Courtesy Suites

The attractive brunette behind the counter wore a conservative blue suit and a small name blue tag which announced her as "Samantha."

"Good evening, sir; how may I help you?"

The man she addressed wore a red-and-black striped tie which had been loosened so he could unbutton the top button of his white shirt. He dragged a wheeled travel bag which he stood upright as he reached the counter.

"I have a reservation," he said. "My name is Doug Hollis." He spelled it for the receptionist, who typed at a computer terminal.

"Ah, welcome to Courtesy Suites, Mr. Hollis. You'll be staying with us for two nights?"

"Yes, I'm just in town for a product demonstration," said Doug.

Samantha checked the computer screen again. "I see your stay is to be billed to your company's account, so if you could just sign this... all right, Mr. Hollis, you're all set. You'll be in Suite 612. Here's your card key." Doug noticed the plastic card she handed him was completely blank except for the black magnetic stripe. "Have you stayed here before, Mr. Hollis?"

Doug shook his head. "Nope, this is my first time."

Samantha smiled. "That's quite all right. We have a full range of services, most of which are included in your daily room charge. You'll find a complete guide available on the computer terminal in your suite, and you can order anything you'd like in complete confidence through our hotel intranet. Most of your questions can be answered by the automated interactive concierge as well. Is there anything else I can help you with now?"

Doug paused, looking slightly embarrassed. He stared at Samantha. "Actually, I do have a question. If it's not rude... are you human?"

The receptionist showed no sign of offense. If anything, she seemed sympathetic to Doug's hesitation about even asking the question. She reached out and touched Doug's hand with hers, as if to reassure him. Under other circumstances, he thought the gesture might have annoyed him, made him feel patronized, but right now, it soothed him as intended. "No, sir, I'm not," the receptionist admitted matter-of-factly. "I'm an android, as are most of the staff at Courtesy Suites. You can tell by the blue name tag that all our android staff wear whenever they are in public areas of the hotel." Doug lifted her hand closer to his face and looked at it closely. It was a pretty hand, long-fingered and well-manicured, and very smooth. As soft and warm, he thought, as a real woman's hand would be. The fingertips had prints, and the palm had lines. He wondered if he would have been able to tell by looking that it wasn't human if Samantha hadn't told him what she was.

Samantha continued speaking, watching but not objecting to Doug's examination of her hand. "Our few human employees almost never come into contact with guests unless they're specifically asked for, and no personal information about our guests or how they choose to spend their time here is ever provided to humans without the guest's written consent. Except in statistical form, of course. We feel that only that degree of complete privacy will enable our guests to feel comfortable enough to truly satisfy whatever desires they may have, and so we do our best to provide it. Although I must point out," she said, noticing that Doug's attention had strayed from her hand to her chest, "that this is the hotel lobby, and other guests do pass through here from time to time."

Doug shook himself slightly, and lifted his gaze to the receptionist's face. She didn't seem upset at all, nor had her friendly smile changed. "Can I help you with anything else?" she asked.

"No, I think that'll be all for now. Umm... where's the elevator?"

A few minutes later, Doug closed the door to his suite behind him, and locked it carefully.

"Lights, on," he called, and the room obediently lit itself for him. Like every hotel guest in every hotel in the world, the first thing he did was to look around the space he'd be living in for the next few days. The largest room was the sitting room, which contained a small couch, a reclining chair, TV set, computer terminal, kitchenette, and coffee table. The bedroom was connected to it by a pair of wide sliding doors which could be opened so that the two rooms were almost one large one. The bathroom was large and well-equipped. A good, luxury suite, even excluding the extra amenities.

Usually one would now either sit down and catch some TV to relax after a long flight, or else unpack. But here... Doug decided to check out the "hotel services." He sat down at the computer terminal, and pressed the attention button. "Computer, show me the guide to services," he said. After a short pause, a matronly female face appeared on the screen.

"Welcome to Courtesy Suites," she said, in a broad I'm-customer-service-and-I'm-here-to-help-you sort of tone, "the most advanced luxury business hotel in the world. My name is Susan, and I am your automated interactive concierge. If you are already familiar with our special services, just tell me what services you'd like to enjoy today. Otherwise, just keep listening, and I'll tell you everything you need to know."

Susan's face disappeared from the screen, and the view changed to show the exterior of the hotel from various angles, and changing to display the various amenities being described. "Courtesy Suites was founded on the principle of using advanced computer and automation technology to satisfy our guests deepest desires. You've already experienced our instant, error-free reservation and check-in system, and perhaps also the automated shuttle bus from the airport." The spokeswoman continued to describe the standard list of luxury hotel amenities, while pictures of them flashed by on the screen. Doug sat through it, not really listening. You didn't come to Courtesy Suites for the exercise room or the five-star restaurant.

Actually, Doug wouldn't have come to Courtesy Suites at all on his own. From what he'd heard about it, it sounded too much like a high-class brothel. He didn't need that, even if he hadn't so much as had a date since he and Tanya had broken off their engagement six months ago. He'd thrown himself into his work as a consultant for Enterprise Systems, and simply hadn't had the time. But Larry, his boss and college friend, had grown concerned about the amount of time Doug was spending on the job.

"Not that I don't appreciate the work," Larry had said, "but you really have to relax once in a while. Go meet someone, take her to dinner, get laid. I know what you went through with Tanya, but it's been months."

But Doug always seemed to be busy with something else. This product demonstration was the latest "something else."

"You know this is important," he'd told Larry. "One of us has to go, and I'm the only one available."

"Fine, but take an extra day or two. And I'm going to arrange for you to stay at the Courtesy Suites. Sally'd throw a fit if I ever went there, but you don't have that problem. And Doug, if you can't relax there, you're already dead!"

Doug had refused to take extra time off, but had reluctantly agreed to see what the newest luxury hotel could offer. He'd fantasized a bit on the plane coming out here, and had actually become quite eager to sample the hotel's offerings... which Susan, the concierge, was just describing.

"The service that makes Courtesy Suites completely unique is, of course, our staff." The screen showed Samantha greeting a customer at the reception desk. "Almost all of our hotel staff are androids, artificial constructs designed to look and act almost perfectly human. But unlike human employees, our hotel staff have not simply been trained – they have been designed and built one goal in mind: to please you, our guest, in any way they can. They never have bad moods; they can be relied upon to be friendly and courteous at all times. Each of them speaks perfect English – and most of them speak Spanish, Japanese, and one or two other languages as well, so you'll always be understood. You'll never have to wonder if a staff member secretly resents your requests for service – they are incapable of resentment, annoyance, or offense. Our staff will always do as you request, because that is quite simply what they were built for.

"Furthermore, the unique nature of our staff allows us to offer additional services not found at any other hotel. If you wish a personal servant, or just a companion, or someone to perform any special service for you, you have only to ask. If you'd like a steward to serve you dinner in your room, just ask. If you'd like a relaxing massage, we'll provide it. If you simply want someone attractive and friendly to unwind with, no problem. Our staff members will go to any lengths to please you – and we do mean any lengths." The voice was silent for a few beats, as the screen showed a few seconds of what looked like an intimate conversation between a dark-haired man and a sexy blonde, both in bathrobes on a loveseat... the same man kissing a blue-eyed, freckle-faced girl... a different man standing behind a smiling, nude woman, fondling her breasts... a threesome in bed in a darkened room... Doug found he had stopped breathing. This place did appear to be everything he had heard... even if it did take a low-key approach to announcing it.

The voice resumed. "Whatever you'd like, just ask me. You can even request a staff member with a certain appearance. We can't always match the exact look you want, but we do have androids in over one hundred models, any of which can be programmed to fulfill your desires."

