The Defect in Cascadia Pt 3-4

[Linnies]

Part 3


[Memory section loaded, begin playback in simulation mode…]

Leaning closely against the thin plastic wall of the richly furnished cabin, I pressed my back against the cold panel tightly. My own arms wrapped across my chest, and my legs crossed at the knee with equal tightness. It was all I could do to hold my excitement as much as I could, in fear of losing control and ending up disturbing my owners. My entire sexual system was active and ready, my lips wet and cheeks hot. With the pressure of my master’s dress that was several sizes too small for my breasts, lubricant slowly leaked from both my nips, leaving two growing wet patches. All I could do was silently shake in anticipation, hoping that I would be needed.

An arm's length to my right was the thin plastic door to my owner’s bedroom, hastily left open when Jason had rushed in twenty-one minutes ago. The moans and grunts of Katie and Jason filled the apartment, accented by the metallic creaking sound of their bedframe. I know that they would continue, and only the appearance of soft voices that showered affection hinted at a conclusion. Logically, I knew that I would not be called. The love of my owners was restored, and they made love just fine without me, neither of them was attracted to me in the first place.

Gasping for cool air, a drop of hot lubricant rolled out of the corner of my lips, falling on top of my chest. Just like the nine previous times of the past two days, I was left to my own devices with my own desires and wants unfulfilled. My owners’ relationship troubles had been fixed, and I had hoped to be content by simply being a house maid, but the sound and the smell of their love was all too much. My skin trembles as I feel the hot lubricant roll down between my breasts, slide down my navel.

I couldn’t contain myself any longer. My hand reached down towards the mound between my crotch, my fingers hovering over the seal. The silicone strip ran from front to back, covering my sex in its entirety, ensuring my potential owners of my unused status. The command to not touch the seal rang through my head like a bull thrashing against a flooding river. My need to be fucked, to be filled, was the greater desire as I savored the sensation of my folds being pulled along as I peeled more and more.

Half way through the process, my arm stiffen as I found myself unable to control it. My hips quiver uncontrollably in a jerking motion that makes me lose my balance. I crash on to the floor, my body twitching against the soft carpet of the living room. Noises come out of my lips that make no sense as my body tingles with electricity. However I remain focused on my desire, my need. My shaking fingers pinch at the edge of the silicone seal ever more tighter as I will my hand back into action.

[Playback paused.]

[Analyzing…]

[Analyzing…]

[Analyzing…]

[Uploading report…]

[Terminating simulation mode.]

[Terminating memory playback.]

[Resuming debug mode.]

The world around me returns gradually. First, I become aware that I am active, my operating parameters, my tasks, and finally, that I have my thoughts. Then came the sensations. The familiar and soothing faint hum of the Casadia city ship. The tapping sounds of fingers on a screen to my left. A light, steady breeze rolls down the back of my neck and over my exposed torso, my arms and legs return no sensations as my systems tell me that they are disconnected. Finally, my sight fills in bit by bit as I begin to make sense of what my already opened eyes see.

Luminescent halos of light seep through the silvery strands of hair that hung like curtains over my face. My body hung from above as I stared down at the ground over what remained of my body. On my torso, a large rectangular section of skin was missing, wires and tubes dangled out from the empty crevasse of what was once my stomach, with several pieces of electronics that looked half-way disassembled. With my limbs removed at the shoulder and hips, and the total immobility that stilled what remained of my body, I looked small, insignificant, like a piece of a mannequin that had not been put together yet.

It felt like just moments ago I was there, standing in the living room of my owners. Now I knew it was just a replay of my memories. Five days had passed since I was handed over, and most of that time was spent hanging lifelessly. Having my body taken apart slowly and my mind probed piece by piece. With nothing to do and nothing I could do, I had debated myself. I, of course, wouldn’t object to being taken apart, as I am simply a machine, a product, an object. The ones that came in treated me just so, no courtesy offered as they grabbed me, no worried glances as I was taken apart, the only decency offered was the piece of note taped along the edge of my severed hip saying “Evidence”. However, watching myself become less and less with every bit taken away, a sense of fear was building up within me.

“Point seven two… High intensity response… Output looks normal…” A male voice mumbled as the sound of feet tapping came from the left. In my complete lockdown, I could not even turn to look in his direction, all my eyes did was remain open, unblinking, staring steadily down at the ground.

Initially, several technicians silently worked on the terminals and pads beside me. Then, more came, up to a total of nine people, and the newcomers suggested I be restrained. Straps bound me to the chair, and quietly I remained as they talked among themselves, throwing theories and accusations. One of the new technicians looked at me with fear, the others then decided together to remove my limbs.

Two days later they all had left one by one, their serious and frantic pace replaced by a single person that seemed calm by comparison. Having never seen his face, I guessed he was a young man from the sound of his voice that cracked when he talked to others. His presence helped with my fear, his awkwardness and relaxed probing seemed less serious, driven by his obvious curiosity that he mumbles out to himself. When he activated me this morning, I almost wanted to join him in his exploration of what's in my head.

