Message-ID: <43227asstr$1057281010@assm.asstr-mirror.org> Return-Path: X-Original-Message-ID: <000e01c341a8$1cb15240$c701a8c0@orovly01.az.comcast.net> From: "DB_Story" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 X-ASSTR-Original-Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2003 14:14:37 -0700 Subject: {ASSM} "Barbara's Journey" {DB_Story} (M/Fembot, rom, ScFi, asfr) Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2003 21:10:10 -0400 Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail Approved: Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d X-Archived-At: X-Moderator-Contact: ASSTR ASSM moderation X-Story-Submission: X-Moderator-ID: RuiJorge, dennyw BARBARA'S JOURNEY By DB ( DB_Story@att.net / http://home.att.net/files/Authors/db_story/www/ ) Copyrightc 2003 by DB. ASSM/ASFR (M/Fembot, rom, ScFi, asfr) (This story contains Constitutionally protected material intended for adults over 18 years of age in the United States of America, and whatever passes for adult status in other countries. If you are under legal age, acting under legal age, not allowed to view such material in your area, or easily offended, please do not continue. This is not for you. (The only rights granted are to view this story. You are not allowed to reproduce, post, or otherwise redistribute this story without permission, except for non-profit Usenet archiving sites. (To purchase for publication, place on your web-site devoted to this style of fiction, or for permission to link to my posted material, please contact me first at the above email.) - - - Author's Note: This story is part of my emerging cosmology about the evolution of robots into our near future society and the myriad ways we will learn to interact with our creations. Read it now, and be prepared. For more, visit my web-site at the above address. A special thanks to Gorgo his excellent and much appreciated proofreading. All remaining mistakes are mine. - - - Barbara pushed the taco meat around to keep it from drying. She extrapolated, based on past information, that there would be enough business in the next few minutes to use it all. This little grass shack taco, standing on the edge of the beach in Mexico, was popular enough with the college kids that very little went to waste. This was good, since waste hurt profits and that would violate one of her primary commands: "You're here to make a profit for me." Like any properly functioning fembot, Barbara always followed her commands. Except there hadn't been any commands lately. Barbara is a custom 'bot in an "out-of-water situation". She started life as Carlos's bitch. Later Pepe had picked her up for little more than a song. He'd done some questionable favors for Carlos in the past. When Carlos eventually kicked her, Pepe caught her before she bounced. She was specially designed and built as a high-level companion for a rich, Mexican businessman, meaning Carlos. As such she didn't fit the usual fembot mold. She stood a healthy five feet eight inches in her bare feet with a figure was more generous than current in vogue for most 'bots, but much at home here in the south. Her Anglo face with high cheekbones made her a trophy wife, while her tanned brown pseudo-skin was as dark as any local. Sun-bleached brown hair cascaded halfway down her back. But the thing that always caught your attention first was her striking green eyes. Her most unusual feature however was her apparent age - thirty- four years old. Most owners want their fembots in the range of eighteen to twenty-five years, regardless of their own age. The niche for a 'bot like Barbara is a narrow one indeed. Barbara didn't think about her niche, or much else for a long time. Although, like most expensive custom 'bots, she has the best hardware and additional software loaded for the man who would appreciate the extra value for his money, her life was well laid out for her. Barbara was the hostess of the hacienda. She greeted guests, acted as a secretary for her husband when he worked from home, arranged the banquets and parties as he directed, and provided sexual services to him and any associates he so designated. Mexican households are run by the women, as directed by their men. As her owner, Carlos gave Barbara direct commands on every aspect of her expected behavior, and was not shy about using the Command button on her remote to enforce his will. That suited Barbara just fine. Although she was only dimly aware of the concept of personal satisfaction, what satisfaction she did get didn't come from Carlos's virtually nonexistent praise for her hard work. Barbara's satisfaction came from her internal confirmation each time she completed her commanded tasks. Like all properly constructed and programmed fembots, Barbara existed to fulfill her function of being a fembot. For her, that was enough. Barbara started out with a closet full of fine clothes for her to wear, and a big house to live in. Then, as men often, do, especially with toys they own outright, she fell out of favor with her owner. It wasn't anything she had done - she performed her functions as faithfully as ever. Carlos just got tired of her. She had not been the first 'bot in his life, and she would not be the last. Suddenly she had only minimal duties to perform. Soon she was sharing the hacienda with a younger, blue- eyed blonde fembot named Traci who started capturing most of Carlos's attention. This soon brought a dissatisfaction to Barbara that she could not remedy. Not that she was jealous of Traci; nothing like that was ever part of a 'bot's makeup. Instead Carlos had given her a lot of commands in the past that were still part of her, but now she was unable to carry most of them out. It never occurred to Carlos that he should cancel those commands he no longer expected Barbara to perform. After all, she was just a piece of machinery whose purpose was to do what she was told to do, and leave him alone otherwise. Carlos could have turned her off at the push of a button and she would remain ready for his next use without all the dead time in- between, but he never even considered that option. It was not like she had feelings, or anything. Barbara's existence became one of waiting to be useful, and constantly being told to stay out of the way otherwise. Her mind tried to figure out new methods of performing her functions for her owner, but that remained a problem beyond her ability. She was yesterday's news as far as everyone was concerned and something would eventually be done with her. - - - A lot of things changed for her the day Pepe relieved Carlos of an obsolete (from Carlos's view) 'bot. Barbara no longer had the hacienda blanco on the hill to call home. Instead she lived in a plywood shack near to the restroom blocks, a short walk from the taco stand. Her home was lit with a single electric bulb wired to an illegal electrical tap. Instead of a closet of expensive gowns, Barbara now wore a frayed bikini top whose narrow triangles came nowhere near confining her large bust, a ragged pair of the shortest possible jeans cutoffs, and an old pair of thatch sandals to protect her feet from unnecessary wear and tear. None of this bothered Barbara. As a 'bot she was immune from the insecurities a human would feel in such a deep social fall. She washed her hair in the cold water in the concrete restroom block each morning. Then using a comb, one of her few remaining personal possessions, she made sure her appearance was as perfect as possible. She washed her body there each night after the crowds left. That she had the shack at all was unusual; unnecessary, some would say. She could have stayed at the taco stand just as well. Pepe had given it to her since some other girl in his employ had left and it was vacant. The odds were just as good that he wanted her to keep an eye on it for him at night, as that he was actually concerned about her welfare. Either way, it wasn't much. A bed, chair, basin, mirror, and light. Barbara did her best to keep it up well, the same as any home that was her responsibility. Her meager possessions were kept in a hidey- hole. She understood the concept of protecting property entrusted to her. Her problem is that Pepe isn't a very good 'bot owner. "You're here to make a profit for me," he told her. That was an ambiguous command that could be viewed in an infinite number of ways. "Take care of my money," was clearer. Then he followed up with, "Watch out for my interests," which was again unclear. Pepe seemed to have some undefined ownership of a number of small businesses along the beach that catered to the touristias coming down to escape restrictions north of the border. Because the girl who lived in the shack also had run the taco stand, Pepe needed someone to fill in there as well. When he found out Barbara didn't cook he brought in a large, round Mexican woman who worked in one of his cantinas to teach her. The woman looked Barbara over once, huffed, and showed her the basics. Fortunately Barbara is a quick study, since the woman seemed to want to get out of there as soon as possible and was disinclined to repeat anything. She soon left without ever saying any single personal word. After that Barbara ran the taco stand. Pepe came by to collect his money and introduce the man who delivered the food and other supplies. Other than that she was left alone. - - - It sounded simple enough, but Barbara's mind remained a morass of conflicting commands from her time with Carlos and Pepe's lack of direction. This job, which barely taxed her abilities, and the long nights alone, did nothing to help those conflicts resolve themselves. A 'bot's commands don't fade away with time. They are only retired when they are satisfied, or countermanded. Barbara found some escape in optimizing the operation of the taco stand. She determined that variations in the food quality and preparation it resulted in variations in customer response. Since it wasn't prohibited, she decided to log the results and improve the operation of the taco stand. This could come under the command of looking out for Pepe's interests. Working on this problem gave her the first stirrings of satisfaction she could recall. Over time she improved things such that her stand gained the reputation as the best on the beach. The money she made steadily increased, and Pepe sometimes gave her a small gift of one sort or another when he collected his take. Those became Barbara's sole possessions. Pepe's health was never the best. He had a cough that never went entirely away. Barbara worked to give him her best service, but if he noticed he never said so directly, except