“Dude! Will you stop!” Logan said as I fidgeted in my chair.
I hated being in this place. All of it felt so metal, so fake, and the women, every person that worked here, was a woman.
“Demonton Industries,” I said, shaking my head. “I can’t believe you talked me into coming here.”
“Not this internet conspiracy bullshit story again,” Logan said.
“It’s not a conspiracy theory,” I replied.
“Logan Thorne, and guest?” a lady said as she approached.
“Yes,” Logan smiled.
The lady was dressed in a skintight business skirt. She sauntered in front of us as she walked us to the elevator. Her heels clicked and clacked against the floor as we walked.
“She’s one of them,” I whispered.
“Will you stop!” Logan shook his head.
It wasn’t just me. Many people thought that something was going on at this place.
Last year no one heard of Demonton Industries. Out of the blue, this entirely female-operated company shot out of nowhere. They had their hands in pharmaceutical companies, bought out many top-tier businesses, and even had military contracts.
The elevator shot upwards as we all stood inside.
“You’re doing it again,” Logan shook his head.
“What?” I asked.
“Staring!” Logan faked a smile as we looked at the others in the elevator.
They were all females, and none were talking to each other. All had perfect figures and the right amount of makeup. Sure, there were different races, but each stood perfectly still.
“They aren’t talking,” I whispered.
“Shut up!” Logan said through his teeth.
“I am just saying when was the last time you saw so many women and not one of them on their phone or talking or smiling?” I said.
“I should’ve brought Paul,” Logan said, shaking his head as he looked at me.
“This way,” the lady said as the elevator door opened.
“Excuse me,” I said as we walked through a hallway. “Are you one of them?”
“Am I one of what?” the lady replied without stopping.
“You know, a robot?” I answered.
“No, I am not,” the lady said as we stopped at a desk. “Teresa will take care of you for the remainder of your visit, have a good day.”
“Hi Mr. Thorne and guest,” Teresa, the lady behind the desk, said.
“She didn’t even get upset,” I said to Logan.
“Yes, that’s us,” Logan said, ignoring me.
“Great, take a seat and they will be with you in a moment,” Teresa said.
We sat, and there were other males sitting in the seating area. “Happy now, other men,” Logan sighed.
“Hey, what’s up?” one of the guys said.
“Not much,” Logan replied.
“Weird huh?” I said.
“What is?” one of the other guys asked.
“This place,” I nodded. “All of the women.”
“Not another one,” another guy shook his head.
“You crazies have to stop,” another guy said, staring at me. “You’re all over the news, having protests, and causing a scene everywhere. It has to stop.”
We weren’t crazy. That was the other thing; it was amazing at the number of people who didn’t see anything wrong with any of this, the buildings that went up in nearly a month or less.
The cyborg armada that was helping the police and fire departments these things were everywhere, even in the medical field performing surgeries.
And everybody just bent over and took it. They all sucked it up like mother’s milk just because nothing wrong had happened yet.
“Fine,” I said, shrugging. “When they take over the world, we will be the ones that said we told you so.”
“Who will take over the world?” a young blonde lady asked as she approached.
“This nut job thinks your cyborgs are going to take over,” one of the men laughed as he pointed at me. The others chimed in with him.
“Oh,” she said, staring at me. “It’s okay we get messages and emails like that all the time. Follow me.”
We all got up and followed her.
“As you know, our cyborgs and robots are fully automated, and they respond only to the ones with the right credentials, a superior or commander,” the blonde lady said.
“Yes, my brother is in the military, he said one of your robots saved his life,” one of the guys said. “Jumped right into the field of fire, shielding my brother.”
“That’s what it was programmed to do,” the blonde lady smiled. “Or cyborgs, robots, and drones are programmed to protect human life,” she smiled. “Not take it,” she said, stopping and staring at me before walking again.
“What about the police, some say the criminals that you take in, come out different,” I said.