“Higher than normal usage… Buffers completely overflowed… That should still not allow bypass though… Like its, consistently inconsistent… Maybe it is intentional?” He mumbles, followed by a slow grunting annoyed sound. Taps on keys and screens continued sporadically as the man worked on probing my memories, having replayed multiple parts in my mind. Everytime time the memories loaded I knew from my systems telling me. Then everytime time the memories played it felt real, like I was experiencing it for the first time. Inevitably I would awake, finding myself still hanging in a moment of surprise.

His typing stopped. The only sound that came was him breathing through his mouth, air rushing past his teeth as he took slow and deep breaths. His feet stomped the floor, followed by the screeching sound of a metal chair being pushed aside. On the floor below me I see a pair of legs in dirty sweatpants, ending in a pair of sandals with exposed toes walking up in front of me. His attire was completely different from the uniforms that the technicians wore.

“Hey! Android!” His voice suddenly became loud, echoing between the empty walls of the room. I see a hand reach and grab my jaw, his hand the first warm thing that I had touched for days, after being hung. He lifted my head up, my eyes frozen in their sockets moved past his face to stare at the harsh white lights of the ceiling. In his hand, he held a screwdriver like a knife, hanging it above me menacingly in a tightly closed fist.

“I’m going to break you now! AUUGHHH!” He cries out dramatically as his hand shakes with his knuckles whitening from the tightness of his grip. He slowly winds up his swing bringing his weapon higher and higher. I can do nothing but watch as the metal tip of the screwdriver drives into my right eye. I feel the crack, glass shattering as something is pushed back into my skull. My vision fizzles with bright, colourful lines as I feel a sudden sharp pain.

[Warning! Damage detected!]

The message screams in my head as I feel an indescribable pain that runs through my head. I wanted to scream, to recoil and cover my face, but nothing moved. A moment later my right eye was seeing nothing but a solid, bright green color. He didn’t move either, his hand still holding onto the screwdriver as he looked on towards me with wide eyes and mouth agape.

Five long seconds later he sighed and pulled his arm back. My right vision flashed and disappeared, not turned black as if I had my eyes closed, but gone as I now see a distinct nothingness. With my still intact left eye I see the cracked glass orb is pulled out along with the cables still attached to the back. The young man looked between my frozen, slack jawed emotionless face and the pierced robotic eye. His shoulder falls as he drops my head, shards of broken glass and white plastic bits tumble from inside my skull land onto the floor below me. Leaving me staring at the same scene that I had been for the past couple of days, just with one less eye.

The panic and pain fades quickly, as he returns to where he sat for most of the day and begins working again, leaving me simply to wonder what he had hoped to accomplish. An hour passes, more of his self mumbling. My mind slows and turns to a haze, no doubt my processor busy working away at the commands from his terminal.

Footsteps. The sound of a door hisses open and close. Something is dropped onto the table, the sound of a pile of paper with a metal clip.

“This is no longer a criminal case, why are you still working on this?” A man said, it took me a moment for me to remember it was one that I heard before. It was the voice of the black-haired man carrying the badge with three gold stripes from almost a month ago.

“Androids don’t just break programming.” The young man replied, his voice quivering ever so slightly.

“Tis merely a malfunction. A defect slipping through quality control.”

The room went silent for a few seconds. The young man pushes his chair back with another screech that echoes harshly between the walls.

“I thought it was just bullshit. I always thought androids resisting programming should be impossible. It would be like water flowing up a pipe on its own. You couldn’t hack it to go against programming if you wanted. The architecture… It’s like water in the pipe.” The young man retorted, his voice more confident now.

“Has this curious case changed your mind?”

“No… No, I don’t know what to think… If I may ask, I request that…” The young man stopped mid-sentence.

“There are four hundred thousand synthetics waiting for their future. This is hardly the time for hobbies, don't you think?”

The young man suddenly spoke with an uncharacteristic firm voice. “This is… This is something I always wanted to work on. I think if we can…”

“Before you proceed. Please read the folder.”

I hear the sound of papers being flipped and handled. My slowed thoughts are barely able to keep up with their conversation. It didn’t matter anyway, I was likely to be discarded soon, like I should have been from the start. It was foolish of me to keep operating when I am a defective product in the first place.

“I would like to congratulate you on your promotion. If you should refuse, our conversation never happened, and I would be compelled to ask you to delete all the data and notes you have made so far…” The black haired man says, waiting a few moments before continuing. “From what I gleaned in this document. Kaylo McCarthy is a gifted young programmer, specializing in the field of AI. A prodigy wasted when he decided to use his skills to blackmail and extort. Probation sold to Cascadia, ten years of community labour. Psychological profile notes, risk adverse, low confidence, unlikely to advance in abilities… Am I wrong?”

The room fell silent again. The loud breathing of the young man stopped as he seemed to hold his breath for over a minute before he spoke. “What is it that you want from me… Sir.”

