The Replacement - Part 5
Part 5.1: Wedding
In the time that passed after their engagement, Greg and Sabrina both returned to their jobs. Greg found that the features of his new body helped him handle his job a lot better. He was suspicious of just how his new status had been cleared by John’s contacts, but he was just so happy to be back in his job and in a fully functional body that he didn’t investigate too far.
A few weeks later, Greg and Sabrina began looking into real estate and finally purchased their own home; two floors, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, an office/man cave for Greg, a living room, and a nice kitchen. With all the extra space they now had, Ipek was able to have her own room, though she didn’t decorate it because it was agreed it would be the guest room if Greg and Sabrina had any kids. As nice as the house was, it was a slight fixer upper. They had to excavate the entire front lawn to remove all traces of a very ugly tree, and the exterior had to be repainted. Since they were building a porch as well, there was rebar sticking out of the cement.
Preparations for the wedding were already underway, though even though they had more than enough finances, John insisted on paying for it. They agreed to have the location at a nice section of Golden Gate Park, which was only a few miles from their new home. The ceremony itself was held about six months after their engagement, and they were finally wed around noon that day. The public reception lasted well into the evening, ending with a more private gathering at Greg and Sabrina’s new house.
“So you two, how does it feel having tied the knot?” John asked, opening them all up a bottle of champagne and pouring it into their glasses.
“Great!” Sabrina smiled, taking one of the glasses and sipping it, “Though it merely formalized the way we already felt about each other."
“Yeah,” Greg agreed, “About the only differences now are financial,” he laughed.
“Truer words have never been spoken,” John laughed, using that as a toast as well, “So, when are the two of you going to give me grandkids?”
“Well, I think we’d like to get used to our new status for a while longer,” Greg said.
“Yeah,” Sabrina agreed.
“I understand,” John said, “It’s just my job as your parent to worry about when you two will have kids,” he smiled, “You’ll do the same thing with yours…if you have them."
“About that,” Greg said, “Suppose we did want kids now,” he said, “How exactly would that be done?”
“Well, we still have you two’s genetic material on ice,” John said, “So all we’d do is inject your sperm into one of her eggs and then put it in an artificial womb that we would then implant in Sabrina’s primary cavity."
“I see,” Greg said, “Have you been successful at this before?”
“Not quite,” John said, “But the technology itself isn’t new, as there have been artificial wombs for decades in place of surrogates,” he explained, “it’s just the method we use to implant it inside her artificial body that is new."
“Oh, okay,” Greg said.
“Don’t worry dear, I’m sure we’ll be able to safely have kids,” Sabrina smiled, giving him a kiss.
“I know,” Greg smiled.
“So dad, how’s the business going?”
“Very well,” John said, “We’ve been gathering a treasure trove of data from all 100 of you HRMs, as well as the dozens of converts like Greg here."
“Converts?” Greg asked.
“Yes, an android with an emulated personality like Sabrina is an HRM, while an android with an actual human soul is a convert."
“Oh, that makes sense,” Greg said, “And what about the DPMS?”
“Well, aside from Ipek here, there aren’t too many out there yet,” John admitted, smiling at Ipek, who was tidying up the kitchen.
“Why not?” Greg asked.
“Because our whole project is still very top secret,” John said, “So the only donors we can get are employees, and that doesn’t exactly provide us with the right amount of data."
“You keep saying top secret,” Greg laughed, “Do you guys work for the government or something?”
“Something like that,” John laughed, though with a secretive look, “It also just sounds cooler to say top secret."
“True,” Greg said, “But someday you are going to have to tell me how you’ve been able to pull so many strings for us."
“What do you mean?” Sabrina asked.
“Well, for you he was able to arrange with that retail store to look the other way when they heard of your death,” Greg explained, “And then he was somehow able to reinstate my status with no trouble at all with the FBI."
“Huh, I didn’t realize that those would be very difficult,” Sabrina admitted.
“Well, they would have been more time consuming than impossible,” Greg explained, “So maybe someday you can explain,” he directed at John.
“Well, I’ll have to see about that,” John said a little uncomfortably, “I’ll have to see if you’re ready to hear it,” he added cryptically.
“I can tell you must hold many secrets."
“You have no idea,” John admitted with a sad expression.
They continued chatting well into the night, pausing only to eat the delicious dinner that Ipek had cooked for them. They also continued drinking as well, dipping into some of the drinks that had been leftover from the reception and that had been gifted to them.
“Well, it’s been a long day for all of us,” Greg said at nearly nine o’clock, “Why don’t you head back home and we can meet for dinner in a few nights?”
“Alright son,” John said with a slightly buzzed look in his eyes, “Congratulations."
“Thanks,” Greg said, “Are you sure you don’t want Ipek to drive you home?” he asked, seeing John stumble a bit as he got up.
“No,” John decided, “I’m just a little buzzed,” he admitted, “But I’m fine."
“Alright,” Greg said, “Drive safe,” he said, “And be careful of the construction out there,” Greg added, referring to their renovation of their front lawn.
“I will,” John smiled, and after giving the both of them a hug, he picked up his jacket and left.
“So honey, what do you want to do before we leave for our honeymoon?” Sabrina asked with a naughty smile.
“I can think of a few things,” Greg smiled as well, though before he could say what they were, they heard a loud noise outside followed by John screaming out, “Shit!” Greg shouted, rushing out the front door to see if John was okay. It appeared that John had tripped over the safety wire protecting the area where the porch was being built. He had fallen in and landed on one of the rebar, and it had punctured all the way through himself. “John! Hold on while I call 911!” Greg shouted, getting ready to run back into the house.
“Wait!” John shouted back, not appearing to be in any pain.
“What?” Greg asked, watching as John suddenly lifted himself up off the rebar and climbed out.
“Hurry up and help me inside, quickly!” John whispered, having trouble walking.
“Okay,” Greg said, still in shock at seeing his father in law climb out with no signs of pain.
Once they were inside, John quickly sat down on the couch; Sabrina had a worried and confused expression on her face. “What happened?” she asked.
“He fell into the porch,” Greg said, “But he doesn’t seem to be hurt,” he added with a confused look.
“Well, I’m not in pain, but I am hurt,” John corrected, and he gingerly removed his shirt, revealing an odd wound. It was a little bloody, but there were wires and metal sticking out.
“John, those wounds,” Greg said, “You’re an android too?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes,” John admitted bashfully.
“How? When?”
“Yeah dad, when?”
“A few months ago, I got sick,” John explained, “Really sick,” he added, “The only way to heal me was to make me a convert."
“What was the illness?” Greg asked.
“Radiation exposure."
“What!?” Greg said, “How did you receive a fatal radiation dosage?” he asked, “I didn’t see any radiation danger signs at your lab."
“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you."
“Screw it all!” Greg shouted, “For the past few months, no years, I’ve been able to tell you're keeping something big from me! I think now's the time to trust us, especially since I'm married to your daughter, and am a convert like you!"
John thought about it for a while before finally speaking, “Alright,” he conceded, “But I need Ipek to fix me first,” he said, suddenly looking very tired.
“Hey, what is it?” Greg asked.
“That rebar damaged some of my batteries and my power systems,” John reported, looking more and more tired, “I’m about to power down."