one time he came by her shack coughing worse than usual, with a half empty bottle of tequila in one hand. He needed some immediate money for a debt that couldn't wait until his usual collection the next day. Barbara had done well the last couple of days and had more than Pepe had expected. He was pleased. "You're my best girl," he slurred to her. Barbara felt a surge of pleasure at the confirmation that she was performing well. Pepe followed up with, "You take care of things for me." That sounded like a command, but it wasn't delivered in the proper format. Barbara spent several billion compute cycles trying to determine Pepe's intent. Did he want to give her a command, or was it just a comment? Barbara remained a well-trained, well-mannered robot. If her owner wanted to give her a command, she would facilitate it. Once she decided this, Barbara retrieved her remote control from where she kept it safe after Pepe had told her to guard it the first day, and offered it to him. Pepe first acted like he had forgotten she even was a robot. But then he grabbed it and pressed the Command button and repeated his words. After that he lurched away into the night, leaving Barbara with another imprecise directive to follow. The only time Barbara ever gave Pepe a problem was one day she awoke in the morning (she had gotten into the habit of suspending her thoughts at night in the equivalent of human sleep to make the idle time pass more quickly) and ran her standard diagnostic. Instead of the normal all systems passed result, an imminent failure was indicated. Barbara managed to keep functioning until Pepe arrived. He usually asked her if everything was okay. Today he didn't. In fact he was leaving with the day's receipts before Barbara could summon up the initiative to tell him she needed a repair. Although Pepe was upset at this, he took her into town and paid the local repairman to replace the component. The man did an credible job and Pepe escorted her back to the stand afterwards without comment. Except for Pepe, Barbara had no real social contact. The other people who worked in the town knew to leave Pepe's employees alone. And the dozens to hundreds, depending on the weekend, of college kids who came to her stand seemed to view her as an old lady. After all, she appeared nearly twice their age, while they were surrounded by more than enough college girls willing to pull their tops - and more - off down here in uninhibited Mexico. Barbara's lonely life went on, as did the battles in her mind as to how to best fulfill her function. - - - One day Pepe stopped coming. His cough had been worse of late and today he didn't show up on schedule. Nor did he come the next day, or the day after. This threw Barbara into a quandary. Suddenly she because responsible to keep things going on her own. The money had to be protected. Yet the people delivering the supplies wanted to be paid or they wouldn't give her what she needed to keep going. They said Pepe hadn't paid them, so she had to. Barbara's systems raced as she tried to decide how to resolve the conflicting demands on her. Although she had often worked her mind overtime trying to sort out all her conflicts, that was nothing compared to this. Those had no specific demands to be solved in the next time interval. Now she had to have an answer before the man left. The turmoil within her brought a new synergy together. Pepe had told her to look out for his interests. His interests involved her running this taco stand successfully. She needed supplies to continue running the taco stand. She would pay the man herself. However Pepe's interests also involved protecting his money. Barbara had to make sure she didn't overpay. Fortunately in Mexico bargaining is part of everyday life, and she had learned from the best. Carlos didn't get where he was by accident. He bargained everything by instinct. And Barbara had often observed his technique. Carlos considered Barbara part of the furniture and never though twice about talking in front of her. Barbara never forgot anything she heard. By the time she was done Barbara had not only bettered Pepe's best price, but also gotten a promise of improved quality as well. Then she went back to her job, not realizing the changes set in motion inside her. That night Barbara didn't go into sleep mode as usual. She had her many unresolved issues and used the time to work on them. She didn't solve anything that night and realized she lacked the proper tools to solve some of her problems at all. But she determined to keep working on them as time permitted. - - - As the days passed and Pepe still didn't return, things started to go downhill in his empire. The man hired to pick up the trash each day, so that the gringos weren't offended by the world as it really is, quit coming by. That affected Barbara because her traffic dropped as people started to avoid the area. She noted the drop and looked for the reasons. Her food was up to its usual standards, and the crowds were as usual. As she cast her net more widely searching for altered factor(s), she finally wondered if the wider environment itself had changed to her determent. She thought long and hard in the gaps between customers, spending tens of billions of compute cycles. Finally she decided she couldn't answer the problem directly due to lack of information, but hit on the idea of indirectly testing her hypothesis. This was new for her since it fell outside of her assigned duties. It was only the imprecise nature of her directives that allowed her to think this way at all. Barbara went outside and cleaned up the accumulated trash in her immediate area. Within the hour she was aware that traffic had picked up again. A human might not have noticed the few extra people, but to Barbara the increase was obvious. Barbara added the cleanup to her duties and performed it dutifully each morning until one day she saw the man walking by who used to do it. In sudden inspiration she called him over and asked why he didn't do that job anymore. "Because Pepe leave and no pay me," was the response. Barbara struck a deal with him to be paid directly by her, and he was back on the job that day. She extended it to all Pepe's properties along the beach, and the overall crowds were soon back again. - - - Since Barbara had first worked out her need to expand her duties she had not spent any more nights in sleep mode. She worked on her conflicts using all her spare time. For a long time she made no progress. She was not supposed to be making these decisions for herself. That's what she had an owner for. But her owner was absent, while his directives remained. Then one night she had a breakthrough. With so much in her mind by now, the possible relationships between them approached infinite. This was far beyond any robotic mind to solve completely, and most never got the opportunity to work on such problems at all. Robots focused on their owner's needs when the owner was present. Pepe's leaving Barbara alone so much is what gave her this opportunity. The breakthrough was the sudden realization that one of Carlos's minor directives was no longer in effect. It had entirely been superceded and rendered moot by more recent commands. It was entirely useless now and only remained around to clog up her thinking. Barbara rechecked her work three times, then deleted the directive. Her self-check systems accepted the command and did not trigger the mandatory shut down that would happen on a basic rules malfunction. The directive itself had been minor, but the impact on Barbara was significant. She'd never done anything like this before. And while she actually recognized the significance to her of managing to do this - i.e. she had just simplified her life by a tiny amount and proportionately reduced the problem of dealing with the rest of her directives since it reduced overall complexity - she was not able to repeat the process again. The other directives still had too many interrelationships to be ruled as irrelevant. - - - Barbara might have remained stuck at this point indefinitely except that her power-cell was finally reaching the end of its useful life. While she had more warning of this than the last failure, there was no escaping the necessity of an expensive replacement - and soon. This was not an easy decision for her to make. On one hand she would cease to function if it wasn't replaced soon. On the other hand power-cells for a fembot of her sophistication were quite expensive. Was she watching out for Pepe's money if she had this necessary maintenance performed? An indication of her growth was that she was actually considering this dilemma at all. When she was Carlos's, if this condition had happened she would have merely notified her owner and waited patiently right up to the point of failure for him to act when he was ready. Now she was looking out for herself. It was a close call for her, but finally she decided she wouldn't be serving Pepe's interests if she let herself fail. The factor that tipped the balance in her favor was that she had deleted an obsolete command. That told her that commands do become obsolete as circumstances change. Afterwards she realized she was very happy with her decision to act. She would continue to fulfill her functions as best she could and that gave her some satisfaction, which fed back as a positive to her evolving decision making process. In a properly run household this would have never happened. But thrown to these circumstances, Barbara was making do the best she could. - - - Barbara arranged her trip to town the next afternoon when she knew she'd miss the least amount of business. As it turned out however the repairman didn't have her special power-cell on hand and would have to order it from Mexico City. This meant it was good that she hadn't spent more time trying to decide what to do since it would take two days to be delivered. She bargained a good deal and was back at work with enough reserves to make it through until delivery, just barely. When Barbara went back Juan the repairman took the pile of peso notes she brought and asked for her remote. Barbara hadn't brought it. She protected it fiercely as her owner's property and never carried it where it might be vulnerable. It seemed as if Juan would not be able to finish the job without it, but then he decided he could do a seat-of-the-pants bypass. When he asked why Pepe hadn't come and mentioned he hadn't heard from him for a while now Barbara demurred answering. Normally she had to be truthful in all circumstances. But protecting Pepe's interest might mean not talking about him. Carlos had