The screen now changed over to a standard computer interface sporting the Courtesy Suites logo. "If you'd like any further information, or would like to request any service, simply ask me or any of our staff members. A list of common subjects for questions appears on your screen. Thank you for staying at Courtesy Suites, designed to fulfill your desires."

Doug looked over the list. Technical Information About Androids... Privacy Concerns... What Can Androids Really Do?... a few of them did interest him a little, but he decided that he'd rather experiment on his own. He was really looking forward to having an android of his own (well, temporarily at least), and if he wanted any more answers, he could ask her.

"Computer, I'd like to request a companion," he announced.

The concierge's voice spoke again. Without a face to go with it, Doug thought, he couldn't quite tell if it was male or female. Not that it mattered, being simply a computer. "Very well," it said. "What sort would you like? You needn't tell us anything more now, but the more you tell us, the better able we'll be to send you someone prepared to satisfy you."

Doug paused. He didn't exactly feel comfortable saying, even to a computer, I want a sexy robotic babe who will do exactly what I tell her, who I can turn on and off at will, and who will give me great sex. So instead he said, "I'm not entirely sure. A woman, certainly – I mean, a female android..."

"Is her appearance important to you?" the concierge voice asked. The screen displayed several images now of women, mostly wearing bikinis. "I'm showing you pictures of some of the women currently available. If any of them appeals to you, she could be at your door in just a few minutes."

Doug looked them over. They were all attractive, in various ways, although some weren't particularly to Doug's taste. One cute brunette looked no more than sixteen – despite the fact that it might well have been manufactured well before the others, Doug didn't think he'd be comfortable with a girl who looked that young. Another seemed well into her forties – attractive, but not Doug's style. But there was one blonde, blue-eyed woman, posed with her hands clasped in front of her and a blank, almost confused expression on her face, who really caught his eye. The caption beneath that picture read, "Nicole."

"Perhaps Nicole," he said. "What is she like?"

"That depends," the voice replied. "Our androids are all capable of assuming any skills and personalities you would like. All Courtesy Suites androids incorporate special programming designed to pay careful attention to you and notice the subtle signals you send that indicate the type of behavior you'd like to see. That way we can adapt our responses to you as we interact with you, to be more precisely what you'd like, even if you don't consciously know exactly what that is. Of course, if there's anything particular you'd like to see in her, you can tell me at any time, and your wishes will be carried out. Or you can send her back and ask for a new companion."

"I guess that'll be fine," Doug agreed. "Is there anything else you need to know?"

"No, sir, unless you'd like something else? If not, Nicole will be by very soon."

Elsewhere in the hotel, there was a long, dark, narrow room with a door at either end. What appeared to be a line of people stood in front of one door, as if waiting to enter a theater of some kind – but these "people" did not move. Perhaps two dozen figures, mostly female, all attractive, stood motionless, relaxed, eyes closed, expressions blank, awaiting a silent command. A few of them wore clothing that would not have been out of place on any street, but most of them wore silver robes that covered and protected their bodies. Each of them, no matter what else it wore, bore a name tag like the one worn by the receptionist. Near the door was the pretty teenager Doug had noticed and rejected, whose name tag identified her as "Maria." A few places behind her was the blonde unit Doug had chosen. Her name tag, "Nicole," was pinned to her silver robe. Beneath the robe, a whirring sound began, as the android's circuitry came to life.

Activation sequence initiated. Unit KF-165. Beginning self-test sequence. Downloading latest version PersAnalysis module, version 3.20.5. Download complete. Power level 99%. Self-test complete; all systems functional. Downloading mission parameters. Download complete. Unit activating.

Nicole did not open her eyes. She knew exactly where she was and where she needed to go. Her eyes were her most delicate part, and she was programmed to protect them whenever she did not need to see or be seen. Unhesitatingly, she stepped out of the line of frozen figures, walked to the front of the line, and opened the door. Now she opened her eyes, as there could be others in the anteroom.

As, indeed, there were. A male was there, removing a pair of shorts and preparing to don a tuxedo. Next to the repair bench stood a female, nude and motionless, with her main dorsal panel open to expose the electronics within. A male was working at the bench, probably repairing a faulty component. There was the sound of running water in the shower compartment.

Nicole did not pay any particular attention to any of these, except to note their presence so as to avoid running into them. She stepped to one of the closets of women's clothes. While Mr. Hollis had not specified how he wanted her dressed, his comments to the receptionist and the concierge had suggested that he intended to use her for sexual purposes. However, his hesitation to actually say so indicated that he was not entirely comfortable with that plan, and therefore would probably feel uncomfortable if Nicole's attire made it clear she understood his intentions. A bathrobe, swimsuit, or undergarments, therefore, were not indicated. Nor had he ordered any food or drinks, or indicated any intention to go out, so formal wear was equally inappropriate. He had said he wanted a companion. And it was fairly late. Therefore it would be reasonable to assume he would want her to remain through the night even if he didn't want sex...

In the end, she chose a blue satin pajama set. They weren't revealing enough to embarrass Mr. Hollis no matter how shy he was, but they were sexy enough to encourage him. Once dressed, she transferred her name tag to her new satin top, and picked up a small hand-held widget labeled with her unit number. She left the protective silver robe in the anteroom (she had been nude beneath it, having had to shower after her last assignment), and departed the room through the double doors designed to keep hotel guests from seeing the room the androids came from.

Although it was late, there were some people in the halls. Nicole smiled politely at most of them, seductively at a few. A few seemed to want to be ignored, and she obliged them. None asked her to do anything, which was just as well. Although the hotel stocked several other androids identical to Nicole who could be activated and sent to Mr. Hollis (she was in fact one of the most popular models), it would take several more minutes before one could arrive at his door.

Eventually, she reached Suite 612. She made a slight adjustment in the fall of her hair, and checked her clothing. She considered assuming a friendly, inviting smile, but at the last minute decided on the blank, slightly confused expression she had worn in the picture Mr. Hollis had seen. She rang the doorbell.

Doug opened the door, and stopped and stared.

The woman outside was about five foot four. Her golden-blonde hair fell down to her shoulders in gentle silken waves. Her skin was fair and clear. She wore no makeup, nor any appearance of it; her lips were pink and full and beautiful, set in just the same expression she had worn in the picture, but now here in front of him, life-size and kissable. She wore a pair of blue pajamas that hid most of her body, but the creamy texture of her neck and what little he could see of her shoulders promised great beauty beneath the satin. Her breasts weren't large, which was just as well; Doug had never liked the kind of melon-breasted sex objects most of the magazines like to show. The short, thigh-length pajama bottoms showed off the android's legs, which, like the rest of her, were perfectly formed and lovely. They ended in a pair of cute pink slippers.

The android allowed him to look for a moment before speaking. "Hello," she said. Her voice was soft and melodious. Nothing about it suggested she was other than human. "I'm Nicole. I believe you asked for me?"

"Yes," said Doug, "I certainly did. Please come in." She stepped past him, brushing against him slightly as she did. Doug closed the door behind her, and locked it carefully. "You are the most beautiful..." Doug didn't finish the sentence, and not just because he wasn't sure what word to finish it with. He could scarcely believe that someone could have built such a lovely object and be willing to share it... and yet, would any natural woman of such loveliness be here in a hotel room with him?

Now Nicole smiled. "Thank you," she said. She lifted her left hand, and offered its contents to him: a black device that looked much like a TV remote control, with a large clip on the back. "I didn't know if you would want this, so I brought it just in case. It's my control box." Doug took it, and looked at it curiously. "I can explain how it works, if you'd like."

Doug examined the device. There were two blue buttons labeled "Power on" and "Power off." A group of green controls were each labeled with a part of the body: "Legs," "Torso," "Left arm," "Right arm," "Head," "Voice." Two yellow switches in the same group were labeled "Initiative" and "Memory." Each of the green and yellow switches had a tiny LED next to it. Currently, all of the LEDs were green. He looked back up at Nicole, who had seated herself on one end of the loveseat, her legs crossed and hands resting on her knee.