“Ipek your assistance please!” Greg shouted, though she had already been listening and grabbed her repair kit from the closet.
“I need you to open both panels please,” Ipek ordered.
“Alright,” John said, and he swiftly unsealed both his front and spinal panels, allowing Ipek to immediately get to work.
“Alright John, before you power down, please explain what's going on,” Greg said, “There’s obviously more to these realistic android bodies than simply giving people a second chance at life."
“He’s going to lose power before I can fix him,” Ipek interrupted, overseeing the damage caused by the rebar.
“She’s right,” John managed to say, “and you’re right,” he answered, looking more and more tired, “Humanity is dying,” he finally managed to say, just before losing all power.
Part 5.2: Forced Evolution
Greg was in shock after hearing John’s stunning declaration just before losing power, almost as much shock as discovering that his new father-in-law had been an android for slightly longer than he himself was. Sabrina was in no better shape, though something in her expression didn’t seem too surprised that her stepfather might end up being an android. All they could do was watch as Ipek worked inside John’s damaged body, and after several minutes, she finally pulled out with a defeated expression.
“Well?” Greg asked her.
“The damage is too severe for me to simply repair,” Ipek reported, “Even if I were to replace the damaged batteries, the damage to his power distribution center would prevent him from powering up,” she explained, “He needs to be taken in and given a replacement."
“I don’t think I want to wait that long,” Greg said, “I really want him to answer my questions."
“Yeah, but he also needs to be fixed,” Sabrina argued.
Greg pondered that for a while before smiling as an idea came to his mind, “Ipek, would you mind if we let John borrow your body until his gets fixed?”
“Not at all,” Ipek said.
“Good idea!” Sabrina congratulated him.
“Do you have the tool to unseal his scalp panel?” Greg asked.
“Yes,” Ipek said, and she quickly grabbed it from her bag and used it on John’s head. Once she made the seam appear, she pulled off the top of his head and reached inside, pulling John’s brain out. She then made her own seam appear, “I’m ready."
“Thanks Ipek,” Greg said, removing her panel and pulling her brain out. Once Greg had Ipek’s brain safely stored away in a special box he’d had made for instances like this, he took John’s brain from her outstretched hand and plugged it into Ipek’s head.
Several moments later, John activated in her body, though it took him a few moments for his brain to adapt to her body’s systems. “Whoa, this is weird,” John said, once he had full control.
“Sorry John, your body was too heavily damaged so we decided to put you in Ipek’s body for now,” Greg explained.
“Good idea,” John agreed, looking at his feminine hands and feeling himself up.
“Is this your first time trying out a female body?” Greg asked.
“Yes,” John admitted, “Or any other body,” he added, “I keep trying to get my wife to convert, but she wants to wait until these bodies are past all the testing phases."
“That makes sense."
“So, Mom isn’t an android too?” Sabrina asked.
“No, just us three."
“What made you fall, by the way?”
“Oh, I was attempting to deactivate my drunkenness simulation,” John explained, “I fell because I was still buzzed."
“Oh,” Greg nodded, “So, just before you lost power, you said humanity is dying. What exactly did you mean by that?”
“Perhaps we can sit down first."
“Sure,” Greg said, and both he and Sabrina sat down beside each other on the couch while he sat in the other chair that didn’t have his damaged body in it.
“Alright, what can you two tell me about major events in the last century?” John asked, “And before you ask, unlike our company history, Sabrina doesn’t know this history."
“Well, the early portion of the 21st century was filled with much strife, especially in the Middle East, Russia, and China,” Greg began, “Air pollution was rampant across the globe and was damaging the atmosphere, though the U.S. and much of Europe had finally transitioned away from fossil fuels and towards cleaner energy,” he continued, “Still, developing countries were still reliant on fossil fuels even when the last of the world reserves were running dry, causing many of them to declare war on each other for the resources."
“Very good so far,” John congratulated him.
“Several of the countries were already at war, so they got pulled in as well, and then Russia and China joined in later, and eventually the U.S. and the European Union joined as well to prevent any attacks against them, and thus we had World War III,” Greg finished.
“And what can you tell me about the weapons used and the damage they caused?” John pressed him.
“Well, both Russia and China were forced to use several of their nuclear weapons in the Middle East and India,” Greg said, “As a result, not only were about 3 billion people wiped out in the course of a decade, but the entire region and several surrounding areas are still hot zones several decades later."
“Very good,” John said.
“So, did you visit one of those hot zones or something?” Sabrina asked.
“Not quite,” John said, “I’ll get to that in a moment."
“Do you work for the government or something?” Greg asked.
“Yes, but not the U.S. government,” John admitted, “We work for the world government."
“What?” Greg asked, “Just what the hell is going on?!”
“Well, in the past few decades, we’ve managed to stop and even slightly reverse some of the damage caused by all the pollution of the 20th and early 21st centuries,” John said, “Unfortunately, those 47 nukes going off didn’t help,” he added, “They shot high levels of radiation into the atmosphere which have been slowly spreading across the globe and raining back down, polluting our water and food supplies,” he continued, “Also, it further weakened the ozone layer, letting more harmful UV rays in…levels which in some areas not even sun protection can stop."
“How come we haven’t heard of any of this?” Sabrina asked.
“Because they didn’t want a global panic,” John explained, “And because they realized the damage wouldn’t be severe enough for nearly a century, so instead they started working on other options."
“What sort of options?” Greg asked.
“Well, over the last century, we’ve observed that many of the animal and insect species have been evolving to adapt to the rising radiation levels,” John explained, “But humanity doesn’t appear to be evolving quickly enough."
“Just how bad is it?” Sabrina asked with a look of dread in her eyes.
“We estimate that within the next two decades, the first signs of radiation sickness will start appearing in the major population areas,” John reported, “They’ve already started in some of the rural areas surrounding the hot zones, but soon it will be a global pandemic that will lead to birth defects, skin lesions, cancer, infertility, and eventually death.”
“How has this been kept a secret?” Greg asked.
“Well, instead of causing a panic, the world government decided to work on several plans to preserve and continue humanity,” John explained, “Basically, since humanity wasn’t evolving quickly enough, they decided to induce forced evolution."
“Forced evolution?” Sabrina asked.
“Yes, before it would have been considered eugenics,” John said, “or the selective breeding of only healthy people with certain characteristics,” he explained, “But since everyone would be vulnerable, we had to employ more drastic measures."
“Like building us android bodies?” Greg asked.
“Yes, but that wasn’t the only option,” John said, “They also decided to pursue genetic modification of the human genome,” he explained, “Basically, they sought out one company per option that was furthest along in its field."
“And your company was one of them,” Sabrina said.
“Yes, our company was one of them,” John said, “The one stipulation was that whatever option they decided on had to not only preserve humanity as we know it, but also leave room for evolution."
“So, I take it genetic modification failed?” Greg asked.
“Yes,” John replied, “It was promising at first, but the problem was they had to splice our DNA with that of several animal, plant, and insect species,” he explained, “The result was a human that was no longer human at a fundamental level.”
“How so?” Greg asked.