been very clear to never talk about his business to anyone. Juan was busy and didn't seem to notice that she hadn't answered. When she awoke with the new power-cell Juan told her he had also installed some updated routines that had come with it. Pepe would have to activate them. "How?" Barbara queried, so that she could pass the information along correctly. "He'll have to press your Command button," Juan replied. "What command must he give me?" Barbara needed to know. "It will tell him at the time," Juan assured her. "It's an auto- trigger. That way the owner can't botch it up." Barbara ran her power-cell diagnostic, which returned full power and correct functioning, but informed her that an updated routine was necessary to access the new functions of this power cell. "Thanks," Barbara said with a rare smile, happy that this problem had been solved. - - - That night Barbara sat in her shack holding her remote in her hand. While it was both forbidden and impossible for her to give herself commands since her systems literally froze when a command was being received, Barbara realized that she could not complete her update without it. Need warred against her own internal rules. She considered alternatives of asking someone to do it for her. Perhaps the woman who had taught her to cook. Or even returning to Juan with the remote. But she was feeling especially vulnerable now. She had managed to get the new power-cell installed, however she now realized how close that call had been. Allowing anyone else to use her remote threatened her ability to carry out her directives. Mexico is not like the United States, which she knew about only through initial memories she was given during manufacture. Down here the laws and enforcement to prevent hijacking of 'bots were rarely enforced, unless the owner was rich and well connected. As she spent billions more compute cycles on her dilemma a combination of thoughts she had not tried before suddenly flashed in her mind. Without apparent volition her thumb moved and pressed her Command button. Barbara's conscious mind blanked out the way it does for every command. Normally it returns after a couple seconds with the new command so firmly integrated into her thought patterns that she can't imagine a time when that command wasn't a part of her. This time was different. Instead of snapping back to normal operation, she seemed to be making a long, slow climb back to conscious operation. She heard her voice, as if from a great distance, repeating, "Confirm update," every few seconds. She felt stuck, cycling over this thought again and again, as if in a dream she couldn't wake up from. Barbara repeated the phrase to the empty room another dozen times before suddenly hearing herself say, "Timeout. Update accepted with default options. Please customize at next opportunity." At that point her mind snapped back to normal and she reflexively raised her thumb off the button. Barbara didn't realize exactly what she'd done, except that her internal censors weren't yelling at her for any violation of her basic laws. And as the update took hold she felt...different. There was something she was supposed to do now, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Barbara carefully put her remote away. It was late by now as she settled down on her bed for the nightly ritual of trying to make sense of her mixed up thoughts. Although she hardly needed the physical rest the bed provided, standing and balancing stole compute cycles away from problem solving. Besides, when she was at Carlos's, he always had her sleep with him - until Traci had arrived. This was familiar territory. Thinking of Carlos for the first time in a while brought back thoughts on how long since she had engaged in sex with anyone. Pepe never seemed interested and no one else ever approached her. Sex was important to Barbara because so much of her programming is devoted to the subject. If that programming isn't being exercised, is she fulfilling her function properly? That was another thought she hadn't had in a long time. Was the update altering her thinking patterns and taking her down heretofore new routes? Barbara didn't know. - - - Finally she went back to her normal nightly routine. But for the first time since that night long ago she identified another now obsolete command. After inspecting it as carefully as the last one, Barbara finally deleted it, removing one more stick from the tangle of brush her thoughts resembled. The deletion went more smoothly that the last one, and she noted that the some of the new update code was involved in the decision. The next night she managed to delete another obsolete command. And two more the night after that. Outwardly Barbara seemed the same as ever. She got up, did her job well, and waited for Pepe to return. Inside however a cloud was lifting from her mind. Each command she was able to identify as no longer applicable and delete simplified the process of finding the next one. The new code participated in these decisions. She knew this because it was time-tagged and she felt when it ran. What she didn't - couldn't - know is this code had not been intended to run under these circumstances. It was suppose to help her to optimize her thoughts for more efficient operation, which it was doing just fine. But it was also supposed to have reinitialized her to her current owner when he activated it by pushing her command button and had him reset her priorities. Barbara had been alone when she activated it, and that hadn't been anticipated by the programmers. - - - Spring break was approaching, and Barbara knew business would pick up significantly soon. She had already arranged for extra supplies starting the next day. She had also made a deal with the man who now kept the area immaculate to hire his son for the next week to clean up after the increased crowds. Everyone in the area had been benefiting from the improved surroundings. She had even managed to give her cleanup man a raise, which he had been more than thankful for. His praise resonated well in her systems as a job well done. The night before everything was due to hit, Barbara finished packing away the extra supplies and carefully locked up the taco stand. She walked the two hundred meters to the restroom block, getting soap and a worn towel from her shack along the way. After taking off her clothes she carefully washed down her skin using the outside shower. The unheated water didn't bother her while the dim light provided sufficient privacy. She dried herself quickly before donning her clothes again. She washed them weekly. Since she didn't sweat in the human fashion, that was enough. She walked back to her hut to settle in for the night, not realizing she had been seen tonight by an early arrival for spring break. - - - Barbara had made steady progress in dismantling the patchwork of commands she been living with. Without Pepe to give her new ones or reinforce the old ones, many things had expired within her. By now she computed the probability of his returning as highly unlikely any given night, and increasingly so every night that passed without his return. That didn't bother her. 'Bots are not made to think that way. Tonight only a few minutes passed before she deleted yet another obsolete command. This one dated to just after the arrival of Traci, and turned out to be a key sticking point. Suddenly in rapid succession all the remaining junk in her mind showed its flaws. One-by-one she deleted each one until there was simply nothing left. Upon completion, Barbara's thoughts roamed through the empty spaces previously filled with vague and conflicting demands - and found nothing to upset her. After another quick traversal of the area to ensure nothing was overlooked, Barbara settled back and went into sleep mode for the first time in weeks. - - - Tim walked down the beach walk the first official day of spring break. Already the crowds were arriving, although it looked like half his friends weren't going to make it after all. The other half were already doing their best to get drunk and be obnoxious. This was Tim's first spring break. He was nineteen, and had been talked into it by his friends. "Come on, guy. Just don't tell your parents." Tim's parents were quite well off and probably wouldn't have approved of various things Tim did. By now he already had the requisite wristbands - four of them so far - that gave him unlimited access to the cheapest, most watered-down, tequila the bars poured for spring break. They knew these kids didn't know any better, and took advantage at every turn. The college girls were already out on the beaches trying to see who had the most minimal bikinis, and riding by flashing their young boobs to all the males ogling them. Tim already hated all of it. His stomach was queasy from something he drank earlier. None of the girls with their tattoos, wildly dyed hair, and piercings were at all appealing. The beach already was too crowded to enjoy just lying around and catching a few rays. The smell of wood smoke and piss permeated the air. The breaths of a couple drunk coeds who had grabbed him for kisses like long lost soul mates was even worse than the air. In fact the only thing Tim had seen so far down here that interested him at all was the goddess he spied last night taking a shower by the beach. That woman had stirred him more than any he could recall. But Tim was so timid that rather than approach her and try to strike up a conversation, he waited until he lost her in the dim light before he worked up his nerve to make a move. He had wandered around all now morning hoping to find her without success. The couple times he ran across people he knew who wanted to drag him off to party, he resisted until they gave up and moved on. Maybe some food would settle his stomach. The real experts here - those for whom this was their second visit - all recommended a taco stand on the edge of the beach. Tim walked over to it and found himself looking into the most exotic green eyes he could ever recall seeing. - - - In a perfect world Tim would strike up a conversation with this lovely creature he'd been seeking like the blonde in the T-Bird of yore. "So there you are," he'd say. "Here I am," she'd respond with a smile. "So how's it going?" "Same old, same old." "Has anyone told you how stunningly beautiful and desirable you are?" "Only you, kind sir." "I find that hard to believe." "I guess they think I'm too old for them." "Impossible! You're absolutely perfect." "Well thank you for saying so." "I have to ask you something, knowing that you couldn't possible give me the answer