I think I understand most of it," Doug said. "But what are ‘Initiative' and ‘Memory'?"

"'Initiative' represents my ability to behave naturally." Nicole explained, "If you turned that switch off, I would act like an unintelligent robot. I would do only what you told me to, with no initiative at all. With my initiative turned on, as it is now, I can act without your specific orders."

"So you can do whatever you want?" Doug asked, a bit worried.

Nicole recognized Doug's concern. First-time guests were often a bit nervous about what androids could do. Too many science fiction movies showed robots and androids as potential renegades. But Nicole knew how to reassure him. "Well, in a sense," she admitted. "But what I want is always to please you. With my initiative turned on, it simply means I am able to I try to anticipate your desires and meet them before you ask me to. I can also simulate a human woman's behavior. You needn't be concerned that I might decide I don't like you, or that I might run off and do something horrible. I am programmed to serve you." She could see Doug relax at her words, and knew that that was what he had wanted to hear.

Now Nicole continued to answer Doug's question about the control box. "The ‘Memory' button controls my ability to remember what happens to me. If you were to press that button, and then say some time in the past, such as, "Five minutes ago," or, "When you walked in my door," I would immediately forget anything that had happened since that time. Of course, I won't remember anything that happens here tonight afterwards unless you want me to. Nor can I remember anything that I may have done privately with other guests in the past."

Doug nodded. "And the other buttons turn different parts of your body on and off, I gather."

Nicole smiled. "Exactly. You can experiment with it if you like. Nothing you could do with that control can damage me." Some guests held themselves back out of fear of damaging an android. It didn't seem that Doug was concerned about that, but it couldn't hurt to make sure.

"I think I will," Doug said, a grin beginning to form on his face, "a little later. You mentioned damage, though. Is there anything I need to be careful of?"

"Not really," Nicole said. From Doug's grin, and the way his finger moved anxiously over the control box, she was fairly certain he intended to use the control box very soon. Likely he was waiting for her to get into some more interesting pose he could freeze her in. She needed to answer his question, but she planned her response so as to give him a good moment to freeze her as soon as she had given him all the information he wanted. "I'm not indestructible," she explained, "but I'm about as hard to damage as a human being is. My body is designed to be able to stand reasonable impacts. I can handle falling flat on my back, or being punched by an average man, without damage. I can function normally in a shower or swimming pool for some time. My eyes are rather fragile, but my eyelids are designed to protect them – much better designed for the purpose, in fact, than yours are. My joints can be damaged by bending them too far in directions they were not designed to go, just as yours can. My skin can be cut, but not bruised." That was the end of the standard discussion of android weaknesses. Now to move into an interesting pose for him. She tipped her head a bit to the left, smiled and shrugged, raising her hands and spreading them in front of her, palms up. "Pretty muchhhhhh—"

Remote deactivation signal received. Abort speech. Lock balance. Deactivating.

Doug pressed the blue "Power off" button, and Nicole's voice trailed off. Her lips relaxed a little, and her torso tipped forward ever so slightly, and then she was still. Her hands were spread in the gesture that had made Doug pick that moment to turn her off. Her eyes remained open, staring blankly into space. Doug put the control box down on the nearest surface, and stepped up to the deactivated girl.

He leaned down to look into her blank blue eyes. "Can you hear me?" he asked. He snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, doing it despite the cliché. Nothing happened. He reached down and touched Nicole's thigh. Just as it looked, it was smooth and warm. He caressed her thigh and knee gently, running his hand just under the hem of her pajamas. She didn't react at all. Doug grinned broadly. Many times he'd fantasized about this – being able to simply turn off a woman so he could touch her or simply look at her without her reaction. Even when he was with Tanya, who would let him do almost anything he liked, she always had her own will. And he wouldn't have had it any other way. If someone had offered to transform Tanya, or any woman, into a robot like this for him, he would have refused. A person had rights. No one could deny him the right to fantasize anything he liked, but he'd always believed his fantasies would have to stay buried deep in his mind. He'd never even discussed them with Tanya. But now, here he was, with a lovely blonde fantasy of his own, powered off for his amusement.

He looked up and raised his hand to touch Nicole's face. Relishing the feel of her skin, he ran his fingers all around her frozen face... down her smooth left cheek, back under her ear, down the side of her neck beneath the silky hair. He slid his fingers under the collar of her satin pajamas and continued up over her left shoulder and back around to her chest, putting off an exploration of her breasts. He noticed a slight fragrance... subtle and unidentifiable, but very pleasant. Back up her right cheek to her forehead his fingertips traveled, then along her golden brows. He was tempted to touch one of her eyes, just to prove he could, but recalled her comment about their fragility, and decided not to. Instead he ran his index finger down her nose, to her lips... her soft, pouting, helpless, immobile lips... He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then tipped her head back so he could more easily reach her lips. There was a bit of resistance and a series of clicks from inside her neck, but the head tipped back easily. Using his hands to draw the android's face up to his, he pressed his lips to hers. She didn't respond at all, but her lips were soft and yielding enough that he could slide his tongue between them and explore the inside of her mouth... which was every bit as realistic, and motionless, as the rest of her. Part of him almost expected to taste oil or copper inside her, but there was nothing at all unpleasant about Nicole. Perhaps a slight hint of... cinnamon, maybe? He wasn't sure. Her tongue was poised right in the middle of her mouth, just behind her teeth, and he could push it around with his own. What would she do if I activated her now? he wondered. But he would have to end the kiss to get the control box...

Eventually he did draw back, and let go of Nicole. She continued to sit motionless, her head still tipped up to receive Doug's kiss, her lips slightly open. Doug stepped forward again to unbutton her pajamas. Slip, slip, and the satin slid aside to reveal two beautiful breasts on a creamy expanse of soft skin. Doug pressed his hands lovingly against her. Was her skin itself made of some kind of satin? he wondered. For most women, "silky skin" was just an author's metaphor, but in Nicole's case it could conceivably be true.

He slid his finger down the middle of her cleavage, then stopped. Above his finger, he noticed a hair-thin black line. As he watched, it faded again. He ran his finger down her skin again, and the vertical line reappeared in its wake. He ran his finger down almost to her navel. About two inches above the navel, the line ended in an upside-down "T". He traced the line back up to its start, another "T" just below her collarbone. Now he realized he'd found the outline of some sort of access hatch to let someone change her batteries or reprogram her, or whatever needed to be done to her. You had to admire the way her skin had been designed to hide them. He ran his finger all the way along the lines, finding they formed two large rectangles on her chest like the doors of an armoire. There didn't seem to be any catch, though. No way to open them. He tried pressing her belly button, and tweaking her nipples (purely in the spirit of scientific investigation, right?) but the panels didn't open, and as soon as he left any line untouched for more than a few seconds, it faded again. Oh well, he shrugged. Nicole was lovely enough on the outside, he really had no interest in her insides.

Not entirely without reluctance, he stepped away from her and picked up the control box again. He touched the "Power On" button... but didn't press it just yet. He decided to leave the deactivated android where she was for a few minutes while he relaxed. He took off his tie and unbuttoned another button of his shirt. He went into the bathroom and drank some water, then found he had relaxed enough to relieve himself.

When he returned to the sitting room, Nicole was still standing just as he'd left her, hands out to her sides, shirt opened, and breasts in plain sight. Giving in to temptation, he took off his own shirt and sat down next to her. He put his hands on her torso, under her arms, and twisted it so that her breasts and head almost faced him. He rotated her head a little more, then, control box in hand, he put his arms around her and pulled her body against his. He began to kiss her motionless mouth again, and...

Reactivation sequence initiated. Unit KF-165. Analyzing posture changes. Unit activating.

