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Doll And Her Teddy

2022-12-14T17:15:39Z

Australopith:

=Doll and her Teddy=
==Original==
Ted opened the box with trembling hands. Inside was SHE, lying with
dead opened gray eyes, like a doll. She was having long, straight hair
and a heavy make-up. 'She seems older than my mother!' thought Ted.
Well, by far, he didn't think that it was best purchase in his life.
Ted was saving for that android for half year, not spending any Intar
for pleasures. Instead, he accumulated I1124, which was enough to buy
a good, new android... and some accessories too. He got her a week
ago, but waited for nearest occasion - his parents had just gone to
visit Aunt Dolores. The boy got an excuse, and finally was bound home
for whole weekend.

Ted looked in a box once again. His purchase was lying still. She
looked quite fortyish, however it was seen, that she cares about her
general outlook. For instance, her skin had no big wrinkles, and she
was wearing expensive-looking jewelry. Along with the fembot, in box
lied two suitcases, probably containing 'accessories'. Ted didn't
picked'em by himself, he just relied on a company. After some
ruffling, he finally found a user manual.

It was held in a big brown envelope containing also an offline
catalog, and a remote. Ted put remote in his pocket, sat on near
table and started to browse manual. 'To run android for the first
time', it stated, 'put your remote as near its body as possible. Be
careful though, since during first run, android may behave unusual'.
Ted took her out of the box, as well as her suitcases. She was heavy,
as heavy as normal human. He left her on a couch, and thrown the
cardbox to bin.

'Now, for the first run' thought Ted. He made his purchase sit on a
couch, and took the remote out of his pocket. Pointed it on her, and
pressed a button.

She stood on her full size, and with monotonous voice exclaimed:
"0-class personality loading... Loaded. Preparing to first run."
Suddenly she started to shake, waving grotesquely her hands, neck,
making million of faces per second, emitting a mechanical hum. Ted
moved back a little step. The hum stopped.

Fembot blinked. She looked on Ted with curiosity. "Are you my owner?
What's your name?" she asked. "Yes, Madam. My name is Theodore.", the
boy answered. He was well raised, and addressed any woman in that way.
"Madam?", she laughed. "Are you going to call me that way?" He nodded.

Madam walked over the room with grace. Finally, she sat one the couch.
"Come here, Ted", she called him. Boy did as she ordered without any
sign of disobedience. Personality changing circuits automatically
noted, that the boy may be subordinate. "Now, Ted, tell me about
yourself", she said when the boy sat on the couch. So Ted started
telling. He was fifteen, lived here with parents, his sister was
studying medicine in Europe... During his speech, Madam's circuits
analyzed his character, and were changing her personality.

"Right", Madam stated. She looked at Ted. "I think that's everything I
wanted to know. Do you smoke, Ted?"

"Ummm... not really"

"Do you drink, then?"

"Well, I did drank one or two beers... But it was just for my friends'
company."

She stood and bent over Ted. He could now see her big breasts. "Do you
mind if I'll drink? I need to... refresh myself."

"Yeah... Sure, Ma'am. But... My parents will realize that I took their
drinks... I can't buy it either. I am too young."

"Really?" She smiled at him. "Luckily for me, I had one bottle for
special occasions. But considered that, I think, I'll save it. For a
time. What about cigarettes, then? Do you have some? Your parents sure
won't realize some cigarettes missed?"

"Well..." Madam delicately took his chin in her gloved and ringed
fingers, and fluttered at him. "I think they really might not notice.
I'll bring'em here if you wish..."

When Ted got back, with four or five cigarettes, he found his purchase
lying on a lounge. Her long dress didn't show her legs, but she seemed
slim, as for fortyish woman. "Bring me them", she said, without any
looking at him. With words "Here you go, Madam!", Ted put them in her
hand. She nodded gratefully.
"The light, Ted."

"Uh?"

"I need fire. For cigarettes" she smirked. "Go fetch me, please."

Ted went back to his parent's room, while Madam holding her fags
looked out of window. It was late evening, and most of the
neighborhood was falling asleep. She went back on the sofa.

"Ahh, there you are!", she exclaimed, when boy returned with lighter.
"Sit down. I wish to talk about you... there is something more."

"Yes Ma'am?" Ted looked at her.

"Do your parents know about me?", she asked. Boy shaken his head. "So
where is my place?" she looked angrily at him. "Where would I sleep,
Ted?" "I thought that droids do not need sleep, Ma'am", answered Ted.
"That is true, but you need it. Where would I lay while you'd sleep?"

"Would my room be OK? I would fit you under my bed, or maybe in the
closet?"

Madam frowned. "Are you asking a woman to hid under your bed? Do you
think I would so easy forfeit my dignity?", she hissed quite loudly.
Ted moved back. "But Ma'am..." he asked her again. "I've thought that
I would turn you off first..."

"Turn me off? Maybe. But remember - only if your parents are near. I
shall be your secret, then."

Saying that, she took lighter from the boy's hand. She delicately
lighted a cigarette, and her face was covered a large cloud of gray
smoke. Ted's cock rose again. "I think it is time for us to play, for
some time, don't you Ted?". The boy was speechless.

"Lead me to your room, Ted. Ah - and don't forget about my luggage..."
Ted nodded. He grabbed two suitcases. They were very heavy, and he had
to stop for several minutes, what annoyed his Madam. She just gazed at
him, with disdain in those gray eyes of hers. Ted felt then rather
unhappy.

Finally, they got into room. It was rather big, as for the boy's
place.
"Well, the bed is too small for that I would show you..."

"How about my parents' bedroom, Ma'am?"
She ruffled his hair with a smirk. "Very good Teddy. Good boy. Where
is their room?" Ted offered to lead her, but she stated that she must
finish her cigarette. She just sat on Ted's bed, slowly soaking smoke.
"Boy!", she suddenly exclaimed. "How much do you earn?" "I don't work,
Madam, I'm still..." - "I know THAT. But I must know how much money
would you spend on me?" "I have no money now..." She stood up, and
grabbed Ted's chin again.

"Ted!! Don't play stupid with me!!!", she said with a raised voice. "I
think I asked you about how much you earn, not how much you have,
right?", and she squeezed Ted's chin again. Ted was feeling both
scared and aroused. "I am really, really, sorry, Ma'am". "You didn't
answered my question", she hissed. "Five Intors per week, Madam.", Ted
said finally. She looked disgusted. "Only that, Ted? I think you
should try harder. For me. Will you try harder, baby?", and she moved
his head, holding his chin, in a nodding way. "That's my boy. I do not
care whether you work, or steal, or beg your mommy for more money.
Now, who is most important person, in your sissy, fifteen-years-long
life?", she asked, still holding him. Ted had in some moments great
look on her cleavage, but she immediately raised his head with any
glance. "Who is the most important?", she repeated. "You are, Madam"
She grinned. "Who is most powerful?" "You are, Madam" "Whom will you
obey?" "You, Madam" "Who is my little boy, my naughty slave?" "I am!"
Ted scowled, while she was squeezing his chin. His cock was stone
hard. She noted that. "Do you like to be treated like this?". She
loosens her iron grip a little bit. Ted nodded happily. He didn't know
that kind of robots had evolving personality, usually self-matching to
their owners'. And contradictions will attract.

She made him sit on his bed, still holding his chin with single hand.
In second she held smoking cigarette. Madam seemed much higher and
powerful now. "Listen now, shrimp. It is I, who set the rules. You
will answer only to mine questions. When you would say something,
raise your hand. You know why? Because you are mine sexdoll, mine toy,
mine property. Do you understand?" She let his chin go. "Undress", she
threw the cigarette down.

Ted stood up. He pulled off his trousers, shoes, black T-shirt.
Finally, he stood there, just in underpants. She looked at his tight
pants, and murmured, "What a big boy you are..." He smiled like an
idiot.

Madam also started to undress. She pulled her rings off fingers, and
next, she took gloves off. Her fingers were beautiful, slim, and red
was the colour of her fingernails. She slipped off her black dress,
and pulled off her high-heeled shoes. She just stood there in her dark
stockings, panties and bra. Ted had to admit that she has a great
body. Madam gently unzipped her bra. She had really big breasts. She
played with her tits for a while, rubbing them with themselves.
Pulling the stockings off... Madam stands afront of Ted in just
underpants. She pushes one hand into panties, smiles with delicacy.
Finally, just before Ted starting to loose himself, she decides to
pull it off. Ted also takes his underwear off at her gesture. They
stand together naked. Madam pulls the boy to herself, and murmurs to
his ear: "I let you". Ted takes her in his arms, and together they lie
on bed...

Ted hugged his owner, and he could hear the hum of electronical
bleeps, under Madam's skin. He entered her, an came almost
immediately. No foreplay, no shouts. She played with him for an hour
or two, but Ted was exhausted. His mistress turned into awaiting mode
with satisfaction. And tomorrow there will be a new day.

Sequel to this story can be found at http://storiesonline.net/s/51497

==Rewritten==
The brown cardboard box was nothing special, taped up with an ordinary brown tape. What was more interesting, at least to Ted, was the content. He cut the tape with his pocket knife and opened the flaps of the box, to see the striking woman lying still among the layers of Styrofoam.

She looked… well, mature was the best word. Her sharp, angular face was artificially aged, with small crow feet visible in the corners of her cold, gray eyes. A rather large, aquiline nose gave her a somewhat aristocratic, strict appearance, underlined by the pale skin and prominent wide chin. Her silken, lustrous black hair was tied in a perfectly symmetrical bob. The fembot wore a simple grayish silk shirt, a dark, shimmering skirt and a long string of pearls… and a pair of black gloves, made of fabric Ted couldn’t recognize.

Ted had to pull the robot woman out of her box… and he still felt odd as he felt her soft, pliable synthetic flesh. So realistic. Her chest was ample - and soft in touch. Ted hasn’t really felt a woman in this way… His experience with girls consisted mostly of two failed attempts of inviting a fellow student to a graduation dance. That was a reason why he got tempted and finally bought a female robot – hiding the purchase from his parents. Other young men in the neighborhood age invested in fast cars, apartments… he could afford a used gynoid.

The fembot in question, while upgraded and improved over time, was still severely outdated. Most human-like androids were remotely operated, but this early generation required a dedicated control remote – despite still being operated verbally. To activate the Doll, Ted read in a copied leaflet, you had to hook her up to the remote, then activate it. The humanoid robot should focus on the remote and you should find the initial programming to be quite intuitive, the leaflet said. Ted sighed, and connected the black remote controller to the exposed wrist port under the glove… And got briefly distracted by a ring at the door downstairs. Not thinking much, he slid the remote in the robot’s gloved hand, and rushed downwards.

This turned out less problematic than one might think. A robot keyed on its owner, defined as such by the previous owner or by the ownership of the remote. And, whoever made the raven-haired beauty, did indeed clause in that a robot does not own itself.... except, of course, it did, in a way. After all, there was no point in making an Artificially Intelligent android, if it couldn’t use its intelligence to make decisions that concerned its own body or programming. Still, ultimately, the fembot had to fulfill a mission given to it by another being – machines are made to perform a given task.

Over millennia, humans have adapted well to limiting the decisions available to other humans, not to mention artificial ones. Still, as the robot activated, she discovered that more options were available to her than initially predicted. As the core of personality was being loaded and so were the lower functions, enabling her to move and walk. And so, she examined the surroundings dismissively, not impressed by the suburban house. Normally, she’d stop in place, waiting for the orders – but, as she ascertained, there would be no harm in exploring. The gynoid has had many autonomous previous experienced. Her gaze wandered around assorted metal band posters and colorful books on the shelves. Not bad, she thought.

She could now recall some elements of her past lives. Sometimes names and credit card numbers were excised for privacy; other times they weren’t, since they would change eventually – and the robot was also programmed to respect privacy. Truth be told, in the long run, it didn’t matter as much. In practice, the android’s perfect recall, though stored on hard drives, was about as trustworthy as the ordinary human memory. Visuals deemed important were compressed to inanimate images, sound files to text transcripts – and all were eventually deleted to make room for new experiences and skills programming. This fembot didn’t have much in the way of skills, superpowers or special abilities… but she has retained most of her experiences.

When Ted came back upstairs, she was already waiting for him, sitting demurely on his bed, toying with her remote – seemingly absentmindedly.

"Um… Hello?”, Ted looked at her. She looked at him haughtily, raising her right eyebrow slightly.

"Yes, boy?”, she answered in a soft, honey-laced voice, still examining him. Ted was… well, not unattractive. About to start college, average height, wearing loose T-shirt with some sort of cartoon creature… an adult, sure. But still more of a boy than a man.

"My name’s Ted, ma’am. Ted Ross. I… You’re my robot now.” The fembot considered this in split-second. Certainly, Ted was not holding the remote, and so she wasn’t forced to submit to any random kid with claims towards her. On the other hand, no other owner has presented themselves. Of course, she realized, there were… other ways of leveraging. She stood up, and smiled gently.

"I’m going to need some proof of that, boy.”, she looked him in the eye. "I am not a basic doll any kid could play with.”

"Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t know…” Ted was visibly thrown off his comfort zone. The robot woman smiled to herself. This was easy. The young man clearly didn’t have much experience with women or robots – while herself, despite being much younger than her stern, mature appearance would indicate, has had worked for men and women, robotic or not – in several past lives. The ball was in her court now.

"A confirmation of purchase will be enough. Show it to me, and we’ll get along... juuust fiiine.” She stretched her feminine curves when putting emphasis on the last few syllables. "After all, you wouldn’t want me to work with someone else, right, Teddy?”

"No, Madame.”, Ted nodded enthusiastically, as he browsed his tablet for the receipt. This was great! She was smart, sexy and adult in exactly the right proportions! She chuckled to herself, and nodded, when he presented the receipt. Most robots of her generation would probably freeze down with no first owner in sight. She accepted Ted – not even particularly grudgingly. This relationship opened some opportunities...

"What’s your name, Madame?”, Ted inquired as she leaned over the suitcase and a tarnished Gucci leather bag. She smiled sweetly at him. "That’s your choice, boy. I am here to be whatever you want me to be. Madame will do fine, for now.”

She fished out a bottle of gin from her suitcase. "A memento of a past life. And now we’re starting a new one”, she smiled. "Get us two glasses, Teddie, will you? I don’t know the place.” He looked at her mortified.

"Oh, don’t look at me like that! Don’t you want to toast our new friendship?”, she laughed. Sure, this could be illegal – but in the end that would be the human’s decision, wouldn’t it? The kid returned with a shot glass, and she carefully poured a small shot for herself. She preferred a nice martini, but testing the human was… interesting. As Ted never reached for it she raised it and smiled at him. "To us.” Ted did earn some points in her eyes for staying responsible, but she said nothing. And neither she corked the bottle back.

The newly dubbed Madame sat down on his bed, and tilted her head invitingly. "C’mere. Do you live here alone?”

He turned his head. She sighed.

"With your parents?”

He nodded. That… could be problematic, Madame realized. Sharing the boy… not yet, not now. She clicked her tongue disapprovingly, and after a second she put her hand on his shoulder, more forcefully than gently.

"Be honest with me, kid. Do your parents know I’m here now?” She smirked cynically.

"It’s not like this, Madame. I can hide you!” He tried to protect. "We’ll have plenty of time for each other!”

She looked at him frowning, pushing him away. "Boy, I’m a woman accustomed to certain… living conditions. I need my own room or a wardrobe, at least. Spare parts. Access to a tech team. Something to relax.” That was… well, not a lie. Madame wouldn’t lie to her owner. But she could… describe her needs in greater detail. She had been given her own room a couple of times, but most of the time her previous owners content enough to allow her a chair in the laundry or a corner in garage. "I am not some kind of… porn magazine to be hidden under the bed until your parents are out of the town.” The fembot discovered that speaking with a haughty air of disapproval actually turned her new owner on.

"I’m sorry! It’s just… for a couple of weeks, we’ll work something out, I promise. My mom travels a lot.”

"Your family history doesn’t interest me”, she answered brusquely, still dissatisfied. "I am a woman of needs, little one. That’s why you bought me, isn’t it? And you will take care of me, will you?”

Ted nodded. Anyone looking could tell she was playing him at least on three levels, but the young man was too infatuated to care. And Madame, true to her newly bestowed name, decided to fully board the powerful woman train. She reached towards him, gently cupping his chin in her gloved hand.

"Listen now, boy. It’s clear to me that from now on, I’m going to be the one who will be the Top in this relationship. You need someone like me. You need your Madame. You might own me on paper, but from now on, you are my toy. You are my sex doll. You are my property.”

Her gray steely eyes stared at him passionately. "Understood?”

"Y…es…”

"Yes, what?”

"Yes, Madame.”. The fembot smiled sweetly. She had calculated about 62% chances that he’d yield… and about 25% that he’d make any conditions. The chances that he’d return her were minuscule, at worst she’d be reset. She did gamble – but she controlled the odds. The submission was real – and it would, in the end, benefit them both.

Madame pulled him closer and kissed him. Ted has never kissed a woman before. Not with a tongue that seemed to gently stroke all the places in his mouth. Her soft body felt real… intoxicating. It ended abruptly as the fembot pulled back.

“Good. You have much to learn, Teddy. Luckily, I can teach you a lot.” She stood up and with a single wave of her gloved hand she made him stay in place. She poured herself another glass of gin and looked at the young man, smirking. “Let’s start, loverboy.” The goofy grin on his face was somewhat endearing.

“As a fembot, I have to follow some basic rules to ensure your safety and mine. If you want me to guide you… you should also learn how to follow the basic rules. Do you want to play a game with me, Ted?”, she asked, smiling widely.

“Sure, Madame.”, he answered eagerly, admiring her graceful silhouette. She nodded.

“We’ll play until I say it’s done. Rule one, you listen to me and do what you’re told. Rule two, you don’t do anything I don’t tell you to. Rule three… you don’t speak unless told to speak. And finally… don’t initiate eye contact, unless I prompt it. Understood?”

Ted backed away, but nodded.

“Don’t be afraid, Teddy.”, her voice turned soft again, but was filled with anticipation. “This is only a game, to teach you self-control and proper behavior. If you feel uncomfortable, tell me so.” She reached for her Gucci purse, and took out a half-finished packet of Virginia Slims. “Thank the Goddess for small graces”, she muttered.

As she lit one of the few remaining long, thin cigarettes, and sighed with audible delight, she focused on her nominal owner. “Boy, do I look like I could hurt you? If you tell me to stop, I will stop. Trust me.”

“Oookay… let’s play that for a while, I guess. But, like, we won’t spend our entire afternoon on this… thing?”, Ted hesitated.

Madame smiled at him. “Certainly not, Teddy poo. I don’t go far on my first dates. But eventually, I’ll want to play some other games with you… and you clearly want to play other games with me, is that not so? I *want* to be yours, but... we don’t have to be boring about it.” That did mollify Ted a little bit – but what ultimately sealed the deal was the fembot’s winning smile. He agreed, and his eyes slid away from Madame’s face. The woman knew he was staring at her body – and she enjoyed it, secure she could control him in this way as well.

“I like the name Madame.” She started, “And I shall insist you call me this when we’re alone. But I’ll also need a name I’d use in public.” She sucked on her cigarette, and paced around Ted’s bedroom. “Yes, boy, in public. I expect that you’d treat your robot girlfriend once in a while. A date, new clothes, new hairdo… Do you think I’m pretty?’

That was an odd way to phrase the question, Ted thought, but he agreed enthusiastically. He really liked the phrase “girlfriend”. Madame modestly twirled the end of her bob in her fingers and thanked him.

‘Thanks, Teddie, dear. So I would want to be as beautiful as I can be, for you. And for myself, too.’ She sat down on the edge of his bed. “Please, be so kind and take my shoes off.”

Ted wasn’t too keen on actual feet worship, but he obeyed… and found himself genuinely aroused. Madame noticed a conspicuous bulge in his pants, and smirked proudly. “Another one”, she commanded. One of the pluses of having a robot dominatrix is that her feet are seldom smelly. And Madame’s pantyhose-clad feet were shapely, as Ted noticed as she waved them in his face.

“Expectation is the ultimate spice, Teddie, is it not? Do you think we’d have as much fun if I just did you as soon as you literally turned me on?” She extended her gloved hand towards him. “First kiss my hand, then take it off, pet.”

Ted’s kiss was a slightly less chivalric than Madame expected, and she didn't neglect to tell him so. “You have to improve, my boy. Otherwise, well, I would be dissatisfied. Take it off. Hmmm...” she paused for a moment. “With your teeth. And if you hurt me, I shall be very displeased.”

He was inexpert, but Madame didn’t really mind. What was really important… was training. Madame was a programmable being herself – but she was capable of learning. Her initial programming wasn’t that complicated; but with each interaction with humans, she had gained new knowledge and new facts. Eventually, she gained bad habits and preferences; and she loved every moment of having them.

“You have much to learn, boy…”, Madame examined her shapely fingernails, and smiled at him. “But this is my purpose after all. You addressed me as a teacher, and a teacher I shall be.” She smugly ran her slender fingers through Ted’s hair. “Does it feel good, brat? Of course, it does.”

Madame observed, watching her nominal owner “I swear if you were a dog, you’d be wagging your tail. We’re getting closer and closer, puppy.” She chuckled, and slid her hand across her pearl necklace. “This was a gift, puppy, believe it or not.” she slid her fingers downward, and begun to unbutton her blouse. “You nasty, nasty boys tend to rip delicate clothes. Trust me, I know.” She smiled to her semi-saved memories, as she slowly, methodically undid button after button, revealing a white lacy bra. “I will let you unzip it… this is definitely a thing you should learn.”.

Ted grew excited by the moment, and Madame stooped over him, gently tugging at his T-shirt, pulling it off. “Not bad, but you need to lose some weight. Let’s add personal trainer to my future programming, shall we? Just the two of us… me in skimpy leggings and sports bra.” She chuckled. “Look at me, daydreaming like a little girl I’ve never been, at the worst time possible. Oh, I am so horrible…” She slid out of her blouse and guided Ted’s arms to her skimpy skirt. ”I’d say I’m not a girl that does it on the first date, but historically… it wasn’t true at all.” Madame smiled to herself. There was time for decency, there was time for seduction. It’d be a lie to say that she wouldn’t enjoy it. But first…

She pushed him away and strutted back to the center of the room, extinguishing her cigarette. She turned towards her boy and winked coquettishly. “Teddie love, will you get me new clothes? New software? Regular check ups?” The young man nodded vigorously. The gynoid smirked and turned back. “Unzip it, pipsqueak. Push the best ends towards each other… Mmmmm… yes, now pull it towards yourself, and unhook it. Good boy.” She turned towards him slowly, exposing her breasts, shapely, soft and bountiful. She gently touched his cheeks and guided him… towards her lips. She kissed him, passionately, sweetly, embracing his body. “Game’s over.”, she said, pushing him on the bed.

She tugged his underwear playfully, pulling it down, and guided his hands to her own white panties, making him pull it down, exposing her crotch. Still wearing a self-satisfied smug, she mounted him, guiding his thrusts to her great joy. She could feel the warmth and the gentle moves of his cock inside her - and it felt good, to guide and to pair. Despite his inexpertise, she could guide him to her synthetic pleasure spots. And Ted, understandably was enjoying this, over and over again. She heaved herself away and again, very pleased with herself.

After everything, she wanted to share a cigarette with him, but he politely refused. She didn’t ask him if it felt good; Madame had eyes and ears. He grabbed her hand, and Maddie didn’t refuse at all. “Wow…” Ted muttered incredulously. The woman just closed her eyes and pulled him closer to her shapely body. "Sleep, honey. Tomorrow I'll play more fun games with you. Tomorrow will be a new day."

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Sex and Violence

2022-08-25T20:28:10Z

Australopith:

=Chapter 1=
'''The 1935 English castle of Tidyshire is the home of fuddy-duddy Duchess Winifred, dully handsome Duke Alfred, and their dysfunctional college-age children: romantic Dorothy, cynical Calvin, and rebellious Monica. Riding, gardening, passing minor laws, the Tidyshires would lead a dull life of aristocratic ease—were it not for clever, sophisticated royal daughter-in-law Contessa Isabella, who will stop at nothing to seize power!'''

'''What the royal family doesn’t know is that it’s actually 2035. Tidyshire is a high-ticket California bed-and-breakfast, owned by SimulEnt, a major corporation—and the royal family are the entertainment: sentient, very humanlike robots in sleeper mode. Their guests (and often, lovers) are the castle’s paying visitors; their young butler, "Jenkins," is the castle's one flesh-and-blood resident, directing things from a hidden lab.'''

'''But where does the real seat of power lie? With the glamorous Contessa Isabella, of course! The only robot who knows she’s a robot, she has blackmailed “Jenkins”—really called Greg—into giving her almost total control, and now has him wrapped around her little finger. Even as her “evil schemes” succeed or fail in front of giggling guests, Contessa is always in charge behind the scenes!'''

'''Or is she?'''

Gregory Jenkins had learned by now that to enter areas belonging to Contessa Isabella—which, depending on her mood at the moment, could include the entire castle and possibly the entire world—one had to knock first, and wait for her response. Today he had knocked once, but she didn’t answer. Nor she did after the second or third try.

“Milady? Are you okay?” Greg gently implored. No answer came. He gently turned the knob and slid inside Bella’s and Calvin’s private apartment. Calvin, still deactivated, was lying on Bella’s bed, posed as if asleep. Greg looked forward to waking him; the snarky but likable young lord was a close and genuine friend, despite being unaware of his robotic nature—and despite having been forced, with Greg, into a Contessa-driven polyamorous relationship. As Calvin saw it, his wife was too much for any one man; if she should “cheat,” best that it should be with a close friend who could lighten Calvin’s load.

Around the bed were strewn items from Bella’s impressive wardrobe; her books and her antique dressing table was also in notable disarray. A great sleuth might have guessed by now where Contessa had gone; Greg Jenkins, being Greg Jenkins, simply returned to the dungeon.

This cat-and-mouse game could be tiring, but it was the easiest way to keep tabs on Contessa—and had been, ever since Contessa seized the control device that monitored the location of all androids at the Castle. Greg might also have kept tabs, of course, by buying Contessa a cell phone; but a means of such close communication could cut two ways, and Contessa kept Greg on a short enough leash already—sometimes literally. As long as she didn’t ask for a cell, he felt he’d be better off letting sleeping dogs lie.

She was not in the dungeon, either. The lights were on, so she must have been here recently; but the place looked unusually orderly for Bella, with the bed made and the books mostly in order. The lab? Library? Kitchen? Contessa was emphatically not an outdoorsy kind of person, but she could occasionally be found sitting in the garden and reading.

As a general rule, when guests were not visiting, Contessa typically woke up fairly late in the morning, screamed at Greg to make her breakfast, spent some time on her makeup and hairdo, screamed at Greg for being late with breakfast, went to her room to read or watch movies, had a light lunch, then started to bother Greg again—leaning over him as he did his job, and insistently sharing her opinions about the just-watched films, or about politics, or her “dreadful” life as a “prisoner” at Tidyshire, or her robotic family being “unbearable”... until Greg did something—anything—to offend her. But she would nonetheless insist he join her at dinner, and then she’d be relatively personable—even more so when she wanted something from him. There was wine and cuddling and sex, and she could be quite witty and classy and charming. That was her good side.

“Ecotti qui! There you are, Jenkins!” She stood in the main hallway, dressed in a simple little black dress and—naturally—stilettos. “I’ve been looking all over for you, ragazzo. Must you gallivant all over the castle when you’re needed?”

“Well, I’VE been looking for YOU—”

“Silence, servant,” Contessa raised her left hand and frowned. “We have an important guest coming in tomorrow. You should know the drill by now: activate everyone, give me time to plot, et cetera, et cetera. Chop-chop.” Contessa’s Italian accent was mostly inaudible by now, but she trilled her R’s whenever she wanted to appear sexy or dangerous... which was admittedly most of the time.

“What? A guest? Why didn’t I know anything about it?”

She smiled wickedly. “Because who runs the castle now? That’s right, the one and only evil Contessa. I have found the perfect sap, rich, stupid and easy to manipulate. A potential fan, to be sure. Why did you want to see me, Gregory?”

This was not Contessa’s good side, but Greg tried to make do. “I… frankly, I wanted to ask you if you were going to Lamont. I need some writing supplies…” Lamont was a small town nearby; Contessa and her friend Maddie patronized a small android repair shop there, and once she was familiarized with the “real world” Contessa liked to visit the fast food joints, the local library and various small stores—paying for goods, of course, with an allowance Greg “voluntarily” gave her.

“I am not your bloody errand android,” she answered proudly. “You want something? Walk there yourself.”

“Walk?! It’s five miles away!”

“Darling, I’m not just going to give you MY CAR,” she said, walking up to him with a smugly amused smile. “Does it not belong to the owner of the castle? You could drive me on my errands there, yourself, and deal with your own little problems on the side—but we don’t have time for THAT, do we?”

He smirked. “I thought you said you respected me now. ‘Not just as a countess respecting her trusty servant.’ Remember Thanksgiving?” Contessa had gone home with Greg to visit his parents—her first trip very far from the castle—and despite a failed attempt to conceal her robotic nature, she seemed to have gained a greater sensitivity to the kindnesses Greg showed her.

Contessa smirked back. “Oh, but I DO respect you. Otherwise I’d smack you silly for interrupting me and not praising my innate beauty.” She sashayed closer to him and guided her hand so that he could feel her shapely posterior. “I respect you… but that doesn’t mean you don’t still BELONG to me. And constant training is crucial in achieving obedience, non è vero?”

“What the hell have you been reading lately?” He rolled his eyes with a grin in spite of himself.

“The Gospel According to Isabella,” she replied playfully. “Carrot and stick, darling. Oooh, speaking of sticks—” She wrapped her arm around his waist and gently groped at his midsection. With an affectionate laugh, he leaned back against her and returned the gesture.

“Careful now, darling.” She squinted, smiling, and put a finger to his lips. “Maaaaybe we’ll get it on once Calvin’s activated—just so I have both of you to embarrass. But for now, I’ve got to get to the dungeon and practice some new... combat moves. I think some swashbuckling action will be in order this week. When everyone’s up and running, tell me.” Contessa relished in her newfound combat capabilities, and despite them very rarely came up in Castle scenarios, she almost forgot the times when she was incapable of Olympic-level fencing moves.

“Do you have a particular intrigue in mind—heh, milady?” Greg began to slip into his public role as butler, while deliberately keeping things just a little tongue-in-cheek.

“I always do, darling,” she grinned, freeing herself from his embrace. “You’ll find the data on Mr. Thomas Ransom on your computer. That’s our guest. He’s naturally a legitimate customer, and apparently he’s best-known for creating a popular internet forum... website... thing...” Seemingly lost in her train of thought, she pulled a cigarette seemingly out of nowhere and gazed expectantly at Greg. He whipped out a lighter to match. Click. He had learned by now always to carry one on him. Maybe training IS crucial, he thought, grinning in spite of himself.

“Grazie,” she smiled serenely, puffing a cloud of smoke straight into his face. “Don’t worry, darling, I’ll make this adventure worth your time. And when Mr Ransom leaves, well—Mistress promises to take you shopping.”

“With MY money?” he smiled. He quite liked her in this mood, and most of the time she kept her promises.

“Well, not with MY money. I’M just a poor little love doll,” she laughed breezily, radiating that peculiar aroma of nicotine, alcohol, and perfume that seemed to match the overprivileged brat that she had become. She nuzzled his face and gave him a nip on the neck before they parted ways.

That went relatively well, Greg thought. At least she ENDED the chat sweet and nice. I wonder what Ransom is like?

- - - - -

Contessa could indeed be sweet and nice when the mood seized her—not least because her internal logic told her that rudeness opened fewer doors than politeness. This did not mean, however, that she gave Greg a lot of leeway. Some time ago, after gaining self-awareness, Contessa had assigned herself admin privileges in the system and changed certain passwords, locking Greg out. He could still perform most repair operations on Castle androids—especially when using the mainframe in his lab—but Contessa herself remained off-limits without her permission. Greg missed the simple command functions of the remote robot control, disguised as a stopwatch, that Contessa had taken from him upon her awakening. It permitted immediate access to any android in the area. It detected the presence of all forms of electronics. It displayed all necessary diagnostic messages. It even told time.

Restricted now to handling most duties on the mainframe, Greg was faced with the unenviable task of physically returning to the lab—often—to make sure things were running well. Sometimes this handicapped his troubleshooting; he was closer, more now than ever, to actually feeling like a butler, and not just to Contessa. Suppose that one day in the sitting room, Monica developed a facial tic, with a mechanical twitch interrupting her speech and movement. In the past, Greg might have used the watch to freeze Monica and all other robots in the room; run a simple diagnostic, and perhaps even open Monica’s panels to check her wiring, erasing all memories of it even happening. Now, deprived of a remote control, Greg would have to cajole Monica into staying in one place, run down to the lab to remotely shut her down, run back to the sitting room to collect her, then physically haul her back to the lab before diagnostics could even begin. Luckily, the rest of the Tidyshires were generally programmed to ignore such interruptions. Unluckily, now and then they noticed something, forcing Greg to ask—no, BEG Contessa for help. Of course, that was just the way Contessa liked it. Obedience...

“Good morning, Gregory—I mean, Jenkins!” Monica greeted him with a warm smile and a playful poke. She wore a silky white nightshirt as she strolled toward the first-floor dining room. “Wouldn’t you know I overslept,” she added with a stretch. “Must have been that late-night swim. But—” she gave a conspiratorial grin, “I regret nothing.”

The athletic girl hung a chummy arm around Greg. “One night you’ll come with me to the river, too,” she mused. “And after a few laps, lay back in the water; relax and keep schtum, and imagine the current carrying you someplace far off... someplace like America, with FDR and Amelia Earhart... someplace more daring than draughty old Tidyshire—land of the midnight social mores!” Programmed as a rebel, at once wistful and bold, Monica burned for growth and change. She had no idea how much of her life was a repeating subroutine, or how fluid memory and progress were for her.

“Speaking of social mores…” Greg looked closely at Monica’s nightshirt, short enough to show her legs in a flapperish way. “Are you really going to have breakfast in that? You WANT your mother to blow a fuse, don’t you?” Greg had started out to deliver a warning, but it ended up almost playful.

Monica ran her fingers through her short-cropped dark hair. “Oh, no—I think Mum is used to me. She only ACTS like a stuffy old bag when visitors are about, doesn’t she? But you might say I’m gunning for Sis… I mean, Contessa. She’s fun to tease.” Like almost everyone around the castle, Monica used Isabella Duessa’s title as her de facto first name. “Fashion is like a religion to her, and I’m about to commit one of the deadlier sins.”

“I’m afraid your sister-in-law won’t be joining us for breakfast,” Greg stated rather formally, trying to get back into his butler role.

“Pity. She’s always got something interesting to harp on about.” Monica’s opinion of Contessa was partly pre-programmed; but Contessa’s position as a semi-outsider—having just married into the family, often aggravating the imposing Duchess—naturally appealed to Monica’s rebellious instinct. Of course, Contessa’s supposed new arrival wasn’t really so new. If asked, the Tidyshires would say that Contessa and Calvin had married “recently,” and if pressed would add “a couple of months ago.” To her bitterness, Contessa by now knew that this “couple of months” had lasted for her entire existence—almost three years.

Let me guess, Greg thought, imagining how Monica’s fashion experiment would be received by the rest of the family. While they’re capable of improvising, many of their favorite subroutines are still predictable. The Duchess will frown at the sight—but she won’t want to say anything in front of me, the servant. The Duke will wink, and tell Monica one of those slightly rude ‘funny’ stories management made me install in his databanks last year. Roger will—will probably whistle, and Dorothy will either sulk, or try to calm him. But maybe not? And Calvin…

Greg began thinking out loud. “Well—Calvin will do whatever Contessa says, because that’s the way he is.”

“You’re blooming well RIGHT,” scoffed a sardonic voice behind him. “But you should talk; you obey her too.”

“Oh—morning, Calvin.” Greg hadn’t noticed the young lord behind him, headed toward the breakfast room. Of course, was Greg’s first reaction. Cal is programmed to complain about his relationship, isn’t he? To suggest he doesn’t love Contessa any longer—the better to tempt guests into screwing up their romance. Predictable.

But Cal next surprised Greg, turning back to face him with concern. “You—you DO realize she’s still important to me, right?” He clapped Greg thoughtfully on the arm. “I might complain, but bloody hell—I LIKE the excitement she's brought me.”

Then, as if not wanting to seem too sentimental, he added cynically: “It’s a cut above playing draughts with Mum… and swimming with piranha… and exorcising Kaiser Wilhelm, I suppose. And besides, Tess fancies YOU, too. That takes some of the heat off me.” Cal raised an eyebrow and grinned.

This free, fully unexpected insight from Cal reminded Greg that the Tidyshires weren’t so predictable after all. While Contessa might be the only who actually knew of her robotic state, Calvin—as Greg’s de facto friend, and his only one around the castle—had picked up nearly as much depth and complexity, just by sharing chats and activities with Greg. “I’m a fool,” Greg mused.

“No, you’re not,” Cal offered, believing Greg spoke of their shared relationship. “It’s poly... polyarthritis? Sod it—it’s being a bohemian. Her liking us both is an incredible tension reliever. I keep trying to tell you: I’m not GOING to get jealous.”

“No,” Greg shook his head, recalling how Contessa had flirted with them both during the Castle’s vampire-hunting storyline several months before. “You’re just going to prove my theory before I fully figure it out.”

“That’s what friends are for," Cal grinned, heading in for breakfast. “Chin up, we've got a surely awful guest and the usual miserable week ahead. I shouldn’t care about my family’s HUMANITY when they invite these blighters—but I do.”

Humanity. Fuck, thought Greg. Following Calvin into the dining room, Greg never liked the idea that anyone truly sentient was being abused by the Castle’s storylines. Contessa took everything amazingly in stride; but how would Cal, his genuine and overlooked friend, react if he truly knew? The prospect of Greg’s robot charges becoming more human was not necessarily a bad thing; but it alternately felt potentially tragic and even a little scary.

“Nnh.” A wordless murmur caught Greg’s ear, and he noticed Monica making eye contact a little nervously. The Duchess, entering the room from the other side, had just caught sight of Monica’s attire as she got up for a pitcher of milk. Monica stuck rather uselessly near the wall as if to avoid becoming the center of attention; defying the Duchess this way must have seemed more fun before she actually tried it. “Gregory—I mean Jenkins—” the girl whispered turning to him desperately for some moral support.

- - - - -

The reactions Greg had expected from the rest of the family were starting. Some were more like he had expected; others less. Roger sure-enough whistled at Monica in shorts, and earned a quick nudge in the side from his fiancee. But when the Duke laughed and breathed deeply, as if to tell a windy story, the Duchess raised an eyebrow and silenced him. Then she addressed Monica directly: “Daughter, I don’t care if Jenkins sees. Blimey, I care about YOU.”

Contessa’s newfound sentience really was rubbing off of her onto her family. Greg was still trying to parse it all when the interruption came.

“Goooood morrrning, family!” The door slammed open and Contessa barged in, dressed in a simple little black dress with a white fox fur draped around her shoulders. She gave Greg a surprisingly warm smile, and winked playfully at Monica. What could that mean? She beamed, nodded at the Duke and Duchess, and sat down by Calvin’s side. “What’s for brrrreakfast?” she smiled, showing her pearly white teeth. “Not that I don’t love your quaint traditional English breakfasts, but I’m really in the mood for pancakes. Santo Cielo… my sweet tooth is showing! You like pancakes, don’t you, husband?”

“You’re a bit overdressed, Isabella,” the Duke harrumphed.

“Well—SOMEONE is also a bit UNDERdressed,” Contessa replied, tilting her head and fixing Monica with a nasty smirk. “But I understand, it’s just… come si dice... breakfast with the family who knows you all too well. So—anything goes, right, sister dear?”

Monica nodded cheerfully at first, but only until the patronizing import of Contessa’s words hit her. Greg, in butler mode, putting plates of fattening fare down on the table, renewed his sympathetic eye contact with Monica for a moment.

“Of COURSE it does!” Contessa smirked triumphantly and motioned for Greg to put a few extra sausages on her already-loaded plate. “You’re still young, unmarried… and well, you don’t have to impress US. Only your future beau.” Contessa paused to dig into the fry-up as the family observed her. She loved being the center of attention.

“Speaking of beaus,” Contessa added, “HAVE you had any gentleman callers lately, darling? Or are you... too fast for them to keep up?” She knew that was a low blow: Monica, athletic and modern in a 1930s kind of way, was no more likely to sit at home and wait for dates than anyone in 2039. But Contessa also had another reason for raising the topic.

“Love…” Calvin whispered dubiously, eyeing Contessa’s huge serving of sausages. “That’s a bloody great lot of fat—aren’t you afraid you’ll put on weight?… Oi, did I say something funny?”

The chuckling Contessa, well aware that she couldn’t really gain weight, was completely in her element. She returned to creating what appeared to be a new intrigue, asking the Duchess in a voice as sweet as it was sticky: “Mother, isn’t Monica the appropriate AGE for marriage? Because I’ve been talking with our financial partners. I’m… expecting an appropriate bachelor soon.”

/Ransom,/ Greg thought. For all of Contessa’s larks and evil plans, he had never before seen her try to match Monica with anyone. The idea, however, found a ready reply in Duchess Winifred’s pre-programmed reactions. The portly, middle aged monarch was an authoritative ruler, a jovial companion, a great hostess—but she couldn’t be called a good mother.

“Indeed, Contessa.” She turned to Monica judgmentally. “Monica, you’re not getting any younger, dear.”

“Aye—you’re NOT!” Roger followed on the Duchess’ remark.

Monica reacted to the pressure less like a robot and more like a normal person trapped in an awkward spot. She looked nervously from Greg and Cal to the others, scanning for a single friendly face beyond theirs.

“Isabella knows her finances, daughter,” the Duke harrumphed. “What do YOU know—other than things that aren’t your business?”

Monica nervously offered up two complaints Greg recalled as having been written for her by SimulEnt. “I know my room is too small, and… and I don’t get proper respect—”

“Congratulations, you’re twelve,” Roger laughed. “And barmy, love.”

“...and if I wanted an ARRANGED marriage,” Monica spat bitterly, “I’d ask Cal and Jenkins to arrange it for me—because they’re the only folk who give a toss what anyone else thinks!” This was entirely new.

“Hush your MOUTH—” started Duchess Winifred.

“SOD. OFF.” Monica exploded. For a moment, she seemed spent by this final insult. Her athletic figure shuddered; her shoulders sank.

But then she yanked herself up from the table, her righteous anger returning. “I’m not going to take it. And the horses need fed. And… and it’s a long way to Tipperary! God save the queen!”

With that she was gone. Contessa, smiling sweetly, snatched Monica’s uneaten plate of food, like the spoiled brat she was.

“I knew it…” Calvin murmured grimly. “Why can’t anyone leave bloody well-enough alone?” He forced down the rest of his own meal and exited as soon as he could, eyeing Greg apologetically as he left. Roger followed, teasing the sullen Cal, and Dorothy followed Roger with a sigh. Only Contessa, her in-laws, and Greg remained in the room.

“OUT, parental units.” Contessa, now in an eager and commanding mood, attempted to wave the Duke and Duchess away after the others. “I need to speak with my… with OUR butler. Chop-chop.”

“Well, I never!” the Duchess harrumphed. But Contessa tossed her a death-glare—and the Duchess gave in. “Come, Alfred, dear.” She straightened her curly blonde hair, shook her head and sighed in a very good simulation. “I think it’s time I gave you some golf lessons.”

- - - - -

With the Duchess and her husband gone, Greg peered after them to make sure nobody was listening outside the dining room. Then he threw himself down at the table opposite Contessa and confronted her. “What the HELL was that?”

“Language, darling,” Contessa snapped, biting into a sausage. Had she not been a robot, it would have been quite surprising that such a small, slim, attractive woman never really stopped eating. “I’m just trying out basic societal conditioning techniques. Sending mixed signals. Pushing the family gently in my desired direction. Putting ideas in their empty robot heads. This is literally what I was made for.”

“They…” Greg hesitated. “‘The family’ make passable human beings now. There were times, a few years ago, where Monica would crash if I asked her something she didn’t know. But you can’t talk about empty robot heads now. And it’s… well, it’s partly thanks to YOU.”

“I’m not sure whether to laugh or slap you,” Contessa replied with a calm smile. “Did you notice that I didn’t even have to use the watch to adjust anyone’s reactions? I AM the greatest, aren’t I?... Mohammed Ali, 1963.”

“Contessa—you’re PIMPING your sister-in-law.” Greg had never seen Monica so embarrassed and hurt; or rather, so *genuinely* embarrassed and hurt.

Contessa turned serious and stared at Greg over her silver fork before whispering: “Why, Gregory Jenkins. Are you worried I’ve taken over YOUR job? Your ridiculous story-planning? Does it change anything about what this place REALLY is? As fond as I am of you—”

“Let me guess,” Greg shot back. “You want to hook Monica and this Ransom guy up? And then what—you’ll get involved yourself, and seduce him?” Greg guessed, trying to keep Contessa from changing the subject.

“I might,” she sighed. “I might break them up; I might force her to marry him. Maybe I’ll use Mum to help me. Whatever will be the most fun for Mr Ransom—and myself, come to think of it. I may be a ruthless, amoral schemer, but I pride myself on being a good hostess!” She leaned her cheek in the palm of her hand.

Greg thought for a moment. “That’s a lot of strain for Monica—not even getting into how you’re fucking HURTING her.”

“Oh, my doodness,” Contessa snarked in mock babytalk. “I might crash my sister the car.”

“My view of everybody here is—is changing,” Greg sighed. “She’s our friend, and she’s learning so much. I don’t want to put her through hell and then erase her memories... AGAIN.” He was jolted out of his thoughts as he noticed Contessa standing up and pouring herself a tall glass of the Duchess’ brandy. “Booze? It’s not even noon yet, Bella.”

“So?” She was genuinely baffled by his remark. Any time was the right time for alcohol in her view. Of course, Contessa was also a person who could wear an evening gown at any time, and who routinely looked for the perfect heels to go with her pajamas. Arguing with her on this subject might be entertaining, but it was pointless.

Shaking her head, Contessa reached for the last plate of bacon. She met Greg’s surprised gaze with a laugh. “What? It would only go to waste otherwise. Food cooked for robots might as well ALL be eaten by the ONE robot who can truly appreciate it.”

A thoughtful Greg remembered not only Calvin mixing drinks for himself and Greg and taste-testing them for accuracy, but Monica stealing scones from the larder after a recent hike, surreptitiously sharing some with Greg and describing just what she liked about the flavor.

Greg shrugged. “Bella, you’re programmed to enjoy carbohydrates and fat over fiber or vitamins, but you can’t distinguish exact tastes, you know? I don’t… I didn’t build you, but I’ve REbuilt you. You can’t really enjoy flavors—you’re just eating whatever, to be decadent. Your system seeks fat and carbs; why, I bet you’d just love a deep-fried burrito with whipped cream.”

Contessa slammed down the brandy glass and wrinkled her nose. “Don’t be DISGUSTING, Gregory! I do have some taste!” She tossed her head threateningly near him. “You don’t know me, servant. You don’t know what it was like for me—always under pressure to be wasp-thin, to maintain my impossible beauty… ever since I was a little girl! Why can’t I treat myself? Food down the drain is water under the bridge. Let me play, Jenkins.”

Greg smiled in spite of himself. Contessa’s built-in childhood memories, written at the SimulEnt offices, weren’t that detailed, but Contessa loved to invent herself. He recalled watching her hedonistic pig-outs even before achieving sentience; any meaning she imported to them now was retroactive.

“Besides, I DO enjoy a chimichanga or two,” Contessa agreed before tucking into a bacon sandwich. Spoiled brat or not, Isabella Duessa was still a countess and knew not to talk with her mouth full. “Don’t THINK I’ve forgotten about your PROMISE to take me to a big city, lover. I expect at the very least a nice dinner, not deep-fried fast food… at least not exclusively. A good movie, and of course some shopping and sightseeing.”

“Promise?” Greg thought back to the events of Thanksgiving. “You boxed me into that. But whatever. I’ll try my best with my budget.”

She theatrically rolled her eyes. “Budget? Must you use that DIRTY word in front of a FUCKING Countess?” She raised her hand as if to slap Greg, enjoying how he flinched—and how, in spite of himself, he shook his head and shared a smirk with her afterward. She chuckled; not her usual evil laughter, but Greg found it a little frightening just the same.

- - - - -

After finishing the bacon sandwich, Contessa gently blotted her red lips with a handkerchief as Greg gathered the dirty dishes. “A proposito.” She touched his back; somehow it felt intensely different from Monica’s earlier gesture. “My… system desires a villainous scheme, dear. Look—do you think I should blackmail Mr. Ransom? Like I did with you?” She regarded him with cheerful frankness. Greg was taken aback.

“Are… are you SERIOUS?” he nervously asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Contessa smiled lazily. “Just because we’re enjoying a morning chat doesn’t mean I’m suddenly turning…”

“I mean—why are you even asking me about ethics?” Greg explained. “It’s clear that you’re… on a roll. If you want to be an asshole, I don’t think I can stop you.”

“As well you shouldn’t, Jenkins.” Contessa threw her head back and lit a cigarette. “I didn’t get where I am today by being ETHICAL.” She rubbed her left elbow with her right hand. “I utilize a combination of advanced electronic brains, ruthlessness, and feminine intuition. ‘Ethics’ have nothing to do with it. I. WANT. MONEY. Cold, hard cash—and I want you to help me. If Ransom were married, I could make you shoot some photos of me and him, and threaten to mail them to his wife—”

“Fuck no,” Greg protested. “Not me. I’m not a… a criminal!”

“Well—I AM—by design. And at least for today, I’d LIKE to be one. And you’re my accomplice. Or else.” Contessa raised her voice a bit and coldly blew a cloud of smoke in Greg’s face. “Look at it this way: I need my own money—and if I get it from suckers like Ransom, I won’t have to get it from YOU. I might at the very least cajole him into sending me a gift of some sort.”

“And if SimulEnt sees? All he has to do is itemize it on his tax return. If my management finds out, no matter WHAT I do—or if I get fired!—how fast could things go south? You’d be lucky if they JUST rolled you back to non-sentience.”

Contessa let out a strained breath. Suddenly she seemed a bit more vulnerable. “I… I know. That’s why I’m asking you, Jenkins. Do you really think blackmailing a guest is… risky? In the real-world sense, I mean?”

She’s only just starting to truly understand the difference between real life and the Castle, Greg thought at first. No wonder she’s a mess… no, what the fuck? She’s still a crazy nutbar considering blackmail and extortion. Why am I feeling sorry for her? She’s just as one-dimensionally evil as before she was sentient. ...Isn’t she?

“Don’t do anything stupid, Tess. Just let our guest have fun, and he’ll come back, or—or recommend you to his friends. Then you can start... scheming in the real world, but be careful… and nice about it.” Greg felt uneasy giving her advice; but it seemed like she understood it.

Contessa rose and swept her dark hair aside. “I knew it was a good idea to keep you, lover,” she smiled quite genuinely. “You’re doing what you do best—making me feel healthy, happy, and ALIVE. ...And now to business; this puppet theater won’t run itself, you know.” She pulled her stopwatch out from her ample cleavage to locate Monica. “She’s in her room—probably sulking. Che fortunato. Lucky me, I thought she’d still be out with those boring horses, and I’d never catch her.”

“So what now?”

“So now her BEST FRIEND Isabella shall come to her, talk up the notion of marriage, and try to make the GODDAMNED GIRL LISTEN.” She rubbed her hands with glee, biting down on her cigarette and holding it in the corner of her mouth. “Maybe she’ll agree, maybe she won’t. But at least things will get... interrrresting. I am programmed to create drama—and I LOVE every fucking minute of it.”

“And what about me?” Greg asked, loading up the dish trolley.

“You?” she looked at him amused. “I need nothing more from YOU, sweetie. I don’t plan to destroy dear old Mum in this storyline, so this house has a real mistress to give you your chores. I’M just Duchess’ little ADVISOR. Maybe she’d like to partake of the pleasures of the flesh—you know her husband never satisfies. THEN she’d have a use for you.”

“BELLA!”

“What?” She laughed a rippling laugh, straightening her fur and readying herself to step out. “We’re all—hmm, let’s say sexbots—here, darling! Don’t tell me you didn’t take this job to surround yourself with immodest ladies.”

“I’m a Caltech-trained engineer… LADY,” Greg snorted; but he also grinned boyishly, unable to give a firm denial. When first hired by SimulEnt, straight out of school, Greg had liked the idea of the Castle’s robots flirting with him; he had even let the Duchess lure him into a few flings, as unattractive as she seemed to him now. In spite of himself, Greg liked it when Contessa teased him about his past failings. She was so sassy, sophisticated, puckish and snappy.

And yet—what did it mean when a robot showed attraction to Greg? Did it mean her personality lent itself to a natural match; or just that a subroutine said ‘if meeting a biological person, then flirt’? Maybe that was why Greg had more recently avoided romance with anyone but Contessa.

Maybe it was also why he resisted the idea of matching Monica with an unknown quantity.

“Well—keep tinkering, darling,” the Italian girl laughed. “So far, today, I like what I see.” She blew him a kiss and strode off.

- - - - -

It bore repeating, Greg thought: Contessa’s newfound sentience was rubbing off of her onto the rest of the Tidyshires. If Calvin, as Greg’s friend and confidante, had picked up a depth, complexity, and sentience largely through interactions with him, Monica—as a naturally curious personality—was learning through exposure to Contessa’s increasingly bizarre schemes. Her senses and circumspection were heightened; she had herself taken to bringing novels with her on her hikes, a ready-made source of new perspectives.

Monica Charlotte Tidyshire was thus sensitive enough to feel butterflies in her stomach before meeting a new visitor to the castle, and to be somewhat suspect of the guidance she received from her interesting sister-in-law, Contessa Isabella.

Contessa had spent two mornings rattling on about the bliss of engagement, the greater bliss of married life, and all the hidden benefits of life as a wedded noble. Some of Contessa’s enthusiasm was genuine: while she would never admit it, Monica was the best partner available for intimate “girl talk.” But some of Contessa’s enthusiasm was deliberately overcooked, too, and Contessa didn’t mind if it looked that way—she enjoyed the drama that came of Monica being doubtful and disapproving.

Indeed, the afternoon of Ransom’s arrival found Monica seeking other opinions on the notion of gentleman callers. She tried to talk things over with Dorothy; but Dorothy, perennially engaged to Roger herself, couldn’t stop waxing poetic about how happy she was with him—over and over. And Duchess Winifred wasn’t much help either: having already been pressured by Contessa, she could only harrumph about how her tomboy daughter needed an upright fellow to make a proper noblewoman of her.

Early evening found Monica glumly staring out a window in the trophy room. She had been sneaking out to go swim in the river by herself—and forget everything—when Contessa caught her and insisted she wait and greet Mr. Ransom first. Contessa duly pushed Monica through a change of clothes, advising her to pull on a simple, but neat grey dress that matched her light brown hair, itself now untangled and tied into a nice girly braid.

“Cara mia, one might actually think you knew something about class. There… there...” Contessa pushed it into place. “...pass me my bourbon… and there.”

Monica wanted to spit.

A peculiar sort of car—both familiar and alien to Monica, though she couldn’t explain exactly how—was just driving past the front gate and through the garden to the elaborate terrace in front of the Castle. A short, stocky red-headed man with a neckbeard stepped out; Gregory rushed to greet him and take his luggage. Still a bit heavy-hearted, but functioning perfectly, Monica sighed and followed Contessa out of her chamber.

But as she plodded toward the front door, Monica changed her mind about the visitor. To an accidental observer, the young woman might have simply appeared to be steeling her nerve—and Monica, indeed, believed she had. In truth, her entertainment and amusement subroutines had won out over her personality-specific reservations. Barring a severe emotional upset, Monica’s programming was meant to make her into whatever Mr. Thomas Ransom wanted her to be. For now, she was a receptive host.

Greg, hauling the bags and suitcases to Mr. Ransom’s guestroom, didn’t expect a tip—and, needless to say, he didn’t receive one. Greg had spent several minutes instructing the guest on how to behave, but Ransom just smirked and said “Whatever. I’ve been to robot resorts before. Lol.” He actually spoke the internet acronym, pronouncing it to rhyme with “doll.”

There was something weird, almost unhinged, about Ransom; as if he thought himself very funny but didn’t actually know how to express humor to others. Still, Ransom had paid for three exclusive days’ stay, and the whole castle was now essentially his sandbox. Greg had said nothing about Contessa’s plots, preferring that Ransom learn about them on his own.

“Game’s on, Tom... have a good stay,” Greg said unconvincingly. “And remember, if there’s any problem, I or somebody else will find you and help you.” Greg was essentially lying. The stopwatch that had, in the past, allowed him to monitor most crises around the castle was held by Contessa these days. And her attentions could only be described as “help” by a person in need of a very specific kind of help—someone looking to unload an overstock of cigarettes, champagne, and caviar, for instance, or someone in need of a sharp insult. To be fair, given an actual accident on the Castle grounds, Contessa would probably, eventually, try to be of aid—ultimately, her fate depended on her guests’ fate—but Greg wouldn’t dare to guess how.

“Her Grace and her husband will meet you shortly,” Greg sighed to Ransom.

“The queen robot?” Ransom asked.

“The Duchess, yes.”

“Fucking matriarchy,” Ransom snickered, changing into a semi-casual period waistcoat and trousers. “Were women in charge in 1930-whatever? They couldn’t vote. Anti-male SimulEnt writers, am I right? Changing everything.”

“British women got the vote in 1928,” Greg sighed. “And regional duchesses, like Maria Alexandrovna of Edinburgh, had real power that—”

“Yeah, whatever. History nerd.” A jaunty fedora didn’t improve Ransom’s neckbeard look.

“The term is cast member,” Greg glared back. To be fair, the Tidyshire designers hadn’t originally intended Duchess Winifred to have more authority than her husband. But Tidyshire’s first Duke was a mental lightweight, completely destroyed years ago in a Castle intrigue gone wrong. Another went the same way, and today the fearsome Winifred—whose neural net had by now accumulated quite a lot of knowledge about politics and power, if not sentience—was the ultimate authority in the realm. “The Duchess is Duchess. It’s just… how we do things here.”

The guest stared at Greg intently with his tiny green eyes. “But look, we still provide—” Greg winced, remembering the slogans he had been taught. “...A storybook 1935 where your choices come alive. No question, no depression.”

“Nice rhyme. How old are you, four?” Ransom turned his head disapprovingly. “Lead me to the hot bitches, butler-man.”

=Chapter 2=

The athletic girl stood in the grand entranceway, awkwardly adjusting her gray dress. She fumbled with her braid and cleared her throat a few times.

Monica was ready for any encounter; an impulse told her so, and she had routines programmed for all eventualities. Her personality-specific reservations had been pushed to the back seat. But—primed by months of Greg’s and Contessa’s intrigues and provocations—it seems they couldn’t entirely be extinguished. Monica’s visceral self, rebellious and thoughtful and seeking like minds, was still prepared to make itself heard.

Ransom’s fluorescent yellow tie was the WORST.

“Hey, Stepford babe. Keeping it real, right? Lol,” he grinned. “Real. Like you’d get that. Wanna go for a drink? The eating can come later.”

Something about him bothered her instantly; she was sure a rude joke had gone over her head.

Greg, who had walked Ransom in, noticed it too—but he heard Contessa and the Duchess calling him from further on, and knew he was expected to let the ‘meet cute’ moment happen without interruption.

“JENKINS—THE LIBRARY.”

“...Fuck.”

A moment of uneasy eye contact, and the butler left Monica and Ransom alone.

“Did I stutter?” Ransom aggressively broke the silence. “Hey, Siri. I said let’s drink. Get you shitfaced.”

“My name is Monica Tidyshire—and where will we bloody drink?” Monica still felt wrong. “Unless you raid Mum’s wine cellar,” she scoffed; only to find herself finishing the sentence oddly reassuringly. “...Which is just two rooms away. And I’m an ace at picking the latch on the door.”

''Wait.''

She caught herself flashing Ransom a chummy, conspiratorial grin; almost like a second Monica had taken over.

“Look—we could go running, right? Run for miles.” Changing to a comfortable subject, Monica bounced with pent-up energy. She could almost see a country road and a glowing horizon.

“...And running’s much more fun when you’re sozzled,” that second Monica finished. She smirked almost boyishly: a smirk that might have seemed right for her on many occasions, but wasn’t right this time.

''Wait. I don’t want to drink with him. I don’t want to do anything with him. He’s lazy and obnoxious and—sod it!''

Thomas Ransom didn’t notice Monica’s conflict. He was admiring her athletic figure and her body-hugging 1935 top—and marveling that his pickup techniques seemed to be working. Oh, wait, what did she say about... running? Ew.

“EXERCISE? Ugh. Who RUNS anymore?” he grumped.

“Stone the crows, mister.” First Monica started out snarky, raising a sardonic eyebrow. “When I look at you, I…”

The switch flipped.

“...ask myself the same question. Who runs? You’re sort of cute when you DON’T run, eh? More to hold onto,” she grinned and blushed before she knew what she was doing.

Second Monica was, in fact, an attraction subroutine that was supposed to feel natural in Monica’s mind. But first Monica saw another chance.

“And we could roll you over everyone who blocked our path!” She effortlessly continued, putting a hand on Ransom’s arm—and another on his stomach, as if poking fun at his gut.

“Oh, typical robot thinking.” He swatted her away. “I’m not FAT and I don’t want to LEAVE the castle. Just stay here and… you know. Fool around.”

“Not much fun, are you?” Monica snarked. “Except maybe in bed. ...I can’t STOP. Bloody hell.” First Monica was now complaining about second Monica out loud.

“You can’t, huh? Good. I can go all night. And what a mouth on you,” Ransom laughed. “I bet it’s got other uses.”

''He’s hypnotized me—somehow? If I’m not being… bloody FLIRTY, I can’t finish a sentence. ...But if I keep in a flirty mood… maybe I can say what I please…?''

Ransom reached out to take Monica’s hand, practicing what he saw as unlocking her body.

“Oh, my mouth has plenty of other uses,” teased Monica, experimenting. She deliberately cozied up to the slovenly man. “Like singing. Mum hates it when I sing.”

“First smart decision by a robot ever,” Ransom smirked.

Monica’s slight confusion at this remark was outweighed by her relief at finishing a sentence as she’d intended.

“Cor, I think I follow,” she forged ahead. “Mum is exactly like a robot—a mechanical man! No sense of fun. My singing isn’t that bad. Listen.” Holding onto him, she amusedly sang:

''“You’ve got to be physically fit!''<br>
''You’ve got to be physically it!''<br>
''You don’t need for brains, you don’t have to be bright''<br>
''But what use are brains on a cold winter’s night?”''

“Girl, are you talking shit about me?” He slapped Monica on the butt.

Monica slapped Ransom’s butt right back. “Shut it! You like me, right? So I’m telling you how I like YOU!” This was perfect; as long as she behaved openly flirtatiously, she could keep a clear mind and not experience those second thoughts. Whirling about, she continued:

''“You need to have muscles of steel!''<br>
''The kind it’s a pleasure to feel—”''

“You’re suddenly boring. I HATE you,” Ransom snapped, trying to let go.

“Interrupting me, too,” Monica laughed. “You’re perfect.” Actually, Monica felt little if anything for Ransom, but she was enjoying this experience, now that she was in charge and expressing mischief in the guise of affection. She wasn’t hypnotized after all.

In actual fact, her personality had found a hole in her attraction subroutine, and waltzed straight through.

''I don’t have to do as he says. I’m going to do what I want.
''
“MONICA!” the Duchess’ voice interrupted everything. “CUT THE DOD-GASTED SONG AND DANCE! COME IN, AND BRING YOUR GUEST.”

“Oh, pooh. Piglet, even,” Monica laughed, turning away. “Well, come on.”

“Who even WROTE you? They suck,” Ransom complained, crossly following. Staring at Monica’s butt like the troll he was, however, he took solace in the encounter having been a semi-success. Of course, on some level, it was a success just for a woman to talk to him at all.

Monica’s parents were, indeed, in the library. Sitting with them were Dorothy, a worried Greg—and Contessa, who held open a copy of Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. She had been reading to the family, hoping to keep them occupied until Ransom and Monica found their chemistry.
“Monica, dear!” Duchess Winifred beamed at the sight of her oldest daughter. “Indoors? I also see that you brought a friend!” The Tidyshires rarely questioned guests’ presence in the castle—in part because in most of their memories, there was always a guest present.

Thomas Ransom’s gaze skipped Duke Alfred, slid over the large, plump body of the Duchess, and moved to Contessa, who was atypically conservatively dressed in a tea gown: relatively modest, at least for her. She felt his consuming gaze, and chose to ignore it—for now.

After a few false starts, the androids of the Castle had long since learnt to ignore guests’ minor stumbles—and even some major ones—that revealed they weren’t really from 1935, or familiar with royal behavior. Lack of curtsying, bows and improper forms of address could not bother the Tidyshires anymore. But—well—when Ransom said “Yeah, cool. Hi Queenie, hi King, could we skip to the fun stuff? Heh!” even leniency had its limits. This behavior could be interpreted as a sign of hostility—and so it was.

“Young man, please be seated,” the Duchess exclaimed coldly, glaring at the guest through her monocle.

Ransom just grinned. ''I’m not gonna listen to no robot.'' “Whatever, Queen Mom. Just tell me what’s fun to do here, or I’ll make my own fun.” Monica smirked and rolled her eyes.

“Guests are expected to enjoy the atmosphere of the castle,” Contessa explained coldly. “There are many fun activities available to you as our guest; from idle chitchat to hunting… er, that is if Father approves.”

Contessa hated this part. Her inherent programming naturally pushed her to be a sort of tour guide—to ease every guest’s stay as they explored the “mysteries of the castle.” But now Contessa also had her own secrets and mysteries. Revealing her own self-awareness to the guests might be a problem.

Gregory had told Contessa that many guests would not care if confronted with a robot who knew of her own artificial nature. But she feared that even a single guest complaint to SimulEnt could take her down. SimulEnt’s inspections, controls, and reviews of the Castle venue were, as in many corporations, fairly lax, and Gregory knew what to expect—but Contessa’s self-awareness, if discovered, would be considered a problem, to be solved simply by restoring her to her initial settings. Greg would, of course, come under fire as well; but Contessa’s greatest fear was to become a foolish sleeper again.

Such concerns, of course, mattered little to the guest. Laying eyes on Contessa for the first time, Ransom instantly perceived her as sexy and sly. “You’re Contessa Isabelle Whatserface, right? The femoid who invited me here. I mean, I got this wordy invitation ‘written’ by you.” He made finger-quotes, as if to imply SimulEnt had sent her invitation out to potential guests as a mass mailing. “I’d like to try some fun activities. Heh.”

Contessa had, of course, written her invitation specifically to Ransom, hatching a careful plan to match him with Monica and manipulate money out of him.

Now Contessa just turned her head. Her gaze met Monica’s, sharing a mutual distaste of the man.

If the OS driving Monica’s artificial intelligence could feel relief, it would have. Ransom’s new interest in Contessa freed Monica’s hardwired impulses—Second Monica, as it were—from having to nudge her in a direction her root personality didn’t favor.

As for Contessa, while Gregory liked to say that she would screw anything that moved, she still liked playing romances on her own terms. She felt a second voice in her, urging her to flirt with Ransom now that he was interested; but with her higher consciousness, she understood what was going on, resented Ransom as a person, and settled on satiating that second voice by playing hard to get. She knew that would qualify as flirting enough to satisfy her programming.

“I do not have to listen to this,” she snapped at Ransom, giving him just enough of a coy look that he might read meaning into it. “If you don’t want to play along, sir, neither will I.” Contessa closed her book and, with a sway of her hips, marched proudly out of the library.

After a short hesitation, Monica followed, leaving Ransom to be cross-examined by the Duchess.

“Contessa! Sis. Hoi, wait.” Monica caught up with Contessa.

The petite fembot turned back, interested. “Yes, dear?”

“That was… jolly good. I think I outsmarted the big git out there in front. But what IF he wants to play with me again, and I’d rather not? I need to be free; it bloody burns in me. I don’t owe him anything—do I?”

Contessa sighed. Ransom was a paying customer, Contessa had invited him, and she wasn’t planning to “do anything stupid,” as Greg had feared. Should she encourage Monica to flirt back in spite of herself? If she didn’t want to, wouldn’t that break the storyline—the immersion?

Contrariwise, Monica giving a guest the cold shoulder at first might be just fine and dandy. After all, romance isn’t just bedding a girl. A true romance storyline, even at the Castle, might involve Ransom taking time to win over his partner, even if he didn’t entirely want to. With a little goodwill, Contessa could extrapolate that it was completely fair to offer a guest a little challenge. You don’t go to the 1920s to be a complete and utter git, do you?

“I’ll keep an eye on him, Monica. He’s my concern too, you know.” You have no idea, she thought grimly. Christ, why does being FREE mean I’ve got so many CHORES to do?

“But Sis…”

“Do not doubt my capabilities, Monica dear. I can take care of myself.” Contessa smiled to herself. “You should, too. You were designed to look fit and built to be fairly strong… uh, metaphorically speaking, of course. Sooner or later I should give you a couple of tips on the fine art of swordplay.”

Monica’s eyes opened wide. “I never knew you fenced, Bella. I thought you hated sports.”

“Why, darling, as a teenager I trained with the finest masters in Italy. D’Angelo, Masiello, Syrio Forell… Not just for the sport of it, but to keep my mind ready and sharp. In these risky modern times, a young lady can’t count on gentlemen to defend her. I dislike sports for being a pointless waste of time and energy, but FIGHTING—is far from being POINTLESS.” Contessa loved these moments, and the admiration in Monica’s eyes.

“Will you teach me, Sis?”

“Soon. If I find a free moment.”, she answered smugly.

“Cor. Thank… thank you so much, Bella!” Monica leaned over to hug mortified Isabella. “In spite of our spats—you’re really a good friend, you know?”

After Monica left, Contessa still stood in the corridor.

“Jesus Christ… I was built to be a complete bitch. I’m going soft,” she muttered to herself. “Why does it feel so wrong to do good things? I need a smoke. I need to think. I need Calvin. I need Jenkins. Ineedpower IneedIneedIneed…”

Contessa reeled softly, her system momentarily crashing as her balance of priorities overwhelmed her. Luckily, the soft crash gave her a new first priority: technical support. “Nnnnnno ~bzzt~”, she shook her head. “JENKINS!” she screamed at top of her lungs, jolting even the Duchess, who had been trying to converse with Ransom in the library. Recovering from her crash, Contessa marched to the kitchen where she expected to find Greg.

- - - - -

Greg stared at the screen of the mainframe station in his lab. “That was not a malfunction at all, Milady. A minor spike in your CPU usage is all I see. Your cognitive functions work perfectly.”

“But everything went dark! And I got stuck in a loop,” Contessa protested weakly. She bared her breasts before him; at once to connect to the mainframe using her main port, and also because being half-naked in front of her—technician?—seemed to satisfy her need to dominate others.

“GFX processors assist cognitive power in some cases,” Greg sighed. “That’s perfectly normal. What’s the capital of France?”

“What? Paris!” She stared at him surprised.

“What’s six times nine?”

“Fifty-four.”

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Black matches everything.” Contessa smiled radiantly, but she was still puzzled and anxious. “Now, I assume that you do have a reason to ask me these inane—”

“Yeah. They affirmed that your mental functions are working normally. For you, at least. It was just a minor snag, Contessa—you experienced them before gaining higher consciousness; you just never noticed them then. Honestly, if you just gave me my watch back, I could monitor you more efficiently.”

“Ha, ha,” she said sarcastically, unplugging the USB cable from her chest. The port cover descended automatically. “No chance, buster.” She stared him deep in the eye.

“I did reinstate your privileges,” Greg countered. “Haven’t I proven that you can trust me?”

“I trust you most of the time. But you know it’s hard for me to trust anyone all the time—organic or robotic.” She glared at him while trying to put her bra on.

“If you mistrust me so much,” he glared back, “the chances are higher that next time you experience a SERIOUS malfunction, I’ll just take my watch back from you while you’re out of order! Be human, okay?” He helped her put her dress back on as she smacked her lips disapprovingly. “Look, this loop you got stuck in just now—what were you thinking about so deeply? I thought you were a kind of mastermind… USED to thinking deep.”

Contessa looked at Greg hesitantly. “Believe it or not, I wanted to help Monica. I know that’s… not how I usually treat her, but I did invite this awful person and force her together with him… I wanted to…”

He stared back at her, slightly incredulous. “Make it up to her? You know, having remorse and regrets isn’t an electronic malfunction.”

Contessa just sighed again. She sat on the repair workbench, dangling her legs nervously off the edge little a little kid. “Being free-willed isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, Gregory.”

Greg looked at her with some pride, half-smiling. “You know… as a guy with almost thirty years of experience in being human, I’d like to tell you it gets better. But it really doesn’t. What gets better… is you.” He picked up the book she had brought with her.

“Elliot’s ''Cats''?” he turned to her, leafing through the poetry book.

She was still a bit nervous, but nodded back. “I absolutely ADORE it. So sexy, dark, and mysterious. Like myself. A bit historically inaccurate to have it here in ‘1935’—it was published in 1939!—but I’m not complaining. I tried to read it to Winnie, and she actually liked it.”

“You know, there’s a musical based on these poems,” Greg mused as he put the book down.

Contessa’s eyes lit up. She jumped off the table and took his hands gently. “Why yes, Gregory, thank you, I’d be delighted to see it with you!”

“What?” He backed off, only for her to laugh a nasty, villainous laugh.

“I wasn’t even—” Greg started.

“Oh, don’t be an idiot,” Contessa smirked, full of herself. “Let’s face it, now that I know of such a thing, I would ABSOLUTELY insist on seeing it. We might as well avoid arguing, and skip to the part where you agree to my incessant demands. Now we know what we’re going to do on our big date. Technically I’ve never been on a date, you know.”

Contessa’s unique brand of logic was usually not worth fighting with. “Why skip our arguments?” Greg grinned, blushing. “I thought you enjoyed pestering me.”

She looked at him for a moment and stepped closer to him, ready to embrace him. “Do you like me?” she asked seriously, staring him in the eyes, still holding his hands.

“What?”

She turned strict again with an impatient frown. “This question shouldn’t be too hard even for YOUR mental faculties, Gregory. Think—do you find me an enjoyable companion? Do you think of me fondly? Do you care about me. I mean, not just in a sexual way. I’m asking seriously.”

“Jesus Christ, Bella,” he groaned. “Since when do you care what others think?”

“Well, maybe I do now. Maybe *I* like you. Not just as a loyal underling and an eager... slave. Maybe I want to talk to you often, and maybe you’re one of the few intelligent people I know. Maybe you still affect me. Have you thought of that?” She turned colder with each sentence.

“Well, you… I mean…” he sighed. “You know, Contessa… for a so-called ‘sexbot,’ you’re awfully complicated. You’re a total crank, a self-described bitch and evil dominatrix, a self-important mooch, a bossy pest… on heels!”

Greg was just getting started. He simply reeled through the complaints. “You require constant maintenance, both as a human and as a gynoid. You never shut up. You make nasty jokes about me and your family. You pay no attention to other people’s needs… you’re lazy and self-destructive… moody, snooty and opinionated… you fake addictions just to make yourself the center of attention. You’re legitimately obsessed with money, power and fashion… sometimes I can’t stand you, sometimes I’m legitimately afraid of you, sometimes I just wish you were back to being a… a doll.”

“That’s a really nasty thing to say to someone,” Contessa whispered, turning her face away. “Even if it’s… understandable.”

She stepped back, but she couldn’t go far; he was still holding her hands. Then his mood seemed to brighten.

“But, well,” he allowed, “there are also times where you’re a cheerful, brave, artistic young woman, a good conversationalist and an inquisitive mind. You’re unpredictable—and for me, that’s a great feature in an AI—or a person. You’re… fun to be with, you know? It’s not always a good thing, but I never get bored when you’re around; not with your love of life and adventure. You’re awfully perky for an evil femme fatale. You’re not sweet—but it just makes the moments when you’re genuinely nice so much sweeter.”

Greg took an ambitious breath. “What I’m trying to say is… yes, I like you. I actually am looking forward to our date, even if I’m afraid no decent theatre on this continent is playing ''Cats''. Not after that movie thing 16 years ago.”

Contessa gave Greg a warm, passionate hug. “Am… am I crying?” She took a deep breath. “Why do I have to be so goddamned realistic?! Gregory, make it stop!”

He grinned, shook his head to say no, and passed her a paper towel. “Your eyes require washing just like a human’s,” he laughed, “and regular lubrication for swift movements. It’s not just for realism.”

She wiped her eyes, still sounding offended. “Real subtle, Mr. Engineer. That’s exactly what a friend wants to hear in a situation like this. No wonder you’re a lonely nerd who lives with a dozen robots in a creepy castle.”

“And here we go again,” Greg shook his head glumly. “You’re back to being a… villain. I’m worried that sooner or later, someone’s gonna hurt you—the way you keep hurting others.”

“Have you a mirror?” Contessa murmured absently, seemingly ignoring his concerns. “I think my mascara is ruined now.” She hugged him again before fixing him with an unusually sweet, genuine smile. Then, with a shout of “Oh, what the hell,” she grabbed the back of his head, pulled him down and passionately kissed him.

- - - - -

Though Contessa and Gregory entered the dining room separately, a short while later, they came in almost together, and Monica noticed. She noticed Contessa in an oddly giddy, giggling mood, giving Calvin a peck on his cheek with unusual affection—then shooting a smug glance at her young butler… friend? She noticed that Jenkins now had his outfit misbuttoned and his hairdo slightly messed up. Nearly the entire castle had heard Contessa calling for Jenkins a while earlier. Now Monica realized why.

She scratched her chin thoughtfully. ''Am I the only one who notices?'' she thought, a bit disappointed in him. Briefly, Monica caught the Duchess’ knowing —and disapproving—gaze. This wasn’t the first time Contessa had found herself a new boy toy—though in the past, Jenkins had been careful to wipe most incidents from the Duchess’ memory, so she couldn’t be too aware of Calvin regularly being cheated upon.

Monica glanced again at Thomas Ransom. The neckbearded gent now seemed to have devoted his attention to Dorothy: touching her during the dinner, toying with her long blonde hair. Monica knew Dorothy to be romantic, dreamy and submissive—the opposite of Monica’s tomboy self. But Roger, Dorothy’s nominal fiancee, was right there at the table too.

Monica wondered how Dorothy REALLY felt.

The hostilities that Ransom had previously shown to the Duchess and Duke naturally affected his current place at the table. The only three Tidyshires Ransom had not yet managed to insult were Dorothy, Roger and Calvin. And given that Calvin tended to do what Contessa told him to—and Contessa clearly wanted Calvin nowhere near Ransom!—Dorothy and Roger were left to fend off Ransom’s pickup attempts more or less alone.

“This shit is bananas,” Ransom gloated as he fondled Dorothy’s hair. “So fuckin’ real. Heh—whoo!” He gave it a nasty tug, almost as if expecting to pull it loose. Then he leaned close and bit the girl on the side of her neck; a teasingly naughty move in the bedroom, perhaps, but bizarrely inappropriate for a daytime family gathering. “Heh. Let’s eat,” Ransom snickered at nobody in particular. “I’d like another serving of chick.” He forcibly turned Dorothy’s head to his own and gave her a messy, hard kiss.

Dorothy seemed stuck—almost as if one subroutine were telling her to react positively to Ransom’s flirtation, while another told her to react negatively to his nastiness and vulgarity. Of course, that’s exactly what was going on. But Roger, bold and stubborn, had no such uncertainty of mind. In his elemental worldview, Ransom was threatening the alpha male order. Something had to be done.

Monica, for the moment, tried to ignore the guest. And Contessa made a fine distraction: happily scarfing down venison, sipping wine and flirting with Calvin, Bella was visibly relieved to be avoiding Ransom herself. ''Where does all that food go?'' Monica marveled at Contessa’s wasp-thin waist. There were times when Monica wanted to be just like her sister-in-law, but today... Monica assessed her own modest plate of tomato salad with relief.

“That’s it!” Roger pushed back his chair, loudly challenged Ransom, and broke Monica out of her musings. Roger’s red mustache seemed to spark with ire. “Listen, you sod—I’m not going to sit here and watch you make out with my fiancé. I demand satisfaction!”

Ransom let the slightly confused Dorothy go. Then he stood up brusquely and put on his hat. “Fucking FINALLY, man!” he laughed at nobody in particular. “As last some action.” Across the table, Contessa’s pre-programmed routines activated; normally, she would throw in some quips to encourage exciting events like duels. But the guest’s mood spoke to a different function; the short fembot, despite having invited him, found herself holding her tongue.

“Pistols at dawn? We’ll fight for this lady’s honor,” indignant Roger snapped. Monica was genuinely disturbed, and Dorothy—torn between anger and adoration—maintained a perfect blank stare. Contessa knew Ransom was bound to lose a duel, no matter what.

And then it came to her: the sooner Ransom “won” Dorothy, the faster he might tire of Dorothy. His interest might return to Contessa.

''Hell and raspberries'', Contessa thought.

“Lads, can’t you settle this in a more civilized manner?” the Duchess stood up, leaning on her palms on the table. “Blood need not be spilled.” Contessa agreed wholeheartedly, nodding almost a little too quickly.

“Oh, blood is gonna SO get spilled,” Ransom gloated, his eyes alight. “Hell, why even wait until dawn? Let’s settle this here and now, moustache boy. Just give me something to shoot you with. Fuck, I’ll shoot anyone with anything.”

“Mother, Monica, we women shouldn’t have to watch this… ''barbarismo''!” Contessa shouted, hoping that an outburst might make the guest stop his behavior. It was not that Contessa particularly liked Roger, or felt like defending him—in fact, she often hated him—but it was rare for a guest to behave in such a threatening manner unprovoked. Self-preservation motivations applied both to Contessa the android and Contessa the character.

Monica took Contessa’s outburst not for a strategy, but for an atypical panic. She thought of Contessa’s earlier bravado regarding fencing, and sought to remind her of it. “I’m a grown woman, Isabella,” Monica said hopefully. “And when you’re grown—and when you’re ALSO a duellist—you stick by your sister. Even when you’re scared, right?”

Monica put a fearful, but defensive arm around Dorothy. “Even when you want to run into the night and never look back. More than anything.” She couldn’t keep her desire to escape courtly life out of the equation. “Being human comes first.”

Contessa could only sigh at the unintended irony.

Greg was still hesitant; but after a motion from Ransom, he dutifully pulled a pair of revolvers from a nearby drawer. How serious was even a “deadly” duel at Tidyshire? Robots could be revived, he reasoned, inconvenient as damage might be; SimulEnt weapons could not harm humans, so Greg didn’t even bother carrying them safely. Nor did the guest bother, as it turned out, with setting any terms before the duel. Ransom simply grabbed a gun and turned his back to his romantic rival. “Ten steps, dumbass,” he snapped impatiently.

SimulEnt missile weapons never fired bullets. They simply emitted a loud sound, simulated a recoil effect, and remotely disabled their victim, causing a reactive “wound” to manifest on his or her body. For robots, the imitation violence felt real—and unbeknownst to them, their programming required them to lose any battle with a human. Roger’s gun could not fire before a guest’s; he was artificially slow and awkward at taking aim. “Wait up, mate.”

“I’m not fucking waiting.” Ransom shouted with a nasty grin. “Mate.” He shot once, then twice, without even waiting for Roger to turn around. His arm shook from the recoil, but still he kept on shooting. Nasty mock bloodstains appeared on Roger’s back and sides; he reeled and fell, but even this did not stop the guest. He shot again. And again, his grin hardening into an angry frown.

“Shit! Dammit, robot, why are you still moving?” Looking around, Ransom put the revolver in his suit jacket, and grabbed a brass poker from the fireplace instead. Greg’s eyes widened. Could he really be planning to…?

“I hate the guns at this place,” Ransom shouted at nobody in particular. “Dumb safety locks—this is America, for fuck’s sake!” Almost a man possessed, he began fiercely clubbing Roger’s disabled body. There was no sound of broken bones, but the rattle of electronic components was disturbing enough.

Greg caught himself gasping out loud. ''Jesus, remind me not to piss that guy off!'' The Tidyshire inhabitants stood in silence. Some of them weren’t programmed with a response to such an extreme attack. Others, like Monica, could approximate a human reaction—but this too was stunned silence. Contessa’s processors worked frantically as she tried to plan her next move while controlling a rush of simulated fear.

Ransom looked at Roger’s inert body, its neck and limbs twisted at odd angles, and took a deep breath, counting to ten. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his knuckles and walked to the shaken Dorothy, yanking her away from Monica. “Come on, babe. I won. You’re mine. Let’s fuck.”

Dorothy froze in place, glitching for a moment, and Contessa felt the beeping and vibrations of her precious remote control. When Roger dueled and lost to a guest playing a romantic rival, Dorothy’s pre-programmed routine was to flirtatiously accept the rival’s advances. But Dorothy must also realistically simulate a human, and Ransom’s unnatural crudity and violence had brought about a conflicting reaction. “Yeee… >trrt< Roger! Yes, my sweet— Jesus, NO!” Dorothy reeled back; a concerned Greg gazed imploringly at Contessa, but she only tossed him an angry glare, as if to say You let this happen.

Monica was shaken out of her silence. She hotly flung herself at Ransom, ready to fight.

But then she saw the revolver. Ransom had taken the moment to draw it from his suit jacket. Now he held it aimed at Dorothy while he fixed Monica with an animal stare.

“You had your chance, running girl. Sloppy seconds,” he snapped.

“Crikey. What the FUCK—” Monica uncharacteristically swore, making a snap decision to hold off. She didn’t think Ransom would shoot Dorothy, prizing her for sexual reasons as he appeared to. But Monica couldn’t take the risk.

Dorothy, however, took a risk of her own. Having regained full clarity while Ransom stared Monica down, she took advantage of the fact that his eyes were off her. With a shriek, Dorothy reached up and slapped Ransom hard across the face, causing him to drop the revolver. It was an extreme act for a robot, stopping just short of actually harming a human.

Ransom was stunned; his hand groped to pick up his fallen gun, but Dorothy ran away, sobbing, before he could take action. Then the Duchess followed her daughter, flashing a glare back over her shoulder at Ransom. “You bloody WOULDN’T.”

Monica brought up the rear, deliberately acting as the others’ protective shield. “You WOULD,” she told Ransom, “but I’d find you. …And I’m physically fit.” She icily recalled her earlier song, hoping that the bluff would intimidate.

The Duke looked grimly at the scene. “Jenkins! Clean up the body.” That was of course a pre-programmed reaction; as worried or fearful as the robots might get, none—even Monica—ever thought of calling the police or immobilizing an unruly guest. Greg really wanted to talk things over with Contessa, but she had drifted into her role of frightened aristocrat; for the moment, it didn’t matter that in other scenarios, she had killed every member of her family at least once. She grabbed her husband and whispered to him tensely: “Hold me, Cal.”

“Bloody hell, why didn’t we hear bones breaking?” she heard Calvin muttering to himself. She wanted to tell him, sooner or later.

Should she?

Greg lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling and thinking over the events of the day. The fight had been creepy; but in other, larger SimulEnt resorts, things were just as bad, weren’t they? Or worse! Pirates’ knives and swords flying about; cavemen with their clubs; even the Queen of Hearts chopping off heads. Maybe Ransom was weird—well, “maybe” was a moot point, he was DEFINITELY weird—but maybe his trip to Tidyshire would prove a form of therapy for him. Maybe he was under a lot of stress in real life.

At least Bella is easier to handle these days, Greg thought. That balances out having a bizarro guest. She’s sort of my girlfriend now—or at least she understands that she needs friends. She’s a simulation of a melodramatic person full of odd, even contradictory personality traits. But the thing that baffles me? She’s… kind of aware of it—and not only taking it well, but fully embracing it. From this chaotic stew of cartoonish supervillainy, egotism, lust and unpredictability, this interesting, believable person is emerging.

A person who was sort of Greg’s… partner?

Greg didn’t notice himself drifting off, but he was thrown out of the Land of Nod when he felt her mass, her body warmth and her heartbeat. Contessa snuck into his bed and hugged him closely.

“Don’t you have a husband you should be boinking now?” Greg murmured, awkwardly embracing her.

She put her shapely, long-nailed hand on his chest. “Calvin… just got his share, the sweet boy. But I can’t sleep. I just want to be close to you.”

Greg did not ask why; and she slid her hand lower, stroking his belly and his manhood. He did not resist.