“When you alter the human genome even a little, you also affect everything else too,” John said, “The experiments developed some inhuman features, like scaled skin and extra organs, and their mental states were also inhuman,” he explained, “So in that regard they failed to preserve humanity and instead created something different,” he finished, “Also, the experiments were still subject to several of the effects of the radiation."
“Oh,” Greg said, “So then they chose you guys?”
“Yes, but they were actually funding us at the same time,” John said, “It's true that we were already attempting to develop an android since before the war, but we were originally interested in developing the most realistic sex bots, domestic units, and companion models,” he said, “not unlike Ipek here,” he gestured to his borrowed body.
“I see,” Greg said.
“Anyway, they approached us a few years after the war and said they would fund all our projects if it resulted in an artificial body for a human being to convert to and live out the rest of their life, continuing to procreate and continue the genetic and evolutionary chain,” John explained, “And the reason we were successful isn’t just because you two are still fundamentally human in regards to your minds and appearance, but also because we created an artificial human body that is immune to all bacteria, viruses, cancer, genetic disorders, and basically any disease or illness that would affect an organic body.
“But how would we be able to procreate safely?” Sabrina asked, “If you’re creating an artificial womb, wouldn’t any child we gave birth to be subject to the radiation?”
“Yes, but they could easily convert to an android body when they are ready."
“Yes, but what about future generations?” Greg asked.
“Well, that’s where our next type of android comes from,” John smiled, “The pure artificial human."
“And how will that be accomplished?” Greg asked.
“In addition to the aging algorithm we’ve added to you two, there is also going to be a genetic algorithm,” John explained, “It can decipher a person’s entire genetic code and use it to further calculate the rate at which you age, and allow you to mix your genetic data with someone else’s to randomly create a completely unique individual."
“You mean a unique android?” Sabrina asked.
“Yes,” John answered, “We would basically use the results of the mix to create a blueprint for an infant android,” he explained, “It would then grow up and develop just as naturally as a human child,” he continued, “It would learn from its peers, family, and environment and grow up into an adult just like you or I."
“So that’s the unique android A.I. you were hinting at before?” Greg said.
“Yes,” John said, “Though unlike Sabrina who is an A.I. emulating a human, or us two that are human souls in an android, these would be pure A.I.s with human personality traits that would grow up, develop, and live just like a real human being…as a matter of fact, they would still be human in the most important ways: free will, self-determination, emotions, and consciousness."
“Wow, so our race would continue as mechanical beings?” Greg asked.
“Exactly,” John said, “It may not sound appealing, but I think when people start suffering from the radiation, and discover that their new bodies would be free of sickness, infirmity, or disability, then they will be more than willing to convert."
“Perhaps,” Greg said, “So what caused your fatal radiation dose?”
“Part of my job was to take some of the converts and HRMs to both the hot zones and some of the areas around the world that have contaminated food and water,” John explained, “I guess I went too often and for too long, but I always knew that someday I would be in an android body."
“Oh,” Greg said, “So, I guess that explains some of your behavior over the last few years."
“What behavior?”
“Well, just before the anesthesia took effect, I saw you had a look of relief on your face."
“Well, I was glad that you managed to convert before having to go through the ordeal of radiation sickness,” John admitted, “Believe me, it would have been worse than living as a paraplegic."
“You’re probably right,” Greg admitted, “So how are you able to have so much access in the U.S. government?”
“Well, the world government now oversees each country government, so when it comes to our projects, we have carte blanche access pretty much everywhere,” John explained, “Each government already knows about the issue as well."
“So, what exactly did you do with Sabrina?”
“Well, we went to the shareholders of the company she worked for and told them if they helped us field test an HRM, we would give them contracts for the upcoming DPM models."
“Oh,” Greg said, “And what about me?”
“That was actually easier,” John laughed, “We were already working on some preliminary details with the FBI and other security agencies to prepare for the day when people start converting,” he continued, “We pulled a few strings to get them to clear you before the laws were written in."
“So, our governments already know about this and are prepared to create new sets of laws to manage the new android populace?” Greg asked.
“Yes,” John said, “As soon as we finalize our androids, the U.S. government will vote on and sign into law several new laws regarding the birth, life, and death of the new artificial humans."
“And they just expect people to convert right away?” Greg asked.
“No,” John laughed, “We expect most of the younger population, movie stars, and models will convert right away,” he said, “Others will convert when the radiation starts to affect them,” he continued, “And the elderly population will probably just opt to die out naturally."
“You guys have put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you?” Greg asked.
“Yes,” John said, “After all, we are creating the new human race."
“So, I’ve been wondering,” Greg said, “Can we actually die?”
“Yes,” John said, “Aside from any critical damage to the brain, the genetic algorithm determines at what age a person’s life will be terminated,” he explained, “Though, we are currently developing a resurrection hardware that would allow an android that determines its life is in danger to instantly upload it’s entire consciousness to a cloud server."
“Cool,” Greg said, “What’s holding you back so far?”
“We need to invent a transmitter which can burst transmit a tremendous amount of information in milliseconds,” John explained, “So far we’re trying to have it overload the entire body’s power supply to do so, which would effectively destroy the body itself, so we need to make sure it will be successful before we test it."
“That makes sense,” Greg nodded, “It almost sounds like an idea from a 21st century show called Battlestar Galactica,” he laughed, “The reimagined series, not the original."
“That’s actually where we got the idea,” John laughed, “I forgot you had a thing for early 21st century shows."
“And 20th century shows."
“Well, our hope is that no human should ever have to worry about unexpected or early death again,” John said, “That way, there should be less crime and people can lead more productive, carefree lives."
“That’s nice,” Greg said.
“We’re also working on a massive database to upload each terminated person’s collective life experience into for future generations to view as a sort of historical record."
“Cool,” Greg said.
“So, are us androids going to grow old and grey?” Sabrina asked.
“That's the one thing we were allowed to deviate from in terms of natural human aging,” John said, “Basically, instead of getting old and grey, a person will instead appear more distinguished, though they can opt to maybe give themselves a little grey hair to add to that."
“Cool,” Greg said, “What do you think of that dear?” he asked, looking over at Sabrina. Sabrina looked like she was slightly dazed though, and did not respond, “Sabrina, are you okay?” he asked, waving his hand in front of her eyes.
“Looks like I blew her mind,” John smiled.
“Yeah,” Greg smiled, “Sabrina, run full diagnostic."
“Running full diagnostic,” Sabrina replied in the clipped tone.
“Why don’t we rest a bit and get some refreshments?” John suggested, “Then, when Sabrina is finished with her diagnostic, you can ask me some more questions."
“Alright,” Greg agreed, “I do have quite a few more,” he smiled, and he left Sabrina running the diagnostic on the couch and got them some drinks.
Part 5.3: Logistics
After they rested up a bit in the kitchen, and John contacted a repair team to come up pick his body up, they waited in the living room for Sabrina to finish her diagnostic. “Diagnostic complete,” Sabrina finally said nearly 15 minutes later, and then she came back to normal, “Oh, what happened?” she asked, looking a bit embarrassed.
“I don’t know, you tell us,” Greg smiled.
“I guess I just got a little excited at the prospect of not becoming an old lady,” Sabrina smiled.
“I thought as much,” Greg laughed, sitting down next to her and giving her a kiss.