Nicole found herself within Doug's arms, being intimately kissed, her naked breasts pressed against Doug's equally bare chest. As soon as she was aware of this, she reached around to hold Doug close to her, and reciprocated the kiss. Not knowing how long she had been inactive, she was forced to do some quick analysis to determine what Doug was going to want next. Both of them still wore pants, she could tell by feel. If Doug had removed hers, he had replaced them exactly as they had been, which seemed unlikely, and no new substances had been introduced into her vagina. Nor was there anything new in her mouth except Doug's tongue. It seemed almost certain that Doug had done no more than unbutton her blouse, kiss her, and probably feel her up. He might want her to initiate further sexual acts, but most likely not yet. On the other hand, he probably did not want her to finish the sentence she had been speaking when he deactivated her.

The kiss ended when Doug lifted his head. Nicole made sure her lips followed his just long enough to assure him that if he wanted more, she would supply it. When he released her from his arms, she let go of him, smiling. Some flattery after a kiss would make him feel good. Plus, the fact that he'd partially undressed her and kissed her while she was deactivated suggested he enjoyed the feeling of control over her, so she decided to reinforce that too. "I wish I'd been awake for the beginning of that kiss," she said, sighing. She suspected he would now want to demonstrate control over her again, possibly by ordering her into more sexual acts, but more likely something completely non-sexual, like unpacking his luggage. She could offer to do that, but he would enjoy the feeling of giving her orders, so she decided to wait for him to take the initiative.

"You kiss very well," Doug said, "even when you're turned off."

Nicole considered offering to do it again, but if he'd wanted that he wouldn't have drawn away, so she just said, "Thank you."

"Can you unpack my suitcase?" he asked.

"Of course," Nicole replied, and stood to obey.

While Nicole opened his suitcase and began unpacking it, Doug sat down in the armchair and watched her move. As an afterthought, he picked up the control box and fingered it. She hadn't buttoned her top again, and her breasts jiggled a little as she walked across the room, but otherwise, her movements were smooth and graceful. After she'd made several trips across the room from the suitcase to the closet, it occurred to him that she could have finished more quickly if she'd moved the suitcase to the closet... but then he wouldn't have had as much time to admire her in action. Finally, she picked up the suitcase itself, stowed it on the high shelf in the closed, and shut the closet door. She returned to the sitting room and stood in front of him, smiling gently – not seductively, just friendly. Willing to do whatever he wanted. "What can I do for you now?" she asked.

"Take off your clothes," Doug ordered. Now Nicole's smile became more seductive. She lifted each lovely leg in turn, stepping out of her slippers and kicking them off to one side. She shrugged her shoulders and let the blue satin pajama top slide down her arms and onto the ground. As it fell, Doug pressed two green switches. The LEDs next to them turned red, and Nicole's arms froze in place. A look of consternation crossed her face. Realizing she might think to remove her pants by rubbing against something, Doug turned her legs off too.

"I'm sorry, sir," Nicole said, "I don't think I can remove—" Before she could finish the sentence, Doug turned off her voice. Now the android woman looked truly thwarted. Unable to either obey him or explain her failure, she simply stood there looking miserable. Her mouth moved occasionally as if it were trying to form words, and failing. Doug stood up and walked close to her, took her face in his hands, and kissed her mouth again. While Nicole didn't pull away, and even returned the kiss, he could tell she was still trying to figure out how to finish taking off her clothes, as he'd told her to. Even after it, she still hung her head, knowing she was failing him even though she also knew it was he himself who had stopped her.

Doug put his hands on Nicole's shoulders and ran them down her rigid arms until he reached her hands, stiff and still. He took her right hand and pulled it up toward him. As when he had tipped her head back, he could hear and feel the clicking of machinery inside her as he bent her unpowered joints. When he let go, the hand stayed where he left it, out in front of her, fingers spread out. He brushed two of her motionless fingertips with his face, then kissed them.

Now Doug stepped around behind Nicole. She turned her head to follow him at first, but when he got behind her she could no longer see him at all. Her silky golden hair slid across the nape of her neck as she turned her face forward again. Doug took a thatch of hair in his hand and felt its sleekness. He put his hands on her shoulders and brushed them down her soft, smooth back, to her hips, then he slipped them under her pajama bottoms. He slid his hands down the outsides of her lovely thighs, drawing her pants down with them. Crouching, he continued, down past her deactivated knees, down her legs, all the way to her feet, where he ran his hands once around her insteps and her frozen toes.

Standing again, Doug saw Nicole had twisted her upper body around and was smiling at him again. "Face forward," he ordered, and Nicole complied. Reaching around her, he began again to fondle Nicole's breasts with his left hand, and ran his right hand down her bare midriff, down her stomach, to the thatch of stiff hair above her pussy, to her pussy itself. As he fondled her, and pressed his own chest against her back, he could feel her reacting, breathing deeply, making small sounds in her throat. It occurred to him that he didn't want that. "Don't move at all," he said. "This is for my pleasure, not yours." Nicole's motions stilled immediately, except for light, slow, rhythmic breathing. (Was that just part of the illusion of humanity, Doug wondered, or did the android actually need to breathe for some reason?)

He circled around her again, never letting their bodies separate, until he was in front of her again, her lightly pulsing breasts pressed against his chest, looking down into the robotic girl's motionless eyes. His command to her not to move had caught an expression of pleasant passion, now frozen on her face. If he kept this up, he thought, he was going to come in his pants.

Doug backed a step away from Nicole and picked up the control box again, turning her arms and legs back on. His finger hovered over "Head" for a moment, but decided he had better uses for her head than preserving this expression, beautiful though it was.

"Nicole," he ordered, "take off the rest of my clothes." Immediately, the girl stepped forward and bent down, looking at Doug's shoes, then looked up at his face. He lifted his left foot. Nicole carefully untied his shoe and removed it, placing it on the ground nearby. Then she removed his sock. Her fingers tickled the hair on his leg a bit. He put his left foot down and lifted his right, and she repeated the process, carefully placing the two socks together. Then she rose up a bit to unfasten Doug's belt and unbutton his slacks. She slowly slid them down his legs, and he stepped backward out of them. She folded them neatly and placed them on the chair. Then she pulled down his slightly dampened underwear, carefully lifting the elastic over his elongated penis, not touching it at all. She put it down on his pants, then stood up again and glanced toward the bedroom, then looked back at him. She clasped her hands behind her back, and raised one graceful eyebrow in a silent question -- the only kind she could ask, until he chose to reactivate her voice.

He considered what to do with her next. There were so many possibilities! She could suck him, or kiss him while fondling his penis with her hands. They could have sex standing or lying down, with her fully active or completely frozen or anywhere in between. Nicole had no preferences. She couldn't insist he give her pleasure while being pleased. She wouldn't, he was convinced, be clumsy in any way. She would show all the passion he wanted. She would fulfill any fantasy Doug had that involved a lovely blonde. She would do whatever Doug told her to do.