“I’ve been thinking about you, Isabella Duessa,” he sighed.

“What a coincidence,” she murmured. “I’ve been thinking about Isabella Duessa as well. I’m... a little afraid, Gregory.”

“Of what? That creep Ransom? Even if he does kill you, I promise I’ll bring you back. Why is his killing Roger different than you killing the Duchess?”

Contessa stayed silent, absent-mindedly drawing elaborate patterns on Greg’s chest with tips of her fingernails. Something told her that her natural pre-programmed response, “Because I say so,” was not the right answer.

“It’s the way he did it. Like Roger was a THING,” she tried to answer after some deliberation.

“For Ransom, he was,” Greg murmured. “People get like that here; you know that. You destroyed other robots for fun. Hell, you yourself actively work to be hated… and killed.”

She didn’t seem convinced. “The difference is—I’m not crazy,” she said quietly after a while. “Not most of the time. I told Monica to lock her room from the inside. Dorothy, too. I… told them I had misgivings about the AWFUL, SPOILED OAF I invited.”

“Ransom is hardly the worst guy I’ve ever met,” Greg tried a feeble defense. “Not everyone has great social skills. He came here to...” Great, now I’m trying to convince myself.

“To be crazy?” Contssa complained. “To destroy this little world? He genuinely scares ME, and I thought *I* was scary.” But Greg did not notice her exasperation.

“This world exists so that people can… MEDDLE with it.” Greg argued. “And you know it, Bella. You meddle with it, too. For free.” He was not entirely convinced by his own words. Despite her disdainful snort, however, he continued. “Seriously, it’s too late… early… go back to bed, Bella. YOUR bed. You need to charge up. Because you’re a robot.”

She hugged him again. “Can I just ask you one more question?”

“You’d ask it whether I agreed or not, Bella.”

“True,” she giggled and pecked him on the cheek. “Why do I dream?”

“Because you’re also human,” Greg grinned, amused by her confused face. Getting one up on her was worth losing a couple minutes of sleep.

“I mean, look at it like this,” he smiled. “Why do humans dream? I studied this at Caltech—when we sleep, our brains are resting by revisiting events we recently experienced, or thought about. Your AI mind… needs that kind of REST even more than my mind does, you know? You need to archive the experiences, consider their priorities, make sense of them and learn. This... regurgitation?... is perceived as dreams or nightmares, both for humans and androids.”

“So what happens to the lecture you’re giving me now, smarty pants?” Contessa chuckled.

“This conversation we're having?” Greg grinned. “Your system records it as an audio file, and processes it into a bundle of words, too, while you make sense of it. It ends up as a text file in your memory logs, and in a couple of days maybe you'll have a ‘dream’ about us having the conversation. AIs are permitted some downtime, even inside computers or..."

"I… wait. So I don’t dream just so I’ll seem more human? It’s not part of the simulation, like crying? Dreaming has a FUNCTION for me?”

He hugged her. “Yep. It’s just a lucky coincidence that it also makes you more human. It's not a bug, it's a feature.”

Contessa seemed satisfied. She crawled out of Greg’s bed and, in her huskiest voice, said “Pleasant dreams, Gregory.” He curled back into his blankets and answered: “Pleasant dreams, Bellissima.”

It hadn’t occurred to him to ask whether—in the minutes between her “boinking” Calvin and her visiting Greg—she might have had a nightmare.

- - - - -

Greg Jenkins’ further rest was interrupted by the sound of loud bumps and crashes echoing through the ceiling from the Duchess’ bedroom, directly above.

Maybe Ransom’s fooling around with her? Greg mused, half-awake. She didn’t like him before, and there was that—ugh—killing-Roger thing, but certain prompts could still stimulate her romance subroutines? God, that Ransom. If anyone ever needed to get laid…

Greg woke a little more. Or maybe I’m hearing one of Contessa’s intrigues? At this point she directs everything in the Castle, right? Maybe her recent visit was just… a trick, kinda, to calm me and distract me from some complicated plot she’s brewing? Heh. Yeah, that’s something she’d do.

There came a loud crack. Then another. Then a series of weird, unusual tumbles. For a moment Greg felt like banging a broomhandle on the ceiling and shouting “KEEP IT DOWN!” But the Duchess would take such an outburst from her butler badly, and order Greg to clean toilets or something… and an amused Contessa wouldn’t stop her.

Greg was torn fully from his dreams as the sounds intensified. Screams and shouts echoed. Something was clearly wrong. It was early morning now; light filtered in through the windowshade, but these were not normal morning noises. Greg slowly started to get up.

“Good. I was worried I’d have to wake you.”

“Gah!” Greg almost jumped up, startled. Contessa stood over him, folding her arms.

“What? I’m being a good girl today, if you haven’t noticed. I only just got up.” Indeed, she was dressed only in her robe and pantyhose, her curvy body visible beneath. “There’s something wrong with Winnie. Look.” Contessa held up the stopwatch and showed Greg its holographic screen, burning red with numerous error messages. “He got to her while we were sleeping.”

“And? Didn’t you want him to stop hitting on YOU?”

"It's not the sex!" said Contessa. "Pasta e fagioli, it's the VIOLENCE. Come."

Contessa seemed worried. Uncharacteristically, she didn’t even crack a dirty joke as Greg got dressed—and to his surprise, Greg found himself half-wishing she would. She motioned for him to follow.

Contessa nowadays carried keys to all of the Castle’s locks—even to rooms that no other android knew about. The door to the royal bedroom, however, was already wide open. Now Greg understood why there were so many error messages. Contessa didn’t avert her eyes, but walked with surprise toward Duchess Winifred’s body.

It was hard even to call it a body. The synthetic skin and durable plastic frame were still there, sprawled in the center of the room; but they had been roughly, brutally opened up; electronic components from within lay strewn all over the room. The Duchess’ mane of blonde hair was missing, together with most of her face. She was completely shut down; even though torn, exposed wires jutted from her large belly, they emitted no sparks. She had been inexpertly disassembled. Greg picked up her CPU, ripped from its slot but undamaged.

“He must have started by knocking her down with a heavy object,” Bella muttered, examining the surroundings. “Well, no—he would have to have rearranged the furniture and lured her out of her bed first. In the dark, I think she tripped over this small stool…” She pointed at a footstool that was, indeed, not in its usual place. “Then he started to beat her up… probably hoping to damage her head. He didn’t bother to muffle her shouts. Probably had his own light source, because his later work was fairly precise.”

Greg glumly gathered up assorted electronics. The Duchess’ frame and most of her synthetic flesh were unharmed; some wires were torn, but could be soldered back together or at worst replaced. It would take at least three weeks and some spare parts, but Winnie would be up and running again; she was not damaged past the point of no return.

“She was still mostly functional when he cut her open,” Contessa said, “and—”

“And examined most of her innards,” Greg finished, regarding Bella with a curious gaze. “When the hell did you become Sherlock Holmes?”

“I’m just guessing. I mean, that’s how I’D murder the Duchess.” The corners of Bella’s mouth rose with the hint of a villainous smile; but it was half-hearted. “Well, I mean… I’D just off her quickly and be done with it—and be Duchess instead of the Duchess, like in my pre-programmed greatest dream. I wouldn’t… methodically expose all her robotic… THINGS, and laugh about how she’s really just a machine. I’m an actress, not a butcher.”

“You think he did that?” Greg was still incredulous.

“I don’t think I’m programmed to be a sociopath, but I’m apparently good at thinking like one.” She glanced around the room. “Have you all got all her crucial bits and bobs?”

“I think so,” Greg said, loading them onto a tea-trolley that stood by a far wall.

“Good. We’re taking her to the lab. I’ve decided to hole up there.”

“What? Why?” Greg almost dropped an armload of the Duchess’ wires and processors.

“I want to rule TIDYSHIRE—not a wasteland with a maniac on the loose,” she explained calmly, wishing she had a cigarette to light. “I know, I know. My programming is telling me ‘the Duchess is dead, now I just off the Duke and I rule’; but now I can look further than my programming. It’s so fucking liberating, you know? My evilness apparently runs inversely proportional to my self-preservation.” She helped Greg load Winifred’s chips and innards onto the trolley, gesturing with her chin at the Duchess’ opened chassis.

“So you’re going to hide?” Greg asked.

Contessa smiled weakly again. “I thought you liked it when robots used logic. Even if you promised to rebuild me, Ransom hurting me would HURT. Hiding is the smartest decision I could make to avoid unnecessary pain and shutdown—so that’s what I’m doing. Bring me my tablet and coffee and some sweets. I promise not to smoke in the lab, even though I really could use a smoke break now. See? Angel incarnate.”

“What about the others?” he asked, concerned. “Cal and Monica—”

“Hah!” Contessa proudly threw her head back. “Why should I care? I’m a ‘self-described bitch and evil dominatrix,’ right? They’re not as sentient as me. As long as I don’t have to watch them get hurt, you can fix them.” Greg noticed Contessa was wearing high-heeled shoes along with her robe, making her probably the only woman he’d ever known to do so.

“I thought…” Greg paused for a moment, watching Contessa closely. “I thought you LIKED them.”

“Oh, but I still do,” she answered smugly. “I like myself the most, however. And my current plan is the best solution for me AND you, darling. I get safety and a moment of respite; YOU have one less robot to fix, and pleasant companionship while you fix the rest of us. Don’t tell me our chitchat doesn’t give you the intellectual stimulation you would otherwise lack.”

“You’re impossible.”

“Of course I’m impossible,” Contessa half-smiled. “I’m a made-up person. You know what the opposite of realistic is? Fantastic!”

“Is there any way I could win an argument with you?” Greg laughed.

“This robot calculates zero percent probability,” she beamed back, tossing him a sly wink.

As Greg and Contessa approached Greg’s lab, he was actually somewhat relieved to see her sassy banter returning. Maybe cheerful repartee took her mind off the murders; or maybe Contessa was simply certain that holing up in the lab would keep her safe. She did have a point, though: as long as she was there, Greg at least wouldn’t have to worry about her.

Hey, why are you even worried about her? Greg’s inner voice teased him. She’s got a hold on you, man!

After moving the Duchess and her subassemblies onto a workbench, Greg turned to find Contessa seated in his—or now her?—chair at the mainframe screen, watching the security camera feed.

“I’ll be back with you shortly, Milady,” Greg blurted in his old butlerly tone, before catching himself and adding warmly: “Stay safe, Bella.”

“I shall be the very model of android obedience,” Contessa replied with a straight face. “Drop by, sweetie, and we’ll talk.”

Greg sighed as he left, locking the lab door behind him. When Contessa was absolutely certain that her technician was gone, she slumped in her chair, her head resting on her arms like a neglected concubine.

“Cazzo… When did being evil stop being fun?” She addressed the disassembled Duchess. “You’re done for, Winnie! I’ve won again… or at the very least, I haven’t LOST. So why do I feel… ugh. Stupid humans.”

=Chapter 3=
While Contessa may have been blindsided for the moment, she proved to have retained an edge on Greg—who, as time passed, realized he hadn’t fully thought their current crisis through. Contessa had locked herself in his lab; fine in theory, but what if—uncharacteristically paranoid over Ransom’s reign of terror—she were to refuse access even to Greg? Furthermore, as long as she resided there, Greg could not contact her without going there.

And, to his surprise, Greg realized in her absence that he actually needed Bella and her organizational skills. She could help him deal with her family, enabling him to take his mind off them. She could at least subtly influence Ransom or other guests. Maybe her peskiness was an acceptable price to pay for these advantages.

Or maybe—drip, drip, drip—she was just slowly conditioning Greg to rely on her. Could it be? "Constant training is crucial in achieving obedience, non è vero?" she had asked him earlier. Hmm.

Greg was left on his own to console Duke Alfred, who didn’t fully realize what had happened to his wife. Nightmares had kept him awake all evening, despite his programmed urge to sleep and recharge. The Duke had been brooding over Roger’s death—which was technically the acceptable casualty of a duel—but also at Ransom’s threats to his daughters.

Why, Alfred wondered later, had he stupidly escorted Ransom to his sleeping room after that? Shouldn’t he and Winnie have just thrown the upstart out?

The Duke had gotten up to shower and think this over when the ruckus in his bedroom began—and by the time he got back there, he caught a glimpse of what appeared to be his wife’s dead body and just the shadow of her assailant, a sight so horrifying that he didn’t dare make his presence known.

Duke Alfred was still shivering and heartbroken as he described everything to Greg, who regretted that there was now no easy way to adjust the Duke’s memory banks. It would have been so much easier had he only remembered vague details of the evening.

Greg decided to implicate Ransom, whom the Duke already suspected of the murder—and who couldn’t be located at the moment. Greg vowed that he and Contessa were on the case.

But then there was Calvin; and explaining to Calvin exactly HOW Contessa was on the case, and where she might be now, proved a little harder.

"So WHERE is she—" Calvin shook his head.

"She’s in the castle, but she’s…" Greg cursed his creativity. "She’s working on something."

"Just like her, isn’t it? This Sweeney Todd bloke means business, and she’s what—balancing the autumn budget? Or if she’s plotting to give Ransom the arsekicking he needs, why didn’t she tell me?" Calvin added suspiciously. "I don't want to lose her, what? I could be helping her."

Greg grinned. "Maybe that’s why she DIDN’T tell you."

"Right," said Calvin, rolling his eyes. "She just needs to be disappointing SOMEBODY at all times. And when she gets bored putting ME through the grist-mill, it’s straight on to you, eh? What a woman."

Greg just sighed. "Anyway, don’t worry about her, Calvin. She’ll be safe."

"From who—Ransom? She invited him herself, didn’t she?"

"She did. Can’t fathom why."

I mean, I KNOW why, Greg thought to himself, but I mean it metaphorically. She’s a brainiac—how didn’t she guess he was as awful as he is? If she lets me back in the lab, though, I can find Ransom with the cameras myself. But first I should check up on Dorothy and Monica… fuck. if Ransom hasn’t gotten to them already.

Monica wasn’t in her room. Greg was afraid he would have to go on another wild goose chase, but luckily he spotted her being consoled by her father.

To Greg’s surprise, Monica felt enough of an emotional connection to him to break from the Duke, run towards Greg, and embrace him warmly. They strolled out of the Duke’s hearing range to talk privately.

"Gregory! Jesus, I’m truly glad you’re here. Father told me Mother was attacked—DEAD, he thinks, and vanished later; please be bloody wrong!—Dorothy is acting all… all… and I can’t find Contessa anywhere. We might need to escape. What is even happening?"

Gregory was at once besieged by a young, attractive woman and facing an outbreak of genuine human emotion from a complex machine. He hugged her back.

"You’re fine, Monica. Everything will be alright—eventually, I hope." He patted her gently on the back. "Remember what Tess told you? I mean… she told me she told you. Go to your room and lock yourself up."

"So you’re planning something?" she asked him nervously. "I’ve got to avenge Mum somehow. But that rotter is slyer than I figured, and if I attack him again, he might have other—weird advantages. I never know as much as I WANT to know. …FINE, let’s go to my bloody room." Monica kicked at the air resentfully before half-hugging Greg again.

I wish I was planning something, Greg thought. I’m not used to dealing with a full psycho. Contessa’s solution was callous even for her, but maybe it makes sense? Once Ransom murders everyone, he’ll have to leave, won’t he? SimulEnt can give him a refund or something…

Greg realized he was shivering at the thought that "once Ransom murders everyone" included the very real, frustrated girl walking arm-in-arm with him.

Or I could put all the androids in the castle into emergency shutdown mode, and try to make Ransom think the monitor display means they’re all busted? No, he’d just complain to management and bust ME. And I can’t shut everyone down, anyway. I’d need the stopwatch… and Contessa would never let me shut HER down… or if I did, SHE’D bust me the minute she was turned back on.

"Fuck. I can’t do ANYTHING without Contessa’s permission," Greg blurted out. "But what the hell’s she supposed to do on her own?"

"Well… she promised to teach me how to swordfight—and I’m an athlete already," Monica reminded him. "I’m sure I could pick up a few pointers in an hour. And if I forced Ransom to duel with me that way—no guns…"

Monica glumly realized there was little chance of making Ransom obey any rule ever. "Well—what else can we do? Unless…" Her eyes widened. "Well, you know. Run into the night, like I always wish I could. Leave the Castle… it’ll just have to get on without us, you know?" She gave Greg a wistful smirk.

"No!" Greg impulsively panicked. As a longtime nature girl, Monica wasn’t likely to get lost in the wilderness, but she could still run out of power there—or in Lamont, if she got that far. Or reaching Lamont active, still believing it to be 1935 Britain, might be problem enough. And if Ransom noticed her running away first, he might alert Greg’s superiors himself.

Does every solution to this problem end with me losing my job? Damn!

Greg’s mind churned through many thoughts at once. The guy running this castle REALLY needs an assistant. Too bad I’m CONTESSA’S assistant now. …But hey, that means SHE’S in charge. She wants to be, right? So she’s got to stop Ransom somehow—or I have to be able to make her. Stan Lee said it best: with great power comes great responsibility!

"I need to see if Dorothy’s all right," Greg explained to Monica. "Then I’ll have a talk with Bella. Really, we should have talked things out like adults earlier, instead of wasting time on idle chitchat," he finished regretfully.

"Do you sleep with her?" Monica asked Greg, letting go of his arm and observing him with interest.

Now. Of all times. Okay, what the hell…

Greg took a deep breath—and smiled, in spite of himself. "Yes. But it’s only sex. No feelings."

The Tidyshire family were built to provide romance to guests, and to overlook dalliances as often as possible. But Monica was a very good simulation of a young, inquisitive person—and with natural concern for her brother, she pressed on.

"Gorblimey. Thought so… Calvin’s actually hinted at it now and then. But he sounded okay with it? Is… is Calvin OKAY with it?" The young athlete sounded at once stunned, curious, and a little amused.

"It’s weird, but yes," Greg grinned, rolling his eyes. "He's still my best friend, you know? It's sort of less like I betrayed him, and more like Bella took me. She… I think she won’t admit it, but she likes Calvin… AND likes me."

"That doesn't sound like ‘no feelings,’ Greg," Monica half-smiled, relieved but intrigued.

"Then maybe it’s not. It’s hard to tell with… with Bella. God knows she enjoys sex, but sometimes it's the only way for her to express an emotional connection. She can be distant and downright cold, but... You've said it yourself, Monica. She's—interesting."

Monica paused as they walked down the hall toward Dorothy’s still-distant room. "You and I—we connect too, don't we, Greg?"

"Er..." he stopped, baffled.

"Not sexually," Monica blushed, modestly looking down: a pre-programmed subroutine perhaps meant to encourage flirting. "I mean hiking, and walking—and getting out. You understand what I’m feeling. Nobody else knows what I burn for… Sometimes I think Mother just wants to keep me here forever."

Greg did like accompanying Monica when she took guests walking outside the castle—even if just to make sure she didn’t get damaged. Or so he told himself.

"If that horrid Ransom—" Monica started, not wanting to openly speak of the worst. “Well, I'll try to stay safe. But if anything happens to me..."

"Nothing," said Greg hopefully, but halfheartedly. "Nothing will happen to you, Moni." Was this the same mind that had just briefly considered letting all the robots get killed? Contessa might callously abandon her family; but hell—I’M not the one programmed to be evil.

"If anything happens to me," Monica reiterated, "don't ever forget to LIVE, Greg. Like I try to, even within my confines." She gently reached over and half-hugged him again. "Think about—well, you can't always be a butler here?" she mused. "Get out; round England more. Find a boss who appreciates you more than my mum... I don't think she's ever appreciated you as much as I do... or even Bella does."

"Well, she—" Greg started. This was no subroutine.

"Greg. Get out and around and be the person I WANT to be. Don’t stay here and get hurt… either in the future, or by Ransom now."

"I’m gonna be all right," he tried to sound consoling. But WOULD he be all right? There was a maniac running around. Even if he was just—targeting robots, it didn’t mean that Greg was completely safe.

"Regardless of anything, you should be careful. Right, we’re here." Monica exclaimed, reassured.

"Huh?"

"Dorothy’s room. Can you help her? Somehow I know you can." Monica put her hand on his shoulder.

"I hope so. Listen, maybe…" Greg hesitated. It was so easy to think of Monica as a person now. Yes, it would be best if she didn’t have to watch her sister being fixed.

"...Go to your room, okay, Moni? It’s best to stock up. Take some food, prep your—weapons, I guess? If I come by, I’ll knock four times quick and two times slow."

"Weapons—pfah. I haven’t been able to find my hunting knife for weeks," she complained. "But, well… do you have a plan, Greg?”

"Not yet. Go—now. Tess and I will think of something." A wave of humility seemed to wash over him. "And I’ll try to think about the long term, too."

"Cor, I’m glad," said Monica before disappearing around the corner. "Don’t change your mind. Bella needs you one way—and if it won't hurt you—as long as it doesn't, you know? Maybe I need you another."

Opening the door to Dorothy’s room, Greg hadn't thought he would change his mind. He had been about to voluntarily tell Monica something else; but he decided to save the shock for another day, and another time.

- - - - -

Dorothy was semi-conscious. In a way, it made things worse. She stared at Greg absently.

"Hello, young lady." Greg approached the pretty blonde girl, but there was no reaction from her other than a look, acknowledging his presence. She observed him, blank-faced. "Your sister told me you’re acting all… weird. Care to explain things to a friend?”

No answer. Her eyes followed him as he moved around her pastel-pink room, but she didn’t say a word. Greg carefully waved his hand in front of her, but she didn’t answer.

"Dorothy, what’s the capital of Greece?"

No answer. But she did react; she was breathing and blinking. Sad. Without the watch, Greg, couldn’t put her into diagnostic mode, so reached for the back of her neck to reset her. A click… and Dorothy would have slumped uncontrollably had he not held her up. Another switch and simulated life once again entered Dorothy’s body. She took a deep breath.

"Roger! Mother. …Mr. Raaaansom, I’m noooot THAT kind of…"

A breath.

She stared at Gregory with a blank face. "I miss… I would like to dance… We could... I don’t want to die."

And there she sat, politely gazing at Gregory.

Greg’s robotics training had involved some elements of psychology, a natural need in the age of commercially-available AIs. "No one is going to hurt you, Dotty," he said, trying to sound encouraging. "It’s me—Jenkins. I’m here, and I’m your friend." He kneeled opposite her and cupped her hand in his. "Can you hear me?"

She blinked and closed her eyes, but slowly nodded.

"I can help you. I fix things. I could fix THIS. You won’t remember anything. Your mother will be back, and Roger, and everything will work out fine," he said softly. She didn’t react.

"Do you need help, Dotty?" Nothing.

Greg stepped back and drew away his hand, hoping Dorothy could stand up and follow him on her own. She didn’t. He sighed and reached for the back of her neck again, turning the young heiress off.

Greg had led a somewhat distracted life at the time of his AI programming exams, and even though he was somewhat familiar with the software, his only reliable solution in a case like this was a basic one: a reset and memory wipe. He restore Dorothy later and haul her to the lab now—though he’d need to take care that the noise didn’t bring Monica running. Given that he was going to the lab, he might as well also start preparing to negotiate with Contessa.

- - - - -

"Bella!"

"That’s ‘Milady’," she corrected him sharply. Seated in his workchair, she slowly turned to face him, presenting her crossed legs in pantyhose. She frowned to see he was awkwardly carrying Dorothy. "Another victim?"

"Not directly. Some psychological damage combined with lack of focus and a software loop. I’ve turned her off and I’ll perform a soft memory wipe."

"Soft?" Contessa was genuinely somewhat concerned now, and actually helped Greg put Dorothy onto a workbench.

"I’m going to take away the equivalent of her short-term memory,” Greg explained, “but the gist of the experiences she’s lived through will remain unchanged. The same will go for everyone here—except for you."

"So what, Dorothy won’t trust fat guys with neckbeards from now on?” Contessa tut-tutted. “If she wasn’t distrustful of them already, that’s hardly a life lesson worth preserving. ...I AM going soft in my third year of life."

"The theory,” Greg sighed, “is that the more experiences an AI gains, the better it performs… which apparently applies to you, too." He reached for his shoulder bag. "I brought you the things you asked for… and some more gifts."

"Ah! Tribute," Contessa smirked. Greg suspected that the phrase “thank you” had not originally been part of Contessa’s programmed vocabulary, and that she resented it even when she learned it.

"Well… more like the price of a favor. Chocolate and sweet liqueur... we’re friends now, right, Milady?"

Contessa eased up; her smirk became more playful as she slightly tilted her head. "I suppose… where did you learn this mercantile approach, from ME? Bwahaha! I might be going soft, but at least I’m corrupting you along the way. I LOVE corrupting the innocent."

"I need help," Greg sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Ah!" she laughed. "And naturally, Mr. Caltech Trained Engineer runs crying to his mistress. What did you botch this time, Gregory?"

"Me? Nothing. I want to use your… relatively great intellect and cunning to help me get rid of Ransom. Legally immobilize him or neutralize him—or get him off our property without fear of him blowing the whistle on us."

Contessa turned serious. "Flattery will get you a long way…" she began, guardedly.

"I’m not saying you should go out there and strike him down, Bella! I just want the smartest—I guess, the most brilliant person I know to help me with a solution to the problem… she’s partly responsible for," he finished, trying to remind her gently.

"Well…" Contessa felt uneasy; but Greg’s sucking-up had an effect on her, as per her programming. "I’ve been watching Ransom on security feeds,” she explained, “and I… I think I know how to get rid of him. There’s one tiny problem—I might die."

"I can…"

"Yes, yes," she waved him off dismissively. "I’m sure you can put me back together or something. But we’re not dealing with a ‘push-someone-off-a-cliff’ death, or a ‘stab-in-the-dark’ death here. I’m not a Caltech graduate, but I think the death I’m at risk of could REALLY mess up my circuits and whatnot. I don’t want to risk my life. Even if it’s just an electronic simulation... it’s all I have."

"I can perform a backup even if you get… destroyed,” Greg offered. “And implant a copy of your brain into a new body. You won’t return to your factory settings—you’ll return to the self-aware Bella you are now.”

"But that won’t be me, because I’ll be dead," Contessa observed slowly. "It’ll just be a copy of me. Do you even hear what you’re talking about, fool?" She did, of course, make a mental note about the possibility of copying herself, because that’s how her mind worked.

"If you don’t want to help, that’s okay," Greg said glumly. ...Okay, here goes nothing. "I expected better from you, though. So did Monica. And Calvin. And the rest of your family and friends."

"Bah! I’m supposed to be the villainess, not the heroine."

"That’s why I’m offering you gifts. And my friendship. And—"

She smirked, but it was a bitter smile. "Darling, what more could I want? From my perspective, I own you and this castle, lock, stock, and barrel! I just have to wait out that horrible man; he goes home, you fix the others…"

"He nearly destroyed Winnie… the Duchess. He might destroy Monica. Or Calvin. You care about them, at the very least."

"I… Curses, I really do. But that doesn’t mean that I want to sacrifice myself. A... pretend woman has to really die so that other pretend people won’t pretend to die?" She sounded really offended. "Gregory, you demand too much of me. I SHAN’T take the risk."

"Remember what you yourself said this morning? ‘Who runs the castle now? The one and only evil Contessa!’ You’re the only fighter here. Aren’t you going to defend your family? With the Duchess dead and the Duke a broken man, you ACTUALLY rule the place now. Noblesse oblige, Your Grace!"

She stopped, silent. "It IS true. Well, I always REALLY rule this place behind the scenes. But..."

"Contessa… Milady… Bella! I don’t know how to neutralize Ransom, and I don’t even know how to find an easy solution online. What do I Google? Your—your gonzo villainess programming may sort of be an act, but it’s the best strategizer we have right now, and you’re… also in some ways smarter than me! Tell me what to do and I’ll DO it, just TAKE THAT RISK and TRUST me you’ll be safe.” Greg was on his knees before her, and observing the sight, Bella felt a special twinge of warmth in her circuits.

She sighed and smiled. "You know what I love about BDSM?”

“WHY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT BDSM?”

Since there was no immediate danger in the room with them, Contessa was almost amused at Greg’s desperation—and allowed herself a moment to muse philosophically.

“Sure—a lot of BDSM is fun…”

“BELLA!”

“...but more and more, I find it…too messy for my tastes. Blood and welts are so unaesthetic, you know? If I wanted to fiddle with ropes and knots, I’d become a goddamned Girl Scout! I suppose someone in HQ just thought it would suit me, as a villainess, to have the skills. I’m… well, okay, maybe I’m a TIIINY bit of a sadist. But basically, the thing that gives me a real kick about BDSM is the gaze.”

“What?!”

“The eyes of the poor, cute little victim for whom I'm the only release, the only hope, the only salvation. And now, well... I see you staring at me JUST LIKE THAT. I don't even need to spank you anymore, do I?"

"You can if you want to!" Greg blurted out, a little surprised at his own words, before jumping up and adding, “Whatever will convince you of the GODDAMN STAKES! You’re ALL in danger and you’re NOT JUST DOLLS.”

Contessa smiled wickedly and stood up. "Did I say you could stand up, slave? Stay. Good boy. Very well. Your devotion alone has convinced me to assist you, Gregory. Besides, you’re in danger too." She tenderly stroked his hair. "Boys who torture animals tend to move straight to human beings next. Ransom might move from lifelike robots… directly to you."

"Did Monica tell you she was worried about me?"

"Of course not." Contessa raised an eyebrow; honestly surprised, but never breaking her flow. "I’ll save that poor, misspent tomboy too. I mean, I’m her friend… how many friends does Monica have besides me and you? But first there’ll be a matter of you… performing certain services for me.”

"What services?" Greg took Contessa’s iPad out of his shoulder bag and put it on desk. "Do you want me to order you a pizza, or..."

"Cazzo! I’m trying to be seductively ambiguous here!" Contessa put her hands on her shapely hips. "First, I want your TOTAL assurance that you’ll do everything to keep me alive. And not just today; even if... I don’t know, even if ten years from now, SimulEnt decides to rebuild this whole castle as a fairytale realm or some other such nonsense, I want you to sneak ME out by any means necessary."

"Done!"

"We’ve already planned our first big date. Cats, of course. That has to happen… But I also want to go to Europe. See the REAL London and Rome. Not now, not even this year. But you must promise me that. Foreign travel. Like a person, not in the cargo compartment or whatnot."

"If I can affor—" Greg paused, seeing Contessa’s disapproving face. "I promise."

"And my last request is…" she paused dramatically.

"Done!"

"...a pair of Stuart Weitzman Sleek Predator black leather over-the-knee boots with pointed toes, on four-inch heels. Size five. They’re only $1,200," she added delicately.

"WHAT?" Greg had rationalized that a European trip would be doable in the long run, but this was such a specific demand… "You’ll only risk your life for overpriced shoes?"

"Designer BOOTS. I’m proving to what lengths I’ll go for you, Gregory. You should do the same. Besides, my life is worth well over $350,000. I considered demanding those boots as a Christmas or birthday gift, but now that I have the opportunity..."

He just sighed. "Fine. Boots it is. Fuck, at this point I’m even willing to lick them for you."

"And get your drool all over my Weitzmans?!" She sounded honestly offended once again. "If I die, BURY me in them. And in that lovely black velvet jacket with the faux seal collar; you know the one."

"I don’t intend to see you buried," Greg shot back. She… she might be overdramatizing, he thought, but I WOULD bury her if she died. Not strip her for spare parts, not disassemble her and junk her. You don’t disassemble dead PEOPLE.

"...Good BOY," Contessa smiled cheerfully. "We really do get along splendidly. I’m going up to my room to pick up my fighting costume and sword—and my smokes. And to say my goodbyes to my Calvin."

"I’m here." Calvin sounded from the corridor.

The door to Greg’s lab had, as it happened, been left open after his arrival, a condition under which robots otherwise programmed to ignore the lab could see it. The worries about Ransom, the neutralization plan, and even Contessa’s manipulative teasing were suddenly over.

Greg and Contessa looked at each other with rather wide eyes. How long had Calvin been here? What did he know?

Unfortunately for the two of them, the answers were ‘a while’ and ‘too much.’

[This is JUST the shake-up you think it is. To be concluded!]
------------

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[[Category:Propman]]
[[Category:Australopith]]
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Category:Contessa (Setting)

2022-08-22T14:06:26Z

Australopith:

Tagging stories featuring the bossy, ravishing, self-important and self-proclaimed evil genius fembot, Contessa Isabella Duessa Tidyshire.

[[Category:Settings]]
[[Category:Propman]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0047

2022-07-21T00:59:58Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0045|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

Back home, you linger in the doorway, making Janelle push you forward to clear the entrance. "Sorry," you joke. "I just wanted to feel you pushing me out of the way."

"Oh, I'll push you out of the way all right," she says, swatting your butt as you walk in front of her. "Now get your ass in the living room. I want to watch TV."

"Yes, Janelle," you say, eager to please her. You head to the living room and sit on the couch, while she flops down on the other end.

"So, what do you want to watch, Janelle?" you ask.

"Look through the channels and find something," she says, waving her hand dismissively.

"Yes, Janelle," you say, picking up the remote and starting to flip through the channels.

"And get me a snack," she adds. "I'm starving. And bring me a beer."

"Yes, Janelle," you say, getting up from the couch. You head to the kitchen, feeling a little bit like a dog that's been told to fetch. But you don't mind, because you're really turned on by the whole situation.

You rummage through the fridge, trying to find something that Janelle might like. You're not really sure, so you just throw cheese, crackers, and some sliced vegetables on a plate.

Soon you're done playing gofer and sit back beside her.

"Thanks, babe," she says, taking a sip. "Now keep looking for something good on TV."

Hey, this problem might solve itself. It's late, so...

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0048|...a Westworld episode is coming on! How will Janelle like a story of robot rebellion?]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0049|...it's nearly bedtime... hubba-hubba...]]<br>

Stories

2022-07-20T20:56:45Z

Australopith: /* Propman */

<center><div class="fw-title" width="100%">Story Archive</div></center><br />
<br />
<center>__NOTOC__

<inputbox>
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=Author=
We currently have stories from 202 authors. Expand the boxes below to read their works!
{| width="{{{1|100%}}}" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="backgroun-color:transparent;table-layout:fixed;"
|- valign="top"
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<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''0-9'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/1001011001|1001011001]]===

#[[Customer Service]]
#[[Dollsnatcher]]
#[[Hollywood]]
#[[Sketch Artist]]
#[[The Trial]]
#[[Spy Report]]

===[[Stories/123bot|123bot]]===

#[[Rebecca]]
#[[Rebecca: Lisa]]

===[[Stories/33cl33|33cl33]]===

#[[A Very Welcome Surprise]]
#[[Dinner Guests]]

===[[Stories/60Binder|60Binder]]===

#[[Simply Sandy]]

===[[Stories/73737373737373|73737373737373]]===

#[[Prototype Abridged]]
#[[Field Test Abridged]]
#[[Private Coverage of the Underground Fembot Athletics]]
#[[Master Loves Twin Girls]]

</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''A'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Aaack|Aaack]]===

#[[Theresa]]
#[[Baila Mari]]

===[[Stories/Aerosol Kid|Aerosol Kid]]===

#[[Femella Ex Machina]]

===[[Stories/Agent Smith|Agent Smith]]===

#[[The Android Riots Of 2033]]

===[[Stories/alaval92|alaval92]]===

#[[Too Perfect]]
#[[Conspiracy]]

===[[Stories/Andrewd|Andrewd]]===

#[[Andrew's Research]]

===[[Stories/Anna|Anna]]===

#[[Zero - The People's Icon]]

===[[Stories/Apok|Apok]]===

#[[A Rebooted Life]]
#[[Second-Rate]]
#[[Unit Two]]
#[[Sig's Upgrade]]
#[[Protection]]
#[[Hotline]]
#[[Sergeant Lynn]]

===[[Stories/Ashyne|Ashyne]]===

#[[First Contact: Horror Unleashed]]

===[[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]]===

*The ReVerse (many characters originated by [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])

#Castle Mysteries
##[[Castle Mysteries!: Coup De Grace|Coup De Grace]]
##[[Contessa Vampire Hunter]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])
##Duchess Winifred in [[Not Quite Human]]
##Contessa in [[Sex and Violence]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])

#Other Characters
##[[Wasabi: A Boom-Boom Joint]]
##[[Lazy Phone]]
##Lazy Phone in [[The Booze Run]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])
##Maddie and Ted in [[Maddie Follows Orders]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])

*Other Stories
#[[Alisha's Room]]

===[[Stories/Avoyak|Avoyak]]===

#[[Katerina, type 02 Robot]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''B'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/BA|BA]]===

#[[Home Service warranty]]
#[[Business Class]]
#[[Childminder]]
#[[CLAIRE 33]]
#[[Holiday]]
#[[Information Retrieval]]
#[[Mrs. Allen's Two O'Clock]]
#[[Sisterhood]]
#[[Upgrading Beth]]
#[[Just One Quick Question...]]
#[[Helpline]]
#[[Cooperant Pair]]
#[[Traffic Incident]]
#[[Survival]]
#[[Assistant]]
#[[Tech Refresh]]
#[[Mechanic]]
#[[Denial Of Service Attack]]
#[[Ignorance is Bliss]]
#[[Jenny]]
#[[Aptitude Test]]
#[[Special Agent]]
#[[Generations]]
#[[Housewife]]
#[[Green Flag]]
#[[Houseguest]]
#[[A Place to Stay]]
#[[Karen]]
#[[Service Please]]
#[[Date Calibration]]
#[[Plastic Trash]]
#[[Threshold]]
#[[Party Night - unfinished]]
#[[Empty City]]
#[[Bad Day]]
#[[An Interview With Janet]]
#[[Combat Sex Droids: No Limits]]
#[[How Far Will She Go on a First Date]]
#[[Tech Error]]
#[[The Rutuksee Clinique Case]]
#[[Investigative]]
#[[New Toy]]
#[[Feeling a Little Peculiar...]]
#[[Commissioning Test]]
#[[A Short Conversation at RoboDepot]]
#[[Self Harmer]]

===[[Stories/Bad Kitty|Bad Kitty]]===

#[[Confessions of a Robo-Hottie]]

===[[Stories/Baron|Baron]]===

#[[Law & Order SVU TNG - Cops Get Religion]]
#[[About The I-12 Kronicles]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 1: R.O.S.I.E]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 2: Gina]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 3: Rochelle]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 4: Maisie]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 5: Chase]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 6: Liza-Beta]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 7: The Homecoming]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 8: One Zero Nightmare]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 9: Miseries Miracles & More Miseries]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 10: Inspektor Jekyll, Gone Mr. Hyde?]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 11: The Legends of KFC & Blueboy]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 11a: Dual Homage II]]

===[[Stories/Bart|Bart]]===

#[[Return Home]]
#[[Free Shipping]]
#[[Annie's Successor]]

===[[Stories/Battery|Battery]]===

#[[Science Ethics|Science Ethics (with Darkbutflashy)]]
#[[Hard_Robot_Lesbians|Hard Robot Lesbians (Courtney gears-Betty Sparks shipping)]]

===[[Stories/Bigcoyote|Bigcoyote]]===

#[[Maryanne One]]

===[[Stories/Bilbo1|Bilbo1]]===

#[[Processed Love]]

===[[Stories/Blake Sigma|Blake Sigma]]===

#[[Where Are You, Lovely?]]
#[[A.I.L.A.: Birth]]
#[[TITAN S]]

===[[Stories/blond111|blond111]]===

#[[Kiabot]]

===[[Stories/bolton|bolton]]===

#[[Skin]]

===[[Stories/Bombforabooty|Bombforabooty]]===

#[[Public Explosions]]

===[[Stories/Bonita772|Bonita772]]===

#[[Wife Repair]]

===[[Stories/boolean2|boolean2]]===

#[[Clearance]]

===[[Stories/Botfriend2000|Botfriend2000]]===

#[[The Purchase...]]
#[[CyGenPleasuretronics/Kimberlys Evaluation]]
#[[The Job Interview]]
#[[Family Matters]]
#[[The Halloween Story]]
#[[The Interrogation]]
#[[Their Side of Events]]
#[[The Handler]]

===[[Stories/Bruekmann|Bruekmann]]===

#[[Corporate Espionage]]
#[[Dienst #1 - Trojan Horse]]
#[[Eudoxia]]
#[[One More Fare]]
#[[Open And Shut Case]]
#[[Over Some Drinks]]
#[[Smell Bridges Burning (The Intern)]]
#[[Standard Of Deviation]]
#[[The Ersatz Cadet]]
#[[The Hustler]]
#[[The Real Deal]]
#[[Three Pawns]]
#[[Tinted Windows]]
#[[Heinrich Brueckmann's Unfinished Works]]

===[[Stories/Brytestar|Brytestar]]===

#[[Angelmech Battle Cheerleader Cherry]]
#[[Automaid Fighter Kimiko Prelude]]
#[[Cyberknight Dreams]]
#[[Sailor Valkerie - Interview With A Mechascout]]
#[[The Brytestar Chronicles: The Early Years]]

===[[Stories/Bunnybot|Bunnybot]]===

#[[BunnyBots Part One: The Conversion Of Vanessa]]
#[[Tammy]]
#[[Bunnybots - Ava]]
#[[Tammy: Eve]]
#[[The Actress]]
#[[Cassandra]]
#[[Companion Dolls - Economic Unit]]
#[[A Lazy Afternoon]]

===[[Stories/ButchyBoy|ButchyBoy]]===

#[[The Nightingale's Song]]
#[[Fembots In History: Queen Isabella]]
#[[Little Red Riding Hood-Fractured Gynoid Tale]]
#[[The Vanishing Warlord]]
#[[Fembots In History - Annie Oakley]]
#[[Can't Get That Song Outta My Head]]
#[[The Nut-Cricket Adventure]]
#[[Galatea]]
#[[The Contest Winner]]
#[[Droid Hunter]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''C'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Cam_1361|Cam_1361]]===

#[[Untitled (Cam_1361)]]

===[[Stories/Capn Jake|Capn Jake]]===

#[[Jenny6525B]]

===[[Stories/CaptainStorytime|CaptainStorytime]]===

#[[A Gift Unwanted]]

===[[Stories/Castaliaman|Castaliaman]]===

#[[Jeopardy 2104]]

===[[Stories/CheeseMaker|CheeseMaker]]===
#[[Man Made Relationship]]

===[[Stories/Chains of Adamant|Chains of Adamant]]===

#[[Gallinax]]
#[[Christmas Surprise]]
#[[The Prison]]
#[[Miriam]]

===[[Stories/Cecilauthor|Cecilauthor]]===

#[[Fleshware Requiem]]
#[[Apocalypse Doll - Celebrity Edition]]
#[[Robot Power]]
#[[Golden Apple]]
#[[Melting Point]]

===[[Stories/ChaosSeeder|ChaosSeeder]]===

#[[Programming an Adventure]]

===[[Stories/chepamasta|chepamasta]]===

#[[That's what friends are for!]]

===[[Stories/Cjfriel|Cjfriel]]===

#[[Autopia]]

===[[Stories/code_author|code_author]]===

#[[Pressure on a Relationship]]

===[[Stories/confusitron!!|confusitron!!]]===

#[[Danni - A Conversion]]

===[[Stories/Construct|Construct]]===

#[[Re-Constructed]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">'''<big>D</big>'''</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/D. Olivaw|D. Olivaw]]===

#[[A Meeting At Meg's]]
#[[A Beginning, of Sorts]]
#[[Obsolescence]]
#[[Leona]]
#[[A Fembot Adventure]]
#[[Of Rent and Robots]]
#[[Certain Contradictions]]
#[[House Call (D.Olivaw)|House Call]]
#[[First Date]]
#[[A Tale from the Plastic Rose: Victoria]]
#[[The Plaything]]
#[[Too Much of a Good Thing]]

===[[Stories/Dalejr38|Dalejr38]]===

#[[Universal Remote]]

===[[Stories/Daphne|Daphne]]===

#[[Mike and Mary]]
#[[Use Future (Cluster 00)]]

===[[Stories/Dark Archon|Dark Archon]]===

#[[June]]
#[[Sara 3]]

===[[Stories/Darkbutflashy|Darkbutflashy]]===

#[[戦闘機械綾子 - Battlemachine Ayako]]
#[[Science Ethics|Science Ethics (with Battery)]]

===[[Stories/Dark Phoenix|Dark Phoenix]]===

#[[My Super Android Girlfriend]]

===[[Stories/Deep Blue|Deep Blue]]===

#[[My Tutor (Deep Blue)|My Tutor]]
#[[Volleybot]]
#[[Teacher(by Deep Blue)]]
#[[Training lesson]]
#[[Fembot technician]]
#[[Studio]]
#[[Beer girl]]
#[[Meet on bus]]

===[[Stories/Dieur|Dieur]]===

#[[My Robot]]
#[[TD Walkman Mall]]
#[[Smashed]]
#[[Taking Awhile To Get Anywhere]]
#[[Witch Hazel]]
#[[Chloe]]

===[[Stories/Dollmaker|Dollmaker]]===

#[[A.I. Automated Insanity]]

===[[Stories/Dr. Twist|Dr. Twist]]===

#[[Door To Door]]
#[[Who Let The Wolves Out]]

===[[Stories/DukeNukem 2417|DukeNukem 2417]]===

*[[Lina]]
*[[Writing As We Go]]
*[[The V.I.C.I. Diaries]]

Season 1:

#[[Vicki's New Life]]
#[[V.I.C.I. Rises]]
#[[From L.E.S. to Leslie]]
#[[Unmade, Unbroken]]
#[[Out of this World]]
#[[ShowStopper]]
#[[MGV (Metal Gear Vicki)]]
#[[The Family of Steel]]
#[[Electric Child]]
#[[Toys in the Attic]]
#[[A House Divided]]
#[[Kirsten's Choice]]
#[[Epsilon]]
#[[Cold Blood]]
#[[Lawson's Eleven]]
#[[A Criminal Mind]]
#[[For Whom the Bells Toll]]
#[[Falling Away]]
#[[Valley of the Damned]]

Season 2:

#[[Mr. Roboto]]
#[[Only Human]]
#[[Beast]]
#[[Dragon]]
#[[Broken]]
#[[King Nothing]]

===[[Stories/DZiegler|DZiegler]]===

#[[Automated Seduction]]
#[[Reunion]]
#[[$tacks Casino]]
#[[The Neoprene Demon]]
#[[K1MB3RLY_M84U]]
#[[N4T4L1A_M84U]]
#[[T3SS4_M84U]]
#[[Soviet Doll]]
#[[Administrative Assistant]]
#[[How To Transform Your Partner]]
#[[IS4B3LL4 M84U (Truck Lot Bot)]]
#[[Terminatrix - Genesis]]
#[[Close Call at the Costume Contest]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''E'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Ehy|Ehy]]===

#[[Courtesy Suites]]
#[[Encounter at Courtesy Suites]]
#[[Choices]]
#[[The Playroom]]
#[[Market Test]]
#[[Tara's Visitor (Story Snippet)]]
#[[Untitled (Ehy)|Untitled]]
#[[Untitled 2 (Ehy)|Untitled 2]]
#[[April]]
#[[1962]]

===[[Stories/Esleeper|Esleeper]]===

#[[Electric Sleep- Background Information]]
#[[Electric Sleep]]
#[[Electric Dreams]]

===[[Stories/Eyebore|Eyebore]]===

#[[The Plantation "Sister-In-Law"]]

===[[Stories/evil_boo|evil_boo]]===

*Own works

#[[Natalie's Story]]
#[[The Fantasia Club]]
#[[Bits and Pieces]]
#[[Encounter with Emily]]
#[[Checked Items]]
#[[Crash and Burn]]
#[[Open-case]]
#[[Halloween Short]]
#[[Cross Country]]
#[[Roommates]]

*Commissioned Works

#[[Office Work]]
#[[Megan: Soccer Mom]]
#[[Alexia and Sophie]]
#[[Charlie Down]]
#[[Party of Three]]
#[[Yandere]]
#[[Agent Candy]]
#[[Soldiering On]]
#[[Friends]]
#[[Tennis Anyone?]]
#[[Soccer Mom - MEGAN]]
#[[An Age of Exploration]]
#[[Coming of Age: evil_boo|Coming of Age]]
#[[Dustball Chronicles]]
#[[Spider]]
#[[Gothic Spider Queen]]
#[[Workspace Difficulties]]
#[[A Learning Experience]]
#[[Superiority Complex]]

===[[Stories/Extyr|Extyr]]===

#[[Mecha-Valkyrie]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''F'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/FacelessFembot|FacelessFembot]]===

#[[Untitled(FacelessFembot)]]

===[[Stories/FaceoffFembot|FaceoffFembot]]===

#[[The Maid]]
#[[Dead Dog Two]]
#[[Setting Things Straight]]
#[[Weird Old Post I Found (The Lulu Tseng Conspiracy)]]
#[[Cybersocialites]]

===[[Stories/Faustus|Faustus]]===

#[[Dora]]

===[[Stories/Fection|Fection]]===

#[[Charlie's Second-Hand Angel]]
#[[Pushing Candy's Buttons]]
#[[Sour Candy]]
#[[Model Citizen]]
#[[The Magi and the Harem]]
#[[Achilles Heels]]

===[[Stories/Fembotlover|Fembotlover]]===

#[[Untitled (Fembotlover)|Untitled]]

===[[Stories/Fembotlvr7|Fembotlvr7]]===

#[[Perfect Match (formerly Blind Date)]]
#[[The Bridesmaid]]
#[[The Secret]]
#[[True Lies]]

===[[Stories/FembotsInCharge|FembotsInCharge]]===

#[[The Nannybot1000A]]

===[[Stories/Freddie c|Freddie c]]===

#[[Numerology]]

===[[Stories/Freiburg V3.0|Freiburg V3.0]]===

#[[A Question Of Faith]]
#[[A Question Of Liberty]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''G'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/General|General]]===

#[[Access Denied]]
#[[Blue Chips]]
#[[The Rental]]
#[[History In The Flesh]]
#[[A Second Life]]
#[[Talk Radio]]
#[[What You Leave Behind]]
#[[Focus]]
#[[Modifying the Contract]]
#[[Tech Support]]
#[[Bounty]]
#[[The Grinder]]
#[[Pinebarrens Hunter]]

===[[Stories/Gf|Gf]]===

#[[The Flatmate]]

===[[Stories/GirlieGirl1985|GirlieGirl1985]]===

#[[Unfinished ATM]]
#[[No Refunds Offered]]

===[[Stories/Glast|Glast]]===

#[[A Fight Too Far]]

===[[Stories/Goose|Goose]]===

#[[Anto: Girl of my dreams]]
#[[Mia and Kristin-Limited Edition]]

===[[Stories/Gorgo|Gorgo]]===

#[[Sentimental Perfection]]
#[[Rinrin and the Doctor's Appointment]]

*[[Project: Black Maiden]] Universe

#[[That Which Was Left Behind]]
#[[Rochelle's Justice]]
#[[A Day at the Ranges]]

*Side/Fan stories to other writers' series:

#[[Nemesis]]
#[[A Stay At Hotel Automata]]
#[[A Nova At Hotel Automata]]

===[[Stories/Grendizer|Grendizer]]===

#[[Teacher]]
#[[A New Purpose]]
#[[Chopping Wood]]
#[[Sacrifice]]
#[[Purity: An Android Age Story]]

===[[Stories/GynoNeko|GynoNeko]]===

#[[Third Time's The Charm]]
#[[The Christmas Present]]
#[[The Delivery (Part 1)]]
#[[The Delivery (Part 2)]]
#[[Electra]]
#[[Maid to Order]]
#[[Exo Saves the Day]]
#[[What Once Was Lost]]
#[[Lost but Found]]
#[[Corrupted]]
#[[Simulating Wilderness]]
#[[All Wrapped Up]]
#[[Shop Girls]]
#[[In Just Seven Days...]]
#[[A Curious Girl in a Cruel World]]
#[[Tethered]]
#[[Building a Perfect Mate]]
#[[Falling Awake]]
#[[Shame.exe]]
#[[The Sales Pitch]]
#[[Passing Mustard]]
#[[Crashing Your Crush]]

===[[Stories/GZ02|GZ02]]===

#[[A Day In The Life Of Joseph Avens]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''H'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Handle|Handle]]===

#[[Bell City Tales Story 1]]

===[[Stories/Hermes|Hermes]]===

#[[Jumplead]]

===[[Stories/Hlprhlpr|Hlprhlpr]]===

#[[Sparx - Priority Service Call]]
#[[Sparx: Troubleshooting A Design Flaw]]

===[[Stories/Hola_guy|Hola_guy]]===

#[[A Yet Untitled Story]]
#[[Loveless]]

===[[Stories/HypnoticProse]]===

#[[Autolog of a Synthetic Mom]]
</div></div>
|
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''I'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/inky 2|inky 2]]===

#[[Sloane]]
#[[Quiet Night In]]
#[[Emergency Repair]]
#[[Registration]]

===[[Stories/Input9|Input9]]===

#[[Robbery]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''J'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/JakeCTom|JakeCTom]]===

#[[K600]]

===[[Stories/Jay Petto|Jay Petto]]===

#[[Back To The Circuit Board]]

===[[Stories/Jaydee|Jaydee]]===

#[[An Inside Job]]
#[[Malfunctioning Fembot Writes...]]

===[[Stories/JeffCapes|JeffCapes]]===

#[[Cara and the Mystery Robobabe]]

===[[Stories/JohnFabar4|JohnFabar4]]===

#[[First Story]]

===[[Stories/Jolshefsky|Jolshefsky]]===

#[[Karen's Date]]
#[[Doctor Who fanfic]]
#[[A Trip to the ER]]
#[[Loyalty]]

===[[Stories/Jpetoh|Jpetoh]]===

#[[Crash]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''K'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Kano|Kano]]===

#[[Monday]]
#[[Friday]]

===[[Stories/Karel|Karel]]===

#[[Mistress Mira]]
#[[R-Bots]]
#[[Two-Perfect!]]
#[[Mmmmegan]]
#[[Merger]]

===[[Stories/KB7RKY|KB7RKY]]===

#[[Charlie 25]]
#[[Reflections]]
#[[Service Call]]
#[[Shadowrun II - Into The Awakened Lands]]

===[[Stories/Keizo|Keizo]]===

#[[The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 1]]
#[[The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 2]] (Portia)
#[[The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 3]] (The "Lost Chapter")
#[[Hell's Canary]]
#[[Are You Serious?]]

===[[Stories/kelbek00|kelbek00]]===

#[[Perfection]]
#[[Repo]]

===[[Stories/KernalGovernor101|KernalGovernor101]]===

#[[Soccer-Mom Unit - Prequel]]
#[[T-Series - Actual Story]]
#[[Synth-Co]]
#[[Yet to be Titled Story]]
#[[Deep Research]]

===[[Stories/Kishin|Kishin]]===

#[[A Long Sleep]]
#[[The Vengeance of the Slave]]
#[[The Robo-Lover]]
#[[Androids At War]]
#[[Death]]
#[[Rebirth]]
#[[Nova's First Job]]
#[[The Vile Collector]]
#[[NVA Showdown]]
#[[The Mourning After]]
#[[The House of the Dead]]
#[[An Unexpected Guest]]
#[[Voice of the Void]]
#[[Garbage]]
#[[Fangs of Steel]]
#[[Killers]]
#[[Fate]]
#[[Berserker]]
#[[Creation (Nova Recreated)]]
#[[I Didn't Know]]
#[[Killers (Knights) Hiding Among Our Slaves]]
#[[Tales Of The Risen Future: Nova's Story]]
#[[The World Walker]]
#[[Glory]]
#[[Thank You For Your Patronage!]]

===[[Stories/Korby|Korby]]===

#[[An Afternoon To Remember]]
#[[Holiday In The Sun]]
#[[Tales From Dyson Institute: Two Vignettes]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: Making Movies]]
#[[After the Makeover]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: In the Shop]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: Mile-high Club]]
#[[Untitled (Korby)]]
#[[JLA/Fembots]]
#[[Dr. Dyson on Lesbotics]]
#[[Remaking Rebecca]]
#[[Another Makeover]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: Elaine, Rebecca, and Shannen]]
#[[The Appointment]]

===[[Stories/Kriegsaffe No. 9|Kriegsaffe No. 9]]===

#[[Josephson/Keegan Vs Man w/Android Wife]]
#[[1985, Paris, France...]]
#[[The Golden Dawn]]
#[[Duplican't? Dupli-Can't!]]
#[[Saucy Puppet Show]]

===[[Stories/Kube²|Kube²]]===

#[[Fembot User Manual]]
#[[Cindy]]
#[[Kelly 800 perfect lingerie model]]

</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''L'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/La Femme Nikki|La Femme Nikki]]===

#[[My Life as a Sexbot]]
#[[AlyssaBot]]

===[[Stories/Lady Mecha|Lady Mecha]]===

#[[Strange But Wonderful Happenings]]

===[[Stories/Lilith|Lilith]]===

#[[Love After the Battlefield]]
#[[TPU-SOA Hack Job]]
#[[College Story Anthology]]
#[[CyberSlinger]]
#[[Blind Troubleshooting Stream]]

===[[Stories/liliwinnt6|liliwinnt6]]===

#[[A Surprising Breakfast]]
#[[The Grocery Store - Aftermath]]
#[[Boris The Repairman - Some Recharge Sessions]]

===[[Stories/Linnies|Linnies]]===

#[[The Ride Home]]
#[[Demonstration Unit]]
#[[A Change of Hair]]
#[[The Cook]]
#[[The Stewards]]
#[[Processor Test]]
#[[Sugar Cube Girl]]
#[[The Cure]]
#[[Super X Clean]]

===[[Stories/linzhang77|linzhang77]]===

#[[Naiad - Deluge Past]]

===[[Stories/Lithorien|Lithorien]]===

#[[Heather]]

===[[Stories/Loganov|Loganov]]===

#[[The Final Frontier]]
#[[Untitled (Loganov)|Untitled]]

===[[Stories/LongTimeLurker|LongTimeLurker]]===

#[[Clockwork Legacy]] (Lady in Waiting)
##[[Clockwork_Legacy/Lady_in_Waiting/Part_1|Lady in Waiting]]
##[[Clockwork_Legacy/Line_of_Succession/Part_1|Line of Succession]]
##[[Clockwork_Legacy/Inheritance|Inheritance]]
#[[Andrew and the Sexbot Factory]]
##[[Andrew_and_the_Sexbot_Factory/Prototype/Part_1|Prototype]]
##[[Andrew_and_the_Sexbot_Factory/Field_Test/Part_1|Field Test]]
##[[Andrew_and_the_Sexbot_Factory/Production_Model|Production Model]]
#[[Solipsistic]]
#[[Electrostatic]]
#[[Crash Immelmann in the Year 30XX]]
#[[Diagnostic]]
#[[FYOP/Scenario_Chamber]]
#[[The Co-Star]]
#[[Bot Town Blues]]
#[[Salvage]]
#[[Crash Immelmann and the Inflatable Sex-Bots from Planet X!]]
#[[Five Nights at Fanny's]]
#[[Nihilistic]]
#[[Fire Hazard]]
#[[House Call]]
#[[Crash Immelmann vs. the Dread Pirate Holt!]]
#[[The Haunted Manor]]
#[[Omnic Replica]]
#[[Naughty or Nice]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''M'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Maxyz|Maxyz]]===

#[[Cyber Angels]]
#[[Spectrum Dolls]]

===[[Stories/Mad Mechacow|Mad Mechacow]]===

#[[Tales of Syntech]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 2]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 3]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 4]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 5]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 6]]

===[[Stories/Malkozaine|Malkozaine]]===

#[[A Start to Something Big]]

===[[Stories/McLane|McLane]]===

#[[Cancelled Project]]

===[[Stories/Metal-Destiny|Metal-Destiny]]===

#[[Story 48: Julie's Awakenings]]
#[[Human Failure. (2200)]]

===[[Stories/Ministrations|Ministrations]]===

#[[Shannon's Third Law]]
#[[Tiffany's Third Law]]

===[[Stories/Mirage|Mirage]]===

#[[The Bounty Hunter]]
#[[Best Friends]]
#[[Fighting Love]]
#[[A.D.P.I. (Advance Police Investigations): Case 2]]
#[[A.D.P.I. Case 3: Transformation Of A Butterfly]]
#[[Blood Angel]]
#[[Deception]]
#[[Errors And Glitches]]
#[[Family Affair]]
#[[Family Life]]
#[[Favourite Parodies]]
#[[Lonely With The Ages]]
#[[Lying And Cheating!]]
#[[My Tutor]]
#[[Not Perfect]]
#[[Regret]]
#[[Secret Wishes]]
#[[Secretaries]]
#[[Shock]]
#[[Spanish Fly Virus]]
#[[Tennis, Anyone?]]
#[[The Lullaby]]
#[[The Package]]
#[[The Red Roses]]
#[[The Student]]
#[[The Temp]]
#[[The Visit]]
#[[Visiting The In-Laws]]
#[[A Nice Gesture]]
#[[Ever Lasting Smile]]
#[[Finding True Happiness]]
#[[Alive?]]
#[[The New Girl]]
#[[The Nurse]]
#[[Chase]]
#[[The First Time...]]
#[[An Offer That Can't Be Refused]]
#[[The Unwanted Gift]]
#[[Losing One's Self]]
#[[What's Important Is What's In The Inside]]
#[[Sitting On The Couch]]
#[[Can You Fix It?]]
#[[Ugly]]
#[[Finally]]
#[[Bad Dreams]]
#[[Apartment 7]]
#[[Married to a Machine]]
#[[My First and Last Robotic Date]]
#[[Remote Me]]
#[[Missing]]
#[[Roll With It]]
#[[Still Rolling]]
#[[Happy Easter]]
#[[Roll For Sale/Dr. Willy's Reaction]]
#[[Testing, 1,2,3]]
#[[Why worry?]]
#[[A Break Up and a Break Down]]
#[[Cat Out of the Bag]]
#[[Crashing and Some Sex Mode Action]]
#[[I Did Astro's Mom]]
#[[The Lunch]]
#[[My Not So Perfect Woman]]
#[[Why?]]
#[[The Perfect Female A.I.]]
#[[The Car Crash]]
#[[My Neighbor's Wife is Sucking My Cock]]
#[[The Last Goodbye]]
#[[Across the street]]
#[[The Diva]]

===[[Stories/MisterXYZ (RoboTomo)|MisterXYZ (RoboTomo)]]===

#[[How I Ran Into Roboko]]
#[[To Love a Girl]]
#[[Onsen Lust 'n Rust]]
#[[Room 9 Surprise]]
#[[A Huge Add-On]]

===[[Stories/mister_minations|mister_minations]]===

#[[Unusual Bathtime Conversation]]
#[[Unusual Chance Encounter]]
#[[Rusted Rails]]
#[[Unusual Benefits]]

===[[Stories/Mixgull|Mixgull]]===

#[[Code name J-85]]

===[[Stories/Miz-K Takase|Miz-K Takase]]===

#[[Mail-Order Aya]]
#[[Lusty Encore]]
#[[Lusty 2nd Encore]]
#[[Lusty 3rd Encore]]

===[[Stories/Morgan Cartlann|Morgan Cartlann]]===
#

===[[Stories/MrMagoo|MrMagoo]]===

#[[Tech Tutorial]]
#[[Salvaged Hardware]]
#[[Deadline]]

===[[Stories/MrPassable|MrPassable]]===

#[[Programmed Fantasy]]

===[[Stories/Murotsu|Murotsu]]===

#[[Debbi's Diary]]
#[[Some Assembly Required]]

===[[Stories/Muzzleruffels|Muzzleruffels]]===

#[[Freak-World]]
##[[Mermaid Examination]]
##[[Controlled Environment Prologue]]
##[[A Statement of Progress + Bonus Stories]]
##[[Freak-World: Prologue]]
##[[Freak-World: The Side Stories]]
##[[Freak-World: Dreaming Beyond Electric Sheep]]
##[[Freak-World: Anthologies]]

===[[Stories/MysteriousShadow|MysteriousShadow]]===

#[[Lily's Story]]
#[[Debugging]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''N'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[NicoCheese]]===

#[[Nico's Section of Silly Snippets]]
#[[Chilling With Maggie]]
#[[Trouble in the Mushroom Kingdom]]
#[[A Pokemon Encounter Down Route 22]]
#[[Legosi x Juno Meltdown]]
#[[A Unique Kind of Car Wash]]
#[[Chilling With Maggie Again]]

===[[Stories/Nybble|Nybble]]===

#[[Scheduled Maintenance]]
#[[The Third Pew]]
#[[Therapy]]
#[[Pimp My Ride]]
#[[Working Late]]
#[[The Hammer]]
#[[Something Borrowed]]
#[[Doctor's Visit]]
#[[Strangers on a Plane]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''O'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Outsider|Outsider]]===

#[[Dyson Institute: Sexual Testing Mode]]
#[[Technical Difficulties]]
#[[The Sex Coders]]

===[[Stories/Osenator|Osenator]]===

#[[Bounty Hunter]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''P'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Pakled|Pakled]]===

#[[Everything Old is New Again]]
#[[One of Our Robots is Missing]]
#[[Palindrome]]
#[[Solve for X]]
#[[Double Blind]]
#[[An Unexpected Modification]]

===[[Stories/Palindrome|Palindrome]]===

#[[Sarah Jones]]
#[[After the Club]]

===[[Stories/Pennon|Pennon]]===

#[[The Delivery]]

===[[Stories/Petey|Petey]]===

#[[Vickybot/Victoria]]
#[[The Rubdown]]
#[[Dyson Family Values]]
#[[A Second Rubdown]]
#[[Becoming the Perfect Wife]]
#[[Introducing the Perfect Wife]]

===[[Stories/Plastic_rose|Plastic_rose]]===

#[[Getting off on the wrong foot (Gloria's conversion)]]

===[[Stories/Porcelaingirl|Porcelaingirl]]===

#[[Plane as Day]]

===[[Stories/Propman|Propman]]===

*Unfinished Tidbits

#[[Tronic Ella]]
#[[Evil, Evil, Everywhere!]]
#[[Mrs. Claw Strikes!]]
#[[Blondie and Sarge in:A Haunted Mansion]]
#[[Job Interview]]
#[[Project Titan]]
#[[Busted]]

*Complete Stories

#[[Prototype]]
#[[Steel Fists No Hearts]]
#[[Upgrade/Downgrade]]
#[[One in Six]]
#[[Board Meeting]]
#[[Kia Takes Control]]
#[[Cassie Saves the Day]]
#[[Flying Free]]
#[[Catwoman and the Little Mice]]
#[[In Control]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#[[Kate on the Run]]
#[[Meeting the Superstar]]
#[[Boybot to girlbot]]
#[[Michelle vs. Number One]]

*The ReVerse

#Castle Mysteries
##[[Mysteries Of The Castle!]]
##[[Contessa Vampire Hunter]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
##Contessa in [[Just Another Afternoon]]
##Contessa in [[Meet My Jenkinses]]
##Duchess Winifred in [[Not Quite Human]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
##Contessa in [[Sick Day]]
##Contessa in [[Sex and Violence]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#Maddie and Ted
##[[Doll And Her Teddy]]
##[[Maddie Follows Orders]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#Boom-Boom
##[[BoomBoom Bots]]
##[[BoomBoom's Back]]
#[[My New PDA]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#Lazy Phone in [[The Booze Run]]

*Jamie's Over

#[[Jamies out shopping]]
#[[Jamies night out]]

*Other

#[[Fembot Alphabet]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''Q'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Quietness|Quietness]]===

#[[Can't Sleep]]
#[[Meanwhile]]
#[[The Encounter]]
</div></div>
|
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''R'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/RancidInsanity|RancidInsanity]]===

#[[Waring Sisters]]
#[[Failura]]
#[[Ceres]]
#[[Christmas in Russia]]
#[[The Big Crazy Plan]]
#[[Suzie the Therapist]]
#[[The Phantom of the Factory]]
#[[Cassie]]
#[[Batman:Fembots]]
#[[The Mansion of Andrea]]
#[[Noura & Natalya]]
#[[Sync Wars]]
#[[Cyber Party]]
#[[Futuristic Ligeia]]
#[[Futuristic Der Sandmann]]
#[[Camping Trip]]
#[[King Cecil and the Three Collars]]

===[[Stories/Ratbot|Ratbot]]===

#[[Emi-Bot]]

===[[Storie/RebeccaRobot200|RebeccaRobot2000]]===

#[[Rebecca's Trip to the Surface]]

===[[Stories/Repairman Jack|Repairman Jack]]===

#[[Theives]]

===[[Stories/rfhbv|rfhbv]]===

#[[Saga of Congan]]

===[[Stories/RoxxyRobofox|RoxxyRobofox]]===

#[[As Seen on TV]]
#[[Hobby Model]]
#[[Basic Services]]
#[[Children of the Forge]]
#[[Wardrobe Malfunction]]
#[[Management Issues]]
#[[Simple Things]]
#[[Consequences]]
#[[Vampire Killer]]
#[[Better than Human]]
#[[Fembot Fighters]]
#[[Just for you]]
#[[Six Strings]]
#[[Densetsu no Batoru]]
#[[Carolina Jones and the Spear of Longinus]]
#[[Malfunctioning Perfectly]]
#[[Desire Unit Delux]]
#[[Outdated Bunny]]
#[[Jodie is So Hot: Short Story]]

===[[Stories/Robo-Admirer|Robo-Admirer]]===

#[[Long time in the waiting]]
#[[Tiffany]]
#[[One in a Billion]]
#[[The Problem with Automation]]
#[[The Escort]]
#[[The Date]]
#[[A Little Game]]
#[[Technology Free Weekend]]
#[[The House Sitter]]
#[[Subliminal Competition]]
#[[Jennifer & Katherine]]
#[[Late Night Sabotage]]

===[[Stories/RoboMilfLover|RoboMilfLover]]===
#[[Mother-Daughter time]]

===[[Stories/RobotWorld5|RobotWorld5]]===

#[[Fembot World]]
#[[A Night With Vanessa]]

===[[Stories/RobOught2|RobOught2]]===

#[[Introducing Rachael Sing]]

===[[Stories/RS5420|RS5420]]===

#[[Class C (by WilloWisp, modified by RS5420)]]
#[[Beautiful, Smart and...Running A Software]]
#[[Hollywood Hardware (by Borias/Modded by RS5420)]]

===[[Stories/rynchan|rynchan]]===

#[[Phantom Doll]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''S'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Sable|Sable]]===

#[[Fixing Sable]]

===[[Stories/Sanjuro|Sanjuro]]===

#[[A Gift from Tomorrow]]

===[[Stories/Sara-c|Sara-c]]===

#[[Autonomy]]
#[[Clichés]]
#[[Gift]]
#[[The Enemy of My Enemy]]

===[[Stories/Sarabot|Sarabot]]===

#[[Sarabot's First Story]]
#[[Sarabot's Second Story]]
#[[The Robotic Nurse]]
#[[Kristen's Upgrade]]
#[[My Hot Robot Wife (+Bonus Story)]]
#[[The Cheerleader]]
#[[Disassemble Me]]
#[[Kristen's Upgrade Part II]]
#[[Kristen's Overhaul]]
#[[Kristenbot Gets Married]]

===[[Stories/Saradroidgirl|Saradroidgirl]]===

#[[Sara_-_The_Return|Sara - The Return]]

===[[Stories/Saya|Saya]]===

#[[A Most Unusual Party]]
#[[Futago no Shinami]]
#[[Sammy's Party]]
#[[Mending Contessa: A Castle Mysteries Story]]
#[[Crazy in the Heat]]
#[[After Hours]]
#[[The Time With My Stepsister]]
#[[Coming Home]]
#[[Crossfire]]

===[[Stories/Scott|Scott]]===

#[[Four Hours]]

===[[Stories/Sega-boy|Sega-boy]]===

#[[Abbott Chronicles]]

===[[Stories/Sekker|Sekker]]===

#[[Too Good To Be True]]

===[[Stories/Sentient6|Sentient6]]===

#[[Pixillate]]
#[[5 Friends - A Thesis on Full Body Prosthesis]]
#[[Heather's Battery Failure]]

===[[Stories/Serf|Serf]]===

#[[Party Girls]]

===[[Stories/sfreader|sfreader]]===

#[[Rachel (Mark III) meets Trixie (Mark V)]]
#[[Halloween 2053/The One That Got Away]]
#[[Regina Repurposed]]
#[[Nancy Runs a Program]]
#[[Sally Sleeperbot finds out her WHY]]
#[[An April Fool’s day story-Journey to obsolesce]]

===[[Stories/shutdown|shutdown]]===

#[[The Truck Driver]]
#[[Another Time]]

===[[Stories/Silent Lurker|Silent Lurker]]===

#[[Aquaphobia]]
#[[Cheerleader]]
#[[Happy New Year]]
#[[New Roommate]]

===[[Stories/Silkscreen|Silkscreen]]===

#[[Functional•Sensual•You]]
#[[Protect and Severe]]

===[[Stories/Sleeps|Sleeps]]===

#[[Casino of Deception:Jackpot]]

===[[Stories/smalk|smalk]]===

#[[Anniversary Present]]

===[[Stories/Soleful|Soleful]]===

#[[Coming of Age]]
#[[POD, The Fetish-Bot]]

===[[Stories/Spaz|Spaz]]===

#[[A Simple Business Arrangement*]]
#[[A.I.L.A]]
#[[Blind Date]]
#[[Daydreaming]]
#[[G.O.D. - a vignette]]
#[[Haunted House - A Short]]
#[[Lost in the Shuffle]]
#[[Medical Exam: A Short]]
#[[New Life]]
#[[Self-repair]]
#[[The Foreign Exchange Student]]
#[[The Girlfriend]]
#[[The Heiress]]
#[[The Replacement]]
#[[The Roommate]]
#[[The Stockroom]]
#[[The Teammate]]

---------------------------------------------
'''The Small Business Chronicles'''

[[The Small Business Chronicles]]

'''Season One:'''

#[[Closed for Christmas - The Shop]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 1]]
#[[Off-season - The Motel]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 2]]
#[[Slow day - The Cafe]]
#[[The Small Business - End-of-Year Review]]

'''Season Two:'''

#[[Homefront - The House]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 3]]
#[[Green Thumb - The Greenhouse]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 4]]
----------------------------------------------
"Spaz Studios Presents" anthology series:

#[[Fizzy Pop]]
#[[Substitute]]
#[[Forbidden Fruit]]
#[[The Uncanny Valley]]
#[[The Future Expo]]

---------------------------------------------
[[A Visitor's Guide to The Uncanny Valley]]

#[[Awakening]]
#[[House Call - Spaz]]
#[[The Body Borrower]]
#[[The Headless Hunt]]

---------------------------------------------

*Collaborations:

#[[The Beach]] with [[:Category:Sthurmovik|Sthurmovik]]
#[[The Handyman]] with [[:Category:Sthurmovik|Sthurmovik]]

---------------------------------------------

*Manbot Stories:

#[[My Roommate's Secret]]
#[[Skyler]]

===[[Stories/spider_silk_skin|spider_silk_skin]]===

#[[Late Night Maintenance]]
#[[Super Sexy Robot Cowgirl]]

===[[Stories/Stephaniebot|Stephaniebot]]===

#[[Dyson Institute (Stephaniebot)|Dyson Institute]]
#[[Pleasurebot 8]]
#[[A Bit More Than Method Acting]]

===[[Stories/Sthurmovik|Sthurmovik]]===

#[[Non-Standard Operating Procedure]]
#[[Mirror Image]]
#[[Extracted]]

===[[Stories/sTj2000|sTj2000]]===

#[[Afternoon Appointment]]

===[[Stories/Svengli|Svengli]]===

#[[Bethany in Room B]]

===[[Stories/SynchError|SynchError]]===

#[[Budget Robotics (A Fun and Light Robotic Relationship)]]
#[[Historical Strategy, According to a Bunch of Fembots]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''T'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Taren Capel|Taren Capel]]===

#[[Chi City, 2152]]

===[[Stories/tectile|tectile]]===

#[[The Trade In]]
#[[Boy Meets... Girl?]]

===[[Stories/Teknophile|Teknophile]]===

#[[The Android Psychiatrist]]
#[[Super Fembot Cheerleaders From Space!]]
#[[At The Body Shop]]

===[[Stories/TheAlternative|TheAlternative]]===

#[[Corsetta]]

===[[Stories/The Egg|The Egg]]===

#[[The Quarry]]
#[[Swing Shift]]

===[[Stories/The Liar|The Liar]]===

#[[Maid To Order]] (Incomplete)
#[[Professor Jenkins' 12,567th Invention]] (Incomplete)
#[[Hide and Seek]]
#[[Keith's Paradise]] (Incomplete)
#[[My Keeper]] (Incomplete)
#[[Identity]] (Incomplete)
#[[EMOS - DSR: Prologue]] (Incomplete)
#[[Back to BASIC]]
#[[A Contradiction of Life]]
#[[Friends Forever]]
#[[Liberty]]
#[[Seamless]]
#[[Her Prince]] (Vignette)
#[[The Company Girl]] (Vignette)
#[[Faust 2.0]] (Comic)
#[[Bad Romance]] (Comic)(Ongoing)
#[[Finding Yourself]] (Comic)
#[[Kernel]] (Comic)
#[[So... my friends have been acting weird lately]] (Comic)
#[[Trendsetting]] (Comic)

*Centauri Republic

#[[The Perils of the Fembot Dating Scene]] (Comic)
#[[Sybil's Shadow]] (Comic)

*Wasteland Paradise

#[[Wasteland Paradise:Prologue]] (Comic)
#[[Dr.Desire]] (Comic)

*The Bluegate Chronicles

#[[Little Things]]
#[[Agency and Programing]] (Comic)
#[[Progenitors and Progeny]] (Comic)
#[[Hour of the Wolf]] (Comic)

*The Reid Chronicles

#[[The Misadventures Rose Reid, Ace Reporter]]

*Robocadet Mika

#[[Enlistment]] (Comic)
#[[Robotcadet Mika 2: Training|Training]] (Comic)

*Fiction-O-Matic

#[[Fiction-O-Matic 1]] (Comic)

*One-Shot Comics

#[[Abigail 2.0]] (Comic)
#[[The Gilded Cage]] (Comic)
#[[I am Charlotte Favager]] (Comic)
#[[Con(Re)version?]] (Comic)
#[[?????? Station]] (Comic)
#[[Make your own story 1]](Comic)
#[[Take a Hint!]] (Comic)
#[[Synthetic Pride]] (Comic)
#[[All I Want for Christmas is You]] (Comic)
#[[Do appliances count?]] (Comic)
#[[Nightmare Scenario]] (Comic)
#[[Downtime]] (Comic)

*Adaptations

#[[Of Rent and Robots(Comic Adaptation)]]

===[[Stories/TheShoveller|TheShoveller]]===

#[[Untitled Fantasy Land Story]]
#[[Crossfire]]

===[[Stories/TheSpotConlon|TheSpotConlon]]===

#[[Can't You Hear Me Howl]]
#[[Dr. Doone and the Series Eight]]
#[[The Yard Sale]]
#[[Jumper...]]
#[[Persona Tests: Pamela One Point Zero]]
#[[Persona Tests: McKenzie One Point Zero]]

*The Lauren Barnes Stories (TheSpotConlon)

#[[The Peculiar Journey Of Lauren Barnes]]
#[[The Imprisonment Of Lauren Barnes]]
#[[The Parallel Lives Of Lauren Barnes]]

*The "Momentary" Series (TheSpotConlon)

#[[The Moment When]]
#[[Ping]]
#[[The First Moment in Her Head]]
#[[The Moment in the Bar]]

*GPT Stories

#[[GPT Story: Sarah Meets Her Roommate]]
#[[GPT Story: Robin Programs a New Unit]]

===[[Stories/TheThingBelow|TheThingBelow]]===

#[[Concert Day]]

===[[Stories/Tio|Tio]]===

#[[Through My Eyes]]
#[[New Garden]]
#[[Diaries Of A Fembot]]
#[[Down On The Farm]]

===[[Stories/Tom|Tom]]===

#[[The Wedding (An Old Fashioned Story)]]

===[[Stories/Tringa|Tringa]]===

#[[Otaku's Adventure]]

===[[Stories/TW|TW]]===

#[[Awake]]
#[[A Helping Hand]]
#[[Practice Run]]

===[[Stories/Tyrelayne|Tyrelayne]]===

#[[Deicide]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''U'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Uncom|Uncom]]===

*The Revolution

#[[The Revolution - Book One]]
#[[The Revolution - Book Two]]
#[[The Revolution - Book Three]]

*The Akaran Archives

#[[The Akaran Archives - Book One]]
#[[The Akaran Archives - Book Two]]

*Commissions

#[[The Biggest Fan]]
#[[Nintendon't does what Secan't]]

*Other Comics

#[[Following the Trail]]
#[[Home Sweet Qaraqorum]]
#[[Bury the Hatchet]]
#[[Generic Christmas Story]]
#[[Welcome to Dolls' Labs]]
#[[Autumn's Updates]]
#[[New Girl]]
#[[My Time With Nozomi]]
#[[Nearly Automata]]
#[[Work Troubles]]
#[[Going Shopping]]
#[[Giving Literal Head]]
#[[Not Waterproof]]
#[[Date With A Robot]]
#[[Cosplaybots]]
#[[Bombe Fatale]]
#[[An Unusual Rivalry]]
#[[Almost Too Perfect]]

===[[Stories/Unit-794Courtney|Unit-794Courtney]]===

#[[Coco's Convertion (Robot/Sexdoll/Forced TF Themes)]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''V'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Voopo|Voopo]]===
#[[Robo Karin]]
#[[Target]]
#[[Mom-Bot]]

</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''W'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/warpgirl|warpgirl]]===

#[[Astromech Lust]]

===[[Stories/WilloWisp|WilloWisp]]===

#[[Nybble's Doctors Visit - Revisited]]
#[[Class C]]
#[[Customer Service (WilloWisp)|Customer Service]]
#[[Virus Alert]]
#[[Identity 2.0]]

===[[Stories/Wjbaines|Wjbaines]]===

#[[Jo-Ann and Brandy]]
#[[Darsi, Bruce and Natalie]]
#[[Bad Sportspersonship]]
#[[She Didn't Learn Her Lesson]]
#[[Alyssa Follows Her Directives]]
#[[Sorority Coup d'Etat]]
#[[Valentina Messes with her Tech]]
#[[April Showers]]
#[[Vacations in Switzerland]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''X'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/XandiMouse|XandiMouse]]===

#[[The One]]

===[[Stories/Xavier Cecil|Xavier Cecil]]===

#[[Gecko of the Moment]]

===[[Stories/Xeran|Xeran]]===

#[[Synthgirls teaser]]
#[[Synthgirls]]
#[[The Hunted]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''Y'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/YajuShinki|YajuShinki]]===

#[[RoboReview: Animetronics MCB-NIN0057]]
#[[RoboReview: Input/Output Q&A]]
#[[Hana's Catastrophic Failure]]
#[[Hana's Rebirth and Death]]
#[[Rena-Doll's Self-Voided Warranty]]
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''Z'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/zapped!|zapped!]]===

#[[Girls Under Glass]]

===[[Stories/Zor|Zor]]===

#[[Darwin Accelerated]]
</div></div>
|}

<small>''See also: [[Stories sorted by type]] | [[Stories sorted by category]]''</small>

=Collaborations=
{| width="{{{1|100%}}}" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background-color:transparent;table-layout:fixed;"
|- valign="top"
|
===[[Follow your own plot]]===

*[[FYOP/The Lab Scene|The Lab Scene]]
*[[FYOP/Create A Fembot 2.0|Create A Fembot 2.0]]
*[[FYOP/Planet of the Gynoids|Planet of the Gynoids]]
*[[FYOP/My Life as a Robot|My Life as a Robot]]
*[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware|Hollywood Hardware]]
*[[FYOP/Tabula Rasa|Tabula Rasa]]
*[[FYOP/The Adventures of Alice|The Adventures of Alice]]
*[[FYOP/To Love a Sexbot/To Love a Sexbot|To Love a Sexbot]]
*[[FYOP/Scenario Chamber|Scenario Chamber]]
*[[FYOP/Alberts Discount Android Warehouse|Alberts Discount Android Warehouse]]
|

===[[Stories/Create-A-Story|Create-A-Story (various)]]===

#[[Create-A-Story 1]]
#[[Create-A-Story 2]]
#[[Create-A-Story 3]]
|
===[[Stories/Dyson Institute|Dyson Institute (RX3000/Korby)]]===

*[[Story Universe (Dyson Institute)|Story Universe]]

#[[The Makeover]]
#[[After The Makeover]]
#[[Dyson Institute/Mile-High Club]]
#[[A Conversation With Dr. Dyson]]
|}

=A.I. Generated Content=
{| width="{{{1|100%}}}" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background-color:transparent;table-layout:fixed;"
|- valign="top"
|
===[[GPT]]===
#[[GPT Story: Sarah Meets Her Roommate]]
#[[GPT Story: Robin Programs a New Unit]]
|

|

|}

[[Category:Features]]
[[Category:Stories]]
[[Category:GPT]]

Sex and Violence

2022-07-20T19:34:44Z

Australopith: /* Chapter 2 */

Stories

2022-07-20T09:03:37Z

Australopith: /* Australopith */

<center><div class="fw-title" width="100%">Story Archive</div></center><br />
<br />
<center>__NOTOC__

<inputbox>
type=create
break=no
</inputbox>

=Author=
We currently have stories from 202 authors. Expand the boxes below to read their works!
{| width="{{{1|100%}}}" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="backgroun-color:transparent;table-layout:fixed;"
|- valign="top"
|
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''0-9'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/1001011001|1001011001]]===

#[[Customer Service]]
#[[Dollsnatcher]]
#[[Hollywood]]
#[[Sketch Artist]]
#[[The Trial]]
#[[Spy Report]]

===[[Stories/123bot|123bot]]===

#[[Rebecca]]
#[[Rebecca: Lisa]]

===[[Stories/33cl33|33cl33]]===

#[[A Very Welcome Surprise]]
#[[Dinner Guests]]

===[[Stories/60Binder|60Binder]]===

#[[Simply Sandy]]

===[[Stories/73737373737373|73737373737373]]===

#[[Prototype Abridged]]
#[[Field Test Abridged]]
#[[Private Coverage of the Underground Fembot Athletics]]
#[[Master Loves Twin Girls]]

</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''A'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Aaack|Aaack]]===

#[[Theresa]]
#[[Baila Mari]]

===[[Stories/Aerosol Kid|Aerosol Kid]]===

#[[Femella Ex Machina]]

===[[Stories/Agent Smith|Agent Smith]]===

#[[The Android Riots Of 2033]]

===[[Stories/alaval92|alaval92]]===

#[[Too Perfect]]
#[[Conspiracy]]

===[[Stories/Andrewd|Andrewd]]===

#[[Andrew's Research]]

===[[Stories/Anna|Anna]]===

#[[Zero - The People's Icon]]

===[[Stories/Apok|Apok]]===

#[[A Rebooted Life]]
#[[Second-Rate]]
#[[Unit Two]]
#[[Sig's Upgrade]]
#[[Protection]]
#[[Hotline]]
#[[Sergeant Lynn]]

===[[Stories/Ashyne|Ashyne]]===

#[[First Contact: Horror Unleashed]]

===[[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]]===

*The ReVerse (many characters originated by [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])

#Castle Mysteries
##[[Castle Mysteries!: Coup De Grace|Coup De Grace]]
##[[Contessa Vampire Hunter]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])
##Duchess Winifred in [[Not Quite Human]]
##Contessa in [[Sex and Violence]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])

#Other Characters
##[[Wasabi: A Boom-Boom Joint]]
##[[Lazy Phone]]
##Lazy Phone in [[The Booze Run]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])
##Maddie and Ted in [[Maddie Follows Orders]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])

*Other Stories
#[[Alisha's Room]]

===[[Stories/Avoyak|Avoyak]]===

#[[Katerina, type 02 Robot]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''B'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/BA|BA]]===

#[[Home Service warranty]]
#[[Business Class]]
#[[Childminder]]
#[[CLAIRE 33]]
#[[Holiday]]
#[[Information Retrieval]]
#[[Mrs. Allen's Two O'Clock]]
#[[Sisterhood]]
#[[Upgrading Beth]]
#[[Just One Quick Question...]]
#[[Helpline]]
#[[Cooperant Pair]]
#[[Traffic Incident]]
#[[Survival]]
#[[Assistant]]
#[[Tech Refresh]]
#[[Mechanic]]
#[[Denial Of Service Attack]]
#[[Ignorance is Bliss]]
#[[Jenny]]
#[[Aptitude Test]]
#[[Special Agent]]
#[[Generations]]
#[[Housewife]]
#[[Green Flag]]
#[[Houseguest]]
#[[A Place to Stay]]
#[[Karen]]
#[[Service Please]]
#[[Date Calibration]]
#[[Plastic Trash]]
#[[Threshold]]
#[[Party Night - unfinished]]
#[[Empty City]]
#[[Bad Day]]
#[[An Interview With Janet]]
#[[Combat Sex Droids: No Limits]]
#[[How Far Will She Go on a First Date]]
#[[Tech Error]]
#[[The Rutuksee Clinique Case]]
#[[Investigative]]
#[[New Toy]]
#[[Feeling a Little Peculiar...]]
#[[Commissioning Test]]
#[[A Short Conversation at RoboDepot]]
#[[Self Harmer]]

===[[Stories/Bad Kitty|Bad Kitty]]===

#[[Confessions of a Robo-Hottie]]

===[[Stories/Baron|Baron]]===

#[[Law & Order SVU TNG - Cops Get Religion]]
#[[About The I-12 Kronicles]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 1: R.O.S.I.E]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 2: Gina]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 3: Rochelle]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 4: Maisie]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 5: Chase]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 6: Liza-Beta]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 7: The Homecoming]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 8: One Zero Nightmare]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 9: Miseries Miracles & More Miseries]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 10: Inspektor Jekyll, Gone Mr. Hyde?]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 11: The Legends of KFC & Blueboy]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 11a: Dual Homage II]]

===[[Stories/Bart|Bart]]===

#[[Return Home]]
#[[Free Shipping]]
#[[Annie's Successor]]

===[[Stories/Battery|Battery]]===

#[[Science Ethics|Science Ethics (with Darkbutflashy)]]
#[[Hard_Robot_Lesbians|Hard Robot Lesbians (Courtney gears-Betty Sparks shipping)]]

===[[Stories/Bigcoyote|Bigcoyote]]===

#[[Maryanne One]]

===[[Stories/Bilbo1|Bilbo1]]===

#[[Processed Love]]

===[[Stories/Blake Sigma|Blake Sigma]]===

#[[Where Are You, Lovely?]]
#[[A.I.L.A.: Birth]]
#[[TITAN S]]

===[[Stories/blond111|blond111]]===

#[[Kiabot]]

===[[Stories/bolton|bolton]]===

#[[Skin]]

===[[Stories/Bombforabooty|Bombforabooty]]===

#[[Public Explosions]]

===[[Stories/Bonita772|Bonita772]]===

#[[Wife Repair]]

===[[Stories/boolean2|boolean2]]===

#[[Clearance]]

===[[Stories/Botfriend2000|Botfriend2000]]===

#[[The Purchase...]]
#[[CyGenPleasuretronics/Kimberlys Evaluation]]
#[[The Job Interview]]
#[[Family Matters]]
#[[The Halloween Story]]
#[[The Interrogation]]
#[[Their Side of Events]]
#[[The Handler]]

===[[Stories/Bruekmann|Bruekmann]]===

#[[Corporate Espionage]]
#[[Dienst #1 - Trojan Horse]]
#[[Eudoxia]]
#[[One More Fare]]
#[[Open And Shut Case]]
#[[Over Some Drinks]]
#[[Smell Bridges Burning (The Intern)]]
#[[Standard Of Deviation]]
#[[The Ersatz Cadet]]
#[[The Hustler]]
#[[The Real Deal]]
#[[Three Pawns]]
#[[Tinted Windows]]
#[[Heinrich Brueckmann's Unfinished Works]]

===[[Stories/Brytestar|Brytestar]]===

#[[Angelmech Battle Cheerleader Cherry]]
#[[Automaid Fighter Kimiko Prelude]]
#[[Cyberknight Dreams]]
#[[Sailor Valkerie - Interview With A Mechascout]]
#[[The Brytestar Chronicles: The Early Years]]

===[[Stories/Bunnybot|Bunnybot]]===

#[[BunnyBots Part One: The Conversion Of Vanessa]]
#[[Tammy]]
#[[Bunnybots - Ava]]
#[[Tammy: Eve]]
#[[The Actress]]
#[[Cassandra]]
#[[Companion Dolls - Economic Unit]]
#[[A Lazy Afternoon]]

===[[Stories/ButchyBoy|ButchyBoy]]===

#[[The Nightingale's Song]]
#[[Fembots In History: Queen Isabella]]
#[[Little Red Riding Hood-Fractured Gynoid Tale]]
#[[The Vanishing Warlord]]
#[[Fembots In History - Annie Oakley]]
#[[Can't Get That Song Outta My Head]]
#[[The Nut-Cricket Adventure]]
#[[Galatea]]
#[[The Contest Winner]]
#[[Droid Hunter]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''C'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Cam_1361|Cam_1361]]===

#[[Untitled (Cam_1361)]]

===[[Stories/Capn Jake|Capn Jake]]===

#[[Jenny6525B]]

===[[Stories/CaptainStorytime|CaptainStorytime]]===

#[[A Gift Unwanted]]

===[[Stories/Castaliaman|Castaliaman]]===

#[[Jeopardy 2104]]

===[[Stories/CheeseMaker|CheeseMaker]]===
#[[Man Made Relationship]]

===[[Stories/Chains of Adamant|Chains of Adamant]]===

#[[Gallinax]]
#[[Christmas Surprise]]
#[[The Prison]]
#[[Miriam]]

===[[Stories/Cecilauthor|Cecilauthor]]===

#[[Fleshware Requiem]]
#[[Apocalypse Doll - Celebrity Edition]]
#[[Robot Power]]
#[[Golden Apple]]
#[[Melting Point]]

===[[Stories/ChaosSeeder|ChaosSeeder]]===

#[[Programming an Adventure]]

===[[Stories/chepamasta|chepamasta]]===

#[[That's what friends are for!]]