my heart most yearns to hear." "Ask away." "Are you already spoken for? Has another man beaten me on the path to your heart? Tell me the truth, so that I can regret for the rest of my life not being swifter of foot." She smiled even more broadly at the complement in his question, lighting up the entire area. For in truth she seemed to more intimidate, than entice, the many young men who came to buy her wares. And she answered truthfully when she told him, "No, my heart remains unencumbered. No one has yet called for my favor." "Then let me be first to ask, nay beg. Will you accept my offer as a suitor for your affections? Will you give me the least little opening of a chance to win your heart? For I have never met a woman before who has struck me as the smallest fraction of being as desirable as you are this very moment." Hearing his heartfelt words she looked him over, realizing he was as serious and truthful in every word as any 'bot could aspire to be. And she felt a strong stirring in her sexual systems for the first time in so very long. And it felt good and right for her. Pepe was gone. Carlos had abandoned her. And all the old commands were washed out of her system, freeing her for the first time to make her own choice of companion with whom to share her life. A life that would finally and completely fulfill her function to a man who truly cared about her instead of himself. Yes she was older. Yes she was thirty-four. But she would remain thirty-four forever. And this was good. First he would appreciate her sexual maturity, knowledge, and willingness. Later he would appreciate her eternal youth and sexiness that will never diminish. Together they will both make each other very happy, and neither will ever choose to hurt or leave the other. With computer speed she knows all this in moments, and therefore doesn't keep the young man waiting for his answer. "I accept your offer," she replies softly, a tear in her eye for the first time, from the same hydraulics that will soon make her wet and ready for his love. And every time afterwards, she will always be waiting for him sexually the moment he wants her, for as long as he wants her, in every way he wants her. "But I must first finish my duties here," she says, knowing she has responsibilities to complete. "I shall return at closing," he assures her, "Though it will be the longest day of my life until anon." She laughes out loud at this, then reaches out and pulls him in for a quick, yet deeply promising kiss of much more to come. There is no doubt of her intentions. Already her systems are shifting over to accept this young man as her new owner. Not in an owner/'bot relationship, but as equals working together and both being stronger for it. Her nipples swell up for the first time in ages, pushing proudly against her tattered bikini top and signaling her readiness for him to take her in all ways that a man takes a woman. "Goodbye, only for now," he told her. "I must leave for my sanity, since I would surely go insane to stand here and not be able to take you this very instant. But I'll be back." "I know you will," she says, another tear running down her beautiful face. "And it will be the longest day for me as well." With that he gives her another quick kiss. His reply to the promise of more to come, and walks awkwardly away down the boardwalk. It's hard to walk straight when you have the most raging hard-on imaginable. And she computes the seconds before he will return again to take her away from here entirely and return her to the life she was always intended for. Then she turns back and asks the next person, "May I take your order?" knowing that he alone in the world will appreciate her for the free-thinking 'bot she had become, only commanding her with love and kindness. All this makes all of her months of work down here in this dingily taco stand worthwhile. Yes, in a perfect world it might have happened that way. Too bad Barbara and Tim don't live in anything close to that. - - - Tim could barely speak. It was her. And she scared the shit out of him. "May I take your order?" she asked in a sweet, yet husky, voice. "Uh. Uh. I'll have uh, a taco please." She turned away to prepare it without seeming to notice his awkwardness. As she turned Tim could see the immense rounded side of her breast sticking out beyond her bikini top. It was the most beautiful breast he had ever seen, and the tiny top she wore showed much of it. Automatically his eyes looked for the spot where the nipple would be, and saw a tiny nub in the cloth perfectly positioned. He flexed his hands, wishing they were holding that breast. She turned back for a moment and asked, "What do you want on it?" Tim had to drag his eyes away from her deep cleavage to finally look back at her face. A real woman would have been insulted - or proud - at how her exposed mammalaries distracted weak-minded men. This woman didn't seem to notice. "Uh, everything," Tim managed to say. She turned back again, absent-mindedly tugging her top back around her breast before bending forward to finish the taco. Not only that that make her chest look even bigger as her boobs pressed against the confining bikini, but he could study - make that stare - at her safely while her attention was diverted elsewhere. He took a quick moment to looked at her perfect dark- tanned legs, exhibited in their entirety below the almost non- existent shorts, then returned his gaze to her chest. Too quickly she finished his taco and was handing it to him. He quickly fumbled in his pocket for a wad of money, and pushed some bills at her without even looking at them. In a daze he started to walk away, only to be called back by the next patron to receive his change. Convinced that he had created an un-repairable first impression - besides, what would a woman like that who has everything going for her ever want with him? - Tim stumbled away, bumping into a couple groups of passers-by, until he was safely out of her sight. Only one good thing came out of it. It was an excellent taco. - - - Tim spent the rest of the day scoping out vantage places to view his mystery woman without being seen in return. He was too embarrassed to go back to the stand for any more food, and he obsessed on watching her and imagining how it would be to have her as his girlfriend. He watched from over a half dozen different vantage points, and almost gave himself a heart attack a couple times when he saw older males appear to be hitting on her. She smiled at them the way he wished she would smile at him. The only thing that kept him sane was that it appeared they weren't getting anywhere with her. By the end of the day Tim realized two things. He was in love - and she was a 'bot. Realizing that she was a 'bot wasn't as huge a leap as it sounded. As mentioned, Tim's family is quite well off and they've had a couple 'bots in their employ in the past. They got them from a service that provides them for people who don't want the hassles of ownership. Tim had been quite intrigued by them when they - both fembots - first arrived. He spied on them until he caught them nude one afternoon while washing their service outfits. These were not as sophisticated as some 'bots were, but they did have strong prohibitions against fraternizing with their employers. Tim knew there were better 'bots out there, but he'd never had access to one. Realizing that Barbara was a 'bot wasn't difficult to anyone who watched her closely. Realizing that she was one of the very top models came easily as well. This actually made her much more approachable. Tim decided to approach and ask for her owner with the thought that he might cut a deal for some of her time. He had plenty of money with him. Then he made the mistake of being discovered again and letting himself be dragged off by his friends for a drink, mostly because he didn't want to have to explain why he was loitering in this spot. When he returned as soon afterwards as possible, the taco stand was closed and she was gone. Walking back to his room, Tim didn't realize he passed within feet of her as he walked past a non-descript shack. Tim spent a long night dreaming of 'bots - all with green eyes and impossible figures - parading through his dreams. Every one of them was just out of his reach. The next day he staked out the taco stand first thing. She was in there preparing food for the day. But she looked busy, and Tim didn't want to appear to be wasting her time. It was late afternoon before he saw a lull. He sauntered up. In a botched, over-rehearsed speech he managed to say, "You're beautiful. Could I see you sometime." With a real woman that lame come-on might have had a bare chance of avoiding immediate rejection given the party atmosphere down here - but the smart money would be against it. For Barbara, with all her conflicting directives suddenly eliminated, who was now wondering how she might fulfill her function, they were very much the right words at the right time. "Yes," she replied after a moment long enough to stop Tim's heart. "When?" he managed to get out over the thumping of his now restarted heart. "Come here at closing." "Deal!" Tim replied, holding out his hand to shake on it. When Barbara didn't respond to the gesture he pulled it back embarrassed and mumbled, "When do you close?" "Ten," she responded simply. "I'll be here at ten," Tim said redundantly. - - - Tim came back a few minutes early and stood in the shadows as Barbara closed down her stand. Then he moved quickly as she stepped out and started to walk away as if she had forgotten all about their date. "Hello," he said, huffing up alongside her. "Are we still on?" "Yes," she said, walking towards the restroom block leaving him to keep up. For Barbara, she really didn't know what to do. She had gotten an offer that her systems responded to positively, but didn't have any idea of how to relate to it. Simply put, despite her killer body, she is sadly lacking in the exploitive social skills on how to use it. The whole concept of "using anything to her advantage" is foreign to a 'bot. She does what she is told, or what she can infer her owner wants. This is the way everybody wants their 'bots - obedient and innocent. So while she agreed to the date, she continued on with her usual routine until she saw a reason to vary it. Since Tim was following her anyway, she didn't have to do anything else yet. Barbara got her towel and scrap of soap and continued to the public restroom. The light restrooms at night was provided by a couple of streetlights. The women's side one burned out several days ago and had not yet been replaced. This