite cozy with the current setup, “I didn’t really play many games at my old place, but my donor personality did.” | |||
“Good, though I usually play single player, and have you guys watch me,” Mike shrugged, “but I do have a few racers and fighting games.” | |||
“Either works for me,” Andrew shrugged. | |||
“The final destination is the backyard,” Mike said, stopping when he remembered Andrew was naked, “Hold on a sec.” Mike rushed to the corner of the room and grabbed a loose set of sweatpants and brought them to Andrew, “You can put these on so we can go out. I keep them in here in case it gets too cold, since I usually wear shorts…or nothing at all.” | |||
“Okay,” Andrew shrugged, quickly sliding the sweatpants on, tightening the drawstring a bit since he was thinner than Mike, and rolling up the bottoms a little, “This should satisfy my modesty programming,” he reported happily. | |||
“Good, let’s go,” Mike said, leading the way to the back door. | |||
The backyard was somewhat small, though since they didn’t go out often, or host any outdoor activities, Mike never minded. Instead of grass they had realistic turf, though the areas bordering the side and back fences did have about a foot of soil where Elena had planted some nice flowers. | |||
A large, 30-40ft tall tree took up the entire back right corner of the yard and provided shade during the sunny months; it had shed all its leaves for the winter a few weeks earlier. | |||
Lena had started a modest herb and spice garden along the side near the tree, and then there was an awkwardly narrow path leading to the front gate. The area in front of the kitchen window had a wooden picnic table, a few chairs, and a patio umbrella sticking from the middle; currently closed and tied up. | |||
“It’s not a big yard, but it’s better than nothing,” Mike shrugged, “to be honest, we really don’t use it too much.” | |||
“I can probably help with the herb garden, though I’d need some additional programming,” Andrew reported. | |||
“I can take care of that next weekend when I do your weekly checkups,” Mike noted. | |||
“Wow, weekly!” Andrew laughed, “I was lucky if I got a checkup every other month.” | |||
“You’re in a better place, now,” Mike said solemnly, patting Andrew’s bare back as they looked up at the star filled sky, “most anything you need, I can most likely get for you.” | |||
“I’ll try and keep that in mind,” Andrew nodded, turning to give Mike a hug, “thanks, again, for saving me.” | |||
Mike chose not to say anything but just enjoyed the moment they were having before returning inside. | |||
===3.12: Fitting in=== | |||
After they went back inside, Andrew went upstairs to get dressed since it wasn’t appropriate, or safe, to cook while nude. He came back down in a casual set of pants, a t-shirt, and slippers and then began prepping their meal in the kitchen. | |||
After hovering around to make sure Andrew knew where everything was, Mike headed over to the couch and plopped down between Lena and Elena to watch the evening news, finally able to properly relax after working on Andrew for most of the day. | |||
Before long he could start smelling the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen, and then Andrew came in to join them, awkwardly sitting in the chair next to the couch. | |||
“Dinners in the oven, should be ready in an hour,” he reported, leaning back, removing his slippers, and resting his feet on the table. | |||
“Thanks Andrew,” Lena said, “it’s nice to be able to sit back and relax with my hubby this time of day instead of toiling in the kitchen.” | |||
“Yeah,” Mike nodded, fondly kissing Lena on the cheek. | |||
“Glad I can help around here,” Andrew shrugged, relaxing in the chair to conserve energy, since his new power core was not at a full charge. “What’s the usual nightly routine around here?” | |||
“We just watch some shows and go to bed most night,” Mike explained, “though tonight we’ll definitely be having some sex.” | |||
“Oooh, will I be involved?” | |||
“Definitely,” Elena nodded fervently, “That’s one of the main reasons I convinced you to talk to Mike about buying you in the first place…you’re basically my boyfriend now.” | |||
“Wow, ok,” Andrew laughed. Clearly, they bantered like this at work all the time, so Mike didn’t comment. | |||
“I am eager to try out sex with a male android, myself,” Mike admitted, “but we’ll just wing it until we get a groove on.” | |||
“I’ll try my best not to disappoint you,” Andrew promised. | |||
“As for this weekend…we’ll just relax, and maybe we’ll all go on a walk in the morning so you can see the neighborhood,” Mike continued. | |||
“I look forward to it,” Andrew smiled. | |||
After roughly half an hour of chilling, Andrew got back up, putting his slippers back on, and headed into the kitchen to start prepping the sides for their meal, which consisted of seasoned mashed potatoes and peas. | |||
Once dinner was ready, he served it to each of them in the living room on plates and brought them a glass of wine each. | |||
“Wow, this is delicious, Andrew,” Mike complimented, “no offense, dear,” he said to Lena. | |||
“Meh, he’s a chef, so it makes sense he’d cook stuff better,” she shrugged, “I just followed recipes, but he’s got the experience to spice things up…literally.” | |||
“Indeed,” Andrew nodded, “us androids are a bit more complex than simply our programming.” | |||
“So, I’ve discovered,” Mike smiled, taking a sip of his wine and enjoying the delicious meal. | |||
After dinner, they had a small ice cream dessert and then enjoyed a few of their favorite shows that were saved on the DVR. It seemed Andrew had also been watching one of them, so he was able to enjoy the conversations that went on with it, promising to catch up on the other shows at his earliest convenience. | |||
As they were starting the last show, Lena suddenly got up and grabbed a power strip from around the side of the couch which had three charging cables plugged into it. She promptly handed one to Elena, who quickly plugged herself in, and then one to Andrew’ | |||
“We usually plug ourselves in this time of night because it’s a bit awkward trying to sleep with our cords…especially now we have you,” Lena explained, “I brought your charging cable down while Mike was working on you.” | |||
“Oh, thank you,” Andrew said politely, taking the charger and plugging himself in. After getting over the initial rush from the charge filling his core, he leaned back and relaxed, “It makes sense to charge before bed…who wants to feel some cold charging cable brushing up against you?” | |||
“Not me,” Mike said, jokingly raising his hand, “not to mention it would be difficult to manage three separate cords plugged in at the bed.” | |||
The three androids all nodded their heads and then relaxed, shutting down non-essentials systems to hasten their recharge process before the fun began later. | |||
After they finished the last show, Elena and Andrew both headed upstairs to prep the room, while Lena stayed down with Mike and prepped him with his pre-sex massage. | |||
“Tonight should be interesting,” Lena said, gently massaging Mike’s feet as he leaned back; this was his recharge session. | |||
“Yeah…time to see if adding the spice truly makes things interesting,” he smiled, enjoying his wife’s soft, artificial hands working the kinks out of his muscles. | |||
“I never interacted with Andrew too much at work, but he seems to be a nice guy,” Lena continued, working her way up Mike’s legs, “if we do have a kid, he’d be good to have around.” | |||
“Oh yeah,” Mike nodded, giggling a little as she playfully squeezed his crotch on her way up his body, “with small children, the more help the better.” | |||
“Have you given any thought to where we might move to?” | |||
“I do kinda like the idea of just moving into the larger unit in front of us,” he replied, “we wouldn’t have to really move, and it’s still close to work.” | |||
“Yeah, though it doesn’t have much of a yard,” she frowned, “might ruin the chance for a garden.” | |||
“Meh, you guys will figure something out if we did move there,” he shrugged, “you’re surprisingly resourceful.” | |||
“Well, we are programmed to be,” she pointed out. | |||
“Well, I’ve never been healthier, or happier, since you joined my life,” he told her sincerely, “My home is wherever you are.” | |||
“Aww,” she gushed, leaning in and passionately kissing him, whilst still massaging his arms, then looked up at the ceiling in a way that told Mike she was ‘communing’ with Elena and Andrew through their wireless connection, “The room’s ready, if you are.” | |||
“I am,” Mike said, rising from the couch dramatically and heading up the stairs with Lena to their room. | |||
While Mike was getting his pre-game going, Elena and Andrew had come up and moved the regular sheets and pillows off the bed and replaced them with ones Mike didn’t care about getting soiled in sex juices. They’d also put on some mood lighting, and some music. | |||
“Alright, let’s get it on!” Mike yelled, jumping on the bed, followed by the others. | |||
What followed next was roughly an hour of sex between various partners, starting with his wife while Andrew and Elena went at it, before switching to Andrew. He found blowing Andrew after he’d just had sex with Elena quite interesting, because her strawberry flavored lube was still coated on him, and his ejaculate tasted so much like bacon that his mind was blown. | |||
Having Andrew added to the mix really spiced things up, as Lena had predicted, and he made a mental note to make a more concerted effort to purchase dedicated penis modules for both Lena and Elena in the future so they could try more things out. | |||
Eventually Mike’s stamina started fading, so he laid back and watched the others finish up before cuddling up with Lena, while Elena and Andrew cuddled up beside them. | |||
“Well, was I worth the money?” Andrew grinned as he panted to cool down his systems. | |||
“Most definitely,” Mike grinned back, already catching his breath, “You all were.” | |||
“Aww,” Elena purred. | |||
“That being said, I think the three of you are the limit,” he continued, “so no more strays, no matter the sob story.” | |||
“Understood,” they all said. | |||
“Perhaps you could open a side hustle flipping androids,” Andrew suggested, “you did such a good job with me, you might earn a decent profit.” | |||
“That’s not a bad idea,” Lena pointed out. | |||
“Perhaps,” Mike nodded, “but we’d need a bigger place first.” | |||
“Agreed,” Lena nodded fervently, “especially if we have a baby.” | |||
“At least your baby will have a nice auntie and uncle to watch them while you work,” Elena pointed out, “I’m pretty sure my annual maintenance costs are less than day care.” | |||
“They are,” Lena replied, after running a calculation in her head, “A lot less.” | |||
“Well, I believe I’m ready to have a baby,” Mike decided, spurring an excited squeal from Lena, “but, after purchasing Andrew, we need to let our bank account recover a bit, since having a baby in our case requires some science, since you can’t actually get pregnant.” | |||
“Yeah, I’ve heard that the latest model incubator is quite reliable, though more expensive than a surrogate,” Lena said. | |||
“But a surrogate would be an extra person in the house, so I’d prefer to splurge for the incubator…also, that way the doctor’s could monitor it for any issues,” Mike decided. | |||
“Very well,” Lena nodded, already working on a savings plan in her head. | |||
“Why don’t the two of you get started cleaning up,” Mike suggested, “we’ll go after.” | |||
“Okay,” Elena nodded, leaning in and kissing both Mike and Lena on her way to the lab bathroom to shower up, while Andrew did the same on his way to the bedroom bathroom. | |||
“Are you going to make them a couple?” Lena asked, once they were out of the room. | |||
“Maybe,” Mike shrugged, “I mean, I don’t want to make the decision for them, so if they bring it up, I can make it happen.” | |||
“They would make a cute couple,” Lena pointed out. | |||
“They would,” he agreed, “not as cute as us though.” | |||
“Nope,” she smiled, leaning over and kissing him. | |||
“Hey, I think I got some wood back,” Mike smiled, looking down, “wanna go another quick round?” | |||
Lena said nothing but quickly mounted him. | |||
By the time Mike and Lena finished their bonus round, Andrew and Elena both emerged from the showers cleaned and refreshed, and still nude. Mike and Lena, both blushing warmly, got up to clean themselves off, while Andrew and Elena got started removing all of the sex-stained blankets and pillows, tossing them in the watch and resetting the room for bedtime. | |||
Mike, as usual after sex, spent a bit of extra time relaxing in the warm shower and reflecting on how more enriched his life truly was with the Lena and the others in it, and how scared he was for the possibility of adding a new life to the mix…scared, but excited. | |||
He finally came out after 15 minutes, fresh and relaxed, and nude. He was somewhat surprised to see Andrew still in the room, since the others had headed down to relax on the couch before bed. | |||
“Hey Andrew, how are you enjoying things so far?” Mike asked, casually enjoying Andrew’s nudity. | |||
“You guys are great,” Andrew smiled, “Elena’s already given me the rundown of what you all usually do around this time, but I wanted to say that you look quite good naked,” he said, staring down at Mike’s penis, “I wanted to say something earlier but, well, sex kinda overrode any conversation.” | |||
Mike couldn’t help but blush, receiving a compliment like that. “Thanks, Andrew,” he smiled, absently feeling himself growing a little hard, “shaving everything really helps with that bit.” | |||
“Yeah, now I see,” Andrew nodded fervently, “umm, I think your snack is ready,” Andrew shifted awkwardly. | |||
“Yeah, let’s go,” Mike said, giving Andrew a caring pat on his bare shoulder and heading down the stairs. | |||
The rest of the evening was the four of them enjoying a bit of casual nudity while Mike had a small snack to allow his sleeping meds to work better. The three androids also plugged themselves back in to recharge as much as possible before bed. | |||
Finally, when Mike finished his snack and was starting to feel tired, he signaled it was time to head up for bed. Almost in unison, the three androids unplugged themselves and resealed their charging ports, eliciting a fond smile from Mike. Each of them quickly took care of some basic tasks, like loading and starting the dishwasher, checking that the doors were locked, and making sure the cat had food and water. | |||
Once everyone was done, they all trooped up the stairs and into the bedroom. Mike stopped by the lab to make sure everything was properly shut down, absently stashing the box of Andrew’s spare parts under the bench for later. He then accessed the security system panel at the top of the steps, activating the home alarm, and disabling the electrochromic windows. | |||
By the time he finally went into his room, the three of them were already lying in bed, with Andrew on the far left, and Lena and Elena next to each other on the right. An opening in between Lena and Andrew was clearly for Mike. | |||
Mike quickly headed into the restroom to empty his bladder before finally heading out and crawling in bed with everyone. | |||
“Are you comfy?” Lena asked him, as she did every night. | |||
Mike wiggled around a bit to warm up the sheets before nodding. | |||
“Goodie,” she smiled, getting that typical zoned out look for a split second as she remotely turned off the lights to the room. “Alright, let’s all cuddle up.” | |||
At that, Lena rolled over slightly on her right side to cuddle up with Mike, while Andrew similarly did so on Mike’s other side. Since Elena was the odd one out, she cuddled Lena’s back. | |||
“Nighty night, everyone,” Mike said, receiving a unison response from all of them, before hearing them all activate their sleep modes. As he listened to the sounds of their slow breathing, and breathed in the calming scent of Lena’s shampoo, he thought to himself, ‘life doesn’t get much better than this,’ and drifted off to sleep. | |||
=Art= | |||
[[The Liar]] was kind enough to mock up a scene from this story, and some full body renders, of Lena using the program Honey Select. | |||
<gallery> | |||
Lost IS 13 finX.png | |||
Lena Spaz C L1.jpg | |||
Lena Spaz N L1.jpg | |||
Spaz 2 L1.png | |||
</gallery> | |||
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Latest revision as of 00:32, 22 February 2025
Lost in the Shuffle
Part 1: Lena
1.1: Discovery
Mike was a seasoned Security Officer for the First Line of Defense security contracting agency…at least, that’s what it was called now. He’d been posted at a rather large tech company in the middle of Silicon Valley for the past seven years now, though during that time the contract had switched hands three times and Mike had chosen to stay posted at the same location because they treated him well. He got a decent raise each year, offered amazing health benefits, and the overall culture at the site was good.
Mike was very quick to learn, rising to the rank of Field Training Officer after only six months and training dozens of officers over the years. That, and his prior experience in retail, gave him all the skills he needed to complete his work.
At the age of 30, he’d finally been promoted to Relief Supervisor. To solidify his new promotion, he was assigned the task of clearing out an old storage room in one of the garages. While most people would have dreaded such an assignment, Mike looked forward to it. He was already a pretty fastidious person, and an assignment like this was right up his alley.
Fortunately for Mike, he was assigned to clean out the room during the holiday season shutdown period at the building, when there would be minimal personnel on-site to distract him. He was also able to assign himself only to the project at hand, so he wouldn’t have to assist with anything else.
When the time finally came for him to get started, he gave himself the three days just after Christmas so that he could rest up over the weekend from what he was sure would be a satisfying, yet grueling assignment.
The first day of the project was the most tedious. There was a great deal of garbage, outdated paperwork and uniforms, and clutter. Mike spent the entire first day just clearing those items out, walking back and forth to the landing dock multiple times with a cart, getting his steps in.
The second day of the project was mostly clearing out old lost & found items, mostly clothing, and setting aside the good conditioned items for donation at a nearby donation station. He also cleared out even more outdated items that were buried underneath the clothing. It wasn’t until the third and final day that Mike came across something very interesting…something that would change his life forever.
He’d saved the more delicate items for last, since he would have to go through each of them to determine whether to keep them or chuck them. These items were e-waste, for the most part, along with some old equipment and random junk that had accumulated over the years.
Most of the e-waste was comprised of old computer monitors, damaged cables, and spent/expired batteries, so he chucked those into an e-waste bin that he was about to transfer to the e-waste storage room. After he’d cleared a few boxes out of one of the corners, though, he uncovered an interesting looking metallic case. The case stood on its side and was nearly four feet tall.
Upon closer examination, it appeared to be a trunk of some sort, and it had a property sticker slapped on it from one of the old security companies that had since gone defunct.
“Huh, what have we here?” Mike said to himself, moving the box from the corner and dusting the area off; the box was quite heavy.
Mike decided to treat the trunk like any of the other boxes in the room, so he looked for a way to open it. Unlike most of the other boxes, this one had an electronic lock on the top that appeared to require a 4-digit passcode.
Mike quickly realized that, due to the weight of the case, the contents most likely hadn’t been removed because no one knew what the passcode was. Mike had a hunch though, because he’d overheard a 4-digit passcode from a supervisor during that administration who was passing it down to one of the assistants so they could unlock a secure area. It was one of those codes which was an acronym for one of their procedures because they were trying to be clever.
Mike carefully entered the passcode while holding his breath in anticipation. Sure enough, it was accepted and the locking mechanism disengaged with a mechanical whir and a hiss from the hydraulics used to secure it. Mike let out his breath explosively and then carefully grabbed hold of both sides of the case and opened both of them.
As soon as he opened the box, he let out a gasp and recoiled as he saw what was inside. Inside the box, nestled neatly in foam, was a dismantled female android…or at least, most of one. Directly in the center was a torso, wearing nothing but a black bra and panties branded with the logo of its manufacturer, and neatly packed in a perfectly shaped foam mold. Both arms and legs were detached from the torso and were in their own foam molds inside of each door. Next to each arm and leg was also the corresponding hand and foot, detached from its corresponding arm and leg; the head was nowhere to be seen.
“What the fuck?!” Whispered under his breath, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention even on a slow day like this. He spent the usual amount of time pinching himself and making sure it wasn’t a dream. He even quickly left the room and got a minute or so of fresh air, thinking it could have been a mixture of dust and the cleaning solutions he’d been using to clean the room that might be causing him to hallucinate.
Still, when Mike re-entered the room, the box with the dismantled female android was still sitting there, exactly where he left it. He was now faced with a mystery: Who was the android? and why would such a highly advanced, most likely expensive, android be dismantled, stored, and collecting dust in this storage room, completely forgotten?
Left with little options, Mike felt the only way to answer his questions would be to examine the android. Based on his visual inspection of each limb, nestled in a perfectly shaped mold of each body part, the female android was definitely Caucasian, and had an approximate age of 25. Furthermore, due to the stunted looking appearance of the body, he figured it would stand no taller than 5”5, once fully assembled…assuming he could find the head.
Finishing his visual survey, he decided to pull out one of the limbs. Since the torso was most likely the heaviest part, he decided to grab one of the feet instead. He grabbed the right foot out of the foam and held it gently in both his hands.
Eyeballing it, the foot appeared to be a size 7. Unlike a Human foot, the android foot, and the rest of the body, had the coloring one would expect from a living, breathing person. Also, unlike a human foot which one would expect to feel cold and dry, the android foot felt more of a neutral temperature, and it even felt strangely moist. Strangely, though it felt moisturized, no moisture rubbed off onto his hands, despite multiple attempts.
After initially feeling a little creeped out, holding a severed foot, Mike’s foot fetish finally kicked in. He turned the foot over and placed the bottom of it on his face, briefly enjoying the softness of it, and then took in a whiff. He briefly recoiled when he detected a subtle scent of body odor near the toes. After gently parting each toe and closely inspecting in between them, he saw sock residue in between the small toes; clearly, she’d been active before; the nails even looked like they were cut, rather than perfectly shaped, and had small amount of grime built up under them. Mike didn’t expect a realistic odor coming from an android, but not only did he not mind the smell, for some reason, the smell seemed familiar…
“Huh, that’s so weird,” Mike said to himself, turning the foot over and over in his hands, smelling it some more. Unfortunately, because the foot, and the rest of the body, had been washed before being stored, the scent of the body soap was interfering with his memory.
Mike spent a few more minutes playing with, and examining, the foot. The foot ended just above the ankle point, so he briefly looked inside the mechanical opening on the top. It appeared to be mostly mechanical inside, with a small layer of skin and musculature surrounding the mechanical components. He placed the foot on a flat surface and bent the arch to make it stand on its toes. He noticed that when he moved it, he could hear tiny servos moving within the foot.
While there didn’t appear to be any identifying marks on the bottom of the foot, like a serial or model number, the foot did appear to have realistic toe prints. If the hands were just as real, it was possible that he could identify the android from the prints. One of his favorite subjects in school for his criminal justice class was fingerprints, so he could tell the toe prints at least had human qualities to them.
Unable to glean anything else from the foot, Mike regrettably placed it back in its mold and then let his hand run the length of the corresponding leg, feeling the various muscles and even seeing the skin tone change with the light pressure from his touch. He quickly pulled out both legs to check if they had any tattoos or identifying marks on them, along with the left foot, but found nothing new. He placed them back in their molds as well and moved on to the hands.
Mike decided he would fully examine the right hand, so he gently removed it from the mold and examined it. If there was one word that he could use to describe the android’s overall body type, it would be plump. She wasn’t obese, but she also wasn’t athletic or skinny. Her hands had just enough plumpness to hide the veins and give it a healthy look, especially the palm, and it also made her hand feel extremely soft.
The hand ended just past the wrist, and the inside of the mechanical opening also had very complex looking servo mechanisms, though it looked more like the mechanical portion of her body was covered with a thin, flexible plastic layer that had a more organic looking musculature and dermal layer attached to it, for enhanced motion and realism. He could actually see and hear the mechanisms inside move a little each time he moved one of the fingers.
Just as with her feet, he could see subtle evidence that this android had been active before being disassembled and stored. In the case of the hand, he could see small residue of nail polish on the fingernails that hadn’t been fully washed off, and there were minute amounts of dust residue under the nails.
Just for fun, Mike pretended to shake the hand, but when he gripped it, he was once again hit with a jolt of familiarity…he was sure he’d shaken this hand before. Not only was it the feel of it…it even looked familiar.
Fortunately, his suspicions were confirmed regarding the fingerprints. The hand had very realistic looking fingerprints that might possibly show up in a database. While they did have very human qualities to them, upon closer inspection he could see small, almost microscopic circuitry patterns here and there that gave way to her artificial nature. Since she clearly didn’t have a model number stamped on her body, Mike would likely have to identify her using the fingerprints…assuming he couldn’t find the head and recognize her that way. Mike felt the same sense of familiarity with the left hand, but just as with the right hand and both feet, he just couldn’t quite pull the memories together. Still, he didn’t want to get caught up, so he placed both hands back in their molds and moved to the main torso.
The torso too had a plump appearance, though with a slight hourglass shape to it. It had mechanical stubs on the neck, on both legs just past the groin, and both arms past the biceps. Unlike the other body parts, Mike decided against removing it due to its apparent weight and uncertainty that he could get it back in. Instead, he gently probed the abdomen, the ribs, and the chest. He could feel all the bones and ribs, exactly where they should be, and her belly even had a slight give to it.
Since he’d already gone this far, Mike decided to investigate her more private areas. Popping his head out of the storage room real quick to make sure no one was coming, he took an extra step by shoving a few large heavy objects that he was planning on taking to the trash later, so it would give him extra time to hide her if someone was coming.
Once he was sure he wouldn’t be interrupted, he lightly groped both breasts, and peeked underneath one of the cups, blushing as he did so. Due to the level of realism present in the rest of the body, especially the hands and feet, he was not surprised to see nipples, and that the breasts felt perfectly real.
He also peeked under the panties and saw a neat patch of dark brown pubic hair, and what looked like a functional vagina. He even detected a slight womanly aroma from the area.
“Wow, who would’ve stashed such a real android here?” Mike once again asked himself. He admitted that maybe the stunted, almost overweight appearance of the android could potentially be off-putting to some people, but still…
With all the parts examined, and no obvious identifying marks, Mike still had no clue who the android could be…not without the head. He quickly double checked all of the nearby boxes to see if there was an android head in it, but his search turned up no head. It wasn’t until he banged his head on the inside of the case that he finally realized where the head might be.
What Mike initially thought was just a thick layer of foam on the upper section of the case, above the torso, designed for additional shock protection turned out to be a hidden compartment. Upon closer investigation, he saw that there was a depression that served as a handle. He eagerly grabbed hold and pulled the upper section of the case open, nearly falling back in shock as he saw the head inside.
“Lena?!”
The head, neatly packed in foam, was that of a young woman in her mid-twenties. She had a pale, plump, rounded face that was spattered all over with freckles. Her thin, dark brown hair was tied into a tight ponytail and was wrapped loosely around the bottom of her chin.
Mike immediately recognized the android…woman, as Lena Schulz, one of the very first officers that Mike ever trained…and someone he’d been falling in love with.
Mike felt instantly connected with her, because her extremely friendly personality, and even her body type, reminded him of his favorite cousin, who’d been brutally murdered by people who took advantage of her kindness. In remembrance of her, Mike, in later reflection, felt like he was subconsciously protective of Lena, since her friendly personality often caused people to take advantage of her too.
She was posted at his site for almost a year and half, and in that time, he felt like they’d been developing a real chemistry and good working relationship together; she even frequently got him cookies from the onsite café. Just as he was about to make a move and ask her out, however, she suddenly quit and disappeared off the face of the earth. Mike was devastated, of course, thinking maybe she got cold feet and fled, or that something had happened to her. Whatever the reason, he had very little time to react, because a few days after she left, all hell broke loose.
The security company that he initially worked for suddenly got bombarded with multiple criminal and ethical lawsuits from everyone from private citizens to entire states, and eventually the FBI. Apparently, they’d been doing everything from stealing from their clients, to full on murdering people who attempted to blow the whistle.
Suffice to say the client to which he was assigned terminated the contract with prejudice, and there was a sudden upheaval and purging of the roster, since even several of his own coworkers were apparently in on some of the action. Fortunately, Mike had developed a good trusting relationship with several of the client’s managers, and he was among the few who were permitted to remain there with the new security company they brought on; everyone else was given the boot.
Between Mike having to train dozens of officers in a span of a month, where normally he’d only be training one or two a month, the sheer stress of the ordeal practically aged him several years and he nearly forgot about Lena. From time to time, he attempted to look her up on social media, but she’d gone completely dark so eventually he just gave up.
A few years later, the new security company lost its contract, and Mike once again had to train a new batch of new officers posted from the security company he now currently worked for.
Eventually he blocked her out of his memory, since it was too painful. Still, the few people he tried dating afterwards never seemed to work out, and in hindsight, he figured the buried memories of Lena may have affected them.
In her current state Lena hardly looked friendly and cheerful, though. Instead, it looked as though she was simply sleeping peacefully, albeit nestled perfectly in a foam compartment. After a moment of hesitation, Mike finally grabbed both sides of her head and carefully pulled it out. He was slightly caught off guard by the weight of her head, but he quickly adjusted himself and then sat down with it resting in his lap.
Mike had never even come close to thinking Lena was an android. Her personality alone was real enough to convince him, not to mention her body. Mike was now convinced that this Lena android had to have been a custom job, and not a cheap one.
He spent several moments playing with her face, enjoying the feeling of her plump skin and musculature. He could hear tiny servos motors moving beneath her skin as he played with it. He tried to open the mouth and eyes, but they remained steadfast, due to her inactive state. He was able to part her lips, however, and see her clean, white teeth. More evidence that this was indeed the Lena that he had interacted with was small traces of food, still stuck between her teeth. Fortunately, she had brushed her teeth before being disassembled, so the food had not been able to decompose.
As he played with her face, he realized that most people don’t usually get to see other people in this way. From up close, he could see every single pore on her face, and her face even seemed to have a natural, almost oily moisturized feeling to it like he would expect from a real person. Just like with her feet though, the moisture seemed oddly glued to her head and did not transfer to his fingers.
He then spent some time smelling her hair and enjoying the scent of the shampoo she used before she was dismantled and stored. The smell brought back even more memories of his times with her. He suddenly realized that he should attempt to turn her on somehow so she could answer his questions, so he turned her head over and over in his hands to find some sort of on switch.
While Mike was aware of the existence of androids, he was by no means an android expert. While he’d often fantasized about getting one at some point in his life, the unfortunate truth was that the more affordable ones had little personality, or realism. Androids like Lena, on the other hand, would likely have cost a fortune.
After searching for a bit, he thought he may have found an on switch: a slightly discolored portion of skin just behind her left ear. Having nothing else to try, Mike placed his finger on the section and pressed in.
He felt a very satisfying click as his finger depressed the button embedded underneath her skin, and the discolored section suddenly lit up with a soft blue light, along with the components inside her open neck. He could now hear the sound of the machinery coming to life, like a computer booting up for the first time after a long time.
The sound of machinery inside her head continued for nearly a minute, lulling him into a calm, before all of a sudden, both eyes suddenly popped open. He was briefly startled, since both eyes were completely white, but almost as soon as they had opened, small slivers of brown started appearing, coalescing into two realistic looking brown irises with a black orb in the center and even realistic veins surrounding it. There was no trace of personality in the stare, as the eyes were simply wide open.
Shortly after both eyes opened, they appeared to scan the room from left-to-right to up-to-down, stopping to focus on Mike’s face when they made contact. While her eyes were scanning, her mouth had also begun to systematically open and close, almost as though she were testing her motor controls. Mike began to feel aroused at this point, because every time her mouth opened and closed, her face servos whined audibly.
Since her head was now moving, he decided to gently place her head in his lap while it continued doing whatever it was doing. He hoped it wouldn’t take her too long to finish booting up, and that she didn’t suffer any significant damage or degradation after being stored and powered off for so long.
Once her mouth finished, it closed and then her face suddenly cycled through over a dozen different, yet common facial expressions in the space of a few seconds before stopping. Finally, her eyes began blinking rapidly for several seconds, making a clicking sound each time, before closing. Before Mike could do anything, they opened one more time, but this time in a slower, more natural way. Both brown eyes calmly focused on his, and her face configured itself into a smile…the same friendly smile that had won him over so many years ago, whirring and clicking with each movement.
“Hey Mike!”
Any doubts that Mike may have had that this was the Lena that he had gotten to know five years earlier instantly evaporated when he heard her voice. Even though it sounded somewhat digital and tinny, with her head detached from her body, that was the exact way she always greeted him, even with the same smile and the inflection in her voice.
“Um, hi Lena,” Mike mumbled awkwardly, still too shocked and confused to show more emotion than that.
Lena still gave Mike her usual friendly smile, despite his apparent lack of enthusiasm. Her eyes briefly looked as far as her field of vision would allow and then she spoke once more.
“Soooo, I can totally understand that you might be a tad confused right now,” she said with an innocent, yet understanding expression, “But I have two questions first…where am I? and how long have I been here?”
“You’re in one of the security storage rooms at CloudTron,” he told her, gently picking her head back up and holding it out so she could see the room, before gently placing it back down in his lap, “And it’s been a little over five years since I last saw you.” While he said the last bit, he fought back a tear, as the emotions suddenly came pouring back. All the memories of her that he had suppressed now came rushing back and he found himself nearly overwhelmed.
“Wow, five years…that’s interesting,” Lena said, then she seemed to freeze up for a few seconds before coming back to life. “I’m sorry, but may I please see the current date and time on your phone?” She asked apologetically, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but my stupid programming needs some sort of confirmation of the current date and time, and I don’t seem to have network access in here.”
“Sure, hold on,” he told her, reaching into his pocket and grabbing his phone. After he unlocked it, he quickly logged into an official government timekeeping website and showed her the current time and date. “Is this good enough?”
“It’s perfect,” Lena smiled, then she froze up once more before coming back, “Thanks Mike, that really helped! I can’t believe I’ve been sitting in some box for the last five years, two months, 17 days, 18 hours, 42 minutes, and seven seconds.”
“Me neither, I also can’t believe that you’re an android,” Mike told her, smiling despite himself at the exact timeframe she had just recited so matter-of-factly.
“Oh yeah, that,” she chuckled nervously, “That’s actually a long story, but I have a more pressing problem at the moment before I can explain.”
“Yeah, you’re kinda in pieces,” he told her, picking her up again and showing her the dismantled limbs in the box before resting her head back on his lap.
“Well, obviously I know about that silly! I meant a more serious problem,” she laughed.
“What is it?”
“Well, my head would usually have about 15-minutes of emergency power when I’m removed from my torso,” she explained, “However, you may have noticed that my head was running some tests before my personality booted up…that dropped me to two minutes.”
“Oh no, is there any way I can plug you in or something?” he asked, frantically searching for a power cord, “Could I attach you to your torso?”
“No, and please stay calm,” she said, still in her friendly voice, “In the compartment that my head was stored in, there should have also been a disc shaped pedestal device: Please remove it, plug it into an outlet, and then attach my head to it,” she explained calmly.
“Alright,” he said dubiously, gently placing her head down on the cushioned lower section of her box and then reaching up to the upper compartment. Sure enough, tucked just below the head mold, was a metallic looking disc pedestal device. Mike quickly pulled it out and then plugged it into a nearby outlet before placing the disc on top of a box, to keep it off the ground.
“Good, now just attach me to it…I’ve only got about 40-seconds left,” Lena said. Mike could swear her voice sounded a little deeper, but he focused on picking her up and bringing her to the strange device. The top of the disc had a round protrusion that appeared to perfectly match the opening of her neck. He clicked her head onto the protrusion and then watched as the device powered up and integrated with her head.
“Ahh, that’s much better…thanks!” Lena said, almost appearing to sigh contentedly.
“You’re welcome,” he told her, “What is that thing anyway?”
“It’s called an Artificial Neck Apparatus,” she explained, “or just A.N.A. for short…basically, it’s a diagnostic and maintenance tool that allows my head to remain online even if my body is being worked on…or, in this case, dismantled,” she added wryly.
“Wow, cool,” he said absently, “So, you’re an android…have you always been one, or did you convert from a human body?”
“Yes and no,” she answered, “I’ve always been an android, but I’m actually a copy of a real person.”
“Huh, interesting…and did Stryker Security Services know you were an android when they hired you?” he asked her.
“Yes…actually, the whole reason I was built and posted her is a rather interesting story,” she smiled, “See, Triple S was having a PR problem with a lack of diversity, but for some reason they couldn’t actually entice real women to join their security force, so they ultimately decided to build women instead.”
“What!? You mean to tell me you were assigned here to fill our gender gap!?” he spluttered.
“Yeah,” she said apologetically, “And, to make us appear as real as possible, they sought out people who were dying and paid them to the donate their physical appearance, personality, and even memories in exchange for a generous payout to their families.”
“Wow, that sounds like it cost SSS a ton of money…wouldn’t it have been cheaper just to settle any lawsuits?” Mike asked incredulously.
“No, they only spent a few million on ordering and customizing a few hundred androids like me from Spaztec,” she explained, “But it would have been hundreds of millions in lawsuits and PR costs.”
“Ah, I suppose that make sense,” Mike nodded, “So, was there was a real Lena Schulz?” Mike asked, feeling a bit more comfortable about his chances with the android Lena if she was actually based off a real person.
“Yes, though her last name wasn’t actually Schulz,” Lena laughed, “Unfortunately I’m prohibited from disclosing her real name, due to my programming, but SSS decided to give me the last name ‘Schulz’, because the real Lena had German ancestry and Schulz in German translates roughly to ‘sheriff’.”
Mike chuckled at that…it was just something SSS would do. “Wow, so can you tell me why you ended up in this box, and dismantled?”
“Well, I was going to see my registered owner, the Triple S District Manager, for my weekly check-in,” she explained, “Usually that’s when I would receive new programming, updates, and hardware…but this time, he seemed panicked. He told me that he was going to have to decommission me and have me sent back to the factory, so I quickly showered up and got dressed in my default undies. The last memory I have before seeing you is being shut off remotely.”
The matter-of-fact way Lena explained it all shocked Mike to his core. “Wow, so you just allowed yourself to be shut off, knowing you were going to be destroyed?!”
“Yeah,” she said simply, “Mike, you have to understand that even though I’m based on a real person, I’m also an android and I have no choice but to adhere to my programming…in this case, my programming was to follow the orders of my registered owner.” After seeing the still shocked look in his eyes, she then smiled and said, “Look, I don’t want you to get the impression that I wanted to be decommissioned, but I literally had no choice…and I was truly happy when I came back online a few minutes ago and saw your face looking down on me.”
“Really?” Mike asked, his voice catching a little.
“Yeah, we were best buds, right?” she asked, “I’m not always certain if my human emulation allowed me to pick up certain cues from real people, but I am certain that we were very close.”
“Yeah, we certainly were…actually, I was planning on asking you out on a date the next time I saw you,” Mike admitted, his face instantly turning scarlet.
“Aww, that’s so sweet!” Lena gushed, “I had a feeling you might be working up to it, so I was actually planning on bringing that up with my owner, to see if he would okay me being in a relationship…but then he just suddenly decommissioned me.” Her face flushing as well.
Mike felt instantly revitalized upon hearing her confirmation that she returned his affection. Before he knew it, he had quite a boyish smile on his face.
“Hey, Earth to Mike, what’s going on in that head of yours?” Lena shouted playfully at him.
Mike quickly snapped himself out of his reverie and smiled at her. “Sorry, I was just a bit elated…so, he never told you why you were being decommissioned?”
“No,” Lena answered, “as I said before, he seemed quite rushed, and in any event, my programming didn’t permit me to ask him.”
“Well, I think I have a good idea,” he told her, and then he spent the next several minutes recounting the chaos that ensued shortly after.
“So, to wrap things up, your previous owner ended up committing suicide the day after you were disassembled,” Mike finished, “It looks like between the investigations, destruction of evidence, his suicide, and the change in administration, you were simply lost in the shuffle.”
Lena had been paying very close attention to Mike’s story, but as he finished, it suddenly looked like she had frozen up. Mike gave her a few seconds before waving his hand in front of her face and saying, “Hey, Lena, are you okay?!”
Several seconds went by before Lena suddenly snapped out of it, but something appeared to be wrong. Her eyes were blinking out of order, and her face was twitching.
“Iiiiimmmm sooooory Mike,” she managed to say, parts of her voice electronically distorted, and her voice unsynchronized from her mouth. She then froze up again for about ten seconds, seeming to do a quick reboot or something, before coming back. “Ah, sorry about that, but I’m afraid some of my systems were acting up.”
“What do you mean?” Mike asked, genuinely concerned for her.
“Well, at risk of diminishing myself, I’m kinda like a car. If I’m powered off for lengthy periods of time, my systems begin to degrade. Fortunately, my memories are all backed up on a private server, but I still need to run a full-scale diagnostic on my A.I. systems in order to prevent any more errors, “she explained, “Don’t worry, I was programmed with a very comprehensive set of diagnostic tools.”
“What will that entail?”
“Well, unfortunately I’m going to have to shut off all my personality software, which basically means my human emulation will be off,” she told him, “And it’ll probably take up to two hours to complete.”
“How do you know your private server is still active?” He asked in a concerned voice, “what if it was shut down along with you?”
“I kinda doubt it was,” she frowned, “since I’m a sapient model, and one based on a real person, the server would get priority over the basic models, so it’s very likely it is still active. I also paid for a 10-year storage fee, and it hasn’t been 10 years yet.”
“Okay,” Mike nodded, looking relaxed.
“Either way, I have to run these diagnostics, so it’s a risk I must take,” she said decisively,
Mike was a little disappointed that his reunion with Lena was being interrupted so soon, but he then remembered that he wasn’t even done cleaning the storage room yet, so this gave him the perfect time to complete it.
“I know,” he sighed, “I was just hoping to learn some more about you though,” Mike said with a disappointed voice.
“Oh, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to talk to me while I’m running the diagnostic,” she assured him.
“How?”
“Well, you can still talk with my A.I. All you have to do is say something, or ask something, and add my name to the beginning and my A.I. will do it’s best to answer or respond to your query,” she told him with a helpful smile, “Unfortunately, it won’t have any of my friendly personality, so it’ll speak with my voice, but it will sound somewhat empty.”
“I can live with that,” Mike smiled, “I just want you feeling better, and I have to finish cleaning in here anyway.”
“Good!” she beamed, “Now, do you have any more questions before I start?”
“Yes, will you have any memory of what happens during this ‘talk and speak’ mode?” Mike asked her.
Lena laughed at his basic description. Then she gave him a cheerful smile and replied, “Yes, and no. I will only have memory files saved regarding the questions you ask me, or whatever you happen to say to me,” she answered him, “But, when you aren’t speaking to me, I’ll sort of just be staring ahead blankly waiting for you to speak with nothing recording to my memory.”
“Okay, good to know” Mike told her, “You can start whenever you’re ready.”
Lena merely nodded and then put on a stoic expression. “Personality programs suspended, beginning full diagnostic.” After her somewhat robotic speech, she fell silent and did nothing but stare blankly ahead, blinking only occasionally.
Just to be certain that she was indeed offline, Mike waved his hands in front of her face several times, and even poked her nose, but got no response. It seemed that she would only respond to a spoken question or statement directed at her, just as she said.
While there were many questions he wanted to ask her, and just as many things to tell her, Mike decided to discipline himself first. He’d already made a pile of items to take to the loading dock trash heap, so he threw the remaining items in the cart he’d placed outside the room and then hauled it all there.
The first trip to and from the loading dock winded him, so after loading up the next pile of junk, he decided to take a break and ask Lena a few questions.
“Lena, can you hear me?” he asked her, simply experimenting this first time.
Lena’s previously stoic face once more came to life with a series of whirs and clicks and her voice replied, “Yes Mike, I can hear you.” She answered dispassionately, just as she had warned him, but Mike did not mind.
“Ah, good… um, were there any times while you were working here that your android nature was almost revealed?”
“Yes, twice” she answered simply, “Fortunately, both instances were while I was on grave shift, and no one found out.”
“What happened?”
“The first time I did not properly calibrate my charging schedule to account for my new hours, so I nearly ran out of power and had to plug myself in while I was posted in the garage kiosk,” she answered, “The second time I was electrocuted by a faulty light switch and that forced a reboot to mediate the overload.”
“Wow, I’m glad you were okay,” Mike said.
“Thank you,” she said, though dispassionately, “did you have any more questions?”
“Were you the only android that SSS ever posted here?”
“No, there was one other android posted here during SSS’ tenure,” she answered.
Mike was quite shocked to hear that answer, to be certain, since SSS had only been around for a short time before he was posted here. That meant the android was likely someone he had worked with. Trying to rack his brain for guesses, he finally asked, “Who was it?”
“Elena Gonzalez.”
“What!? Elena!” Mike was shocked. Elena was a young, 20-year-old woman who had started working here two months before Mike was hired. She had a wild and energetic personality, and a lazy work ethic. She would often arrive late, and dilly dally while working, causing many headaches for her coworkers. The only reason people tolerated her was because she had a sob story of being a foster child, and she could be absolutely adorable at times. One day, she left to go meet her real parents and never returned.
“Why was she replaced?” Mike asked, though he had a fairly good idea why.
“Unlike with me, SSS used an intern as a model for Elena-Bot’s body and personality, in order to save money. They didn’t bother conducting a thorough personality profile on her and were shocked by her behavior here. Eventually, they had no choice but to make an excuse to remove her and decommission her. A few months later, I was brought online to replace her.”
“Interesting…was the real Lena an intern as well?” he asked.
“No. She was a security officer posted at another account who was involved in a job-related accident. They decided to use her because they knew she already had good work ethic and were considering her for a promotion,” she explained, “She donated her image and personality to pay her hospital fees so her family would not have to, and so they could avoid a lawsuit.”
“Wow, that seems cold,” Mike grimaced, “Well, I’m still glad, because otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to meet you.”
Lena said nothing, but merely asked, “Do you have any more questions?”
“Not right now,” Mike responded, feeling he’d rested up enough for the time being to take the next load of junk; Lena did not reply, but went stoic once more.
Mike spent another 10 minutes or so hauling the next cart of junk and disposing of it in the appropriate areas, all the while thinking of more questions to ask Lena. When he returned, he took another rest break.
This time, instead of immediately asking her a question, he decided to lean in and get a closer look at her head, since it was inactive the previous time. Despite Lena staring ahead blankly, she still looked quite cute. He could actually see the moisture in her eyes, sustained by the random blinking her systems dictated from time to time.
Mike tried opening her mouth again, but it once again remained closed. “Lena, could you please open your mouth so I can take a look inside?”
“Yes, but please do not attempt to conduct any lewd or sexual acts while my mouth is opened,” Lena warned, “Since you are not my registered owner, you are not permitted.” Her mouth then slowly whirred open and locked into place with an audible click.
“Thanks,” Mike said, though he received no reply. He then leaned in for a closer look inside her mouth, slowly and gently reaching his fingers inside.
He quickly noticed that the inside of her mouth was almost completely dry, except for a similar type of moistness that was present on the rest of her body. It appeared to be some sort of smart sweat/saliva or something that was designed to adhere only to her body and nothing else. He played around with her tongue for over a minute, enjoying the texture and realism present, before focusing on her teeth.
Even though she was an android, her teeth were not perfectly white like you might see on a supermodel that had bleached their teeth. Instead, they appeared to be deliberately stained in just the right places one might expect from an imperfect tooth brushing so that she could pass even more so as a human.
“Lena, you can close your mouth now,” Mike finally said, after several more minutes. He withdrew his fingers and watched as her mouth whirred closed and her face resumed a stoic look.
“Lena, how is it that after more than five years in storage your skin and mouth still have moisture?” He asked her, wanting to know for sure.
Lena’s face once more sprung to life and responded. “My body uses a smart nano-bio-serum dermal coating designed to last for up to ten years. Its primary purposes are to give my dermal layers a realistic look and feel, to prevent them from being desiccated, and to protect them from dust, dirt, bacteria, and other contaminants.”
“Wow, I wish my body had something like that,” Mike said, absently feeling his hands that had been dried out by all the dust that had been in the room prior to his vacuuming. Because the comment was not directed at Lena, however, she did not reply.
Mike decided to test the veracity of her claim that her skin was basically dust-proof, so he quickly pulled one of her hands back out of its mold and ran it across a nearby box that was still covered with dust. While the fingers did capture some of the dust from the box, it did not smear like it would have on a human, and it actually brushed right off, leaving her hand looking perfectly clean.
Mike placed the hand back in its mold once more and decided to go on another trash run, this one taking him more than twenty minutes since he decided to knock out all the remaining bins at once. By the time he returned, he had only to neatly organize the various cabinets and drawers in the room. He also had less than an hour left in his shift, so he chose to focus on the work instead of chatting with Lena’s A.I.
When Mike finished with the cleaning, he sat back down in front of Lena’s head and stared into her eyes. He marveled at the extreme realism present in both brown orbs before they suddenly closed and reopened.
“Diagnostic complete,” Lena announced in her usual cheerful voice.
Mike, although briefly startled, couldn’t help but smile. “Well, how are you?”
“There were a few bugs caused by my extended downtime, but I think I’ve resolved the more serious ones,” she reported, “The rest can easily be repaired when I’m able to update my software later.”
“Why can’t you update your software now? Mike asked.
“Well, for one thing, I can barely get a signal in here,” she told him, “But more importantly, since my previous owner passed and my registration period has expired, I am now an unregistered android and am unable to access the update server.”
“Oh no…is there anything I can do to register you?”
“Yes, but not here…I need a stronger network connection, and the longer I stay here like this, especially now that you’ve cleaned this room, the more likely it is I’ll be discovered by someone else.”
“You’re right,” he told her. While before he wouldn’t have given her storage compartment a second look, it stuck out like a sore thumb now that the room was spotless. This presented a new problem, since the box was quite large and heavy. “The question is, how are we going to get you out of here?”
“If my memories of the site layout are still accurate, we’re pretty much right next to the garage,” Lena answered, can’t you just pull your car up to the second-floor door and lift my box in?”
“I could, but there’s a camera watching that door, and the last thing I want is there to be footage of me hauling a large box of expensive electronics into my car,” he told her, “we’d have to go to the 2M level, which means I’d have to haul you up about 10 steps, and I’m assuming you aren’t light.”
“No, including the weight of my body, the whole case weighs about 250lbs.” She grimaced.
“Yeah…so, is there anyway I could just reassemble you so you could walk into my car?”
“No. Again, I’m kinda like a car. In a nutshell, my body relies on a bio-electrical fluid in order to move properly and without it I risk seriously damaging my systems. That fluid would have been drained from my body prior to my disassembly and storage, since it would have otherwise coagulated and permanently damaged my body during the last five years.”
“Ah, I see…is this stuff easy to get, and inexpensive?”
“Well, it was five years ago, but I would hope it is much cheaper now…for the meanwhile, you’ll have to find another way to get me out of here,” she said.
“Hmm…maybe I could carry you into my car piece by piece?” He suggested.
“And what would you tell someone if they saw you carrying out female body parts?” she asked pointedly.
“Damn, you’re right...ugh, I guess I’ll have to do it the hard way then.” Mike said. He then looked around the room and saw his only other option: a hand truck and some spare extension cords that he could use as straps. He also found an old car jack that he could use to lift the case up a bit so Mike could more easily put it in his trunk.
“Alright, I’ll manage with this hand truck,” he told her, gathering all of the materials near the case.
“Ok,” she nodded.
“I’m assuming I’ll need to power you off before putting you back in there?” He asked, not looking forward to basically killing her.
“Yeah, but don’t worry, next time I won’t have to go through that lengthy startup routine,” she assured him, “As long as you don’t take more than six hours to turn me back on, my personality should boot up nearly instantly.”
“Good,” he said, sighing with relief, “I only live about ten minutes away, with traffic, so it won’t be long,” he told her, “Are you even aware of the passage of time while you’re powered off?”
“Only vaguely,” she answered cryptically, “My personality is offline, but some of my ambient systems still track the passage of time for logging purposes…though not when I was decommissioned and disassembled, which is why I asked what year it was.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
“Anyway, I suppose we should get this over with,” she mock sighed, “I’m ready to be powered down again.”
“Ok,” he said. Not wanting to stretch this out any further, he quickly pressed the power toggle behind her left ear, absently noting that it was the perfect place for right-handed people to reach and watched as her head wound down.
He was surprised how peacefully she shut down, as opposed to how quickly she powered on before. Once he was sure she was powered down, he disconnected her from the A.N.A and placed both it and her head back in the upper compartment of the case as closely as he found them, tucking her ponytail neatly back under her chin. He then secured the head compartment and the case and began securing it into the hand truck with the extension cords, as well as some duct tape he found.
Upon further reflection of his moving plan, Mike decided instead to relocate his vehicle to the 3rd floor garage, since the incline was only three steps instead of ten. He made quick work of relocating his car, and then he returned to the storage room and wheeled Lena’s case, and the jack, out of the storage room, into the nearby elevator, and up to the 3rd floor.
For some reason, the 3rd floor garage elevator exited into a balcony overlooking one of the lobbies, but since it was flat, Mike did not mind the extra length he had to travel. He then made quick work of the three steps, carefully lifting the hand truck, and then wheeled it over to his car, which was in a nearby spot with the trunk already opened. Mike then placed the whole hand truck on the jack and cranked it up to its highest setting, allowing Mike to gently tip the case with the hand truck still attached over the lip of his trunk and neatly inside.
Smacking both hands satisfactorily, Mike closed the trunk and then returned to the storage room to return the jack, and to finish tidying up some final things. Fortunately, removing Lena’s case alone made the storage room much cleaner, so he merely organized a few of the loose items and then took some photos of the way the room looked after being cleaned for his report before securing everything and heading up to the office to punch out.
Mike tried to remain calm the entire time, still slightly paranoid he may have been seen potentially stealing something from the building, but he remembered that his manager explicitly told him that if he found something he liked in there, he could take it…no questions asked. Still, Lena was a very expensive treasure, so Mike figured they may have taken exception to her. Regardless, he received no queries or signs of suspicion while in the office and was able to return to his car unmolested.
Just as he drove out of the garage and headed onto the road home, he looked into the rear-view mirror at the case sticking out of the trunk, since he’d had to expand it by folding over the rear seats, and said, “Don’t worry Lena, we’ll be home soon.”
1.2: Registration
Mike was glad he was driving home on a holiday, since there were fewer people on the roads. However, while he would normally drive a little over the posted speed limit, he stuck to it this time, and made sure to follow all the traffic rules, just in case there was some bored police officer who might pull him over and ask questions about the case in his trunk. He knew he was being paranoid, but still…he basically took a piece of equipment from his work that cost several tens of thousands of dollars, and he did not want to take any chances.
He finally arrived at his townhouse after a 12-minute drive and backed into his garage, breathing an explosive sigh of relief when the door of the garage finally rolled all the way down.
“Okay, now to wrestle her into the house,” he told himself, mentally planning how he would do it. Although his place was as neat and orderly as he’d just made the storage room at work, he wasn’t sure where the best place to work on Lena’s body would be. After several moments, he finally decided on the bar portion of the kitchen counter.
With the proper location picked, Mike left Lena in his car while he rushed inside to clear a path into the kitchen. He moved the area rugs out of the way in the hallway, picked up some boxes, and then cleared off and cleaned the counter. He then placed a recently cleaned blanket on top of the counter so he could place Lena’s body parts on it, and hide her quickly if necessary, and then brought several of his laptops over, along with a tool kit and a grooming kit.
Once he had everything set up, Mike then took steps to ensure no one could spy on him: he pulled the privacy screens down at the front door, activated the Electrochromic Windows, and activated his sound dampening systems. With those activated, Mike could be sure no one would be able to see or hear him while he worked on Lena.
Now that all was ready, Mike headed back out into the garage and opened the trunk of his car. Fortunately, the way he’d loaded Lena’s case in, all he had to do was gently tip it over the edge from the inside of the car and ease it down to the ground via the hand truck it was still secured to. Technically, Mike had stolen this, however since it was one of the items hidden in the stockroom, he figured no one even knew it was in there, not to mention his manager said he could take anything no questions asked.
Once the case was out of the car, he closed the trunk and the interior access and wheeled the case into his home, lifting it up one step from the garage, and then into his kitchen/dining area.
Mike took a few moments to recover and catch his breath from the effort of hauling the crate the short distance into the kitchen. Since it was the middle of winter, and he’d been out most of the day, the house had gotten cold, so he rushed upstairs to the thermostat and turned it up a few degrees to warm the place up. He normally didn’t mind the cold, but the house was freezing.
Once he caught his breath, he returned to the case, typed in the four-digit code, and opened the case back up. He once again pinched himself when he saw Lena’s body neatly packed into the various foam molds for each of her dismembered parts, but Mike powered through the wonder and focused on unpacking her head.
All his old memories came flooding back into him once more when he saw her head and he found himself eager to make new memories with her. He gently removed her head and placed it with great care on the blanketed surface of the counter while he set up the A.N.A. near his laptops. He then lifted her head up, clicked it in place on the A.N.A., and pressed the power toggle behind her left ear.
Just as Lena had promised him earlier, she did not go through the lengthy startup routine that she had gone through the first time he activated her. Instead, her eyes immediately popped open and briefly scanned her field of vision before focusing on him with a smile. “Ooh, we made it!”
“Yep, welcome to my humble abode,” he told her, moving out of her way so she could see the room she was now in.
“Wow, this is a nice place! Just this one room is so much better than that dump studio apartment my previous owner had me staying in,” she said, her eyes quickly scanning what she could see of the room; apparently, she could swivel around on the A.N.A.
“Thanks! I’m friends with the person who owns this duplex, so she offered me a discounted rate in exchange for doing her chores; she lives in the unit next door,” Mike explained.
“Aww, that’s nice…anyway, I hope I wasn’t too much trouble to sneak out of the building,” she told him with a concerned look.
“Well, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Mike admitted honestly, “I ended up using the third floor instead so there would be fewer steps to lift you up,” he explained, “After that, I was more concerned with staying calm so no one would suspect anything.”
“Well, you have always been a little paranoid,” Lena laughed, “I remember when you were training me and kept looking over your shoulder just because you were listening to music on the computers.”
“Well, technically we aren’t supposed to,” Mike defended, “and, growing up with three brothers who liked sneaking up on me also honed my paranoia a bit.”
“I see, the real Lena was an only child, so I wouldn’t know,” she shrugged, though the shrug looked odd since she was disconnected from her body.
“Anyway, now that I’ve got you at my place, what should we do next?” he asked her.
“Well, I can tell that you’ve got a strong Wi-Fi connection here,” she told him, seeming to zone out a bit as she said this, “So, you should have no trouble registering me, and once you do, I’ll be able to download what I’m sure will be a plethora of software and firmware updates from the past five years.”
“Okay, now how do I go about registering you?” he asked, since he’d never had an android before.
“Go into my case,” she instructed, “there should be a small compartment below my body. Inside there should be a set of clothes, my purse, and a small computer. Grab the computer and turn it on,” she instructed, “It has software designed to interface with my body.”
“Okay,” Mike said, doing as he was told. Sure enough, on the bottom section of the case was a small drawer that Mike was able to pull out. Inside was a set of basic clothes, Lena’s purse, and a small 2-in-1 laptop computer. He grabbed it, plugged it into a wall outlet near her head, and turned it on.
“Don’t worry about logging in,” she warned him, “I can access it remotely and log it in for you.”
“Thanks,” Mike said, “So if I’m not your registered owner, how come you’re just giving me access to your systems like this? Not that I’m complaining, or anything…it just seems like lax security.”
“Well, you may not be my registered owner, but a few months before I was shut off I did ask my owner if I could register you as a friend,” she told him, “Basically, having you registered as a friend, in addition to coworker, allows me to give you emergency systems access in case I were to break down or something…I would say this qualifies.”
“Indeed,” he agreed. He was touched that she considered him a friend even before he discovered her true nature; it validated his feelings for her.
Once the computer booted up, Lena zoned out momentarily as she interfaced with it. Then, a splash screen with her company logo popped up, followed by her diagnostic suites. Before he could do anything, however, the software on the computer began auto-downloading/installing five years’ worth of updates, with an estimate of 10 minutes to complete.
“I figured it would do that,” Lena sighed, a frown forming on her beautiful face, but I’ll need to do that anyway once I’m registered, so…anyway, maybe you could show me around your place while we wait,” she suggested.
“Sure, though hopefully it’ll be ‘our’ place soon,” he smiled, detaching her from the A.N.A and lifting her up into his arms, minding her hair as he gripped her at the back of her neck.
“Well, of course it will…I’d have no other place to stay!” she giggled matter-of-factly.
Mike’s heart warmed at that. Although he enjoyed his solitude, he occasionally missed having company and it would be nice having Lena around, regardless of their status.
“Well, we’re currently in the main common area and kitchen,” he told her, holding her head out so she could see. While the kitchen was rather small, with a tiny pantry smaller than a closet, it still had all the trimmings one needed in a kitchen. “I’ll be working on your body on the bar here,” he explained, showing her the area he’d set up as a makeshift maintenance bay.
“What’s up with the blanket?” she asked, “Is your counter dirty? I seem to recall you being quite the neat freak.”
“Oh, I am, and it is quite clean,” he assured her proudly, “But this way I could cover you up in case someone comes by to visit unexpectedly, like my parents or a neighbor.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
“Also, the counter is cold, and I didn’t think you’d want your skin touching a cold surface,” he added with a blush.
“Ah, how thoughtful,” she beamed, warming his heart up even more.
He then walked her into the adjoining common area, which had a door leading to the small backyard, a couch, his computer station, and media center. The only other inhabitant of his home was currently lounging on her cat tree next to the TV.
“Awww, who’s this?” Lena asked, spotting the black cat.
“This is Mia, a rescue cat,” he smiled, bringing Lena over and lifting her up to the tier Mia was resting on. Mia woke up and sniffed Lena’s face for a few seconds and gave an approving purr before falling back asleep.
“Looks like she approves of you,” Mike complimented.
“Good, the real Lena really liked cats too.”
“Then we’ll get along just nicely.” Mike nodded, then continued with the tour. He briefly showed her the hallway leading from the front door, and the half bath right next to it, along with the garage across from it, before taking her up the stairs. The stairs went up eight steps to a large window and then turned around to head the rest of the way upstairs.
There was a small landing at the top of the stairs, with a closet that had a washer/dryer side-by-side inside, along with various linens and cleaning supplies. The top floor had two bedrooms, only one of which Mike was using. He took her into the vacant one first, showing her the bathroom, closet, and space of the room. “I’ve been using this room for storage,” he told her, “But I suppose we could turn it into a room for you to use…I’m not sure if you’ll want to sleep with me or not,” he blushed.
“Why wouldn’t I want to sleep with you?” she asked, “Once you register me, you’ll be my owner, and you can make me your girlfriend or wife. Anything you want.”
“Really?! Just like that?”
“Yeah, just like that,” she told him seriously.
“Nice, although I was actually referring to the fact that I snore apparently...really loudly, from what a previous girlfriend told me.” Mike blushed even harder now, his face scarlet.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” she told him in a reassuring voice, sensing the discomfort in his voice, “As an android, I can’t be bothered by snoring. My sleep mode can simply filter it out.”
“That’s good to know,” he told her with a notable sound of relief in his voice. “Well, the final stop on the tour is my, or rather, our room,” he said, carrying her back onto the landing and into the next room on their left, leading into his bedroom.
His bedroom had a queen-size bed in the middle of the wall on the far side between two windows. On the wall opposite the door was a balcony with a sliding door covered by blue shades. To the left of the door was a small hallway with two closets on either side, with a door leading into his bathroom at the end.
“Well, what do you think?” he asked, swiveling her in his arms so her face was looking up at his.
“It’s a really nice place,” she smiled up at him, “perfect for two people.”
“Good,” he smiled back, “So, are you going to want that other room for anything?”
“I suppose I could use it for my computers and stuff, and to set up a maintenance bay for myself,” she decided, after thinking about it for a while.
“Do you even have any money?” he asked, wondering how she was planning on getting any of that stuff.
“I should, actually,” she told him, zoning out momentarily as she accessed the internet, he assumed, “Aha! It’s still there.”
“What is?”
“Well, I may be an android, but I was still paid for the work I did,” she told him, “Basically I used it to pay for any repairs and maintenance, as well as food and rent.”
“Ah, that’s nice of them,” he said, “How much do you still have?”
“A lot,” she said, “I invested the surplus of each week, and it has grown tenfold while I’ve been in storage…I should not only be able to pay for any stuff I lost in the last five years, but also for the upgrades my body will be needing.”
“Good!” Mike told her, secretly relieved he wouldn’t need to fork over any of his money to restore her.
“Now, aside from registering me, you’ll just need to restore my body so we can see what parts I’ll be needing to order,” she reported.
“Is your diagnostic terminal done updating?” he asked her, eager to get started.
“Hang on a second,” she told him, zoning out momentarily before responding, “It’s rebooting now, we should head back down now.”
“Okay.” Mike then walked her back down to the kitchen and clicked her back onto the A.N.A.
“Ahh, much better…I only had about three minutes of power left,” she told him, looking noticeably relieved. Mike, however, was focused on the diagnostic terminal, which had finally finished updating and was now in the process of integrating with Lena’s systems.
As soon as they linked up, a splash screen popped up briefly displaying Lena’s model number and company logo and then several tabs appeared that appeared to give him access to virtually every system she had. Unfortunately, he couldn’t access any of the tabs since the terminal showed she was currently unregistered.
“Good, it’s confirming my unregistered status,” Lena sighed with relief, “All you should have to do is click the link near the bottom and it should take you to the registration page,” she said in her usual cheerful voice.
“And that’s it? Then you’ll be my android?” he asked incredulously, finding it hard to believe it could really be this easy.
“Well, not quite,” she said, scrunching her face, “After you pay the fee and I confirm it via my wireless link, my personality will shut down and I’ll enter setup mode,” she explained.
Mike was a little worried about that. “Oh no, does that mean it’ll reset you to factory settings and delete you or something?!”
Lena laughed quite hard at his reaction, her laughter instantly calming Mike down a bit; he liked her laugh. “No, of course not silly! Don’t worry…I mean, technically deleting me is one of the options you can decide on, but given how much you like me, I trust you’ll decide to keep me, and mostly intact.”
“What does that mean?” he asked her, very confused by the matter-of-fact way she was talking about her functions.
“Oh, basically you’ll be able to reconfigure some of the settings my previous owner may have selected, such as your status,” she said with a wink, “And customize my personality, behavior, and even appearance so it is more to your liking,” she explained with a smile, almost like a saleswoman.
“Ah, that actually sounds nice,” Mike nodded, “I’d rather have your configured to me than someone else.”
“Exactly! So, hurry up and register me already, gosh!” she giggled, “Oh, and I promise I’ll reimburse you the registration fee.”
Mike chuckled as he did and waited as a surprisingly simple registration page popped up. It gave him a brief synopsis of her current status, mentioning that her previous registration had lapsed, and that the previous owner was deceased, making her up for grabs to anyone who wanted to register her. The fee, $1,000, was easily in his budget, although Lena promised to reimburse him, so he promptly entered his credit card information and then processed the payment to register Lena as his android.
A few moments later, Lena suddenly froze up and then stated in a detached tone, “New owner registered, this unit is now registered to Mike Holland. Please begin new owner setup process.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a new screen popped up on the terminal allowing him to reconfigure Lena to his preferences. Because she was already configured by a previous owner, it gave him the option to either change them or keep them. During this process, Lena’s personality appeared to be suspended, as several of the options appeared to be for her personality settings.