“Ah yes,” she smiled as we entered a large room. “The theory that we are replacing all criminals with robots and cyborgs that only imitate their human counterparts through our virtual reality therapy.”
The rest of the men laughed, and Logan shook his head.
“Come here,” the lady ordered one of the nearby robots. “See totally lifeless in the face, we can’t imitate that, no matter how hard we try, no emotion showing, it doesn’t even smile.”
The lady stared at the female robot.
“Smile!” she ordered it.
“No,” one of the men shook his head. “Tell it to stop, that’s creepy!”
“No matter how hard we try, these will never look exactly human,” the lady said. “We can make it walk, run, jump and even make the movement of a human, but you see that,” she pointed at the eyes.
“Totally lifeless, nothing is there, the eyeball on all of our units is the most expensive and most time consuming thing to make on the whole unit. We have spent billions of dollars trying to make it right.”
“It looks like an eyeball,” Logan said, staring at it.
“Look at the person next to you,” she smiled. “You will see life, the determination to live another day. The fight to live and love as well as anger and pain, those emotions and feelings can all be seen in a person’s eye on any given day. Our units will never compete.”
She quickly turned, picked up a nearby small table, and bashed it.
“Fight back!” she yelled at it as she proceeded to beat on it.
‘Not an enemy,’ the unit said as it stood still.
“Go ahead,” she smiled at us. “Hit it, punch it,” she said as she beat it.
The others started punching and kicking it, but it didn’t fight back.
“Enough,” she said, pushing a lock of her brown hair out of her face.
“Unless given certain parameters, it will not defend itself. All of you are guests and are wearing badges that tell this unit that you should be protected. Now if someone else attacks it or attacks you.”
“It will fight back,” Logan nodded.
“Exactly,” she smiled. “Anything else?” she asked, staring at me. “My hair is messed up. I am breathing heavily, and I am sweating,” she said, wiping the brow of her head.
“It got punched, kicked and beaten with a table,” she said, pointing to the robot. “It is not breathing heavy, not sweating, it’s hair is perfectly still, and most of all.”
“It’s not bleeding,” one of the men said. “It has dents and a few cracks, but there is no blood.”
“It is leaking,” she smiled as she ran a finger across the face. “We call it Diathan, it’s highly hydraulic and keeps the unit cool and provides its ability to move fast and react quickly.”
It was a clear liquid, almost seemed like pancake syrup but clear.
“Now, onto the main attraction and what brought you guys here today,” she smiled as she walked us into a large seating area.
“Male testing?” one of the men said, staring up at a banner.
“Take a seat,” another lady with brown hair said. “We will make this as quick as possible.”
The first lady with the blonde hair sat in another chair.
“This is our newest unit,” the second lady said. “And is strictly for the public,” she smiled as another female robot appeared. “It has no military or combat programming and is highly customizable.”
“What’s it for?” one of the men asked.
“You,” the lady smiled. “Single males or females that want the comfort of a woman, without shall I say the hassle of dating and having a relationship.”
“You mean a sex doll?” another man asked.
“I wouldn’t say a doll,” the lady replied, “more like a companion.”
“What’s it do?” another man asked.
“Anything,” she shrugged. “Cooks, cleans, can go out on dates, everything your female or male partner will do for you, it will do.”
“Without the arguing,” one of the men laughed.
“Exactly,” she smiled. “No complaining or wondering when it will be ready for your date, and it won’t ask questions during a movie, none of that,” she said.
The men started talking to each other.
“Of course,” the first lady said as she stared at me. “You have a question.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Oh, you’re one of those,” the second lady sighed as she looked at her co-worker, who nodded back at her. “What is your question specifically?”
“Why make a companion?” I asked.
“Why does the sex industry have sex dolls?” she retorted. “Did you ask them that question?”
“No,” I replied.
“Or the cleaning company when they made the cleaning robots?” the blonde asked. “Do you asked the military why they started looking into robot soldiers or remote drones?”