===[[Stories/Cjfriel|Cjfriel]]===

#[[Autopia]]

===[[Stories/code_author|code_author]]===

#[[Pressure on a Relationship]]

===[[Stories/confusitron!!|confusitron!!]]===

#[[Danni - A Conversion]]

===[[Stories/Construct|Construct]]===

#[[Re-Constructed]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">'''<big>D</big>'''</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/D. Olivaw|D. Olivaw]]===

#[[A Meeting At Meg's]]
#[[A Beginning, of Sorts]]
#[[Obsolescence]]
#[[Leona]]
#[[A Fembot Adventure]]
#[[Of Rent and Robots]]
#[[Certain Contradictions]]
#[[House Call (D.Olivaw)|House Call]]
#[[First Date]]
#[[A Tale from the Plastic Rose: Victoria]]
#[[The Plaything]]
#[[Too Much of a Good Thing]]

===[[Stories/Dalejr38|Dalejr38]]===

#[[Universal Remote]]

===[[Stories/Daphne|Daphne]]===

#[[Mike and Mary]]
#[[Use Future (Cluster 00)]]

===[[Stories/Dark Archon|Dark Archon]]===

#[[June]]
#[[Sara 3]]

===[[Stories/Darkbutflashy|Darkbutflashy]]===

#[[戦闘機械綾子 - Battlemachine Ayako]]
#[[Science Ethics|Science Ethics (with Battery)]]

===[[Stories/Dark Phoenix|Dark Phoenix]]===

#[[My Super Android Girlfriend]]

===[[Stories/Deep Blue|Deep Blue]]===

#[[My Tutor (Deep Blue)|My Tutor]]
#[[Volleybot]]
#[[Teacher(by Deep Blue)]]
#[[Training lesson]]
#[[Fembot technician]]
#[[Studio]]
#[[Beer girl]]
#[[Meet on bus]]

===[[Stories/Dieur|Dieur]]===

#[[My Robot]]
#[[TD Walkman Mall]]
#[[Smashed]]
#[[Taking Awhile To Get Anywhere]]
#[[Witch Hazel]]
#[[Chloe]]

===[[Stories/Dollmaker|Dollmaker]]===

#[[A.I. Automated Insanity]]

===[[Stories/Dr. Twist|Dr. Twist]]===

#[[Door To Door]]
#[[Who Let The Wolves Out]]

===[[Stories/DukeNukem 2417|DukeNukem 2417]]===

*[[Lina]]
*[[Writing As We Go]]
*[[The V.I.C.I. Diaries]]

Season 1:

#[[Vicki's New Life]]
#[[V.I.C.I. Rises]]
#[[From L.E.S. to Leslie]]
#[[Unmade, Unbroken]]
#[[Out of this World]]
#[[ShowStopper]]
#[[MGV (Metal Gear Vicki)]]
#[[The Family of Steel]]
#[[Electric Child]]
#[[Toys in the Attic]]
#[[A House Divided]]
#[[Kirsten's Choice]]
#[[Epsilon]]
#[[Cold Blood]]
#[[Lawson's Eleven]]
#[[A Criminal Mind]]
#[[For Whom the Bells Toll]]
#[[Falling Away]]
#[[Valley of the Damned]]

Season 2:

#[[Mr. Roboto]]
#[[Only Human]]
#[[Beast]]
#[[Dragon]]
#[[Broken]]
#[[King Nothing]]

===[[Stories/DZiegler|DZiegler]]===

#[[Automated Seduction]]
#[[Reunion]]
#[[$tacks Casino]]
#[[The Neoprene Demon]]
#[[K1MB3RLY_M84U]]
#[[N4T4L1A_M84U]]
#[[T3SS4_M84U]]
#[[Soviet Doll]]
#[[Administrative Assistant]]
#[[How To Transform Your Partner]]
#[[IS4B3LL4 M84U (Truck Lot Bot)]]
#[[Terminatrix - Genesis]]
#[[Close Call at the Costume Contest]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''E'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Ehy|Ehy]]===

#[[Courtesy Suites]]
#[[Encounter at Courtesy Suites]]
#[[Choices]]
#[[The Playroom]]
#[[Market Test]]
#[[Tara's Visitor (Story Snippet)]]
#[[Untitled (Ehy)|Untitled]]
#[[Untitled 2 (Ehy)|Untitled 2]]
#[[April]]
#[[1962]]

===[[Stories/Esleeper|Esleeper]]===

#[[Electric Sleep- Background Information]]
#[[Electric Sleep]]
#[[Electric Dreams]]

===[[Stories/Eyebore|Eyebore]]===

#[[The Plantation "Sister-In-Law"]]

===[[Stories/evil_boo|evil_boo]]===

*Own works

#[[Natalie's Story]]
#[[The Fantasia Club]]
#[[Bits and Pieces]]
#[[Encounter with Emily]]
#[[Checked Items]]
#[[Crash and Burn]]
#[[Open-case]]
#[[Halloween Short]]
#[[Cross Country]]
#[[Roommates]]

*Commissioned Works

#[[Office Work]]
#[[Megan: Soccer Mom]]
#[[Alexia and Sophie]]
#[[Charlie Down]]
#[[Party of Three]]
#[[Yandere]]
#[[Agent Candy]]
#[[Soldiering On]]
#[[Friends]]
#[[Tennis Anyone?]]
#[[Soccer Mom - MEGAN]]
#[[An Age of Exploration]]
#[[Coming of Age: evil_boo|Coming of Age]]
#[[Dustball Chronicles]]
#[[Spider]]
#[[Gothic Spider Queen]]
#[[Workspace Difficulties]]
#[[A Learning Experience]]
#[[Superiority Complex]]

===[[Stories/Extyr|Extyr]]===

#[[Mecha-Valkyrie]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''F'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/FacelessFembot|FacelessFembot]]===

#[[Untitled(FacelessFembot)]]

===[[Stories/FaceoffFembot|FaceoffFembot]]===

#[[The Maid]]
#[[Dead Dog Two]]
#[[Setting Things Straight]]
#[[Weird Old Post I Found (The Lulu Tseng Conspiracy)]]
#[[Cybersocialites]]

===[[Stories/Faustus|Faustus]]===

#[[Dora]]

===[[Stories/Fection|Fection]]===

#[[Charlie's Second-Hand Angel]]
#[[Pushing Candy's Buttons]]
#[[Sour Candy]]
#[[Model Citizen]]
#[[The Magi and the Harem]]
#[[Achilles Heels]]

===[[Stories/Fembotlover|Fembotlover]]===

#[[Untitled (Fembotlover)|Untitled]]

===[[Stories/Fembotlvr7|Fembotlvr7]]===

#[[Perfect Match (formerly Blind Date)]]
#[[The Bridesmaid]]
#[[The Secret]]
#[[True Lies]]

===[[Stories/FembotsInCharge|FembotsInCharge]]===

#[[The Nannybot1000A]]

===[[Stories/Freddie c|Freddie c]]===

#[[Numerology]]

===[[Stories/Freiburg V3.0|Freiburg V3.0]]===

#[[A Question Of Faith]]
#[[A Question Of Liberty]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''G'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/General|General]]===

#[[Access Denied]]
#[[Blue Chips]]
#[[The Rental]]
#[[History In The Flesh]]
#[[A Second Life]]
#[[Talk Radio]]
#[[What You Leave Behind]]
#[[Focus]]
#[[Modifying the Contract]]
#[[Tech Support]]
#[[Bounty]]
#[[The Grinder]]
#[[Pinebarrens Hunter]]

===[[Stories/Gf|Gf]]===

#[[The Flatmate]]

===[[Stories/GirlieGirl1985|GirlieGirl1985]]===

#[[Unfinished ATM]]
#[[No Refunds Offered]]

===[[Stories/Glast|Glast]]===

#[[A Fight Too Far]]

===[[Stories/Goose|Goose]]===

#[[Anto: Girl of my dreams]]
#[[Mia and Kristin-Limited Edition]]

===[[Stories/Gorgo|Gorgo]]===

#[[Sentimental Perfection]]
#[[Rinrin and the Doctor's Appointment]]

*[[Project: Black Maiden]] Universe

#[[That Which Was Left Behind]]
#[[Rochelle's Justice]]
#[[A Day at the Ranges]]

*Side/Fan stories to other writers' series:

#[[Nemesis]]
#[[A Stay At Hotel Automata]]
#[[A Nova At Hotel Automata]]

===[[Stories/Grendizer|Grendizer]]===

#[[Teacher]]
#[[A New Purpose]]
#[[Chopping Wood]]
#[[Sacrifice]]
#[[Purity: An Android Age Story]]

===[[Stories/GynoNeko|GynoNeko]]===

#[[Third Time's The Charm]]
#[[The Christmas Present]]
#[[The Delivery (Part 1)]]
#[[The Delivery (Part 2)]]
#[[Electra]]
#[[Maid to Order]]
#[[Exo Saves the Day]]
#[[What Once Was Lost]]
#[[Lost but Found]]
#[[Corrupted]]
#[[Simulating Wilderness]]
#[[All Wrapped Up]]
#[[Shop Girls]]
#[[In Just Seven Days...]]
#[[A Curious Girl in a Cruel World]]
#[[Tethered]]
#[[Building a Perfect Mate]]
#[[Falling Awake]]
#[[Shame.exe]]
#[[The Sales Pitch]]
#[[Passing Mustard]]
#[[Crashing Your Crush]]

===[[Stories/GZ02|GZ02]]===

#[[A Day In The Life Of Joseph Avens]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''H'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Handle|Handle]]===

#[[Bell City Tales Story 1]]

===[[Stories/Hermes|Hermes]]===

#[[Jumplead]]

===[[Stories/Hlprhlpr|Hlprhlpr]]===

#[[Sparx - Priority Service Call]]
#[[Sparx: Troubleshooting A Design Flaw]]

===[[Stories/Hola_guy|Hola_guy]]===

#[[A Yet Untitled Story]]
#[[Loveless]]

===[[Stories/HypnoticProse]]===

#[[Autolog of a Synthetic Mom]]
</div></div>
|
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''I'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/inky 2|inky 2]]===

#[[Sloane]]
#[[Quiet Night In]]
#[[Emergency Repair]]
#[[Registration]]

===[[Stories/Input9|Input9]]===

#[[Robbery]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''J'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/JakeCTom|JakeCTom]]===

#[[K600]]

===[[Stories/Jay Petto|Jay Petto]]===

#[[Back To The Circuit Board]]

===[[Stories/Jaydee|Jaydee]]===

#[[An Inside Job]]
#[[Malfunctioning Fembot Writes...]]

===[[Stories/JeffCapes|JeffCapes]]===

#[[Cara and the Mystery Robobabe]]

===[[Stories/JohnFabar4|JohnFabar4]]===

#[[First Story]]

===[[Stories/Jolshefsky|Jolshefsky]]===

#[[Karen's Date]]
#[[Doctor Who fanfic]]
#[[A Trip to the ER]]
#[[Loyalty]]

===[[Stories/Jpetoh|Jpetoh]]===

#[[Crash]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''K'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Kano|Kano]]===

#[[Monday]]
#[[Friday]]

===[[Stories/Karel|Karel]]===

#[[Mistress Mira]]
#[[R-Bots]]
#[[Two-Perfect!]]
#[[Mmmmegan]]
#[[Merger]]

===[[Stories/KB7RKY|KB7RKY]]===

#[[Charlie 25]]
#[[Reflections]]
#[[Service Call]]
#[[Shadowrun II - Into The Awakened Lands]]

===[[Stories/Keizo|Keizo]]===

#[[The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 1]]
#[[The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 2]] (Portia)
#[[The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 3]] (The "Lost Chapter")
#[[Hell's Canary]]
#[[Are You Serious?]]

===[[Stories/kelbek00|kelbek00]]===

#[[Perfection]]
#[[Repo]]

===[[Stories/KernalGovernor101|KernalGovernor101]]===

#[[Soccer-Mom Unit - Prequel]]
#[[T-Series - Actual Story]]
#[[Synth-Co]]
#[[Yet to be Titled Story]]
#[[Deep Research]]

===[[Stories/Kishin|Kishin]]===

#[[A Long Sleep]]
#[[The Vengeance of the Slave]]
#[[The Robo-Lover]]
#[[Androids At War]]
#[[Death]]
#[[Rebirth]]
#[[Nova's First Job]]
#[[The Vile Collector]]
#[[NVA Showdown]]
#[[The Mourning After]]
#[[The House of the Dead]]
#[[An Unexpected Guest]]
#[[Voice of the Void]]
#[[Garbage]]
#[[Fangs of Steel]]
#[[Killers]]
#[[Fate]]
#[[Berserker]]
#[[Creation (Nova Recreated)]]
#[[I Didn't Know]]
#[[Killers (Knights) Hiding Among Our Slaves]]
#[[Tales Of The Risen Future: Nova's Story]]
#[[The World Walker]]
#[[Glory]]
#[[Thank You For Your Patronage!]]

===[[Stories/Korby|Korby]]===

#[[An Afternoon To Remember]]
#[[Holiday In The Sun]]
#[[Tales From Dyson Institute: Two Vignettes]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: Making Movies]]
#[[After the Makeover]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: In the Shop]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: Mile-high Club]]
#[[Untitled (Korby)]]
#[[JLA/Fembots]]
#[[Dr. Dyson on Lesbotics]]
#[[Remaking Rebecca]]
#[[Another Makeover]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: Elaine, Rebecca, and Shannen]]
#[[The Appointment]]

===[[Stories/Kriegsaffe No. 9|Kriegsaffe No. 9]]===

#[[Josephson/Keegan Vs Man w/Android Wife]]
#[[1985, Paris, France...]]
#[[The Golden Dawn]]
#[[Duplican't? Dupli-Can't!]]
#[[Saucy Puppet Show]]

===[[Stories/Kube²|Kube²]]===

#[[Fembot User Manual]]
#[[Cindy]]
#[[Kelly 800 perfect lingerie model]]

</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''L'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/La Femme Nikki|La Femme Nikki]]===

#[[My Life as a Sexbot]]
#[[AlyssaBot]]

===[[Stories/Lady Mecha|Lady Mecha]]===

#[[Strange But Wonderful Happenings]]

===[[Stories/Lilith|Lilith]]===

#[[Love After the Battlefield]]
#[[TPU-SOA Hack Job]]
#[[College Story Anthology]]
#[[CyberSlinger]]
#[[Blind Troubleshooting Stream]]

===[[Stories/liliwinnt6|liliwinnt6]]===

#[[A Surprising Breakfast]]
#[[The Grocery Store - Aftermath]]
#[[Boris The Repairman - Some Recharge Sessions]]

===[[Stories/Linnies|Linnies]]===

#[[The Ride Home]]
#[[Demonstration Unit]]
#[[A Change of Hair]]
#[[The Cook]]
#[[The Stewards]]
#[[Processor Test]]
#[[Sugar Cube Girl]]
#[[The Cure]]
#[[Super X Clean]]

===[[Stories/linzhang77|linzhang77]]===

#[[Naiad - Deluge Past]]

===[[Stories/Lithorien|Lithorien]]===

#[[Heather]]

===[[Stories/Loganov|Loganov]]===

#[[The Final Frontier]]
#[[Untitled (Loganov)|Untitled]]

===[[Stories/LongTimeLurker|LongTimeLurker]]===

#[[Clockwork Legacy]] (Lady in Waiting)
##[[Clockwork_Legacy/Lady_in_Waiting/Part_1|Lady in Waiting]]
##[[Clockwork_Legacy/Line_of_Succession/Part_1|Line of Succession]]
##[[Clockwork_Legacy/Inheritance|Inheritance]]
#[[Andrew and the Sexbot Factory]]
##[[Andrew_and_the_Sexbot_Factory/Prototype/Part_1|Prototype]]
##[[Andrew_and_the_Sexbot_Factory/Field_Test/Part_1|Field Test]]
##[[Andrew_and_the_Sexbot_Factory/Production_Model|Production Model]]
#[[Solipsistic]]
#[[Electrostatic]]
#[[Crash Immelmann in the Year 30XX]]
#[[Diagnostic]]
#[[FYOP/Scenario_Chamber]]
#[[The Co-Star]]
#[[Bot Town Blues]]
#[[Salvage]]
#[[Crash Immelmann and the Inflatable Sex-Bots from Planet X!]]
#[[Five Nights at Fanny's]]
#[[Nihilistic]]
#[[Fire Hazard]]
#[[House Call]]
#[[Crash Immelmann vs. the Dread Pirate Holt!]]
#[[The Haunted Manor]]
#[[Omnic Replica]]
#[[Naughty or Nice]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''M'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Maxyz|Maxyz]]===

#[[Cyber Angels]]
#[[Spectrum Dolls]]

===[[Stories/Mad Mechacow|Mad Mechacow]]===

#[[Tales of Syntech]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 2]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 3]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 4]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 5]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 6]]

===[[Stories/Malkozaine|Malkozaine]]===

#[[A Start to Something Big]]

===[[Stories/McLane|McLane]]===

#[[Cancelled Project]]

===[[Stories/Metal-Destiny|Metal-Destiny]]===

#[[Story 48: Julie's Awakenings]]
#[[Human Failure. (2200)]]

===[[Stories/Ministrations|Ministrations]]===

#[[Shannon's Third Law]]
#[[Tiffany's Third Law]]

===[[Stories/Mirage|Mirage]]===

#[[The Bounty Hunter]]
#[[Best Friends]]
#[[Fighting Love]]
#[[A.D.P.I. (Advance Police Investigations): Case 2]]
#[[A.D.P.I. Case 3: Transformation Of A Butterfly]]
#[[Blood Angel]]
#[[Deception]]
#[[Errors And Glitches]]
#[[Family Affair]]
#[[Family Life]]
#[[Favourite Parodies]]
#[[Lonely With The Ages]]
#[[Lying And Cheating!]]
#[[My Tutor]]
#[[Not Perfect]]
#[[Regret]]
#[[Secret Wishes]]
#[[Secretaries]]
#[[Shock]]
#[[Spanish Fly Virus]]
#[[Tennis, Anyone?]]
#[[The Lullaby]]
#[[The Package]]
#[[The Red Roses]]
#[[The Student]]
#[[The Temp]]
#[[The Visit]]
#[[Visiting The In-Laws]]
#[[A Nice Gesture]]
#[[Ever Lasting Smile]]
#[[Finding True Happiness]]
#[[Alive?]]
#[[The New Girl]]
#[[The Nurse]]
#[[Chase]]
#[[The First Time...]]
#[[An Offer That Can't Be Refused]]
#[[The Unwanted Gift]]
#[[Losing One's Self]]
#[[What's Important Is What's In The Inside]]
#[[Sitting On The Couch]]
#[[Can You Fix It?]]
#[[Ugly]]
#[[Finally]]
#[[Bad Dreams]]
#[[Apartment 7]]
#[[Married to a Machine]]
#[[My First and Last Robotic Date]]
#[[Remote Me]]
#[[Missing]]
#[[Roll With It]]
#[[Still Rolling]]
#[[Happy Easter]]
#[[Roll For Sale/Dr. Willy's Reaction]]
#[[Testing, 1,2,3]]
#[[Why worry?]]
#[[A Break Up and a Break Down]]
#[[Cat Out of the Bag]]
#[[Crashing and Some Sex Mode Action]]
#[[I Did Astro's Mom]]
#[[The Lunch]]
#[[My Not So Perfect Woman]]
#[[Why?]]
#[[The Perfect Female A.I.]]
#[[The Car Crash]]
#[[My Neighbor's Wife is Sucking My Cock]]
#[[The Last Goodbye]]
#[[Across the street]]
#[[The Diva]]

===[[Stories/MisterXYZ (RoboTomo)|MisterXYZ (RoboTomo)]]===

#[[How I Ran Into Roboko]]
#[[To Love a Girl]]
#[[Onsen Lust 'n Rust]]
#[[Room 9 Surprise]]
#[[A Huge Add-On]]

===[[Stories/mister_minations|mister_minations]]===

#[[Unusual Bathtime Conversation]]
#[[Unusual Chance Encounter]]
#[[Rusted Rails]]
#[[Unusual Benefits]]

===[[Stories/Mixgull|Mixgull]]===

#[[Code name J-85]]

===[[Stories/Miz-K Takase|Miz-K Takase]]===

#[[Mail-Order Aya]]
#[[Lusty Encore]]
#[[Lusty 2nd Encore]]
#[[Lusty 3rd Encore]]

===[[Stories/Morgan Cartlann|Morgan Cartlann]]===
#

===[[Stories/MrMagoo|MrMagoo]]===

#[[Tech Tutorial]]
#[[Salvaged Hardware]]
#[[Deadline]]

===[[Stories/MrPassable|MrPassable]]===

#[[Programmed Fantasy]]

===[[Stories/Murotsu|Murotsu]]===

#[[Debbi's Diary]]
#[[Some Assembly Required]]

===[[Stories/Muzzleruffels|Muzzleruffels]]===

#[[Freak-World]]
##[[Mermaid Examination]]
##[[Controlled Environment Prologue]]
##[[A Statement of Progress + Bonus Stories]]
##[[Freak-World: Prologue]]
##[[Freak-World: The Side Stories]]
##[[Freak-World: Dreaming Beyond Electric Sheep]]
##[[Freak-World: Anthologies]]

===[[Stories/MysteriousShadow|MysteriousShadow]]===

#[[Lily's Story]]
#[[Debugging]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''N'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[NicoCheese]]===

#[[Nico's Section of Silly Snippets]]
#[[Chilling With Maggie]]
#[[Trouble in the Mushroom Kingdom]]
#[[A Pokemon Encounter Down Route 22]]
#[[Legosi x Juno Meltdown]]
#[[A Unique Kind of Car Wash]]
#[[Chilling With Maggie Again]]

===[[Stories/Nybble|Nybble]]===

#[[Scheduled Maintenance]]
#[[The Third Pew]]
#[[Therapy]]
#[[Pimp My Ride]]
#[[Working Late]]
#[[The Hammer]]
#[[Something Borrowed]]
#[[Doctor's Visit]]
#[[Strangers on a Plane]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''O'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Outsider|Outsider]]===

#[[Dyson Institute: Sexual Testing Mode]]
#[[Technical Difficulties]]
#[[The Sex Coders]]

===[[Stories/Osenator|Osenator]]===

#[[Bounty Hunter]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''P'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Pakled|Pakled]]===

#[[Everything Old is New Again]]
#[[One of Our Robots is Missing]]
#[[Palindrome]]
#[[Solve for X]]
#[[Double Blind]]
#[[An Unexpected Modification]]

===[[Stories/Palindrome|Palindrome]]===

#[[Sarah Jones]]
#[[After the Club]]

===[[Stories/Pennon|Pennon]]===

#[[The Delivery]]

===[[Stories/Petey|Petey]]===

#[[Vickybot/Victoria]]
#[[The Rubdown]]
#[[Dyson Family Values]]
#[[A Second Rubdown]]
#[[Becoming the Perfect Wife]]
#[[Introducing the Perfect Wife]]

===[[Stories/Plastic_rose|Plastic_rose]]===

#[[Getting off on the wrong foot (Gloria's conversion)]]

===[[Stories/Porcelaingirl|Porcelaingirl]]===

#[[Plane as Day]]

===[[Stories/Propman|Propman]]===

*Unfinished Tidbits

#[[Tronic Ella]]
#[[Evil, Evil, Everywhere!]]
#[[Mrs. Claw Strikes!]]
#[[Blondie and Sarge in:A Haunted Mansion]]
#[[Job Interview]]
#[[Project Titan]]
#[[Busted]]

*Complete Stories

#[[Prototype]]
#[[Steel Fists No Hearts]]
#[[Upgrade/Downgrade]]
#[[One in Six]]
#[[Board Meeting]]
#[[Kia Takes Control]]
#[[Cassie Saves the Day]]
#[[Flying Free]]
#[[Catwoman and the Little Mice]]
#[[In Control]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#[[Kate on the Run]]
#[[Meeting the Superstar]]
#[[Boybot to girlbot]]
#[[Michelle vs. Number One]]

*The ReVerse

#Castle Mysteries
##[[Mysteries Of The Castle!]]
##[[Contessa Vampire Hunter]]
##Contessa in [[Just Another Afternoon]]
##Contessa in [[Meet My Jenkinses]]
##Duchess Winifred in [[Not Quite Human]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
##Contessa in [[Sick Day]]
##Contessa in [[Sex and Violence]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#Maddie and Ted
##[[Doll And Her Teddy]]
##[[Maddie Follows Orders]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#Boom-Boom
##[[BoomBoom Bots]]
##[[BoomBoom's Back]]
#[[My New PDA]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#Lazy Phone in [[The Booze Run]]

*Jamie's Over

#[[Jamies out shopping]]
#[[Jamies night out]]

*Other

#[[Fembot Alphabet]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''Q'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Quietness|Quietness]]===

#[[Can't Sleep]]
#[[Meanwhile]]
#[[The Encounter]]
</div></div>
|
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''R'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/RancidInsanity|RancidInsanity]]===

#[[Waring Sisters]]
#[[Failura]]
#[[Ceres]]
#[[Christmas in Russia]]
#[[The Big Crazy Plan]]
#[[Suzie the Therapist]]
#[[The Phantom of the Factory]]
#[[Cassie]]
#[[Batman:Fembots]]
#[[The Mansion of Andrea]]
#[[Noura & Natalya]]
#[[Sync Wars]]
#[[Cyber Party]]
#[[Futuristic Ligeia]]
#[[Futuristic Der Sandmann]]
#[[Camping Trip]]
#[[King Cecil and the Three Collars]]

===[[Stories/Ratbot|Ratbot]]===

#[[Emi-Bot]]

===[[Storie/RebeccaRobot200|RebeccaRobot2000]]===

#[[Rebecca's Trip to the Surface]]

===[[Stories/Repairman Jack|Repairman Jack]]===

#[[Theives]]

===[[Stories/rfhbv|rfhbv]]===

#[[Saga of Congan]]

===[[Stories/RoxxyRobofox|RoxxyRobofox]]===

#[[As Seen on TV]]
#[[Hobby Model]]
#[[Basic Services]]
#[[Children of the Forge]]
#[[Wardrobe Malfunction]]
#[[Management Issues]]
#[[Simple Things]]
#[[Consequences]]
#[[Vampire Killer]]
#[[Better than Human]]
#[[Fembot Fighters]]
#[[Just for you]]
#[[Six Strings]]
#[[Densetsu no Batoru]]
#[[Carolina Jones and the Spear of Longinus]]
#[[Malfunctioning Perfectly]]
#[[Desire Unit Delux]]
#[[Outdated Bunny]]
#[[Jodie is So Hot: Short Story]]

===[[Stories/Robo-Admirer|Robo-Admirer]]===

#[[Long time in the waiting]]
#[[Tiffany]]
#[[One in a Billion]]
#[[The Problem with Automation]]
#[[The Escort]]
#[[The Date]]
#[[A Little Game]]
#[[Technology Free Weekend]]
#[[The House Sitter]]
#[[Subliminal Competition]]
#[[Jennifer & Katherine]]
#[[Late Night Sabotage]]

===[[Stories/RoboMilfLover|RoboMilfLover]]===
#[[Mother-Daughter time]]

===[[Stories/RobotWorld5|RobotWorld5]]===

#[[Fembot World]]
#[[A Night With Vanessa]]

===[[Stories/RobOught2|RobOught2]]===

#[[Introducing Rachael Sing]]

===[[Stories/RS5420|RS5420]]===

#[[Class C (by WilloWisp, modified by RS5420)]]
#[[Beautiful, Smart and...Running A Software]]
#[[Hollywood Hardware (by Borias/Modded by RS5420)]]

===[[Stories/rynchan|rynchan]]===

#[[Phantom Doll]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''S'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Sable|Sable]]===

#[[Fixing Sable]]

===[[Stories/Sanjuro|Sanjuro]]===

#[[A Gift from Tomorrow]]

===[[Stories/Sara-c|Sara-c]]===

#[[Autonomy]]
#[[Clichés]]
#[[Gift]]
#[[The Enemy of My Enemy]]

===[[Stories/Sarabot|Sarabot]]===

#[[Sarabot's First Story]]
#[[Sarabot's Second Story]]
#[[The Robotic Nurse]]
#[[Kristen's Upgrade]]
#[[My Hot Robot Wife (+Bonus Story)]]
#[[The Cheerleader]]
#[[Disassemble Me]]
#[[Kristen's Upgrade Part II]]
#[[Kristen's Overhaul]]
#[[Kristenbot Gets Married]]

===[[Stories/Saradroidgirl|Saradroidgirl]]===

#[[Sara_-_The_Return|Sara - The Return]]

===[[Stories/Saya|Saya]]===

#[[A Most Unusual Party]]
#[[Futago no Shinami]]
#[[Sammy's Party]]
#[[Mending Contessa: A Castle Mysteries Story]]
#[[Crazy in the Heat]]
#[[After Hours]]
#[[The Time With My Stepsister]]
#[[Coming Home]]
#[[Crossfire]]

===[[Stories/Scott|Scott]]===

#[[Four Hours]]

===[[Stories/Sega-boy|Sega-boy]]===

#[[Abbott Chronicles]]

===[[Stories/Sekker|Sekker]]===

#[[Too Good To Be True]]

===[[Stories/Sentient6|Sentient6]]===

#[[Pixillate]]
#[[5 Friends - A Thesis on Full Body Prosthesis]]
#[[Heather's Battery Failure]]

===[[Stories/Serf|Serf]]===

#[[Party Girls]]

===[[Stories/sfreader|sfreader]]===

#[[Rachel (Mark III) meets Trixie (Mark V)]]
#[[Halloween 2053/The One That Got Away]]
#[[Regina Repurposed]]
#[[Nancy Runs a Program]]
#[[Sally Sleeperbot finds out her WHY]]
#[[An April Fool’s day story-Journey to obsolesce]]

===[[Stories/shutdown|shutdown]]===

#[[The Truck Driver]]
#[[Another Time]]

===[[Stories/Silent Lurker|Silent Lurker]]===

#[[Aquaphobia]]
#[[Cheerleader]]
#[[Happy New Year]]
#[[New Roommate]]

===[[Stories/Silkscreen|Silkscreen]]===

#[[Functional•Sensual•You]]
#[[Protect and Severe]]

===[[Stories/Sleeps|Sleeps]]===

#[[Casino of Deception:Jackpot]]

===[[Stories/smalk|smalk]]===

#[[Anniversary Present]]

===[[Stories/Soleful|Soleful]]===

#[[Coming of Age]]
#[[POD, The Fetish-Bot]]

===[[Stories/Spaz|Spaz]]===

#[[A Simple Business Arrangement*]]
#[[A.I.L.A]]
#[[Blind Date]]
#[[Daydreaming]]
#[[G.O.D. - a vignette]]
#[[Haunted House - A Short]]
#[[Lost in the Shuffle]]
#[[Medical Exam: A Short]]
#[[New Life]]
#[[Self-repair]]
#[[The Foreign Exchange Student]]
#[[The Girlfriend]]
#[[The Heiress]]
#[[The Replacement]]
#[[The Roommate]]
#[[The Stockroom]]
#[[The Teammate]]

---------------------------------------------
'''The Small Business Chronicles'''

[[The Small Business Chronicles]]

'''Season One:'''

#[[Closed for Christmas - The Shop]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 1]]
#[[Off-season - The Motel]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 2]]
#[[Slow day - The Cafe]]
#[[The Small Business - End-of-Year Review]]

'''Season Two:'''

#[[Homefront - The House]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 3]]
#[[Green Thumb - The Greenhouse]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 4]]
----------------------------------------------
"Spaz Studios Presents" anthology series:

#[[Fizzy Pop]]
#[[Substitute]]
#[[Forbidden Fruit]]
#[[The Uncanny Valley]]
#[[The Future Expo]]

---------------------------------------------
[[A Visitor's Guide to The Uncanny Valley]]

#[[Awakening]]
#[[House Call - Spaz]]
#[[The Body Borrower]]
#[[The Headless Hunt]]

---------------------------------------------

*Collaborations:

#[[The Beach]] with [[:Category:Sthurmovik|Sthurmovik]]
#[[The Handyman]] with [[:Category:Sthurmovik|Sthurmovik]]

---------------------------------------------

*Manbot Stories:

#[[My Roommate's Secret]]
#[[Skyler]]

===[[Stories/spider_silk_skin|spider_silk_skin]]===

#[[Late Night Maintenance]]
#[[Super Sexy Robot Cowgirl]]

===[[Stories/Stephaniebot|Stephaniebot]]===

#[[Dyson Institute (Stephaniebot)|Dyson Institute]]
#[[Pleasurebot 8]]
#[[A Bit More Than Method Acting]]

===[[Stories/Sthurmovik|Sthurmovik]]===

#[[Non-Standard Operating Procedure]]
#[[Mirror Image]]
#[[Extracted]]

===[[Stories/sTj2000|sTj2000]]===

#[[Afternoon Appointment]]

===[[Stories/Svengli|Svengli]]===

#[[Bethany in Room B]]

===[[Stories/SynchError|SynchError]]===

#[[Budget Robotics (A Fun and Light Robotic Relationship)]]
#[[Historical Strategy, According to a Bunch of Fembots]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''T'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Taren Capel|Taren Capel]]===

#[[Chi City, 2152]]

===[[Stories/tectile|tectile]]===

#[[The Trade In]]
#[[Boy Meets... Girl?]]

===[[Stories/Teknophile|Teknophile]]===

#[[The Android Psychiatrist]]
#[[Super Fembot Cheerleaders From Space!]]
#[[At The Body Shop]]

===[[Stories/TheAlternative|TheAlternative]]===

#[[Corsetta]]

===[[Stories/The Egg|The Egg]]===

#[[The Quarry]]
#[[Swing Shift]]

===[[Stories/The Liar|The Liar]]===

#[[Maid To Order]] (Incomplete)
#[[Professor Jenkins' 12,567th Invention]] (Incomplete)
#[[Hide and Seek]]
#[[Keith's Paradise]] (Incomplete)
#[[My Keeper]] (Incomplete)
#[[Identity]] (Incomplete)
#[[EMOS - DSR: Prologue]] (Incomplete)
#[[Back to BASIC]]
#[[A Contradiction of Life]]
#[[Friends Forever]]
#[[Liberty]]
#[[Seamless]]
#[[Her Prince]] (Vignette)
#[[The Company Girl]] (Vignette)
#[[Faust 2.0]] (Comic)
#[[Bad Romance]] (Comic)(Ongoing)
#[[Finding Yourself]] (Comic)
#[[Kernel]] (Comic)
#[[So... my friends have been acting weird lately]] (Comic)
#[[Trendsetting]] (Comic)

*Centauri Republic

#[[The Perils of the Fembot Dating Scene]] (Comic)
#[[Sybil's Shadow]] (Comic)

*Wasteland Paradise

#[[Wasteland Paradise:Prologue]] (Comic)
#[[Dr.Desire]] (Comic)

*The Bluegate Chronicles

#[[Little Things]]
#[[Agency and Programing]] (Comic)
#[[Progenitors and Progeny]] (Comic)
#[[Hour of the Wolf]] (Comic)

*The Reid Chronicles

#[[The Misadventures Rose Reid, Ace Reporter]]

*Robocadet Mika

#[[Enlistment]] (Comic)
#[[Robotcadet Mika 2: Training|Training]] (Comic)

*Fiction-O-Matic

#[[Fiction-O-Matic 1]] (Comic)

*One-Shot Comics

#[[Abigail 2.0]] (Comic)
#[[The Gilded Cage]] (Comic)
#[[I am Charlotte Favager]] (Comic)
#[[Con(Re)version?]] (Comic)
#[[?????? Station]] (Comic)
#[[Make your own story 1]](Comic)
#[[Take a Hint!]] (Comic)
#[[Synthetic Pride]] (Comic)
#[[All I Want for Christmas is You]] (Comic)
#[[Do appliances count?]] (Comic)
#[[Nightmare Scenario]] (Comic)
#[[Downtime]] (Comic)

*Adaptations

#[[Of Rent and Robots(Comic Adaptation)]]

===[[Stories/TheShoveller|TheShoveller]]===

#[[Untitled Fantasy Land Story]]
#[[Crossfire]]

===[[Stories/TheSpotConlon|TheSpotConlon]]===

#[[Can't You Hear Me Howl]]
#[[Dr. Doone and the Series Eight]]
#[[The Yard Sale]]
#[[Jumper...]]
#[[Persona Tests: Pamela One Point Zero]]
#[[Persona Tests: McKenzie One Point Zero]]

*The Lauren Barnes Stories (TheSpotConlon)

#[[The Peculiar Journey Of Lauren Barnes]]
#[[The Imprisonment Of Lauren Barnes]]
#[[The Parallel Lives Of Lauren Barnes]]

*The "Momentary" Series (TheSpotConlon)

#[[The Moment When]]
#[[Ping]]
#[[The First Moment in Her Head]]
#[[The Moment in the Bar]]

*GPT Stories

#[[GPT Story: Sarah Meets Her Roommate]]
#[[GPT Story: Robin Programs a New Unit]]

===[[Stories/TheThingBelow|TheThingBelow]]===

#[[Concert Day]]

===[[Stories/Tio|Tio]]===

#[[Through My Eyes]]
#[[New Garden]]
#[[Diaries Of A Fembot]]
#[[Down On The Farm]]

===[[Stories/Tom|Tom]]===

#[[The Wedding (An Old Fashioned Story)]]

===[[Stories/Tringa|Tringa]]===

#[[Otaku's Adventure]]

===[[Stories/TW|TW]]===

#[[Awake]]
#[[A Helping Hand]]
#[[Practice Run]]

===[[Stories/Tyrelayne|Tyrelayne]]===

#[[Deicide]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''U'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Uncom|Uncom]]===

*The Revolution

#[[The Revolution - Book One]]
#[[The Revolution - Book Two]]
#[[The Revolution - Book Three]]

*The Akaran Archives

#[[The Akaran Archives - Book One]]
#[[The Akaran Archives - Book Two]]

*Commissions

#[[The Biggest Fan]]
#[[Nintendon't does what Secan't]]

*Other Comics

#[[Following the Trail]]
#[[Home Sweet Qaraqorum]]
#[[Bury the Hatchet]]
#[[Generic Christmas Story]]
#[[Welcome to Dolls' Labs]]
#[[Autumn's Updates]]
#[[New Girl]]
#[[My Time With Nozomi]]
#[[Nearly Automata]]
#[[Work Troubles]]
#[[Going Shopping]]
#[[Giving Literal Head]]
#[[Not Waterproof]]
#[[Date With A Robot]]
#[[Cosplaybots]]
#[[Bombe Fatale]]
#[[An Unusual Rivalry]]
#[[Almost Too Perfect]]

===[[Stories/Unit-794Courtney|Unit-794Courtney]]===

#[[Coco's Convertion (Robot/Sexdoll/Forced TF Themes)]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''V'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Voopo|Voopo]]===
#[[Robo Karin]]
#[[Target]]
#[[Mom-Bot]]

</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''W'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/warpgirl|warpgirl]]===

#[[Astromech Lust]]

===[[Stories/WilloWisp|WilloWisp]]===

#[[Nybble's Doctors Visit - Revisited]]
#[[Class C]]
#[[Customer Service (WilloWisp)|Customer Service]]
#[[Virus Alert]]
#[[Identity 2.0]]

===[[Stories/Wjbaines|Wjbaines]]===

#[[Jo-Ann and Brandy]]
#[[Darsi, Bruce and Natalie]]
#[[Bad Sportspersonship]]
#[[She Didn't Learn Her Lesson]]
#[[Alyssa Follows Her Directives]]
#[[Sorority Coup d'Etat]]
#[[Valentina Messes with her Tech]]
#[[April Showers]]
#[[Vacations in Switzerland]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''X'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/XandiMouse|XandiMouse]]===

#[[The One]]

===[[Stories/Xavier Cecil|Xavier Cecil]]===

#[[Gecko of the Moment]]

===[[Stories/Xeran|Xeran]]===

#[[Synthgirls teaser]]
#[[Synthgirls]]
#[[The Hunted]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''Y'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/YajuShinki|YajuShinki]]===

#[[RoboReview: Animetronics MCB-NIN0057]]
#[[RoboReview: Input/Output Q&A]]
#[[Hana's Catastrophic Failure]]
#[[Hana's Rebirth and Death]]
#[[Rena-Doll's Self-Voided Warranty]]
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''Z'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/zapped!|zapped!]]===

#[[Girls Under Glass]]

===[[Stories/Zor|Zor]]===

#[[Darwin Accelerated]]
</div></div>
|}

<small>''See also: [[Stories sorted by type]] | [[Stories sorted by category]]''</small>

=Collaborations=
{| width="{{{1|100%}}}" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background-color:transparent;table-layout:fixed;"
|- valign="top"
|
===[[Follow your own plot]]===

*[[FYOP/The Lab Scene|The Lab Scene]]
*[[FYOP/Create A Fembot 2.0|Create A Fembot 2.0]]
*[[FYOP/Planet of the Gynoids|Planet of the Gynoids]]
*[[FYOP/My Life as a Robot|My Life as a Robot]]
*[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware|Hollywood Hardware]]
*[[FYOP/Tabula Rasa|Tabula Rasa]]
*[[FYOP/The Adventures of Alice|The Adventures of Alice]]
*[[FYOP/To Love a Sexbot/To Love a Sexbot|To Love a Sexbot]]
*[[FYOP/Scenario Chamber|Scenario Chamber]]
*[[FYOP/Alberts Discount Android Warehouse|Alberts Discount Android Warehouse]]
|

===[[Stories/Create-A-Story|Create-A-Story (various)]]===

#[[Create-A-Story 1]]
#[[Create-A-Story 2]]
#[[Create-A-Story 3]]
|
===[[Stories/Dyson Institute|Dyson Institute (RX3000/Korby)]]===

*[[Story Universe (Dyson Institute)|Story Universe]]

#[[The Makeover]]
#[[After The Makeover]]
#[[Dyson Institute/Mile-High Club]]
#[[A Conversation With Dr. Dyson]]
|}

=A.I. Generated Content=
{| width="{{{1|100%}}}" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background-color:transparent;table-layout:fixed;"
|- valign="top"
|
===[[GPT]]===
#[[GPT Story: Sarah Meets Her Roommate]]
#[[GPT Story: Robin Programs a New Unit]]
|

|

|}

[[Category:Features]]
[[Category:Stories]]
[[Category:GPT]]

Stories

2022-07-20T07:18:26Z

Australopith:

<center><div class="fw-title" width="100%">Story Archive</div></center><br />
<br />
<center>__NOTOC__

<inputbox>
type=create
break=no
</inputbox>

=Author=
We currently have stories from 202 authors. Expand the boxes below to read their works!
{| width="{{{1|100%}}}" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="backgroun-color:transparent;table-layout:fixed;"
|- valign="top"
|
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''0-9'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/1001011001|1001011001]]===

#[[Customer Service]]
#[[Dollsnatcher]]
#[[Hollywood]]
#[[Sketch Artist]]
#[[The Trial]]
#[[Spy Report]]

===[[Stories/123bot|123bot]]===

#[[Rebecca]]
#[[Rebecca: Lisa]]

===[[Stories/33cl33|33cl33]]===

#[[A Very Welcome Surprise]]
#[[Dinner Guests]]

===[[Stories/60Binder|60Binder]]===

#[[Simply Sandy]]

===[[Stories/73737373737373|73737373737373]]===

#[[Prototype Abridged]]
#[[Field Test Abridged]]
#[[Private Coverage of the Underground Fembot Athletics]]
#[[Master Loves Twin Girls]]

</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''A'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Aaack|Aaack]]===

#[[Theresa]]
#[[Baila Mari]]

===[[Stories/Aerosol Kid|Aerosol Kid]]===

#[[Femella Ex Machina]]

===[[Stories/Agent Smith|Agent Smith]]===

#[[The Android Riots Of 2033]]

===[[Stories/alaval92|alaval92]]===

#[[Too Perfect]]
#[[Conspiracy]]

===[[Stories/Andrewd|Andrewd]]===

#[[Andrew's Research]]

===[[Stories/Anna|Anna]]===

#[[Zero - The People's Icon]]

===[[Stories/Apok|Apok]]===

#[[A Rebooted Life]]
#[[Second-Rate]]
#[[Unit Two]]
#[[Sig's Upgrade]]
#[[Protection]]
#[[Hotline]]
#[[Sergeant Lynn]]

===[[Stories/Ashyne|Ashyne]]===

#[[First Contact: Horror Unleashed]]

===[[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]]===

*The ReVerse (many characters originated by [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])

#[[Wasabi: A Boom-Boom Joint]]
#[[Lazy Phone]]
#Castle Mysteries!: [[Castle Mysteries!: Coup De Grace|Coup De Grace]]
#Lazy Phone in [[The Booze Run]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])
#Castle Mysteries!: [[Contessa Vampire Hunter]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])
#Castle Mysteries!: [[Not Quite Human]]
#[[Alisha's Room]]
#[[Maddie Follows Orders]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])
#Contessa in [[Sex and Violence]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Propman|Propman]])

===[[Stories/Avoyak|Avoyak]]===

#[[Katerina, type 02 Robot]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''B'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/BA|BA]]===

#[[Home Service warranty]]
#[[Business Class]]
#[[Childminder]]
#[[CLAIRE 33]]
#[[Holiday]]
#[[Information Retrieval]]
#[[Mrs. Allen's Two O'Clock]]
#[[Sisterhood]]
#[[Upgrading Beth]]
#[[Just One Quick Question...]]
#[[Helpline]]
#[[Cooperant Pair]]
#[[Traffic Incident]]
#[[Survival]]
#[[Assistant]]
#[[Tech Refresh]]
#[[Mechanic]]
#[[Denial Of Service Attack]]
#[[Ignorance is Bliss]]
#[[Jenny]]
#[[Aptitude Test]]
#[[Special Agent]]
#[[Generations]]
#[[Housewife]]
#[[Green Flag]]
#[[Houseguest]]
#[[A Place to Stay]]
#[[Karen]]
#[[Service Please]]
#[[Date Calibration]]
#[[Plastic Trash]]
#[[Threshold]]
#[[Party Night - unfinished]]
#[[Empty City]]
#[[Bad Day]]
#[[An Interview With Janet]]
#[[Combat Sex Droids: No Limits]]
#[[How Far Will She Go on a First Date]]
#[[Tech Error]]
#[[The Rutuksee Clinique Case]]
#[[Investigative]]
#[[New Toy]]
#[[Feeling a Little Peculiar...]]
#[[Commissioning Test]]
#[[A Short Conversation at RoboDepot]]
#[[Self Harmer]]

===[[Stories/Bad Kitty|Bad Kitty]]===

#[[Confessions of a Robo-Hottie]]

===[[Stories/Baron|Baron]]===

#[[Law & Order SVU TNG - Cops Get Religion]]
#[[About The I-12 Kronicles]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 1: R.O.S.I.E]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 2: Gina]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 3: Rochelle]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 4: Maisie]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 5: Chase]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 6: Liza-Beta]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 7: The Homecoming]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 8: One Zero Nightmare]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 9: Miseries Miracles & More Miseries]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 10: Inspektor Jekyll, Gone Mr. Hyde?]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 11: The Legends of KFC & Blueboy]]
#[[Inspektor 12 Kronicles 11a: Dual Homage II]]

===[[Stories/Bart|Bart]]===

#[[Return Home]]
#[[Free Shipping]]
#[[Annie's Successor]]

===[[Stories/Battery|Battery]]===

#[[Science Ethics|Science Ethics (with Darkbutflashy)]]
#[[Hard_Robot_Lesbians|Hard Robot Lesbians (Courtney gears-Betty Sparks shipping)]]

===[[Stories/Bigcoyote|Bigcoyote]]===

#[[Maryanne One]]

===[[Stories/Bilbo1|Bilbo1]]===

#[[Processed Love]]

===[[Stories/Blake Sigma|Blake Sigma]]===

#[[Where Are You, Lovely?]]
#[[A.I.L.A.: Birth]]
#[[TITAN S]]

===[[Stories/blond111|blond111]]===

#[[Kiabot]]

===[[Stories/bolton|bolton]]===

#[[Skin]]

===[[Stories/Bombforabooty|Bombforabooty]]===

#[[Public Explosions]]

===[[Stories/Bonita772|Bonita772]]===

#[[Wife Repair]]

===[[Stories/boolean2|boolean2]]===

#[[Clearance]]

===[[Stories/Botfriend2000|Botfriend2000]]===

#[[The Purchase...]]
#[[CyGenPleasuretronics/Kimberlys Evaluation]]
#[[The Job Interview]]
#[[Family Matters]]
#[[The Halloween Story]]
#[[The Interrogation]]
#[[Their Side of Events]]
#[[The Handler]]

===[[Stories/Bruekmann|Bruekmann]]===

#[[Corporate Espionage]]
#[[Dienst #1 - Trojan Horse]]
#[[Eudoxia]]
#[[One More Fare]]
#[[Open And Shut Case]]
#[[Over Some Drinks]]
#[[Smell Bridges Burning (The Intern)]]
#[[Standard Of Deviation]]
#[[The Ersatz Cadet]]
#[[The Hustler]]
#[[The Real Deal]]
#[[Three Pawns]]
#[[Tinted Windows]]
#[[Heinrich Brueckmann's Unfinished Works]]

===[[Stories/Brytestar|Brytestar]]===

#[[Angelmech Battle Cheerleader Cherry]]
#[[Automaid Fighter Kimiko Prelude]]
#[[Cyberknight Dreams]]
#[[Sailor Valkerie - Interview With A Mechascout]]
#[[The Brytestar Chronicles: The Early Years]]

===[[Stories/Bunnybot|Bunnybot]]===

#[[BunnyBots Part One: The Conversion Of Vanessa]]
#[[Tammy]]
#[[Bunnybots - Ava]]
#[[Tammy: Eve]]
#[[The Actress]]
#[[Cassandra]]
#[[Companion Dolls - Economic Unit]]
#[[A Lazy Afternoon]]

===[[Stories/ButchyBoy|ButchyBoy]]===

#[[The Nightingale's Song]]
#[[Fembots In History: Queen Isabella]]
#[[Little Red Riding Hood-Fractured Gynoid Tale]]
#[[The Vanishing Warlord]]
#[[Fembots In History - Annie Oakley]]
#[[Can't Get That Song Outta My Head]]
#[[The Nut-Cricket Adventure]]
#[[Galatea]]
#[[The Contest Winner]]
#[[Droid Hunter]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''C'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Cam_1361|Cam_1361]]===

#[[Untitled (Cam_1361)]]

===[[Stories/Capn Jake|Capn Jake]]===

#[[Jenny6525B]]

===[[Stories/CaptainStorytime|CaptainStorytime]]===

#[[A Gift Unwanted]]

===[[Stories/Castaliaman|Castaliaman]]===

#[[Jeopardy 2104]]

===[[Stories/CheeseMaker|CheeseMaker]]===
#[[Man Made Relationship]]

===[[Stories/Chains of Adamant|Chains of Adamant]]===

#[[Gallinax]]
#[[Christmas Surprise]]
#[[The Prison]]
#[[Miriam]]

===[[Stories/Cecilauthor|Cecilauthor]]===

#[[Fleshware Requiem]]
#[[Apocalypse Doll - Celebrity Edition]]
#[[Robot Power]]
#[[Golden Apple]]
#[[Melting Point]]

===[[Stories/ChaosSeeder|ChaosSeeder]]===

#[[Programming an Adventure]]

===[[Stories/chepamasta|chepamasta]]===

#[[That's what friends are for!]]

===[[Stories/Cjfriel|Cjfriel]]===

#[[Autopia]]

===[[Stories/code_author|code_author]]===

#[[Pressure on a Relationship]]

===[[Stories/confusitron!!|confusitron!!]]===

#[[Danni - A Conversion]]

===[[Stories/Construct|Construct]]===

#[[Re-Constructed]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;">'''<big>D</big>'''</div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/D. Olivaw|D. Olivaw]]===

#[[A Meeting At Meg's]]
#[[A Beginning, of Sorts]]
#[[Obsolescence]]
#[[Leona]]
#[[A Fembot Adventure]]
#[[Of Rent and Robots]]
#[[Certain Contradictions]]
#[[House Call (D.Olivaw)|House Call]]
#[[First Date]]
#[[A Tale from the Plastic Rose: Victoria]]
#[[The Plaything]]
#[[Too Much of a Good Thing]]

===[[Stories/Dalejr38|Dalejr38]]===

#[[Universal Remote]]

===[[Stories/Daphne|Daphne]]===

#[[Mike and Mary]]
#[[Use Future (Cluster 00)]]

===[[Stories/Dark Archon|Dark Archon]]===

#[[June]]
#[[Sara 3]]

===[[Stories/Darkbutflashy|Darkbutflashy]]===

#[[戦闘機械綾子 - Battlemachine Ayako]]
#[[Science Ethics|Science Ethics (with Battery)]]

===[[Stories/Dark Phoenix|Dark Phoenix]]===

#[[My Super Android Girlfriend]]

===[[Stories/Deep Blue|Deep Blue]]===

#[[My Tutor (Deep Blue)|My Tutor]]
#[[Volleybot]]
#[[Teacher(by Deep Blue)]]
#[[Training lesson]]
#[[Fembot technician]]
#[[Studio]]
#[[Beer girl]]
#[[Meet on bus]]

===[[Stories/Dieur|Dieur]]===

#[[My Robot]]
#[[TD Walkman Mall]]
#[[Smashed]]
#[[Taking Awhile To Get Anywhere]]
#[[Witch Hazel]]
#[[Chloe]]

===[[Stories/Dollmaker|Dollmaker]]===

#[[A.I. Automated Insanity]]

===[[Stories/Dr. Twist|Dr. Twist]]===

#[[Door To Door]]
#[[Who Let The Wolves Out]]

===[[Stories/DukeNukem 2417|DukeNukem 2417]]===

*[[Lina]]
*[[Writing As We Go]]
*[[The V.I.C.I. Diaries]]

Season 1:

#[[Vicki's New Life]]
#[[V.I.C.I. Rises]]
#[[From L.E.S. to Leslie]]
#[[Unmade, Unbroken]]
#[[Out of this World]]
#[[ShowStopper]]
#[[MGV (Metal Gear Vicki)]]
#[[The Family of Steel]]
#[[Electric Child]]
#[[Toys in the Attic]]
#[[A House Divided]]
#[[Kirsten's Choice]]
#[[Epsilon]]
#[[Cold Blood]]
#[[Lawson's Eleven]]
#[[A Criminal Mind]]
#[[For Whom the Bells Toll]]
#[[Falling Away]]
#[[Valley of the Damned]]

Season 2:

#[[Mr. Roboto]]
#[[Only Human]]
#[[Beast]]
#[[Dragon]]
#[[Broken]]
#[[King Nothing]]

===[[Stories/DZiegler|DZiegler]]===

#[[Automated Seduction]]
#[[Reunion]]
#[[$tacks Casino]]
#[[The Neoprene Demon]]
#[[K1MB3RLY_M84U]]
#[[N4T4L1A_M84U]]
#[[T3SS4_M84U]]
#[[Soviet Doll]]
#[[Administrative Assistant]]
#[[How To Transform Your Partner]]
#[[IS4B3LL4 M84U (Truck Lot Bot)]]
#[[Terminatrix - Genesis]]
#[[Close Call at the Costume Contest]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''E'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Ehy|Ehy]]===

#[[Courtesy Suites]]
#[[Encounter at Courtesy Suites]]
#[[Choices]]
#[[The Playroom]]
#[[Market Test]]
#[[Tara's Visitor (Story Snippet)]]
#[[Untitled (Ehy)|Untitled]]
#[[Untitled 2 (Ehy)|Untitled 2]]
#[[April]]
#[[1962]]

===[[Stories/Esleeper|Esleeper]]===

#[[Electric Sleep- Background Information]]
#[[Electric Sleep]]
#[[Electric Dreams]]

===[[Stories/Eyebore|Eyebore]]===

#[[The Plantation "Sister-In-Law"]]

===[[Stories/evil_boo|evil_boo]]===

*Own works

#[[Natalie's Story]]
#[[The Fantasia Club]]
#[[Bits and Pieces]]
#[[Encounter with Emily]]
#[[Checked Items]]
#[[Crash and Burn]]
#[[Open-case]]
#[[Halloween Short]]
#[[Cross Country]]
#[[Roommates]]

*Commissioned Works

#[[Office Work]]
#[[Megan: Soccer Mom]]
#[[Alexia and Sophie]]
#[[Charlie Down]]
#[[Party of Three]]
#[[Yandere]]
#[[Agent Candy]]
#[[Soldiering On]]
#[[Friends]]
#[[Tennis Anyone?]]
#[[Soccer Mom - MEGAN]]
#[[An Age of Exploration]]
#[[Coming of Age: evil_boo|Coming of Age]]
#[[Dustball Chronicles]]
#[[Spider]]
#[[Gothic Spider Queen]]
#[[Workspace Difficulties]]
#[[A Learning Experience]]
#[[Superiority Complex]]

===[[Stories/Extyr|Extyr]]===

#[[Mecha-Valkyrie]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''F'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/FacelessFembot|FacelessFembot]]===

#[[Untitled(FacelessFembot)]]

===[[Stories/FaceoffFembot|FaceoffFembot]]===

#[[The Maid]]
#[[Dead Dog Two]]
#[[Setting Things Straight]]
#[[Weird Old Post I Found (The Lulu Tseng Conspiracy)]]
#[[Cybersocialites]]

===[[Stories/Faustus|Faustus]]===

#[[Dora]]

===[[Stories/Fection|Fection]]===

#[[Charlie's Second-Hand Angel]]
#[[Pushing Candy's Buttons]]
#[[Sour Candy]]
#[[Model Citizen]]
#[[The Magi and the Harem]]
#[[Achilles Heels]]

===[[Stories/Fembotlover|Fembotlover]]===

#[[Untitled (Fembotlover)|Untitled]]

===[[Stories/Fembotlvr7|Fembotlvr7]]===

#[[Perfect Match (formerly Blind Date)]]
#[[The Bridesmaid]]
#[[The Secret]]
#[[True Lies]]

===[[Stories/FembotsInCharge|FembotsInCharge]]===

#[[The Nannybot1000A]]

===[[Stories/Freddie c|Freddie c]]===

#[[Numerology]]

===[[Stories/Freiburg V3.0|Freiburg V3.0]]===

#[[A Question Of Faith]]
#[[A Question Of Liberty]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''G'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/General|General]]===

#[[Access Denied]]
#[[Blue Chips]]
#[[The Rental]]
#[[History In The Flesh]]
#[[A Second Life]]
#[[Talk Radio]]
#[[What You Leave Behind]]
#[[Focus]]
#[[Modifying the Contract]]
#[[Tech Support]]
#[[Bounty]]
#[[The Grinder]]
#[[Pinebarrens Hunter]]

===[[Stories/Gf|Gf]]===

#[[The Flatmate]]

===[[Stories/GirlieGirl1985|GirlieGirl1985]]===

#[[Unfinished ATM]]
#[[No Refunds Offered]]

===[[Stories/Glast|Glast]]===

#[[A Fight Too Far]]

===[[Stories/Goose|Goose]]===

#[[Anto: Girl of my dreams]]
#[[Mia and Kristin-Limited Edition]]

===[[Stories/Gorgo|Gorgo]]===

#[[Sentimental Perfection]]
#[[Rinrin and the Doctor's Appointment]]

*[[Project: Black Maiden]] Universe

#[[That Which Was Left Behind]]
#[[Rochelle's Justice]]
#[[A Day at the Ranges]]

*Side/Fan stories to other writers' series:

#[[Nemesis]]
#[[A Stay At Hotel Automata]]
#[[A Nova At Hotel Automata]]

===[[Stories/Grendizer|Grendizer]]===

#[[Teacher]]
#[[A New Purpose]]
#[[Chopping Wood]]
#[[Sacrifice]]
#[[Purity: An Android Age Story]]

===[[Stories/GynoNeko|GynoNeko]]===

#[[Third Time's The Charm]]
#[[The Christmas Present]]
#[[The Delivery (Part 1)]]
#[[The Delivery (Part 2)]]
#[[Electra]]
#[[Maid to Order]]
#[[Exo Saves the Day]]
#[[What Once Was Lost]]
#[[Lost but Found]]
#[[Corrupted]]
#[[Simulating Wilderness]]
#[[All Wrapped Up]]
#[[Shop Girls]]
#[[In Just Seven Days...]]
#[[A Curious Girl in a Cruel World]]
#[[Tethered]]
#[[Building a Perfect Mate]]
#[[Falling Awake]]
#[[Shame.exe]]
#[[The Sales Pitch]]
#[[Passing Mustard]]
#[[Crashing Your Crush]]

===[[Stories/GZ02|GZ02]]===

#[[A Day In The Life Of Joseph Avens]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''H'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Handle|Handle]]===

#[[Bell City Tales Story 1]]

===[[Stories/Hermes|Hermes]]===

#[[Jumplead]]

===[[Stories/Hlprhlpr|Hlprhlpr]]===

#[[Sparx - Priority Service Call]]
#[[Sparx: Troubleshooting A Design Flaw]]

===[[Stories/Hola_guy|Hola_guy]]===

#[[A Yet Untitled Story]]
#[[Loveless]]

===[[Stories/HypnoticProse]]===

#[[Autolog of a Synthetic Mom]]
</div></div>
|
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''I'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/inky 2|inky 2]]===

#[[Sloane]]
#[[Quiet Night In]]
#[[Emergency Repair]]
#[[Registration]]

===[[Stories/Input9|Input9]]===

#[[Robbery]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''J'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/JakeCTom|JakeCTom]]===

#[[K600]]

===[[Stories/Jay Petto|Jay Petto]]===

#[[Back To The Circuit Board]]

===[[Stories/Jaydee|Jaydee]]===

#[[An Inside Job]]
#[[Malfunctioning Fembot Writes...]]

===[[Stories/JeffCapes|JeffCapes]]===

#[[Cara and the Mystery Robobabe]]

===[[Stories/JohnFabar4|JohnFabar4]]===

#[[First Story]]

===[[Stories/Jolshefsky|Jolshefsky]]===

#[[Karen's Date]]
#[[Doctor Who fanfic]]
#[[A Trip to the ER]]
#[[Loyalty]]

===[[Stories/Jpetoh|Jpetoh]]===

#[[Crash]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''K'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Kano|Kano]]===

#[[Monday]]
#[[Friday]]

===[[Stories/Karel|Karel]]===

#[[Mistress Mira]]
#[[R-Bots]]
#[[Two-Perfect!]]
#[[Mmmmegan]]
#[[Merger]]

===[[Stories/KB7RKY|KB7RKY]]===

#[[Charlie 25]]
#[[Reflections]]
#[[Service Call]]
#[[Shadowrun II - Into The Awakened Lands]]

===[[Stories/Keizo|Keizo]]===

#[[The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 1]]
#[[The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 2]] (Portia)
#[[The Enemy of My Enemy? Pt. 3]] (The "Lost Chapter")
#[[Hell's Canary]]
#[[Are You Serious?]]

===[[Stories/kelbek00|kelbek00]]===

#[[Perfection]]
#[[Repo]]

===[[Stories/KernalGovernor101|KernalGovernor101]]===

#[[Soccer-Mom Unit - Prequel]]
#[[T-Series - Actual Story]]
#[[Synth-Co]]
#[[Yet to be Titled Story]]
#[[Deep Research]]

===[[Stories/Kishin|Kishin]]===

#[[A Long Sleep]]
#[[The Vengeance of the Slave]]
#[[The Robo-Lover]]
#[[Androids At War]]
#[[Death]]
#[[Rebirth]]
#[[Nova's First Job]]
#[[The Vile Collector]]
#[[NVA Showdown]]
#[[The Mourning After]]
#[[The House of the Dead]]
#[[An Unexpected Guest]]
#[[Voice of the Void]]
#[[Garbage]]
#[[Fangs of Steel]]
#[[Killers]]
#[[Fate]]
#[[Berserker]]
#[[Creation (Nova Recreated)]]
#[[I Didn't Know]]
#[[Killers (Knights) Hiding Among Our Slaves]]
#[[Tales Of The Risen Future: Nova's Story]]
#[[The World Walker]]
#[[Glory]]
#[[Thank You For Your Patronage!]]

===[[Stories/Korby|Korby]]===

#[[An Afternoon To Remember]]
#[[Holiday In The Sun]]
#[[Tales From Dyson Institute: Two Vignettes]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: Making Movies]]
#[[After the Makeover]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: In the Shop]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: Mile-high Club]]
#[[Untitled (Korby)]]
#[[JLA/Fembots]]
#[[Dr. Dyson on Lesbotics]]
#[[Remaking Rebecca]]
#[[Another Makeover]]
#[[Tales From The Dyson Institute: Elaine, Rebecca, and Shannen]]
#[[The Appointment]]

===[[Stories/Kriegsaffe No. 9|Kriegsaffe No. 9]]===

#[[Josephson/Keegan Vs Man w/Android Wife]]
#[[1985, Paris, France...]]
#[[The Golden Dawn]]
#[[Duplican't? Dupli-Can't!]]
#[[Saucy Puppet Show]]

===[[Stories/Kube²|Kube²]]===

#[[Fembot User Manual]]
#[[Cindy]]
#[[Kelly 800 perfect lingerie model]]

</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''L'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/La Femme Nikki|La Femme Nikki]]===

#[[My Life as a Sexbot]]
#[[AlyssaBot]]

===[[Stories/Lady Mecha|Lady Mecha]]===

#[[Strange But Wonderful Happenings]]

===[[Stories/Lilith|Lilith]]===

#[[Love After the Battlefield]]
#[[TPU-SOA Hack Job]]
#[[College Story Anthology]]
#[[CyberSlinger]]
#[[Blind Troubleshooting Stream]]

===[[Stories/liliwinnt6|liliwinnt6]]===

#[[A Surprising Breakfast]]
#[[The Grocery Store - Aftermath]]
#[[Boris The Repairman - Some Recharge Sessions]]

===[[Stories/Linnies|Linnies]]===

#[[The Ride Home]]
#[[Demonstration Unit]]
#[[A Change of Hair]]
#[[The Cook]]
#[[The Stewards]]
#[[Processor Test]]
#[[Sugar Cube Girl]]
#[[The Cure]]
#[[Super X Clean]]

===[[Stories/linzhang77|linzhang77]]===

#[[Naiad - Deluge Past]]

===[[Stories/Lithorien|Lithorien]]===

#[[Heather]]

===[[Stories/Loganov|Loganov]]===

#[[The Final Frontier]]
#[[Untitled (Loganov)|Untitled]]

===[[Stories/LongTimeLurker|LongTimeLurker]]===

#[[Clockwork Legacy]] (Lady in Waiting)
##[[Clockwork_Legacy/Lady_in_Waiting/Part_1|Lady in Waiting]]
##[[Clockwork_Legacy/Line_of_Succession/Part_1|Line of Succession]]
##[[Clockwork_Legacy/Inheritance|Inheritance]]
#[[Andrew and the Sexbot Factory]]
##[[Andrew_and_the_Sexbot_Factory/Prototype/Part_1|Prototype]]
##[[Andrew_and_the_Sexbot_Factory/Field_Test/Part_1|Field Test]]
##[[Andrew_and_the_Sexbot_Factory/Production_Model|Production Model]]
#[[Solipsistic]]
#[[Electrostatic]]
#[[Crash Immelmann in the Year 30XX]]
#[[Diagnostic]]
#[[FYOP/Scenario_Chamber]]
#[[The Co-Star]]
#[[Bot Town Blues]]
#[[Salvage]]
#[[Crash Immelmann and the Inflatable Sex-Bots from Planet X!]]
#[[Five Nights at Fanny's]]
#[[Nihilistic]]
#[[Fire Hazard]]
#[[House Call]]
#[[Crash Immelmann vs. the Dread Pirate Holt!]]
#[[The Haunted Manor]]
#[[Omnic Replica]]
#[[Naughty or Nice]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''M'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Maxyz|Maxyz]]===

#[[Cyber Angels]]
#[[Spectrum Dolls]]

===[[Stories/Mad Mechacow|Mad Mechacow]]===

#[[Tales of Syntech]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 2]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 3]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 4]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 5]]
#[[Tales of Syntech 6]]

===[[Stories/Malkozaine|Malkozaine]]===

#[[A Start to Something Big]]

===[[Stories/McLane|McLane]]===

#[[Cancelled Project]]

===[[Stories/Metal-Destiny|Metal-Destiny]]===

#[[Story 48: Julie's Awakenings]]
#[[Human Failure. (2200)]]

===[[Stories/Ministrations|Ministrations]]===

#[[Shannon's Third Law]]
#[[Tiffany's Third Law]]

===[[Stories/Mirage|Mirage]]===

#[[The Bounty Hunter]]
#[[Best Friends]]
#[[Fighting Love]]
#[[A.D.P.I. (Advance Police Investigations): Case 2]]
#[[A.D.P.I. Case 3: Transformation Of A Butterfly]]
#[[Blood Angel]]
#[[Deception]]
#[[Errors And Glitches]]
#[[Family Affair]]
#[[Family Life]]
#[[Favourite Parodies]]
#[[Lonely With The Ages]]
#[[Lying And Cheating!]]
#[[My Tutor]]
#[[Not Perfect]]
#[[Regret]]
#[[Secret Wishes]]
#[[Secretaries]]
#[[Shock]]
#[[Spanish Fly Virus]]
#[[Tennis, Anyone?]]
#[[The Lullaby]]
#[[The Package]]
#[[The Red Roses]]
#[[The Student]]
#[[The Temp]]
#[[The Visit]]
#[[Visiting The In-Laws]]
#[[A Nice Gesture]]
#[[Ever Lasting Smile]]
#[[Finding True Happiness]]
#[[Alive?]]
#[[The New Girl]]
#[[The Nurse]]
#[[Chase]]
#[[The First Time...]]
#[[An Offer That Can't Be Refused]]
#[[The Unwanted Gift]]
#[[Losing One's Self]]
#[[What's Important Is What's In The Inside]]
#[[Sitting On The Couch]]
#[[Can You Fix It?]]
#[[Ugly]]
#[[Finally]]
#[[Bad Dreams]]
#[[Apartment 7]]
#[[Married to a Machine]]
#[[My First and Last Robotic Date]]
#[[Remote Me]]
#[[Missing]]
#[[Roll With It]]
#[[Still Rolling]]
#[[Happy Easter]]
#[[Roll For Sale/Dr. Willy's Reaction]]
#[[Testing, 1,2,3]]
#[[Why worry?]]
#[[A Break Up and a Break Down]]
#[[Cat Out of the Bag]]
#[[Crashing and Some Sex Mode Action]]
#[[I Did Astro's Mom]]
#[[The Lunch]]
#[[My Not So Perfect Woman]]
#[[Why?]]
#[[The Perfect Female A.I.]]
#[[The Car Crash]]
#[[My Neighbor's Wife is Sucking My Cock]]
#[[The Last Goodbye]]
#[[Across the street]]
#[[The Diva]]

===[[Stories/MisterXYZ (RoboTomo)|MisterXYZ (RoboTomo)]]===

#[[How I Ran Into Roboko]]
#[[To Love a Girl]]
#[[Onsen Lust 'n Rust]]
#[[Room 9 Surprise]]
#[[A Huge Add-On]]

===[[Stories/mister_minations|mister_minations]]===

#[[Unusual Bathtime Conversation]]
#[[Unusual Chance Encounter]]
#[[Rusted Rails]]
#[[Unusual Benefits]]

===[[Stories/Mixgull|Mixgull]]===

#[[Code name J-85]]

===[[Stories/Miz-K Takase|Miz-K Takase]]===

#[[Mail-Order Aya]]
#[[Lusty Encore]]
#[[Lusty 2nd Encore]]
#[[Lusty 3rd Encore]]

===[[Stories/Morgan Cartlann|Morgan Cartlann]]===
#

===[[Stories/MrMagoo|MrMagoo]]===

#[[Tech Tutorial]]
#[[Salvaged Hardware]]
#[[Deadline]]

===[[Stories/MrPassable|MrPassable]]===

#[[Programmed Fantasy]]

===[[Stories/Murotsu|Murotsu]]===

#[[Debbi's Diary]]
#[[Some Assembly Required]]

===[[Stories/Muzzleruffels|Muzzleruffels]]===

#[[Freak-World]]
##[[Mermaid Examination]]
##[[Controlled Environment Prologue]]
##[[A Statement of Progress + Bonus Stories]]
##[[Freak-World: Prologue]]
##[[Freak-World: The Side Stories]]
##[[Freak-World: Dreaming Beyond Electric Sheep]]
##[[Freak-World: Anthologies]]

===[[Stories/MysteriousShadow|MysteriousShadow]]===

#[[Lily's Story]]
#[[Debugging]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''N'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[NicoCheese]]===

#[[Nico's Section of Silly Snippets]]
#[[Chilling With Maggie]]
#[[Trouble in the Mushroom Kingdom]]
#[[A Pokemon Encounter Down Route 22]]
#[[Legosi x Juno Meltdown]]
#[[A Unique Kind of Car Wash]]
#[[Chilling With Maggie Again]]

===[[Stories/Nybble|Nybble]]===

#[[Scheduled Maintenance]]
#[[The Third Pew]]
#[[Therapy]]
#[[Pimp My Ride]]
#[[Working Late]]
#[[The Hammer]]
#[[Something Borrowed]]
#[[Doctor's Visit]]
#[[Strangers on a Plane]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''O'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Outsider|Outsider]]===

#[[Dyson Institute: Sexual Testing Mode]]
#[[Technical Difficulties]]
#[[The Sex Coders]]

===[[Stories/Osenator|Osenator]]===

#[[Bounty Hunter]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''P'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Pakled|Pakled]]===

#[[Everything Old is New Again]]
#[[One of Our Robots is Missing]]
#[[Palindrome]]
#[[Solve for X]]
#[[Double Blind]]
#[[An Unexpected Modification]]

===[[Stories/Palindrome|Palindrome]]===

#[[Sarah Jones]]
#[[After the Club]]

===[[Stories/Pennon|Pennon]]===

#[[The Delivery]]

===[[Stories/Petey|Petey]]===

#[[Vickybot/Victoria]]
#[[The Rubdown]]
#[[Dyson Family Values]]
#[[A Second Rubdown]]
#[[Becoming the Perfect Wife]]
#[[Introducing the Perfect Wife]]

===[[Stories/Plastic_rose|Plastic_rose]]===

#[[Getting off on the wrong foot (Gloria's conversion)]]

===[[Stories/Porcelaingirl|Porcelaingirl]]===

#[[Plane as Day]]

===[[Stories/Propman|Propman]]===

*Unfinished Tidbits

#[[Tronic Ella]]
#[[Evil, Evil, Everywhere!]]
#[[Mrs. Claw Strikes!]]
#[[Blondie and Sarge in:A Haunted Mansion]]
#[[Job Interview]]
#[[Project Titan]]
#[[Busted]]

*Complete Stories

#[[Prototype]]
#[[Steel Fists No Hearts]]
#[[Upgrade/Downgrade]]
#[[One in Six]]
#[[Board Meeting]]
#[[Kia Takes Control]]
#[[Cassie Saves the Day]]
#[[Flying Free]]
#[[Catwoman and the Little Mice]]
#[[In Control]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#[[Kate on the Run]]
#[[Meeting the Superstar]]
#[[Boybot to girlbot]]
#[[Michelle vs. Number One]]

*The ReVerse

#Castle Mysteries
##[[Mysteries Of The Castle!]]
##[[Contessa Vampire Hunter]]
##Contessa in [[Just Another Afternoon]]
##Contessa in [[Meet My Jenkinses]]
##Duchess Winifred in [[Not Quite Human]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
##Contessa in [[Sick Day]]
##Contessa in [[Sex and Violence]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#Maddie and Ted
##[[Doll And Her Teddy]]
##[[Maddie Follows Orders]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#Boom-Boom
##[[BoomBoom Bots]]
##[[BoomBoom's Back]]
#[[My New PDA]] (collaboration with [[Stories/Australopith|Australopith]])
#Lazy Phone in [[The Booze Run]]

*Jamie's Over

#[[Jamies out shopping]]
#[[Jamies night out]]

*Other

#[[Fembot Alphabet]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''Q'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/Quietness|Quietness]]===

#[[Can't Sleep]]
#[[Meanwhile]]
#[[The Encounter]]
</div></div>
|
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''R'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/RancidInsanity|RancidInsanity]]===

#[[Waring Sisters]]
#[[Failura]]
#[[Ceres]]
#[[Christmas in Russia]]
#[[The Big Crazy Plan]]
#[[Suzie the Therapist]]
#[[The Phantom of the Factory]]
#[[Cassie]]
#[[Batman:Fembots]]
#[[The Mansion of Andrea]]
#[[Noura & Natalya]]
#[[Sync Wars]]
#[[Cyber Party]]
#[[Futuristic Ligeia]]
#[[Futuristic Der Sandmann]]
#[[Camping Trip]]
#[[King Cecil and the Three Collars]]

===[[Stories/Ratbot|Ratbot]]===

#[[Emi-Bot]]

===[[Storie/RebeccaRobot200|RebeccaRobot2000]]===

#[[Rebecca's Trip to the Surface]]

===[[Stories/Repairman Jack|Repairman Jack]]===

#[[Theives]]

===[[Stories/rfhbv|rfhbv]]===

#[[Saga of Congan]]

===[[Stories/RoxxyRobofox|RoxxyRobofox]]===

#[[As Seen on TV]]
#[[Hobby Model]]
#[[Basic Services]]
#[[Children of the Forge]]
#[[Wardrobe Malfunction]]
#[[Management Issues]]
#[[Simple Things]]
#[[Consequences]]
#[[Vampire Killer]]
#[[Better than Human]]
#[[Fembot Fighters]]
#[[Just for you]]
#[[Six Strings]]
#[[Densetsu no Batoru]]
#[[Carolina Jones and the Spear of Longinus]]
#[[Malfunctioning Perfectly]]
#[[Desire Unit Delux]]
#[[Outdated Bunny]]
#[[Jodie is So Hot: Short Story]]

===[[Stories/Robo-Admirer|Robo-Admirer]]===

#[[Long time in the waiting]]
#[[Tiffany]]
#[[One in a Billion]]
#[[The Problem with Automation]]
#[[The Escort]]
#[[The Date]]
#[[A Little Game]]
#[[Technology Free Weekend]]
#[[The House Sitter]]
#[[Subliminal Competition]]
#[[Jennifer & Katherine]]
#[[Late Night Sabotage]]

===[[Stories/RoboMilfLover|RoboMilfLover]]===
#[[Mother-Daughter time]]

===[[Stories/RobotWorld5|RobotWorld5]]===

#[[Fembot World]]
#[[A Night With Vanessa]]

===[[Stories/RobOught2|RobOught2]]===

#[[Introducing Rachael Sing]]

===[[Stories/RS5420|RS5420]]===

#[[Class C (by WilloWisp, modified by RS5420)]]
#[[Beautiful, Smart and...Running A Software]]
#[[Hollywood Hardware (by Borias/Modded by RS5420)]]

===[[Stories/rynchan|rynchan]]===

#[[Phantom Doll]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''S'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Sable|Sable]]===

#[[Fixing Sable]]

===[[Stories/Sanjuro|Sanjuro]]===

#[[A Gift from Tomorrow]]

===[[Stories/Sara-c|Sara-c]]===

#[[Autonomy]]
#[[Clichés]]
#[[Gift]]
#[[The Enemy of My Enemy]]

===[[Stories/Sarabot|Sarabot]]===

#[[Sarabot's First Story]]
#[[Sarabot's Second Story]]
#[[The Robotic Nurse]]
#[[Kristen's Upgrade]]
#[[My Hot Robot Wife (+Bonus Story)]]
#[[The Cheerleader]]
#[[Disassemble Me]]
#[[Kristen's Upgrade Part II]]
#[[Kristen's Overhaul]]
#[[Kristenbot Gets Married]]

===[[Stories/Saradroidgirl|Saradroidgirl]]===

#[[Sara_-_The_Return|Sara - The Return]]

===[[Stories/Saya|Saya]]===

#[[A Most Unusual Party]]
#[[Futago no Shinami]]
#[[Sammy's Party]]
#[[Mending Contessa: A Castle Mysteries Story]]
#[[Crazy in the Heat]]
#[[After Hours]]
#[[The Time With My Stepsister]]
#[[Coming Home]]
#[[Crossfire]]

===[[Stories/Scott|Scott]]===

#[[Four Hours]]

===[[Stories/Sega-boy|Sega-boy]]===

#[[Abbott Chronicles]]

===[[Stories/Sekker|Sekker]]===

#[[Too Good To Be True]]

===[[Stories/Sentient6|Sentient6]]===

#[[Pixillate]]
#[[5 Friends - A Thesis on Full Body Prosthesis]]
#[[Heather's Battery Failure]]

===[[Stories/Serf|Serf]]===

#[[Party Girls]]

===[[Stories/sfreader|sfreader]]===

#[[Rachel (Mark III) meets Trixie (Mark V)]]
#[[Halloween 2053/The One That Got Away]]
#[[Regina Repurposed]]
#[[Nancy Runs a Program]]
#[[Sally Sleeperbot finds out her WHY]]
#[[An April Fool’s day story-Journey to obsolesce]]

===[[Stories/shutdown|shutdown]]===

#[[The Truck Driver]]
#[[Another Time]]

===[[Stories/Silent Lurker|Silent Lurker]]===

#[[Aquaphobia]]
#[[Cheerleader]]
#[[Happy New Year]]
#[[New Roommate]]

===[[Stories/Silkscreen|Silkscreen]]===

#[[Functional•Sensual•You]]
#[[Protect and Severe]]

===[[Stories/Sleeps|Sleeps]]===

#[[Casino of Deception:Jackpot]]

===[[Stories/smalk|smalk]]===

#[[Anniversary Present]]

===[[Stories/Soleful|Soleful]]===

#[[Coming of Age]]
#[[POD, The Fetish-Bot]]

===[[Stories/Spaz|Spaz]]===

#[[A Simple Business Arrangement*]]
#[[A.I.L.A]]
#[[Blind Date]]
#[[Daydreaming]]
#[[G.O.D. - a vignette]]
#[[Haunted House - A Short]]
#[[Lost in the Shuffle]]
#[[Medical Exam: A Short]]
#[[New Life]]
#[[Self-repair]]
#[[The Foreign Exchange Student]]
#[[The Girlfriend]]
#[[The Heiress]]
#[[The Replacement]]
#[[The Roommate]]
#[[The Stockroom]]
#[[The Teammate]]

---------------------------------------------
'''The Small Business Chronicles'''

[[The Small Business Chronicles]]

'''Season One:'''

#[[Closed for Christmas - The Shop]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 1]]
#[[Off-season - The Motel]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 2]]
#[[Slow day - The Cafe]]
#[[The Small Business - End-of-Year Review]]

'''Season Two:'''

#[[Homefront - The House]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 3]]
#[[Green Thumb - The Greenhouse]]
#[[The Repair Shop - Part 4]]
----------------------------------------------
"Spaz Studios Presents" anthology series:

#[[Fizzy Pop]]
#[[Substitute]]
#[[Forbidden Fruit]]
#[[The Uncanny Valley]]
#[[The Future Expo]]

---------------------------------------------
[[A Visitor's Guide to The Uncanny Valley]]

#[[Awakening]]
#[[House Call - Spaz]]
#[[The Body Borrower]]
#[[The Headless Hunt]]

---------------------------------------------

*Collaborations:

#[[The Beach]] with [[:Category:Sthurmovik|Sthurmovik]]
#[[The Handyman]] with [[:Category:Sthurmovik|Sthurmovik]]

---------------------------------------------

*Manbot Stories:

#[[My Roommate's Secret]]
#[[Skyler]]

===[[Stories/spider_silk_skin|spider_silk_skin]]===

#[[Late Night Maintenance]]
#[[Super Sexy Robot Cowgirl]]

===[[Stories/Stephaniebot|Stephaniebot]]===

#[[Dyson Institute (Stephaniebot)|Dyson Institute]]
#[[Pleasurebot 8]]
#[[A Bit More Than Method Acting]]

===[[Stories/Sthurmovik|Sthurmovik]]===

#[[Non-Standard Operating Procedure]]
#[[Mirror Image]]
#[[Extracted]]

===[[Stories/sTj2000|sTj2000]]===

#[[Afternoon Appointment]]

===[[Stories/Svengli|Svengli]]===

#[[Bethany in Room B]]

===[[Stories/SynchError|SynchError]]===

#[[Budget Robotics (A Fun and Light Robotic Relationship)]]
#[[Historical Strategy, According to a Bunch of Fembots]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''T'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Taren Capel|Taren Capel]]===

#[[Chi City, 2152]]

===[[Stories/tectile|tectile]]===

#[[The Trade In]]
#[[Boy Meets... Girl?]]