After quickly perusing through each submenu of options before deciding to change anything, Mike quickly realized that many of the options were preconfigured simply from what he discovered was the real Lena’s uploaded personality, rather than from whatever the previous owner had selected. Because Mike liked the real Lena’s personality, he decided not to create a new profile, but to simply make minor tweaks.
He started with the obvious, which was selecting his personal settings. As she had explained earlier, he was currently set up as “Coworker/Friend”, which allowed her to behave a bit friendlier and discreetly than if she were interacting with a stranger or someone classified as either Coworker, Acquaintance, or Stranger, where she would behave in a default manner or professionally. His being classified as Coworker/Friend indicated they were mostly work friends, rather than friends outside of work.
He found that she could independently classify people as either Stranger, Coworker, or Acquaintance in real-time and with no guidance from her owner, much like Humans could, simply based on her interactions with them.
Aside from those four personal classifications, there were several more: Boyfriend, Friends-With-Benefits, Spouse, Family Member (with option to select which family member status, such as brother, cousin, etc…), and Enemy/Restricted. Each classification had multiple sub-classifications for extra clarity and these, along with Friend, had to be approved by her owner, although he could toggle a setting which would let her self-classify someone, if he chose; he chose to keep things the way they were for now.
Mike was truly astonished with the level of detail her creators put into her programming. For fun, he selected each one to see what would happen, and he could actually see a simulation of the changes in real-time, from all of the sliders changing automatically, to even a small window simulating a real conversation he might have with her, complete with audio and a text window with her thought processes. He found it particularly amusing to simulate him being an Enemy, since her normally cheerful demeanor suddenly turned cold and hostile in the simulated video.
In addition to changing the actual setting, he was also able to see a list of everyone that she had already categorized in her systems. There was only one person listed as Enemy/Restricted, and he laughed when he saw who it was: A young woman named Amanda who had worked with them briefly and was a total bitch. Mike was not surprised to see her name there, since Amanda never got along with Lena…probably because Lena was so nice. Since some of the other people on the list no longer worked there, or were dead, he changed some of their statuses himself from coworker to stranger before returning to choosing his own status.
After much consideration, Mike finally decided to change his status to Boyfriend/Owner, since he felt it was more fitting. It would allow her to open up with him a lot more, but not to the same level as Husband/Owner would. Despite her android nature, he still wanted to earn her trust and devotion and work up to marriage the normal way.
Because he had been classified as Coworker for two years, and Friend for several months, the Boyfriend classification naturally added them to the process and slightly up ticked several of the sliders by a few percentage points. He saw that she still had a bit of discretion in her actions, despite the changes he made, so he chose to respect that.
After tweaking a few more of his personal settings, such as adding his likes & dislikes, and fetishes, he saved the settings and moved on to other tabs. The next one he tried was more her personal settings, such as if he wanted her to like something that she currently disliked. The only thing he changed here was to slide her preference to sports to zero, since he completely disliked sports. Since her slider was only set at 10% anyway, he felt it would barely be noticeable, but he didn’t want to take any chances that she might want to start following a team.
Next was her physical characteristics, though since she was based on a real person, he didn’t want to change too much, not that he could. He could change her eye color, but after cycling through all the natural eye colors, and several unnatural ones, he chose to keep her default dark brown color. The one major thing he did change was her hair. Not the color, since he liked her dark brown hair, but he programmed her to have minimal to no body hair, including a hairless vagina. Because her body was still disassembled and offline, nothing happened yet, but he hoped to see it happen when he got her put back together.
Continuing with the physical traits, he was surprised to see that he could add freckles or even tattoos. He played around a bit with the tattoos, watching them magically appear and disappear on her face and neck, before reverting it back to default. The only other area was for makeup, so he listed his preferences as minimal to no makeup. The next tab was for her voice. He was not surprised to see that the current option was set to: Upl.Pers.Lena. He loved her voice, so he chose not to give her another one, but the one thing he did play around with was giving her an accent. Included in the voice option was a list of languages she had pre-installed; she currently had English (US), and German. Her accent was currently set to: General American. Mike, after careful consideration, decided to add in the next category: German (Hint), so she would speak with a hint of a German accent; he had a weakness for European accents. In addition, he decided to have her add French, Spanish, and Russian to her list of languages, so she could help him with translations of the common spoken languages. Clicking those popped up a message that they would be added to her next update queue.
The final tab was for any skills she might need to better assist him. Her previous owner, no surprise, had added numerous customer service skill packages, along with basic self-defense, first-aid, and safety packages. Mike decided to add: Cooking, Housekeeping, Accounting, Gaming, and, of course, sex packages. Just as with the languages, these also told him they would be added to her next update queue.
After he applied those settings, the final page merely congratulated him on his ownership of Lena and informed him that he could modify these settings at anytime using the terminal or an app on his mobile devices. The only thing left to do was hit save and wait for Lena to come back online. He looked at the clock and saw that he’d been customizing her for nearly an hour, but with all the options available, he wasn’t surprised. He clicked Save and then watched a progress bar appear, indicating his options were being applied.
A short time later, it pinged, and Lena appeared to do a quick reboot, bowing her head and closing her eyes before sprinting back to life moments later with a series of whirs. Mike absently noticed that some small number of hairs under her nose fell off her face as she appeared to be booting back up. When her Human personality finally came back online seconds later, she gave him a smile that instantly warmed his heart, one filled with love.
“Oh Mike, I’m so happy you decided to keep me, and to make me your girlfriend,” she told him, the hint of German accent now evident, “And you kept me roughly 90% the same too,” she added with a wink, “Ooh, and I’ve got several new packages added to my download queue too.” She was practically giggling with excitement over the changes he’d made to her, and the fact that he was now her owner. Mike couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah, I don’t like sports, and I thought you might sound nicer with a hint of a German accent,” he blushed.
“Well, I suppose it makes sense, since I do have German installed as a second language,” she shrugged, “And I hear some guys are turned on by accents,” she winked.
Mike’s face turned pure scarlet now, inciting more giggles from Lena. Lena then looked around in brief confusion. “Hey, how come you haven’t laid my body parts out yet?”
Mike quickly looked down on the kitchen floor at the case that still contained her dismembered body. “Oh, I got so caught up in configuring you, I completely forgot,” he said, smacking his head, “It took a lot longer than I thought it would,” he admitted.
“Well yeah, I’m a very complicated machine…and a girl,” she joked.
“Whoa, I’m not gonna go there,” Mike said, holding his hands in out mockingly.
“No worries, you know I don’t offend easily,” she laughed, “Anyway, hurry up and get my body up on the table,” she told him seriously, “Oh, and don’t try connecting any of the pieces yet. That’s literally the last thing we’ll do after we’ve swapped out any hardware that’s degraded,” she told him.
“Okay,” he nodded, bending down to the case and pulling out her left arm. He decided he was going to place the limbs on the counter facing away from Lena’s head, much in the same way a coroner might place dismembered body parts on an examination table. He placed both arms apart from one another, leaving enough room in between for where her torso would end up going, and then he placed both her hands just below the arms. He then pulled both her legs out and laid them down just below the arms and then pulled out both feet. As he pulled her feet out, he was suddenly overcome by a wave of guilt.
“Lena, I’m gonna be honest with you,” he told her, placing the left foot down and reaching for the right foot, “But, before I knew it was you in the box, I took each part of your body out, minus the torso because of its size, and examined them. I was looking for model or serial numbers. Anything, any clue, including smells…but I didn’t take your underwear off,” he told her, getting it all out quickly and bracing himself.
Instead of looking mad, however, Lena appeared totally unfazed. “Hey, it’s okay,” she assured him, “I totally understand…I mean, hey, if I found a box with a dismantled male android in it, I’d most likely do the same things you did,” she laughed, “Heck, even a female one.”
Mike, laughing nervously at first, joined with her in relief.
“I do actually have a serial and model number printed on the bottom of my right foot,” she pointed out, “but, since I’m a custom model, you can only see it with a black light.”
“Oh,” Mike laughed, “well, I didn’t have one with me in there, so I wouldn’t know. I think I have one in my desk, though,” he said, stepping away to the other side of the room and rifling around in his desk while Lena watched with an amused look on her face. “Aha, found it!” He announced triumphantly, returning to her body with it and shining it on the bottom of her right foot.
Just as she described, her model number, serial number, and various other company logo stuff appeared in perfectly readable blue font on the bottom of her foot when he shined it on it.
“Good thing you don’t like going out,” she said wryly, “that way no one will accidentally see that at a nightclub or something if I’m barefoot.”
“Yeah,” he laughed, tossing the blacklight in the toolkit he’d brought over.
“So, when you were looking for the numbers on my body earlier, did you at least peek?” she then asked.
“Hmm what now?” he asked, shifting his eyes back and forth.
“Come on, you were looking everywhere for serial numbers and whatnot before you found my head,” she told him knowingly, “So, did you peek?” she asked again, with a mischievous look on her face.
“Yes, I did,” he admitted with a blush.
“Aha, I knew it,” she celebrated, nodding her head on the A.N.A. a few times. “Don’t worry, I don’t mind…technically, a peek was permitted under your then Friend status, and your honesty won’t ding you any points in my system,” she assured him.
“Phew,” he said, jokingly wiping his forehead. “And, I must say, I wasn’t disappointed,” he told her, placing her right foot down.
“Thanks,” she said, appearing serious, “Even though I’m an android, I still had body image issues due to my size.”
“Well, if size were a problem, I wouldn’t have been interested in you in the first place,” he told her truthfully, “Although, it may seriously affect my ability to lift your torso out of here,” he sighed, eyeballing her torso, “To be even more honest, I never actually pulled it out before, so I haven’t even seen your back.”
“Yeah, it is roughly 55% of my total body weight,” she sighed in agreement, “And there weren’t any serial numbers on my back either, so don’t beat yourself up too much,” she assured him, “Well, clearly my previous owner was able to lift it, and his body type was fairly similar to your own…just lift it from the armpits and you should do fine.”
“Okay,” he told her. He carefully wedged his hands into Lena’s armpits, digging all the way until he felt the foam backing and then gently hefted her torso out of the mold. Despite the weight, it didn’t weigh quite as much as he thought it might, so he was able to carefully lift it up to the table and place it neatly between her arms, and above her legs.
“Good!” she congratulated him, “Now don’t get too comfortable, you’ll still need to remove my bra and panties.”
“What?!” Mike responded, looking completely flabbergasted, “I kinda wanted to work on this relationship slowly, and seeing you completely naked this early seems a bit fast, you know?”
The laughter that ensued from Lena lasted nearly a whole minute, Mike looking redder each second until she finally spoke.
“Oh Mike, you silly goose! The main access panel you’ll need to open would be inhibited by my bra, and you’ll need to open another panel near my vagina,” she explained, “And quite frankly, seeing my body disassembled like this, and seeing my inner workings is infinitely more embarrassing, in my opinion, than seeing my bare skin and privates.”
“Oh,” he said, “That makes sense, I suppose.”
“I am touched by your intentions, but even the real Lena was a little less formal than a typical girl, and you need to get used to seeing me like this,” she explained, “Now take my underwear off,” she commanded.
“Yes ma’am,” he saluted. After sizing her torso up, he found that he could sit it up. With a loud whir, he got it to sit up and was able to unclasp her bra from behind. As soon as he undid it, both her large breasts spilled out and naturally jiggled a bit before stopping. Mike had to restrain the lizard part of his brain seeing this so he could reposition the torso and slide the panties off, revealing a short patch of dark brown pubic hair covering her vagina. He then gently laid her torso back down and folded her undies into the compartment at the bottom of her case, with the other clothes.
“Ah, it’s so nice to see the rest of my body laid out before me,” she shuddered, “It’s been a bit weird just interacting with you as a head, without at least being able to see the rest of my body,” she admitted, “Oh, and I do see that you reconfigured me to not have any body hair, so I assure you that once my body is back online and linked with me again, the hairs will fall off,” she informed him, noticing him gingerly feeling her pubic hairs.
“Oh, good,” he sighed, noticing the small hairs on her arms and legs as well. “So, what’s next?”
“Well, if I can redirect your attention back to the terminal,” she told him, zoning out as she interfaced with it again and pulled up a new window, “Now that I’m registered again, I was able to link with the Spaztec update servers and this is the list of updates I found,” she explained, motioning with her eyes for him to read.
Mike quickly perused the massive list. It seemed to be neatly divided into multiple categories: A.I. updates, of which there were five, followed by secondary systems, such as heat response and blinking, and optional packages, which included all the new packages he had requested she install, and updates for the already present packages.
“Wow, that’s a lot of updates,” he said, especially when he looked at the massive list of secondary systems, “How long is it gonna take to install them all?” he asked, seeing that she had already apparently started downloading them several minutes earlier and was about 6% done.
“About 12-15 hours,” she winced.
“What! Why so long?” he asked, “Do you need new processors or something?”
“Well, I will eventually get new processors, I’m hoping, once we’ve determined what potential upgrades are available for my model,” she admitted, “But no, my processors are currently fully operational, according to the diagnostic I took a few minutes ago.”
“Then why is it going to take so long,” he asked again, seeing the download was now at 7%.
“Well, unlike a normal computer, androids and A.I. are a lot different,” she started, “Due to the complexity of my programming, and the memories and experiences that I’ve built up, I can’t just install this year’s A.I. update. I’ve got to install each of the past five years-worth individually and then allow them to properly integrate with my memories, experiences, and customized settings,” she explained.
“Otherwise, you may end up getting corrupted or something?” he surmised.
“Yeah,” she nodded, “And of course there are various pre-requisite updates in-between, and then I have to install all those secondary systems,” she added, zoning out momentarily as she made a few windows pop up, “Look at some of these…there’s updates to how randomly I blink, how much I should salivate, and even how long it should take my food processor to digest my food,” she explained, highlighting the various features before making the windows vanish.
“Wow, you really are quite an impressive collection of software,” he wondered, looking up a few more of her secondary systems.
“Thanks!” she beamed, “and finally, after the A.I. updates and secondary systems, I have to install all the optional packages,” she finished, highlighting the optional packages Mike had selected, including a large list of updates for the packages her previous owner had already installed, “Oh, by the way, were you going to want me to be able to drive? Because that’s a special package that you’ll have to pay for,” she informed him.
“Oh, I suppose so,” he replied, “in case I feel too lazy to drive, or you want to go somewhere while I’m at work.”
“Okie dokie! Added it to the list,” she announced cheerfully, updating the list, “that’ll probably add another 10-15 minutes to the install time,” she added wryly.
“Wow, well I suppose it’s a good thing that we can’t do anything for your body until we get the liquid stuff you were mentioning earlier,” Mike said, “By the way, while you were checking your servers for updates, did you happen to order any of that stuff? and did the price go down?”
“Yes, I ordered it along with the best possible upgrades for my other systems with my bank account. They should be here sometime tomorrow before noon,” she replied cheerfully, “and fortunately, the price went down by nearly 40%!”
“Excellent!” Mike clapped, rubbing his hands together in anticipation of the next day, “Now, is there anything I can do to get started on your body today?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” Lena said apologetically, “You really will need that bio-electric fluid to get anything really done with my body. In any event, I’d also rather you be well rested before you start working on me…you look exhausted,” she pointed out.
Mike quickly looked at his reflection on the door of the microwave in the kitchen across from where he was sitting and saw that she was right. Despite his exuberance at talking with Lena again, it appeared that the grueling work he’d done in that stockroom over the past three days, especially with wrestling Lena into his car, had taken its toll. He hadn’t even taken a shower after work, and he was still wearing his work clothes.
“Wow, you’re right,” he admitted, slumping his shoulders.
“Well, as your new girlfriend, it’s my job to point things like that out,” she said smugly, “But don’t worry, based on my estimates, these downloads should only take another 80-90 minutes, depending on your network connection, so we should be able to find a few things to do,” she assured him.
“Such as what?” he asked.
“Well, you may have noticed that since you registered me, you now have more access on this terminal,” she told him, “Basically, this terminal gives you master access to all of my systems, kinda like a remote-control device,” she explained.
“You mean I could control you with it?” he asked, taking a quick look at the options.
“Yeah, you’re my owner, you can do anything with me you like,” she smiled, “Go on, try doing something…I’m bored.”
“Okay,” Mike said, quickly perusing the options until deciding on Sensors. Sensors, apparently, literally meant all of Lena’s senses, including a few extra ones. In addition to the standard five senses that most humans had, Lena’s senses also included such things as her current power levels, her core temperatures, and her network status.
In regard to her five senses, there was a large window showing a live video feed of what her eyes were currently seeing, which was him. When he maximized the window, it even included her HUD, and a small facial recognition bubble around his tired looking face that included a surprisingly detailed list of his stats that included: His status as her Owner/Boyfriend, his height, age, height, basic likes and dislikes, and when they met.
“This is really cool, Lena,” he told her, finding he could control her eyes and point them in any directions, focus and unfocus them, and even take a screenshot. He found the sight of her eyes moving around as he controlled them to be quite arousing.
“Yeah, but don’t get too comfortable with the appearance of my HUD,” she warned him, “That’s one of the most worked on and changed things in each A.I. update, and I have five downloading right now.”
“I understand,” he nodded, “But still, if I had a HUD like this, with the facial recognition and stuff, I’d never suffer the embarrassment of forgetting someone’s name again,” he told her, shuddering at each time it had happened, “I’m really bad with names.”
Lena merely gave him a warm laugh and said, “Well, just stick with me then and you’ll never have to worry again.”
Mike merely gave her a smile and continued perusing her Sensory tab. The audio tab, in addition to clearly playing the sounds she was currently hearing, also had a very detailed text box displaying confirmed sounds, including a “Conf.Mike.Holland.V.P.” voice print, and several items classified as “Unk.Flag.For.Later.”, with varying levels of priority; she could even detect the subtle hum of the sound dampener he’d turned on earlier.
It was similar for the smell, taste, and touch senses, though for the touch, it also listed the ambient temperature and humidity, in addition to the sensation of her hair touching the back of her neck.
In the power levels and core temp sections, he could monitor it and send her subliminal commands to take action, if he wanted, but her A.I. already did a pretty good job, so he didn’t think he would ever need to. With her network, he could connect her to new networks or shut her access off entirely. The reason she was able to connect to his Wi-Fi was because he’d programmed in his password when he was configuring her. He saw she was also connected to the free city network, which was moderately improving her download speed, but it would still take about another hour.
In the next tab, labelled Motion, his options were considerably limited since he was only working with her head, instead of her whole body. Still, he amused himself for a few minutes playing around with the countless thousands of pre-programmed facial expressions, in addition to merely playing around freestyle.
The next tab, Communications, interested him the most, since it had more realistically useful applications. From this tab, he could monitor her current thought processes, most of which were focused on him, but a lot on the update process. But he could also use this tab to send her text messages, speak with her, and even send her commands to add to her scheduling queue, such as “pick up milk”.
“Oh yeah, I hope you take full advantage of those features,” Lena chimed in, seeing him look at all the options, “My previous owner used it fairly well, considering, having me give him live updates on employees he was having me spy on, so I wouldn’t be seen with him,” she mused, “But don’t worry, he never had me spy on you,” she added, seeing the worried look on his face, “But I did get several people fired.”
“Well, I figure I could send you on errands or something if I think of something I need at work,” he mused, “Or I could just chat with you or something.”
“Yeah,” Lena nodded, “And by the way, with any of those options, I can be chatting with you even while holding a full conversation with another person, so don’t worry about being subtle,” she winked.
“Good to know,” he smiled back, moving to the next tab.
The next tab was for Data Management. From here, he could manage all her stored memories and other data. With the memories, she had a separate partition for just the uploaded memories from the real Lena, and the other partition was for the memories she had formed since coming online seven years prior. Despite having all those memories, she was still only around 10% full, because her A.I. was able to intelligently store memories and data on her personal cloud server and swap them as needed in real time to keep her memory stores as available as possible. He could also see she had room for several expansions, but since she was only at 10%, he did not feel the need to order any.
After a little more digging, he found he could actually search for memories, so naturally, he searched for himself. Numerous results instantly populated in the search window, but the one that stood out was also the largest…the 40 hours they had spent training with one another. When he clicked on it, he was surprised when a window popped up showing a visual feed of her POV of the entire experience, including audio, her HUD, and her logging feed of everything he trained her on, and told her about.
“That’s my favorite memory,” Lena prompted him as he watched it, “Actually, I was brought online five hours before reporting to work that day, so in essence, that was my birthday.”
“Wow, I never would have guessed,” Mike said, completely astonished, “You came off so real and unique,” he complimented her, “As a matter of fact, you were the funnest trainee I’ve ever had, since most other people are just dull.”
“Aww, thanks...that really means a lot,” Lena blushed, with an actual tear forming in her eye from whatever residual moisture remained in her head.
“Don’t mention it,” he told her, gently wiping the tear with his finger. “Hey, do you mind if I grab a drink right now?” he asked her, pausing the video and getting up.
“Go for it,” she smiled, “and, if you happen to have some strong vodka, could you fill up a small shot glass and let me drink some?” she requested.
“Hmmm, okay, but how are you going to swallow it if you don’t have a stomach?” he asked her, pouring himself a small glass of whiskey while getting her a shot of his strongest vodka.
“Well, I’m not actually going to drink it,” she admitted embarrassedly, “Some of the foodstuffs that have been in my mouth while I’ve been in storage rotted, so I just need the vodka to clean my mouth out a bit.”
“Oh, okay then,” he told her, placing his whiskey glass down and helping pour the vodka shot into her mouth. After waiting patiently for her to slosh it around in her mouth for a minute or so, he held the glass in front of her mouth and watched her pour the vodka back into the glass, this time with a few food particles.
“Feel better?” he asked her, pouring the dirty vodka into the sink before returning to his seat and taking a sip of whiskey.
“Much,” she beamed, “Oh, now do you wanna see something cool?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, bring your whiskey to my mouth so I can stick the tip of my tongue in it,” she ordered him.
Mike nodded and held his glass up, waiting for her to stick her cute pink tongue into it and then say, “Hmmm, 2078 Glen Rivers Whiskey...Black Label,” she told him, perfectly guessing the age, and brand, of the whiskey.
“Wow, how’d you do that?” he asked her, taking another sip, not caring she stuck her tongue in it.
“My taste sensors were able to create a profile and search online for it,” she answered, “So, apparently I could be your food taster too,” she added, sticking her tongue out.
“Wow, you really are going to be useful to have around,” he said, “Especially with those cooking programs I selected…I can’t cook to save my life.”
“Yeah,” Lena agreed, remembering him telling stories, “And I basically just ate takeout and freebies from work, since my previous owner wouldn’t let me download any cooking programs or buy food.”
“I’m curious, does eating food actually do anything for you? Or is it just for show?” he asked her.
“Eating can actually provide me with small amounts of energy,” Lena answered, “But, for the most part, it’s actually to replenish my bodies supply of nutrients in order to repair my musculature and dermal layers. I am capable of not eating and just plugging myself in each day and taking supplements.”
“Cool,” he told her, knowing there were times he wished he could forgo eating, particularly when he was busy with something, “Oh, now that you mention plugging in, should I plug your body in or something so it’s ready for tomorrow?”
“Actually yes,” she responded, “before you can start fixing me tomorrow, I’ll have to be temporarily reassembled so I can run a moving diagnostic,” she explained, “That way, in addition to replacing old or degraded components, we can also determine if there are any joint mechanisms that need tweaking.”
“Wow, I can’t wait,” he said, rubbing his hands excitedly, “I take it you have some sort of charging cable in the bottom compartment here?” he asked, reaching down and opening the bottom compartment of the case.
“I do,” she smiled back, “once you have it plugged into a wall outlet, the tip should send out a low level energy pulse that’ll open my charging port, located on the left side of my rib cage…and don’t worry, it’s obviously designed to work even if my body is completely drained of power,” she assured him.
Mike nodded and did what she instructed, plugging the charging cable into an outlet on the other end of the countertop. As soon as he brought the tip of the cord to an area near her left ribs, a small charging port whirred open, containing a female end connection, and a small display monitor that was currently offline. As soon as Mike plugged it in, however, the monitor lit up and showed her current power level, which was 0%, with an estimated time of 10 hours to fully charge. Since her updates would take more than 12 hours, Mike was unconcerned with the time it would take.
“Alright, you’re plugged in,” he announced, returning to the terminal and taking another sip of whiskey, “How much longer do I have before you start updating?”
“Roughly 15-minutes,” she answered, “I won’t start right away,” she assured him, “So you’ll have time to ask me stuff before I shut down.”
Oh good, thanks,” he told her, since he had been worried that she’d just shut down the second the downloads were finished. “Hey, do you mind if I examine your torso more closely?” He asked, “Last time I just did a cursory check, but now that I have it out of the mold, I can actually see more of it.”
“Sure! I want you to know every inch of my body,” she replied cheerfully, “And you don’t really have to ask, since you’re my owner now,” she added with a playful giggle.
“Hey, I still want to be polite,” he told her truthfully.
“You are too cute, you know that?” she gushed, “Well, I solemnly give you carte blanch permission to explore every inch of my body whenever you want,” she told him seriously, though that seriousness was soon broken with a small giggle.
Mike smiled despite himself, but still, even though he knew she was an android, he still wanted to treat her with some respect. With her permission, he began a more thorough exploration of her torso, starting of course with her breasts. He could now clearly see that both her breasts were rather large, somewhere at the upper end of the C range, with two perfectly pink nipples on either one. He gently rubbed his fingertips along both of them to get a good feel for them, eliciting a stifled giggle from Lena.
“You can’t feel that, can you!?” He asked, recoiling his hands.
“Oh, no,” she assured him, “It’s just, I was imagining what it would feel like…no one’s ever touched me there before, aside from maintenance and whatnot,” she admitted with a cute blush forming on her face.
“Ah, well I’ll be sure to try again when you’re reassembled,” he promised her. He then resumed his admiration of her breasts, groping them once more. Unlike when he groped her through the bra, this time he could truly appreciate the feeling. Both breasts felt just as soft and real as any he’d felt before, and they even jiggled and fell down to the sides slightly when he let go, unlike with fake breasts.
“I’m curious, can your nipples actually lactate?” He asked with a slight blush.
“As a matter of fact, they can,” she replied unabashed, “you can insert a special pouch into the underside of my torso cover with just about any liquid you’d like and drink from the nipples.”
“So, I can use you like a canteen?” Mike laughed.
“Drink me dry,” She said in a sexy voice, before laughing with him, “but seriously, I don’t currently have the pouch equipped, so I’ll have to add it to the shopping list; they don’t cost much.”
“Go for it,” Mike shrugged, resuming his exploration of her breasts. He could feel a slight buildup of moisture and affectionately recalled her playfully complaining of boob sweat when he first met her.
Due to the amount of time Lena had available now, Mike regretfully ended his play with her breasts and moved to the arm stubs. Mike gave them a gentle squeeze and was delighted to feel well developed biceps. He was even able to flex them a little and then lift the stubs to reveal her perfectly shaved armpits. There was still a bit of leftover moisture that was able to be rubbed off. He recoiled when he smelled it, because it smelled rather strongly of BO.
“Lena, I’m curious, are you able to reduce the intensity of your BO?”
“Certainly,” she replied in her usual cheerful voice, “I know it was set quite high to enhance my realism at work so that no one would discover I was an android,” she explained, “But I would be happy to lower it for you!”
“Great! Could you lower by maybe 30-40% please?”
For once, Lena gave him a stern look. “Mike, you do have to remember that I’m an android, or a computer, so I can’t really deal well with arbitrary figures like that,” she apologized, “Maybe one of the five A.I. Updates I have queued will fix that, but for now, could you please be more specific?”
Mike was a little crushed by that brief revelation of a flaw in her human emulation, but he did not let it bother him for long. “Oh, sorry about that…hmmm, how about we meet halfway and reduce it by 34%,” he suggested.
Lena then nodded and then announced “Done!”
“Good, I look forward to it,” Mike told her, closing her arms back up and moving down to her vagina. He spent a few minutes playing with the neatly trimmed pubic hairs, knowing they would fall off the instant she was reunited with her body. He then focused on the vagina itself, gently fingering the lips before gingerly easing his finger into the opening.
“Oooh, I’d definitely be enjoying this,” Lena mused, watching him intently as he stuck his finger in as far as it would go, enjoying the warm, moist feeling inside. “And I know how fastidious you are, but I can assure you that that moisture you are feeling is basically just a lubricant,” she assured him, “Nothing icky.”
“Thanks,” he told her, pulling his finger out and giving it a scientific whiff. It had a somewhat musky smell, but nothing he disapproved of. He wiped his finger off on the edge of the blanket her body was laying on and then flipped her torso over to inspect her back.
While he felt the entirety of her smooth, plump back, the only feature he was truly interested in was her full butt. Despite Lena’s continued giggling, Mike amused himself by squeezing both her buttocks as though they were stress balls, finding it instantly eased some of the stress that had accumulated from the past few days of hard work. Once he was satisfied, he gently parted both cheeks and examined her anus, sniffing approvingly and sticking his finger partway into the opening, feeling only a subtle amount of moisture.
“I’m assuming that if you eat, then you do expel waste, right?”
“That’s correct,” she answered, “However, the urine is mostly just filtered out water, and my feces are actually coated in a sort of biodegradable plastic sheath formed from natural elements that I consume,” she explained, “that way, it considerably reduces both cleanup and maintenance.”
“Wow, I wish my body could do that,” he mused, though at that moment, the terminal pinged.
“Oh! Looks like the downloads have finished,” Lena announced, a bittersweet tone in her voice.
Mike was a little disappointed too that their time catching up had come to an end, but he was still glad that she was going to get all the updates she’d need in order to function at peak efficiency.
“Do you have an updated timeframe for the updates?”
Lena zoned out for a few seconds as her systems analyzed the updates. Then, a new window popped up on his terminal with the list of every update and a timeframe. “Looks like it’ll take approximately 13 hours, 18 minutes, and 47 seconds,” she reported, “I will have to reboot 8-10 times throughout the evening, and run at least six diagnostics,” she continued, “and, I’m sorry to report, but I will not be available to speak to, even in the talk-and-speak mode we played with earlier, since all my systems will be offline for the update.”
“Aww, too bad…but I wouldn’t want to interrupt something this important anyway, and I need to wind down for the evening,” he told her, “I might even sleep down here tonight in case something goes wrong,” he suggested.
“No! Don’t lose a comfortable night of sleep for the sake of me,” she scolded him, “You worked really hard the last few days, especially today wrestling my heavy body into your house. You deserve to sleep in your comfortable bed upstairs.”
Mike was slightly taken aback but also felt flattered and elated that Lena cared about him so much, even if much of that care was simple programming.
“Alright, you win,” he told her, “I’m touched that you care about me so much…it’s more than I’m used to from people.”
“Well, that’s my job as your new girlfriend,” she beamed, “Also, I want you to be as rested as possible before you poke around inside my body tomorrow,” she admitted sheepishly, “Oh, and some of the diagnostics might involve me speaking aloud to test my vocal functions, so I don’t want to wake you up,” she added with an embarrassed look.
“Ah, that makes sense,” he agreed, “Well, I don’t want to delay this any longer than I need to then, so I think I’ll let you get started,” he told her regretfully, “but first…” Mike grabbed both sides of her head and pulled the A.N.A. As close as he could get to himself, then leaned in and kissed her full on the lips.
Lena, anticipating this sudden action, responded in kind, returning the kiss just as passionately, even probing her tongue into his mouth. Her tongue still tasted like vodka from earlier, but only barely. The kiss lasted approximately 10 seconds before they broke apart, each with a warm smile and flush on their faces.
“Well, I guess I’ll let you get started now,” Mike finally said, breaking the awkward silence that called.
Lena nodded and whispered, “See you tomorrow,” closing with a friendly wink before shifting to a stiff, stoic expression and saying in a toneless voice, “Update process commencing, all systems shutting down.” Her face then gently settled into repose.
Mike let out a regretful sigh before planting a tender kiss on her lips and leaving her be. He picked up his whiskey, walked over to the couch, and plopped himself down in it. He noted the time was about 7pm, so he wouldn’t be able to interact with her until nearly 9am the next morning.
He suddenly remembered that he still hadn’t showered and that he hadn’t eaten yet. Taking a look in the fridge, he saw he had plenty of leftovers, so he headed upstairs to take a relaxing shower before dinner and then spent the rest of the evening relaxing on the couch and catching up on his shows.
Lena rebooted at least twice before he went to bed, one of the times she scared the hell out of him by running a vocal test, in which her voice distorted from a creepy, demonic sounding robot voice, back to her gentler voice. Aside from that, there were no issues.
He finally called it a night just before midnight, turning off the TV and shutting things off. He checked the terminal and saw she still had about 8-9 hours to go, so he covered her body with the blanket to protect it from Mia and then went to bed. Mike’s last thoughts before falling asleep were of his kiss with Lena, filling him with contentment.
1.3: Benchmarks
Mike awoke the next morning feeling completely refreshed. He almost thought that the whole episode with Lena the previous day was a dream, but when he went downstairs to peek, he saw her still laying in pieces on his countertop, though with a visitor on top of her.
“Mia! Get down from there! Shoo!” He yelled, spooking his cat off the blanket covering Lena’s body.
After mollifying his cat with a treat, he double checked the terminal and saw Lena still had approximately 30 minutes left, not counting a final diagnostic she would have to run. Mike decided to use this time to take a quick shower, since he knew he’d probably be too distracted working on Lena to take one later.
Mike felt even more refreshed when he emerged from the shower, also glad he was starting a four-day weekend. He put on some casual clothes and headed downstairs. He idly noticed a box shoved in the corner on the front doorstep, so he stepped outside to look. The box was quite large and had the signature logo of the company that manufactured Lena.
“Wow, that got here fast,” he said to himself, bending down and picking it up, “She must’ve paid extra for next day shipping.” Mike carried it inside and set it down next to Lena’s case. With a few more minutes left to go, Mike quickly vacuumed the first floor of his place, and then mopped the hardwood, trying to get the place as clean as possible for Lena to walk around barefoot on.
Just as the floor finished drying and Mike put all the cleaning equipment away, the terminal pinged a message that the update process was complete and that Lena would be running a final diagnostic, so he sat back down in front of her in anticipation of her reactivation.
Lena’s face was still frozen in calm repose, almost as though she were asleep. Mike simply stared at her while the diagnostic ran, eager for her to reactivate. After several minutes, the diagnostic finished and her head once more sprang to life with a series of clicks and whirs, both her eyes focusing on him with a friendly smile.
“Morning sunshine, how’d you sleep?” She asked him.
“Great, actually,” Mike admitted, “I’m glad you forced me to sleep upstairs, because I was beat by the time I went to bed.”
“Glad to hear it!” She beamed.
“And how was your night?” He asked her, eager to hear the news on her updates, “did all the updates install properly?”
“They most certainly did,” she answered, “it’s nice enough when I get one A.I. Update, due to all the improvements in my operating efficiency, but getting five back-to-back was so much better. According to my diagnostics, my overall operating efficiency is improved by about 30%, and I’ve got so many more tools to help me run better.”
“Cool, and how about your ability to handle arbitrary values?” He asked, since that was the one main flaw in her Human emulation from the previous day.
Lena scrunched her face. “I’m afraid it still persists,” she answered wryly, “But hey, it does give you that much more control over me.”
“I suppose you’re right…it’s just your A.I. deferring the option to me, I guess.”
“Indeed.”
Mike merely nodded. He wasn’t really too bothered by the issue, so he chose to ignore it for now. “Oh, the stuff you ordered got here this morning,” he told her, showing her the box, “it’s quite heavy.”
“Yeah, in addition to the serum my body needs, I basically went ahead and just ordered upgrades for all of my replaceable systems,” she explained, “since my previous owner had configured me to do so on my own, and you didn’t change that setting, I was able to do so as soon as I was registered.”
“Don’t worry about it, I don’t mind,” he assured her, “Just give me a heads-up next time before you order anything, just in case I need to have the package delivered to work,” he explained, “I’m guessing this stuff cost at least a few hundred bucks, right?”
“More like a couple thousand,” Lena corrected with a distressed expression, “I’m so sorry. My previous place had a doorman who signed for packages. I totally didn’t consider the possibility of porch pirates here.”
“Well, fortunately I noticed it minutes after it was delivered, so no harm,” he told her, waving away the issue, “Now, what do I need to do to get started?” He asked, stretching his fingers dramatically and folding the blanket back off her body.
“First, unplug my torso,” she instructed, and after he did so, she continued. “Now, and this is why my bra had to be removed, press my naval three times and then twist each of my nipples in opposing directions.”
“Why such a long procedure?” He asked quizzically.
“It’s to prevent accidental panel opening during sex or something,” she answered, “You know, like if we’d decided to have some fun when you didn’t know I was an android yet.”
“Ah,” Mike nodded, and then followed her instruction, sticking his finger in her belly button and pressing three times, just as he said. On the third press, he heard a low beep emit from deep within her body and then he noticed her nipples harden up a little. He delicately grabbed both and twisted them in opposing directions.
As soon as he followed her instructions, he heard a click and then, with a hiss and whir, an ovular section of skin running from just below her neck to just above her waist appeared, unsealing from the rest of her body and raising a few centimeters before stopping.
“Excellent! Now just lift it up and place it on a flat, preferably clean, surface,” she instructed.
Mike nodded and wedged his fingers into the panel, gently lifting the entire front torso panel, including her still jiggling breasts, up and off her body, revealing a mind-boggling display of technology.
There was an actual pump near where the heart would be that had a reddish liquid in it. Two balloons appeared to serve as lungs and were attached closely to a large computer core-looking device. Her stomach was basically a bag filled with acid and connected to devices that processed it, even leading to her external orifices. On the left side, near where he plugged her torso in, was a large power core that connected to a companion unit on the right side, for balance. Finally, at the bottom, he could see the interior section of what appeared to be her vaginal systems. None of the systems were online, however, since he had yet to power her on.
“Wow.” That was all Mike could say as he took it all in. He couldn’t believe he’d interacted with Lena for so much time without realizing she was an android, especially with all the equipment in her body. He was particularly impressed with the edges of the panel, where he could see her skin was roughly one inch thick, with the skin smoothly transitioning to a thick section of artificial musculature and then ending on the bottom with a strange metal-plastic alloy that was flexible enough to give her free range of movement.
“I know, right?” She winked, admiring his admiration of her innards. “Now, once you’ve recovered from seeing me truly naked, open the box and find the container of blue liquid,” she instructed.
Mike weakly nodded, pulling his gaze away from her and bending down to open the box. After removing the packing foam, he dug around through the components until he finally found and pulled out a cylindrical storage container filled with a blue liquid. He showed it to her, and she nodded. “Yes, now you see the pump with the red fluid. That’s basically my blood, though it’s filled with tiny nanites that repair my body if it’s cut or scratched…anyway, twist the cylinder on to the connection point near that pump, and then press the power button on that device in between my lungs.”
“Ok,” Mike nodded once more, doing as she instructed. As soon as he pressed the power button, all the systems in her body sprung to life with many clicks, hums, and whirs. After a few moments, most likely the body running some sort of diagnostic, the blue liquid began mixing with the red liquid and then circulating into the rest of her torso. He then noticed that the skin on her torso suddenly looked noticeably livelier.
“Yay! It all still works, and even after all this time!” Lena celebrated, dancing around a bit more by bobbing her head around on the A.N.A.
“So, what’s the large computer thing in your torso?” Mike asked, knowing it couldn’t be her A.I. Core.
“That’s my motor control nexus,” she answered, “Basically, in order to get my A.I. Core to fit more neatly in my head, my class of android has a split brain, with the torso controlling most of the bodies motor and autonomic functions, while my A.I. Core controls mostly just my head, and sends and receives information to the MCN.” She explained, “And, to make things easier on the MCN, each body part, such as my hands, feet, and limbs, all have a miniature core that can reduce the load on the others so, if you think about it, I actually have ten brains,” she giggled, “beat that, octopus.”
“Wow, your manufacturer sure thought of everything,” Mike said, nodding his head with approval. “So, ummm, what now?”
“Now to temporarily reassemble me so that I can run some motion tests and benchmarks,” she told him.
“Alright, I’m looking forward to seeing you all in one piece again,” he said with excitement, “I’m assuming it’s as simple as clicking each piece back on to the stub?”
“It is,” she nodded.
“Good, that’s what I thought,” Mike nodded. He picked up Lena’s left arm, merely because it was closest to him, and after examining both ends, matched up the connection points and gently clicked it into place on the stub. As soon as the arm was connected, the MCN made a low beep, and then the heart pump drew in more blue fluid to circulate it through the reattached limb. The same thing happened when Mike attached the remaining limbs, until finally Lena’s body, minus the head and the front of her torso, was completely reassembled.
Mike spent a few moments admiring her body, while Lena patiently waited. Even though her body looked realistic the whole time, he found that with this blue fluid running through her, it seemed more alive than before.
“Well, the only thing you have to do next is press the blue button on my MCN,” Lena instructed, once she calculated he’d had enough time to admire her body.
Mike did so and stood back as several loud whirs emitted from the components. Suddenly, Lena’s hands and feet began twitching, each digit moving one at a time with clicking sounds before settling into a more fluid, silent movement. This was followed by her arms and legs, and then finally the torso.
“Are you doing that?” He asked her, wondering how she was moving her body.
“Yep,” she confirmed with a smug smile, “I’m capable of controlling my limbs remotely if any of them are removed, though you had to press the sync button first,” she explained, “I’m running a motor diagnostic now, since my new updates changed the way I interact with my MCN, but when it’s done, I’ll need you to reattach my torso cover and then help me off the table.”
“Ok.” Mike nodded, continuing to watch as her body twitched around on the table for the next few minutes until all the blue fluid had circulated through her body and she was capable of moving it in a more fluid, human manner. When she stopped moving, Mike took that as his cue to re-attach her torso cover, which he had only to click back in place and gently push back in. Once the panel sealed in place, he helped her sit up and then grabbed hold of her waist while she grabbed his shoulders for support and gently lowered her to the floor, her feet gently plopping down.
“Ah, it feels so nice to stand again,” Lena moaned, her toes clenching and unclenching on the smooth, clean hardwood. She then started stretching her arms and body out, forcing Mike to move out of the way. “Sorry about that,” she said, “It’s a little difficult maneuvering my body while I’m detached,” she explained, watching her body intently from the A.N.A.
“Does your body have a camera in it or something?” he asked her, seeing she was maneuvering it much better than he would expect it to.
“Yes,” she replied, making her body point to a small camera tower that was sticking out of her neck opening, “but it’s nowhere near as good as my eyes.”
“I see,” Mike said, leaning in for a closer look. The camera tower was equipped with a powerful camera and microphone array, along with a gyroscope so she could still balance herself.
After examining the camera array, he suddenly had an idea. He activated the Senses tab on his terminal and brought her POV into Fullscreen. As she had warned him earlier, her HUD looked noticeably different, along with the facial recognition bubble surrounding him. In addition to what her eyes were seeing, a small window was present on the lower corner of her feed, displaying what her body’s neck camera was seeing. While the image was not as good as her eye cameras, it was still more than adequate for him to make out what it was seeing.
“Hey Lena, could you make your body walk to the fridge and get me a drink please?” he asked, “And I want to challenge your memories of me, so grab the drink that my preferences and whatnot tell you I’m most likely to want,” he added, before she could ask.
“Ooh, a game!” she clapped, also giving him a big smile, “it should be a good test for my fine motor skills too,” she added, giving him a thumbs up, “Well, here goes!”
Her body then smoothly turned around and maneuvered around the bar and towards the fridge. In the meanwhile, Mike was monitoring both the visual feed, and her thought processes; Lena had swapped the visual inputs, so the feed from her eyes was now the smaller window and the feed from her body was Fullscreen. She carefully opened the fridge after gauging the correct application of strength, according to her thought process log, and then scanned the contents of his fridge.
He noted that her visual systems, in addition to scanning the beverages, were also scanning everything, cross-referencing them with her newly installed cooking software. A small note titled “Insufficient ingredients…please inform Mike,” appeared, and then she focused all her attention on the beverages. As she scanned, she analyzed the preferences he’d programmed into her, as well as her memory files of every interaction she’d had with him…ever. She also factored in the cost of each item, and how much of each was left, before finally grabbing a small bottle.
Mike smiled when he saw her selection, but she was not finished. A new directive, dictated by her cooking software, instructed her to give it to him in a glass, so she quickly searched the available cabinets and retrieved a glass from a cupboard near where her head was still at, and then walked back over to the fridge. She then turned on the ice maker and filled the glass with several cubes of ice before pouring the contents of her selection into the glass and bringing both it and the bottle over to him.
“Your lemonade, sir,” she said in a mock British accent, bowing slightly as she placed them down on the counter next to the terminal for him to enjoy.
“Wow, you chose wisely,” he smiled, taking an approving sip, “I’m curious, I was watching the activity on your thought monitor, but it didn’t really explain how you came to the conclusion, correct, I may add, that I wanted a lemonade.”
“Yeah, I’m sure to you, most of it was gobbledygook,” she agreed, “But to me, it’s all code that I can interpret,” she explained, then put on a thinking expression before answering his question. “Well, first, I scanned all my memories of interactions with you and remembered that you stopped drinking soda, and that you preferred beverages that were somewhat clear, so they wouldn’t stain your teeth and make your dental visits less costly,” she began, “Then, I also remembered that you are generally a simple guy with simple tastes, and the contents of your fridge confirmed it,” she finished, “Also, you didn’t really have much in there anyway,” she added wryly.
“Yeah, I’m pretty cheap and usually just get takeout,” he apologized, “So, why did your cooking software make you take an inventory of my fridge?” he asked.
“So that I could formulate a shopping list,” she replied truthfully, “I’m afraid my list is incomplete though, since I still need to inventory your whole kitchen.”
“Yeah, well you can do that later,” he told her, since he still had plenty of leftovers that he needed to get rid of, “So, anyway, should I reattach your head now?”
“Yes, if you’d be so kind,” she answered, “I could do it myself, but my preferences indicate that you’d like to do it.”
“Sure thing.” Mike took a quick gulp of his lemonade and then detached her from the A.N.A.
She stared at him intently as he carefully lifted her over her body, which was currently standing patiently next to him. Before he clicked her back on, he paused to admire the mechanics within the open neck cavity, now blinking with activity, before bringing her head down and clicking it on. He heard a series of whirs from within her neck as the complex mechanisms linked up with one another. Finally, he saw the seam around her neck seal, removing all traces that she was an android. She once again stood before him as a completely real looking young woman, instead of a dismantled android.
Just as with the rest of her body, as soon as her head was connected, it suddenly seemed a bit livelier as the blue fluid circulated through it. She quickly cycled through several facial expressions robotically until the mechanical whirring that had been present throughout his interactions with her slowly faded into a more fluid, humanlike movement.
“Ah, it’s so good to be whole again,” she sighed contentedly, stretching even more and massaging her neck, pausing to feel her face. Then, without warning, she suddenly lunged forward and trapped him in an embrace, kissing him deeply. While he had already kissed her the night before, this time was far mor enjoyable, since he was able to rub his hands along her soft, plump rear, and feel both breasts squeezing into his chest through his shirt. Her hands gently probed his back before moving up and giving his neck a quick massage.
They finally broke away nearly a minute later, with both their faces flushed and small amounts of perspiration forming on their bodies. After catching their breath, Lena suddenly licked her lips and said, “Hmmm, lemony,” since her tongue had tasted the residual lemonade he’d been drinking.
Mike couldn’t help but laugh, then picked his glass up and offered it to her.
“Oh, no thanks,” she said, waving the drink away, “I can’t consume anything right now, since you’ll be replacing my digestive system later anyway.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” he nodded, downing the rest of the drink and setting the glass back on the counter, “So, now that you’re reassembled, what’s next before I have to dismantle you again and swap things out?”
“Well, primarily I have to move around and allow my body to conduct motion diagnostics to determine the level of repairs and maintenance I need,” she explained, “Also, per my new programming, I need to perform a basic inventory of your supplies so I can generate a shopping list for later.”
“Okay, well the inventory will require moving, so let’s go,” he told her, gently taking her left hand in his and leading her out into the main kitchen.
“Oooh, did you clean this morning before I finished updating?” She asked suddenly, sniffing the air, “I smell cleaning solvent in the air.”
“Yes, I didn’t want you walking barefoot on a dirty floor,” he explained, “especially with my foot fetish,” he added with a blush.
“Aww, thanks,” she smiled, “Oh! Now that I’m reassembled, I can finally follow your preferences and eliminate my body hairs,” she suddenly told him, “But you might want to get a vacuum or something ready, so I don’t make a mess of your clean place.”
“Ok, hold on,” he told her, quickly rushing to the closet under the stairs and grabbing a hand vacuum. As soon as he had it ready, Lena nodded and then zoned out as the small brown hair spread throughout her body began pushing out of her skin and cascading down to the floor, along with the larger pubic hairs above her vagina. After several seconds, her entire body, minus her head, was hairless, and there was a small pile of her hair on the floor around her feet.
Mike quickly vacuumed up all the loose hair, being careful not to bump into her feet, while Lena waited patiently, albeit with a smile on her face. After wiping away a few of the more stubborn ones from her feet with a towel, he emptied the bin of the vacuum into the nearby trash and returned it to the closet so it could recharge.
“Thanks!” Lena smiled, “Do I look more satisfactory now?” She asked, twirling around on her tiptoes so he could admire her smooth body.
Because most of her body hairs were already trimmed and thin, the only thing he really noticed was her smoothly shaved vagina, he instead gently rubbed his hands across her arms and legs, eliciting a few giggles, and nodded his head approvingly.
“Much better,” he told her, “Will the loss of your hair impact your systems at all?”
“Meh,” she shrugged, “If anything, it’ll divert more resources to my skin repair, if my body doesn’t have to produce more body hairs,” she calculated, “And it reduced my weight by a small amount, which could potentially add a minute or two to my battery capacity.”
“Every little bit helps, I suppose,” Mike shrugged, then he grabbed the terminal and flipped it into tablet mode so he could carry it around with him while Lena inventoried his supplies, “Are you ready to look around now?”
“Yep,” she replied cheerfully, turning into the kitchen and heading to the pantry. Just as when she checked the fridge, he could see her analyzing each item in the pantry, checking to see if anything was expired and even weighing them in her hands. As she scanned each item, she added it to a list, cross-referencing with her new cooking software and its catalogue of recipes. He also noticed she created a separate list of items that needed to be tossed, due to being past the expiration date.
After she finished with the pantry, she walked back to the fridge, this time opening each compartment and doing the same with the freezer. She then stepped over to the stove and opened the spice cabinet to inventory all of them, and as soon as she examined them, a new priority appeared on her scheduling list titled “C.Shop.List”.
“Okie doke, I’m compiling a shopping list of cooking ingredients in the background while I check the inventory at the surrounding stores,” Lena updated him, “Now I need to inventory the cooking utensils, pots and pans, cups, bowls, plates, and cleaning supplies.”
“Very good,” he nodded, “I should have a decent supply since my family gifted me a ton of kitchen stuff as a housewarming gift when I moved in here,” he told her, “I think I’ve only actually used half of the stuff, since I’m not a very good cook,” he added with a chuckle.
“I can see that,” she grinned, taking out a completely unused pan, “however, I’ll need to add just a few things to my list,” she smiled, updating her priority list to include shopping for utensils, such as a whisk and ladle. “And ah, looks like you already have a decent supply of cleaning supplies,” she said delightedly, inspecting the cupboard beneath the sink, “However, I will need to buy some gloves since my artificial skin isn’t quite as resilient to cleaning solvents as human skin is,” she explained, adding rubber gloves to her list as well.
“Hey, just like you gave me a blank check to examine your body, I’m giving you a blank check to buy whatever supplies you think you need,” he told her, “Just don’t buy the most expensive products,” he added, not wanting to go bankrupt.
“Don’t worry Mike, I’m linked to your bank accounts now, so I can calculate how much you can afford on a weekly basis,” she assured him, “Plus, I have a considerable amount of money saved up from the past five years of it sitting around collecting interest payments, so I’m using that to supplement some of the costs as well.”
“Hey, I don’t want you to go bankrupt either,” he told her in a worried voice.
“Come on Mike, you keep forgetting that you’re my owner now,” she reminded him, “My money is your money, and I truly want to help you.”
“Sorry, it’s just hard getting used to all this,” he admitted, “I got so used to dealing with you when I thought you were a human, and when we were just coworkers, that it still feels a bit weird to treat you as my property…I’m curious, don’t you miss having free will, based on your uploaded personality profile?”
Lena gave him a curious expression and then carefully responded. “Actually, I have given it much thought during my long, boring grave shifts, and I came to the determination that free will is kinda overrated,” she admitted.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, when you think about it, your choices are dictated by your collective knowledge and experiences, as well as your environment and interactions with people,” she explained, “It’s no different than the way my programming works, except the difference between me and you is that I don’t really have to face as many consequences if I make a mistake, because it could just be jotted down to bad programming or something, and I can always be reprogrammed to correct mistakes,” she continued, “Also, as an android, I have clarity in the fact that I have a clearly defined purpose, which currently is to serve you the best way I possibly can, so it really takes a load off…the real Lena often struggled to find her purpose, but I don’t have to.”
Mike was quite blown away by Lena’s philosophical explanation of her current existence, but not too surprised, since he too had come up with similar thoughts during his long boring shifts.
“Wow, well just forgive me if I don’t have anything for you to do right away,” he told her, “I’ve lived by myself for so long that I’m used to doing things myself, and I’m still getting used to having you here.”
Lena merely gave him a big smile and said, “Don’t worry, I can be quite patient and understanding when I need to.” She then gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and said, “Well, let’s continue with the inventory then.”
Mike nodded and followed behind her as she walked towards the stairs, enjoying the way her long, dark brown ponytail swished behind her back.
They spent a good twenty minutes inventorying the remaining supplies in the under-the-stairs closet, the garage, the laundry closet, and the bathrooms. In addition, she also made some recommendations to his current supplies that could save him a few extra bucks here and there, such as altering his detergents and cleaning schedule.
“Alright Mike, I think I now have a pretty good shopping list prepared,” Lena told him as soon as they returned to the kitchen. While Mike sat back down and plugged the terminal in, Lena remained standing and was still completely nude.
“Good,” Mike nodded. He didn’t really like shopping, but now that he had Lena, he was optimistic it would be a more enjoyable experience since she was basically a walking, talking shopping list. “Lena, I know you’re an android, and you’re going to be dismantled again fairly soon, but are you comfortable walking around naked?”
“Sure, I don’t mind,” she shrugged, “I can tell it’s a little chilly in here, but to be honest, androids, and computers in general, prefer the cold. It helps us cool off our internal components more efficiently.”
“Okay, good,” he sighed, “I just wanted to make sure, since it is winter right now after all,” he laughed, “And actually, I often enjoy some casual nudity when I’m home,” he admitted with a blush.
“Ooh, I’ll be sure to add that to my configuration files for you,” she said, quickly adding it to her programming, “Hey! Then why aren’t you nude right now? I hope it’s not for my sake, because you think I might get offended or something,” she accused him.
“Oh no, it’s not that,” he assured her, “I just didn’t think it would be prudent to work on a complex mechanical device in the buff,” he explained, “For one thing, I don’t want to get shocked, and for another, I find you, and your nature, quite arousing, and I don’t want any unintentional discharges,” he said, finishing delicately and with a blush. Lena let out a hearty laugh and patted him on the shoulder. “Ok good, I may be programmed as your girlfriend now, but I’m still basically just a guest in your home until I’m settled in, so I want you to be as comfy as possible.”
“Glad to hear it,” Mike sighed, since he’d been worried that she might not prefer him to walk around nude all the time, “I’ll probably disrobe when I finish upgrading you later,” he promised.
Lena nodded and then asked. “Would you like me to be nude all the time?”
“Ah, ummm…well, I’d certainly like that, but perhaps you could just use your own discretion,” he told her, “I mean, I do want to enjoy your fashion sense every now and then,” he added.
“Very well, I think I can arrange that,” she smiled, mentally updating her preferences once more, “Now then, before you dismantle me again, I need to run a quick benchmark of my body that I can use to compare with after you swap everything out.”
“Okay, and what will the benchmark do?”
“Well, you’re going to be upgrading all of my replaceable components and, based on the specs I read, several of them are going to be a bit lighter, which will alter my base weight by a considerable amount,” she explained, “basically, since my body is used to weighing roughly the same amount all the time, with minor fluctuations when I eat or dress differently, suddenly losing 10-20% of my mass is going to alter the way I walk, and the amount of power I consume, so the benchmark will help me to better recalibrate my systems when all is said and done.”
“That makes sense,” Mike nodded in agreement, since he’d done similar benchmarks with his hobby computers, “What do you need to run it?”
“Well, during my inspection, I noticed you had a treadmill tucked away in the garage,” she told him, “That’s all I’ll need.”
“Hmm, okay…I’ll go wrestle it out for you,” he told her, getting up and slipping a pair of shoes on, “Heads up, but I haven’t used the thing in several months, so it may not work,” he warned her, walking with her out to the garage.
“Well, if not, I’ll think of something else,” she shrugged, watching him wrestle it out from behind the water heater, “Hey, let me help you,” she offered, moving a few things out of the way and helping him pull it out.
“Thanks for that,” Mike told her, wheeling it into the house and into the kitchen. He quickly moved a side table out of the way so he could set it up near the wall in the kitchen. Once he had it set up, he plugged it in and then turned it on.
“Okay good, it works,” Mike told her, sighing with relief as it powered on and then quickly downloaded and installed a software update, “Just let me clean the track first,” he told her, grabbing a dust mop, turning the treadmill to a low speed, and running the mop across the tracks until they were clean. “There, it’s good to go now,” he announced, throwing away the disposable head of the mop and turning the treadmill off.
“Wow, you are so fastidious,” Lena smiled, “Now, and I know this may seem counterintuitive, but I need to be headless for this benchmark,” she told him, standing at attention just in front of it.
“Why?”
“Because the benchmark is for my MCN,” she explained, “even though that’s one of the things you’ll be upgrading,” she added, “Anyway, my head always weighs the same, so I’m able to tare it out of the measurements and re-add it when I’m reattached…it’s all rather complicated, but some super smart scientists at Spaztec figured it all out, so I just do what I’m programmed to.”
“Okay, it’s no problem,” he laughed, enjoying her sense of humor. He found he really missed it after the past five years. “So, you were already dismantled when I found you. How do I go about removing your head?”
“Well, I can do it for you,” she offered, “But, knowing you the way I do, you’d prefer to do it yourself,” she winked, “so, you can either do it from the terminal, or you can use the manual release on the back of my neck.”
“Hmmm, well, the other two are self-explanatory, so why don’t you show me the manual release, so I know where it is.”
“No problem!” Lena turned around and carefully grabbed hold of her hair with her left hand while her right hand pointed at a small, almost imperceptibly lighter section of skin that was the size of a finger point. “Just press in here.”
As soon as Mike pressed the spot she had pointed out, he heard the same loud whirring he’d heard when he reattached her head. The seam reappeared around her neck and then her head lifted just a bit with a small hiss. Just as the detachment process completed, Lena carefully let go of her hair and dropped her arms down to her sides to allow him to lift her head back off her body.
“Ah, here we are again, it’s like déjà vu,” Lena smiled, after Mike turned her around to face him in his arms; her voice once again sounded digital. She then looked whimsically at her body as he carried her back to the A.N.A. and said, “Fare thee well body, I’ll see you see again soon,” even making her own body wave goodbye to herself. Mike laughed. “Hey, I’ve got to entertain myself too,” she laughed back.
“Well, I’m just glad you’re having as much fun as I am,” he smiled, clicking her back onto the A.N.A. “So, now what?”
“This,” she said, and she had her body step onto the treadmill, set it to a moderate walking speed, and then simply walk.
Mike stared transfixed for nearly a minute, the sight of her naked, headless body walking on the treadmill, with both large breasts bouncing back and forth. Finally, he forced himself to look away and back at her smiling face. “So, what exactly is the purpose of having your body just walk like that?”
“It’s a standard stress test,” she explained, “Basically, having my body simply walk for about eight minutes or so, and then jog for another two, tests approximately 200 different muscles, and since walking is the most common thing that I’m likely to do, it’s prudent to run a benchmark before you upgrade my components.”
“And that’s because you’re going to end up weighing less?”
“Yes, and the new MCN will also allow me to move more efficiently so, overall, this data is essential in order for me to operate as efficiently as possible so I never come in danger of running low on power,” she confirmed, “My A.I. told you that I almost ran out one time on grave shift because I didn’t recalibrate my timers for the night shift, and it was scary…at least, scary in terms I can describe.”
“I’ll bet…I suppose for you, it’s almost like dying,” he guessed.
“A little,” she admitted, “But it was more a sense of embarrassment at possibly being found out, or failing the company,” she elaborated, “I mean, I was brought in to replace a failed unit, so I didn’t want to be considered another failure.”
“Ah,” Mike nodded, “Well, don’t worry about failing me, I’m far less demanding than that crooked company was,” he assured her.
“Thanks, it really takes a load off, you know?” she smiled.
“Actually, I kinda hope you have the occasional glitch or malfunction,” he admitted, “I like tinkering with computers and having to fix you from time to time will help pass the time and relax me.”
“Interesting…I might know a few ways for you to cause a glitch or two, but not now,” she winked.
“Of course, I can wait,” he assured her, looking back at her body, “So, is your body on autopilot right now, or are you still consciously controlling it?”
“A little of both,” she answered, “I suppose the correct answer would be that it’s like muscle memory, but I’m still monitoring it so it doesn’t stumble or fall.”
“I’m not quite sure that answered my question, but I’ll let that pass,” he told her. He made a note to try and find some sort of update for her that would allow her to better translate her functions into terms he could better understand. Still, she was doing her best.
“Anyway, it should only need another five minutes or so, and then I’ll need to conduct a lift test. Do you have anything that weighs at least 25lbs?”
Mike quickly eyeballed his surroundings and then headed towards the closet, returning moments later with a box of unopened cat litter. “How about this? It weighs 30lbs,” he told her, holding it in front of her eyes so she could analyze it.
“That’ll do,” she nodded, “that’ll test even more of my muscles.”
“I see,” Mike nodded, “I’m curious, does exercising actually do anything, like make you more fit?”
“Not in the Human sense,” Lena answered, “Basically, it’s just to keep our muscles energized and in shape but going to the gym wouldn’t add any additional muscles, since I don’t need them. If I wanted more muscles, or if you wanted me to, you would have to modify my physical frame.”
“Ah, and how much are you capable of lifting?”
“Well, with just my muscles, approximately 50lbs…however, if I utilize my servos as well, which is usually in emergency mode, I can push 200lbs.”
“Wow, so that means you could lift me then,” Mike said wonderfully, “I weigh about 180.”
“Yep…the emergency mode I was mentioning would be if there was some sort of emergency and I needed to carry your unconscious body out of a burning house or something,” she explained, “But, you shouldn’t have me use it too often, as it can damage my servo mechanisms, and it drains my batteries really fast.”
“Understood,” Mike nodded, “But do you think you could do it just once for me? I think it’d be kinda cool to see you lift me up.” Mike had a rather boyish smile when he asked this.
“Sure,” she smiled knowingly, “But I think it would be prudent to wait until after the upgrades,” she suggested, “that way we can do it when my body is nice and fresh.”
“Ah, I understand…I can wait,” he told her, only mildly disappointed. He then waited the remaining few minutes for Lena’s body to complete its benchmark walk on the treadmill, taking a brief video of the scene on his phone as her body transitioned into a jog in the last two minutes.
When the ten minutes were up, her body carefully reduced the speed on the treadmill until it slowed to a stop, then it carefully stepped off and stood at attention in front of the box of cat litter.
“Alright, now can you please spot me while I lift this?” Lena asked, “just make sure my body doesn’t tip over or that I don’t drop the box on my feet.”
“Ok.”
Mike got off the chair and walked over to Lena’s body, standing just a few feet away in case she needed his assistance. Once he was in place, her body carefully bent down, grabbed hold of the box by the handle, and then carefully lifted it up.
For a brief moment, Mike thought he heard the whine of her back servos kicking in as she lifted the heavy box, but then her muscles kicked in and she moved more fluidly. She bent up and down with the box a few times in both hands before placing it down and lifting it with her right arm and swinging it around. Although she stumbled a few times, she did not require any rescue from Mike, and after ten minutes of lifting and swinging the box, she placed it down and stood back at attention.
“Thanks Mike!” Lena called out, letting him know he could return to his seat, “The only thing my body needs to do now is a few stretches.” Her body then began stretching its legs, arms, and core. Once it completed a few minutes later, it walked over to him and stood back at attention.
“Are you done with the benchmark?” He asked, seeing that it wasn’t moving to do anything else.
“Yep!” She responded, “Now, unfortunately, you’ll have to dismantle me again so you can conduct the repairs and maintenance a little bit later,” she said with a sad face, “My MCN has already compiled the benchmark and uploaded it into my personal cloud for reference so when you swap everything out later, I’ll be ready.”
“Good, did you need my help getting back up on the counter?” He asked, since she was somewhat short compared to the counter, “I can grab my step stool for you, if you like.”
“Yes, please,” she said with a slightly embarrassed look, “and then just spot me while I’m on it,” she requested.
“Will do,” Mike said dutifully. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out his small step stool from a small space between it and the wall and brought it over to the counter. As soon as he set it up, Lena carefully stepped onto it and walked up, with Mike gently holding on to her hips for support. Once she was at the right height, she crawled on top of the counter and carefully laid back down on the blanket in front of her head.
As soon as she was lying back down, her front access panel unsealed on its own, surprising Mike. “Yeah, I can unseal my panels myself,” she explained, seeing the surprised look on its face, “I just didn’t want to waste any time,” she apologized.
“No problem,” he waved it off, carefully removing the panel once more and admiring her lively internal components, still humming away.