“So you two, are you ready to ask me more questions?” John asked, sitting back down.
“Yeah,” Greg said, “I can tell you guys have obviously done a bang up job with making realistic androids,” he started, gesturing down at his own body, and at Sabrina’s and John’s, “But as much as you’ve explained how they are meant to replace our frail, organic bodies, you haven’t really explained any of the logistics involved."
“Well, that’s because the logistics behind all this are extensive,” John explained, “Where would you like me to start?”
“Well, you explained to me that because I was essentially beta testing Sabrina here, she was free of charge,” Greg said, “Just how much is it going to cost for a person to either convert, or for a critically injured or dead person to be remade into an HRM?”
“Not too much,” John said, “We’re still working out those final details, but so far the cost is estimated to be roughly half as much as the average person would pay for an average priced car."
“What!?” Greg and Sabrina both shouted.
“What’s the problem?” John asked with a confused look.
“I guess we weren’t expecting them to be so cheap and affordable,” Greg admitted, “How are you guys expected to make a reasonable profit?”
“Well, I already explained when Sabrina got her body upgrade that our company mines asteroids,” John explained, “That makes the metal we use for your skeletons much cheaper,” he said, “And your skin and musculature is synthesized from base animal material, though we’re trying to get the machine to work with plant material as well,” he continued, “Finally, over the years, we’ve managed to refine each process to further reduce costs."
“But you guys still could have hiked up the costs to earn a profit, why didn’t you?” Greg asked.
“Well, the cost was originally about twice as much,” John admitted, “But the world government was afraid that the original price might be misconstrued as a way for the upper classes to continue existence whilst essentially causing the lower classes to go extinct,” he explained, “So, they added subsidies to drop the costs, and we have zero interest credit plans as well."
“So, are you guys not interested in earning a profit then?” Sabrina asked.
“Hell no!” John said, “We’re more interested in allowing the human race to evolve through our technology, and to continue to exist."
“Then how are you going to make money off people?” Greg asked.
“Well, through the options program,” John explained, “We gave them to you guys for free, but those options will be offered at a fair cost for the average citizen,” he said, “Some of them, such as the built in phone option, will include subscription based fees as well."
“Figures,” Greg said.
“Yeah, well we do have to make money somehow."
“What if they want to have kids?” Sabrina asked, glancing sideways at Greg.
“The kids will have a cost as well,” John confirmed, “Though the first two will cost about as much as it would currently cost for someone to deliver a baby in the hospital."
“Just the first two?” Greg asked, “What if someone wants more than two kids?”
“Well, the world government isn’t banning people from having more than two kids, but they are discouraging it,” John said, “Basically, in our new state of evolution, they want people to exercise more responsibility in their procreation, so people won’t be able to have offspring created for them until they are financially secure, and of age,” he explained, “Also, with the cost of each child increasing after two, we hope that they will really think before having more."
“That makes sense,” Greg nodded, “Especially with dwindling food resources."
“Exactly."
“How did you get approval from the religious groups?” Sabrina asked, since both Greg and Sabrina were atheists, as well as a growing majority of the remaining world population.
“Well, since there's no more impregnation, there are no more abortions or birth control pills,” John explained, “So they no longer have anything to object to since we aren’t killing anything, merely preventing or delaying their creation,” he continued, “They actually approve because now people can have sex without unintended consequences, and people will actually be more responsible when it comes to having offspring."
“Well that’s good,” Greg said, “I wasn’t looking forward to religious groups complaining even more."
“Well, there will be some who oppose converting or other people converting,” John said, “But those will mostly be zealots or extremist groups, and will die out with the radiation sickness or old age."
“Good,” Sabrina said, “I can’t stand people like that."
“Well, we’re hoping that all undesirable groups die out with homosapiens,” John agreed.
“How else are you guys going to make money?” Greg asked.
“Well, our original purpose before being drafted was to build sex bots and domestic units,” John said, “So we would just develop custom, basic A.I. sex bots and domestic units,” he said, “In addition to the more sophisticated DPMs like Ipek here."
“Wouldn’t there be arguments in future generations regarding the slavery of sex bots and domestic units?” Greg asked, “Since they would essentially be the same species as the populace."
“Possibly,” John admitted, “But they will have far different programming and will not have any free will or sentience,” he explained, “Essentially, they will just be human-looking appliances."
“Oh, that makes sense,” Greg said, “And the DPMS?"
“For the most part, they'll be owned by their own donor,” John explained, “They will only operate based on their donor’s instructions and programming, and can be recalled at any time."
“Well, it sounds like you guys really have thought of everything,” Greg said.
“We’ve certainly tried,” John smiled.
“What about the laws?” Sabrina asked, “What’s to stop people from switching bodies and committing crimes in them, or modifying themselves to be immortal?"
“Good questions?” John said, “Well, for one thing, the ability for your brains to work in another person’s body is an option,” he started, “And your body has to adapt itself to the new brain, so it maintains a record of their identity for those purposes."
“Okay, but what about immortality?” Sabrina asked.
“Well, basically, when a person’s genetic and aging algorithm’s indicate they are near death, the person will receive a notice one year before they are expected to terminate,” John explained, “However, if they are the primary caregiver for a child, or have other unfinished business, they can petition for an extension and then pay for one additional year, or however long it is determined they will need."
“But, can’t they modify their own code to ignore the termination?” Sabrina asked.
“They can, but the authorities will be alerted if they fail to terminate within a few days,” John said, “And, even if they elude the authorities, we’ve engineered the brains to require a specific chemical infusion every five years,” he said, “One only WE can synthesize and supply."
“Oh."
“But, how long are we expected to live before having to terminate?” Greg asked, “I mean, we are all going to be android and immune to sickness, ailment, infirmity, and disease."
“Well, in regards to the lack of sickness, the world government feels that adds roughly ten years to the average lifespan,” John said, “As for any further, they have dictated an incentive based increase."
“What does that mean?” Greg asked.
“Basically, the calculation that determined our lifespan is affected by environmental factors as well,” John explained, “The world government wanted to give humanity an incentive to continue to clean up the radiation and pollution caused by the war and industrial eras, so with each major milestone in the cleaning, they could decree that humanity can get extra years added to their lifespan."
“Oh,” Greg said, “That’s really smart."
“But, why can’t we just live forever?” Sabrina asked.
“Because that’s unnatural,” John said simply, “If we were to live forever and continue reproducing, there wouldn’t be enough resources and the newer generations would be unable to thrive,” he explained, “Plus, don’t you think immortality might become boring after a while?”
“Perhaps,” Sabrina admitted.
“So, are there any other options that you guys are going to take advantage of to make more money?” Greg asked.
“Actually yes,” John said, “Originally we intended on your spare hands and feet to be used as simple replacements,” John explained, “But we were fascinated by how Sabrina, and a few other female HRMS, used them as alternate makeup hands or feet."
“Yeah, though that was actually Greg’s idea,” Sabrina laughed, “He prefers natural nails while I’m at home, but I prefer made up nails while I’m out."