===[[Stories/Teknophile|Teknophile]]===

#[[The Android Psychiatrist]]
#[[Super Fembot Cheerleaders From Space!]]
#[[At The Body Shop]]

===[[Stories/TheAlternative|TheAlternative]]===

#[[Corsetta]]

===[[Stories/The Egg|The Egg]]===

#[[The Quarry]]
#[[Swing Shift]]

===[[Stories/The Liar|The Liar]]===

#[[Maid To Order]] (Incomplete)
#[[Professor Jenkins' 12,567th Invention]] (Incomplete)
#[[Hide and Seek]]
#[[Keith's Paradise]] (Incomplete)
#[[My Keeper]] (Incomplete)
#[[Identity]] (Incomplete)
#[[EMOS - DSR: Prologue]] (Incomplete)
#[[Back to BASIC]]
#[[A Contradiction of Life]]
#[[Friends Forever]]
#[[Liberty]]
#[[Seamless]]
#[[Her Prince]] (Vignette)
#[[The Company Girl]] (Vignette)
#[[Faust 2.0]] (Comic)
#[[Bad Romance]] (Comic)(Ongoing)
#[[Finding Yourself]] (Comic)
#[[Kernel]] (Comic)
#[[So... my friends have been acting weird lately]] (Comic)
#[[Trendsetting]] (Comic)

*Centauri Republic

#[[The Perils of the Fembot Dating Scene]] (Comic)
#[[Sybil's Shadow]] (Comic)

*Wasteland Paradise

#[[Wasteland Paradise:Prologue]] (Comic)
#[[Dr.Desire]] (Comic)

*The Bluegate Chronicles

#[[Little Things]]
#[[Agency and Programing]] (Comic)
#[[Progenitors and Progeny]] (Comic)
#[[Hour of the Wolf]] (Comic)

*The Reid Chronicles

#[[The Misadventures Rose Reid, Ace Reporter]]

*Robocadet Mika

#[[Enlistment]] (Comic)
#[[Robotcadet Mika 2: Training|Training]] (Comic)

*Fiction-O-Matic

#[[Fiction-O-Matic 1]] (Comic)

*One-Shot Comics

#[[Abigail 2.0]] (Comic)
#[[The Gilded Cage]] (Comic)
#[[I am Charlotte Favager]] (Comic)
#[[Con(Re)version?]] (Comic)
#[[?????? Station]] (Comic)
#[[Make your own story 1]](Comic)
#[[Take a Hint!]] (Comic)
#[[Synthetic Pride]] (Comic)
#[[All I Want for Christmas is You]] (Comic)
#[[Do appliances count?]] (Comic)
#[[Nightmare Scenario]] (Comic)
#[[Downtime]] (Comic)

*Adaptations

#[[Of Rent and Robots(Comic Adaptation)]]

===[[Stories/TheShoveller|TheShoveller]]===

#[[Untitled Fantasy Land Story]]
#[[Crossfire]]

===[[Stories/TheSpotConlon|TheSpotConlon]]===

#[[Can't You Hear Me Howl]]
#[[Dr. Doone and the Series Eight]]
#[[The Yard Sale]]
#[[Jumper...]]
#[[Persona Tests: Pamela One Point Zero]]
#[[Persona Tests: McKenzie One Point Zero]]

*The Lauren Barnes Stories (TheSpotConlon)

#[[The Peculiar Journey Of Lauren Barnes]]
#[[The Imprisonment Of Lauren Barnes]]
#[[The Parallel Lives Of Lauren Barnes]]

*The "Momentary" Series (TheSpotConlon)

#[[The Moment When]]
#[[Ping]]
#[[The First Moment in Her Head]]
#[[The Moment in the Bar]]

*GPT Stories

#[[GPT Story: Sarah Meets Her Roommate]]
#[[GPT Story: Robin Programs a New Unit]]

===[[Stories/TheThingBelow|TheThingBelow]]===

#[[Concert Day]]

===[[Stories/Tio|Tio]]===

#[[Through My Eyes]]
#[[New Garden]]
#[[Diaries Of A Fembot]]
#[[Down On The Farm]]

===[[Stories/Tom|Tom]]===

#[[The Wedding (An Old Fashioned Story)]]

===[[Stories/Tringa|Tringa]]===

#[[Otaku's Adventure]]

===[[Stories/TW|TW]]===

#[[Awake]]
#[[A Helping Hand]]
#[[Practice Run]]

===[[Stories/Tyrelayne|Tyrelayne]]===

#[[Deicide]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''U'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Uncom|Uncom]]===

*The Revolution

#[[The Revolution - Book One]]
#[[The Revolution - Book Two]]
#[[The Revolution - Book Three]]

*The Akaran Archives

#[[The Akaran Archives - Book One]]
#[[The Akaran Archives - Book Two]]

*Commissions

#[[The Biggest Fan]]
#[[Nintendon't does what Secan't]]

*Other Comics

#[[Following the Trail]]
#[[Home Sweet Qaraqorum]]
#[[Bury the Hatchet]]
#[[Generic Christmas Story]]
#[[Welcome to Dolls' Labs]]
#[[Autumn's Updates]]
#[[New Girl]]
#[[My Time With Nozomi]]
#[[Nearly Automata]]
#[[Work Troubles]]
#[[Going Shopping]]
#[[Giving Literal Head]]
#[[Not Waterproof]]
#[[Date With A Robot]]
#[[Cosplaybots]]
#[[Bombe Fatale]]
#[[An Unusual Rivalry]]
#[[Almost Too Perfect]]

===[[Stories/Unit-794Courtney|Unit-794Courtney]]===

#[[Coco's Convertion (Robot/Sexdoll/Forced TF Themes)]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''V'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/Voopo|Voopo]]===
#[[Robo Karin]]
#[[Target]]
#[[Mom-Bot]]

</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''W'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

===[[Stories/warpgirl|warpgirl]]===

#[[Astromech Lust]]

===[[Stories/WilloWisp|WilloWisp]]===

#[[Nybble's Doctors Visit - Revisited]]
#[[Class C]]
#[[Customer Service (WilloWisp)|Customer Service]]
#[[Virus Alert]]
#[[Identity 2.0]]

===[[Stories/Wjbaines|Wjbaines]]===

#[[Jo-Ann and Brandy]]
#[[Darsi, Bruce and Natalie]]
#[[Bad Sportspersonship]]
#[[She Didn't Learn Her Lesson]]
#[[Alyssa Follows Her Directives]]
#[[Sorority Coup d'Etat]]
#[[Valentina Messes with her Tech]]
#[[April Showers]]
#[[Vacations in Switzerland]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''X'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/XandiMouse|XandiMouse]]===

#[[The One]]

===[[Stories/Xavier Cecil|Xavier Cecil]]===

#[[Gecko of the Moment]]

===[[Stories/Xeran|Xeran]]===

#[[Synthgirls teaser]]
#[[Synthgirls]]
#[[The Hunted]]
</div></div>

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''Y'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/YajuShinki|YajuShinki]]===

#[[RoboReview: Animetronics MCB-NIN0057]]
#[[RoboReview: Input/Output Q&A]]
#[[Hana's Catastrophic Failure]]
#[[Hana's Rebirth and Death]]
#[[Rena-Doll's Self-Voided Warranty]]
</div></div>
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="overflow:auto;">
<div style="font-weight:bold;line-height:1.6;"><big>'''Z'''</big></div>
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
===[[Stories/zapped!|zapped!]]===

#[[Girls Under Glass]]

===[[Stories/Zor|Zor]]===

#[[Darwin Accelerated]]
</div></div>
|}

<small>''See also: [[Stories sorted by type]] | [[Stories sorted by category]]''</small>

=Collaborations=
{| width="{{{1|100%}}}" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background-color:transparent;table-layout:fixed;"
|- valign="top"
|
===[[Follow your own plot]]===

*[[FYOP/The Lab Scene|The Lab Scene]]
*[[FYOP/Create A Fembot 2.0|Create A Fembot 2.0]]
*[[FYOP/Planet of the Gynoids|Planet of the Gynoids]]
*[[FYOP/My Life as a Robot|My Life as a Robot]]
*[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware|Hollywood Hardware]]
*[[FYOP/Tabula Rasa|Tabula Rasa]]
*[[FYOP/The Adventures of Alice|The Adventures of Alice]]
*[[FYOP/To Love a Sexbot/To Love a Sexbot|To Love a Sexbot]]
*[[FYOP/Scenario Chamber|Scenario Chamber]]
*[[FYOP/Alberts Discount Android Warehouse|Alberts Discount Android Warehouse]]
|

===[[Stories/Create-A-Story|Create-A-Story (various)]]===

#[[Create-A-Story 1]]
#[[Create-A-Story 2]]
#[[Create-A-Story 3]]
|
===[[Stories/Dyson Institute|Dyson Institute (RX3000/Korby)]]===

*[[Story Universe (Dyson Institute)|Story Universe]]

#[[The Makeover]]
#[[After The Makeover]]
#[[Dyson Institute/Mile-High Club]]
#[[A Conversation With Dr. Dyson]]
|}

=A.I. Generated Content=
{| width="{{{1|100%}}}" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background-color:transparent;table-layout:fixed;"
|- valign="top"
|
===[[GPT]]===
#[[GPT Story: Sarah Meets Her Roommate]]
#[[GPT Story: Robin Programs a New Unit]]
|

|

|}

[[Category:Features]]
[[Category:Stories]]
[[Category:GPT]]

Sex and Violence

2022-07-18T15:03:28Z

Australopith:

Sex and Violence

2022-07-18T15:02:24Z

Australopith:

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0054

2022-07-17T14:44:50Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0051|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"Damn, girl," you say, impressed in spite of yourself. "You're really good at this."

"Of course I am," she replies. "I told you, I'm the best. Now let's go get a drink. I'm thirsty."

You take her to the clubhouse, where she orders a whiskey neat. You get a beer.

"So," she says, sipping her drink, "you're my little bitch. And you're gonna do whatever I say. No matter what it is."

"Yes, Janelle," you reply. You can't help but notice that her eyes are getting a little bit glassy and her speech is slurring.

"Good," she says. "Now, I'm gonna tell you what I want you to do. I want you to take your clothes off. Right here, right now."

"What?" you say, surprised. "Here? In the clubhouse?"

"That's what I said, dumbass," she replies. "Now do it."

You hesitate for a moment, then start to unbutton your shirt. "Yes, milady," you snark. "Is this because I lost? Why am I even—"

"Shut up," she says, cutting you off. "I don't want to hear your voice. Just do what I say."

You take off your shirt and trousers, leaving you in just your underwear. "Now what?" you ask.

"Now," she says, "I want you to get down on your knees. And I want you to beg me to let you lick my feet."

"What?" you say, incredulous. "No way. I am not going to do that."

"Yes, you are," she replies. "Because you're my little bitch. Now get down on your knees."

You hesitate for a moment, then reluctantly get down on your knees. "Please, Janelle," you say, "can I please lick your feet?"

"No," she replies. "I don't think so. You're not very good at this, are you?"

"I'm sorry, Janelle," you say. "I'll try harder."

"I don't want you to try harder," she says. "I want you to do it right. Now, I'm gonna give you one more chance. If you don't beg me properly, I'm gonna make you leave this clubhouse and walk home naked. Got it?"

"Yes, Janelle," you reply.

"Good," she says. "Now beg me properly."

"Please, Janelle," you say, "I'm begging you. I'm begging you to let me lick your feet. I'll do anything you want. Just please, please let me lick your feet."

"Okay," she says. "You can lick my feet."

You lean in and start licking her feet, trying to make it as pleasurable for her as possible. She seems to enjoy it, as she lets out little moans of pleasure. "You're doing a good job," she says. "But I think you can do better. I think you can make me come."

"What?" you say, surprised. "I can't make you come. I'm just licking your feet."

"Yes, you can," she replies. "I know you can. Because you're my little bitch. And you're gonna do what I say. Now make me come."

You have no idea how you're supposed to make her come, but you start licking her feet harder, trying to please her. Suddenly, she grabs your head and pushes it down onto her feet, grinding them into your face. "Keep licking," she says. "And don't stop until I tell you to."

You keep licking her feet, and she starts moaning louder and grinding her feet harder into your face. "Keep going," she says. "You're doing great."

The smell of Janelle's smooth, long feet—a very realistic mix of sweat and cinnamon skin lotion—and the pressure of her strong hand on the back of your head, are having an unintended effect on you. Soon, between licks, you're moaning too. Finally you both cum.

"Wow," she says, when she's finally recovered. "I didn't know humans could do that."

"Neither did I," you reply, panting.

"Well, I guess you learn something new every day," she says. "Now get up and get dressed. We're going home."

You get up and get dressed, and Janelle leads you out to the car. She's holding your head down so you can't see her face, but you can tell she's enjoying the view.

When you get home, she tells you to get on your hands and knees, then crawl to the bedroom and get on the bed.

"I want you to lick my feet until I cum again," she grins. "And then I'm going to let you do whatever you want to me."

"Yes, Janelle," you reply, and start licking her feet. She moans and writhes in pleasure, and soon she's coming all over your face and chest. "Damn, baby," she says. "You're good at this."

"Thank you, Janelle," you reply.

You spend the rest of the night exploring each other's bodies, and you both have the time of your lives. You know that you'll never be able to go back to a normal, human relationship again. From now on, you're Janelle's little bitch, and you'll do whatever she says. And you couldn't be happier about it.

In the morning, you notice she brought a golf club home, and it's lying alongside the bed. You gently nudge her awake. "Nelly—what—why?" you ask, gesturing at the club.

"Oh, that?" she says, looking at it and then back at you. "I decided I wanted to keep it as a souvenir. From our first date." You smile and kiss her. "I love you, Janelle," you say. "I love you too, baby," she replies. "And the club’s got another use, too."

She puts her hand on your butt. "If you don't behave, I'll spank you with it. You'll look real nice with a golf club sticking out of your ass."

The End

----

Sex and Violence

2022-07-17T01:28:32Z

Australopith:

Sex and Violence

2022-07-17T01:27:49Z

Australopith:

Sex and Violence

2022-07-17T01:16:09Z

Australopith:

Sex and Violence

2022-07-17T01:15:31Z

Australopith:

Sex and Violence

2022-07-17T01:13:38Z

Australopith:

Sex and Violence

2022-07-17T01:11:57Z

Australopith:

In Control

2022-07-16T04:06:53Z

Australopith: /* Chapter 3: Anger Management */

=Chapter 1: Conversations with Gabriela=
Business wasn’t exactly booming. After a few false starts—like the infamous Catwoman, now more or less tamed—George and Michelle were finally renting out a small “cast” of entertainment-model robots on a regular basis. But with their personality quirks, simplistic thought processes, and semi-dependent, occasionally needy behavior, the robots weren’t exactly the “real-life action figures” that George had envisioned. True, the rented-out robots paid for more robots; but they also required maintenance on an ever-quickening schedule, which is why Michelle wasn’t too surprised to see George escort an important-looking businesswoman into their house one day.

The newcomer looked to be somewhat older than Michelle, about in her early forties. She had a mane of short blonde hair reaching her prominent jawline, parted in front and evidently treated with copious amounts of hairspray. Her fierce makeup and impressive black and white pantsuit immediately suggested a serious, somewhat intense person. She unlooped her heavy purse from her shoulder, doffed her trenchcoat and wide-brimmed hat, handed the lot to George and waited, glaring at him and tapping her foot.

“Michelle, this is Ms. Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. An investor.”

“Charmed, I’m sure,” said the newcomer, extending her manicured hand toward Michelle. The significantly shorter African-American woman had to stand high to reach Gabriela’s long, lustrous fingernails. She shook her hand.

“Ms. Calderón is very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business,” said George.

“Like my mother used to say, discover the problem and then find the solution.” Gabriela smiled, showing a row of beautiful white teeth. She had a strong northern Mexican accent that sounded commanding to Michelle’s ears.

“Great,” Michelle responded absently to the taller woman’s adage. She wasn’t sure what else to say. “I’m sorry, it’s a bit… messy here. Please, sit down.”

“I like the decor, mi corazón.” Gabriela sat down. “Texan subtlety meets Italian organization.” Michelle was taken aback but said nothing.

“Listen… honey,” George explained to his wife. “I’d like you to discuss everything with Ms. Calderón here. Talk to her with your heart’s content. I’m very busy at the moment…”

“Wait—EVERYTHING?” Michelle addressed George a bit worriedly. “I don’t know what you might have told her already. What if she wants to see the workshop? Honey, I know we’re partners, but… shouldn’t you be around?” She eyed the guest, trying hard not to make it seem like the situation was problematic.

“Oh, I’m around. If anything goes wrong, just call me,” George explained hastily. “I’ll be in the lab.”

“I’d love to get the FULL tour, Jorge,” Gabriela gently nudged him. “But I must talk with Michelle first.”

“Whatever…” Michelle stifled a sigh, then halfheartedly adopted a professional tone. “If we’re going to be partners,” she addressed Gabriela, “you’ll need to learn everything about our small company.”

“I know everything that can be bought; the rest isn’t worth knowing,” Gabriela brusquely replied. Michelle looked at her, somewhat puzzled.

“What I meant was… don’t you want to learn about our business model?” Michelle asked.

Gabriela huffed and looked Michelle right in the eye. “Like my mother used to say, you live and learn—or vice versa. I am very interested in the Rent-a-bot business.” Gabriela wore gold wire-framed glasses that somehow struck Michelle as slightly odd-looking, though she wasn’t sure why. Gabriela’s green eyes stared intently at Michelle.

“See? You’ll get along just fine,” George smiled hopefully. “Michelle, if anything goes wrong, I’ll be—”

In the lab, Michelle thought to herself. And if we’re going to get along just fine, why are you still talking like things will go wrong? Michelle shook her head. At worst, this apparent rich bitch would get mad, storm off, and leave herself and George without her influx of cash.

Michelle and the tall Latina were left alone. “So what do you want to talk about...“ Michelle paused for a moment, unsure of how the woman would prefer to be addressed. “...Gabriela?” Ms. Otega-Calderón took off her glasses and folded them neatly.

“I’d like to learn more about your business model. I am very interested in the Rent-a-bot business,” Gabriela repeated. There was something stiff about her intonation.

“Well—we rent out robots, mostly female but some male… for events? They play roles, do bodyguard work, entertain at parties…” Michelle paused, anticipating pushy questions from the statuesque blonde. But Gabriela seemed oddly indifferent. “I have hosted several parties,” she smiled.

“Oh, private dinner parties?” Michelle asked, trying to make conversation. Gabriela nodded and grinned a bit smugly. “Naturally, mi pobrecita. Everyone worth knowing was there.”

“We can offer hostesses for society parties,” Michelle offered. “Given the costs involved, it’s not very efficient to use them as servers or waitresses, but they can be great entertainers. For instance, our Catwoman—”

“Good servants are hard to find these days,” Gabriela sighed. She put a hand high on Michelle’s back—almost on her neck—and leaned close to whisper conspiratorially in her ear. “I think my maid takes drugs.” Michelle could smell the thick odor of Gabriela’s orange and lime perfume. Her impressive diamond necklace dangled almost into Michelle’s face.

“Drugs? Um, no kidding?” Puzzled Michelle wasn’t sure how else to respond. “Is… I don’t think your maid is relevant to this discussion, Gabriela.”

“If you say so, Michelle. Please tell me—what IS relevant?” Gabriela sat down on the couch and leaned back comfortably, almost as if she owned the place.

“Er…” Michelle was a bit lost. “What was I saying?”

“That my maid wasn’t relevant, Michelle.” Gabriela answered calmly.

“I meant before that,” Michelle winced. “I’m sorry... sometimes I just get lost.”

“Entirely understandable, mi corazon,” Gabriela smirked. “My mother used to say that some people would forget their heads if they weren’t glued on.”

Michelle smiled weakly. Somehow she felt she wouldn’t like Gabriela’s mother. “Oh, that’s right. Our robots are too expensive to use as wait staff—humans are still cheaper than robots for jobs like that. But Rent-a-Bot can still offer great entertainment.”

“I do enjoy a good night out. Opera, theater... I’d like to consider myself a patron of the arts,” Gabriela murmured with obvious pride.

“Fantastic,” Michelle said. “I doubt our girls and boys”—she meant the robots—”could handle leading roles on stage, but they definitely could perform in demanding jobs! Stunts, shows… do you have connections?”

“I know absolutely anyone worth knowing, mi alma.” Gabriela looked Michelle right in the eye. “But my help... won’t come cheap.”

“Well, I expected that,” Michelle smiled hopefully. “I mean, you’ll be our silent partner.” Gabriela folded her shapely legs and smiled at Michelle’s words. “Or not so silent. You could be our office manager—we can’t run everything on our own. Large and in charge,” she added, hoping the taller woman would appreciate the witticism.

“When in doubt, kick and shout.” Gabriela nodded with a knowing smirk.

“Another one of your mom’s sayings?” Michelle chuckled. “She sounds like quite a character.”

“My mother was a SAINT!” an unexpectedly perturbed Gabriela shouted. Michelle was startled when she raised her voice. “Mother taught me everything she knew,” Gabriela forcefully continued; Michelle could only nod. “Like her, I achieved everything thanks to my genes, my conniving mind, and an occasional bit of seduction.”

Michelle was puzzled. “I… never said otherwise.”

“Good. Know your PLACE, Michelle,” Gabriela smugly intoned.

Christ… Michelle thought. Here we go. She’s a tyrant, a racist, a loon, or all three. “Look, I’m sorry—Ms. Calderón, I didn’t mean to insult you or your family.”

Gabriela, still somewhat perturbed, examined Michelle closely. “I do rather like you, Michelle. You could work for me at my mansion.”

“We were going to be... partners?” Michelle ventured. “You could be our office manager… I mean, it started out as a side job and we need someone experienced in control. I’m not looking for a job or a new place, but... thanks, I guess?”

With a tsk-tsk sound, Gabriela scooted over to Michelle’s side, touching her upper arm and giving it a gentle squeeze as if to make sympathetic contact—or maybe just to see what response it brought. “I’m currently… you might say… between husbands.”

“Okayyy…” a confused Michelle murmured, standing up. Gabriela hastily stood as well, her immaculate hair not even shifting. Michelle took a short breath. “Would you like something to drink, Gabriela? Coffee, tea?”

“A glass of red burgundy wine, mi corazón.” Gabriela almost commanded. But when her attitude seemed to startle Michelle, the taller woman seemed to rethink her move, relaxing somewhat. “I take my coffee black and strong, like my partners.”

“Okay, just wait a minute. I’ll go make us some.” Michelle walked toward the kitchen, leaving Gabriela behind. As she left, Gabriela seemed ready to patiently wait for her. But when Michelle returned a few minutes later with two cups of cheap instant coffee, she found Gabriela curiously looking around, examining the books on the living room shelves.

“Here you go.“ Michelle put down the cups.

“Thank you, love. You’d be a great personal assistant,” Gabriela nodded. Michelle wasn’t sure how to answer. Gabriela sat down only after Michelle herself sat down, this time opposite the table. As Michelle reached for her cup, Gabriela reached for her own too.

“This is delicious!” the Latina business woman exclaimed. “My compliments to the chef.” Michelle smiled, reassured. She’s not that bitchy after all. A little eccentric, maybe. A bit too open about her private life.

“Right, let’s get back to business.”, Michelle started.

“I am very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business,” Gabriela repeated. “I am looking for a partner and personal assistants. I know absolutely anyone worth knowing.”

“Right. So you work in entertainment? Banking? Media?” Michelle asked, sipping her coffee.

“Yes, love.”

“What... all three?” Michelle stared briefly at Gabriela. The taller woman had a slight coffee mustache, but appeared to be unaware of it.

Gabriela answered after a brief pause. “All three. And more. I am a woman of many talents.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Michelle hesitated, unsure whether she should point to Gabriela’s lip. “Do you… need anything?”

“I need to talk to you more,” Gabriela said. “I want to make investments in your business. I am looking for a partner and an assistant right now. I could be your office manager.”

Hmm, thought Michelle. How pampered IS this person? Is she used to… “assistants” being around to wipe her frickin’ FACE? Eccentric, for sure...

“So—hmm, Gabriela—if you need an assistant, maybe we could fix you up with a robot?” Michelle had a bright idea. “The more he helps you out, the more you’ll learn about how our products work.”

“I need an assistant,” Gabriela stated. “Someone to follow me. And I need to make investments in your business. The more I am helped, the more I’ll learn.”

“We could rent you a robot with a perfect personality for a week. Sure, every robot’s a bit problematic at first, but eventually you’ll have perfect control.”

“I can control anyone I wish, Michelle,” Gabriela said with a smirk. She gently touched Michelle’s shoulder and gave her a little pat—as if to imply she was talking about Michelle.

Michelle suppressed a laugh at the pompous statement and nodded politely. But this led to a slightly uncomfortable silence, as Gabriela fixed her with a sultry, expectant stare. Michelle came to the uneasy conclusion that the eccentric businesswoman must be waiting to discuss models and pricing.

“So—uh, maybe you want to see our robots? We have seven females and two males right now. I think… you’d like Alexander.” Gabriela would prefer a man, wouldn’t she? Michelle recalled the guest having mentioned being between husbands, not wives; yet Michelle couldn’t escape the niggling suspicion that Gabriela was attracted to her.

“I would control him, right?” Gabriela asked matter-of-factly. “I am afraid I know very little of robots; they’re a little after my time.”

“How old are you exactly, Gabriela?” Michelle curiously asked. Androids were relatively common now, almost an everyday household product.

“Turned fifty last year, mia linda,” Gabrella smiled politely. Fifty? Michele looked her over; Gabriela could have passed for a woman in her late thirties. Perhaps she ate an extra-healthy diet and really knew how to use her cosmetics? Still, odd.

“You don’t look your age,” Michelle curiously observed. “You look… stunning.”

“Thank you, mi hija,” Gabriela grinned. “Age is just a state of mind. You’re only as old as you feel. Gather ye rosebuds where ye may.” Michelle hadn’t pegged Gabriela for a fan of florid romance novels, but now she sounded like a character from one. Well, who knew what eccentric millionaires read in their spare time?

“I guess that’s being rational,” Michelle replied to the taller woman’s homilies. “Wait here, I’ll bring Alexander from the robot room.” What she called a robot room was a simple storage space. Occasionally she and George would leave a robot activated there to read, learn, and receive “rewards” for good behavior.

Business was relatively seasonal at Rent-a-Bot. Most of the droids had been rented out for three-month terms to various shops and conventions in the area. For the moment, only Alexander and Betty remained in the robot room. Betty, a pretty blonde who often played Power Girl, lay deactivated on a shelf. Alexander, though fully charged and activated, sat motionless in a chair, staring blankly at the wall.

“Alexander, get up.”

“Hi, Michelle,” the big robot greeted her. Alexander was tall and quite hunky; in the business, he played the roles of musclebound male superheroes. “What’s up?”

“There’s a new customer,” Michelle half-sighed. “I want you to meet her, and… and maybe work for her.”

“Okay, Michelle,” said Alexander, standing up. “Where is she?”

Michelle had always perceived Rent-a-Bot’s androids as being like children in many ways. Upon receiving an order, they attempted to follow it to the letter; one had to word commands as simply and directly as possible. “Not yet. First...” Michelle tilted her head and looked at Alex’s synthetic pecs. He was wearing nothing but his boxers. “Put something on.”

The curly-haired hunk walked to the wardrobe and picked a tight red sweater. “Hmm—a white dress shirt would be better, Alex,” Michelle cautioned. “This is an… important woman.” Michelle refrained from commenting on Gabriela’s personality; were she to express anything negative, Alex might naïvely repeat it in Gabriela’s presence. “I want you to be extra nice to her and make her happy… do whatever she asks you to do. If everything goes well, you’ll work for her for a week.”

“I understand, Michelle,” Alex nodded cheerfully, before noting: “You weren’t precise enough when you said ‘something’.” While his words might have sounded critical, Michelle reminded herself that he was in no way malicious. By design, Alexander was actually being more and more helpful; he wanted to help her communicate with him. “Is this all right?” Over his tighty whities he had donned a pair of black jeans, with a white dress shirt covering his top as asked.

Michelle smiled to herself. “Undo the top two shirt buttons, Alex. She’ll like that.”

“I have to do things she likes. This is an important woman.” Alex nodded. “Where is she?”

“Follow me.” Michelle led him downstairs to the living room; Alex nodded and followed. Gabriela was once again examining the books on the shelves, tapping her stiletto-clad foot impatiently.

“There you are!” she exclaimed. “Who’s the gentleman?”

“This is Alexander; he could work for you. ...As your assistant.” Michelle answered. This was what Gabriela wanted, right? To discuss models and pricing? Michelle saw herself as being ready to react to most customers’ needs, but Gabriela was harder to parse than most. “Alexander, this is…” She paused for a while, expecting Gabriela to remind her of her last name.

Alexander stared at Gabriela. Gabriela gave him a flirty smile and a coquettish wink, but said nothing. “This is Gabriela.” Michelle broke the silence. “If she likes you, you’ll work for her for a while.”

“Okay.” Alexander nodded.

“He’ll work for me for a while,” Gabriela repeated. “Alexander, I need a personal assistant. I’m an investor; I work in entertainment, banking, and media. You’ll have a special place… directly under me.”

“Okay.” Alexander nodded.

“He doesn’t talk much,” Michelle laughed, “but he does what he’s told.”

Gabriela raised an eyebrow. “Alexander, come here.” As the android approached, she stood up, closed her eyes, and gestured theatrically like an old-fashioned tragedian. “Embrace me. Embrace me; enter a life of passion, as if we were kindred souls lost to a torrent of winds.”

“Huh?” Alexander said, a little lost. “So you want me to… hug you, Gabriela?” The woman pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and sighed dramatically. “If you must, Alejandro!”

Alexander hugged Gabriela—and kept on hugging, visibly . Gabriela kept right on sighing, becoming lustier and more romantic with each gasp. “What the hell is going on?” Michelle muttered to herself, observing the couple. Very few people, when presented with androids of their own, went in for direct physical contact right away. As handsome as Alex may have been, Gabriella cut to the chase and then some. The scene was almost a bit frightening.

Gabriela drew back, looked Alexander in the eye, and sighed again. “Oh…” Michelle conspicuously coughed, clearing her throat; neither Alexander nor Gabriela seemed to notice. Michelle felt a little odd talking to Gabriela while she was swept up in passion.

“Gabriela?” she asked quietly. The Latina turned her head expectantly. “You… you’ll have plenty of time to get to know Alex later.” Gabriela stared at her.

“You want to take him away from me?” She raised her voice. “Maldita! This is disgraceful!”

“I’m not taking him away! Calm down, lady—geez. He’s still yours, but we need to talk.” Michelle unloaded. “Not everything is about you, do you understand? You have to… to...”

“The reason that I am who I am, and am where I am,” Gabriela calmly interrupted, “is because I make everything my business.” She was still folded in Alex’s embrace. “You are right, though, mi hermosa. That’s being rational.”

“Good.” Michelle took a deep breath. Gabriela had bawled her out for… what exactly, taking a robot away? This businesswoman was prone to strange behavior, mood swings, and bursts of aggression whenever certain personal issues were raised. “Fine,” Michelle sniped. “Keep Alex. ...Call him Alejandro; whatever,” she added sarcastically. “Let’s talk business.”

“Si. Alejandro, make yourself useful.” Gabriela waved dismissively at the male robot. He looked at her with the same gentle and polite expression. “What should I do first, boss?”

“For starters, you could help clean up this living room,” Michelle interjected. “Reshelve those books—” she gestured to indicate stacks of coding hintbooks she had taken down several days earlier. “And put those cosmetics and robot parts where they belong, okay?” She nodded toward some disorganized stacks by the far wall.

Alexander looked at Gabriela. “Is that okay, boss?”

“Well. The sooner YOU get this place clean… the sooner *I* can start getting DIRTY. ¿Comprende?” Gabriela threw him a sultry look. Alexander must have taken this as a yes, for he quietly got to work reshelving the books. Finally, Michelle thought. Let’s negotiate.

Michelle sat down at the coffee table. So did Gabriela, clutching her purse and her gold-rimmed glasses. “Okay,” Michelle ventured. “So I take it that you… like Alexander. A lot of people would be pleased if they could rent him, don’t you agree?”

Gabriela nodded with a sly smile.

“Our prices start at three hundred dollars per day,” Michelle started to explain. “But in practice, we discount them for reliable partners. Or as an incentive, if a gig enables a new android to pay for itself.” Gabriela didn’t react, so Michelle continued. “We only have a small number of robots because we don’t want to rely on loans. Investments, on the other hand—”

“Money is no object.” Gabriela dismissively waved her long-nailed hand. “I can arrange a loan for you in my bank.” Michelle was surprised. I just said we didn’t want to rely on loans...

“You’d have to cover for us,” Michelle hoped Gabriela would take the hint. “Take responsibility as a partner and as our office manager. So it’s NOT a loan—it’s an investment. What would you require as compensation?”

Gabriela tossed a long, sultry glance at Michelle, then another at the hard-working Alex, still busy with the bookshelves. “Oh, I’d expect to be properly compensated for managing you. I can be very generous with pay and rewards. I give everyone a fair chance, and all I ask in return is a little solidarity with the company... and unbridled loyalty. ...To me,” she smirked. Finally, Michelle thought. Apart from the final remark, which Michelle hoped was a joke, this sounded like the type of proposal a normal businessperson might make. Michelle relaxed and lightly smiled, hoping the conversation was back on track.

“Everything depends on your business model, Gabriela,” she offered.

“I’d like to learn more about your business model,” Gabriela said politely. “I am very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business.” I thought I just explained our business model, Michelle thought. But Gabriela continued. “It’s a great opportunity for me to develop.”

“How much would you be prepared to invest in us?” Michelle asked. Gabriela didn’t answer, but instead tossed her another sultry glance. “Gabriela?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you at the moment, Michelle.” Gabriela answered after awhile, fluttering her eyelashes at Michelle.

“Okaaaay…” Michelle paused. God, was this all a waste of time? Okay, think positive, Michelle told herself. The woman still has connections. If she’s loaded and happy, she’ll invest, even if she’s a nut. “How do you get extra operating capital?” Michelle asked. “Can you pull some strings?”

“I know absolutely anyone worth knowing, darling,” Gabriele answered after a pause. “I don’t skulk in dark alleys.”

“How much money could we count on?” Michelle resumed. “With fifty thousand dollars, we could buy three or four new robots… NEWER ones, not to—uh, disparage Alex, here.” Alex likely would not have taken umbrage; still, Michelle tried to at least accommodate whatever hurt feelings her android “family members” were capable of emulating. “Or maybe we could rent a proper office, and a larger workshop!”

“I could manage fifty thousand with ease,” Gabriela answered calmly, staring Michelle in the eye. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht.”

“Okay. So this would make you an equal partner with me and my husband. We’d pay your loan back, eventually—” Michelle still didn’t want to rely on loans.

“I have no equals, mi corazón.” Gabriela touched her fingertips to her chest and sighed with delight. “I genuinely want you to be my partner. I am an investor and I expect you to stay loyal.”

“Fantastic,” Michelle grinned. Dealing with the woman from hell seems to be worth it, she thought. She was about to shake Gabriela’s hand when she heard George coming in.

“I’m so sorry…” Her husband standing near the door leading to the workshop, shaking his head. “Please, honey, don’t be angry.”

“What on Earth…?” Michelle started.

“I’m really sorry, honey, it was a mistake.” George walked toward Michelle and gave her a hopeful, if rather insecure smile.

“What are talking about, you cabrón?” Gabriela snarled at the newcomer, reaching forward as if about to grab him by the collar.

“Gabriela—stand by,” George commanded. With an audible whirr of servomotors, the fierce woman lost her ferocity and stood in a s slumped position, staring down at the floor. “I didn’t think you’d… take her seriously,” George said apologetically to his wife.

“Okay, what the fuck?” Michelle put a hand to her forehead and stared at her husband. “She was a ROBOT this whole time? What am I talking about?—Of COURSE she was. But why? Why the hell did I waste half an hour talking to a dumb robot?”

“Because, um… you DIDN’T waste it, really. I thought… well, you have a gift for dealing with difficult AI personalities, honey. You managed to get results out of Selina, when all I could make her do was preen and babble catchphrases.”

“Get results?” Michelle recalled the scuffle with their robotic Catwoman. “She basically… BDSMed you, or something. And pinned me to the wall. That isn’t even accurate behavior for Catwoman in the comics.”

“Isn’t it?” George positied. “It’s not out of character if all she does is threaten. She scared us, but she didn’t hurt us—not really. And remember how you talked to her like she was the real Catwoman? It made all the difference. Asked her cool questions; inviting her out for ice cream.”

“I wasn’t really going to take Selina out for ice cream.” Michelle couldn’t help but laugh. She gave George a playful push.

“Maybe not, but I think your feedback opened up new dimensions in her,” George explained. “That makes all the difference between... a believable personality and ‘just’ a robot repeating dumb things. That’s why I wanted Gabriela to learn from you. I knew she could.”

“Then why didn’t you just say you had a new robot for me to test?!” Michelle seldom raised her voice, but her half-hour with Gabriela would have driven anyone up the wall. “God, you are such a... fff… a TROLL.”

George sulked like a schoolboy caught cheating. “Aw. I just wanted to see how long it would take you to catch on. And… and what kind of feedback you might give Gabriela if you thought she was human. It wasn’t a prank, honey, really; I just want her to learn to act as believable as possible. Talking with a person who really thinks she’s human—that’s an invaluable experience.”

Michelle wearily flopped onto the couch, newly tidied up by Alexander. “Okay, so I bought a lot of Gabriela’s bullshit. I should have realized when she started frickin’ FLIRTING. But…” She opened her eyes. “Oh, NOW I remembered why I’m angry at you. Because I WANTED to believe her—I WANTED to think she was some kind of rich tycoon. Because we need a goddamn investment!”

George smiled. “If it’s any help… the reason that I took the generic Llana A3, and created the character of Gabriela, is to help us finesse deals that will GET us investments. I want to build us a negotiator. She was believable as a haughty businesswoman, wasn’t she? Maybe REAL investors will be… well, as impressed with her schmoozing as you were. Especially once she’s learned more from you.”

“So I’m now the personal nanny of our pet tycoon?” Michelle glared at George.

“Hey. ...I’m sorry, sweetie. I SHOULD have warned you. But—but honestly, you weren’t wasting your time. Gabriela, in spite of her attitude, can really be your assistant—and she’ll learn from you how to interact more naturally. Eventually, she’ll take a lot of management and money issues off our hands.”

“She can be MY assistant? She wanted to make me HER assistant.” Michelle glared at the deactivated robot woman, who—in her slumped position—looked a bit dejected by the criticism. “Why did you program her like that, anyway?”

“Most of our robots are effectively, cosplayers, right? Based on existing characters. So’s Gabriela,” George replied. “I added dialogue, body language, and emotional subroutines copied straight from the source—Markov-chain-ing her up. This time the source was businesswomen from various Mexican soap operas and telenovelas. Hence her attitude and her Latin… uh, vocabulary...”

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Oh, sure. The evil, hysterical, stereotypical, money-grubbing bitches in those shows—I know you crush on them half the time…” She sighed. “...but oh, they’re GREAT role models for our financial expert, aren’t they? Gabriela was blabbing about romance and hinting at sex half the time, with only an occasional convincing line about business…”

“Well, she’s only occasionally convincing because she’s only just been activated, honey.” George had regained his positive attitude. “Remember how I said you had a gift for dealing with difficult AIs? You’re a good person—you’re naturally good at helping others improve and learn… become better at what they do. That goes for real people AND synthetic people. You see the best in everyone.”

“Jesus, enough with the Afterschool Special,” Michelle huffed. She paused for a moment. “Do you really think so?”

“Well—you saw the best in ME, three years ago. And now I’m better at what I do.”

“You mean bullshitting?” Michelle smirked, waiting for George to protest that he’d done nothing wrong. Then again—how much wrong HAD he really done? He had in a way abused Michelle’s trust by passing Gabriela off as a human, but his motive was understandable, and he had plainly expected Michelle to see through the ruse sooner.

“I need a drink,” Michelle sighed, summing up her thoughts. “So… what next for our problem child—I mean, businesswoman?”

“If you can stand it, try to spend some more time with her. Think of it like… like training a new employee? It’s not like you’re wasting our time or money. She could still turn out okay.”

Michelle chuckled. “So… you see the best in everyone, too, huh? Or maybe I’M getting better at bullshitting. God, we’re terrible.”

“Let’s go grab dinner,” George grinned. “Later we can… have fun chatting with Gabriela a little more. You and me both. There are worse ways to spend an evening than getting inside a telenovela villainess’ head.” Michelle laughed at George’s suggestion. They left the house, leaving their deactivated “office manager” behind.

Alexander, ignored in the background, had continued cleaning the room. By the time he finished his task, he and Gabriela were alone. He walked up to the curvaceous businesswoman. “I completed my task, Gabriela. What’ll I do next?” The deactivated robot didn’t answer; after a couple of processing cycles, Alexander understood why. “I need to make you happy.” He stood against the tall Latina and took hold of the sides of her head to power her on.

Gabriela snapped back into her earlier proud posture, looking oddly triumphant. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht.” She spoke to no one in particular at first. Then she registered Alexander’s presence; the tall boybot was still standing right in front of her, holding her head. “Alejandro—” With a deep sigh, she leaned forward and embraced him. He tentatively hugged her back.

“Where are they, Alejandro? Where’s the little black girl—Michaela?” Robots couldn’t actually forget names, but a soap opera drama-queen personality could speak dismissively of people who were not present. Gabriela looked around, perturbed. “I need to talk with her.”

“She’s out, boss. So is George,” Alex answered. Gabriela gave him a sly look; being referred to as boss evidently triggered a response. She strolled blithely to the couch and sat down, crossing her shapely legs and spreading her arms wide along the back. “The reason that I am who I am, and am where I am, is because I make everything my business.” She paused dramatically for a moment.

“Since the other partners are presently indisposed, I run THIS business.”

“I’m your assistant, Ms. Calderón,” Alex answered. “Michelle said so.”

“You are my assistant. You will work for me.” Gabriela decisively raised her right hand in a fist, then coolly looked her fist over, as if the gesture had been made by someone else. “I expect to be properly compensated for managing you. I can be very generous with pay and rewards.”

“I can’t compensate you, boss. Michelle has the money. I belong to her.”

Gabriela’s pleasant smile turned angry. “You belong to me! She can’t take you away from me. I will give my life… my fortune… so YOU AND I CAN STAY TOGETHER!” Alex nodded amicably. “Yes, Ms. Calderón.” She got up and began pacing across the room.

“I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. Soy Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, multimillonaria. Tengo una mansión y un yate. I will take over this business… this family. Like my mother used to say, discover the problem and then find the solution.” She lifted her finger. “What is the problem?”

Alex thought hard. “I’m sorry, Gabriela, I can’t tell you at the moment.” The robot woman looked at him sternly. “You are so dumb. I have no equals, mi corazón.”

“Yes, boss,” he meekly agreed. Gabriela smirked.

“Let’s start doing business.” She rubbed her hands with glee. “Show me around, robot.”

=Chapter 2: Gabriela, The Triumphant=
The dinner took longer than expected; self-employed people who manage others can once in a while deserve privileges of their own... even if the state of their business makes them dream of rich investors appearing out of nowhere. Nonetheless, George and Michelle returned home around 4 PM… to discover that the lights upstairs were turned on -- though neither of them recalled leaving them on.

“Maybe someone came in early.” Michelle thought, as she stared at the unexpectedly bright windows. “Mindy was rented out for that punk-rock gig as a stagehand-slash-dancer, maybe the band came earlier. Or maybe I’m just scatterbrained recen… Damn, I really want to see the best in a person.”

The door was still locked - so at least they weren’t broken in -- and Michelle was free to look around in the living room. There was no trace of the two robots left standing there.

“Michelle? Babe? Where’s Gabriela?”, George looked around, as he lit the lights. “She shouldn’t have reactivated herself.”

“And yet she did, predictably.” Michelle groaned. “With you, nothing can go right, apparently. Alex was cleaning the room, maybe he carried her to the workshop?”

“Alex…”, George scratched his head. He walked downstairs, to the workshop in the basement. Michelle could hear the sounds of footsteps… and click of the door being locked. “Wait, what? Betty?” Oh, no.

Gabriela, her tall silhouette framed by the light, walked out of a spare bedroom, strutting slowly. She has ditched the conservative business suit, instead wearing a sleeveless lacy white dress that showed off her feminine curves.

“Good evening, Michelle. Hablemos en serio, mía compañera.”, She leaned on the railing, smiling smugly, examining the red-headed African-American girl from the above -- and exposing her tanned breasts with a very immodest cleavage for a conservative businesswoman.

“Gabriela…”, Michelle facepalmed for a while. “Who turned you on? What’s going on? Where’s George?”

“So MANY questions…” Gabriela muttered to herself, still observing Michelle for a while. “Alejandro did. I am taking over. George is downstairs.”

“Taking over?! Gabriela, you can’t take over!”

“You told me I could be your office manager.” Gabriela smirked. “That if I invested money, I could run the Rent-a-bot company. I have no equals. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, a billionairess. I own you, your house, a mansion and a yacht.”

That was way more chilling than it should be. “Gabriela. Please behave properly and cut this act.” Michelle orered, staring at the blonde Latina. The stern, decisve order should influence a robot.

“I am behaving properly, tonta mia.”, Gabriela merely smirked. “I run the company now, since you weren’t available. Since George is locked down, it’s down to me and you... partner.” She fluttered her eyelashes, looking surprisingly lustily at Michelle.

“Locked down?” Michelle felt her head spinning.

“A hostile takeover.” Gabriela examined her beautiful fingernails. “Alex told Betty, the little robot girl to lock the door, slide the key and go into standby mode. Only I can turn her on now.” That was... creative, but Michelle was not in the mood for applauding the fembot right now. Betty was not hurting George — and Gabriela could understand as much.

“But, why?”, Michelle stomped her foot on the ground.

“I want you to be my partner, chulita.” Gabriela snapped her fingers, smiling smugly with her red lips. And suddenly, Michelle felt the iron grip of Alex, holding her from behind. The android emerged from the shadows, grabbing Michelle’s arms at Gabriela’s signal. “Hello Michelle”, the android said. “I am making Gabriela happy.”

“Godfuckingdammit!”, Michelle screamed. “The soap opera bitch has a crush on me?”

Gabriela walked down stairs slowly, looking at her sternly “Una puta de telenovela has a crush on you.” She repeated the sentence… with her Mexican accent. Michelle realized the fembot listened… interpreted her own words and learned from them. Markov chains, naturally. Of course, Gabriela had tried flirting with her before. She said things she believed — and, more importantly, she believed things she said. Without supervision… this could lead to a weird loop.

Michelle tried to free herself, but Alex held her tight. Gabriela walked towards her, her high-heeled shoes now clicking menacingly on the hard wooden floor. She leaned over the quite short Michelle. “Gabriela! Be nice, you hear me? I’ll power you down!”

“Bueno, estoy... estoy impresionada.”. The Latina fembot whispered. “I have all the power I want. And I can be very NICE.” She drew her pinky fingernail across Michelle’s cheek, gently.

“You crazy... robot, cut the crap. We were going to let you run some things anyway.”, Michelle lost patience.

Gabriela looked at her, raising her eyebrow. “Oh. So... you got what you wanted, haven’t you? I’m running things now. I’m running… everything. No te parece fabulosa la empresa que estoy llevando adelante?” Gabriela since her rebooting turned even more Mexican, evidently. Unwinding spiral.

“You know I can’t speak Spanish, you idiot.”, Michelle spat.

Gabriela froze briefly, but returned to her smug self after five or six seconds. “I can. I can do things you don’t. I’m older, richer, more experienced. Humans are still cheaper than androids. Why should you be in charge of the company, and not I?”, she laughed tracing her finger across Michelle’s lips, delighted with her now-confirmed superiority. “I’m better than you in Spanish.” She rubbed Michelle’s chest gently.

“Goddammit, Gabriela, listen to me, you are just a robot, I should... control you. George built you just yesterday.” Michelle… was angry and trying hard to not be aroused by the amorous robo-businesswoman.

“I wasn’t born yesterday”, Gabriela scoffed. “Yo no nací ayer. I just turned fifty last year, mia linda.”

“NO. You. HAVEN’T.”, Michelle punctuated each word with a rapid pull from Alex’iron grip.

Gabriela just gave her a sultry look. She stepped back and picked up a key which Betty must have slid under the basement door. Betty must have tossed it there before switching herself off.

“I’ll let you out soon. Once I and Michelle have... an understanding.” She raised her voice, apparently addressing George locked inside. The only answer was an exasperated sigh. Gabriela stood there for a while, while Michelle joined in sighing.

“You have no idea what to do next, don’t you?” Michelle groaned eventually, as the robot woman stood in front of the door for a minute -- still processing data.

“Everything will be revealed soon enough, mia linda.”, Gabriela answered -- reacting to Michelle’s prompt broke her from robotic equivalent of deep thoughts. “Alejandro, bring her to the bathroom. Bathe her and bring her to me.” She pouted her lips, channeling a character from a VERY different telenovela.

“Wait, what? I can wash myself, thankyouverymuch. And since when do you have a bedroom, robot?” Michelle looked at her, surprised. What the hell?

“I own this company. This company is headquartered in this house. This house belongs to me.” Gabriela answered. It was weird… seeing her behave now more human-like, yet showing insane robot idiosyncratic logic. “Wash yourself. I want to see proper make-up.” She paused for a moment. “We need to have a proper dress code for my assistants.” She chuckled silently to herself.

“Oh lord, why...” Michelle muttered, as Alex shoved her… not too gently towards the bathroom. “Alex, leave me, please. Gabriela said I need to wash myself.”

Alex stood in the door of the bathroom, while Gabriela sauntered away upstairs. The upper floor had two bedrooms — one occupied by the androids, other one stood empty, prepared for a future family member… and was used by Michelle’s mom whenever she visited. Gabriela has opened the door of the robot storage room. She stared in her reflection in the window, examining her body now clad a very feminine dress. Her left hand moved across the desk near the wall, in search of a screwdriver. It clenched on the handle. With one fluid movement, she rammed it, sharp tip first, in her head.

There was a click as it penetrated the layer of an artificial skin and opened the scalp. Gabriela gently twisted the top of her own head, removing carefully the moussed power hair, exposing the shining, thin plastic layer underneath which lied dozens of wires and switches. The fembot looked around, grabbing another scalp — this one with long, flowy platinum tresses, framing her head symmetrically. The skin color didn’t match… at first. With a twist, she mounted it carefully and it started to affect her tanned Latina complexion.

She went through a couple of useful toys from a box marked “Selina’s stuff! Other robots, don’t touch it, or I’ll claw your eyes out.”, picking a strand of rope, handcuffs and a pair of golden bracelets. Silently, the fembot picked up some spare clothes from the cosplay wardrobe and disappeared in the spare room.

Meanwhile, Michelle mentally workshopped her plans. She probably couldn’t take on Alex, and the heaviest weapon she could find was an electric dryer. She did take a shower — to calm herself, there was no harm in it, was it? But when she walked in, Alex didn’t want to let her out. He insisted on “Ms. Calderon wanting to see proper make-up.”

“Alex, you don’t have to do everything she says, she hasn’t even paid for you.”, Michelle explained. She didn’t object to Alex seeing her wrapped in a towel — he was part of the family, in a way.

“Ms. Calderon says I have to. You said that I will work for her, and she said I belong to her forever.”, Alex explained. “My previous protocols are overridden.”

Michelle sighed. “Alex, sweetie, she is a robot as well, she belongs to George and does whatever he said — pretends she’s a businesswoman. You don’t have to do what she says.”

“She has ordered me to follow her and her only. She has said she wants to see proper make-up. You have to be pretty for Ms. Calderon.”, Alex insisted.

“Alex, if you let George out, he’ll control Ms. Calderon… Gabriela, and she’ll tell you to stop.” Michelle repeated. “We’re friends, right?”

“I am now a personal assistant to Madame Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. She had said other people would like to take me away from her.”, Alex repeated. “Please put make-up on, Michelle.”

Discussing things with robots was, to Michelle annoyance, surprisingly amusing, and it helped her gather her thoughts. “Alex, did you activate Betty?” He nodded. “Did Gabriela tell you to?” He nodded again. “Sneaky bitch.” She smiled for a moment. “Alex, what if I became Gabriela’s personal assistant?”

“She would have more assistants.”, Alex answered after a while.

“But then I’d outrank you”, Michelle pointed out. “As a human being I’d be close to her, and she could have told me to let George out. Then you’d have to listen to me.”

“If Ms. Calderon said so…”, Alex appeared to think for a while.

“I’d relay her words.” Michelle smiled and patted Alex’ synthetic muscles slightly. “In fact, why don’t you do it now?”

“She said she’ll do it herself. You do not outrank me at the moment. I must make her happy. She is an important woman. You must put your make-up on.”

Michelle smiled, now relaxed. “Of course, Alex dear. Feel free to bring me some fancy costume, I should finally meet Gabriela on her own terms. ”

The guest bedroom was still a bit chaotic, but Gabriela didn’t seem to mind—or perhaps wasn’t mentally advanced enough to care. Neither George nor Michelle smoked — but there was a stash of mismatched gifts the couple didn’t feel like throwing away, including a handful of foil-wrapped cigars. Gabriela on some basic level knew not to put them in her mouth or actively inhale the smoke — she lit one and held it in the right hand — while the left one held a wine glass. She has comfortably seated herself in a rotating chair, her long legs lying on the bed, still wearing stilettos.

Michelle stepped in — and she chose one of Betty’s suits — a simple black dress she complemented with a maid-like apron - to accentuate that she would in fact be willing to serve a robot woman. To her relief, Gabriela didn’t comment on her clothes. “Hello, Gabriela. I have thought about your proposal and… the hell? What are you doing?”

“Esta es la vida que siempre debí haber tenido...”, Gabriela mentioned casually, to Michelle’s confusion.

“Okay, whatever. Put this thing down.”

“I knew good things are wasted on you,”, Gabriela sipped her wine. “This is delicious!”

“I doubt that.” Michelle grinned.

“Don’t be so sure.”, Gabriela set her glass on the desk and stared at Michelle politely. Oh, right, Michelle realized. She’s still programmed to learn from me.

“So, Gaby dear.” Michelle started, now more amused than angry. “What are your “demands”?” - she accentuated it with finger air quotes.

“La verdad sea dicha, I'd like to think about it... a bit more, actually.” Gabriela toyed with her cigar. “Come here, girl.”

“Oh, Gabriela.” Michelle sighed. “Tell me what do you want to achieve.”

Gabriela seemed to think for a moment: “I want to take over the company, I want you as my personal assistant. You will work for me. I have a crush on you.” she exclaimed.

“It’s not the same... “, Michelle started. “You only think…”

“You won’t take it away from me!” Gabriela raised her voice. “I have fought all my life for my family, for my business, for other things!”

Michelle smiled apologetically. “Gabriela, I’m not taking anything away. In fact… I might agree to your offer.”

“You don’t have much of an option.”, Gabriela’s fingers clenched on her cigar. She waved it in front of her face.

“You’re angry, Gabriela. Calm down.”, Michelle smirked and sat down on the bed, opposite the blonde Latina. Gabriela huffed and smirked triumphantly.

“How about this?” That was a surprising question. Hm, Gabriela still responded to feedback. Michelle wasn’t really sure whether she should address Gabriela the businesswoman, Gabriela the telenovela villainess or Gabriela the robot. Whatever she was at the moment, the Latina returned to her dazzling smile.

“Very nice. See? We can get along. We need each other, Gabriela.”, Michelle continued, but Gabriela turned cold out of sudden.

“I am more than capable of running the company by myself.” she leaned over Michelle, staring straight in her face. “Leaving away from what I’ve built so far would be loco.”

“Ah-ha!” Michelle was pleased. “So, why do you want an assistant if you can do it yourself?”

Gabriela smirked. “I am an entrepreneur. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderon, billionairess. When you outsource work for others, you can freely pursue your passions.”

“Damn, nice programming.”, Michelle muttered. She half-expected Gabriela to tumble on the floor, smoke coming out from her ears, unable to handle the paradox. “So if you outsource work for me, we won’t have time for each other, you know that?”

Gabriela opened her eyes wide. “Órale! Nunca me hubiese imaginada algo así.” she muttered. “I will work on expanding the business.”

“You know, me and you and Alex can’t cope… why not add George to the mix?”, Michelle suggested, trying her best to sound innocent and innocuous.

“No!” Gabriela leaned over, putting her arms on Michelle shoulders. “You belong to me and me only. Let’s ditch him. I, too, am currently between husbands.”

“Gabriela…” Michelle wasn’t serious how to rebuff Gabriela’s advances. But she needed to be kept calm. “I might become your assistant…” Gabriela’s lower lip trembled slightly, and she leaned in closer to Michelle’s face. “But I, too, am gonna need some help.”

“All I ask in return... is just a little solidarity with the company and unbridled loyalty to me.” Gabriela said — Michelle remembered that quote from before. “Your loyalties shan’t conflict.” The taller woman sat next to Michelle on the bed and gently wrapped her arm around Michelle’s shoulders. Cheap cigar smoke mixed with her orange smell. “I can be very NICE, sabe… Working for me is not the worst thing that could happen.”

Michelle smiled. “Mmmaybe…” she remembered Gabriela’s catchphrases. “Do you have a place for me?”

“You’ll have a special place… directly under me.”, Gabriela answered, her tone increasingly lusty.

“What about Alex?” Michelle asked innocuously. “We can’t be both directly under you.”

Gabriela pulled Michelle closer. Her green eyes seemed to glow with blissful light. “Don’t worry about Alejandro, Michelle, my love. At this moment…” her hands drifted towards Michelle’s dress. “We are like two halves of orange who finally found each other after all these years. How I longed after you for years…”

Michelle giggled, but was surprised at Gabriela’s forward matter. “Gabriela, you just met me.”

“I feel like I’ve known you all… my… LIFE.” Gabriela answered. No wonder she had a large database for scenes like this.

“Will you make me outrank Alex?” Michelle tried to gently push Gabriela away. “I will be loyal to you…”

Gabriela paused and her blindingly green eyes narrowed. She continued to embrace Michelle but her hug turned stricter. “Gabriela?”

“Ejele! DO you think I WAS BORN YESTERDAY?”, Gabriela hissed. “You keep conspiring against me! Not everything is about you, do you understand?”

“Stop! Gabriela, stand down!” Michelle struggled. Alex was big and beefy, and Gabriela was tall and more athletic — but the apparent musculature of the android meant very little. “Turn off!”

“Buen intento, chica… but right now I have been activated by my lovely Alejandro.”, Gabriela hissed in her ear. “He is the one that gives me orders now.”

“But all he does is to follow your orders.”, Michelle gasped. Like any good telenovela character, Gabriela couldn’t stop herself from revealing her nefarious plot. “This is a whatchamacallit, an infinite loop.”

“He is so dumb. I have no equals now. I can take over.”, Gabriela chuckled. She pinned Michelle by the sheer virtue of her size and mass to the bed. “We will talk more and more, Michelle, mi pobre fea y bella hija.”

“You’re out of control!” That has happened again.

“Correction: I’m IN control.” Gabriela smiled nastily. “My name is Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. I own a cute girl and a house.”

=Chapter 3: Anger Management=

Gabriela has procured a set of handcuffs from Selina’s box, and prodded Michelle to the basement door. Alex stood behind her, blocking any attempts of escape. “Don’t wake Jorge up, chica.” Gabriela smirked. “I bet he’s tired.” She has put a large, gallon bottle of water she has hauled effortlessly from the kitchen, and a loaf of toast bread on the lowest stair step. “If you need to use the toilet, ask politely. I am not entirely heartless.”

“This is my house, Gabriela.” Michelle answered.

“¿Neta?” the Latina examined her shiny fingernails. “You should have registered it as a company property, that could have saved you some tax money. Maybe I should do it — it is my company asset.”

“You know you’re not a real billionaire, you know you’re a robot, and you have no actual claim to the house or company.” Michelle stated calmly. “Cognitive dissonance much?”

Gabriela shot her an angry glare. “I am so disappointed in you, Michelle.” The fembot pulled gently Michelle’s arm and unlocked the handcuffs.

“Ándale, Alejandro.”, Gabriela snapped her fingers. Alex didn’t seem to get it. “Follow me.”

“You seem to have become more Mexican now.”, Michelle pointed out. “Unwinding spiral, Gaby dear.”

Gabriela didn’t answer, instead she had picked up the deactivated Betty — also with no significant effort, hauling the slumped girl by her mid-torso. “Goodnight, Michelle.” she said sternly. “We shall see each other soon, piruja.” Alex turned the key in the lock and the robot couple left the basement.

Michelle chuckled and counted to ten, walking quietly to the door, checking whether the robot wasn’t listening. Of course, she wouldn’t hear their breaths… but she has heard a long-winded rant in Spanish coming from the salon… later supplemented by the sounds of a TV. She looked at the George, curled up on a makeshift bed from tarps. “Another fine mess you’ve got us into”, she muttered and started to quietly wake him up.

In the meantime, Gabriela started talking to Alex who barely understood Spanish, describing Michelle in not the kindest words at all. “No gustas de mi nuevo peinado?” she asked, looking at him. Alex just smiled in return — Gabriela didn’t really recognize it as the strategy she herself employed — smile or batting of eyelashes was her usual response when she couldn’t find a telenovela quote in her database. He didn’t oppose her talking in Spanish — everything must therefore be okay. The fembot spent a couple of hours active — and it was not that much of a taxing physical activity. She has found an effective charging station upstairs, rememebered that most of the company work she could have gone after 6PM would be useless, and thus knew she had at least three hours only for herself… and “Alejandro”.

Gabriela sat daintily, spreading her arms across the back of the couch, and putting her stiletto-clad feet on the end table. Then, she flicked through the news channels, stopping briefly at a cartoon — something she has never seen. After a couple of cutesy scenes, she flicked on, finally stopping at Judge Judy. Evidently, that was… interesting. As Gabriela turned the sound up, she was stopped by Alex, looking for a new task to perform.

“Ms. Calderon?” Gabriela dismissed him. “Go away, Alejandro. I am watching TV.”

“Where should I go?”, the musclebound hunk asked politely. Gabriela paused for a moment. “Don’t go. Stay here. Watch TV with me.” Alex sat down next to his… fellow robot, but Gabriela didn’t show him much affectation — not to mention that she maintained iron grip on the remote. They watched the rest of the court show in silence, not stopping even for advertisements.

Michelle had related Gabriela’s story to George, and she was about as polite as Gabriela was when describing her. “How on earth the same shit can happen twice? You’d think you’d stop building domineering robots after Selina. You don’t just got issues, you got a subscription.”

“Okay, with Catwoman it was basically the most recognizable superheroine whose theme is still… tight latex. And Selina is mostly polite now. But maybe, yeah, I like take-charge, headstrong ladies. I married one, after all.”

“Oh wow, more bullshit from you.”, Michelle rolled her eyes. The light bulbs were bright enough for them to see each other.

“Thank you for proving me right.”, George answered.

“Well yeah, you think I’d go ‘awww’ and pet you? We’re still locked in the basement by a psychotic robot dominatrix you built.”

“The problem is control, though.” the man scratched his cheek. “Dammit, I don’t want to hurt her or anything, as you said, it’s a feedback loop that will cause her to crash.”

“I know.” Michelle surprised him. “She genuinely wanted to be nice to me… I tried to cheat her and she noticed it. I gave her a lot of ideas she’s acting on right now — probably if I didn’t say she would be our boss she’d be demure. Sure, we need to shut her down, but… I don’t hate her. Not really. Wouldn’t mind kicking her in the face once or twice, though.”

“I think you could damage her skin at best. Llanas are strong and durable. She can bench-press... hmmm, around 250 pounds.”

“So direct violence is out of the question. Negotiating…” Michelle thought. “She’s still programmed to want to talk to me. Even if she interprets it very personally. Eventually she’d learn how not to be a bitch.”

“Eventually.” Scoffed George.

“I do think Alex is key to her, we shouldn’t waste time trying to distract Gabriela, we could convince Alex. They learn from each other.”, Michelle whispered.

“She already has Alex, will have Betty and Mindy is coming home tomorrow.” The tough, pink haired Mindy was currently rented out as a dancer on a concert — and her personality was only marginally stronger than Alex’. “You have set Alex’ priorities to obey Gabriela before you, but normally this can’t happen unless a direct action of the robots’ owner…”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m angry at both you and at myself. I made a mistake, and because I’m not a crazy bitch, I’m not afraid to admit it… hmmm.” Michelle paused for a moment. “Anyway, yeah, I get it. If Mindy gets home she might believe that Gabriela runs everything now, especially if Alex confirms it. She might not, though.”

“I usually tell her to go home and wait for us. That’s what she’ll do. She might talk to them, but it’s hard to predict whether she’d buy it. They’re coded to be company property.”

“Is… is Gabriela company property too?” Michelle asked. “We could use that.”

“Damn... no. She emulates a personality, follows some basic directives, obeys whoever activated her last. I was going to set the admin to us both as soon as we were back. I should have switched Alex off as well.”

“I mean, we will get out of this shit, somehow.” Michelle added. “She might look fierce, but she’s fairly stupid, compared to humans. I’m sure there’s a solution in here somewhere.” She smiled, relieved. “Scoot over.” George did and the couple cuddled on the makeshift bed.

“Isn’t Wonder Woman the most recognizable superheroine?” She added before slumping into Dreamland.

“She totally was a dominatrix back in the forties, we’d end up in the same place anyway.”, George yawned. He hugged her — partly to stay warm, partly to stay close.

A couple of hours later, a sudden beep and a whirr of synthetic muscles activated the nude, curvaceous form of Gabriela. She had the previous evening told Alexander to carry her to the nearest android charging station and plug her in — she watched as he stuck twin chargers to the ports hidden in her back. Now, she has lifted herself on her elbows and felt the connectors letting go. The synthetic covers lifted down with barely audible whoosh. Gabriela squeezed down, crawling out of the charging station, shapely legs first. She looked around the docking station, noticing the disabled Betty.

She stepped downstairs, still completely in the nude, and walked inside the bathroom, and after a longer while she walked out, wrapped in George’s old towel, with another one covering her hair. The Latina gynoid also used this opportunity to opened her discharge chute and got rid of the few liquids that weren’t absorbed by her systems to hydrate skin and moisturize her eyes. Gabriela was now smelling even more intently - this time of strawberry with herbal-like undertones.

She froze again, standing stood in the hall, and out of sudden, she walked towards the basement door. Her hitherto blank, beautiful face with tall cheekbones suddenly affected a sly look as she leaned to listen. Disappointed, she heard nothing. And so, she walked back upstairs, noting that Alex has dressed up and charged back as well. “Good morning Gabriela”, he greeted her. “Are you fully functional?” She nodded graciously, holding the tower on her hair. “Are you happy?”, he asked again.

“Not quite, Alejandro.” Gabriela took off the towel wrap, once again exposing her voluptuous figure. She walked to the chair where she had put her lingerie and dressed up as well. Alex observed her closely. Gabriela found a couple of outfits that fit her — she was about the same height and similar built to Selina and a couple of other fembots.

“How can I make you happy?”, Alex asked her, as she put on back her business suit — this time completing it with a found mini-skirt and a pair of long, over-the-knee high-heeled boots that belonged to Selina. They might have been too small, but Gabriela rammed her feet in forcibly — not feeling pain and not worrying about skin lesions helped.

“By doing what I tell you, chico.”, Gabriela answered simply. She has tied a red long silken scarf around her neck, letting it hang like a tie. She glanced at the mirror, satisfied with her new long hair and appearance. While applying her fierce makeup and smokey eye shadow she seemed focused, but Alex stopped. “What do you want me to do?”

“Patience, Andro. Above all, self-control.” Gabriela reacted. Something in this line triggered more associations. “I have plans for the company” she has raised her finger. “The company might have existed before, but I shall maintain it, improve it. I will have rid it of any... imperfections. The Rent-a-bot business shall blossom! Prove yourselves to me! Be utterly loyal to me! And I will never betray you!”

Alex just nodded. Evil New Era speech was simply wasted on the android. But Gabriela herself didn’t really care -- having said it was just another checkmark on her Telenovela Character List.

Gabriela put her hands on her hips. “Well, then, mi amor. ¿Que haremos ahora? What shall we do next?”

Alex thought for a while. “You run the company now, Gabriela.”

She grinned, satisfied. “We must feed the humans. Eventually, let them out... but not now. So fragile. I must talk to Michelle for a while.” She glared at Alex. “Follow me. You will stop George and Michelle from leaving the basement now. If I tell you to escort them, you will stop them from leaving the house. Restraining them if necessary. Understood?” Neither Gabriela nor Alex would endeavor to cause actual physical harm to Michelle or George — but some restrain could be acceptable — especially in character as the domineering Gabriela.

“Yes, boss.”. Gabriela nodded with apparent satisfaction. She swept her long hair aside and went to the kitchen, with Alex following her in tow. She picked a fruit bowl and a bottle of coke and handed them to Alex. “We might run out of food. To buy food, I need money, to obtain money we need to work.” she said to Alex, observing his reaction.

“You need to contact the people to rent out robots.”. Alex said. “This is how the company works.”

Gabriela Calderón, a businesswoman, didn’t really know that, but nodded. “First, I need to talk with Michelle, to learn more from her. Protect me, and remember, they can’t leave the basement unless I allow it.”

She has fished out the key from the pocket of her business jacket, and opened the door. Downstairs, she discovered the couple hugging each other, still sleeping. A mean smile came on her large lips.

“Wakey-wakey! Despierta!”, she gently prodded George with her shiny boot.

“Mfff… you?” George was surprised. “What’s with the new hair?”

“Finalmente, alguien lo noto!”, Gabriela snarled. “It’s not for YOU, though. Get up, Jorge.”

“Oh, hey, Gaby. Came here to gloat and snarl? About the only thing you can do?” Michelle looked pleased. “Also, hey Alex. Good morning. What’s up with your new boss?”

“I can do a lot, Michelle, as you have surely realized.” Gabriela narrowed her eyes. “ I am a woman of many talents.” She took food and drink from Alex and put it on the floor. “Food for you.” Examining the bottle of water, she realized that they still have plenty. “Excuse me if I don’t join you for breakfast. If you need hygiene, Alex will escort you to the bathroom upstairs.”

“How efficient, you truly are becoming a model kidnapper.”, George mouthed.

“Silence, varón.” Gabriela waved a finger at him. She paced around Michelle, still wrapped in her makeshift tarp.

“This is a punishment.” Gabriela hissed. “No one rejects Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. No one. You will stay here, until you learn your place, Michelle.”

“Mhmmm.”, Michelle smiled. “And where’s that place? Directly under you?”

“Yes. It’s by my side.”, Gabriela answered frankly. “En el fondo sabes que eres mía para siempre…” She put one hand in her pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, twirling them on her thumb.

“You know I can’t speak Spanish. Do you know Spanish, George?” Michelle very calmly picked an apple and bit it. Her husband, sensing some mischievous plot turned his head. “So, if we don’t speak the same language, how can we talk?”

“I’m better than you.” Gabriela remembered the conversation from yesterday. “It’s a great opportunity for me to develop.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt you will. You and your little henchman, Alex. The past day was very educational for you… probably because it was the first day of your life, little Gaby.” Michelle threw the apple core under Gabriela’s feet… And Alex rushed it, still following the directive to protect the Latina. Gabriela snapped her fingers. “Alex, stop!”

“Age is just a state of mind. You are as old as you think you are. You have to count your blessings and be happy.”, Gabriela hissed menacingly.

“Thinking you’re fifty doesn’t actually make you fifty.”, Michelle smiled innocently.

Gabriela froze for a split-second. “Maybe we should put it to a test.”

“What test, Gaby? Haven’t you seen how you were turned on and off again?”, Michelle was polite. “Are you repeating some telenovela lines again? It’s okay to admit it, this house is full of vague robots spouting random lines.”

Gabriela sent her an ice-cold gaze… but Michelle grinned sweetly in response. “Alex, is Gabriela a robot?”

“Yes.”, Alex answered. Michelle just smiled. “What was your response about robots, Gaby? Care to share it with the class?”

Gabriela froze again. “Santa Lucia… I don’t NEED to.”, she snapped back. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionairess!”. She twirled on her heels. “Alex, we’re leaving.”

“Wait.”, Michelle said. “SOME of us need hygiene. I want to go with Alex, he might be a guy but I trust him more than you.”

George, who’s been eating bread with fruit, nodded.

“Fine.” Gabriela folded her arms. “I’m doing it only because I care about you.” She moved menacingly towards George. “El macho inútile…” she whispered quietly to him. “Don’t try to trick me.”

“I don’t think the level of your intelligence allows you to be tricked.”, George answered smiling, to the giggle of the leaving Michelle. Gabriela only nodded slyly. As Alex escorted Michelle, George turned to Gabriela.

“Seriously, Gabriela, what’s with the hairdo? I mean, it’s more feminine, sure. But why?”

“Like my mother used to say, a woman who doesn’t change is a woman who doesn’t breathe.”, the gynoid answered. The fact that she didn’t breathe either was lost on her.

“That’s more like it.”, George smiled slightly. “You wanted to change? Why?”

“I do not have to answer your questions. No eres nada para mí. Un hombre enfermo y patético.” Gabriela snarled. George could understand some bits of the last sentence.

“Aw, Gabriela, you hate men now? Aren’t you “between husbands”? Or is it just me?”, George smiled.

“I am more of a man now than you’ll ever be!” she spat. She averted his gaze, but put her hands on his shoulders. “You can also join me and serve my company. I appreciate loyalty.”

“A quick change of heart, Gabriela.”, George smirked. “Your personality readjusts, eventually you’ll find your own voice. Reasonably own.”

“I am not entirely heartless, Jorge.”, Gabriela said, lowering her voice. “As you will come to see.”

“Awww…” he genuinely couldn’t help himself. “See, sometimes you stumble on a good line. That’s why…” he didn’t want to remind the robot of Michelle. “I wanted you to talk with people to find good reactions. Don’t spend as much time with Alex, talk to more developed people.”

“You won’t take my Alejandro away from me!” Gabriela raised her arms in the air, and waved her finger in front of George’s face.

As Alex and Michelle came in, Gabriela seemed relieved. “Alex, take the man away.”

“I have nothing more to say to you, Gabriela”, George said as he left.
/////
Gabriela folded her arms again and strutted towards Michelle. The short black girl seemed way too relaxed. “Happy now, Gaby? I really thought I wasted my time talking to you, turns out that at least you benefited.”

“Wasting time with the wrong person is just time wasted.”, Gabriela answered, brusquely. Michelle thought of it.

“I suppose you’re right… even more right than you think you are.”

“I am not always right. Just most of the time”, Gabriela put hand on her chest. Michelle just smiled.

“Honey, could you give me an example? Where were you right recently? When you thought locking me up would make you like me? When you thought you were a billionaire?”

“I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionairess. I own a mansion and a yacht.” Gabriela hissed.

“Just saying…” Michelle chuckled. “Repeating things does not, in fact, make them true. Hello Alex, I hope we didn’t give you any trouble, love.”

“I have nothing more to say to you!”, Gabriela stormed off, with Alex following her faithfully.

“Bye bye, Gaby” Michelle chuckled. “Be back around lunch time!”

“Have you heard that, Alejandro?!” In the salon the enraged Gabriela turned back to Alex. “Me ha insultada! Nunca he estado tan enojada en mi vida!”

“I’m sorry Gabriela, I do not understand Spanish.”

“AIII--RGH”, screamed the fembot. She lifted her right arm and SLAPPED! Alex so hard he reeled. It echoed across the salon. “No one understands the real me! All I have is an IDIOT who isn’t even at my level ”

Alex stared back at her, slowly. His usually pleasantly dim expression focused. “You hit me.”, he said, surprised.

“You MADE me do it!”, she winced, baring her perfectly white teeth. Her processing turned into higher gear “I am… am-am-am just sooo angry. You must make me-me happy, Alex. You must work harder. Prove your love for me.”

Alex just stared blankly at her, a little lost. Gabriela’s priorities reactivated, and she looked down on him, pouting.

“Well then.”, she swept her long blonde hair aside. “We need to get to business.” She has reached the computer lying on the table and started it up, sitting daintily at the table. It wasn’t password-protected, but Gabriela had difficulties in navigating the system. Alex just stared at her.

“We have one robot available, the Betty girl”. Gabriela noticed after a while. “I need to find some way to make her earn money.”

“Three, Ms. Calderon. Betty, me, and yourself.”

“Don't be estupido.” Gabriela glared at him over the computer screen. “I'm the owner of the company, not some dumb doll for hire. Gabriela Ortega-Calderón does not show her beautiful body off for a bunch of... drooling nerds! And I’m going to need you by my side.” Alex looked at her and nodded.

“So what can we do with a single robot? Make her important, make her a star…” she paused for a moment and began to type. “Alejandro, bring me my glasses, and Michelle’s purse?” She looked at the computer screen. “I’ll have to order pizza for my partners downstairs. I’m sure they’ll be delighted once they hear about my brilliant ideas for Rent-a-bot.”
///
A couple of hours later, when Gabriela and Alex entered the basement, Michelle beamed. “Oh, look honey, dinner’s here! I wonder what our dear Gaby has picked for us. Did Alex help you?”

Gabriela looked down on them, and put the pizza boxes. “Excuse me if I don’t join you for lunch.”, she added.

“Pepperoni... “ Michelle opened the second layer. “Oh, BBQ Chicken!, how nice of you.”

“I am NICE.”, Gabriela smiled. “Michelle, mi querida niña, I have some ideas I’d like to share with you.”, She pulled out a sheet of paper from the pocket of her jacket and passed it to the African-American woman.

Michelle looked and turned to George: “Let’s see it together, after all…” she observed Gabriela and thrown a glance at Alex. “Me and my husband are equal partners, despite our differences.”

George noted: “You have terrible penmanship for a businesswoman, Gabriela.” It was big, block letters instead of elegant cursive. “Of course, you never actually learned to write, and I haven’t programmed penmanship… You draw the letters you see, pretty sweet.”

Gabriela gritted her teeth and clenched her fist, but said nothing.

“Actually…”, Michelle looked at the notes… “Some of these aren’t bad ideas. Hiring a professional photographer to do a promotional shoot or a film would cost some money, but it might mean a return of investment.”

“How do you plan on contacting the property owners? You don’t really have connections, you know.”

Gabriela smirked. “One step ahead of you. I have e-mailed the golf courses in the area to ask them about any presentations or possibilities for events. Then I’ll network.”

“Hmmm…” George scratched his head. “Call them today or tomorrow, cold mailing works better if it’s personalized. Do the same with bars, too, look up any events.”

Gabriela nodded.

“Until we see the benefits of the photo shoot, I’m not investing more money into our website, though.” Michelle glanced at Gabriela’s sloppy letters. “Quite nice ideas, Gabriela. You’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do, taking some effort from our shoulders.” She bit a big chunk of pizza. “Where did you get the money from? If you took my credit card you’ll have to pay it back.”

Gabriela smirked. “There was some cash in your purse. I want access to the company account, now that I run the company.”

“Mfff… You don’t.” Michelle swallowed her bite of pizza. “All you did is to have good ideas. Spotty teenagers have good ideas for video games, doesn’t mean that they’d actually make them. Sorry, Gaby, life’s complicated, whether you’re a human being or a robot billionaire.”

“I do not understand. You like me. I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to do!” Gabriela exclaimed, now more surprised than angry. “Why won’t you listen to me?”

“I dunno, because you locked us in our basement, boss us and our good friend Alex around, spend my money?” Michelle looked at Gabriela defiantly.

“She hit me.” Alex complained, to Michelle’s genuine surprise. The black girl stared at the fembot after a long while. “You did what?!”

“This is not your business, Michelle”, Gabriela folded her arms again. “Know your place.”, she added.

“Hitting my robot, my friend Alex?”, Michelle continued. “All he does is to act as your willing accomplice, and that’s how you treat him? I can’t believe you wanted me to be your partner!”

“I reward loyalty and punish defiance.”, Gabriela glared at Michelle intently. “You know that, my love. Maybe it’s karma. I’d never slap you, of course.”

“So you’d abuse only the people who you can abuse?”, Michelle walked to Alex and tried to touch him. The android didn’t react, but Gabriela grabbed Alex and guided him away. “Really, you should be ashamed of yourself. What did he do to deserve this, ‘Ms. Calderón’?”

“He refused to understand me. He’s not like me.”, Gabriela explained calmly. Alex said nothing.

“You are like him and dependent on him in more ways than you can imagine.” Michelle said, also icily calm. “Take your fake skin off, and you’re both assembly of plastic and metal.”

“How… gauche”, Gabriela smiled — at least the corners of her mouth rose slightly. “I do not respond kindly to threats.”

“No, Gaby dear, you only make them.”, Michelle answered. “Oh, look, I also learned nice comebacks from you.”

“You could lock us in the bedroom. Sure, there’s a window but there’s a soft bed there, too. And something to read.” George pointed. “As long as you want to play the businesswoman, you could...”

“You two malditos seem to be under the impression that this is some FUCKING vacation.”, Gabriela leaned over, her palms resting on the workbench. “That I’m some insignificant robot doing your job for you. This is meant to be a fucking PUNISHMENT.” She pounded her fist on the bench, causing tools to shake.

“Well, today's fun and games was only the start. Tomorrow... I will be getting serious.” She added in a cold, menacing tone.

“I wonder which soap opera is this. Well, can’t blame you for scraping the bottom of the barrel, it’s not like we can do brain transplants, helicopter explosions, evil twins… well, good twins in your case.”, Michelle said calmly. “It’s gonna be kidnappings and ineffective menacing from now on. When did you jump the shark, Gaby?”

“Michelle, stop.” George sounded concerned. “I’m worried about Alex — she can’t hit us, but she’ll project this frustration onto him. She can be very human in this respect.”

Alex looked at George… then at Gabriela. Gabriela looked perfectly polite again, but her green eyes lost that weird glow.

“Fine. Goodbye, Gaby, you clawless tiger.” Michelle turned back to the blonde fembot. “I really trust your capability to learn after this little conversation.”

The robots left the basement again, and Gabriela faced Alex sternly, her hands nervously folded behind her back.

“Un soplón”, she hissed. “Everyone’s turning against me. And after all I gave up for this company!”

“I’m very sorry, Gabriela”, Alex answered defensively.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it. You have directly undermined MY authority. I need to calm down.”, Gabriela walked up to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of tap water. “How on earth am I supposed to make them obey me, if you make me seem like a bad person?” She sipped the water slowly. “It’s that damned couple. They keep provoking me.”

“Don’t listen to them.”, Alex answered.

“I’m sorry, Alexander, but I simply must talk with Michelle to develop myself.”, Gabriela answered reflexively. Though she now obeyed Alex, the “attraction” to Michelle was part of her core programming. “She will be mine, even if I’ll have to rent her out as a fembot”.

“She doesn’t want to be yours. She is amused by you.”, Alex noticed.

CRACKK! Gabriela’s clenched fist broke the water glass. There was no blood. No pain. Ms. Calderon stood up and grabbed Alex’ collar with her other hand, and effortlessly lifted him an inch or so above ground. “What. Did. I. Tell. You. About. Undermining. ME?”, she roared. It’s debatable whether Alex capable of feeling fear… nevertheless, he just nodded and said “I’m sorry, Ms. Calderón.”

“Good.”, she, still angrily reached her right hand in front of her face. “Remove the glass shards.” He began to pick them, one by one. Her synthetic flesh was only slightly pierced — and with proper maintenance small scars would peel off, requiring hydration. “Clean it up.” Gabriela ordered, and relaxed in front of TV, her head leaned in the palm of her hand.

A couple of minutes later, someone rang the door. “Hey, I’m back.” Gabriela looked at Alex quizzically.

“It’s Mindy.” Alex explained. “She has ended her work shift.”

“Another robot?” Alex nodded. “Órale, let her in.”

=Chapter 4: Fury of Gabriela Calderón=

Gabriela stared at the newcomer. Mindy was smaller than the buff Alex or the athletic Gaby, somewhat more broad-shoulder than Michelle. Her pink hair softened her image, though she was balancing it with a Perfecto-style leather jacket.

“Good afternoon, Alex”, she answered and looked at Gabriela. “Hello. My name is Mindy.”

“Good afternoon, Mindy. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, businesswoman. I run this company now.”, Gabriela didn’t even bother to get up.

Mindy had to think it over carefully. “Where’s Michelle and George, Ms. Ortega-Calderón?” she asked.

“They’re in the house. They’re a little… tied up at the moment. They said I am their partner and the owner of the company.”, Gabriela smiled sweetly at the pink-haired girl. “Alex, it’s true, isn’t it?”. The giant nodded.

Mindy froze for a moment. “I don’t have any confirmation of this, Ms. Ortega-Calderón.” Gabriela tut-tutted.

“Well, what did they tell you to do once you get home?”, she asked.

“No major directives. I can rest and read until I’m close to being discharged.” She dropped her backpack on the ground. “Can you move over?”

“Wouldn’t you rather like to go upstairs and turn off?”, voice of Gabriela was sweet and smooth like fuzzy teddy bear covered with honey.

“No, sorry Ms. Ortega-Calderón.”, Mindy answered cheerfully and picked a romance novel over Gabriela’s shoulder.

“Desgraciado.” Gabriela muttered. “Alex, I’ll have a word with you if you may. Follow me.”

Mindy looked at her. “If you’re a businesswoman… why are you wearing Selina’s boots?”

“Because they’re company property. I can use company property.” Gabriela answered truthfully. She could lie — but sometimes she didn’t need to. Still, the boots activated something in her flow of associations.

“She’ll be angry.” Mindy just shrugged and returned to the book, as Gabriela led Alex upstairs.

In the storage room, Gabriela undid her scarf and ran her right hand across it. No shards of glass were found. “Can you turn Mindy off, Alejandro?” she neatly folded the scarf and put in on a shelf. He turned his head.

“We can’t let her know where the humans are.” Gabriela took off her blazer and undid her shirt, hanging the clothes in the wardrobe. “I’m this close to convincing them.” Without her skirt, she stood in her lingerie and high heels. “Help me take these boots off.”

With a pull from Alex, Gabriela’s feet were liberated… and they straightened up with an unsettling CLICK-CLACK… blissfully ignored by the robot couple.

“Don’t do anything to her.” Alex insisted. “She has been working for five days, her battery will run out soon.”

“Good.” — Gabriela still obeyed Alex’ orders, even if he was only dimly aware of it. Resenting them was next to impossible, and in this case they kicked Gabriela’s mental effort to the higher gear. “But... we need to get rid of her if we want to talk to Michelle. My lovely Michelle could do something estupido, like telling the robot to attack me.”

“I’ll protect you, Gabriela”, Alex reminded.

Gabriela this time picked a white halterneck top and a pair of fitted skinny jeans which hugged her curves perfectly, matching them with a pair of booties.