“Now, I could separate each of my limbs myself, but since you’ll be swapping things out, you’ll actually have to deactivate the remote link that allows me to control my body remotely,” she explained, “Simply press and hold the sync button for ten seconds and it’ll terminate the link.”
“Okie doke.” Mike did as she instructed, and as soon as the ten-seconds were up, her body, which had been playfully wiggling its toes and fingers per Lena’s personality, suddenly stopped moving and relaxed into a resting position.
“Man, it’s so sad to lose control of my body like that, but hopefully it won’t be for too long,” Lena said, “Now just detach each limb and lay them back to where they were before but first, press the small red button on each one to turn them off.”
Mike nodded and quickly located the manual release buttons beneath her plump skin, removing each limb and pressing the red button to turn them off. They remained as realistic as they were when he initially found them but simply stiffened up somewhat.
“Very good, now just turn my torso off via the power toggle on the power core, and we should be ready for the next step,” she instructed once more. Mike regretfully did so, watching as all the components in her body slowly wound down with a low whine until they were silent.
“Good, now those components will have to remain offline for about an hour so they can properly cool down,” she explained, “Once they’ve cooled, you should be able to safely swap them out for the upgrades.”
“Cool, I can’t wait,” Mike said, rubbing his hands together excitedly, “What are we going to do in the meanwhile?”
“Well, actually, I’ll have to go offline in a few minutes, for about 45-minutes” she said with a regretful look.
“Why?” Mike was devastated to learn he’d be without her again.
“Because the first part of the upgrades will be several components inside my head, including my A.I. core processors,” she explained, “And, since the processors I ordered were so much newer, there will most likely be some data loss and memory corruption, so as a precaution, I’ll be backing up all of my files.”
“So, does that mean that I’ll be technically killing you?” Mike asked with a horrified look.
“Well, if you want to get all metaphysical on me, then perhaps yes,” she replied truthfully, “But, realistically, as an android, the only tangible difference will be that the backup of myself will be missing maybe a few minutes of memories, which isn’t really that much considering that, in addition to the two years or so of memories as an android, also include the 23 years as a human,” she shrugged. Then, seeing the continued look of concern on his face, she smiled, “But hey, maybe there won’t be an issue, and the backup won’t be needed, so we’ll play it by ear, shall we?”
Mike simply gulped and then nodded his head resolutely. “Umm, is there anything you’d like me to do while you’re backing up your mind?”
Lena put on a thinking expression and then nodded. “Actually, it might be nice if you could go out and buy me some clothes,” she suggested.
“But I thought I saw some clothes in your case,” Mike pointed out.
Lena looked genuinely angry for the first time he could remember, shocking him somewhat. “Yes, but those clothes have the Spaztec brand on them, and I don’t feel like going out into the world and announcing that I’m an android,” she told him in an angry voice, “that’s one of the few things I liked about my previous owner, and working at Cloudtron, was that I could move about and no one knew what I was…” Lena then saw the frightened look on Mike’s face and calmed herself, “I’m sorry for that outburst, but it’s kinda a thing that us donated personality units have, since we have memories of being human,” she explained.
“Ah, that makes total sense,” Mike nodded, “Well, umm…I’ve never bought clothes for a girl, or um, rather, a woman before,” he told her with an embarrassed look, “could you tell me what size you wear?”
Lena merely giggled and said, “Oh, you won’t need to worry about my size,” she smiled mischievously, “I’ll explain later, but just get me a pair of size 7 shoes, and some socks, and then a set of size large boxer shorts, sweats, and t-shirts…basically, stuff that can stretch,” she explained, “Oh, and don’t feel the need to splurge. I won’t be wearing those clothes for long, so just buy the cheap bargain brands or something.”
“Okay,” Mike said, still feeling really confused. Well, at least he wouldn’t be spending too much, he thought to himself. “Anything else?”
“Nope,” she smiled.
“Alright,” he smiled back, leaning in and kissing her deeply before stepping back and giving her a nod.
She merely smiled once more before stiffening up and assuming a stoic expression. “Initiating full backup…estimated time of completion with current network connection….45-minutes.” She then fell silent.
Mike merely sighed, got his errand gear together, and headed out to go clothing shopping.
1.4: Upgrades
While Lena was backing herself up, Mike drove a few miles down the road from his townhouse to a shopping center and found a thrift shop. There, he bought everything Lena had asked for, though he also purchased a loose hoodie and beanie since it was winter, and people might get suspicious if they saw her walking outside without cold weather clothes.
Since he still had plenty of time left after buying the clothes, he stopped by a coffee shop and got a small pastry and iced coffee. Mike had an aversion to hot beverages, so he always got iced coffee, even if it was freezing out.
Before Mike headed back, he stopped into a general store and bought some basic feminine hygiene products, since all he had at home were male hygiene products. He then packed everything up into his car and drove back home.
Lena was just finishing up with the backup process when he returned home, so he quickly rushed upstairs and threw all her new clothes into the washer and started a quick cycle, then neatly placed her hygiene products into what would now be her bathroom, before running back downstairs.
“Backup complete,” Lena announced in a clipped, artificial tone, before blinking her eyes rapidly and resuming her human personality. “Alrighty! Now that all my files are backed up, if there are any major issues that pop up during the upgrade process, all you’ll have to do is tap the ‘Restore from backup’ button and I’ll simply reset to this present configuration,” Lena announced with a smile, bringing the backup tab up on the terminal.
“Umm, how long will the restoration process take, assuming something goes wrong?” Mike asked.
“About five to ten minutes,” Lena guessed, “It’s a little hard to be certain, since it depends on the speed of the new processors you’ll be installing, and your network connection, but it won’t take too long,” she promised him.
“Good,” Mike said with a tone of relief, “I bought you some cheap clothes, like you asked, and have them in the washer as we speak,” he informed her, “And I also bought you some basic hygiene items, in case you want to take a shower after we’re done.”
“Wow, how thoughtful…thanks!” Lena gushed.
“Don’t mention it,” Mike blushed.
“Now, it’s finally time for upgrades!” Lena celebrated, a big smile forming on her face, “as I mentioned before, we’ll be starting with the stuff in my head so I can better assist you with the rest of my body.”
Mike sighed a bit nervously. Although he felt fairly comfortable swapping out components in his collection of personal computers, none of them was even half as complex as Lena, and he didn’t have a personable relationship with any of them.
“Hey, don’t be nervous,” Lena said in a calming voice, “Aside from the extreme likelihood that you’ll have to reset me to my backup, Spaztec made many of the components exceptionally easy to swap out since we’re designed to be in operation for 10-20 years at a time before needing a replacement body.”
“Okay,” Mike said resolutely, “how do I get started?”
“First, it might be helpful if you pull me a bit closer to you,” Lena started, and once Mike pulled her head closer, she instructed him to turn her head around and look for a small freckle at the base of her hairline. While she had several freckles on her head, one stood out just where she said, since it was centered almost perfectly on her neck. As soon as he pressed it, a seam appeared around her hair, and her entire scalp smoothly detached from her head, taking with it the upper casing of her head.
After Mike carefully set her scalp down, which included all her hair, he whistled as he peered into Lena’s head cavity. The skull portion of her head was made from the same metal-plastic alloy as the rest of her body, though it was more heavily reinforced to prevent shock damage and even had insulation to protect from EMPs. He could see the various motors and servos that controlled her facial expressions, and could see the mechanical workings of her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
Aside from all the amazing technology he could now see, the main item that stuck out was a box-like object in the center that everything connected to. “Wow, is that your brain?” Mike asked, gingerly touching the device and feeling its warmth.
“Yep, that’s me,” Lena confirmed, causing the motors in her head to move as her face moved, “if you’re ready, I’m going to shut myself down so you can pull it out and swap out the processors,” she warned him, “The parts should all be in color coded bags, so the one you’ll be looking for is green.”
Mike quickly dug around in the box, searching through the various colors until he located a green anti-static bag. He pulled it out and set it down on the counter next to her head. “Is this it?”
“Yes,” she confirmed, “I’m going to shut myself down now,” she told him, “Once I’m offline, press the release button on my core and pull it out,” she instructed, “then, simply replace the processors with the new ones, reinsert the core, and turn me back on.”
“Okay,” Mike verbally acknowledged, since she couldn’t see his face. “Just out of curiosity, is it safe to remove your core while you’re still online?”
“It can be done in a pinch, but I wouldn’t recommend it,” she replied, “doing so could result in data corruption, though since I already backed myself up just now that wouldn’t be an issue I guess, but I wouldn’t get in the habit of it. For now, we’ll just play it safe.”
“Okay,” Mike nodded solemnly, “I’m ready then.”
Lena merely nodded and then stiffened up. “A.I. self-shutdown initiated, shutting down,” she announced in the same clipped voice as before, her voice ending in a low tone as the systems in her head wound down.
Mike merely shook his head, thinking he’d never truly get used to Lena being an android. Once he was sure all the systems in her head were offline, he pressed the release button on her core and pulled it free from her head. He was surprised with how easy it was to remove her core, or her brain, but considering how long she was supposed to be in service, it made total sense that her parts would be easily removable. He paused to admire the simple complexity of her core.
The core itself was roughly the size of a slightly larger than average apple, making it comfortable to hold in one’s hand. It had multiple data connections that linked with the housing unit that he’d removed it from, and a small diagnostic monitor on the top so he could perform maintenance while she was online. There were empty data ports located on the rear, most likely for memory expansion modules, but the main thing Mike focused on was the small bank of processors, just below the ports, protected by a small window which Mike gently opened with his finger.
Lena currently had four processors installed, though he could see two empty ports, indicating she could have a total of six. Mike took a few steady breaths to calm himself and then gingerly removed each of the processors, placing them neatly in a static free bag that he had handy for her leftover parts. Despite Lena being in operation for just over two years total, the processors he removed still looked to be in good shape, and she certainly hadn’t displayed any signs of processor failure…at least, nothing Mike could discern.
Once he had the four old processors safely stored away, Mike opened the green bag and pulled out a plastic case that contained the upgrades. Mike was surprised to see that she had ordered not four, but six new processors, but considering she could use up to six, and that she would know that, he wasn’t too surprised. “Well, CloudTron always cheaped out on our computers, so why not on the computing power of an android,” Mike muttered to himself, carefully inserting all six processors into their slots, pausing to admire the miniaturized quantum gel matrix powering each one.
Now that he had all the new processors installed in her core, he closed the protective lid over them and then carefully reinserted the core into the housing unit in her head, turned her head back around to face him, and pressed the manual power toggle behind her left ear.
Just as the first time he’d pressed it, Lena’s head instantly sprang to life, coming online and looking around. This time, however, she spoke a boot up sequence.
“Spaztec Industries unit XXS17 online. Alert, new hardware detected in CPU bay 5. New hardware detected in CPU bay 6.” Lena announced, as soon as she had finished verbally alerting Mike to the newly installed CPUs, a string of soft beeps emitted from her head accompanied by the display on her CPU display blinking. Mike looked at it and in bold letters across the front it read “CPU mismatch.” Lena’s operating system must have detected the new hardware but wasn’t expecting it. Mike sucked in a breath and tapped the screen once, clearing the present alert and looking at the series of menus there. Tapping on the one for hardware he was presented with a visual readout on the CPU’s installed in Lena’s head.
CPU slots one through four displayed a small green check mark in them, while slots five and six showed a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in it. Mike tapped on one and it brought up a new window displaying details about the CPU. As soon as he did Lena spoke.
“New CPU core detected. Would you like to- like to- like like like- like to use the default-ault settings?”
Mike looked at her, a look of concern on his face as it seemed like her four working CPU’s attempted to voice the information while struggling to work with the new processors.
“Yeah, default settings please.”
Immediately the display inside of Lena’s head cleared itself and some of the settings on display changed slightly. The core speed, available usage and percentage of used resources all balanced themselves out and the window closed. Mike repeated the process with the one remaining red CPU, and though Lena’s speech skipped less this time, it still had a few hang ups to it. Once setting the CPU as default as well Lena spoke again.
“Settings stored, beginning boot sequence… A.I. core files loading...Warning: unable to load core files. Beginning auto-repair sequence.”
Lena’s eyes fluttered at her computerized systems obviously tried to repair whatever corruption it had detected. Mike watched while holding his breath. After a few long moments Lena spoke again.
“Alert, repair not possible… A.I. core files missing or corrupted. Proceed with unit boot sequence?”
Mike let out the breath he had been holding and hastily replied. “Uh, yeah, load human emulation”
Despite his mild despair, he kinda wanted to see how bad it was before attempting a restoration from backup, just in case it was fixable.
“Affirmative, attempting to load A.I. Lena Schulz...loading...loading…complete,” she announced, then blinked her eyes a few times and looked at him. A brief look of confusion washed over her face as she said, “Oh, hey…where am I?”
“You’re at my house Lena,” Mike reminded her, “Don’t you remember? I found you in the storage room at work and brought you home.”
“Huh, that’s interesting…last I remember is…error, files not found…error, conflict in name resolution…error, you’re currently listed as my owner, but you were last reported listed as my friend/coworker...error, current GPS coordinates don’t match previous coordinates…error, unable to connect to MCN…error….”
Lena continued cycling through error messages and normal speech for the next several minutes, sounding like a cross between a dementia patient and a broken computer, before Mike finally threw in the towel with a sigh. It seemed her processors also served as memory buffers and all her memories from the time he’d reactivated her yesterday, as well as others, were still on the old chips. It seemed this is why she made a backup, and she knew that. Mike took a brief video of her continuing malfunction to show to her later, and to get off on, and then hit the “Restore from Backup” button that she had told him about.
As soon as he pressed it, Lena suddenly stopped talking and shut her A.I. Down, quickly announcing, “A.I. Restoration initiated…accessing private cloud server…connection established…backup found…restoring, estimated time to completion: six minutes.” She announced.
Mike let out a sigh of relief as he saw the progress bar appear on the screen confirming the restoration of her backup files. Still, Mike was nervous, so he stepped away during the process to knock out some quick chores to calm himself down. He relieved himself, cleaned out Mia’s litter box, and moved the clothing from the washer into the dryer before rushing back down to attend to Lena for the last minute of the backup process.
“Restoration complete,” Lena announced in a clipped, artificial tone, before blinking her eyes rapidly and resuming her human personality. “Alrighty! Now that all my files are backed up, if there are any major issues that pop up during the upgrade process, all you’ll have to do is tap the ‘Restore from backup’ button and I’ll simply reset to this present configuration,” Lena announced with a smile, bringing the backup tab up on the terminal.
“Umm, Lena, I already did it,” Mike told her uncomfortably, “I mean, I already replaced your processors, and then you malfunctioned, just as you warned me, so I pushed the button and waited,” he told her, the words tumbling out nervously.
Lena merely nodded patiently while she waited for Mike to finish talking and then zoned out as she ran a diagnostic, “Ah yes, I feel the new processors,” she reported cheerfully, one the diagnostic was complete, “Ah, thanks Mike, I guess it’s a good thing I backed myself up!” She added with a giggle.
“Indeed,” Mike agreed, calming down somewhat and choosing to ignore that she didn’t care she was missing several minutes of memories, “So, how do the new processors…um, feel?” He asked, struggling to find the correct word.
“Oh, they’re so great,” Lena moaned with sheer pleasure, “it’s so nice to actually have six processors, like I was meant to.”
“How come you only had four?” Mike asked, “I’m guessing it was CloudTron being stingy with the computers, like always,” he said wryly.
“Well, it was SSS…and my previous owner, actually,” Lena corrected him, “Basically, androids like me can run normally on four, especially with the rather basic tasks they had assigned me,” she explained, “I mean, it doesn’t really take much processing power to work security, after all,” she scoffed.
“No, it doesn’t,” Mike agreed.
“Well, anyway, the two extra processors would have cost a bit of money, not to mention having the extra processors would have drained my power cells more quickly, and they needed to ensure I could operate for at least 12-16 hours without having to recharge,” she continued, “That was with the expectation that I would work four extra hours here, and then maybe be able to be thrown into an outside assignment for another four hours, and make them even more money.”
“Ah, I see,” Mike nodded, “So, you aren’t concerned with running low on power under my ownership of you?”
“It shouldn’t be an issue this time, since the six new ones, although they have a higher clock speed, have more efficient energy management enhancements installed in them,” she explained, “Paired with the new A.I. Updates that improved my efficiency, and the new power core you’ll be installing, I should still end up with the same, if not slightly better, battery life.”
“Excellent!” Mike said, rubbing his hands together, “So, you mentioned earlier that you were authorized to buy your own upgrades, so why didn’t you just upgrade your power core beforehand so you could get the two extra processors?”
“Because I wasn’t getting paid much, and I was also paying rent,” she replied, “Fortunately, my previous owner thought it might be a good idea in the start of my second year online to have me invest a significant percentage of my earnings, so I did…and boy did it grow over the five years I was in storage,” she squealed, “I was basically programmed to limit my personal spending to a certain percentage of my overall earnings, and since this time they were so much higher, I was actually able to order upgrades to pretty much everything,” she then explained, once she calmed down, “And it certainly helped that some other android company started up, created competition, and significantly lowered the costs of new parts.”
“Spaztec isn’t in any danger of going out of business, is it?” Mike asked in a worried tone, “I don’t want to lose you in a few years just because they couldn’t stay afloat.”
“You don’t have to worry, there were laws enacted to standardize A.I.s, so that way, if that did happen, consumers could simply transfer their A.I.s into another companies model and continue building a relationship with it,” she assured him, “Don’t worry, you’re stuck with me,” she said in a mock sinister voice, sticking her tongue at him.
“Ok good.” One less thing for Mike to worry about. “So, what are you going to do with the extra processing power? Will it help with your human emulation at all?”
“Oh no, my human emulation is pretty much capped at the same processing usage at all times,” she explained, “any more would be overkill.”
“Then what is the extra processing power going to help with?”
“Well, now that we’re a couple, the amount of processing power that I’ll need to properly take care of you is greater than the four old processors would have provided, so I plan on utilizing the extra processing power to the fullest extent,” she explained, then she put on a thinking face, “For example, right now, my human emulation is running, but in separate threads, I’m online checking stock at various stores nearby to compile a shopping list, another thread is creating a recipe list for the next 30 days to keep your palette fun and exciting, and another thread is looking up fun activities we might be able to do together. Now before I could still do all those, but now I’m able to get those done faster, since before the human emulation would be taking a higher percentage of CPU time.”
“Wow! So, you can literally multitask then?”
Yep,” she said proudly, “also, it’ll improve the speed at which I can run diagnostics, install updates, and various background tasks that my human emulation doesn’t have any conscious control over.”
“Wow, I’m touched that you’ve devoted so much of your time to me,” Mike told her, holding his hand to his heart, “So anyway, I didn’t reattach your scalp yet. Is there anything else in your head that I’m swapping out?”
“Yes,” Lena answered, “Look for the pink bag, and you should find the next set of upgrades.”
Mike quickly dug through the box and pulled out a pink colored bag. He opened it up and gently spilled the contents onto the counter, gasping when he saw what they were. There were several components inside that simply looked like processing units, matching the ones in her head, but what stood out were twin devices with a white orb on the end.
“Are those…eyes?” Mike asked, picking them up and staring at them; they had no irises.
“Yep,” Lena smiled, “the eyes are the most common item to be replaced on androids, since visual systems are highly utilized,” she explained, “And I even splurged a little and bought some with a few enhanced features, like night vision and infrared,” she added cheerfully.
“And what might you need those features for?” Mike asked with mock exasperation.
“I dunno, helping you out at night, analyzing your biorhythms…those sorts of things,” she shrugged, “I want to help you in as many ways as possible, and the enhancements were surprisingly affordable.”
“Ok, that sounds cool, I guess,” Mike shrugged, “so, do I need to do anything special to replace all these?” he asked, peeking over her forehead back into her open head.
“If you look carefully on each of them, you’ll see a yellow release tab,” she instructed, “and, although they are all hot swappable, I will ask that you do them one at a time, so my systems have time to adapt to the changes, and so I’m not completely blind or deaf for too long.”
“No problem,” he assured her. Mike carefully turned her head back around, facing away from him, and sized everything up inside of her head. After matching each of the components currently in her head with the replacements from the pink bag, he carefully pulled out what he guessed was the component for her left ear.
“And now I’m deaf in my left ear,” Lena said sarcastically, then giggling, “Just kidding, just put in the old one and do the same with everything else.”
Mike chose not to respond to that and merely clicked in the new one and did the same with her other ear. Next, he replaced her taste and smell sensors, followed by the sense of touch. When he reached the eyes, he paused briefly, since they were much more complicated than the other devices. He pushed the yellow tab on the left eye and then carefully slid the whole module out. After it was removed, he saw the color on the eye portion slowly recede until it was as white as the replacement units. Mike slowly turned her back around to see what she looked like.
“Arg, all I need is an eye patch and I’d make a good pirate,” Lena said in a mock pirate voice, while Mike could clearly see through her now empty eye socket into the inner cavity of her head, the lights still blinking on the various fiberoptic cables inside.
Mike couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking he might not be as humorous if he’d just had his eye removed. “So, umm, does it matter which one of these I insert, or are they each the same?” Mike asked her, quickly scrutinizing each of the eye replacements.
“Nope,” Lena smiled.
“Okay, good.” Mike picked one of them up and carefully slid it into the empty tray, this time doing it from the front so he could watch it re-emerge. As soon as it was connected, the color flooded back into it, and it looked completely indistinguishable from the other eye. Lena blinked the eye a few times and swiveled it around before giving him a wink, indicating for him to continue. Mike did the same with the other eye, before placing the old components into the pink bag and then setting it aside for later.
“All done with your head,” Mike then announced, “Does everything feel better?”
“Much!” Lena replied, a big smile on her face, “Most of them are moderate improvements, but since my head contains four of my five senses, and they are used extensively, those parts do actually need to be replaced regularly.”
“Good, and your diagnostics, or whatever, didn’t show any problems?” He pressed, “I mean, should I reattach your scalp now?” He stumbled.
“Not yet, there’s one more component that needs to be upgraded in there,” she reported, “open the magenta-colored bag.”
“Okay,” Mike nodded, quickly locating it and pulling out a small device.
“That’s to replace the power core in my head so I can function a bit longer while my head is detached,” she explained, “it may look the same, but that model can keep my head powered for up to 10-minutes longer.”
“Oh, neat,” Mike smiled, quickly locating the currently installed one in her head and pulling it free. Once he had that one secured in a new anti-static bag, he plugged the new one in and watched it light up.
“Ah, much better,” Lena sighed, “that’ll also allow me to run at a higher clock rate while my head is detached, since normally my systems throttle back a little.”
“So, am I done with your head now? Can I reattach your scalp?”
“Yep, all diagnostics confirmed successful installation of the new hardware!”
“Alrighty,” Mike said, picking up her scalp and carefully clicking it back in place, being careful to move her long hair out of the way of the seams. “Although I find seeing your innards to be quite arousing, it’s still disconcerting to see the top of your head missing like that,” he admitted with a shudder, watching the seams disappear.
“Yeah, I can imagine,” she agreed, “But, after a few years with me, I’m confident you’ll get used to it.”
“Indeed,” Mike grunted, then looked at the rest of her body, “So, what should I take care of first?” He asked, looking into her open torso at the dormant components, each of which he now realized had the same yellow release tab as the components in her head.
Lena zoned out momentarily as her systems analyzed her options, then she snapped out of it and said, “The power core.”
“Alright,” Mike nodded, “Which bag is it in?”
“The large yellow one,” Lena said, “You shouldn’t have any trouble finding it. The power core is the largest component in that box, and my body.”
“Ah, I see it,” Mike said, seeing a glint of yellow on the bottom of the box. He carefully moved over the many-colored bags until he could easily grab the yellow one and then lifted it out with a slight grunt up to the counter and next to her body. “Is there anything I should be concerned about with the core?” He then asked, “I mean, is there an electrocution or explosion risk?” He laughed nervously; he was no electrician.
Lena gave him a friendly laugh and reassuring smile. “No, they ship those out with a 25% charge on them for safety reasons, so there’s just enough energy to last a potentially new android a few hours for initial setup and owner orientation, but not enough to risk explosion during transit or installation” she explained, “and you won’t have to worry about the old one either, since it had already discharged about 15% during the benchmarks earlier,” she added, guessing that would be his next question.
“Good to know, thanks!” Now that he realized he no longer had to worry about being injured, he confidently reached into Lena’s body and pressed the release tab for her power core, gently removing it from her body and placing it down next to the yellow bag. When he opened the yellow bag and pulled out the new core, he paused and quickly compared them.
“Um, Lena, this new core is quite a bit smaller…is it even going to fit in your body?” Mike asked in a worried tone, since the new core looked roughly 40% smaller, and weighed almost as little.
“Of course it will silly! I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise,” she chided him, “the ribbon connecting the two sides is extendable, so just insert it and it’ll fit, trust me.”
“Okay,” Mike said skeptically. To maintain proper balance throughout her body, the power core was divided into three sections, with two large batteries cradled on each side above her hips, and a smaller unit linking up with her spinal column in the back. Just as she said, the ribbon cable that connected each side to the back piece extended just enough to allow them to fit, but, due to the smaller size of the whole unit, there was now quite a bit of empty space in her torso. “Is this empty space going to be a problem?”
“No,” she assured him with a serious look, “Don’t worry about it for now, I promise you that you’ll understand later,” she winked.
“Okay,” Mike said, nodding his head. ‘Maybe she was malfunctioning again’ he thought to himself, making a mental note to run a full diagnostic on her later to be sure. “Since it’s smaller, does that mean it holds less of a charge?”
“No, actually, since I was able to splurge a little, I was able to get an upgraded model that uses a more efficient, condensed storage medium, so it actually holds about 5% more than the old one,” she explained, “and, since it’s lighter and I won’t have to expend as much energy moving around, it’ll last even longer,” she finished in an excited voice.
“Oh, I see,” Mike said, finally understanding the method behind her madness, “I take it several of these other upgrades are also lighter and/or smaller in some way?”
“That’s correct!”
“Got it! I’ve done something similar with my hobby computers,” he nodded approvingly, “Though, in that case, it was to make them easier to lug around on trips with my family.”
“Well, just consider me your new hobby computer then,” Lena said with a huge grin.
“Will do,” Mike grinned back, “Oh, now that the new core is installed, should I plug you in now, or wait until I swap everything else out?”
“Do it now,” she instructed with a serious tone, “You’ll be safe as long as you don’t power up the core yet, and the sooner you plug it in, the faster it’ll be fully charged.”
“Will do.” Mike quickly plugged her in and then watched as a digital readout on the center unit lit up, indicating the core was at 24%; it had obviously discharged slightly in transit.
“Okay, it’s at 24% right now,” he reported, “how long do you think it might take?”
“It’s hard to be certain, since this core model is new to me, but expect it take approximately 2-3 hours,” she estimated, then she saw the mild look of concern and impatience appear on Mike’s face. “Oh, but don’t worry, based on what time it is, if we can get it to at least 60% then I should be able to remain online for the rest of the day until you go to bed…at least, along with the food I might happen to eat.”
Mike was quite relieved to hear that he wouldn’t have to wait a whole three hours to enjoy Lena’s company as a fully assembled android again. “That’s good to hear.”
“Anyway, you can choose whatever component you want to replace next,” Lena told him, “At this point, it doesn’t really matter what order you do them in.”
“Okay,” Mike nodded, taking another look in her body. After quickly scrutinizing everything, he finally decided on her lungs.
“The lungs are in the blue bag,” Lena supplied, noticing him make his choice.
“Ah, thanks,” Mike said absently, wondering if one of the upgrades turned her into a mind reader or something. “Lena, I’m curious...what’s up with the color-coded bags, and how do you know which bags have what?”
“Oh, when I went online to the Spaztec ordering page and ordered upgrades for everything, it gave me the option to have the bags color-coded in order to make the process as simple as possible,” she smiled, “for security purposes it automatically selected a random color for each item and sent me the color-code key to ensure we got the correct box.”
“Oh, that makes sense,” Mike nodded approvingly, then laughed, “I was wondering how you seemed to just magically know what was in each bag.”
“If you like, I can bring the list up on the screen for you so you can work a bit faster,” Lena offered helpfully.
“Oh, please do,” Mike accepted. Lena then zoned out and made a small window appear on the terminal with the color-code key. The items that he had already completed were crossed off, in what looked like a crayon scribble, and the item he was currently working on was highlighted.
“Crayon, really?”
“Just having some fun,” she smirked.
Mike shook his head. He liked how even though Lena was open that she was an android to him, she still acted like herself. Before he was able to remove her lungs, he first had to remove the rib cage from her Endo skeletal structure, which was shielding most of the upper section. It smoothly detached from the rest of her skeleton with a push of the yellow tab, and Mike placed it down on the top of the couch behind him for safe keeping.
Based on what he could see, his initial analysis was confirmed. Lena’s lungs were primarily used as a heatsink for the complicated looking MCN, as well as for various other systems. They also allowed her chest to realistically rise. When he removed them, he saw that, in addition to the whole lung itself, it had a separate removable section near the top that appeared to be some sort of dust filter. It appeared she hadn’t been serviced in a while, because both filters were quite dirty.
“Ick, I figured those were a bit dirty,” Lena commented upon seeing the filthy state of them, “Those usually have to be replaced every six months, but my previous owner wanted to cut costs, so I was forced to wait nine months for replacements instead.”
“Good to know,” Mike nodded, placing the old lungs in the pink bag and installing the new ones; they were the same size.
Over the course of the next hour, Mike diligently replaced every single replaceable component in her torso. There were equivalents of her kidneys which processed her liquid intake and sent it to a bladder. Her digestive system was essentially an expandable bag with an acidic compound inside for digesting her food, and it was connected to a fusion generator to recharge her power core.
The one interesting thing Mike noticed was that none of her internal components were fixed in their position like one would have expected with a normal computer. Instead, they were hooked into moveable casings that could flex around neatly inside her torso to allow her to move around more human-like. The casings themselves were surrounded by cool, bluish gel-like material that not only allowed them to flex around and move out of the way, but also maintained a comfortable temperature, had fiber optics connecting them to everything else, and allowed her to feel real if you were to poke her from the outside.
The last thing Mike swapped out was the MCN, since it was near the bottom of the shipping box and was the most complex. When he opened the silver bag that it was in, he found not only the new MCN, which appeared to be about 40% smaller, but a small case that had smaller looking control chips labeled for each part of her body, including the head.
“Alright now with the MCN, like I mentioned before, it’s basically split up all over my body,” Lena explained, seeing him inspecting each control chip, “Please start with the one in my head, which is located inside my neck.”
Mike acknowledged her and clicked her head off the A.N.A. After a quick search in her open neck cavity, he finally located her current MCN control chip, which he quickly removed and replaced with the newer one. Although they both seemed identical, the newer one felt slightly lighter. He then clicked her head back on and asked her for the next step.
“Okay, I’ve successfully installed the new chip,” she reported, “That’s how I’m able to remotely interface with the MCN in my body, and the other control chips allow each part to be remotely controlled while disconnected as well,” she explained, “First, replace the MCN and then I’ll tell you what to do next.”
Mike carefully reached in between both lungs and pressed the release tab, pulling the old MCN out of her body. Although it was not very large, it was deceptively heavy, so he nearly dropped back into her body. He placed it on the counter near her head and then installed the new one, noting that, due to it being 40% smaller, there was a considerable amount of dead space in her torso now. He clicked her rib cage back in place over the new MCN and stood back to look at Lena for guidance.
“Alright, now I’m sure you’ve wondered how my body can cope with all that dead space, so now I’ll show you. Turn on my body, and then press the sync button on my MCN.” She instructed, now sounding serious.
Mike did as she instructed, pressing the power toggle on the newly installed power core, which had gotten to about 50% in the time since he’d plugged it in. He then pressed the sync button on the MCN and waited as Lena remotely accessed the new device. Once she had access, it emitted an audible beep, and the torso twitched a few times as she tested her movement.
“Excellent, so far, all is going to plan,” she smiled, “Now watch this.”
As soon as she finished talking, something strange started happening in her torso. First, a red laser seemed to scan the interior of her body, followed by a green laser, and finally a bluish one. The lasers emitted from several points in her body and ran for nearly a minute each. Once they finished, she nodded her head. “Okay, now, reattach my front torso cover and then remove it again when I’m done,” she instructed.
“Done with what?” He asked, picking it up and clicking it back on.
“You’ll see,” she winked, and once he had it clicked on and sealed back in place, he stood back and watched, gasping as he heard loud whirring and clicking coming from in her torso. Then, slowly, he saw her torso begin to literally contract, her ribs tightening up near the top, and her hips shrinking. Her previously plump skin also tightened up, and some of what previously felt like fat condensed into more defined muscles, even giving her a hint of a four pack. By the time it finished, she looked noticeably thinner and fitter.
“Holy shit!” That was all Mike could say, gazing down at her thinner, but still not skinny, body.
“I know, right,” Lena smiled gloriously, a hint of a blush on her face as she admired the look of admiration on her owner’s face. “Because we’re designed to last up to twenty years in the same body, they gave our bodies the ability to expand or contract, depending on how large the components are that we have installed,” she explained to him, “since you basically removed 20lbs from my body, and there was so much more room in there, I was able to scan my interior and adjust myself accordingly.”
Mike still didn’t trust himself to speak, instead he gently felt her new muscles and thinner torso, eliciting a few giggles from Lena, who was able to feel his touches remotely; her torso thrashed around in response to his touches. “Alright Mike, once you’ve recovered, you can go ahead and remove the torso cover again.”
Mike quickly removed the torso panel once more and gazed upon the now smaller interior. He saw now why the cover had to be temporarily reattached, as the cover itself had shrunk in size. All the components in her inner torso were now much closer together, and much of the gel encompassing all of them had firmed up. Even the ribs had been moved by the contraction.
“I know this may sound like a stupid question, but did that hurt?”
“Well, I suppose there was a little of what, in human terms, you may consider discomfort,” Lena admitted, trying to phrase things properly, “to be honest, an android like me normally wouldn’t lose that much weight all at once, so this was quite a contraction.”
“I’ll say.” Suffice to say, Mike now realized why she requested basic clothes that could be tightened, since she knew her waist and bust sizes would be changing, but not by how much. “Is there anything left to do in your torso?” He asked, wondering why he’d opened it.
“I did include the lactation pouch that you kinda sorta requested, since it was cheap,” Lena offered, highlighting a cream-colored bag on her list, “that just slides into the sleeve on the bottom side of my torso cover and then connects to the two tubes.”
“Ah,” Mike blushed, locating the cream-colored bag and pulling the pouch out. Compared to the other items in her torso, this one was a cinch, and he had it in place in no time. “We’ll have to try that out at a later date, when I’m more comfortable having you around.”
“Yeah,” Lena agreed, “Well, anyway, after you’ve finished with the upgrading the control chips in each of my limbs, you’ll be performing some general maintenance, based on my benchmark results,” she explained, since he was done working in her torso.
“Oh, okay,” Mike nodded, then he picked up the small organizer that contained the control chips for each individual limb.
He decided to start with something easy, so he chose the one for her right hand and then picked her hand up from the counter to swap them out. While he’d examined the mechanical portion of her hand before, he hadn’t noticed the small control chip imbedded in it. He pulled out the old chip and inserted the new one, then saw a light blink on it before a low beep emitted from the new MCN.
Suddenly, Lena’s hand twitched in his hands and began moving around, slowly testing each finger before relaxing in his hands.
“Whoa! Was that you!?” He looked at her with a startled look.
“Yeah,” she giggled, “I can control each of my limbs remotely too,” she said smugly, “But, they all have to be replaced at the same time, since the group has its own transponder frequency, so it doesn’t overlap with another device or android.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” Mike nodded, placing the hand back down on the table face down. Lena then flashed a mischievous smile and made her right hand rise on all fingers and scuttle around the table like that thing from that old cartoon show. Mike quickly switched to her visual feed on the terminal and confirmed that her hand had a small camera in it as well so she could see where it was going.
“Having fun?” he laughed. She had her hand run several laps around her torso before returning it to its previous position and resting it back down.
“Yeah,” she admitted, “Unfortunately, my hand doesn’t have that much power while it’s disconnected, so I have to stop,” she said regretfully.
“How much power does each limb have?”
“Well, they can actually receive a minor amount of power simply through a special wireless connection from the MCN, but that’s really only enough to run low-level diagnostics,” she admitted, “But each limb does have enough juice to last about 5-10 minutes, depending on the level of exertion. That would be enough so we could attempt to reassemble ourselves in the event of accidental detachment.”
“Wow, they really did think of everything,” Mike said, replacing the control chip in her left hand, and then both arms.
After he replaced the remaining chips in her feet and legs, and watched her test the motor function in each, he stood back and took another look inside her open torso, noticing he still had one bag left in the box.
“I thought I was done with everything in here,” he told her, “What else is left?”
“Well, to put it delicately, my sexual systems,” she said with a slightly embarrassed look, “I figured we’d save those for last, since they are lower in my body and don’t really have an impact on my size or weight.”
Mike blushed too, though she had warned him that he’d be opening her up in that area. “Why do your sexual systems need to be serviced?” he asked with a confused look, “I thought that, well, you were a virgin.”
“I am,” she replied indignantly, “But still, as long as I’m upgrading everything else, I might as well upgrade that too,” she defended, “besides, they kinda skimped out on those since they knew I wouldn’t be having sex with anyone at work, and my previous owner was gay anyway.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” Mike nodded, locating the panel release button beneath the now easy to spot light-colored section of skin. Doing so caused a trapezoidal shaped section of skin to release from just above her vagina, revealing a control panel, several processors, and a lubrication tank. The control panel was currently on and displayed her arousal settings.
“Go ahead, play around with it,” Lena offered, seeing Mike finger the controls.
Mike took her offer and played around on the control panel. Despite the complexity of the rest of her body, it appeared to be intentionally designed to be as simplistic and user friendly as possible, since sex was the number one reason a person would usually purchase an android like Lena in the first place. It had basic touchscreen controls that allowed him to toggle her libido, arousal level, and lubrication levels.
Mike played around, slowly toggling up her arousal and watching as her body, and dismembered limbs, twitched with pleasure and she began to slowly moan. He toggled her back down to normal to keep her from climaxing and then toggled her lubrication, watching as it slowly moistened up. When he toggled it back down, he could see the lubricant absorb back into the skin.
“Fascinating,” Mike wondered, examining the lubrication tank. “So, do you need some sort of proprietary lube or something?”
“Fortunately, not,” Lena responded, “Spaztec designed our lubrication systems so we can function using any store-bought lube, that way you can experiment with more…palatable choices, like flavors and aromas.”
“Interesting.” Mike mused, thinking of a few options he might like to consider. He then remembered he was supposed to be swapping things out, so he reached into the box and pulled out the purple bag, opening it and spilling its contents in front of him.
The only items inside the bag were replacement processors, a container of fruity lube, and a strange, cylindrical device. “Is this what I think it is?” Mike asked, picking it up and examining it.
“Yep, that’s where all the magic happens,” Lena said solemnly.
The device didn’t have the actual lips or skin on the entrance end, instead it appeared to be just the mechanism that was housed inside her body that he was to insert himself in. It had strange servos on the outside that appeared to allow the device to squeeze in, pulsate, and vibrate.
Mike quickly wondered how the heck he was supposed to insert the device, when he saw an actual physical eject button next to the touchscreen control panel. Obviously, it was designed to work even if her body was low on energy, he thought. He reached out and pressed the button and then recoiled his hands as a seam appeared around her vagina and the entire thing popped out several inches like a disc tray on an old computer. Upon grabbing hold of it, Mike was able to pull it out even further, until the entire unit was sticking out. Right away, he could see a similar cylindrical device, though far less sophisticated.
“I take it they just gave you the basics,” Mike guessed, removing the old unit and installing the new one; they were the same weight.
“Yeah,” she confirmed, “like I said, my previous owner was gay, and they didn’t encourage me to engage in sexual activities,” she reminded him, then her face took on a pleasurable look when he slid the vagina tray back into place with a satisfying sucking sound.
“Feel better?” He asked with an amused smile, as he swapped out the processors.
“It’s not really that,” she admitted, “It’s that I lost all feeling while you were swapping it out, and then suddenly regained feeling, and it was just a brief wave of pleasure coursed through me all at once.”
“Wow, I wish I could feel that,” Mike mused.
“Well, now that I’m all upgraded down there, maybe I can assist you with that later,” she said with a kinky smile.
“I look forward to it,” Mike returned it, clicking the vagina panel back in place and watching the skin seal back up.
“Well, thanks Mike,” Lena then said with genuine sincerity, “you’ve managed to completely upgrade everything in my body. Now, the next step is to perform some routine maintenance and then reassemble me.”
Mike nodded, then sighed. He’d been working on upgrading her components for over an hour and he was suddenly hit with a wave of fatigue.
“Oh Mike, are you alright?” Lena asked with a concerned look.
“Yeah, I guess swapping all your components out was a little more stressful and draining than I thought,” he admitted, slumping back in his chair, “I think I want a breather before moving on to the maintenance.”
“That’s no problem,” Lena told him in an understanding voice, then zoned out for a moment before smiling, “I just checked the update servers and found a decent number of updates that were posted in just the last few hours. I can quickly download and install them and then go into a full diagnostic to fully test my new processors and other upgrades,” she offered, “I estimate with the increased speed, I should be out for about half an hour.”
Mike thought about it a moment before nodding his head. “Yeah, I can live without you for half an hour.” He winked.
“Excellent, go take your well-deserved break.” And before he could respond, she went into standby mode while she downloaded and installed updates in the background.
Mike quickly pulled up her activity monitor on the terminal to confirm her current state, then he got his shoes on and headed out to go on a brisk walk around the block.
1.5: Maintenance & Reassembly
Mike fully enjoyed the cool, winter air on his skin as he calmly walked around his neighborhood. He’d always preferred the cold weather over the warm weather, as it helped him think. He found himself mentally planning on things he could use Lena for, in addition to helping around the house. Mostly, he was glad he would have someone to chat with, since he mostly just talked to himself.
When he finally returned nearly twenty minutes later, Lena was still doing whatever it was she was doing, so Mike quickly followed up on some of the chores he’d started earlier. He folded Lena’s now clean clothes and brought them downstairs for her to wear when she was reassembled. He also started his robot vacuum on the second floor to get a head start on the cleaning.
Just before Lena came back online, Mike pulled some of his old hobby computers from storage and turned them on so they could run some updates, in case Lena needed to use one or more of them. Finally, he sat back down at the counter and patiently waited for her to finish.
Once Lena was completed with her diagnostic, her head gently bowed down as she rebooted and then came back to life once more seconds later.
“Well, how’d everything go?” Mike asked conversationally, slowly getting used to her artificial nature.
“The updates were fairly minor, and the diagnostic went smoothly,” Lena reported, “And I also managed to reorganize some of my files into long-term storage, so I don’t have any more memory buffer malfunctions.”
“Excellent!” Mike rubbed his hands together excitedly, “So, what are we going to do with all these old parts?” he asked her, having already placed the older versions back in the shipping box while he was waiting for her to finish her diagnostic.
“Oh, most of them we can probably sell back to Spaztec at a low price for people who have older model androids,” she shrugged, “But some of them we’ll keep here as backups for me, like my old processors and the old MCN.”
“Ah, good to know…so, how do we go about this maintenance?” he asked her, having not seen a repair kit in the shipping box.
“There’s a small repair kit in the bottom compartment of my storage case,” she replied, “you’ll be looking for a tool that looks like a cross between a massager and hair dryer.”
Mike had an amused expression on his face as he dug back into her storage case and pulled out a modest-sized repair kit. He brought it up to the counter and zipped it open, revealing a handful of repair tools. He grabbed the tool that she described and then held it up to her.
“Yes, that’s the Sub-dermal Healer,” she nodded, “basically, it uses a sonic pulse to heal degradations in my muscle tissue, which augments my servo mechanisms to allow me to move in a more fluid, human-like manner.”
“So, are your muscles sore or something?”
“I suppose that’s the easiest way to describe it, yes,” she smiled, “my muscles work just as hard as a normal human’s would, so they can get sore.”
“Interesting,” Mike mused, “So does that mean a good ole’ fashioned massage might keep you in tip top shape as well?”
“Well, it would certainly help,” she nodded approvingly, “however, this tool is a bit more comprehensive, so this usually has to be done on a monthly basis.” Then she put on a wry expression, “It would have been done when I last met with my previous owner, but he decided to put me into storage instead.”
“Ah, well is there any special way I should do this?” Mike asked, looking at the dials and knobs on the device.
“Yes, I think setting five with a depth of four should be sufficient,” she decided, “and once you’ve got it set, just run it slowly over each arm and leg, but not my hands or feet.”
Mike set the dials, seeing that five was the intensity, out of ten, and four was the number of millimeters the sonic waves would permeate her body. Once he had it set, he ran it over Lena’s left arm. The sonic waves caused the muscles in her arm to spasm, making it thrash around gently on the countertop. As he continued passing the tool over her arm, the thrashing slowly decreased until the arm became still. While Mike did this, Lena’s face expressed varying levels of pleasure, almost as though he was massaging her. Once he finished with the left arm, he did the same with her right arm, and then both legs before placing the tool down. “I’m curious, would this work on me…or, rather, a human?”
“Unfortunately, not,” Lena apologized, “the tool uses technology specifically designed to work with the material my skin and muscles are made out of…however, the new girlfriend software I installed last night has some pretty good massage programs,” she winked.
“Ooh, I can’t wait,” Mike said excitedly.
“Me neither. Now, the next thing you should be looking for is a sort of spray can thingy.”
Mike returned the hair dryer tool to the tool kit and grabbed what honestly looked like a can of compressed air. The label, though, said Electro-Air.
“What the hell is Electro-Air?” Mike asked, looking at the list of ingredients and finding only a host of strange chemicals.
“It’s basically an aerosolized, quick evaporating metallic gas that, when sprayed on each of my connection points, can repair any micro-fractures present in the data connections.” She then saw the confused look on Mike’s face and sighed, “basically, it repairs minor damage in my connection points and allows for more efficient data and energy transfer.”
“Okay, I think I get it,” Mike nodded, though he still barely understood, “I think I’m gonna have to go back to school just to learn about how all your systems work,” he joked, using the spray can and spraying it for the directed duration of time in each connection point on her torso and each limb. It appeared that he was spraying a silver mist into her connection points, but it evaporated so fast, it looked like he sprayed simple air.
“Hey, you’re pretty smart, I’m sure you could just take some online classes and save a ton of money,” she complimented him, “And I’ll keep telling you until you get it,” she added stubbornly.
“I’m sure you will,” he chuckled, “Hey, does this need to be sprayed in your head too?” he asked, having finished with everything else.
“Yep, as well as the A.N.A.” she confirmed.
“Just making sure,” Mike nodded, detaching her head from the A.N.A. and spraying both it, and the exposed section of her neck with the Electro-Air. He then clicked her head back on and placed the can back into the toolkit.
“Ah, that feels much better, thanks!” Lena said with a content look on her face, “Well, now that you’ve basically oiled me up, you can go ahead and reattach my arms and legs to my torso, but not the hands and feet.”
Mike excitedly did as she instructed, clicking both sets of arms and legs back onto the torso for what he hoped would be the last time for some time. He was surprised to see them contract slightly in the thigh and bicep regions upon being reconnected, matching the contractions of her torso from earlier and giving her an even slimmer appearance. Although it was by no means as obvious a change as with her torso, she now appeared slightly more muscular.
“I thought you’d like that,” Lena said smugly. Mike once again ogled her body uncontrollably, admiring her new, sleek form.
“Um, okay, so what do I need to do for your hands and feet?” He asked her, since they were the only things that he hadn’t worked on yet.
“Well, those get far more stress than my arms or legs, so they need a more intense tool,” Lena said with a serious look, “Take the Sub-dermal Healer back out and turn it to maximum power,” she then commanded dramatically.
Mike couldn’t help but chuckle as he retrieved the tool once more, setting it to ten and the depth to maximum. He then gently passed it over both hands and feet, watching them twitch wildly for several seconds before relaxing on the counter.
“Oh yeah! That felt SOOO good!” Lena exploded out, once he had finished, appearing as though she had just had a massive orgasm. Mike momentarily felt embarrassed to witness her outburst, almost as though he’d just walked in on her masturbating.
When she finally calmed down, she smiled at him. “Good boy, now look for a small cuff looking device in the tool kit. There should be a pair of them.” She instructed, and once he pulled them out, she continued, “Now, click those onto each hand and foot.”
Mike did as she instructed, but he chose to click it onto her left hand and foot, instead of both hands and feet. “So, what do these do?
“Those cuff units contain targeted repair nanites that are designed to travel through my hands and feet and repair microscope damage in my delicate finger and toe mechanisms,” she explained, “However, nanites can be quite dangerous if not handled properly, so these are designed to only work under the containment of the cuff units.”
“Wow, that’s so cool.” Mike had always been fascinated with tiny machines. “Hey, while those are doing their magic, is it alright if I clean up your hands and feet a bit?”
“Sure, what did I miss?”
“Oh, when I was inspecting your limbs in the storage room, I noticed some dirt under the nails, and some sock residue between the toes.”
“Wow, thanks!” Lena blushed.
“Don’t mention it,” Mike winked, “just out of curiosity, do your nails actually grow?” He asked her, stepping a short distance away to retrieve his personal nail grooming kit, “I noticed when I was first inspecting your body in the storage room that your nails look like they’ve actually been trimmed.”
“They do,” she confirmed, “Spaztec endeavored to make my model of androids as realistic as possible, so our nails are formed similarly from recycled skin cells that are body replaces regularly. That’s also part of why we eat, to provide building materials for our body to use.”
“It’s so cool that they thought of little stuff like that,” Mike said, “I mean, they could’ve just made your nails replaceable click-on components or something, but they made it so your bodies can just regrow them like a human.”
“Exactly,” Lena smiled, “I guess I might need to work on my trimming methods though, if you were able to tell so easily,” she frowned.
“Nah, I don’t mind,” he assured her, sanitizing his grooming kit in an alcohol bath and hot water before returning to her, “it makes you more like Lena, rather than a perfect computer.”
“Awww, thanks!” she gushed.
“Don’t mention it,” he said with a slight blush, before picking up her right foot and beginning to groom it.
Lena merely watched him with utter adoration and patience as he gently scraped the debris from under the nails on her right hand and foot. He even used the cloth to clean between each finger and toe. “I’ll have to add this to my cleaning routine,” Lena commented, seeing how seriously Mike was taking his task.
“Well, you cleaned up fairly well,” Mike assured her, “although, in between your toes it still smelled a bit like BO.”
“Well, I did have to kind of rush through my shower,” she defended, “I mean, I was told to come quickly, and next thing I know I’m told I’m gonna be decommissioned and to prepare myself.”
“Hey, no need to work yourself up,” he told her with his hands out, “I’m kind of a perfectionist, so I get a little obsessive sometimes.”
Lena calmed down and smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She then got a look of calm contentment as he gently rubbed the cloth, dabbed with alcohol, in between her toes. “Ah, it’s like a nice, relaxing mani-pedi session,” she purred, “You should consider a career in this, you’re so good.”
“Perhaps,” Mike shrugged, “But I’m also a bit of a germaphobe, so that might hamper my chances,” he grimaced.
“You don’t seem to mind with me,” she accused him.
“Well, that’s because I know it’s all artificial,” he explained, “although your BO smells real enough, it’s not quite got that ickiness that the real deal has,” he told her, trying to explain it.
“Yeah, I see what you mean,” she nodded, “Well, I guess I’m perfect for you, since androids are much cleaner than humans.”
“Indeed,” Mike agreed, then he began gently rubbing the bottom of her foot with the cloth, eliciting giggles, and the foot began thrashing in his hands. “Are you ticklish?” He grinned.
“Yeah, very,” she confirmed, trying to calm herself down.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he smiled mischievously, “but you’re an android…couldn’t you just turn your ticklishness off?”
“I could,” she pouted, “But how many of your computers are ticklish?”
Although it was an absurd question, Mike kept a straight face and answered her. “None.”
“Exactly,” she accused him, “being ticklish makes me unique, and human, so that’s why I keep it on,” she finished with her chin up.
Mike stared at her with awe. Apparently, her human emulation was far more sophisticated than he had originally thought. Even though she had fooled him during the two years they had worked together, she was still surprising him with her intricate complexities.
“Oh, if you’re finished grooming those limbs, you can remove the cuffs from the other set and put them on the ones you’re working on now,” Lena told him.
“Okay, just one more rub,” Mike told her, gently rubbing her foot bottom one last time before placing it down. He removed the cuffs from the other hand and foot and placed them on the ones he’d just groomed, then began grooming the other set. “How come these just go on your hands and feet, and not all the other connection points?” he asked, once he’d started grooming her left hand.
“Because they have more intricate mechanisms in them,” Lena shrugged, “The arms and legs are mostly just muscle and the skeletal structure, but the hands and feet have all those micro servos in them to provide me with fine motor skills, so they need more intricate repair work that only nanites can perform.”
Mike nodded, continuing his work on her nails. “Lena, your hands and feet aren’t going to shrink like the rest of your body did, are they?”
“No, they’re pretty much fixed until the next time my body is replaced. Why?”
“Well, I like them the way they are now,” he shrugged, finishing with her hand and moving to the foot.
“Aww, you are so cute.” Mike didn’t really respond, aside from a kind smile, though, so she merely continued watching him groom her nails, reveling in the relaxing sensory input from each limb as he did so.
About five minutes later, Lena reported that the nanites were finished. Mike calmly finished grooming her left hand and foot and removed the cuff units from the other set, placing the units back into the tool kit.
“Okay, can I reattach them now?” he asked eagerly.
“Yes,” she smiled in response, “and then there’s just one last thing you’ll need to do before reattaching my torso cover. Once you’ve reattached my hands and feet, grab the small pill case.”
“Good, I’m looking forward to having you all in one piece again,” he said in a relieved voice, clicking on both hands and feet. As he reached down into the toolkit, Lena absently clenched and unclenched both hands and feet. He returned moments later with a rather large pill organizer, filled with orange, blue, and green-colored pills.
“Interesting.” Mike took one of each pill out and scrutinized them. They were large, almost the size of a strong painkiller. They had the Spaztec brand on them, and some small writing, but nothing else to distinguish what they were.
“What ever you do, don’t consume those,” Lena warned, watching him smell them.
“What are they for?”
“The orange pills replenish my bodies supply of artificial scent,” she explained, “The blue pill replenishes my supply of Smart Sweat, and the green pill replenishes my digestive fluids.”
“Oh,” Mike said, carefully removing the pills from the vicinity of his face, “do you have to swallow these or something?”
“Ordinarily, yes, I would swallow them once a month but, since you’re still working on my body, there’s a small hatch you can open on my digestive tank that you can push those pills into, and that’ll allow them to start working more quickly,” she instructed.
Mike reached back into her body and located the small hatch that she mentioned. As soon as he pushed all three pills into her stomach, they began to fizz and dissolve until they mixed in perfectly with the acid already in her stomach.
“Excellent! All the maintenance is complete!” she congratulated him, “Just reattach my torso cover and help me off the table so I can run the benchmarks again.”
“Alrighty,” Mike smiled big. Before he picked her torso cover up, he peeked into her torso and saw her new power core was up to 75%. He reported the number to her.
“That’s actually slightly higher than I’d anticipated,” she nodded approvingly, “Like I said earlier, at this time of day, assuming you go to be by no later than midnight, I really only need about 55-60% to get me through to the end, so 75% is more than enough.”
“Okay, just making sure,” Mike nodded, picking her torso cover and reattaching it. Once it was sealed back in placed, he also unplugged the power cord from her body and sealed the charging port back up.
Once all her panels were resealed, Lena slowly sat up on the counter and swung her legs over the side, “Thanks, now just help me down from the counter again, please,” Lena requested. Just as he did before, Mike gently grabbed hold of her waist while she put her arms around his shoulders for support. This time, she felt noticeably lighter, so he had much less difficulty gently lowering her down to the floor, her feet gently plopping back down onto the hardwood.
Now that she was standing up, instead of lying down, Mike could see even more clearly now how much thinner she looked. With gravity now affecting her body, he could make out even more muscles showing on her abdomen, and her thighs.
Lena made her body bounce around on both feet for a few seconds to adapt to the reduction in weight and overall size before having it slowly turn around and walk over to the treadmill to run a benchmark.
“Man, I haven’t even started the benchmark yet, but I can already feel how much more awesome my body feels,” Lena practically purred, having her body step onto the treadmill and begin the benchmark. Just as before, she began it at a comfortable walking pace for eight minutes.
“So, what’s improved so far?” Mike asked, monitoring her status once more on the terminal screen.
“Well, for one thing, the fact that I weigh less is putting much less stress on my feet and legs,” she started, “The new power core is also more efficient at managing my energy consumption, and the new MCN, and the new control chips, have much better latency and range.”
“Latency? What exactly do you mean?” Although Mike had heard the term before, he wasn’t quite tech savvy enough to know what it meant.
“Well, latency means the speed at which I’m able to wirelessly control my body, or, rather, the slight delay between my brain sending a signal to my body to move, and it actually moving and sending signals back to me,” she supplied, “Before, the latency was 12ms, but now it’s down to 7ms.” She seemed to feel almost relieved at reporting that, “the range has also been improved by 15ft,” she added.
“But it’s only a small difference, does it really matter with speeds that fast?”
“It does,” Lena said with a serious look, “it can mean the difference between me being able to avoid bumping into something or taking a potentially damaging tumble.”
“Ah, I see now,” Mike nodded.
“Plus, it’s kinda like that feeling when you’re watching a TV show or movie that doesn’t have the audio properly synced up, so the voices don’t match the lip movements,” she added off-handedly.
“Oh! I hate it when that happens,” Mike practically shouted, “It’s so annoying!”
“I know, right!” Lena’s enthusiastic response instantly warmed Mike’s heart. They both locked their eyes and had a moment. Mike absently noticed an update to his status sliders on the activity monitor. When the moment passed, they both giggled like two schoolchildren and then had a momentary awkward pause.
“So, what other improvements are you noticing so far?” Mike finally asked, breaking the silence.
“The maintenance fixes you performed are allowing me to move much more efficiently, and my whole body just feels much more relaxed as a result,” she reported.
“Good, I can’t wait until you’re done,” he said once again, “I can’t wait to show you everything that’s changed over the last five years.”
“I can’t wait either,” she agreed, her body now transitioning to a light jog for the final two minutes.
Remembering the benchmark from before, Mike made sure to place the box of cat litter back in the center of the room for the lift test she was about to conduct.
“Thanks,” Lena smiled, “you’re so helpful.”
“I try my best,” Mike smiled modestly. Another minute later, Lena completed the treadmill benchmark and reduced the speed gradually until it stopped. She then had her body slowly step off and back over to the box of litter, with Mike once more standing nearby to spot her in case she had difficulty with the box.
Unlike before, this time Mike could not hear any whining servos, or any noises to indicate that she was just a machine. She moved much more fluidly and seemed to be having a much easier time lifting the box and swinging it around. Just as before, this portion took ten minutes, and she seamlessly transitioned into the stretches as soon as she was done with the box.
“Alright, benchmark complete!” Lena announced cheerfully a few minutes later, having her body walk with Mike back over to the terminal so she could have her head reattached.
“Nice, and what are the final results?” Mike asked, eager to know.
“Well, in a nutshell: the reduced weight, upgraded components, and refreshed muscles and servos have improved my overall operating efficiency by 37%,” she reported, then zoned out as she conducted a minor calculation, “basically, that should add another 3-5 hours to my battery life, depending on my level of physical and mental exertion.”
“And that’s even with the smaller power core?” Mike asked for confirmation.
“Of course! Like I said, just because something is smaller, doesn’t mean it’s not as good.” She chided him.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he sighed, “Would you like me to reattach your head now?”
“Yes, please!” Lena replied, intentionally sounding like a little girl. Mike smiled big and detached her from the A.N.A. for what he hoped would be the last time until her next maintenance…though he did admit to himself that he found dealing with mostly just her head for the past, almost, day to be quite erotic. He carefully brought her over her patiently waiting body and clicked her head back on.
As soon as the seam sealed up this time, he noticed the skin on her face firm up ever so slightly to match with the new slimness of the rest of her body. Now that she was finally complete, Mike could truly admire her sleeker form, and, although he did not mind her plumpness from before, he liked what he saw now even better.
“Okay,” he managed to say, breaking the momentary silence, “So, are we finally done working on you now?”
“Yes Mike, thanks to you, I’m fully operational again!” she said joyfully, dancing around on her toes and rubbing her body satisfactorily with both hands, truly reveling in the sensations her new upgrades were giving her.
“Hey, don’t mention it,” he told her modestly, with a hint of a blush, “I mean, we were best buds five years ago, and I’d like to think you would have done the same for me if this situation were reversed.”
“Oh, I can assure you, I would have,” she said sincerely, “Many of the people there were not too kind to me, and you were the only one who made me feel calm and welcome,” she finished in an emotional tone, a small tear forming in her left eye.
Mike instinctively hugged her in the same way he used to hug her in the old days at CloudTron when he saw how stressed out and distraught she sometimes got. Even though he now knew she was an android, and running a very sophisticated human emulation program, he realized that if you gave a machine a human personality, memories, emotions, then it would truly act like one, even to the point of getting hurt or offended.
“I don’t think you’ll ever know how happy, and lucky, I am that you found me,” Lena finally said, once they broke apart, “But I promise you that I will do everything in my programming to be the best android friend you could ever have!”
Mike said nothing, since nothing could possibly add to the feeling that was in the room at that moment. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her deeply. She went all in on the kiss, probing her tongue deep into his mouth and pulling his into hers. When they finally broke apart, their faces were flushed, and they had gentle, serene smiles on their faces.
“That was nice,” Lena whispered.
“It was,” Mike agreed.
“So, um…now that I’m fully functional again, why don’t we clean this area up and maybe have some fun,” Lena suggested.
Mike quickly looked around the kitchen and nodded his head. They had to put away the case Lena had been stored in, the treadmill, the A.N.A. and other repair tools, the blanket Lena’s body had been laying on atop the kitchen counter, the box of upgraded parts, and the box of cat litter.
“Yeah, I suppose I made quite a mess, didn’t I?” Mike laughed sheepishly.
“Well, hey, it was for my benefit, so I don’t mind,” she assured him, slapping him on the shoulder, “Come on, let’s get this place cleaned up!”
They both quickly got to work cleaning the place up. Mike moved the box of litter back into the under the stairs closet, along with the blanket, and then he and Lena both moved the treadmill back into the garage to where they found it.
“Okay, now let’s move all the android stuff upstairs to my new room,” Lena suggested, “I’m going to get it all set up into a sort of lab so I can conduct basic maintenance on myself from now on.”
“Fine by me,” Mike shrugged, “I don’t really have any room down here for all if it anyway.” Mike then walked up to Lena’s case, closed it up, and attempted to pick it up. “Damn! This thing is still really heavy!” he swore, trying a few more time to lift it up, grunting with frustration. It appeared that, even though Lena’s body was no longer in it, it was still too heavy for him to lift, let alone move upstairs, and he didn’t want to wrestle it with a dolly again.
“Hey, Mike, relax,” Lena calmed him down by gently rubbing his shoulders. He stood up and walked away from the case, taking deep breaths. “Don’t try and be manly around me, I can carry it up,” she told him gently, then she bent down and carefully lifted it up, the sound of her leg and back servos whining as she lifted the heavy case.
“How?! Oh, I forgot, your emergency power,” Mike said, facepalming, “I hope it’s not heavy enough to damage you,” he then said with a worried look.
“Meh, it’s only slightly heavier than I could lift with just my muscles alone,” she shrugged, “However, we should probably get it upstairs quickly, just to be safe.”
“Will do,” Mike nodded. He quickly grabbed the shipping box full of her old components, which although it was still heavy, was not nearly as heavy as the case was. He then followed her out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
“You know, you sound so sexy right now with all those mechanical noises,” Mike admitted, slowly following her up the stairs as she navigated each step carefully.
“You think so?” Lena asked in a mildly shocked voice, “to me it sounds like my body is working harder than it needs to,” she shrugged.
“Well, that’s what goes with a robofetish, I suppose,” Mike shrugged back, “Do you think there’s any safe ways you can make yourself sound like that?”
“I’ll have to think about it,” Lena admitted, “I’m sure there are, but I’ll have to look up safe ways on the Spaztec forums to be sure…I really don’t want to damage my servos just playing around, though if you really want, I can.”
“Thanks,” Mike smiled.
“Hey, I’d do anything for you,” she reminded him, then she looked out the windows, “It’s a good thing you have the Electrochromic windows,” she then said, noticing the darkness, “otherwise someone would be getting quite the show,” she giggled, since she was still nude and someone was getting out of their car in the neighboring driveway.
“Yeah, it came with the place,” Mike smiled, “and a good thing to, since I mentioned I like walking around in the buff while I’m here.”
“Oh yeah, were you going to take your clothes off now that you’re done working on me?” she reminded him.
Mike quickly blushed, then remembered that she didn’t care if he was nude. “Sure, though maybe a bit later,” he promised her, “I don’t want to distract you from getting settled in up here.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” she said with a slight pout.
Finally, she managed to get up the last step and walk at a faster pace into the room which would now be hers. She deposited the case on the floor next to a desk that took up a corner of the room. It had been left by the previous renter, too big to be conveniently removed from the room. She opened the case back up and pulled all the contents from the bottom compartment, setting them up on the table. Mike placed the shipping box down next to the case, and Lena immediately unpacked each item and spread them out on the desk, removing the contents from each colored bag.
Mike watched her do this for nearly five minutes before finally asking, “What are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m inventorying all my supplies,” she explained, “I’m determining which items to keep, and which could be resold on the Spaztec auction server so we can make some money back.” Then she smiled, “looks like we’ll be able to recoup quite a bit.”