“Yeah, well some of the male HRMs also liked having tattooed arms at home, but needed natural arms at work,” John explained, “So it gave us the idea to allow people to purchase spare arms, legs, hands, feet, and even whole extra bodies, to decorate with body art or makeup, whilst also having a perfectly natural looking body, or limbs, for professional work."
“Cool,” Sabrina said.
“Yeah, I can already picture the inside of a rich woman’s closet,” Greg laughed, “Dozens of extra pairs of feet to match each of her shoes."
“Exactly!” John laughed.
“What about repairs?” Greg asked, “And this resurrection program you’re still working on?”
“Well, repairs will depend on the technician, and the extent of the damage,” John explained, “As for the resurrection, whoever is responsible for the person’s ‘death’ will be responsible for that payment, the price of which would be determined by a judge or a court of law."
“Is there a limit to the number of times a person can be resurrected?” Greg asked.
“No, but if it’s determined that the person killed themselves, they will not be resurrected,” John said.
“Interesting,” Greg mused.
“Basically, with the resurrection program, we’re hoping it will put people off from killing one another,” John said, “I mean, if you can’t actually kill a person, why try?”
“Good point,” Greg said, “I hope it actually works."
“Me too,” John said.
“So, I think another question is, do we need to worry about some super smart A.I. taking over our minds?” Greg asked.
“No,” John said, “We know that’s going to be a big issue, but the plain truth is each of your brains are totally independent of one another,” John explained, “There is no networking, no continuous connection, and no external oversight,” he said, “There is a 0% chance of that happening."
“Good,” Sabrina said.
“That isn’t to say that one of the artificial humans can’t become evil,” John said, “There’s not going to be any Asimov’s laws programmed into people, so they will be as good or evil as their upbringing, environment, and social status make them."
“Yeah, I suppose if you have to make them completely human, anything is possible,” Greg sighed.
“Yeah,” John agreed.
“So, what kinds of laws will have to be enacted to deal with artificial humans?” Sabrina asked.
“Well, let’s start with a few obvious ones,” John said, “Adults won’t be allowed to inhabit a child body, even if it is one of their previous bodies” he said, “And children won’t be allowed to inhabit an adult body,” he added with a smile, “Pretty basic stuff, actually."
“Makes sense,” Sabrina nodded.
“There won’t be any unlicensed repairs or modifications permitted for artificial humans,” John continued, “We can’t have people turning themselves into Iron Man or anything."
“So, are there going to be any other advantages to using these artificial bodies aside from the medical benefits?” Greg asked.
“Well, because the exchange of genetic data is now handled in a computer, asexual reproduction will now be possible for the human race."
“Does that mean a gay couple can actually have children of their own?” Sabrina asked.
“Exactly,” John smiled.
“Aww, that means our friends can finally have a baby,” Sabrina said.
“Yeah, that is an unintended benefit,” John smiled, “But it should obviously hook the gay community."
“I’m curious, are we being monitored with GPS?” Greg asked.
“Well, we can track your bodies in case they are missing or stolen,” John said, “And of course the police can track someone if they have a warrant,” he added, “But we don’t monitor your locations continuously."
“Still, that might cause some problems,” Greg said.
“Yeah, we’re still working on the details for that,” John admitted.
“Just how did you guys get so many laws written up already?” Sabrina asked, “I mean, you still aren’t ready to release the androids to the populace."
“Well, to tell the truth, we’ve actually been using law students,” John admitted bashfully, “We’ve told them this is all hypothetical, though the laws they have come up with are legit, at least, according to our lawyers.”
“That’s pretty smart,” Greg said.
“Pretty sneaky too,” Sabrina added.
“Yeah, well it’s all still top secret, and it was a way to save money and time,” John said, and before he could say anything else, there was a knocking at the door and then a team of technicians arrived. “Ah, looks like my repair team is here,” John smiled, “Did you two get all the answers you needed?”
“I think so,” Greg said, “You’ve given us a lot to think about."
“So, are you guys looking forward to your honeymoon?”
“Yes,” Sabrina smiled, “I hope that private resort you gifted us is as fun as you say it is."
“You’ll enjoy it,” John assured them, “It’s actually a test location for actual resorts we’re planning on in the near future, so you’ll basically be beta testing its…features."
“Why am not surprised?” Greg said sarcastically, “I think we’re going to bring Ipek with us though, so we can play around with each other again."
“There are assistants there to help you,” John pointed out.
“Yeah, but we’d feel more comfortable if we had Ipek with us,” Sabrina said, “After all, she is a member of our family."
“Yeah,” Greg agreed.
“Alright,” John smiled, “Then I think I’ll let you guys have Ipek back while these gentlemen get me back to the lab,” he said, making the seam appear around his head, “The private airship will be waiting for you at the coordinates I provided."
“Alright, thanks…dad,” Greg smiled as one of the technicians walked over to pull his brain out.
John smiled as his brain was pulled out. Ipek’s body retained the smile, but relaxed it pose. The technicians stored John’s brain in a box similar to the one that Greg had stored Ipek’s in, then they loaded his damaged body up onto a stretcher and left.
“Well dear, what say we get Ipek back in her body and start packing?” Greg suggested, pulling the box with Ipek’s brain in it out.
“Alright,” Sabrina smiled.
Part 5.4: Honeymoon
They spent the rest of their wedding night packing a few things they might need. They didn’t pack a lot of clothing though, since John had assured them they wouldn’t need them. He also explained to them that the place he was sending them to would forever be their home away from home, always available to them whenever they needed it and with options that could be arranged in advance of each visit. He didn’t give them any more details, like where the place was, but they didn’t care. They were just looking forward to having a week off and to themselves. Because the three of them were robots and might set off security scanners, they had to fly there from John’s company’s private airstrip and on one of their private jets. They didn’t mind though, because it just meant they had even more privacy.
Once they were up in the air, Greg could tell they were heading north, but that’s all he could tell since the plane’s Mach 2 flight and higher altitude made it difficult to pick out landmarks. The plane landed about an hour and a half later, and they were immediately helped off the plane and into a luxury vehicle, where they were driven another 15-minutes through a densely wooded area. Finally, they drove into a clearing that had a very beautiful, crystal clear lake at the base of a picturesque, snow capped mountain.
“Wow, John really knows what we like,” Greg mused as he took in the awesome surroundings.
“Yeah,” Sabrina said, also in awe.
Eventually, the rode stopped at a rock face at the base of the mountain. After the driver remotely entered a security key, a section of the wall shimmered away, revealing a tunnel.
“Cool,” Greg said, looking back as the wall shimmered back into place once they drove through, “I’ve never seen such convincing holography in person.”
“Looks like Dad really values our privacy."
After a few moments, the tunnel emptied out into an open, green field full of life and dozens of cabins, shops, and structures. The cabins were all situated close to the lake, which had a rather large beach with all the trimmings one might expect of one. The vehicle finally stopped at a large cabin that was within a few hundred feet of the beach and lake. The driver helped them out of their vehicles and then began helping them with their bags just as a woman suddenly materialized in front of them.
“Welcome to the Lake Hideaway Resort,” the woman announced as soon as she materialized, her beautiful face forming a genuine smile. She appeared to be in her early 30s. She had neck length, light brown hair that was straight and slightly held back with a hair band, perfectly framing her face. She was wearing a preppy blue outfit which accented her crystal clear blue eyes.