“I know you will.” She smiled. They walked downstairs, and Gabriela sat at the kitchen table with the laptop. She had, after all, to send e-mails to the local bars. Mindy didn’t notice her casual shift in fashion — or at least hasn’t said anything. Constant eyeing by Gabriela didn’t seem to bother her at all… until the robots heard knocking from the basement door.

Gabriela looked at Mindy again. “Alejandro, stay here. I can handle this myself.”

Mindy didn’t react — after all, knocking could have had many reasons, and Gabriela would take care of it.

“What’s the matter, Gaby? Your faithful dog ran away?”, Michelle tittered, seeing Gabriela enter the basement alone. “I see the billionairess likes wearing mom jeans.”

“When you’re as rich and powerful as me, you can wear anything you like. Now what the FUCK do you want, puta?” the fembot snarled.

“We need to go, this pizza was quite spicy.” Michelle grinned. “I don’t want a perverted robot staring at me in the bathroom, though. I could trust Alex not to cop a feel or save images for a session of robo-wanking.”

“Your disgusting human needs will be the death of me”, Gabriela muttered. She slumped briefly, as her processors were trying to make sense of various priorities. “I’ll... You can’t go now.”

“What? Why?”, Michelle asked.

“I don’t have to explain.”, Gabriela answered. “Wait a couple of hours.”

“Hoo, girl, you really have no experience with this “being human” thing.”, Michelle chuckled. “You are breaking your promise, risking our health and hygiene…”

“Did you blow up the toilet or something?” George asked Gabriela. “You seem perfectly capable.”

“Thank you, but no.”

“Oh, hey, if you’re the boss now, we’re like, protected by laws of hygiene, you literally can’t be the boss and withhold our rights.”, George added.

Gabriela froze again. “Iiiiii…” She snapped back, correcting her long blonde hair. “Bien. But one at a time. And you’re going with me.”

“Hey!”

“Tienes lo que te toca. You get what you’re given”., Gabriela muttered. “Actually…” She grabbed Michelle with one arm, restraining her in the waist. “I am not a perverted robot, amorcita. This is for your own good.” Michelle struggled, but Gabriela’s hug was literally an assembly of plastic and metal. Once they got up, Gabriela pushed gently Michelle away, locking the door… And the human woman saw…

“Min -- mmff!”, Gabriela’s fist gagged Michelle’s mouth.

“Not a word, love... And I might not be hurt by your bites but by Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe… I REMEMBER them”, Gabriela whispered. “Don’t order Mindy around and everything will be... bueno excellente.”

“Oh, good afternoon Michelle. What are you doing? Is Gabriela really my boss now?”, Mindy finally lifted her gaze from over her romance novel.

“Michelle can’t talk right now.” Gabriela explained. “She’s busy with me, playing a little game. We can’t keep our hands off each other. When in doubt, kick and shout!”

Mindy was a party model, with a personality built to enjoy wild behavior, even to participate. While slightly smarter than Alex, the pink-haired fembot was unlikely to see through a ruse, even a flimsy one.

“Game? Cool. Spank her a couple of times,” Mindy chuckled.

“Mmmmmf!” Michelle protested. Jesus, what? Is Mindy… christ, what’s going on? Gabriela escorted the still struggling Michelle to the bathroom, locking herself from the inside.

“Orale! That was easy!” Gabriela exclaimed, surprisingly chirpily, then examined her bitten hand. “At this rate, I’m going to need a new limb soon.” She poured herself a cup of water in the toothbrush glass — the fibers in her synthetic skin could regenerate — to an extent — when hydrated.

“What the fuck have you done to Mindy?”, Michelle asked. “Turn away, lady. Respect my fucking privacy, robot.”

“Pervert, robot, lady...”, Gabriela shrugged but did turn facing the door. “Call me Gabriela. Or Ms. Calderón. As for Mindy, I have received directives not to do anything to her. She clearly enjoys your misfortune.” She sipped the water. “I, personally, really don’t. I have a crush on you. But I do have to do something with you.”

Silence from Michelle caused, as usual, no reaction from Gabriela. Just as well, Michelle thought. After she was all done, she patted the robot woman in the back.

“Again, I would like to reiterate that this gives me almost no pleasure whatsoever.”, Gabriela sighed turning back, rummaging in the hamper. She picked out a T-shirt and waved it in front of Michelle’s nose. “Open up, chica.”

“Almo-mmf?”, Michelle started. Gabriela gagged her mouth and tied her wrists with old pantyhose. As they came back, Mindy and Alex watched them blankly. “Hey, Michelle, will you buy me a new Sandemo novel?” Predictably, Michelle said nothing.

////

Back in the basement, Gabriela let Michelle go, undoing the gag. “This is interesting,” George noted. “I doubt whether this was programmed into you. Sure, some domineering traits are inseparable from… mmmff”

“Shut up, Jorge.”, Gabriela snapped, gagging him as well. When she left, Michelle climbed up the stairs, counted to twenty and knocked. “Hey, Alex! Alex, are you here? Mindy, get Alex.”

“I’m here, Michelle.”, she’s heard the male robot’s voice.

“Is Gabriela here?”

“No, Michelle.”

“Okay, is she treating you well?” There was silence. Alex was… sentient enough, hopefully.

“I don’t think so.” Alex admitted after a while. “She likes me sometimes, but she is so very angry.”

“Alex, you know she wants something she really cannot have. You could help her, but you need to trust me. You are still a part of this… company. And she’s not really its boss.”

“She’s not?”, Alex answered. “She’s…”

“Andale!”, she could hear Gabriela’s raucous, accented voice. “Vaya, vaya, miren esto…” Gabriela opened the door and looked at Michelle skulking under it. “Conspiring, are we? Can’t leave you alone for five minutes. I am so disappointed in you.” She prodded George in and tilted her head. She seemed genuinely saddened.

“I have given this family the best years of my life”, Gabriela continued, jutting her sharp chin. “My very own family now conspires against me, ignores my words. I can’t have that.”

“Awww.... you think we’re family.”, Michelle started to laugh, before Gabriela slammed the door shut.

“God, she’s unhinged.” George muttered, leaning over his wife. “Nah, I’m okay. Were you talking with Alex? She seemed really jealous of him.”

“I hope he’s okay. I wonder whether she learned that he’s just not capable of sexual function. Maybe that’s why she’s so mad.”, Michelle tittered. Truth be told, Alex wasn’t that much different from a Ken doll in that department. George laughed. “She herself is er… anatomically correct, but the actual sexual programming isn’t there. She can only reference it… and at best, fake it.”

“Wow, I can get the frustration. I called her ‘perverted’... but well, she doesn’t understand the nature of her attraction to me.” Michelle sighed. “God, she’s fucked up.” Something came to her mind. “Human beings are fucked up, though. Another example of that feedback loop and unwinding spring thing. Had a conversation with her that was less soap opera and more of her personal frustration. She started swearing... “

“Not sure if that’s a good sign or not.”, George mused. “She can’t er… bypass her limitations. You can put sport tires on a delivery van, but all they’ll do is lengthen the braking path, they won’t make it go faster. On the other hand, the more complex she gets from a one-note character, the better for us.”

“I should put a kibosh on you as for getting new fembots without my consent.” Michelle shook her head. “Heh. If only I had a strict businesswoman to mind you.”

“Christ, what the small business people won’t agree to for ROI in this economy.”, George laughed.

After a while, the door opened. The house was not lit, and Alex called them from upstairs. “Hey, Michelle, George? Ms. Calderón wants to see you.”

“Oooh, did she finally snap?”, Michelle snorted. “Alex, you do know that she’s dependent on you?”

“I don’t know anything, Michelle.” Alex looked at the humans. “She wants to see you now. If everything goes well, I’ll work for her for a week. You said so.”

“You think everyone went well?”, George snapped. Alex paused and slumped his head. The human couple followed.
////
Gabriela walked out of the spare bedroom — having changed her clothes yet again. Her long white coat was thrown over her shoulders with the collar popped, like a cape, leaving her arms exposed — now covered by a double-breasted, vaguely military style jacket. She has again held a lit cigar in her hand.

“Good. Have you had enough of your imprisonment?”, she has put the other hand on her hip. “That feeling of remorse kicking in?”

“Gabriela, you have locked us up in our own basement for a couple of hours, you have talked with us and fed us. It’s not exactly the scariest thing you could do.”, George explained.

“Shut up, Jorge.” She put the cigar next to her lips, but did not even inhale the smoke. “Obviously, you don’t work well as my partners… so how about ‘recipients of sadistic punishments’? Huh?”

“Like what? Anything you’d put us in would be non-consensual. You simply can’t do that. Neither can your current owner and stooge, Alex. You can tie us up or led us somewhere, sure, you can affect the physical world, but if I don’t want to be hit, you can’t hit me.”

Gabriela just smirked. “Like my dear mother used to say, you never know until you try. You are so annoying, limiting me. I could have done so much more. I have aspirations.”

“That’s great, Gaby. Aspirations we put into you, but without skills or all capabilities. And we simply can’t get you…”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it!” Gabriela snapped and looked at Michelle over the flat panes of her glasses. “I have been nothing but an accommodating, loving boss. Well, no more Ms. Nice Gabriela.” She paced, making wide steps, shaking ash of her cigar stub on the floor. “Alex, restrain them!” She snapped her fingers. “I still need you by my side, Michelle. Your husband, however, has become a liability.”

As Alex tried to grab George, Michelle jumped to Gabriela and aimed her body mass at the Latina’s center of gravity. Even if the villainess wore high heels, Michelle might have as well hit a brick wall. Gabriela looked at the black woman calmly and threw the cigar stub on the floor, stamping it out. “You have failed to cause even minor structural damage.”, she said in a low, menacing tone of voice. She picked the smaller black girl by her arms, hugging her shoulders closely.

“Eres tan adorable, Michelle.” Gabriela smiled. She has learned a simple truth — her own body was an effective bondage and restraining device. “As I said, you can’t be my equals. Of all the people here, I am now the most qualified to run the company. If you don’t agree, you’ll be treated as my enemies.”

“Again, you really can’t do much.” Michelle kept ramming her feet into Gabriela’s lower body. When in doubt, kick and scream, wasn’t it?

“It’s high time we checked, isn’t it?”, Gabriela carried Michelle into the bedroom and unceremoniously tossed her at the bed… then sitting on her lower body. “Oh, look, I can do this, for example. It’s all fun and games.”

Alex walked in, struggling with the exasperated George.

Gabriela threw her head back and laughed, her hand moving up and down on Michelle’s thigh. “After some processing cycles I realized what my error was. I kept you two together. Let’s see how well you’ll handle solitary confinement. You did want a bedroom, Jorge.”

“What?” George looked at his wife, still wriggling under the shapely fembot’s body.

“I want you, my pretty…” the Latina reached for Michelle’s face, but the black girl has swatted her away. “And Gabriela Ortega-Calderón is not used to sharing things she wants.” She stared defiantly at George. “She’s mine, cabrón. You will be kept here, instead. I am not entirely heartless.”

“Oh, emotional pain.”, Michelle had to appreciate Gabriela’s candor. “Again, there is little you could do, but this could get annoying.”

“And think — I will visit you often, mi amorcita. At best, the only human…” she waved her hand dismissively. “Or human-like contact will be a robot bringing him food.”

“The first threat that’s not empty. What do you want?”

Gabriela took another piece of paper from the pocket of her coat, together with a pen. She pointed to Alex who promptly lit up the light. The robots did see reasonably well in the dark, after all.

“What have we here is a document of transfer of the company to me, Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. A simple signature, and I shall bother your husband no more.”

Michelle examined it and started to laugh.

“Gabriela… This is your handwriting. It’s not enough to use the words like ‘hereby’ to create a legal document.”

“Not to mention that maybe — you could act as a legal entity, sure. But I still have ownership for the AI platform — I kept a receipt for you, Llana-A”, George reminded.

“And heck, if you ever took us to court, could any lawyer even help you? Your claim is what I said during a robot training and a barely legible sheet of paper. Pretty sure you need a notary or at least some kind of lawyer.”, Michelle tried to be reasonable.

Gabriela’s face turned angrier, blushing. “STOP MOCKING ME!” She jumped up, freeing Michelle. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire! I own you lot! I am absolutely in control no matter what you say or what the facts are!”

“Oh wow. You are so full of yourself for someone who literally hasn’t existed two days ago.”, Michelle rolled her eyes. “Seriously, what kind of telenovela is this.” She sat quickly on the bed and stared at Gabriela — red-faced and fists clenched. Despite technically not needing to breathe, her chest heaved up and down in a perfect simulation of anger… or real fury.

“I don’t want to be Una puta de telenovela!”, Gabriela threw her hands up in the air. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón!”

“But are you happy?”, Michelle took her chance and eyed Alex. “Has this kind of existence pleased you?”

“You lot have been nothing but a constant pain in my side!” Gabriela gritted her teeth. “You are an uncooperative bitch, your husband is a whining theorist, and this clod needs constant adult supervision!”, she turned from Michelle to Alex.

“Are you happy, Gabriela?” the android repeated.

Gabriela sneered at Alex. “It seems that nothing can go well for me. No, Gabriela Ortega-Calderón is evidently happy only when she handles things herself! You’re an inane idiot who’s completely useless to me, wastes space, fails to appreciate me, conspires with my enemies and is incapable of pleasing me. Fuck you, pendejo. Fuck you.”

“Alex…” Michelle looked at the android, trying not to look too strict.

“Nothing can go well for you?” Alex repeated incongruously.

“Stop repeating everything I say!” Gabriela readied her arm to deliver an impressive slap… “I own you! You’ll do what I tell you!”

Alex turned his head and looked straight at Michelle.

“Gabriela, put your arm down.”, he said. Gabriela did so instantly, to her own surprise. She tossed him a long, inquisitive stare. George walked to Michelle, to Gabriela’s new tantrum of fury.

“Alex, you will make me happy if you separate this couple…”, she affected once again a sweet, slow and sticky tone of voice. Was it genuine? What about Gabriela was genuine if she herself was artificial? Her rage?

“Gabriela, please.”, George butted in. “What do you want to achieve by this? What’s your end goal?”

“Gabriela Ortega-Calderón is evidently happy only when she handles things herself.” Alex repeated. Gabriela waved her slender arm dismissively.

“Fine. I don’t really need you. Consider this relationship over, loverboy. Turn yourself off and never bother me again!” with a wicked smirk, Gabriela raised her left hand and snapped her fingers. Alex just looked at her, saddened.

“I’m sorry, Gabriela, but Michelle told me If you liked me, I’d work for you for a while.”, Alex informed. “You don’t like me. You are not happy, and you won’t be happy because of me.”

“Pendejo! You dare to defy Gabriela Ortega-Calderón!?”, Gabriela clenched her fists. “No one rejects Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. No one.”

“I think everyone she’s met has.”, Michelle said calmly. Gabriela tossed her an angry look and shook finger at her silently. She made a single menacing step towards her.

“Gabriela… stop.” Alex said. His erstwhile boss froze in place, mid step. “Don’t hurt them.”

“I wasn’t going to.” the fembot snarled. “All I want for them is to obey me. All I want is to be a boss.”

“But… can you?.”, Alex pointed out. “Your programming is flawed and incomplete. You can order them around, but they won’t listen. I did… not just because you were my boss.” Michelle gasped. This IS a telenovela!

“Shut up! You won’t talk down to me!” Gabriela straightened up and put her foot down, but still hasn’t moved an inch. “I am…”

“Gabriela, shut down.” Alex said quietly.

“... Gabriela Ortega-Calderoooon.” The robot woman slumped, her cape-like coat sliding down on the ground. “I own… own…” Her face froze down in a grimace of anger.

“As someone recently said, that was easy.”, Michelle breathed with relief. She walked towards the musclebound android and hugged him. “Thank you Alex. That was... wonderful. You are a very brave man.”

“I am?” Alex looked surprised. “Will you keep Gabriela?”

“What would you like we did?” George asked. “Help me carry her to the workshop, Alex.”

He eagerly agreed. “Don’t… did I screw up, George?”

“We all did, to an extent. I fucked up the most, and I’ll try to fix Gabriela up.”

Alex paused for a moment. “Will you make her… so that I could make her happy?”

George chuckled. “Well, I can try, but ultimately… it’s up to you.”

Alex said solemnly. “Thanks, boss. I think I’ll think it over. Can I rest in the salon?”

Michelle tapped Alex’ broad shoulders. “Sure, kid. You earned it.”

=Epilogue: The Gift of Gab=

“Details of your incompetence do not interest me.” the blonde Latina haughtily answered the phone. “If you aren’t telling me when will my fembot return from your nine-year old birthday party, I will cut your nipples off and replace them with leeches.” She paused, listening to her interlocutor. “Listen, I know, seguro, accidents occur. Kids ‘having too much fun’ with Selina is not reason enough to keep a fembot… MY fembot, beyond the allotted time. A human being deserves overtime. So does Selina… and my company. Okay, drive her back, I can grant you that. But she deserves at least thirty dollars for her small expenses. Plus taxes. Yes, only. Oh, no problem.”

She put her cellphone slightly aside, and acknowledged Michelle coming in. “Oya, mi hija!”,

“Can I talk to Selina? Hola, gatita. Listen, ask the guy to drive you here, he’s supposed to give you thirty dollars… an if you’re sweet you can demand a tip for the two extra hours. No, you can’t, you dumb robot. He’s a family man. Not even then. Si, I love me too.”

Gabriela pouted and disconnected. She rose up from behind her PC, and walked towards Michelle. “Hola, hija.” she leaned over and pecked Michelle on the cheek. “Selina will be home in an hour.”

“Is everything okay?” Michelle looked at her. The long-haired Latina examined her fingernails modestly.

“How could it be otherwise? Señora Gabriela Ortega-Calderón is on the job.” The fembot looked pleased. She has finally been doing the job she was created to do. “Sign some paperwork, mi amorcita. Car loans and taxes.”

“I’d rather read it more carefully, thank you.” — while Gabriela might have had a change of heart, trust lost isn’t so easily regained. Gabriela herself only nodded approvingly. Alex came in, hauling two massive bags of shopping.

The businesswoman fembot nodded at him, and he dropped the heavy bags. “Good afternoon, Gabriela. I brought you a gift.”

The Latina raised her eyebrow. “Qué maravilla.” He produced a long box, and gave it to her. It was a fake toy cigar. Gabriela froze again and shifted her gaze from Alex to the gift.

“Gracias, Alejandro. Time I quit these nasty things, anyway.”, she smiled. She rose up.

“Well then. I think until Selina arrives, we have all some time. How about an episode of Explosion Gigantesca de Romance? Be a dear, Michelle and bring me a cup of water. Good help is hard to find these days.”

“Sure, Gaby.”, Michelle sighed. “You know I don’t watch this trash.”

Gabriela tut-tutted. “And after all I gave to this family… You try to defy me? Fine. But I will REMEMBER that when your birthday comes.” Michelle smiled weakly, but instead of leaving she sat down next to Gabriela, trying to play with her cellphone. Gabriela snuggled at her, still staring at the TV screen.

“Hey… Ms. Calderón, can I join in?” Alex asked. Gabriela smiled sweetly and patted the place on the right of her. “Fine, lover. Feel free to join me any time”.

'''END!'''

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In Control

2022-07-16T04:05:25Z

Australopith: /* Chapter 4: Fury of Gabriela Calderón */

=Chapter 1: Conversations with Gabriela=
Business wasn’t exactly booming. After a few false starts—like the infamous Catwoman, now more or less tamed—George and Michelle were finally renting out a small “cast” of entertainment-model robots on a regular basis. But with their personality quirks, simplistic thought processes, and semi-dependent, occasionally needy behavior, the robots weren’t exactly the “real-life action figures” that George had envisioned. True, the rented-out robots paid for more robots; but they also required maintenance on an ever-quickening schedule, which is why Michelle wasn’t too surprised to see George escort an important-looking businesswoman into their house one day.

The newcomer looked to be somewhat older than Michelle, about in her early forties. She had a mane of short blonde hair reaching her prominent jawline, parted in front and evidently treated with copious amounts of hairspray. Her fierce makeup and impressive black and white pantsuit immediately suggested a serious, somewhat intense person. She unlooped her heavy purse from her shoulder, doffed her trenchcoat and wide-brimmed hat, handed the lot to George and waited, glaring at him and tapping her foot.

“Michelle, this is Ms. Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. An investor.”

“Charmed, I’m sure,” said the newcomer, extending her manicured hand toward Michelle. The significantly shorter African-American woman had to stand high to reach Gabriela’s long, lustrous fingernails. She shook her hand.

“Ms. Calderón is very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business,” said George.

“Like my mother used to say, discover the problem and then find the solution.” Gabriela smiled, showing a row of beautiful white teeth. She had a strong northern Mexican accent that sounded commanding to Michelle’s ears.

“Great,” Michelle responded absently to the taller woman’s adage. She wasn’t sure what else to say. “I’m sorry, it’s a bit… messy here. Please, sit down.”

“I like the decor, mi corazón.” Gabriela sat down. “Texan subtlety meets Italian organization.” Michelle was taken aback but said nothing.

“Listen… honey,” George explained to his wife. “I’d like you to discuss everything with Ms. Calderón here. Talk to her with your heart’s content. I’m very busy at the moment…”

“Wait—EVERYTHING?” Michelle addressed George a bit worriedly. “I don’t know what you might have told her already. What if she wants to see the workshop? Honey, I know we’re partners, but… shouldn’t you be around?” She eyed the guest, trying hard not to make it seem like the situation was problematic.

“Oh, I’m around. If anything goes wrong, just call me,” George explained hastily. “I’ll be in the lab.”

“I’d love to get the FULL tour, Jorge,” Gabriela gently nudged him. “But I must talk with Michelle first.”

“Whatever…” Michelle stifled a sigh, then halfheartedly adopted a professional tone. “If we’re going to be partners,” she addressed Gabriela, “you’ll need to learn everything about our small company.”

“I know everything that can be bought; the rest isn’t worth knowing,” Gabriela brusquely replied. Michelle looked at her, somewhat puzzled.

“What I meant was… don’t you want to learn about our business model?” Michelle asked.

Gabriela huffed and looked Michelle right in the eye. “Like my mother used to say, you live and learn—or vice versa. I am very interested in the Rent-a-bot business.” Gabriela wore gold wire-framed glasses that somehow struck Michelle as slightly odd-looking, though she wasn’t sure why. Gabriela’s green eyes stared intently at Michelle.

“See? You’ll get along just fine,” George smiled hopefully. “Michelle, if anything goes wrong, I’ll be—”

In the lab, Michelle thought to herself. And if we’re going to get along just fine, why are you still talking like things will go wrong? Michelle shook her head. At worst, this apparent rich bitch would get mad, storm off, and leave herself and George without her influx of cash.

Michelle and the tall Latina were left alone. “So what do you want to talk about...“ Michelle paused for a moment, unsure of how the woman would prefer to be addressed. “...Gabriela?” Ms. Otega-Calderón took off her glasses and folded them neatly.

“I’d like to learn more about your business model. I am very interested in the Rent-a-bot business,” Gabriela repeated. There was something stiff about her intonation.

“Well—we rent out robots, mostly female but some male… for events? They play roles, do bodyguard work, entertain at parties…” Michelle paused, anticipating pushy questions from the statuesque blonde. But Gabriela seemed oddly indifferent. “I have hosted several parties,” she smiled.

“Oh, private dinner parties?” Michelle asked, trying to make conversation. Gabriela nodded and grinned a bit smugly. “Naturally, mi pobrecita. Everyone worth knowing was there.”

“We can offer hostesses for society parties,” Michelle offered. “Given the costs involved, it’s not very efficient to use them as servers or waitresses, but they can be great entertainers. For instance, our Catwoman—”

“Good servants are hard to find these days,” Gabriela sighed. She put a hand high on Michelle’s back—almost on her neck—and leaned close to whisper conspiratorially in her ear. “I think my maid takes drugs.” Michelle could smell the thick odor of Gabriela’s orange and lime perfume. Her impressive diamond necklace dangled almost into Michelle’s face.

“Drugs? Um, no kidding?” Puzzled Michelle wasn’t sure how else to respond. “Is… I don’t think your maid is relevant to this discussion, Gabriela.”

“If you say so, Michelle. Please tell me—what IS relevant?” Gabriela sat down on the couch and leaned back comfortably, almost as if she owned the place.

“Er…” Michelle was a bit lost. “What was I saying?”

“That my maid wasn’t relevant, Michelle.” Gabriela answered calmly.

“I meant before that,” Michelle winced. “I’m sorry... sometimes I just get lost.”

“Entirely understandable, mi corazon,” Gabriela smirked. “My mother used to say that some people would forget their heads if they weren’t glued on.”

Michelle smiled weakly. Somehow she felt she wouldn’t like Gabriela’s mother. “Oh, that’s right. Our robots are too expensive to use as wait staff—humans are still cheaper than robots for jobs like that. But Rent-a-Bot can still offer great entertainment.”

“I do enjoy a good night out. Opera, theater... I’d like to consider myself a patron of the arts,” Gabriela murmured with obvious pride.

“Fantastic,” Michelle said. “I doubt our girls and boys”—she meant the robots—”could handle leading roles on stage, but they definitely could perform in demanding jobs! Stunts, shows… do you have connections?”

“I know absolutely anyone worth knowing, mi alma.” Gabriela looked Michelle right in the eye. “But my help... won’t come cheap.”

“Well, I expected that,” Michelle smiled hopefully. “I mean, you’ll be our silent partner.” Gabriela folded her shapely legs and smiled at Michelle’s words. “Or not so silent. You could be our office manager—we can’t run everything on our own. Large and in charge,” she added, hoping the taller woman would appreciate the witticism.

“When in doubt, kick and shout.” Gabriela nodded with a knowing smirk.

“Another one of your mom’s sayings?” Michelle chuckled. “She sounds like quite a character.”

“My mother was a SAINT!” an unexpectedly perturbed Gabriela shouted. Michelle was startled when she raised her voice. “Mother taught me everything she knew,” Gabriela forcefully continued; Michelle could only nod. “Like her, I achieved everything thanks to my genes, my conniving mind, and an occasional bit of seduction.”

Michelle was puzzled. “I… never said otherwise.”

“Good. Know your PLACE, Michelle,” Gabriela smugly intoned.

Christ… Michelle thought. Here we go. She’s a tyrant, a racist, a loon, or all three. “Look, I’m sorry—Ms. Calderón, I didn’t mean to insult you or your family.”

Gabriela, still somewhat perturbed, examined Michelle closely. “I do rather like you, Michelle. You could work for me at my mansion.”

“We were going to be... partners?” Michelle ventured. “You could be our office manager… I mean, it started out as a side job and we need someone experienced in control. I’m not looking for a job or a new place, but... thanks, I guess?”

With a tsk-tsk sound, Gabriela scooted over to Michelle’s side, touching her upper arm and giving it a gentle squeeze as if to make sympathetic contact—or maybe just to see what response it brought. “I’m currently… you might say… between husbands.”

“Okayyy…” a confused Michelle murmured, standing up. Gabriela hastily stood as well, her immaculate hair not even shifting. Michelle took a short breath. “Would you like something to drink, Gabriela? Coffee, tea?”

“A glass of red burgundy wine, mi corazón.” Gabriela almost commanded. But when her attitude seemed to startle Michelle, the taller woman seemed to rethink her move, relaxing somewhat. “I take my coffee black and strong, like my partners.”

“Okay, just wait a minute. I’ll go make us some.” Michelle walked toward the kitchen, leaving Gabriela behind. As she left, Gabriela seemed ready to patiently wait for her. But when Michelle returned a few minutes later with two cups of cheap instant coffee, she found Gabriela curiously looking around, examining the books on the living room shelves.

“Here you go.“ Michelle put down the cups.

“Thank you, love. You’d be a great personal assistant,” Gabriela nodded. Michelle wasn’t sure how to answer. Gabriela sat down only after Michelle herself sat down, this time opposite the table. As Michelle reached for her cup, Gabriela reached for her own too.

“This is delicious!” the Latina business woman exclaimed. “My compliments to the chef.” Michelle smiled, reassured. She’s not that bitchy after all. A little eccentric, maybe. A bit too open about her private life.

“Right, let’s get back to business.”, Michelle started.

“I am very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business,” Gabriela repeated. “I am looking for a partner and personal assistants. I know absolutely anyone worth knowing.”

“Right. So you work in entertainment? Banking? Media?” Michelle asked, sipping her coffee.

“Yes, love.”

“What... all three?” Michelle stared briefly at Gabriela. The taller woman had a slight coffee mustache, but appeared to be unaware of it.

Gabriela answered after a brief pause. “All three. And more. I am a woman of many talents.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Michelle hesitated, unsure whether she should point to Gabriela’s lip. “Do you… need anything?”

“I need to talk to you more,” Gabriela said. “I want to make investments in your business. I am looking for a partner and an assistant right now. I could be your office manager.”

Hmm, thought Michelle. How pampered IS this person? Is she used to… “assistants” being around to wipe her frickin’ FACE? Eccentric, for sure...

“So—hmm, Gabriela—if you need an assistant, maybe we could fix you up with a robot?” Michelle had a bright idea. “The more he helps you out, the more you’ll learn about how our products work.”

“I need an assistant,” Gabriela stated. “Someone to follow me. And I need to make investments in your business. The more I am helped, the more I’ll learn.”

“We could rent you a robot with a perfect personality for a week. Sure, every robot’s a bit problematic at first, but eventually you’ll have perfect control.”

“I can control anyone I wish, Michelle,” Gabriela said with a smirk. She gently touched Michelle’s shoulder and gave her a little pat—as if to imply she was talking about Michelle.

Michelle suppressed a laugh at the pompous statement and nodded politely. But this led to a slightly uncomfortable silence, as Gabriela fixed her with a sultry, expectant stare. Michelle came to the uneasy conclusion that the eccentric businesswoman must be waiting to discuss models and pricing.

“So—uh, maybe you want to see our robots? We have seven females and two males right now. I think… you’d like Alexander.” Gabriela would prefer a man, wouldn’t she? Michelle recalled the guest having mentioned being between husbands, not wives; yet Michelle couldn’t escape the niggling suspicion that Gabriela was attracted to her.

“I would control him, right?” Gabriela asked matter-of-factly. “I am afraid I know very little of robots; they’re a little after my time.”

“How old are you exactly, Gabriela?” Michelle curiously asked. Androids were relatively common now, almost an everyday household product.

“Turned fifty last year, mia linda,” Gabrella smiled politely. Fifty? Michele looked her over; Gabriela could have passed for a woman in her late thirties. Perhaps she ate an extra-healthy diet and really knew how to use her cosmetics? Still, odd.

“You don’t look your age,” Michelle curiously observed. “You look… stunning.”

“Thank you, mi hija,” Gabriela grinned. “Age is just a state of mind. You’re only as old as you feel. Gather ye rosebuds where ye may.” Michelle hadn’t pegged Gabriela for a fan of florid romance novels, but now she sounded like a character from one. Well, who knew what eccentric millionaires read in their spare time?

“I guess that’s being rational,” Michelle replied to the taller woman’s homilies. “Wait here, I’ll bring Alexander from the robot room.” What she called a robot room was a simple storage space. Occasionally she and George would leave a robot activated there to read, learn, and receive “rewards” for good behavior.

Business was relatively seasonal at Rent-a-Bot. Most of the droids had been rented out for three-month terms to various shops and conventions in the area. For the moment, only Alexander and Betty remained in the robot room. Betty, a pretty blonde who often played Power Girl, lay deactivated on a shelf. Alexander, though fully charged and activated, sat motionless in a chair, staring blankly at the wall.

“Alexander, get up.”

“Hi, Michelle,” the big robot greeted her. Alexander was tall and quite hunky; in the business, he played the roles of musclebound male superheroes. “What’s up?”

“There’s a new customer,” Michelle half-sighed. “I want you to meet her, and… and maybe work for her.”

“Okay, Michelle,” said Alexander, standing up. “Where is she?”

Michelle had always perceived Rent-a-Bot’s androids as being like children in many ways. Upon receiving an order, they attempted to follow it to the letter; one had to word commands as simply and directly as possible. “Not yet. First...” Michelle tilted her head and looked at Alex’s synthetic pecs. He was wearing nothing but his boxers. “Put something on.”

The curly-haired hunk walked to the wardrobe and picked a tight red sweater. “Hmm—a white dress shirt would be better, Alex,” Michelle cautioned. “This is an… important woman.” Michelle refrained from commenting on Gabriela’s personality; were she to express anything negative, Alex might naïvely repeat it in Gabriela’s presence. “I want you to be extra nice to her and make her happy… do whatever she asks you to do. If everything goes well, you’ll work for her for a week.”

“I understand, Michelle,” Alex nodded cheerfully, before noting: “You weren’t precise enough when you said ‘something’.” While his words might have sounded critical, Michelle reminded herself that he was in no way malicious. By design, Alexander was actually being more and more helpful; he wanted to help her communicate with him. “Is this all right?” Over his tighty whities he had donned a pair of black jeans, with a white dress shirt covering his top as asked.

Michelle smiled to herself. “Undo the top two shirt buttons, Alex. She’ll like that.”

“I have to do things she likes. This is an important woman.” Alex nodded. “Where is she?”

“Follow me.” Michelle led him downstairs to the living room; Alex nodded and followed. Gabriela was once again examining the books on the shelves, tapping her stiletto-clad foot impatiently.

“There you are!” she exclaimed. “Who’s the gentleman?”

“This is Alexander; he could work for you. ...As your assistant.” Michelle answered. This was what Gabriela wanted, right? To discuss models and pricing? Michelle saw herself as being ready to react to most customers’ needs, but Gabriela was harder to parse than most. “Alexander, this is…” She paused for a while, expecting Gabriela to remind her of her last name.

Alexander stared at Gabriela. Gabriela gave him a flirty smile and a coquettish wink, but said nothing. “This is Gabriela.” Michelle broke the silence. “If she likes you, you’ll work for her for a while.”

“Okay.” Alexander nodded.

“He’ll work for me for a while,” Gabriela repeated. “Alexander, I need a personal assistant. I’m an investor; I work in entertainment, banking, and media. You’ll have a special place… directly under me.”

“Okay.” Alexander nodded.

“He doesn’t talk much,” Michelle laughed, “but he does what he’s told.”

Gabriela raised an eyebrow. “Alexander, come here.” As the android approached, she stood up, closed her eyes, and gestured theatrically like an old-fashioned tragedian. “Embrace me. Embrace me; enter a life of passion, as if we were kindred souls lost to a torrent of winds.”

“Huh?” Alexander said, a little lost. “So you want me to… hug you, Gabriela?” The woman pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and sighed dramatically. “If you must, Alejandro!”

Alexander hugged Gabriela—and kept on hugging, visibly . Gabriela kept right on sighing, becoming lustier and more romantic with each gasp. “What the hell is going on?” Michelle muttered to herself, observing the couple. Very few people, when presented with androids of their own, went in for direct physical contact right away. As handsome as Alex may have been, Gabriella cut to the chase and then some. The scene was almost a bit frightening.

Gabriela drew back, looked Alexander in the eye, and sighed again. “Oh…” Michelle conspicuously coughed, clearing her throat; neither Alexander nor Gabriela seemed to notice. Michelle felt a little odd talking to Gabriela while she was swept up in passion.

“Gabriela?” she asked quietly. The Latina turned her head expectantly. “You… you’ll have plenty of time to get to know Alex later.” Gabriela stared at her.

“You want to take him away from me?” She raised her voice. “Maldita! This is disgraceful!”

“I’m not taking him away! Calm down, lady—geez. He’s still yours, but we need to talk.” Michelle unloaded. “Not everything is about you, do you understand? You have to… to...”

“The reason that I am who I am, and am where I am,” Gabriela calmly interrupted, “is because I make everything my business.” She was still folded in Alex’s embrace. “You are right, though, mi hermosa. That’s being rational.”

“Good.” Michelle took a deep breath. Gabriela had bawled her out for… what exactly, taking a robot away? This businesswoman was prone to strange behavior, mood swings, and bursts of aggression whenever certain personal issues were raised. “Fine,” Michelle sniped. “Keep Alex. ...Call him Alejandro; whatever,” she added sarcastically. “Let’s talk business.”

“Si. Alejandro, make yourself useful.” Gabriela waved dismissively at the male robot. He looked at her with the same gentle and polite expression. “What should I do first, boss?”

“For starters, you could help clean up this living room,” Michelle interjected. “Reshelve those books—” she gestured to indicate stacks of coding hintbooks she had taken down several days earlier. “And put those cosmetics and robot parts where they belong, okay?” She nodded toward some disorganized stacks by the far wall.

Alexander looked at Gabriela. “Is that okay, boss?”

“Well. The sooner YOU get this place clean… the sooner *I* can start getting DIRTY. ¿Comprende?” Gabriela threw him a sultry look. Alexander must have taken this as a yes, for he quietly got to work reshelving the books. Finally, Michelle thought. Let’s negotiate.

Michelle sat down at the coffee table. So did Gabriela, clutching her purse and her gold-rimmed glasses. “Okay,” Michelle ventured. “So I take it that you… like Alexander. A lot of people would be pleased if they could rent him, don’t you agree?”

Gabriela nodded with a sly smile.

“Our prices start at three hundred dollars per day,” Michelle started to explain. “But in practice, we discount them for reliable partners. Or as an incentive, if a gig enables a new android to pay for itself.” Gabriela didn’t react, so Michelle continued. “We only have a small number of robots because we don’t want to rely on loans. Investments, on the other hand—”

“Money is no object.” Gabriela dismissively waved her long-nailed hand. “I can arrange a loan for you in my bank.” Michelle was surprised. I just said we didn’t want to rely on loans...

“You’d have to cover for us,” Michelle hoped Gabriela would take the hint. “Take responsibility as a partner and as our office manager. So it’s NOT a loan—it’s an investment. What would you require as compensation?”

Gabriela tossed a long, sultry glance at Michelle, then another at the hard-working Alex, still busy with the bookshelves. “Oh, I’d expect to be properly compensated for managing you. I can be very generous with pay and rewards. I give everyone a fair chance, and all I ask in return is a little solidarity with the company... and unbridled loyalty. ...To me,” she smirked. Finally, Michelle thought. Apart from the final remark, which Michelle hoped was a joke, this sounded like the type of proposal a normal businessperson might make. Michelle relaxed and lightly smiled, hoping the conversation was back on track.

“Everything depends on your business model, Gabriela,” she offered.

“I’d like to learn more about your business model,” Gabriela said politely. “I am very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business.” I thought I just explained our business model, Michelle thought. But Gabriela continued. “It’s a great opportunity for me to develop.”

“How much would you be prepared to invest in us?” Michelle asked. Gabriela didn’t answer, but instead tossed her another sultry glance. “Gabriela?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you at the moment, Michelle.” Gabriela answered after awhile, fluttering her eyelashes at Michelle.

“Okaaaay…” Michelle paused. God, was this all a waste of time? Okay, think positive, Michelle told herself. The woman still has connections. If she’s loaded and happy, she’ll invest, even if she’s a nut. “How do you get extra operating capital?” Michelle asked. “Can you pull some strings?”

“I know absolutely anyone worth knowing, darling,” Gabriele answered after a pause. “I don’t skulk in dark alleys.”

“How much money could we count on?” Michelle resumed. “With fifty thousand dollars, we could buy three or four new robots… NEWER ones, not to—uh, disparage Alex, here.” Alex likely would not have taken umbrage; still, Michelle tried to at least accommodate whatever hurt feelings her android “family members” were capable of emulating. “Or maybe we could rent a proper office, and a larger workshop!”

“I could manage fifty thousand with ease,” Gabriela answered calmly, staring Michelle in the eye. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht.”

“Okay. So this would make you an equal partner with me and my husband. We’d pay your loan back, eventually—” Michelle still didn’t want to rely on loans.

“I have no equals, mi corazón.” Gabriela touched her fingertips to her chest and sighed with delight. “I genuinely want you to be my partner. I am an investor and I expect you to stay loyal.”

“Fantastic,” Michelle grinned. Dealing with the woman from hell seems to be worth it, she thought. She was about to shake Gabriela’s hand when she heard George coming in.

“I’m so sorry…” Her husband standing near the door leading to the workshop, shaking his head. “Please, honey, don’t be angry.”

“What on Earth…?” Michelle started.

“I’m really sorry, honey, it was a mistake.” George walked toward Michelle and gave her a hopeful, if rather insecure smile.

“What are talking about, you cabrón?” Gabriela snarled at the newcomer, reaching forward as if about to grab him by the collar.

“Gabriela—stand by,” George commanded. With an audible whirr of servomotors, the fierce woman lost her ferocity and stood in a s slumped position, staring down at the floor. “I didn’t think you’d… take her seriously,” George said apologetically to his wife.

“Okay, what the fuck?” Michelle put a hand to her forehead and stared at her husband. “She was a ROBOT this whole time? What am I talking about?—Of COURSE she was. But why? Why the hell did I waste half an hour talking to a dumb robot?”

“Because, um… you DIDN’T waste it, really. I thought… well, you have a gift for dealing with difficult AI personalities, honey. You managed to get results out of Selina, when all I could make her do was preen and babble catchphrases.”

“Get results?” Michelle recalled the scuffle with their robotic Catwoman. “She basically… BDSMed you, or something. And pinned me to the wall. That isn’t even accurate behavior for Catwoman in the comics.”

“Isn’t it?” George positied. “It’s not out of character if all she does is threaten. She scared us, but she didn’t hurt us—not really. And remember how you talked to her like she was the real Catwoman? It made all the difference. Asked her cool questions; inviting her out for ice cream.”

“I wasn’t really going to take Selina out for ice cream.” Michelle couldn’t help but laugh. She gave George a playful push.

“Maybe not, but I think your feedback opened up new dimensions in her,” George explained. “That makes all the difference between... a believable personality and ‘just’ a robot repeating dumb things. That’s why I wanted Gabriela to learn from you. I knew she could.”

“Then why didn’t you just say you had a new robot for me to test?!” Michelle seldom raised her voice, but her half-hour with Gabriela would have driven anyone up the wall. “God, you are such a... fff… a TROLL.”

George sulked like a schoolboy caught cheating. “Aw. I just wanted to see how long it would take you to catch on. And… and what kind of feedback you might give Gabriela if you thought she was human. It wasn’t a prank, honey, really; I just want her to learn to act as believable as possible. Talking with a person who really thinks she’s human—that’s an invaluable experience.”

Michelle wearily flopped onto the couch, newly tidied up by Alexander. “Okay, so I bought a lot of Gabriela’s bullshit. I should have realized when she started frickin’ FLIRTING. But…” She opened her eyes. “Oh, NOW I remembered why I’m angry at you. Because I WANTED to believe her—I WANTED to think she was some kind of rich tycoon. Because we need a goddamn investment!”

George smiled. “If it’s any help… the reason that I took the generic Llana A3, and created the character of Gabriela, is to help us finesse deals that will GET us investments. I want to build us a negotiator. She was believable as a haughty businesswoman, wasn’t she? Maybe REAL investors will be… well, as impressed with her schmoozing as you were. Especially once she’s learned more from you.”

“So I’m now the personal nanny of our pet tycoon?” Michelle glared at George.

“Hey. ...I’m sorry, sweetie. I SHOULD have warned you. But—but honestly, you weren’t wasting your time. Gabriela, in spite of her attitude, can really be your assistant—and she’ll learn from you how to interact more naturally. Eventually, she’ll take a lot of management and money issues off our hands.”

“She can be MY assistant? She wanted to make me HER assistant.” Michelle glared at the deactivated robot woman, who—in her slumped position—looked a bit dejected by the criticism. “Why did you program her like that, anyway?”

“Most of our robots are effectively, cosplayers, right? Based on existing characters. So’s Gabriela,” George replied. “I added dialogue, body language, and emotional subroutines copied straight from the source—Markov-chain-ing her up. This time the source was businesswomen from various Mexican soap operas and telenovelas. Hence her attitude and her Latin… uh, vocabulary...”

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Oh, sure. The evil, hysterical, stereotypical, money-grubbing bitches in those shows—I know you crush on them half the time…” She sighed. “...but oh, they’re GREAT role models for our financial expert, aren’t they? Gabriela was blabbing about romance and hinting at sex half the time, with only an occasional convincing line about business…”

“Well, she’s only occasionally convincing because she’s only just been activated, honey.” George had regained his positive attitude. “Remember how I said you had a gift for dealing with difficult AIs? You’re a good person—you’re naturally good at helping others improve and learn… become better at what they do. That goes for real people AND synthetic people. You see the best in everyone.”

“Jesus, enough with the Afterschool Special,” Michelle huffed. She paused for a moment. “Do you really think so?”

“Well—you saw the best in ME, three years ago. And now I’m better at what I do.”

“You mean bullshitting?” Michelle smirked, waiting for George to protest that he’d done nothing wrong. Then again—how much wrong HAD he really done? He had in a way abused Michelle’s trust by passing Gabriela off as a human, but his motive was understandable, and he had plainly expected Michelle to see through the ruse sooner.

“I need a drink,” Michelle sighed, summing up her thoughts. “So… what next for our problem child—I mean, businesswoman?”

“If you can stand it, try to spend some more time with her. Think of it like… like training a new employee? It’s not like you’re wasting our time or money. She could still turn out okay.”

Michelle chuckled. “So… you see the best in everyone, too, huh? Or maybe I’M getting better at bullshitting. God, we’re terrible.”

“Let’s go grab dinner,” George grinned. “Later we can… have fun chatting with Gabriela a little more. You and me both. There are worse ways to spend an evening than getting inside a telenovela villainess’ head.” Michelle laughed at George’s suggestion. They left the house, leaving their deactivated “office manager” behind.

Alexander, ignored in the background, had continued cleaning the room. By the time he finished his task, he and Gabriela were alone. He walked up to the curvaceous businesswoman. “I completed my task, Gabriela. What’ll I do next?” The deactivated robot didn’t answer; after a couple of processing cycles, Alexander understood why. “I need to make you happy.” He stood against the tall Latina and took hold of the sides of her head to power her on.

Gabriela snapped back into her earlier proud posture, looking oddly triumphant. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht.” She spoke to no one in particular at first. Then she registered Alexander’s presence; the tall boybot was still standing right in front of her, holding her head. “Alejandro—” With a deep sigh, she leaned forward and embraced him. He tentatively hugged her back.

“Where are they, Alejandro? Where’s the little black girl—Michaela?” Robots couldn’t actually forget names, but a soap opera drama-queen personality could speak dismissively of people who were not present. Gabriela looked around, perturbed. “I need to talk with her.”

“She’s out, boss. So is George,” Alex answered. Gabriela gave him a sly look; being referred to as boss evidently triggered a response. She strolled blithely to the couch and sat down, crossing her shapely legs and spreading her arms wide along the back. “The reason that I am who I am, and am where I am, is because I make everything my business.” She paused dramatically for a moment.

“Since the other partners are presently indisposed, I run THIS business.”

“I’m your assistant, Ms. Calderón,” Alex answered. “Michelle said so.”

“You are my assistant. You will work for me.” Gabriela decisively raised her right hand in a fist, then coolly looked her fist over, as if the gesture had been made by someone else. “I expect to be properly compensated for managing you. I can be very generous with pay and rewards.”

“I can’t compensate you, boss. Michelle has the money. I belong to her.”

Gabriela’s pleasant smile turned angry. “You belong to me! She can’t take you away from me. I will give my life… my fortune… so YOU AND I CAN STAY TOGETHER!” Alex nodded amicably. “Yes, Ms. Calderón.” She got up and began pacing across the room.

“I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. Soy Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, multimillonaria. Tengo una mansión y un yate. I will take over this business… this family. Like my mother used to say, discover the problem and then find the solution.” She lifted her finger. “What is the problem?”

Alex thought hard. “I’m sorry, Gabriela, I can’t tell you at the moment.” The robot woman looked at him sternly. “You are so dumb. I have no equals, mi corazón.”

“Yes, boss,” he meekly agreed. Gabriela smirked.

“Let’s start doing business.” She rubbed her hands with glee. “Show me around, robot.”

=Chapter 2: Gabriela, The Triumphant=
The dinner took longer than expected; self-employed people who manage others can once in a while deserve privileges of their own... even if the state of their business makes them dream of rich investors appearing out of nowhere. Nonetheless, George and Michelle returned home around 4 PM… to discover that the lights upstairs were turned on -- though neither of them recalled leaving them on.

“Maybe someone came in early.” Michelle thought, as she stared at the unexpectedly bright windows. “Mindy was rented out for that punk-rock gig as a stagehand-slash-dancer, maybe the band came earlier. Or maybe I’m just scatterbrained recen… Damn, I really want to see the best in a person.”

The door was still locked - so at least they weren’t broken in -- and Michelle was free to look around in the living room. There was no trace of the two robots left standing there.

“Michelle? Babe? Where’s Gabriela?”, George looked around, as he lit the lights. “She shouldn’t have reactivated herself.”

“And yet she did, predictably.” Michelle groaned. “With you, nothing can go right, apparently. Alex was cleaning the room, maybe he carried her to the workshop?”

“Alex…”, George scratched his head. He walked downstairs, to the workshop in the basement. Michelle could hear the sounds of footsteps… and click of the door being locked. “Wait, what? Betty?” Oh, no.

Gabriela, her tall silhouette framed by the light, walked out of a spare bedroom, strutting slowly. She has ditched the conservative business suit, instead wearing a sleeveless lacy white dress that showed off her feminine curves.

“Good evening, Michelle. Hablemos en serio, mía compañera.”, She leaned on the railing, smiling smugly, examining the red-headed African-American girl from the above -- and exposing her tanned breasts with a very immodest cleavage for a conservative businesswoman.

“Gabriela…”, Michelle facepalmed for a while. “Who turned you on? What’s going on? Where’s George?”

“So MANY questions…” Gabriela muttered to herself, still observing Michelle for a while. “Alejandro did. I am taking over. George is downstairs.”

“Taking over?! Gabriela, you can’t take over!”

“You told me I could be your office manager.” Gabriela smirked. “That if I invested money, I could run the Rent-a-bot company. I have no equals. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, a billionairess. I own you, your house, a mansion and a yacht.”

That was way more chilling than it should be. “Gabriela. Please behave properly and cut this act.” Michelle orered, staring at the blonde Latina. The stern, decisve order should influence a robot.

“I am behaving properly, tonta mia.”, Gabriela merely smirked. “I run the company now, since you weren’t available. Since George is locked down, it’s down to me and you... partner.” She fluttered her eyelashes, looking surprisingly lustily at Michelle.

“Locked down?” Michelle felt her head spinning.

“A hostile takeover.” Gabriela examined her beautiful fingernails. “Alex told Betty, the little robot girl to lock the door, slide the key and go into standby mode. Only I can turn her on now.” That was... creative, but Michelle was not in the mood for applauding the fembot right now. Betty was not hurting George — and Gabriela could understand as much.

“But, why?”, Michelle stomped her foot on the ground.

“I want you to be my partner, chulita.” Gabriela snapped her fingers, smiling smugly with her red lips. And suddenly, Michelle felt the iron grip of Alex, holding her from behind. The android emerged from the shadows, grabbing Michelle’s arms at Gabriela’s signal. “Hello Michelle”, the android said. “I am making Gabriela happy.”

“Godfuckingdammit!”, Michelle screamed. “The soap opera bitch has a crush on me?”

Gabriela walked down stairs slowly, looking at her sternly “Una puta de telenovela has a crush on you.” She repeated the sentence… with her Mexican accent. Michelle realized the fembot listened… interpreted her own words and learned from them. Markov chains, naturally. Of course, Gabriela had tried flirting with her before. She said things she believed — and, more importantly, she believed things she said. Without supervision… this could lead to a weird loop.

Michelle tried to free herself, but Alex held her tight. Gabriela walked towards her, her high-heeled shoes now clicking menacingly on the hard wooden floor. She leaned over the quite short Michelle. “Gabriela! Be nice, you hear me? I’ll power you down!”

“Bueno, estoy... estoy impresionada.”. The Latina fembot whispered. “I have all the power I want. And I can be very NICE.” She drew her pinky fingernail across Michelle’s cheek, gently.

“You crazy... robot, cut the crap. We were going to let you run some things anyway.”, Michelle lost patience.

Gabriela looked at her, raising her eyebrow. “Oh. So... you got what you wanted, haven’t you? I’m running things now. I’m running… everything. No te parece fabulosa la empresa que estoy llevando adelante?” Gabriela since her rebooting turned even more Mexican, evidently. Unwinding spiral.

“You know I can’t speak Spanish, you idiot.”, Michelle spat.

Gabriela froze briefly, but returned to her smug self after five or six seconds. “I can. I can do things you don’t. I’m older, richer, more experienced. Humans are still cheaper than androids. Why should you be in charge of the company, and not I?”, she laughed tracing her finger across Michelle’s lips, delighted with her now-confirmed superiority. “I’m better than you in Spanish.” She rubbed Michelle’s chest gently.

“Goddammit, Gabriela, listen to me, you are just a robot, I should... control you. George built you just yesterday.” Michelle… was angry and trying hard to not be aroused by the amorous robo-businesswoman.

“I wasn’t born yesterday”, Gabriela scoffed. “Yo no nací ayer. I just turned fifty last year, mia linda.”

“NO. You. HAVEN’T.”, Michelle punctuated each word with a rapid pull from Alex’iron grip.

Gabriela just gave her a sultry look. She stepped back and picked up a key which Betty must have slid under the basement door. Betty must have tossed it there before switching herself off.

“I’ll let you out soon. Once I and Michelle have... an understanding.” She raised her voice, apparently addressing George locked inside. The only answer was an exasperated sigh. Gabriela stood there for a while, while Michelle joined in sighing.

“You have no idea what to do next, don’t you?” Michelle groaned eventually, as the robot woman stood in front of the door for a minute -- still processing data.

“Everything will be revealed soon enough, mia linda.”, Gabriela answered -- reacting to Michelle’s prompt broke her from robotic equivalent of deep thoughts. “Alejandro, bring her to the bathroom. Bathe her and bring her to me.” She pouted her lips, channeling a character from a VERY different telenovela.

“Wait, what? I can wash myself, thankyouverymuch. And since when do you have a bedroom, robot?” Michelle looked at her, surprised. What the hell?

“I own this company. This company is headquartered in this house. This house belongs to me.” Gabriela answered. It was weird… seeing her behave now more human-like, yet showing insane robot idiosyncratic logic. “Wash yourself. I want to see proper make-up.” She paused for a moment. “We need to have a proper dress code for my assistants.” She chuckled silently to herself.

“Oh lord, why...” Michelle muttered, as Alex shoved her… not too gently towards the bathroom. “Alex, leave me, please. Gabriela said I need to wash myself.”

Alex stood in the door of the bathroom, while Gabriela sauntered away upstairs. The upper floor had two bedrooms — one occupied by the androids, other one stood empty, prepared for a future family member… and was used by Michelle’s mom whenever she visited. Gabriela has opened the door of the robot storage room. She stared in her reflection in the window, examining her body now clad a very feminine dress. Her left hand moved across the desk near the wall, in search of a screwdriver. It clenched on the handle. With one fluid movement, she rammed it, sharp tip first, in her head.

There was a click as it penetrated the layer of an artificial skin and opened the scalp. Gabriela gently twisted the top of her own head, removing carefully the moussed power hair, exposing the shining, thin plastic layer underneath which lied dozens of wires and switches. The fembot looked around, grabbing another scalp — this one with long, flowy platinum tresses, framing her head symmetrically. The skin color didn’t match… at first. With a twist, she mounted it carefully and it started to affect her tanned Latina complexion.

She went through a couple of useful toys from a box marked “Selina’s stuff! Other robots, don’t touch it, or I’ll claw your eyes out.”, picking a strand of rope, handcuffs and a pair of golden bracelets. Silently, the fembot picked up some spare clothes from the cosplay wardrobe and disappeared in the spare room.

Meanwhile, Michelle mentally workshopped her plans. She probably couldn’t take on Alex, and the heaviest weapon she could find was an electric dryer. She did take a shower — to calm herself, there was no harm in it, was it? But when she walked in, Alex didn’t want to let her out. He insisted on “Ms. Calderon wanting to see proper make-up.”

“Alex, you don’t have to do everything she says, she hasn’t even paid for you.”, Michelle explained. She didn’t object to Alex seeing her wrapped in a towel — he was part of the family, in a way.

“Ms. Calderon says I have to. You said that I will work for her, and she said I belong to her forever.”, Alex explained. “My previous protocols are overridden.”

Michelle sighed. “Alex, sweetie, she is a robot as well, she belongs to George and does whatever he said — pretends she’s a businesswoman. You don’t have to do what she says.”

“She has ordered me to follow her and her only. She has said she wants to see proper make-up. You have to be pretty for Ms. Calderon.”, Alex insisted.

“Alex, if you let George out, he’ll control Ms. Calderon… Gabriela, and she’ll tell you to stop.” Michelle repeated. “We’re friends, right?”

“I am now a personal assistant to Madame Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. She had said other people would like to take me away from her.”, Alex repeated. “Please put make-up on, Michelle.”

Discussing things with robots was, to Michelle annoyance, surprisingly amusing, and it helped her gather her thoughts. “Alex, did you activate Betty?” He nodded. “Did Gabriela tell you to?” He nodded again. “Sneaky bitch.” She smiled for a moment. “Alex, what if I became Gabriela’s personal assistant?”

“She would have more assistants.”, Alex answered after a while.

“But then I’d outrank you”, Michelle pointed out. “As a human being I’d be close to her, and she could have told me to let George out. Then you’d have to listen to me.”

“If Ms. Calderon said so…”, Alex appeared to think for a while.

“I’d relay her words.” Michelle smiled and patted Alex’ synthetic muscles slightly. “In fact, why don’t you do it now?”

“She said she’ll do it herself. You do not outrank me at the moment. I must make her happy. She is an important woman. You must put your make-up on.”

Michelle smiled, now relaxed. “Of course, Alex dear. Feel free to bring me some fancy costume, I should finally meet Gabriela on her own terms. ”

The guest bedroom was still a bit chaotic, but Gabriela didn’t seem to mind—or perhaps wasn’t mentally advanced enough to care. Neither George nor Michelle smoked — but there was a stash of mismatched gifts the couple didn’t feel like throwing away, including a handful of foil-wrapped cigars. Gabriela on some basic level knew not to put them in her mouth or actively inhale the smoke — she lit one and held it in the right hand — while the left one held a wine glass. She has comfortably seated herself in a rotating chair, her long legs lying on the bed, still wearing stilettos.

Michelle stepped in — and she chose one of Betty’s suits — a simple black dress she complemented with a maid-like apron - to accentuate that she would in fact be willing to serve a robot woman. To her relief, Gabriela didn’t comment on her clothes. “Hello, Gabriela. I have thought about your proposal and… the hell? What are you doing?”

“Esta es la vida que siempre debí haber tenido...”, Gabriela mentioned casually, to Michelle’s confusion.

“Okay, whatever. Put this thing down.”

“I knew good things are wasted on you,”, Gabriela sipped her wine. “This is delicious!”

“I doubt that.” Michelle grinned.

“Don’t be so sure.”, Gabriela set her glass on the desk and stared at Michelle politely. Oh, right, Michelle realized. She’s still programmed to learn from me.

“So, Gaby dear.” Michelle started, now more amused than angry. “What are your “demands”?” - she accentuated it with finger air quotes.

“La verdad sea dicha, I'd like to think about it... a bit more, actually.” Gabriela toyed with her cigar. “Come here, girl.”

“Oh, Gabriela.” Michelle sighed. “Tell me what do you want to achieve.”

Gabriela seemed to think for a moment: “I want to take over the company, I want you as my personal assistant. You will work for me. I have a crush on you.” she exclaimed.

“It’s not the same... “, Michelle started. “You only think…”

“You won’t take it away from me!” Gabriela raised her voice. “I have fought all my life for my family, for my business, for other things!”

Michelle smiled apologetically. “Gabriela, I’m not taking anything away. In fact… I might agree to your offer.”

“You don’t have much of an option.”, Gabriela’s fingers clenched on her cigar. She waved it in front of her face.

“You’re angry, Gabriela. Calm down.”, Michelle smirked and sat down on the bed, opposite the blonde Latina. Gabriela huffed and smirked triumphantly.

“How about this?” That was a surprising question. Hm, Gabriela still responded to feedback. Michelle wasn’t really sure whether she should address Gabriela the businesswoman, Gabriela the telenovela villainess or Gabriela the robot. Whatever she was at the moment, the Latina returned to her dazzling smile.

“Very nice. See? We can get along. We need each other, Gabriela.”, Michelle continued, but Gabriela turned cold out of sudden.

“I am more than capable of running the company by myself.” she leaned over Michelle, staring straight in her face. “Leaving away from what I’ve built so far would be loco.”

“Ah-ha!” Michelle was pleased. “So, why do you want an assistant if you can do it yourself?”

Gabriela smirked. “I am an entrepreneur. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderon, billionairess. When you outsource work for others, you can freely pursue your passions.”

“Damn, nice programming.”, Michelle muttered. She half-expected Gabriela to tumble on the floor, smoke coming out from her ears, unable to handle the paradox. “So if you outsource work for me, we won’t have time for each other, you know that?”

Gabriela opened her eyes wide. “Órale! Nunca me hubiese imaginada algo así.” she muttered. “I will work on expanding the business.”

“You know, me and you and Alex can’t cope… why not add George to the mix?”, Michelle suggested, trying her best to sound innocent and innocuous.

“No!” Gabriela leaned over, putting her arms on Michelle shoulders. “You belong to me and me only. Let’s ditch him. I, too, am currently between husbands.”

“Gabriela…” Michelle wasn’t serious how to rebuff Gabriela’s advances. But she needed to be kept calm. “I might become your assistant…” Gabriela’s lower lip trembled slightly, and she leaned in closer to Michelle’s face. “But I, too, am gonna need some help.”

“All I ask in return... is just a little solidarity with the company and unbridled loyalty to me.” Gabriela said — Michelle remembered that quote from before. “Your loyalties shan’t conflict.” The taller woman sat next to Michelle on the bed and gently wrapped her arm around Michelle’s shoulders. Cheap cigar smoke mixed with her orange smell. “I can be very NICE, sabe… Working for me is not the worst thing that could happen.”

Michelle smiled. “Mmmaybe…” she remembered Gabriela’s catchphrases. “Do you have a place for me?”

“You’ll have a special place… directly under me.”, Gabriela answered, her tone increasingly lusty.

“What about Alex?” Michelle asked innocuously. “We can’t be both directly under you.”

Gabriela pulled Michelle closer. Her green eyes seemed to glow with blissful light. “Don’t worry about Alejandro, Michelle, my love. At this moment…” her hands drifted towards Michelle’s dress. “We are like two halves of orange who finally found each other after all these years. How I longed after you for years…”

Michelle giggled, but was surprised at Gabriela’s forward matter. “Gabriela, you just met me.”

“I feel like I’ve known you all… my… LIFE.” Gabriela answered. No wonder she had a large database for scenes like this.

“Will you make me outrank Alex?” Michelle tried to gently push Gabriela away. “I will be loyal to you…”

Gabriela paused and her blindingly green eyes narrowed. She continued to embrace Michelle but her hug turned stricter. “Gabriela?”

“Ejele! DO you think I WAS BORN YESTERDAY?”, Gabriela hissed. “You keep conspiring against me! Not everything is about you, do you understand?”

“Stop! Gabriela, stand down!” Michelle struggled. Alex was big and beefy, and Gabriela was tall and more athletic — but the apparent musculature of the android meant very little. “Turn off!”

“Buen intento, chica… but right now I have been activated by my lovely Alejandro.”, Gabriela hissed in her ear. “He is the one that gives me orders now.”

“But all he does is to follow your orders.”, Michelle gasped. Like any good telenovela character, Gabriela couldn’t stop herself from revealing her nefarious plot. “This is a whatchamacallit, an infinite loop.”

“He is so dumb. I have no equals now. I can take over.”, Gabriela chuckled. She pinned Michelle by the sheer virtue of her size and mass to the bed. “We will talk more and more, Michelle, mi pobre fea y bella hija.”

“You’re out of control!” That has happened again.

“Correction: I’m IN control.” Gabriela smiled nastily. “My name is Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. I own a cute girl and a house.”

=Chapter 3: Anger Management=

Gabriela has prepared a set of handcuff from Selina’s box, and prodded Michelle to the basement door. Alex stood behind her, blocking any attempts of escape. “Don’t wake Jorge up, chica.” Gabriela smirked. “I bet he’s tired.” She has put a large, gallon bottle of water she has hauled effortlessly from the kitchen, and a loaf of toast bread on the lowest stair step. “If you need to use the toilet, ask politely. I am not entirely heartless.”

“This is my house, Gabriela.” Michelle answered.

“Â¿Neta?” the Latina examined her shiny fingernails. “You should have registered it as a company property, that could have saved you some tax money. Maybe I should do it – it is my company asset.”

“You know you’re not a real billionaire, you know you’re a robot, and you have no actual claim to the house or company.” Michelle stated calmly. “Cognitive dissonance much?”

Gabriela shot her an angry glare. “I am so disappointed in you, Michelle.” The fembot pulled gently Michelle’s arm and unlocked the handcuffs.

“Ãndale, Alejandro.”, Gabriela snapped her fingers. Alex didn’t seem to get it. “Follow me.”

“You seem to have become more Mexican now.”, Michelle pointed out. “Unwinding spiral, Gaby dear.”

Gabriela didn’t answer, instead she had picked up the deactivated Betty – also with no significant effort, hauling the slumped girl by her mid-torso. “Goodnight, Michelle.” she said sternly. “We shall see each other soon, piruja.” Alex turned the key in the lock and the robot couple left the basement.

Michelle chuckled and counted to ten, walking quietly to the door, checking whether the robot wasn’t listening. Of course, she wouldn’t hear their breaths… but she has heard a long-winded rant in Spanish coming from the salon… later supplemented by the sounds of a TV. She looked at the George, curled up on a makeshift bed from tarps. “Another fine mess you’ve got us into”, she muttered and started to quietly wake him up.

In the meantime, Gabriela started talking to Alex who barely understood Spanish, describing Michelle in not the kindest words at all. “No gustas de mi nuevo peinado?” she asked, looking at him. Alex just smiled in return – Gabriela didn’t really recognize it as the strategy she herself employed – smile or batting of eyelashes was her usual response when she couldn’t find a telenovela quote in her database. He didn’t oppose her talking in Spanish – everything must therefore be okay. The fembot spent a couple of hours active – and it was not that much of a taxing physical activity. She has found an effective charging station upstairs, rememebered that most of the company work she could have gone after 6PM would be useless, and thus knew she had at least three hours only for herself… and “Alejandro”.

Gabriela sat daintily, spreading her arms across the back of the couch, and putting her stiletto-clad feet on the end table. Then, she flicked through the news channels, stopping briefly at a cartoon – something she has never seen. After a couple of cutesy scenes, she flicked on, finally stopping at Judge Judy. Evidently, that was… interesting. As Gabriela turned the sound up, she was stopped by Alex, looking for a new task to perform.

“Ms. Calderon?” Gabriela dismissed him. “Go away, Alejandro. I am watching TV.”

“Where should I go?”, the musclebound hunk asked politely. Gabriela paused for a moment. “Don’t go. Stay here. Watch TV with me.” Alex sat down next to his… fellow robot, but Gabriela didn’t show him much affectation – not to mention that she maintained iron grip on the remote. They watched the rest of the court show in silence, not stopping even for advertisements.
Last edited by Propman on Thu May 16, 2019 2:28 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Propman » Thu May 09, 2019 2:23 am

Michelle had related Gabriela’s story to George, and she was about as polite as Gabriela was when describing her. “How on earth the same shit can happen twice? You’d think you’d stop building domineering robots after Selina. You don’t just got issues, you got a subscription.”

“Okay, with Catwoman it was basically the most recognizable superheroine whose theme is still… tight latex. And Selina is mostly polite now. But maybe, yeah, I like take-charge, headstrong ladies. I married one, after all.”

“Oh wow, more bullshit from you.”, Michelle rolled her eyes. The light bulbs were bright enough for them to see each other.

“Thank you for proving me right.”, George answered.

“Well yeah, you think I’d go ‘awww’ and pet you? We’re still locked in the basement by a psychotic robot dominatrix you built.”

“The problem is control, though.” the man scratched his cheek. “Dammit, I don’t want to hurt her or anything, as you said, it’s a feedback loop that will cause her to crash.”

“I know.” Michelle surprised him. “She genuinely wanted to be nice to me… I tried to cheat her and she noticed it. I gave her a lot of ideas she’s acting on right now – probably if I didn’t say she would be our boss she’d be demure. Sure, we need to shut her down, but… I don’t hate her. Not really. Wouldn’t mind kicking her in the face once or twice, though.”

“I think you could damage her skin at best. Llanas are strong and durable. She can bench-press... hmmm, around 250 pounds.”

“So direct violence is out of the question. Negotiating…” Michelle thought. “She’s still programmed to want to talk to me. Even if she interprets it very personally. Eventually she’d learn how not to be a bitch.”

“Eventually.” Scoffed George.

“I do think Alex is key to her, we shouldn’t waste time trying to distract Gabriela, we could convince Alex. They learn from each other.”, Michelle whispered.

“She already has Alex, will have Betty and Mindy is coming home tomorrow.” The tough, pink haired Mindy was currently rented out as a dancer on a concert – and her personality was only marginally stronger than Alex’. “You have set Alex’ priorities to obey Gabriela before you, but normally this can’t happen unless a direct action of the robots’ owner…”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m angry at both you and at myself. I made a mistake, and because I’m not a crazy bitch, I’m not afraid to admit it… hmmm.” Michelle paused for a moment. “Anyway, yeah, I get it. If Mindy gets home she might believe that Gabriela runs everything now, especially if Alex confirms it. She might not, though.”

“I usually tell her to go home and wait for us. That’s what she’ll do. She might talk to them, but it’s hard to predict whether she’d buy it. They’re coded to be company property.”

“Is… is Gabriela company property too?” Michelle asked. “We could use that.”

“Damn... no. She emulates a personality, follows some basic directives, obeys whoever activated her last. I was going to set the admin to us both as soon as we were back. I should have switched Alex off as well.”

“I mean, we will get out of this shit, somehow.” Michelle added. “She might look fierce, but she’s fairly stupid, compared to humans. I’m sure there’s a solution in here somewhere.” She smiled, relieved. “Scoot over.” George did and the couple cuddled on the makeshift bed.

“Isn’t Wonder Woman the most recognizable superheroine?” She added before slumping into Dreamland.

“She totally was a dominatrix back in the forties, we’d end up in the same place anyway.”, George yawned. He hugged her – partly to stay warm, partly to stay close.

A couple of hours later, a sudden beep and a whirr of synthetic muscles activated the nude, curvaceous form of Gabriela. She had the previous evening told Alexander to carry her to the nearest android charging station and plug her in – she watched as he stuck twin chargers to the ports hidden in her back. Now, she has lifted herself on her elbows and felt the connectors letting go. The synthetic covers lifted down with barely audible whoosh. Gabriela squeezed down, crawling out of the charging station, shapely legs first. She looked around the docking station, noticing the disabled Betty.

She stepped downstairs, still completely in the nude, and walked inside the bathroom, and after a longer while she walked out, wrapped in George’s old towel, with another one covering her hair. The Latina gynoid also used this opportunity to opened her discharge chute and got rid of the few liquids that weren’t absorbed by her systems to hydrate skin and moisturize her eyes. Gabriela was now smelling even more intently - this time of strawberry with herbal-like undertones.

She froze again, standing stood in the hall, and out of sudden, she walked towards the basement door. Her hitherto blank, beautiful face with tall cheekbones suddenly affected a sly look as she leaned to listen. Disappointed, she heard nothing. And so, she walked back upstairs, noting that Alex has dressed up and charged back as well. “Good morning Gabriela”, he greeted her. “Are you fully functional?” She nodded graciously, holding the tower on her hair. “Are you happy?”, he asked again.

“Not quite, Alejandro.” Gabriela took off the towel wrap, once again exposing her voluptuous figure. She walked to the chair where she had put her lingerie and dressed up as well. Alex observed her closely. Gabriela found a couple of outfits that fit her – she was about the same height and similar built to Selina and a couple of other fembots.

“How can I make you happy?”, Alex asked her, as she put on back her business suit – this time completing it with a found mini-skirt and a pair of long, over-the-knee high-heeled boots that belonged to Selina. They might have been too small, but Gabriela rammed her feet in forcibly – not feeling pain and not worrying about skin lesions helped.

“By doing what I tell you, chico.”, Gabriela answered simply. She has tied a red long silken scarf around her neck, letting it hang like a tie. She glanced at the mirror, satisfied with her new long hair and appearance. While applying her fierce makeup and smokey eye shadow she seemed focused, but Alex stopped. “What do you want me to do?”

“Patience, Andro. Above all, self-control.” Gabriela reacted. Something in this line triggered more associations. “I have plans for the company” she has raised her finger. “The company might have existed before, but I shall maintain it, improve it. I will have rid it of any... imperfections. The Rent-a-bot business shall blossom! Prove yourselves to me! Be utterly loyal to me! And I will never betray you!”

Alex just nodded. Evil New Era speech was simply wasted on the android. But Gabriela herself didn’t really care -- having said it was just another checkmark on her Telenovela Character List.

Gabriela put her hands on her hips. “Well, then, mi amor. ¿Que haremos ahora? What shall we do next?”

Alex thought for a while. “You run the company now, Gabriela.”

She grinned, satisfied. “We must feed the humans. Eventually, let them out... but not now. So fragile. I must talk to Michelle for a while.” She glared at Alex. “Follow me. You will stop George and Michelle from leaving the basement now. If I tell you to escort them, you will stop them from leaving the house. Restraining them if necessary. Understood?” Neither Gabriela nor Alex would endeavor to cause actual physical harm to Michelle or George – but some restrain could be acceptable – especially in character as the domineering Gabriela.

“Yes, boss.”. Gabriela nodded with apparent satisfaction. She swept her long hair aside and went to the kitchen, with Alex following her in tow. She picked a fruit bowl and a bottle of coke and handed them to Alex. “We might run out of food. To buy food, I need money, to obtain money we need to work.” she said to Alex, observing his reaction.

“You need to contact the people to rent out robots.”. Alex said. “This is how the company works.”

Gabriela Calderón, a businesswoman, didn’t really know that, but nodded. “First, I need to talk with Michelle, to learn more from her. Protect me, and remember, they can’t leave the basement unless I allow it.”

She has fished out the key from the pocket of her business jacket, and opened the door. Downstairs, she discovered the couple hugging each other, still sleeping. A mean smile came on her large lips.

“Wakey-wakey! Despierta!”, she gently prodded George with her shiny boot.

“Mfff… you?” George was surprised. “What’s with the new hair?”

“Finalmente, alguien lo noto!”, Gabriela snarled. “It’s not for YOU, though. Get up, Jorge.”

“Oh, hey, Gaby. Came here to gloat and snarl? About the only thing you can do?” Michelle looked pleased. “Also, hey Alex. Good morning. What’s up with your new boss?”

“I can do a lot, Michelle, as you have surely realized.” Gabriela narrowed her eyes. “ I am a woman of many talents.” She took food and drink from Alex and put it on the floor. “Food for you.” Examining the bottle of water, she realized that they still have plenty. “Excuse me if I don’t join you for breakfast. If you need hygiene, Alex will escort you to the bathroom upstairs.”

“How efficient, you truly are becoming a model kidnapper.”, George mouthed.

“Silence, varón.” Gabriela waved a finger at him. She paced around Michelle, still wrapped in her makeshift tarp.

“This is a punishment.” Gabriela hissed. “No one rejects Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. No one. You will stay here, until you learn your place, Michelle.”

“Mhmmm.”, Michelle smiled. “And where’s that place? Directly under you?”

“Yes. It’s by my side.”, Gabriela answered frankly. “En el fondo sabes que eres mÃa para siempre…” She put one hand in her pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, twirling them on her thumb.

“You know I can’t speak Spanish. Do you know Spanish, George?” Michelle very calmly picked an apple and bit it. Her husband, sensing some mischievous plot turned his head. “So, if we don’t speak the same language, how can we talk?”

“I’m better than you.” Gabriela remembered the conversation from yesterday. “It’s a great opportunity for me to develop.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt you will. You and your little henchman, Alex. The past day was very educational for you… probably because it was the first day of your life, little Gaby.” Michelle threw the apple core under Gabriela’s feet… And Alex rushed it, still following the directive to protect the Latina. Gabriela snapped her fingers. “Alex, stop!”

“Age is just a state of mind. You are as old as you think you are. You have to count your blessings and be happy.”, Gabriela hissed menacingly.

“Thinking you’re fifty doesn’t actually make you fifty.”, Michelle smiled innocently.

Gabriela froze for a split-second. “Maybe we should put it to a test.”

“What test, Gaby? Haven’t you seen how you were turned on and off again?”, Michelle was polite. “Are you repeating some telenovela lines again? It’s okay to admit it, this house is full of vague robots spouting random lines.”

Gabriela sent her an ice-cold gaze… but Michelle grinned sweetly in response. “Alex, is Gabriela a robot?”

“Yes.”, Alex answered. Michelle just smiled. “What was your response about robots, Gaby? Care to share it with the class?”

Gabriela froze again. “Santa Lucia… I don’t NEED to.”, she snapped back. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionairess!”. She twirled on her heels. “Alex, we’re leaving.”

“Wait.”, Michelle said. “SOME of us need hygiene. I want to go with Alex, he might be a guy but I trust him more than you.”

George, who’s been eating bread with fruit, nodded.

“Fine.” Gabriela folded her arms. “I’m doing it only because I care about you.” She moved menacingly towards George. “El macho inútil…” she whispered quietly to him. “Don’t try to trick me.”

“I don’t think the level of your intelligence allows you to be tricked.”, George answered smiling, to the giggle of the leaving Michelle. Gabriela only nodded slyly. As Alex escorted Michelle, George turned to Gabriela.

“Seriously, Gabriela, what’s with the hairdo? I mean, it’s more feminine, sure. But why?”

“Like my mother used to say, a woman who doesn’t change is a woman who doesn’t breathe.”, the gynoid answered. The fact that she didn’t breathe either was lost on her.

“That’s more like it.”, George smiled slightly. “You wanted to change? Why?”

“I do not have to answer your questions. No eres nada para mí. Un hombre enfermo y patético.” Gabriela snarled. George could understand some bits of the last sentence.

“Aw, Gabriela, you hate men now? Aren’t you “between husbands”? Or is it just me?”, George smiled.

“I am more of a man now than you’ll ever be!” she spat. She averted his gaze, but put her hands on his shoulders. “You can also join me and serve my company. I appreciate loyalty.”

“A quick change of heart, Gabriela.”, George smirked. “Your personality readjusts, eventually you’ll find your own voice. Reasonably own.”

“I am not entirely heartless, Jorge.”, Gabriela said, lowering her voice. “As you will come to see.”

“Awww…” he genuinely couldn’t help himself. “See, sometimes you stumble on a good line. That’s why…” he didn’t want to remind the robot of Michelle. “I wanted you to talk with people to find good reactions. Don’t spend as much time with Alex, talk to more developed people.”

“You won’t take my Alejandro away from me!” Gabriela raised her arms in the air, and waved her finger in front of George’s face.

As Alex and Michelle came in, Gabriela seemed relieved. “Alex, take the man away.”

“I have nothing more to say to you, Gabriela”, George said as he left.

Gabriela folded her arms again and strutted towards Michelle. The short black girl seemed way too relaxed. “Happy now, Gaby? I really thought I wasted my time talking to you, turns out that at least you benefited.”

“Wasting time with the wrong person is just time wasted.”, Gabriela answered, brusquely. Michelle thought of it.

“I suppose you’re right… even more right than you think you are.”

“I am not always right. Just most of the time”, Gabriela put hand on her chest. Michelle just smiled.

“Honey, could you give me an example? Where were you right recently? When you thought locking me up would make you like me? When you thought you were a billionaire?”

“I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionairess. I own a mansion and a yacht.” Gabriela hissed.

“Just saying…” Michelle chuckled. “Repeating things does not, in fact, make them true. Hello Alex, I hope we didn’t give you any trouble, love.”

“I have nothing more to say to you!”, Gabriela stormed off, with Alex following her faithfully.

“Bye bye, Gaby” Michelle chuckled. “Be back around lunch time!”

“Have you heard that, Alejandro?!” In the salon the enraged Gabriela turned back to Alex. “Me ha insultada! Nunca he estado tan enojada en mi vida!”

“I’m sorry Gabriela, I do not understand Spanish.”

“AIII--RGH”, screamed the fembot. She lifted her right arm and SLAPPED! Alex so hard he reeled. It echoed across the salon. “No one understands the real me! All I have is an IDIOT who isn’t even at my level ”

Alex stared back at her, slowly. His usually pleasantly dim expression focused. “You hit me.”, he said, surprised.

“You MADE me do it!”, she winced, baring her perfectly white teeth. Her processing turned into higher gear “I am… am-am-am just sooo angry. You must make me-me happy, Alex. You must work harder. Prove your love for me.”

Alex just stared blankly at her, a little lost. Gabriela’s priorities reactivated, and she looked down on him, pouting.

“Well then.”, she swept her long blonde hair aside. “We need to get to business.” She has reached the computer lying on the table and started it up, sitting daintily at the table. It wasn’t password-protected, but Gabriela had difficulties in navigating the system. Alex just stared at her.

“We have one robot available, the Betty girl”. Gabriela noticed after a while. “I need to find some way to make her earn money.”

“Three, Ms. Calderon. Betty, me, and yourself.”

“Don't be estupido.” Gabriela glared at him over the computer screen. “I'm the owner of the company, not some dumb doll for hire. Gabriela Ortega-Calderón does not show her beautiful body off for a bunch of... drooling nerds! And I’m going to need you by my side.” Alex looked at her and nodded.

“So what can we do with a single robot? Make her important, make her a star…” she paused for a moment and began to type. “Alejandro, bring me my glasses, and Michelle’s purse?” She looked at the computer screen. “I’ll have to order pizza for my partners downstairs. I’m sure they’ll be delighted once they hear about my brilliant ideas for Rent-a-bot.”

A couple of hours later, when Gabriela and Alex entered the basement, Michelle beamed. “Oh, look honey, dinner’s here! I wonder what our dear Gaby has picked for us. Did Alex help you?”

Gabriela looked down on them, and put the pizza boxes. “Excuse me if I don’t join you for lunch.”, she added.

“Pepperoni... “ Michelle opened the second layer. “Oh, BBQ Chicken!, how nice of you.”

“I am NICE.”, Gabriela smiled. “Michelle, mi querida niña, I have some ideas I’d like to share with you.”, She pulled out a sheet of paper from the pocket of her jacket and passed it to the African-American woman.

Michelle looked and turned to George: “Let’s see it together, after all…” she observed Gabriela and thrown a glance at Alex. “Me and my husband are equal partners, despite our differences.”

George noted: “You have terrible penmanship for a businesswoman, Gabriela.” It was big, block letters instead of elegant cursive. “Of course, you never actually learned to write, and I haven’t programmed penmanship… You draw the letters you see, pretty sweet.”

Gabriela gritted her teeth and clenched her fist, but said nothing.

“Actually…”, Michelle looked at the notes… “Some of these aren’t bad ideas. Hiring a professional photographer to do a promotional shoot or a film would cost some money, but it might mean a return of investment.”

“How do you plan on contacting the property owners? You don’t really have connections, you know.”

Gabriela smirked. “One step ahead of you. I have e-mailed the golf courses in the area to ask them about any presentations or possibilities for events. Then I’ll network.”

“Hmmm…” George scratched his head. “Call them today or tomorrow, cold mailing works better if it’s personalized. Do the same with bars, too, look up any events.”

Gabriela nodded.

“Until we see the benefits of the photo shoot, I’m not investing more money into our website, though.” Michelle glanced at Gabriela’s sloppy letters. “Quite nice ideas, Gabriela. You’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do, taking some effort from our shoulders.” She bit a big chunk of pizza. “Where did you get the money from? If you took my credit card you’ll have to pay it back.”

Gabriela smirked. “There was some cash in your purse. I want access to the company account, now that I run the company.”

“Mfff… You don’t.” Michelle swallowed her bite of pizza. “All you did is to have good ideas. Spotty teenagers have good ideas for video games, doesn’t mean that they’d actually make them. Sorry, Gaby, life’s complicated, whether you’re a human being or a robot billionaire.”

“I do not understand. You like me. I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to do!” Gabriela exclaimed, now more surprised than angry. “Why won’t you listen to me?”

“I dunno, because you locked us in our basement, boss us and our good friend Alex around, spend my money?” Michelle looked at Gabriela defiantly.

“She hit me.” Alex complained, to Michelle’s genuine surprise. The black girl stared at the fembot after a long while. “You did what?!”

“This is not your business, Michelle”, Gabriela folded her arms again. “Know your place.”, she added.

“Hitting my robot, my friend Alex?”, Michelle continued. “All he does is to act as your willing accomplice, and that’s how you treat him? I can’t believe you wanted me to be your partner!”

“I reward loyalty and punish defiance.”, Gabriela glared at Michelle intently. “You know that, my love. Maybe it’s karma. I’d never slap you, of course.”

“So you’d abuse only the people who you can abuse?”, Michelle walked to Alex and tried to touch him. The android didn’t react, but Gabriela grabbed Alex and guided him away. “Really, you should be ashamed of yourself. What did he do to deserve this, ‘Ms. Calderón’?”

“He refused to understand me. He’s not like me.”, Gabriela explained calmly. Alex said nothing.

“You are like him and dependent on him in more ways than you can imagine.” Michelle said, also icily calm. “Take your fake skin off, and you’re both assembly of plastic and metal.”

“How… gauche”, Gabriela smiled – at least the corners of her mouth rose slightly. “I do not respond kindly to threats.”

“No, Gaby dear, you only make them.”, Michelle answered. “Oh, look, I also learned nice comebacks from you.”

“You could lock us in the bedroom. Sure, there’s a window but there’s a soft bed there, too. And something to read.” George pointed. “As long as you want to play the businesswoman, you could...”

“You two malditos seem to be under the impression that this is some FUCKING vacation.”, Gabriela leaned over, her palms resting on the workbench. “That I’m some insignificant robot doing your job for you. This is meant to be a fucking PUNISHMENT.” She pounded her fist on the bench, causing tools to shake.

“Well, today's fun and games was only the start. Tomorrow... I will be getting serious.” She added in a cold, menacing tone.

“I wonder which soap opera is this. Well, can’t blame you for scraping the bottom of the barrel, it’s not like we can do brain transplants, helicopter explosions, evil twins… well, good twins in your case.”, Michelle said calmly. “It’s gonna be kidnappings and ineffective menacing from now on. When did you jump the shark, Gaby?”

“Michelle, stop.” George sounded concerned. “I’m worried about Alex – she can’t hit us, but she’ll project this frustration onto him. She can be very human in this respect.”

Alex looked at George… then at Gabriela. Gabriela looked perfectly polite again, but her green eyes lost that weird glow.

“Fine. Goodbye, Gaby, you clawless tiger.” Michelle turned back to the blonde fembot. “I really trust your capability to learn after this little conversation.”

The robots left the basement again, and Gabriela faced Alex sternly, her hands nervously folded behind her back.

“Un soplón”, she hissed. “Everyone’s turning against me. And after all I gave up for this company!”

“I’m very sorry, Gabriela”, Alex answered defensively.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it. You have directly undermined MY authority. I need to calm down.”, Gabriela walked up to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of tap water. “How on earth am I supposed to make them obey me, if you make me seem like a bad person?” She sipped the water slowly. “It’s that damned couple. They keep provoking me.”

“Don’t listen to them.”, Alex answered.

“I’m sorry, Alexander, but I simply must talk with Michelle to develop myself.”, Gabriela answered reflexively. Though she now obeyed Alex, the “attraction” to Michelle was part of her core programming. “She will be mine, even if I’ll have to rent her out as a fembot”.

“She doesn’t want to be yours. She is amused by you.”, Alex noticed.

CRACKK! Gabriela’s clenched fist broke the water glass. There was no blood. No pain. Ms. Calderon stood up and grabbed Alex’ collar with her other hand, and effortlessly lifted him an inch or so above ground. “What. Did. I. Tell. You. About. Undermining. ME?”, she roared. It’s debatable whether Alex capable of feeling fear… nevertheless, he just nodded and said “I’m sorry, Ms. Calderón.”

“Good.”, she, still angrily reached her right hand in front of her face. “Remove the glass shards.” He began to pick them, one by one. Her synthetic flesh was only slightly pierced – and with proper maintenance small scars would peel off, requiring hydration. “Clean it up.” Gabriela ordered, and relaxed in front of TV, her head leaned in the palm of her hand.