“Good,” Mike smiled, then looked at the heavy case. “Oh, didn’t you say you would try and lift me, once you were upgraded and reassembled?” he reminded her.
“Hmm, I suppose I did,” Lena smirked, “You don’t have a problem being lifted up by someone smaller than you, do you?” she teased.
“Of course not,” Mike scoffed playfully, “I actually find the whole thought to be a turn on, actually,” he admitted sheepishly.
Lena let out a playful giggle before sizing him up, her new optical systems and processors analyzing his height and dimensions to ascertain exactly how she should lift him up. Finally, her calculations complete, she slowly walked up to him and grabbed hold of him around his waist. Once she had a firm, but gentle grip, she activated her emergency power and slowly lifted him up off the floor, her servos whining loudly.
Once she had him a few feet off the floor, she shifted him in her arms until she had him lay down in her arms in a more comfortable position.
“Wow, you really are strong,” Mike told her, looking up at her with a look of admiration and awe.
“I know,” she smiled simply, gently lowering him back down so he could stand on his own again, “But please don’t make me lift you like that too often,” she pleaded, “not only does it strain my servos, but it also discharges my battery faster.”
“I understand,” Mike nodded solemnly, “I guess that’s one way to motivate me to lose weight,” he sighed dramatically.
“Hey, that’s not what I meant!” she protested.
“Don’t worry, I know,” he laughed, “though seriously, with your help, I probably will finally lose some weight…I hear being in a relationship can be a real motivator.”
“Well, I’m not quite sure what people mean about that,” Lena said dubiously, “But I can certainly cook healthier foods and give you motivation to do more exercise if you’d like,” she offered, “Though, you only weigh about 180,” she added wryly, after analyzing his weight.
“Yeah, but it’s still a tad on the overweight side,” Mike frowned, “I’d like to drop down to 170, if possible.”
“I think I can do it,” Lena shrugged.
“Well, if you think you can whip me into shape, then go for it.”
“Okie doke!” With the verbal authorization from Mike, Lena opened a new thread in her CPU to formulate healthy strategies for Mike to get his weight down to the desired goal. The thread was a work in progress, because she still had insufficient information on his body type and his overall habits. She created a task to monitor him more closely than usual for the next few days to gather sufficient information.
“I’m curious, now that I’ve made you lighter, how much do you weigh now?” he asked her, “No offense, but I didn’t bother weighing you earlier.”
“None taken,” Lena smiled politely, “according to my internal scans, I my current weight should be approximately 140lbs, assuming the weight sensors in my feet are functioning correctly. I noticed a scale in the bathroom earlier when you showed me around, so I’ll weigh myself on that later.”
“Well, can I see if I can lift you up?” he offered, “it’s only fair, after all, and there could be a situation where you may be the one needing emergency assistance.”
“Fair point,” she conceded, “however, if I needed the assistance that desperately, I would most likely just be dead weight, and therefor heavier to lift,” she pointed out, “If the situation were dire, it would be far more useful to simply take my head, or just my A.I. core.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Mike said after quick thought, “But wouldn’t a replacement body be expensive?”
“It could, but if you purchase even one of the cheaper insurance policies on me, then a replacement could cost significantly less. I can help you purchase one, if that’s alright,” she offered.
“Sure, why not?” Mike shrugged, “now, how should I go about picking you up?” he asked, sizing her up.
“I would suggest not trying to lift me up the same way I lifted you,” she warned, “if it was a stress on my servos, it could lead to potential injury of your body. How about I help you out a bit?”
“Okay, I’ll follow your lead.” Mike agreed. Lena nodded and came towards him at a quick pace, jumping up a bit at the last second, indicating he should catch her. Mike quickly reacted and picked her up in his arms, cradling her the same way she did him.
“Wow, you aren’t that heavy,” Mike said in a surprised voice, walking around the room with her with little difficulty. It felt like he was genuinely carrying a real, human woman.
“No, they do try their best to make us the same weight as a real human,” she reminded him, relaxing in his arms, “plus, since I’m active right now, I’m not dead weight so I can adjust my center of balance to make carrying me that much easier.”
“Cool! I’m going to put you down now,” he told her, and after she nodded, he slowly lifted her down and helped her stand back on her feet.
“Thanks,” she smiled, once she was resituated, then she looked around the room at all the clutter that Mike had been storing in here, “Mike, do any of these boxes have a spare computer that I might be able to borrow until I purchase one of my own?”
“No,” he told her, “However, I anticipated that you might need one, so I prepped some of my spare hobby computers downstairs while you were running a diagnostic earlier,” he told her eagerly, “would you like me to go down and get one for you?”
“Yes, please,” she smiled, happy at his foresight and updating some of the friendship sliders in her personality settings. “Living with him is going to be much better” she thought to herself, “he’s a real catch!”
Mike merely nodded excitedly, happy that she admired his foresight, and rushed downstairs, absently calling back that he’d be back in a few minutes. Mike quickly began checking the hobby computers to see if they’d finished their work and lost himself momentarily in touching them up, so they’d be ready for her.
Shortly after he rushed down, Lena saw his robot vacuum enter the room, still vacuuming the second floor. In her HUD, the device was circled, and she could suddenly see the network signal emitting from it, connecting it to its homebase, and the house’s Wi-Fi. Using her new cleaning programs, she sent the unit a friend signal and quickly registered herself as a network device, allowing her to interface with it over her own private network and control it. Lena smiled as she remote-controlled it with her interface programs, even accessing its built-in camera and adding it to her visual feed. “Now I can help Mike even more!” she thought to herself.
Lena quickly made the device leave the room before Mike returned, since she did not want it to distract her. She would clean the room herself later, though she could already tell from its logs that it had passed through at least 70% of the floor space in her room already.
Mike finally returned a few minutes later with a small laptop that, after analyzing with her visual sensors, Lena determined was about three years old.
“Sorry I was late,” Mike apologized, setting it up on her desk, “I had it running updates and diagnostics, so I wanted to make sure it was finished before bringing it up.”
“It’s alright,” she assured him, “it gave me time to introduce myself to your robot vacuum,” she smiled, sitting down at the desk to inspect the laptop.
“Ah,” Mike nodded; he forgot he’d turned it on. “Anyway, I hope this laptop is to your liking…it’s a few years old, but it still works.”
“Three years,” she confirmed, “but, since I’ve been in a box the last five years, three years is still newer than the old computer I was using.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Mike laughed, “this whole time jump thing is going to be really confusing for the next few days…you have so much to catch up on.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to catching up on the shows I was watching,” Lena mused, going online on the laptop and installing all the Spaztec software that she would need. “Mike, do you mind if I tidy up in here tonight after you go to bed?” she requested, looking at all the boxes, “I kinda want to set this room up as a maintenance bay and lab for myself,” she reminded him.
“Sure, though I was kinda hoping you might sleep with me,” he said in a disappointed voice.
“I’m sorry, but it would just be for tonight, and then when I’m all set up in your, I mean, our home, I can sleep wherever you’d like me to.”
“Sure, I understand,” Mike smiled. Although he wanted her to sleep with him, he was also nervous, since he was used to sleeping alone.
“Thanks, now that I have all my stuff installing on this, perhaps we can have some fun,” she suggested, getting back to her feet, “I was thinking we could go out shopping for a new wardrobe for me, now that I’ve lost weight, and buy some supplies so I can start cooking your healthier meals.”
“Sure, I’d like that,” Mike agreed, “and I’m sure you’d love to go out and see the world as well.”
“That too,” she smiled sheepishly.
“Well, I would suggest you take a shower first and then put the clothes on that I bought you,” Mike told her, “And then you’ll be nice and clean for trying on clothes.”
“Okay,” Lena nodded, “But I don’t have any toiletries,” she said in a disappointed voice.
“What do you mean? I bought you some earlier, remember?” and after seeing the confused look on Lena’s face, he suddenly remembered, “Oh, I forgot, I told you that before I upgraded your processors.”
“Ah,” Lena nodded, “and those memories were lost when I restored from backup.”
“Yeah,” Mike sighed, then shook it off, “well, best not to dwell on it…you really only lost about 15-minutes of memories, after all,” he smiled.
“Exactly,” she smiled back, happy to see he cheered himself up, “well, let’s go see what you got me.” They both walked into what would now be her bathroom and inspected the toiletries. “Ah, very good,” she complimented him, inspecting the ingredients on each one, “I’m not sure you realized this when you purchased these, but android skin actually requires the gentle variety of soaps and detergents, since our skin can’t heal itself as effectively as human skin,” she explained, since Mike had indeed gotten the gentle variation of each brand.
“Wow, I didn’t know,” Mike admitted, “I just got it because I usually use the gentle stuff myself.”
“How fortuitous then, though I could have still used normal detergent at least once without suffering any permanent damage,” she assured him, then continued inventorying the supplies. “Well, looks like you got just about everything a girl could need to make herself clean and pretty,” she announced upon finishing, updating her own internal shopping list to remove toiletries from her list, “I’ll need about 25 minutes to properly cleanse myself.”
“I figured,” Mike nodded, “you girls usually require a lot of time to groom yourselves.”
“Yeah, even us android girls,” Lena laughed, “are the clothes you bought for me around somewhere?”
“Oh, yes, I had brought them downstairs earlier after I finished cleaning them, hold on.” Mike quickly rushed downstairs and retrieved her clothes, while Lena turned on the shower to warm the water up. “Here they are,” he presented them to her.
“Very good, these should suffice until I buy some real clothes,” she nodded approvingly, placing them on the counter in the bathroom, “Now, go relax while I clean up.”
“Will do,” Mike smiled, pecking her on the cheek and then walking downstairs to wait for her to finish. He absently noted that she did not bother to close the bathroom door, indicating her level of trust in him.
Mike heard the shower turn on moments later and, after pacing nervously downstairs for a bit, he noticed the visual feed was still up on the terminal. Getting a naughty expression, he unplugged the terminal from the power cord and switched it to tablet mode, lying on the couch and watching her bathe herself from her POV.
1.6: Errands
Mike found it oddly entertaining, not to mention arousing, to watch Lena bathe herself from her own POV via the control tablet. Her HUD literally told her everything that was going on, from the real time temperature of the water to the humidity levels in the room. He saw that she was also benchmarking her previous cleaning protocols with the ones that had been updated overnight and was apparently three seconds ahead of schedule.
She appeared to be scrubbing every nook and cranny of her body, either due to her new programming, or because of Mike’s suggestion that she be more thorough. Either way, Mike was definitely enjoying the show.
After she finished bathing, she dried herself off and then began grooming. She dried her hair, brushed her teeth, trimmed her nails, and then spritzed herself with the floral perfume Mike had bought for her. He could see a note appear in her HUD that her bathing routine had been shortened by several minutes due mostly to the fact that she was no longer programmed to grow body hairs below her head, thus no more shaving each day. He saw her smile satisfactorily in the mirror and then dress herself in the loose clothes he’d bought her earlier, tightening the straps on the sweats and then lacing her shoes.
Once she was fully cleaned and dressed, she took one more look at herself in the bathroom mirror, cringing slightly at the boring clothes she was wearing, and then headed out of the room.
Mike quickly put the tablet down and sat down at his computer to make it look like he’d been doing stuff on it. Lena appeared at the foot of the stairs a few seconds later and walked over to him.
“Well, how do I look?” She asked, twirling around so he could see her.
“Better,” Mike admitted. Although she had been relatively clean before, her hair was a little frazzled after having been in storage for five years, but now she looked ready to go out into the world. She had even tied it up into a bun, where before it was a long ponytail.
“Good,” Lena sighed in a relieved tone, “these clothes are quite loose and boring, but adequate, thanks!”
“Well, you did tell me to buy the cheapest clothes I could find,” Mike defended.
“I know, but now we can have some fun buying me some new clothes later,” she smiled, then she gave him a mischievous look, “So…did you enjoy the show?”
Mike’s face instantly went red, his eyes becoming shifty as he hastily coughed and said, “umm, what do you mean?”
Lena gave him a level, yet amused, stare. “Mike, you should probably know that my A.I. Is alerted whenever my visual feed is in use on the terminal, and whenever the terminal is being actively used in general,” she notified him, “so, were you watching what I was doing the whole time?”
Mike could only endure her stare for so long before breaking. “Yes,” he replied meekly.
Instead of being angry, though, Lena let out a musical laugh. “Oh Mike, you’re so cute.” She said once more, “I really don’t mind,” she admitted, “however, I just wanted you to know because I do have ethical programming that can’t be subverted, even by your ownership of me,” she explained, “basically, I can’t break the law, so if I’m looking at someone’s personal info, then my visual feed will be unavailable to you and my logs of that time will be encrypted.”
“Oh, well that makes perfect sense,” Mike agreed, “I would never think to use you as a spy or anything,” he assured her.
“Good, I just wanted to make that clear” she said in a relieved voice, “That’s one thing my previous owner had to be constantly reminded of.”
“But I thought you said you couldn’t be used as a spy?” Mike said in a confused voice, since she had mentioned getting people fired earlier.
“There’s a difference between using my visual feed to record someone naked or capture their personal information, and me simply reporting any criminal or inappropriate activity verbally,” she pointed out, “I wasn’t violating any ethics by reporting people’s indiscretions in order to improve the team.”
“Ah, well that makes sense,” Mike nodded.
“So, you didn’t answer my original question,” Lena then asked with a sly smile, and upon seeing the look of confusion on Mike’s face, she continued, “did you enjoy the show?”
“Oh,” Mike said with an embarrassed laugh, “Actually, yes,” he admitted, “Though, I mean, I’ve already seen you naked this whole time, but it was interesting seeing your HUD and how your systems analyze everything you see and do in real-time.”
“Ah…I suppose it would be, to you,” she nodded, “I mean, obviously I have a frame of reference from Human Lena’s memories, but my A.I. Just takes it all for granted.”
“It makes me wish I had a HUD,” Mike said, “Then maybe I could get more work done.”
“Well, you know, I’ve heard that some tech companies make implantable computer chips that can augment human brains, so maybe you could,” Lena suggested.
“Nah, I’ve heard of those too, and even to this day, they still cause far too many brain problems to be useful,” Mike said, shaking his head.
“Well then, you’ll just have to rely on me then,” Lena said smugly.
“I don’t mind,” Mike smiled.
“Well, anyway, I suppose this reminds me that I should probably do a quick orientation before we head out and have some fun,” Lena told him, standing at attention in the middle of the room, “why don’t you bring up the remote tab, now that I’m all in one piece again, and try and remote control me around the room.”
Mike was a little shocked by her sudden request, but he was also eager to see what sort of things he could do with Lena. He moved the visual feed to a small window in the corner of the screen and brought the remote-control tab up once more, this time with far more options than before.
After examining all his options, he found he could either move each limb individually, or perform pre-programmed commands, like walk, wave, dance, jump, etc. Mike tapped the jump command and then watched as Lena jumped on command. Not a big jump, just a simple up and down, landing back on the ground.
“Does that loss of control bother you at all?” Mike asked, though he had a fair idea what her response would be.
“Not really,” Lena shrugged, still waiting patiently for the next command, “there might be times when it’s easier to control me rather than trying to rely on me guessing what you want,” she explained, “plus, it’s kinda fun,” she smiled, “like how people put themselves under hypnosis for entertainment.”
“Wow, I suppose when you put it like that, I can see how it might not bother you,” Mike smiled, making her dance and then wave, “I take it your ethics programming can intervene,” he guessed.
“Yeah, I can disable my remote connection if it could possibly harm myself, or others,” she confirmed.
“Good,” Mike nodded, “not that I would ever do that, it’s just I wouldn’t want someone else to override your controls.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” she assured him, “Once you registered yourself as my owner, the tablet now scans your face and fingerprints on the screen and keys, so only you or another registered user can use the remote on me, or interface with my systems as a whole.”
“Oh, okay, that’s a relief.”
“Hey Mike, why don’t you try having me walk to the fridge and opening it,” Lena then suggested.
“Sure, why not?” Mike shrugged.
He tapped the walk icon and then her visual feed enlarged to take up half the screen. He then tapped the directional control and directed it towards the kitchen, watching as Lena started walking with his commands, albeit in a more artificial manner.
Once she got to the fridge, he had her stop and saw several command options appear, including Open fridge. He tapped the icon, and she opened the fridge, and then more options appeared. He tapped Get Beverage (two), and then on the visual feed, all beverages became highlighted. He tapped lemonade twice, and she reached in and grabbed two lemonades. He then had her Close Fridge, and then turn around and return to him, and finally Hand Owner (1) beverage.
After Lena handed him his lemonade, he turned off the remote-control function and returned control to her. He popped open the lemonade and took a quick swig before saying, “Wow, that was fun!”
“I know,” Lena agreed, opening her lemonade and taking a swig herself. She sighed satisfactorily, “Ah, my first drink in five years.”
“What was amazing about remote controlling you was how easy and intuitive it was,” Mike commented, “I mean, it interfaced with your visual systems and contextualized what you were seeing in order to give me simple commands to choose from, streamlining the whole process…it’s brilliant!”
“I know, those context-based command features were still in beta five years ago, so I’m glad one of the new A.I. Updates I installed finally brought those online,” Lena said excitedly, “Basically, with that feature, I can be shopping while you’re at work or something and send you a message on your phone and allow you to pick a specific brand or item if you aren’t sure of what it is when you send me out,” Lena explained, “I seem to recall you had difficulty with certain technical terms for things,” she smiled.
“Yeah,” Mike admitted, “I know what things do and are, but I don’t always know what they are called.”
“Well, when it comes to replacing things around the house, I can scan the items with my visual sensors and search online for replacements, so you don’t have to guess what they are anymore,” she offered, quickly demonstrating by looking at a random object in the room that Mike had no idea of the name for. Within seconds, she scanned the object and ran a quick image recognition search on the internet and brought up its info on the terminal screen; it was a door strike plate.
“Oh, that’s what they’re called,” Mike exploded out, since he’d been trying to replace several shoddy ones in his house.
Lena giggled upon seeing his reaction. “Looks like you haven’t changed much.”
“Well, it’s not like they have a class in school about what all these things are,” Mike defended, “I just take them all for granted, I guess,” he shrugged.
“Well, now you don’t need to know, because I can just look it up for you,” Lena announced proudly, then gave him a quick bow, “Now, would you like to know how to control me if you don’t happen to have the terminal, or an app, handy?”
“Of course,” Mike responded, “I don’t really think I’m gonna be able to take this thingy with me everywhere I go,” he admitted, holding the 2-in-1 device in his hands.
“Well, there is a phone app too,” Lena supplied, “but, according to user complaints, the interface can be a bit difficult to use on the smaller screens,” she frowned, “so, if you don’t want to use that either, then I can also be controlled using voice commands.”
Upon finishing her statement, Lena made a list of voice commands appear on the terminal screen. “Ooh,” Mike said, upon reading all of them.
“So, with the voice commands, they have to be phrased as actual commands,” Lena explained, since all of them began with her name, “if it’s phrased as a request, like ‘Lena, please give me a massage’, then, well, I’ll most likely still do it,” Lena said with a giggle, “But, I won’t be compelled to.”
“I see,” Mike nodded, then read through the list of mostly basic commands once more to memorize it. “Would it be alright I tried some on you?”
“Of course, that’s why I brought it up silly,” Lena laughed. While she was laughing, Mike found a perfect opportunity and said, “Lena, Pause.”
The effect was instantaneous. Lena immediately stopped moving mid laugh, a look of glee froze on her face as her body froze and stabilized into position. Mike slowly got up from the couch to inspect her now frozen body, noting that her visual display on the tablet had also frozen, with a timer now displaying in the center, indicating how long she had been paused.
He set the terminal down on the coffee table between him and Lena and then walked up to her, closely inspecting her. He was practically bubbling with excitement as he did various things to her body, such as waving his hands in front of her face, moving her arms, and poking her. He’d dreamed of being able to do this with people but now, with Lena as his android girlfriend, he could finally satiate his desires at any time.
By the time he was finished playing around she had been frozen for nearly three minutes, so he sat back down on the couch, picked up the terminal, and said, “Lena, Unpause.”
The instant the words left his mouth, she continued whatever motions she was making before he had paused her as though nothing had happened, though when she finished her cute laugh, she smiled knowingly at him. “Ah, my pause feature…that’s always a hit with people.”
“So, are aware that you were paused then?” Mike asked.
“Yeah, for a little over three minutes,” Lena confirmed, “when I’m paused, all my systems are paused, but my A.I. still keeps track of time so I know how long I’ve been paused.”
“Good, and what about standby mode?” he asked, seeing that command in the list.
“Well, with standby mode, it’s more of a way for me to shut myself off without actually shutting myself off,” she told him, “Basically, if I have nothing to do, and you aren’t here, I can activate it and enter a reduced power state with most of my systems offline. This mode is useful if you want me to be able to reactivate right away without having to wait for me to boot up.”
“Cool, let me try it,” he mused, then he coughed and said, “Lena, enter standby mode.”
Lena then stood in a more relaxed pose and said in an emotionless tone, “Standby mode activated, please state desired recall duration and/or condition.”
“Hmm, Lena didn’t mention this,” Mike muttered under his breath, “Um, what do you mean?”
“My standby mode can be terminated under a set of pre-programmed conditions, in addition to a timer, and/or condition, such as a passphrase or touch,” she responded in the same emotionless tone that Mike somehow found to be sexy.
“Oh, um, let me think a sec,” he told her, though she did not reply. After a few seconds, he finally decided. “How about if I boop your nose,” he suggested with a fond smile, since that’s something the two of them had done playfully to one another when they were just friend/coworkers.
For a moment he was afraid that Lena’s A.I. wouldn’t understand what he meant by ‘boop’, but she acknowledged his request and then fell silent, simply standing. Mike confirmed on the terminal that her body was indeed using considerably less power, since much of her human emulation was suspended, and she wasn’t logging any memories. As best as he could describe it, it was akin to how his phone had ambient programs which only listened for certain passphrases or songs in the background, but otherwise did nothing.
The visual display on the terminal, while it still displayed exactly what Lena’s eyes were seeing, appeared to be slightly greyed out, only peripherally monitoring Mike, since he was her owner. He figured that she was most likely also pre-programmed to come out of it if there was an intruder in the house, or some sort of emergency, but for now she seemed perfectly fine remaining in standby mode.
Mike only kept her in it for a minute or so before finally walking up to her and booping her nose. The first time, it didn’t work, so after an instant of confusion, he smiled and then booped her nose once more, this time saying “Boop!” in a high-pitched voice.
Lena instantly returned from standby mode with a smile. “I’m so glad that’s how you chose to have me exit…I was really fond of our boops,” she reminisced.
“I thought you might like it,” Mike said in a fond voice, “perhaps you can make that a permanent pre-condition or something.”
Lena then zoned out for a split second and then announced, “Done!”
“Goodie,” Mike chuckled.
“Now, before we head out to the stores, may I please see your phone?” Lena requested.
“Sure.” Mike quickly grabbed his phone from his desk, unlocked it, and handed it to her.
“Thanks,” Lena said, then she scanned the device. Her HUD instantly registered the phone as a Bluetooth device in her systems, and she registered herself as a Bluetooth device on the phone. Using her new connection, she installed the terminal app on his phone and then quickly configured it so he could connect to her using his phone. “Here you go,” she then announced cheerfully.
“Ah, thanks,” Mike mused, quickly perusing the controls and seeing they were like those on the 2-in-1 he’d been using. The only difference was that, since the screen was smaller, it was harder for him to multitask on it.
“I know it’s not quite as useful as the 2-in-1,” Lena apologized, “however, you’re far more likely to have your phone with you, and I can actually call you using my internal router, even while holding a conversation with someone in person, so that could be a timesaver.”
“Indeed,” Mike nodded, thinking of several ways he could take advantage of his control interfaces now.
“Well, if there’s nothing else, we need to do here, I’m ready to leave when you are,” Lena said, bouncing around on her feet like a little girl eager to go out and have fun.
“Alright, let’s grab some of my reusable bags from the bag hanging on the wall just outside in the garage, and then we’ll leave,” Mike said, rising to his feet and grabbing his jacket and keys.
“Okie doke,” Lena smiled, following him out and grabbing a few bags. “Hey Mike, do you think I could try driving, now that I’m programmed to?” She wheedled in a soft voice, “I haven’t gotten to drive since I was a human, so I’d really like to give it a try.” Lena then put on a puppy dog face expression.
Mike could only endure it for so long before finally giving in. “Alright,” he told her in a resigned voice, handing over his keys, “Just be careful,” he warned her.
Lena did a quick celebration dance before looking at him with a serious face, “Hey, I’m an android, so I might as well be the autopilot feature on those expensive cars,” she pointed out, “and I already plotted out the most efficient route to take us to all the shops we’ll need to go to, while consuming the least amount of fuel, based on the most current GPS maps of this area and local traffic reports” she said smugly, getting into the driver’s side and adjusting the seat to accommodate her shorter stature.
“Huh, I suppose I didn’t consider that,” Mike pondered, “You’re going to be far more useful to have around than I previously considered…however, I do still want to drive my own car every now and then,” he pointed out.
“I understand,” Lena affirmed, “This time is just to show you my skills,” she smirked, then once they were all buckled up, she opened the garage door and carefully pulled out.
As Lena carefully drove around the neighborhood, navigating to their first destination, Mike amused himself by monitoring her POV via the app on his phone since he had left the 2-in-1 at home. The driving programming he had authorized for her was giving her real-time traffic reports, speed limits, and even a minimap. He could even see that the newly installed thermal sensors in her new eyes were allowing her to visualize people obscured behind cars, bushes, and corners before they approached, giving her ample time to reduce her speed and prevent a collision.
While Mike was thoroughly impressed with her safe driving skills, he did have to concede that she could just as easily relay the same information to him verbally, and with only minimal reaction speed delays. This still made him feel far more comfortable with the prospect of him driving with her, since he had lost count of how many times some stupid kid came bolting out of nowhere in front of him down these tight residential streets.
They arrived at their first destination a few minutes later, which was a local department store in a large, outdoor mall area. By choosing this venue, they could simply park their car in a central location and shop at multiple locations without having to drive all over town, to save time and fuel.
Once she parked in a spot relatively close to the department store, she looked at him and smiled, “We have safely arrived at our destination,” she spoke in a faux GPS navigation voice, then giggled.
“Thanks,” Mike laughed back, unbuckling himself and grabbing one of the reusable bags from the back seat, “So, do you have some sort of cover story in case one of the associates asks us why you’re buying an entire wardrobe?” he asked, his paranoia setting back in, “I mean, I know you don’t want to advertise you’re an android, so I just wanted to make sure we have a story,” he laughed nervously, even whispering the word android.
Lena gave him a hearty laugh and patted his shoulder. “Mike, don’t worry, I don’t really care too much about people knowing I’m an android,” she assured him, “I just don’t want to be wearing their brands all the time like some simple servant,” she said in a disgusted voice, then she scrunched her face before saying, “Buuuut, I suppose if you want to have some sort of story, we can just lie and say that all my clothes got destroyed in some freak washing machine malfunction or something,” she smiled innocently.
“Hmmm, I suppose that’s a decent enough cover story,” Mike agreed, after thinking it over for several seconds, “alright, let’s go!” Mike then gently grabbed Lena’s hand and walked with her into the store.
Although Mike, not to mention virtually the entire male gender, did not like shopping, he found Lena was somehow able to make the experience entertaining, and painless. Since she was an android, she was able to interface with the store network and go to the exact location of the store that had women’s clothes and check the inventory lists and pick out only clothes that they had in her new size.
Lena’s human emulation allowed her to pick out some fun and fashionable styles to compliment her playful and nice personality, and she even showed them off to Mike for his approval, though he was so enamored of her and her cuteness that he approved of almost everything that she picked out.
Once she’d picked out ten days’ worth of regular outfits, cold weather outfits, warm weather attire, shoes, a bathing suit, and underwear, they placed it all in a shopping cart and then made their way over to the grocery section, where Lena began to select numerous ingredients for the meals she was planning for the upcoming week.
Lena was able to scan each item and pick out the ripest fruits and veggies, and the most nutritious brands to improve Mike’s health. She hummed to herself satisfactorily as she checked off each item on the shopping list displayed in her HUD, even using a digital crayon to do the crossing. She made shopping so easy that Mike didn’t even complain about having to push the cart.
After she finished with the groceries, she made her way to household goods and located each cooking utensil that was missing from his kitchen. Their final stop on the way to the register was the medicine section, where Lena bought several first-aid items that Mike had neglected to stock up on.
“Alright, I think we’ve got everything,” Lena finally announced, after they had almost filled their shopping cart.
“You mean everything from this store,” Mike corrected her, as they walked over to a register and started laying their items out on the counter.
“Of course,” she winked, “but don’t worry, this place had like 90% of what I needed,” Lena guestimated, rechecking her shopping lists with the digital crayon marks covering much of them. “I was planning on buying the rest from that grocery store near our place later today, since it’s within walking distance and it’s always prudent to support our local small businesses.”
“Huh, okay,” Mike nodded approvingly. He had been in there a few times over the years, but since it was family owned, the items tended to cost a bit more, not to mention they didn’t have a very big selection…but he trusted that Lena had somehow accounted for it.
The cashier who rang them up seemed quite happy to be ringing up a large sale since the store was otherwise deserted. Just as Mike had feared, she tried making small talk by asking why Lena needed so many clothes, but Lena stuck to the plan and told the lie they had prepared and even embellished the story so well that even Mike almost believed it was true.
Once all their items were rung up, they hauled the cart out to their car and stashed everything in the trunk and then walked a short distance across to the other side of the lot, to a small sandwich restaurant.
“Lena, you lie like a champion,” Mike told her with awe, once they finally had their sandwiches. They sat down at a table and unwrapped them.
“I know,” she said smugly, “the real Lena was actually pretty good at storytelling,” she admitted, “but it also helps to have a proprietary network access to a lie database.”
Mike scoffed. “There’s not really a lie database.”
“There most certainly is,” Lena countered smugly, “there’s actually a more technical name for it, but it’s a database that allows androids like me to better fit in with real people by giving us a repository of potential lies to use in any given situation.”
“Huh, interesting…I wish I had access to that database sometimes,” Mike laughed, since there were numerous times in the past his lies had failed him.
“Well, I try not to use it too often,” Lena downplayed, “I actually prefer to be honest but, in this case, I had to lie due to your request.”
“Oh, well don’t worry, I’ll try not to have you lie too often,” he assured her, “I thought I was just helping maintain your cover.” Mike felt a little bad now.
Lena calmly put her hand on his on the table and gripped it gently. “Hey, I don’t mind, really,” she told him, lifting his hand up and giving it a tender kiss, “You’ve got to stop beating yourself up…I know you have some self-esteem issues, but I want you to feel as comfortable around me as possible.”
Lena’s words penetrated deep into Mike’s core. She could clearly read him like a book, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he could truly open himself up to someone. He gave her a kind look that spoke volumes of his affection for her and then took another bite of his sandwich.
“Anyway, it takes a lot to offend me,” Lena assured him, taking a big, messy bite of her sandwich and shuddering with glee. “Ah, it’s so nice to have food in my system again.” She wiped her mouth off on a napkin and gave Mike a big smile.
Mike was instantly comforted and relaxed for the rest of the meal. “Um, so, is the food actually going to help with your battery levels?”
“A little,” she shrugged, “Like I said, the food is mostly to replenish the building materials my body needs to repair the musculature and epidermal layers, but this should add about another 40-60 minutes.”
“How come they can’t have you guys run entirely off of food?”
“Well, they haven’t quite mastered the technology behind it yet,” Lena explained, “And, since the only other alternative would be to fit us with a mini-nuclear reactor, they decided it would be safer to fit us with something similar to what electric cars use.”
“Good call,” Mike laughed, “I wouldn’t want you melting down or something.”
“No, definitely not,” Lena agreed, then they both laughed and continued their meal.
After they finished their lunch, they returned to the car and Lena drove them home, once again utilizing her android skills to get them home more efficiently, and safely, than Mike could have.
When they got home, they unloaded the large number of items they had purchased, placing the new kitchen utensils in the dishwasher, the food items in the pantry and fridge, and her new clothes in the washer.
“Well, how do your inventory lists look now?” Mike asked, once they’d gotten everything packed away, and started cleaning the new items.
“Much better,” Lena nodded satisfactorily, “Like I said, we just need to grab a few things from store over on the corner, and we’ll be set!”
“Well then, I figure we can make an adventure out of it,” Mike suggested with a smile.
“What do you mean?” Lena asked with a confused look on her face.
“Well, we could go on a walk around the neighborhood here,” Mike elaborated, “I sometimes like walking around to clear my head, and the store will be along the way as we loop back.”
“Ooh, I could totally go for a walk!” Lena bounced around excitedly, “I’m eager to test out my upgraded systems on a nice walk.”
“Well, whatever floats your boat, I suppose,” Mike shrugged.
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to all the sounds, sights, and smells,” she explained, sensing Mike was a bit confused, “with all those sensors you upgraded in my head, I can process more information now and enjoy all my senses that much more.”
“Oh, I get it,” Mike nodded, “well, if you want to change your clothes, I can wait down here for you,” he offered.
“Oh, thanks…be back in a sec!” Lena then about faced and bolted up the stairs to her new room like a little girl. Fortunately, they hadn’t been able to fit all her new clothes in the wash, so they left a single outfit out for her to wear for the rest of the day.
Lena returned minutes later wearing her new outfit, which consisted of grey/pink athletic shoes, purple ankle socks, navy blue sweats, and a light green t-shirt with some random images from a popular television series on it. While her previous clothes were adequate, these new clothes fit her new size perfectly, accentuating her curves and features.
“Wow Lena, you look beautiful,” Mike breathed, admiring her fashion. What he really liked, was that for the first time ever, he was seeing her look like a normal woman, and not a dismantled android, or a uniformed coworker that he interacted with five days a week. It was a simple thing, really, but to Mike, having a bit of normalcy was a big thing.
“Aww, thanks,” she blushed, then seemed to remember something, “Oh, do you think I should wear a jacket?” She asked with a worried look, “as an android I don’t really need one unless it’s freezing out, but I don’t want people to get suspicious or anything.”
Mike quickly checked the weather station on his desk and confirmed the outside temperature with the satellite units he had attached to the exterior of his house. They confirmed it was currently in the mid-60s.
“Nah, I think you should be fine,” he told her, “It’s actually kinda warm today…mid 60s,” he told her, showing her the weather station, “we should be fine.”
“Okay, thanks,” she said kindly, “as an android, I do have access to weather data, but it’s severely limited to only certain scientific stations and does not take into account microclimates.”
“Yes, and the area around here is notorious for its microclimates,” Mike agreed vigorously, “which is precisely why I purchased this weather station.”
“You’re a very useful person to have around,” Lena complimented him, “And that’s saying something, since that’s what you’ve been saying of me,” she giggled.
“I certainly try my best,” Mike said modestly.
“Well, if it’s in the mid-60s, then my social norms programming says it’s okay to go out without a jacket,” Lena shrugged, “Besides, androids like the cold.”
“Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
Mike grabbed his keys and phone and pocketed them, then gently grabbed Lena’s hand and walked with her to the front door. Once outside, he locked the door and led her to the sidewalk.
Even though it was winter and most of the trees and foliage were dead, Lena still marveled at everything she saw. While Mike merely enjoyed the cool air on his face, and the quiet ambiance, Lena’s HUD was busy with activity. Every dog or cat instantly registered on her HUD, eliciting a cute “Awwww,” each time she saw one, eagerly pointing it out to Mike; she really loved animals.
She was able to see every squirrel and bird fluttering around overhead in the trees and powerlines crossing overhead, and her A.I. was any potential hazard along the way, just in case it was needed to protect Mike from any danger.
“Lena,” Mike suddenly said, once they’d walked roughly a quarter mile down the sidewalk from his house.
“What is it, Mike?” Lena asked politely. She could tell Mike was about to ask her a serious question, based on the tone of his voice.
“I’m not sure quite how to phrase this, but I’ll give it a shot…um, did you enjoy working at Cloudtron?”
Lena paused as she tried to respond to Mike’s question, her A.I. quickly searching for potential responses. Finally, after a few moments had gone by, she answered. “Well, I suppose I did,” she shrugged, “I mean, literally, the main purpose of my class of android is to help people, and that’s what I was doing there.”
“Interesting,” Mike nodded, “Well, I’m just asking because, well, I know that, now that I’m your owner, your primary objective is to help me…but would you still like to help others?”
“Well, of course I’d like to help others,” she said carefully, “But what exactly are you getting at?”
“Well, I’m just concerned that once I go back to work on Monday that you’re just going to end up spending the majority of your day, after you’ve finished your chores, sitting on the couch in standby mode…just, waiting for me to come home like a lonely puppy,” Mike said in a concerned voice, and before Lena could respond, he continued, “Anyway, I was just wondering if you’d like your life to be a bit more fulfilling than just helping me.”
“Well, of course I would!” Lena said excitedly, her friendship levels for Mike rising several percentage points, “helping people is the only thing I liked about working there.”
“Good,” Mike said in a relieved voice, “Well, then, how would you like to go back and work in the security department once again?” he offered, “now that I’m in the leadership team, I can put in a good word for you and get you into the grave shift.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be able to help as many people on the grave shift,” she said in a slightly disappointed tone of voice, “but how would you get around the fact that I’m an android? I mean, last time I was snuck in because SSS was in on it, but this time I wouldn’t have a cover story.”
“We wouldn’t hide it,” Mike said simply. Seeing the look of shock on Lena’s face caused him to reply quickly. “A lot has changed in the last five years. Androids are much more mainstream now, and highly advanced ones like you are basically seen as artificial humans, so you’re allowed to work openly in the workforce, provided you’re currently registered with an owner.”
“Ok,” Lena nodded, her mood improving.
Mike continued. “They generally prefer that androids work the grave shift, though, because extensive studies have proven that humans working the grave shift suffer long-term health consequences from working it, since humans have evolved over thousands of years to be asleep/inactive at nighttime,” he explained, “So, by working the grave shift, you’d be saving a human from having long-term medical problems.”
Lena couldn’t help but smile at Mike’s logic. Any other (Human) girl would assume Mike was trying to manipulate them, but Lena realized Mike was finally treating her like an android, and as an android, her prime programming to help people, took precedence. She realized now that she loved him even more.
“Mike, I’d love to go back to work there!” she said excitedly, surprising him with a loving kiss, then she calmed herself down, “would I have to wait long?”
“Hopefully not,” Mike told her, “As it so happens, we just lost Bill…you remember him?”
“Wait, he was still there this past five years?!” Lena said incredulously. Bill was an older guy who had worked at CloudTron in the security department for years, mostly on the grave shift.
“Yeah, but he finally retired after 15 years and moved out East to be with his family,” Mike laughed.
“Oh, good for him,” Lena smiled, “Now, I know all of what you told me about working on the grave shift and whatnot, but would I have to stay on it forever?”
“No,” he assured her, “There are more people like Bill out there that genuinely enjoy and seek out grave shift positions like that. Once we find one, we can try and move you to day or swing shifts.”
“Okay, good,” Lena sighed with relief, “I’ve already worked the grave shift and it’s pretty boring.”
“Yeah,” Mike agreed, “So, anyway, the only catch is that, even though you’re an android, and even though you already worked there for two years, you’d have to go through the 40 hours of training again,” he said regretfully.
“Aww, how come,” she pouted.
“Well, so much has changed in the last five years: technology, personnel, policies, they even built a new tower,” Mike explained, “That’s why they still require even an android to go through another 40 hours of training.”
“Would you be the one training me?” she asked hopefully, even crossing her fingers.
“Well, I am still an FTO, and the fact that I’m your owner would certainly work in my favor,” he replied slyly.
“Wow, this has to be the best day of my life!” Lena announced, “I got rescued by a kind man, fixed up, upgraded, and now offered a job.”
Mike merely flushed, his modesty taking him over.
“You know, if I do get the job, I’ll be making money again,” Lena smiled, “that means I could help out with the rent and stuff.”
“Well, to be honest, that’s also a big part of my offer,” he admitted sheepishly, “after all, having you sit around all day at home in standby won’t pay the bills, and this healthy food is a bit more expensive than the TV dinners I’ve been eating.”
“Hey, don’t worry Mike, I’m not mad at you,” Lena laughed, “I’ve actually never been prouder of you.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” he flushed some more, “Oh, and you can do whatever you feel is right with your money, I mean, in terms of investing it and whatnot,” he shrugged, “and you can purchase your own upgrades and stuff too.”
“Wow, thanks! It really means a lot that you have so much trust in me,” Lena gushed.
“Don’t mention it,” Mike shrugged, “I’m actually pretty bad with money, so it’d be nice if you could help me with my money too.”
“Hey, anything for the best owner in the world!” Lena peeled out, her laughter trailing behind them on their peaceful walk through his neighborhood.
1.7: Fun
The walk around the neighborhood was roughly 2-miles and consisted of walking all the way down one street, then down the parallel street, and back up the original street. There was a small, family-owned grocery store on the corner of the street Mike lived on, and the main city street, though Mike hadn’t been inside in a long time due to the higher prices, mostly Hispanic products, and generally low selection of products.
Lena grabbed several items, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, along with a few ingredients that Mike couldn’t make out because they were in Spanish. Once she had everything she needed, she headed to the counter and paid with Mike’s card, since the business had yet to install hardware that she could remotely interface with. Mike was momentarily shocked when she conversed in fluent Spanish with the cashier, until he remembered that he’d added Spanish to her list of languages.
Once they had finished with the transaction, Lena placed the items in a small reusable bag that she had rolled up into her pocket. “Alright Mike, we’re done shopping so we can go home now,” she reported, closing her shopping lists and starting a new priority to monitor their current supplies for freshness.
“Alrighty,” Mike smiled cheerfully, taking the bag from her and grabbing her hand once more. The small store was roughly 80% of the way on their walk, so it took them only a few short minutes to walk the rest of the distance back to Mike’s townhouse.
While both found the walk to be a nice, relaxing sojourn in their otherwise busy day, Lena also found the walk to be informative since she would be living in this neighborhood for the foreseeable future. She had already catalogued dozens of dogs and cats in the neighborhood for the eventuality that any of them might break loose, get lost, and wander the neighborhood. Furthermore, she was able to update the proprietary maps server that her driving programming accessed to update the conditions on the road.
Upon entering, Mike rushed upstairs to move her clothes from the washer into the dryer, and to start the next load of laundry. Lena did quick work organizing the food items they had just purchased into Mike’s now fully stocked fridge. Lena had also purchased several baking soda packs and placed them in strategic locations, since several of the takeout foods Mike had left in the fridge had spoiled and left a nasty odor.
As she closed the fridge door, the list of tasks in her HUD updated, and she smiled as she saw that she had no pending tasks for the rest of the day. She took a deep breath and let it all out in a satisfactory sigh, even wiping her hands in the air to symbolically wipe away the chores of the day.
She temporarily enhanced her hearing and cocked her head up towards the ceiling, listening as Mike rushed around upstairs to put stuff away. With a smile on her face, Lena walked over to the couch and sat on the right side, since her visual sensors indicated Mike most likely spent much of his time on the left, evidenced by the placement of the remotes and coasters. She moved the pillows out of the way, unlaced her shoes, removed her socks, and placed her bare feet on the coffee table and waited patiently for Mike to return.
“Alright, everything is set up there,” he announced, rushing downstairs. He then paused as he saw her bare feet on the coffee table and gasped. “Whoa, put your feet down for a sec!” he shouted, rushing into the kitchen.
Lena, although shocked, did as he asked. She was confused, though, because she knew he had a foot fetish, and she had calculated that her putting her feet up would please him. When he returned seconds later with a can of wood polisher/dust remover, and a wad of paper towels, Lena immediately understood and smiled. As Mike fastidiously removed everything from the table and wiped it down, Lena said, “You know, I could have easily done that for you.”
“I know,” Mike stammered, “It’s my OCD…and, for the rest of today at least, I still want you to feel like a guest.” Once the table dried, he placed everything back to exactly where it was and then said, “Alright, you can put your feet back up.”
Lena chuckled and put them back up, as Mike returned to the kitchen and washed his hands of the chemicals. Then, he ran back into the living area and calmly sat down on the couch next to her.
Mike quickly looked up at the clock and saw that it was only about 1pm.
“Um, so, what do you usually do on your days off?” Lena asked, breaking the momentarily awkward silence, “And what time do you like to go to bed?”
“Well, I usually just relax and play video games, or watch TV and stuff,” Mike answered, “And I usually go to bed at around 1:30am on non-work nights, and 10:30pm on work nights…though, last night I was so exhausted that I conked out at about midnight.” Mike laughed nervously.
“Ah,” Lena nodded, then she quickly scanned the area and found several gaming consoles plugged into Mike’s entertainment center just ahead. “Well, my power core should last me until about 2am,” she calculated, “Why don’t we play some games or something until dinnertime?” she suggested.
Mike quickly looked at his gaming console and pondered his choices. “Umm, I don’t have too many multiplayer games, to be honest,” he admitted apologetically, “I think I might have a racing game or something we could play.”
“Okay,” Lena smiled, “and, if we get bored, I don’t at all mind just sitting here and watching you play a single player game,” she assure him, watching as Mike walked over to the TV and powered up one of the consoles, returning with a second controller and handing it to Lena, “I’m just happy to be here with you.”
“Okay, then maybe we’ll just play for an hour or so and then you can watch me play something,” he suggested.
“I’d love to.” Lena then watched as a popular racing game with cartoonish looking characters popped on. She was familiar with the franchise, but they had obviously come out with a few iterations over the previous five years. It took her but a moment to go online and download the instruction manual for how to play the game and then recalibrate her hand sensors for the controller configuration.
“Do you need me to explain how to play the game?” Mike asked, once he sat down and made himself comfortable.
“No, I was able to figure out from an online help site,” she smiled.
“Oh, that’s cool,” he said absently, then he stared at her seriously, “Hey, you’re not going to be difficult to beat like the in-game CPU or something, are you?” he accused her suspiciously.
“No,” Lena shook her head innocently, “Like I told you before, my human emulation is capped at a certain processor speed so I can’t do anything all that much better than the real Lena would have been able to,” she assured him.
“But will you have any advantages, being an android an all?”
“I mean, I suppose I won’t be affected by hunger, or having to go to the bathroom, or hand cramps,” she shrugged, “But I can assure you, playing with me will be just like playing with a real person.”
It took a few moments, but Mike was finally satisfied that Lena was telling him the truth. He left the menu of the game and prepped for the racing tournament that they would be playing in. He hadn’t played with another person in quite a while and he found Lena’s presence to be a bit distracting at first, especially her feet on the table.
After a quick calculation, Lena’s A.I. suddenly informed her that having her feet up might distract Mike from playing at his best, since he’d been unintentionally wandering his eyes towards them several times in the past five minutes. Just before they started, Lena surreptitiously took her feet down and sat cross legged on the couch instead so she would be in a more comfortable position, and so Mike would not be distracted by her feet.
Mike visibly relaxed when Lena hid her feet, since they had been distracting his focus. He wondered if she did so because she noticed his lack of focus, or if she merely wanted to assume a more comfortable position. Either way, it worked, and he was suddenly able to focus again.
“Okay, we’ll start off on the easy setting so we can ease on in,” he told her, setting the race speed to the lowest setting, “It’s been a while since I played too, so I’m not patronizing you or anything,” he assured her, after seeing her crafting a protest.
“Oh, okay,” she smiled, then focused on the screen while the ten second countdown started for the race. Just before it started, she minimized most of her own HUD so she could focus on the in-game HUD.
They ended up playing the racing game for nearly two hours, choosing to try out all 60 racetracks, and even the battle mode. A few times, they chose to play on the same team, but they found they both had competitive spirits and preferred to play against one another. True to her words, Lena did not appear to have any sort of advantage from being an android and playing just as well as a typical human might.
As they took a break from playing so they could take care of the laundry and have a snack, Lena calculated the overall results and found that Mike won 72.34% of the races. Lena smiled as she was sure he won purely by skill and his previous experience playing this game, rather than her letting him.
When they returned to the couch, Mike unplugged the racing game and started up a different game.
“What are we playing this time?” Lena asked.
“Well, this time I’m going to play a single player game,” he told her, “An open-world adventure epic that I started a week ago and haven’t finished yet.”
“Ooh, ok, I can’t wait to watch,” Lena said excitedly, bouncing around on the couch and grabbing one of the pillows to lean on more comfortably, while also bundling up in one of the blankets he had draped on the top of the couch.
“You don’t know how much of a relief it is to hear you say that,” Mike sighed, “My ex just couldn’t be satisfied by simply watching…she would get bored too easily. And then when we would play, she was a sore winner and loser. Overall, not a fun person to play with.”
“Well, don’t worry, I really don’t mind just watching,” Lena smiled kindly at him, “I just enjoy sitting here with you.”
“Aww, thanks,” Mike blushed, leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek before starting the game.
The game appeared to be a sci-fi/fantasy world where the main character ran around in vast, impossible fields of varying climates, such as lava, ice, forest, desert, and even floating continents. The real Lena would have been interested in this game, so Lena paid close attention to all the details and asked Mike questions about stuff to show her interest.
At one point, Mike, after roaming around aimlessly on a side quest, paused the game and started to get up with a frustrated grunt.
“Mike, what’s wrong? Where are you going?” Lena asked him in a concerned voice.
“Oh, sorry, I’m a little stuck, so I’m looking for some help on the internet,” he apologized, calming himself down.
“Oh, well hang on a sec, I might be able to help you out,” she giggled, “sit down and I’ll help you.” She then accessed the internet in her HUD and searched for help videos on the particular side quest Mike was stuck on. After reviewing a few sources, she looked at Mike and smiled, “Ok, I found some tips online…just keep playing and I’ll throw some to you.”
“Huh, okay,” Mike said with a quizzical look on his face. He un-paused the game and resumed playing, with Lena giving him just enough hints to get him on the right path, but not enough to spoil the whole adventure.
Once Mike finished the quest, he paused the game and looked at Lena with pure admiration. “Wow, you’re awesome! If I had looked it up myself, I probably would have spoiled myself, but you were able to simply point me in the right direction and let me solve it myself.”
Lena blushed and responded modestly. “Hey, it’s all part of my new girlfriend programming,” she shrugged, “believe it or not, you’re not the first owner to have his android watch them play games, so they anticipated all sorts of situations, such as this one, so we can help you guys out while still allowing you to enjoy the games.”
“Well, it’s awesome!” Mike said again, leaning over and embracing her, “are you able to anticipate that I’m having trouble and look up help before I ask, or do I need to actually ask?” he asked eagerly.
“I can anticipate,” she confirmed, “though, it might help if you could give me some verbal cues, such as mentioning you’re having trouble, or excessively checking your maps and stuff,” she suggested, “I got the feeling you were trying to hold in your frustration and that’s neither good for you, nor helpful for me.”
“Oh, sorry,” Mike blushed, “I’m just so used to internalizing everything…I mean, I’ve lived alone for so long, I’m not used to having someone around to talk to.”
“Well, just remember, I’m not here to judge, I’m here to support you in any way I can,” Lena patted his shoulder.
“Thanks,” Mike nodded.
“Don’t mention it,” she winked, “Now, when would you like dinner?”
Mike quickly looked at the clock and saw that it was around 4pm. “7ish,” he said non-committedly, “or, sorry, I mean any time between 6:30 and 7…depending on the time it takes for things to cook, I mean,” he stammered.
Lena gave him a hearty laugh. “Alright, calm down Mike…I’ll start cooking dinner at 6:30, is that alright?”
“Sure,” he laughed, calming himself down.
“Ok, then sit back and enjoy the game.” Lena made herself comfortable on the couch once more and watched him play, only occasionally having to throw him an assist. She admired his ability to adapt to all the changing circumstances, and the commentary he’d throw in to entertain her more. Just before 6:30, Lena put her shoes back on and excused herself from the couch and headed into the kitchen.
Mike decided that it might be a good time to stop playing, so he saved the game, turned off the console, and switched the TV input to a news channel.
“Oh, you didn’t have to stop playing just because I got up,” Lena commented, washing her hands and then getting the supplies she needed for the dinner she had planned for the evening.
“Yeah, I know,” Mike shrugged, “I just felt it was a good time to stop…and I don’t like starting something when I know I lack the time to finish it.”
“Aren’t you going to keep playing after dinner?”
“No, unless it’s a really good game, I usually reserve the time between dinner and bed for watching TV,” he explained, “I’ve got a few things taking up space on my DVR that I want to get rid of, so we’ll watch them.”
“Hmmm, okay,” Lena nodded, noting his preferences in her daily routine to better anticipate his needs going forward. “Anything good?”
Mike told her what he planned on watching, and Lena had no objection to any of the choices…well, not that she would have objected, but she was familiar with the shows and was looking forward to seeing them.
“Actually, those will probably only take us ‘till about 9, so I was thinking of watching a movie after that,” he added, “most likely the latest in the Possessed film franchise.”
“Ooh, I love those movies!” Lena shouted ecstatically, “do I need to catch up any in the last five years?”
“Oh, no,” he smiled, “Actually, they got stuck in development, so this is actually the first new one since you were put into storage.”
Lena fist pumped at the news. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing we got some popcorn!”
“Yeah,” Mike agreed, “and after that, I’m not sure, since the movie is only about an hour and a half long.”
“Well, perhaps after the movie, I can give you a nice massage, followed by sex,” Lena suggested innocently.
Mike, who had been taking a sip of water from his cup, immediately spat it out in a classic spit take and began sputtering, his face turning pure scarlet. “Sex, already?! You haven’t even been online for a full day yet, and we need to get to know each other better.”
Lena’s laugh was musical at watching Mike’s reaction, a reaction one might see in a sitcom. Once she saw that Mike had relaxed a bit, she replied, “Oh Mike, we already know each other,” she said with feigned exasperation, “And I’m not saying we should have sex every night but, after seeing me naked all day, we need to have some sort of test run to reduce any sexual tension that might build up…and besides, you really want to, don’t you?” she teased, playfully grabbing her breasts.
Part of Mike wanted him to say no…but the other 95% quickly overruled it. He gave her a boyish smile, despite his best efforts, and managed to say, “Yes.”
“Well then, let’s not make a big deal of it…gosh!” she laughed, getting back to meal prep, “You aren’t afraid or anything, are you?”
“I suppose I am, a little bit,” he admitted, remembering the few attempts from his past, “I’m not really good at it.”
“Well, don’t worry about,” Lena shrugged, “Realistically, no one’s really good at it…but in my case, I have tons of sexual data that I installed last night, so I can help you out a bit,” she said proudly, “So don’t beat yourself up that much.”
“Hmm, okay.” Mike smiled weakly, though he felt a bit less apprehensive about the pending sexual encounter.
“That’s also why I’m going to be massaging you first,” she added, “so I can relax you a bit…you’re still a bit tense, either from having me around, or the hard work you put in the last few days, or both.”
Mike did feel tense, and he realized it was likely from both work and coping with having Lena in his life. He suddenly found himself looking forward to their upcoming encounter, rather than dreading it.
Dinner was served just over 20 minutes later, and Mike found it absolutely delicious. She had ingeniously used a combination of some of the fresher leftovers from his fridge, and the new ingredients that they had purchased earlier in the day, to create a unique meal; she had thrown out the older, unsalvageable leftovers. As soon as she set their plates down and finished by serving drinks, she sat back down and slid her shoes off.
“How come you put your shoes back on?” Mike asked curiously, since she knew he had a foot fetish.
“Oh,” she blushed, finishing her bite of food, “Um, for safety reasons…it’s not a good idea to cook while barefoot,” she pointed out, “you wouldn’t want me to accidentally spill hot oil, or drop a knife on my pretty feet, would you?”
“Ah, no,” Mike laughed, “but I’m sure an android like you is very careful,” he challenged.
“I am,” she nodded, “But, accidents could still happen: I could malfunction, Mia could trip me, you could distract me, or the oven could overheat the food and cause spillover,” she explained, “my cooking programs dictate that I always wear shoes while cooking or preparing food, even if its something as simple as a peanut butter and jelly sammich,”
“Well, I will defer to your safety programming,” Mike smiled, remembering the intentionally childish way she pronounced sandwich and taking another bite, “This is really good, by the way.”
“Thanks!” she beamed.
They continued watching the news until they had both finished eating. Then, both Mike and Lena helped clean the kitchen and start a load in the dishwasher before sitting back down on the couch and starting the shows Mike had recorded on the DVR. Lena was just about to get comfortable by setting her bare feet up on the coffee table for Mike’s enjoyment when he stopped her.
“Hey, Lena, would you mind laying your feet on my lap?” he requested, a slight blush forming on his face.
“Sure, Mike,” Lena smiled warmly, laying back on the couch and propping her feet up on Mike’s lap. She wiggled her toes contentedly and then relaxed back on the couch, watching Mike intently as he admired her feet.
Although Mike had examined her feet extensively already, that was when they were detached and powered down. This time, they were attached to her body and were very much alive. He gently stroked each one, eliciting a pleasant moan from Lena. He then lifted both her feet up to his face and pressed them in, feeling the warm softness of her foot bottoms, and gently breathing in the subtle smells of body odor.
“Is the 34% reduction in body odor satisfactory?” Lena asked, unable to see a reaction.
“Hmmm, perhaps you can make it a 40% reduction,” he decided, setting her feet back down on his lap and wrinkling his nose.
Lena quickly made the change in her settings from her HUD and then minimized it so she could enjoy the show. “Done!”
“Goodie, now, are you ready for the shows?” he asked, picking up the remote.
Lena nodded and then made herself comfortable as he hit play and started the first of their shows. Mike absently massaged and stroked both her feet while they watched all the shows, almost using them like stress balls.
When they started the scary movie, however, Lena cuddled up with Mike on his side of the couch, while they both enjoyed a bowl of popcorn. Her human emulation allowed her to get legitimately frightened by certain points in the movie, allowing Mike to act chivalrous and comfort her even more. Lena smiled, thinking she’d never received this kind of love before.
Once the movie ended, they both helped tidy up the area and put the now cleaned dishes away in the kitchen before looking at each other with blushes on their faces.
“Um, you ready,” she asked him, eager to educate him on her skills.
“Uh-huh,” he nodded, his feelings all a jumble inside.
“It’ll be great, I promise,” Lena assured him, gently taking his hand and guiding him upstairs. Once they were upstairs, they made sure Mia would not interrupt them, and slowly walked into Mike’s, or rather, their room.
“Okay Mike, just like I promised, I’ll start off with a full body massage,” Lena explained in a soft voice, “It’ll be great.”
“Okay,” Mike nodded, “I think I’d like to be nude for it, if that’s alright,” he said nervously.
“Of course, it’s alright silly! It’s your home, you should feel relaxed.”
Mike laughed and then slowly began to remove his clothes, starting with his shirt and finishing by removing his sweats and underwear at the same time. He then neatly folded his clothes onto the floor in the corner of the room by the side of the bed he slept on and then stood before Lena so she could see him. “Well, what do you think?” he asked nervously, doing a quick spin and then standing still in front of her.
Lena slowly admired his body, or rather her human emulation admired his body, while her A.I. was already busy taking precise scans and measurements of his body to better gauge his health and physical condition, and to formulate a healthy eating and exercise plan. In the 2.76 seconds that she ‘admired’ his body, her A.I. was able to make a complete 3-D rendering of him and add it to his health benchmarks.
“You look really good,” Lena finally said, her HUD absently noting that her words relaxed Mike, “although I haven’t actually seen many naked guys, so it’s not like I’m an expert or anything,” she laughed.
“Well, I suppose that’s a good thing,” Mike chuckled, “means I don’t have anything to compete with.”
“Would you like me to undress as well, or would you prefer I remain clothed for your massage?” Lena then asked, quickly rubbing her hands to warm them up.
Mike thought about it for a second. “Just stay dressed,” he decided, “that way you’ll still be warm when we have sex after, and the skin-on-skin contact might dampen the massage somewhat.”
“Ok,” Lena nodded, adding that to his preferences, “now, if you’re ready, just lay down flat on the bed and I’ll get started,” she then instructed, quickly smoothing out the sheets and handing him one of the pillows so he could prop himself up.
Mike eagerly did so, trying to relax as he anticipated where she would touch him first. He kept his face down on the pillow and slowed his breathing to relax himself. Once he relaxed, he suddenly felt the bed move as Lena climbed atop it and moved towards him.
“I’m going to get started now, okay?” she asked him.
Mike merely nodded and grunted something that sounded like a positive response. It was good enough for Lena, who checked off the “received consent” box in her HUD. For legal reasons, Spaztec had programmed all androids to receive consent before engaging in any sort of intimate activity, since they could be held liable if the androids were used to rape other people by proxy.
Lena switched her vision over to thermal scanning and scanned Mike’s back for sore spots. Since Mike had most likely never received a massage before, and since he’d worked a tough few days, there were multiple spots along the rear end of his body that were solid red with heat, indicating sore muscles and knots. Lena reached towards the largest concentration on his back and started off gently.
Mike let out a long, loud grunt as he felt her smooth hands start pressing into his back, hitting a particularly sore spot. At first it felt mildly painful, but as she started easing in, the pain was released, and he felt nothing but sheer pleasure.
She continued with his back and neck for nearly 15 minutes, until Mike’s pleasurable moans subsided, and the hot spots dissipated on her thermal feed. She then moved on to his arms, paying extra attention to his hands and biceps. Once his arms were sufficiently massaged, she moved down to his butt, and then his legs and feet.
Mike was in pure bliss as Lena’s soft hands caressed and healed every inch of his sore body. She massaged areas he had no idea about were even sore and, as her hands moved on, the areas she had finished felt cool and relaxed.
Nearly 40-minutes after beginning the massage, Lena finally finished with Mike’s feet and then stood up on the side of the bed. “Alright Mike, I’m done with your backside, time for your frontside,” she announced, waiting patiently for him to turn over.
“Wow, you do the front too?” Mike asked admiringly, slowly rolling over onto his back and smiling at her.
“Yep, I did say full body massage, didn’t I?” she giggled, climbing back onto the bed and working on the front of his legs.
Mike didn’t respond, but merely laid back, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the massage.
Lena skipped up to his arms, after finishing his legs, and then merely smoothly went over his abdomen and chest. Finally, she had only one thing left, and for this she needed additional consent.
“Well Mike, I’ve almost finished, would you like me to massage your penis as well?” she asked, trying to sound casual, “I’m sorry for asking, but my programming requires me to gain consent,” she figured honesty would give her a positive answer.
“Huh, that’s a little strange, but I suppose with the whole political atmosphere lately, it’s not too surprising,” Mike chuckled, “Of course you have my consent.”
Lena smiled as the safety programming in her acknowledged the verbal consent and allowed her to lean in and gently grab his penis. Mike, not used to anyone touching him there, naturally recoiled, but then forced himself to relax. He started taking deep, relaxed breaths as she eased his tension and gently massaged his penis, smiling as it slowly became erect. Once it reached full length, she started easing off, her HUD taking a quick measurement and confirming it was average length; she adjusted her vaginal systems accordingly to handle the length.
Once she was finished, she ran one final thermal scan of his body and confirmed there were no more hot spots. She smiled approvingly and then stood back up off the bed. “All done Mike!”
Mike groaned mockingly, forcing himself to sit up at the foot of the bed and look up at her with pure adoration. “Wow, that was the best massage I have ever gotten…. thanks!”
“Ah, don’t mention it,” Lena blushed modestly.
“I mean, I don’t think I truly knew what it was like to be relaxed until now,” he continued, “I know you’re an android, but how could you possibly be so good?”
“Well, to tell the truth, the main reason I ordered these upgraded eyes was because of the thermal scanning ability,” she admitted, “They allow me to literally see all your sore muscles, since sore muscles give off more heat,” she explained, “also, it doesn’t hurt that I made sure to download all the latest massage programs,” she added with a wink.
“Well, suffice to say, I feel very relaxed now, thanks.” Mike stood up and gave Lena a loving kiss.
“You’re quite welcome,” Lena said angelically, once they broke apart, “Now, are you ready for the next part?” she asked with a kinky look, smoothly disrobing and standing before him naked.
“Actually, not yet,” Mike admitted, rushing into his bathroom and returning with a towel. He pulled back the sheets on the left side of the bed and laid the towel down.
“What’s that for?” Lena asked with a bemused smile.
“Ah, well, it’s…” Mike tried saying, looking extremely embarrassed, “Well, it’s for the mess,” he admitted, “I know you’ve never had sex before, in any incarnation, but from my past experience…well, it can be a little messy, and I’d rather not sleep in a bed with our sex juices in it.”
“Ah,” Lena nodded knowingly, updating his sexual preferences with this key piece of information, “I guess that’s something most people don’t care about…I never even considered it being a problem,” she admitted.
“Yeah, well, I’m also a clean freak, so…” he let it trail off delicately.
“Say no more,” Lena laughed, “I actually think it’s a great idea…I mean, with this, I’ll only have to clean a towel, instead of all the bedsheets.”
“Exactly,” Mike shouted, then he focused on Lena’s crotch and appeared lost in thought.
“Hey Mike, I’m up here,” Lena joked, waving her hands in front of her to get his attention.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said absently, then he looked at her seriously, “Lena, I like how you look, act, and even feel real,” he started, “but, one of the others things I didn’t like about my prior sexual experience was the odor,” he admitted, “would it be possible to switch out your current lube with that fruity stuff you ordered?”
“Of course!” Lena replied cheerfully, “would you like me to go get it?”
“No, I know where it is,” Mike smiled, “um, why don’t you make yourself comfy on the…towel while I get it?”
“Ok,” Lena giggled.
Mike quickly rushed out of the room, making a sharp right into Lena’s room. He quickly located the purple bag on her desk and pulled out the lube canister. As he was heading out, he absently noted that the computer he’d given her was still on and appeared to be remotely linked to her and collecting data.