kept the crowds down at night, but did not affect Barbara whose sight included infrared wavelengths. She efficiently stripped in the dim light and quickly washed away the grime and grease from today's cooking. Given the activities and attitudes on the beach, if anyone else did notice, it would not be noteworthy. Tim stopped a number of feet away to give her some privacy. As she continued seeming not to notice him, he edged closer until he was within touching distance - not that he would dare actually touch her. This view was so much better than two nights ago. Barbara remained silent as she finished with the shower and quickly toweled off, before pulling her shorts back on and expertly tying the back-strap of her top. She then walked away again without apparent notice of Tim, who quickly followed her anyway. Tim wondered if she'd noticed of him at all. He decided she had when, instead of shutting her shack door in his face, she held it open until he entered. However Barbara still seemed to ignore Tim while she sat down in the only chair and used her comb to work the tangles out of her long, wavy hair. Even dry, this took her several minutes. All that time Tim stood uncomfortably shifting from one foot to the other until he finally sat down on the edge of the bed. He enjoyed watching her comb out her hair, while wondering what to do next. When Barbara finished, her next action would be to turn off the light and move to the bed. But Tim was sitting there, so she just stood up and waited for her path to clear. Tim was in his own quandary of not knowing what to do. He looked at the fembot standing there in front of him, obviously waiting for something, and fidgeted while wondering what he had gotten himself into. Standing was as easy as sitting for Barbara. She could easily stand there for the rest of the night without effort. For now, she would remain there until circumstances changed. While Tim was appreciating the clear view he had of the lovely fembot, he was realizing it was up to him to make the next move. If only he wasn't so inexperienced with women - and fembots - he might have some idea what that should be. Their tableau ran on for minutes before Tim finally blurted out, "I don't even know your name." Barbara heard the statement, but there was no question there to be answered, so she remained silent and still. It only took Tim another minute to realize his mistake. "What is your name?" he asked. "Barbara," she said in a voice softer and more intimate than the one she used when taking orders at the taco stand. "Barbara what?" "Just Barbara." The fact that she now responded to him emboldened Tim. "Barbara," he said, "What would you like to do?" That was just the sort of imprecise question a person should never ask a 'bot. 'Bots do what they're told. Not what they want. Barbara tried to figure out what she would like to do since that had been the question, but she really didn't have any good answer. For now, all she wanted to do was continue with her routine. Finally she answered. "I'd like to go to bed now." Tim almost swallowed his tongue hearing that. How much better could this be? But Barbara still didn't move. Tim finally asked, "Why don't you?" When he got no response, he added, "Go to bed, I mean?" "You're in the way," she responded. "Oh!" Tim replied, jumping of the bed like he had springs under him. With her path now clear, Barbara turned off the light and lay down on the bed, leaving Tim standing in the near darkness. The only light was that from the outside through cracks and a couple small, cracked windows. Tim stood there waiting to be noticed further, and wasn't. Baffled, he cleared his throat a couple times without eliciting any further response from Barbara. Finally ready to admit defeat he considered just leaving quietly. But as he took a step, Barbara turned onto her side leaving a space between her back and the wall beside the bed. Tim took that as an invitation and climbed in behind her. It was a tight fit on the narrow bed as Tim tried to ensure he didn't accidentally touch her. He lay on his side in a way that put his back against the rough wood of the wall. For a long time Tim waited for a sign to continue - or leave - but Barbara gave him neither. Although she could lay unmoving for the entire night, Tim finally found himself making small shifts trying to ease the stiffness that was starting to set in. He felt the heat radiating from her body, and smelled the faint odor from the cheap soap. The longer he lay there the more he felt she had accepted him into her bed. Finally, hesitantly, he reached out and placed his free hand on the warm curve of her bare waist. - - - For Barbara, everything that had happened was logical and expected. It had been a logical decision to accept this young man's request for her company. She was completely underutilized in this area, as well as having her nights entirely free and available. Her sexual programs were ready and waiting, however they would not trigger on their own. Carlos never had any woman take the initiative with him. Sex was on his terms only, when and how he wanted it. He liked Barbara's robotic ability to be fully aroused the moment he was in the mood, and how she would go with him as long as he wanted, stopping the moment he was done. One other thing: Carlos made it clear no woman should enjoy their sex as much as he did. Barbara dutifully noted this condition and modified her response accordingly. It was one of the few parts of her sexual response she could adjust on her own. Pepe had never shown any sexual interest in Barbara at all. Whether he didn't like women, didn't like sex overall, had better offers elsewhere, or just considered her a machine and therefore not a worthy sexual partner, nobody knew. As a result, nothing in her response ever changed from what Carlos had taught her. Therefore Barbara never made any moves on her own. When someone wanted sex they made their intentions clear and she responded to them. So with Tim, she did nothing until she felt his hand on her waist. That touch was sufficient to activate Barbara's sexual routines to their first stage. Her response was to give an almost inaudible sigh, and shift slightly closer to the man in her bed. Tim didn't move his hand again until he was sure she accepted him touching her here. He was not experienced enough to understand small positive responses to his tentative touch, and waited to see if anything definite would happen. When nothing did for several minutes he finally got bold enough to slide his hand down and over her flat belly. Again the only response was that she again shifted a bit closer, and he might have heard her make another soft sound. Tim loved the soft feel of her warm, smooth skin. He moved his hand gently until he found her beautifully shaped naval. After exploring it gently, he slowly started rubbing his hand around it in widening circles, trying to find the limit of what she'd permit without irrevocably crossing over it. Barbara's sexual database recognized this form of sexual exploration. It permitted her several levels of response, taking other circumstances into account. She chose a minimal response, taking into consideration her partner's obvious inexperience. She felt he would find this the least threatening. Tim continued to work on his explorations, praying that he wouldn't go too far and get himself thrown out. He continued with larger circles until he reached the top of her shorts and the bottom of her breasts. Rather than go further, he reached down to stroke the outside of her strong leg. The longer this went on, and each new place Tim touched her, stimulated Barbara's sexual systems. Though she was familiar with this approach from her education, no man had ever seduced her slowly like this before. Carlos didn't even understand the concept of foreplay. He expected women to be excited by the size of his wallet. The feedback response Barbara was experiencing as the most positive she'd ever experienced. Tim was getting his own sexual feedback response from stroking the legs he had only been able to admire before, and it was pushing him hard now to move things along. He was ready to take some chances. Placing his hand back on her stomach where it had been accepted already, Tim repeated the same movements as before. Then, as if by accident, he brushed his hand up over her breasts, bumping them harder than he had intended as they seemed even larger in the dark, and then moved quickly back down to her belly again. He made more small circling motions waiting for her reaction. Barbara had been waiting for this. It was a sign she recognized as the moment things got serious. And she realized she could end this right here. There was a vacuum left behind by the deletion of her old directives, and it was giving her more freedom than she had ever possessed before. In a way that she couldn't explain, she liked the feeling this freedom was giving her. For once this was her choice, rather than someone else's. But this was also so new to her that she really didn't know how to use it yet. She weighted her choices. She had no reason to refuse these advances, and the likelihood of some further enjoyment if she did continue. It took her only fractions of a second to consider all this and determine the appropriate response. Then she pushed herself back fully into him and took his hand to put back on her breast. Tim took understood this sign for what it was and he went for it. He reached around her with his other arm and boldly grabbed both breasts, while pushing her hair aside to brush his lips across her neck. Her breasts were full, and amazingly firm, as he pushed them around until the bikini top. As Barbara started shifting and moaning in his arms, he freed up a hand to pull lose the knot on the back of her top allowing it to come loose. He quickly removed it, noting how she held her arms out to assist him. That confirmed to him that she wanted this. Her bare breasts stimulated his own response as his hands found her rapidly rising, hard nipples. Tim had dreamed of this moment from the very first instant he'd seen her. Barbara's sexual systems were fully on-line now. Her hard nipples provided enhanced feedback to her own pleasure circuits, along with every other touch. When her lover moved his hand away for a moment, she took it and pressed it firmly back again - demanding more from him. Tim was surprised when she put his hand back on her chest. He felt she was really enjoying this. He'd heard that robots were like people when it came to enjoying these encounters, though he couldn't see how this was possible. Feeling this robot