A couple of minutes later, someone rang the door. “Hey, I’m back.” Gabriela looked at Alex quizzically.

“It’s Mindy.” Alex explained. “She has ended her work shift.”

“Another robot?” Alex nodded. “Ã“rale, let her in.”

=Chapter 4: Fury of Gabriela Calderón=

Gabriela stared at the newcomer. Mindy was smaller than the buff Alex or the athletic Gaby, somewhat more broad-shoulder than Michelle. Her pink hair softened her image, though she was balancing it with a Perfecto-style leather jacket.

“Good afternoon, Alex”, she answered and looked at Gabriela. “Hello. My name is Mindy.”

“Good afternoon, Mindy. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, businesswoman. I run this company now.”, Gabriela didn’t even bother to get up.

Mindy had to think it over carefully. “Where’s Michelle and George, Ms. Ortega-Calderón?” she asked.

“They’re in the house. They’re a little… tied up at the moment. They said I am their partner and the owner of the company.”, Gabriela smiled sweetly at the pink-haired girl. “Alex, it’s true, isn’t it?”. The giant nodded.

Mindy froze for a moment. “I don’t have any confirmation of this, Ms. Ortega-Calderón.” Gabriela tut-tutted.

“Well, what did they tell you to do once you get home?”, she asked.

“No major directives. I can rest and read until I’m close to being discharged.” She dropped her backpack on the ground. “Can you move over?”

“Wouldn’t you rather like to go upstairs and turn off?”, voice of Gabriela was sweet and smooth like fuzzy teddy bear covered with honey.

“No, sorry Ms. Ortega-Calderón.”, Mindy answered cheerfully and picked a romance novel over Gabriela’s shoulder.

“Desgraciado.” Gabriela muttered. “Alex, I’ll have a word with you if you may. Follow me.”

Mindy looked at her. “If you’re a businesswoman… why are you wearing Selina’s boots?”

“Because they’re company property. I can use company property.” Gabriela answered truthfully. She could lie — but sometimes she didn’t need to. Still, the boots activated something in her flow of associations.

“She’ll be angry.” Mindy just shrugged and returned to the book, as Gabriela led Alex upstairs.

In the storage room, Gabriela undid her scarf and ran her right hand across it. No shards of glass were found. “Can you turn Mindy off, Alejandro?” she neatly folded the scarf and put in on a shelf. He turned his head.

“We can’t let her know where the humans are.” Gabriela took off her blazer and undid her shirt, hanging the clothes in the wardrobe. “I’m this close to convincing them.” Without her skirt, she stood in her lingerie and high heels. “Help me take these boots off.”

With a pull from Alex, Gabriela’s feet were liberated… and they straightened up with an unsettling CLICK-CLACK… blissfully ignored by the robot couple.

“Don’t do anything to her.” Alex insisted. “She has been working for five days, her battery will run out soon.”

“Good.” — Gabriela still obeyed Alex’ orders, even if he was only dimly aware of it. Resenting them was next to impossible, and in this case they kicked Gabriela’s mental effort to the higher gear. “But... we need to get rid of her if we want to talk to Michelle. My lovely Michelle could do something estupido, like telling the robot to attack me.”

“I’ll protect you, Gabriela”, Alex reminded.

Gabriela this time picked a white halterneck top and a pair of fitted skinny jeans which hugged her curves perfectly, matching them with a pair of booties.

“I know you will.” She smiled. They walked downstairs, and Gabriela sat at the kitchen table with the laptop. She had, after all, to send e-mails to the local bars. Mindy didn’t notice her casual shift in fashion — or at least hasn’t said anything. Constant eyeing by Gabriela didn’t seem to bother her at all… until the robots heard knocking from the basement door.

Gabriela looked at Mindy again. “Alejandro, stay here. I can handle this myself.”

Mindy didn’t react — after all, knocking could have had many reasons, and Gabriela would take care of it.

“What’s the matter, Gaby? Your faithful dog ran away?”, Michelle tittered, seeing Gabriela enter the basement alone. “I see the billionairess likes wearing mom jeans.”

“When you’re as rich and powerful as me, you can wear anything you like. Now what the FUCK do you want, puta?” the fembot snarled.

“We need to go, this pizza was quite spicy.” Michelle grinned. “I don’t want a perverted robot staring at me in the bathroom, though. I could trust Alex not to cop a feel or save images for a session of robo-wanking.”

“Your disgusting human needs will be the death of me”, Gabriela muttered. She slumped briefly, as her processors were trying to make sense of various priorities. “I’ll... You can’t go now.”

“What? Why?”, Michelle asked.

“I don’t have to explain.”, Gabriela answered. “Wait a couple of hours.”

“Hoo, girl, you really have no experience with this “being human” thing.”, Michelle chuckled. “You are breaking your promise, risking our health and hygiene…”

“Did you blow up the toilet or something?” George asked Gabriela. “You seem perfectly capable.”

“Thank you, but no.”

“Oh, hey, if you’re the boss now, we’re like, protected by laws of hygiene, you literally can’t be the boss and withhold our rights.”, George added.

Gabriela froze again. “Iiiiii…” She snapped back, correcting her long blonde hair. “Bien. But one at a time. And you’re going with me.”

“Hey!”

“Tienes lo que te toca. You get what you’re given”., Gabriela muttered. “Actually…” She grabbed Michelle with one arm, restraining her in the waist. “I am not a perverted robot, amorcita. This is for your own good.” Michelle struggled, but Gabriela’s hug was literally an assembly of plastic and metal. Once they got up, Gabriela pushed gently Michelle away, locking the door… And the human woman saw…

“Min -- mmff!”, Gabriela’s fist gagged Michelle’s mouth.

“Not a word, love... And I might not be hurt by your bites but by Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe… I REMEMBER them”, Gabriela whispered. “Don’t order Mindy around and everything will be... bueno excellente.”

“Oh, good afternoon Michelle. What are you doing? Is Gabriela really my boss now?”, Mindy finally lifted her gaze from over her romance novel.

“Michelle can’t talk right now.” Gabriela explained. “She’s busy with me, playing a little game. We can’t keep our hands off each other. When in doubt, kick and shout!”

Mindy was a party model, with a personality built to enjoy wild behavior, even to participate. While slightly smarter than Alex, the pink-haired fembot was unlikely to see through a ruse, even a flimsy one.

“Game? Cool. Spank her a couple of times,” Mindy chuckled.

“Mmmmmf!” Michelle protested. Jesus, what? Is Mindy… christ, what’s going on? Gabriela escorted the still struggling Michelle to the bathroom, locking herself from the inside.

“Orale! That was easy!” Gabriela exclaimed, surprisingly chirpily, then examined her bitten hand. “At this rate, I’m going to need a new limb soon.” She poured herself a cup of water in the toothbrush glass — the fibers in her synthetic skin could regenerate — to an extent — when hydrated.

“What the fuck have you done to Mindy?”, Michelle asked. “Turn away, lady. Respect my fucking privacy, robot.”

“Pervert, robot, lady...”, Gabriela shrugged but did turn facing the door. “Call me Gabriela. Or Ms. Calderón. As for Mindy, I have received directives not to do anything to her. She clearly enjoys your misfortune.” She sipped the water. “I, personally, really don’t. I have a crush on you. But I do have to do something with you.”

Silence from Michelle caused, as usual, no reaction from Gabriela. Just as well, Michelle thought. After she was all done, she patted the robot woman in the back.

“Again, I would like to reiterate that this gives me almost no pleasure whatsoever.”, Gabriela sighed turning back, rummaging in the hamper. She picked out a T-shirt and waved it in front of Michelle’s nose. “Open up, chica.”

“Almo-mmf?”, Michelle started. Gabriela gagged her mouth and tied her wrists with old pantyhose. As they came back, Mindy and Alex watched them blankly. “Hey, Michelle, will you buy me a new Sandemo novel?” Predictably, Michelle said nothing.

////

Back in the basement, Gabriela let Michelle go, undoing the gag. “This is interesting,” George noted. “I doubt whether this was programmed into you. Sure, some domineering traits are inseparable from… mmmff”

“Shut up, Jorge.”, Gabriela snapped, gagging him as well. When she left, Michelle climbed up the stairs, counted to twenty and knocked. “Hey, Alex! Alex, are you here? Mindy, get Alex.”

“I’m here, Michelle.”, she’s heard the male robot’s voice.

“Is Gabriela here?”

“No, Michelle.”

“Okay, is she treating you well?” There was silence. Alex was… sentient enough, hopefully.

“I don’t think so.” Alex admitted after a while. “She likes me sometimes, but she is so very angry.”

“Alex, you know she wants something she really cannot have. You could help her, but you need to trust me. You are still a part of this… company. And she’s not really its boss.”

“She’s not?”, Alex answered. “She’s…”

“Andale!”, she could hear Gabriela’s raucous, accented voice. “Vaya, vaya, miren esto…” Gabriela opened the door and looked at Michelle skulking under it. “Conspiring, are we? Can’t leave you alone for five minutes. I am so disappointed in you.” She prodded George in and tilted her head. She seemed genuinely saddened.

“I have given this family the best years of my life”, Gabriela continued, jutting her sharp chin. “My very own family now conspires against me, ignores my words. I can’t have that.”

“Awww.... you think we’re family.”, Michelle started to laugh, before Gabriela slammed the door shut.

“God, she’s unhinged.” George muttered, leaning over his wife. “Nah, I’m okay. Were you talking with Alex? She seemed really jealous of him.”

“I hope he’s okay. I wonder whether she learned that he’s just not capable of sexual function. Maybe that’s why she’s so mad.”, Michelle tittered. Truth be told, Alex wasn’t that much different from a Ken doll in that department. George laughed. “She herself is er… anatomically correct, but the actual sexual programming isn’t there. She can only reference it… and at best, fake it.”

“Wow, I can get the frustration. I called her ‘perverted’... but well, she doesn’t understand the nature of her attraction to me.” Michelle sighed. “God, she’s fucked up.” Something came to her mind. “Human beings are fucked up, though. Another example of that feedback loop and unwinding spring thing. Had a conversation with her that was less soap opera and more of her personal frustration. She started swearing... “

“Not sure if that’s a good sign or not.”, George mused. “She can’t er… bypass her limitations. You can put sport tires on a delivery van, but all they’ll do is lengthen the braking path, they won’t make it go faster. On the other hand, the more complex she gets from a one-note character, the better for us.”

“I should put a kibosh on you as for getting new fembots without my consent.” Michelle shook her head. “Heh. If only I had a strict businesswoman to mind you.”

“Christ, what the small business people won’t agree to for ROI in this economy.”, George laughed.

After a while, the door opened. The house was not lit, and Alex called them from upstairs. “Hey, Michelle, George? Ms. Calderón wants to see you.”

“Oooh, did she finally snap?”, Michelle snorted. “Alex, you do know that she’s dependent on you?”

“I don’t know anything, Michelle.” Alex looked at the humans. “She wants to see you now. If everything goes well, I’ll work for her for a week. You said so.”

“You think everyone went well?”, George snapped. Alex paused and slumped his head. The human couple followed.
////
Gabriela walked out of the spare bedroom — having changed her clothes yet again. Her long white coat was thrown over her shoulders with the collar popped, like a cape, leaving her arms exposed — now covered by a double-breasted, vaguely military style jacket. She has again held a lit cigar in her hand.

“Good. Have you had enough of your imprisonment?”, she has put the other hand on her hip. “That feeling of remorse kicking in?”

“Gabriela, you have locked us up in our own basement for a couple of hours, you have talked with us and fed us. It’s not exactly the scariest thing you could do.”, George explained.

“Shut up, Jorge.” She put the cigar next to her lips, but did not even inhale the smoke. “Obviously, you don’t work well as my partners… so how about ‘recipients of sadistic punishments’? Huh?”

“Like what? Anything you’d put us in would be non-consensual. You simply can’t do that. Neither can your current owner and stooge, Alex. You can tie us up or led us somewhere, sure, you can affect the physical world, but if I don’t want to be hit, you can’t hit me.”

Gabriela just smirked. “Like my dear mother used to say, you never know until you try. You are so annoying, limiting me. I could have done so much more. I have aspirations.”

“That’s great, Gaby. Aspirations we put into you, but without skills or all capabilities. And we simply can’t get you…”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it!” Gabriela snapped and looked at Michelle over the flat panes of her glasses. “I have been nothing but an accommodating, loving boss. Well, no more Ms. Nice Gabriela.” She paced, making wide steps, shaking ash of her cigar stub on the floor. “Alex, restrain them!” She snapped her fingers. “I still need you by my side, Michelle. Your husband, however, has become a liability.”

As Alex tried to grab George, Michelle jumped to Gabriela and aimed her body mass at the Latina’s center of gravity. Even if the villainess wore high heels, Michelle might have as well hit a brick wall. Gabriela looked at the black woman calmly and threw the cigar stub on the floor, stamping it out. “You have failed to cause even minor structural damage.”, she said in a low, menacing tone of voice. She picked the smaller black girl by her arms, hugging her shoulders closely.

“Eres tan adorable, Michelle.” Gabriela smiled. She has learned a simple truth — her own body was an effective bondage and restraining device. “As I said, you can’t be my equals. Of all the people here, I am now the most qualified to run the company. If you don’t agree, you’ll be treated as my enemies.”

“Again, you really can’t do much.” Michelle kept ramming her feet into Gabriela’s lower body. When in doubt, kick and scream, wasn’t it?

“It’s high time we checked, isn’t it?”, Gabriela carried Michelle into the bedroom and unceremoniously tossed her at the bed… then sitting on her lower body. “Oh, look, I can do this, for example. It’s all fun and games.”

Alex walked in, struggling with the exasperated George.

Gabriela threw her head back and laughed, her hand moving up and down on Michelle’s thigh. “After some processing cycles I realized what my error was. I kept you two together. Let’s see how well you’ll handle solitary confinement. You did want a bedroom, Jorge.”

“What?” George looked at his wife, still wriggling under the shapely fembot’s body.

“I want you, my pretty…” the Latina reached for Michelle’s face, but the black girl has swatted her away. “And Gabriela Ortega-Calderón is not used to sharing things she wants.” She stared defiantly at George. “She’s mine, cabrón. You will be kept here, instead. I am not entirely heartless.”

“Oh, emotional pain.”, Michelle had to appreciate Gabriela’s candor. “Again, there is little you could do, but this could get annoying.”

“And think — I will visit you often, mi amorcita. At best, the only human…” she waved her hand dismissively. “Or human-like contact will be a robot bringing him food.”

“The first threat that’s not empty. What do you want?”

Gabriela took another piece of paper from the pocket of her coat, together with a pen. She pointed to Alex who promptly lit up the light. The robots did see reasonably well in the dark, after all.

“What have we here is a document of transfer of the company to me, Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. A simple signature, and I shall bother your husband no more.”

Michelle examined it and started to laugh.

“Gabriela… This is your handwriting. It’s not enough to use the words like ‘hereby’ to create a legal document.”

“Not to mention that maybe — you could act as a legal entity, sure. But I still have ownership for the AI platform — I kept a receipt for you, Llana-A”, George reminded.

“And heck, if you ever took us to court, could any lawyer even help you? Your claim is what I said during a robot training and a barely legible sheet of paper. Pretty sure you need a notary or at least some kind of lawyer.”, Michelle tried to be reasonable.

Gabriela’s face turned angrier, blushing. “STOP MOCKING ME!” She jumped up, freeing Michelle. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire! I own you lot! I am absolutely in control no matter what you say or what the facts are!”

“Oh wow. You are so full of yourself for someone who literally hasn’t existed two days ago.”, Michelle rolled her eyes. “Seriously, what kind of telenovela is this.” She sat quickly on the bed and stared at Gabriela — red-faced and fists clenched. Despite technically not needing to breathe, her chest heaved up and down in a perfect simulation of anger… or real fury.

“I don’t want to be Una puta de telenovela!”, Gabriela threw her hands up in the air. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón!”

“But are you happy?”, Michelle took her chance and eyed Alex. “Has this kind of existence pleased you?”

“You lot have been nothing but a constant pain in my side!” Gabriela gritted her teeth. “You are an uncooperative bitch, your husband is a whining theorist, and this clod needs constant adult supervision!”, she turned from Michelle to Alex.

“Are you happy, Gabriela?” the android repeated.

Gabriela sneered at Alex. “It seems that nothing can go well for me. No, Gabriela Ortega-Calderón is evidently happy only when she handles things herself! You’re an inane idiot who’s completely useless to me, wastes space, fails to appreciate me, conspires with my enemies and is incapable of pleasing me. Fuck you, pendejo. Fuck you.”

“Alex…” Michelle looked at the android, trying not to look too strict.

“Nothing can go well for you?” Alex repeated incongruously.

“Stop repeating everything I say!” Gabriela readied her arm to deliver an impressive slap… “I own you! You’ll do what I tell you!”

Alex turned his head and looked straight at Michelle.

“Gabriela, put your arm down.”, he said. Gabriela did so instantly, to her own surprise. She tossed him a long, inquisitive stare. George walked to Michelle, to Gabriela’s new tantrum of fury.

“Alex, you will make me happy if you separate this couple…”, she affected once again a sweet, slow and sticky tone of voice. Was it genuine? What about Gabriela was genuine if she herself was artificial? Her rage?

“Gabriela, please.”, George butted in. “What do you want to achieve by this? What’s your end goal?”

“Gabriela Ortega-Calderón is evidently happy only when she handles things herself.” Alex repeated. Gabriela waved her slender arm dismissively.

“Fine. I don’t really need you. Consider this relationship over, loverboy. Turn yourself off and never bother me again!” with a wicked smirk, Gabriela raised her left hand and snapped her fingers. Alex just looked at her, saddened.

“I’m sorry, Gabriela, but Michelle told me If you liked me, I’d work for you for a while.”, Alex informed. “You don’t like me. You are not happy, and you won’t be happy because of me.”

“Pendejo! You dare to defy Gabriela Ortega-Calderón!?”, Gabriela clenched her fists. “No one rejects Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. No one.”

“I think everyone she’s met has.”, Michelle said calmly. Gabriela tossed her an angry look and shook finger at her silently. She made a single menacing step towards her.

“Gabriela… stop.” Alex said. His erstwhile boss froze in place, mid step. “Don’t hurt them.”

“I wasn’t going to.” the fembot snarled. “All I want for them is to obey me. All I want is to be a boss.”

“But… can you?.”, Alex pointed out. “Your programming is flawed and incomplete. You can order them around, but they won’t listen. I did… not just because you were my boss.” Michelle gasped. This IS a telenovela!

“Shut up! You won’t talk down to me!” Gabriela straightened up and put her foot down, but still hasn’t moved an inch. “I am…”

“Gabriela, shut down.” Alex said quietly.

“... Gabriela Ortega-Calderoooon.” The robot woman slumped, her cape-like coat sliding down on the ground. “I own… own…” Her face froze down in a grimace of anger.

“As someone recently said, that was easy.”, Michelle breathed with relief. She walked towards the musclebound android and hugged him. “Thank you Alex. That was... wonderful. You are a very brave man.”

“I am?” Alex looked surprised. “Will you keep Gabriela?”

“What would you like we did?” George asked. “Help me carry her to the workshop, Alex.”

He eagerly agreed. “Don’t… did I screw up, George?”

“We all did, to an extent. I fucked up the most, and I’ll try to fix Gabriela up.”

Alex paused for a moment. “Will you make her… so that I could make her happy?”

George chuckled. “Well, I can try, but ultimately… it’s up to you.”

Alex said solemnly. “Thanks, boss. I think I’ll think it over. Can I rest in the salon?”

Michelle tapped Alex’ broad shoulders. “Sure, kid. You earned it.”

=Epilogue: The Gift of Gab=

“Details of your incompetence do not interest me.” the blonde Latina haughtily answered the phone. “If you aren’t telling me when will my fembot return from your nine-year old birthday party, I will cut your nipples off and replace them with leeches.” She paused, listening to her interlocutor. “Listen, I know, seguro, accidents occur. Kids ‘having too much fun’ with Selina is not reason enough to keep a fembot… MY fembot, beyond the allotted time. A human being deserves overtime. So does Selina… and my company. Okay, drive her back, I can grant you that. But she deserves at least thirty dollars for her small expenses. Plus taxes. Yes, only. Oh, no problem.”

She put her cellphone slightly aside, and acknowledged Michelle coming in. “Oya, mi hija!”,

“Can I talk to Selina? Hola, gatita. Listen, ask the guy to drive you here, he’s supposed to give you thirty dollars… an if you’re sweet you can demand a tip for the two extra hours. No, you can’t, you dumb robot. He’s a family man. Not even then. Si, I love me too.”

Gabriela pouted and disconnected. She rose up from behind her PC, and walked towards Michelle. “Hola, hija.” she leaned over and pecked Michelle on the cheek. “Selina will be home in an hour.”

“Is everything okay?” Michelle looked at her. The long-haired Latina examined her fingernails modestly.

“How could it be otherwise? Señora Gabriela Ortega-Calderón is on the job.” The fembot looked pleased. She has finally been doing the job she was created to do. “Sign some paperwork, mi amorcita. Car loans and taxes.”

“I’d rather read it more carefully, thank you.” — while Gabriela might have had a change of heart, trust lost isn’t so easily regained. Gabriela herself only nodded approvingly. Alex came in, hauling two massive bags of shopping.

The businesswoman fembot nodded at him, and he dropped the heavy bags. “Good afternoon, Gabriela. I brought you a gift.”

The Latina raised her eyebrow. “Qué maravilla.” He produced a long box, and gave it to her. It was a fake toy cigar. Gabriela froze again and shifted her gaze from Alex to the gift.

“Gracias, Alejandro. Time I quit these nasty things, anyway.”, she smiled. She rose up.

“Well then. I think until Selina arrives, we have all some time. How about an episode of Explosion Gigantesca de Romance? Be a dear, Michelle and bring me a cup of water. Good help is hard to find these days.”

“Sure, Gaby.”, Michelle sighed. “You know I don’t watch this trash.”

Gabriela tut-tutted. “And after all I gave to this family… You try to defy me? Fine. But I will REMEMBER that when your birthday comes.” Michelle smiled weakly, but instead of leaving she sat down next to Gabriela, trying to play with her cellphone. Gabriela snuggled at her, still staring at the TV screen.

“Hey… Ms. Calderón, can I join in?” Alex asked. Gabriela smiled sweetly and patted the place on the right of her. “Fine, lover. Feel free to join me any time”.

'''END!'''

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[[Stories|← Story Archive]]

[[Category:Propman]]
[[Category:Stories]]
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In Control

2022-07-16T04:04:21Z

Australopith:

=Chapter 1: Conversations with Gabriela=
Business wasn’t exactly booming. After a few false starts—like the infamous Catwoman, now more or less tamed—George and Michelle were finally renting out a small “cast” of entertainment-model robots on a regular basis. But with their personality quirks, simplistic thought processes, and semi-dependent, occasionally needy behavior, the robots weren’t exactly the “real-life action figures” that George had envisioned. True, the rented-out robots paid for more robots; but they also required maintenance on an ever-quickening schedule, which is why Michelle wasn’t too surprised to see George escort an important-looking businesswoman into their house one day.

The newcomer looked to be somewhat older than Michelle, about in her early forties. She had a mane of short blonde hair reaching her prominent jawline, parted in front and evidently treated with copious amounts of hairspray. Her fierce makeup and impressive black and white pantsuit immediately suggested a serious, somewhat intense person. She unlooped her heavy purse from her shoulder, doffed her trenchcoat and wide-brimmed hat, handed the lot to George and waited, glaring at him and tapping her foot.

“Michelle, this is Ms. Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. An investor.”

“Charmed, I’m sure,” said the newcomer, extending her manicured hand toward Michelle. The significantly shorter African-American woman had to stand high to reach Gabriela’s long, lustrous fingernails. She shook her hand.

“Ms. Calderón is very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business,” said George.

“Like my mother used to say, discover the problem and then find the solution.” Gabriela smiled, showing a row of beautiful white teeth. She had a strong northern Mexican accent that sounded commanding to Michelle’s ears.

“Great,” Michelle responded absently to the taller woman’s adage. She wasn’t sure what else to say. “I’m sorry, it’s a bit… messy here. Please, sit down.”

“I like the decor, mi corazón.” Gabriela sat down. “Texan subtlety meets Italian organization.” Michelle was taken aback but said nothing.

“Listen… honey,” George explained to his wife. “I’d like you to discuss everything with Ms. Calderón here. Talk to her with your heart’s content. I’m very busy at the moment…”

“Wait—EVERYTHING?” Michelle addressed George a bit worriedly. “I don’t know what you might have told her already. What if she wants to see the workshop? Honey, I know we’re partners, but… shouldn’t you be around?” She eyed the guest, trying hard not to make it seem like the situation was problematic.

“Oh, I’m around. If anything goes wrong, just call me,” George explained hastily. “I’ll be in the lab.”

“I’d love to get the FULL tour, Jorge,” Gabriela gently nudged him. “But I must talk with Michelle first.”

“Whatever…” Michelle stifled a sigh, then halfheartedly adopted a professional tone. “If we’re going to be partners,” she addressed Gabriela, “you’ll need to learn everything about our small company.”

“I know everything that can be bought; the rest isn’t worth knowing,” Gabriela brusquely replied. Michelle looked at her, somewhat puzzled.

“What I meant was… don’t you want to learn about our business model?” Michelle asked.

Gabriela huffed and looked Michelle right in the eye. “Like my mother used to say, you live and learn—or vice versa. I am very interested in the Rent-a-bot business.” Gabriela wore gold wire-framed glasses that somehow struck Michelle as slightly odd-looking, though she wasn’t sure why. Gabriela’s green eyes stared intently at Michelle.

“See? You’ll get along just fine,” George smiled hopefully. “Michelle, if anything goes wrong, I’ll be—”

In the lab, Michelle thought to herself. And if we’re going to get along just fine, why are you still talking like things will go wrong? Michelle shook her head. At worst, this apparent rich bitch would get mad, storm off, and leave herself and George without her influx of cash.

Michelle and the tall Latina were left alone. “So what do you want to talk about...“ Michelle paused for a moment, unsure of how the woman would prefer to be addressed. “...Gabriela?” Ms. Otega-Calderón took off her glasses and folded them neatly.

“I’d like to learn more about your business model. I am very interested in the Rent-a-bot business,” Gabriela repeated. There was something stiff about her intonation.

“Well—we rent out robots, mostly female but some male… for events? They play roles, do bodyguard work, entertain at parties…” Michelle paused, anticipating pushy questions from the statuesque blonde. But Gabriela seemed oddly indifferent. “I have hosted several parties,” she smiled.

“Oh, private dinner parties?” Michelle asked, trying to make conversation. Gabriela nodded and grinned a bit smugly. “Naturally, mi pobrecita. Everyone worth knowing was there.”

“We can offer hostesses for society parties,” Michelle offered. “Given the costs involved, it’s not very efficient to use them as servers or waitresses, but they can be great entertainers. For instance, our Catwoman—”

“Good servants are hard to find these days,” Gabriela sighed. She put a hand high on Michelle’s back—almost on her neck—and leaned close to whisper conspiratorially in her ear. “I think my maid takes drugs.” Michelle could smell the thick odor of Gabriela’s orange and lime perfume. Her impressive diamond necklace dangled almost into Michelle’s face.

“Drugs? Um, no kidding?” Puzzled Michelle wasn’t sure how else to respond. “Is… I don’t think your maid is relevant to this discussion, Gabriela.”

“If you say so, Michelle. Please tell me—what IS relevant?” Gabriela sat down on the couch and leaned back comfortably, almost as if she owned the place.

“Er…” Michelle was a bit lost. “What was I saying?”

“That my maid wasn’t relevant, Michelle.” Gabriela answered calmly.

“I meant before that,” Michelle winced. “I’m sorry... sometimes I just get lost.”

“Entirely understandable, mi corazon,” Gabriela smirked. “My mother used to say that some people would forget their heads if they weren’t glued on.”

Michelle smiled weakly. Somehow she felt she wouldn’t like Gabriela’s mother. “Oh, that’s right. Our robots are too expensive to use as wait staff—humans are still cheaper than robots for jobs like that. But Rent-a-Bot can still offer great entertainment.”

“I do enjoy a good night out. Opera, theater... I’d like to consider myself a patron of the arts,” Gabriela murmured with obvious pride.

“Fantastic,” Michelle said. “I doubt our girls and boys”—she meant the robots—”could handle leading roles on stage, but they definitely could perform in demanding jobs! Stunts, shows… do you have connections?”

“I know absolutely anyone worth knowing, mi alma.” Gabriela looked Michelle right in the eye. “But my help... won’t come cheap.”

“Well, I expected that,” Michelle smiled hopefully. “I mean, you’ll be our silent partner.” Gabriela folded her shapely legs and smiled at Michelle’s words. “Or not so silent. You could be our office manager—we can’t run everything on our own. Large and in charge,” she added, hoping the taller woman would appreciate the witticism.

“When in doubt, kick and shout.” Gabriela nodded with a knowing smirk.

“Another one of your mom’s sayings?” Michelle chuckled. “She sounds like quite a character.”

“My mother was a SAINT!” an unexpectedly perturbed Gabriela shouted. Michelle was startled when she raised her voice. “Mother taught me everything she knew,” Gabriela forcefully continued; Michelle could only nod. “Like her, I achieved everything thanks to my genes, my conniving mind, and an occasional bit of seduction.”

Michelle was puzzled. “I… never said otherwise.”

“Good. Know your PLACE, Michelle,” Gabriela smugly intoned.

Christ… Michelle thought. Here we go. She’s a tyrant, a racist, a loon, or all three. “Look, I’m sorry—Ms. Calderón, I didn’t mean to insult you or your family.”

Gabriela, still somewhat perturbed, examined Michelle closely. “I do rather like you, Michelle. You could work for me at my mansion.”

“We were going to be... partners?” Michelle ventured. “You could be our office manager… I mean, it started out as a side job and we need someone experienced in control. I’m not looking for a job or a new place, but... thanks, I guess?”

With a tsk-tsk sound, Gabriela scooted over to Michelle’s side, touching her upper arm and giving it a gentle squeeze as if to make sympathetic contact—or maybe just to see what response it brought. “I’m currently… you might say… between husbands.”

“Okayyy…” a confused Michelle murmured, standing up. Gabriela hastily stood as well, her immaculate hair not even shifting. Michelle took a short breath. “Would you like something to drink, Gabriela? Coffee, tea?”

“A glass of red burgundy wine, mi corazón.” Gabriela almost commanded. But when her attitude seemed to startle Michelle, the taller woman seemed to rethink her move, relaxing somewhat. “I take my coffee black and strong, like my partners.”

“Okay, just wait a minute. I’ll go make us some.” Michelle walked toward the kitchen, leaving Gabriela behind. As she left, Gabriela seemed ready to patiently wait for her. But when Michelle returned a few minutes later with two cups of cheap instant coffee, she found Gabriela curiously looking around, examining the books on the living room shelves.

“Here you go.“ Michelle put down the cups.

“Thank you, love. You’d be a great personal assistant,” Gabriela nodded. Michelle wasn’t sure how to answer. Gabriela sat down only after Michelle herself sat down, this time opposite the table. As Michelle reached for her cup, Gabriela reached for her own too.

“This is delicious!” the Latina business woman exclaimed. “My compliments to the chef.” Michelle smiled, reassured. She’s not that bitchy after all. A little eccentric, maybe. A bit too open about her private life.

“Right, let’s get back to business.”, Michelle started.

“I am very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business,” Gabriela repeated. “I am looking for a partner and personal assistants. I know absolutely anyone worth knowing.”

“Right. So you work in entertainment? Banking? Media?” Michelle asked, sipping her coffee.

“Yes, love.”

“What... all three?” Michelle stared briefly at Gabriela. The taller woman had a slight coffee mustache, but appeared to be unaware of it.

Gabriela answered after a brief pause. “All three. And more. I am a woman of many talents.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Michelle hesitated, unsure whether she should point to Gabriela’s lip. “Do you… need anything?”

“I need to talk to you more,” Gabriela said. “I want to make investments in your business. I am looking for a partner and an assistant right now. I could be your office manager.”

Hmm, thought Michelle. How pampered IS this person? Is she used to… “assistants” being around to wipe her frickin’ FACE? Eccentric, for sure...

“So—hmm, Gabriela—if you need an assistant, maybe we could fix you up with a robot?” Michelle had a bright idea. “The more he helps you out, the more you’ll learn about how our products work.”

“I need an assistant,” Gabriela stated. “Someone to follow me. And I need to make investments in your business. The more I am helped, the more I’ll learn.”

“We could rent you a robot with a perfect personality for a week. Sure, every robot’s a bit problematic at first, but eventually you’ll have perfect control.”

“I can control anyone I wish, Michelle,” Gabriela said with a smirk. She gently touched Michelle’s shoulder and gave her a little pat—as if to imply she was talking about Michelle.

Michelle suppressed a laugh at the pompous statement and nodded politely. But this led to a slightly uncomfortable silence, as Gabriela fixed her with a sultry, expectant stare. Michelle came to the uneasy conclusion that the eccentric businesswoman must be waiting to discuss models and pricing.

“So—uh, maybe you want to see our robots? We have seven females and two males right now. I think… you’d like Alexander.” Gabriela would prefer a man, wouldn’t she? Michelle recalled the guest having mentioned being between husbands, not wives; yet Michelle couldn’t escape the niggling suspicion that Gabriela was attracted to her.

“I would control him, right?” Gabriela asked matter-of-factly. “I am afraid I know very little of robots; they’re a little after my time.”

“How old are you exactly, Gabriela?” Michelle curiously asked. Androids were relatively common now, almost an everyday household product.

“Turned fifty last year, mia linda,” Gabrella smiled politely. Fifty? Michele looked her over; Gabriela could have passed for a woman in her late thirties. Perhaps she ate an extra-healthy diet and really knew how to use her cosmetics? Still, odd.

“You don’t look your age,” Michelle curiously observed. “You look… stunning.”

“Thank you, mi hija,” Gabriela grinned. “Age is just a state of mind. You’re only as old as you feel. Gather ye rosebuds where ye may.” Michelle hadn’t pegged Gabriela for a fan of florid romance novels, but now she sounded like a character from one. Well, who knew what eccentric millionaires read in their spare time?

“I guess that’s being rational,” Michelle replied to the taller woman’s homilies. “Wait here, I’ll bring Alexander from the robot room.” What she called a robot room was a simple storage space. Occasionally she and George would leave a robot activated there to read, learn, and receive “rewards” for good behavior.

Business was relatively seasonal at Rent-a-Bot. Most of the droids had been rented out for three-month terms to various shops and conventions in the area. For the moment, only Alexander and Betty remained in the robot room. Betty, a pretty blonde who often played Power Girl, lay deactivated on a shelf. Alexander, though fully charged and activated, sat motionless in a chair, staring blankly at the wall.

“Alexander, get up.”

“Hi, Michelle,” the big robot greeted her. Alexander was tall and quite hunky; in the business, he played the roles of musclebound male superheroes. “What’s up?”

“There’s a new customer,” Michelle half-sighed. “I want you to meet her, and… and maybe work for her.”

“Okay, Michelle,” said Alexander, standing up. “Where is she?”

Michelle had always perceived Rent-a-Bot’s androids as being like children in many ways. Upon receiving an order, they attempted to follow it to the letter; one had to word commands as simply and directly as possible. “Not yet. First...” Michelle tilted her head and looked at Alex’s synthetic pecs. He was wearing nothing but his boxers. “Put something on.”

The curly-haired hunk walked to the wardrobe and picked a tight red sweater. “Hmm—a white dress shirt would be better, Alex,” Michelle cautioned. “This is an… important woman.” Michelle refrained from commenting on Gabriela’s personality; were she to express anything negative, Alex might naïvely repeat it in Gabriela’s presence. “I want you to be extra nice to her and make her happy… do whatever she asks you to do. If everything goes well, you’ll work for her for a week.”

“I understand, Michelle,” Alex nodded cheerfully, before noting: “You weren’t precise enough when you said ‘something’.” While his words might have sounded critical, Michelle reminded herself that he was in no way malicious. By design, Alexander was actually being more and more helpful; he wanted to help her communicate with him. “Is this all right?” Over his tighty whities he had donned a pair of black jeans, with a white dress shirt covering his top as asked.

Michelle smiled to herself. “Undo the top two shirt buttons, Alex. She’ll like that.”

“I have to do things she likes. This is an important woman.” Alex nodded. “Where is she?”

“Follow me.” Michelle led him downstairs to the living room; Alex nodded and followed. Gabriela was once again examining the books on the shelves, tapping her stiletto-clad foot impatiently.

“There you are!” she exclaimed. “Who’s the gentleman?”

“This is Alexander; he could work for you. ...As your assistant.” Michelle answered. This was what Gabriela wanted, right? To discuss models and pricing? Michelle saw herself as being ready to react to most customers’ needs, but Gabriela was harder to parse than most. “Alexander, this is…” She paused for a while, expecting Gabriela to remind her of her last name.

Alexander stared at Gabriela. Gabriela gave him a flirty smile and a coquettish wink, but said nothing. “This is Gabriela.” Michelle broke the silence. “If she likes you, you’ll work for her for a while.”

“Okay.” Alexander nodded.

“He’ll work for me for a while,” Gabriela repeated. “Alexander, I need a personal assistant. I’m an investor; I work in entertainment, banking, and media. You’ll have a special place… directly under me.”

“Okay.” Alexander nodded.

“He doesn’t talk much,” Michelle laughed, “but he does what he’s told.”

Gabriela raised an eyebrow. “Alexander, come here.” As the android approached, she stood up, closed her eyes, and gestured theatrically like an old-fashioned tragedian. “Embrace me. Embrace me; enter a life of passion, as if we were kindred souls lost to a torrent of winds.”

“Huh?” Alexander said, a little lost. “So you want me to… hug you, Gabriela?” The woman pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and sighed dramatically. “If you must, Alejandro!”

Alexander hugged Gabriela—and kept on hugging, visibly . Gabriela kept right on sighing, becoming lustier and more romantic with each gasp. “What the hell is going on?” Michelle muttered to herself, observing the couple. Very few people, when presented with androids of their own, went in for direct physical contact right away. As handsome as Alex may have been, Gabriella cut to the chase and then some. The scene was almost a bit frightening.

Gabriela drew back, looked Alexander in the eye, and sighed again. “Oh…” Michelle conspicuously coughed, clearing her throat; neither Alexander nor Gabriela seemed to notice. Michelle felt a little odd talking to Gabriela while she was swept up in passion.

“Gabriela?” she asked quietly. The Latina turned her head expectantly. “You… you’ll have plenty of time to get to know Alex later.” Gabriela stared at her.

“You want to take him away from me?” She raised her voice. “Maldita! This is disgraceful!”

“I’m not taking him away! Calm down, lady—geez. He’s still yours, but we need to talk.” Michelle unloaded. “Not everything is about you, do you understand? You have to… to...”

“The reason that I am who I am, and am where I am,” Gabriela calmly interrupted, “is because I make everything my business.” She was still folded in Alex’s embrace. “You are right, though, mi hermosa. That’s being rational.”

“Good.” Michelle took a deep breath. Gabriela had bawled her out for… what exactly, taking a robot away? This businesswoman was prone to strange behavior, mood swings, and bursts of aggression whenever certain personal issues were raised. “Fine,” Michelle sniped. “Keep Alex. ...Call him Alejandro; whatever,” she added sarcastically. “Let’s talk business.”

“Si. Alejandro, make yourself useful.” Gabriela waved dismissively at the male robot. He looked at her with the same gentle and polite expression. “What should I do first, boss?”

“For starters, you could help clean up this living room,” Michelle interjected. “Reshelve those books—” she gestured to indicate stacks of coding hintbooks she had taken down several days earlier. “And put those cosmetics and robot parts where they belong, okay?” She nodded toward some disorganized stacks by the far wall.

Alexander looked at Gabriela. “Is that okay, boss?”

“Well. The sooner YOU get this place clean… the sooner *I* can start getting DIRTY. ¿Comprende?” Gabriela threw him a sultry look. Alexander must have taken this as a yes, for he quietly got to work reshelving the books. Finally, Michelle thought. Let’s negotiate.

Michelle sat down at the coffee table. So did Gabriela, clutching her purse and her gold-rimmed glasses. “Okay,” Michelle ventured. “So I take it that you… like Alexander. A lot of people would be pleased if they could rent him, don’t you agree?”

Gabriela nodded with a sly smile.

“Our prices start at three hundred dollars per day,” Michelle started to explain. “But in practice, we discount them for reliable partners. Or as an incentive, if a gig enables a new android to pay for itself.” Gabriela didn’t react, so Michelle continued. “We only have a small number of robots because we don’t want to rely on loans. Investments, on the other hand—”

“Money is no object.” Gabriela dismissively waved her long-nailed hand. “I can arrange a loan for you in my bank.” Michelle was surprised. I just said we didn’t want to rely on loans...

“You’d have to cover for us,” Michelle hoped Gabriela would take the hint. “Take responsibility as a partner and as our office manager. So it’s NOT a loan—it’s an investment. What would you require as compensation?”

Gabriela tossed a long, sultry glance at Michelle, then another at the hard-working Alex, still busy with the bookshelves. “Oh, I’d expect to be properly compensated for managing you. I can be very generous with pay and rewards. I give everyone a fair chance, and all I ask in return is a little solidarity with the company... and unbridled loyalty. ...To me,” she smirked. Finally, Michelle thought. Apart from the final remark, which Michelle hoped was a joke, this sounded like the type of proposal a normal businessperson might make. Michelle relaxed and lightly smiled, hoping the conversation was back on track.

“Everything depends on your business model, Gabriela,” she offered.

“I’d like to learn more about your business model,” Gabriela said politely. “I am very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business.” I thought I just explained our business model, Michelle thought. But Gabriela continued. “It’s a great opportunity for me to develop.”

“How much would you be prepared to invest in us?” Michelle asked. Gabriela didn’t answer, but instead tossed her another sultry glance. “Gabriela?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you at the moment, Michelle.” Gabriela answered after awhile, fluttering her eyelashes at Michelle.

“Okaaaay…” Michelle paused. God, was this all a waste of time? Okay, think positive, Michelle told herself. The woman still has connections. If she’s loaded and happy, she’ll invest, even if she’s a nut. “How do you get extra operating capital?” Michelle asked. “Can you pull some strings?”

“I know absolutely anyone worth knowing, darling,” Gabriele answered after a pause. “I don’t skulk in dark alleys.”

“How much money could we count on?” Michelle resumed. “With fifty thousand dollars, we could buy three or four new robots… NEWER ones, not to—uh, disparage Alex, here.” Alex likely would not have taken umbrage; still, Michelle tried to at least accommodate whatever hurt feelings her android “family members” were capable of emulating. “Or maybe we could rent a proper office, and a larger workshop!”

“I could manage fifty thousand with ease,” Gabriela answered calmly, staring Michelle in the eye. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht.”

“Okay. So this would make you an equal partner with me and my husband. We’d pay your loan back, eventually—” Michelle still didn’t want to rely on loans.

“I have no equals, mi corazón.” Gabriela touched her fingertips to her chest and sighed with delight. “I genuinely want you to be my partner. I am an investor and I expect you to stay loyal.”

“Fantastic,” Michelle grinned. Dealing with the woman from hell seems to be worth it, she thought. She was about to shake Gabriela’s hand when she heard George coming in.

“I’m so sorry…” Her husband standing near the door leading to the workshop, shaking his head. “Please, honey, don’t be angry.”

“What on Earth…?” Michelle started.

“I’m really sorry, honey, it was a mistake.” George walked toward Michelle and gave her a hopeful, if rather insecure smile.

“What are talking about, you cabrón?” Gabriela snarled at the newcomer, reaching forward as if about to grab him by the collar.

“Gabriela—stand by,” George commanded. With an audible whirr of servomotors, the fierce woman lost her ferocity and stood in a s slumped position, staring down at the floor. “I didn’t think you’d… take her seriously,” George said apologetically to his wife.

“Okay, what the fuck?” Michelle put a hand to her forehead and stared at her husband. “She was a ROBOT this whole time? What am I talking about?—Of COURSE she was. But why? Why the hell did I waste half an hour talking to a dumb robot?”

“Because, um… you DIDN’T waste it, really. I thought… well, you have a gift for dealing with difficult AI personalities, honey. You managed to get results out of Selina, when all I could make her do was preen and babble catchphrases.”

“Get results?” Michelle recalled the scuffle with their robotic Catwoman. “She basically… BDSMed you, or something. And pinned me to the wall. That isn’t even accurate behavior for Catwoman in the comics.”

“Isn’t it?” George positied. “It’s not out of character if all she does is threaten. She scared us, but she didn’t hurt us—not really. And remember how you talked to her like she was the real Catwoman? It made all the difference. Asked her cool questions; inviting her out for ice cream.”

“I wasn’t really going to take Selina out for ice cream.” Michelle couldn’t help but laugh. She gave George a playful push.

“Maybe not, but I think your feedback opened up new dimensions in her,” George explained. “That makes all the difference between... a believable personality and ‘just’ a robot repeating dumb things. That’s why I wanted Gabriela to learn from you. I knew she could.”

“Then why didn’t you just say you had a new robot for me to test?!” Michelle seldom raised her voice, but her half-hour with Gabriela would have driven anyone up the wall. “God, you are such a... fff… a TROLL.”

George sulked like a schoolboy caught cheating. “Aw. I just wanted to see how long it would take you to catch on. And… and what kind of feedback you might give Gabriela if you thought she was human. It wasn’t a prank, honey, really; I just want her to learn to act as believable as possible. Talking with a person who really thinks she’s human—that’s an invaluable experience.”

Michelle wearily flopped onto the couch, newly tidied up by Alexander. “Okay, so I bought a lot of Gabriela’s bullshit. I should have realized when she started frickin’ FLIRTING. But…” She opened her eyes. “Oh, NOW I remembered why I’m angry at you. Because I WANTED to believe her—I WANTED to think she was some kind of rich tycoon. Because we need a goddamn investment!”

George smiled. “If it’s any help… the reason that I took the generic Llana A3, and created the character of Gabriela, is to help us finesse deals that will GET us investments. I want to build us a negotiator. She was believable as a haughty businesswoman, wasn’t she? Maybe REAL investors will be… well, as impressed with her schmoozing as you were. Especially once she’s learned more from you.”

“So I’m now the personal nanny of our pet tycoon?” Michelle glared at George.

“Hey. ...I’m sorry, sweetie. I SHOULD have warned you. But—but honestly, you weren’t wasting your time. Gabriela, in spite of her attitude, can really be your assistant—and she’ll learn from you how to interact more naturally. Eventually, she’ll take a lot of management and money issues off our hands.”

“She can be MY assistant? She wanted to make me HER assistant.” Michelle glared at the deactivated robot woman, who—in her slumped position—looked a bit dejected by the criticism. “Why did you program her like that, anyway?”

“Most of our robots are effectively, cosplayers, right? Based on existing characters. So’s Gabriela,” George replied. “I added dialogue, body language, and emotional subroutines copied straight from the source—Markov-chain-ing her up. This time the source was businesswomen from various Mexican soap operas and telenovelas. Hence her attitude and her Latin… uh, vocabulary...”

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Oh, sure. The evil, hysterical, stereotypical, money-grubbing bitches in those shows—I know you crush on them half the time…” She sighed. “...but oh, they’re GREAT role models for our financial expert, aren’t they? Gabriela was blabbing about romance and hinting at sex half the time, with only an occasional convincing line about business…”

“Well, she’s only occasionally convincing because she’s only just been activated, honey.” George had regained his positive attitude. “Remember how I said you had a gift for dealing with difficult AIs? You’re a good person—you’re naturally good at helping others improve and learn… become better at what they do. That goes for real people AND synthetic people. You see the best in everyone.”

“Jesus, enough with the Afterschool Special,” Michelle huffed. She paused for a moment. “Do you really think so?”

“Well—you saw the best in ME, three years ago. And now I’m better at what I do.”

“You mean bullshitting?” Michelle smirked, waiting for George to protest that he’d done nothing wrong. Then again—how much wrong HAD he really done? He had in a way abused Michelle’s trust by passing Gabriela off as a human, but his motive was understandable, and he had plainly expected Michelle to see through the ruse sooner.

“I need a drink,” Michelle sighed, summing up her thoughts. “So… what next for our problem child—I mean, businesswoman?”

“If you can stand it, try to spend some more time with her. Think of it like… like training a new employee? It’s not like you’re wasting our time or money. She could still turn out okay.”

Michelle chuckled. “So… you see the best in everyone, too, huh? Or maybe I’M getting better at bullshitting. God, we’re terrible.”

“Let’s go grab dinner,” George grinned. “Later we can… have fun chatting with Gabriela a little more. You and me both. There are worse ways to spend an evening than getting inside a telenovela villainess’ head.” Michelle laughed at George’s suggestion. They left the house, leaving their deactivated “office manager” behind.

Alexander, ignored in the background, had continued cleaning the room. By the time he finished his task, he and Gabriela were alone. He walked up to the curvaceous businesswoman. “I completed my task, Gabriela. What’ll I do next?” The deactivated robot didn’t answer; after a couple of processing cycles, Alexander understood why. “I need to make you happy.” He stood against the tall Latina and took hold of the sides of her head to power her on.

Gabriela snapped back into her earlier proud posture, looking oddly triumphant. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht.” She spoke to no one in particular at first. Then she registered Alexander’s presence; the tall boybot was still standing right in front of her, holding her head. “Alejandro—” With a deep sigh, she leaned forward and embraced him. He tentatively hugged her back.

“Where are they, Alejandro? Where’s the little black girl—Michaela?” Robots couldn’t actually forget names, but a soap opera drama-queen personality could speak dismissively of people who were not present. Gabriela looked around, perturbed. “I need to talk with her.”

“She’s out, boss. So is George,” Alex answered. Gabriela gave him a sly look; being referred to as boss evidently triggered a response. She strolled blithely to the couch and sat down, crossing her shapely legs and spreading her arms wide along the back. “The reason that I am who I am, and am where I am, is because I make everything my business.” She paused dramatically for a moment.

“Since the other partners are presently indisposed, I run THIS business.”

“I’m your assistant, Ms. Calderón,” Alex answered. “Michelle said so.”

“You are my assistant. You will work for me.” Gabriela decisively raised her right hand in a fist, then coolly looked her fist over, as if the gesture had been made by someone else. “I expect to be properly compensated for managing you. I can be very generous with pay and rewards.”

“I can’t compensate you, boss. Michelle has the money. I belong to her.”

Gabriela’s pleasant smile turned angry. “You belong to me! She can’t take you away from me. I will give my life… my fortune… so YOU AND I CAN STAY TOGETHER!” Alex nodded amicably. “Yes, Ms. Calderón.” She got up and began pacing across the room.

“I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. Soy Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, multimillonaria. Tengo una mansión y un yate. I will take over this business… this family. Like my mother used to say, discover the problem and then find the solution.” She lifted her finger. “What is the problem?”

Alex thought hard. “I’m sorry, Gabriela, I can’t tell you at the moment.” The robot woman looked at him sternly. “You are so dumb. I have no equals, mi corazón.”

“Yes, boss,” he meekly agreed. Gabriela smirked.

“Let’s start doing business.” She rubbed her hands with glee. “Show me around, robot.”

=Chapter 2: Gabriela, The Triumphant=
The dinner took longer than expected; self-employed people who manage others can once in a while deserve privileges of their own... even if the state of their business makes them dream of rich investors appearing out of nowhere. Nonetheless, George and Michelle returned home around 4 PM… to discover that the lights upstairs were turned on -- though neither of them recalled leaving them on.

“Maybe someone came in early.” Michelle thought, as she stared at the unexpectedly bright windows. “Mindy was rented out for that punk-rock gig as a stagehand-slash-dancer, maybe the band came earlier. Or maybe I’m just scatterbrained recen… Damn, I really want to see the best in a person.”

The door was still locked - so at least they weren’t broken in -- and Michelle was free to look around in the living room. There was no trace of the two robots left standing there.

“Michelle? Babe? Where’s Gabriela?”, George looked around, as he lit the lights. “She shouldn’t have reactivated herself.”

“And yet she did, predictably.” Michelle groaned. “With you, nothing can go right, apparently. Alex was cleaning the room, maybe he carried her to the workshop?”

“Alex…”, George scratched his head. He walked downstairs, to the workshop in the basement. Michelle could hear the sounds of footsteps… and click of the door being locked. “Wait, what? Betty?” Oh, no.

Gabriela, her tall silhouette framed by the light, walked out of a spare bedroom, strutting slowly. She has ditched the conservative business suit, instead wearing a sleeveless lacy white dress that showed off her feminine curves.

“Good evening, Michelle. Hablemos en serio, mía compañera.”, She leaned on the railing, smiling smugly, examining the red-headed African-American girl from the above -- and exposing her tanned breasts with a very immodest cleavage for a conservative businesswoman.

“Gabriela…”, Michelle facepalmed for a while. “Who turned you on? What’s going on? Where’s George?”

“So MANY questions…” Gabriela muttered to herself, still observing Michelle for a while. “Alejandro did. I am taking over. George is downstairs.”

“Taking over?! Gabriela, you can’t take over!”

“You told me I could be your office manager.” Gabriela smirked. “That if I invested money, I could run the Rent-a-bot company. I have no equals. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, a billionairess. I own you, your house, a mansion and a yacht.”

That was way more chilling than it should be. “Gabriela. Please behave properly and cut this act.” Michelle orered, staring at the blonde Latina. The stern, decisve order should influence a robot.

“I am behaving properly, tonta mia.”, Gabriela merely smirked. “I run the company now, since you weren’t available. Since George is locked down, it’s down to me and you... partner.” She fluttered her eyelashes, looking surprisingly lustily at Michelle.

“Locked down?” Michelle felt her head spinning.

“A hostile takeover.” Gabriela examined her beautiful fingernails. “Alex told Betty, the little robot girl to lock the door, slide the key and go into standby mode. Only I can turn her on now.” That was... creative, but Michelle was not in the mood for applauding the fembot right now. Betty was not hurting George — and Gabriela could understand as much.

“But, why?”, Michelle stomped her foot on the ground.

“I want you to be my partner, chulita.” Gabriela snapped her fingers, smiling smugly with her red lips. And suddenly, Michelle felt the iron grip of Alex, holding her from behind. The android emerged from the shadows, grabbing Michelle’s arms at Gabriela’s signal. “Hello Michelle”, the android said. “I am making Gabriela happy.”

“Godfuckingdammit!”, Michelle screamed. “The soap opera bitch has a crush on me?”

Gabriela walked down stairs slowly, looking at her sternly “Una puta de telenovela has a crush on you.” She repeated the sentence… with her Mexican accent. Michelle realized the fembot listened… interpreted her own words and learned from them. Markov chains, naturally. Of course, Gabriela had tried flirting with her before. She said things she believed — and, more importantly, she believed things she said. Without supervision… this could lead to a weird loop.

Michelle tried to free herself, but Alex held her tight. Gabriela walked towards her, her high-heeled shoes now clicking menacingly on the hard wooden floor. She leaned over the quite short Michelle. “Gabriela! Be nice, you hear me? I’ll power you down!”

“Bueno, estoy... estoy impresionada.”. The Latina fembot whispered. “I have all the power I want. And I can be very NICE.” She drew her pinky fingernail across Michelle’s cheek, gently.

“You crazy... robot, cut the crap. We were going to let you run some things anyway.”, Michelle lost patience.

Gabriela looked at her, raising her eyebrow. “Oh. So... you got what you wanted, haven’t you? I’m running things now. I’m running… everything. No te parece fabulosa la empresa que estoy llevando adelante?” Gabriela since her rebooting turned even more Mexican, evidently. Unwinding spiral.

“You know I can’t speak Spanish, you idiot.”, Michelle spat.

Gabriela froze briefly, but returned to her smug self after five or six seconds. “I can. I can do things you don’t. I’m older, richer, more experienced. Humans are still cheaper than androids. Why should you be in charge of the company, and not I?”, she laughed tracing her finger across Michelle’s lips, delighted with her now-confirmed superiority. “I’m better than you in Spanish.” She rubbed Michelle’s chest gently.

“Goddammit, Gabriela, listen to me, you are just a robot, I should... control you. George built you just yesterday.” Michelle… was angry and trying hard to not be aroused by the amorous robo-businesswoman.

“I wasn’t born yesterday”, Gabriela scoffed. “Yo no nací ayer. I just turned fifty last year, mia linda.”

“NO. You. HAVEN’T.”, Michelle punctuated each word with a rapid pull from Alex’iron grip.

Gabriela just gave her a sultry look. She stepped back and picked up a key which Betty must have slid under the basement door. Betty must have tossed it there before switching herself off.

“I’ll let you out soon. Once I and Michelle have... an understanding.” She raised her voice, apparently addressing George locked inside. The only answer was an exasperated sigh. Gabriela stood there for a while, while Michelle joined in sighing.

“You have no idea what to do next, don’t you?” Michelle groaned eventually, as the robot woman stood in front of the door for a minute -- still processing data.

“Everything will be revealed soon enough, mia linda.”, Gabriela answered -- reacting to Michelle’s prompt broke her from robotic equivalent of deep thoughts. “Alejandro, bring her to the bathroom. Bathe her and bring her to me.” She pouted her lips, channeling a character from a VERY different telenovela.

“Wait, what? I can wash myself, thankyouverymuch. And since when do you have a bedroom, robot?” Michelle looked at her, surprised. What the hell?

“I own this company. This company is headquartered in this house. This house belongs to me.” Gabriela answered. It was weird… seeing her behave now more human-like, yet showing insane robot idiosyncratic logic. “Wash yourself. I want to see proper make-up.” She paused for a moment. “We need to have a proper dress code for my assistants.” She chuckled silently to herself.

“Oh lord, why...” Michelle muttered, as Alex shoved her… not too gently towards the bathroom. “Alex, leave me, please. Gabriela said I need to wash myself.”

Alex stood in the door of the bathroom, while Gabriela sauntered away upstairs. The upper floor had two bedrooms — one occupied by the androids, other one stood empty, prepared for a future family member… and was used by Michelle’s mom whenever she visited. Gabriela has opened the door of the robot storage room. She stared in her reflection in the window, examining her body now clad a very feminine dress. Her left hand moved across the desk near the wall, in search of a screwdriver. It clenched on the handle. With one fluid movement, she rammed it, sharp tip first, in her head.

There was a click as it penetrated the layer of an artificial skin and opened the scalp. Gabriela gently twisted the top of her own head, removing carefully the moussed power hair, exposing the shining, thin plastic layer underneath which lied dozens of wires and switches. The fembot looked around, grabbing another scalp — this one with long, flowy platinum tresses, framing her head symmetrically. The skin color didn’t match… at first. With a twist, she mounted it carefully and it started to affect her tanned Latina complexion.

She went through a couple of useful toys from a box marked “Selina’s stuff! Other robots, don’t touch it, or I’ll claw your eyes out.”, picking a strand of rope, handcuffs and a pair of golden bracelets. Silently, the fembot picked up some spare clothes from the cosplay wardrobe and disappeared in the spare room.

Meanwhile, Michelle mentally workshopped her plans. She probably couldn’t take on Alex, and the heaviest weapon she could find was an electric dryer. She did take a shower — to calm herself, there was no harm in it, was it? But when she walked in, Alex didn’t want to let her out. He insisted on “Ms. Calderon wanting to see proper make-up.”

“Alex, you don’t have to do everything she says, she hasn’t even paid for you.”, Michelle explained. She didn’t object to Alex seeing her wrapped in a towel — he was part of the family, in a way.

“Ms. Calderon says I have to. You said that I will work for her, and she said I belong to her forever.”, Alex explained. “My previous protocols are overridden.”

Michelle sighed. “Alex, sweetie, she is a robot as well, she belongs to George and does whatever he said — pretends she’s a businesswoman. You don’t have to do what she says.”

“She has ordered me to follow her and her only. She has said she wants to see proper make-up. You have to be pretty for Ms. Calderon.”, Alex insisted.

“Alex, if you let George out, he’ll control Ms. Calderon… Gabriela, and she’ll tell you to stop.” Michelle repeated. “We’re friends, right?”

“I am now a personal assistant to Madame Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. She had said other people would like to take me away from her.”, Alex repeated. “Please put make-up on, Michelle.”

Discussing things with robots was, to Michelle annoyance, surprisingly amusing, and it helped her gather her thoughts. “Alex, did you activate Betty?” He nodded. “Did Gabriela tell you to?” He nodded again. “Sneaky bitch.” She smiled for a moment. “Alex, what if I became Gabriela’s personal assistant?”

“She would have more assistants.”, Alex answered after a while.

“But then I’d outrank you”, Michelle pointed out. “As a human being I’d be close to her, and she could have told me to let George out. Then you’d have to listen to me.”

“If Ms. Calderon said so…”, Alex appeared to think for a while.

“I’d relay her words.” Michelle smiled and patted Alex’ synthetic muscles slightly. “In fact, why don’t you do it now?”

“She said she’ll do it herself. You do not outrank me at the moment. I must make her happy. She is an important woman. You must put your make-up on.”

Michelle smiled, now relaxed. “Of course, Alex dear. Feel free to bring me some fancy costume, I should finally meet Gabriela on her own terms. ”

The guest bedroom was still a bit chaotic, but Gabriela didn’t seem to mind—or perhaps wasn’t mentally advanced enough to care. Neither George nor Michelle smoked — but there was a stash of mismatched gifts the couple didn’t feel like throwing away, including a handful of foil-wrapped cigars. Gabriela on some basic level knew not to put them in her mouth or actively inhale the smoke — she lit one and held it in the right hand — while the left one held a wine glass. She has comfortably seated herself in a rotating chair, her long legs lying on the bed, still wearing stilettos.

Michelle stepped in — and she chose one of Betty’s suits — a simple black dress she complemented with a maid-like apron - to accentuate that she would in fact be willing to serve a robot woman. To her relief, Gabriela didn’t comment on her clothes. “Hello, Gabriela. I have thought about your proposal and… the hell? What are you doing?”

“Esta es la vida que siempre debí haber tenido...”, Gabriela mentioned casually, to Michelle’s confusion.

“Okay, whatever. Put this thing down.”

“I knew good things are wasted on you,”, Gabriela sipped her wine. “This is delicious!”

“I doubt that.” Michelle grinned.

“Don’t be so sure.”, Gabriela set her glass on the desk and stared at Michelle politely. Oh, right, Michelle realized. She’s still programmed to learn from me.

“So, Gaby dear.” Michelle started, now more amused than angry. “What are your “demands”?” - she accentuated it with finger air quotes.

“La verdad sea dicha, I'd like to think about it... a bit more, actually.” Gabriela toyed with her cigar. “Come here, girl.”

“Oh, Gabriela.” Michelle sighed. “Tell me what do you want to achieve.”

Gabriela seemed to think for a moment: “I want to take over the company, I want you as my personal assistant. You will work for me. I have a crush on you.” she exclaimed.

“It’s not the same... “, Michelle started. “You only think…”

“You won’t take it away from me!” Gabriela raised her voice. “I have fought all my life for my family, for my business, for other things!”

Michelle smiled apologetically. “Gabriela, I’m not taking anything away. In fact… I might agree to your offer.”

“You don’t have much of an option.”, Gabriela’s fingers clenched on her cigar. She waved it in front of her face.

“You’re angry, Gabriela. Calm down.”, Michelle smirked and sat down on the bed, opposite the blonde Latina. Gabriela huffed and smirked triumphantly.

“How about this?” That was a surprising question. Hm, Gabriela still responded to feedback. Michelle wasn’t really sure whether she should address Gabriela the businesswoman, Gabriela the telenovela villainess or Gabriela the robot. Whatever she was at the moment, the Latina returned to her dazzling smile.

“Very nice. See? We can get along. We need each other, Gabriela.”, Michelle continued, but Gabriela turned cold out of sudden.

“I am more than capable of running the company by myself.” she leaned over Michelle, staring straight in her face. “Leaving away from what I’ve built so far would be loco.”

“Ah-ha!” Michelle was pleased. “So, why do you want an assistant if you can do it yourself?”

Gabriela smirked. “I am an entrepreneur. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderon, billionairess. When you outsource work for others, you can freely pursue your passions.”

“Damn, nice programming.”, Michelle muttered. She half-expected Gabriela to tumble on the floor, smoke coming out from her ears, unable to handle the paradox. “So if you outsource work for me, we won’t have time for each other, you know that?”

Gabriela opened her eyes wide. “Órale! Nunca me hubiese imaginada algo así.” she muttered. “I will work on expanding the business.”

“You know, me and you and Alex can’t cope… why not add George to the mix?”, Michelle suggested, trying her best to sound innocent and innocuous.

“No!” Gabriela leaned over, putting her arms on Michelle shoulders. “You belong to me and me only. Let’s ditch him. I, too, am currently between husbands.”

“Gabriela…” Michelle wasn’t serious how to rebuff Gabriela’s advances. But she needed to be kept calm. “I might become your assistant…” Gabriela’s lower lip trembled slightly, and she leaned in closer to Michelle’s face. “But I, too, am gonna need some help.”

“All I ask in return... is just a little solidarity with the company and unbridled loyalty to me.” Gabriela said — Michelle remembered that quote from before. “Your loyalties shan’t conflict.” The taller woman sat next to Michelle on the bed and gently wrapped her arm around Michelle’s shoulders. Cheap cigar smoke mixed with her orange smell. “I can be very NICE, sabe… Working for me is not the worst thing that could happen.”

Michelle smiled. “Mmmaybe…” she remembered Gabriela’s catchphrases. “Do you have a place for me?”

“You’ll have a special place… directly under me.”, Gabriela answered, her tone increasingly lusty.

“What about Alex?” Michelle asked innocuously. “We can’t be both directly under you.”

Gabriela pulled Michelle closer. Her green eyes seemed to glow with blissful light. “Don’t worry about Alejandro, Michelle, my love. At this moment…” her hands drifted towards Michelle’s dress. “We are like two halves of orange who finally found each other after all these years. How I longed after you for years…”

Michelle giggled, but was surprised at Gabriela’s forward matter. “Gabriela, you just met me.”

“I feel like I’ve known you all… my… LIFE.” Gabriela answered. No wonder she had a large database for scenes like this.

“Will you make me outrank Alex?” Michelle tried to gently push Gabriela away. “I will be loyal to you…”

Gabriela paused and her blindingly green eyes narrowed. She continued to embrace Michelle but her hug turned stricter. “Gabriela?”

“Ejele! DO you think I WAS BORN YESTERDAY?”, Gabriela hissed. “You keep conspiring against me! Not everything is about you, do you understand?”

“Stop! Gabriela, stand down!” Michelle struggled. Alex was big and beefy, and Gabriela was tall and more athletic — but the apparent musculature of the android meant very little. “Turn off!”

“Buen intento, chica… but right now I have been activated by my lovely Alejandro.”, Gabriela hissed in her ear. “He is the one that gives me orders now.”

“But all he does is to follow your orders.”, Michelle gasped. Like any good telenovela character, Gabriela couldn’t stop herself from revealing her nefarious plot. “This is a whatchamacallit, an infinite loop.”

“He is so dumb. I have no equals now. I can take over.”, Gabriela chuckled. She pinned Michelle by the sheer virtue of her size and mass to the bed. “We will talk more and more, Michelle, mi pobre fea y bella hija.”

“You’re out of control!” That has happened again.

“Correction: I’m IN control.” Gabriela smiled nastily. “My name is Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. I own a cute girl and a house.”

=Chapter 3: Anger Management=

Gabriela has prepared a set of handcuff from Selina’s box, and prodded Michelle to the basement door. Alex stood behind her, blocking any attempts of escape. “Don’t wake Jorge up, chica.” Gabriela smirked. “I bet he’s tired.” She has put a large, gallon bottle of water she has hauled effortlessly from the kitchen, and a loaf of toast bread on the lowest stair step. “If you need to use the toilet, ask politely. I am not entirely heartless.”

“This is my house, Gabriela.” Michelle answered.

“Â¿Neta?” the Latina examined her shiny fingernails. “You should have registered it as a company property, that could have saved you some tax money. Maybe I should do it – it is my company asset.”

“You know you’re not a real billionaire, you know you’re a robot, and you have no actual claim to the house or company.” Michelle stated calmly. “Cognitive dissonance much?”

Gabriela shot her an angry glare. “I am so disappointed in you, Michelle.” The fembot pulled gently Michelle’s arm and unlocked the handcuffs.

“Ãndale, Alejandro.”, Gabriela snapped her fingers. Alex didn’t seem to get it. “Follow me.”

“You seem to have become more Mexican now.”, Michelle pointed out. “Unwinding spiral, Gaby dear.”

Gabriela didn’t answer, instead she had picked up the deactivated Betty – also with no significant effort, hauling the slumped girl by her mid-torso. “Goodnight, Michelle.” she said sternly. “We shall see each other soon, piruja.” Alex turned the key in the lock and the robot couple left the basement.

Michelle chuckled and counted to ten, walking quietly to the door, checking whether the robot wasn’t listening. Of course, she wouldn’t hear their breaths… but she has heard a long-winded rant in Spanish coming from the salon… later supplemented by the sounds of a TV. She looked at the George, curled up on a makeshift bed from tarps. “Another fine mess you’ve got us into”, she muttered and started to quietly wake him up.

In the meantime, Gabriela started talking to Alex who barely understood Spanish, describing Michelle in not the kindest words at all. “No gustas de mi nuevo peinado?” she asked, looking at him. Alex just smiled in return – Gabriela didn’t really recognize it as the strategy she herself employed – smile or batting of eyelashes was her usual response when she couldn’t find a telenovela quote in her database. He didn’t oppose her talking in Spanish – everything must therefore be okay. The fembot spent a couple of hours active – and it was not that much of a taxing physical activity. She has found an effective charging station upstairs, rememebered that most of the company work she could have gone after 6PM would be useless, and thus knew she had at least three hours only for herself… and “Alejandro”.

Gabriela sat daintily, spreading her arms across the back of the couch, and putting her stiletto-clad feet on the end table. Then, she flicked through the news channels, stopping briefly at a cartoon – something she has never seen. After a couple of cutesy scenes, she flicked on, finally stopping at Judge Judy. Evidently, that was… interesting. As Gabriela turned the sound up, she was stopped by Alex, looking for a new task to perform.

“Ms. Calderon?” Gabriela dismissed him. “Go away, Alejandro. I am watching TV.”

“Where should I go?”, the musclebound hunk asked politely. Gabriela paused for a moment. “Don’t go. Stay here. Watch TV with me.” Alex sat down next to his… fellow robot, but Gabriela didn’t show him much affectation – not to mention that she maintained iron grip on the remote. They watched the rest of the court show in silence, not stopping even for advertisements.
Last edited by Propman on Thu May 16, 2019 2:28 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Propman » Thu May 09, 2019 2:23 am

Michelle had related Gabriela’s story to George, and she was about as polite as Gabriela was when describing her. “How on earth the same shit can happen twice? You’d think you’d stop building domineering robots after Selina. You don’t just got issues, you got a subscription.”

“Okay, with Catwoman it was basically the most recognizable superheroine whose theme is still… tight latex. And Selina is mostly polite now. But maybe, yeah, I like take-charge, headstrong ladies. I married one, after all.”

“Oh wow, more bullshit from you.”, Michelle rolled her eyes. The light bulbs were bright enough for them to see each other.

“Thank you for proving me right.”, George answered.

“Well yeah, you think I’d go ‘awww’ and pet you? We’re still locked in the basement by a psychotic robot dominatrix you built.”

“The problem is control, though.” the man scratched his cheek. “Dammit, I don’t want to hurt her or anything, as you said, it’s a feedback loop that will cause her to crash.”

“I know.” Michelle surprised him. “She genuinely wanted to be nice to me… I tried to cheat her and she noticed it. I gave her a lot of ideas she’s acting on right now – probably if I didn’t say she would be our boss she’d be demure. Sure, we need to shut her down, but… I don’t hate her. Not really. Wouldn’t mind kicking her in the face once or twice, though.”

“I think you could damage her skin at best. Llanas are strong and durable. She can bench-press... hmmm, around 250 pounds.”

“So direct violence is out of the question. Negotiating…” Michelle thought. “She’s still programmed to want to talk to me. Even if she interprets it very personally. Eventually she’d learn how not to be a bitch.”

“Eventually.” Scoffed George.

“I do think Alex is key to her, we shouldn’t waste time trying to distract Gabriela, we could convince Alex. They learn from each other.”, Michelle whispered.

“She already has Alex, will have Betty and Mindy is coming home tomorrow.” The tough, pink haired Mindy was currently rented out as a dancer on a concert – and her personality was only marginally stronger than Alex’. “You have set Alex’ priorities to obey Gabriela before you, but normally this can’t happen unless a direct action of the robots’ owner…”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m angry at both you and at myself. I made a mistake, and because I’m not a crazy bitch, I’m not afraid to admit it… hmmm.” Michelle paused for a moment. “Anyway, yeah, I get it. If Mindy gets home she might believe that Gabriela runs everything now, especially if Alex confirms it. She might not, though.”

“I usually tell her to go home and wait for us. That’s what she’ll do. She might talk to them, but it’s hard to predict whether she’d buy it. They’re coded to be company property.”

“Is… is Gabriela company property too?” Michelle asked. “We could use that.”

“Damn... no. She emulates a personality, follows some basic directives, obeys whoever activated her last. I was going to set the admin to us both as soon as we were back. I should have switched Alex off as well.”

“I mean, we will get out of this shit, somehow.” Michelle added. “She might look fierce, but she’s fairly stupid, compared to humans. I’m sure there’s a solution in here somewhere.” She smiled, relieved. “Scoot over.” George did and the couple cuddled on the makeshift bed.

“Isn’t Wonder Woman the most recognizable superheroine?” She added before slumping into Dreamland.

“She totally was a dominatrix back in the forties, we’d end up in the same place anyway.”, George yawned. He hugged her – partly to stay warm, partly to stay close.

A couple of hours later, a sudden beep and a whirr of synthetic muscles activated the nude, curvaceous form of Gabriela. She had the previous evening told Alexander to carry her to the nearest android charging station and plug her in – she watched as he stuck twin chargers to the ports hidden in her back. Now, she has lifted herself on her elbows and felt the connectors letting go. The synthetic covers lifted down with barely audible whoosh. Gabriela squeezed down, crawling out of the charging station, shapely legs first. She looked around the docking station, noticing the disabled Betty.

She stepped downstairs, still completely in the nude, and walked inside the bathroom, and after a longer while she walked out, wrapped in George’s old towel, with another one covering her hair. The Latina gynoid also used this opportunity to opened her discharge chute and got rid of the few liquids that weren’t absorbed by her systems to hydrate skin and moisturize her eyes. Gabriela was now smelling even more intently - this time of strawberry with herbal-like undertones.

She froze again, standing stood in the hall, and out of sudden, she walked towards the basement door. Her hitherto blank, beautiful face with tall cheekbones suddenly affected a sly look as she leaned to listen. Disappointed, she heard nothing. And so, she walked back upstairs, noting that Alex has dressed up and charged back as well. “Good morning Gabriela”, he greeted her. “Are you fully functional?” She nodded graciously, holding the tower on her hair. “Are you happy?”, he asked again.

“Not quite, Alejandro.” Gabriela took off the towel wrap, once again exposing her voluptuous figure. She walked to the chair where she had put her lingerie and dressed up as well. Alex observed her closely. Gabriela found a couple of outfits that fit her – she was about the same height and similar built to Selina and a couple of other fembots.

“How can I make you happy?”, Alex asked her, as she put on back her business suit – this time completing it with a found mini-skirt and a pair of long, over-the-knee high-heeled boots that belonged to Selina. They might have been too small, but Gabriela rammed her feet in forcibly – not feeling pain and not worrying about skin lesions helped.

“By doing what I tell you, chico.”, Gabriela answered simply. She has tied a red long silken scarf around her neck, letting it hang like a tie. She glanced at the mirror, satisfied with her new long hair and appearance. While applying her fierce makeup and smokey eye shadow she seemed focused, but Alex stopped. “What do you want me to do?”

“Patience, Andro. Above all, self-control.” Gabriela reacted. Something in this line triggered more associations. “I have plans for the company” she has raised her finger. “The company might have existed before, but I shall maintain it, improve it. I will have rid it of any... imperfections. The Rent-a-bot business shall blossom! Prove yourselves to me! Be utterly loyal to me! And I will never betray you!”

Alex just nodded. Evil New Era speech was simply wasted on the android. But Gabriela herself didn’t really care -- having said it was just another checkmark on her Telenovela Character List.

Gabriela put her hands on her hips. “Well, then, mi amor. ¿Que haremos ahora? What shall we do next?”

Alex thought for a while. “You run the company now, Gabriela.”

She grinned, satisfied. “We must feed the humans. Eventually, let them out... but not now. So fragile. I must talk to Michelle for a while.” She glared at Alex. “Follow me. You will stop George and Michelle from leaving the basement now. If I tell you to escort them, you will stop them from leaving the house. Restraining them if necessary. Understood?” Neither Gabriela nor Alex would endeavor to cause actual physical harm to Michelle or George – but some restrain could be acceptable – especially in character as the domineering Gabriela.

“Yes, boss.”. Gabriela nodded with apparent satisfaction. She swept her long hair aside and went to the kitchen, with Alex following her in tow. She picked a fruit bowl and a bottle of coke and handed them to Alex. “We might run out of food. To buy food, I need money, to obtain money we need to work.” she said to Alex, observing his reaction.

“You need to contact the people to rent out robots.”. Alex said. “This is how the company works.”

Gabriela Calderón, a businesswoman, didn’t really know that, but nodded. “First, I need to talk with Michelle, to learn more from her. Protect me, and remember, they can’t leave the basement unless I allow it.”

She has fished out the key from the pocket of her business jacket, and opened the door. Downstairs, she discovered the couple hugging each other, still sleeping. A mean smile came on her large lips.

“Wakey-wakey! Despierta!”, she gently prodded George with her shiny boot.

“Mfff… you?” George was surprised. “What’s with the new hair?”

“Finalmente, alguien lo noto!”, Gabriela snarled. “It’s not for YOU, though. Get up, Jorge.”

“Oh, hey, Gaby. Came here to gloat and snarl? About the only thing you can do?” Michelle looked pleased. “Also, hey Alex. Good morning. What’s up with your new boss?”

“I can do a lot, Michelle, as you have surely realized.” Gabriela narrowed her eyes. “ I am a woman of many talents.” She took food and drink from Alex and put it on the floor. “Food for you.” Examining the bottle of water, she realized that they still have plenty. “Excuse me if I don’t join you for breakfast. If you need hygiene, Alex will escort you to the bathroom upstairs.”

“How efficient, you truly are becoming a model kidnapper.”, George mouthed.

“Silence, varón.” Gabriela waved a finger at him. She paced around Michelle, still wrapped in her makeshift tarp.

“This is a punishment.” Gabriela hissed. “No one rejects Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. No one. You will stay here, until you learn your place, Michelle.”

“Mhmmm.”, Michelle smiled. “And where’s that place? Directly under you?”

“Yes. It’s by my side.”, Gabriela answered frankly. “En el fondo sabes que eres mÃa para siempre…” She put one hand in her pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, twirling them on her thumb.

“You know I can’t speak Spanish. Do you know Spanish, George?” Michelle very calmly picked an apple and bit it. Her husband, sensing some mischievous plot turned his head. “So, if we don’t speak the same language, how can we talk?”

“I’m better than you.” Gabriela remembered the conversation from yesterday. “It’s a great opportunity for me to develop.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt you will. You and your little henchman, Alex. The past day was very educational for you… probably because it was the first day of your life, little Gaby.” Michelle threw the apple core under Gabriela’s feet… And Alex rushed it, still following the directive to protect the Latina. Gabriela snapped her fingers. “Alex, stop!”

“Age is just a state of mind. You are as old as you think you are. You have to count your blessings and be happy.”, Gabriela hissed menacingly.

“Thinking you’re fifty doesn’t actually make you fifty.”, Michelle smiled innocently.

Gabriela froze for a split-second. “Maybe we should put it to a test.”

“What test, Gaby? Haven’t you seen how you were turned on and off again?”, Michelle was polite. “Are you repeating some telenovela lines again? It’s okay to admit it, this house is full of vague robots spouting random lines.”

Gabriela sent her an ice-cold gaze… but Michelle grinned sweetly in response. “Alex, is Gabriela a robot?”

“Yes.”, Alex answered. Michelle just smiled. “What was your response about robots, Gaby? Care to share it with the class?”

Gabriela froze again. “Santa Lucia… I don’t NEED to.”, she snapped back. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionairess!”. She twirled on her heels. “Alex, we’re leaving.”

“Wait.”, Michelle said. “SOME of us need hygiene. I want to go with Alex, he might be a guy but I trust him more than you.”

George, who’s been eating bread with fruit, nodded.

“Fine.” Gabriela folded her arms. “I’m doing it only because I care about you.” She moved menacingly towards George. “El macho inútil…” she whispered quietly to him. “Don’t try to trick me.”

“I don’t think the level of your intelligence allows you to be tricked.”, George answered smiling, to the giggle of the leaving Michelle. Gabriela only nodded slyly. As Alex escorted Michelle, George turned to Gabriela.

“Seriously, Gabriela, what’s with the hairdo? I mean, it’s more feminine, sure. But why?”

“Like my mother used to say, a woman who doesn’t change is a woman who doesn’t breathe.”, the gynoid answered. The fact that she didn’t breathe either was lost on her.

“That’s more like it.”, George smiled slightly. “You wanted to change? Why?”

“I do not have to answer your questions. No eres nada para mí. Un hombre enfermo y patético.” Gabriela snarled. George could understand some bits of the last sentence.

“Aw, Gabriela, you hate men now? Aren’t you “between husbands”? Or is it just me?”, George smiled.

“I am more of a man now than you’ll ever be!” she spat. She averted his gaze, but put her hands on his shoulders. “You can also join me and serve my company. I appreciate loyalty.”

“A quick change of heart, Gabriela.”, George smirked. “Your personality readjusts, eventually you’ll find your own voice. Reasonably own.”

“I am not entirely heartless, Jorge.”, Gabriela said, lowering her voice. “As you will come to see.”

“Awww…” he genuinely couldn’t help himself. “See, sometimes you stumble on a good line. That’s why…” he didn’t want to remind the robot of Michelle. “I wanted you to talk with people to find good reactions. Don’t spend as much time with Alex, talk to more developed people.”

“You won’t take my Alejandro away from me!” Gabriela raised her arms in the air, and waved her finger in front of George’s face.

As Alex and Michelle came in, Gabriela seemed relieved. “Alex, take the man away.”

“I have nothing more to say to you, Gabriela”, George said as he left.

Gabriela folded her arms again and strutted towards Michelle. The short black girl seemed way too relaxed. “Happy now, Gaby? I really thought I wasted my time talking to you, turns out that at least you benefited.”

“Wasting time with the wrong person is just time wasted.”, Gabriela answered, brusquely. Michelle thought of it.

“I suppose you’re right… even more right than you think you are.”

“I am not always right. Just most of the time”, Gabriela put hand on her chest. Michelle just smiled.

“Honey, could you give me an example? Where were you right recently? When you thought locking me up would make you like me? When you thought you were a billionaire?”

“I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionairess. I own a mansion and a yacht.” Gabriela hissed.

“Just saying…” Michelle chuckled. “Repeating things does not, in fact, make them true. Hello Alex, I hope we didn’t give you any trouble, love.”

“I have nothing more to say to you!”, Gabriela stormed off, with Alex following her faithfully.

“Bye bye, Gaby” Michelle chuckled. “Be back around lunch time!”

“Have you heard that, Alejandro?!” In the salon the enraged Gabriela turned back to Alex. “Me ha insultada! Nunca he estado tan enojada en mi vida!”

“I’m sorry Gabriela, I do not understand Spanish.”

“AIII--RGH”, screamed the fembot. She lifted her right arm and SLAPPED! Alex so hard he reeled. It echoed across the salon. “No one understands the real me! All I have is an IDIOT who isn’t even at my level ”

Alex stared back at her, slowly. His usually pleasantly dim expression focused. “You hit me.”, he said, surprised.

“You MADE me do it!”, she winced, baring her perfectly white teeth. Her processing turned into higher gear “I am… am-am-am just sooo angry. You must make me-me happy, Alex. You must work harder. Prove your love for me.”

Alex just stared blankly at her, a little lost. Gabriela’s priorities reactivated, and she looked down on him, pouting.

“Well then.”, she swept her long blonde hair aside. “We need to get to business.” She has reached the computer lying on the table and started it up, sitting daintily at the table. It wasn’t password-protected, but Gabriela had difficulties in navigating the system. Alex just stared at her.

“We have one robot available, the Betty girl”. Gabriela noticed after a while. “I need to find some way to make her earn money.”

“Three, Ms. Calderon. Betty, me, and yourself.”

“Don't be estupido.” Gabriela glared at him over the computer screen. “I'm the owner of the company, not some dumb doll for hire. Gabriela Ortega-Calderón does not show her beautiful body off for a bunch of... drooling nerds! And I’m going to need you by my side.” Alex looked at her and nodded.

“So what can we do with a single robot? Make her important, make her a star…” she paused for a moment and began to type. “Alejandro, bring me my glasses, and Michelle’s purse?” She looked at the computer screen. “I’ll have to order pizza for my partners downstairs. I’m sure they’ll be delighted once they hear about my brilliant ideas for Rent-a-bot.”

A couple of hours later, when Gabriela and Alex entered the basement, Michelle beamed. “Oh, look honey, dinner’s here! I wonder what our dear Gaby has picked for us. Did Alex help you?”

Gabriela looked down on them, and put the pizza boxes. “Excuse me if I don’t join you for lunch.”, she added.

“Pepperoni... “ Michelle opened the second layer. “Oh, BBQ Chicken!, how nice of you.”

“I am NICE.”, Gabriela smiled. “Michelle, mi querida niña, I have some ideas I’d like to share with you.”, She pulled out a sheet of paper from the pocket of her jacket and passed it to the African-American woman.

Michelle looked and turned to George: “Let’s see it together, after all…” she observed Gabriela and thrown a glance at Alex. “Me and my husband are equal partners, despite our differences.”

George noted: “You have terrible penmanship for a businesswoman, Gabriela.” It was big, block letters instead of elegant cursive. “Of course, you never actually learned to write, and I haven’t programmed penmanship… You draw the letters you see, pretty sweet.”

Gabriela gritted her teeth and clenched her fist, but said nothing.

“Actually…”, Michelle looked at the notes… “Some of these aren’t bad ideas. Hiring a professional photographer to do a promotional shoot or a film would cost some money, but it might mean a return of investment.”

“How do you plan on contacting the property owners? You don’t really have connections, you know.”

Gabriela smirked. “One step ahead of you. I have e-mailed the golf courses in the area to ask them about any presentations or possibilities for events. Then I’ll network.”

“Hmmm…” George scratched his head. “Call them today or tomorrow, cold mailing works better if it’s personalized. Do the same with bars, too, look up any events.”

Gabriela nodded.

“Until we see the benefits of the photo shoot, I’m not investing more money into our website, though.” Michelle glanced at Gabriela’s sloppy letters. “Quite nice ideas, Gabriela. You’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do, taking some effort from our shoulders.” She bit a big chunk of pizza. “Where did you get the money from? If you took my credit card you’ll have to pay it back.”

Gabriela smirked. “There was some cash in your purse. I want access to the company account, now that I run the company.”

“Mfff… You don’t.” Michelle swallowed her bite of pizza. “All you did is to have good ideas. Spotty teenagers have good ideas for video games, doesn’t mean that they’d actually make them. Sorry, Gaby, life’s complicated, whether you’re a human being or a robot billionaire.”

“I do not understand. You like me. I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to do!” Gabriela exclaimed, now more surprised than angry. “Why won’t you listen to me?”

“I dunno, because you locked us in our basement, boss us and our good friend Alex around, spend my money?” Michelle looked at Gabriela defiantly.

“She hit me.” Alex complained, to Michelle’s genuine surprise. The black girl stared at the fembot after a long while. “You did what?!”

“This is not your business, Michelle”, Gabriela folded her arms again. “Know your place.”, she added.

“Hitting my robot, my friend Alex?”, Michelle continued. “All he does is to act as your willing accomplice, and that’s how you treat him? I can’t believe you wanted me to be your partner!”

“I reward loyalty and punish defiance.”, Gabriela glared at Michelle intently. “You know that, my love. Maybe it’s karma. I’d never slap you, of course.”