"Come with me," he said, guiding the android into the bedroom, still carrying the control box. They sat down on the edge of the bed. "Now," Doug ordered, "make love to me. Do your best to please me. When I come, you come too... but freeze in the middle of it, except for your tongue and your pussy. Don't move again after that until I tell you you may. Do you understand?" Nicole smiled and nodded, then put her arms around him and gently pulled him down on top of her. She guided his lips to hers, and kissed him passionately. She spread her legs for him, took him inside her, and pressed the soft insides of her sweet thighs against his own skin. Doug let her move to please him, knowing that since he had ordered her to, she would. All he had to think about was having the time of his life, enveloped in smooth, warm, artificial woman. Very soon the incredible ecstasy was so great that that was all he could think about. He had thought he was on the verge of coming before they had even begun, but now Nicole skillfully brought him even higher, then let him relax a bit, then back to the edge again, and again. Together they rocked in the throes of sexual passion – his genuine; hers entirely simulated, but no less enjoyable for that. Finally, when he thought he could not take another second of this, he finally began to climax inside her. He pulled himself even more tightly against her as their mutual orgasms shoved them together at the hips again and again and again... and then Nicole froze, her hips thrust up from the bedspread, her hands pressed against Doug's back, knees bent and thighs surrounding him, and he began to come even harder again. Only the muscles inside the android moved, helping him come, exploring the inside of his mouth even as her lips stopped teasing his. Finally, he was spent, and he relaxed, burying his head in Nicole's sweet-smelling flaxen hair. For several minutes, neither of them moved – she, obeying his order to remain motionless, back arched, tensed at the moment of orgasm; he, happy and tired, draped over her silky form like a wet rag.

Silently awaiting permission to move again, Nicole ran a systems check to ensure that no damage had occurred during their lovemaking. She was designed, of course, for just that sort of activity, but her designers had known it was impossible to predict every possible combination of circumstances that could occur. Fortunately, though, all systems seemed to be functioning just fine. Her temperature was high, as a human woman's would be after doing what Nicole had just done, but she had started her internal cooling systems to bring her temperature back down to normal.

Nicole's eyes were closed, so she could see nothing, but after several minutes had passed, she noticed Doug's breathing was getting slower and deeper, as if he might fall asleep. It would be uncomfortable for him to sleep all night on top of her rigid form, Nicole thought. It would be best if she were to awaken him. But he had deactivated her voice, preventing her from speaking, and he had ordered her not to move. He had not turned off her initiative, which meant that under some circumstances she could act in technical disobedience to him if she was sure she would please him more by that act, but in this case his order had been explicit: she was not to move until he told her she might, except for her tongue and her pussy, neither of which he would notice at this moment. She was certain he would be displeased if she were to disobey that order by even the tiniest movement of one finger. She could, however, lower her body's temperature further, though, and by sending a radio signal to the hotel's central computer, she arranged for the room's temperature to be lowered a bit as well. He would not notice any change, but that, combined with the thin film of evaporating sweat that covered Doug's skin, would probably waken him without displeasing him. Both room and body could be returned to normal, comfortable temperatures once Doug woke enough to realize he did not want to sleep the night on top of Nicole.

Sure enough, barely another minute had passed before Doug drew one deep shuddering breath, lifted his head, and rolled off of her, dragging her right arm with him and pinning it beneath him. Her eyes remained shut, but she could feel his hand gently tracing the curves of her body. His finger left a cool trail in the damp sweat on her stomach – his sweat left on her skin. She did not perspire. He examined her breasts, then softly caressed her forehead and cheek. She felt a touch of his finger against her eyelids, then around the open circle of her lips. Tentatively, she stretched out her tongue to lick his finger as he stroked her lips. He pulled his finger away, and she wondered if she had displeased him. Unable to see his face, she couldn't tell. The bed moved, and Doug's body drew away from her – but only a little.

Voice activation signal received.

With her mouth held open and still by Doug's command, she still could not speak. But now she heard his voice, and by its tone she was sure she had not displeased him. "You may relax now," he said.

Nicole interpreted this to mean she was no longer bound by his order to remain motionless, rather than being a command to relax. Keeping her eyes closed for the moment, she reached above her head with her free arm and stretched like a cat, turning towards Doug so he could enjoy the sight of her. She ended by draping her arm across his side, and planting a gentle kiss on his lips. Simulating uncertainty, she asked, "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"'Enjoy' does not begin to cover it," Doug declared. "You wouldn't be for sale, would you?" he wondered idly.

"I'm sorry," Nicole answered, gently stroking his back, "but Courtesy Suites does not ever sell their androids. But I am very glad I pleased you so tonight."

"You did indeed," said Doug. "In fact, I really ought to send you away now. If you're still here when I wake up, I'm not sure I'll be able to convince myself to leave for work."

Nicole knew how to handle this situation. "Is it so important that you leave?" she asked, pouting just a little.

Doug chuckled lightly. "What, you want me to stay with you all day? I might – just possibly – believe that if you were a real woman, but I know you can't fall in love with me."

"It would please me greatly to entertain you for as long as you wish, Doug," Nicole said, "even if, as you say, I cannot truly love you. But I am here to serve you as well as to pleasure you. If you wish me to see that you leave here when you must, then I will do so. You need only ask."

"But if in the morning I tell you to stay here with me, you'd do that. Or do you have some kind of Asimovian thing? Letting me lounge in bed with you all day would hurt me, so you can't do that even if I tell you to?"

Nicole shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I'm programmed to serve you and please you, not to protect you from yourself. If I were certain you wanted me to hurt you, I would. And just the same, if you tell me tonight, when you are thinking clearly—"

"I'm not so sure about that."

"—that tomorrow morning you wish me to make sure you continue to think clearly enough to get out of bed and leave me, then I will do so, even if you are so deluded by sleep and sex to think you want to stay with me." She paused for a moment, then added, as if she had just thought of it, "Unless you were to turn me off. I can't do anything when I'm deactivated, so then you'd be on your own. But then, if I weren't here you might simply turn off your alarm clock and go back to bed."

"I have never seen an alarm clock as sexy as you," Doug said. "But I have to say I like the idea. Wake me at seven-thirty. I need to be out of here by eight-fifteen."

Nicole programmed herself accordingly. "Okay," she said. "Now, until then... would you like another go?" she asked, moving her hand down toward his crotch.

"I would love to, but no. I really do need to sleep. Just sleep with me, and wake me in the morning. Lights, out," he called to the room, which darkened obediently. He pulled himself against her, puzzled her cheek with his lips, closed his eyes, and relaxed. Nicole arranged herself for his maximum comfort, and watched him. Once he opened his eyes to look at her. Catching a subtle clue that he might not like the thought of her watching him while he slept, she smiled at him, then closed her own eyes and settled her head into the pillow. When she was sure he was asleep, she toggled herself down to standby mode, only alert for movement by Doug, or for seven-thirty to arrive.

Deactivating motion system. Reducing power to standby pending new input.

The next morning, Doug felt himself awakened to the sensation of sweet lips on his, and soft hands caressing his torso. He returned the kiss, and Nicole didn't pull away, but neither did she invite him any closer. When he ended the kiss, Nicole spoke. "Good morning, Doug. It's seven-thirty."

Doug wanted to spend more time with her, but he needed to use the bathroom first. Brushing his teeth, it occurred to him that Nicole's mouth tasted just as good in the morning as it had the night before – nor would she complain about his bad breath. She joined him in the shower, and helped him turn what was usually a quick three-minute rinse into a very pleasant twenty-minute interlude. By the time the android had carefully soaped and rinsed every square inch of him, and he had done the same for her (partly because she did smell a little of his sweat, but mostly because he so enjoyed the feel of her skin under his soapy hands), he was so hard he was sure he wouldn't be able to concentrate at work. But he knew how to fix that.

The warm water still running over their bodies, Doug ordered Nicole, "Suck my cock." She smiled and bent to the task willingly. When she was done, Doug felt a little weak, but knew he'd be better off.

Nicole dried him and herself, and helped him to dress. She tied his tie perfectly the first time. When he was ready to go, she asked, "Would you like me to be waiting for you here this evening, Doug?"

Doug had to think about that one. Nicole was certainly the most beautiful creature, and the best sex, he'd had in years. Maybe ever. But on the other hand, he thought, there were plenty of other androids here to try, and it would be a pity to sample only one. Perhaps he'd have a brunette tonight. "No, I don't think so," he said. "I may ask for you, but I think I'd like to try someone else."

"I understand," Nicole said, looking neither disappointed nor relieved. Just accepting. Obedient. Just as a robot should be.