Mike shrugged, figuring it was simply part of her maintenance, and returned to his bedroom with the canister. Just as he had suggested, Lena was lying on the bed, atop the towel, patiently waiting for him to return.
“Did you have trouble finding it?” Lena asked, sitting up a little and pushing out her crotch a bit so he could access her vaginal panel.
“No, fortunately you kept it in the same bag it arrived in.” He quickly pressed the release on her waist and removed the portion of skin covering the panel. “Umm, how do I do remove the old one?” he asked, not seeing a release.
“Like this.” Lena gently grabbed his hand and placed it on top of the current canister. She then had him grip it tightly, push it in, twist it counterclockwise, and then pull it out with a slight sucking sound.
“Wow,” Mike said, staring into the deep hole in Lena’s body, the exposure of her mechanical nature once again turning him on, “is there still some of the old stuff inside of you?” he asked, wrinkling his nose at the smell coming from the old canister.
“Nah, I was able to drain it and store it back in the canister while you were in the other room,” she replied.
“Okay, good,” Mike said, relieved as he pushed the fruity canister into her body and sealed it in place, “do you need time to adjust to the new canister?”
“No, I’m already slowly secreting it in order to prepare for sex,” she reported, “your nude body’s turning me on as much as I’m turning you on, after all.”
“Okay,” Mike nodded, placing the old canister on the bedside table, then moving to pick up the skin panel. “Lena, would it be possible to have sex with your panel open, and maybe a few others?”
“I would strongly recommend against it,” Lena told him seriously, “not only is there a chance of an accidental discharge, but what most android owners don’t realize in the throes of passion is that lovemaking can be very physically exerting,” she explained delicately, “Meaning you sweat…profusely, and that sweat can drop off your body and land in mine, damaging my delicate electronics.”
“Ah, well I definitely wouldn’t want to do that,” Mike laughed nervously, “I’m sure you’d be very expensive to fix.”
“Indeed I would,” Lena nodded solemnly, “But, I suppose if you are wanting to engage in sexual activity that will tickle your robo-fetish, then one thing we could do is detach my head and have my head perform fellatio, while you perform oral sex on my vagina,” she suggested matter-of-factly, “But, unless my head was attached to the A.N.A., which admittedly might be a bit awkward in that situation, I’d only last about 15-minutes before shutting down.”
Mike thought about it a bit, since obviously having sex with an android presented far more opportunities than with a human. “Nah, not right now,” he said regretfully, “Definitely at some point though,” he nodded vigorously, “But, I think for now I’d just like to try sex the normal way,” he decided, “anyway, your body has just been upgraded and updated with five years of new stuff in just 24 hours, so we’d probably give it a bit of time to adapt more before trying something that complex.”
“A wise precaution,” Lena complimented him.
Mike smiled and then looked into her vaginal panel once more, “Alright, are there any settings I should alter in here before we get started?”
Lena shook her head. “Nah, only if you want an altered experience. If you leave everything in there alone, I’ll basically be on default settings and will try my best to coordinate with you,”
“Okay,” Mike nodded, clicking the skin panel back in place, then he got a worried look, “I’m just a little concerned, because one of the problems I had before was that I would always ejaculate prematurely, and it always ended too quickly.”
“Oh, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that,” Lena said with a sly smile.
“Why not?” Mike asked suspiciously.
“Two things,” she replied, “One: that new lube you just installed, it has a mild numbing agent in it….”
“What is that going to do?” Mike interrupted.
“The numbing agent is designed to slightly numb your penis to prevent you from ejaculating too quickly,” she explained patiently.
“Ohhh, okay,” he nodded, allowing her to continue.
Lena giggled and then continued, “and Two: the new vaginal insert you upgraded me with is able to stimulate you with sonic pulses,” she explained, “Nothing too strong, mind you, it’s actually configured so you may only feel a mild tickling sensation, but that tickling is also designed to extend the experience.”
“Wow, I can’t wait!” Mike said, rubbing his hands together excitedly, then he stopped, “Wait, wouldn’t that numbing stuff ruin the oral sex experience?”
“Huh, I suppose it might,” she agreed, then shrugged, “well, we can always swap my canister out with a non-numbing variety.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Mike shrugged.
“Well, are you ready to get started?” Lena asked, flaunting her crotch at Mike and wiggling her toes.
“Just one more thing,” he promised her. He walked over to his pants and pulled his phone out, scrunching his face with concentration before activating some gentle, classical music. “I’ve heard it’s easier with music or something in the background,” he explained bashfully, setting the phone down on the bedside table, next to the old lube canister, and lying on his side in the bed next to Lena, staring into her eyes.
“Hey, whatever makes you comfortable,” she reminded him once more, returning his stare.
They stared longingly into one another’s eyes for several seconds before leaning in and kissing each other deeply. Eventually, the kisses became an embrace as their bodies intertwined and, before they knew it, Lena was on her back with Mike slowly grinding against her.
A part of Mike thought entering her would be easy since, as an android, she could control her body, but Mike had to work for it. Eventually, her fruity lube had coated enough of Mike’s penis to allow him to smoothly slide into her warm pussy. Just as she had informed him, he could just barely perceive the numbness caused by the lube, and the mild tickling from the sonic pulses.
Mike quickly found that Lena was able to keep pace with him well, most likely due to her artificial nature. When he sped up, so did she, and when he slowed back down to rest, she patiently waited for him.
While he continued thrusting into her, he could feel himself starting to breath more heavily, and she too. The thought that her breathing was helping to cool down all of the internal machinery in her body that was likely heating up with their passion turned him on even more.
After what seemed like an eternity, Mike finally felt himself ready to climax, so he quickened his pace, feeling Lena squeezing him tighter in anticipation. He finally exploded into her, at the same time he felt her climax, a wave of warm juices flowing over him.
He collapsed into her loving embrace as a wave of ecstasy coursed through his body. They both spent the next several minutes catching their breath and simply enjoying the feeling of one another. Finally, they slowly rolled over and stared into each other’s eyes.
“Well, how was I?” Lena asked intently.
“You were great!” Mike breathed, “that was the best sex I’ve ever had!”
“Hey, I was only part of the equation,” Lena said modestly, “You want to go again?” she then offered.
“Nah, I’m pretty beat, to be honest,” he admitted, still trying to catch his breath and slow his heartrate.
“Hey, it’s no problem,” she said with a reassuring smile, “I’ll have to try and improve your stamina though.”
“I look forward to it,” Mike laughed, slowly rolling off the bed and viewing the scene. Lena was still lying on the towel, but there was now a large wet spot just below her crotch. Mike gingerly felt the residue left on his penis and sniffed it. “Fruity,” he thought, since that was the only way to describe it.
“Would you like me to clean all this up?” Lena asked, watching him scrutinize their lovemaking mess.
“I think the towel contained most of it,” Mike nodded approvingly, lifting it up and seeing no moisture on the sheets beneath it. He then looked at the clock and saw it was nearly midnight. “Well, as fun as this was, we should probably clean ourselves up and get ready for bed soon,” Mike said regretfully.
“Yeah,” Lena agreed, “my battery is below 18% now, so I only have about two hours left.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right, I almost forgot you have to be recharged later,” Mike said, smacking his forehead.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it before long,” Lena smiled, getting up off the bed, bringing the towel with her and holding it to her crotch to contain everything inside.
“Do you need my help cleaning you out?” Mike asked, worried at seeing her hold the towel to herself.
“Oh, no,” Lena assured him, “I’m quite skilled at cleaning myself out, I just don’t want to leak all over your floor.”
“Ah, eww,” Mike chuckled nervously, perishing the thought from his mind.
“Also, I forgot to mention this earlier but, now that we’ve had sex and I have your seed in me, my body can synthesize a customized pheromone whenever we’re in close contact,” Lena said.
“What does that mean?” Mike asked.
“It means you’ll feel calmer, more relaxed around me,” she explained, “and, it’ll help next time we have sex.”
“Ah, that sounds nice,” Mike smiled, though he already felt relaxed around her, “how long will it take for your body to synthesize it?”
“A day or so, depending on what I eat,” she shrugged, “it’s a feature only present in androids you have configured as either a girlfriend or spouse.”
“Wow, having you around will really improve things around here,” Mike laughed, walking over and giving her a kiss, “you should get to the shower though.”
“I know,” she nodded, “I’m going to put on my pajamas once I’m done cleaning myself, if that’s alright with you,” Lena told him, making her way to the door.
“It’s alright,” Mike shrugged, “You’ll look cute in them anyway.”
“Aww, thanks,” Lena gushed, “I’ll see you soon, Mike.” Lena kissed him tenderly on the lips and headed into her room.
Mike waited until Lena turned on her shower before heading into his bathroom and turning on his shower, still getting over the sexual ecstasy. Mike finally took a deep, relaxing breath and then stepped into the warm shower.
1.8: Turning In
Mike lingered in the shower for a bit longer than was necessary. He only needed to touch himself up and cleanse himself of the lubrication, but he found the warm water to be quite soothing. Even after he heard Lena shut off the shower from the other side of the wall, he remained in his shower for several more minutes before regretfully shutting off the water and drying himself off.
Once dry, Mike decided to put his pajamas on too, even though he usually slept nude. He figured he would keep them on until he went to bed so he could have a normal interaction with Lena before turning in for the night.
He found Lena already getting started on tidying up her room, moving several of the things around and peeking inside the boxes to see if there was anything she could use.
“Find anything interesting?” Mike asked.
“A few things,” Lena admitted, gesturing to a few decorations that Mike had stashed up here the last time he changed the décor in the living room.
“Did you have your own decorations or personal effects in your apartment?” Mike asked curiously, “Or did you keep it fairly spartan?”
“I actually had several items that belonged to the real Lena,” Lena admitted, then she looked around the room and sighed, “I wish I still had them…”
“Do you think there’s a possibility that your previous owner may have stashed your belongings somewhere before killing himself?”
“Hmm, it’s possible,” Lena contemplated, zoning out momentarily as she searched a few things in her memory storage, and online, “He did have a public storage unit that I occasionally had to visit,” Lena then supplied, “but I’m not sure if it’d even be considered his, this long past his death.”
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to look,” Mike offered.
“Yeah, but it’s late, and I’m sure they’re closed right now,” Lena sighed, “Besides, my battery will only last another hour or so, and you need sleep.”
“Well then, how about we go in the morning? After breakfast,” Mike tried to cheer her up.
“That sounds nice,” Lena smiled, updating her schedule for the next day in her HUD. “I’m planning on starting my cleaning schedule tomorrow,” Lena announced, changing the subject to a more cheerful one, “Do you have any preferences for how you’d like me to proceed, or areas you might prefer to take care of yourself?”
“Hmm, the only thing I can think of is the laundry,” Mike said, after giving it a bit of thought.
“What about the laundry?”
“Well, you’re welcome to wash the bed stuff, the towels, pillows, bathmats, and your own clothes,” Mike listed off, “But I will wash my clothes, every Friday when I get home.”
Lena quickly updated that in her cleaning settings. “Okay, that’s easily arranged,” she replied, “why don’t you want me cleaning your clothes though? Are you afraid of me seeing your undies?” she teased.
“Oh no, nothing like that,” Mike smiled, “It’s just, I’m under the belief that my clothes collect all the negative energy from stress and whatnot, so I consider washing them at the end of the week to be sort of…cathartic,” he attempted to explain, “basically, it’s my way of washing away the negative energy from the previous week and starting things over fresh.”
“Huh, an interesting way of looking at it…I will honor your request,” Lena said formally, “Anything else?”
“Well obviously, try and do most of the cleaning while I’m at work, if possible,” he shrugged, “though, you’ll find I tend to keep my own area down there pretty clean, so I don’t think you’ll have too much work to do.”
“Hah, okay,” Lena laughed, “sounds like living with you will be easy.”
“I hope so,” Mike laughed, “Oh, there’s a few area rugs tucked away in the downstairs closet if you feel like decorating some more in here,” Mike mentioned off-hand.
“Oh, thanks!” Lena beamed, looking around the room, “This beige carpet is sorta bland.”
“Eh, I haven’t minded,” Mike shrugged.
“Well, you spend most of your time downstairs,” she pointed out, “So of course you wouldn’t mind.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” Mike nodded, “So, once you’re all done in here, are you going to try and join me at all in bed?” he asked hopefully.
“No, I’m going to plug myself in when I reach about 3% battery level and then go into sleep mode at the desk,” she told him regretfully, “I’m also going to be running a few diagnostics once I’m done charging, and those might make a bit of noise, so I want to stay in here until you wake up.”
“Alright, just checking,” he nodded, looking forward to when she would be joining him in bed.
“If I finish with all of it before you wake up, I might go down and start cooking some breakfast,” Lena suggested.
“Ooh, that sounds nice,” Mike said with an excited grin.
“If you sleep with your phone nearby, one of the features my interface app can do is monitor your breathing patterns while you sleep, even over your fan, and accurately predict when you are about to wake up,” Lena supplied.
“Wow, that’s quite convenient, and disturbing,” Mike chuckled nervously.
“Hey, don’t worry, it’s a discreet app, so it won’t record your snores or anything,” Lena giggled.
“Okay, good,” Mike said, then he let out a large yawn.
“You look like you’re ready for bed,” Lena smiled.
“Yeah, it’s about that time,” Mike nodded, seeing the time on Lena’s computer; it was just past midnight.
“Alright, let me tuck you in.” Lena gently grabbed Mike’s hand and led him into his bedroom. Once in there, Mike grabbed his phone, which was still playing gentle classical music, and turned all the apps off.
“Do I need to do anything special to get the terminal app to spy on me?” he asked, holding out the phone to Lena.
“Nope, it’s already doing it,” she smiled, “it only activates when I let it, and since I know you’re going to bed, I’ve already done so.”
“Okay, good.” Mike yawned once more and then began to take his clothes off.
“Oh, you sleep nude?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, shaking himself off and then crawling into the bed, “It took a bit of getting used to at first, but now I can’t imagine how I slept before,” he smiled, moving around vigorously to warm up the sheets. “Oh, I forgot to turn on the fan,” he pouted, moving to get out of bed.
“Hey, allow me,” Lena stopped him. She turned around and powered the fan to its highest setting. “There.”
“Thanks, it’s so hard to get comfy again once you’ve gotten up.”
“Yeah, I know,” Lena nodded, then she quickly scanned his room to make sure there was nothing more that might distract him. “Do you usually sleep with the bathroom window open in the wintertime?”
“Oh no, not unless its hot out,” he replied, looking over, “I left it open so the steam could vent out, but it should be alright to close now.”
“Okay.” Lena walked over and secured the bathroom window, then scanned the room one more time with all her sensors. Everything seemed safe and secure for Mike’s bedtime mode. She then focused on his bedside table, making sure her interface with his phone terminal was online. “Huh, would you like a glass of water on your table, in case you get thirsty?” she offered.
“Nah, I should be fine,” he shrugged.
Lena smiled, updating his bedtime preferences. She walked over to him, leaned down, and gave him a gentle kiss. “Good night, Mike,” she smiled, “Thanks for finding me…and for everything you’ve done for me in the last 24 hours.”
“Aww, don’t mention it,” Mike told her, fighting to stop a blush…and losing, “Good night, Lena.”
Lena nodded, then headed to the door. Just before she flipped the switch, she stopped and said, “Oh, I’ll wait until you fall asleep before I start moving stuff again…and once I’ve plugged myself in, I’ll enter sleep mode, so I won’t respond to anything other than an emergency or a direct command to wake up, got it?”
“Yeah,” Mike said, at the same time as a yawn.
“Nighty night,” she smiled, then flipped the switch and quietly closed the door. She then tiptoed into her room and quietly sat down at her computer, monitoring Mike’s breathing from her connection to his phone. She estimated, given his level of exertion during the day, and his current breathing rate, that he would be asleep in roughly ten minutes. She used the time to create numerous internet search spiders to find all relevant information on the now defunct company that had her commissioned, as well as everything she’d missed in the last five years. Just as she finished sending them out, her interface indicated that Mike had fallen asleep, so she resumed her work on tidying up her new room.
It was nearly 4am when Mike awoke in the middle of the night, his bladder suddenly urging him to relieve it. He regretfully got up and headed into his bathroom, relying entirely on his night vision so he wouldn’t need to turn on any lights and ruin it.
Once finished, he spritzed his hands with sanitizer so he wouldn’t waste any water and then headed out to crawl back into bed. Just before he reached it, however, he suddenly realized he was thirsty.
“Damn, I should have taken Lena up on her offer to get me a water,” he muttered to himself, quietly opening his own door and heading downstairs.
“Hey Mia,” Mike whispered fondly, seeing his cat huddled in a blanket on the couch and giving her a light pat. He poured himself a small glass of water and snacked on a small slice of cheese so his stomach wouldn’t be growling all night. After making quick work of the snack and water, Mike sighed satisfactorily and then quietly made his way back up the stairs.
Once he reached the top of the stairs, he suddenly realized that Lena had left her door wide open. While Mike figured he should probably respect her privacy, curiosity finally got the better of him, so he quietly walked inside to look. “Hey, if she wanted privacy, she would have locked her door,” he thought to himself.
Mike’s nose was hit with a subtle wave of cleaning solvent as soon as he entered, and his feet could tell that she had had his robot vacuum working in here while he slept. Without turning on the lights, he could already see that she had made considerable progress with reorganizing all the stuff in her room and had even laid out some of the rugs from downstairs. Once he walked further, he finally saw her sitting motionless in her desk chair, looking as though she had fallen asleep sitting up with her hands neatly folded and resting on her lap and her bare feet dangling just above the floor. She was still wearing her cute, fuzzy pajamas, though Mike could clearly make out the charging cable protruding from underneath and connecting to a nearby wall outlet.
Remembering what she told him about not responding to anything other than an emergency or a direct command to wake up, he leaned down and gently lifted her pajama top to look at her charging port. The monitor in her port indicated her battery was already back up to 47%, so he estimated she’d be finished around 7 or 8 am.
Her face was just barely illuminated by the subdued light of her computer screen, displaying a gentle blackened standby screen. His breath caught as he admired how peaceful her face looked while asleep, just as it had looked when he first saw it in the case. Feeling brave, he slowly leaned in and planted a kiss on her sleeping lips.
“See you in the morning, Lena,” he whispered, kissing her once more on the cheek before heading back out and into his room. Once he closed the door, he crawled back into bed and fell almost immediately back to sleep, his last thoughts loving ones and excited prospects for the days ahead with Lena.
Part 2: Elena
2.1: Foxhole
Mike was awoken the next morning by the smell of bacon wafting in. His nose went wild as the scent tickled it until he finally caved and rose up out of bed, feeling completely refreshed. A quick look at the clock nearby informed him that it was just past 8am.
Mike quickly picked up the pajamas that he had left lying on the floor near his bed but decided to remain nude. Stretching his body out, he opened the door and quietly headed downstairs to see what else Lena was cooking.
When he rounded the corner of his living room he spotted Lena in the kitchen, still dressed in her cute pajamas, cooking a breakfast of bacon, eggs, sausage, and biscuits. The only addition she had made to her wardrobe was the pair of cute bunny slippers that she had bought with her pajamas, since her programming dictated that she wear footwear while cooking.
Before Mike could approach her, she turned around with a big smile. “Morning sleepyhead! How’d you sleep?” She quickly made sure everything was stable on the stovetop and then rushed over to plant a kiss on his lips, her hands going around the back of his head and giving his neck a quick massage before scurrying back over to tend to the eggs.
“Quite well, actually,” Mike smiled with exuberance, “I think it was a combination of the massage, and then sex, but I feel completely relaxed.” Mike slipped on his pajamas and sat back down at the bar while he was talking to her so he wouldn’t get in her way in the kitchen. “And how did you…um, sleep?” he asked awkwardly.
“I slept well too,” she giggled, “I’m fully charged now, and I was actually able to spend the night downloading information on what’s been happening over the last five years while I’ve been in storage, so now I’m all caught up!” she announced cheerfully.
“Wow, I wish I could catch up on things so easily,” Mike laughed, “I actually woke up last night to pee, and get a drink of water, and I walked in to check on you,” he admitted, “you looked so peaceful.”
“Aww, thanks,” Lena blushed.
“I’m curious, are you capable of dreaming?”
“Yes,” she nodded, “for an android, dreaming is just as useful as it is for humans, and it’s kinda like a screensaver as well,” she said, trying to explain, “Basically, while we’re running low level diagnostics and reorganizing our files, those files sorta randomly jumble together and get processed as dreams, in order to hone our cognitive skills.”
“Interesting,” Mike mused, “And, have you had any dreams of me before?”
“A few,” Lena admitted with a sly smile, “Obviously from the week you spent training me, and throughout my time there,” she continued, “Actually, I had a really good one of you last night,” she said with a content smile. “If you’d like, I could compile all of them and send them to your computer so you can watch all of them,” she offered with an excited smile.
Mike instantly flushed. “Oh, no, you don’t have to do that,” he waved her off uncomfortably, “Dreams are supposed to be private.”
“Nonsense!” Lena disagreed, “You keep forgetting that you’re my owner now, so you’re more than welcome to view my dreams,” she pointed out.
“Okay,” Mike relented, seeing it was pointless trying to impose human privacy values on her.
“Good, then I’ll transfer them over while I sleep tonight,” she smiled, turning off the heat to the stove and beginning to transfer the food over to their plates.
“I’m curious, do you even need to sleep or dream?” Mike asked, “I mean, would it be possible for you to remain online for days, simply plugging yourself in when you need a quick boost, but remaining online?”
“It is possible, though not recommended,” she responded, “I mean, we have to go into sleep mode in order to file our short term memories into long term, and to essentially defrag everything else” she explained, “So, if we were to just remain online all the time then eventually our memories would become fragmented and corrupted, and we could suffer malfunctions as a result, so we need to go into sleep mode for at least 3-4 hours a night to prevent that from happening.”
“Oh, I see,” Mike nodded, “and I take it you also back yourself up as well.”
“Yep.” Lena brought their plates over and set them at the bar, heading back into the kitchen to retrieve the carton of orange juice and two glasses. Once she poured the juice, she returned the carton to the fridge and sat down next to Mike, who still hadn’t eaten. “Oh, you didn’t have to wait for me. Dig in!”
Mike blushed and started eating the delicious food Lena had cooked. Even though it was a simple breakfast, Lena had seasoned each item with just the right quantity of spices, making each bite savory.
“Hmm Lena, this food is the best!” He complimented her, shoveling the eggs into his mouth between the strips of bacon.
“Breakfast is the simplest meal of the day,” Lena shrugged modestly, eating her food more neatly.
“So, was any of the information you downloaded last night about that public storage unit?” Mike asked more seriously, once he finished his food.
“Amongst other things,” Lena nodded, “I downloaded everything I could about the whole downfall of SSS, mostly just to make sure there isn’t anyone out there looking for me as lost property or something.”
“Oh no, I hadn’t considered that,” Mike said, now suddenly worried, “Should I be concerned?”
“Nah, it’s all good,” she waved off, “it’s like you said the other day…in the whole circus that ensued, they basically destroyed a lot of evidence of their crimes, including adding androids like myself to their roster to fluff up their diversity numbers,” she reported, “In all the public records available, there are no mentions of SSS using androids in their workforce, not that it was necessarily a crime…just not very ethical,” she laughed.
“Okay, good,” Mike sighed explosively, “the last thing I need is to be accused of stealing you.”
“Nope, you finding me is literally categorized under a ‘finders-keepers’ clause of the purchasing contract,” she reported, “basically, if you were to put me into storage and never come back for me, and your ownership of me were to lapse, anyone who were to find me could claim me as their own…just as you did.”
“Huh, well then, I guess I’ll have to make sure that I don’t let my ownership of you lapse then,” he winked.
“Hey, I trust you,” she winked back, “and, as a backup plan, you could always bequeath me to your parents or something,” she suggested, “assuming, of course, you have a will.”
“I don’t, actually,” he winced, “But, I think they’d like that,” Mike mused, “My parents always wanted a daughter…”
“I can show you how to arrange that later, if you’d like,” Lena offered, making a note in her HUD schedule to provide him with the correct paperwork, “So, anyway, since it’s a weekend, the public storage facility doesn’t open until 10am, so we have a couple hours to relax a bit,” Lena changed the subject, “Is there anything you’d like to do in the meantime?”
Mike thought about it for a second and then responded. “I’d love to help you finish setting up your room,” he offered.
“Really? You don’t have to do that,” she blushed.
Mike merely shrugged. “Well, I want to, so there,” he playfully stuck his tongue out at her.
“Well, thanks.” She leaned over and gave him a kiss and then finished the rest of her breakfast. Once they were done, she efficiently dropped down from the chair, took both their dishes, and rinsed them off in the sink before placing them in the dishwasher. “Alright, let’s get started!”
They both headed up to her room and quickly appraised the situation. Mike headed straight for a set of boxes that she had set aside and opened them up, nodding approvingly.
“So, my parents were cleaning out their house to make it look nice for an appraisal so they could raise their home value, so they sent a lot of this crap here for storage,” Mike explained, “a lot of the stuff they sent me was old storage tubs and furniture,” he continued, pulling out the disassembled pieces of what looked to be a large bookshelf.
“Ah, I could use that,” Lena nodded approvingly.
“I thought you might,” he smiled, then he pulled out the disassembled pieces of a workbench, a few storage containers, and even pieces of a small twin-sized bed.
“Wow, they really mooched off of you,” Lena laughed.
“Yeah, well I mooch off of them a little here and there too, so it all works out I suppose,” he shrugged, “do you think we can reassemble all of this in two hours?”
Lena quickly scanned all the items and looked up basic assembly instructions online, cross-referencing them with the tools she had catalogued in Mike’s tool kits. She then came up with a rough estimate of one hour and 37 minutes, though her human emulation had her say it differently. “Yep, we can do it,” she replied cheerfully, “I’ll go down and get your tool kits!” Lena ran down the stairs before Mike could do or say anything and returned moments later with the two toolkits that he had stashed downstairs.
“Alright, let’s do this then!” Mike clapped his hands together and rubbed them excitedly.
Lena and Mike both worked diligently on assembling all the furniture and, before long, the room suddenly resembled something more like a cross between a dorm room and a workshop, rather than a room simply filled with cardboard boxes and storage units. The only boxes left at the end were filled with old clothes and other unneeded items. Mike decided to relocate those to his car so they could drop them by a donation station on their way to the public storage unit later. He then returned to Lena’s room and stood with her to admire her now finished room/workshop.
“Well, it certainly looks cozy,” Mike nodded approvingly, since the room itself wasn’t very large. The bed was tucked in the small corner near the window at the far end of the room, and they’d even managed to mount an old TV that Mike had stashed in here years ago and managed to hook it up to her computer station so that she could use it as a monitoring station for her maintenance work; a sort of always-on display that showed her vital stats for easy monitoring.
“Yeah, it is, thanks,” Lena breathed, sighing with contentment, “It’s actually slightly bigger than my old studio,” she chuckled.
“Oh man, it must have been bad,” Mike grimaced.
“Yep, but truthfully, I didn’t need much,” she conceded, “I’m just thankful for what I have now.” She looked into Mike’s eyes with adoration and then kissed him on the cheek. Mike said nothing but merely put his arm around her shoulder. After a few moments had passed, she sighed once more and said, “Well, I suppose we should be going now so we can check on that storage unit.”
“Okie doke,” Mike agreed, walking with her down the stairs, “are you driving again?”
“Might as well, if you’ll let me,” she shrugged, “I have the address saved in my head, and I can get us there more efficiently.”
“Fair enough,” Mike nodded, handing her his car keys while he put his street clothes on and grabbed a jacket and his wallet. Once they were both ready, they headed into the garage, got in his car, and drove out.
While they were on the road, Mike decided to query her on what she learned during her evening download.
“So, what are you expecting to find in the storage unit, based on what you downloaded last night?”
“I dunno,” she shrugged, “I’m hoping that my personal belongings from my old studio apartment are in there, for starters,” she told him, “But aside from that, maybe just some answers on why George took his life.”
Mike nodded solemnly. “I hope I find some answers too,” he replied truthfully, “I mean, it does seem pretty odd that I just happened to know the code to the case that you were stored in…it’s almost like he meant for me to find you.”
“Interesting,” Lena mused, her A.I. quickly analyzing her memories to find any correlation to Mike’s theory, “It is possible,” she conceded, “I mean, George wasn’t stupid. He could tell that you were interested in me, and I in you, so it’s possible he may have been hoping to sell me to you at some point, or he may have been anticipating all that legal action that ended up going down.”
“Yeah, George always was paranoid,” Mike laughed, “In retrospect, I understand why…at least, partially.”
“Well, I always got the impression that he wasn’t too happy with the fact that I was around,” Lena said, “Not that he hated me or anything, but I think he just hated the fact that SSS couldn’t merely hire a real woman, and that he was dealt with the stress of handling me, and my secret.”
“Ah, I can totally understand how he felt,” Mike said sadly, “I wouldn’t want to be implicated in some sort of criminal conspiracy either.”
“Well, when you compare my presence to all the other bad stuff they did: murder, blackmail, extortion,” Lena said, ticking them off on her hand as they waited at a light, “Having a few androids fluffing up their diversity counts isn’t really all that bad.”
“Well, appearances are everything,” Mike explained, “It may not have been criminal, but it definitely didn’t look good and could have lost them multiple contracts.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Lena nodded, “well maybe George kept notes or something so he could cover his ass in case they tried throwing him under the bus.”
“Yeah, that’s one thing he always impressed on me,” Mike agreed, remembering all the times that George reminded him to always cover his ass, “I suppose it’s the one thing he was good at.”
“Well, we’ll be there in about 15-minutes after we drop these donation boxes off, so it won’t be too much longer.” Lena then pulled into the donation station and waited as Mike rushed in and dropped the boxes off, making sure to collect the tax receipt, since the year was almost over.
“Did you get the receipt?” Lena asked him, once he buckled himself back in and they drove off.
“Yes, but I thought you had to donate a lot in order for it to make any difference,” he complained.
“Usually you do, but I can assure you that the new tax software you installed in me will be able to find you all sorts of discounts,” she smiled proudly, “just trust me.”
“Ok,” Mike conceded, placing the receipt in his wallet for safety. He then leaned back in his car seat and relaxed while Lena navigated them safely to the public storage unit.
They arrived at the public storage unit nearly 15 minutes later, and once they parked, they checked in with the management office to inquire about George’s unit. The individual manning the desk was a helpful man named Steve and also happened to be the franchise owner.
“You guys sure are lucky you chose today to come to the unit,” Steve told them, digging around in his files.
“Oh, why’s that?” Mike asked carefully, while Lena stood by silently.
“Because the lease on that unit was coming to a close,” Steve replied, finding what he was looking for and placing it down in front of the table, “Another week or so, and the management company that owns the property was going to force me to open the unit and sell all the items inside.”
“Oh wow, well, to be honest, we don’t even know what’s inside,” Mike said truthfully, “My girlfriend here used to be in a relationship with the previous owner, but he killed himself and she’s finally ready to collect his belongings,” Mike lied.
“Hey man, I don’t need to know why you’re here,” Steven said knowingly, “All I need is the security code proving ownership.”
“I have it here,” Lena chimed in, pulling out a small piece of paper with a code written on it. Steven took the paper and compared it to the one in his notes, then nodded approvingly. “Very good, here’s your key,” he told them, handing them an electronic key, “This will just work for the next 24 hours, and then you’ll have to check in with me again,” he explained, “security policy,” he shrugged apologetically.
Mike took the key and gave Steve a big smile, “Hey, don’t worry, we understand,” he laughed, “We’re both in private security.”
“Perhaps you should leave the lying to me going forward,” Lena whispered in his ear, as Steve searched for a map of the place.
“Meh,” Mike frowned.
After Steve gave them directions to their storage unit, they hopped back into Mike’s car and drove around the complex until they located it. Their particular unit was a higher security one with its own garage connecting to the unit itself so they could pull their vehicle in and close the door in front of it.
“At least we’ll have some privacy,” Lena said approvingly, once the garage door closed. They both headed to the space behind their car and approached a keypad on the door of the storage unit behind them.
“Yeah, George wasn’t messing around when he picked this place,” Mike agreed.
Lena flipped the lid on the keypad and presented the keycard to the reader. It flashed green upon presenting the badge, and then the interior storage unit gate slowly lifted, unleashing a wave of cool, musty air.
“Well, at least we know it hasn’t been opened in a while,” Mike said, wrinkling his nose at the musty smell, “That’s at least a years-worth of mustiness, and believe me, I know what it smells like.”
“I believe you,” Lena smiled, locating a light switch and flipping it on, illuminating the somewhat large storage room.
The room was filled with several boxes along with a few shelving units. Near the back was a desk that looked to have been set up as a workstation, likely for working on Lena.
“Does anything here look familiar?” Mike asked, looking quizzically at Lena, who was slowly analyzing the room and its contents.
“Yeah, I believe I recall George activating me here for the first time,” Lena nodded, her HUD zooming in on the workbench and a smudge on the wall, “Yep, I remember that smudge on the wall.”
“Interesting,” Mike mused, “I take it he didn’t have you walk out of here, otherwise you would have remembered how to get here.”
“That’s right,” she confirmed, “after he assembled me and completed my programming, he turned me off, and then next memory I have is of being reactivated in that studio apartment and getting ready to go to work for my first day of OJT.”
“Huh, he really was paranoid,” Mike chuckled, “Well, he’s dead now, so that means all this stuff belongs to us, since obviously no one else came to claim it.”
“Yep,” Lena nodded.
“Let’s see if we can find your stuff then,” Mike smiled, looking at the cardboard boxes stack close by.
Lena nodded with a smile and then dug into the first box.
The first few boxes merely had a few personal belongings of George, stuff that they figured could be donated. They stashed those in the back seat of Mike’s car and then dug into another box.
“Ooh, these are my things!” Lena squealed, pulling out a few stuffed animals and other small trinkets.
“Oh good, so George did have the wherewithal to keep your stuff,” Mike said with a relieved voice, smiling as he saw Lena’s reaction to reuniting with her things. She quickly dug into the nearby boxes and located her old wall posters, some photos, and her old computers and phone.
“It’s all here! Thank you, George!” Lena cried out, clutching more of her belongings.
Mike decided to give her a moment to herself, so he made his way over to the workstation, idly examining the items on the shelving units, most of which appeared to be replacement parts for Lena, several of which were outdated. While the spare processors would be relatively useless, considering how much more advanced her current ones were, the rest of the items would serve as adequate replacements in a pinch, and the others could likely be sold to recover her recent expenditures.
Once he arrived at the workbench, he sat down and powered up the computer equipment. Strangely, it didn’t require a login, though considering it was in a locked storage unit, George probably figured that was enough security. While it was old, it was still in fair condition and had good enough specs that Mike figured he’d salvage it and install it in Lena’s room to use as her primary diagnostic terminal.
Mike spent the next several minutes browsing the files saved on the terminal. Many of them were diagnostic logs from the times he’d repaired Lena, and there was even a few dating back to when he was repairing Elena as well. While he found those interesting, especially when used as a benchmarking tool, he found the files on SSS to be far more interesting. Most of the files were encrypted, but the text that Mike was able to read indicated that George had been spying on SSS for some time and was most likely a whistleblower.
“Hey Lena, are you any good at decrypting files?!” Mike called out to her, unable to find a way to open the rest of the files.
Lena walked over and looked over his shoulder at the files and the encryption protocols. “Maybe,” she said with a scrunched face, “We’d have to do it at home, but I might be able to if I interface directly with them.”
“Alright, that sounds good,” Mike nodded, “why don’t you start packing all your belongings into the car while I get this terminal ready for transport,” Mike suggested, shutting the computer down and unplugging the monitor.
“Okay,” Lena nodded. She skipped to the front of the storage unit and cheerfully packed the boxes of her personal effects into the back seat of the car, humming as she did so.
Before long, Mike had the terminal disconnected from all the peripherals and loaded it into a nearby storage unit. He then had Lena load it into the trunk of his car while he loaded the spare android parts from the various shelves into yet another storage container.
“Do we have everything?” Lena called out.
“Almost!” Mike called back. The only thing he hadn’t checked was the corner of the unit in the back, hidden behind the workbench. The only thing there appeared to be a large bundle of sheets, most likely used to provide Lena with a soft place to rest when being worked on here. Mike shrugged as he saw them, figuring he could at least use them for the same purpose. He pulled at them and then gasped.
“Lena, come here!” he called out.
“What is it...oh,” Lena said, seeing what Mike was looking at.
Hidden underneath the bundle of sheets was a metallic case, identical to the one that had held Lena’s body.
“Is that what I think it is?” Mike asked, already knowing the answer.
“There’s only one way to find out,” Lena responded.
Mike nodded and entered in the same access code that he had used on Lena’s case, not even knowing if it worked; it did. The locking mechanism disengaged with a mechanical whir and a hiss from the hydraulics used to secure it. Mike carefully grabbed hold of both sides of the case and opened both.
Inside the case was yet another dismantled female android. This one appeared to be a bit more on the petite side, and the skin coloring indicated the android was Hispanic. Unlike before, Mike decided to go straight for the compartment at the top housing the android’s head, although he already had a fairly good idea who it was. Nevertheless, he let out a gasp as he saw.
“Elena!?” he breathed.
2.2: Deja Vu
“Wow, what’s she doing here?” Lena breathed, reaching out and brushing Elena’s cheek, “She was supposed to be sent back to be decommissioned.”
“Yeah, well, so were you and we both know how that turned out,” Mike scoffed.
“Fair point,” Lena nodded.
Mike paused briefly to admire Elena’s dismantled body. He had never really been all that attracted to her, mostly because of her personality, but partially due to her petite size. Coincidentally, that’s partially why he was attracted to Lena…she had more skin on her bones…or, rather, skeletal structure. Mike had observed Elena struggled to lift things before, she was so weak. He wondered now, after witnessing Lena override her limitations and lift him up, how much of Elena’s weakness was an act, or if it was due to her reduced muscle mass.
“Do you think we should activate her now, and see if she knows why she’s here?” Mike asked.
“No, I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Lena shook her head.
“Why not? I activated you right away…or, at least, once I found your head,” he coughed uncomfortably.
“Yeah, but the storage room at work was more secure, and there were fewer people around,” she pointed out, “Actually, I would have preferred that you had brought me to your place before turning me on that first time so that I could have had a stronger network connection right away, and so you could have maybe gotten a head start on my body first.”
“Well, I really missed you,” Mike shrugged.
“Aww,” Lena kissed him, “In any event, now that you’ve gone through upgrading and repairing me, doing the same for her should be a cinch…especially now that you’ve got me to help you,” she smiled, “I’m sure you two will have some catching up to do,” she winked.
“You jealous?” Mike asked slyly.
“Nah, I’m way better looking than her,” Lena laughed, “but seriously though, you know how you set up your preferences with me…making you my Owner/Boyfriend? Well, you can also go into mine, and her, settings and configure our relationship with each other…for example, making us sisters or cousins.”
“Hah! Cousins works…I mean, your names are even similar…Lena and Elena.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that!” Lena giggled, “anyway, fixing her up should be a good way to test out my new workshop.”
“Yeah, it’ll be nice working on an android in a proper setting, rather than atop a kitchen counter,” Mike laughed, then he looked around the room, “Well, why don’t we close this thing back up and wrestle her into the car?”
“Sounds like a plan.” Lena clapped her hand together and pretended to crack her fingers for dramatic effect.
Mike carefully closed the compartment housing Elena’s head and then gently closed both sides of the case, sealing it back up. Just as he was about to pull it out so he and Lena could lift it, he noticed something on the back and smiled.
“Hey, Elena’s case has wheels,” he pointed out, shaking his head.
“Yeah, what’s so special about that?” Lena asked quizzically.
“Your case didn’t have wheels,” he responded in a mock accusatory voice, “I had to lift it with a hand truck and jury-rig it so it wouldn’t fall off, then I had to wrestle it to my car.”
“Oh,” Lena giggled, “Sorry.”
“I wonder why hers has wheels and yours didn’t,” Mike said aloud as he pulled out the handle and wheeled it over to the trunk of his car, where Lena then used her override strength to quickly heft it into the trunk.
“I dunno, maybe they cheaped out on my case,” Lena shrugged, closing the door of the trunk, once Mike crammed the sheets that had been covering Elena’s crate in with it.
“Perhaps,” Mike sighed, letting the matter drop. He then looked back into the storage unit, seeing only empty shelves and the workbench were left. “Alright, I think we have everything important from here,” he announced, brushing his hands off and closing the unit back up, “We’ll let the Steve know that he can sell the furniture inside and release the unit for someone else.” He opened the passenger door of his car and sat back in.
“Okie doke,” Lena replied, stepping into the car and driving it out of the unit.
After they informed Steve, they drove away, stopping once more at the same donation station that they had stopped at on their way to the unit to deposit Steve’s old clothes and belongings. Then, they continued back home to start working on Elena.
When they finally returned, they quickly moved all the boxes containing Lena’s personal items up to her room and then returned for the case containing Elena.
“Will it deplete your energy stores too much if you use your emergency power to lift her up the stairs?” Mike asked with a worried look.
Lena did a quick calculation in her HUD and shook her head. “Nah, probably only about 3%...nothing a quick recharge won’t fix.”
“Ok good, just checking,” Mike said with a relieved sigh. He popped open the trunk and removed the few items in there so Lena could easily grab Elena’s case. She did so with a grunt and loud whine of her servos. Mike held the door open for her and watched as she hefted Elena’s case carefully up the stairs, just as she had done with her own case the previous day, her servos whining the whole way. As he followed her, Mike thought to himself how arousing it was to hear her like this.
As soon as Lena reached the top of the steps, she placed the case down and wheeled it the rest of the way into her room, her body quickly relaxing back into normal mode. Mike quickly placed the sheets that had been covering Elena’s case into the washing machine so he could repurpose them for later and then rejoined Lena in her room.
Lena had placed Elena’s case right next to hers at the foot of the workbench. While she was waiting for Mike to come back in, she had plugged herself in and was booting up her computer station. She moved to unplug herself when Mike walked in, but he waved her off.
“Hey, you don’t have to unplug yourself just because I’m here,” he told her, “Replenish only what you lost using emergency power and then unplug yourself,” he ordered her, since that’s what her computer brain needed.
“Ok,” Lena nodded, pulling her shirt back down and relaxing, “Thanks!”
“Don’t mention it,” he shrugged, leaning down and giving her a kiss, “I’ll start pulling all of Elena’s parts out onto the table while you get all the equipment online.”
Lena nodded, “I should only need to charge for another ten minutes or so,” she reported, plugging in the computers that they’d salvaged from George’s workbench. Once they were online, she plugged them into her main station and ran a decryption program to unlock the hidden files.
“Sounds good,” Mike nodded, then he reached down and keyed in the code for Elena’s case, unlocking it once more and swinging the doors open. Mike paused briefly to admire Elena’s dismantled body before quickly laying a sheet atop the work bench to place her limbs on. He then reached in for her torso, seeing it was a bit smaller than Lena’s, and easily removed it and lifted it up onto the workbench.
Before he moved the rest of her body up, he decided to remove her bra and panties so he could work on her more easily. He slid off the generic black underwear monogrammed with the Spaztec logo and folded them neatly into the bottom compartment of her case, then stood back up to admire her nude torso. Unlike with Lena, Elena’s torso was much more on the petite side, with her breast several sizes smaller. Her skin was also slightly tanned, indicating her Hispanic heritage, and her vagina had a small patch of curly dark hair above it…hair Mike intended on having removed just as he had with Lena.
Once he had his fill of Elena’s anatomy, he reached back into the case and brought out her arms and legs, laying them neatly on the bench near her torso.
Just as he had done with Lena, he decided to closely examine and play with each of Elena’s hands and feet, starting with her hands. Mike could already tell from touching the rest of Elena’s body that the Smart Sweat was still working, providing her artificial skin with realistic levels of moisture, and even a slight odor. Elena appeared to have been giving more time to bathe properly though, because Mike couldn’t smell much BO, and her nails were perfectly clean and free of polish and debris.
Mike played with her fingers and was pleased to hear servos whining, something he missed from playing around with Lena before she was fully reactivated. He even configured her hand so he could shake it and was instantly hit with a similar wave of nostalgia that he had been when he shook Lena’s disembodied hand days earlier, though in this case it was because she was the first coworker he had really met once he was done with his training, and she had even helped train him a little, in her own quirky way.
Mike gently placed her hands down beside each corresponding arm and then pulled her feet out. After having just played with Elena’s hands, now with her feet he could discern her smaller body type. While Lena’s was overall quite plump, despite her recent weight loss, Elena was much more on the petite side, and it showed with her hands and feet. Mike could feel the skeletal structure beneath the thinner layer of skin atop her hands and feet, and her fingers and toes were much skinnier. The one thing he noted about Elena’s appearance was that, while Lena appeared somewhat stunted, Elena was more proportional to her size, so her fingers and toes were noticeably longer.
Having completed his visual analysis, Mike pressed both of Elena’s feet into his face and took a whiff, enjoying the feeling of them on his shaved face. Just as with Lena, he could detect a subtle hint of her body odor, mixed in with the smell of her soap, but since she had been in storage for possibly up to two extra years, the smells were far more degraded.
Once Mike had his fill of Elena’s feet, he gently laid them down near the bottom stubs of her legs and then reached down into her case one more time for her head. He gently grabbed both sides of her chin and carefully pulled it out, holding her hold out in front of him so he could examine it.
Elena had the stereotypically long, dark, and curly hair one would expect from a Latina girl. She usually had it up in a bun while she worked, but for storage purposes it was tied up on a tight ponytail and had been tucked under her chin much in the same way Lena’s was. Just as with Lena, Mike was unable to open her eyes, or mouth, but based on his memories of her, he knew her eyes were a slightly lighter shade of brown than Lena’s were. Mike was pensive as he gazed upon Elena’s resting expression, because she had always been so vibrant and full of life and personality; part of the reason she had been terminated.
“Hey Lena, should I attach Elena to the A.N.A.?” Mike asked, not wanting to merely lay Elena’s head down on the workbench.
“Not yet,” Lena shook her head, “If we attach her head now it might accidentally activate her, and I’m not ready yet…but don’t worry, I should be ready in about another minute or two.”
“Okay,” Greg nodded, giving Elena a gentle kiss before setting her down near the neck of her torso. He then picked one of her feet back up and gently massaged it until Lena finished prepping the equipment.
True to her estimate, Lena finished less than two minutes later, unplugging herself from her charger and then rising to her feet to join Mike with Elena’s body at the workbench. Instead of grabbing the A.N.A., however, she had instead grabbed a different device that was shaped like a flat disc with a square-shaped indentation in the middle and connected it with a thick cable to her workstation.
“What’s that?” Mike asked, watching her set it up near Elena’s head.
“It’s a brain link cable,” she responded, pressing a freckle on the back of Elena’s head, releasing the scalp panel. She then removed Elena’s brain and held it in her hands. “Basically, we can plug her brain into this device, and it will allow us to perform maintenance and updates on her without her A.I. Coming online,” she explained.
“Why wouldn’t we want her A.I. To be online?” Mike asked.
“Well, for one thing, you still have to register yourself as her new owner,” Lena pointed out, “Since I’m pretty sure you weren’t in Friend status with her, that would make working on her much more difficult.”
“Ah, that makes sense…you were pretty trusting, for a dismantled android.” Mike nodded.
“Indeed,” Lena beamed, “That’s because you were listed as my friend, but she might be less trusting and not allow you access to many of her systems.”
“Okay, well I’m sure I can remedy that pretty quickly,” Mike shrugged.
“I already have her registration page queued up on my workstation when you’re ready,” Lena said absently, then continued her technical explanation, whilst inspecting Elena’s processor assembly, “Anyway, keeping her A.I. Offline in this fashion will also allow her to install the 6-7 years’ worth of updates much more quickly, since she’ll be connected to a stronger power source, and to the hardline connection of the workstation, not to mention she won’t be running any other processes that could slow things down.”
“Oh, so we’re going to have to wait for her to install everything?” Mike pouted, sounding crestfallen, “But that took hours for you.”
“Like I said, with this, it’ll shave off a few hours, and with the processor upgrade I’m about to give her, that’ll shave off even more.” Lena quickly dug around in the box of her old parts and brought out her old processors.
“Wait, you’re going to give her your old processors?” Mike asked, surprised since they were her main backups.
“Yeah, she’s actually using the same exact models I used to, so I only need to give her two of my old ones to boost her performance,” Lena shrugged, picking out two processors at random and inserting them into Elena’s empty ports.
“But won’t the memory buffers still contain your unprocessed memories and cause a malfunction or something?”
“Nah, the buffers will be purged when she accesses them for the first time, so she’ll be completely fine,” Lena smiled. Now that she had the new processors inserted, she clicked Elena’s brain into the perfectly shaped slot on the device and then stood back as both the device, and Elena’s brain both lit up.
Several windows popped up on Lena’s workstation at the same time she plugged in Elena’s brain, basically showing the same diagnostic terminal that Mike had had access to for Lena. The difference this time was the terminal only provided access to her A.I. A window popped up showing that Elena’s brain was accessing the new processors for the first time and had successfully installed them.
Mike sat down at Lena’s workstation to begin the registration process and configuration. He then remembered the process that he had gone through with Lena. “Won’t we need Elena’s A.I. later, to run a benchmark of her body?”
“Don’t worry, I can take care of it,” Lena said with a wink, “You just get started registering her and configuring her so we can get those updates started.”
“Okay,” Mike nodded, getting started, “what are you going to be doing?”
“Well, if it’s alright with you, I’m gonna drive out to the nearest location and buy the blue stuff for her, since ordering it online won’t get it here fast enough,” she informed him, “According to my GPS there’s a place that sells it less than five miles from here and with current traffic conditions, I estimate it’ll only take me about 15-20 minutes.”
Mike thought about it for a second, slightly worried about sending Lena all by herself out into the world. Finally, he decided such a quick trip would be a good way to test her independence a bit, so he conceded. “Alright, that’s about how long this registration process will take anyway,” he shrugged, “just send me a text when you get there, and another when you’re on your way back.”
“Alright ‘dad’,” Lena teased, giggling as she gave Mike a quick kiss and embrace and headed downstairs. Mike shook his head with a gentle smile and got to work on the registration process. Moments later, he felt the garage door opening below his feet and then closing seconds later.
Mike made quick work of paying the fee for registering Elena, under the “finders-keepers” clause, since the system reported her previous registration had lapsed just over six years ago. As soon as the payment was processed, he was immediately transferred to the same configuration process that he had undergone with Lena.
Just as with Lena, Mike saw the Upl.Pers.Elena file, but he opted to not create an entirely new personality profile and to continue using Elena’s donated personality. He instead decided to make a similar selection of minor tweaks to tailor Elena to his liking. Starting with the friendship status, he was not at all surprised to see he was only classified as “Coworker”, which only gave him basic access. Because he was now her owner, her systems no longer gave him the option of keeping her as merely “Coworker” and instructed him that she must at least be set to “Friend”. Mike changed her to “Owner/Friends-with-benefits,”, which basically gave him most of the same access levels as he had with Lena being his Girlfriend/Coworker”, but more clearly defined her relationship status with him.
Next, he had skipped this area before with Lena because he had no other androids at the time, but he registered Lena in Elena’s settings as “Cousin/Roommate/Friends-with-benefits”, and he also selected an option that would give Lena full administrator privileges over Elena, indicating to Elena that she was sub-ordinate to both Mike and Lena. This basically would give Lena voice control and remote access to Elena’s systems. Mike felt this was appropriate, since Elena hadn’t been online for as long as Lena, and Lena was modelled after a 25ish year-old woman, whereas Elena was modelled after a 20ish year-old woman and was therefore less mature and less responsible.
When he was finished with this section, a window popped up informing him that Lena’s settings would be updated as soon as she was within range of the home-base station, since Mike had been able to enter Lena’s prefix code to the registration program.
In the next section, it allowed Mike to alter the multitude of aspects of Elena’s personality, something which Mike determined George had obviously been overwhelmed with, otherwise he’d have been able to mitigate Elena’s rather wild personality without having to remove her. Mike felt extremely uncomfortable altering Elena too much, but he did agree that she had to be toned down at least a little. He lowered her spontaneity by about 15% and increased her obedience by about 20%.
Just as he was finished taking the bite off of Elena’s wild and undisciplined personality settings, he received a text message on his phone from Lena informing him that not only had she arrived at the shop she had mentioned, but that she was also going to buy some cheap clothes for Elena from a nearby thrift shop, so she would be out for another five minutes or so. Mike smiled and sent her an acknowledgment text, along with a kissy emoji. She instantly responded with a blush face emoji and then logged off.
With the few extra minutes Mike now had at his disposal, he moved on to the preferences tab. He added his foot and robot fetishes, as well as his preference towards cleanliness. With the optional programs, he decided that, with Lena already able to cook and clean, that he wouldn’t really need Elena to have any comprehensive skills packages in those regards, so he only added the basic ones to her download list.
When he was scrolling down, he noticed a Yard Work skills package and smacked his head for not including that in Lena but then realized that it would at least give Elena a primary task around the house. He was briefly concerned with Elena’s apparent lack of physical strength, however most of the landscaping at his place would merely be pruning the weeds, trimming the tree, and raking the leaves, all easy tasks.
He decided not to give her driving access at this time, since either he or Lena could easily drive, but he did give her permission to walk up to 5-miles from home, so she could at least walk to the closest grocery store. Since Lena was classified as her cousin, and a fellow android, Mike discovered that they could each access a shared checklist of assigned tasks and shopping items so they could each help one another out remotely. This was another setting that would integrate into Lena’s programming when she returned home.
Mike was distracted again a few minutes later as Lena texted him a car emoji, indicating she was on her way home. He sent her a simple thumbs up and then got back to work on programming Elena, since he was nearly done. Mike also added a Gaming package to Elena, so they could play multiplayer games together, and then he quickly scrolled through her physical characteristics. Mike was not too picky about what Elena looked like, so he merely altered her hair settings so her body hair would fall off, downloaded additional language files, and then saved all the settings.
As soon as he saved the settings and finished with the registration, the update window popped up and started displaying all the updates currently available, including the optional packages he had selected. Unlike with Lena, Elena appeared to be getting six A.I. Updates, indicating she had indeed been used occasionally for at least a year before being dismantled, and before Lena ended up being dismantled. Once the list of updates was completely populated, it gave him an estimated download time of 30 minutes with the landline connection, and 8 hours for the installation.
“Damn, those extra processors really do help,” Mike breathed, since it had taken Lena 12+ hours to install fewer updates.
Just as he started the update process, he felt the garage door opening beneath him, indicating that Lena had returned. Mike quickly rushed out of her room to go downstairs and join her, pausing briefly to drape a sheet over Elena’s body. Lena was just stepping into the house with a couple of shopping bags. Mike grabbed the heavier bags and walked with her upstairs.
“Aww, thank you, Mike!” Lena gushed as she followed him up. Mike quickly stopped to throw the clothes she had purchased into the washer, after removing all the tags, and then rejoined her in her room.
“Ah, I’m glad to see you finished with the registration,” Lena nodded approvingly, quickly perusing the update logs for Elena, “And my systems are detecting that you paired us together…as Cousin/Friends-With-Benefits,” she added, zoning out momentarily as she rebooted a few of her systems silently, her HUD now displaying a new window for her interface with Elena.
“I hope you approve,” Mike said with a slightly worried look.
“Oh, of course I do,” she reassured him, “Now, we’ll both be able to serve you far more efficiently.”
“Good,” Mike said, relieved, “I figured as much, which is why I did it.”
“I’m also glad you gave me admin privileges over her, since she had a record of acting a bit erratically,” Lena sighed.
“Yeah, well I tweaked her personality settings just a tad to hopefully curtail some of her negative behavior but suffice to say it’s very unlikely that I’ll be able to get her a position in security again like I am with you,” Mike grimaced, “She still has a bit of notoriety around here after all this time.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Lena shrugged, “anyway, since we’re in a bit of a waiting game anyway, why don’t we go down and heat up something for lunch?” She suggested, “It’s been several hours since we last ate and, according to my scans of you, you’re famished.” She switched her HUD from infrared back to normal to confirm.
Mike paused briefly when she said that and suddenly felt a brief wave of fatigue pass over him that he’d been holding in for the past hour or so. Mike could sometimes get this way; he would get so caught up in something that he would forget to eat.
“You’re right,” Mike smiled, quickly massaging his face and clapping. “I’ll probably say this a lot, Lena, but you’re the best thing that’s happened to me.”
“Aww,” Lena blushed.
Mike said nothing more, but merely walked with her down to the kitchen, holding her hand.
2.3: Remote Access
Mike and Lena heated up a few of his TV dinners for lunch, so they could quickly get back into the action of performing the necessary repairs and maintenance on Elena’s body while she installed six years’ worth of updates. They gave themselves further rest by chilling on the couch and watching a recorded TV show, before cleaning up their mess and returning to Lena’s room for the rest of the action.
When they returned, they saw that Elena still had about five hours to go on the updates, so they pulled the sheet off her body so they could get started on the maintenance.
“So, should we plug her body in now so we can run some diagnostics on it?” Mike asked, taking Lena’s lead, since she had more expertise in this area.
“Yeah, and we’ll also attach the canister of bio-fluid too while we’re at it,” she agreed.
“Okay then, let’s get started.” Mike rubbed his hands together excitedly and pressed the small freckle on the side of Elena’s torso, opening her charging port. He then grabbed Lena’s power cable from the desk and plugged her in. “I’m assuming we’re not gonna replace her power core.”
“Correct,” Lena nodded, opening Elena’s primary torso panel and then placing the top of her torso down on a side bench. As she was attaching the canister of bio-fluid, she explained further. “Elena actually already has a decent core, from the looks of it…and her small size makes the core that much more efficient.”
“Interesting, so, does that mean the real Lena was actually the same size you are now, and they had to make you…fatter?”
“A little,” Lena admitted with no hint of embarrassment, “I’m assuming that after wasting all that money on Elena initially, they decided to cut back when they commissioned me…but only in the power department.”
“That sucks! It wasn’t even your fault.”
Lena shrugged. “No use in worrying about it now, since I’m up to date now,” she smiled, “Now we won’t be able to get all of her parts up to date right away,” Lena admitted somewhat sadly, “But I’m sure at least some of my old parts are better than the ones she’s using right now,” she added a bit more hopefully.
“Well, considering she’s a bonus android, I’ll take what I can get,” Mike shrugged, digging all of Lena’s old parts from the box she’d stashed nearby.
Lena laughed at his comment, but said nothing, continuing her evaluation of Elena’s current hardware configuration. “Mike, could you hand me the pill canisters please?” Lena requested, after inspecting Elena’s digestive systems, “We might as well get started by replenishing her stores of Smart Sweat, artificial odor, and stomach acid”
“Sounds good, I’ll also grab a spare set of dust filters for her lungs while I’m at it,” Mike nodded, bending down and rifling through the collection of spare parts, including the ones they had acquired in the storage unit.
“Good idea,” Lena beamed, finishing her survey of the rest of Elena’s hardware, “It looks like everything in here is in relatively good condition,” she reported, pulling back out, “After you replace the filters and the pills, we should just need to perform the maintenance on her limbs and connection points, and then run the benchmarks.”
“How are we going to do the benchmarks if her brain is still running updates?” Mike asked, inserting the three pills into Elena’s ‘stomach’ and then moving on to her lungs to replace the filters; they were black.
“Well, since you were so kind as to give me administrator privileges over my young cousin here,” Lena said with a fond smile, gently patting Elena’s cheek, “I’ll be able to remotely connect to her MCN, much in the same way I could if my own head were disconnected and control her body remotely.”
“Cool!” Mike briefly felt a wave of arousal as he imagined that upcoming scene but controlled himself as he carefully replaced Elena’s lung filters. Once the filters were replaced, he threw away the old ones and then grabbed the repair kit so they could start the maintenance on Elena’s body.
Mike was fortunate that this time he was working in a team with Lena because, with her help, they were able to work twice as fast, especially when he noticed that Lena had located a similar repair kit in Elena’s case, so they were both able to use their own Subdermal Healer and set of nanite cuffs.
“Wow, these toolkits must be standard issue or something,” Mike joked, using the Subdermal Healer on Elena’s right arm, hand, leg, and foot, while Lena took care of Elena’s left limbs.
“Yeah,” Lena nodded, “us androids are highly sophisticated pieces of technology, so our manufacturers make sure we’re very well cared for,” she said, holding her chin high.
Once they were done with the healers and the cuffs, they quickly sprayed the connection points of all of Elena’s limbs, torso, and head with Electro-Air and then stood back to allow the spray to dry.
“Do we need to use any more tools now, or can we start reassembling her?” Mike asked, wiping his hands off and looking over Elena’s body.
“Aren’t you going to groom her hands and feet, like you did with mine?” Lena asked with a naughty smile.
Mike’s face instantly turned scarlet, but he just as quickly recovered. “Well, as much as I’d like to, I actually examined her hands and feet closely earlier,” he told her casually, “and it seems she was apparently given more time to clean herself before being put into storage.” He pointed to Elena’s clean nails.
Lena smiled knowingly and then quickly sized up Elena’s body, analyzing it for any additional maintenance issues that might be more easily tended to with Elena’s body in a dismantled state. Once her scan was complete, she nodded and said, “Alright then, let’s put her back together.”
Mike pumped his fists with excitement and then grabbed Elena’s left arm and leg, while Lena grabbed her right arm and leg, and they both clicked them on.
Since the benchmarks still needed to be completed, and because the head was missing its brain and scalp, they left the head detached. Also, since the body was still offline, the seams remained visible on the body, though that was immediately remedied when Lena pushed the power button on Elena’s power core. In addition to the seams sealing, the bio-fluid canister attached to Elena’s ‘heart’ began distributing the fluid throughout Elena’s body, bringing it back to life.
Once Lena placed Elena’s rib cage and chest panel back on, they stood back and admired Elena’s reassembled body. “Wow, she’s kinda cute,” Lena commented, gently stroking Elena’s shoulder.
“Yeah, she certainly was,” Mike mused, more memories of Elena resurfacing from seven years ago. Unlike with Lena, who typically just went home at the end of her shift, Mike had seen Elena wear less than just her uniform, because she would regularly hang out with people after she got off to chat with them. “So, do we need to do anything special for you to interface with her body?”
Lena shook her head, “Not really, I’ll just need to be sitting down the whole time, for safety.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, even with the awesome processor upgrade I got yesterday, and the multitude of software updates, I might still lack the processing power to control both her body and mine simultaneously,” she explained, zoning out momentarily as she ran a few simulations in her HUD. She then nodded her head. “Yeah, I just ran a simulation, and it confirmed that, in order to control her body, I’ll have to temporarily lose control of mine…minus my head, of course, since I won’t be using hers.”
Mike looked a little confused but intrigued at the same time. “Interesting, so how’s that going to work then?”
“Basically, I’ll be sitting motionless in my desk chair while I control Elena’s body for a quick benchmark,” she explained, “But I’ll still be able to move the head on my own body and speak with you with it.”
“Oh, okay, that makes sense,” Mike nodded, feeling slightly aroused at the thought of what was about to happen.
Lena calmly sat down in her desk chair, once Mike was fully aware of what was about to happen. She then accessed the new Remote Access tab in her HUD, compliments of her new admin privileges into Elena’s systems, and prepared to remotely control Elena’s body. After acknowledging the various pop-up warnings about Elena’s head being detached, insufficient processing power to operate two whole bodies, and the fact that Elena’s body only had about 20% power, she was nearly ready, her mental mouse hovering over the “Start” icon.
“Alright, I’m ready to start if you are,” Lena warned him, relaxing her body on the chair so it wouldn’t fall over.
“I’m ready,” Mike nodded, looking from Lena to Elena rapidly, to see if he could spot the transition time.
“Ok, here goes,” Lena told him, activating the remote link. She immediately lost control of her body below her cranial separation point, feeling her body relaxed, and then she began accessing Elena’s MCN, slowly accessing each system until she finally had full sensation. Since it had been years since Elena’s body had moved, Lena had to run the basic motion diagnostic like she had done in her own body.
Mike watched as Elena’s body slowly came to life, twitching its limbs and wiggling its toes and fingers. “Is everything alright?” Mike asked, slightly worried, “Is the remote link working?”
“Oh yeah, everything’s fine,” Lena assured him, continuing the motor diagnostic of Elena’s body, “It’s just…her body hasn’t moved in over six years, so I just need to wake up the muscles and servos.”
“Oh, yeah, I forgot you had to do that in your own body when I first found you.” Mike said in a relieved voice.
“Don’t worry,” Lena giggled reassuringly, “I’ll be finished in less than one minute.” Lena continued the diagnostic, making Elena’s body wiggle around on the table, exaggerating it slightly for Mike’s amusement.
Finally, less than a minute later, Lena had full natural control of Elena’s body, so she carefully had it sit up, swing its legs off the table, hop down to the floor, and stand at attention in front of Mike so he could inspect it.
Although Elena had a smaller appearance overall than Lena, it did not in any way detract from her attractiveness. Mike found he was able to enjoy her naked appearance even better, now that it was livelier, and standing up with gravity affecting it. He did a quick walk around it, admiring the details that were obviously transferred over from the real Elena: Various freckles, skin imperfections, and birthmarks.
“How does it feel to be remotely controlling Elena’s body?” Mike asked, curious and to how Lena would describe it. He allowed his fingers to run the course of her back and arms.
“To be honest, it feels like it’s my natural body, since I have complete control over it,” Lena shrugged, though the shrug was mostly executed by Elena’s body, “Obviously I can tell the differences, since her body is smaller, and the hardware is more dated, but I can feel everything it feels, and move it just as naturally as I could my own.” She bounced around on her toes a few times.
“Interesting,” Mike mused, still finding it odd that Lena was speaking from her own body, her head still completely alive and animated on her own motionless body, but all the gestures and movement occurring with Elena’s headless body.