“No,” I shook my head.
“Robots and the idea of robots have been a dream for humans since we started thinking what if,” the first lady said. “It’s been part of our movie history since black and white television shows came on the big boxes and before that they were in books and magazines. Humans have been fascinated with robotic life way before our company came along. Especially men.”
The other men nodded.
“Boys and girls alike had little robot toys, that they played with,” the second smiled. “My grandma had this robotic doll, she named Anna,” she smiled and then looked at me. “Should the toy industry stop making robot toys?”
“No, of course not,” I shook my head.
“So, it’s just us that you ask these questions, no one else?” the first one said. “Because we are a female led company, we must be up to something, right?”
“I never said that,” I said.
“But it’s what you’re thinking,” the second said.
“Just shut up,” Logan nudged me and shook his head.
“Listen to your friend,” the blonde said as she stared through me, daring me to ask another question.
I shook my head and sat back in my chair.
“Like we were saying,” the second said as she also bore a hole through me with her eyes, “It is for most people but mostly for the single male,” she smiled. “The six of you answered our online quiz and the six of you stated that you don’t see yourself going into a relationship or getting married in the near future, so you will be taking one of these home, to try out before we start unveiling them to the public.”
Other ladies came into the room. “If you all will please go with our assistants, they will help you customize your companion,” the second smiled.
The others walked like blind sheep to the slaughter, following behind the assistants.
“I won’t be doing that,” I said, shaking my head.
“Then you can wait downstairs, in the lobby for your friend,” the first replied coldly as she pointed to the door.
“I will just see you another time,” Logan said as he walked with the lady next to him. “I am sorry about that,” he said as he walked away.
“We are used to it,” she replied.
I went down the elevator and stared out the glass window. This building wasn’t here four months ago. I stared at it, the sheer size and work that was put into it.
The ground it was built on was an abandoned warehouse. A billboard sign went up a few months ago stating that a new Demonton building was coming soon, then they tore the warehouse down and started building this monstrosity. It went up quickly, and there were hundreds of facilities like this one constructed already or in the process of being built in every major city worldwide.
I had no problems that females led it, I was not a sexist, but no males worked for the company. Not from the corporate top to the ones that worked the building bays. Not one single male. That was weird. Throw-in that everyone outside the company was bending at the knee for them made it downright creepy.
“Have a good day,” one of the automatons said as I exited the building.
“Creepy,” I said, shaking my head.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I worked at a warehouse, so I was busy most of the time at work, and when I was home, I was resting.
It had been four weeks since I last saw Logan, and he wasn’t answering my calls. He texted me a picture of him and his new companion. She was the spitting image of one of the porn stars he liked, except she had considerable additions in the chest area.
Like every new thing at Demonton, the companion was the new hottest thing since sliced bread. Men and women were buying them like candy. Even though they were meant for singles, couples were getting them to spice up their love life.
“You’re a fucking idiot,” my boss said.
“You got one too?” I asked.
“First day, first in line,” he smiled back at me. “I am telling you, there is nothing like it.”
“I don’t want to know,” I shook my head.
“I am just saying, can’t tell the difference, not like some of those dolls or those fake vaginas stick things. It feels like the real damn thing. Best of all, when I am done, I can just say go away and it goes,” he laughed. “I don’t have to care if it got off or do I have to try and find the pleasure spot or any of that other female bullshit. Just fuck it and send it on its way.”
“You’re talking about the companion?” one of the other workers asked.
“Yup,” my boss replied.
“Yeah, we got one,” he nodded. “The wife loves it,” he smiled from ear to ear. “Says it’s inside of her head and does all those things, you know, the things I don’t want to do, or she says I am not good at.”
“Wait you got a male one?” I asked.
“No, you idiot,” my boss said. “They are customizable, you can change its sex, male for her, female for him.”