“Thanks,” Greg said, a little confused, “Where exactly are we?”
“This lake is in a remote section of northern British Columbia,” the woman announced, “A hundred years ago, this area was beneath a glacier, but when it melted, this lovely place was revealed and appropriated by the Neovations Corporation."
“Wow, I’ve always wanted to visit Canada,” Sabrina said.
“Me too,” Greg said, “What exactly are you?”
“I am the latest in holographic assistants,” the woman explained, “If you prefer, you may call me Sandy,” she smiled, “I’m the personal assistant to all of the guests who stay here."
“Interesting,” Greg said, looking around and failing to see any obvious projectors. “What’s projecting you?”
“There are hundreds of micro-emitters hidden throughout the property,” Sandy explained, “I can appear inside and outside all of the buildings and in multiple locations simultaneously."
“Cool,” Greg said, and he gingerly reached his hand out to touch her, though the second he did, her otherwise realistic appearance wavered slightly, “I see you aren’t very substantial."
“Yes, unlike the security hologram, I have no need for substance,” Sandy explained, “Would you like me to show you your cabin?”
“Please,” Greg smiled, and the three of them headed into the large looking cabin just as the driver and Ipek finished depositing their bags inside.
If the exterior of the cabin looked large, the interior was even larger. The entrance area was a very spacious living room with several cozy looking sofas and chairs with a dining area off to the side. The kitchen was well stocked and well supplied, with a door leading into a pantry. There was a staircase leading to a second floor landing, where the bedrooms and living areas were at. Based on what they saw of the outside, the master bedroom up top had a balcony just over the front porch, which also helped to cover the front porch area from rain and snow. Despite the bedrooms being on the second floor, there was a rather large section set up in the back portion of the first floor, next to the backdoor.
“What do you think of your new home away from home?” Sandy asked in her upbeat voice.
“It’s perfect,” Sabrina breathed, quickly rushing up the stairs to take a look around.
“What sort of amenities does this place have?” Greg asked.
“It has all the trimmings one might expect,” Sandy began, “Net access, satellite TV, electricity,” she listed, “This cabin can also be operated through the voice commands listed in the instruction manual over here,” she gestured to the large book on the nearby coffee table, “I can also be called with your voice."
“Very good,” Greg nodded, smiling as he heard pleasant noises coming from Sabrina upstairs as she inspected the bedrooms, “What’s this area back here?”
“What area?” Sabrina suddenly asked, rushing down the stairs like a little girl; she had taken her shoes off.
“Based on our profiles of you two, this should be quite interesting,” Sandy smiled, and she walked with them to the back end of the house and then waved her hand in front of the closet doors.
The security panel flashed green when she did so and the doors slowly hinged outwards. Beyond the doors was what looked like a full sized, walk-in closet. When they all walked in, Greg and Sabrina let out a gasp at what they saw. Standing in recessed alcoves on either side of the closet were two androids. The android on the right looked exactly like James, though it appeared this version was three years older and actually had more realistic amounts of body hair on his arms and legs. Unlike the other one, which was naked, this James was wearing a light blue t-shirt with a pair of navy shorts and a pair of sandals. The android on the left was that of a 21 year old girl. She had long, dark brown hair that went just down to her neck. Her face was stuck in a stoic expression, which looked like an odd mix of seriousness and innocence. She was wearing the same exact shirt and sandals as James, though she was wearing more feminine shorts. Greg noted her toe nails were painted black and her fingernails were painted red.
“Wow, who are they?” Sabrina asked.
“Those are your personal avatars for your pleasure, entertainment, and anonymity during your stay with us” Sandy explained.
“Avatars?” Sabrina asked.
“Yes,” Sandy replied, “While you are here, you are welcome to transfer yourselves into these bodies to interact anonymously with the other guests,” she explained, “And, while you play around in these bodies, we perform full service maintenance on your bodies.”
“Wow, that’s nice,” Greg said.
“No wonder Dad said we wouldn’t need to bring much clothing,” Sabrina said.
“You are, of course, free to remain in your own bodies,” Sandy said, “And, if you choose to do so, both avatars do actually have their own personality cores you can install to interact with them in a variety of pre-programmed games and activities."
“Well, what do you think dear?” Greg asked, “Want to play around in these bodies for a week, or stay in ours?"
“That depends,” Sabrina asked, “Are these bodies meant to be inhabited for extended periods?”
“Yes,” Sandy answered, “They have the same parts and functions as your current bodies do, they just aren’t living individuals."
“Okay, let’s do it,” Sabrina decided with a smile.
“Excellent,” Sandy smiled, “After you transfer over, just place your bodies into the alcoves and enter in on the data pads what sort of maintenance you would like done,” Sandy explained, “Then, after you leave to have fun, your bodies will be lowered into our underground maintenance bay to be pampered in our own special way,” she continued, “Just think of this week as a vacation from your bodies as well as your lives."
“We will, thanks Sandy,” Greg said.
“You’re most welcome,” Sandy curtsied, and then she shimmered away.
“Well Greg, would you like to do the honors?” Sabrina asked, standing next to her avatar, which had a name badge that read ‘Mandy’.
“Why don’t we have Ipek does us both at the same time?” Greg suggested instead.
“Alright,” she smiled, and she waited as Greg called for Ipek.
“What can I help you two with?” Ipek asked, once she arrived.
“Could you transfer us both to these bodies?” Greg asked.
“Certainly,” Ipek smiled, “Would you like me to activate you both at the same time?”
“Yes,” Sabrina said.
“Okay,” Ipek said, and after they unsealed their scalp access panels, she walked up to both of them and removed their brains, shutting down their bodies afterwards instead of leaving them on. She then activated both Mandy and James’ bodies and manually unsealed both their panels, carefully inserting Sabrina and Greg into their vacation bodies. A few moments later, both of them slowly came online and got used to their new bodies before slowly stepping out of the alcoves; Ipek was in standby mode just off to the side.
“Wow, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to this feeling,” Greg said, gently feeling his new face and looking at his new hands. He also felt his much longer hair and took a while to get used to it framing his face.
“I know how you feel,” Sabrina agreed, referring to the odd feeling of normalcy involved in them trying out a new body; it was different, yet felt completely normal. Sabrina, in Mandy’s body, was several inches shorter than her actual body, so she was getting used to the height difference, though since she had already been in James’ body before, and since it was roughly the same height, it did not take her long. Greg was having more trouble getting used to the height difference though, since he had never been in a body that much shorter than his before.
“I do agree with yours and your A.I.’s opinion though,” Greg finally said, after he got used to James’ body, “This body is amazing."
“It is,” Sabrina smiled.
“How’s yours, by the way?” Greg asked, quickly lifting up his shorts to take a look at himself before letting go.
“Awesome,” she smiled, “I mean, look at me,” she said, walking over to the mirror.
“Yeah,” he said, “I have to admit, if I had seen this girl before you, I would have asked her out for sure."
“I can see why,” she admitted, lifting her shirt up to see her breasts; she was not wearing a bra, and her breasts were perfectly suited for her body type. “Hey, maybe this Mandy is the actual James’ girlfriend or something."