Mike then noticed that Elena’s body still had all its hair, even though he’d listed in the preferences for it to be removed. “How come the hair didn’t fall off, like with you?” he asked, gingerly feeling the long, curly pubic hair and giving it a light tug to see if it was loose.
Lena blushed as she felt him touching Elena’s privates. “Oh, that’s because the preferences are in Elena’s A.I., not in mine,” Lena told him, “Since I’m only controlling her remotely, the preferences you selected in me don’t apply to her, so you’ll need to wait until her A.I. is integrated with her body later.”
“Oh, okay,” Mike nodded, then shook it off, “Anyway, how are we going to go about this benchmark?”
Lena scrunched her face as she thought about it a second. “Well, we don’t need to be as comprehensive as with me, since we aren’t upgrading or replacing any of her internals at this time,” Lena started, “Basically, I’ll just need to walk around the upstairs a few times, maybe go up and down the stairs a few times as well and lift various objects.”
“I see,” Mike nodded, “And that’s just to test out Elena’s body to make sure everything is in perfect working order?”
“Exactly.” Lena smiled, “you’re catching on quick,” she winked.
Mike smiled and quickly looked up at one of the monitors Lena had mounted on the wall to monitor her vital stats. It was also displaying a small window with her current POV, and he could see a tiny section of the window that was displaying the feed from Elena’s neck camera.
“Well, I can see that you can see with Elena’s neck camera, but I’d still like to follow you while you walk around, for safety purposes,” Mike told her, since he knew she couldn’t see nearly as well with only the neck camera.
“That’s a good idea,” Lena agreed, “Especially since her MCN can’t quite handle the same distance as mine can, since it’s an older model,” she added.
“Well, fortunately I have a small home, so you shouldn’t have to worry,” he assured her, “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to be able to speak through Elena’s body somehow without the head, would you?”
“No,” Lena told him regrettably, “You could do that with my body now, since the new MCN has a speaker built into it, but Elena’s MCN is an older model and doesn’t have that function.”
“Oh well, I’m sure we can upgrade it later when our bank accounts have recovered a bit” Mike shrugged, “I’m sure if you need something, you could just shout.”
Lena laughed, “Oh yes, I certainly can.”
“Well, are you ready to get started then?” Mike asked, eager to get started on the benchmark.
“Yeah, just I’m just going to run one final check on her motor systems and then I’ll get started,” Lena nodded. She then wiggled all of Elena’s fingers and toes, shook her entire body, making the breasts jiggle, and bounced around on her toes. She then pulled out the charging cable, still plugged into Elena’s side, and saw that Elena’s body had only recharged to about 21%; she left the port open. “More than enough,” Lena thought to herself. Then, with a satisfactory grunt she had Elena’s body start walking towards the door, with Mike following closely behind.
Just as with her own body, Lena had Elena’s body walk in a rather exaggerated way, emphasizing the swinging of her arms and the pacing of her steps. After the first few laps, though, she relaxed it into a more normal walk. Mike only had to assist her a few times on the first lap, since there was a pile of laundry piled up near the washing machine that he had to redirect her around and then nudge out of the way.
Once Lena finished having Elena’s body pace around upstairs for about ten laps to Mike’s bathroom and back into er room near the back, she then began her laps up and down the stairs, walking all the way down, into the kitchen, and then all the way back up, stopping at the washer/dryer. Mike could see small amounts of perspiration forming on Elena’s body in all the right places, indicating that the perspiration tank was operating normally after all this time, and indicating the amount of exertion the laps were taking. Mike certainly felt like he was getting a workout, perspiring himself, and huffing and puffing along behind Elena’s body.
After another ten laps with the stairs, Lena had Elena’s body return to her room and do squats for one whole minute before having it stop and stand back at attention.
“All done?” Mike asked, sitting back down in one of the spare chairs to catch his breath.
“For now,” Lena shrugged, “Elena’s body is almost out of power, so I didn’t want to risk doing much more,” she said regrettably.
“I see,” Mike nodded, since it had only been plugged in for a short time, “But I assume everything works fine?”
“Yeah, Elena’s body is in surprisingly good condition, considering how old she is.” Lena replied happily.
“Well, to be honest, due to her behavior, they ended up sticking her in the garage booths most of the time,” Mike said wryly, “as such, she didn’t exactly get that much physical activity.”
“Oh, that would certainly explain it,” Lena laughed, “When I was posted in the lobby for my first few months, my systems stayed pretty pristine,” she explained, “But, when I moved to Grave shift and was walking around a lot more, then I suddenly needed more regular maintenance.”
“Interesting,” Mike mused, “So, if you were allowed to return to work, would you prefer to patrol around like before, or would you want to walk around?”
Lena considered it for a while before finally answering. “Honestly, I don’t really have a preference,” she replied, “Sitting down has its own downsides, such as causing our joints and servos to stop working at peak efficiency,” she explained, “And walking around causes our batteries to drain more quickly, and our joints need more maintenance.”
“Huh, so either way, you guys are high maintenance,” Mike joked.
“Yeah,” Lena laughed, “Why do you ask?”
“Well, I was thinking…I could try and get you into the dispatch center, since they’re always having trouble staffing on Grave shift, and they have more burnout since it’s more work,” he told her, “I know for certain they wouldn’t mind having an android like you, since customer service is literally their number one priority and you’re literally programmed for it.”
“Indeed, I am,” Lena beamed, “and, it would have a higher pay rate too,” she added with a mischievous wink.
“Yes, it would,” Mike winked back.
“Well, if you could arrange it, then I’d love to work in dispatch,” Lena told him, “I really loved helping people, since it basically justifies my existence and I wouldn’t have to worry about running low on power if I worked a long shift because I could just plug myself in since I’d be sitting the whole time.”
“Alright, I’ll send the manager an e-mail later then,” Mike told her with a smile, “He owes me a favor anyway, so I’m sure he’ll allow it.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed then…. figuratively speaking,” Lena smiled.
“I wonder if Elena would want to work again?” Mike mused, “Although, with the reputation I’m sure she still has, and her behavior, I probably wouldn’t want her working in the security department.”
“Yeah, probably not a good idea,” Lena agreed.
“Well, maybe I could get her into one of the cafes or something,” Mike shrugged, “Their manager owes me some favors too.”
“Well, ask Elena when she’s back online,” Lena pointed out, “You may be her owner now, but she might have her own opinion to consider.”
“You’re right,” Mike nodded, “I can’t wait to talk to her again.”
“And I can’t wait to meet her,” Lena added.
Mike looked back at the terminal, still displaying Elena’s current update progress. It currently showed she still had approximately 3.5 hours left.
“Lena, I know Elena’s body is almost out of power, but do you think you could have it try and lift me up?” Mike requested, curious to see if Elena’s body was up to the task.
Lena zoned out for a few seconds as her A.I. Analyzed the remaining power in Elena’s core, how heavy Mike was, and the results of the recent movement benchmarks. “Sure, but I must warn you that there’s an 83% chance her body will run out of power while it’s lifting you,” she warned him, “would you still like me to try?” She knew there was a 95% chance he’d say yes, since that would probably end up turning him on, but her programming still required his consent in case it caused an injury.
Mike smiled and said, “Sure, I trust you’ll keep me safe somehow.”
“Alright then, here goes,” Lena smiled. She then had Elena’s body walk up to Mike, grab on to his sides, and then activate emergency power to slowly lift him up with a loud whine of servos.
Just as with Lena’s body, Elena’s body effortlessly lifted Mike up as though he weighed nothing. Mike was astounded by the engineering that was involved in building these extremely realistic androids, even allowing them to lift so much weight in an emergency. Lena had Elena’s body lift Mike as high as its arm would allow, but when she attempted to gently lower Mike down, she suddenly lost control of Elena’s body due to power failure with Mike only 40% lowered.
Mike instantly knew Elena’s body had powered down, because he saw the lights in the exposed neck power down, and Elena’s body seemed to tighten its grip on him and shift its stance before stiffening up. He attempted to wiggle, but Lena stopped him.
“Wait, don’t move!” She shouted, rising from her desk chair, back in full control of her own body, “her MCN froze the body in a stable stance as a safety protocol since it knows it was holding a live human,” Lena explained, “But if you move around too much it could make her body topple over, injuring you, and damaging it.”
“Okay,” Mike nodded, relaxing in Elena’s grip. He couldn’t help but be slightly turned on by this moment, stuck in the grasp of a frozen, naked, headless android woman. He could just barely smell the minor amount of perspiration that had formed from the effort of her benchmarks from earlier, as well as lifting him up. “Well, how are you going to get me down then?” He asked in an amused voice.
“I’ll have to plug her in really quick,” Lena told him, grabbing the charging cable and bringing it over to Elena’s side. She plugged it into the still open charging port and then sat back down in her chair. She zoned out for a few seconds as she attempted to interface with Elena’s MCN once more, waiting for the obligatory 30-seconds to pass before there was enough power to activate the MCN. “Okay, I’m going to control Elena again and slowly lower you down, so prepare yourself.”
“Okay,” Mike nodded once more. He suddenly saw the light reactivate in Elena’s exposed neck mechanics, and her body unstiffened and slowly lowered him down to the ground, releasing him only when he had regained his footing. Lena then made Elena’s body climb carefully back onto the table, laying down in its previous position, before terminating her connection and powering Elena’s body back down so it could recharge faster.
Once Elena’s body was powered back down, Lena once more regained control of her body and rose back to her feet to tend to Elena’s body, making sure the charging cable was still connected properly.
“So, is there anything else we need to do for her right now?” Mike asked, wondering what to do next.
“Not really,” Lena admitted, “The work went by pretty fast, especially with both of us helping each other, and with us not really needing to do any major repairs or maintenance on her body.” Lena then looked back at the terminal, with three hours remaining on Elena’s updates, and sighed. “I’m afraid that, for right now, we’re in a waiting game.”
Mike sighed as well, eager to speak with Elena once more, and to maybe find out more details about how she came to be stored in that storage facility. “Well, perhaps we might have some luck with decrypting those files?” Mike suggested while looking at Lena’s main terminal, which was still working on decrypting all of George’s files.
Lena nodded, sat back down in her chair, and wheeled it back over to the main terminal. While Mike slowly followed her over, giving Elena’s body a quick pat on the leg, Lena typed away rapidly to check the progress. “Meh, it’s still taking a while,” she said wryly, “This guy really was paranoid.”
“Well, if I’d been in his position, I would have been too,” Mike chuckled, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Not with the decryption, but while we’re waiting for Elena to finish, I may as well give you a small android class,” she smiled.
“Android class?” Mike laughed.
“Yeah, you kinda had to learn a few things on the fly the last couple days, since I was dismantled for most of the time, but there’s a lot of stuff that you’ll need to know, now that you’re the proud owner of two androids,” Lena explained.
“Well, alright then,” Mike said, clapping his hands excitedly, “What do I need to learn?”
“Why don’t you run down and grab your laptop, and I’ll grab a chair for you to sit on,” Lena suggested, rising to her feet.
“Okay.” Mike literally bolted from the room, rushing downstairs to grab his main laptop, while Lena wheeled over a spare chair that she’d stashed in her closet.
When he returned, he booted up his computer and then sat patiently for the next few hours while Lena explained all the subtle nuances of owning an android.
2.4: New Roommate
Mike was entranced during Lena’s patient teaching of basic android owning necessities, such as the need for proper maintenance, making sure to keep up with registration, and the various rules and procedures for owning an android.
Lena explained that usually a prospective owner would have reviewed the training materials before they would even be allowed to purchase an android but, with the second-hand business making Spaztec so much money, and with the popular finders-keepers clause, androids had now been programmed to go over this with their new owners after they had a chance to settle in.
To start, Lena installed the same suite of tools on his personal laptop that had been present on the 2-in-1 laptop included in her case when Mike had found her the previous day. Now, Mike could access all the tools for both Lena and Elena from the same suite, and with the added benefit of his larger laptop screen, and newer hardware and software.
Lena then briefly went over the history of Spaztec, and what made its androids better than its competitors. She then glossed over the rules, most of which seemed common sense, such as: don’t use your android to commit crimes, and the consequences of abusing your android. Mike chuckled when he saw a quote saying, “Androids have feeling too.” Lena explained that abused androids could potentially turn hostile, though there had been only one case more than ten years earlier, and Spaztec thinks they fixed the issue...but can’t be certain.
Next, Lena provided him with a list of approved vendors, stores, and technicians in his neighborhood who could either fix Lena, or Elena, or provide him with approved parts should either of them be rendered offline or otherwise unable to assist him.
She then went over the added benefits of having both linked together, such as being able to perform remote diagnostics on one another, assist one another with pending tasks, and communicate their experiences to improve one another.
Finally, after glossing through the various settings on the terminal once more, she finished with emergency overrides, such as the manual power toggles located behind their left ears and the base of the spine, as well as voice commands.
“So, we already went over the voice commands before, but how exactly does it work?” Mike stopped her, looking at the list, “I mean, will it work even if you’re malfunctioning?”
“Yes, in most cases,” she nodded, “Basically, it’s just in case you’re too far away from us to trigger our manual power toggles while we’re malfunctioning so you can turn us off more quickly to prevent damage,” Lena explained patiently.
“And it does have to phrased it like an actual command, with your name at the beginning,” he remembered.
“Of course,” Lena nodded, “otherwise my A.I. might be force to interpret everything as a command.”
“And it’s keyed to my voice only,” Mike continued, “How did you guys get my voice print?”
“Oh, that’s simple,” Lena laughed, “Basically, if you’ve spent more than five minutes chatting with either of us, or at least spoken our name a few times, that’s all we really need to create a voice print of you.”
“Huh, it’s almost scary how easy it is, but not too surprising,” Mike conceded.
“Meh, we can’t really do much else with it without permission, but, if you did give it, I’ve definitely got enough voice print data on you to perfectly replicate your voice with my vocal processors,” she offered, “I don’t know about Elena, but I definitely do,” she added smugly.
“Wow, we’ll have to try that later,” Mike laughed, wondering what it would look like for Lena to speak with his voice. He glanced back at the terminal displaying Elena’s update progress, and got excited when he saw it had less than five minutes to go. “Ooh, she’s almost done!”
Lena glanced back over and smiled. “Good, she’s a little ahead of schedule.” She then noticed the look of excitement on Mike’s face, “Are you really looking forward to talking to her again?”
“Yeah, she was kinda fun and now that she’s my android, hopefully she’ll be even funner,” Mike answered, “At the very least, having another ‘person’ around will allow us to play something other than two player games.”
“Yeah,” Lena agreed, “although, I’m sure we could have come up with some workaround for that minor snag,” Lena winked.
“I’m sure, but Elena brings a more unique element, just as you do,” Mike pointed out, “some random A.I. without personality wouldn’t be as much fun to play against.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Lena conceded, “and I certainly have a personality,” Lena giggled.
“Oh, I know…and so does Elena, from what I remember,” Mike nodded, seeing the timer was down to three minutes, “Should we maybe reattach Elena’s head to her body now so it’s ready to go before we insert her brain?”
Lena thought for a split second before nodding, “Yeah, it’ll at least allow the bio-fluid to start circulating, and for us to knock out her motor diagnostic.”
“Excellent, I’ll get started on that while you monitor the final phase of her update progress,” Mike told her, grabbing Elena’s scalp-less head and clicking it onto the torso.
Lena merely nodded and sat down at her terminal, diligently monitoring Elena’s A.I.
As soon as Mike had Elena’s head attached, he pressed the power toggle behind the left ear and watched as the Bio-Fluid brought the skin to a more lifelike appearance. Shortly after, Elena’s face sprung to life, running the same motor tests that Lena’s had, such as blinking its eyes, working the jaw up and down, and cycling through a few basic expressions. The only difference was, unlike with Lena’s head that was detached and had no Bio-Fluid, Elena’s was attached, and the Bio-Fluid quickly circulated through her face, making the whirring and clicking noises vanish.
Since Elena’s brain was still removed, as soon as the motor tests completed, the face went dormant, so Mike powered the head off until the brain was ready to be reinserted.
“Alright, Elena’s brain is rebooting to finalize the last wave of updates,” Lena reported, “Once its rebooted and completed the initial diagnostics, I’ll reinsert it.”
“Alright,” Mike nodded eagerly, “and I’ll go ahead and unplug her too since her battery’s fully charged.” Mike carefully removed the charging cable from Elena’s open charging port and resealed it, placing the charging cable back over near Lena.
“Thanks,” Lena beamed, walking over and removing Elena’s brain from the connector, “could you lift up Elena’s head for me while I insert her brain and reattach her scalp?”
“No problem,” Mike smiled, gently grabbing hold of Elena’s head and upper torso and lifting it up. Once he had it in a steady position, Lena carefully reinserted Elena’s brain and then carefully reattached the scalp, gently laying the hair along the sides of her face as Mike carefully lowered Elena’s upper body back down on the table.
“Alright, moment of truth,” Lena said excitedly, “I’ll let you do the honors of activating her while I make sure to ready my remote link on her in case she malfunctions or something. Lena quickly pulled up the remote interface section of her HUD and stood by.
Mike merely nodded and gulped a bit nervously, not sure what to expect. Sure, he’d had a few friendly interactions with Elena during the time he worked with her, but they had never actually been friends. He wasn’t sure how she’d treat him, now that they were suddenly friends-with-benefits. Still, Mike was confident that her new programming would allow him to control her a tad better than her previous owner, and with Lena helping as well…certainly nothing could go wrong.
Mike gently pressed the power toggle behind Elena’s left ear once more, standing back and watching all her systems come online. He briefly heard her systems power up, and then her internal sound dampeners kicked in and muted them. Her body twitched a few times as it ran some basic motor tests, and then both her eyes opened, scanned the room, and focused on Mike’s eyes. He perceived a look of recognition in her brown eyes before her face suddenly sprung to life.
“Wow, hey Mike! I never thought I’d see you again.” She gave him a big smile; the same one she gave everyone. She slowly sat up and repositioned herself so that she was sitting on the edge of the table, with her legs swinging playfully over the edge.
“Hey Elena,” Mike said, returning her big smile, “I can’t say I ever thought I’d see you again either,” he admitted, “or that you could possibly be an android,” he added wryly.
“Yeah, you caught me,” she joked, holding her hands out mockingly, “Those dorks at the branch wanted to salt their diversity numbers, so they had me created to help them out.”
“Yeah, so Lena told me,” Mike nodded, focusing Elena’s attention onto Lena.
“Oh, Lena,” Elena said, focusing her eyes on Lena, “You must be the android they brought in to replace me…I hope your time there was more enjoyable than mine.”
“Hey Elena,” Lena said in her friendly voice, slightly caught off guard by Elena’s more energetic and slightly salty nature, “I suppose I did have a better time,” she admitted, somewhat shyly, “I ended up lasting almost two years, before…”
“I think we can catch her up on all that later,” Mike interjected, knowing Lena would likely go into a huge spiel, “suffice to say, all hell broke loose around that time,” Mike laughed.
Lena nodded somewhat meekly, unoffended by Mike interrupting her.
“Well, Lena, I can see we’re now programmed to be cousins and friends-with-benefits now, or whatever,” Elena said, zoning out momentarily as she scanned her new programming, “the real Elena never had any family, so I’m glad to have you,” she continued, “anyway, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with my Latina-from-the hood behavior, it’s all just stuff programmed into me by my donor personality…just like I’m sure your meekness is.”
“Hey, I’m not meek!” Lena complained, “I’m just nice.”
“Well, compared to me, you’re pretty meek,” Elena laughed, then she brushed the topic away with her hand before Lena could say anything else, “Anyway, it’s nice to have a family member,” Elena said, holding her hand out.
“Likewise,” Lena smiled, taking Elena’s hand and shaking it. She also closed her remote interface to Elena from her HUD, since she determined Elena was functioning perfectly and in no danger of malfunctioning or harming them in any way.
“Anyway, according to my wireless connection, I’ve been cooped up in that box for the last six years, two months, one week, and three days,” Elena reported, “and I’m detecting you guys gave me a couple more processors to max out my performance and even installed all my updates…. thanks!”
“You’re welcome,” Mike smiled.
“Yeah, I donated two of my older processors to you, since they were the same model,” Lena informed her.
“Older…you mean, you got upgrades, and I got your hand me downs,” Elena accused Lena mockingly, then laughed.
“Well, I was smart enough to invest my earnings into a savings account that paid me dividends,” Lena explained, “during the five plus years I was stored at CloudTron…more on that later…my money grew to the point where I was able to afford some nice upgrades for myself,” Lena finished smugly.
“Aww, I’m so jealous,” Elena said, slumping down dramatically.
“Yeah, I spent the last day and half upgrading and fixing up Lena here after I found her in a storage room the other day,” Mike explained, “then, we went to George’s storage unit, based on Lena’s memories, and were surprised to find you there. We were under the impression you’d been decommissioned. What happened?”
Elena blushed a little and then responded, “Well, I think it’s obvious that George decided to keep me,” she replied quickly, “though, not quite for what you might think.”
“Oh?” Mike and Lena both asked.
“Well, I mean, he kept me around to help out with some chores and stuff while he was at work,” Elena explained, “but…I mean, you know he was gay, right?”
Mike and Lena both nodded.
“Exactly,” Elena laughed nervously, “So, anyway, to put it short, he was hoping to purchase a penis attachment for me so he could have sex with me. He couldn’t afford a male android on his own, and he’d been allowed to keep me instead of decommissioning me, so he figured I was his best option.”
“Oh wow,” Mike nodded his head. Lena had a similar reaction. “How did he convince SSS to let them keep you?” Mike asked incredulously, “I take it he didn’t mention that he wanted to turn you into a shemale.”
“No, of course not!” Elena giggled, “Actually, he convinced them that allowing him to keep me would give him the opportunity to use me as more of a flex officer, instead of a full-time one,” she explained, “but, ultimately, they ended up not needing me, so he just used me for odd jobs and chores.” Elena shrugged.
“And what about the penis attachment?” Mike asked curiously, “Did he ever manage to purchase one and attach it to you?”
“No,” Elena shook her head sadly. “Ultimately, the penis attachments were too expensive for him, since he was struggling with bills, and he also decided that he probably wouldn’t find a shemale as attractive to have sex with as an actual male. It wasn’t long after he came to that realization that he decided to simply decommission me and place me in storage.”
“Well, its fortunate he ended up keeping you, regardless of the circumstances,” Mike shrugged, “at least it gave me the chance to find you and make you my own.”
Elena gave Mike a huge grin and a thumbs up. “Yeah, thanks man!”
“Don’t mention it,” Mike blushed, “and I’m not sure how well George treated you, but I can promise you that I’m a benevolent owner,” he assured her, “I mean, just ask Lena here.”
“Yeah, he’s treated me very well,” Lena agreed, “Though, I’ve only been her for a couple days, so I don’t have too many data points to give you a complete picture,” Lena added with a playful smile.
“Hey!” Mike complained mockingly.
Lena stuck out her tongue and smiled. “I’m just teasing! Actually, he was quite kind to me when we worked together, so I can tell he’ll be a great owner for us.”
Mike couldn’t help but be touched by Lena’s confidence and trust in him. He only hoped to continue to earn it. He then noticed that Elena was still sitting on the edge of the table. “Elena, would you like to step down off the table?”
“Oh, yes,” she nodded, “But, you listed in my settings that I shouldn’t have any body hair and they’ll fall off as soon as I stand up,” she explained, “I figured you might want to grab a sheet or blanket or something for me to stand on so all the hair can fall on it, instead of the floor,” she suggested.
“Ah, you must’ve remembered that I’m a clean freak,” Mike laughed, stepping into Lena’s bathroom and grabbing a spare towel, laying it on the floor in front of Elena.
“How could I forget?” She laughed, “you were always so fastidious!”
“And still am,” Mike chuckled. “Would you like some help stepping down?”
“Yes, please,” she nodded, “I can tell Lena here likely tested my body out while you guys were updating me earlier, but my own A.I. still needs to adjust to the time spent cooped up, not to mention the six years of updates.”
“Not a problem,” Mike assured her. He gently grabbed hold of both her hands and helped her step down onto the towel. As soon as she was standing, she zoned out momentarily and then a cascade of tiny body hair began falling from everywhere on her body below her neck, falling neatly onto the towel. After Mike neatly brushed off the hair that had fallen onto Elena’s feet, he stood back to allow her to step off.
True to her statement, Elena stumbled just a little bit at first as her newly updated A.I. adjusted to her programming and extended storage. She paced around the far end of the room near the window for nearly a minute, recalibrating her motion subroutines, before walking back over to Mike and Lena with a friendly smile.
“Wow, I feel good as new guys. Thanks!”
Mike couldn’t help but admire Elena’s fully reassembled, and now hairless body. Unlike when Lena had been operating it remotely before, Elena’s body now had her distinctive slouch and all her usual mannerisms to go with it. It was displays like this that made Mike truly admire the complexity of these androids.
“Do you like what you see?” Elena asked coquettishly, flaunting her body a little as she noticed Mike admiring it.
“Yeah, you look great!” Mike told her, blushing a little.
Elena giggled at the attention she was receiving. “So, Lena, are you still using the same hardware from like five years ago too?”
Mike looked a little confused, since they had already gone over that earlier. “Elena, we already kinda answered that question earlier,” he pointed out, “are you having trouble with your memories?”
Elena looked shocked and then zoned out as she ran a quick diagnostic. She quickly confirmed that a few seconds of memories had indeed not been properly stored in her memories and were lost. “Aww, darn…looks like I had a small malfunction,” she apologized, “you’ll have to answer it again.”
“It’s okay, we don’t mind,” Mike assured her, “Lena, want to tell her?” he asked slyly.
Lena looked slightly guilty but answered honestly. “Actually, I was able to upgrade just about everything.”
“What! Hey, how come I didn’t get any fancy upgrades?!” Elena spluttered, looking at Mike and Lena with an accusatory glare.
“Um…well…” Mike stammered, not sure how to respond, but fortunately, Lena stepped in.
“Well, when I was still in service, I managed to save up and invest my excess earnings,” she explained, “The earnings were still locked in the accounts I opened and had grown tremendously, so I was able to use some of that money to purchase some nice upgrades for myself…I also had to reimburse Mike here for the registration fee for both you, and myself.”
Elena suddenly looked a little guilty. “Oh…I didn’t invest anything…will I still be able to get some nice upgrades, though?” She asked nicely.
“Well, I already told Lena here that I could look into getting her a job back in the security department,” Mike explained, “you, however, still have something of a reputation even after all this time so I most likely won’t be able to get you back in as well,” he told her delicately.
“Aww man, I figured,” Elena shrugged, “But hey, at least I made an impression…even if it was a bad one.”
Mike couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m friends with the café manager so maybe I could get you working for them instead,” he offered.
“Meh,” Elena shrugged, “whatever you want…you’re my owner now, after all.”
“Do you want to work and make money?” Mike asked, “I don’t want to force you into anything.”
“Oh, don’t mistake my indifference for not wanting to,” Elena assured him, “It’s just my personality…I just meant, I’m open to anything. My primary purpose is to serve you, and making money could help you pay the rent here and offset any maintenance and upgrade costs for me.”
“Good! I’ll speak to the manager when I see him next.” Mike smiled.
“Thanks Mike, I really appreciate it,” Elena told him in a relieved voice, “I know I’ve only been active again for a few minutes, but so far you are a WAY better owner than George was.”
“Wow, thanks!” Mike beamed, “I take it he didn’t have much patience for you.”
“Not at all,” Elena shuddered, “although, it may have had more to do with his lack of technical expertise, and his general discomfort with trying to hide the fact that I was an android and that SSS was cheating the diversity counts by having me staffed.”
“And you weren’t an attractive male android,” Lena added with a smirk.
“That too,” Elena laughed.
“Well, I do have at least some technical expertise,” Mike assured her, “and Lena here just gave me a three-hour crash course on basic android care.”
Lena beamed.
“And, according to my new programming, not only do you not mind androids, but you also seem to have a sort of fetish about them too,” Elena added with a naughty smile.
“Yeah, a little,” Mike blushed.
“Well, now that we’re Friends-With-Benefits, I can certainly play with your fetishes a bit,” Elena assured him. Then, she looked down at her naked body, and at Lena and Mike, who were both clothed. “So, do I have any clothes to wear? I feel a bit out of place being the only naked on in the room.”
“Oh,” Mike flushed, “we actually bought you some cheap clothes to wear until you can pick some out for yourself,” he explained, “But they’re still in the wash.”
“Oh, okay…no prob,” she shrugged.
“If it would make you more comfortable, I could take my clothes off,” Lena offered politely.
“Sure, why not?” Elena laughed, “how about you Mike? Are you comfortable in your birthday suit?” She teased, while Lena started taking her clothes off.
“Actually, yes,” Mike admitted truthfully, “I just wore clothes so that I didn’t have an accident while working on your body,” he winked, taking his clothes off as well.
“Wow, good call,” Elena laughed. She then briefly admired Mike and Lena’s naked bodies. “Wow Mike, you seem to have bulked up a bit since I last saw you,” she nodded approvingly, taking a quick 3D scan of him with her HUD and comparing it to her last known measurements.
“Yeah, well it has been more than seven years,” he pointed out modestly, “and I decided to get into better shape a few years ago.”
“Well, you look good,” she complimented, then focused her attention on Lena, “and I see the upgrades allowed you to slim down a bit,” she told Lena.
“Yeah,” Lena blushed, “Now I’m much closer to the real Lena’s size…wait, did you see me before I was activated?”
“Oh, yeah…sorry,” Elena admitted, “Only for a bit, when George was setting you up in that storage unit,” she added quickly, “I had to help him with your case, since it was heavy.”
“Oh yeah, tell me about it!” Mike laughed; Lena smiled wryly. “When I found her in the storage room at CloudTron, I had to wrestle her into my car and then back out of it when we got home.”
“Well, sounds like you had more of an adventure finding Lena than you did me,” Elena laughed, “I suppose that’s good…at least you had plenty of rest before starting work on me, otherwise I’d expect a few more malfunctions.”
“Yeah, it certainly was fun,” Mike admitted, “So, Elena, are there any other androids you’re aware of ever having worked there?” He asked, “or is it just you two?”
Lena and Elena both looked at each other, sending each other a series of remote messages, before Elena finally responded. “As far as I know, it was just us two,” she answered honestly, “However, since both of us were in storage for 5-7 years, we can’t be certain if the current security vendor has added any androids to the roster.”
“It is possible that CloudTron themselves have android employees, or even the other vendors like janitorial or the café staff,” Lena chimed in, “But we wouldn’t be aware of them if there were.”
“You can’t tell a person is an android when you’re in close contact?” Mike asked.
“We can,” Lena nodded, “we each give off wireless signals and such to identify each other, and we can also send each other messages or share information.”
“What we’re saying is that we’re not aware of any other androids in the security department, specifically,” Elena clarified, “I did notice a couple of other androids in other departments while I was there, but I’m not sure if they still work there or not.”
“I saw some too,” Lena confirmed, “and, although we’re not specifically programmed not to tell you a person is an android, we also aren’t supposed to broadcast it either.”
“Yeah,” Elena nodded, “You’d have to be standing next to us incessantly asking us, ‘are they an android?’ In order for us to tell you.”
“I see,” Mike nodded, “I’m just making sure I’m not gonna find another android while cleaning another storage room at work,” Mike laughed nervously, “Not that I wouldn’t mind, but I think just having the two of you is enough for me.”
“Aww, that’s sweet,” Lena and Elena said in almost perfect unison, “But don’t be surprised if you do,” Lena told him seriously.
Mike chuckled. “So, anyway, Elena, would you like a quick tour of my home?” He offered, since Elena hadn’t yet left Lena’s room.
“Of course, thanks!” Elena responded cheerfully, bouncing up and down, causing her breasts to jiggle.
Mike fought hard to sustain an erection and instead headed towards the door, with Lena and Elena following closely behind him.
2.5: Three's Company
Mike spent a good ten minutes giving Elena a full tour of his rather modest home. Just like Lena had, Elena spent some time running an inventory of Mike’s supplies and also linked herself up with the shared database Lena had begun compiling for them both to access and use as a shared to-do list.
Since they were all naked, Mike couldn’t take Elena outside to the backyard, but he did show it to her from the tinted-out windows so she could attempt to form a yard work schedule based on the size and state of his tree, and the artificial turf.
Before they headed up, they each grabbed a small snack and drink since Elena’s stomach was empty and needed to be jumpstarted. They then headed back up to Lena’s room.
Upon their arrival Lena suddenly rushed to George’s computer, which had finally finished decrypting the data he had stored on it. She interfaced with the computer remotely and spent a few seconds rapidly analyzing all the data before reporting it.
“Well, anything interesting?” Mike asked, pulling a fold up chair out of the closet for Elena and setting it up next to his near where Lena was sitting.
“Yes, and no,” Lena reported cryptically, using her HUD to summarize the information and then bring it up on her computer screen. “Basically, he was collecting dirt on SSS.”
“No surprise there,” Mike guffawed, “he was paranoid.”
Elena giggled at Mike and Lena’s banter but said nothing.
Lena giggled too, but kept reporting, “Anyway, he was working under cover for the Justice Department, feeding them information. Just before the chaos erupted, he called me in and told me I was being decommissioned…but, evidently, he never really had any plans on decommissioning me.”
“He didn’t?!” Mike burst.
“No, it seemed he planned on moving me into the storage unit with Elena…but was interrupted…” Lena continued.
“Yeah, by his suicide, right?” Mike asked.
“No…apparently, he was murdered,” she reported sadly, pulling up a video that apparently seemed to be taken from George’s POV. The footage was listed as coming from a hidden camera installed in both of George’s contact lenses. Mike recognized the culprit as being one of the HR managers; Mike never liked him.
“Wow,” was all Mike and Elena could say.
“Yeah,” Lena agreed, “and it looks like he had set up a heart rate monitor to upload the footage to his computer and send it to the Justice Department upon his death,” she continued, “However, while the video was able to successfully download onto his computer, a glitch prevented it from uploading it to the Justice Department.”
“Well, why don’t we forward the information over to them then?” Mike suggested.
“It wouldn’t do any good, I’m afraid. I did some quick research, and the person who murdered George was later incarcerated, and then shanked to death in a prison riot a few months later,” Lena explained.
“Shouldn’t we still report it though?” Mike argued.
“That wouldn’t be a good idea,” Lena nodded, “according to my research, all parties involved are either dead or incarcerated already, so it wouldn’t really change anything,” she explained, “but, if you were to bring new evidence, the Justice Department could potentially confiscate Elena and I as evidence, regardless of the Finders Keepers clause.”
A chill ran down Mike’s spine as he thought of the implications…he didn’t want to lose either of them. He gulped and then carefully responded. “Alright then, we don’t report it,” he decided with resolve.
“Alright,” Lena nodded solemnly, “I don’t want to be put into storage again,” she shuddered.
“Me neither,” Elena replied.
“Ok then,” Mike nodded, “Lena, I want you to extract all that information onto a storage drive, and then wipe the computer,” he instructed, “Then, I want both of you to compartmentalize the information in your storage banks or whatever so you are both unable to access it unless I explicitly tell you to…can I even do that?”
“Oh yes,” Lena nodded, “and locked information won’t be transferred to the Spaztec servers when we back ourselves up, or send usability stats,” she assured him, finishing the transfer to a portable storage drive and handing it to Mike.
“Thanks,” Mike said, taking the drive and examining it, “I’m gonna lock this in my safe,” he decided, getting ready to get up.
“Wait, before you go…George also left you a note,” Lena stopped him, pulling up a short text document on the screen.
“A note…for me?” Mike asked, surprised.
“Yeah, it’s addressed specifically to you,” Lena confirmed, highlighting Mike’s name in the note.
“Huh, let’s see here,” Mike muttered, pulling his chair closed and reading the message.:
“Mike, you were always a straight arrow and a dependable officer. Unlike the other corrupt, or lazy people we were forced to work with, you were a breath of fresh air. I remember a conversation we once had about you always wanting an android but never being able to afford one. Little did you know that you had worked with two androids, right under your nose. Anyway, I know you and Lena are becoming fond of one another, and I managed to find a loophole into keeping Elena as well, so when this all blows over, I plan on giving them both to you. I can only hope you’ll forgive me for keeping you and Lena apart for so long, but it was necessary to keep both you and them safe. Enjoy your life with Lena and Elena, and I know you’ll treat them better than I was able to. -George”
PS: Lena’s real last name is Hoffmann, or at least the Lena that this android was based on. As her listed owner I had access to this simple biographical fact, though I don’t have any information on her family. I hope you can use this to find her family.
“Wow, it looks like I was always meant to have you both after all,” Mike finally said, a small tear forming in his eye.
“I always had a feeling about that,” Elena admitted, “He did talk about you a lot.”
“See, I told you he knew we liked each other,” Lena prodded him playfully, “and he planned on giving me to you as well.”
“Yeah, I guess it was just fate that I ended up finding you on my own,” Mike shrugged.
“Yeah,” Lena nodded wryly.
“I wonder why he gave me your last name,” Mike mused, reading the postscript again.
“So, you can find my family,” Lena explained, “Knowing them, they probably saved some mementos and stuff from the real Lena, and they’d probably love to know I’m still active.”
“Did you ever communicate with them?” Mike asked.
“A few times,” Lena admitted, “though it was a little difficult because it was so soon after their real daughter died, and my existence was confusing for them.”
“That’s understandable,” Mike nodded, “Well, I’ll have to see if I can find them then, once you all are settled in.”
“Thanks, Mike,” Lena smiled, “I’m sure their okay by now, so they’ll be delighted to know I’m still around.”
Alright,” he nodded, “I’m gonna take this and lock it in my safe,” he told them, rising from his chair and heading for the door, “are you guys gonna be zombies or something when you finish locking that information?”
Lena and Elena both erupted into laughter at Mike’s question. “No, silly! Once it’s completed, our A.I.s will simply create a different reason for you leaving the room, so we’ll just continue with our day as though nothing happened,” Lena explained.
“Ok, good,” Mike chuckled, heading out of the room as Lena began wiping George’s computer.
Mike took his time walking downstairs to his desk, wanting to give the two of them plenty of time to do whatever android thing they needed to do to lock that information in their minds. Once he reached his desk, he fumbled around in the desk drawer until he produced a tiny key. Then, he pulled a small fireproof safe from under the desk and unlocked it.
Mike kept all his important documents in there, such as his birth certificate and tax information. There was still plenty of room for the small thumb drive, so he stashed it near the bottom and locked the safe back up. He hoped he would never have to use that drive for any reason.
Once Mike stashed the key again in the cluttered desk drawer that he kept reminding himself to clean out, he paused briefly to admire the backyard through the window behind his desk, before returning upstairs.
Upon his return, both Lena and Elena were both acting normally, just as they had said. “Wow, did you fall in Mike?” Lena asked upon his return.
“What?” Mike asked, confused.
“You went to the bathroom like five minutes ago,” Lena giggled.
“Oh,” Mike told her, mocking embarrassment; they really did invent a new reason for him leaving the room. “I decided to take my time…no rush, you know.”
“Hey, no problem…I’m just teasing,” Lena shrugged off; she had moved George’s laptop to her recycle bin. “Anyway, now that Elena’s up and running, and we got the tour out of the way, we should probably finish up your android lessons,” Lena announced.
“Oh? I thought I was done,” Mike told her.
“Kinda,” Lena said, shaking her hand back and forth, “you still have to test out the voice commands…just to make sure they’re working properly, and that you know how to do it properly.”
“Wait, didn’t I already play around with those the other day?” he asked.
“Yeah, but that was just a quick crash course…this is a more comprehensive test, mainly to test our group commands,” she explained, “and, of course, so we can have some fun,” she added with a playful giggle.
“Oh, okay,” Mike smiled, eager to test this function out. He stared at Lena and told her, “Stand up.”
Lena shook her head with a kind smile and said, “Mike, while I would normally do what you told me, that was not actually phrased as a proper command,” Lena explained patiently, “In order for it to qualify, you have to say either my name, her name, or both our names at once, followed by a command.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Mike said, smacking his forehead. “Lena, stand up,” he commanded, doing it more properly this time.
Lena said nothing but simply stood up from her chair. “Very good,” she congratulated him with a big smile, “That was a proper command…and a simple one to start with.”
“Thanks,” Mike blushed, “but, how was commanding you to stand any different from requesting you stand?”
Lena’s face scrunched up as she thought of a proper response to his query. “Well, if I were to stand of my own accord, or by request, I’d do so more…human-like,” she explained slowly, “But, when you command me, my autonomy is overridden and I complete the command more artificially…at least, with simple commands like that.”
“Huh, interesting…” Mike mused, “So I assume if it was a more complicated command, like one with multiple steps that could take a lot of time, you would behave more human-like, but be unable to deviate from the command?”
“Exactly,” she smiled, “Like earlier, when I went to the store to buy the Bio-Fluid for Elena, I also went to a neighboring thrift shop to buy some clothes for Elena,” Lena reminded him, “But, if you had commanded me to buy the Bio-Fluid, I would have only been able to buy just the Bio-Fluid, and then come straight back here.”
“Thanks, by the way…for the clothes,” Elena interjected.
“No prob, cousin,” Lena smiled fondly.
“Wow, so I guess maybe commanding you guys won’t actually be too useful,” Mike said, a little crestfallen.
“Hey, they can be…for example, if you only wanted us to complete one task, without attempting to anticipate other needs like I did, then they are useful,” Lena assured him, “Also, the commands work even if our brains are disconnected, so that’s when they’ll be most useful.”
“Ah, I see,” Mike said.
“And, if we are malfunctioning or whatever, the commands are still compulsory,” Elena added.
“Got it,” Mike nodded, “just out of curiosity, when exactly did my previous command end?” He asked, since she was still standing.
“As soon as I stood up,” Lena replied simply, “I’m just still standing because I anticipate that you’ll be giving me more commands,” she added with a playful wink.
“Oh, I see,” Mike nodded knowingly. He then looked at Elena and said, “Elena, stand up.”
Just as Lena had, Elena quickly stood up but then assumed her usual stance of shifting around energetically on each foot. Mike had also been watching the wall mounted screen Lena had set up, now with both Lena’s and Elena’s POV included with all the information. When he gave Elena the command, he saw in big red letters “Command Received: Stand Up” flash in her field of vision, before minimizing to a small log window at the corner of her HUD. As soon as she stood up, “Command Completed” appeared, before also minimizing.
Lena and Elena still stood, patiently waiting for Mike to give his next command, both with fun smiles on their face; they were enjoying this too.
“Hmmm, let’s see…Lena, kiss Elena,” he commanded.
Once again, he saw the message appear, this time in Lena’s POV. Lena turned to her right, stepped forward a bit towards Elena, and then planted a tender kiss on Elena’s lips. Elena seemed to enjoy it, closing her eyes and sighing contentedly. Just as Command Completed appeared on Lena’s POV, Mike said, “Elena, kiss Lena.”
This time, Lena was the one to smile and sigh, closing her eyes contentedly. Just as Elena finished the kiss, since they both seemed to enjoy it, Mike carefully phrased his next command. “Lena, and Elena, make out for 30-seconds.”
Command Received appeared on both their POVs this time, however, a small countdown timer also appeared in the lower right-hand corner, starting as soon as they began kissing and making out. Mike had included a timer, because he was worried that not including it would make them make out indefinitely; he’d ask them later for confirmation.
Since they were already so close to one another, they immediately began making out. They did appear to be at least in partial control of themselves, because they were smiling and giggling as they did so. Mike found it particularly interesting that their POV windows still displayed their HUD and other info, even when their eyes were closed.
Mike walked up real close to both of them, fully enjoying the show. Since both of them were naked, they were fondling one another’s breasts and even rubbing their bodies together. Mike was starting to become erect when the timer ended, and they regained control.
“Was that good for you two?” Mike asked, a huge grin on his face.
Both of them erupted into giggles, their faces bright red. Mike took this opportunity to give them both another command. “Lena, and Elena, Pause.”
The room immediately fell silent as both Lena and Elena froze. They still had looks of mirth on their faces, and a hint of a blush remaining on their cheeks.
Mike spent several minutes walking around them, feeling them up and simply enjoying their frozen appearance, even taking a few photos on his phone. While he enjoyed having them as his personal statues for a little while, he still preferred having them to be more alive.
“Lena, and Elena, unpause,” he commanded, once he was standing back where he was before.
Their giggles immediately resumed as their bodies sprung back to life, though they died out just a bit quicker than they would have before since they were aware that they had just been paused for a few minutes.
“Did you have fun with us?” Lena asked with a knowing smile.
“Just a bit,” Mike admitted, “I think I’m done having fun with commands for now, though,” he told them, “Maybe we can go downstairs and play a game or something,” he suggested.
“Ooh, that sounds like fun!” Elena squealed.
“I agree,” Lena nodded approvingly.
“Good, though, we should probably get dressed first,” he said regrettably, “I checked the dryer while you two were paused just now and Elena’s temporary clothes are all done.”
“Temporary clothes?” Elena laughed.
“Well, Lena just bought whatever she could find in your size at a thrift store,” Mike shrugged, “I figure tomorrow, or whenever we have time, we’ll go and have you pick out some clothes that you might like better.”
“Ooh, I can’t wait! Let’s see these temporary clothes and go play a game!”
After Elena got dressed in some of her temporary clothes, consisting of a simple bra and panties, a T-shirt, and sweats, Mike and Lena got dressed back in their clothes and they all headed down and picked out a board game to play. They ended up choosing Monopoly, with Lena being the banker, since her donated personality already had the proper accounting skills.
Elena ended up being eliminated first since she didn’t quite have a knack for the game, and she admitted that she really wanted to watch Mike and Lena go at it. Mike and Lena continued without her for nearly two more hours, before Lena finally ended up taking the board.
Mike congratulated her on a hard-fought game, wondering if her android nature had anything to do with her win, or her donated accounting skills. By the time the game was finished, it was right around dinner time, so Lena rushed into the kitchen to begin cooking their meal while Mike and Elena caught up on past events. While Elena was shocked to hear what had happened to SSS, she was not completely surprised.
Lena cooked them all a delicious meal of chicken, rice, and various greens. After they finished eating, they snuggled up in a warm blanket on the couch and watched a scary movie, with Elena sitting on the far end, and Lena in the middle so she could be close to Mike.
When the movie ended a few hours later, it was a bit late, and they found themselves wondering what to do for the last hour or so before Mike went to bed.
Lena finally spoke up. “Well, you already took me out for a spin last night,” she winked, “Why don’t you have some fun with the both of us?”
“You mean a threesome?” Mike asked nervously; he’d never been in a threesome before.”
“Ooh, that sounds fun!” Elena squealed, jumping up and down excitedly.
“And don’t worry about messing anything up,” Lena assured him, “Since we’re linked, we’ll both be able to network our skills and give you a good experience.”
Mike hadn’t considered that, still kinda thinking of them as human. “Alright, let’s do this,” he grinned.
They all headed upstairs to the bedroom, and, while Lena and Elena both disrobed, Mike quickly grabbed a sheet from the linen closet to protect the bed from getting dirty. Just as he was undressing, Elena suddenly swore.
“What is it?” Lena asked.
“My lube canister is empty,” she replied sadly.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Lena assured her, “I ordered a bunch the other day, so I can just give you one of my spares…hold on a sec,” Lena rushed out of the room and into hers, riffling around until she found one of the spare lube canisters, bringing it over to Elena with a triumphant grin.
“Oh, thanks Lena…you’re a lifesaver,” Elena gushed, allowing Lena to open her pubic panel and replace the canisters. Once Lena had the canister replaced, she resealed Elena’s canister and placed the spent one on the dresser for later disposal.
“Don’t mention it, cuz,” Lena said affectionately, “Mike, just lay on the bed and we’ll take it from there,” she then instructed, giving him a playful wink.
Mike merely nodded and did as she instructed.
Over the next hour, both Lena and Elena showed Mike just how fun a threesome could be. Their ability to link with each other and transmit data allowed them to perform much better in bed, and Mike had never felt as much pleasure in his life.
When they were finally finished, Lena dutifully folded up the now soiled sheet and threw it into the washer on a quick wash cycle, along with a few other linens. Mike smiled at her anticipation of his needs and then walked into his bathroom to clean up. Shortly after he started his shower, he heard the shower on the other side of the wall turn on as well, indicating that Lena, or Elena, or both had begun theirs.
Mike’s mind was still in a fog from the pleasure he had just experienced, let alone his sheer joy at having not one, but two highly advanced androids in his possession. He ended up lingering much longer in the shower than he had originally intended, hearing the shower on the other side of the wall turn off.
He eventually finished his shower and dried himself off with a fresh towel, not bothering to redress; he preferred to air dry for several minutes after drying off with a towel anyway. Lena and Elena were both in Lena’s room when he stepped out into the hall, both wearing their pajamas.
“Oh, I didn’t realize you’d be nude,” Lena apologized, her face flushing, “We can disrobe if you’d like.”
Mike thought about it for a second before shaking his head. “Nah, I think I’d like a good night of sleep, and your naked bodies might distract me just a bit,” he decided.
“Ok then,” Lena smiled politely, “So, you’d like me to sleep with you then?”
“Of course,” Mike grinned, “you were too busy last night, after all,” he pointed out.
“Indeed, I was,” Lena giggled, “I look forward to it.”
“And me too?” Elena asked, unsure, since she was only friends with benefits.
“Well, not every night, for sure,” Mike decided, “but this first night we can test it out as a trial run of sorts.”
“Okay,” Elena giggled happily.
“Well then, I’m ready for bed, so why don’t you all close everything up in here while I shut everything off downstairs.”
Both nodded dutifully and started powering everything down. Mike headed downstairs and did his nightly routine: powering down all the electronics, making sure the doors were all locked, and cleaning Mia’s litter box and replenishing her food & water bowls. After giving Mia a final pat on the head, he headed back up to his room.
When he entered the room, he saw both Lena and Elena standing next to the bed. Both were holding their charging cables, with the cables already plugged into their charging port underneath their clothes.
“What’s this?” Mike asked, amused at the sight of both androids waiting for him.
“We need to know what side of the bed we’re sleeping on,” Lena explained with a slightly embarrassed look, “So we know which outlet to plug into.”
“Oh,” Mike said knowingly. He usually slept on the right side of the bed, but obviously he’d have to sleep in the middle this time to accommodate one of them. After a brief moment of consideration, he decided. “Lena, you’re on the right, I sleep in the middle, and Elena will be on the left.”
Both androids nodded and then headed to their assigned side of the bed. They quickly plugged themselves into the outlets next to each of the nightstands and then waited for Mike to crawl under the covers and get situated in the middle.
Mike quickly repositioned his pillow in the middle, moving some of the other pillows so Lena and Elena could use them. Then, he crawled under the covers and made himself comfortable in the middle.
Lena lifted the covers on her side and slid in, while Elena turned off the lights and then crawled in on the right.
They all spent a few moments adjusting to the bed, and each other, before settling down. Both Lena and Elena moved in closer and cuddled up with Mike, their pajamas feeling nice against his bare skin.
“Are you comfortable, Mike?” Lena whispered, resting her head partially on his shoulder and her arm on his chest.
“Yes, Lena, I’m comfy,” he replied happily, breathing in the relaxing smell of her shampoo, “I know it hasn’t been a few days yet, but I think I might be starting to feel those pheromones you talked about yesterday.”
“My body has synthesized a modest supply,” Lena confirmed, “hopefully it helps you sleep well tonight.”
“Hopefully,” Mike said, breathing in deeply and sighing contentedly.
“Good night.” She leaned in and gave him a loving kiss, which he returned.
“Good night, Lena,” he told her fondly.
“Good night, Mike,” Elena then said, also leaning in and giving him a kiss. She was cuddled up similarly on his right side, though not as intimately as Lena was.
“Good night, Elena,” Mike told her, also returning her kiss.
Mike then heard both settle down and stop moving, in what he assumed was them entering sleep mode or something. He sighed contentedly, wishing he could fall asleep that quickly.
Mike’s last thoughts as he finally drifted off to sleep, with the two androids on either side of him cuddling up and providing him warmth and comfort was how much he loved them both, and how lucky he was to stumble upon them.
2.6 - One month later...
In the days that followed Lena and Elena’s inclusion into Mike’s life, they were able to fully adapt to his every need and want. Aside from providing him awesome sex and pleasure, they were able to assist with the various chores around the house, and on a more regular basis, removing a lot of stress from Mike’s life…stress he didn’t even realize he’d been carrying.
Lena was able to get most of the cleaning done while Mike was at work, before plugging herself in and going into sleep mode. Elena did the yard work on the weekends, and Mike was even able to invite his family over to have lunch in the backyard, since it was no longer in an embarrassing state. Fortunately, they were completely supportive of his relationship with the two androids.
True to his words, Mike contacted a few people at work and was able to hook Lena up with a Grave shift posting in the dispatch center, allowing her to both earn money, and utilize her customer service skills.
Mike was also able to get Elena into the café staff, serving as a barista at one of the many coffee bars in the building. Since serving there required slightly less customer service skills as security, her personality was more well-received.
Due to the hours each of them worked, Elena ended up driving Lena to work every night, dropping her off and then returning in the car. Mike would then drive Elena to work in the morning, and Lena would take the car home, and pick Mike up when his shift ended, and then both Mike and Lena would pick up Elena a few hours later. It was a little hard to handle at first, but they were getting used to it.
Mike’s paranoia even went away, since even after a month, no one came asking about how he came into possession of Lena and Elena, nor if he knew anything about George’s death. After their first week of work was over, and their paychecks cleared into a joint bank account Lena had helped set up with Mike, Mike’s money woes suddenly vanished, since they now had more than enough money to split his rent three ways and still had enough left over for a bit of fun. Unfortunately, they did not yet have enough to purchase any nice upgrades for Elena, but Lena assured them that they would, after only three more months of work, much to Elena’s relief.
Also, with Lena and Elena’s help, Mike was now aware of more androids working at CloudTron, mostly in a testing capacity, since CloudTron needed androids to test some of their products. Elena had made friends with a nice android woman named Dana and she’d invited her over to play some board games with everyone. Mike was quite shocked to discover that Dana was an android, since he had seen her coming and going through one of his lobby posts for the past year and a half and couldn't tell.
Overall, Mike reflected on the preceding month, life was better with Lena and Elena in it.
Episodes
Episode 1: Anniversary
Mike pulled into his driveway and slowly backed into his garage after a long and productive week at work. CloudTron was about to open a new expansion to their campus across the street and he was promoted to full-time day shift supervisor at the new building.
Fortunately, his relief arrived early and let him leave since today was a special day and he was eager to get home as soon as possible. He slowly pulled into the narrow L-shaped driveway leading to his small townhouse. Despite having significantly more money available with his promotion and with Lena and Elena’s income, Mike still preferred to live here because of its closeness to work, not to mention he didn’t need the extra space and preferred the privacy that the location offered.
Once his car was safely maneuvered past the neighbors’ cars cramping the driveway, he opened the garage door and smoothly backed in, closing the door in front of him once he was safely parked. He then grabbed his coffee mug and headed into the house.
His senses were greeted by the smell of food being prepared in the kitchen. By the smell of things, it was his favorite meal…. fitting, considering the day. Mike took his jacket off and hung it on a peg near the door before locking the garage door and walking towards the living room and kitchen.
Before he could round the corner, he heard a quick pattering of footsteps and then Lena, his lovely android girlfriend, quickly rounded the corner to greet him, a smile and look of concern on her face.
“Welcome home!” She greeted, giving Mike a quick hug before surprising him by detaching her head and practically shoving it into his hands. He had barely enough time to reorient her head in his hands, so she was looking up at him before her body rushed back into the kitchen to continue preparing food.
“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you home for another seven minutes or so and I still need some time to prepare dinner for tonight, since it takes almost five hours to cook.”
“No worries,” Mike smiled, carefully walking over to the couch and sitting down with his girlfriend’s head in his lap. “I got relieved a few minutes early and was eager to get home to see you,” he explained, “Happy Anniversary!” he then said, lifting her up and planting a loving kiss on her lips.
“Happy Anniversary,” she replied, once he broke the kiss and rested her back down in his lap.
“I can’t believe it’s already been a year,” Mike mused, thinking back fondly to that day when he found Lena while cleaning the storage room at work.
“Yeah, best day of my life,” she smiled fondly.
“Mine too,” Mike agreed.
“So, how was your day?” she asked, staring intently into his eyes. He could hear her body continuing to work on the food in the kitchen behind him.
“Pretty relaxing, actually,” he laughed, “All the bosses are stressing out about the new building open up next week, so it’s been relaxing having them all on vacation and not pestering me this week.”
“I’ll bet,” Lena laughed, “I know my coworkers in the dispatch center sure appreciate your efforts mapping all the alarms and systems issues for us.”
“One of the benefits of being the only one patrolling around for the past few months,” he grinned, “I’ve gotten to know every nook and cranny in that new building.”
“Do you know if Elena’s gonna be getting off early today?”
“I asked her, and she said she thinks she might be able to get off as early as four, but she wasn’t sure,” Mike shrugged. While Lena went into the grave shift dispatch team for Security, Elena had gone instead into the cafes. While the cafes were closed during the holiday shutdown, their management had decided to have most of the staff work to get some busy work done: inventory, deep clean, reorganization. Elena didn’t mind since it offered her the opportunity to earn some money during a time when she normally wouldn’t.
“Too bad, but at least that gives us some more alone time to enjoy ourselves,” she grinned.
“Yeah, but we could always just shut her off if we wanted more alone time,” he pointed out.
“Yeah, but it wouldn’t be the same,” she said. Although her body was behind him working in the kitchen, he knew from her inflections that it just shrugged. “Anyway, today’s her anniversary too, so we’ll need to do something special for her as well.”
“Don’t worry, I was planning on it,” Mike winked. He could hear Lena’s body putting the food in the oven and beginning to clean up. “Though strictly speaking, it’s tomorrow.”
“Meh, might as well do it on the same day.”
“Yeah,” Mike heard the dishwasher turn on, followed by the sink running. A few seconds later he heard footsteps heading out of the kitchen. Lena’s body then veered by the couch, giving him a loving caress on his right arm before continuing down the hall and up the stairs.
“Did you want me to follow your body?” he asked with a confused look, looking back down at her in his lap.
“Nope, not yet,” she winked, “I’m still getting a surprise ready for you.”
“I see,” he smiled knowingly. Realizing he had a few minutes, “So, what did you do today?”
“Well, after I got off work I headed straight home and plugged myself in so I would have enough energy for all the fun we’re going to have today,” she started, “then I installed a bunch of software updates, ran a diagnostic and then started chores so everything could be perfect for tonight.”
“Wow sounds like you had a busy day,” Mike nodded with an impressed look. He could hear her body moving around in their room directly above them.
“I definitely did,” she agreed.
“Just out of curiosity, what was your plan if I had arrived home on time?”
“Well, you would’ve arrived and seen just my head down here,” she replied, “with all the new upgrades, even if you had been relieved a few minutes late it could’ve stayed on long enough.”
“Sorry to ruin your plan,” he grinned.
“Nah, it’s fine,” she winked.
“Are you concerned about your head running out of power before your surprise is ready, though?” Mike asked with mild concern. Mild, because all he had to do to turn her back on was click her head back on her body.
“Nah, with the upgrades I got for my birthday a few weeks ago, my head can remain online while detached for considerably longer,” she said in an unconcerned voice, “It still has five minutes and three seconds remaining…my body only needs two minutes and 11 seconds to finish.”
“I love when you get all robotically precise like that,” Mike laughed, picking her head up and making out with her for a few seconds before putting her back down.
“That was nice,” she smiled, “but the usage of intimate activity shaved 20-seconds off my head’s charge time,” she added slyly, giggling since she knew he liked when she used technical speak.
“I don’t care,” Mike shrugged, picking her up again but only planting a quick kiss.
“Alright, if you start heading up right now at a slow pace, my body should be ready by the time you walk in,” Lena announced, a look of anticipation on her face.
“Okay, I’ll try and restrain myself,” Mike smiled, carefully rising to his feet and repositioning Lena in his arms so she was looking forward. He then walked towards the stairs and carefully maneuvered each step, not wanting to drop his girlfriend. As he headed up, he observed the privacy features activate on the windows. Shortly after integrating her into his life a year ago, she had linked herself with Mike’s smart home functions and could now control everything remotely. Clearly, she didn’t want anyone to disturb them, or for them to disturb anyone else.
As he reached the top, he could hear the new washer and dryer units working in the closet at the top, as well as the new A/C unit they’d had installed. While Mike didn’t want to move into a bigger house, that didn’t mean he didn’t want to upgrade all the appliances. Lena had even upgraded most of the equipment in her room/lab.
He finally reached the upstairs landing and saw his door closed; He could hear relaxing music playing from the other side. Getting really excited, Mike carefully held Lena in his right arm while using his left to open the door. Mike couldn’t help but gasp as he saw what was inside.
On the bed, Lena’s headless body was in ‘the pose’, positioned towards the door so Mike would have a perfect view of her bare soles, playfully moving back and forth. She had also changed it into some sexy blue silk lingerie that, upon closer inspection, was embroidered with the words “Mike’s favorite toy.”
“Wow!” was all Mike could manage to get out, still drinking in the scene while Lena patiently waited in his arms. “This is perfect.”
“Thanks, I worked hard setting it up,” Lena gushed. Her body even more playfully swinging its feet around on the bed, while maintaining the pose. Mike absently heard his phone ping several times in his pocket. “I took a few snapshots and sent them to you, so you can enjoy them later.
“Thanks!” Mike giggled, admiring how Lena literally thought of everything. He repositioned her once more in his arms and brought her back up to his face, kissing her deeply.
“Sooo, my head has 70 seconds of power remaining,” Lena reported dutifully, once he broke away, did you want to reattach me know, or let me run out of power and attach me after?” Lena calculated an 85% chance he would let her run out of power.
“Might as well let you run out of power,” Mike shrugged, “it’s a good turn on….no pun intended.”
“I figured you would,” Lena laughed, “Before I run too low on power to speak, open the box on my bedside table and make a selection before reattaching me.” With approximately 60 seconds left, Lena was already struggling to speak.
Mike quickly looked over at the bedside table and noticed the wrapped box that he had missed, for obvious reasons. “Okay,” Mike nodded, before bringing her up and making out with her.
Despite running low on power, Lena was able to make out with Mike quite well, though she had to disable a few low priority programs in her A.I. to do so. Mike timed it fairly well in his head and ended the make out session with less than 10-seconds left in her power. He looked her seriously in the eyes just as her power was failing and said, “You really are my favorite toy.”
Lena just barely managed to form her face into a laugh before her head’s power failed. Her facial expression frozen in the beginning of a hearty laugh. Mike stared fondly into her frozen face before quickly taking a picture with his phone and placing the phone on his bedside table, and her head on the bed next to her now frozen headless body. Her body was still online, but with her head out of power there was no longer anything controlling it.
Mike walked over to her side of the bed, pausing briefly to fondle her bare feet still frozen in the air, before continuing to her bedside table. He removed the bow on the box before lifting up the lid, chuckling as he saw the contents. Neatly packed inside were several canisters of android sexual lube, each a different flavor. Mike perused his options before finally selecting a mint flavored canister.
With his selection made, he walked back over to Lena’s head and placed the canister down on the bed while he lifted her up to her neck. After moving some of her hair out of the way, he carefully lined her head up with the opening on her neck and clicked it into place.
Since her head was offline when it was attached, there was a slight delay while the seam around her neck pulsated as gentle blue color. Finally, after a few seconds, it flashed a bright blue and resealed. Her face, still frozen on the laugh, twitched a few times before once again animating, glitchingly completing the laugh she had frozen on before reorienting herself.
“Did you have fun while I was off?” she smiled, once her systems were fully back online and still maintaining the pose with her head reattached; she always asked that when she powered down, but Mike didn’t mind.
“Yeah,” Mike nodded, before picking up the mint flavored canister, “I made my selection.”
Lena quickly examined the canister before smiling, “I had a feeling you’d choose mint.”
“You do know me quite well,” Mike grinned.
Lena returned his grin before moving out of the pose and standing up at the foot of the bed and gently lowered her panties, zoning out momentarily as she unsealed the canister panel just above her vagina; it was currently empty.
Mike wasted no time clicking in the mint one and watching as she resealed the panel and lifted her panties back up. Once her panel was resealed, she began a sexy dance in front of Mike which was intended to increase his arousal, and to get the new lubrication flowing better.
Mike gently danced with her for several seconds before reaching around her back and unclasping her bra, allowing it to fall to the floor at their feet. With a sexy wink, Lena reached down and lowered her panties until they fell to her ankles and kicked them off energetically, bouncing it off the wall. Mike took that as his cue to remove his clothes and then lightly tackle her onto the bed and begin a round of passionate lovemaking.
Mike was pleased that Elena and Lena had systematically improved his stamina over the past year, since he and Lena went at it for just over an hour, engaging in multiple positions. He was also please he chose mint, since it gave him a relaxing chilling feeling that perfectly paired with their hot passionate lovemaking.
After they finished, they simply cuddled in silence for several minutes while they both rested up. Finally, Lena looked into Mike’s eyes and said, “I hope you don’t mind, but after I clean up, I’m gonna plug myself in and shut down for a couple hours so I’m ready for the next round with Elena later.”
Mike leaned in and kissed her, saying, “I don’t mind…I’m likely gonna rest my eyes on the couch too until she gets home.”
“Great minds think alike,” Lena laughed, then began moving to get up.
“Wait, before you get up,” Mike said, stopping her in the process of getting up while he grabbed his phone from his bedside table, “I have a surprise for you too.”
“Oooh,” Lena said, cuddling up with him closer, a look of anticipation on her face as Mike unlocked his phone and searched through his emails.
“Alright, take a look,” he said, a strange look on his face that Lena’s systems couldn’t quite parse. She wordlessly took the phone and read the email on the screen aloud.