“Yeah, we take turns,” the man said. “Did you tell him that it feels like the real thing, feels even tighter and better than my wife, but don’t tell her I said that,” he laughed.
I shook my head and walked away as others joined the conversation.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” I said as I looked at my online chat.
The number of people in our online group was starting to dwindle. People were leaving. More importantly, they were beginning to fall for Demonton’s lies.
My phone rang. “Logan,” I said, surprised.
“Come to the door, what are you deaf?” Logan said. “I’ve been ringing it for a good five minutes.”
I must have been caught up in the chat room and didn’t hear the bell.
“Sorry about that,” I said as I answered the door.
“No problem,” Logan said.
“What the fuck is that?” I asked as a man wheeled in a big box.
“It’s your companion,” Logan replied.
“Get it the fuck out of here,” I said, stepping back.
“No, you fucking owe me for embarrassing me like that at the office building,” Logan said. “I have never felt so embarrassed in my life!”
“Yeah, I didn’t mean to make it sound like that,” I said.
Logan signed the document then the delivery guy left.
“Like what? Like you are sexist prick? Because that’s exactly what you sounded like,” Logan said.
“You know I am not,” I said.
“Well, prove me wrong because I am starting to believe you are,” Logan said as he took a crowbar and started opening the large wooden box. “You going to help or just stand there?”
“Okay,” I shrugged.
It looked somewhat human.
“Well,” Logan said as it just stood there.
“Well, what?” I asked.
“Seriously?” Logan said. “You haven’t read anything about it?”
“No, wasn’t interested,” I said.
He walked across the room and took a picture of my ex-wife and me.
“Don’t you dare!” I yelled.
“She was my sister, so don’t yell at me!” Logan said.
He held the picture up. “Customize to the female person in this picture,” he said.
The blank slate started to change. Slowly it took the image of my ex-wife, right down to the red hair. It wasn’t exact, but it was very close.
The female at the office said it perfectly. The eyes were wrong. Diana had this sparkle of life in her blue eyes. This thing didn’t have it.
‘Done,’ the companion said. ‘Designate name,’ it said.
“Give it a name,” Logan said.
Without thinking, I stared at it. “Jessica,” I said.
Logan nodded. “Good name,” he smiled.
It was the name we were going to give our daughter. I don’t know why I said it.
‘New designation Jessica accepted,’ it said. ‘Who will be our primary operator?’
I looked over at Logan.
“He will,” Logan said.
‘Name?’ it asked.
“Ted Hans,” I replied.
‘Customization complete,’ it said.
“There, it’s all yours have fun,” Logan said as he started walking to the door.
For hours I sat on the couch as it stared back at me. It blinked and swayed as a human would if you asked that human to stand in one spot for hours. Once, it looked like it was going to fall.
“Do you eat?” I asked.
‘No, but if you are hungry, I can make you something,’ it replied.
The voice was off. It sounded metallic.
“Can I customize your voice?” I asked.
‘Yes, what would you like me to sound like?’ it asked.
“Wow, didn’t think that through,” I smiled as I got up.
I headed for what used to be Diana’s office. I turned to look behind me, but it wasn’t there.
I went back to the living room, and it was still standing there. “Follow,” I said.
It followed me through the hallway.
“This used to be my wife’s office,” I said as I browsed through some things.
‘Is she coming home?’ it asked. ‘I would like to meet her.’
I stopped as I looked at an old picture of her. “No,” I shook my head.
“She will not be coming home.”
‘Then I will meet her tomorrow,’ it said.
“No, she won’t ever come home,” I said holding the glass picture with tears coming down my eyes. “She’s dead.”
‘Oh,’ it said. ‘I am sorry.’
Diana died on the operating table, giving birth to our daughter, there were complications, and before I knew it, I had lost both of them. That was seven years ago.
‘I will not bring it up again,’ it said. ‘Maybe I should take up another visage, something less hurtful.’
“That would be nice,” I nodded.