The rest of the day wasn't as difficult as Doug had expected. He did think of Nicole often, and imagined what he might do with the other robot women at Courtesy Suites, but the plain fact of the matter was that Nicole had satisfied him quite thoroughly. As long as he was busy – and he was – he had no trouble keeping his mind on work. And not once did he think of Tanya, his ex-fiancee. An idea for the evening had begun to take shape, but it didn't all come together until he was sitting in the taxi on the way back to the hotel for the evening. By that time he was starting to get excited again.

As soon as he got back to his room and loosened his tie, he activated the concierge. "Concierge, show me pictures of some women available tonight," he ordered. He examined the pictures that appeared, and selected a woman named Julia. She had long, light brown hair, and had been captured in the picture with her arms crossed and a slightly nervous look in her eyes.

"Please send me the one named Julia. I'd like her to behave..." He tried to phrase his desires. "Well, I don't want her to behave like a robot. Can you make her think she's a real girl?"

"She can be programmed not to refer to her android nature, and to respond to you as a human girl would. It will appear as if she believes she is human."

"That's what I want," Doug said.

"Then it will be done. Have you a preference for who she believes she is, and why she is in your room? Perhaps you would like her to behave as a woman you have met and invited to visit you?"

"No," Doug said, "that's not what I'm looking for. Make her think she works here at the hotel. A maid, let's say, but don't dress her like one. Tell her to bring more towels to my room. She should think she's just coming to make a delivery, and then she's going to turn around and leave. But I want her to obey my orders. Not like a robot, though; I want her to act surprised by it. Like she didn't expect to be forced to obey me and doesn't want to, but she has to. Oh, and make sure she brings her control box."

"I understand," said the concierge. "May I ask one more question to help me prepare her they way you would like?"

"Go ahead."

"Do you wish her to react to your orders with defiance, or with fear? Or would you prefer not to know in advance?"

Doug thought about it, but not for long. "Some of both, maybe. It's okay to surprise me, as long as she obeys me."

"Very well. Given what you have requested, I am required by law to inform you that while you may of course treat Courtesy Suites' android employees in any way you like, without regard for ethical considerations if you choose, Courtesy Suites does not in any way wish to condone the rape, abuse, mistreatment, denigration, or disrespect for or of natural persons, female or male. We are at your service to help you act out your secret passions in such a place and manner that no one can be hurt or offended by them, but we urge you to remember to always treat actual people fairly and ethically. Do you understand this statement, sir?"

Doug couldn't help grinning. "Even you can't escape the lawyers, eh?"

"No, sir, nor would we wish to. But I believe quite a few have enjoyed their stays here." I'll bet they have, Doug thought. "Do you understand Courtesy Suites' statement regarding the fair and ethical treatment of natural persons, sir?"

"Yes, I understand it," Doug said, sighing. He understood entirely. He might dream of treating a real woman the way he intended to treat the android who would soon appear, but he knew he would never actually do it.

Activation sequence initiated. Unit FF-68. Beginning self-test sequence. Downloading latest version PersAnalysis module, version 3.20.5. Download complete. Power level 97%. Self-test complete; all systems functional. Downloading mission parameters. Download complete. Downloading NaturalResponse module. Module downloaded; deferring activation of module. Unit activating.

Julia came to life in the storage room just as Nicole had the previous evening. She was a tall android, with soft brown hair hanging almost halfway down her back. She analyzed Doug's requests, as transmitted to her by the concierge. Removing her silver protective robe and the evening gown beneath it, she selected for Mr. Hollis a professional outfit consisting of a short black skirt and white blouse, with a thin pink cardigan over the blouse. Nylon stockings were an option, but she decided against them, knowing her own perfect legs needed no enhancement. She finished the ensemble with a pair of short white socks and black shoes. (Guests rarely appreciated jewelry, so Courtesy Suites' androids wore it only when it seemed particularly called for.) Her control box she clipped to her belt. When she activated the module that would cause her to behave as a real woman might, she would forget about it completely. By placing it somewhere visible to Mr. Hollis, she ensured he would be able to find it when he wanted it. Finally, she donned the ubiquitous blue name tag that identified her as a Courtesy Suites android.

Prepared, Julia left the ready room. Outside, she was met by a housekeeping android who handed her a stack of towels to bring to Mr. Hollis, as he'd requested. She then made her way to the sixth floor, retaining her android persona to respond appropriately to the few guests she passed on her way.

Once she reached the sixth floor and observed the area outside the door to Suite 612 was empty, she activated the NaturalResponse module. After a few quick tests confirmed that it was functioning properly, she relinquished control of her body to it, retaining access to all her senses and the ability to take back control in order to enforce obedience to Mr. Hollis's orders...

Julia approached Suite 612 impatiently and rang the bell. She had quite a lot to do this evening, and wasn't pleased to be interrupted for this minor errand. A moment later, a man opened the door.

"Towels, sir," she said. "Can you take them for me?"

"Just put them in the bathroom," the man said. Trying to hide her annoyance, she stepped into the room and delivered the towels to the bathroom as he'd demanded. There were already plenty of towels there, she thought.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw that the occupant of the room had closed the door. She got a little nervous at that, but the man had moved well away from the door. If he tried to stop her from leaving, she thought, she'd have plenty of time to run for it. "Will that be all, sir?" she asked, not really waiting for an answer.

Her hand was already almost touching the doorknob when the man finally answered, "No, it won't. Leave the door closed." Julia's hand dropped, and she turned around. He could want something totally legitimate, she thought. He'd given her no real excuse to ignore him.

"Yes?" She waited.

"What's your name?" the man asked.

Uh-oh. That didn't sound good. "Julia," she answered without thinking about it. "Sir, I really have to—"

"Are you wearing a bra, Julia?"

Now that was really uncalled for. "A-- what difference does that make?" She didn't intend to say anything more – in fact, she intended to turn around and leave – but for some reason her mouth opened again and she answered the question. "Yes, I am."

"Come here, Julia."

That was it. She was leaving now. She didn't have to put up with this. Except it seemed she did, because her body wasn't turning around. "Sir, I—"

"Come here," the man repeated. Although she had no intention of obeying, it seemed her legs had a different idea. Of its own volition, her left leg took a step forward. She tried to pull it back, but instead her right leg followed. She looked around wildly, then back at the man who seemed to have an impossible control over her body. She spoke, her voice trembling with both fear and anger.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but I'm not supposed to stay here. If there's something else you need, tell me and I'll get it for you. If not, please let me leave."

She was standing right in front of the man now. He reached out to touch her cheek, and she drew back. "Don't touch me!" she said angrily. The nerve this man had!

"Why not?" he asked, grinning.

"I'll scream," the girl warned.

"No, you won't," said Doug calmly. "I forbid you to scream. If you want to scream, kiss me instead."

That was too much. She'd warned him. She tried one last time to convince her traitor legs to flee from him, but they wouldn't. She took a deep breath to scream – but emitted only a tiny squeak before her body threw itself at the man, her lips inexplicably pressing themselves against his. The man put his hands behind her, holding her face to his to enjoy her unwilling kiss even after she stopped trying to scream, and found herself able to struggle to pull away from his strong grip. As soon as he let her separate her face from his, she raised her hand to strike him.

"Stop!" the man ordered, and Julia froze, her hand less than an inch from his face. She could see it there in front of her, but bewilderingly she couldn't move it any closer to him. In fact, she suddenly couldn't move at all! She tried to speak, to say something, but her mouth would not open and her voice would not operate. Frustrated and scared, she watched helplessly as the man grinned. He looked her up and down for a moment, then twisted his head and nibbled for a second on her pinkie. For all her efforts, she could do nothing to stop this indignity. Then the man stepped out of her line of sight, and she heard his voice from behind her say, "Okay, you can continue." Instantly she could move again. Her arm finished the slap that the man's voice had somehow interrupted, but now struck only air.

