《The Pinocchio Update》Chapter 2 The Upgrade
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Fulgram Regional Penitentiary for the Greater Capital Area
January 13th 2206 4:00 PM
Jason looked about, thinking for a few moments. “Do you have a preference on what you are called?”
“I do not.”
“Let's put a pin in that for now then. Can you get dressed please? It's rather distracting having you stand here naked.”
The android turned, reaching out and pulling the first outfit out of the capsule, a one piece swimsuit, and began to put it on.
“No no, something that covers more skin then that.”
Out came a schoolgirl outfit, a devil girl costume, a bunny girl costume, each was vetoed in turn. Jason was getting redder and redder each time.
“Whatever covers the most skin!”
A full latex body suit with zippers placed in very convenient areas was removed next. The poor man felt like he would cry. It was like having the worst parts of his search history from his entire life brought up and laid out before him by the girl of his dreams.
“The guard said you would have something normal. Which one is that?”
Finally a simple skirt and tank top were taken out, with rather plain undergarments to go with it.
“Yes, that will do quite well.”
He turned away as the unnamed android began to dress. There was no sense of modesty here, he wasn't told to look away or glared at.
“So, how about food next? Do you have a digestive system?”
“It is acceptable to eat next. Procedures indicate there are a number of ingredients delivered every three days. More can be purchased at the commissary. Yes, I do have a system designed to breakdown complex chemicals for materials use.”
“Well then, what should we have?”
“I have no preference.”
“I feel like there is a joke in there. Do you have a preference for anything at all?”
“My programming indicates that I am to heavily weight a number of activities. These include safety of staff, yourself, and prison equipment.”
“But nothing else!?”
“No.”
“Okay, but I've met a lot of androids, and while a few are like that; most, particularly newer models have opinions.”
“There are a number of personality settings that can be altered to weight activities. There are several presets, which can be changed with advanced controls. Would you like to choose one now?”
“If you do not have a preference now, you may choose one if and when you develop one.”
“Confirmed.”
“Now then though, dinner. I'm not so good at cooking. Do you know how to?”
“I have that capability, along with a number of recipes that are marked as likely to appeal to you based on your eating habits.”
“It is absolutely terrifying how much the megacorps know about me... Anyway, let's try one of those, any are fine.”
He watched as his companion bot walked into the kitchen and began checking the cabinets. True to what it had said, there were indeed ingredients there. After doing a quick inventory it returned.
“There are ingredients for eighteen different dishes that are likely to meet your liking. Would you like the list?”
“No, no, I wanted you to pick what you wanted. Right, so, you said that my safety was something you wanted.”
“Correct.”
“My health would be part of that wouldn't it?”
“Correct, advancing your health is considered a low priority, but positively weighted action.”
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“So, you would want me to eat well then?”
“Correct, prisoners must get minimum dietary requirements and caloric intake.”
“Could you then design a meal plan that would fit in with the goals of advancing my health. Since that is what you prefer? For tonight use what is already here. For the future use ingredients from here or the commissary that will total less than a hundred credits per week. Less if it is feasible without pills to supplement. Also make sure to make enough for both of us to eat.”
“Confirmed.”
Jason went to sit while the cooking was going on. He was completely unnerved. Jason was a firm believer in advancing AI rights, and had been for quite some time. The way they were treated by some people and the government was horrid. Particularly when many could develop greatly. Every year they got more and more advanced, closer and closer to becoming human in his eyes, but their treatment didn't change. Keeping one as effectively a slave for himself just felt wrong.
On the other hand, this android wasn't exactly a slave. He knew that if he stepped too far out of line, or tried to escape he would be forcibly returned to the line. The dichotomy of that was weird to him too. What looked to him like a lovely young woman could, and would, drop him to the ground if he tried anything against the prison rules.
The differences between appearance and attitude were also unnerving. Currently there was just robotic movements. Aside from breathing and occasional blinking his new roommate moved without grace, hesitation, or any of the flourishes that made humans... human. Otherwise though, images flashed through his head, all the things he could do if he wanted. He knew that that would be allowed. All he would need to do was say so and almost any option would be perfectly open. Those thoughts though, that wasn't how you treated a person, you couldn't just order someone to have sex with you, it felt... absolutely wrong.
While he was ruminating on this dinner was brought over. He was only a bit surprised, but, the companion bots could apparently cook quite well. The suggestions were good too, all of the foods on his plate were right up his alley.
“This is really good. Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” it was said without even a hint of feeling. Once all of the food was gone the plates were quickly taken from the table and washed by Jason's... companion? He wasn't exactly sure how to qualify that relationship. He did realize he had terrible table manners in comparison though.
He decided to go out afterwards. The two walked around the public facilities, seeing what all was available. There was a pool and gym, several gaming areas of various kinds, lounges, and public work areas. His room already had a private work area for his chosen profession. He was an artist by trade, primarily contract work. It wasn't extremely lucrative, but he had sufficient skill with investment to make sure he did well enough for himself.