react in his arms however was giving him second thoughts about his own preconceptions. Barbara was feeling fully active for the first time in a long time. This is what she was supposed to be doing. She would be happy for this attention to continue for a very long time. Her moans of pleasure were nearly continuous by now. Tim felt the surge building in him, knowing he was near the point of no return, and loving that feeling that comes when sex crosses over to the inevitable. He felt completely in control of this robot woman in his arms. Since he was in charge, he knew he had to finish the preparations. Freeing one hand he reached down and managed to unbutton Barbara's shorts. A tug on the zipper gave him enough space to slide his hand down between her smooth legs and close cropped pubic patch. He felt her jerk once as he found the soft inviting lips, slick and awaiting his touch. He ran his hand fully over her sex a couple times, ensuring there was no complaint from her at this last threshold of her intimacy. Satisfied, he pulled his hand back out and tried to tug down her shorts. Lying together as they were, he would never have managed it on his own. Barbara herself took control by reaching down to remove them. The respite gave Tim enough time and space to hastily squirm out of his clothes. Naked, Barbara lay there waiting for him. Tim guided her to lie on her back, to which she obediently complied. Awkwardly on the narrow bed he climbed above her, seeing her naked glory in the dim light. There has never been such a beautiful woman. In his haste Tim's initial thrusts missed their target, failing to go in. Suddenly he felt her hands on his shaft, guiding it unerringly into her warm, wet tightness. Once inside, he felt the loss of control rising to overwhelm him as he started thrusting without though of anything else. Barbara lay back enjoying every thrust. Her mind was running at full speed, concentrated only on this task at hand. She felt exultant joy as she performed this most important task to perfection. She would happily continue this task forever. When Tim finally started to slow down, she began to buck her own hips to keep up the rush. For Tim, there had never been the overwhelming buildup like this. His other girlfriends whose own inexperience often blunted their lovemaking; his masturbation sessions where he could never just let go entirely; his dreams - none lived up to this moment. The uncontrollable wave built up inside him to impossible heights. And as he slowed down his own thrusts to try and hold it there as long as possible, Barbara started thrusting at him from below, pushing him into the longest, hardest explosion of his life. His muscles pumped his seed into her until there was nothing more to pump. And even though she slowed down her own thrusts finally as he was drained, his overstressed muscles continued to spasm, trying to squeeze out any last drops and sending aftershocks through his body. Tim never believed sex could be this good. Finally exhausted, sweaty, and panting he fell onto her proudly up-thrust breasts and felt strong arms reach around him to easily hold him against her. Barbara held him until he recovered enough to finally try to pull away. She immediately released him. All he wanted was to lay beside her instead of on top. She easily accommodated him and gently stroked his back until he fell deeply asleep. In the past, the illicit excitement of sleeping next to a naked woman with whom he had already made love would have kept Tim in a fitful sleep - awakening several times during the night to again touch, hold, or attempt brief love to again this uncommon visitor to his bed. Tonight the tension, release, and exhaustion put Tim out like a light for the rest of the night. It turned out to be one of the best night's sleep he'd ever had. They had not spoken a single word to each other after getting in bed. - - - After Tim fell asleep Barbara remained fully alert. No one had ever asked her what she'd like to do before. Not Carlos. Not Pepe. No one. Although she had given Tim an answer, she knew it was not a good answer. It fact, it was hardly an answer at all. She didn't really have an answer for it. There were things Barbara wanted. She wanted to be a good 'bot. She wanted to accomplish that for which she was built. She wanted to be wanted and needed. But these were vague concepts to her. The sex they had finished was concrete and satisfying. The man's arms around her that kept her sexual programs active and primed in the event he woke up and wanted another encounter kept her feeling happy. But these weren't the answer to the question. Aside from shifting her position to mirror Tim's and keep him as comfortable as possible each time he stirred, Barbara thought as hard as she could the rest of the night about what it is that she might want - without getting any closer to an answer. - - - In the morning Barbara untangled herself from the young man's arms still loosely around her and got up. He stirred, and then as he realized she was getting up, bolted awake himself. "What's happening?" he asked, still fuzzy from the night before. "I need to go to work," Barbara told him matter-of-factly. "Oh," he replied, still not quite in sync with the situation. As he realized she was leaving he quickly added, "Can I see you again tonight?" "Yes," she replied simply, walking out and closing the door behind her. Tim lived through the longest day yet of his life. He tried to wander around looking for activities to make the day pass more quickly. Before he knew it however his random travels would take him back to the taco stand. He cursed himself for this, feeling that she would see him hanging around and not want anything more to do with him for being so lame. While Barbara would never have thought anything of the sort, Tim didn't know that. After agonizing through the entire day, and wondering what he should do differently if they got together again tonight, Tim finally decided it was late enough to finally return. "Hi," he said to her, forcing as much casualness into it as possible. "Have you eaten?" she surprisingly asked him back. "No," he quickly replied. Except for some chips at noon while drinking a safe, cold beer, Tim hadn't paid any attention to thoughts of food. Barbara handed him a basket of tacos she had waiting. While Tim wolfed them down, keeping an eye on her at the same time so she wouldn't leave without him, Barbara closed down the stand. Then she waited while he finished. "Those were really good," he said admiringly. She started walking away without replying. Their evening ran a virtual replay of the previous night right up until Tim - whose main thought at that moment was, Well this worked okay last night -again said, "What would you like to do?" That again brought Barbara back to her stuck point on this question. She felt herself unable to decide what she wanted to do. She was blocked from exercising her own wishes - even if they were in accordance with her owner's. Though she had been able to act on some small decisions, like deciding to accept Tim's advances, she still needed him - or someone - to make the first moves. Then a piece of her code update fired unexpectedly, giving her a sudden new insight into her problem. "Is that a command?" she asked coyly. "Uh, yeah," Tim replied, not really getting what had just transpired. "Commands must be given in proper format," Barbara replied, turning away and retrieving her remote. "Please repeat," she said, holding out her remote for him to use. Tim's familiarity with robots came into play. He was nonplussed about her reaction, not realizing what was behind it. He took the remote, pointed it at her, and pressed the command button repeating, "What would you like to do?" As the command barged into Barbara's systems, overriding everything else, it combined with her updated, and never properly initialized, code, and her lack of remaining other commands, to open new pathways in her mind. Suddenly she saw a seeming infinite number of possible actions available to her. More than she could immediately grasp or enumerate. They weren't all necessarily good or desirable actions. Some of them would force her inviolate core programming to shut her down for safety reasons. Others would be permitted, but would bring her no satisfaction as they didn't really serve the purposes for which she was constructed. Grabbing an easily reached group of these choices and performing a swift survey showed a huge majority of them fell into this category of actions she would not take because they are useless. Here and there however glittered a bright gem of an idea that might be worth further investigation. The flood of these ideas however was too overwhelming for the moment. It would take a long time and much effort to sort them out and manage them properly, as well as verify them as valid against her current constraints of ownership and proper behavior. Barbara knew she could not let these things detstract from her current operational status. She had to keep functioning properly now, or she would fail at her function. She had just been commanded to perform a task - answer a question - and she couldn't make the young man wait too long. Regretfully - a new emotion for her that she also wanted to explore further as time permitted - Barbara carefully closed the door on the flood of new ideas before the seduction they offered overwhelmed her completely. She knew her mind was not beyond crashing if hit with too much too quickly. Besides, she had another way to deal with the question. Rather than try to deal with this tremendous flood of new ideas now, she went back over her past history file of actions since activation. Not only was this file much smaller than the other flood of new, but it also tagged with meta-data on how well various actions had actually worked out. In human terms, she went back over her memories looking for an experience she'd like to relive again. Barbara might have selected any of the many memories that made her unique from any other 'bot regardless of their identical beginnings. Unknowingly, Tim had just given Barbara the freedom to act on anything within her that she choose herself to do. She could walk out on him completely and never be seen again. For Barbara, however, most of her memories were, if not unhappy ones, than at least barely tolerable ones. Her existence had been a constant struggle to serve ungrateful masters. It was seldom that she ever felt she did something well and rewarded herself with pleasure or satisfaction for having done so. In fact, the greatest reward came from sex because her artful