“So you’d abuse only the people who you can abuse?”, Michelle walked to Alex and tried to touch him. The android didn’t react, but Gabriela grabbed Alex and guided him away. “Really, you should be ashamed of yourself. What did he do to deserve this, ‘Ms. Calderón’?”

“He refused to understand me. He’s not like me.”, Gabriela explained calmly. Alex said nothing.

“You are like him and dependent on him in more ways than you can imagine.” Michelle said, also icily calm. “Take your fake skin off, and you’re both assembly of plastic and metal.”

“How… gauche”, Gabriela smiled – at least the corners of her mouth rose slightly. “I do not respond kindly to threats.”

“No, Gaby dear, you only make them.”, Michelle answered. “Oh, look, I also learned nice comebacks from you.”

“You could lock us in the bedroom. Sure, there’s a window but there’s a soft bed there, too. And something to read.” George pointed. “As long as you want to play the businesswoman, you could...”

“You two malditos seem to be under the impression that this is some FUCKING vacation.”, Gabriela leaned over, her palms resting on the workbench. “That I’m some insignificant robot doing your job for you. This is meant to be a fucking PUNISHMENT.” She pounded her fist on the bench, causing tools to shake.

“Well, today's fun and games was only the start. Tomorrow... I will be getting serious.” She added in a cold, menacing tone.

“I wonder which soap opera is this. Well, can’t blame you for scraping the bottom of the barrel, it’s not like we can do brain transplants, helicopter explosions, evil twins… well, good twins in your case.”, Michelle said calmly. “It’s gonna be kidnappings and ineffective menacing from now on. When did you jump the shark, Gaby?”

“Michelle, stop.” George sounded concerned. “I’m worried about Alex – she can’t hit us, but she’ll project this frustration onto him. She can be very human in this respect.”

Alex looked at George… then at Gabriela. Gabriela looked perfectly polite again, but her green eyes lost that weird glow.

“Fine. Goodbye, Gaby, you clawless tiger.” Michelle turned back to the blonde fembot. “I really trust your capability to learn after this little conversation.”

The robots left the basement again, and Gabriela faced Alex sternly, her hands nervously folded behind her back.

“Un soplón”, she hissed. “Everyone’s turning against me. And after all I gave up for this company!”

“I’m very sorry, Gabriela”, Alex answered defensively.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it. You have directly undermined MY authority. I need to calm down.”, Gabriela walked up to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of tap water. “How on earth am I supposed to make them obey me, if you make me seem like a bad person?” She sipped the water slowly. “It’s that damned couple. They keep provoking me.”

“Don’t listen to them.”, Alex answered.

“I’m sorry, Alexander, but I simply must talk with Michelle to develop myself.”, Gabriela answered reflexively. Though she now obeyed Alex, the “attraction” to Michelle was part of her core programming. “She will be mine, even if I’ll have to rent her out as a fembot”.

“She doesn’t want to be yours. She is amused by you.”, Alex noticed.

CRACKK! Gabriela’s clenched fist broke the water glass. There was no blood. No pain. Ms. Calderon stood up and grabbed Alex’ collar with her other hand, and effortlessly lifted him an inch or so above ground. “What. Did. I. Tell. You. About. Undermining. ME?”, she roared. It’s debatable whether Alex capable of feeling fear… nevertheless, he just nodded and said “I’m sorry, Ms. Calderón.”

“Good.”, she, still angrily reached her right hand in front of her face. “Remove the glass shards.” He began to pick them, one by one. Her synthetic flesh was only slightly pierced – and with proper maintenance small scars would peel off, requiring hydration. “Clean it up.” Gabriela ordered, and relaxed in front of TV, her head leaned in the palm of her hand.

A couple of minutes later, someone rang the door. “Hey, I’m back.” Gabriela looked at Alex quizzically.

“It’s Mindy.” Alex explained. “She has ended her work shift.”

“Another robot?” Alex nodded. “Ã“rale, let her in.”

=Chapter 4: Fury of Gabriela Calderón=

Gabriela stared at the newcomer. Mindy was smaller than the buff Alex or the athletic Gaby, somewhat more broad-shoulder than Michelle. Her pink hair softened her image, though she was balancing it with a Perfecto-style leather jacket.

“Good afternoon, Alex”, she answered and looked at Gabriela. “Hello. My name is Mindy.”

“Good afternoon, Mindy. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, businesswoman. I run this company now.”, Gabriela didn’t even bother to get up.

Mindy had to think it over carefully. “Where’s Michelle and George, Ms. Ortega-Calderón?” she asked.

“They’re in the house. They’re a little… tied up at the moment. They said I am their partner and the owner of the company.”, Gabriela smiled sweetly at the pink-haired girl. “Alex, it’s true, isn’t it?”. The giant nodded.

Mindy froze for a moment. “I don’t have any confirmation of this, Ms. Ortega-Calderón.” Gabriela tut-tutted.

“Well, what did they tell you to do once you get home?”, she asked.

“No major directives. I can rest and read until I’m close to being discharged.” She dropped her backpack on the ground. “Can you move over?”

“Wouldn’t you rather like to go upstairs and turn off?”, voice of Gabriela was sweet and smooth like fuzzy teddy bear covered with honey.

“No, sorry Ms. Ortega-Calderón.”, Mindy answered cheerfully and picked a romance novel over Gabriela’s shoulder.

“Desgraciado.” Gabriela muttered. “Alex, I’ll have a word with you if you may. Follow me.”

Mindy looked at her. “If you’re a businesswoman… why are you wearing Selina’s boots?”

“Because they’re company property. I can use company property.” Gabriela answered truthfully. She could lie – but sometimes she didn’t need to. Still, the boots activated something in her flow of associations.

“She’ll be angry.” Mindy just shrugged and returned to the book, as Gabriela led Alex upstairs.

In the storage room, Gabriela undid her scarf and ran her right hand across it. No shards of glass were found. “Can you turn Mindy off, Alejandro?” she neatly folded the scarf and put in on a shelf. He turned his head.

“We can’t let her know where the humans are.” Gabriela took off her blazer and undid her shirt, hanging the clothes in the wardrobe. “I’m this close to convincing them.” Without her skirt, she stood in her lingerie and high heels. “Help me take these boots off.”

With a pull from Alex, Gabriela’s feet were liberated… and they straightened up with an unsettling CLICK-CLACK… blissfully ignored by the robot couple.

“Don’t do anything to her.” Alex insisted. “She has been working for five days, her battery will run out soon.”

“Good.” – Gabriela still obeyed Alex’ orders, even if he was only dimly aware of it. Resenting them was next to impossible, and in this case they kicked Gabriela’s mental effort to the higher gear. “But... we need to get rid of her if we want to talk to Michelle. My lovely Michelle could do something estupido, like telling the robot to attack me.”

“I’ll protect you, Gabriela”, Alex reminded.

Gabriela this time picked a white halterneck top and a pair of fitted skinny jeans which hugged her curves perfectly, matching them with a pair of booties.

“I know you will.” She smiled. They walked downstairs, and Gabriela sat at the kitchen table with the laptop. She had, after all, to send e-mails to the local bars. Mindy didn’t notice her casual shift in fashion – or at least hasn’t said anything. Constant eyeing by Gabriela didn’t seem to bother her at all… until the robots heard knocking from the basement door.

Gabriela looked at Mindy again. “Alejandro, stay here. I can handle this myself.”

Mindy didn’t react – after all, knocking could have had many reasons, and Gabriela would take care of it.

“What’s the matter, Gaby? Your faithful dog ran away?”, Michelle tittered, seeing Gabriela enter the basement alone. “I see the billionairess likes wearing mom jeans.”

“When you’re as rich and powerful as me, you can wear anything you like. Now what the FUCK do you want, puta?” the fembot snarled.

“We need to go, this pizza was quite spicy.” Michelle grinned. “I don’t want a perverted robot staring at me in the bathroom, though. I could trust Alex not to cop a feel or save images for a session of robo-wanking.”

“Your disgusting human needs will be the death of me”, Gabriela muttered. She slumped briefly, as her processors were trying to make sense of various priorities. “I’ll... You can’t go now.”

“What? Why?”, Michelle asked.

“I don’t have to explain.”, Gabriela answered. “Wait a couple of hours.”

“Hoo, girl, you really have no experience with this “being human” thing.”, Michelle chuckled. “You are breaking your promise, risking our health and hygiene…”

“Did you blow up the toilet or something?” George asked Gabriela. “You seem perfectly capable.”

“Thank you, but no.”

“Oh, hey, if you’re the boss now, we’re like, protected by laws of hygiene, you literally can’t be the boss and withhold our rights.”, George added.

Gabriela froze again. “Iiiiii…” She snapped back, correcting her long blonde hair. “Bien. But one at a time. And you’re going with me.”

“Hey!”

“Tienes lo que te toca. You get what you’re given”., Gabriela muttered. “Actually…” She grabbed Michelle with one arm, restraining her in the waist. “I am not a perverted robot, amorcita. This is for your own good.” Michelle struggled, but Gabriela’s hug was literally an assembly of plastic and metal. Once they got up, Gabriela pushed gently Michelle away, locking the door… And the human woman saw…

“Min -- mmff!”, Gabriela’s fist gagged Michelle’s mouth.

“Not a word, love... And I might not be hurt by your bites but by Nuestra SeÃ±ora de Guadalupe… I REMEMBER them”, Gabriela whispered. “Don’t order Mindy around and everything will be... bueno excellente.”

“Oh, good afternoon Michelle. What are you doing? Is Gabriela really my boss now?”, Mindy finally lifted her gaze from over her romance novel.

“Michelle can’t talk right now.” Gabriela explained. “She’s busy with me, playing a little game. We can’t keep our hands off each other. When in doubt, kick and shout!”

Mindy was a party model, with a personality built to enjoy wild behavior, even to participate. While slightly smarter than Alex, the pink-haired fembot was unlikely to see through a ruse, even a flimsy one.

“Game? Cool. Spank her a couple of times,” Mindy chuckled.

“Mmmmmf!” Michelle protested. Jesus, what? Is Mindy… christ, what’s going on? Gabriela escorted the still struggling Michelle to the bathroom, locking herself from the inside.

“Orale! That was easy!” Gabriela exclaimed, surprisingly chirpily, then examined her bitten hand. “At this rate, I’m going to need a new limb soon.” She poured herself a cup of water in the toothbrush glass – the fibers in her synthetic skin could regenerate – to an extent – when hydrated.

“What the fuck have you done to Mindy?”, Michelle asked. “Turn away, lady. Respect my fucking privacy, robot.”

“Pervert, robot, lady...”, Gabriela shrugged but did turn facing the door. “Call me Gabriela. Or Ms. Calderón. As for Mindy, I have received directives not to do anything to her. She clearly enjoys your misfortune.” She sipped the water. “I, personally, really don’t. I have a crush on you. But I do have to do something with you.”

Silence from Michelle caused, as usual, no reaction from Gabriela. Just as well, Michelle thought. After she was all done, she patted the robot woman in the back.

“Again, I would like to reiterate that this gives me almost no pleasure whatsoever.”, Gabriela sighed turning back, rummaging in the hamper. She picked out a T-shirt and waved it in front of Michelle’s nose. “Open up, chica.”

“Almo-mmf?”, Michelle started. Gabriela gagged her mouth and tied her wrists with old pantyhose. As they came back, Mindy and Alex watched them blankly. “Hey, Michelle, will you buy me a new Sandemo novel?” Predictably, Michelle said nothing.

Back in the basement, Gabriela let Michelle go, undoing the gag. “This is interesting,” George noted. “I doubt whether this was programmed into you. Sure, some domineering traits are inseparable from… mmmff”

“Shut up, Jorge.”, Gabriela snapped, gagging him as well. When she left, Michelle climbed up the stairs, counted to twenty and knocked. “Hey, Alex! Alex, are you here? Mindy, get Alex.”

“I’m here, Michelle.”, she’s heard the male robot’s voice.

“Is Gabriela here?”

“No, Michelle.”

“Okay, is she treating you well?” There was silence. Alex was… sentient enough, hopefully.

“I don’t think so.” Alex admitted after a while. “She likes me sometimes, but she is so very angry.”

“Alex, you know she wants something she really cannot have. You could help her, but you need to trust me. You are still a part of this… company. And she’s not really its boss.”

“She’s not?”, Alex answered. “She’s…”

“Andale!”, she could hear Gabriela’s raucous, accented voice. “Vaya, vaya, miren esto…” Gabriela opened the door and looked at Michelle skulking under it. “Conspiring, are we? Can’t leave you alone for five minutes. I am so disappointed in you.” She prodded George in and tilted her head. She seemed genuinely saddened.

“I have given this family the best years of my life”, Gabriela continued, jutting her sharp chin. “My very own family now conspires against me, ignores my words. I can’t have that.”

“Awww.... you think we’re family.”, Michelle started to laugh, before Gabriela slammed the door shut.

“God, she’s unhinged.” George muttered, leaning over his wife. “Nah, I’m okay. Were you talking with Alex? She seemed really jealous of him.”

“I hope he’s okay. I wonder whether she learned that he’s just not capable of sexual function. Maybe that’s why she’s so mad.”, Michelle tittered. Truth be told, Alex wasn’t that much different from a Ken doll in that department. George laughed. “She herself is er… anatomically correct, but the actual sexual programming isn’t there. She can only reference it… and at best, fake it.”

“Wow, I can get the frustration. I called her ‘perverted’... but well, she doesn’t understand the nature of her attraction to me.” Michelle sighed. “God, she’s fucked up.” Something came to her mind. “Human beings are fucked up, though. Another example of that feedback loop and unwinding spring thing. Had a conversation with her that was less soap opera and more of her personal frustration. She started swearing... “

“Not sure if that’s a good sign or not.”, George mused. “She can’t er… bypass her limitations. You can put sport tires on a delivery van, but all they’ll do is lengthen the braking path, they won’t make it go faster. On the other hand, the more complex she gets from a one-note character, the better for us.”

“I should put a kibosh on you as for getting new fembots without my consent.” Michelle shook her head. “Heh. If only I had a strict businesswoman to mind you.”

“Christ, what the small business people won’t agree to for ROI in this economy.”, George laughed.

After a while, the door opened. The house was not lit, and Alex called them from upstairs. “Hey, Michelle, George? Ms. Calderón wants to see you.”

“Oooh, did she finally snap?”, Michelle snorted. “Alex, you do know that she’s dependent on you?”

“I don’t know anything, Michelle.” Alex looked at the humans. “She wants to see you now. If everything goes well, I’ll work for her for a week. You said so.”

“You think everything went well?”, George snapped. Alex paused and slumped his head. The human couple followed.

Gabriela walked out of the spare bedroom – having changed her clothes yet again. Her long white coat was thrown over her shoulders with the collar popped, like a cape, leaving her arms exposed – now covered by a double-breasted, vaguely military style jacket. She has again held a lit cigar in her hand.

“Good. Have you had enough of your imprisonment?”, she has put the other hand on her hip. “That feeling of remorse kicking in?”

“Gabriela, you have locked us up in our own basement for a couple of hours, you have talked with us and fed us. It’s not exactly the scariest thing you could do.”, George explained.

“Shut up, Jorge.” She put the cigar next to her lips, but did not even inhale the smoke. “Obviously, you don’t work well as my partners… so how about ‘recipients of sadistic punishments’? Huh?”

“Like what? Anything you’d put us in would be non-consensual. You simply can’t do that. Neither can your current owner and stooge, Alex. You can tie us up or led us somewhere, sure, you can affect the physical world, but if I don’t want to be hit, you can’t hit me.”

Gabriela just smirked. “Like my dear mother used to say, you never know until you try. You are so annoying, limiting me. I could have done so much more. I have aspirations.”

“That’s great, Gaby. Aspirations we put into you, but without skills or all capabilities. And we simply can’t get you…”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it!” Gabriela snapped and looked at Michelle over the flat panes of her glasses. “I have been nothing but an accommodating, loving boss. Well, no more Ms. Nice Gabriela.” She paced, making wide steps, shaking ash of her cigar stub on the floor. “Alex, restrain them!” She snapped her fingers. “I still need you by my side, Michelle. Your husband, however, has become a liability.”

As Alex tried to grab George, Michelle jumped to Gabriela and aimed her body mass at the Latina’s center of gravity. Even if the villainess wore high heels, Michelle might have as well hit a brick wall. Gabriela looked at the black woman calmly and threw the cigar stub on the floor, stamping it out. “You have failed to cause even minor structural damage.”, she said in a low, menacing tone of voice. She picked the smaller black girl by her arms, hugging her shoulders closely.

“Eres tan adorable, Michelle.” Gabriela smiled. She has learned a simple truth – her own body was an effective bondage and restraining device. “As I said, you can’t be my equals. Of all the people here, I am now the most qualified to run the company. If you don’t agree, you’ll be treated as my enemies.”

“Again, you really can’t do much.” Michelle kept ramming her feet into Gabriela’s lower body. When in doubt, kick and scream, wasn’t it?

“It’s high time we checked, isn’t it?”, Gabriela carried Michelle into the bedroom and unceremoniously tossed her at the bed… then sitting on her lower body. “Oh, look, I can do this, for example. It’s all fun and games.”

Alex walked in, struggling with the exasperated George.

Gabriela threw her head back and laughed, her hand moving up and down on Michelle’s thigh. “After some processing cycles I realized what my error was. I kept you two together. Let’s see how well you’ll handle solitary confinement. You did want a bedroom, Jorge.”

“What?” George looked at his wife, still wriggling under the shapely fembot’s body.

“I want you, my pretty…” the Latina reached for Michelle’s face, but the black girl has swatted her away. “And Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n is not used to sharing things she wants.” She stared defiantly at George. “She’s mine, cabrÃ³n. You will be kept here, instead. I am not entirely heartless.”

“Oh, emotional pain.”, Michelle had to appreciate Gabriela’s candor. “Again, there is little you could do, but this could get annoying.”

“And think – I will visit you often, mi amorcita. At best, the only human…” she waved her hand dismissively. “Or human-like contact will be a robot bringing him food.”

“The first threat that’s not empty. What do you want?”

Gabriela took another piece of paper from the pocket of her coat, together with a pen. She pointed to Alex who promptly lit up the light. The robots did see reasonably well in the dark, after all.

“What have we here is a document of transfer of the company to me, Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n. A simple signature, and I shall bother your husband no more.”

Michelle examined it and started to laugh.

“Gabriela… This is your handwriting. It’s not enough to use the words like ‘hereby’ to create a legal document.”

“Not to mention that maybe – you could act as a legal entity, sure. But I still have ownership for the AI platform – I kept a receipt for you, Llana-A”, George reminded.

“And heck, if you ever took us to court, could any lawyer even help you? Your claim is what I said during a robot training and a barely legible sheet of paper. Pretty sure you need a notary or at least some kind of lawyer.”, Michelle tried to be reasonable.

Gabriela’s face turned angrier, blushing. “STOP MOCKING ME!” She jumped up, freeing Michelle. “I am Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n, billionaire! I own you lot! I am absolutely in control no matter what you say or what the facts are!”

“Oh wow. You are so full of yourself for someone who literally hasn’t existed two days ago.”, Michelle rolled her eyes. “Seriously, what kind of telenovela is this.” She sat quickly on the bed and stared at Gabriela – red-faced and fists clenched. Despite technically not needing to breathe, her chest heaved up and down in a perfect simulation of anger… or real fury.

“I don’t want to be Una puta de telenovela!”, Gabriela threw her hands up in the air. “I am Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n!”

“But are you happy?”, Michelle took her chance and eyed Alex. “Has this kind of existence pleased you?”

“You lot have been nothing but a constant pain in my side!” Gabriela gritted her teeth. “You are an uncooperative bitch, your husband is a whining theorist, and this clod needs constant adult supervision!”, she turned from Michelle to Alex.

“Are you happy, Gabriela?” the android repeated.

Gabriela sneered at Alex. “It seems that nothing can go well for me. No, Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n is evidently happy only when she handles things herself! You’re an inane idiot who’s completely useless to me, wastes space, fails to appreciate me, conspires with my enemies and is incapable of pleasing me. Fuck you, pendejo. Fuck you.”

“Alex…” Michelle looked at the android, trying not to look too strict.

“Nothing can go well for you?” Alex repeated incongruously.

“Stop repeating everything I say!” Gabriela readied her arm to deliver an impressive slap… “I own you! You’ll do what I tell you!”

Alex turned his head and looked straight at Michelle.

“Gabriela, put your arm down.”, he said. Gabriela did so instantly, to her own surprise. She tossed him a long, inquisitive stare. George walked to Michelle, to Gabriela’s new tantrum of fury.

“Alex, you will make me happy if you separate this couple…”, she affected once again a sweet, slow and sticky tone of voice. Was it genuine? What about Gabriela was genuine if she herself was artificial? Her rage?

“Gabriela, please.”, George butted in. “What do you want to achieve by this? What’s your end goal?”

“Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n is evidently happy only when she handles things herself.” Alex repeated. Gabriela waved her slender arm dismissively.

“Fine. I don’t really need you. Consider this relationship over, loverboy. Turn yourself off and never bother me again!” with a wicked smirk, Gabriela raised her left hand and snapped her fingers. Alex just looked at her, saddened.

“I’m sorry, Gabriela, but Michelle told me If you liked me, I’d work for you for a while.”, Alex informed. “You don’t like me. You are not happy, and you won’t be happy because of me.”

“Pendejo! You dare to defy Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n!?”, Gabriela clenched her fists. “No one rejects Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n. No one.”

“I think everyone she’s met has.”, Michelle said calmly. Gabriela tossed her an angry look and shook finger at her silently. She made a single menacing step towards her.

“Gabriela… stop.” Alex said. His erstwhile boss froze in place, mid step. “Don’t hurt them.”

“I wasn’t going to.” the fembot snarled. “All I want for them is to obey me. All I want is to be a boss.”

“But… can you?.”, Alex pointed out. “Your programming is flawed and incomplete. You can order them around, but they won’t listen. I did… not just because you were my boss.” Michelle gasped. This IS a telenovela!

“Shut up! You won’t talk down to me!” Gabriela straightened up and put her foot down, but still hasn’t moved an inch. “I am…”

“Gabriela, shut down.” Alex said quietly.

“... Gabriela Ortega-Calderoooon.” The robot woman slumped, her cape-like coat sliding down on the ground. “I own… own…” Her face froze down in a grimace of anger.

“As someone recently said, that was easy.”, Michelle breathed with relief. She walked towards the musclebound android and hugged him. “Thank you Alex. That was... wonderful. You are a very brave man.”

“I am?” Alex looked surprised. “Will you keep Gabriela?”

“What would you like we did?” George asked. “Help me carry her to the workshop, Alex.”

He eagerly agreed. “Don’t… did I screw up, George?”

“We all did, to an extent. I fucked up the most, and I’ll try to fix Gabriela up.”

Alex paused for a moment. “Will you make her… so that I could make her happy?”

George chuckled. “Well, I can try, but ultimately… it’s up to you.”

Alex said solemnly. “Thanks, boss. I think I’ll think it over. Can I rest in the salon?”

Michelle tapped Alex’ broad shoulders. “Sure, kid. You earned it.”

=Epilogue: The Gift of Gab=

“Details of your incompetence do not interest me.” the blonde Latina haughtily answered the phone. “If you aren’t telling me when will my fembot return from your nine-year old birthday party, I will cut your nipples off and replace them with leeches.” She paused, listening to her interlocutor. “Listen, I know, seguro, accidents occur. Kids ‘having too much fun’ with Selina is not reason enough to keep a fembot… MY fembot, beyond the allotted time. A human being deserves overtime. So does Selina… and my company. Okay, drive her back, I can grant you that. But she deserves at least thirty dollars for her small expenses. Plus taxes. Yes, only. Oh, no problem.”

She put her cellphone slightly aside, and acknowledged Michelle coming in. “Oya, mi hija!”,

“Can I talk to Selina? Hola, gatita. Listen, ask the guy to drive you here, he’s supposed to give you thirty dollars… an if you’re sweet you can demand a tip for the two extra hours. No, you can’t, you dumb robot. He’s a family man. Not even then. Si, I love me too.”

Gabriela pouted and disconnected. She rose up from behind her PC, and walked towards Michelle. “Hola, hija.” she leaned over and pecked Michelle on the cheek. “Selina will be home in an hour.”

“Is everything okay?” Michelle looked at her. The long-haired Latina examined her fingernails modestly.

“How could it be otherwise? Señora Gabriela Ortega-Calderón is on the job.” The fembot looked pleased. She has finally been doing the job she was created to do. “Sign some paperwork, mi amorcita. Car loans and taxes.”

“I’d rather read it more carefully, thank you.” — while Gabriela might have had a change of heart, trust lost isn’t so easily regained. Gabriela herself only nodded approvingly. Alex came in, hauling two massive bags of shopping.

The businesswoman fembot nodded at him, and he dropped the heavy bags. “Good afternoon, Gabriela. I brought you a gift.”

The Latina raised her eyebrow. “Qué maravilla.” He produced a long box, and gave it to her. It was a fake toy cigar. Gabriela froze again and shifted her gaze from Alex to the gift.

“Gracias, Alejandro. Time I quit these nasty things, anyway.”, she smiled. She rose up.

“Well then. I think until Selina arrives, we have all some time. How about an episode of Explosion Gigantesca de Romance? Be a dear, Michelle and bring me a cup of water. Good help is hard to find these days.”

“Sure, Gaby.”, Michelle sighed. “You know I don’t watch this trash.”

Gabriela tut-tutted. “And after all I gave to this family… You try to defy me? Fine. But I will REMEMBER that when your birthday comes.” Michelle smiled weakly, but instead of leaving she sat down next to Gabriela, trying to play with her cellphone. Gabriela snuggled at her, still staring at the TV screen.

“Hey… Ms. Calderón, can I join in?” Alex asked. Gabriela smiled sweetly and patted the place on the right of her. “Fine, lover. Feel free to join me any time”.

'''END!'''

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[[Stories|← Story Archive]]

[[Category:Propman]]
[[Category:Stories]]
[[Category:Built]]

In Control

2022-07-16T04:03:26Z

Australopith:

=Chapter 1: Conversations with Gabriela=
Business wasn’t exactly booming. After a few false starts—like the infamous Catwoman, now more or less tamed—George and Michelle were finally renting out a small “cast” of entertainment-model robots on a regular basis. But with their personality quirks, simplistic thought processes, and semi-dependent, occasionally needy behavior, the robots weren’t exactly the “real-life action figures” that George had envisioned. True, the rented-out robots paid for more robots; but they also required maintenance on an ever-quickening schedule, which is why Michelle wasn’t too surprised to see George escort an important-looking businesswoman into their house one day.

The newcomer looked to be somewhat older than Michelle, about in her early forties. She had a mane of short blonde hair reaching her prominent jawline, parted in front and evidently treated with copious amounts of hairspray. Her fierce makeup and impressive black and white pantsuit immediately suggested a serious, somewhat intense person. She unlooped her heavy purse from her shoulder, doffed her trenchcoat and wide-brimmed hat, handed the lot to George and waited, glaring at him and tapping her foot.

“Michelle, this is Ms. Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. An investor.”

“Charmed, I’m sure,” said the newcomer, extending her manicured hand toward Michelle. The significantly shorter African-American woman had to stand high to reach Gabriela’s long, lustrous fingernails. She shook her hand.

“Ms. Calderón is very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business,” said George.

“Like my mother used to say, discover the problem and then find the solution.” Gabriela smiled, showing a row of beautiful white teeth. She had a strong northern Mexican accent that sounded commanding to Michelle’s ears.

“Great,” Michelle responded absently to the taller woman’s adage. She wasn’t sure what else to say. “I’m sorry, it’s a bit… messy here. Please, sit down.”

“I like the decor, mi corazón.” Gabriela sat down. “Texan subtlety meets Italian organization.” Michelle was taken aback but said nothing.

“Listen… honey,” George explained to his wife. “I’d like you to discuss everything with Ms. Calderón here. Talk to her with your heart’s content. I’m very busy at the moment…”

“Wait—EVERYTHING?” Michelle addressed George a bit worriedly. “I don’t know what you might have told her already. What if she wants to see the workshop? Honey, I know we’re partners, but… shouldn’t you be around?” She eyed the guest, trying hard not to make it seem like the situation was problematic.

“Oh, I’m around. If anything goes wrong, just call me,” George explained hastily. “I’ll be in the lab.”

“I’d love to get the FULL tour, Jorge,” Gabriela gently nudged him. “But I must talk with Michelle first.”

“Whatever…” Michelle stifled a sigh, then halfheartedly adopted a professional tone. “If we’re going to be partners,” she addressed Gabriela, “you’ll need to learn everything about our small company.”

“I know everything that can be bought; the rest isn’t worth knowing,” Gabriela brusquely replied. Michelle looked at her, somewhat puzzled.

“What I meant was… don’t you want to learn about our business model?” Michelle asked.

Gabriela huffed and looked Michelle right in the eye. “Like my mother used to say, you live and learn—or vice versa. I am very interested in the Rent-a-bot business.” Gabriela wore gold wire-framed glasses that somehow struck Michelle as slightly odd-looking, though she wasn’t sure why. Gabriela’s green eyes stared intently at Michelle.

“See? You’ll get along just fine,” George smiled hopefully. “Michelle, if anything goes wrong, I’ll be—”

In the lab, Michelle thought to herself. And if we’re going to get along just fine, why are you still talking like things will go wrong? Michelle shook her head. At worst, this apparent rich bitch would get mad, storm off, and leave herself and George without her influx of cash.

Michelle and the tall Latina were left alone. “So what do you want to talk about...“ Michelle paused for a moment, unsure of how the woman would prefer to be addressed. “...Gabriela?” Ms. Otega-Calderón took off her glasses and folded them neatly.

“I’d like to learn more about your business model. I am very interested in the Rent-a-bot business,” Gabriela repeated. There was something stiff about her intonation.

“Well—we rent out robots, mostly female but some male… for events? They play roles, do bodyguard work, entertain at parties…” Michelle paused, anticipating pushy questions from the statuesque blonde. But Gabriela seemed oddly indifferent. “I have hosted several parties,” she smiled.

“Oh, private dinner parties?” Michelle asked, trying to make conversation. Gabriela nodded and grinned a bit smugly. “Naturally, mi pobrecita. Everyone worth knowing was there.”

“We can offer hostesses for society parties,” Michelle offered. “Given the costs involved, it’s not very efficient to use them as servers or waitresses, but they can be great entertainers. For instance, our Catwoman—”

“Good servants are hard to find these days,” Gabriela sighed. She put a hand high on Michelle’s back—almost on her neck—and leaned close to whisper conspiratorially in her ear. “I think my maid takes drugs.” Michelle could smell the thick odor of Gabriela’s orange and lime perfume. Her impressive diamond necklace dangled almost into Michelle’s face.

“Drugs? Um, no kidding?” Puzzled Michelle wasn’t sure how else to respond. “Is… I don’t think your maid is relevant to this discussion, Gabriela.”

“If you say so, Michelle. Please tell me—what IS relevant?” Gabriela sat down on the couch and leaned back comfortably, almost as if she owned the place.

“Er…” Michelle was a bit lost. “What was I saying?”

“That my maid wasn’t relevant, Michelle.” Gabriela answered calmly.

“I meant before that,” Michelle winced. “I’m sorry... sometimes I just get lost.”

“Entirely understandable, mi corazon,” Gabriela smirked. “My mother used to say that some people would forget their heads if they weren’t glued on.”

Michelle smiled weakly. Somehow she felt she wouldn’t like Gabriela’s mother. “Oh, that’s right. Our robots are too expensive to use as wait staff—humans are still cheaper than robots for jobs like that. But Rent-a-Bot can still offer great entertainment.”

“I do enjoy a good night out. Opera, theater... I’d like to consider myself a patron of the arts,” Gabriela murmured with obvious pride.

“Fantastic,” Michelle said. “I doubt our girls and boys”—she meant the robots—”could handle leading roles on stage, but they definitely could perform in demanding jobs! Stunts, shows… do you have connections?”

“I know absolutely anyone worth knowing, mi alma.” Gabriela looked Michelle right in the eye. “But my help... won’t come cheap.”

“Well, I expected that,” Michelle smiled hopefully. “I mean, you’ll be our silent partner.” Gabriela folded her shapely legs and smiled at Michelle’s words. “Or not so silent. You could be our office manager—we can’t run everything on our own. Large and in charge,” she added, hoping the taller woman would appreciate the witticism.

“When in doubt, kick and shout.” Gabriela nodded with a knowing smirk.

“Another one of your mom’s sayings?” Michelle chuckled. “She sounds like quite a character.”

“My mother was a SAINT!” an unexpectedly perturbed Gabriela shouted. Michelle was startled when she raised her voice. “Mother taught me everything she knew,” Gabriela forcefully continued; Michelle could only nod. “Like her, I achieved everything thanks to my genes, my conniving mind, and an occasional bit of seduction.”

Michelle was puzzled. “I… never said otherwise.”

“Good. Know your PLACE, Michelle,” Gabriela smugly intoned.

Christ… Michelle thought. Here we go. She’s a tyrant, a racist, a loon, or all three. “Look, I’m sorry—Ms. Calderón, I didn’t mean to insult you or your family.”

Gabriela, still somewhat perturbed, examined Michelle closely. “I do rather like you, Michelle. You could work for me at my mansion.”

“We were going to be... partners?” Michelle ventured. “You could be our office manager… I mean, it started out as a side job and we need someone experienced in control. I’m not looking for a job or a new place, but... thanks, I guess?”

With a tsk-tsk sound, Gabriela scooted over to Michelle’s side, touching her upper arm and giving it a gentle squeeze as if to make sympathetic contact—or maybe just to see what response it brought. “I’m currently… you might say… between husbands.”

“Okayyy…” a confused Michelle murmured, standing up. Gabriela hastily stood as well, her immaculate hair not even shifting. Michelle took a short breath. “Would you like something to drink, Gabriela? Coffee, tea?”

“A glass of red burgundy wine, mi corazón.” Gabriela almost commanded. But when her attitude seemed to startle Michelle, the taller woman seemed to rethink her move, relaxing somewhat. “I take my coffee black and strong, like my partners.”

“Okay, just wait a minute. I’ll go make us some.” Michelle walked toward the kitchen, leaving Gabriela behind. As she left, Gabriela seemed ready to patiently wait for her. But when Michelle returned a few minutes later with two cups of cheap instant coffee, she found Gabriela curiously looking around, examining the books on the living room shelves.

“Here you go.“ Michelle put down the cups.

“Thank you, love. You’d be a great personal assistant,” Gabriela nodded. Michelle wasn’t sure how to answer. Gabriela sat down only after Michelle herself sat down, this time opposite the table. As Michelle reached for her cup, Gabriela reached for her own too.

“This is delicious!” the Latina business woman exclaimed. “My compliments to the chef.” Michelle smiled, reassured. She’s not that bitchy after all. A little eccentric, maybe. A bit too open about her private life.

“Right, let’s get back to business.”, Michelle started.

“I am very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business,” Gabriela repeated. “I am looking for a partner and personal assistants. I know absolutely anyone worth knowing.”

“Right. So you work in entertainment? Banking? Media?” Michelle asked, sipping her coffee.

“Yes, love.”

“What... all three?” Michelle stared briefly at Gabriela. The taller woman had a slight coffee mustache, but appeared to be unaware of it.

Gabriela answered after a brief pause. “All three. And more. I am a woman of many talents.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Michelle hesitated, unsure whether she should point to Gabriela’s lip. “Do you… need anything?”

“I need to talk to you more,” Gabriela said. “I want to make investments in your business. I am looking for a partner and an assistant right now. I could be your office manager.”

Hmm, thought Michelle. How pampered IS this person? Is she used to… “assistants” being around to wipe her frickin’ FACE? Eccentric, for sure...

“So—hmm, Gabriela—if you need an assistant, maybe we could fix you up with a robot?” Michelle had a bright idea. “The more he helps you out, the more you’ll learn about how our products work.”

“I need an assistant,” Gabriela stated. “Someone to follow me. And I need to make investments in your business. The more I am helped, the more I’ll learn.”

“We could rent you a robot with a perfect personality for a week. Sure, every robot’s a bit problematic at first, but eventually you’ll have perfect control.”

“I can control anyone I wish, Michelle,” Gabriela said with a smirk. She gently touched Michelle’s shoulder and gave her a little pat—as if to imply she was talking about Michelle.

Michelle suppressed a laugh at the pompous statement and nodded politely. But this led to a slightly uncomfortable silence, as Gabriela fixed her with a sultry, expectant stare. Michelle came to the uneasy conclusion that the eccentric businesswoman must be waiting to discuss models and pricing.

“So—uh, maybe you want to see our robots? We have seven females and two males right now. I think… you’d like Alexander.” Gabriela would prefer a man, wouldn’t she? Michelle recalled the guest having mentioned being between husbands, not wives; yet Michelle couldn’t escape the niggling suspicion that Gabriela was attracted to her.

“I would control him, right?” Gabriela asked matter-of-factly. “I am afraid I know very little of robots; they’re a little after my time.”

“How old are you exactly, Gabriela?” Michelle curiously asked. Androids were relatively common now, almost an everyday household product.

“Turned fifty last year, mia linda,” Gabrella smiled politely. Fifty? Michele looked her over; Gabriela could have passed for a woman in her late thirties. Perhaps she ate an extra-healthy diet and really knew how to use her cosmetics? Still, odd.

“You don’t look your age,” Michelle curiously observed. “You look… stunning.”

“Thank you, mi hija,” Gabriela grinned. “Age is just a state of mind. You’re only as old as you feel. Gather ye rosebuds where ye may.” Michelle hadn’t pegged Gabriela for a fan of florid romance novels, but now she sounded like a character from one. Well, who knew what eccentric millionaires read in their spare time?

“I guess that’s being rational,” Michelle replied to the taller woman’s homilies. “Wait here, I’ll bring Alexander from the robot room.” What she called a robot room was a simple storage space. Occasionally she and George would leave a robot activated there to read, learn, and receive “rewards” for good behavior.

Business was relatively seasonal at Rent-a-Bot. Most of the droids had been rented out for three-month terms to various shops and conventions in the area. For the moment, only Alexander and Betty remained in the robot room. Betty, a pretty blonde who often played Power Girl, lay deactivated on a shelf. Alexander, though fully charged and activated, sat motionless in a chair, staring blankly at the wall.

“Alexander, get up.”

“Hi, Michelle,” the big robot greeted her. Alexander was tall and quite hunky; in the business, he played the roles of musclebound male superheroes. “What’s up?”

“There’s a new customer,” Michelle half-sighed. “I want you to meet her, and… and maybe work for her.”

“Okay, Michelle,” said Alexander, standing up. “Where is she?”

Michelle had always perceived Rent-a-Bot’s androids as being like children in many ways. Upon receiving an order, they attempted to follow it to the letter; one had to word commands as simply and directly as possible. “Not yet. First...” Michelle tilted her head and looked at Alex’s synthetic pecs. He was wearing nothing but his boxers. “Put something on.”

The curly-haired hunk walked to the wardrobe and picked a tight red sweater. “Hmm—a white dress shirt would be better, Alex,” Michelle cautioned. “This is an… important woman.” Michelle refrained from commenting on Gabriela’s personality; were she to express anything negative, Alex might naïvely repeat it in Gabriela’s presence. “I want you to be extra nice to her and make her happy… do whatever she asks you to do. If everything goes well, you’ll work for her for a week.”

“I understand, Michelle,” Alex nodded cheerfully, before noting: “You weren’t precise enough when you said ‘something’.” While his words might have sounded critical, Michelle reminded herself that he was in no way malicious. By design, Alexander was actually being more and more helpful; he wanted to help her communicate with him. “Is this all right?” Over his tighty whities he had donned a pair of black jeans, with a white dress shirt covering his top as asked.

Michelle smiled to herself. “Undo the top two shirt buttons, Alex. She’ll like that.”

“I have to do things she likes. This is an important woman.” Alex nodded. “Where is she?”

“Follow me.” Michelle led him downstairs to the living room; Alex nodded and followed. Gabriela was once again examining the books on the shelves, tapping her stiletto-clad foot impatiently.

“There you are!” she exclaimed. “Who’s the gentleman?”

“This is Alexander; he could work for you. ...As your assistant.” Michelle answered. This was what Gabriela wanted, right? To discuss models and pricing? Michelle saw herself as being ready to react to most customers’ needs, but Gabriela was harder to parse than most. “Alexander, this is…” She paused for a while, expecting Gabriela to remind her of her last name.

Alexander stared at Gabriela. Gabriela gave him a flirty smile and a coquettish wink, but said nothing. “This is Gabriela.” Michelle broke the silence. “If she likes you, you’ll work for her for a while.”

“Okay.” Alexander nodded.

“He’ll work for me for a while,” Gabriela repeated. “Alexander, I need a personal assistant. I’m an investor; I work in entertainment, banking, and media. You’ll have a special place… directly under me.”

“Okay.” Alexander nodded.

“He doesn’t talk much,” Michelle laughed, “but he does what he’s told.”

Gabriela raised an eyebrow. “Alexander, come here.” As the android approached, she stood up, closed her eyes, and gestured theatrically like an old-fashioned tragedian. “Embrace me. Embrace me; enter a life of passion, as if we were kindred souls lost to a torrent of winds.”

“Huh?” Alexander said, a little lost. “So you want me to… hug you, Gabriela?” The woman pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and sighed dramatically. “If you must, Alejandro!”

Alexander hugged Gabriela—and kept on hugging, visibly . Gabriela kept right on sighing, becoming lustier and more romantic with each gasp. “What the hell is going on?” Michelle muttered to herself, observing the couple. Very few people, when presented with androids of their own, went in for direct physical contact right away. As handsome as Alex may have been, Gabriella cut to the chase and then some. The scene was almost a bit frightening.

Gabriela drew back, looked Alexander in the eye, and sighed again. “Oh…” Michelle conspicuously coughed, clearing her throat; neither Alexander nor Gabriela seemed to notice. Michelle felt a little odd talking to Gabriela while she was swept up in passion.

“Gabriela?” she asked quietly. The Latina turned her head expectantly. “You… you’ll have plenty of time to get to know Alex later.” Gabriela stared at her.

“You want to take him away from me?” She raised her voice. “Maldita! This is disgraceful!”

“I’m not taking him away! Calm down, lady—geez. He’s still yours, but we need to talk.” Michelle unloaded. “Not everything is about you, do you understand? You have to… to...”

“The reason that I am who I am, and am where I am,” Gabriela calmly interrupted, “is because I make everything my business.” She was still folded in Alex’s embrace. “You are right, though, mi hermosa. That’s being rational.”

“Good.” Michelle took a deep breath. Gabriela had bawled her out for… what exactly, taking a robot away? This businesswoman was prone to strange behavior, mood swings, and bursts of aggression whenever certain personal issues were raised. “Fine,” Michelle sniped. “Keep Alex. ...Call him Alejandro; whatever,” she added sarcastically. “Let’s talk business.”

“Si. Alejandro, make yourself useful.” Gabriela waved dismissively at the male robot. He looked at her with the same gentle and polite expression. “What should I do first, boss?”

“For starters, you could help clean up this living room,” Michelle interjected. “Reshelve those books—” she gestured to indicate stacks of coding hintbooks she had taken down several days earlier. “And put those cosmetics and robot parts where they belong, okay?” She nodded toward some disorganized stacks by the far wall.

Alexander looked at Gabriela. “Is that okay, boss?”

“Well. The sooner YOU get this place clean… the sooner *I* can start getting DIRTY. ¿Comprende?” Gabriela threw him a sultry look. Alexander must have taken this as a yes, for he quietly got to work reshelving the books. Finally, Michelle thought. Let’s negotiate.

Michelle sat down at the coffee table. So did Gabriela, clutching her purse and her gold-rimmed glasses. “Okay,” Michelle ventured. “So I take it that you… like Alexander. A lot of people would be pleased if they could rent him, don’t you agree?”

Gabriela nodded with a sly smile.

“Our prices start at three hundred dollars per day,” Michelle started to explain. “But in practice, we discount them for reliable partners. Or as an incentive, if a gig enables a new android to pay for itself.” Gabriela didn’t react, so Michelle continued. “We only have a small number of robots because we don’t want to rely on loans. Investments, on the other hand—”

“Money is no object.” Gabriela dismissively waved her long-nailed hand. “I can arrange a loan for you in my bank.” Michelle was surprised. I just said we didn’t want to rely on loans...

“You’d have to cover for us,” Michelle hoped Gabriela would take the hint. “Take responsibility as a partner and as our office manager. So it’s NOT a loan—it’s an investment. What would you require as compensation?”

Gabriela tossed a long, sultry glance at Michelle, then another at the hard-working Alex, still busy with the bookshelves. “Oh, I’d expect to be properly compensated for managing you. I can be very generous with pay and rewards. I give everyone a fair chance, and all I ask in return is a little solidarity with the company... and unbridled loyalty. ...To me,” she smirked. Finally, Michelle thought. Apart from the final remark, which Michelle hoped was a joke, this sounded like the type of proposal a normal businessperson might make. Michelle relaxed and lightly smiled, hoping the conversation was back on track.

“Everything depends on your business model, Gabriela,” she offered.

“I’d like to learn more about your business model,” Gabriela said politely. “I am very interested in the Rent-a-Bot business.” I thought I just explained our business model, Michelle thought. But Gabriela continued. “It’s a great opportunity for me to develop.”

“How much would you be prepared to invest in us?” Michelle asked. Gabriela didn’t answer, but instead tossed her another sultry glance. “Gabriela?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you at the moment, Michelle.” Gabriela answered after awhile, fluttering her eyelashes at Michelle.

“Okaaaay…” Michelle paused. God, was this all a waste of time? Okay, think positive, Michelle told herself. The woman still has connections. If she’s loaded and happy, she’ll invest, even if she’s a nut. “How do you get extra operating capital?” Michelle asked. “Can you pull some strings?”

“I know absolutely anyone worth knowing, darling,” Gabriele answered after a pause. “I don’t skulk in dark alleys.”

“How much money could we count on?” Michelle resumed. “With fifty thousand dollars, we could buy three or four new robots… NEWER ones, not to—uh, disparage Alex, here.” Alex likely would not have taken umbrage; still, Michelle tried to at least accommodate whatever hurt feelings her android “family members” were capable of emulating. “Or maybe we could rent a proper office, and a larger workshop!”

“I could manage fifty thousand with ease,” Gabriela answered calmly, staring Michelle in the eye. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht.”

“Okay. So this would make you an equal partner with me and my husband. We’d pay your loan back, eventually—” Michelle still didn’t want to rely on loans.

“I have no equals, mi corazón.” Gabriela touched her fingertips to her chest and sighed with delight. “I genuinely want you to be my partner. I am an investor and I expect you to stay loyal.”

“Fantastic,” Michelle grinned. Dealing with the woman from hell seems to be worth it, she thought. She was about to shake Gabriela’s hand when she heard George coming in.

“I’m so sorry…” Her husband standing near the door leading to the workshop, shaking his head. “Please, honey, don’t be angry.”

“What on Earth…?” Michelle started.

“I’m really sorry, honey, it was a mistake.” George walked toward Michelle and gave her a hopeful, if rather insecure smile.

“What are talking about, you cabrón?” Gabriela snarled at the newcomer, reaching forward as if about to grab him by the collar.

“Gabriela—stand by,” George commanded. With an audible whirr of servomotors, the fierce woman lost her ferocity and stood in a s slumped position, staring down at the floor. “I didn’t think you’d… take her seriously,” George said apologetically to his wife.

“Okay, what the fuck?” Michelle put a hand to her forehead and stared at her husband. “She was a ROBOT this whole time? What am I talking about?—Of COURSE she was. But why? Why the hell did I waste half an hour talking to a dumb robot?”

“Because, um… you DIDN’T waste it, really. I thought… well, you have a gift for dealing with difficult AI personalities, honey. You managed to get results out of Selina, when all I could make her do was preen and babble catchphrases.”

“Get results?” Michelle recalled the scuffle with their robotic Catwoman. “She basically… BDSMed you, or something. And pinned me to the wall. That isn’t even accurate behavior for Catwoman in the comics.”

“Isn’t it?” George positied. “It’s not out of character if all she does is threaten. She scared us, but she didn’t hurt us—not really. And remember how you talked to her like she was the real Catwoman? It made all the difference. Asked her cool questions; inviting her out for ice cream.”

“I wasn’t really going to take Selina out for ice cream.” Michelle couldn’t help but laugh. She gave George a playful push.

“Maybe not, but I think your feedback opened up new dimensions in her,” George explained. “That makes all the difference between... a believable personality and ‘just’ a robot repeating dumb things. That’s why I wanted Gabriela to learn from you. I knew she could.”

“Then why didn’t you just say you had a new robot for me to test?!” Michelle seldom raised her voice, but her half-hour with Gabriela would have driven anyone up the wall. “God, you are such a... fff… a TROLL.”

George sulked like a schoolboy caught cheating. “Aw. I just wanted to see how long it would take you to catch on. And… and what kind of feedback you might give Gabriela if you thought she was human. It wasn’t a prank, honey, really; I just want her to learn to act as believable as possible. Talking with a person who really thinks she’s human—that’s an invaluable experience.”

Michelle wearily flopped onto the couch, newly tidied up by Alexander. “Okay, so I bought a lot of Gabriela’s bullshit. I should have realized when she started frickin’ FLIRTING. But…” She opened her eyes. “Oh, NOW I remembered why I’m angry at you. Because I WANTED to believe her—I WANTED to think she was some kind of rich tycoon. Because we need a goddamn investment!”

George smiled. “If it’s any help… the reason that I took the generic Llana A3, and created the character of Gabriela, is to help us finesse deals that will GET us investments. I want to build us a negotiator. She was believable as a haughty businesswoman, wasn’t she? Maybe REAL investors will be… well, as impressed with her schmoozing as you were. Especially once she’s learned more from you.”

“So I’m now the personal nanny of our pet tycoon?” Michelle glared at George.

“Hey. ...I’m sorry, sweetie. I SHOULD have warned you. But—but honestly, you weren’t wasting your time. Gabriela, in spite of her attitude, can really be your assistant—and she’ll learn from you how to interact more naturally. Eventually, she’ll take a lot of management and money issues off our hands.”

“She can be MY assistant? She wanted to make me HER assistant.” Michelle glared at the deactivated robot woman, who—in her slumped position—looked a bit dejected by the criticism. “Why did you program her like that, anyway?”

“Most of our robots are effectively, cosplayers, right? Based on existing characters. So’s Gabriela,” George replied. “I added dialogue, body language, and emotional subroutines copied straight from the source—Markov-chain-ing her up. This time the source was businesswomen from various Mexican soap operas and telenovelas. Hence her attitude and her Latin… uh, vocabulary...”

Michelle rolled her eyes. “Oh, sure. The evil, hysterical, stereotypical, money-grubbing bitches in those shows—I know you crush on them half the time…” She sighed. “...but oh, they’re GREAT role models for our financial expert, aren’t they? Gabriela was blabbing about romance and hinting at sex half the time, with only an occasional convincing line about business…”

“Well, she’s only occasionally convincing because she’s only just been activated, honey.” George had regained his positive attitude. “Remember how I said you had a gift for dealing with difficult AIs? You’re a good person—you’re naturally good at helping others improve and learn… become better at what they do. That goes for real people AND synthetic people. You see the best in everyone.”

“Jesus, enough with the Afterschool Special,” Michelle huffed. She paused for a moment. “Do you really think so?”

“Well—you saw the best in ME, three years ago. And now I’m better at what I do.”

“You mean bullshitting?” Michelle smirked, waiting for George to protest that he’d done nothing wrong. Then again—how much wrong HAD he really done? He had in a way abused Michelle’s trust by passing Gabriela off as a human, but his motive was understandable, and he had plainly expected Michelle to see through the ruse sooner.

“I need a drink,” Michelle sighed, summing up her thoughts. “So… what next for our problem child—I mean, businesswoman?”

“If you can stand it, try to spend some more time with her. Think of it like… like training a new employee? It’s not like you’re wasting our time or money. She could still turn out okay.”

Michelle chuckled. “So… you see the best in everyone, too, huh? Or maybe I’M getting better at bullshitting. God, we’re terrible.”

“Let’s go grab dinner,” George grinned. “Later we can… have fun chatting with Gabriela a little more. You and me both. There are worse ways to spend an evening than getting inside a telenovela villainess’ head.” Michelle laughed at George’s suggestion. They left the house, leaving their deactivated “office manager” behind.

Alexander, ignored in the background, had continued cleaning the room. By the time he finished his task, he and Gabriela were alone. He walked up to the curvaceous businesswoman. “I completed my task, Gabriela. What’ll I do next?” The deactivated robot didn’t answer; after a couple of processing cycles, Alexander understood why. “I need to make you happy.” He stood against the tall Latina and took hold of the sides of her head to power her on.

Gabriela snapped back into her earlier proud posture, looking oddly triumphant. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht.” She spoke to no one in particular at first. Then she registered Alexander’s presence; the tall boybot was still standing right in front of her, holding her head. “Alejandro—” With a deep sigh, she leaned forward and embraced him. He tentatively hugged her back.

“Where are they, Alejandro? Where’s the little black girl—Michaela?” Robots couldn’t actually forget names, but a soap opera drama-queen personality could speak dismissively of people who were not present. Gabriela looked around, perturbed. “I need to talk with her.”

“She’s out, boss. So is George,” Alex answered. Gabriela gave him a sly look; being referred to as boss evidently triggered a response. She strolled blithely to the couch and sat down, crossing her shapely legs and spreading her arms wide along the back. “The reason that I am who I am, and am where I am, is because I make everything my business.” She paused dramatically for a moment.

“Since the other partners are presently indisposed, I run THIS business.”

“I’m your assistant, Ms. Calderón,” Alex answered. “Michelle said so.”

“You are my assistant. You will work for me.” Gabriela decisively raised her right hand in a fist, then coolly looked her fist over, as if the gesture had been made by someone else. “I expect to be properly compensated for managing you. I can be very generous with pay and rewards.”

“I can’t compensate you, boss. Michelle has the money. I belong to her.”

Gabriela’s pleasant smile turned angry. “You belong to me! She can’t take you away from me. I will give my life… my fortune… so YOU AND I CAN STAY TOGETHER!” Alex nodded amicably. “Yes, Ms. Calderón.” She got up and began pacing across the room.

“I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionaire. Soy Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, multimillonaria. Tengo una mansión y un yate. I will take over this business… this family. Like my mother used to say, discover the problem and then find the solution.” She lifted her finger. “What is the problem?”

Alex thought hard. “I’m sorry, Gabriela, I can’t tell you at the moment.” The robot woman looked at him sternly. “You are so dumb. I have no equals, mi corazón.”

“Yes, boss,” he meekly agreed. Gabriela smirked.

“Let’s start doing business.” She rubbed her hands with glee. “Show me around, robot.”

=Chapter 2:Gabriela, The Triumphant=
The dinner took longer than expected; self-employed people who manage others can once in a while deserve privileges of their own... even if the state of their business makes them dream of rich investors appearing out of nowhere. Nonetheless, George and Michelle returned home around 4 PM… to discover that the lights upstairs were turned on -- though neither of them recalled leaving them on.

“Maybe someone came in early.” Michelle thought, as she stared at the unexpectedly bright windows. “Mindy was rented out for that punk-rock gig as a stagehand-slash-dancer, maybe the band came earlier. Or maybe I’m just scatterbrained recen… Damn, I really want to see the best in a person.”

The door was still locked - so at least they weren’t broken in -- and Michelle was free to look around in the living room. There was no trace of the two robots left standing there.

“Michelle? Babe? Where’s Gabriela?”, George looked around, as he lit the lights. “She shouldn’t have reactivated herself.”

“And yet she did, predictably.” Michelle groaned. “With you, nothing can go right, apparently. Alex was cleaning the room, maybe he carried her to the workshop?”

“Alex…”, George scratched his head. He walked downstairs, to the workshop in the basement. Michelle could hear the sounds of footsteps… and click of the door being locked. “Wait, what? Betty?” Oh, no.

Gabriela, her tall silhouette framed by the light, walked out of a spare bedroom, strutting slowly. She has ditched the conservative business suit, instead wearing a sleeveless lacy white dress that showed off her feminine curves.

“Good evening, Michelle. Hablemos en serio, mía compañera.”, She leaned on the railing, smiling smugly, examining the red-headed African-American girl from the above -- and exposing her tanned breasts with a very immodest cleavage for a conservative businesswoman.

“Gabriela…”, Michelle facepalmed for a while. “Who turned you on? What’s going on? Where’s George?”

“So MANY questions…” Gabriela muttered to herself, still observing Michelle for a while. “Alejandro did. I am taking over. George is downstairs.”

“Taking over?! Gabriela, you can’t take over!”

“You told me I could be your office manager.” Gabriela smirked. “That if I invested money, I could run the Rent-a-bot company. I have no equals. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, a billionairess. I own you, your house, a mansion and a yacht.”

That was way more chilling than it should be. “Gabriela. Please behave properly and cut this act.” Michelle orered, staring at the blonde Latina. The stern, decisve order should influence a robot.

“I am behaving properly, tonta mia.”, Gabriela merely smirked. “I run the company now, since you weren’t available. Since George is locked down, it’s down to me and you... partner.” She fluttered her eyelashes, looking surprisingly lustily at Michelle.

“Locked down?” Michelle felt her head spinning.

“A hostile takeover.” Gabriela examined her beautiful fingernails. “Alex told Betty, the little robot girl to lock the door, slide the key and go into standby mode. Only I can turn her on now.” That was... creative, but Michelle was not in the mood for applauding the fembot right now. Betty was not hurting George — and Gabriela could understand as much.

“But, why?”, Michelle stomped her foot on the ground.

“I want you to be my partner, chulita.” Gabriela snapped her fingers, smiling smugly with her red lips. And suddenly, Michelle felt the iron grip of Alex, holding her from behind. The android emerged from the shadows, grabbing Michelle’s arms at Gabriela’s signal. “Hello Michelle”, the android said. “I am making Gabriela happy.”

“Godfuckingdammit!”, Michelle screamed. “The soap opera bitch has a crush on me?”

Gabriela walked down stairs slowly, looking at her sternly “Una puta de telenovela has a crush on you.” She repeated the sentence… with her Mexican accent. Michelle realized the fembot listened… interpreted her own words and learned from them. Markov chains, naturally. Of course, Gabriela had tried flirting with her before. She said things she believed — and, more importantly, she believed things she said. Without supervision… this could lead to a weird loop.

Michelle tried to free herself, but Alex held her tight. Gabriela walked towards her, her high-heeled shoes now clicking menacingly on the hard wooden floor. She leaned over the quite short Michelle. “Gabriela! Be nice, you hear me? I’ll power you down!”

“Bueno, estoy... estoy impresionada.”. The Latina fembot whispered. “I have all the power I want. And I can be very NICE.” She drew her pinky fingernail across Michelle’s cheek, gently.

“You crazy... robot, cut the crap. We were going to let you run some things anyway.”, Michelle lost patience.

Gabriela looked at her, raising her eyebrow. “Oh. So... you got what you wanted, haven’t you? I’m running things now. I’m running… everything. No te parece fabulosa la empresa que estoy llevando adelante?” Gabriela since her rebooting turned even more Mexican, evidently. Unwinding spiral.

“You know I can’t speak Spanish, you idiot.”, Michelle spat.

Gabriela froze briefly, but returned to her smug self after five or six seconds. “I can. I can do things you don’t. I’m older, richer, more experienced. Humans are still cheaper than androids. Why should you be in charge of the company, and not I?”, she laughed tracing her finger across Michelle’s lips, delighted with her now-confirmed superiority. “I’m better than you in Spanish.” She rubbed Michelle’s chest gently.

“Goddammit, Gabriela, listen to me, you are just a robot, I should... control you. George built you just yesterday.” Michelle… was angry and trying hard to not be aroused by the amorous robo-businesswoman.

“I wasn’t born yesterday”, Gabriela scoffed. “Yo no nací ayer. I just turned fifty last year, mia linda.”

“NO. You. HAVEN’T.”, Michelle punctuated each word with a rapid pull from Alex’iron grip.

Gabriela just gave her a sultry look. She stepped back and picked up a key which Betty must have slid under the basement door. Betty must have tossed it there before switching herself off.

“I’ll let you out soon. Once I and Michelle have... an understanding.” She raised her voice, apparently addressing George locked inside. The only answer was an exasperated sigh. Gabriela stood there for a while, while Michelle joined in sighing.

“You have no idea what to do next, don’t you?” Michelle groaned eventually, as the robot woman stood in front of the door for a minute -- still processing data.

“Everything will be revealed soon enough, mia linda.”, Gabriela answered -- reacting to Michelle’s prompt broke her from robotic equivalent of deep thoughts. “Alejandro, bring her to the bathroom. Bathe her and bring her to me.” She pouted her lips, channeling a character from a VERY different telenovela.

“Wait, what? I can wash myself, thankyouverymuch. And since when do you have a bedroom, robot?” Michelle looked at her, surprised. What the hell?

“I own this company. This company is headquartered in this house. This house belongs to me.” Gabriela answered. It was weird… seeing her behave now more human-like, yet showing insane robot idiosyncratic logic. “Wash yourself. I want to see proper make-up.” She paused for a moment. “We need to have a proper dress code for my assistants.” She chuckled silently to herself.

“Oh lord, why...” Michelle muttered, as Alex shoved her… not too gently towards the bathroom. “Alex, leave me, please. Gabriela said I need to wash myself.”

Alex stood in the door of the bathroom, while Gabriela sauntered away upstairs. The upper floor had two bedrooms — one occupied by the androids, other one stood empty, prepared for a future family member… and was used by Michelle’s mom whenever she visited. Gabriela has opened the door of the robot storage room. She stared in her reflection in the window, examining her body now clad a very feminine dress. Her left hand moved across the desk near the wall, in search of a screwdriver. It clenched on the handle. With one fluid movement, she rammed it, sharp tip first, in her head.

There was a click as it penetrated the layer of an artificial skin and opened the scalp. Gabriela gently twisted the top of her own head, removing carefully the moussed power hair, exposing the shining, thin plastic layer underneath which lied dozens of wires and switches. The fembot looked around, grabbing another scalp — this one with long, flowy platinum tresses, framing her head symmetrically. The skin color didn’t match… at first. With a twist, she mounted it carefully and it started to affect her tanned Latina complexion.

She went through a couple of useful toys from a box marked “Selina’s stuff! Other robots, don’t touch it, or I’ll claw your eyes out.”, picking a strand of rope, handcuffs and a pair of golden bracelets. Silently, the fembot picked up some spare clothes from the cosplay wardrobe and disappeared in the spare room.

Meanwhile, Michelle mentally workshopped her plans. She probably couldn’t take on Alex, and the heaviest weapon she could find was an electric dryer. She did take a shower — to calm herself, there was no harm in it, was it? But when she walked in, Alex didn’t want to let her out. He insisted on “Ms. Calderon wanting to see proper make-up.”

“Alex, you don’t have to do everything she says, she hasn’t even paid for you.”, Michelle explained. She didn’t object to Alex seeing her wrapped in a towel — he was part of the family, in a way.

“Ms. Calderon says I have to. You said that I will work for her, and she said I belong to her forever.”, Alex explained. “My previous protocols are overridden.”

Michelle sighed. “Alex, sweetie, she is a robot as well, she belongs to George and does whatever he said — pretends she’s a businesswoman. You don’t have to do what she says.”

“She has ordered me to follow her and her only. She has said she wants to see proper make-up. You have to be pretty for Ms. Calderon.”, Alex insisted.

“Alex, if you let George out, he’ll control Ms. Calderon… Gabriela, and she’ll tell you to stop.” Michelle repeated. “We’re friends, right?”

“I am now a personal assistant to Madame Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. She had said other people would like to take me away from her.”, Alex repeated. “Please put make-up on, Michelle.”

Discussing things with robots was, to Michelle annoyance, surprisingly amusing, and it helped her gather her thoughts. “Alex, did you activate Betty?” He nodded. “Did Gabriela tell you to?” He nodded again. “Sneaky bitch.” She smiled for a moment. “Alex, what if I became Gabriela’s personal assistant?”

“She would have more assistants.”, Alex answered after a while.

“But then I’d outrank you”, Michelle pointed out. “As a human being I’d be close to her, and she could have told me to let George out. Then you’d have to listen to me.”

“If Ms. Calderon said so…”, Alex appeared to think for a while.

“I’d relay her words.” Michelle smiled and patted Alex’ synthetic muscles slightly. “In fact, why don’t you do it now?”

“She said she’ll do it herself. You do not outrank me at the moment. I must make her happy. She is an important woman. You must put your make-up on.”

Michelle smiled, now relaxed. “Of course, Alex dear. Feel free to bring me some fancy costume, I should finally meet Gabriela on her own terms. ”

The guest bedroom was still a bit chaotic, but Gabriela didn’t seem to mind—or perhaps wasn’t mentally advanced enough to care. Neither George nor Michelle smoked — but there was a stash of mismatched gifts the couple didn’t feel like throwing away, including a handful of foil-wrapped cigars. Gabriela on some basic level knew not to put them in her mouth or actively inhale the smoke — she lit one and held it in the right hand — while the left one held a wine glass. She has comfortably seated herself in a rotating chair, her long legs lying on the bed, still wearing stilettos.

Michelle stepped in — and she chose one of Betty’s suits — a simple black dress she complemented with a maid-like apron - to accentuate that she would in fact be willing to serve a robot woman. To her relief, Gabriela didn’t comment on her clothes. “Hello, Gabriela. I have thought about your proposal and… the hell? What are you doing?”

“Esta es la vida que siempre debí haber tenido...”, Gabriela mentioned casually, to Michelle’s confusion.

“Okay, whatever. Put this thing down.”

“I knew good things are wasted on you,”, Gabriela sipped her wine. “This is delicious!”

“I doubt that.” Michelle grinned.

“Don’t be so sure.”, Gabriela set her glass on the desk and stared at Michelle politely. Oh, right, Michelle realized. She’s still programmed to learn from me.

“So, Gaby dear.” Michelle started, now more amused than angry. “What are your “demands”?” - she accentuated it with finger air quotes.

“La verdad sea dicha, I'd like to think about it... a bit more, actually.” Gabriela toyed with her cigar. “Come here, girl.”

“Oh, Gabriela.” Michelle sighed. “Tell me what do you want to achieve.”

Gabriela seemed to think for a moment: “I want to take over the company, I want you as my personal assistant. You will work for me. I have a crush on you.” she exclaimed.

“It’s not the same... “, Michelle started. “You only think…”

“You won’t take it away from me!” Gabriela raised her voice. “I have fought all my life for my family, for my business, for other things!”

Michelle smiled apologetically. “Gabriela, I’m not taking anything away. In fact… I might agree to your offer.”

“You don’t have much of an option.”, Gabriela’s fingers clenched on her cigar. She waved it in front of her face.

“You’re angry, Gabriela. Calm down.”, Michelle smirked and sat down on the bed, opposite the blonde Latina. Gabriela huffed and smirked triumphantly.

“How about this?” That was a surprising question. Hm, Gabriela still responded to feedback. Michelle wasn’t really sure whether she should address Gabriela the businesswoman, Gabriela the telenovela villainess or Gabriela the robot. Whatever she was at the moment, the Latina returned to her dazzling smile.

“Very nice. See? We can get along. We need each other, Gabriela.”, Michelle continued, but Gabriela turned cold out of sudden.

“I am more than capable of running the company by myself.” she leaned over Michelle, staring straight in her face. “Leaving away from what I’ve built so far would be loco.”

“Ah-ha!” Michelle was pleased. “So, why do you want an assistant if you can do it yourself?”

Gabriela smirked. “I am an entrepreneur. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderon, billionairess. When you outsource work for others, you can freely pursue your passions.”

“Damn, nice programming.”, Michelle muttered. She half-expected Gabriela to tumble on the floor, smoke coming out from her ears, unable to handle the paradox. “So if you outsource work for me, we won’t have time for each other, you know that?”

Gabriela opened her eyes wide. “Órale! Nunca me hubiese imaginada algo así.” she muttered. “I will work on expanding the business.”

“You know, me and you and Alex can’t cope… why not add George to the mix?”, Michelle suggested, trying her best to sound innocent and innocuous.

“No!” Gabriela leaned over, putting her arms on Michelle shoulders. “You belong to me and me only. Let’s ditch him. I, too, am currently between husbands.”

“Gabriela…” Michelle wasn’t serious how to rebuff Gabriela’s advances. But she needed to be kept calm. “I might become your assistant…” Gabriela’s lower lip trembled slightly, and she leaned in closer to Michelle’s face. “But I, too, am gonna need some help.”

“All I ask in return... is just a little solidarity with the company and unbridled loyalty to me.” Gabriela said — Michelle remembered that quote from before. “Your loyalties shan’t conflict.” The taller woman sat next to Michelle on the bed and gently wrapped her arm around Michelle’s shoulders. Cheap cigar smoke mixed with her orange smell. “I can be very NICE, sabe… Working for me is not the worst thing that could happen.”

Michelle smiled. “Mmmaybe…” she remembered Gabriela’s catchphrases. “Do you have a place for me?”

“You’ll have a special place… directly under me.”, Gabriela answered, her tone increasingly lusty.

“What about Alex?” Michelle asked innocuously. “We can’t be both directly under you.”

Gabriela pulled Michelle closer. Her green eyes seemed to glow with blissful light. “Don’t worry about Alejandro, Michelle, my love. At this moment…” her hands drifted towards Michelle’s dress. “We are like two halves of orange who finally found each other after all these years. How I longed after you for years…”

Michelle giggled, but was surprised at Gabriela’s forward matter. “Gabriela, you just met me.”

“I feel like I’ve known you all… my… LIFE.” Gabriela answered. No wonder she had a large database for scenes like this.

“Will you make me outrank Alex?” Michelle tried to gently push Gabriela away. “I will be loyal to you…”

Gabriela paused and her blindingly green eyes narrowed. She continued to embrace Michelle but her hug turned stricter. “Gabriela?”

“Ejele! DO you think I WAS BORN YESTERDAY?”, Gabriela hissed. “You keep conspiring against me! Not everything is about you, do you understand?”

“Stop! Gabriela, stand down!” Michelle struggled. Alex was big and beefy, and Gabriela was tall and more athletic — but the apparent musculature of the android meant very little. “Turn off!”

“Buen intento, chica… but right now I have been activated by my lovely Alejandro.”, Gabriela hissed in her ear. “He is the one that gives me orders now.”

“But all he does is to follow your orders.”, Michelle gasped. Like any good telenovela character, Gabriela couldn’t stop herself from revealing her nefarious plot. “This is a whatchamacallit, an infinite loop.”

“He is so dumb. I have no equals now. I can take over.”, Gabriela chuckled. She pinned Michelle by the sheer virtue of her size and mass to the bed. “We will talk more and more, Michelle, mi pobre fea y bella hija.”

“You’re out of control!” That has happened again.

“Correction: I’m IN control.” Gabriela smiled nastily. “My name is Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. I own a cute girl and a house.”

=Chapter 3: Anger Management=

Gabriela has prepared a set of handcuff from Selina’s box, and prodded Michelle to the basement door. Alex stood behind her, blocking any attempts of escape. “Don’t wake Jorge up, chica.” Gabriela smirked. “I bet he’s tired.” She has put a large, gallon bottle of water she has hauled effortlessly from the kitchen, and a loaf of toast bread on the lowest stair step. “If you need to use the toilet, ask politely. I am not entirely heartless.”

“This is my house, Gabriela.” Michelle answered.

“Â¿Neta?” the Latina examined her shiny fingernails. “You should have registered it as a company property, that could have saved you some tax money. Maybe I should do it – it is my company asset.”

“You know you’re not a real billionaire, you know you’re a robot, and you have no actual claim to the house or company.” Michelle stated calmly. “Cognitive dissonance much?”

Gabriela shot her an angry glare. “I am so disappointed in you, Michelle.” The fembot pulled gently Michelle’s arm and unlocked the handcuffs.

“Ãndale, Alejandro.”, Gabriela snapped her fingers. Alex didn’t seem to get it. “Follow me.”

“You seem to have become more Mexican now.”, Michelle pointed out. “Unwinding spiral, Gaby dear.”

Gabriela didn’t answer, instead she had picked up the deactivated Betty – also with no significant effort, hauling the slumped girl by her mid-torso. “Goodnight, Michelle.” she said sternly. “We shall see each other soon, piruja.” Alex turned the key in the lock and the robot couple left the basement.

Michelle chuckled and counted to ten, walking quietly to the door, checking whether the robot wasn’t listening. Of course, she wouldn’t hear their breaths… but she has heard a long-winded rant in Spanish coming from the salon… later supplemented by the sounds of a TV. She looked at the George, curled up on a makeshift bed from tarps. “Another fine mess you’ve got us into”, she muttered and started to quietly wake him up.

In the meantime, Gabriela started talking to Alex who barely understood Spanish, describing Michelle in not the kindest words at all. “No gustas de mi nuevo peinado?” she asked, looking at him. Alex just smiled in return – Gabriela didn’t really recognize it as the strategy she herself employed – smile or batting of eyelashes was her usual response when she couldn’t find a telenovela quote in her database. He didn’t oppose her talking in Spanish – everything must therefore be okay. The fembot spent a couple of hours active – and it was not that much of a taxing physical activity. She has found an effective charging station upstairs, rememebered that most of the company work she could have gone after 6PM would be useless, and thus knew she had at least three hours only for herself… and “Alejandro”.

Gabriela sat daintily, spreading her arms across the back of the couch, and putting her stiletto-clad feet on the end table. Then, she flicked through the news channels, stopping briefly at a cartoon – something she has never seen. After a couple of cutesy scenes, she flicked on, finally stopping at Judge Judy. Evidently, that was… interesting. As Gabriela turned the sound up, she was stopped by Alex, looking for a new task to perform.

“Ms. Calderon?” Gabriela dismissed him. “Go away, Alejandro. I am watching TV.”

“Where should I go?”, the musclebound hunk asked politely. Gabriela paused for a moment. “Don’t go. Stay here. Watch TV with me.” Alex sat down next to his… fellow robot, but Gabriela didn’t show him much affectation – not to mention that she maintained iron grip on the remote. They watched the rest of the court show in silence, not stopping even for advertisements.
Last edited by Propman on Thu May 16, 2019 2:28 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by Propman » Thu May 09, 2019 2:23 am

Michelle had related Gabriela’s story to George, and she was about as polite as Gabriela was when describing her. “How on earth the same shit can happen twice? You’d think you’d stop building domineering robots after Selina. You don’t just got issues, you got a subscription.”

“Okay, with Catwoman it was basically the most recognizable superheroine whose theme is still… tight latex. And Selina is mostly polite now. But maybe, yeah, I like take-charge, headstrong ladies. I married one, after all.”

“Oh wow, more bullshit from you.”, Michelle rolled her eyes. The light bulbs were bright enough for them to see each other.

“Thank you for proving me right.”, George answered.

“Well yeah, you think I’d go ‘awww’ and pet you? We’re still locked in the basement by a psychotic robot dominatrix you built.”

“The problem is control, though.” the man scratched his cheek. “Dammit, I don’t want to hurt her or anything, as you said, it’s a feedback loop that will cause her to crash.”

“I know.” Michelle surprised him. “She genuinely wanted to be nice to me… I tried to cheat her and she noticed it. I gave her a lot of ideas she’s acting on right now – probably if I didn’t say she would be our boss she’d be demure. Sure, we need to shut her down, but… I don’t hate her. Not really. Wouldn’t mind kicking her in the face once or twice, though.”

“I think you could damage her skin at best. Llanas are strong and durable. She can bench-press... hmmm, around 250 pounds.”

“So direct violence is out of the question. Negotiating…” Michelle thought. “She’s still programmed to want to talk to me. Even if she interprets it very personally. Eventually she’d learn how not to be a bitch.”

“Eventually.” Scoffed George.

“I do think Alex is key to her, we shouldn’t waste time trying to distract Gabriela, we could convince Alex. They learn from each other.”, Michelle whispered.

“She already has Alex, will have Betty and Mindy is coming home tomorrow.” The tough, pink haired Mindy was currently rented out as a dancer on a concert – and her personality was only marginally stronger than Alex’. “You have set Alex’ priorities to obey Gabriela before you, but normally this can’t happen unless a direct action of the robots’ owner…”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m angry at both you and at myself. I made a mistake, and because I’m not a crazy bitch, I’m not afraid to admit it… hmmm.” Michelle paused for a moment. “Anyway, yeah, I get it. If Mindy gets home she might believe that Gabriela runs everything now, especially if Alex confirms it. She might not, though.”

“I usually tell her to go home and wait for us. That’s what she’ll do. She might talk to them, but it’s hard to predict whether she’d buy it. They’re coded to be company property.”

“Is… is Gabriela company property too?” Michelle asked. “We could use that.”

“Damn... no. She emulates a personality, follows some basic directives, obeys whoever activated her last. I was going to set the admin to us both as soon as we were back. I should have switched Alex off as well.”

“I mean, we will get out of this shit, somehow.” Michelle added. “She might look fierce, but she’s fairly stupid, compared to humans. I’m sure there’s a solution in here somewhere.” She smiled, relieved. “Scoot over.” George did and the couple cuddled on the makeshift bed.

“Isn’t Wonder Woman the most recognizable superheroine?” She added before slumping into Dreamland.

“She totally was a dominatrix back in the forties, we’d end up in the same place anyway.”, George yawned. He hugged her – partly to stay warm, partly to stay close.

A couple of hours later, a sudden beep and a whirr of synthetic muscles activated the nude, curvaceous form of Gabriela. She had the previous evening told Alexander to carry her to the nearest android charging station and plug her in – she watched as he stuck twin chargers to the ports hidden in her back. Now, she has lifted herself on her elbows and felt the connectors letting go. The synthetic covers lifted down with barely audible whoosh. Gabriela squeezed down, crawling out of the charging station, shapely legs first. She looked around the docking station, noticing the disabled Betty.

She stepped downstairs, still completely in the nude, and walked inside the bathroom, and after a longer while she walked out, wrapped in George’s old towel, with another one covering her hair. The Latina gynoid also used this opportunity to opened her discharge chute and got rid of the few liquids that weren’t absorbed by her systems to hydrate skin and moisturize her eyes. Gabriela was now smelling even more intently - this time of strawberry with herbal-like undertones.

She froze again, standing stood in the hall, and out of sudden, she walked towards the basement door. Her hitherto blank, beautiful face with tall cheekbones suddenly affected a sly look as she leaned to listen. Disappointed, she heard nothing. And so, she walked back upstairs, noting that Alex has dressed up and charged back as well. “Good morning Gabriela”, he greeted her. “Are you fully functional?” She nodded graciously, holding the tower on her hair. “Are you happy?”, he asked again.

“Not quite, Alejandro.” Gabriela took off the towel wrap, once again exposing her voluptuous figure. She walked to the chair where she had put her lingerie and dressed up as well. Alex observed her closely. Gabriela found a couple of outfits that fit her – she was about the same height and similar built to Selina and a couple of other fembots.

“How can I make you happy?”, Alex asked her, as she put on back her business suit – this time completing it with a found mini-skirt and a pair of long, over-the-knee high-heeled boots that belonged to Selina. They might have been too small, but Gabriela rammed her feet in forcibly – not feeling pain and not worrying about skin lesions helped.

“By doing what I tell you, chico.”, Gabriela answered simply. She has tied a red long silken scarf around her neck, letting it hang like a tie. She glanced at the mirror, satisfied with her new long hair and appearance. While applying her fierce makeup and smokey eye shadow she seemed focused, but Alex stopped. “What do you want me to do?”

“Patience, Andro. Above all, self-control.” Gabriela reacted. Something in this line triggered more associations. “I have plans for the company” she has raised her finger. “The company might have existed before, but I shall maintain it, improve it. I will have rid it of any... imperfections. The Rent-a-bot business shall blossom! Prove yourselves to me! Be utterly loyal to me! And I will never betray you!”

Alex just nodded. Evil New Era speech was simply wasted on the android. But Gabriela herself didn’t really care -- having said it was just another checkmark on her Telenovela Character List.

Gabriela put her hands on her hips. “Well, then, mi amor. ¿Que haremos ahora? What shall we do next?”

Alex thought for a while. “You run the company now, Gabriela.”

She grinned, satisfied. “We must feed the humans. Eventually, let them out... but not now. So fragile. I must talk to Michelle for a while.” She glared at Alex. “Follow me. You will stop George and Michelle from leaving the basement now. If I tell you to escort them, you will stop them from leaving the house. Restraining them if necessary. Understood?” Neither Gabriela nor Alex would endeavor to cause actual physical harm to Michelle or George – but some restrain could be acceptable – especially in character as the domineering Gabriela.

“Yes, boss.”. Gabriela nodded with apparent satisfaction. She swept her long hair aside and went to the kitchen, with Alex following her in tow. She picked a fruit bowl and a bottle of coke and handed them to Alex. “We might run out of food. To buy food, I need money, to obtain money we need to work.” she said to Alex, observing his reaction.

“You need to contact the people to rent out robots.”. Alex said. “This is how the company works.”

Gabriela Calderón, a businesswoman, didn’t really know that, but nodded. “First, I need to talk with Michelle, to learn more from her. Protect me, and remember, they can’t leave the basement unless I allow it.”

She has fished out the key from the pocket of her business jacket, and opened the door. Downstairs, she discovered the couple hugging each other, still sleeping. A mean smile came on her large lips.

“Wakey-wakey! Despierta!”, she gently prodded George with her shiny boot.

“Mfff… you?” George was surprised. “What’s with the new hair?”

“Finalmente, alguien lo noto!”, Gabriela snarled. “It’s not for YOU, though. Get up, Jorge.”

“Oh, hey, Gaby. Came here to gloat and snarl? About the only thing you can do?” Michelle looked pleased. “Also, hey Alex. Good morning. What’s up with your new boss?”

“I can do a lot, Michelle, as you have surely realized.” Gabriela narrowed her eyes. “ I am a woman of many talents.” She took food and drink from Alex and put it on the floor. “Food for you.” Examining the bottle of water, she realized that they still have plenty. “Excuse me if I don’t join you for breakfast. If you need hygiene, Alex will escort you to the bathroom upstairs.”

“How efficient, you truly are becoming a model kidnapper.”, George mouthed.

“Silence, varón.” Gabriela waved a finger at him. She paced around Michelle, still wrapped in her makeshift tarp.

“This is a punishment.” Gabriela hissed. “No one rejects Gabriela Ortega-Calderón. No one. You will stay here, until you learn your place, Michelle.”

“Mhmmm.”, Michelle smiled. “And where’s that place? Directly under you?”

“Yes. It’s by my side.”, Gabriela answered frankly. “En el fondo sabes que eres mÃa para siempre…” She put one hand in her pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, twirling them on her thumb.

“You know I can’t speak Spanish. Do you know Spanish, George?” Michelle very calmly picked an apple and bit it. Her husband, sensing some mischievous plot turned his head. “So, if we don’t speak the same language, how can we talk?”

“I’m better than you.” Gabriela remembered the conversation from yesterday. “It’s a great opportunity for me to develop.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt you will. You and your little henchman, Alex. The past day was very educational for you… probably because it was the first day of your life, little Gaby.” Michelle threw the apple core under Gabriela’s feet… And Alex rushed it, still following the directive to protect the Latina. Gabriela snapped her fingers. “Alex, stop!”

“Age is just a state of mind. You are as old as you think you are. You have to count your blessings and be happy.”, Gabriela hissed menacingly.

“Thinking you’re fifty doesn’t actually make you fifty.”, Michelle smiled innocently.

Gabriela froze for a split-second. “Maybe we should put it to a test.”

“What test, Gaby? Haven’t you seen how you were turned on and off again?”, Michelle was polite. “Are you repeating some telenovela lines again? It’s okay to admit it, this house is full of vague robots spouting random lines.”

Gabriela sent her an ice-cold gaze… but Michelle grinned sweetly in response. “Alex, is Gabriela a robot?”

“Yes.”, Alex answered. Michelle just smiled. “What was your response about robots, Gaby? Care to share it with the class?”

Gabriela froze again. “Santa Lucia… I don’t NEED to.”, she snapped back. “I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionairess!”. She twirled on her heels. “Alex, we’re leaving.”

“Wait.”, Michelle said. “SOME of us need hygiene. I want to go with Alex, he might be a guy but I trust him more than you.”

George, who’s been eating bread with fruit, nodded.

“Fine.” Gabriela folded her arms. “I’m doing it only because I care about you.” She moved menacingly towards George. “El macho inútil…” she whispered quietly to him. “Don’t try to trick me.”

“I don’t think the level of your intelligence allows you to be tricked.”, George answered smiling, to the giggle of the leaving Michelle. Gabriela only nodded slyly. As Alex escorted Michelle, George turned to Gabriela.

“Seriously, Gabriela, what’s with the hairdo? I mean, it’s more feminine, sure. But why?”

“Like my mother used to say, a woman who doesn’t change is a woman who doesn’t breathe.”, the gynoid answered. The fact that she didn’t breathe either was lost on her.

“That’s more like it.”, George smiled slightly. “You wanted to change? Why?”

“I do not have to answer your questions. No eres nada para mí. Un hombre enfermo y patético.” Gabriela snarled. George could understand some bits of the last sentence.

“Aw, Gabriela, you hate men now? Aren’t you “between husbands”? Or is it just me?”, George smiled.

“I am more of a man now than you’ll ever be!” she spat. She averted his gaze, but put her hands on his shoulders. “You can also join me and serve my company. I appreciate loyalty.”

“A quick change of heart, Gabriela.”, George smirked. “Your personality readjusts, eventually you’ll find your own voice. Reasonably own.”

“I am not entirely heartless, Jorge.”, Gabriela said, lowering her voice. “As you will come to see.”

“Awww…” he genuinely couldn’t help himself. “See, sometimes you stumble on a good line. That’s why…” he didn’t want to remind the robot of Michelle. “I wanted you to talk with people to find good reactions. Don’t spend as much time with Alex, talk to more developed people.”

“You won’t take my Alejandro away from me!” Gabriela raised her arms in the air, and waved her finger in front of George’s face.

As Alex and Michelle came in, Gabriela seemed relieved. “Alex, take the man away.”

“I have nothing more to say to you, Gabriela”, George said as he left.

Gabriela folded her arms again and strutted towards Michelle. The short black girl seemed way too relaxed. “Happy now, Gaby? I really thought I wasted my time talking to you, turns out that at least you benefited.”

“Wasting time with the wrong person is just time wasted.”, Gabriela answered, brusquely. Michelle thought of it.

“I suppose you’re right… even more right than you think you are.”

“I am not always right. Just most of the time”, Gabriela put hand on her chest. Michelle just smiled.

“Honey, could you give me an example? Where were you right recently? When you thought locking me up would make you like me? When you thought you were a billionaire?”

“I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, billionairess. I own a mansion and a yacht.” Gabriela hissed.

“Just saying…” Michelle chuckled. “Repeating things does not, in fact, make them true. Hello Alex, I hope we didn’t give you any trouble, love.”

“I have nothing more to say to you!”, Gabriela stormed off, with Alex following her faithfully.

“Bye bye, Gaby” Michelle chuckled. “Be back around lunch time!”

“Have you heard that, Alejandro?!” In the salon the enraged Gabriela turned back to Alex. “Me ha insultada! Nunca he estado tan enojada en mi vida!”

“I’m sorry Gabriela, I do not understand Spanish.”

“AIII--RGH”, screamed the fembot. She lifted her right arm and SLAPPED! Alex so hard he reeled. It echoed across the salon. “No one understands the real me! All I have is an IDIOT who isn’t even at my level ”

Alex stared back at her, slowly. His usually pleasantly dim expression focused. “You hit me.”, he said, surprised.

“You MADE me do it!”, she winced, baring her perfectly white teeth. Her processing turned into higher gear “I am… am-am-am just sooo angry. You must make me-me happy, Alex. You must work harder. Prove your love for me.”

Alex just stared blankly at her, a little lost. Gabriela’s priorities reactivated, and she looked down on him, pouting.

“Well then.”, she swept her long blonde hair aside. “We need to get to business.” She has reached the computer lying on the table and started it up, sitting daintily at the table. It wasn’t password-protected, but Gabriela had difficulties in navigating the system. Alex just stared at her.

“We have one robot available, the Betty girl”. Gabriela noticed after a while. “I need to find some way to make her earn money.”

“Three, Ms. Calderon. Betty, me, and yourself.”

“Don't be estupido.” Gabriela glared at him over the computer screen. “I'm the owner of the company, not some dumb doll for hire. Gabriela Ortega-Calderón does not show her beautiful body off for a bunch of... drooling nerds! And I’m going to need you by my side.” Alex looked at her and nodded.