“Maybe,” he said, “They’d make a cute couple."
“Just like us?” she smiled.
“Exactly,” he smiled back.
“So, what should we do with our bodies?” she asked, looking back at her body, which was standing powered off just next to the alcove.
“Well, Sandy said we should place them in the alcoves and then use these data pads to choose some options,” he said, turning to look at his body.
“Okay,” she said, and they both helped each other place their bodies in the alcoves and then they both pulled the data pads from the walls and sat down on a nearby bench to look at the options. “Wow, this is pretty neat,” she said, looking at the variety of pampering options that they could select for their bodies.
The data pads gave them a variety of options:
- Full fluidic replacement, including:
- Saline
- Artificial blood
- Saliva
- Nanite maintenance
- Whole body, artificial muscle stimulation and rejuvenation
- Smart skin repair and rejuvenation
- Hardware maintenance, including:
- Component replacement
- Component upgrades
- Component tweaks
- Software improvements
- Manicure and/or pedicure
- Hair grooming
- Dental checkup for tooth and mouth degradation
- Other orifice cleaning
“Wow, these are all so awesome, I’m just going to pick them all,” Greg said, since they didn’t have to pay for any of it.
“Even the mani and pedi,” Sabrina laughed, also selecting all the options.
“Yeah, why not?” he asked, looking at his bodies hands; the nails weren’t bad, but if they were going to make them look nicer, he thought he might as well.
“You’re right,” she agreed.
“You know, I was initially worried that certain businesses that dealt with pampering might go under with everyone converting to these better bodies,” Greg said, “But now that I see this place, I can see places similar to this springing up all over."
“Yeah, me too,” she agreed, “Though this place has scenery, luxury, and privacy."
“Yeah, not many places could beat that,” he smiled.
“Well, I’m locking my choices in,” she said, and she tapped submit.
“Me too,” he said, also tapping submit.
Once they both submitted their responses, their pads pinged and then they heard a mechanical whirring sound. Then, the bottoms of both alcoves slowly lowered into the ground until both their bodies were gone. A holographic image of the bottom of the alcoves then shimmered in place to cover the holes. “Cool,” was all they said, and then their pads pinged again. This time, the information on the pads changed to a basic display of both their bodies; apparently, they had been scanned on the way down. The pads displayed an estimate and projected schedule of when each option would be started and completed. Both their bodies were estimated to be completed on the last day of their stay at the resort.
“Huh, I wonder why it’s going to take a whole week to get all that done,” Sabrina said, looking at the schedule.
“Maybe we’re not the only ones here."
“Maybe,” Sabrina said, “Why don’t we go out and see if we can meet someone?”
“Alright,” he said, “And then when we get back, we can explore these new bodies some more."
“Okay,” she smiled, and they set the pads down and headed out of the cabin.
Their previous guess was correct; they were not the only ones staying at the resort. When they got down to the beach, which had several small structures with spas and other niceties set up, they saw several people of all ages and ethnicities. They spoke with several of the people down there on the first day, and like them, they were all in avatars as well. There were a few organics there as well, but they were mostly family of the staff members that ran the place. Because of their avatars, it was an unspoken rule that no one say their true name or profession, but several of the converts and HRMs there gave enough hints to let Greg and Sabrina know that they were either pretty high up in John’s company, or related to people who were high up; apparently, there were far more converts and HRMs then John had been able to admit to them.
They spent several hours conversing with the other guests before deciding to return to their rooms for the evening. They had sent a remote message to Ipek to have her start dinner for them, so they headed back when she announced it was nearly ready. They did promise the other guests they would return the next day. After they ate dinner, they sat down in the living room to decide what to do.
“Well, do you want to play around upstairs?” Sabrina asked with a kinky smile.
“Eventually,” Greg smiled, “But I really want to know how our bodies are doing."
“Didn’t you just check on the data pad?”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same,” he said, “I want to actually see what they are doing to my body, not just see a status update."
“Hmm, me too,” she admitted.
“Hold on,” he said, “Sandy, can you come here?” he asked out loud, not knowing if it would summon her or not.
There was a shimmering in the air a few feet in front of them and Sandy materialized. “What can I do for you?” she asked in a sweet voice.
“We were wondering if we could see where our bodies are and what they are currently doing to them."
“You can keep track of their status on your data pads,” Sandy told him in what sounded like a pre-programmed response.
“We know, but we’d like to actually see the location that they’re being worked on,” Greg said, “It’s kind of a fetish we have."
“How very interesting,” Sandy said with a slightly confused look, and then she froze up for a while before moving again, “I just contacted the director, and given your connections, I don’t see any problems with letting you down there."
“Excellent, where do we go?”
“Just head back into the closet and step into the alcoves,” Sandy told him, “The lift pads should already be back,” she continued, “I’ll send you down as soon as you’re ready."
“Thanks,” they both said, and the both of them nearly ran into the closet and stepped into the alcoves, with Sandy slowly following them with a smile projected on her face.
“Are you ready?” Sandy asked them, once they were both in their alcoves.
“Yes,” they both said, and with a slight gesture from her, both pads slowly descended. They could see her shimmer away just as they descended below the room and the holograms activated above them.
For the first couple dozen feet, all Greg could see was the smooth metallic tube he was descending in, but then the tube turned into a see-through plastic like substance. Through it, he could see the tube Sabrina was descending through several feet in front of him; she waved enthusiastically at him when she saw him, making him laugh despite himself. From what they could see, they were descending into a cavernous room, with tubes leading down from the various other cabins. On the bottom of the room was what looked like a city inside the cave, with covered walkways connecting each building and street lights lighting the way. They finally descended into a fairly large structure situated directly beneath their cabin, and matching somewhat in overall size. Their lift pads finally stopped inside the building, and there were several technicians, in addition to Sandy, waiting for them.
“Welcome to our underground maintenance facility,” Sandy announced as soon as the tubes opened up and they were able to step out.
“This place is huge!” Sabrina said.
“Yes, this facility powers the entire resort through geothermal energy from the Earth’s core, and also serves as the maintenance facility for our guests,” Sandy explained, “As this visit is highly irregular, we do ask that you keep what you see here to yourself."
“Okay,” Greg and Sabrina said.
“Excellent, then I’ll let these technicians show you your bodies,” Sandy said, and then she shimmered away.
“Come with us,” the lead technician said; his nametag read ‘Sean’.
Greg and Sabrina followed him out of the tube room and into a larger room filled with complex machinery and lab equipment. On two tables near the far end, they could see their bodies, stripped of all clothing, and opened up.
“As you can see, we’ve already begun the pampering process for your bodies,” Sean said, leading them over to the tables, “At the moment, we’re performing hardware and software updates, tweaks, and replacements,” he explained, showing them the hardware that had been removed from both their bodies, and the new hardware waiting to be installed, “Tomorrow, we’ll be performing muscle stimulation to loosen up and rejuvenate the muscles in ways your nanites are incapable of."
“Excellent,” Sabrina said, “”What kind of hardware upgrades are these?”
“Mostly minor, but we figure as long as we have you here, there’s no harm in offering people full body workups,” Sean smiled.
“I’m curious, are you a convert like me?” Greg asked.