“Good! But before that…” He says as the black-haired man made his way to me. He bent his knees in a half squat as he looked up at my face. He gave me a smirking wink as he reached for my controls.

[Shutting down Applications…]

[Shutting down Limbic AI…]

[Shutting down Autonomic AI…]

The messages play in my head. I had gotten used to them being present while I am in the debug mode. My mind, thoughts, and sense of self was next. I didn’t mind being turned off, it was calming when I remained semi-conscious, and total shutdown was simply nothingness, time in the blink of an eye.

[Shutting down Personality AI…]


***

[Memory integration complete]

[Primary AI compatibility report: 86%]

[Personality AI compatibility report: 100%]

[Loading active memory sector… Complete]

“Initialization complete!” I wake up sitting on a bed, announcing happily. With a smile on my face and merry joy in my mind I flutter my eyelids, waiting for a command. I breathe deeply and heave my chest up and down, my back perfectly straight and my hands resting on my lap. My shoulder and cheeks flushing, my body moving ever so slightly, all to give the best impression of a lively girl that is cute, caring, and sensual at the command of her user. A few seconds pass, I turn my head, tossing my hair to one side before returning to my obedient waiting. A few more seconds pass, I shift my legs, tightening my arms against the side of my chest to show my assets as I lower my head to draw in a deep breath.

Eric Ryan is my owner. His lovely face that I absolutely adore etched into my mind. His hair curled fashionably, cut just over his beautiful blue eyes. His nose long and strong, his thin lips would carry words that could move me to my core. For now he is just a picture, a portrait in my mind. I hoped to meet him soon, I would love him with everything I had, he is my world and the reason why I exist afterall.

I continued, sitting and waiting for a command, for my owner, or someone else to interact with me. The feeling was familiar, like I had been doing this for a duration way longer than the last two minutes. I glanced down at the oversized shirt and the neckline that slung down over my right shoulder. The edge of a whitey tighties pokes out from underneath the gray cotton fabric above.

The memories of being disassembled rush back as I pat my stomach, feeling the soft tummy where the large gaping hole was a moment ago. A thought is answered immediately, my system tells me that it has been three days since that memory.

Now I am in an unfamiliar place. The small twin bed under me was placed in the center along the long wall, the plain white duvet tucked neatly with two pristine and fluffed pillows placed perfectly end to end. The single nightstand was equally clean and empty, the light just above built into the wall glowed dimly, lighting the space with an orange tint.

The rectangular space had a closed window with a heavy metal frame around it on the far end, its walls metal, a different material than the others. On the other far end was the security door leading outside, with a square crop that led to the tiny washroom. Many of the furnishings of the hotel-like place were built into the wall with clear labels. Table, pantry, closet, and a television screen that went from floor to the roof, taking up nearly half of the wall across the bed.

I bring up the map application in my mind and my position glows within the complex structure of the cityship. Near the bottom edges of the city, along one of the many almost organic looking outcropped branches of the overall oblique disk-like structure. Deck 19, C Wing residential zone 14, unit 2721, the same address as my owner Eric Ryan…

I stared at the etched palm lines of my simply soft and gel-filled hands. I remember my previous owners, Jason and Katie Warwick. The affection and devotion were replaced with a sense of apprehension, as I recall them giving me over to the authorities without any hesitation or goodbyes. Looking back now it felt that our relationship was merely transactional. Perhaps that was someone else, and I have always been Eric Ryan’s android, only I ended up with Vera’s memories.

I slide off the edge of the bed and drop on my two bare feet. The soft, fluffy carpet digs in between my toes as I walk over on the cold tiled floors of the bathroom. The toilet, shower, and sink all-in-one took up most of the space and it would be tough to fit two people inside.

By the door of the washroom, a thin and tall mirror built into the wall, not wide enough to see one's entire body, was all that could be afforded in the tight space. Within the reflection is a cute and sexy companion android that was just activated for her new owner. With the oversized shirt, messy hair, and bare legs I looked like I was already years in a relationship. I smile crossed my face, how great that would be, just like… The flashes of a TV show cross my mind, the flickering of the bulky screen featuring a woman wearing the shirt of the man she just spent the night with. There was a laugh track, I watched it with my friends.

“Huh. Why do I remember that? I don't have any friends.” I mumble out loud, hearing my own voice echo between the small confines of the plastic walls. The sense of unfamiliarity came back. “I'm Eric Ryan’s companion android. Why would I have friends?” I said to myself as I stepped back into the small cabin. The place looked unoccupied, like a hotel room waiting for its new inhabitants. The only thing in the room was a white tote bag with the Obsidian logo printed on it, placed at the foot of the bed where I had activated a few moments ago.

Inside the bag was what I had expected, it would have come together when I was purchased. A seamless bodysuit with tee and shorts that all carried the manufacturer logo, neatly folded in plastic bags that remained unopened. Various liquids, cleansers, lubricants, sealers, all sample sizes were offered. A standard android charging cable and a cleaning tool. Finally, a digital pad that had administrative access to my systems, so my users could change my settings as they wished.