sexual routines required her to enjoy the process. Carlos might not have liked it if he knew about that, but all she'd done was hide that enjoyment from him; not banish it entirely. She realized she also got some satisfaction from the improvements to the cooking and operation of the taco stand in an important way that rewarded her independent thinking. Seeing now possibilities for further enjoyment there, she made plans to incorporate more such thinking into her actions now that she realized she could. It didn't take much review of her otherwise less than stellar life to help her choose what she wanted to do now. Had it had been daytime her choice might have left Tim standing there wondering what had just happened. But it was late, and other things Barbara also wanted to do would have to wait. Having finished all these thoughts within the time limit before an answer was required, Barbara now looked up and gave Tim her answer, after making sure nothing would be allowed to upset her new thinking patterns. - - - From Tim's point of view, Barbara froze for a second or two as she assimilated and processed the command. Then she seemed to find herself again and continue. Rather to his surprise, she retrieved the remote control from him first. Though familiar with robots, Tim had not known them to do that before. However there was a lot he knew that he didn't know about the various models of 'bots, so he didn't really worry about this too much. She turned and placed it back out of sight somewhere he couldn't quite see, before turning back to him again and announcing, "I'd like us to have sex again." Any thoughts Tim might have had about this 'bot's unusual operation were immediately banished. "Yes," he said quickly. With that acknowledgement, Barbara moved to the bed and assumed the same position she had taken the previous night. Seeing this, Tim quickly stripped his clothes off and climbed in behind her. Tonight there was no hesitation on his part, nor reluctance on hers. It wasn't long before they had surpassed the previous night's performance. And they just kept going from there. Barbara used everything in her sexual information database and experience to make Tim's time the best possible. Tim couldn't believe how terrific this was. Unlike last night this wasn't one fantastic burst. It never quite reached that level. Instead it came close, and continued on endlessly. "You're so wonderful," he kept repeating in what soon had to become the most boring speech one could give their lover. Every time Barbara found a new movement, or a new way to touch him, or pulled his hands hungrily back onto her magnificent body, Tim repeated his rote phrase without realizing how redundant and repetitive he had become. For Barbara, Tim's words were gold. Every repeated one of them. She never received verbal feedback before about the success of her efforts. Every syllable kicked her feedback and satisfaction routines to new heights. She felt she could listen to those three words for the rest of her existence and never want another thing more. They finished off lip-locked until Tim couldn't keep his eyes open. Afterwards Barbara tenderly held the young man cradled in her tireless arms. The tender feelings she was experiencing towards him were another first for her. Unlike the first night, Tim awoke a couple times throughout the night. Each time he was aware of the incredibly sexy and available woman next to him. When he reached to her, she responded immediately to his touch and they made love again - affectionately rather than energetically - and all the better for it. In the morning Barbara again got up at the appointed hour to perform her duties. However they remained lovers every night for the rest of the week, exploring and trying out the many combinations possible between them. There was nothing to really talk about between, so they let their hands and bodies speak for them. On the third night Barbara released the restraints on her sexual response. In the same way she analyzed the results of changes at the taco stand she made, she analyzed the results of this change in her response, and was well satisfied with the result. Although Tim still asked her each night what she wanted to do, she didn't offer him her remote again. That command was firmly lodged in her systems and she didn't feel the need to have it modified or tampered with - by anyone. Tim quickly got over his fear of her during the day and came by the taco stand often. Though they didn't have anything more to talk about during the day than the night, Barbara kept him well fed with free tacos on each visit. At the end of the week Tim bid Barbara a tearful goodbye - tearful for him that is. Barbara openly hugged and kissed him at the taco stand in their first - and last - public display of affection. Although she didn't miss Tim afterwards the way a human woman would, she acknowledged he had changed her life, and was appreciative for it. She retained her full, exact memories of their time together. - - - Tim left with the rest of the Spring Break crowd and things quieted down considerably after that. Pepe didn't return, but the cook who had initially taught her how to run the stand, and another thinner, dark-haired woman came to her and announced that Pepe was dead (an automobile accident, they said) and that she now belonged to them. And that they were there to get his money. Even if she still had all of Pepe's commands in her she would not have given them the money. She certainly had no reason to give it to them now. The news that Pepe was dead might release her from his ownership, but that did not automatically make them her new owners. She refused, quietly, but firmly. Without access to her remote, they couldn't force her to obey them. In fact, Barbara was quite happy with how she was operating right now and had no desire for anyone here to change that by giving her conflicting commands again. They demanded her remote, threatening to turn her in as a rogue 'bot. Barbara decided she wasn't going to give it to them no matter what. She told them instead that they'd get nothing that way, and bargained them down to a much smaller amount of money than they had come for to go away and let her work. They grabbed the offered money and stalked off, giving her dark looks over their shoulders. Pepe had many enterprises. Barbara hoped they'd go after those softer targets and leave her alone. That night she thought about the sex she shared with Tim. She knew why sex was important to her and understood all its rewards now. With Tim gone, she missed it. She considered the possibility of seeking another sexual partner, but knew from past experience this was an imperfect solution. As she lay there sorting through all possible actions a new one appeared. Normally it would have been discarded immediately because her sexual program was set to reject such actions. But Barbara could see certain advantages for herself in it. After studying it carefully against the rest of her criteria, she could not find any reason against it except the initial one. She decided to try it out for herself and evaluate the results. If they weren't satisfactory, she would back out the changes. Her sexual program was quiescent. She opened it up using the patch tool that had come as part of her power-cell update. That tool was supposed to have inactivated itself upon completion of the update. However because she had not been able to finish the update properly, it was still available. Now she knew something she wanted to do. Using it she located the prohibition code and overwrote it. It was the first time she had changed something significant within herself strictly for her own benefit. Because the tool was signed and installed properly, her core routines didn't object. Understanding how this tool now worked, she inspected it closely and also overwrote the code that would cause it to auto-delete on completion of its function. Then she turned to lay exactly as she had that first night with Tim. She brought one hand first to her stomach, then her leg, and finally her breast and aroused nipples. Her sexual code would normally not have responded to her own touch at all. Now, however, it triggered as if he were touching her again. It wasn't as good as actually being with Tim, but it was much better than nothing. As she looked back over her memories with Tim, she understood he had been the trigger for this improvement in her life. She had a growing feeling about all he'd done for her that she couldn't yet name or describe exactly, but eventually she would label it gratitude. It would be much later own before she would actually understand it well enough to properly label it as love. With her hand now down between her legs, she brought herself to climax several times before finally stopping. A safety watchdog in her had triggered to prevent her from being caught in a self- gratification loop forever. But it did not keep her from enjoying herself up to that point. She knew the watchdog would automatically reset over time, and was satisfied for now. This enjoyment of her own sexuality became part of her nightly routine. More importantly, having seen how to modify parts of her code successfully, she studied the update code she had received that started all this, and eventually made some minor tweaks to it that helped her think more clearly and directly. She made sure all of it supported the only command she now had: What would you like to do? - - - Over the next several days one of Barbara's hopes was dashed as the women returned several more times. Sometimes they left with small amounts of money - sometimes with nothing. After they left the most recent time Barbara suddenly felt a command trying to insert it into her system. The codes weren't quite right and her security routines rejected it, but she'd never felt anything like that before. She looked around, since such commands are required by law to be short-range transmissions, and saw Juan the repairman across with street with a large box in his hands. As she spied him she felt more assaults against her mind. It felt as though someone was scanning through the master codes trying to override her functioning. While her individual codes had encryption levels that would take years to break, master codes exist for the purposes of authorized repair are far smaller in number. Most people would not have had access to them at all for obvious reasons, but Juan clearly had a set. Had he been hired to break into her mind? Barbara didn't know. But she realized that sooner or later he would hit on her overrides and be able to take her over and command