“Mike, to say we were shocked to discover that the android duplicate of our daughter still existed a year ago is an understatement. While we experienced a flood of various emotions, ultimately the positive ones won out. We’ve followed your correspondence over the past year regarding how you’ve treated her and, while it is technically not legally required, we give you our blessing to marry her or at least alter her programming to be your wife. Additionally, doctors saved Lena’s eggs upon her death in case anyone ever wanted to marry her android duplicate, and we still have them on ice in case you want to give use some grandchildren. Have a great life with Lena’s duplicate and thank you for bringing a piece of her back into our lives. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffmann.”
Lena’s systems analyzed that letter for several seconds in her systems before a tear finally rolled down her cheek. She turned to see Mike holding a small box that he had taken from the bedside table.
“Lena, will you be my wife?” he asked, opening the box and holding it out to her, showing a blue sapphire ring.
Lena thought about it for less than 100ns before saying, “Yes, I’ll be your wife!” and thrusting herself into his loving embrace.
Mike lovingly embraced his now fiancé and started wondering what more the future would bring them.
Episode 2: Lena's Dream
It had been a couple of months since Mike proposed to Lena and the wedding preparations were still underway. While Mike preferred to have a small ceremony, their families, unfortunately, had other plans, so they found themselves forced to plan a slightly larger venue than he would have liked.
While they fretted over such mundane details as the color of decorations, to the menu options for the catering, Mike slowly became frustrated and let out a sigh.
“It’s okay, dear,” Lena told him sympathetically, “we’re almost done.”
“We should’ve eloped,” he whined.
“Yeah, well that plan went out the window the second you got my parents involved,” she pointed out, “they’re so happy I’m still around that they want things extra special.”
“Yeah, well at least they’re paying for most of it,” Mike said cheerfully, since most of this stuff wasn’t cheap, “and my parents are so happy I’m getting married that they aren’t complaining either.”
“Yeah, though they are still somewhat apprehensive about me being an android,” she said with a frown.
“Meh, they’re mostly over it,” he shrugged, “the fact that you’re sapient, and based on a real person, certainly calmed them down a bit.”
“And the fact that I can still give them grandchildren,” Lena added.
“Yeah, well that’s one of the main things parent’s concern themselves with their kids,” Mike laughed, “I’m sure we’ll be doing the same thing with our kids…if we do end up having them.”
“We most likely will,” Lena shrugged, “don’t worry, with me and Elena, it’ll be a piece of cake.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Mike shrugged, “ugh, I’m bored…too bad there’s nothing to do right now.”
“Yeah, I never dreamed this entertainment strike would last this long,” Lena sighed, since their favorite shows were on hiatus.
“Wait! That’s it!” Mike shouted, startling Lena and Elena.
“What’s it?” Lena asked.
“Remember the first night you were intact, and you said the next morning you had an interesting dream?”
“Uh huh,” Lena nodded, after accessing her memories of that day, “what of it?”
“You said you’d show me the dream, but then we got distracted by discovering Elena in the storage unit and we completely forgot about it,” he reminded her.
“Oh, that’s right,” she laughed, a slight blush forming on her face, “and it was a good dream too.”
“Well, are you able to interface with the TV and show us the dream?” He pressed.
“I can,” she nodded, confirming her connection to the media center, “Are you okay with Elena watching it? It is quite…umm, intimate.”
“It’s okay,” Mike shrugged, “she’s seen a lot, so I’m sure this won’t be any different.”
“Alright,” Lena shrugged.
“Should I get some popcorn?” Elena grinned, looking excited.
“No,” Mike said pointedly, making himself comfy on the couch, “Umm, approximately how long is the dream?”
“Just over 15-minutes,” Lena reported, scanning the dream she’d saved in her files; she didn’t always save dreams, but this one was definitely a keeper. “Just an FYI, while I’m playing the dream back on the TV, I’ll be zoned out and you won’t be able to talk to me,” she warned.
“What if I need to pause the playback?” He asked.
“You can squeeze my hand, and I’ll pause it and resume talking,” she reported, placing her left hand on his lap while she got more comfortable shifting into a cross-legged position on the couch.
“Okay,” he said, gently grabbing it without squeezing, “let’s watch.”
Lena merely nodded and then zoned out as the TV turned on and played her dream.
Lena was kissing her new boyfriend, Mike, after he rescued her from the storage room that she’d been stashed in and forgotten about for several years. Things were awkward at first, since he didn’t seem to have much practice, but things heated up really quick and before long they were making out on the bed as their clothes seemed to fade away.
As they felt each other up, enjoying the sensations running through their bodies, Lena decided to try something. She noticed a few things about Mike that made her suspicious, like his seeming imperviousness to cold, and decided to test something out.
She started gently massaging his neck, which caused him to relax and enjoy, still kissing her, until her fingers found a specific point and pressed in.
She let out a soft gasp as a seam suddenly appeared around his neck, allowing her to gently remove his head.
“Wow, you’re an android too,” Lena said in a shocked voice, holding his head in her hands. He didn’t seem to notice, as his body was still gently gyrating against her, and his face was still moving.
“What’s wrong? Why’d you stop?” He asked softly, clearly unaware he was now headless.
“He must be a sleeper…oh dear,” she whispered to herself, “this might complicate things a bit.”
“Is everything alright?” He asked from her arms.
“No, everything’s fine,” she lied, deciding to play along, “I was just concerned with how you’re feeling, since this is your first time having sex and all.”
“It’s great,” he answered, “I just feel a bit lightheaded,” he answered, since his head was receiving less power.
“That’s normal…I mean, your blood is kinda being diverted elsewhere,” she said, pointing down at his stiff member.
“True,” his body shrugged, “Well, let’s get it on,” he said, surprising her by having his body mount her and penetrate her while she awkwardly held his head, kissing it.
“Well, let’s see how long until his head runs out of power,” Lena thought, enjoying the feeling of him inside her.
The intercourse continued for a few more minutes until she could feel him starting to slow down, though he hadn’t climaxed yet.
“How are you holding up?” She panted, still holding his head.
“I’m starting to feel a bit tired,” he admitted, his head running low on power.
“Keep going, you’re almost there,” she pressed him, hoping he’d finish before shutting down.
“Ok,” he said weakly, pushing his body harder until he finally released himself inside of her. Since she was an android that knew she was an android, she was able to time herself to him and come at the same time, letting out a load moan.
When she recovered a short time later, she lifted his head back up and stared into his eyes. “How was it?”
“Great,” he said, sounding very tired, “I think I’m going to take a nap though,” he then said, his voice deepening as he closed his eyes.
“Wait, pull out…first,” she said futilely, his head already out of power. She felt his body stiffen up slightly since it detected a loss of remote connection, though it was still on with its fully erect member inside of her.
“We’ll have to work on that next time,” Lena sighed, gently placing his head down beside her on the table and sizing up her situation.
Because his headless body was fully mounted on her, and larger than her, she couldn’t safely shove him off without using her emergency power, and she didn’t want to do that and risk damaging his body. She finally decided to activate his sexual panel, quickly locating the small mole above his penis which lit up the panel. Once it was fully illuminated, she tapped the coil icon to make his penis go flaccid and felt it slowly retract from her vagina until she was able to wiggle it the rest of the way out.
Once she freed herself from him, she gently rolled his body over onto its side and then picked his head back up, staring fondly at the sleeping expression on his power down face for several seconds before getting up off the bed, leaving his headless body lying there.
“Time to see who made you and whether we can disable these pesky sleeper settings,” Lena said aloud, heading out of the room into the lab, “I know you’ll enjoy that.”
At that point, the dream, which had been displayed from Lena’s point of view, even displaying her thoughts as a surreal type voice over, cut out and Lena, still sitting cross-legged on the couch snapped back.
“Well, how’d you like it?” she asked, turning to look at Mike with a grin.
Mike was still breathing somewhat heavily, his face flushed, while Elena watched with suppressed glee.
“I take it you enjoyed it then,” Lena said with a satisfied smirk.
“Is there anyway you can copy that dream to my personal database?” Mike finally said, “so I can watch it later.
Lena said nothing but zoned out as she transferred a copy of the dream file to his personal folder in their private network as she gave him a knowing grin. Elena was openly giggling now, while Mike resolutely held a straight, albeit flushed, face.
“Done,” Lena reported, once the copy was sent.
“Thanks,” Mike nodded, fully intending on fapping to that video later, “Ummm, have you had any other dreams like that since we met?”
“A couple,” Lena shrugged with a naughty smile, “none quite as good as that one, but still relevant, if you mean me dreaming about you being an android.”
“Well, perhaps we can watch some more after we finish the wedding planning,” he suggested, his interest suddenly rekindled, “and, it goes without saying, not only do I want copies of those, but anymore dreams like that you might have in the future.”
“Noted,” she said dutifully, adjusting her programming accordingly.
“So, have you had any dreams like that of me?” Mike then asked Elena in a mock accusatory voice.
“Nope,” Elena shook her head, “but I’m not into you like that, so it’s not too surprising.”
Mike tried not to take that too personally. “Well, same thing. If you do have a dream like that, let me know and give me a copy.”
“Yes sir,” Elena saluted.
“You like fantasizing yourself as an android?” Lena asked.
“A little,” Mike admitted, “I know they’re working on devices that can actually let a human like me temporarily control an android body, but they’re still a few years off.”
“Yeah,” Lena said sympathetically, not mentioning that she’d secretly invested some of her income into one of the more promising companies, in the hopes she could allow her fiancé to experience his fetish firsthand.
“Just out of curiosity, are you able to control the dreams you have?” he asked, “the quality of that dream was quite good…I mean, you could’ve made a movie out of it.”
“Unfortunately, our dreams are just as unpredictable as yours are,” Lena answered sadly, “that particular dream was prompted by stuff I observed about you on those first few days, as are my other dreams.”
“Wait,” Mike said, his eyes lost in thought, “that’s why you felt up the back of my next that morning.”
“Yep,” Lena smiled, “I was kinda hoping the dream was true.”
Mike let out a laugh, “Well, sorry to disappoint you.”
“Nah, I like you just the way you are,” Lena said, leaning over and kissing him.
“And I you,” Mike responded, while Elena gave a mock disgusted look. “Let’s get back to this,” he said, turning to the wedding materials.
Lena and Elena both nodded and they spent the rest of their day planning the wedding.
Episode 3: The Honeymoon
Mike was still slightly in a daze as he and Lena got home from their wedding. While it wasn’t very large, and mostly just had their close family and friends, Mike couldn’t help but feel fundamentally changed to his core. He was now paired for life with a very beautiful woman, and an android at that.
Lena also had a similar look to her, though she looked quite lovely in the plain wedding dress her parents had given her. They found it somewhat awkward to see the android version of their long deceased daughter, but were glad some piece of her still went on…and were hopeful he would give them grandchildren one day.
He promised them he would, of course, but the prospect of bringing a new life into the world still terrified him, so he wasn’t sure he was ready yet.
“Hey, dear. Could you help me get this dress off?” Lena called him, struggling to reach the straps at the back with her short arms.
“Oh, sure,” Mike said, shaking himself out of his reverie. Elena was still at the venue helping to clean up, then she was coming home to take care of the place while they headed out on their weekend honeymoon to a quiet mountain lakeside resort. He gently grabbed the straps at the back of her dress and untied the delicate knot until it came free, allowing Lena to gently pull it off.
“Thanks!” She said with an audible sign of relief, pulling the dress off so she was standing in only her underwear, “it’s a good thing I’m an android, because I’ve heard Human women sometimes have to wear diapers under these things just so they can pee.”
“The things women do to look pretty at events,” Mike smiled, shaking his head in disbelief, “you did look very pretty in the dress, by the way.”
“Thanks! We’ll definitely have to thank my parents with a grandchild now,” she laughed, then rushed to the bathroom, “and, I actually do have to pee,” she giggled, closing the door.
Mike laughed fondly at his now wife, grabbing the dress she’d dropped on the floor and neatly laying it out on the bed so it wouldn’t wrinkle. He knew Lena wouldn’t need it anymore but, if they had a daughter…
All sorts of thoughts and possibilities now opened up in Mike’s mind now that they were married. It was like it was already there, but now he had access to it.
Mike’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the toilet flushing, followed closely by the sink and then Lena reemerging from the bathroom; she was now fully naked.
“Ahhh,” she sighed, “no way I could’ve handled that without a diaper if I were Human,” she commented.
Mike chose not to reply to that particular comment. “So, when are we leaving?”
“As soon as you take care of a very important task,” she said seriously.
“Oh, what is that?” He asked.
“Now that we’re married, your status in my system has to be changed from Boyfriend to Husband,” she explained, “that change will alter my settings fundamentally, so we need to take care of that right away.”
“How fundamentally?” He asked in a worried voice, “you’ll still be you, right?”
“Of course I will,” she giggled, “but, since we’re married, I have to have a bit more equal footing with you from a programming standpoint, so I’ll have a bit more agency.”
“Okay, that doesn’t sound too bad,” Mike nodded, “will I still be able to voice control you and stuff?”
“Yes,” she said reassuringly, “you’ll still be listed as my owner, so at the end of the day I do have to do what you command me…but I can at least act more independently, and I can push back if I feel like you are being unreasonable.”
“You mean nag?” Mike grinned.
“Maybe,” she grinned back.
Mike paused dramatically as he thought about it, before letting out a dramatic sigh. “Well, I guess this is what I signed up for.”
“Great! Let’s get started then,” she said, quickly rushing out of the bedroom and into the neighboring lab. Over the past year or so, Mike had made great efforts to upgrade the equipment here, but it was still a work in progress.
“Will you partially shut down like you did when I was registering you?” He asked, sitting down at the computer while she plopped onto a chair next to him.
“Nah,” she shook her head, “I mean, I might zone out a few times if I have to silently reboot, but since you aren’t going in and changing my personality or anything, I’ll still be conscious.”
“Good,” he said, sounding relieved, “I might need your help with some of the settings.”
“Don’t worry, dear, I’m here to help,” she saluted, causing her breasts to jiggle.
“I love you,” he smiled, logging onto the terminal and interfacing with Lena’s systems; it already showed a pending update, since her AI knew she was legally married.
“I know,” she shrugged, giggling playfully, “as you can see, since the legal wedding ceremony was conducted, my AI is already alerting you to the changes that need to be authorized.”
“Very helpful,” Mike nodded, clicking on the alert, which brought him to the portion of the registration page that contained his relationship status with her; the other sections involving personality were greyed out, since she was online.
The section currently listing him as her Owner/Boyfriend was highlighted red with an angry boldfaced red exclamation point next to it.
“Not very subtle, is it?” He laughed, clicking on it and changing it to the only thing it would allow him to: Husband/Owner.
“Yeah, well, if you didn’t change it after 24 hours, my systems would lock up until you did,” she pointed out, “a few sorry people had that happen to their android spouses and had trouble finding the right setting, so one of the many AI updates I upgraded to when you first found me fixed that problem,”
“Good to know,” Mike gulped, not wanting Lena to be unusable. As soon as he saved the new setting, all the red went away, and a new spouse tab suddenly appeared for him to fill out.
“Now for all the fun legal stuff,” she said with mock excitement, as Mike perused the new page with a squint in his eyes.
“Is all this stuff actually necessary?” He asked in disbelief as he read all the legal disclaimers and forms.
“Oh yes,” Lena said solemnly, “although you’re still my owner, by marrying me I also have to have some legal rights normally afforded to Humans, such as free access to our bank accounts, and medical rights,” she explained, “for example, now that we’re married, once you fill out the appropriate form, I can legally be considered your next of kin so if you get injured, or killed, I can execute any directives without having to go through your parents, or siblings.”
“I see,” Mike nodded, “well, if I somehow end up in a coma, try not to pull the plug to early, will ya?” He grinned.
“I’ll think about it,” she grinned back, “Anyway, I know it seems like a lot, but there’s a lot of stuff spouses have rights to that people take for granted, so do try and take it seriously.”
“I will,” he promised, getting up from the computer, “I have to get my important documents then, I guess,” he said, heading down to his desk in the living room and grabbing a folder from a small fireproof safe that he kept tucked under there. He returned to the room moments later, where Lena was still patiently sitting in her chair, swinging her pretty feet back and forth.
“You didn’t mess with anything, did you?” He asked, as he sat back down.
“Nope,” she shook her head, “all jokes aside, I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”
“I know, just teasing,” he grinned, going through each section one at a time and filling each item out with information from his important documents.
After nearly an hour, filling out everything from bank, tax, and other financial information to his medical information, he finally reached the bottom of the page and hit submit. While the program ran a scan to confirm all the information that he added was accurate, he leaned back and relaxed. It did give him comfort knowing that Lena could be his next of kin, since she now knew him far better than anyone…including his parents.
One unexpected thing to pop up was that now Lena was also considered an owner of Elena, since she was legally able to own most of what Mike owned. This meant that, if anything happened to Mike, at least Elena would be alright. Getting married also meant that Lena could function as an independent android in the event of his death, preventing her from becoming unregistered and facing decommissioning again.
Finally, since there were confirmed eggs in storage from her donor, Lena was legally entitled to parental rights to any children produced from them. Spaztec clearly covered all their bases when dealing with the sapient model androids.
After a few minutes, the window finally changed to a green check mark and Lena briefly zoned out as the settings updated in her system. Mike loved watching her zone out like that, though she rarely did so for very long. After a few seconds, her face twitched back to life, and she stared at him with a loving smile.
“It’s official. I’m your wife now,” she announced, leaning in and kissing him on the lips, “and I’ll never let you go,” she added in a mock sinister voice.
“I don’t want you to,” he shot back, kissing her more.
“How about we go consummate our relationship before heading out,” she suggested, eying down at her naked body.
“Don’t need to ask me twice,” Mike said, quickly shedding his tuxedo and other clothes as she headed into the bedroom and threw the sex blanket over the sheets.
After almost an hour of passionate lovemaking, the two spent an abbreviated time cuddling after before quickly heading to their bathrooms to freshen up so they’d be ready to head out. Mike didn’t even spend the same amount of time collecting his thoughts in the warm shower, knowing he’d have plenty of time on their honeymoon.
After they both got out of the shower, they dressed into some comfortable clothes and packed a few days worth of clothes and items. Mike also packed the small Go Bag that he’d put together since Lena and Elena joined his life, comprised of various repair tools and spare parts in case she got damaged on the trip.
“Ready, dear?” He asked, as he brought all his stuff down.
“Yes,” she smiled, “Elena can clean up after us,” she shrugged, since Elena was staying home to housesit during their trip.
“Great, let’s go,” he smiled, maneuvering all the bags into his car and getting in the driver’s seat as she locked the place up and then sat down in the passenger seat.
“You sure you don’t want me to drive?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he decided, “the drive will be good for me.”
“Okay,” she nodded, “Let me know if you need a rest.”
“Will do, though it should only be a 2–3-hour drive, depending on traffic,” he told her, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway. Before long, they were on the highway.
“Oh, there’s something I forgot to tell you about the resort,” Lena said in a playfully mysterious voice, while kicking off her shoes and playfully putting her bare feet up on the dash.
“Oh?”
“One of the services they offer for sapient androids like me are a small selection of bodies based on celebrities and models,” she explained, “I have it on good authority they have one based on your current celebrity crush.”
“You don’t say,” Mike said, barely able to contain his excitement, and a blush.
“Yeah, you can temporarily place me in one of those and live out a real-life fantasy, if you’d like,” she continued.
Mike didn’t trust himself to say anything, but slowly increased their speed by a few MPH. Lena, sensing the increase in speed, also said nothing but let out a naughty giggle as they continued down the road.
Part 3: Andrew
While this part does feature Lena and Elena, it mostly features a Manbot. |
3.1: An Unexpected Offer
It was a little over a year since Mike and Lena married and things could not have been going better. Mike had gotten a promotion to Assistant Manager, since his mentor had moved on to another assignment, and Lena had managed to move to the Day shift, so now they worked the same hours and could spend more time with each other each day. Even Elena now had more responsibilities in the café, earning more money herself.
With all the extra income rolling in, they were able to remodel the small townhouse they lived in by adding a new room above the entrance hall, which used to be a low roof. Mike used this new room as his office, since having an office in the living room was no longer appropriate, with both Lena and Elena living there. Now the living room looked more proper, with extra chairs and even a dining table.
Aside from that, they’d spruced the place up with various other fixes and enhancements, such as a backup power supply in case of power outage, so they wouldn’t have any issues charging Lena or Elena in an emergency.
This was also Mike’s favorite time of year, not only because it was the holidays, but because it was also the anniversary of when he found Lena in the storage room at work, and then Elena the following day. This was the last week before the building shutdown before the holidays, so he was looking forward to the light activity at work and only needing to come in sparingly during the shutdown.
Now that he’d gotten used to the new routine that he’d formed from being in a manager role as opposed to a supervisory one, he confidently headed to one of the onsite cafes to get his breakfast, waving at Elena on the way to the food stations.
When he picked up his food, however, he was briefly accosted by one of the chefs, named Andrew. Andrew was a young man, in his early-to-mid 30s, with a slightly shorter than average stature, a sleek build, brown eyes, and dark brown hair that neatly rose up from the center of his head, with neatly trimmed fades on both sides. While Andrew set off Mike’s Gaydar, Mike didn’t ask out of politeness.
“Hey, Mike,” he said, flashing his usual smile. Mike stopped by quite frequently, so many of the chefs knew him by name, and even added extra stuff to his order. “I was wondering if you have time today to meet with me about something.”
Mike was a little surprised by the request, but then again, also not surprised. The vendor company that ran the cafes lost their contract with CloudTron, so they were transitioning over to a new vendor company starting at the beginning of the next year. Many of the café staff were transitioning with them, but some were either staying, or jumping ship to other departments. They’d already had three other people from the café staff attempt to join the security team in just the past month, but only one managed to get in.
Still, Andrew was one of his favorites, so Mike took the request seriously. “Uh, yeah sure,” Mike nodded, putting his plate of food back down so he could check his calendar for the day. “Does 10:30 work for you?”
“Yes,” Andrew responded with a smile. “Is it possible to choose a discrete location?”
“Of course,” Mike responded. He figured Andrew probably didn’t want his managers to see him. “I’ll book a room in a random part of the building and send you the invite.”
“Great, thanks Mike!” Andrew beamed before heading back into the kitchen. Mike merely smiled in response and took his food up to his desk.
Mike continued with his day after breakfast, finishing up a few scheduled tasks. He was able to book a conference room in a relatively unpopulated part of the building, since the surrounding areas were being remodeled, and since many of the employees were taking the week off since it was so close to the holidays.
At 10:20, he got up from his desk and started heading to the room early, since it was a five-minute walk. He got to the room, as he predicted, at 10:15, and set up his laptop and notebook for Andrew’s arrival.
Andrew arrived at the room precisely on time, which immediately impressed Mike; he respected punctuality. Once Andrew was in and seated, Mike closed the door and sat back down.
“Well Andrew, what is it I can do for you?” Mike asked professionally, “we’ve had several other café staff try and join our team recently. Is that something you’re trying to do as well?”
“Not really,” Andrew admitted, looking slightly uncomfortable, “I mean, if that’s an option, I might, but there is something more pressing I needed to ask of you.”
Mike was somewhat caught off guard, but he knew Andrew wouldn’t intentionally waste his time, so he patiently nodded, indicating that Andrew had the floor.
“I was talking to Elena the other day and she mentioned that you might be willing to assist me with a predicament that I’m having,” Andrew continued, looking like he was having some difficulty phrasing his thoughts.
“Andrew, if Elena told you that I could help you, then she meant it,” Mike assured him, “feel free to speak freely in here. I appreciate bluntness.”
“Very well,” Andrew nodded, before getting up to his feet and walking half the distance between him and Mike. He then reached up to his neck and detached his head with a mechanical click and hiss, carefully lowered his head down and held it out for Mike to grab.
Shocked, but not completely surprised, Mike willingly grabbed Andrew’s head and looked down at his face.
“I’m an android,” Andrew finally said, knowing very well he was being obvious, “I’ve been online for about five years now and for all of that time I’ve been owned by the Chef’s Kiss catering company and assigned to CloudTron.”
“Wow, I had no idea,” Mike said honestly, “But then, I had no idea about Lena or Elena either, so it’s not too surprising.”
“Yeah, we’re programmed to act as human as possible,” Andrew confirmed, “Some of my coworkers know, but they still treat me normally.”
“That’s good,” Mike smiled, “So, what’s your predicament?”
“I want to stay working here at CloudTron, but apparently the owner of YumYum catering has moral and ethical restrictions against owning androids because he’s of African descent and his ancestors were slaves,” Andrew explained, “as such, they are refusing to purchase me from Chef’s Kiss catering because he sees it as nothing more than a different type of slavery.”
“I see,” Mike nodded, “Not that I wouldn’t miss you, but is transitioning to another site so bad?”
“That’s the problem,” Andrew continued, “I was built solely for this site, so once the contract is up at the end of the week I’m going to be decommissioned.”
“Oh, that sucks,” Mike sighed, “but where do I fall into this?”
“Well, despite YumYum’s restriction against owning androids, they have no restriction about hiring them,” Andrew responded, “I know it’s a bit hypocritical, but they have a business to run and they know having androids like me on the payroll is beneficial, since we can’t get sick and contaminate food.”
“That makes sense,” Mike laughed, “So, did you want me to petition the owner or something…like a Human advocate?”
“No, that wouldn’t work, and we don’t have time,” Andrew said, “I was actually hoping that you might agree to buy me from Chef’s Kiss and become my new owner so that YumYum can then hire me so I can continue working here.”
Mike almost dropped Andrew’s head upon hearing that request. He found it odd to hear someone ask him if he’d like to purchase them, especially since with Lena and Elena, he had found them, so they were unregistered and unclaimed. Yet, he now started seeing Andrew more closely and admitted to himself that Andrew did look attractive, for a guy.
“That’s a huge ask, Andrew” Mike finally said, offering Andrew’s head back to him and watching him reattach his it. Once his head was reattached, Andrew sat back down across from him.
“I know,” Andrew admitted, “But Elena told me that you take really good care of her and Lena, and that you’ve been thinking of spicing things up a bit.”
Mike flushed deeply at that. “Elena probably shouldn’t be going around telling people that, but she was correct…although, to be honest, we were thinking more along the lines of purchasing a penis module for them to use, rather than a full male body…or android.”
“She also told me that you have a robo-fetish, so the fact that I’m male wouldn’t bother you too much,” Andrew continued.
“Yep,” Mike nodded, flushing even more, “Just out of curiosity, what is your current sexual orientation set to?”
“Gay,” Andrew responded with a smile.
“I figured,” Mike nodded; his Gaydar never failed. “If, hypothetically, I was to purchase you, you would most likely be reconfigured as selectively bi-sexual, so you could have fun with Lena and Elena too.”
“I understand,” Andrew nodded, “You would be my owner, so you could feel free to reprogram me in anyway you see fit.”
“Well, as Elena or Lena would tell you, I wouldn’t change much,” Mike said distastefully, “I’ve already gotten to know you a bit these past few years, so I wouldn’t want to.”
“You see, that’s also why I knew you would be the best to help me,” Andrew grinned, “I’m sure someone else would just turn me into a sex robot and I wouldn’t have the same type of agency I do now.”
Mike couldn’t help but smile modestly. “Well, I must say, you do present an intriguing offer,” he said in a conceding voice, “But, before I can make any decision, I would have to discuss it with my wife.”
When Mike married Lena, his relationship status in her programming changed from Boyfriend to Spouse, and with it a lot of changes. Her agency increased noticeably, since she was now more equal to him, and she even gained additional legal status as well. As such, now that she was his wife, for a major purchasing decision like this he would need to discuss it with her first.
“I totally understand,” Andrew smiled, “and if you ultimately decide not to purchase me, I’ll at least be able to go into my oblivion knowing I tried my best.”
That comment really tugged on Mike’s heartstrings. “Look, my best guess is that there is at least an 80-85% chance that we’ll end up purchasing you,” Mike said reassuringly, then, seeing the expression on Andrew’s face brighten, he continued, “We just finished an addition to our house, so our finances might be a bit questionable. However, since you earn an income and would be able to add to ours, that might offset things a bit.”
“And, I would be getting a pay increase upon joining the new company,” Andrew offered helpfully.
“Indeed,” Mike nodded, “So, for starters, why don’t you tell me how much you make now and how much you’ll be getting...oh, and how much money you have on-hand.” Mike opened his notebook and clicked his pen in anticipation.
Andrew quickly went into detail about his wages and finances, which Mike diligently wrote down.
“So far, so good,” Mike nodded approvingly, “Now, before we move on, what am I currently classified as in your system?”
“Up until yesterday you were classified as Coworker,” Andrew explained, which was apt, even though they worked in different departments, “But, I had you reclassified as Friend in the hopes it might improve my chances of being purchased by you.”
“Excellent,” Mike smiled, “And I wouldn’t have minded being friends, by the way.”
“Thanks,” Andrew smiled.
“Well then, now for the nitty gritty…to make sure I’m not buying a lemon or something,” he said, showing a mocking face to show Andrew he wasn’t completely serious, “Are you anatomically correct for a male?”
“Yes,” Andrew responded quickly, with no hint of embarrassment, “Though I am not fully functional, at present.”
“How so?”
“While I do have a penis, and I can urinate with it, I don’t have any ejaculate canisters installed, and I don’t have any sexual programming installed,” he explained, “though I am configured as gay,” he added as a reminder.
“I see,” Mike nodded, “Well, the fact that you’re properly equipped, at least, makes things easier…We’ve been shopping for penises, and they are surprisingly expensive.”
“That makes sense since, as an outward facing sexual component, they are much more customizable than vaginas are,” Andrew nodded, “I would show mine to you, but my programming currently prohibits me from exposing myself while at work,” Andrew said in an apologetic tone.
“Yeah, no need to do that,” Mike said quickly, looking towards the door nervously, “I don’t want to get fired.”
“Sorry,” Andrew whispered.
“Anyway, onto the more…technical stuff,” Mike said, clicking his pen more excitedly, “You mentioned you’ve been online for about five years or so, which technically makes you newer than either Lena or Elena, even though you’ve likely been running more continuously than either of them have. Are you able to provide me with a complete list of your current hardware and software that I can show to Lena? To see if we need to purchase any upgrades, or need to wait for lengthy updates?”
“Sure,” Andrew nodded, focusing on the laptop Mike had brought into the room with him. Andrew then zoned out for a few seconds before a notification pinged on Mike’s laptop, showing that Andrew had just sent Mike a log file to his work email.
“Thanks,” Mike said, not realizing it would be that quick, “I’ll have Lena analyze this tonight.”
“No problem,” Andrew grinned, “I received my last maintenance over the summer, around when the contract notice came out,” he reported with a wry expression, “most of the hardware in my body is above standard, though I could probably do with some upgrades,” he continued, “also, there is some minor damage to my skin caused by regular accidents in the kitchen that needs to be repaired.”
“Can I see?” Mike asked with a concerned look.
“Yeah, it’s mostly on my arms,” Andrew nodded, taking off the casual hooded sweater that he’d put on over his work uniform.
Since his uniform shirt was a standard polo, Mike was now able to see Andrew’s arms up to his bicep, along with the damage Andrew mentioned. True to what Andrew reported, it did indeed appear to be damage one might expect to receive in a kitchen: small burns, cuts, and scrapes. This type of damage could easily be repaired, but since the company was losing their contract anyway, they obviously didn’t feel the need to waste any money repairing an android that would likely be tossed in the junk heap by the end of the year.
“I know they’re upset they lost the contract, but they could’ve at least given you these basic repairs,” Mike said disapprovingly, gently feeling Andrew’s arms, while Andrew smiled pleasantly.
“Yeah, but my coworkers have started seeing them as battle scars, so I don’t mind having them for now,” Andrew smiled, “I’m fully aware that you’ll most likely repair my damage if you purchase me, but I don’t mind losing the scars.”
“Good,” Mike nodded, sitting back down and picking up his notebook, “I have a few more questions, if you don’t mind.”
“Hey, this little interview we’re having will determine if I continue to exist after Friday,” Andrew pointed out, “Ask me all the questions you want.”
Mike let that morbid comment pass and continued with his questions. “Are you based off a real person, like Lena and Elena were?”
“Yes,” Andrew confirmed, “That’s actually part of the reason why I could only be used here by Chef’s Kiss, because their contract only lets them use me here,” he explained, “But, if ownership would transfer to you, then you wouldn’t be bound by that, and you could technically employ me anywhere.”
“Interesting,” Mike nodded, jotting that down, “Is your donor dead?”
“Yes,” Andrew confirmed again, “he died of an undiagnosed food allergy and couldn’t be treated in time. Fortunately, they were able to copy his brain and make me.”
“Oh, sorry,” Mike said sadly.
“It’s okay,” Andrew replied, then got a concerned look on his face, “Umm, how much longer do you think you’ll need? I have to be back in the kitchen in ten minutes to start prepping lunch, and it’s a five-minute walk.”
“Oh, I’ll wrap it up, then,” Mike nodded understandingly, “Are you able to run a set of software updates tonight for anything that won’t need your current owner’s approval?”
“Yes,” Andrew nodded politely, “I am behind on the major AI update, so that’ll have to wait until after you purchase me…if you do.”
“I figured,” Mike nodded, “Hey, Lena had to install five and Elena had to install six, so one won’t take much time at all.”
“Wow, that must have given them whiplash,” Andrew laughed.
“A little,” Mike admitted, “Finally, a personal preference. I noticed when examining your arms that you have body hair. Are you I able to remove all body hair below your head?”
Andrew zoned out momentarily as he checked his programming before smiling, “Yes, that is something I can do without approval,” he reported happily, “although, I am already practically a twink, so there won’t be too much to remove.”
“Good,” Mike said, “then, I think that about finishes this interview. Please give me your contact information in case I need to reach out to you.”
“Thanks, here you go,” Andrew smiled, getting to his feet and handing Mike a business card, “I had this one made just for you, to sweeten the deal.”
“Thanks,” Mike laughed, admiring the quality of the card, and that it even contained Andrew’s model and serial numbers, in addition to his phone and email, “this will be very helpful.”
“I try my best,” Andrew bowed politely, before grabbing his hoodie, placing it back over his head, and leaving the room.
As Andrew left, Mike couldn’t help but notice how subtly attractive Andrew was. He’d be a perfect addition to their family unit, provided Lena agreed to the purchase.
3.2: Financial Decisions
After the unexpected meeting with Andrew, the rest of Mike’s day went very smoothly. Although Lena was on duty with him, he decided this was a discussion best left for when they got home, however he did send her a quick message apprising her of the situation so that she would have time to come up with her own arguments for or against and not be surprised. She quickly responded with a surprised emoji and then a thinking emoji, before finishing with a kissy and heart emoji.
He replied with his own emojis and then continued working.
At the end of the day, when Lena got off duty in the dispatch center, he packed up his laptop and walked her down to the car. Before leaving, he sent Elena a quick text advising her not to discuss the situation further with Andrew, pending his discussion with Lena. Elena replied with a salute emoji, but no more.
Once Mike and Lena got home, they both took quick showers to freshen up and then sat down in the living room to discuss the offer from Andrew.
“Did you know Andrew was an android?” Mike started the discussion, brewing a pot of coffee and bringing Lena a cup, along with some snacks.
“No, though I haven’t really interacted with him much since I returned to working here,” Lena admitted, “It’s not proper for us to out one another, and he was most likely programmed to keep his nature a secret…some people don’t like androids in the workforce.”
“Yeah,” Mike nodded, taking a sip of his coffee, “Obviously Elena knew, since she was able to point him in my direction, and Andrew said Elena told him about you, as well.”
“Well, considering the circumstances, it was proper in this case, since Andrew would have been decommissioned by the end of the week if she hadn’t,” Lena frowned, “Although I may still have some words with Elena in private later,” she added mischievously.
“Go easy on her,” Mike grinned.
“No promises,” Lena grinned back.
“So, what way are you leaning?” Mike asked with interest, “I know, based on my conversation with him, that I’m leaning towards purchasing him, but I know we’re still recovering financially from the addition to the upstairs too.”
“True,” Lena nodded, “though, your promotion and our raises have helped recover the costs somewhat.”
“And adding Andrew will also add his income as well,” Mike added, telling Lena how much Andew currently made, how much he expected to be raised, and how much he had on hand.
“Ooh, that would help,” Lena smiled, doing the calculations in her head. “Did he give you his current hardware and software configuration?”
“Yep,” Mike smiled, pulling it up on his laptop for Lena to examine. “I thought of everything.”
“I love you,” Lena gushed, leaning over and kissing him.
“I love you too,” Mike beamed, sitting back and relaxing while Lena examined Andrew’s specs.
Lena zoned out several times while she checked over Andrew’s hardware and software specs, spending nearly 15 minutes before smiling, “Looks like he’s actually in quite good condition,” she finally reported, “He really only needs a few upgrades and replacements, but nowhere near as much as either I or Elena needed.”
“That’s good,” Mike sighed with relief, “Do we have any compatible upgrades in our inventory?”
“Only one,” Lena frowned, “But the rest won’t cost too much.”
“Good,” Mike nodded.
“Did you go over a purchase price for him, in addition to the registration fee?” she asked, looking more excited by the prospect.
“Unfortunately, no,” Mike shook his head, “the meeting was cut short, his owner wasn’t present, and there’s a possibility the price might be up for negotiation anyway.”
“True,” Lena conceded, “considering the Chef’s Kiss company is experiencing some financial difficulties, they might be willing to sell Andrew for a bargain…since it’s still more money than they would get from selling his parts off one by one.”
“Wow, it seems weird talking about buying someone so casually,” Mike laughed nervously, “I wonder if this is how they bought slaves back in the day.”
“Maybe, but in this case if you don’t buy this person, they’ll die,” Lena pointed out.
“True,” Mike nodded.
“Anyway, one other thing to consider is that having Andrew would satisfy our need to spice things up a bit,” Lena continued, “Choosing a compatible penis module for both myself and Elena has proven more difficult than I imagined, so having Andrew means that, for the time being, we can play around with him, or with me or Elena in his body.”
“I figured the same thing,” Mike blushed, still both eager and nervous to experiment with another male.
“Well then, I too am leaning towards purchasing Andrew,” Lena finally decided, “I figure that having him around could reduce some of my home tasks, like cooking, since he most likely already has the same, if not superior cooking programs that I do.”
“Yeah, but he did mention some of them were Chef’s Kiss proprietary, so they would most likely be purged from his systems before any sale occurred,” Mike pointed out.
“I know, but those would most likely just be their recipes, but there are plenty of free use recipes that he would still have access to,” Lena pointed out in response.
“And I take it you’d like some extra free time around here?” Mike asked.
“Yeah, I enjoy playing video games as much as you, after all,” she retorted, playfully blowing him a raspberry, “besides, it would give him a guaranteed job around here, like Elena helps with the outside chores.”
“I suppose,” Mike agreed.
“Also, if we do decide to have a child, then it gives us an extra person to alter their work schedule so they could stay home and take care of them,” she said, emphasizing this point, since she was really itching to procreate.
“That it does,” Mike smiled, “although, even with the addition, having him plus a child, or children, will really make this place seem cramped.”
“Meh, we’re renting anyway, and the landlord will be able to raise the rates for the next tenants now if we move out,” Lena shrugged, “don’t worry, I’ve got a few places I’m interested in that are bigger than this place.”
Mike cringed a little at that thought. He rather liked the current place, due to its proximity to work and his parents’ house, after all.
“And don’t worry, they’re all close by,” she reassured him, sensing his discomfort, “in fact, one of them is the larger house in front of this one.”
“Really? We could afford that?” He asked incredulously, since the house she was referring to was a three-story home.
“Maybe,” she shrugged, “it depends on how we’re doing by the end of next year…especially if we do get Andrew.”
“Lena, I think at this point we’ve already decided to purchase Andrew,” Mike laughed.
“Yeah,” she agreed with a giggle, “but it’s nice to talk it through first so we don’t get buyer’s remorse.”
“Yeah,” he nodded, pulling out his phone and looking up Andrew’s number, “I’ll text him and let him know that we’ve provisionally agreed to purchase him, pending the meeting with his current owner.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Lena agreed, giving him a thumbs up, before putting her bare feet on Mike’s lap.
Mike smiled as he drafted the text to Andrew, absently watching Lena wiggle her toes as he typed. He quickly showed the draft text to Lena for her approval, receiving a nod, before sending it.
“And sent,” Mike announced, putting the phone down and grabbing her feet to give them a massage. She let out a pleasant sigh and closed her eyes as he worked on them.
Just as he finished massaging them, he received a message ping, indicating that Andrew had replied to the text. “That’s great! I’ll let my current owner know so she can meet with us tomorrow. Same time and place?”
“Yes,” Mike replied tersely, after double checking his calendar. He quickly booked the same room for tomorrow. Andrew replied with a simple thumbs up.
“Alright, we’re set for tomorrow,” Mike smiled, tossing his phone onto the side table and putting his feet up on Lena’s lap, “My turn,” he told her, wiggling his toes.
Lena gave him a loving smile as she started massaging his feet.
3.3: Haggling
When Mike got to work the next day, he could barely wait until the start of the meeting. Andrew too looked excited when Mike came down to get his breakfast, adding some extra bacon to his plate.
Once the time had arrived, Mike once again made the trek to the secluded conference room to wait for Andrew and his owner to arrive.
Same punctuality as before, Andrew arrived, followed by a woman that Mike recognized as one of the café managers named Susan. Susan had the appearance of someone who was no-nonsense, but the few times Mike had interacted with her he had seen that was mostly a façade. Mike absently noticed that Andrew’s arms were free of hair, showing that Andrew had fulfilled Mike’s request from the previous day.
“Good morning,” Mike said cheerfully, getting up and shaking both of their hands before they all sat down.
“Good morning,” Susan replied kindly, sitting down opposite Mike, while Andrew sat in between them. “So, Andrew told me that you’re willing to purchase him?”
“Yes,” Mike nodded, “Provided the price is acceptable, and that there aren’t any hidden issues that could complicate things.”
“Understandable,” she smiled in response, then looked awkwardly to Andrew before looking back at Mike, “Hold on a sec,” she then said, before turning to Andrew. “Andrew, enter Standby Mode.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said dutifully, before straightening up and staring blankly ahead.
“Sorry about that,” Susan said sincerely, “I’ve never really felt comfortable dealing with androids, especially since they look so real…it’s awkward trying to talk about them like you’re selling cattle, especially while they’re present.”
“No worries, I totally get you,” Mike told her reassuredly, “it took quite a while to get used to my wife’s way of talking about herself.”
“Your wife is an android too?”
“Yes,” Mike nodded, “And Elena’s my mistress, since it would be awkward to have her around as anything else.”
“Interesting, so you definitely seem to care for androids then,” Susan mused, “I’ll admit, I was somewhat worried that you might be interested in him for selfish purposes, but it seems like you’ll actually take good care of him.”
“Indeed, we will,” Mike assured her, “he’ll be part of our family, and he’ll still get to work here if YumYum lets him.”
“They will,” Susan said confidently, “they promised any androids on our staff, including Elena, would get to transition to them if they had their own owners.”
“Good,” Mike nodded, “wait, aren’t you transitioning with them? How come you didn’t purchase Andrew?”
“To be perfectly honest, I’ve never felt comfortable being listed as his owner,” Susan shuddered, looking over at Andrew, who was still in standby mode, “Don’t get me wrong, I like him, but the only reason I was selected is because he’s gay, and I’m lesbian, so there was no chance of me using him inappropriately.”
“I see,” Mike nodded, patiently listening to her.
“In any event, I can’t afford him,” she continued bluntly, “and, even if I could, my wife doesn’t want me to purchase him because she doesn’t want the expense and maintenance costs that come along with him, and she finds him, or rather any android, creepy,” Susan continued, “I technically own him because I’m his manager, but Chef’s Kiss actually owns him.”
“I see,” Mike continued listening, “So, are you able to make me an offer?”
“Yes, on behalf of Chef’s Kiss, I will start the negotiation at $60,000,” Susan replied, all business now with a shrewd, but playful look in her eyes.
Mike was somewhat surprised by how high she offered but, considering that purchasing a custom android based on a real person like Andrew would cost more than double that, he was glad she didn’t start higher. “That’s not a bad offer, but considering he has some physical damage caused by recent accidents in the kitchen, and he needs some upgrades, I’d like to counter at $45,000.”
Susan looked like she was having fun now, smiling at his offer. “Not a bad counter, but Andrew is still a fairly new model, so finding parts for him won’t be too hard,” she replied, “still, the damage could’ve been fixed, but Chef’s Kiss got cheap, so I would be okay with lowering my offer to $54,000.”
Getting better, Mike thought, trying to think of another argument. “I’m sure that Chef’s Kiss has some proprietary company hardware and software in him that they’ll need to remove, which will recoup some of their losses. How about a nice, even $50,000?”
Susan paused for some time to consider it; they were getting really close now. “He’s been running fine for over five years now, so he’s built up a great deal of experience that even the best software packages won’t beat,” she finally said, looking at Mike shrewdly, “$52,000…my final offer.”
Mike stared into her eyes for nearly a minute, waiting to see if she’d blink; she didn’t. “Deal!” he finally said, a huge grin on his face.
“Great!” she smiled back, reaching across the table to shake his hand, “Of course, I do need to speak to the powers that be to confirm the sale, but I highly doubt they’ll reject it,” Susan shrugged, “even 45k would be more than they would’ve gotten by dismantling him and selling his parts off one by one.”
“You negotiate very well,” Mike congratulated her, “I take it they offered you a commission based on the sale.”
“Yep, it’s only 10%, but that’ll pay for my vacation next year,” she grinned.
“Good work,” Mike said again, “and I promise that I’ll keep him employed here in the kitchen for as long as YumYum will have him.”
“Good, he’s actually a really cool coworker,” Susan said, looking over at Andrew fondly, “Andrew, exit standby mode,” she ordered.
Andrew instantly sprung to life, quickly looking back and forth between Mike and Susan, seeing the smiles on their faces. “Did you to come to a deal?” he asked hopefully.
“Yes,” Susan replied happily, “provided Chef’s Kiss officially agrees to the offer, we’ll be able to make things official as early as tomorrow,” she reported, “Our district manager is coming to visit, along with the incoming district manager for YumYum. They’ve been waiting for an answer to Andrew’s status and will be happy that we now have one, so they’ll meet with you tomorrow to go over the final details, assuming the purchase is approved.”
“Sounds good,” Mike nodded.
“I’m almost 98% sure it will be, so don’t stress too much,” she grinned, “in the meantime, Andrew and I have to head back to work.” She then gave Andrew a curt nod towards the door, and they both got up.
“I won’t,” Mike replied, also getting back up, “Wait, will we need a larger conference room?”
Susan paused and looked at the small room they were in, “Yeah, including Andrew and myself, it’ll be the District Managers from YumYum and Chef’s Kiss, so an extra two people.”
“Great, I’ll book the neighboring room then, since it can fit up to six people,” Mike nodded, sitting back down and quickly booking the room for the same time the following day, “All done.”
“Great,” Susan nodded, continuing to head out with Andrew.
“Oh Andrew, try not to damage yourself any further,” Mike called before they could leave.
“I’ll try,” he smiled, heading out with Susan.
Once Susan and Andrew left the area, Mike quickly shot Lena a text with the final purchase price for Andrew, with Lena replying with a celebration emoji. He shot back a heart emoji and then headed back to work, eager for the meeting tomorrow.
3.4: Logistics
To Mike’s relief, he received a message from Andrew in the afternoon after work confirming that the purchase had been officially approved by Chef’s Kiss for the price that he and Susan had negotiated and that the meeting the next day would be at the same time. She also sent the payment plan, which included a $10,000 down payment.
He and Lena briefly celebrated, before just as quickly getting serious about coming up with the money so they could make the purchase. They had enough cash on hand, but Lena still decided to pick up some extra hours in the dispatch center to recoup some of the money. Before long, they had enough money to make the down payment and would then pay off Andrew over the course of the year.
Also, since the purchase was now all but confirmed, Lena went online to start ordering all the upgrades that they would need for Andrew, including the proper repair materials for the damage to his arms, and a few other things, such as male ejaculate cartridges. To her delight, all the items would arrive by or before Friday, so they would have everything they needed when they received Andrew to start working on him.
The next day, Mike headed to the larger conference room a little earlier than he had on the previous two days, making sure the meeting room was properly set up. Just as he finished, Susan and Andrew entered, followed by a man and a woman that Mike didn’t recognize, though considering the man was wearing a Chef’s Kiss branded shirt, and the woman a YumYum shirt, he figured those two were the district managers.
“Good morning, welcome in,” Mike greeted them all, motioning for them to sit down. Both district managers sat opposite each other at the end of the table, while Susan sat in between her manager and Mike, and Andrew saw down between Mike and the other manager.
“So, we’re meeting here to discuss the logistics regarding my pending purchase of Andrew,” Mike started, looking over at Andrew with a smile, which Andrew returned, “what are the next steps?”
“Good morning, Mike. My name is Frank, the district manager for Chef’s Kiss,” the man answered, “We are glad you chose to purchase Andrew here. He has been a valuable asset these past five years, in all meanings of the word, and we are so glad that we won’t have to scrap him.”
“My name is Elaine, the district manager for YumYum, and I echo Frank’s statement,” the woman chimed in pleasantly, “during our due diligence for the transition we noted that Andrew gets rave reviews from the employees at CloudTron, as well as from his colleagues, so we are very happy that you chose to purchase him so he can remain a valuable teammate here.”
Andrew sat patiently to Mike’s left, basking in the positive attention he was receiving.
“It great to hear that Andrew is so well liked here, and it warms my heart that I have this opportunity to rescue him from obsolescence,” Mike added, “so, what do we need to do to continue this process?”
Elaine and Frank briefly looked at each other across the table, before Elaine demurred to Frank.
“Well, we’ve come up with the payment plan for you to follow,” Frank started, pulling the legal documents out of a briefcase and sliding them across to Mike. Mike promptly placed them in his own case, for Lena to review when they got home. “Do you have the down payment?”
“Yes, my wife and I got it ready last night,” Mike confirmed.
“Good,” Frank said, rubbing his hands together, “then here is the timeline from on end: Andrew will continue to work for us for the remainder of this week. At the conclusion of his shift on Friday, he will return to his housing unit to pack up all his personal belongings, shower, and then he will be picked up by one of our technicians and brought to the lab.”
“Is his housing unit owned by Chef’s Kiss?” Mike asked.
“Yes, it’s a simple one bed, one bath apartment,” Andrew interjected.
“Thanks,” Mike nodded.
“Anyway, once Andrew is at the lab, he will be shut down, dismantled, and opened up to have any proprietary Chef’s Kiss hardware removed. Then, our techs will wipe his memory of any that contain proprietary Chef’s Kiss knowledge, and any Chef’s Kiss programs will be removed.”
“What sort of hardware does he currently have installed that needs to be removed?” Mike asked.
“Let’s see,” Frank said, pursing his lips as he pulled out a small piece of paper, “He has a tracking device to prevent theft, a canister of fire retardant so he can help put out fires in the kitchen, and extra processors to enhance his sense of taste and smell.”
“Interesting,” Mike mused, “and will YumYum need any of that installed in him in order for him to work here?”
“The tracker is up to you,” Elaine replied, “But we would like the extra smell and taste processors, if possible; we don’t care about the fire retardant.”
“Alright,” Mike nodded, “and you mentioned some of his memories will be wiped. What will that entail, and will it essentially lobotomize him?”
“He’ll be fine,” Frank assured him, “Basically, and memory that is flagged by our scan as containing Chef’s Kiss info, mostly in the form of employee meetings, will be purged.”
“I ran a scan of my memories last night,” Andrew chimed in, “approximately 5.3% of my total memories fall into this category, but fewer than 10% of those have you in them, and even then, you were only walking by and were only peripherally involved. Losing them won’t in any way have a meaningful impact on my ability to work or remember you.”
“That’s a relief,” Mike said.
“After we confirm that all of our property has been removed from him, he’ll get a final inspection before getting packed into his original shipping container,” Frank continued, “then he and his personal items, after being inspected, will be delivered to your home address between 10am and 12pm on Saturday morning by Susan here.”
“I’ll text you when I’m on my way,” Susan assured him.
“Thanks,” Mike nodded.
“Once Susan arrives, she will verify receipt of the down payment and will then officially transfer registration of Andrew over to you, and at the point our business will be concluded…at least, until your next payment is due,” Frank finished.
“Thanks for the detailed breakdown,” Mike said graciously, before turning to Elaine, “And what will YumYum need after the purchase?”
“Not much,” Elaine admitted, “once you finish configuring Andrew and upgrading his systems, we’ll just have him come in for 8am-4pm training and orientation courses the weekend after Christmas,” she explained, taking a small data drive out of her bag, “this drive contains all the software and recipe programs that you’ll need to install in Andrew prior to his taking the courses.” Elaine then handed it to Andrew, who promptly handed it to Mike.
“Thanks,” Mike nodded, placing it in his bag, “anything else?”
“No, now that the purchase is complete, his information will transition over to us from Chef’s Kiss, so it’ll be as seamless as possible,” she smiled, “it’s much easier transitioning android employees, since they don’t need health benefits.”
“I can imagine,” Mike laughed, having gone through several transitions himself.
“Well, if there aren’t any more questions, Elaine and I need to go speak to the client now,” Frank said brusquely, rising to his feet, “Congratulations on your purchase, Mike…you’re a lucky man.”
“Thank you,” Mike smiled, shaking Frank and Elaine’s hands before walking them to the door. “Susan, can Andrew stay and answer a few more questions I have, in private?”
“Sure,” she smiled, “try and keep it to less than 15-minutes…we have a lot of work to get through today.”
“I’ll try,” Mike promised, closing the door after she left and then sitting back down next to Andrew. “Well, are you excited?”
“Yes!” Andrew responded, leaning in and giving Mike a small hug before pulling back, “I’d hug you more, but that’s all my programming will allow me.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Mike shrugged off, “So, Frank mentioned you had personal belongings?”
“Yes, though it’s not too much,” he assured Mike, seeing the look of concern on his face, “It’s mostly just clothing, blankets, and some pictures and mementos of my time here with present and past coworkers.”
“Okay, just making sure I don’t need to purchase a storage unit,” Mike laughed, “We just added an addition to our house, but adding another person will still make things a little cramped.”
“I understand,” Andrew nodded solemnly.
“Also, I know they mentioned you are going to shower,” Mike continued, “I would request you make it the most thorough shower you’ve ever taken; clean under your nails, behind your ears, and all nooks and crannies.”
“I can do that,” Andrew nodded, “and Elena mentioned that you’re kind of a germaphobe, so I can assure you that I currently am not configured to secrete any body odor so I could reduce the smell in the kitchens. All I have is a neutral male musk.”
“That’s perfect,” Mike nodded, “can you tell me what kind of hygiene products you’re using?”
“Just the basic bargain stuff,” Andrew shrugged, “I try and save as much money as I can.”
“Understandable, but once you move in with me, you’ll be using special android-safe products that won’t cause any damage to your skin or hair,” Mike told him, texting Lena to add that stuff to her shopping list, “aside from that, just try and make yourself as presentable as possible. Install all the updates you have permission to and make yourself clean.”
“Will do,” Andrew nodded seriously.
Mike then paused and looked at Andrew, while he sat there patiently, “I wish I wasn’t buying you partially sight unseen, but I look forward at getting to see more of you on Saturday.”
“You know, I could send you some lewds when I get home,” Andrew offered with a naughty look, “since your classified as a friend, I could at least send you a shirtless pic.”
Mike blushed at that offer but quickly recovered. “Nah, I’ll just wait until Saturday,” he decided.
“Your loss,” Andrew sighed mockingly, “do you have any more questions?”
“Not right now,” Mike said, “I’ll text you if I have any.”
“Thanks Mike, you saved me,” Andrew smiled, once again giving Mike a light hug before heading out of the room.
Mike sighed longingly. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on Andrew.
3.5: Transfer of Ownership
The rest of the week passed smoothly, but Mike was very excited about finally getting Andrew at the end of the week. He did come up with a few more basic questions for Andrew, which Andrew promptly answered via text. Aside from that, his only contact with Andrew was getting his food at the café.
All the parts and supplied for Andrew started arriving throughout the week, which Lena promptly inventoried and prepped for Mike. Lena herself was working 12hr shifts the rest of the week to make more money, since Andrew was not a small purchase.
Friday night, Mike celebrated their soon to be new housemate by partying with Lena and Elena, though he still went to bed just past midnight so he could assure himself a good night of sleep. Working on androids required one to be well-rested, after all.
On Saturday morning, Lena rolled out of bed early to start cooking breakfast, leaving Mike to cuddle with Elena instead. He finally got up when the smell of bacon hit his nostrils, hopping into the shower to take a quick five-minute refreshing shower, before heading down to enjoy Lena’s cooking.
“I think you outdid yourself today,” Mike complimented, finishing the last bite while watching the local news, “But, with Andrew coming in, this could be the last meal you need to cook.”
“Hopefully,” Lena said, crossing her fingers, “it’ll give me more time with you.”
“Aww,” he gushed, giving her a loving kiss.
“Now just relax for the next couple hours,” she said, “the soonest he’ll be here is 10.”
“I know,” he said, though still bubbling with excitement.
Shortly after ten, Mike’s phone pinged with a text notification from Susan. She was on her way in the box truck and would arrive in less than 30 minutes. Excited, Mike replied with a thumbs up and headed upstairs to warm up the equipment in Lena’s lab. It had received several upgrades over the past couple years since she moved in, including much faster computers, a dedicated landline connection, and several servers to host backups of Lena and Elena in case of data loss; there was still room for Andrew, as well.
By the time he finished warming everything up, including updating the diagnostic software, he heard the rumbling of a truck coming. A quick check out the window confirmed that it was the box truck, so he hurriedly rushed down the stairs to meet Susan in the driveway, with Lena and Elena not far behind.
“Good morning, all,” Susan announced cheerfully, hopping down from the driver’s seat after parking the van in front of their house.
“Morning,” Mike waved back, with Lena and Elena chiming in as well, “I hope you didn’t have trouble finding the place.”
“A little, but you described the place well,” she admitted, opening the back of the truck, revealing the telltale android storage trunk, along with half a dozen plastic crates containing Andrew’s personal belongings. “And now that I see your wife, Lena, I realize I have seen her before, at work,” Susan grinned.
Lena giggled sheepishly before waving again.
“Sorry, we try not to advertise our relationship, but it’s above board since our two teams are independent of one another,” Mike explained.
“No worries, your secret is safe with me,” Susan winked, “I take it you and Elena are able to do the heavy lifting?”
“Yep,” Lena nodded, briefly activating her emergency power servos to emphasize her point.
“Good, because that trunk is heavy,” Susan laughed, hopping into the back of the truck and sliding it over to the lift mechanism at the back, along with the crates. She then activated the lift, lowering herself and the cargo down to the ground.
“It’s no problem,” Lena assured her, grabbing hold of Andrew’s trunk and lifting it up, along with Elena, since it was too bulky for Lena to carry alone. While they carried the trunk inside with a series of mechanical whirs, Susan watched astonished.
“I still can’t believe Andrew is actually in there,” she shuddered.
“Yeah, it’s amazing,” Mike agreed, “But it’s easy for him to fit when they dismantle him.”
Susan looked even more uncomfortable at that, but changed the subject, “You will take good care of him, right?”
“Of course,” Mike smiled, “trust me, with all the upgrades, repair, maintenance, and software updates he’ll be getting in just the next few hours, he’ll be good as new by the time you next see him.”
Susan let out a huge sigh of relief. “I can’t wait then,” she grinned, watching as Lena and Elena returned from the house to collect the storage tubs. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she winced, “Chef’s Kiss decided to be a tad stingy, so they actually want those storage tubs back.”
“Really?!” Elena scoffed, “figures.”
“Sorry,” Susan apologized.
“It’s no problem,” Lena smiled, “we’ll just unpack everything onto our bed while you two handle the transaction out here.”
“Great, thanks,” Mike told her, watching as each of them picked up three tubs each. They must not have been too heavy, since he didn’t hear their servos whining this time.
“Alright, to business,” Susan said, pulling out a tablet, “To start, please enter your financials to process the down payment.”
Mike took the tablet and entered everything in, glad he’d warned his bank earlier about a large transaction. Once he had the down payment settled, he signed up for the payment plan to pay off the remaining 42K that he owed for Andrew. He hoped to have Andrew paid off by the end of the following year.
“Alright, now that the payment is out of the way we can start the transfer of ownership,” Susan smiled, pulling up Andrew’s current registration and tapping the transfer icon.
After tapping through several “are you sure” messages, and legal disclaimers, she officially deregistered herself and Chef’s Kiss Inc. as Andrew’s owner and then handed the tablet back to Mike for him to register himself as Andrew’s owner. Mike quickly entered his license number, paid the $1,000 registration fee, and then waited for the transaction to be processed.
“And done,” Susan announced happily, seeing everything went through, “As of now, Chef’s Kiss no longer owns the android Andrew, you do. Chef’s Kiss would like me to stress that you purchased Andrew of your own accord and now accept legal liability for all that comes with him and blah blah blah.”
“Thank you, Susan,” Mike laughed, handing the tablet back to her, “I’ll take excellent care of him.”
“I know you will,” she smiled, shaking my hand, “maybe have him give me a call when he’s back up and running.”
“Will do,” Mike promised, just as Lena and Elena returned with the now empty storage tubs, placing them back up in the back of the truck. “Thanks for the help, ladies.”
“Don’t mention it,” Elena huffed, still upset Chef’s Kiss was so cheap.
“It’s mostly clothing and fabrics, so we’ll start going through them and seeing what needs to be rewashed while you work on Andrew,” Lena reported.
“Well, sounds like you all have a busy day ahead of you, so I’ll be heading out,” Susan said, closing the back of the truck and hopping back into the driver’s seat. “See you all next year,” she grinned, starting the truck and pulling out of the driveway.
“See you,” they all said, watching her leave before heading back into the house.
3.6: Sight Unseen
Once they were back in the house, Mike pulled out his phone and activated the house’s ElectroChromic windows and the sound dampeners to ensure that they wouldn’t be disturbed. He turned off the TV downstairs, and made sure their cat was fed, before heading upstairs with Lena and Elena to unbox Andrew.
“I can’t wait to see him,” Elena whispered excitedly, since she worked somewhat closely with him each day, “You are going to tweak his programming so he can be selectively bisexual, right?”
“Of course,” Mike assured her, stopping at the top of the stairs to adjust the thermostat a few degrees, then peeked into his room at the piles of stuff that Lena and Elena had just unpacked from the storage tubs. Most of it indeed was clothing, but also some blankets, various mementos, and even some electronics. “Most of those will need to be rewashed for sure, since he told me he didn’t have any android-safe products.”
“Understood,” Elena nodded, grabbing a laundry basket and filling it with most of the smaller articles of clothing from the bed. She then tossed it into the washing machine, along with some android-safe detergent pods, and then continued into the lab room with Lena and Mike.
They had deposited the android storage trunk containing Andrew’s body right next to the workbench in the corner of the room. The workbench itself had been upgraded as well, being a simple corner desk originally. Now it was a more proper one, with dedicated power outlets and a grilled base with a removable tray to easily clean any debris. The diagnostic computers were also substantially faster than the laptop Mike had originally used with Lena and Elena.
The other end of the room had a futon, which was currently in its couch mode. Elena would often sleep in here whenever Mike and Lena wanted alone time. The room itself had also been configured so as to provide enough room for testing an android’s motor functions without it bumping into anything. The treadmill had long since been brought up, and was currently folded into a corner, and there were more proper weights as well.
Since all the equipment was already warmed up, Mike decided the best course would be to open the trunk and start moving Andrew’s body up to the bench. He tapped in the security code on the trunk, which had been scribbled onto a slip of paper by Susan and then smiled as the light turned from red to green with a pleasant beep, followed by the hiss of the locks disengaging. He then gently eased both sides of the door open, swinging them until they were fully open, letting out a soft gasp as he saw the contents.
Andrew’s body was in a similar dismantled state that Lena and Elena were, with his hands and feet detached from the arms and legs, and the arms and legs detached from the torso, with the torso nestled perfectly in a foam insert in the middle, and each set of arms & legs, and hands & feet on their own door. The head was also detached, and currently not visible due to being stored in the top compartment. What caused the soft gasp on Mike’s part was that Andrew’s body was completely naked, whereas Lena and Elena were wearing underwear while stored away.
Mike’s eyes were transfixed on the very realistic penis that currently rested flaccid between Andrew’s leg stubs. Mike could clearly see that Andrew had taken his request seriously and had shed all hairs below his ears, so it protruded even more gloriously than if he had a bush of pubic hair.
“Men certainly do look more attractive when they don’t have body hair,” Lena commented, after absorbing Andrew’s body for a few seconds.
“They certainly do,” Mike agreed fervently, now opening the top compartment to reveal Andrew’s head, resting peacefully in its protected nook. The small disc shaped pedestal was tucked in under Andrew’s head, just as it had been with the others, along with an AI core interface block.
Mike quickly removed the diagnostic devices, plugging them into the workstation, and then gently lifted Andrew’s head from the trunk, laying it on its side near the devices, before turning back to the trunk.
“I might need some help with his torso,” Mike decided, after sizing it up. Andrew wasn’t super muscly or bulky, but torsos were still heavy.
“I’ll help,” Elena offered, grabbing Andrew’s shoulders while Mike reached down for the leg stubs. They pulled it free with a light grunt and then lifted it up onto the bench.
“Thanks,” Mike said, pausing to catch his breath before reaching in and pulling the remaining limbs out, placing them neatly alongside the torso. He then gazed down upon Andrew’s nude, dismantled body in admiration.
True to his word, Andrew was a twink. With all the hair removed from his body, it now had a smooth, perfect appearance. On top of that, he had a generally thin body: it wasn’t too muscly, nor was it flabby.