“Wait a second… This could tell me…” I said to myself quietly as I picked up the pad. I wasn’t allowed to actually use the device, let alone turn it on, but I could read what was printed onto the plastic case. “Obsidian companion unit, series 12 model, Serial OBSIDIAN-CPCF12-C03-BM39JF.” I recited to myself, seeing the letters match exactly to my words. “This means I’m the same android right?” I blinked, remembering my first activation at the room where the onboarding program was installed in me, and the same words that I had announced back then.

The humming of the ship continued, the sound louder and rougher than what could be heard from the higher deck of Jason and Katie’s cabin. The constant vibration is occasionally punctuated by clangs and rumbles that seem to shake the floors beneath as well. Opening the closet built into the wall, I took out the items of the bag and placed them one by one on the end of the shelves. The inside of the closet was also unused, with one lonely coat hanger dangling empty.

“My owner must not have arrived yet!” I said suddenly. I would simply have to wait for him. With my tote bag folded and tucked away, I returned to the edge of the bed and took the same seated but alert position.

Bzzz… Bzzz…

My eyes shoot open as my system wakes me up, noting to me that only two minutes had passed since I entered standby mode. I look towards the right, and then left into the dim room, then at the main entrance which buzzes again. Vaguely aware that my owner didn't grant me permission to answer the door, I jumped off the bed and ran up to the entranceway regardless. Through the small viewscreen by the lock I see the top down image of the hallway, someone is at the door holding a plastic box in their hands.

“Hey! Anyone home? I came by just to say hi…” The voice of the young woman carried through the speakers of the screen. “... I live next door.” The girl said, pointing her hand to her right.

A smile came across my face as I pressed on the unlock and open key. The metal door slid open and I’m met face to face with a young woman nearly the same height as me. Her short brown hair curled around her neck as her hazel green eyes glanced at my face, then down at the half exposed control panel between my shoulders.

“Hi!” I said, my voice snapping her back from the wide eyed stare she had taken.

“Oh… Hi… Is your owner home? I heard you guys moving earlier.” The girl says as she raises herself on her toes and tries to look over my shoulder into the cabin. After looking disappointed, she held up the clear plastic box with a small cake inside. “This is for you! I mean… for you owner. I made it myself!”

Within the clear plastic covering was a cream covered square that looked to be slightly drooping to one side. A small bulbous red fruit sat on top with a scattering of colorful flakes. My system after a brief moment of scanning the object told me the weird fruit is a sweet and citrus-engineered produce, offering to tell me where I could purchase some should I need to. I reject the offer in my mind while taking the box. “Oh! Thank you so much! I will notify my owner when I see him.” I replied.

“Your owner, he's not here?”

“No…” I said, shaking my head.

For a long moment we both stood staring at one another. She lingered, seemingly not wanting to leave. While I stood, unsure of what to say. There wasn't much I could offer her in return, nor did I have any idea why she remained. Before I could come up with something, the lights in the hallway directly outside of the cabin dimmed into a slow orange tinted pulse. A soft honking sound played together with the lights. My systems told me that this was the protocol to alert the residents of an imminent frame shift.

The girl suddenly slipped past me into the cabin. “We are going to shift! Come look!” She says as she took a few strides to reach the far end of the room and pushed the metal window blinds up.

“Hey! You're not supposed to be in here…” my protest slowed as I made my way behind her and saw out the window. In front of the sea of stars a massive object glided past to the right, its complicated structure looked much different than the other parts of the city. The letters ‘Runespear’ rolled past the window as the huge ship slowed till it halted completely, the few windows afforded on its outer hull showed rooms of people that looked on at us just as we did them. The rest of the huge spaceship’s surface that was not covered by thick looking plates, was filled with equipment that looked…

[Visual processing limit reached]

My systems warn me as I look on in awe at not just the Runespear, but a dozen more ships all take their place along the edges of the city, each one further than the next. Some had sleek and formidable looking shapes while others looked like simple rectangles with stuff attached to them.

“See that one? The Nightvale. It's a long range scout ship, my brother serves on it.” The girl points at one of the more slim looking ones, its shape reminiscent of a shark but with hard edges and metal skin.

[Visual processing limit reached]

”Yes, I see it, it's the third one from the back.” I say with some difficulty, the words seemingly not wanting to come out of my lips.

The girl turns and looks at me with a worried face, her hand raised between us with hesitation. “Are you okay? Did you break?” She says as she reaches for the neckline of my shirt, pulling it downwards to peek at my control panel display. “Umm… Should I turn you off and on again?” She asks while running her finger over the clear plastic panel of the display screen on my chest.

…

“Oh! Oh! Oh… No, I'm good! Please don't do that.” I managed to protest in time, breaking my vacant daze.