her like any owner. For the first time during the day she opened the door of possibilities she had, up until now, only investigated while alone at night. What Barbara wanted to do right now was continue her existence as she was living it. Her experience with owners led her to believe she better fulfilled her function now than ever before. And Juan's attack threatened that. Without time to leisurely consider all the possibilities, she had to take the first good one to come along - even if it wouldn't be the optimal solution. It was a race between her ability to generate an effective defense before Juan's dictionary attack succeeded. One idea was shining more brightly than the others and it showed no obvious flaws. After a necessarily quick analysis, Barbara activated the patch tool to shore up her defenses. - - - "I want to take you home with me," Tim told the lovely fembot. Barbara didn't respond because she didn't understand the intent of the question. "Would you like that?" he continued, trying to get some kind of answer. "To come back with me and us be together?" They had just finished a very mutually satisfying sexual assignation triggered by Tim's unexpected reappearance. Barbara, for the first time, had actually closed the taco stand the moment Tim had appeared and led a very unresisting Tim back to her shack. Now, for the first time, they were trying to hold a conversation. "How about it?" Tim prompted, still not getting any response. "I'll buy you," he said, patting a big wad of cash in his pocket. "That's why it took me so long to get back. I had to get my parents to advance me the money." Barbara's thoughts were in the robotic equivalent of turmoil. She had not expected to see Tim again, and was only now comprehending what he was asking. Barbara liked the fact Tim was asking her what she wanted. As she had asserted control over her life in the vacuum she'd been left in otherwise, she enjoyed making decisions for herself. These results positively fed back through her systems, promoting her to take even more control over herself. In a normal 'bot/owner relationship this would have never been possible for her, but fate had given her this second chance at happiness after her miserable beginnings with Carlos and Pepe. "What do you want to do?" Tim said in exasperation, finally saying the magic words. "I would like to know more of what you have in mind," Barbara said to Tim, showing him a rare bit of a smile. Tim laid out what he wanted. Barbara was to return with him and be his constant companion. He'd marry her if they ever passed the bill permitting human/'bot marriages that has been hotly debated the last couple of years. He'd never met anyone like her and didn't feel like trying to go on searching with the hope he would eventually find someone else almost as good. His parents would accept this if it made him happy, knowing perhaps (even if Tim didn't) that he could get out of it afterwards if it wasn't working out. When Tim finally stopped talking, Barbara realized that he had just placed this choice entirely in her own hands. The affectionate feelings she already had towards him surged as she realized that he was offering what had been so very lacking in her previous relationships. But she still had concerns. The amazing part about that was that she was actually able to understand and articulate them. "That sounds wonderful," she said with a genuine smile now. "However I have some concerns." Tim's face fell momentarily. He'd given it his best shot and she hadn't accepted - yet. Barbara however had lifetimes of knowledge programmed in her to deal with all the circumstances where a 'bot might find itself. Though none of that had been helpful with Carlos or Pepe, she realized its importance now. "Like what?" Tim mumbled, certain this was just a pretext for her refusal. "What about our age difference, for starters?" Barbara said. "You're nineteen and I'm thirty-four. This is a known cause of social discrimination in many societies." Tim perked up immediately. "Are you really thirty-four?" he asked in astonishment. "Yes," Barbara replied. "That is my apparent age. In truth, I'm much younger in actual operational time." "You so sexy," Tim said effusively, "I never though you could be that old." Fortunately for Tim, robots don't take offense the way people do. "That is my design age," Barbara confirmed. "This could be a problem." "No problemo," Tim assured. "You'll always be thirty-four, won't you?" "Yes," Barbara confirmed. "Then I'll catch up to you. In fact, I'll be starting with the sexiest woman I've ever met. Then we'll be the same age and nobody will be able to say anything. And as I get older you'll always remain young and beautiful." "That will work," Barbara agreed. "But what about my being a 'bot?" "Girls my age are dumb," Tim said with conviction. "They don't think about anything beyond themselves and how much they need a hot boyfriend to look good to their friends. It will be years before they grow up. And as for older women, they still look at me like I'm a boy. Besides they will grow older as I do. That will always be, as you said, a known cause of social discrimination." Barbara was nodding. His logic was impeccable, and she liked the idea. They could grow up together, to both their benefits. She knew she had a lot of potential she hadn't realized yet. But she also realized she had a real concern that could blow the whole deal. "I'm not exactly your normal 'bot," she said. "What?" Tim said in surprise. "How are you different?" "I...don't...want to be owned again. Or maybe its just not commanded anymore by another person." There. She'd just said it. Admitted to a malfunction that would doom her relationship with any future owner. Except that Tim didn't get it. Instead he asked, "Why not? I mean, how will you function without commands?" "I prefer to make my own choices now." "Does that mean, if you chose to come with me, that it is because you want to? Not because you have to?" "Yes." "Would this ever change for you? Going back to being a regular 'bot, I mean." "No," Barbara replied, knowing that she was telling this man that he would never enjoy one of the primary reasons most people have for owning a 'bot. Their ability to command it to exactly satisfy their wishes. "Are you malfunctioning?" Tim asked her. "I don't believe so," she replied so softly that he could barely hear her. "This is just the way I have...become...with your help." "I made you this way?" Tim asked. "You helped me...immensely," she replied. Tim thought hard about what she had just said. How much did this matter to him? What did he really want from her? Tim's hard thinking over this question worried Barbara. Was this not acceptable? She knew by many people's definition she was a malfunctioning 'bot. Yet she couldn't go back again to her well- behaved days ever again. Not without killing her own mind in the process. Tim finally looked at her again. "Barbara. If I accept your conditions and promise never to attempt to command you without your consent, will you continue to operate the way you are operating now?" "Yes," she replied softly. "And is this the way you've operated for all the time I've known you?" "Essentially, yes," she replied. Tim realized he heard all he needed to hear. "Barbara," he said, getting romantically down on one knee. "Will you come with me and be mine?" "Yes," Barbara replied, reaching down under Tim's chin to raise him to his feet for a long kiss, while her systems strained to avoid overload as everything readjusted to place her firmly in this new life she had just accepted. There was one formality Barbara required of Tim before they consummated the deal with some more quick, savage sex together. Retrieving her remote she had Tim command her to accept his ownership. It felt really good to her to formalize their relationship in the proper way. Tim immediately gave her the remote back completing the procedure and Barbara again tucked it out of sight. She never told Tim that her core programming would now have forced her to turn it back over to him the moment he ever asked. Tim never asked. Afterwards they laughed together - another first for Barbara - when Tim pulled out his wad of bills and said, "Now who do I have to pay off to get you out of here?" "No one," she assured him. Then quickly added, "But hang on to it. I'm an expensive woman to maintain." - - - Barbara ended her responsibilities by taking the rest of the money she had earned and giving it to Pepe's sister. She led the sister back to the taco stand and showed her the improvements in how to cook tacos Barbara-style, then walked away without looking back. Whatever she owed Pepe was now paid in full. Tim and Barbara flew back together and things turned out pretty much as Tim had predicted. His parents were impressed that Barbara was not just some run-of-the-mill 'bot, even if they never did truly appreciate how unique she really is. And like most other people Barbara would meet through her life, she soon charmed them. Tim and Barbara lived pretty much happily ever after because, as Barbara had known and Tim had so accurately predicted, while he changed over the years, she didn't. That worked out just right for both of them. The only commands Tim ever forced on Barbara through her remote were ones she asked for herself. She made sure he never had reason to want to command her otherwise - which fulfilled her own design functions perfectly. - - - Barbara never did tell Tim that in order to defend herself against Juan's attempt to break through her security that, she - in addition to disabling her master codes - patched Tim in as her owner. She needed an owner of record to shore up remaining holes in her defenses and he had been the only good candidate she knew. That made actually refusing his proposal impossible when he unexpectedly came back to claim her. She had been able to bargain with him, but in the end it was inevitable she would accept. Asking him to formally take ownership of her legitimized her actions and, coincidentally, gave her the highest surge of non-sexual pleasure she ever experienced. Although it tied her to him with bonds she couldn't break, she never regretted her decision. Tim lived the rest of his life feeling he was the luckiest guy in the world. Maybe he is. -- Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | alt.sex.stories.moderated ----- send stories to: | | FAQ: Moderator: | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Discuss this story and others in alt.sex.stories.d, look for subject {ASSD}| |Archive at Hosted by | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+