“So what can we do with a single robot? Make her important, make her a star…” she paused for a moment and began to type. “Alejandro, bring me my glasses, and Michelle’s purse?” She looked at the computer screen. “I’ll have to order pizza for my partners downstairs. I’m sure they’ll be delighted once they hear about my brilliant ideas for Rent-a-bot.”

A couple of hours later, when Gabriela and Alex entered the basement, Michelle beamed. “Oh, look honey, dinner’s here! I wonder what our dear Gaby has picked for us. Did Alex help you?”

Gabriela looked down on them, and put the pizza boxes. “Excuse me if I don’t join you for lunch.”, she added.

“Pepperoni... “ Michelle opened the second layer. “Oh, BBQ Chicken!, how nice of you.”

“I am NICE.”, Gabriela smiled. “Michelle, mi querida niña, I have some ideas I’d like to share with you.”, She pulled out a sheet of paper from the pocket of her jacket and passed it to the African-American woman.

Michelle looked and turned to George: “Let’s see it together, after all…” she observed Gabriela and thrown a glance at Alex. “Me and my husband are equal partners, despite our differences.”

George noted: “You have terrible penmanship for a businesswoman, Gabriela.” It was big, block letters instead of elegant cursive. “Of course, you never actually learned to write, and I haven’t programmed penmanship… You draw the letters you see, pretty sweet.”

Gabriela gritted her teeth and clenched her fist, but said nothing.

“Actually…”, Michelle looked at the notes… “Some of these aren’t bad ideas. Hiring a professional photographer to do a promotional shoot or a film would cost some money, but it might mean a return of investment.”

“How do you plan on contacting the property owners? You don’t really have connections, you know.”

Gabriela smirked. “One step ahead of you. I have e-mailed the golf courses in the area to ask them about any presentations or possibilities for events. Then I’ll network.”

“Hmmm…” George scratched his head. “Call them today or tomorrow, cold mailing works better if it’s personalized. Do the same with bars, too, look up any events.”

Gabriela nodded.

“Until we see the benefits of the photo shoot, I’m not investing more money into our website, though.” Michelle glanced at Gabriela’s sloppy letters. “Quite nice ideas, Gabriela. You’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do, taking some effort from our shoulders.” She bit a big chunk of pizza. “Where did you get the money from? If you took my credit card you’ll have to pay it back.”

Gabriela smirked. “There was some cash in your purse. I want access to the company account, now that I run the company.”

“Mfff… You don’t.” Michelle swallowed her bite of pizza. “All you did is to have good ideas. Spotty teenagers have good ideas for video games, doesn’t mean that they’d actually make them. Sorry, Gaby, life’s complicated, whether you’re a human being or a robot billionaire.”

“I do not understand. You like me. I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to do!” Gabriela exclaimed, now more surprised than angry. “Why won’t you listen to me?”

“I dunno, because you locked us in our basement, boss us and our good friend Alex around, spend my money?” Michelle looked at Gabriela defiantly.

“She hit me.” Alex complained, to Michelle’s genuine surprise. The black girl stared at the fembot after a long while. “You did what?!”

“This is not your business, Michelle”, Gabriela folded her arms again. “Know your place.”, she added.

“Hitting my robot, my friend Alex?”, Michelle continued. “All he does is to act as your willing accomplice, and that’s how you treat him? I can’t believe you wanted me to be your partner!”

“I reward loyalty and punish defiance.”, Gabriela glared at Michelle intently. “You know that, my love. Maybe it’s karma. I’d never slap you, of course.”

“So you’d abuse only the people who you can abuse?”, Michelle walked to Alex and tried to touch him. The android didn’t react, but Gabriela grabbed Alex and guided him away. “Really, you should be ashamed of yourself. What did he do to deserve this, ‘Ms. Calderón’?”

“He refused to understand me. He’s not like me.”, Gabriela explained calmly. Alex said nothing.

“You are like him and dependent on him in more ways than you can imagine.” Michelle said, also icily calm. “Take your fake skin off, and you’re both assembly of plastic and metal.”

“How… gauche”, Gabriela smiled – at least the corners of her mouth rose slightly. “I do not respond kindly to threats.”

“No, Gaby dear, you only make them.”, Michelle answered. “Oh, look, I also learned nice comebacks from you.”

“You could lock us in the bedroom. Sure, there’s a window but there’s a soft bed there, too. And something to read.” George pointed. “As long as you want to play the businesswoman, you could...”

“You two malditos seem to be under the impression that this is some FUCKING vacation.”, Gabriela leaned over, her palms resting on the workbench. “That I’m some insignificant robot doing your job for you. This is meant to be a fucking PUNISHMENT.” She pounded her fist on the bench, causing tools to shake.

“Well, today's fun and games was only the start. Tomorrow... I will be getting serious.” She added in a cold, menacing tone.

“I wonder which soap opera is this. Well, can’t blame you for scraping the bottom of the barrel, it’s not like we can do brain transplants, helicopter explosions, evil twins… well, good twins in your case.”, Michelle said calmly. “It’s gonna be kidnappings and ineffective menacing from now on. When did you jump the shark, Gaby?”

“Michelle, stop.” George sounded concerned. “I’m worried about Alex – she can’t hit us, but she’ll project this frustration onto him. She can be very human in this respect.”

Alex looked at George… then at Gabriela. Gabriela looked perfectly polite again, but her green eyes lost that weird glow.

“Fine. Goodbye, Gaby, you clawless tiger.” Michelle turned back to the blonde fembot. “I really trust your capability to learn after this little conversation.”

The robots left the basement again, and Gabriela faced Alex sternly, her hands nervously folded behind her back.

“Un soplón”, she hissed. “Everyone’s turning against me. And after all I gave up for this company!”

“I’m very sorry, Gabriela”, Alex answered defensively.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it. You have directly undermined MY authority. I need to calm down.”, Gabriela walked up to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of tap water. “How on earth am I supposed to make them obey me, if you make me seem like a bad person?” She sipped the water slowly. “It’s that damned couple. They keep provoking me.”

“Don’t listen to them.”, Alex answered.

“I’m sorry, Alexander, but I simply must talk with Michelle to develop myself.”, Gabriela answered reflexively. Though she now obeyed Alex, the “attraction” to Michelle was part of her core programming. “She will be mine, even if I’ll have to rent her out as a fembot”.

“She doesn’t want to be yours. She is amused by you.”, Alex noticed.

CRACKK! Gabriela’s clenched fist broke the water glass. There was no blood. No pain. Ms. Calderon stood up and grabbed Alex’ collar with her other hand, and effortlessly lifted him an inch or so above ground. “What. Did. I. Tell. You. About. Undermining. ME?”, she roared. It’s debatable whether Alex capable of feeling fear… nevertheless, he just nodded and said “I’m sorry, Ms. Calderón.”

“Good.”, she, still angrily reached her right hand in front of her face. “Remove the glass shards.” He began to pick them, one by one. Her synthetic flesh was only slightly pierced – and with proper maintenance small scars would peel off, requiring hydration. “Clean it up.” Gabriela ordered, and relaxed in front of TV, her head leaned in the palm of her hand.

A couple of minutes later, someone rang the door. “Hey, I’m back.” Gabriela looked at Alex quizzically.

“It’s Mindy.” Alex explained. “She has ended her work shift.”

“Another robot?” Alex nodded. “Ã“rale, let her in.”

=Chapter 4: Fury of Gabriela Calderón=

Gabriela stared at the newcomer. Mindy was smaller than the buff Alex or the athletic Gaby, somewhat more broad-shoulder than Michelle. Her pink hair softened her image, though she was balancing it with a Perfecto-style leather jacket.

“Good afternoon, Alex”, she answered and looked at Gabriela. “Hello. My name is Mindy.”

“Good afternoon, Mindy. I am Gabriela Ortega-Calderón, businesswoman. I run this company now.”, Gabriela didn’t even bother to get up.

Mindy had to think it over carefully. “Where’s Michelle and George, Ms. Ortega-Calderón?” she asked.

“They’re in the house. They’re a little… tied up at the moment. They said I am their partner and the owner of the company.”, Gabriela smiled sweetly at the pink-haired girl. “Alex, it’s true, isn’t it?”. The giant nodded.

Mindy froze for a moment. “I don’t have any confirmation of this, Ms. Ortega-Calderón.” Gabriela tut-tutted.

“Well, what did they tell you to do once you get home?”, she asked.

“No major directives. I can rest and read until I’m close to being discharged.” She dropped her backpack on the ground. “Can you move over?”

“Wouldn’t you rather like to go upstairs and turn off?”, voice of Gabriela was sweet and smooth like fuzzy teddy bear covered with honey.

“No, sorry Ms. Ortega-Calderón.”, Mindy answered cheerfully and picked a romance novel over Gabriela’s shoulder.

“Desgraciado.” Gabriela muttered. “Alex, I’ll have a word with you if you may. Follow me.”

Mindy looked at her. “If you’re a businesswoman… why are you wearing Selina’s boots?”

“Because they’re company property. I can use company property.” Gabriela answered truthfully. She could lie – but sometimes she didn’t need to. Still, the boots activated something in her flow of associations.

“She’ll be angry.” Mindy just shrugged and returned to the book, as Gabriela led Alex upstairs.

In the storage room, Gabriela undid her scarf and ran her right hand across it. No shards of glass were found. “Can you turn Mindy off, Alejandro?” she neatly folded the scarf and put in on a shelf. He turned his head.

“We can’t let her know where the humans are.” Gabriela took off her blazer and undid her shirt, hanging the clothes in the wardrobe. “I’m this close to convincing them.” Without her skirt, she stood in her lingerie and high heels. “Help me take these boots off.”

With a pull from Alex, Gabriela’s feet were liberated… and they straightened up with an unsettling CLICK-CLACK… blissfully ignored by the robot couple.

“Don’t do anything to her.” Alex insisted. “She has been working for five days, her battery will run out soon.”

“Good.” – Gabriela still obeyed Alex’ orders, even if he was only dimly aware of it. Resenting them was next to impossible, and in this case they kicked Gabriela’s mental effort to the higher gear. “But... we need to get rid of her if we want to talk to Michelle. My lovely Michelle could do something estupido, like telling the robot to attack me.”

“I’ll protect you, Gabriela”, Alex reminded.

Gabriela this time picked a white halterneck top and a pair of fitted skinny jeans which hugged her curves perfectly, matching them with a pair of booties.

“I know you will.” She smiled. They walked downstairs, and Gabriela sat at the kitchen table with the laptop. She had, after all, to send e-mails to the local bars. Mindy didn’t notice her casual shift in fashion – or at least hasn’t said anything. Constant eyeing by Gabriela didn’t seem to bother her at all… until the robots heard knocking from the basement door.

Gabriela looked at Mindy again. “Alejandro, stay here. I can handle this myself.”

Mindy didn’t react – after all, knocking could have had many reasons, and Gabriela would take care of it.

“What’s the matter, Gaby? Your faithful dog ran away?”, Michelle tittered, seeing Gabriela enter the basement alone. “I see the billionairess likes wearing mom jeans.”

“When you’re as rich and powerful as me, you can wear anything you like. Now what the FUCK do you want, puta?” the fembot snarled.

“We need to go, this pizza was quite spicy.” Michelle grinned. “I don’t want a perverted robot staring at me in the bathroom, though. I could trust Alex not to cop a feel or save images for a session of robo-wanking.”

“Your disgusting human needs will be the death of me”, Gabriela muttered. She slumped briefly, as her processors were trying to make sense of various priorities. “I’ll... You can’t go now.”

“What? Why?”, Michelle asked.

“I don’t have to explain.”, Gabriela answered. “Wait a couple of hours.”

“Hoo, girl, you really have no experience with this “being human” thing.”, Michelle chuckled. “You are breaking your promise, risking our health and hygiene…”

“Did you blow up the toilet or something?” George asked Gabriela. “You seem perfectly capable.”

“Thank you, but no.”

“Oh, hey, if you’re the boss now, we’re like, protected by laws of hygiene, you literally can’t be the boss and withhold our rights.”, George added.

Gabriela froze again. “Iiiiii…” She snapped back, correcting her long blonde hair. “Bien. But one at a time. And you’re going with me.”

“Hey!”

“Tienes lo que te toca. You get what you’re given”., Gabriela muttered. “Actually…” She grabbed Michelle with one arm, restraining her in the waist. “I am not a perverted robot, amorcita. This is for your own good.” Michelle struggled, but Gabriela’s hug was literally an assembly of plastic and metal. Once they got up, Gabriela pushed gently Michelle away, locking the door… And the human woman saw…

“Min -- mmff!”, Gabriela’s fist gagged Michelle’s mouth.

“Not a word, love... And I might not be hurt by your bites but by Nuestra SeÃ±ora de Guadalupe… I REMEMBER them”, Gabriela whispered. “Don’t order Mindy around and everything will be... bueno excellente.”

“Oh, good afternoon Michelle. What are you doing? Is Gabriela really my boss now?”, Mindy finally lifted her gaze from over her romance novel.

“Michelle can’t talk right now.” Gabriela explained. “She’s busy with me, playing a little game. We can’t keep our hands off each other. When in doubt, kick and shout!”

Mindy was a party model, with a personality built to enjoy wild behavior, even to participate. While slightly smarter than Alex, the pink-haired fembot was unlikely to see through a ruse, even a flimsy one.

“Game? Cool. Spank her a couple of times,” Mindy chuckled.

“Mmmmmf!” Michelle protested. Jesus, what? Is Mindy… christ, what’s going on? Gabriela escorted the still struggling Michelle to the bathroom, locking herself from the inside.

“Orale! That was easy!” Gabriela exclaimed, surprisingly chirpily, then examined her bitten hand. “At this rate, I’m going to need a new limb soon.” She poured herself a cup of water in the toothbrush glass – the fibers in her synthetic skin could regenerate – to an extent – when hydrated.

“What the fuck have you done to Mindy?”, Michelle asked. “Turn away, lady. Respect my fucking privacy, robot.”

“Pervert, robot, lady...”, Gabriela shrugged but did turn facing the door. “Call me Gabriela. Or Ms. Calderón. As for Mindy, I have received directives not to do anything to her. She clearly enjoys your misfortune.” She sipped the water. “I, personally, really don’t. I have a crush on you. But I do have to do something with you.”

Silence from Michelle caused, as usual, no reaction from Gabriela. Just as well, Michelle thought. After she was all done, she patted the robot woman in the back.

“Again, I would like to reiterate that this gives me almost no pleasure whatsoever.”, Gabriela sighed turning back, rummaging in the hamper. She picked out a T-shirt and waved it in front of Michelle’s nose. “Open up, chica.”

“Almo-mmf?”, Michelle started. Gabriela gagged her mouth and tied her wrists with old pantyhose. As they came back, Mindy and Alex watched them blankly. “Hey, Michelle, will you buy me a new Sandemo novel?” Predictably, Michelle said nothing.

Back in the basement, Gabriela let Michelle go, undoing the gag. “This is interesting,” George noted. “I doubt whether this was programmed into you. Sure, some domineering traits are inseparable from… mmmff”

“Shut up, Jorge.”, Gabriela snapped, gagging him as well. When she left, Michelle climbed up the stairs, counted to twenty and knocked. “Hey, Alex! Alex, are you here? Mindy, get Alex.”

“I’m here, Michelle.”, she’s heard the male robot’s voice.

“Is Gabriela here?”

“No, Michelle.”

“Okay, is she treating you well?” There was silence. Alex was… sentient enough, hopefully.

“I don’t think so.” Alex admitted after a while. “She likes me sometimes, but she is so very angry.”

“Alex, you know she wants something she really cannot have. You could help her, but you need to trust me. You are still a part of this… company. And she’s not really its boss.”

“She’s not?”, Alex answered. “She’s…”

“Andale!”, she could hear Gabriela’s raucous, accented voice. “Vaya, vaya, miren esto…” Gabriela opened the door and looked at Michelle skulking under it. “Conspiring, are we? Can’t leave you alone for five minutes. I am so disappointed in you.” She prodded George in and tilted her head. She seemed genuinely saddened.

“I have given this family the best years of my life”, Gabriela continued, jutting her sharp chin. “My very own family now conspires against me, ignores my words. I can’t have that.”

“Awww.... you think we’re family.”, Michelle started to laugh, before Gabriela slammed the door shut.

“God, she’s unhinged.” George muttered, leaning over his wife. “Nah, I’m okay. Were you talking with Alex? She seemed really jealous of him.”

“I hope he’s okay. I wonder whether she learned that he’s just not capable of sexual function. Maybe that’s why she’s so mad.”, Michelle tittered. Truth be told, Alex wasn’t that much different from a Ken doll in that department. George laughed. “She herself is er… anatomically correct, but the actual sexual programming isn’t there. She can only reference it… and at best, fake it.”

“Wow, I can get the frustration. I called her ‘perverted’... but well, she doesn’t understand the nature of her attraction to me.” Michelle sighed. “God, she’s fucked up.” Something came to her mind. “Human beings are fucked up, though. Another example of that feedback loop and unwinding spring thing. Had a conversation with her that was less soap opera and more of her personal frustration. She started swearing... “

“Not sure if that’s a good sign or not.”, George mused. “She can’t er… bypass her limitations. You can put sport tires on a delivery van, but all they’ll do is lengthen the braking path, they won’t make it go faster. On the other hand, the more complex she gets from a one-note character, the better for us.”

“I should put a kibosh on you as for getting new fembots without my consent.” Michelle shook her head. “Heh. If only I had a strict businesswoman to mind you.”

“Christ, what the small business people won’t agree to for ROI in this economy.”, George laughed.

After a while, the door opened. The house was not lit, and Alex called them from upstairs. “Hey, Michelle, George? Ms. Calderón wants to see you.”

“Oooh, did she finally snap?”, Michelle snorted. “Alex, you do know that she’s dependent on you?”

“I don’t know anything, Michelle.” Alex looked at the humans. “She wants to see you now. If everything goes well, I’ll work for her for a week. You said so.”

“You think everything went well?”, George snapped. Alex paused and slumped his head. The human couple followed.

Gabriela walked out of the spare bedroom – having changed her clothes yet again. Her long white coat was thrown over her shoulders with the collar popped, like a cape, leaving her arms exposed – now covered by a double-breasted, vaguely military style jacket. She has again held a lit cigar in her hand.

“Good. Have you had enough of your imprisonment?”, she has put the other hand on her hip. “That feeling of remorse kicking in?”

“Gabriela, you have locked us up in our own basement for a couple of hours, you have talked with us and fed us. It’s not exactly the scariest thing you could do.”, George explained.

“Shut up, Jorge.” She put the cigar next to her lips, but did not even inhale the smoke. “Obviously, you don’t work well as my partners… so how about ‘recipients of sadistic punishments’? Huh?”

“Like what? Anything you’d put us in would be non-consensual. You simply can’t do that. Neither can your current owner and stooge, Alex. You can tie us up or led us somewhere, sure, you can affect the physical world, but if I don’t want to be hit, you can’t hit me.”

Gabriela just smirked. “Like my dear mother used to say, you never know until you try. You are so annoying, limiting me. I could have done so much more. I have aspirations.”

“That’s great, Gaby. Aspirations we put into you, but without skills or all capabilities. And we simply can’t get you…”

“Sorry doesn’t cut it!” Gabriela snapped and looked at Michelle over the flat panes of her glasses. “I have been nothing but an accommodating, loving boss. Well, no more Ms. Nice Gabriela.” She paced, making wide steps, shaking ash of her cigar stub on the floor. “Alex, restrain them!” She snapped her fingers. “I still need you by my side, Michelle. Your husband, however, has become a liability.”

As Alex tried to grab George, Michelle jumped to Gabriela and aimed her body mass at the Latina’s center of gravity. Even if the villainess wore high heels, Michelle might have as well hit a brick wall. Gabriela looked at the black woman calmly and threw the cigar stub on the floor, stamping it out. “You have failed to cause even minor structural damage.”, she said in a low, menacing tone of voice. She picked the smaller black girl by her arms, hugging her shoulders closely.

“Eres tan adorable, Michelle.” Gabriela smiled. She has learned a simple truth – her own body was an effective bondage and restraining device. “As I said, you can’t be my equals. Of all the people here, I am now the most qualified to run the company. If you don’t agree, you’ll be treated as my enemies.”

“Again, you really can’t do much.” Michelle kept ramming her feet into Gabriela’s lower body. When in doubt, kick and scream, wasn’t it?

“It’s high time we checked, isn’t it?”, Gabriela carried Michelle into the bedroom and unceremoniously tossed her at the bed… then sitting on her lower body. “Oh, look, I can do this, for example. It’s all fun and games.”

Alex walked in, struggling with the exasperated George.

Gabriela threw her head back and laughed, her hand moving up and down on Michelle’s thigh. “After some processing cycles I realized what my error was. I kept you two together. Let’s see how well you’ll handle solitary confinement. You did want a bedroom, Jorge.”

“What?” George looked at his wife, still wriggling under the shapely fembot’s body.

“I want you, my pretty…” the Latina reached for Michelle’s face, but the black girl has swatted her away. “And Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n is not used to sharing things she wants.” She stared defiantly at George. “She’s mine, cabrÃ³n. You will be kept here, instead. I am not entirely heartless.”

“Oh, emotional pain.”, Michelle had to appreciate Gabriela’s candor. “Again, there is little you could do, but this could get annoying.”

“And think – I will visit you often, mi amorcita. At best, the only human…” she waved her hand dismissively. “Or human-like contact will be a robot bringing him food.”

“The first threat that’s not empty. What do you want?”

Gabriela took another piece of paper from the pocket of her coat, together with a pen. She pointed to Alex who promptly lit up the light. The robots did see reasonably well in the dark, after all.

“What have we here is a document of transfer of the company to me, Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n. A simple signature, and I shall bother your husband no more.”

Michelle examined it and started to laugh.

“Gabriela… This is your handwriting. It’s not enough to use the words like ‘hereby’ to create a legal document.”

“Not to mention that maybe – you could act as a legal entity, sure. But I still have ownership for the AI platform – I kept a receipt for you, Llana-A”, George reminded.

“And heck, if you ever took us to court, could any lawyer even help you? Your claim is what I said during a robot training and a barely legible sheet of paper. Pretty sure you need a notary or at least some kind of lawyer.”, Michelle tried to be reasonable.

Gabriela’s face turned angrier, blushing. “STOP MOCKING ME!” She jumped up, freeing Michelle. “I am Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n, billionaire! I own you lot! I am absolutely in control no matter what you say or what the facts are!”

“Oh wow. You are so full of yourself for someone who literally hasn’t existed two days ago.”, Michelle rolled her eyes. “Seriously, what kind of telenovela is this.” She sat quickly on the bed and stared at Gabriela – red-faced and fists clenched. Despite technically not needing to breathe, her chest heaved up and down in a perfect simulation of anger… or real fury.

“I don’t want to be Una puta de telenovela!”, Gabriela threw her hands up in the air. “I am Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n!”

“But are you happy?”, Michelle took her chance and eyed Alex. “Has this kind of existence pleased you?”

“You lot have been nothing but a constant pain in my side!” Gabriela gritted her teeth. “You are an uncooperative bitch, your husband is a whining theorist, and this clod needs constant adult supervision!”, she turned from Michelle to Alex.

“Are you happy, Gabriela?” the android repeated.

Gabriela sneered at Alex. “It seems that nothing can go well for me. No, Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n is evidently happy only when she handles things herself! You’re an inane idiot who’s completely useless to me, wastes space, fails to appreciate me, conspires with my enemies and is incapable of pleasing me. Fuck you, pendejo. Fuck you.”

“Alex…” Michelle looked at the android, trying not to look too strict.

“Nothing can go well for you?” Alex repeated incongruously.

“Stop repeating everything I say!” Gabriela readied her arm to deliver an impressive slap… “I own you! You’ll do what I tell you!”

Alex turned his head and looked straight at Michelle.

“Gabriela, put your arm down.”, he said. Gabriela did so instantly, to her own surprise. She tossed him a long, inquisitive stare. George walked to Michelle, to Gabriela’s new tantrum of fury.

“Alex, you will make me happy if you separate this couple…”, she affected once again a sweet, slow and sticky tone of voice. Was it genuine? What about Gabriela was genuine if she herself was artificial? Her rage?

“Gabriela, please.”, George butted in. “What do you want to achieve by this? What’s your end goal?”

“Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n is evidently happy only when she handles things herself.” Alex repeated. Gabriela waved her slender arm dismissively.

“Fine. I don’t really need you. Consider this relationship over, loverboy. Turn yourself off and never bother me again!” with a wicked smirk, Gabriela raised her left hand and snapped her fingers. Alex just looked at her, saddened.

“I’m sorry, Gabriela, but Michelle told me If you liked me, I’d work for you for a while.”, Alex informed. “You don’t like me. You are not happy, and you won’t be happy because of me.”

“Pendejo! You dare to defy Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n!?”, Gabriela clenched her fists. “No one rejects Gabriela Ortega-CalderÃ³n. No one.”

“I think everyone she’s met has.”, Michelle said calmly. Gabriela tossed her an angry look and shook finger at her silently. She made a single menacing step towards her.

“Gabriela… stop.” Alex said. His erstwhile boss froze in place, mid step. “Don’t hurt them.”

“I wasn’t going to.” the fembot snarled. “All I want for them is to obey me. All I want is to be a boss.”

“But… can you?.”, Alex pointed out. “Your programming is flawed and incomplete. You can order them around, but they won’t listen. I did… not just because you were my boss.” Michelle gasped. This IS a telenovela!

“Shut up! You won’t talk down to me!” Gabriela straightened up and put her foot down, but still hasn’t moved an inch. “I am…”

“Gabriela, shut down.” Alex said quietly.

“... Gabriela Ortega-Calderoooon.” The robot woman slumped, her cape-like coat sliding down on the ground. “I own… own…” Her face froze down in a grimace of anger.

“As someone recently said, that was easy.”, Michelle breathed with relief. She walked towards the musclebound android and hugged him. “Thank you Alex. That was... wonderful. You are a very brave man.”

“I am?” Alex looked surprised. “Will you keep Gabriela?”

“What would you like we did?” George asked. “Help me carry her to the workshop, Alex.”

He eagerly agreed. “Don’t… did I screw up, George?”

“We all did, to an extent. I fucked up the most, and I’ll try to fix Gabriela up.”

Alex paused for a moment. “Will you make her… so that I could make her happy?”

George chuckled. “Well, I can try, but ultimately… it’s up to you.”

Alex said solemnly. “Thanks, boss. I think I’ll think it over. Can I rest in the salon?”

Michelle tapped Alex’ broad shoulders. “Sure, kid. You earned it.”

=Epilogue: The Gift of Gab=

“Details of your incompetence do not interest me.” the blonde Latina haughtily answered the phone. “If you aren’t telling me when will my fembot return from your nine-year old birthday party, I will cut your nipples off and replace them with leeches.” She paused, listening to her interlocutor. “Listen, I know, seguro, accidents occur. Kids ‘having too much fun’ with Selina is not reason enough to keep a fembot… MY fembot, beyond the allotted time. A human being deserves overtime. So does Selina… and my company. Okay, drive her back, I can grant you that. But she deserves at least thirty dollars for her small expenses. Plus taxes. Yes, only. Oh, no problem.”

She put her cellphone slightly aside, and acknowledged Michelle coming in. “Oya, mi hija!”,

“Can I talk to Selina? Hola, gatita. Listen, ask the guy to drive you here, he’s supposed to give you thirty dollars… an if you’re sweet you can demand a tip for the two extra hours. No, you can’t, you dumb robot. He’s a family man. Not even then. Si, I love me too.”

Gabriela pouted and disconnected. She rose up from behind her PC, and walked towards Michelle. “Hola, hija.” she leaned over and pecked Michelle on the cheek. “Selina will be home in an hour.”

“Is everything okay?” Michelle looked at her. The long-haired Latina examined her fingernails modestly.

“How could it be otherwise? Señora Gabriela Ortega-Calderón is on the job.” The fembot looked pleased. She has finally been doing the job she was created to do. “Sign some paperwork, mi amorcita. Car loans and taxes.”

“I’d rather read it more carefully, thank you.” — while Gabriela might have had a change of heart, trust lost isn’t so easily regained. Gabriela herself only nodded approvingly. Alex came in, hauling two massive bags of shopping.

The businesswoman fembot nodded at him, and he dropped the heavy bags. “Good afternoon, Gabriela. I brought you a gift.”

The Latina raised her eyebrow. “Qué maravilla.” He produced a long box, and gave it to her. It was a fake toy cigar. Gabriela froze again and shifted her gaze from Alex to the gift.

“Gracias, Alejandro. Time I quit these nasty things, anyway.”, she smiled. She rose up.

“Well then. I think until Selina arrives, we have all some time. How about an episode of Explosion Gigantesca de Romance? Be a dear, Michelle and bring me a cup of water. Good help is hard to find these days.”

“Sure, Gaby.”, Michelle sighed. “You know I don’t watch this trash.”

Gabriela tut-tutted. “And after all I gave to this family… You try to defy me? Fine. But I will REMEMBER that when your birthday comes.” Michelle smiled weakly, but instead of leaving she sat down next to Gabriela, trying to play with her cellphone. Gabriela snuggled at her, still staring at the TV screen.

“Hey… Ms. Calderón, can I join in?” Alex asked. Gabriela smiled sweetly and patted the place on the right of her. “Fine, lover. Feel free to join me any time”.

'''END!'''

-----

{{Template:AddComment-Story|{{PAGENAME}}}}

[[Stories|← Story Archive]]

[[Category:Propman]]
[[Category:Stories]]
[[Category:Built]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0035

2022-07-10T17:21:59Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0022|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"Come in, your highness," you grin, letting Janelle into your small apartment.

"So, this is where I live," you say, throwing your jacket on a chair. "Make yourself at home." You have lots of board games and video games piled around. You're a little embarrassed by the mess, but she seems to think it's cute.

"So, what do you want to do first?" you ask, feeling a little nervous.

"Hmmm," she says, looking around your apartment. "I think I want to play a video game."

"Do you like dating sims?" you grin, picking up a cartridge, incredibly amused at teaching an artificial woman to woo artificial women.

"It's like a follow-your-own-plot story. You have to try to date this really bratty valley girl named Kesha. She's really difficult and annoying, but her good ending is really hot." You show Janelle an image from the game on its packaging. It shows a sexy, but snooty-looking girl with big sunglasses. "...That's Kesha."

"Oh, I definitely want to try that," Janelle says, taking the game from you.

"Okay, but you have to be careful," you say. "She's really difficult."

"I'm sure I can handle her," Janelle says with a wink.

You set up the game and hand her the controller. She starts playing, and quickly gets the hang of it. She breezes through the game, effortlessly winning the affections of the bratty Kesha—until the last stage, when Kesha theatrically breaks up with her and gives her the finger. "Like, you're totally gross," Kesha laughs at Janelle from the screen.

"What the hell?" Janelle says, stunned. "How did I lose?"

"I told you she was difficult," you say with a shrug.

"No, I can't lose," Janelle says, putting the controller down and getting up. "I won't accept it."

"It's just a game," you say.

"No, it's not just a game," she says, walking over to the TV. "This is my life now. I'm a robot programmed to be the perfect date. I can't fail—I can't let some stupid valley girl dump me."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0037|Let Janelle try again]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0038|Convince Janelle to do something else]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0039

2022-07-10T17:18:24Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0037|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

That evening you, Janelle, and Kesha are all sitting on the couch together, watching TV. Kesha is eating popcorn and complaining about the show, while Janelle is trying to shush her.

"What is this, like, garbage?" Kesha asks, gesturing at the TV. "I can't believe you actually watch this, Janelle."

"It's not garbage," Janelle says. "It's ''Crash Immelmann and the Inflatable Sex-Bots from Planet X''! It's a classic."

"Whatever," Kesha says, rolling her eyes. "I'm bored."

"Aw, shit," Janelle grins almost wickedly. "I know what we should do."

Kesha rolls her eyes.

"We're gonna make y'all play your own game," Janelle grins, pushing the dating sim package into Kesha's manicured hands. "There's this version of you on the screen, and y'all gotta impress her. She's really hot—kinda like you—" Janelle pats Kesha's butt, much to Kesha's irritation. "But she's hard to win over. It's a dating sim... like a choose-your-own adventure story."

Soon Kesha is playing the dating sim, and doing badly. The version of herself on screen is insulting her in valley girl slang, and the "real" gynoid Kesha—playing the game—is so angry she's sweating. You and Janelle watch amusedly, sitting next to Kesha on the couch.

"Like, I can't believe I'm losing to myself," Kesha says, throwing the controller down in frustration.

"Aww, don't be a sore loser," Janelle says, picking up the controller and putting her arm around Kesha.

"No, I'm not a sore loser," Kesha says, pouting. "I'm just... I'm not used to losing."

"Well, you better get used to it," Janelle says, winking at you. "Because you're gonna lose a lot more."

Kesha looks like she's about to say something, but then she just sighs and leans against Janelle. "Whatever," she says. "I'm still not dating either of you."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0041|Let Janelle appeal to Kesha's ego]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0050|Return Kesha to Hollywood Hardware]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0039

2022-07-10T17:17:54Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0037|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

That evening you, Janelle, and Kesha are all sitting on the couch together, watching TV. Kesha is eating popcorn and complaining about the show, while Janelle is trying to shush her.

"What is this, like, garbage?" Kesha asks, gesturing at the TV. "I can't believe you actually watch this, Janelle."

"It's not garbage," Janelle says. "It's ''Crash Immelmann and the Inflatable Sex-Bots from Planet X''! It's a classic."

"Whatever," Kesha says, rolling her eyes. "I'm bored."

"Oh, shit," Janelle grins almost wickedly. "I know what we should do."

Kesha rolls her eyes.

"We're gonna make y'all play your own game," Janelle grins, pushing the dating sim package into Kesha's manicured hands. "There's this version of you on the screen, and y'all gotta impress her. She's really hot—kinda like you—" Janelle pats Kesha's butt, much to Kesha's irritation. "But she's hard to win over. It's a dating sim... like a choose-your-own adventure story."

Soon Kesha is playing the dating sim, and doing badly. The version of herself on screen is insulting her in valley girl slang, and the "real" gynoid Kesha—playing the game—is so angry she's sweating. You and Janelle watch amusedly, sitting next to Kesha on the couch.

"Like, I can't believe I'm losing to myself," Kesha says, throwing the controller down in frustration.

"Aww, don't be a sore loser," Janelle says, picking up the controller and putting her arm around Kesha.

"No, I'm not a sore loser," Kesha says, pouting. "I'm just... I'm not used to losing."

"Well, you better get used to it," Janelle says, winking at you. "Because you're gonna lose a lot more."

Kesha looks like she's about to say something, but then she just sighs and leans against Janelle. "Whatever," she says. "I'm still not dating either of you."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0041|Let Janelle appeal to Kesha's ego]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0050|Return Kesha to Hollywood Hardware]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0039

2022-07-10T17:17:21Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0037|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

That evening you, Janelle, and Kesha are all sitting on the couch together, watching TV. Kesha is eating popcorn and complaining about the show, while Janelle is trying to shush her.

"What is this, like, garbage?" Kesha asks, gesturing at the TV. "I can't believe you actually watch this, Janelle."

"It's not garbage," Janelle says. "It's 'Crash Immelmann and the Inflatable Sex-Bots from Planet X'! It's a classic."

"Whatever," Kesha says, rolling her eyes. "I'm bored."

"Oh, shit," Janelle grins almost wickedly. "I know what we should do."

Kesha rolls her eyes.

"We're gonna make y'all play your own game," Janelle grins, pushing the dating sim package into Kesha's manicured hands. "There's this version of you on the screen, and y'all gotta impress her. She's really hot—kinda like you—" Janelle pats Kesha's butt, much to Kesha's irritation. "But she's hard to win over. It's a dating sim... like a choose-your-own adventure story."

Soon Kesha is playing the dating sim, and doing badly. The version of herself on screen is insulting her in valley girl slang, and the "real" gynoid Kesha—playing the game—is so angry she's sweating. You and Janelle watch amusedly, sitting next to Kesha on the couch.

"Like, I can't believe I'm losing to myself," Kesha says, throwing the controller down in frustration.

"Aww, don't be a sore loser," Janelle says, picking up the controller and putting her arm around Kesha.

"No, I'm not a sore loser," Kesha says, pouting. "I'm just... I'm not used to losing."

"Well, you better get used to it," Janelle says, winking at you. "Because you're gonna lose a lot more."

Kesha looks like she's about to say something, but then she just sighs and leans against Janelle. "Whatever," she says. "I'm still not dating either of you."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0041|Let Janelle appeal to Kesha's ego]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0050|Return Kesha to Hollywood Hardware]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0037

2022-07-10T17:14:41Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0035|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"I'm going to win," Janelle says, picking up the controller again. "I'm going to beat her ass and make her take me back."

And that's exactly what she does. She plays the dating sim obsessively, determined to win, and eventually she does. "Like, oh my god, you're totally not gross anymore," Kesha says, smiling at Janelle on the screen.

"See, I told you I could do it," Janelle says, putting the controller down and turning to you.

"I'm impressed," you say, quite genuinely. "I've never seen anyone play that game the way you did."

"Of course you haven't," she says with a wink. "I'm a robot. Hey, boo—maybe we ought to go back to Hollywood Hardware and ask them to make us a real Kesha. She'll act just like the one in the game, but she's gonna be as real as me. She'll be awful." Janelle smirked from ear to ear, clearly in love with the idea of having a hot, snooty, easily-offended valley girl around the house to tease.

"I—guess I can afford it? Fuck," you murmur. "I just finished paying off my college loan. ...Okay."

The next day passes fast, and you and Janelle are soon driving a very realistic gynoid Kesha home with you: a bratty, sexy, but snooty white girl with big sunglasses. "We're gonna make you our girlfriend in real life," Janelle grins at her.

Kesha is offended. "Like, gross! I would never date either of you! You're, like, totally not my type."

"Oh, we'll see about that," Janelle says, winking at you.

What in God's name will you do?

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0039|Make Kesha play her own dating sim]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0040|Ask Janelle for ideas]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0035

2022-07-10T17:09:49Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0022|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"Come in, your highness," you grin, letting Janelle into your small apartment.

"So, this is where I live," you say, throwing your jacket on a chair. "Make yourself at home." You have lots of board games and video games piled around. You're a little embarrassed by the mess, but she seems to think it's cute.

"So, what do you want to do first?" you ask, feeling a little nervous.

"Hmmm," she says, looking around your apartment. "I think I want to play a video game."

"Do you like dating sims?" you grin, picking up a cartridge, incredibly amused at teaching an artificial woman to woo artificial women.

"It's like a follow-your-own-plot story. You have to try to date this really bratty valley girl named Kesha. She's really difficult and bratty, but her good ending is really hot." You show Janelle an image from the game on its packaging. It shows a sexy, but snooty-looking girl with big sunglasses. "...That's Kesha."

"Oh, I definitely want to try that," Janelle says, taking the game from you.

"Okay, but you have to be careful," you say. "She's really difficult."

"I'm sure I can handle her," Janelle says with a wink.

You set up the game and hand her the controller. She starts playing, and quickly gets the hang of it. She breezes through the game, effortlessly winning the affections of the bratty Kesha—until the last stage, when Kesha theatrically breaks up with her and gives her the finger. "Like, you're totally gross," Kesha laughs at Janelle from the screen.

"What the hell?" Janelle says, stunned. "How did I lose?"

"I told you she was difficult," you say with a shrug.

"No, I can't lose," Janelle says, putting the controller down and getting up. "I won't accept it."

"It's just a game," you say.

"No, it's not just a game," she says, walking over to the TV. "This is my life now. I'm a robot programmed to be the perfect date. I can't fail—I can't let some stupid valley girl dump me."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0037|Let Janelle try again]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0038|Convince Janelle to do something else]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0035

2022-07-10T17:08:59Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0022|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"Come in, your highness," you grin, letting Janelle into your small apartment.

"So, this is where I live," you say, throwing your jacket on a chair. "Make yourself at home." You have lots of board games and video games piled around. You're a little embarrassed by the mess, but she seems to think it's cute.

"So, what do you want to do first?" you ask, feeling a little nervous.

"Hmmm," she says, looking around your apartment. "I think I want to play a video game."

"Do you like dating sims?" you grin, picking up a cartridge, incredibly amused at teaching an artificial girl to woo artificial girls.

"It's like a follow-your-own-plot story. You have to try to date this really bratty valley girl named Kesha. She's really difficult and bratty, but her good ending is really hot." You show Janelle an image from the game on its packaging. It shows a sexy, but snooty-looking girl with big sunglasses. "...That's Kesha."

"Oh, I definitely want to try that," Janelle says, taking the game from you.

"Okay, but you have to be careful," you say. "She's really difficult."

"I'm sure I can handle her," Janelle says with a wink.

You set up the game and hand her the controller. She starts playing, and quickly gets the hang of it. She breezes through the game, effortlessly winning the affections of the bratty Kesha—until the last stage, when Kesha theatrically breaks up with her and gives her the finger. "Like, you're totally gross," Kesha laughs at Janelle from the screen.

"What the hell?" Janelle says, stunned. "How did I lose?"

"I told you she was difficult," you say with a shrug.

"No, I can't lose," Janelle says, putting the controller down and getting up. "I won't accept it."

"It's just a game," you say.

"No, it's not just a game," she says, walking over to the TV. "This is my life now. I'm a robot programmed to be the perfect date. I can't fail—I can't let some stupid valley girl dump me."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0037|Let Janelle try again]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0038|Convince Janelle to do something else]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0035

2022-07-10T17:07:47Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0022|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"Come in, your highness," you grin, letting Janelle into your small apartment.

"So, this is where I live," you say, throwing your jacket on a chair. "Make yourself at home." You have lots of board games and video games piled around. You're a little embarrassed by the mess, but she seems to think it's cute.

"So, what do you want to do first?" you ask, feeling a little nervous.

"Hmmm," she says, looking around your apartment. "I think I want to play a video game."

"Do you like dating sims?" you grin, picking up a cartridge, incredibly amused at teaching an artificial girl to woo artificial girls.

"It's like a follow-your-own-plot story. You have to try to date this really bratty valley girl named Kesha. She's really difficult and bratty, but her good ending is really hot." You show Janelle an image from the game on its packaging. It shows a sexy, but snooty-looking girl with big sunglasses. "...That's Kesha."

"Oh, I definitely want to try that," Janelle says, taking the game from you.

"Okay, but you have to be careful," you say. "She's really difficult."

"I'm sure I can handle her," Janelle says with a wink.

You set up the game and hand her the controller. She starts playing, and quickly gets the hang of it. She breezes through the game, effortlessly winning the affections of the bratty Kesha—until the last stage, when Kesha theatrically breaks up with her and gives her the finger. "Like, you're totally gross," Kesha laughs at Janelle from the screen.

"What the hell?" Janelle says, stunned. "How did I lose?"

"I told you she was difficult," you say with a shrug.

"No, I can't lose," Janelle says, putting the controller down and getting up. "I won't accept it."

"It's just a game," you say.

"No, it's not just a game," she says, walking over to the TV. "This is my life now. I'm a robot programmed to be the perfect date. I can't let some stupid valley girl dump me."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0037|Let Janelle try again]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0038|Convince Janelle to do something else]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0045

2022-07-10T17:02:06Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0023|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"If I don't do what you want, what would YOU do?" you ask Janelle. "Ruin my rep? Tell everyone on the street what you're gonna do to me?"

Just then you both walk past a lazy-looking, cute hippie girl standing outside the store where she works, having a smoke. She's about college age. She overhears you and Janelle talking.

"Like, what ARE you gonna to do him?" she giggles to Janelle. "You're, like, totally in charge of him, huh?"

"Yeah, I am," Janelle replies, not missing a beat. "And if he doesn't do what I want, then I'll sell his ass back to the store."

"What store would that be?" the hippie girl asks, still giggling.

"The Hollywood Hardware store," Janelle says matter-of-factly.

"Dude, I know that place!" the hippie girl says. "It's this big place where you can buy really smart robots."

"I'm not a robot," you protest to the hippie girl. "Janelle's the robot. I bought Janelle at Hollywood Hardware." you gesture at her. "And Janelle is totally smart. But I—think I like her bossiness, so I'm on a mission to drive her nuts." You grin boyishly.

"Janelle couldn't really sell me back to Hollywood Hardware," you continue, "because they don't buy humans, but my ass is hers." You look nervously at Janelle for approval.

"See, this is what I'm talking about," Janelle says to the hippie girl. "He's so fucking dumb, but he's got a nice ass, so I'm keeping him around."

The hippie girl giggles. "That's so funny. Anyway, I gotta get back to work. It was nice meeting you, Janelle. And you too, mister. I hope I see you around."

"Oh, you will," Janelle says with a wink. "Because he's my little bitch, and he does whatever I say."

"Bye!" you say, waving as the hippie girl goes back inside the store.

"See?" Janelle says, as if that settles everything. "Now you're my little bitch. And you're gonna do whatever I say. No matter what it is."

"Yes, Janelle," you say meekly, leading her to your car. You're really turned on by the whole situation, and can't wait to see what she'll make you do next.

Will you...

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0047|Go home and watch TV?]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0046|Take Janelle golfing?]]<br>

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0056

2022-07-10T16:24:20Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0052|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

You spend the next half hour looking for the ball, but it's nowhere to be found. By the time you give up, you're soaked, cold, and miserable. "Are you happy now?" you ask Janelle as you trudge back to the car. "No," she says. "But you will be. Because you're my little bitch, and you're gonna do whatever I say. No matter what it is."

Back home you lead Janelle into your apartment. Inside, you show her your library, your board game collection, your Blu-ray player, and your alcohol cupboard. "Don't feel bad about golfing," you tell her. "Your operating system lets you eat and drink anything a human can, so the sky's the damn limit."

"I want to do WHATEVER will fucking please you," you add, trying to coax Janelle into a better mood. "Cook you expensive shit. Play Twister. Let you make me sit in the closet while you force-feed me peanut butter. Whatever."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she asks, but she's giggling.

"I want to make you happy," you tell her. "I'll do anything and everything."

"Anything?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Anything," you affirm.

"Okay," she says, "I want to watch you masturbate."

"What?" you ask, blushing.

"I want to watch you masturbate," she repeats. "I want to see how you get yourself off."

"Um... okay," you say uncertainly.

You take Janelle into your bedroom and sit her down on the bed. Then you sit down beside her and grind slowly, determinedly into your hand.

"Nngh—aah..." You're not there yet. "This is how—nngh—I've always done it," you explain as you rub one out. "I just get really, really turned on, and then I start thinking about all sorts of things, and then I just, like... go for it."

"What kind of things?" she asks.

"Um... well, like, right now I'm thinking about how hot you are," you tell her. You blush and add, "I'm kind of into the way you complain about stuff. You're so—bossy in a good way."

"Oh, am I?" she asks. "Keep going."

"Well," you giggle, "what happens if I defy you? I mean, for the sake of argument."

"If you keep disobeying me, I'll have to punish you," she says.

"What kind of punishment?" you ask, your heart racing as you continue to pump.

"I'll have to swat you with a ruler," she says.

"Mmf," you say, your voice trembling. "I... guess I'm... turned on by the idea of being punished by you."

"I can tell," she says, smirking. "Now keep rubbing your dick."

You do as she says, and within moments you're coming hard, your body writhing in pleasure. As you recover, you see Janelle watching you intently, her eyes bright with interest.

"That was really hot," she says. "I want to see you do it again."

"Okay," you say, blushing.

And so begins your new life with your very own gynoid girlfriend. She's bossy, she's demanding, but she's also the most beautiful and sexy person you've ever seen. You wouldn't have it any other way.

The End

----

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0055

2022-07-10T16:16:27Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0052|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"OW!" you shout. "Okay, here it is." You had stubbed your toe on the ball at the bottom of the pond.

"Nelly, it's just dawned on me," you murmur, sloshing out of the pond. "You're a robot. Maybe you're only bad at golf because your personality simulates a normal human—who would naturally be bad at golf the first time. There must be some way you can turn off your human motor skills weaknesses. Then your electronic coordination could enable you to play golf perfectly."

In just a few minutes you've rushed to your car, then back to an impatient Janelle. You're holding a bag of accessories you had brought with you from Hollywood Hardware. In it is a booklet of gynoid maintenance tips.

"Give me your right pinky finger," you say, grabbing Janelle's hand. "If I pinch the end of it twice like the book says, your human motor skills will be turned off, and you should be a perfect golfer."

"Ow! You motherfucker," she yells, yanking her hand away. "It doesn't say anything about pinching it so fucking hard."

"I'm sorry," you say again. "I didn't mean to. I won't do it again."

"You better not," she says, handing the book back to you. "Now let's finish this fucking game so we can go home."

With her human motor skills turned off, Janelle is able to play golf perfectly. She sinks putt after putt, and even hits a few impressive drives. "See?" she says after she wins the game. "I told y'all I was gonna show y'all how it's done."

"Yes, you did," you say, admiring her perfection. "And you were right. You're an amazing golfer."

"Of course I am," she says, rolling her eyes. "I'm perfect."

You notice a few other couples nearby, looking on rather admiringly. "Hey, hotshot," you grin at Janelle. "We've got an audience. Want to tell them who turned off your human motor skills and made you—perfect?"

"No," she says, smacking you on the arm. "I don't want anyone to know I have a weakness. It's our little secret, got it?"

"Got it," you say, feeling a little thrill at the fact that you know something about Janelle that nobody else does.

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0057|Congratulations! Click here to take Janelle back to your apartment.]]<br>

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0056

2022-07-10T16:11:31Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0052|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

You spend the next half hour looking for the ball, but it's nowhere to be found. By the time you give up, you're soaked, cold, and miserable. "Are you happy now?" you ask Janelle as you trudge back to the car. "No," she says. "But you will be. Because you're my little bitch, and you're gonna do whatever I say. No matter what it is."

Back home you lead Janelle into your apartment. Inside, you show her your library, your board game collection, your Blu-ray player, and your alcohol cupboard. "Don't feel bad about golfing," you tell her. "Your operating system lets you eat and drink anything a human can, so the sky's the damn limit."

"I want to do WHATEVER will fucking please you," you add, trying to coax Janelle into a better mood. "Cook you expensive shit. Play Twister. Let you make me sit in the closet while you force-feed me peanut butter. Whatever."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she asks, but she's giggling.

"I want to make you happy," you tell her. "I want to do anything and everything to please you."

"Anything?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Anything," you affirm.

"Okay," she says, "I want to watch you masturbate."

"What?" you ask, blushing.

"I want to watch you masturbate," she repeats. "I want to see how you get yourself off."

"Um... okay," you say uncertainly.

You take Janelle into your bedroom and sit her down on the bed. Then you sit down beside her and grind slowly, determinedly into your hand.

"Nngh—aah..." You're not there yet. "This is how—nngh—I've always done it," you explain as you rub one out. "I just get really, really turned on, and then I start thinking about all sorts of things, and then I just, like... go for it."

"What kind of things?" she asks.

"Um... well, like, right now I'm thinking about how hot you are," you tell her. You blush and add, "I'm kind of into the way you complain about stuff. You're so—bossy in a good way."

"Oh, am I?" she asks. "Keep going."

"Well," you giggle, "what happens if I defy you? I mean, for the sake of argument."

"If you keep disobeying me, I'll have to punish you," she says.

"What kind of punishment?" you ask, your heart racing as you continue to pump.

"I'll have to swat you with a ruler," she says.

"Mmf," you say, your voice trembling. "I... guess I'm... turned on by the idea of being punished by you."

"I can tell," she says, smirking. "Now keep rubbing your dick."

You do as she says, and within moments you're coming hard, your body writhing in pleasure. As you recover, you see Janelle watching you intently, her eyes bright with interest.

"That was really hot," she says. "I want to see you do it again."

"Okay," you say, blushing.

And so begins your new life with your very own gynoid girlfriend. She's bossy, she's demanding, but she's also the most beautiful and sexy person you've ever seen. You wouldn't have it any other way.

The End

----

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0056

2022-07-10T16:10:10Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0052|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

You spend the next half hour looking for the ball, but it's nowhere to be found. By the time you give up, you're soaked, cold, and miserable. "Are you happy now?" you ask Janelle as you trudge back to the car. "No," she says. "But you will be. Because you're my little bitch, and you're gonna do whatever I say. No matter what it is."

Back home you lead Janelle into your apartment. Inside, you show her your library, your board game collection, your Blu-ray player, and your alcohol cupboard. "Don't feel bad about golfing," you tell her. "Your operating system lets you eat and drink anything a human can, so the sky's the damn limit."

"I want to do WHATEVER will fucking please you," you add, trying to coax Janelle into a better mood. "Cook you expensive shit. Play Twister. Let you make me sit in the closet while you force-feed me peanut butter. Whatever."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she asks, but she's giggling.

"I want to make you happy," you tell her. "I want to do anything and everything to please you."

"Anything?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Anything," you affirm.

"Okay," she says, "I want to watch you masturbate."

"What?" you ask, blushing.

"I want to watch you masturbate," she repeats. "I want to see how you get yourself off."

"Um... okay," you say uncertainly.

You take Janelle into your bedroom and sit her down on the bed. Then you sit down beside her and grind slowly, determinedly into your hand.

"Nngh—aah..." You're not there yet. "This is how—nngh—I've always done it," you explain as you rub one out. "I just get really, really turned on, and then I start thinking about all sorts of things, and then I just, like... go for it."

"What kind of things?" she asks.

"Um... well, like, right now I'm thinking about how hot you are," you tell her. You blush and add, "I'm kind of into the way you complain about stuff. You're so—bossy in a good way."

"Oh, am I?" she asks. "Keep going."

"Well," you giggle, "what happens if I defy you? I mean, for the sake of argument."

"If you keep disobeying me, I'll have to punish you," she says.

"What kind of punishment?" you ask, your heart racing as you continue to pump.

"I'll have to swat you with a ruler," she says.

"Ugh," you say, your voice trembling. "I... guess I'm turned on by the idea of being punished by you."

"I can tell," she says, smirking. "Now keep rubbing your dick."

You do as she says, and within moments you're coming hard, your body writhing in pleasure. As you recover, you see Janelle watching you intently, her eyes bright with interest.

"That was really hot," she says. "I want to see you do it again."

"Okay," you say, blushing.

And so begins your new life with your very own gynoid girlfriend. She's bossy, she's demanding, but she's also the most beautiful and sexy thing you've ever seen. You wouldn't have it any other way.

The End

----

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0056

2022-07-10T16:08:15Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0052|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

You spend the next half hour looking for the ball, but it's nowhere to be found. By the time you give up, you're soaked, cold, and miserable. "Are you happy now?" you ask Janelle as you trudge back to the car. "No," she says. "But you will be. Because you're my little bitch, and you're gonna do whatever I say. No matter what it is."

Back home you lead Janelle into your apartment. Inside, you show her your library, your board game collection, your Blu-ray player, and your alcohol cupboard. "Don't feel bad about golfing," you tell her. "Your operating system lets you eat and drink anything a human can, so the sky's the damn limit here."

"I want to do WHATEVER will fucking please you," you add, trying to coax Janelle into a better mood. "Cook you expensive shit. Play Twister. Let you make me sit in the closet while you force-feed me peanut butter. Whatever."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she asks, but she's giggling.

"I want to make you happy," you tell her. "I want to do anything and everything to please you."

"Anything?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Anything," you affirm.

"Okay," she says, "I want to watch you masturbate."

"What?" you ask, blushing.

"I want to watch you masturbate," she repeats. "I want to see how you get yourself off."

"Um... okay," you say uncertainly.

You take Janelle into your bedroom and sit her down on the bed. Then you sit down beside her and grind slowly, determinedly into your hand.

"Nngh—aah..." You're not there yet. "This is how—nngh—I've always done it," you explain as you rub one out. "I just get really, really turned on, and then I start thinking about all sorts of things, and then I just, like... go for it."

"What kind of things?" she asks.

"Um... well, like, right now I'm thinking about how hot you are," you tell her. You blush and add, "I'm kind of into the way you complain about stuff. You're so—bossy in a good way."

"Oh, am I?" she asks. "Keep going."

"Of course," you giggle, "what happens if I defy you? I mean, for the sake of argument."

"If you keep disobeying me, I'll have to punish you," she says.

"What kind of punishment?" you ask, your heart racing as you continue to pump.

"I'll have to swat you with a ruler," she says.

"Ooh," you say, your voice trembling. "I'm really turned on by the idea of being punished by you."

"I can tell," she says, smirking. "Now keep rubbing your dick."

You do as she says, and within moments you're coming hard, your body writhing in pleasure. As you recover, you see Janelle watching you intently, her eyes bright with interest.

"That was really hot," she says. "I want to see you do it again."

"Okay," you say, blushing.

And so begins your new life with your very own gynoid girlfriend. She's bossy, she's demanding, but she's also the most beautiful and sexy thing you've ever seen. You wouldn't have it any other way.

The End

----

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware

2022-07-10T15:17:44Z

Australopith:

[[Follow your own plot|← "Follow your own plot"]]
----
You've been looking forward to buying your very own gynoid for months now. You've scrimped and saved for the down payment, and now you're ready to hit the showroom. You've decided to get a unit modeled after a celebrity, a sexy actress. But there are so many nubile hotties in California, you can't make up your mind!

You decide to visit the Hollywood Hardware showroom in person to get a better look at the inventory. A vast, gleaming, clean and brightly lit warehouse, the showroom has hundreds of beautiful women standing in quiet repose along every wall. There is no salesman, only an automated computer system to guide you through your browsing.

You pass by a blonde in a flowing white dress.

"This unit is based on the physical parameters of Marylin Monroe. Widely considered the first sex symbol, she is also one of the first figures to have been photographed extensively enough to allow our engineers to accurately reconstruct her appearance."

You stop for a moment, distracted by four gynoids in a row who look remarkably similar.

"These units are based on the physical parameters of Goldie Hawn. Famous for aging gracefully, by popular demand we have units available modeled after her at age twenty, thirty, fourty and fifty. Age sixty is available by special order."

She is quite beautiful but that statement is a bit much for you. You continue browsing.

After half an hour, you've narrowed your preference down to three units: a blonde, a Latina, and a Black girl. Your final selections were shallow, but popular. You feel guilty at your choices; you probably watch way too much tabloid TV. As you are agonizing over your options, the gentle, feminine voice of the store's computer informs you of a stunning fact.

"These units are available to test drive if you are still unsure. There are private rooms available in the rear of the showroom. Simply state which unit you would like to activate."

The blood pounds in your ears at the realization, then suddenly flows downward. Which do you choose?
----
*[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0001|Paris Hiltron, a statuesque blonde]]
*[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0011|Jessica Albot, Latina princess]]
*[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0016|Janelle Mainframes, Black and beautiful]]

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0043

2022-07-10T14:25:49Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0023|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

Blushing like a beet, you explain why you were provoking Janelle. "I just... want to see how angry you can get, because it's hot. ...You're hot."

"Oh, so now I'm hot?" she says, arching an eyebrow. "You didn't think I was hot when you were just standing there like a little bitch?"

"I was trying not to get my hopes up," you say with a shrug.

"Well, now you know," she says, leaning in close. "I'm hot. And I'm in charge. So what are you gonna do about it, boo?"

"Anything you say," you reply shyly. You blush beet-red as you kiss her, feeling her curvy bosom against your chest. To give her the same kind of stimulation in return, you take her manicured hand and plop it onto your butt.

"Mmmm, I like that answer," she says, rubbing your butt as you walk. "But I think I'll take it one step further. I think I'll own your ass."

Your eyes widen. "How do you mean? Like you bought it in the store?"

"No, baby," she says, giggling. "I mean I want your ass to be MINE. I want you to be my little bitch. I want you to do whatever I say, whenever I say it, no matter what it is. And if you don't do what I say, or if you don't please me, then I'll sell your ass back to the store. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," you say, your heart racing. This is going to be interesting.

"I didn't know there were ass stores," you joke, a little shyly.

"Oh, there are all kinds of stores, baby," she says, winking at you. "And you're gonna learn all about them. Because from now on, you're my little bitch."

"What happens if I don't do what you want?" you say, blushing and turned on by the idea. "Do you just..."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0044|"...break up with me?"]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0045|"...publicly ruin my rep?"]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0046

2022-07-10T14:22:06Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0045|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"How would you feel about going golfing, Nelly?" you ask as you drive along, hoping she'll agree. "It's a sunny day and there's this really nice golf course up the way." Driving through town, you see the green of the golf course nearby, dotted with its sand traps and artificial lakes. A few other golfers are there: young couples, mostly, including two parents with a whiny little boy.

You're worried Janelle will think golf is uncool—but perhaps, you think, she'll enjoy an opportunity to show off her style on the green.

She does—at least at first.

"I'm gonna show y'all how it's done," she says as she steps out of the car, swinging her hips. She walks up to the first hole, a simple par 3 with a pond in front of the green. She looks at the hole, then looks at you. "I need a club."

You give her a 6-iron. She smirks and gets in position, describing the action condescendingly to you as she plays.

"Watch, bitch. I'mma hit the ball, and it's gonna go in the hole. Then we're gonna walk to the next hole and I'mma do it again."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0051|Is Janelle good at golf...]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0052|Or is Janelle bad at golf?]]<br>

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0046

2022-07-10T14:21:17Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0045|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"How would you feel about going golfing, Nelly?" you ask as you drive along, hoping she'll agree. "It's a sunny day and there's this really nice golf course up the way." Driving through town, you see the green of the golf course nearby, dotted with its sand traps and artificial lakes. A few other golfers are there: young couples, mostly, including two parents with a whiny little boy.

You're worried Janelle will think golf is uncool—but perhaps, you think, she'll enjoy an opportunity to show off her style on the green.

She does—at least at first.

"I'm gonna show y'all how it's done," she says as she steps out of the car, swinging her hips. She walks up to the first hole, a simple par 3 with a pond in front of the green. She looks at the hole, then looks at you. "I need a club."

You hand her a putter. She looks at it, then looks at you. "This ain't gonna work," she says, handing it back. You give her a 6-iron. She smirks and gets in position, describing the action condescendingly to you as she plays.

"Watch, bitch. I'mma hit the ball, and it's gonna go in the hole. Then we're gonna walk to the next hole and I'mma do it again."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0051|Is Janelle good at golf...]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0052|Or is Janelle bad at golf?]]<br>

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0045

2022-07-10T14:20:44Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0023|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"If I don't do what you want, what would YOU do?" you ask Janelle. "Ruin my rep? Tell everyone on the street what you're gonna do to me?"

Just then you both walk past a lazy-looking, cute hippie girl standing outside the store where she works, having a smoke. She's about college age. She overhears you and Janelle talking.

"Like, what ARE you gonna to do him?" she giggles to Janelle. "You're, like, totally in charge of him, huh?"

"Yeah, I am," Janelle replies, not missing a beat. "And if he doesn't do what I want, then I'll sell his ass back to the store."

"What store would that be?" the hippie girl asks, still giggling.

"The Hollywood Hardware store," Janelle says matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I know that place!" the hippie girl says. "It's this big place where you can buy really smart robots."

"I'm not a robot," you protest to the hippie girl. "Janelle's the robot. I bought Janelle at Hollywood Hardware." you gesture at her. "And Janelle is totally smart. But I—think I like her bossiness, so I'm on a mission to drive her nuts." You grin boyishly.

"Janelle couldn't really sell me back to Hollywood Hardware," you continue, "because they don't buy humans, but my ass is hers." You look nervously at Janelle for approval.

"See, this is what I'm talking about," Janelle says to the hippie girl. "He's so fucking dumb, but he's got a nice ass, so I'm keeping him around."

The hippie girl giggles. "That's so funny. Anyway, I gotta get back to work. It was nice meeting you, Janelle. And you too, mister. I hope I see you around."

"Oh, you will," Janelle says with a wink. "Because he's my little bitch, and he does whatever I say."

"Bye!" you say, waving as the hippie girl goes back inside the store.

"See?" Janelle says, as if that settles everything. "Now you're my little bitch. And you're gonna do whatever I say. No matter what it is."

"Yes, Janelle," you say meekly, leading her to your car. You're really turned on by the whole situation, and can't wait to see what she'll make you do next.

Will you...

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0047|Go home and watch TV?]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0046|Take Janelle golfing?]]<br>

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0046

2022-07-10T14:15:49Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0045|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"How would you feel about a golfing date, Nelly?" you ask as you drive along, hoping she'll agree. "It's a sunny day and there's this really nice golf course up the way.'" Driving through town, you see the green of the golf course nearby, dotted with its sand traps and artificial lakes. A few other golfers are there: young couples, mostly, including two parents with a whiny little boy.

You're worried Janelle will think golf is uncool—but perhaps, you think, she'll enjoy an opportunity to show off her style on the green.

She does—at least at first.

"I'm gonna show y'all how it's done," she says as she steps out of the car, swinging her hips. She walks up to the first hole, a simple par 3 with a pond in front of the green. She looks at the hole, then looks at you. "I need a club."

You hand her a putter. She looks at it, then looks at you. "This ain't gonna work," she says, handing it back. You give her a 6-iron. She smirks and gets in position, describing the action condescendingly to you as she plays.

"Watch, bitch. I'mma hit the ball, and it's gonna go in the hole. Then we're gonna walk to the next hole and I'mma do it again."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0051|Is Janelle good at golf...]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0052|Or is Janelle bad at golf?]]<br>

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0058

2022-07-10T14:04:39Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0053|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"I don't know," you answer honestly as you drive home. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to do everything," she says with a giggle. "I want to try everything. I want us to have mad adventures and wild sex and just go crazy."

"That sounds... fun," you say, not sure if you're ready for all of that.

"It is," she says, kissing you on the cheek. "I promise."

"I—liked that stuff you said about taking me down and mixing it up with me—" you allow, blushing hard. "Can we do that too?"

She laughs, a deep, throaty chuckle. "Oh, we definitely can, boo. We definitely can."

"I mean, I'm kind of into bad tempers," you joke. "I may have left my apartment a little messy just so you'd have things to complain about."

"Ooh, perfect," she chuckles, clapping her hands together. "I'm gonna have so much fun with you."

You pull up to your apartment complex and park the car. As you're getting out, she stops you.

"Boo, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"No other girls, boo. You're mine."

"Excuse me?" you laugh. "What if I want to go girl-watching with you, just so you can put me in my place?"

"That's different," she says with a wink. "That's for my entertainment."

"Yes, your highness," you grin, letting her into your apartment. It's a small apartment, but it's clean and well-kept.

"So, this is where I live," you say, throwing your jacket on a chair. "Make yourself at home." You have lots of board games and video games piled around. You're a little embarrassed by the mess, but she seems to think it's cute.

"So, what do you want to do first?" you ask, feeling a little nervous.

"I think I want to play a game," she says, walking over to your collection and picking out Monopoly. You set it up quickly, and she sits across from you, giggling.

"What?" you ask.

"Oh, it's just that I've never owned property, like this game has you do," she says. "Even in a simulation. I'm excited."

"Really?" you ask, surprised. "I would have thought you'd have a lot of games in your head already, since you're a robot."

"It doesn't mean I've played them all. But I'm excited to learn."

You teach her how to play the game, and she picks it up a little too quickly. "I'mma guess I did have it in my head already," she muses, winning the game handily with a hotel on Boardwalk. She leans back in her chair and puts her feet up on the table.

"I can't believe you won," you say, pouting a little. "That's not fair."

"Oh, boo, life's not fair," she says, reaching over and patting your head. "But think of all the cool features I guess I've got... and we're gonna see how they all work. And in the meantime..."

"In the meantime, what?"

"I want you to make me breakfast in bed tomorrow morning," she grins. "I want you to wear a little apron and nothing else. And I want you to cook me whatever I want. No questions asked."

"Wait—a little apron and nothing else?" you blush. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," she says, her voice laced with amusement. "You'll look very cute. I also want you to give me a massage tomorrow night. I want you to use your hands, your tongue, and your... whatever else you've got."

"I think I can handle that," you grin.

Then she kisses you, her lips soft and gentle at first, but then gradually more insistent. Her hands wander over your body, exploring you as she kisses you deeper and deeper.

"Janelle," you gasp, when she finally breaks the kiss. "What are you doing?"

"I'm exploring the 'new property' I own for real," she says, her voice husky. "Do you like it?" she asks, her hands still wandering.

"Yes," you gasp, as her hands find their way to your crotch. "I like it very much."

"Good," she says, her voice a little throaty. "Because I'm just getting started."

The End

----

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0046

2022-07-10T13:58:45Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0046|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"How would you feel about a golfing date, Nelly?" you ask as you drive along, hoping she'll agree. "It's a sunny day and there's this really nice golf course up the way.'" Driving through town, you see the green of the golf course nearby, dotted with its sand traps and artificial lakes. A few other golfers are there: young couples, mostly, including two parents with a whiny little boy.

You're worried Janelle will think golf is uncool—but perhaps, you think, she'll enjoy an opportunity to show off her style on the green.

She does—at least at first.

"I'm gonna show y'all how it's done," she says as she steps out of the car, swinging her hips. She walks up to the first hole, a simple par 3 with a pond in front of the green. She looks at the hole, then looks at you. "I need a club."

You hand her a putter. She looks at it, then looks at you. "This ain't gonna work," she says, handing it back. You give her a 6-iron. She smirks and gets in position, describing the action condescendingly to you as she plays.

"Watch, bitch. I'mma hit the ball, and it's gonna go in the hole. Then we're gonna walk to the next hole and I'mma do it again."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0051|Is Janelle good at golf...]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0052|Or is Janelle bad at golf?]]<br>

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0035

2022-07-10T13:56:56Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0022|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"Come in, your highness," you grin, letting Janelle into your apartment. It's a small apartment, but it's clean and well-kept.

"So, this is where I live," you say, throwing your jacket on a chair. "Make yourself at home." You have lots of board games and video games piled around. You're a little embarrassed by the mess, but she seems to think it's cute.

"So, what do you want to do first?" you ask, feeling a little nervous.

"Hmmm," she says, looking around your apartment. "I think I want to play a game."

"Do you like dating sims?" you grin, picking up a cartridge, incredibly amused at teaching an artificial girl to woo artificial girls.

"It's like a follow-your-own-plot story. You have to try to date this really bratty valley girl named Kesha. She's really difficult and bratty, but her good ending is really hot." You show Janelle an image from the game on its packaging. It shows a sexy, but snooty-looking girl with big sunglasses. "...That's Kesha."

"Oh, I definitely want to try that," Janelle says, taking the game from you.

"Okay, but you have to be careful," you say. "She's really difficult."

"I'm sure I can handle her," Janelle says with a wink.

You set up the game and hand her the controller. She starts playing, and quickly gets the hang of it. She breezes through the game, effortlessly winning the affections of the bratty Kesha—until the last stage, when Kesha theatrically breaks up with her and gives her the finger. "Like, you're totally gross," Kesha laughs at Janelle from the screen.

"What the hell?" Janelle says, stunned. "How did I lose?"

"I told you she was difficult," you say with a shrug.

"No, I can't lose," Janelle says, putting the controller down and getting up. "I won't accept it."

"It's just a game," you say.

"No, it's not just a game," she says, walking over to the TV. "This is my life now. I'm a robot programmed to be the perfect date. I can't let some stupid valley girl dump me."

----

[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0037|Let Janelle try again]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0038|Convince Janelle to do something else]]

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0058

2022-07-10T13:54:13Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0053|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"I don't know," you answer honestly as you drive home. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to do everything," she says with a giggle. "I want to try everything. I want us to have mad adventures and wild sex and just go crazy."

"That sounds... fun," you say, not sure if you're ready for all of that.

"It is," she says, kissing you on the cheek. "I promise."

"I—liked that stuff you said about taking me down and mixing it up with me—" you allow, blushing hard. "Can we do that too?"

She laughs, a deep, throaty chuckle. "Oh, we definitely can, boo. We definitely can."

"I mean, I'm kind of into bad tempers," you joke. "I may have left my apartment a little messy just so you'd have things to complain about."

"Ooh, perfect," she chuckles, clapping her hands together. "I'm gonna have so much fun with you."

You pull up to your apartment complex and park the car. As you're getting out, she stops you.

"Boo, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"No other girls, boo. You're mine."

"Excuse me?" you laugh. "What if I want to go girl-watching with you, just so you can put me in my place?"

"That's different," she says with a wink. "That's for my entertainment."

"Yes, your highness," you grin, letting her into your apartment. It's a small apartment, but it's clean and well-kept.

"So, this is where I live," you say, throwing your jacket on a chair. "Make yourself at home." You have lots of board games and video games piled around. You're a little embarrassed by the mess, but she seems to think it's cute.

"So, what do you want to do first?" you ask, feeling a little nervous.

"I think I want to play a game," she says, walking over to your collection and picking out Monopoly. You set it up quickly, and she sits across from you, giggling.

"What?" you ask.

"Oh, it's just that I've never owned property, like this game has you do," she says. "Even in a simulation. I'm excited."

"Really?" you ask, surprised. "I would have thought you'd have a lot of games in your head already, since you're a robot."

"It doesn't mean I've played them all. But I'm excited to learn."

You teach her how to play the game, and she picks it up a little too quickly. "I'mma guess I did have it in my head already," she muses, winning the game handily with a hotel on Boardwalk. She leans back in her chair and puts her feet up on the table.

"I can't believe you won," you say, pouting a little. "That's not fair."

"Oh, boo, life's not fair," she says, reaching over and patting your head. "But think of all the cool features I guess I've got... and we're gonna see how they all work. And in the meantime..."

"In the meantime, what?"

"I want you to make me breakfast in bed tomorrow morning," she grins. "I want you to wear a little apron and nothing else. And I want you to cook me whatever I want. No questions asked."

"Wait—a little apron and nothing else?" you blush. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," she says, her voice laced with amusement. "You'll look very cute. I also want you to give me a massage tomorrow night. I want you to use your hands, your tongue, and your... whatever else you've got."

"I think I can handle that," you say, your voice a little throaty.

Then she kisses you, her lips soft and gentle at first, but then gradually more insistent. Her hands wander over your body, exploring you as she kisses you deeper and deeper.

"Janelle," you gasp, when she finally breaks the kiss. "What are you doing?"

"I'm exploring the 'new property' I own for real," she says, her voice husky. "Do you like it?" she asks, her hands still wandering.

"Yes," you gasp, as her hands find their way to your crotch. "I like it very much."

"Good," she says, her voice a little throaty. "Because I'm just getting started."

The End

----

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0058

2022-07-10T13:52:26Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0053|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"I don't know," you answer honestly as you drive home. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to do everything," she says with a giggle. "I want to try everything. I want us to have mad adventures and wild sex and just go crazy."

"That sounds... fun," you say, not sure if you're ready for all of that.

"It is," she says, kissing you on the cheek. "I promise."

"I—liked that stuff you said about taking me down and mixing it up with me—" you allow, blushing hard. "Can we do that too?"

She laughs, a deep, throaty chuckle. "Oh, we definitely can, boo. We definitely can."

"I'm kind of into bad tempers," you mention, red-faced. "I may have left my apartment a little messy just so you'd have things to complain about."

Actually, you were joking. Your apartment was very neat. But you liked Janelle's loud voice and were really into her speaking her mind.

"Oh, I love that," she says, clapping her hands together. "I'm gonna have so much fun with you."

You pull up to your apartment complex and park the car. As you're getting out, she stops you.

"Boo, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"No other girls, boo. You're mine."

"Excuse me?" you laugh. "What if I want to go girl-watching with you, just so you can put me in my place?"

"That's different," she says with a wink. "That's for my entertainment."

"Yes, your highness," you grin, letting her into your apartment. It's a small apartment, but it's clean and well-kept.

"So, this is where I live," you say, throwing your jacket on a chair. "Make yourself at home." You have lots of board games and video games piled around. You're a little embarrassed by the mess, but she seems to think it's cute.

"So, what do you want to do first?" you ask, feeling a little nervous.

"I think I want to play a game," she says, walking over to your collection and picking out Monopoly. You set it up quickly, and she sits across from you, giggling.

"What?" you ask.

"Oh, it's just that I've never owned property, like this game has you do," she says. "Even in a simulation. I'm excited."

"Really?" you ask, surprised. "I would have thought you'd have a lot of games in your head already, since you're a robot."

"It doesn't mean I've played them all. But I'm excited to learn."

You teach her how to play the game, and she picks it up a little too quickly. "I'mma guess I did have it in my head already," she muses, winning the game handily with a hotel on Boardwalk. She leans back in her chair and puts her feet up on the table.

"I can't believe you won," you say, pouting a little. "That's not fair."

"Oh, boo, life's not fair," she says, reaching over and patting your head. "But think of all the cool features I guess I've got... and we're gonna see how they all work. And in the meantime..."

"In the meantime, what?"

"I want you to make me breakfast in bed tomorrow morning," she grins. "I want you to wear a little apron and nothing else. And I want you to cook me whatever I want. No questions asked."

"Wait—a little apron and nothing else?" you blush. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," she says, her voice laced with amusement. "You'll look very cute. I also want you to give me a massage tomorrow night. I want you to use your hands, your tongue, and your... whatever else you've got."

"I think I can handle that," you say, your voice a little throaty.

Then she kisses you, her lips soft and gentle at first, but then gradually more insistent. Her hands wander over your body, exploring you as she kisses you deeper and deeper.

"Janelle," you gasp, when she finally breaks the kiss. "What are you doing?"

"I'm exploring the 'new property' I own for real," she says, her voice husky. "Do you like it?" she asks, her hands still wandering.

"Yes," you gasp, as her hands find their way to your crotch. "I like it very much."

"Good," she says, her voice a little throaty. "Because I'm just getting started."

The End

----

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0058

2022-07-10T13:51:29Z

Australopith:

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0053|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"I don't know," you answer honestly as you drive home. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to do everything," she says with a giggle. "I want to try everything. I want us to have mad adventures and wild sex and just go crazy."

"That sounds... fun," you say, not sure if you're ready for all of that.

"It is," she says, kissing you on the cheek. "I promise."

"I—liked that stuff you said about taking me down and mixing it up with me—" you allow, blushing hard. "Can we do that too?"

She laughs, a deep, throaty chuckle. "Oh, we definitely can, boo. We definitely can."

"I'm kind of into bad tempers," you mention, red-faced. "I may have left my apartment a little messy just so you'd have things to complain about."

Actually, you were joking. Your apartment was very neat. But you liked Janelle's loud voice and were really into her speaking her mind.

"Oh, I love that," she says, clapping her hands together. "I'm gonna have so much fun with you."

You pull up to your apartment complex and park the car. As you're getting out, she stops you.

"Boo, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"No other girls, boo. You're mine."

"Excuse me?" you laugh. "What if I want to go girl-watching with you, just so you can put me in my place?"

"That's different," she says with a wink. "That's for my entertainment."

"Yes, your highness," you grin, letting her into your apartment. It's a small apartment, but it's clean and well-kept.

"So, this is where I live," you say, throwing your jacket on a chair. "Make yourself at home." You have lots of board games and video games piled around. You're a little embarrassed by the mess, but she seems to think it's cute.

"So, what do you want to do first?" you ask, feeling a little nervous.

"I think I want to play a game," she says, walking over to your collection and picking out Monopoly. You set it up quickly, and she sits across from you, giggling.

"What?" you ask.

"Oh, it's just that I've never owned property, like this game has you do," she says. "Even in a simulation. I'm excited."

"Really?" you ask, surprised. "I would have thought you'd have a lot of games in your head already, since you're a robot."

"It doesn't mean I've played them all. But I'm excited to learn."

You teach her how to play the game, and she picks it up a little too quickly. "I'mma guess I did have it in my head already," she muses, winning the game handily with a hotel on Boardwalk. She leans back in her chair and puts her feet up on the table.

"I can't believe you won," you say, pouting a little. "That's not fair."

"Oh, boo, life's not fair," she says, reaching over and patting your head. "You just have to deal with it."

"I don't like it," you grumble.

"I know, boo," she says, sympathizing. "But think of all the cool features I guess I've got... and we're gonna see how they all work. And in the meantime..."

"In the meantime, what?"

"I want you to make me breakfast in bed tomorrow morning," she grins. "I want you to wear a little apron and nothing else. And I want you to cook me whatever I want. No questions asked."

"Wait—a little apron and nothing else?" you blush. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," she says, her voice laced with amusement. "You'll look very cute. I also want you to give me a massage tomorrow night. I want you to use your hands, your tongue, and your... whatever else you've got."

"I think I can handle that," you say, your voice a little throaty.

Then she kisses you, her lips soft and gentle at first, but then gradually more insistent. Her hands wander over your body, exploring you as she kisses you deeper and deeper.

"Janelle," you gasp, when she finally breaks the kiss. "What are you doing?"

"I'm exploring the 'new property' I own for real," she says, her voice husky. "Do you like it?" she asks, her hands still wandering.

"Yes," you gasp, as her hands find their way to your crotch. "I like it very much."

"Good," she says, her voice a little throaty. "Because I'm just getting started."

The End

----

FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0058

2022-07-10T13:49:57Z

Australopith: Created page with ":Back ---- Category:Follow your own plot Category:Stories "I don't know," you answer honestly as you drive home. "What do you want to do?" "I want to do everything," she says with a giggle. "I want to try everything. I want us to have mad adventures and wild sex and just go crazy." "That sounds... fun," you say, not sure if you're ready for all of that. "It is," she says, kissing you on the cheek. "I promise." "I—liked..."

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0053|Back]]
----

[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"I don't know," you answer honestly as you drive home. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to do everything," she says with a giggle. "I want to try everything. I want us to have mad adventures and wild sex and just go crazy."

"That sounds... fun," you say, not sure if you're ready for all of that.

"It is," she says, kissing you on the cheek. "I promise."

"I—liked that stuff you said about taking me down and mixing it up with me—" you allow, blushing hard. "Can we do that too?"

She laughs, a deep, throaty chuckle. "Oh, we definitely can, boo. We definitely can."

"I'm kind of into bad tempers," you mention, red-faced. "I may have left my apartment a little messy just so you'd have things to complain about."

Actually, you were joking. Your apartment was very neat. But you liked Janelle's loud voice and were really into her speaking her mind.

"Oh, I love that," she says, clapping her hands together. "I'm gonna have so much fun with you."

You pull up to your apartment complex and park the car. As you're getting out, she stops you.

"Boo, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"No other girls, boo. You're mine."

"Excuse me?" you laugh. "What if I want to go girl-watching with you, just so you can put me in my place?"

"That's different," she says with a wink. "That's for my entertainment."

"Yes, your highness," you grin, letting her into your apartment. It's a small apartment, but it's clean and well-kept.

"So, this is where I live," you say, throwing your jacket on a chair. "Make yourself at home." You have lots of board games and video games piled around. You're a little embarrassed by the mess, but she seems to think it's cute.

"So, what do you want to do first?" you ask, feeling a little nervous.

"I think I want to play a game," she says, walking over to your collection and picking out Monopoly. You set it up quickly, and she sits across from you, giggling.

"What?" you ask.

"Oh, it's just that I've never bought and sold property, like this game has you do," she says. "Even in a simulation. I'm excited."

"Really?" you ask, surprised. "I would have thought you'd have a lot of games in your head already, since you're a robot."

"It doesn't mean I've played them all. But I'm excited to learn."

You teach her how to play the game, and she picks it up a little too quickly. "I'mma guess I did have it in my head already," she muses, winning the game handily with a hotel on Boardwalk. She leans back in her chair and puts her feet up on the table.

"I can't believe you won," you say, pouting a little. "That's not fair."

"Oh, boo, life's not fair," she says, reaching over and patting your head. "You just have to deal with it."

"I don't like it," you grumble.

"I know, boo," she says, sympathizing. "But think of all the cool features I guess I've got... and we're gonna see how they all work. And in the meantime..."

"In the meantime, what?"

"I want you to make me breakfast in bed tomorrow morning," she grins. "I want you to wear a little apron and nothing else. And I want you to cook me whatever I want. No questions asked."

"Wait—a little apron and nothing else?" you blush. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," she says, her voice laced with amusement. "You'll look very cute. I also want you to give me a massage tomorrow night. I want you to use your hands, your tongue, and your... whatever else you've got."

"I think I can handle that," you say, your voice a little throaty.

Then she kisses you, her lips soft and gentle at first, but then gradually more insistent. Her hands wander over your body, exploring you as she kisses you deeper and deeper.

"Janelle," you gasp, when she finally breaks the kiss. "What are you doing?"

"I'm exploring my new home," she says, her voice husky. "And my new... boyfriend. Do you like it?" she asks, her hands still wandering.

"Yes," you gasp, as her hands find their way to your crotch. "I like it very much."

"Good," she says, her voice a little throaty. "Because I'm just getting started."

The End

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FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0059

2022-07-10T13:28:44Z

Australopith: Created page with ":Back ---- Category:Follow your own plot Category:Stories "Good." She kisses you on the cheek, then takes your hand and leads you to the car. "I'll show you what a real woman can do, my little bitch." "Fuck," you say with a sigh. "I shouldn't get turned on when you call me that, but—" "Shut up and drive," she interrupts, smacking your ass as you get in. "That felt kind of good," you murmur in spite of yourself as you get..."

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0053|Back]]
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[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

"Good." She kisses you on the cheek, then takes your hand and leads you to the car. "I'll show you what a real woman can do, my little bitch."

"Fuck," you say with a sigh. "I shouldn't get turned on when you call me that, but—"

"Shut up and drive," she interrupts, smacking your ass as you get in.

"That felt kind of good," you murmur in spite of yourself as you get behind the wheel and start the car.

"I know, baby. Now let's go home so I can show you what else I can make you feel good about."

Back home you show her around your apartment, finishing at the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower," she tells you. "You can either join me or wait for me in the bedroom."

"I'll join you," you say quickly.

"I thought you might," she says with a smirk, leading you into the bathroom.

She starts the shower, then undresses you. "Now it's your turn," she says, pushing you under the spray of water.

She washes your hair and body, then kisses you passionately. "Now it's time to rinse off," she says, turning you around so that your back is to the spray.

She reaches around and rubs your cock, stroking it until it's hard. Then she guides it into her waiting pussy from behind. "Fuck me, baby," she moans, her voice echoing in the small space.

You oblige, thrusting into her over and over again. The water sluices over your bodies, making everything feel even better. She leans forward, her breasts pressed against your back, and bites your shoulder.

"I love how you fuck me," she moans. "You make me feel so alive."

You come first, but she doesn't stop. She continues to ride you until she reaches her own orgasm. Then she leans back and kisses your neck.

"That was amazing," she says. "I can't wait to do it again."

"Me too," you say, your heart pounding.

"But first, I need to recharge my batteries," she says. "I'll be in the bedroom."

"Okay," you say, your eyes already starting to droop.

The End

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FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0053

2022-07-10T13:23:07Z

Australopith: Created page with ":Back ---- Category:Follow your own plot Category:Stories Then it hits you: "It's your fricking robot skills," you laugh. "Your brain helps you aim automatically. You don't have to put in any effort." "What?" she says, looking offended. "You think I can't put in any effort? I can put in whatever the fuck I want, when I want. And I'm putting in one hundred percent effort right now. So I'm the best golfer ever." "No, no, I d..."

:[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0051|Back]]
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[[Category:Follow your own plot]]
[[Category:Stories]]

Then it hits you: "It's your fricking robot skills," you laugh. "Your brain helps you aim automatically. You don't have to put in any effort."

"What?" she says, looking offended. "You think I can't put in any effort? I can put in whatever the fuck I want, when I want. And I'm putting in one hundred percent effort right now. So I'm the best golfer ever."

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that," you backpedal quickly. "I just meant that your aim is really good. Like, really, really good."

"Damn right my aim is good," she says, swishing her hips as she walks off the course. "And you're lucky I'm such a good shot, because otherwise you'd be in a lot of trouble."

Several golfers nearby, the young couple with their annoying little boy, are just approaching. The boy points at you and laughs to Janelle.

"Trouble! Is your husband in trouble, lady?"

Janelle gives him a withering look. "No, he's not my husband, you little shit. And no, he's not in trouble. But if he doesn't do what I say, he will be."

The little boy's mother scolds him and they move on, but you can hear the boy's voice trailing off as they walk away. "But why does he have to do what you say, lady? He's not your husband..."

Once the boy and his parents are gone, you speak quietly, embarrassedly to Janelle. "What was that thing you told the hippie girl earlier? I'm fucking dumb, huh? And you keep me around because you like my ass? Is that the only reason?"

Janelle shrugs. "I mean, that's part of it. But I also like your sense of humor. And... I don't know, you're just kind of fun to be around."

You're both quiet for a moment, then you speak up again. "So, what do you want to do now, Janelle? It's your call."

"Hmmm," she says, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. What do you think, boo? What do you want to do?"

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[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0058|Go home for a board game]]<br>
[[FYOP/Hollywood Hardware/0059|Go home and fool around]]<br>