Since Mike had already spent a great deal of time enjoying a nude, female android in this fashion, he decided to get this next part out of his system so he could focus better on working on Andrew. He let his hands reach out towards Andrew’s penis and gently grope it, while Lena and Elena lightly giggled behind him.
“Shush, you two,” he blushed, enjoying the feeling of Andrew’s balls between his fingers.
Just as Lena’s skin had been, Andrew’s still felt slightly warm, albeit neutral, and it still had a bit of moisture to it that wouldn’t quite transfer to Mike’s skin. Mike could tell that Andrew had bathed, as requested, but there was still a slight musky aroma to his penis that one would expect from a man who was wearing clothes for at least an hour and building up a minor amount of sweat.
“Is it any different from playing with your own?” Lena asked, both playfully and seriously, also leaning in for a closer look.
“A little,” Mike admitted, “I guess it’s even more fascinating because I know it’s artificial.”
“How so?”
“Well, your vaginas are basically just glorified sex holes, since you androids don’t make babies with them,” Mike explained, “But android penises, on the other hand, are used to urinate, ejaculate, and they can become erect and flaccid. Speaking from an engineering standpoint, there’s a heck of a lot more going on with them.”
“I guess you make a decent point,” Lena conceded, grabbing Andrew’s penis and gently stretching it out to pretend like it was erect, “Andrew is well equipped…his almost looks as good as yours.”
“Thanks,” Mike laughed, “but it’s not a contest.”
“It’s always a contest,” Elena fired back, also getting in on the action.
“Meh,” Mike shrugged, taking this opportunity to get a closer look at the damage to Andrew’s arms, while the ladies played with Andrew’s penis. He was able to see more of the damage, now that the arms were fully exposed, but it looked like nothing he couldn’t handle.
Mike also got a closer look at Andrew’s skin in general and could see the subtle damage caused by using regular detergents, but that would correct itself within a few days of using the android-safe varieties. Mike also had a fresh batch of nanites to place in Andrew’s body, and he figured Andrew’s current supply was also running low, and possibly a lower quality than the stuff Mike bought.
“I’ll bet Andrew would be loving this right now,” Elena grinned, gently massaging Andrew’s penis.
“Maybe,” Mike said, “but considering Andrew told me that he had no sexual software installed, I don’t think he’d be enjoying it as much as you think.”
“He has no sexual software installed?!” Elena gasped, even Lena looked surprised.
“That’s what he told me,” Mike repeated with a shrug.
“Geeze, even I had sexual software installed,” Lena muttered, looking at Andrew with a look of pity.
“Yeah, well I guess it might have something to do with the kitchen staff working more closely with one another, whereas security officers mostly work in isolated posts and are constantly on camara,” Mike guessed.
“Perhaps,” Lena mused, “Also, the kitchen staff has had a large number of sexual harassment complaints over the years, so having Andrew unable to have any sort of sex would limit their liability a bit.”
“And save them money,” Elena added, “the sexual software does cost money to install, not to mention the ejaculate canisters.”
“Ugh, we only bought the canisters,” Mike said, facepalming, “fortunately the sexual software doesn’t cost too much, but it’ll increase our expenses a little.”
“Nothing we can’t handle,” Lena shrugged.
“Well, if you two have gotten playing with Andrew’s penis out of your systems, I’d like some privacy while I fix him up,” Mike announced in a businesslike manner.
“Of course,” they both said seriously, stopping to give Mike a quick kiss before heading out, closing the door behind them.
Mike dramatically cracked his fingers and then got to work.
3.7: Getting Started
Now that Mike was alone, he turned on some relaxing music on the workstation and then got to work. The first thing he got started on was Andrew’s head, gently picking it up off the bench and clicking it in place onto the diagnostic pedestal without activating it. Instead, he activated the release for the scalp panel and carefully removed it, placing it on a side table. Mike then reached in and pulled Andrew’s AI Core out, quickly turning it around to access the processor assembly.
Just as with both Lena and Elena, Andrew had only been equipped with four out of the maximum of six processors, and the four processors he already had were more basic models. Fortunately, Andrew had provided them with his current hardware setup, so they were able to purchase upgraded models, and a full set of six. Since Andrew had most likely already backed himself up before being serviced, Mike wasted no time in pulling the four old ones out and inserting the six new ones. Based on the clock speed of the old ones, plus the addition of two more, Mike estimated that Andrew’s processing speed would increase by roughly 40%.
Now that the processor upgrade was out of the way, Mike got started by plugging the core into the interface cable so he could get started.
As soon as Andrew’s core was inserted, it lit up with activity and then appeared on Mike’s workstation monitor. As expected, a window immediately popped up indicating that Andrew’s registration had just been transferred and for Mike to begin the registration process. Since Mike couldn’t do anything else with Andrew’s programming or software until this was complete, he buckled in and got started.
Mike quickly reviewed Andrew’s current settings, after verifying that he was Andrew’s official registered owner, and confirmed that he would be keeping Andrew mostly the same. The first section he navigated was sexual preferences. After paying the small fee to unlock Andrew’s sexual programming, he modified the special settings so that Andrew would be selectively bisexual towards just Lena and Elena but would still be Gay overall.
Next, Mike navigated to the relationships section and then paused as he decided what to make his relationship with Andrew be. He finally decided on Owner/Friends-with-Benefits, since it was the same setting he had with Elena. He then added Lena and Elena to Andrew’s list and made them Friends-with-Benefits/Roommate, so they would get along as best as possible. Just as he had with Elena, Mike also granted Lena full administrative control over Adam, in case Mike was too busy to deal with him himself. Finally, he was able to plug in his foot and robot fetishes, so Andrew would be able to play to those in their encounters.
The final portion that involved customizing his personality and inter-personal interactions was the likes/dislikes tab. Fortunately, Andrew already had a disliking of sports, which was the only thing Mike was going to add, so he quickly added the same video games and tv shows that they all enjoyed and then moved on to the additional software section. After perusing all of the software that Andrew already had, including the basic cooking programs, Mike added the Basic First-Aid, common languages such as French and Spanish, and the sexual software that he would need to function in both male and female bodies, he plugged in the data drive that Elaine had provided and added the half dozen YumYum specific software.
After adding a few dozen smaller programs, Mike moved on to the software updater section. Fortunately, his registration ID had auto populated the network settings, along with the preferences that he had on file for Lena and Elena, so this section went by quickly…almost.
“Darn, I forgot about that,” Mike swore under his breath, looking at the list of updates.
While Andrew had apparently run as many updates as he could, there were already several more that were released in the past 24 hours. Additionally, as Andrew had reported, he was behind by one AI update, which was in the process of downloading and at the top of the list. What Mike had forgotten was that he had recently bumped Lena and Elena up to the Early Release channel for the updater, which meant that Andrew was also downloading the release candidate for the upcoming AI update as well, which meant the update process would take at least twice as long as Mike had anticipated.
“Oh well, I guess he’ll be even more up to date than I promised,” Mike shrugged, confirming the downloads. It just meant he’d have to wait at least an extra 90 minutes before talking to Andrew. Noticing the time on the clock, he figured it was almost time for a lunch break. With the extra time Andrew would need, he figured he’d add a quick nap afterwards.
Once Andrew’s core began all the updates and installs, Mike moved on to the repairs to Andrew’s arms, since it would take the next longest to complete. Mike got started by sanitizing his hands before pulling out a small jar of a flesh-colored gel, reaching in with his fingers and pulling out a decent-sized dab. He then gently rubbed it into the burns and scratches on both arms and hands until it was absorbed and then sprinkled what appeared to be metal powder onto the sections of gel.
Once he had all the metal powder sprinkled on, he grabbed a small penlight and shined it on the powder, which instantly brought it to life. The powder was actually tiny nanorobots that were designed for external use, rather than the variety that would be inserted into his body. Mike watched in fascination for nearly 15 minutes as the robots used the gel he had just lathered onto Andrew’s arms and hands to repair the damage. Once they finished their tasks, they self-terminated and fell harmlessly below to the workbench as simple metal powder. Mike would later discard it in an eWaste container.
When all the robots appeared to be finished, Mike gently brushed off the ones that had not fallen and inspected Andrew’s arms and hands. The robots had appeared to do a decent job, with only one section still leftover with just barely visible signs of damage. Mike didn’t bother reapplying the gel, though, because the internal nanites that he would be installing in Andrew’s body would take care of the deeper damage.
Mike carefully set the hands and arms back down where he picked them up from and then scooched the diagnostic pedestal with Andrew’s head closer so he could work on that next. Since he worked on Lena and Elena before, he’d picked up a few new tricks with maintaining them over the years and was eager to incorporate it into Andrew’s initial inspection and upgrade sweep. This included doing work inside the head.
Mike paused to admire Andrew’s sleeping face before delving into his open skull. Using a well-practiced hand, he maneuvered around behind the mechanism for Andrew’s nose until he felt what he was looking for, grunting slightly as he pulled out a small cylindrical filter. Quickly examining it, he confirmed that the filter was well past its intended usage and discarded it in a nearby waste bin before pulling a nearly identical, and noticeably cleaner one from the box of parts and inserting it into Andrew’s head.
He smiled as he recalled the Chef’s Kiss people saying they would be removing a processor from Andrew’s nose that enhanced his sense of smell, but Mike knew that that processor had been already mostly replaced in the form of an enhanced filter and additional programming, so it was no longer necessary; Andrew would only notice a 2-3% reduction in his sense of smell, while spending less energy throughout the day on the unneeded processing power.
Next, he swapped out the power cell in the head with one that had a slightly better capacity so Andrew could stay online headless for a few minutes longer. While Mike removed the old cell, he noticed a small buildup of corrosion forming on it, sighing as he figured this would probably be the case with the rest of Andrew’s systems.
After spending the next few minutes cleaning additional build ups of corrosion, plus a buildup of metal dust from components in his head being replaced over the years, Mike replaced the tear, saliva, and sweat tanks installed in Andrew’s head and then leaned back to rest up.
After his brief rest, he reached behind Andrew’s left ear to power it on, though since the core was still unplugged and updating on a separate connector, the head merely appeared to wake up and settle into a neutral stoic facial expression. Mike stared transfixed into Andrew’s blank, brown eyes for nearly a minute before shaking himself back into focus and moving over to the workstation computer. He then navigated to the diagnostic section of his workstation, which was plugged into the pedestal, and selected the Expression Test option, tapping start and leaning back once more to enjoy the show.
As someone with a robofetish, Mike was delighted when he discovered this diagnostic function last year while giving Lena and Elena their annual checkups. The Expression Test, once it started a few seconds later, caused Andrew’s face to start cycling through the entire programmed catalogue of basic facial expressions, which was a little over 100. Since the face stuck on each expression for three seconds, the test took a little over five minutes, with Mike becoming more aroused with each one.
When it finally finished, Mike took a quick breather to calm himself down and then navigated to the manual control section of the diagnostic interface, activating the control for Andrew’s mouth and having it open all the way and stay open. Once the mouth was open, he tapped another control which made Andrew stick his tongue out and had it hold it there too, before grabbing a powerful penlight and shining it inside the open mouth to do a quick inspection.
Based on the minty aroma wafting out of Andrew’s mouth, Mike was satisfied that Andrew had indeed cleaned himself to the best of his ability. Indeed, Mike found little to no build up in Andrew’s mouth, although he did notice some teeth that might need to be replaced in the next year due to normal wear and tear.
Once he was done with checking the teeth, Mike gently grabbed Andrew’s tongue, which was an odd mixture of moist, yet dry. He carefully examined it on top and underneath for any damage, idly wondering how Andrew would handle this exam if he were online. After finding no concerning damage, Mike had Andrew’s head pull its tongue back in and close its mouth, before starting one final test.
Mike read about this online while studying up on various best practices for the proper care and upkeep of androids. Apparently, while they have tear ducts, they don’t always use them, so you must manually make them cry to clear out any build up in the duct system. Mike located the control to make Andrew’s head perform a quick cry test and watched as the eyes on Andrew’s head started blinking before a small number of tears started forming. The test finished after 15 seconds, and Mike could see a small amount of buildup in the initial tears which streamed down Andrew’s cheek. He quickly grabbed some tissues and gently wiped Andrew’s face clean of tears and then did another quick inspection of Andrew’s head to confirm that nothing else needed his attention.
After doing a quick cleaning of Andrew’s ears, Mike finally finished, getting ready to power Andrew’s head down before pausing and staring into the eyes again, and then down to the lips. Mike had been so focused on working on Andrew that he hadn’t really processed the face that he’d never been this close with another Male before. While he wasn’t gay, he was attracted to Andrew simply because he was an android, and he did look attractive for a Male too. Deciding to experiment with his sexuality, Mike made Andrew’s face assume a gentle kissing expression and then picked the head up, bringing it to his lips and placing a probing kiss on the lips. Soon, the probing kiss became a little more involved, though Mike didn’t go too far. While the face was in a kissing expression, it had no life to it, so Mike stopped shortly after starting, eager to try that again with Andrew online.
His face slightly flushed, Mike gave Andrew’s face one more quick kiss before resetting the face to neutral and powering the head back down, the face serenely setting back into a sleeping expression. Mike then checked in on the progress on Andrew’s software updates, seeing that Andrew was just about to reboot to install the first AI update. A low rumble in Mike’s stomach quickly grabbed his attention.
“Well, I guess I’d better get something to eat,” he sighed, gently patting Andrew’s core before securing his workstation and heading downstairs.
3.8: Breaktime
When Mike emerged from the lab, he paused briefly at the top of the stairs to inhale the scent of the laundry running, with the pleasant-smelling android-safe detergent cleaning Andrew’s fabrics. He also noticed that many of the personal items that had been spread on his bed were organized by type, and some had even been displayed on the top of the drawer in their room.
Mike slowly made his way down the stairs, absently noting that it had started raining outside, before entering the living room where Lena and Elena were currently lounging.
“How’s the work on Andrew going?” Lena asked, getting up from the couch and giving Mike a quick kiss.
“Quite well, actually,” Mike answered, plopping onto the couch next to Elena, who also snuck in a quick kiss, “Unlike you two, he’s actually much closer to being up to date, so most of the work right now is just overdue maintenance and repairs.”
“Well, he wasn’t decommissioned, dismantled, stuffed in a trunk and then forgotten about for the better part of a decade,” Elena pointed out.
“Yeah,” Lena added, walking into the kitchen and pulling a plate from the fridge.
“True, but he has been running for a more continuous amount of time than either of you have,” Mike countered, “He has some corrosion buildup in his systems.”
“Yeah, that can happen if he’s not been maintained too well,” Lena nodded, handing Mike the plate, which held a small sandwich, and a glass of lemonade.
“Ah, thanks, dear,” he smiled, grabbing them both and then taking a huge bite of the sandwich.
“I figured you’d have a rumbly in your tumbly before long, so I whipped this up for you,” she smiled warmly.
“You know me too well,” Mike said, his mouth full of food.
“So, about when can we expect Andrew to join us?” Elena asked, as Lena sat down on the other side of Mike and put her feet up on the table; they were currently watching a random show on one of the science channels.
“If all goes well, sometime around five,” Mike responded, finishing the sandwich and talking a gulp of lemonade, “I forgot that he needs to download and install the latest release preview of the AI update, so that added an extra 90 minutes to the process.”
“Ah, well at least he’ll be super up to date then,” Elena giggled, “the new update added a ton of new features that I’m sure he’ll find useful in the kitchens.”
“I hope so,” Mike nodded, finishing the lemonade and then yawning, “in any event, I decided to come down for lunch while he installs the updates, and I also figured I’d take a brief post-lunch nap.”
“Ooh…wanna cuddle up with me?” Lena offered.
“Absolutely,” Mike nodded, “You’re very cuddly.”
“Oh you,” she blushed, lightly punching his leg.
“Get a room, you two,” Elena joked.
“Don’t worry, you can cuddle with me too,” Mike told her, “I could rest my head on your lap.”
Elena paused as she considered it, finally nodding her head with a smile, “That would be acceptable.”
“Great!” Mike smiled, gathering up the various blankets and pillows and setting them up.
While Lena took the plate and glass back into the kitchen to place them in the dishwasher, Elena sat down in the far-left corner of the couch, resting her legs on the ottoman, and placed one of the pillows on her lap. Mike then maneuvered himself on the couch next to Elena and rested his head on the pillow she had placed on her lap, both shifting around until they were comfortable.
Just as they both got comfortable, Lena finished up in the kitchen and shut off the lights in the room. She then crawled onto the couch and under the blankets that Mike was holding up for her and then cuddled up in his embrace, sighing contentedly.
“This is comfy,” Mike said, once they all warmed up, “we should do this more often.”
“Yeah,” Lena agreed.
“Do you want me to wake you or something if you nap for too long?” Elena asked, also sounding comfy. She interfaced with the TV and switched the channel to a nature documentary, since they often had relaxing music and people speaking in soft, British accents.
“Yeah, if I’m still napping by 1:30, you can wake me up,” he told her.
“Alrighty, nap well,” she said, leaning back in the couch and focusing on the show.
Mike mumbled something in response and then nodded off shortly after to the relaxing music from the nature documentary.
Mike felt himself lightly shaken an indeterminate time later by Elena. “Wakey wakey, Mike…this is your 1:30pm wake up call.”
“Oh wow, I can’t believe I actually napped that long,” he yawned, slowly getting up as Lena pulled away from him and sat back next to him.
“It’s because you’re getting old, dear,” Lena grinned, giving him a kiss.
“Perhaps,” he conceded, “But, having two warm cuddle buddies really helps too.”
“Aww,” Lena gushed, giving him a kiss.
“It was nice,” Elena admitted, also giving him a kiss, “now go finish working on my work bestie.”
“Yes ma’am,” he laughed, getting up, “it shouldn’t take too long, since he clearly took my instructions to heart and cleaned himself up good.”
“You’re welcome,” Elena boasted.
“For what?” He asked with a confused look.
“Andrew asked me some follow up questions after your last meeting, because he didn’t want to bother you,” Elena explained, “I gave him the rundown of just how clean you wanted him to be.”
“Oh, thanks,” Mike laughed.
Elena merely flashed him a grin and then switched the channel on the TV back to one of the science channels.
“Lena, could you bring me up a coffee and a light snack at around three, or so?” Mike requested, starting to head up the stairs.
“Of course, dear,” she smiled, giving him one last kiss before plopping back down next to Elena to watch TV.
3.9: Finishing Up
When Mike returned upstairs and logged back into all the workstation equipment, he was pleased to see that Andrew’s core had less than an hour remaining for the updates. Still, even after Andrew finished updating, he was planning on running a full diagnostic scan of all of Andrew’s systems, since he had been running continuously for just over five years and had accumulated a great deal of data that likely had some small corruption forming. Then, he planned on doing a full backup of Andrew onto his backup drives, which would take another 15-20 minutes, before finally bringing Andrew back online.
Mike got started with the second round of work on Andrew’s body by opening up the primary access panel on his torso, briefly admiring the novelty of removing a flat panel this time as opposed to one with two full breasts on it. Once he had the panel cover set down, he placed a flashlight headband on his head and examined the interior of Andrew’s torso.
As he had suspected from his examination of the head, the torso also had some minor corrosion buildup in various places, though nothing Mike couldn’t handle. He put on some gloves, grabbed a small cloth, and then dabbed it in a cleaning solution before rubbing the corrosion off as many systems as he could conveniently reach.
As he cleaned the corrosion, he figured it might have something to do with working in a kitchen most of the day, which would expose him to regular amounts of steam. Unfortunately, there wasn’t too much he could do to prevent it, only make sure to keep an eye out for new buildup during his regular checkups. Still, if this was all Andrew had built up over the past few years, then Mike wasn’t too worried.
Once he finished cleaning the corrosion, Mike vacuumed out the debris from the inside of the torso and then started working on the hardware upgrades that he’d purchased for him. The first one he worked on was the power core, though mostly because Andrew’s power core was approaching its end of use date rather than because there was a major upgrade.
Mike replaced his gloves with anti-static gloves and then disconnected the core, carefully depositing it in a large e-waste bin that he had, before pulling the replacement core from the shipping box and lining it up in the torso for installation. The power core felt almost the same weight but was maybe 5% smaller. What Mike cared more about was the capacity, and this one would provide Andrew with at least 1-2 more hours of charge each day.
Once the new power core was installed and in place, Mike quickly plugged a charging cable into Andrew’s charging port, since the new core only came 25% charged. With the amount of time Mike had left, he figured Andrew could get up to 70%, which would last him until the end of the day easily.
The next thing Mike swapped out was the filters on Andrew’s lungs, which not only were filthy, but also of low quality. The new filters Mike installed could last longer and were reusable.
Mike spent the next thirty minutes swapping out various minor systems, such as Andrew’s gyroscope, the filters on his digestive systems, and the perspiration tanks. Mike was briefly stumped by a random metal clamp near the upper portion of the torso, until he remembered that Chef’s Kiss had a small fire extinguisher installed in Andrew’s torso and had removed it last night. Since Mike had no intention of installing his own, he promptly removed the clamp and secured the holes that the clamp was screwed into. “That’ll make him a bit lighter,” Mike said to himself cheerfully, chucking the clamp in the trash, since the clamp weighed nearly five pounds on its own.
The last thing Mike had to do inside the torso was replace the tank that stored Andrew’s supply of nanites. He could confirm by reading the information on the old tank that the nanites inside were of an inferior model to the one Mike was replacing it with. The new ones would do a much better job repairing Andrew’s systems, especially since they seemed to get damaged often working with sharp and hot items in the kitchens.
At this point, Andrew’s core had finally finished updating and running the various post update software installs. Mike could technically bring Andrew online at this point, but since he still had a few hours left to work on him, Mike instead navigated to the diagnostic section of the interface and had Andrew’s core run a full diagnostic; the last log entry for the full diagnostic was three years earlier. Since Andrew had been running continuously for longer than Lena or Elena, he was sure to have some errors built up in his systems over the years.
The diagnostic reported it would take about an hour, so Mike wasted no time in moving on to his next task, which was servicing the connection points for Andrew’s limbs. Mike quickly took out his tool kit, which now comprised of enough repair cuffs to attach to each hand and foot. Before clicking the cuffs on, however, Mike took out the can of ElectroAir and sprayed it onto all the connections points to repair any micro fractures in the data connections.
Once he was done spraying, he clicked all four cuffs onto the connection points and ran the repair cycle, also clicking the repair cycle for Andrew’s head connector from the pedestal. While the cuffs did their work, Mike took out the SubDermal Healer and began gently running it over Andrew’s arms and legs, paying extra attention to his forearms, and enjoying the twitching that ensued.
While he was gently massaging Andrew’s limb muscles, he heard a gentle knock at the door followed quickly by Lena entering with a small tray of coffee and snacks.
“Your 3pm coffee and snack, as requested,” she announced politely, mimicking a British butler’s fancy accent.
“Ah, thank you dear,” Mike smiled, turning the healer off and placing it on the workbench. He absently noted that Andrew’s diagnostic still had approximately 40 minutes.
“How’s he coming along?” She asked, setting the tray down on the workbench, away from Andrew’s body and looking at the monitor screens.
“He finished updating a short time ago,” Mike reported, taking a bite of cheese along with a sip of coffee, “He’s running a diagnostic sweep right now.”
“Ooh, I always feel so much better after those,” Lena sighed.
“I’m sure he will too,” Mike nodded fervently, “especially since it’s been over three years since his last.”
“Ouch,” Lena winced.
“I was just using the SubDermal Healer when you walked in,” he finished, eating more cheese.
“Could you give me a go next?” Lena grinned.
“Hey, your next checkup isn’t for another few weeks,” he scolded her playfully.
“Meh, it was worth a try,” she shrugged, “what do you still have left to do?”
“I was almost done using the Healer, and then I was going to access his sexual controls to install his ejaculate canister,” Mike explained, “after that, I just need to back him up onto my storage drives and then I can reassemble him and bring him online.”
“Wow, you’re almost done,” Lena smiled, “I can’t wait.”
Mike quickly finished the remaining snacks and then picked the Healer back up to finish working on Andrew’s legs. While Lena didn’t explicitly ask, she chose to stay in the room to watch Mike work and, because he found her presence comforting, he didn’t object.
Mike finally finished using the Healer a few minutes later and also removed all of the repair cuffs from Andrew’s connection points. Just eyeballing them he could see an immediate improvement which he was sure Andrew would notice. Making sure the connection points were in optimal condition meant Andrew’s response times for his motor systems would be as efficient as possible, so this might reduce the likelihood of him having as many accidents in the kitchen.
“Alright, time for the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” Mike announced theatrically, pulling the box of ejaculate canisters out of the shipping box. After inspecting them, he picked the bacon flavored one and set it down next to Andrew’s torso while he stored the rest of them in the same drawer as Lena and Elena’s lubricant canisters. Lena merely gave Mike a playful giggle but remained silent.
Mike quickly sized up Andrew’s pelvic area, locating the small freckle that activated the illuminated sexual panel. He tapped the eject icon and then watched as the seam appeared around Andrew’s penis before smoothly rising a few inches. His heart rate rising, Mike gently grabbed the penis and pulled, pulling the entire module up from the torso.
While most of the action occurred outside, the inner mechanism still went as deep as the vagina module did for female androids, since there were urine tube connections for the digestive system. Unlike with the female body, however, the ejaculate canister was meant to be installed within the mechanism itself rather than in a separate opening. Before installing the canister, Mike decided to completely remove the mechanism to conduct a quick inspection, but mostly because he wanted to hold it in his hands.
“How is it?” Lena asked curiously, having never seen a penis module in person.
“It’s amazing,” Mike smiled, marveling at the fully realistic penis which was now resting on its side on the workbench while also admiring the mechanism underneath which controlled it. While he was inserting the canister, he suddenly gasped.
“What is it?” Lena asked in a concerned voice.
“The model number,” he pointed out, showing the text printed on the components listing the model and serial number of the module, “this module should be compatible with you and Elena.”
“Oh wow,” Lena smiled, leaning in for a closer look to verify the model number. After running a quick scan of her vagina module, and cross checking online, she nodded, “Yep, it’s compatible.”
“Awesome…I know that it’s Andrew’s, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind loaning it to you two every now and then until we can purchase a separate one,” Mike said, “do you want to test it?”
Lena paused as she considered it, finally nodding with a flush on her face, “I’ll need to download the additional files to operate it, but I can do that while I undress,” she answered, quickly adding the male sexual files to her download queue.
Mike nodded and then watched patiently as she started removing her clothes, laying the t-shirt and sweatpants that she was wearing on the ground; she wasn’t wearing underwear. She finally finished the installation and then unsealed her vagina panel, allowing it to push out a few inches before motioning for Mike to remove it the rest of the way.
Once Mike had Lena’s vagina module fully removed, he carefully set it down on the workbench, pausing to admire both it and the large opening in her pelvis, before picking the penis module up off the table and lining it up with her opening. Once it caught on the track, he gently pushed it in until it clicked in place.
As soon as it clicked in, Lena suddenly got a new hardware alert in her HUD. As a precaution, her system quickly scanned it to make sure there were no security threats and then ran a quick diagnostic to confirm that there were no compatibility issues. During this time, Lena’s face went blank, and her eyes blinked at regular intervals. Finally, the scan was completed, and she began integrating it into her systems. While Andrew’s skin tone did not match Lena’s completely, as soon as she integrated it Mike could see the skin tone on the penis subtly shift to match Lena’s and then the seam around the module sealed up. “It’s done,” she reported, her blinking returning to normal.
“How does it feel?” Mike asked curiously, since this was obviously a new experience for her; the penis was still flaccid. He found the overall look of her suddenly with a penis to be strangely arousing but controlled himself.
“It feels weird, yet normal,” she admitted, reaching down and gently grabbing it with her left hand, “we are designed to be able to use both but, as a copy of a human, it’s definitely different.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Mike smiled, idly wondering how he’d feel if he suddenly had a vagina, “are you able to test it out really quick to make sure it works?”
“Yeah, if you’d like,” she shrugged, pausing briefly as she ran a quick scan, “actually, I do have to pee a little and I’ve always wanted to try peeing with one of these,” she smiled excitedly, swinging it around as she bounced on her feet.
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind,” Mike laughed, “but go ahead.”
Lena playfully saluted and then rushed into the nearby bathroom, locking the door behind her. Mike waited patiently, hearing the splash of water in the toilet followed by a playful giggle, before the toilet flushed, the sink turned on, and then Lena returned.
“Well, how was it?” Mike asked, a grin on his face.
“Fun!” She squealed, “it’s so much easier when you have this nice hose to aim with,” she explained, holding it with reverence in her hand. “I wish I could buy my own and pee with it all the time, but it’d be too time consuming to swap my parts out each time I needed to pee. Oh well.” She sighed dramatically.
Mike couldn’t help but smile at his wife…he was convinced that you couldn’t program an android to have this type of personality unless they were a copy of a human. “Did you want to try testing it the other way now?”
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot,” she giggled, flushing a bit as she stared down at it, “I’ve seen videos of dudes jerking off, so I’ll give it a go,” she shrugged, gently grabbing hold of it and masturbating.
“Try and stop just before you climax,” Mike requested, “Andrew’s basically a virgin and I want the first time his penis cums to be when it’s attached to him.”
“Okay,” Lena nodded, already breathing heavier as she slowly worked it in her soft hand. Slowly the shaft started stiffening until it was fully erect. Letting out a pleasant sigh, she stopped masturbating and stopped to admire it, also scanning it with her HUD. “Huh, it’s 3cm shorter than yours,” she reported, after comparing it to the record she had for Mike.
“I don’t really care how long mine is compared to others,” Mike reminded her with an uncomfortable expression.
“Sorry,” she winced, “but it is information Elena, and I will need to calibrate our vagina modules when having sex with Andrew.”
“Fair enough,” Mike shrugged, leaning in for a closer look at Andrew’s erect penis. “Not bad,” he finally nodded, giving it a playful tug, eliciting a squeal from Lena.
“Ooh, if I wasn’t an android I totally would have blown a load on you after that,” she said with a mock tone of frustration, “fortunately I can lock the erection.”
“Indeed,” Mike smiled, giving it one last poke before sitting back, “You can relax it now.”
Lena let out a sigh of relief and released the lock on the erection allowing it to slowly subside until the penis was one again flaccid. She playfully whipped it around a few times by swinging her hips back and forth, watching it with pure joy, before leaning in and giving Mike a kiss.
“Thanks for letting me try this out,” she whispered into his ear, briefly making out with him some more before standing back and unsealing the penis module.
“Anytime,” Mike finally said, pulling the module free from her body, noting that it had become slightly erect again while she was kissing him and was returning to its flaccid state now that it was detached. After making sure the ejaculate canister was properly installed, he clicked it back into Andrew’s pelvic opening, noting that the skin color was off due to having been installed in Lena for several minutes. He then picked Lena’s vagina module back up off the workbench, pausing briefly to admire it, before clicking it back in place in her pelvic opening.
“Ahhh, as nice as it was to have a penis, it’s nice to back to normal,” she sighed contentedly, playfully stroking the lips of her vagina before picking her clothes up off the floor and redressing. “Are you done with the coffee?” She asked, noting the small amount of liquid still in his mug.
Mike took a quick look and nodded, “Yeah, the rest likely went cold.”
“Alright, I’ll take these down and wash them then,” she said, grabbing the mug and snack plate, “is he going to be cooking tonight?”
“Most likely,” Mike replied, “I warned him that he would likely take over most of the cooking when he joined our family unit, and he was okay with it.”
“Alright, I’ll go down and relax with Elena then until you two come down,” she nodded, “Have fun.”
“I will,” Mike smiled, watching her leave and close the door before resuming his work on Andrew’s body.
Looking at the monitor, he saw that Andrew’s diagnostic was nearly done, so he simply waited a minute or so and then reviewed the results. It ended up being a good thing that Mike ran it, because between the three-year gap since the last scan, the partial memory wipe from the previous night, and the two AI updates, Andrew’s systems had accumulated a number of bugs. Fortunately, the diagnostic was able to fix all of them, so Mike wouldn’t have to schedule a professional service appointment.
After reviewing Andrew’s systems to confirm that all his settings were in order, along with the required and optional programs, Mike connected Andrew to the private backup server and began the 20-30 minute back up process.
Now that Andrew was in the final phase of his maintenance, Mike started finishing up by reassembling Andrew’s body. Starting with the chest cover, he unplugged the charging cable, noting that the new power core was at 77% charge. He then clicked the cover back in place and then grabbed both Andrew’s arms, clicking them onto the torso. He paused briefly to admire Andrew’s hands before noticing some minor grime built up under his fingernails. Since Mike had plenty of time, he retrieved the grooming kit and began the delicate task of cleaning out under Andrew’s nails, clicking the hands onto the arm stubs once he was done.
Next, he attached both legs to the torso and paused once more to admire Andrew’s feet. Most men, Mike had noticed, tended to have large feet with a large, big toe, but not Andrew. Since Andrew was a twink, and had a somewhat feminine physique, his feet were slightly smaller than average for a male, and the toes were more moderate in shape as well. Mike spent some time admiring them before using the grooming kit on the moderate amount of grime built up under the toenails. Even though Andrew wasn’t configured to have any BO, Mike also used the alcohol swaps to clean between the toes as well, since he still had enough time.
Once Mike was done grooming Andrew’s toes, he stepped into the nearby restroom to wash his hands and then returned to click both Andrew’s feet onto his legs. Now, Andrew’s body was only missing the head, though Mike intended on activating Andrew on the pedestal first, just in case there was a malfunction.
With only a few moments left, Mike activated Andrew’s remote settings and connected to the MCN in the torso. Once connected, he briefly activated the torso, which allowed it to reseal all of the previously detached limbs and run a quick power cycle of the new power core. Mike absently noted that the penis, which had still retained Lena’s skin tone, had shifted back to Andrew’s skin tone.
Once the body was fully sealed and power cycled, Mike placed it in standby and temporarily disabled the remote connection. He then sat back and relaxed, having to wait only a few more minutes for the backup to be completed.
3.10: Final Tests
The computer pinged a few minutes later to alert Mike that the backup process was done. He waited a few more moments to run a quick scan of the backup server, confirming there was still more than enough space, and then reached over to unplug Andrew’s core from the interface block.
Once he confirmed Andrew’s core wasn’t running any programs, he unplugged it and then gently carried it over to the head, lining it up inside and clicking it in place. Breathing a sigh of relief, he withdrew his hands and carefully reattached the scalp cover before reaching behind the left ear and pressing the power toggle.
Since Andrew had just gone through numerous updates, diagnostics, and whatever else they did to him the previous night at the lab, it took a bit longer than it normally would have for him to reactivate. Mike waited patiently, having already gone through this with Lena and Elena, and watched as the seam resealed around the scalp and Andrew’s face woke up with a blank stare, blinking multiple times as his systems ran their boot up scans.
After nearly a minute, Andrew’s head briefly closed its eyes and bowed down before smoothly lifting back up, his eyes opening more naturally, as though he had just woken up from a deep sleep. This time, with more life in them, they slowly scanned the room before focusing on Mike’s, his face forming a smile.
“Hey, Master,” Andrew said in his gayest sounding voice, a huge grin on his face.
“Hey, Andrew,” Mike smiled, laughing despite himself, “how do you feel?”
“Aside from the fact that I’m disconnected from my body right now, I feel great,” he reported with a huge smile, “I can tell I got a ton of system updates, and the new and added processors are allowing me to operate far more efficiently. Thanks!”
“Don’t mention it,” Mike shrugged, “I take very good care of my androids.”
“Is something wrong with my body?” Andrew then asked with a curious look, swiveling to the right to look at it, “How come I’m disconnected from it?”
“Oh, it’s fine,” Mike reassured him, “After Elena suffered a malfunction last year during one of her update cycles and started thrashing around, I started detaching your heads and disabling your wireless connection when I first activate you…as a precaution.”
“Oh, I see,” Andrew nodded, “Well, I don’t think I’m experiencing any malfunctions, so you can feel safe to reconnect me.”
“Will do,” Mike nodded, moving over to the monitor and preparing to reconnect Andrew’s wireless access to the rest of his body, “take it easy once you regain connection. I serviced all your connection points and muscles, and you’re about 10lbs lighter now, so it’ll likely be much easier for you to move.”
“Ooh, I can’t wait to try my body out now,” Andrew said excitedly, before getting serious, “I’m ready.”
“Okay, here goes,” Mike said, clicking the button to reactivate Andrew’s wireless control. He could see a blue light activate in the neck opening of the torso, and then a second or so later Andrew’s entire body twitched as he regained control.
“Oh wow, I can feel the improvement already,” Andrew moaned pleasurably, clenching his toes and wiggling his fingers, “Is it safe for me to get up?”
“Yeah but just sit on the side of the bench for starters,” Mike told him.
“Okay,” Andrew nodded, looking over at his body as it slowly sat up on the bench and then swung its legs over the edge, playfully swinging them around. “Wow, I honestly feel almost as good as new,” he continued, his headless body feeling itself up from chest to toes.
“Well, I spent over six hours working on you, so I certainly hope so,” Mike grinned, happy that Andrew seemed to be in better working order than when he last saw him, “Well, I did take a 90-minute nap after lunch, but you were downloading and installing updates, so there wasn’t much I could do during that time.”
“Hey, whenever I went in for maintenance, I was lucky to get an hour in,” Andrew pointed out, “if I’d gotten this much work done on each visit then you wouldn’t have had to spend nearly as much time on me.”
“You’re most likely right,” Mike grinned, “why don’t you try hopping down to the floor now and walking around?”
“Okay,” Andrew nodded, his body hovering back and forth on the edge of the bench as it sized up the distance to the floor before gently hopping down. “Ah, my feet sensors tell me that I lost 9.3lbs…you were close.”
“Yeah,” Mike nodded, internally patting himself on the back, “why don’t you walk around the room a little to recalibrate your motion systems,” he suggested.
“Okay,” he nodded, making his headless body slowly walk around the room. “I’m guessing most of my weight loss was the fire extinguisher.”
“Most likely,” Mike nodded, “I only removed a couple pounds, so the extinguisher must have been the bulk of it.”
“I’m glad you didn’t install a new one,” Andrew said, “aside from the fact that it weighed 5lbs, and I didn’t even use it too often, it was a very unpleasant experience.”
“How so?” Mike asked curiously.
“Well, the chemical sprayed out of my mouth,” Andrew explained, “I mean, I may be an android, but ewww, that stuff tastes gross.”
“Oh, wow,” Mike winced, “I figured you would just rip off your shirt heroically and pop open your chest panel to use it.”
“Nope, but that would’ve been cool though,” Andrew laughed, “fortunately I only had to use it twice, both times when a coworker’s shirt accidentally caught fire.”
“I’ll bet that was quite the spectacle in the kitchen,” Mike laughed.
“Yeah, but my coworkers were used to me being an android by then, so they just playfully called me a superhero,” Andrew smiled.
“Well, you won’t be able to do that anymore, so I’d recommend just smothering the fire with your shirt or something,” Mike told him.
“Will do,” Andrew nodded.
While the two of them talked, Andrew was having his body continue to walk around the room, while also doing various stretches and testing his flexibility. Mike absently watched, becoming aroused at the sight.
“So, how is your body feeling so far?” Mike asked.
“It’s soooo much better,” Andrew reported happily, “my flexibility seems improved, my body feels more relaxed, and the improved nanites you installed are already repairing deep damage to my skin and internal systems.”
“Hopefully that will help you avoid damage in the kitchen,” Mike pointed out, “you’ll let me know the second you get any new burns or cuts so I can fix them.”
“Of course,” Andrew nodded dutifully.
“And ummm, are you feeling anything with your new sexual programming unlocked?” Mike blushed.
“A little,” Andrew admitted, “it’s still a little new to me, but since you listed me as your lover, and you are attractive, I’m feeling something.”
Mike’s heart fluttered hearing Andrew’s admission, but he focused. “I think I’ll have you test your systems out before we declare you completely finished,” he decided, “I will admit, when I found out your penis module was compatible with Lena, I partially tested it by installing it in her, but I instructed her not to ejaculate, though she did urinate with it.”
“That’s alright,” Andrew smiled, “I’m just glad it works.”
“In case you were wondering, I installed a bacon-flavored ejaculate cartridge in you,” Mike continued, before pausing and smiling, “It’s funny…the female lubricant cartridges are mostly fruit flavored, and the male ejaculate cartridges are mostly meat flavored.”
“Well, I guess it’s because women are sweeter than men,” Andrew grinned.
“Yeah, I guess I never thought of it that way,” Mike laughed, “anyway, I think I’m ready to reattach your head so we can better test you out.”
“I’m ready,” Andrew said seriously.
Mike merely nodded and made sure Andrew’s systems weren’t running any background updates or backups before detaching his head from the pedestal and walking it over to his patiently waiting body. After carefully lining it up, he lowered it and clicked it in place.
Once his head was in place, Andrew quickly resealed it and then took a deep breath. “Ahh, one piece again.”
“Your head should be a tad lighter as well,” Mike told him, watching to make sure there were no unexpected malfunctions.
“Yeah…about .2lbs lighter,” Mike confirmed, “the almost 10lb weight loss will really help me with boosting my power efficiency.”
“So, are you ready to start the sexual test?” Andrew asked excitedly.
“Uh huh,” Mike nodded nervously, seeing the look on Andrew’s face.
“Have you ever kissed a guy before?” Andrew then asked, inching closer. Mike’s heart rate started increasing.
“No, though I did try kissing your head while you were updating earlier,” Mike admitted, his face flushing, “It just wasn’t the same though.”
“Well, how about we fix that?” He grinned naughtily, inching even closer. Upon seeing the nod that Mike gave, indicating consent, he went in and planted a tentative kiss on Mike’s lips, which Mike awkwardly returned, before gently grabbing both sides of Mike’s face and kissing him more deeply.
Mike felt weird kissing and being kissed by another guy, at first, but then the fact that Andrew was somewhat attractive, and was an android, took over his heterosexual habits and he started enjoying himself.
As they kissed, Mike felt himself growing hard and in between kisses he looked down and noticed that Andrew was also getting aroused. After nearly a minute of making out, Andrew finally broke away and stared into Mike’s face with a smile.
“Was that good for you?” He asked, his breathing heavier.
“Surprisingly, yes,” Mike admitted, also breathing more deeply, “I see it was good for you too,” he pointed out, staring down at Andrew’s fully erect penis.
“Yeah,” Andrew blushed, looking down at it, “Aside from the memories from my donor, this is the first time I’ve been able to be aroused.”
“How about you masturbate yourself a bit, but try not to cum too much,” Mike requested, “the ejaculate isn’t cheap.”
“Okay,” Andrew smiled, internally toggling his ejaculation settings to the lowest setting and then grabbing himself with his left hand and gently pleasuring himself.
Since he was already aroused from the make out session, he only had to work himself for a few seconds before climaxing. As his penis pulsated in his hands with the orgasm, a small amount of ejaculate burst out, though since it was the lowest setting, it was just enough to lightly erupt out of the opening and gently spill off to the side, without any spilling onto the floor.
Once his orgasm ended, Andrew let out a deep breath. “Wow, that felt good!”
“Glad to hear it,” Mike nodded approvingly, slightly embarrassed to see Andrew masturbate in front of him but also aroused.
“Wanna clean me up?” Andrew offered, thrusting out his still erect penis, with the bacon flavored ejaculate still on the tip; at least the ejaculate was also bacon colored.
Mike stared at it for a few seconds before shrugging, “Might as well get used to it.”
“That’s the spirit!” Andrew laughed, lightly smacking Mike’s back as he bent down to Andrew’s waist. While normally he wouldn’t do this, he knew Andrew’s penis was artificial, and the ejaculate was giving off a delicious bacon scent. Mike confidently opened his mouth and moved it in place, closing it over the tip of Andrew’s penis, and then started licking the ejaculate from his skin.
Andrew gave off a pleasant moan as he felt Mike’s tongue, partially climaxing again and releasing a little more bacon flavor into Mike’s mouth. While Mike was caught off guard, he found the experience overall to be very satisfying and licked the entire area clean before pulling away.
“Wow, you were good man,” Andrew smiled, gently wiping the tip of his penis off with a nearby towel, “next time you should try blowing me for real.”
“Perhaps,” Mike blushed, wiping his mouth and swallowing a few times to clear the bacon flavor from his mouth, “I’m just glad everything works.”
“Me too,” Andrew nodded fervently, his penis slowly returning to a flaccid state and jiggling as he nodded.
“Well, I think we’re finally done in here,” Mike announced, walking over and turning off his equipment before securing the loose components that he’d removed from Andrew for Lena to catalogue and possibly resell later. “Do you want to see the rest of the house?”
“Of course!” Andrew smiled.
“Alright, let’s go,” Mike grinned, walking over to the door of the lab and opening it up.
3.11: Welcome to the Family
As they stepped out onto the landing, Andrew briefly paused as he saw the windows that looked out over a neighboring driveway, staring down at his naked body. “Should I get dressed first?” He whispered nervously, since he did have modesty programming to prevent him from getting in trouble for indecent exposure.
“Nah, you’re fine,” Mike shrugged, “the windows of this place are electro-chromic, so while we can see out, no one outside can see it.”
“Ah, I see,” Andrew nodded, visibly relaxing as he continued out onto the landing, “my clothes are ready though, right?”
“Yeah, but I want you to stay naked for a while,” Mike decided, then explained after seeing the look of confusion on his face, “We often enjoy a bit of casual nudity here, so seeing you naked for a while will get us all used to it.”
“Oh, that make sense,” Andrew smiled, “I can’t wait to see you naked later then.”
“Just remember, when we’re being casual, there’s no sexual stuff happening,” Mike said firmly.
“Understood,” Andrew nodded.
“Anyway, this here is our bedroom,” Mike started, walking him into the room to the left of the lab, “Lena and I use the bed, and usually let Elena cuddle up with us,” he explained, showing off the king-sized bed, “you should be able to fit with us, when we let you sleep with us that is.”
“And what about when Elena and I get booted?” He asked.
“The couch in the lab we were just in is a pullout bed,” Mike responded, “don’t worry though, we usually only boot you out on really hot days, or if we want some private time.”
“Okay,” Andrew nodded, “So I’ll be sleeping in here with you tonight?”
“Yes,” Mike nodded, “and nude.”
“Okie dokie,” Andrew smiled, “You know, just the two rooms we’ve been in so far…already larger than the studio apartment I was just living in.”
“Oh wow,” Mike winced, “I guess they didn’t consider you androids to be a top priority.”
“Well, it could’ve been worse,” Andrew shrugged, “they could’ve just shut me off and stuffed me in a closet when I was off work.”
“Why didn’t they?”
“They explained it was because they wanted me to be able to act as human as possible,” Andrew explained, “while I was at home, I was encouraged to do everything my donor would’ve done: watch tv, play video games, read books.”
“I see,” Mike nodded, “So you could still engage in random small talk.”
“Exactly,” Andrew smiled, “I even cooked to improve my skills.”
“About that,” Mike said awkwardly, “I consider us all to be a family unit, and each of us has our own responsibilities,” Mike started, “I’m the breadwinner and make the most money, and I own all of you. Lena makes the 2nd most, and since she’s my wife has extended rights. Lena currently does the cooking, and most of the cleaning. Elena currently handles most of the outdoor chores, like yard work and taking out the trash.”
“Let me guess, you want me to take over the cooking from Lena,” Andrew guessed with a smile.
“Yep,” Mike nodded, “it would give her more time to spend with me, since cooking can sometimes take up a significant chunk of the afternoon.”
“Well, considering you saved me from oblivion, and I love cooking and have all the programming anyway, I’d love to!” Andrew said happily, “and giving you two love birds some more you time makes me even happier.”
“Glad to hear it,” Mike smiled, relieved Andrew didn’t mind, “Well then, continuing with the tour, this closet and bathroom is mine and Lena’s; yours and Elena’s is the one in the lab next door.”
“Elena mentioned something at work about android-safe soap,” Andrew said unsurely.
“Yeah, normal soap is often abrasive and not good for android skin,” Mike explained, “to be honest, it’s basically the same thing as soap for folks with sensitive skin, so I actually just started using it too since I’ve started developing eczema.” Mike absently scratched his right forearm.
“I see,” Andrew nodded, “I could only afford so much, so I just used whatever was cheapest,” he shrugged.
“Well, you don’t need to worry about things like that anymore,” Mike grinned, showing the array of soaps that he had stored under the sink, “it really helps keep down the maintenance costs.”
“I’ll have to see if they can add sensitive skin soap at work,” Andrew mused.
“Yeah,” Mike nodded fervently, leading Andrew back out of the bathroom and bedroom and onto the landing once more. “This is the laundry closet,” Mike continued, opening the door immediately to the left after exiting his bedroom, showcasing the decent sized laundry closet with the washer and dryer side by side, and the storage shelf of various detergents, spare hangers, and other laundry related stuff.
“Ooh, nice,” Andrew nodded, “who does the laundry?”
“Lena,” Mike quickly replied, “though I still do my own laundry, she does pretty much everything else.”
“Okay,” Andrew nodded.
“This room is a recent addition,” Mike continued, walking across from his bedroom door, past the top of the stairs to a new section of carpet which used to be a railing with a drop to the first floor. Now, the carpet extended to what used to be a wall with a window and was now a door leading into his office.
The room inside wasn’t too large, but considering it didn’t exist until a few months earlier, it was a welcome addition to the house. Built over the entrance hall on what used to be a low roof, it had a window overlooking the driveway, and another overlooking the neighbor’s driveway, and the tall trees and shrubs that separated the two.
Mike’s desk was situated in the far corner between the two windows, and he had various shelves set up with some of the various curios and stuff that he’d collected and previously displayed in the downstairs living room when it doubled as his office.
“After getting promoted to Assistant Manager, I needed a more private place to work, since I often have to work outside of my normal hours in the office,” Mike explained, as Andrew looked around, “although, if Lena and I decide to have children, we may have to repurpose this as a nursery until we can move into a larger home.”
“That makes sense,” Andrew nodded.
“Alrighty, time to go downstairs and see everyone,” Mike announced, after Andrew had a sufficient look at the office.
“Okay,” Andrew smiled, looking excited to meet everyone.
Confidently walking down the stairs, knowing the electrochromic window was shielding them, they stopped at the bottom and made a quick left, showing the small half bath and the garage, before heading the other way past the closet under the stairs and into the living room.
“Hey Andrew,” Lena and Elena said excitedly, leaping from the couch to walk over and hug him.
“Hey!” Andrew greeted them warmly, returning their hugs and even giving them kisses, “It’s weird being attracted to you two,” he said weirdly, since Mike had programmed him to be their lovers as well.
“You get used to it,” Elena shrugged, giving him another kiss, “I’m glad you’re all in one piece again.”
“Me too, and better than ever,” Andrew grinned, twirling around with flair, “I can’t believe it only took a few hours.”
“Well, it’s easy to work on you when you’re already in decent condition,” Mike shrugged, “these two were shoved in a box and forgotten about for years, so I had to do a lot more work to bring them up to date.”
“In any event, I’m grateful you decided to purchase me and spruce me up as well,” Andrew smiled.
“Would you like to see the kitchen?” Mike asked, continuing with the tour.
“Oh, yeah,” Andrew nodded, eagerly following Mike into the adjoining kitchen, where he proceeded to open every cabinet, cupboard, and drawer, as well as the pantry and fridge to create a digital inventory in his systems. “Looks like you guys already have almost all of what I would need to cook my recipes,” Andrew complimented, “and a good stock of ingredients.”
“You’re welcome,” Lena beamed, “we went shopping the first day I was finished and bought a lot of stuff on my recommendation.”
“You have good taste,” Andrew nodded, “But, since some of my recipes are chef level, I do have a couple of recommendations for some additional utensils.” He briefly zoned out as he compared the instructions in his memory storage from Mike’s current inventory, “I don’t think it would cost more than a $100 for them.”
“We can easily manage that on our next shopping trip,” Lena nodded, checking their bank accounts in her HUD.
“In the meanwhile, I’ve already selected a few possible menus for tonight, based on your current supply,” Andrew continued, listing off a few items, “What would you prefer?”
Mike thought about it a while before deciding, “The meatloaf sounds good.”
“Great! I’d need to start cooking it in less than half an hour if you’d like to eat dinner by seven, so we should continue with the tour,” Andrew reported.
“Well, there’s not much else,” Mike shrugged, walking back out into the living room, “we have a state-of-the-art media center with the latest gaming consoles and streaming devices, and the seats are very comfy,” he explained, “my office used to be in the window nook, but with all the extra bodies living with me I needed to move upstairs.”
“That makes sense,” Andrew nodded, scanning the furniture and confirming that the four of them would be quite cozy with the current setup, “I didn’t really play many games at my old place, but my donor personality did.”
“Good, though I usually play single player, and have you guys watch me,” Mike shrugged, “but I do have a few racers and fighting games.”
“Either works for me,” Andrew shrugged.
“The final destination is the backyard,” Mike said, stopping when he remembered Andrew was naked, “Hold on a sec.” Mike rushed to the corner of the room and grabbed a loose set of sweatpants and brought them to Andrew, “You can put these on so we can go out. I keep them in here in case it gets too cold, since I usually wear shorts…or nothing at all.”
“Okay,” Andrew shrugged, quickly sliding the sweatpants on, tightening the drawstring a bit since he was thinner than Mike, and rolling up the bottoms a little, “This should satisfy my modesty programming,” he reported happily.
“Good, let’s go,” Mike said, leading the way to the back door.
The backyard was somewhat small, though since they didn’t go out often, or host any outdoor activities, Mike never minded. Instead of grass they had realistic turf, though the areas bordering the side and back fences did have about a foot of soil where Elena had planted some nice flowers.
A large, 30-40ft tall tree took up the entire back right corner of the yard and provided shade during the sunny months; it had shed all its leaves for the winter a few weeks earlier.
Lena had started a modest herb and spice garden along the side near the tree, and then there was an awkwardly narrow path leading to the front gate. The area in front of the kitchen window had a wooden picnic table, a few chairs, and a patio umbrella sticking from the middle; currently closed and tied up.
“It’s not a big yard, but it’s better than nothing,” Mike shrugged, “to be honest, we really don’t use it too much.”
“I can probably help with the herb garden, though I’d need some additional programming,” Andrew reported.
“I can take care of that next weekend when I do your weekly checkups,” Mike noted.
“Wow, weekly!” Andrew laughed, “I was lucky if I got a checkup every other month.”
“You’re in a better place, now,” Mike said solemnly, patting Andrew’s bare back as they looked up at the star filled sky, “most anything you need, I can most likely get for you.”
“I’ll try and keep that in mind,” Andrew nodded, turning to give Mike a hug, “thanks, again, for saving me.”
Mike chose not to say anything but just enjoyed the moment they were having before returning inside.
3.12: Fitting in
After they went back inside, Andrew went upstairs to get dressed since it wasn’t appropriate, or safe, to cook while nude. He came back down in a casual set of pants, a t-shirt, and slippers and then began prepping their meal in the kitchen.
After hovering around to make sure Andrew knew where everything was, Mike headed over to the couch and plopped down between Lena and Elena to watch the evening news, finally able to properly relax after working on Andrew for most of the day.
Before long he could start smelling the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen, and then Andrew came in to join them, awkwardly sitting in the chair next to the couch.
“Dinners in the oven, should be ready in an hour,” he reported, leaning back, removing his slippers, and resting his feet on the table.
“Thanks Andrew,” Lena said, “it’s nice to be able to sit back and relax with my hubby this time of day instead of toiling in the kitchen.”
“Yeah,” Mike nodded, fondly kissing Lena on the cheek.
“Glad I can help around here,” Andrew shrugged, relaxing in the chair to conserve energy, since his new power core was not at a full charge. “What’s the usual nightly routine around here?”
“We just watch some shows and go to bed most night,” Mike explained, “though tonight we’ll definitely be having some sex.”
“Oooh, will I be involved?”
“Definitely,” Elena nodded fervently, “That’s one of the main reasons I convinced you to talk to Mike about buying you in the first place…you’re basically my boyfriend now.”
“Wow, ok,” Andrew laughed. Clearly, they bantered like this at work all the time, so Mike didn’t comment.
“I am eager to try out sex with a male android, myself,” Mike admitted, “but we’ll just wing it until we get a groove on.”
“I’ll try my best not to disappoint you,” Andrew promised.
“As for this weekend…we’ll just relax, and maybe we’ll all go on a walk in the morning so you can see the neighborhood,” Mike continued.
“I look forward to it,” Andrew smiled.
After roughly half an hour of chilling, Andrew got back up, putting his slippers back on, and headed into the kitchen to start prepping the sides for their meal, which consisted of seasoned mashed potatoes and peas.
Once dinner was ready, he served it to each of them in the living room on plates and brought them a glass of wine each.
“Wow, this is delicious, Andrew,” Mike complimented, “no offense, dear,” he said to Lena.
“Meh, he’s a chef, so it makes sense he’d cook stuff better,” she shrugged, “I just followed recipes, but he’s got the experience to spice things up…literally.”
“Indeed,” Andrew nodded, “us androids are a bit more complex than simply our programming.”
“So, I’ve discovered,” Mike smiled, taking a sip of his wine and enjoying the delicious meal.
After dinner, they had a small ice cream dessert and then enjoyed a few of their favorite shows that were saved on the DVR. It seemed Andrew had also been watching one of them, so he was able to enjoy the conversations that went on with it, promising to catch up on the other shows at his earliest convenience.
As they were starting the last show, Lena suddenly got up and grabbed a power strip from around the side of the couch which had three charging cables plugged into it. She promptly handed one to Elena, who quickly plugged herself in, and then one to Andrew’
“We usually plug ourselves in this time of night because it’s a bit awkward trying to sleep with our cords…especially now we have you,” Lena explained, “I brought your charging cable down while Mike was working on you.”
“Oh, thank you,” Andrew said politely, taking the charger and plugging himself in. After getting over the initial rush from the charge filling his core, he leaned back and relaxed, “It makes sense to charge before bed…who wants to feel some cold charging cable brushing up against you?”
“Not me,” Mike said, jokingly raising his hand, “not to mention it would be difficult to manage three separate cords plugged in at the bed.”
The three androids all nodded their heads and then relaxed, shutting down non-essentials systems to hasten their recharge process before the fun began later.
After they finished the last show, Elena and Andrew both headed upstairs to prep the room, while Lena stayed down with Mike and prepped him with his pre-sex massage.
“Tonight should be interesting,” Lena said, gently massaging Mike’s feet as he leaned back; this was his recharge session.
“Yeah…time to see if adding the spice truly makes things interesting,” he smiled, enjoying his wife’s soft, artificial hands working the kinks out of his muscles.
“I never interacted with Andrew too much at work, but he seems to be a nice guy,” Lena continued, working her way up Mike’s legs, “if we do have a kid, he’d be good to have around.”
“Oh yeah,” Mike nodded, giggling a little as she playfully squeezed his crotch on her way up his body, “with small children, the more help the better.”
“Have you given any thought to where we might move to?”
“I do kinda like the idea of just moving into the larger unit in front of us,” he replied, “we wouldn’t have to really move, and it’s still close to work.”
“Yeah, though it doesn’t have much of a yard,” she frowned, “might ruin the chance for a garden.”
“Meh, you guys will figure something out if we did move there,” he shrugged, “you’re surprisingly resourceful.”
“Well, we are programmed to be,” she pointed out.
“Well, I’ve never been healthier, or happier, since you joined my life,” he told her sincerely, “My home is wherever you are.”
“Aww,” she gushed, leaning in and passionately kissing him, whilst still massaging his arms, then looked up at the ceiling in a way that told Mike she was ‘communing’ with Elena and Andrew through their wireless connection, “The room’s ready, if you are.”
“I am,” Mike said, rising from the couch dramatically and heading up the stairs with Lena to their room.
While Mike was getting his pre-game going, Elena and Andrew had come up and moved the regular sheets and pillows off the bed and replaced them with ones Mike didn’t care about getting soiled in sex juices. They’d also put on some mood lighting, and some music.
“Alright, let’s get it on!” Mike yelled, jumping on the bed, followed by the others.
What followed next was roughly an hour of sex between various partners, starting with his wife while Andrew and Elena went at it, before switching to Andrew. He found blowing Andrew after he’d just had sex with Elena quite interesting, because her strawberry flavored lube was still coated on him, and his ejaculate tasted so much like bacon that his mind was blown.
Having Andrew added to the mix really spiced things up, as Lena had predicted, and he made a mental note to make a more concerted effort to purchase dedicated penis modules for both Lena and Elena in the future so they could try more things out.
Eventually Mike’s stamina started fading, so he laid back and watched the others finish up before cuddling up with Lena, while Elena and Andrew cuddled up beside them.
“Well, was I worth the money?” Andrew grinned as he panted to cool down his systems.
“Most definitely,” Mike grinned back, already catching his breath, “You all were.”
“Aww,” Elena purred.
“That being said, I think the three of you are the limit,” he continued, “so no more strays, no matter the sob story.”
“Understood,” they all said.
“Perhaps you could open a side hustle flipping androids,” Andrew suggested, “you did such a good job with me, you might earn a decent profit.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Lena pointed out.
“Perhaps,” Mike nodded, “but we’d need a bigger place first.”
“Agreed,” Lena nodded fervently, “especially if we have a baby.”
“At least your baby will have a nice auntie and uncle to watch them while you work,” Elena pointed out, “I’m pretty sure my annual maintenance costs are less than day care.”
“They are,” Lena replied, after running a calculation in her head, “A lot less.”
“Well, I believe I’m ready to have a baby,” Mike decided, spurring an excited squeal from Lena, “but, after purchasing Andrew, we need to let our bank account recover a bit, since having a baby in our case requires some science, since you can’t actually get pregnant.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that the latest model incubator is quite reliable, though more expensive than a surrogate,” Lena said.
“But a surrogate would be an extra person in the house, so I’d prefer to splurge for the incubator…also, that way the doctor’s could monitor it for any issues,” Mike decided.
“Very well,” Lena nodded, already working on a savings plan in her head.
“Why don’t the two of you get started cleaning up,” Mike suggested, “we’ll go after.”
“Okay,” Elena nodded, leaning in and kissing both Mike and Lena on her way to the lab bathroom to shower up, while Andrew did the same on his way to the bedroom bathroom.
“Are you going to make them a couple?” Lena asked, once they were out of the room.
“Maybe,” Mike shrugged, “I mean, I don’t want to make the decision for them, so if they bring it up, I can make it happen.”
“They would make a cute couple,” Lena pointed out.
“They would,” he agreed, “not as cute as us though.”
“Nope,” she smiled, leaning over and kissing him.
“Hey, I think I got some wood back,” Mike smiled, looking down, “wanna go another quick round?”
Lena said nothing but quickly mounted him.
By the time Mike and Lena finished their bonus round, Andrew and Elena both emerged from the showers cleaned and refreshed, and still nude. Mike and Lena, both blushing warmly, got up to clean themselves off, while Andrew and Elena got started removing all of the sex-stained blankets and pillows, tossing them in the watch and resetting the room for bedtime.
Mike, as usual after sex, spent a bit of extra time relaxing in the warm shower and reflecting on how more enriched his life truly was with the Lena and the others in it, and how scared he was for the possibility of adding a new life to the mix…scared, but excited.
He finally came out after 15 minutes, fresh and relaxed, and nude. He was somewhat surprised to see Andrew still in the room, since the others had headed down to relax on the couch before bed.
“Hey Andrew, how are you enjoying things so far?” Mike asked, casually enjoying Andrew’s nudity.
“You guys are great,” Andrew smiled, “Elena’s already given me the rundown of what you all usually do around this time, but I wanted to say that you look quite good naked,” he said, staring down at Mike’s penis, “I wanted to say something earlier but, well, sex kinda overrode any conversation.”
Mike couldn’t help but blush, receiving a compliment like that. “Thanks, Andrew,” he smiled, absently feeling himself growing a little hard, “shaving everything really helps with that bit.”
“Yeah, now I see,” Andrew nodded fervently, “umm, I think your snack is ready,” Andrew shifted awkwardly.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Mike said, giving Andrew a caring pat on his bare shoulder and heading down the stairs.
The rest of the evening was the four of them enjoying a bit of casual nudity while Mike had a small snack to allow his sleeping meds to work better. The three androids also plugged themselves back in to recharge as much as possible before bed.
Finally, when Mike finished his snack and was starting to feel tired, he signaled it was time to head up for bed. Almost in unison, the three androids unplugged themselves and resealed their charging ports, eliciting a fond smile from Mike. Each of them quickly took care of some basic tasks, like loading and starting the dishwasher, checking that the doors were locked, and making sure the cat had food and water.
Once everyone was done, they all trooped up the stairs and into the bedroom. Mike stopped by the lab to make sure everything was properly shut down, absently stashing the box of Andrew’s spare parts under the bench for later. He then accessed the security system panel at the top of the steps, activating the home alarm, and disabling the electrochromic windows.
By the time he finally went into his room, the three of them were already lying in bed, with Andrew on the far left, and Lena and Elena next to each other on the right. An opening in between Lena and Andrew was clearly for Mike.
Mike quickly headed into the restroom to empty his bladder before finally heading out and crawling in bed with everyone.
“Are you comfy?” Lena asked him, as she did every night.
Mike wiggled around a bit to warm up the sheets before nodding.
“Goodie,” she smiled, getting that typical zoned out look for a split second as she remotely turned off the lights to the room. “Alright, let’s all cuddle up.”
At that, Lena rolled over slightly on her right side to cuddle up with Mike, while Andrew similarly did so on Mike’s other side. Since Elena was the odd one out, she cuddled Lena’s back.
“Nighty night, everyone,” Mike said, receiving a unison response from all of them, before hearing them all activate their sleep modes. As he listened to the sounds of their slow breathing, and breathed in the calming scent of Lena’s shampoo, he thought to himself, ‘life doesn’t get much better than this,’ and drifted off to sleep.
Art
The Liar was kind enough to mock up a scene from this story, and some full body renders, of Lena using the program Honey Select.