Julia spun around to face him again. "What are you doing to me?" she demanded. "Let me go!" She ran toward the door and grabbed the knob, trying to open the door – but something prevented her. "I can't open it!" she cried. She dimly recalled the man's voice a few minutes ago telling her, "Leave the door closed." Was his impossible power over her working even then? "Why can't I open it? Let me go!" she cried again, pounding her fists against the door.

"Stop that," the man told her. Her fists stopped their pounding without any instruction from her. "Turn around." She was near to tears now, as her body moved like a puppet, controlled by the man's voice. He walked toward her.

"Don't try to hit me again," he ordered. "Don't kick me, or bite me, or do anything else to hurt me."

She was tempted to try, but she knew all too well by now that merely by instructing her not to harm him, he had made it impossible for her to do so. "What do you want from me?" she yelled, shrinking back against the door.

"Shhh. There's no need to be so loud. Don't be so loud."

"What do you want from me?" she asked again, more quietly.

The man didn't answer. He reached up again to touch her face. Pressed up against the door, she couldn't recoil any further. She wanted to scream again... but, just in time, remembered what would happen if she tried. She pled instead, "Please... leave me alone!"

But the man seemed to have no inclination to do that, as he gently stroked her cheek. It occurred to her to run for the bathroom. Maybe if she took him by surprise, she could reach it and lock herself inside before he thought of an order to stop her... then turn on the shower so she couldn't hear his voice when he told her to come out... it didn't seem likely, but it was the best thing she could think of.

She suddenly ducked under the man's hand, spun around him and darted for the bathroom. Halfway there...

Legs deactivation signal received. Attempting balance lock. Legs deactivated.

...something happened, and her legs grew numb and froze in place. She waved her arms crazily, trying to hold her balance poised on the ball of her left foot. Her right leg was back behind her, bent at the knee, and she was completely unable to convince it even to straighten out and help hold her balance.

Doug took his finger off the control marked "Legs," and turned to admire the frustrated girl. Her arms waved crazily trying to hold her balance on one foot, and, surprisingly, succeeding. Doug crossed to face her again.

"Please let--" Julia began to plead once again, until Doug turned off her voice. He braced himself, then pressed his finger against the girl's chin. She started to topple backwards, but she reached out and grabbed Doug's arms, using him as a support to haul herself up on her foot again. He drew her in close and kissed her again. At first she kept her lips tightly together, but shortly she relaxed a little, and accepted the kiss – unwillingly, but helpless to fend him off.

When he had had enough of that kiss, he bent down in front of her. She bent over at the waist so she could keep her hands on his shoulders for balance. Since her left right leg was off the ground, he took the opportunity to remove her black shoe and white sock. Then he turned her voice back on, before putting his hands on her unmoving right leg.

"What are you doing?" Julia asked. There was no more defiance in her voice. She sounded hopeless, wanting only to know what was happening to her.

"I'm straightening your legs out so you can stand up without leaning on me," he said. Suiting actions to words, he pulled down on her right foot, straightening the knee. Her foot didn't quite touch the ground, though, since her left foot was pointed and her right ankle flexed. He felt Julia's hands shifting on his shoulders as he upset her balance again and again, manipulating her left ankle until both feet rested firmly on the floor. Her right heel didn't quite touch the ground, but that was okay. "Are you balanced now?" he asked, continuing to run his hands up and down her smooth legs. She still wore her left shoe and sock, but he decided to wait to remove them.

"I think so," Julia said, slowly taking her weight off his shoulders and straightening up. "Yes, I can balance now. Thank you. You can— you can stop touching me now."

"True," he agreed, "I can. But I like touching you."

"Oh. I wish you wouldn't."

"That's nice."

He stood up, and began circling Julia. She truly was lovely, especially standing there helpless as she was. Standing behind her, he grasped the collar of her pink cardigan and eased it out from beneath her lovely brown hair, and down her arms. Her blouse was short-sleeved, he could now see. She whimpered once, but said nothing until he reached around her and began to unfasten her belt. Then she grabbed his hands and pulled them away. "No!" she cried.

"Julia, let go of me and raise your hands over your head." She did so. "Keep them up there until I give you permission to lower them." He ran his own hands along her upraised arms. He could feel them twitching, as Julia tried to lower them, but was blocked from it by his order. "Whether you like it or not, Julia, you are my slave now, for as long as you stay here. And as you've already seen, you cannot leave until I let you go." He began unbuckling her belt again. She squirmed within his arms, still trying to find some way to stop him from undressing her, but was unable to. He unbuttoned her skirt and let it fall to the floor. Then he fondled her sex through her cotton bikini briefs – a bit surprised to find them slightly damp.

"Please don't," Julia begged helplessly. Doug paid her plea no mind, and lowered her panties to the ground. Then he crossed in front of her again, put his arms around her waist and lifted her out of the discarded garments. Julia planted a quick kiss on his forehead – her new version of a scream. She was surprisingly light, weighing no more than a hundred pounds for her five foot seven or so. Her arms waved in the air until Doug had put her firmly back down on the floor. She was breathing very hard.

"Sir," she pled, "may I please lower my arms? I promise I won't try to stop you anymore."

Doug paused to consider. "You may lower your arms, if..." He could see her eyes light with hope, then darken again as she wondered what condition he would place on that tiny bit of freedom. "...if you use them to please me. I'll leave the choice of exactly what to do up to you, as long as it's pleasantly sexual. But the instant you stop pleasing me with them, back in the air they go."

She sniffed, looking a little happier. "I understand," she said. She lowered her hands slowly, stopping at Doug's face. She stroked his cheek with her right index finger, and cupped her left hand around his jaw. "Is this okay?" she asked timidly.

"For now," Doug agreed, pleased. She would get more intimate later, one way or another. He began to unbutton Julia's white blouse, but after he'd done the topmost button, she took over the job herself, slowly – almost seductively – loosening one button after another, exposing a little more bare skin with each. Doug stepped back to watch, and began removing his own clothes. Finally, Julia lifted the blouse off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Beneath it was a pretty white strapless bra, the only garment she still wore except for her left shoe and sock. Instead of removing it, she raised her arms over her head again. "Your bra," Doug suggested, but Julia shook her head. Naked now himself, he stepped closer again. She lowered her hands once more, and began caressing his chest.

He reached around behind her, and fumbled with the fastening of her bra. For once, it didn't matter if it took him a few tries to get it off. He did, though, and he pulled the cottony stuff away from her ample breasts.

"Kiss me," he ordered, his face nearly a foot from hers. Helplessly, Julia put her arms around him and drew his face to hers... then touched his lips with hers. For all of a second. "That was not a kiss, Julia," he chided her. "Kiss me like you mean it. Kiss me as if you want to spend the rest of the night having sex with me."

She looked at him helplessly for a second, her jaw quivering powerlessly... then her resistance dissolved. She pulled him against her, closed her eyes, and melted against him, her full lips opening for him in the most intimate kiss a woman can offer a man. Doug couldn't remember anyone ever kissing him the way Julia did, not even Nicole the previous night, not even Tanya the night he'd proposed to her. His cock was rock-hard pressed between himself and the android, but he couldn't bear to pull away even the tiny amount it would take to enter her even though that was exactly what he wanted to do. Her hands moved up and down his sweaty back. He caressed the smooth dry skin of her back, butt, and thighs, loving her perfect satiny warmth... but mostly he reveled in the sensations Julia was creating on his lips, his tongue, his mouth. She withdrew her tongue and began to pull away, but then she pressed against him again to continue the kiss. Finally, as if with the utmost reluctance, she tore her mouth away from his, and pressed her lips tightly together, eyes still closed, as if still savoring the sensation of the kiss – much as he was, if truth be told. Doug let go of her, and backed away into a chair, not taking his eyes off her. That was an expression worth keeping for a while, he thought. Reaching out for the control box, he toggled the green control marked "Head," and her features froze in place.