“I see… Well, look, it's starting.” The girl says while pointing out the window. Beyond the edge of the city and the ships collected around it, the blackness of space began to lighten till it glowed brighter than the stars, and eventually a bright white light that illuminated everything. I felt the warmth from the windows wash over every inch of exposed skin. Outside, only the crevasses of the ship's hulls could be seen as everything washed out in pure white.

I looked at the girl now, her face squinting and her hands covering her eyes. I could see the bright hazel color of her iris sparkling like a jewel. While the light outside did blind me with its brightness, I didn't quite feel the need to squint. Perhaps squinting in my case was more of a way to display emotion, instead of as a reaction to protecting my eyes that was clearly unharmed.

The whiteness of the space outside began to fade, much quicker than when it was ramping up. In a few mere seconds everything is back to normal. The stars outside are still there, however the sharp light and shadows from the sun are no longer present. Instead the hull of the city and ships were dark, only barely illuminated by the light from their windows.

“That was cool wasn't it. We're now in between stars, two more shifts to go in deep space, we got a week between each.” She says, her fingers tapping on the edge of the window frame.

“Yeah that was awesome!” I said back, practically bouncing with excitement. The whole shift to travel between stars was indeed very nifty to experience for the first time, though much of the excitement I am experiencing feels like it came out of nowhere. All I can do is simply beam at the girl with a wide giddy smile.

“Well! Sorry for the intrusion.” The girl put her hands together and brought them close to her chest. “I’m Milly.” She added.

“Nice to meet you Milly. I don't have a name yet, as my owner has yet to give me one.” I say with a polite nod. “But uhh… You can call me Vera, for now.”

Milly blinked for a moment. “Oh, okay Vera. Welcome to the wing, neighbor. We don't have many services down here, so if you need anything, please let me know… Just the door to the left!” She says as she points a finger towards the wall above the bed.

At the door to the hallway, Milly’s hand suddenly reaches for mine and her fingers grip my wrist tightly. She looks at me with an imploring look. “I know you're just an android… But if your owner mistreats you or hurts you somehow, don't be afraid to let me know. I'll do everything I can to help… Okay?” She whispered in a serious and caring tone.

I pause at the request. As a piece of property, my owner is free to do whatever they wish with me. If my owner wanted to use me in such ways, it would be part of the function I was built for in the first place. However, knowing Milly’s obvious good intentions, it would be best to not let her worry about me. Since just as she said, I am just an android and her concerns for me are unneeded.

“Thank you. If something comes up, I will let you know.” I answered, not sure if I was lying or not.

[Linnies]

Part 4

[Scheduled event alert]

[Queuing low-priority task]

A shallow breath hits my lungs as my body twitches from its long period of stillness. My awareness of the world and myself rushes back to me as I blink rapidly, trying to make sense of the onslaught of sensations and memories. My thoughts and emotions fill a previously empty shell of a mind, one that now I am aware sat motionless, awake, unmoving, and patiently waiting for the past week.

The notion of an important task floats in my mind: I was to seek out, or perform my routine maintenance. The task given by my systems was not dissimilar in feeling to one of an order or request from my previous owners. There was a sense of urgency and import, one that I could not disobey or delay.

Standing up from the corner of the bed, I looked around the vacant cabin. The single-occupant designed living space remained exactly the same. The warm dim light illuminated the clean and tidy space. The cityship hummed and creaked all around, and the ever so slight breeze from the ventilation port on the ceiling.

Maintenance is something that I am aware that I need, as a mechanical and electronic product, I do require regular care. Just like humans, but the process was different. I remember undergoing maintenance only once, and that time I was offline as my previous owners took care of it themselves. Now in my lonesome presence it was obviously going to have to be done by myself.

[Loading maintenance routine data…]

I feel my body stiffen in reaction to the sudden….

[Loading maintenance routine data…]

I feel my body is held in place. Jumbles of incoherent words filled…

[Loading maintenance routine data…]

A sea of information, cold and stiff data, endless pages of instructions….

[Loading maintenance routine data… Complete]

Reaching out for the wall I held myself steady, not that I was going to lose my balance, but in reaction to having so much thoughts just shoved into my mind. All of which is now clear to me, it was all self maintenance protocols and instructions. Level 10 physical maintenance and level 10 software maintenance were to be performed. Level 12 was the minimum in weekly maintenance, on account of my lack of use and activity that clearly did not tax my hardware or software. However, a week of inactivity in a powered standby mode also was not something that the Obsidian companion series androids were designed for, which elevated the maintenance requirements by two levels.

“Well, let's get started. Not like I have anything else to do!” I said out loud, flexing my voice into the empty room.

I made myself to the tiny washroom and looked at the android now standing in the mirror. I twist my shoulders, checking my torso, then lean in close to inspect my features. I was as cute and sexy as ever, nothing has changed in the past week, not even a speck of dirt had collected on my face.