“No, I’m an HRM,” Sean answered, “My original host died several years ago, and I was reborn in this form."
“Same with me,” Sabrina said.
“Are there other places like this yet?” Greg asked.
“No, but they are building them,” Sean answered, “They’re still learning based on the feedback we get from this place."
“Well, I think this whole service you offer is really neat,” Sabrina said.
“Me too,” Greg said.
“Good to hear,” Sean smiled, “I do enjoy getting to work on all the different people that have stayed here."
“I can imagine,” Greg said, “Well, anyway, I think we’ve seen enough,” he said, “Could you send us back up now?”
“Certainly,” Sean smiled, “I hope you are enjoying those bodies you’re in,” he added, “I’m the one who built them and maintains them."
“We are, thanks,” Sabrina smiled, walking with him back to the tube room.
“Yeah, they’re great,” Greg added.
“Good,” Sean smiled, “Now, just relax and enjoy your stay with us,” Sean said, putting his hands on the controls, “And I promise, you’re going to enjoy your bodies when we’re done with them."
“I’m sure we will,” Greg smiled, and then their lifts started ascending.
When they finally got back up to the top, they saw the lifts descend back down again and then the holograms shimmered back into place. Heading out of the closet, they saw Ipek had finished cleaning up and was waiting for them. “Hey you two, how was the tour?”
“Awesome!” Sabrina said, “I don’t know why we can’t send you down there too to get pampered."
“Don’t worry, I don’t need pampering,” Ipek assured them, “and besides, I’d rather be available to you for anything you need."
“Aww, that’s nice,” Sabrina said.
“Yeah, we might need you in a little bit,” Greg said with a wink, “Why don’t you get back to work and we’ll call you in a bit?”
“Okay,” Ipek said, winking back as she headed into the kitchen to tend to the dishes.
“What do you have in mind?” Sabrina asked.
“I’ll let you know in a little bit too,” Greg smiled, “Let’s head up and have some fun in these bodies,” he said, taking her hand and rushing up the stairs with her.
“Okay,” she smiled back, going with him.
Once they were in their room, Greg spent a moment looking around since he hadn’t actually seen it yet. Then, he sat down next to Sabrina on the bed. “So, we already know what James’ body looks like naked,” Greg said, stripping his clothes off as he spoke until he stood before her naked, “But we don’t know what Mandy’s body looks like."
“Alright,” she smiled, and she kicked the sandals off, lifted the t-shirt off herself, and then slid both her shorts and panties off. Mandy’s body looked just as he expected it would. She had the overall appearance of a hot college girl, with perfectly proportioned breasts and a well groomed pussy. “Well, what do you think?” she asked, sexily twirling around so he could see all of her.
“You look hot,” he said, breathing more heavily.
“And my body doesn’t?” she asked in mock anger.
“Your body is beautiful, hers is hot,” he said, ‘There’s a difference.”
“Oh, alright,” she said dramatically, and then they both laughed, “So, it goes without saying today is a play day."
“I know,” he said, and then he saw the perfect moment and said, “Sabrina, Pause."
It had been a while since he used an actual voice command on her, but he was pleased to see she reacted much the same way as before. She seemed to give a brief look of surprise before pausing. Greg had paused her because the look on her face aroused him. Because of Mandy’s steel colored eyes, many of her facial expressions had this look of serious innocence, and it was intensified as a blank stare. Greg quickly used his bodies built in photo capturing app and snapped a few choice pics before stepping back and saying, “Sabrina, Unpause.”
She unpaused as quickly as she had paused, and she didn’t appear to mind having been paused. “Did you take some nice pics?”
“Oh yeah,” he said, “The look on your frozen face was simply mesmerizing, I couldn’t resist."
“I understand,” she smiled, “Don’t forget to show them to me later."
“I won’t” he assured her, “So, anyway, I was thinking,” he started, “John’s sudden power down the other day reminded me of something."
“What?”
“I haven’t experienced what it feels like to lose power,” he said, “By having my batteries removed, I mean."
“Oh,” Sabrina said with a slow smile, “I still remember how good that felt,” she said, since she hadn’t had him do it again since the very first time.
“I figured,” he said, “Anyway, since we brought Ipek with us, she can supervise us and put our batteries back in after we shut down."
“Cool, I’m all for it!"
“Good,” he smiled, and he quickly went to the door and called for Ipek. When she arrived moments later, he said, “Ipek, Sabrina and I want you to remove our batteries."
“Why?”
“Because, she told me it was an erotic experience,” Greg said, “And, now that I’m capable of experiencing it too, we both want to experience it together."
“Aww, okay,” Ipek smiled, “Just open your panels and I’ll do the rest."
“Alright,” Greg said, and he quickly opened his spine panel, “Just don’t forget to put our batteries back in."
“Drat, I was hoping to just leave you guys lying on the floor and escape,” Ipek said sarcastically with a smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll put you all back together."
“We know you will,” Sabrina said, also opening her spine panel.
“Alright, I’m going to start taking them out now,” Ipek said, “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” both Greg and Sabrina said, and Ipek slowly started taking each battery out of their backs, using her sexual databases to do it slowly and erotically to tickle their fetishes.
Greg thought he might feel something substantial as each battery was removed, but just as Sabrina had described several years earlier, all he saw was his power meter slowly decreasing. When Ipek removed the last battery, however, he suddenly felt a sharp surge to every inch of his body and then an equally opposite reaction as the power suddenly subsided. “Wow,” he said, struggling to even move or talk as he felt what little power was in his distribution center slowly discharge. He could see multiple warnings coming from the HUD in his field of vision, as well as several suggestions for systems to shut down; he ignored them all, of course, as the arousal he was getting from the feeling of his energy discharging enticed him.
“Quickly Greg, enter me,” Sabrina managed to say, turning over on the bed to face him.
“Okay,” he said, and after a few moments, he finally managed to get up on all fours and mount Sabrina’s courtesy body. Since she was already wide open with arousal, and he was already stiff, he quickly entered her and collapsed onto her, enjoying the feel of her new body.
Despite the fact they were slowly losing power, they both managed to complete one full round of the best sex they had ever experienced, with the arousal of being in different bodies, discharging, and simply being in each other’s presence all combining to form the perfect orgasm. Just as their orgasm completed, they both ran out of power at exactly the same time and slumped into each other’s embrace. After what seemed like an instant, but was actually nearly a minute, they both came back online after Ipek replaced their batteries and closed their panels. Once they were both online, they remained in each other’s embrace for a few moments before breaking apart.
“Wow! That felt awesome!” Greg finally said, breaking the silence.
“It certainly did,” Sabrina said, lying in contentment next to him. There was a few more moments of silence before Sabrina spoke again. “Greg, I’ve been thinking..."
“What?”
“When we get back, let’s tell dad I’m ready."
“Ready for what?”
“For kids."
“Really?” he asked with an excited look rising on his face, “You’re sure?”
“Yes."
“That’s great!” he said, and they both embraced each other again, mentally planning for the future, which had just become a bit more real, all the while Ipek stood passively by, smiling as she began reorganizing and updating her nanny subroutines in preparation for the day she would need them, which would be much sooner than she had thought.
Continued in The Replacement - Part 6
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