Her arms twitched. Then she surprised Doug by speaking. "Was that what you wanted, sir?" she asked. As soon as the final word was uttered, her lips compressed again just as they had been before she spoke. Interesting design, Doug thought. Nice of her designers to let him freeze her expression while still letting her speak. What next? he wondered. For the moment, he decided to see what she would do if he didn't answer her.

"Sir?" Her voice quavered. "I can't open my eyes. Where are you?" She sounded frightened, almost panicky, but her frozen face still showed the serene happiness of a woman in love. She raised her arms over her head again, no longer pleasing him. "Sir? Please say something."

"I'm here, Julia," he said. "I just haven't decided what to do with you next. Do you have any suggestions?"

"You could let me go, sir," she suggested plaintively.

"I could," he agreed. "But why would I want to do that, when you're standing in front of me, naked and lovely and helpless?"

Julia had no answer to that. After a moment of silence, she spoke again. "You could let me open my eyes and move my legs again, at least. You know I still couldn't run away."

He turned her legs back on again, but not because of her plea. He had a new idea. "You can lower your arms, too," he said. "But I like your face the way it is. And now that you can move your legs, take your shoe and sock off. You look silly like that." Julia kicked off her shoe, then pulled her sock off and dropped it on the ground. She was now completely nude.

"Strike a pose for me, Julia."

"What? What kind of—"

"A sexy pose. Something that goes with your expression."

Slowly, as if she were fighting her own muscles, Julia's hands moved down toward her sex. She placed one hand on her breast, and the other inside her slit. She arched her back, looking as if she were masturbating. Doug didn't like it.

"No, not like that," he said. Julia quickly jerked her hands away from herself. "I don't want to see something off a cheap porn site. Just let me see how beautiful you are."

The android seemed to think for a moment, then she stretched both arms over her head again, this time clasping her left wrist in her right hand. She curved her spine back a little, making her breasts jut out. She twisted her hip to one side a little, and put her right foot forward, knee bent and ankle stretched, just touching the floor with the ball of her foot. The overall effect was that of a woman who had just stepped out of bed and was stretching to wake herself up.

"Very nice, Julia." It was better than that, actually. She looked absolutely ravishing. And, he thought, she was about to be ravished. "Hold that pose. Don't move at all except as I tell you to." He reactivated her head, just in case he decided he wanted her to move it. There was no flicker of movement in her expression, though; his words held her immobile just as effectively as the control box did. He stepped forward and brushed her hair back off her shoulders, enjoying its soft touch. He reached up to caress her motionless fingers. "You should curve your fingers less," he murmured, adjusting her fingers until their spread and curve was what he thought of as perfect. "There, that's better." He slid his hands, and his attention, down her rigid arms to her shoulders, then up to her jaw and her soft, slightly flushed cheeks. "Can you lift your eyebrows just a little bit? No, not quite that much. Yes, just like that. Perfect." He ran his fingers down over her eyebrows, her closed eyelids, down alongside her nose, across her stilled lips, down the edge of her chin. Down, down her neck, tracing the bulges of her breasts and the tiny mounds of her erect nipples. Down yet more, using the whole palm of each hand now rather than just his fingertips, down her ribcage, down her flat belly, around her navel, down to her sleek thighs.

Placing his hands on her sides, he tipped her off her left foot, and gently rotated her on the ball of her right until he was seeing her profile. Then he placed his left arm across her back and his right hand on her left knee, and swung her up into his arms. She stayed as rigid as a mannequin, rotating in one solid piece without bending or sagging. He carried her like a steel beam into the bedroom, and laid her gently on the bed. Her right leg hung motionless several inches above the sheet. She did not move at all, except for the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. He considered telling her to stop that as well, but decided he actually liked that tiny trace of motion. It only emphasized her helplessness to move any other part of her body.

Realizing something, he left her there while he attended to needs in the bathroom.

She was, of course, still waiting just as he'd left her when he returned, and his penis rose at the mere sight of her lying stiff on his bed. What must she be thinking now? he wondered. Or simulating thinking. He didn't know to what extent the android actually believed she was human, or if that even meant anything. A real girl in Julia's position would be terrified, he was sure. She'd be desperate, unable to even see him coming, let alone do anything to stop him. She could only hear him moving about, and wait and wonder what he would do to her next. She could only hope that it would not be too unpleasant, for whatever he did, she was powerless to move a single muscle to stop him.

Doug climbed onto the bed and stretched himself out on his side next to the android's immobile form, pressing his skin to hers. He propped his head up on his left hand, and with his right, he again traced Julia's lovely curves. Her breath caught once as he stroked her left nipple, but that was the only outward sign of response she could make to his caresses. "I wonder if you're enjoying this now," he mused aloud, letting her hear. "I could let you tell me," he tantalized her. "Or I could force you to tell me." He was brushing her soft lips with his fingertips now. "How about this. If you're not enjoying this – if you want me to stop – kiss my fingers." She didn't respond immediately, but after about two seconds, her lips puckered and she kissed his fingers, very quickly, very lightly. Her lips remained slightly parted afterwards, tempting him. "Hmm, not quite certain, are we? Starting to like being my slave?"

Julia's lips, soft and parted and helpless, called to him silently, and he decided to accept their invitation. Bracing himself with a hand on her left breast, Doug bent his head and pressed his lips against hers. Her jaws were still open from their earlier kiss, the one that had produced the frozen expression she still wore, and he slid his tongue inside her defenseless mouth. The frozen kiss drew him closer and closer to her, until without lifting his head he rolled his body on top of the android's, and put his arms around her. She did not, could not respond at all, either to draw him in or force him away, and that itself drew him in as nothing else could. Finally, he had to pull his lips away from hers for at least a moment, as he realized to his annoyance that the pose Julia had chosen left her thighs pressed tightly together, and he could not comfortably enter her. He lowered his head, gliding his cheek against hers until his mouth was less than an inch from her ear. Her hair tickled his nose and forehead.

"Julia, honey," he whispered, "spread your legs apart a little so I can make love to you." Her legs obediently moved apart just enough for him to do what he wanted. Almost without his trying, his penis found its way into her. "Good girl." He gave her ear a gentle nibble, and ran his tongue around a bit of its rim.

It occurred to him briefly to order her to make love to him, but he quickly discarded the idea. He was having too much fun with Julia as she was, a frozen helpless love doll. He began to move his hips against hers, stroking himself with her motionless nether lips, while his hands and lips hungrily caressed her satiny artificial skin. He could feel her grow hot beneath him, bringing out sweat on his own body, but he didn't care, she was so soft and beautiful and sexy and helpless. What was she thinking? Did she still want him to let her go? Or was his impassioned lovemaking exciting her as much as her robotic stillness aroused him? If he freed her now, would she grab him lustfully and continue the passionate sex? Or would she throw him off her and race for the door? Or did it matter at all? No, it didn't matter; he wasn't going to free her. She was too sexy, too lovely, too perfect. He would keep her just as she was, frozen stiff beneath him. He would touch her and stroke her. He would play with her lips and her teeth and her tongue with his own. He would love her perfect breasts, her tiny nipples, her creamy shoulders. His legs would feel the rigid touch of her smooth shapely legs. His groin would press against the hairs of her sex, and his balls between her thighs, and his penis inside her slit, and he would come, and come, and come...

Later, he rolled off of her, then turned her on her side, facing away from him. He wrapped his arms around her, cupping her breasts in his hands, told the lights to shut themselves off, and closed his eyes. He slept the night with a beautiful sexy android frozen in his arms.

---

← Story Archive