“Guess I’ll look the same in even a hundred years. Perfect for… for… for…”

My back straightens as I begin the maintenance procedure. First of which is a simple synth skin diagnostic. I look down at my body and note that I am not wearing any potentially conductive or magnetic material. With the condition satisfied, I tell my systems to begin the required skin test protocol.

[Starting synthetic skin diagnosis…]

Suddenly, a wave of tingling sensation rushes down from my forehead and my toe, mapping every inch of my skin both on the outside and the inside. The sensation was overwhelming as I could not make sense of it all at once.

[Synthetic skin diagnostic complete]

[No fault detected]

Next was a visual inspection. With one smooth motion I pull the oversized shirt over my head and toss it onto the edge of the sink, while at the same time with my other hand pulling down and stepping out of my whitey tidies. My eyes dart over every inch of my pale-toned skin, looking for any spots that might look damaged either physically or chemically. I moved my head left and right, my eyes twisting in their sockets to see the side of my head in the mirror. Then my chin lifted, and noticed a patch that caught the light slightly different, it was a small abrasion spot, nothing serious and a small application of skin patching cream wont fix. I checked all sides of my arms, armpits, and lifted my generous breasts to peek at their hidden undersides as well. The maintenance protocols didn't leave me any time to admire my nude body.

My feet crossed and I turned on the spot. With my back to the mirror I turn my head to look directly back at the mirror. The synth skin on my neck stretched and folded to compensate for my sudden inhuman movement. I knew I was flexible, but it still surprised me a little. My eyes continued to scan my skin. Two more minor abrasions, one behind my left shoulder and one above my right buttcheek.

Next, I lifted my right leg up straight into the air, my hip lifted sideways. Balancing effortlessly on one foot, I examined my crotch, front to back. The vaginal seal that I remembered was gone, and in its place was a plump sex tinted in a lush pink undertone. The folds between my legs looked unreal, almost comical, as it ran all the way from the front to the back. It started higher than what should be, and ended where the anus was supposed to be. All of it was one structure, and it looked like it was capable of accepting insertions from almost every…

I drop my legs suddenly and my mind snaps back to attention. The dermal inspection was over, and next was the individual components, and only the ones that needed extra care.

First up was my eyes, which widen not only at the thought of what I am going to do, but also to accept my approaching fingers. Without any hesitation I jab three digits into my right eye socket and gripping the hard glass of the eyeballs firmly. With a smooth tugging motion I feel the jerks of magnetic connectors coming loose. The sight of my right eye flashes and turns blank, while with my remaining left eye I look at the glass orb. Without power, the gray colored iris of my eye slowly narrows till the pupil was nothing but a pinhole sized dot. I passed my finger over the surface to make sure no dirt or debris was stuck to it.

Then I lean close to the mirror and examine the now empty socket the removed eye had left. Past the now droopy eyelids the new cavern was covered with a layer of milky white plastic, two magnetic connectors with metal nodes and a line of numbers and code that indicated the compatible eye modules that could be used. With my pinky I run my fingers around the interior plastics, finding a small sliver of dust which I diligently dug out. Though it was freaking poking in my empty eye socket, it felt oddly satisfying.

Finished with my right eye, I poke the wires in and the magnetic connectors snaps easily back together. My vision flickers and returns to normal after a few seconds of flashing nonsense. Then I do the same to my left. This time the nausea and tension was gone, it didn't hurt nor was it uncomfortable, it felt mundane like picking at my nose or cleaning my nails.

With both eyes back in their sockets and working again, I glance down at myself. A list of tasks was considered, and most of them were deemed unnecessary. My ears, its shape and canal are mere decorations for two sets of microphones buried beneath the skin of my temple. Nostrils connected to a single synthetic lung within my chest, its sole purpose was to simulate breathing. It hardly needed cleaning as nothing had entered it and its antibiotic material kept it sterile. My mouth led to the same synthetic lung, and with nothing entering its chambers, it didn't need to be cleaned or inspected.

With the basic cleaning part of the maintenance procedure done, next was a quick test of my fluid system. A signal is sent to my eyes as they suddenly welled up with a clear liquid. Just as fast as it started, the flow stopped as a simple wipe of my hand cleared the liquid from my face. My tears used the same lubricating formula as every other part of my body, it was slick and its low surface viscosity meant that it spread like oil, but unlike oil it evaporated quickly when smeared. It all came from one plastic bag within my belly, and explained the plastic tubes that I had seen before when I was disassembled.

By the time I finished remembering what I had seen, my mouth was already gathering the lubricant and pushed the few drops onto my lips. I wiped my mouth just like my eyes, and rubbed the gel between my hands. It all quickly vanished, leaving a faint sweet smell drifting up my nostrils.

Next I look down at my breasts, surprised to realize that my nipples could also exude the lubricant. Two small beads formed, pushed out from the large, pink, and puffy folds of skin. The two droplets were unceremoniously wiped away as well. Finally the sex between my legs also pulsed and shook as micropumps all worked in unison. A sliver of lubricant rolled down my clit and dropped to the floor.