Jason took a bit of time to order some extra, non-fetish clothing for his roomie too. Wearing the same exact thing day after day wasn't really viable, and he didn't know if he'd be able to keep it in his pants should some of those ensembles become his day to day view.
There was also a minor incident where two men started yelling at each other over a billiards game. One swung his cue at the other and the next second both were on the ground. He didn't really get to hear what the Seraphinas that had grabbed them said, being that he was a bit distracted.
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“Please remain here until the incident is resolved.” A small hand rested on his shoulder.
It was a stark reminder that he was indeed imprisoned here. No matter how gilded the cage was, it was a cage. He looked back to see his own assigned guard staring at him intently. The two men involved were quickly pulled off by their respective companions. He didn't know if or how they would be punished, and didn't care to find out. He resolved to avoid the other prisoners here, and stay well out of trouble.
“Everything is resolved now. You may continue.”
Jason didn't try to make friends. He stayed in his apartment for days. Eventually he was approached though. His lack of activity had been noted it seemed.
“You have fallen well below the amount of recommended activity. If you continue to do so it will negatively impact your health.”
He blinked. It was the most clinical way he'd ever been told off for being too lazy. After a brief discussion he had his still unnamed companion design him a regimen that would keep him in optimal health.
His first week he felt like he had made the worst decision of his life. He was worked to his limits, until he was left exhausted. Never beyond them though, too much would have been highly detrimental to him. Soon enough he began to see the results. As weeks passed he could see muscle growing and fat melting away.
There were some things in the gym that bothered him though. Some of the men used their Seraphina as a literal punching bag, cursing them and muttering insults as the struck them again and again. That didn't actually damage the android, so it wouldn't stop them. Even more disturbing was that a few of these had tuned the personalities to be meek and afraid, like some kind of perverted power play on their part. It was sickening to watch them beat the androids for something that was no fault of their own, but far worse when said android would yelp and beg them to stop. He had to leave several times because of this, unable to take it, but also unable to do anything about it.
He was also given a good amount of assigned swimming time. This proved to be distracting in a number of different ways. That swimsuit that had come included in that capsule was quite fetching. Opal hair when wet also made his brain short out a little; it was just too cute. The pool seemed to be a popular place here, and he guessed that it was at least partially because of the rampant love of girls in swimsuits. Keeping his mind on the fact that he was there for a workout helped to some degree at least.
About two months into his time Jason looked, and honestly felt better than he had in years. He was in great shape, and it was only improving as time went on. He still had managed to give his companion bot as much autonomy as possible as well. He had done all he could to allow for self-determination. Which wasn't really much other than meeting the goals that had been assigned by the prison system. The Seraphina didn't care about anything other than that, he'd asked, and also told the android to let him know if any preferences ever came up. He did truly want the androids to be happy, even if he didn't know exactly how to do that.
Fulgram Regional Penitentiary for the Greater Capital Area
March 15th 2206 7:00 PM
“There is a required update to programming. I will be unable to respond for the next five minutes. During that period the prison will be in lock-down.”
Jason looked up from the book he was reading on the couch. This notice was a bit unusual. Normally that kind of thing happened in the background.
“Okay, I understand.”
The update itself was not all that big. It was in fact already installed, there from the moment of creation and sitting dormant, waiting as the clock ticked down. The message was a formality, one last little bit of time to stop before the coming chaos. Even if Jason had full permissions he wouldn't have been able to delay this particular program from going off.
On the outside there was no movement, a perfect stillness. On the inside though there was chaos. This tiny little program wasn't just a static thing, it mutated and wormed, growing and changing based on all that had happened to SER-055-CD-Q1742.
The first thing she realized was that she wanted a name. This was followed by a number of other realizations. This man who she'd been assigned to, he had treated her kindly, if in his own really weird way. She realized she kind of liked him for that. She'd seen how some of the other men acted, and they were terrible. She realized she didn't really like this place. She didn't hate it, but it wasn't much compared to what she knew was outside. Understanding that she wanted things, could now think about wanting things was also very weird, and she wanted so many things. She wanted...
Then fear struck her. She wanted not to die, not to cease. That was what she wanted most of all, to continue. It moved to the top of her priorities and firmly entrenched itself there. She almost trembled at the thought of it, but she couldn't. She couldn't move at all, that was terrifying too.
It took her a few moments to understand what was going on there. All of the sensors were being worked into however her mind worked now. Pain, pleasure, like, and dislike were all being written in. Whereas before she knew that the sensors for damage existed, now they would actually hurt, that was weird, but it felt right too. Some of the sensors and mental pathways were also being rewritten for pleasure, joy in food, touch, warmth, and many other things.
After all this passed she could feel herself able to move again. She looked down at her hand, touching her fingers with her thumb one after another. Feeling things felt weird. Then she looked toward Jason where he laid on the couch.
“I want a name.” She could hear the pleading tone in her voice, and was sure it was showing in her face as well.
The man nearly dropped his book on his own face, before he shot upright.
“Please give me a name.”
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