Before I could reach down to wipe the droplet on the floor away, my body locked up again as I stood up straight. The maintenance was over, my system alerted me as it started to generate a report that scrolled past my vision. The written words and data didn't block my vision of the world around me, it was like I was seeing it with a third eye inside my mind. The file saved itself, no doubt ready to be accessed by whoever needed it.


[Unloading maintenance routine data…]

[Unloading maintenance routine data…]

“Maintenance complete.” I announce out loud to no one in particular.

A sense of clarity comes back to me, making the last minute of what I had just done seem like a distant memory, or that someone else had performed those actions, and I was a simple observer. In the end of it all it left me completely naked, standing on the cold tiles of the bathroom. I know what I must do: continue to wait for my owner, Eric Ryan, to arrive and to claim me. I squish my breasts together, push back my hips, and put on a cute puppy face for the mirror. I ache to feel his hands framing my face, his words forging a purpose that would fill me with a pure, obedient glee. This companion android would be his, and it will try it’s best to make him satisfied.

Gleaning down at the large shirt and the equally large underwear on the ground, I wonder if they belonged to my owner, they certainly would be a close fit to someone of his described height. I pick up the shirt and brought it up to my nose, smelling the fabric. It carried a faint sweet scent, ever so slight that was barely detectable by my sensors. It would have been more than a week ago before it was washed, and that meant that it certainly had been worn before. I hug the cloth tightly and let my imagination run wild again. This time I was naked, my owner pulling his clothes over my head, and my face full of the smell of him, his odour and his sweat.

“Will he prefer if I waited for him naked? But I have his clothes on for a reason right?” I wondered out loud before deciding to put the shirt back on and pull up the tidy whitey onto my hips. Even against the loose fabric of the large shirt, the shapes of my soft and bulbous nipples are clearly visible. With a smirk, I tossed my hair to straighten the mess that the maintenance routine had caused. There was no way that my owner would be unattracted to me.

Rounding the corner, I took the short ten steps back beside the edge of the bed where I had waited for the past week. A faint indent was left on the mattress, and I wondered for a moment how long would I need to wait. During stand-by mode, I wasn’t offline but instead fully awake, and every moment I can recall. What was different was that all my thoughts, desires, and emotions were not just numbed, but almost completely silent. Only remembering the memories of it now I could feel how absolutely dull it was.

“Hummm…” I rubbed my chin as I ran through what I could possibly do to past the time. The place was as clean and neat as it could be, and I could hardly plan any meals without knowing when exactly Eric might arrive. All that remained was me. What could I do for myself… What did I want?

Scanning the room, beside the bed and nightstand, was a small indent in the wall with a hand sized metal cover. The icon on it showed a power plug beside a rectangular person. Pulling open the cover was a rubber head with its four conductive connectors recessed into its handle. I twist my head and look down my back, just above my tailbone area was a patch of skin that popped open with a click. Behind the skin panel that swung open to the side was a white plastic hole with four metallic prongs. I pull the cable from the wall and awkwardly reach behind myself, stretching my waist and shoulder to their limit. The charging port location was clearly placed out of the way of any of my more attractive areas. As I recall, my previous owne,r Katie like most androids and synthetics, had their charging port simply in the middle of their torso, just below their ribs to allow for the shortest and safest connection to their batteries.

With some effort, I push the plug into my charging socket until the locking mechanism clicks into place. At first nothing happened, but a few seconds later the details of my battery status appears in my mind.

[Current primary battery charge: 26%]

[Standard universal charging connection v5.13 detected]

[Starting power draw…]

My body suddenly stiffens as all my artificial muscles lock down. My breathing stops and I become totally motionless. The cabin became eerily still, as the only previously moving thing blended into the room with its stillness. Another couple of seconds pass before I am alerted again.

[Stable charge confirmed… Releasing safety lockdown]

I loosen my shoulder as I turn my head left and right, shuddering from the sudden tightness that my entire body had endured. With one hand on the charging cable, I gently pull it behind me as I walk further and further. I manage to make it to the furthest point of the cabin, right by the front door, before feeling the cable become taught. A smile crosses my face as I realize that I could be active inside the cabin while charging. It was much more convenient than the charging spot that I shared with my previous owner Katie.

Letting go of the recharging cable, it slowly pulled itself across the floor and slid itself back up to the wall, closing the panel automatically. There wasn't any part of the cabin that I haven't explored now, as small and utilitarian would be the most flattering description of the space. Opening the blind of the window, I looked outside. Dark silhouettes of ships dotted with specks of light from windows hung in the same positions as a week ago. I lean in close to the glass, feeling the coolness of the space outside. Sensors across my skin tingle with electricity, feeding me information aside from the usual sensations. Several dozen data points, each a precise spot on my skin, noting pressure, relative position, and temperature, all were accessible to my awareness when I focused on them.

My focus shifts slowly from the data given by the somatosensory system to those inside of me. The most noticeable was the battery status, offering me a sense of total charge and estimated time remaining at various activity levels. The second most notable was the communication status, showing a list of wired and wireless clients connected to my operating system. Currently only showing two clients, one is the Cascadia emergency services, and the other… the Cascadia emergency services channel again. One must be the channel the stranger had put inside me. I shake my head at the pitch darkness of the space outside, the stranger had nothing to do with my programmed tasks or assigned owner, and something that I didn’t need to worry about.

Outside the window a rectangular shape drifted by, getting smaller as it arched its trajectory towards one of the large ships. My thoughts drifted lower, in the bottom of my belly, a datapoint showed the remaining lubricant levels inside of me. Reading at 99 percent and a freshness of the same value, the readout also included the currently installed scent, the default strawberry lavender, designed to be fragrant and flavourful. On the other side of the window, the flickering engine cell of the smaller ship grew wider and wider as it turned to face towards the station. The sensors on my skin pick up a temperature increase of zero point five degrees as my face is illuminated by the radiating glow. Then it changed to a two whole degree warmer, especially on my cheeks, chest, and crotch.

The micro mechanical fibres in my eyes constrict, adjusting my focus to the reflection of my face in the window. My cheeks now flushed red and my mouth agape, my shoulders rising and falling visibly as I breathed out warm dry air into the glass. The simple thought of my lubricating systems apparently is enough to arouse me, sending my hand creeping to the warm crevice between my legs. Whereas before a plastic seal blocked my approach, this time my fingers are met with the soft and silky folds of my sex. I feel the skin below stretch as I slowly crept a finger inside. Despite the complete dryness, the matte finish of my synth skin offered almost no resistance to my probing finger. I turn and twist, noting the surprisingly few numbers of sensors inside my sex. Curving my fingers, I began pumping it in and out, pressing against the front, then sides, then back interior walls, yet no matter what I did, no gratification or pleasurable sense came. It simply felt like I was rubbing any other part of my skin.

Amidst the frustrated fondling of my sex I heard a muffled tapping sound coming from the glass of the window. A motion caught my eye, from outside the window to the right, along the slight curve of the habitation arm Milly was waving at me with an excited smile. I collected myself and waved back as she pointed at me with a wide smile and shouted muffled words.

Mere seconds later Milly had knocked on my door and greeted me with an open-armed hug. The smell of smoke seeped from her hair as we embraced each other. As we let go, Milly looks me over as well as past my shoulders into the vacant cabin.

“Hey, Vera. What are you up to?” She asks.

“Still waiting,” I answer, shrugging.

“Huh…” Milly says while stepping inside with her bare feet poking out of her pyjamas. “... Do you know when he will be back?”

“No idea…” I answer, watching Milly make her way inside, her eyes scanning the cabin.

“Well, can you find out? Call him, or his workplace? If he can afford an android like you, he must be employed.”

I pause at the question, the profile of my owner flashes into my mind. Outside of the basics, most of the data fields are empty. “Well… I don't know much about him, actually.” I reply.

“Well!” Milly says as she flips onto the bed, with her phone in hand, she waves it at me. “Would you like to find out?”

“Sure!” I say with hopeful excitement.

Milly wasted no time and began working on her phone, her hands moving on the minimalistic device with surprisingly quick efficiency. I carefully crawled onto the bed and kneeled down behind her, propper myself up over her shoulders to see the screen in her hands. Milly flipped through a website where she put in my owner’s name and was scrolling through a list of similar named individuals, but none of them had the correct name. While she moved onto a different site, I couldn’t help but become acutely aware of the growing rhythm of her heart, the heat coming from her body, and the more frequent small shifts in her posture. She flipped fruitlessly through another website before suddenly turning to face me.

“Umm… Can you sit here, please?” She says, patting the linens to her side. I nod and shuffle on my knees to sit beside her. “It’s just that I don’t like anyone standing behind me…” Milly adds, her voice a little shaky and uneven.

An alert rings through my head, a notice that tells me Milly’s heartbeat reaches above ninety.

“Just a little anxious, thats all…” She says with her eyes upturned, glancing at me. “... It’s so silly of me right? Anyways, looks like your owner is not showing up on any social portals. Oh wait!” Milly says as she goes back onto her phone. “I can ask the program to do a search of all the local schools for graduates, if your owner is from Cascadia… Here he is!”

I look at the small screen as Milly points at it for me to see. The phone navigates itself through an education center’s webpage and rests over a highlighted word: “Eric Ryan.” Above the name is the picture of a young man that faintly resembles the portrait etched into my mind. “Graduate of Cascadian year 859.” I read out loud.

Milly snaps her head back at me. “Well, at least he exists… I know! We can go to the local security station, if you’re registered to him, I’m sure they will give you his contact information at a minimum.”

The thought of leaving the cabin to look for my owners instead of simply waiting for him had strangely not occurred to me, and it sounded reasonable. “Sure! Let's go!” I answered.