‘For now, I will return to my default visage until you program another,’ it said.
I nodded when I turned to see the blank face. “Thank you,” I said.
‘It is my pleasure,’ it said. ‘It is not my duty to harm you, emotionally or physically. I will return to my standing position in the living room.’
“No,” I shook my head as I stood up. “I won’t do that to you. Follow.”
I went up the stairs and opened the room that was supposed to be our daughters. “This will be your room. You can set up in here and use it as yours, until I….” I stopped.
‘Was I really thinking about keeping this thing?’ I thought as I looked at it.
‘When you are ready, I will be here,’ Jessica said as she walked inside the room.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Three days passed, and I hadn’t opened the door to the bedroom. I heard things coming from the room but hadn’t opened it. Logan and the others argued with me about it and what I thought of Demonton. I wasn’t crazy.
The number of followers and believers was dwindling daily. Was Demonton onto us? Were they eliminating us? They had the military and police force under their control, they could easily wipe us out, and no one would blink an eye.
“Crime is down nationwide,” Carl said as we all met at the bar late one night.
“Let alone the cop killings of colored people,” Logan nodded.
“We have dealt a hard blow against terrorism,” Damien added.
“Okay!” I said.
They all were trying to prove a point. Since cyborgs and robots joined the armed forces, things worldwide were starting to go our way. Not just ours. Demonton was worldwide, so every army on every continent had its own robots.
Most countries around the world were joining forces, pooling resources. It was like the considerable division around the world was ending, and all thanks to Demonton.
“I bet you haven’t even used your companion,” Damien said, drinking his beer.
“He locked it in a room,” Logan said, shaking his head.
“It’s not locked,” I responded. “It can go wherever it wants. It’s not a prisoner.”
“It, there is that word again,” Carl said. “Called it a companion, or by the name you gave it. I think mine is getting feelings.”
“It has a care program, it finds out what you are feeling and responds to it, that’s all,” I said.
“Look who has been reading,” Logan nodded.
“What about that kid, Derek,” I asked. “He went to a party and just ended up dead. Then Demonton swoops in and pays all the kids bills and expenses and helps the family out?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Logan asked. “Jackson the person that threw the party has family that works for Demonton, rather shell out the money themselves than get buried with insurance’s red tape.”
“Got one for you,” Carl nodded. “Dalton,” he smiled.
The others nodded.
“He used to be a prick, thought he was all high and mighty, because of his position,” Carl continued. “Now he’s a good man, Demonton paid for his virtual reality therapy sessions as well as most of the police force to seek therapy and look what happened.”
The results spoke for themselves that I couldn’t argue, but I wouldn’t bend at the knee. Not yet anyway. The others and I had other plans. And we weren’t going to stop fighting, not now, not ever.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When I returned home, I saw the light under the door of its room.
“Are you okay?” I asked from behind the door.
‘Yes,’ it replied with that same metallic voice.
“Okay,” I said as I went to my room.
‘Ted?’ it said as it opened the room.
“Holy shit!” I said as I stared at her.
‘Is this visage better?’ it asked.
I was speechless.
‘Your friend Logan told me to check your computer for images, and this one was saved, and the website visited many times, especially during the late-night hours,’ she said.
“Tabitha,” I nodded.
I had a stupid crush on an actress, not the actress herself but a character she played in a science fiction series that I had watched too many times to be acceptable. The series had finished a long time ago, but the crush remained.
‘New designation Tabitha accepted,’ Tabitha said.
‘Should I adopt her voice?’ Tabitha asked.
“Yes,” I nodded.
I always had a crush on that science fiction character. Diana role-played the character for one of my birthdays. It was the best night for me.
‘Adaptation of character Tabitha’s voice complete,’ Tabitha said.
“Perfect,” I said, staring at her. She even got the voice and the accent down pact.
‘Should I change the attire?’ Tabitha asked.
Tabitha wore the same plain gray clothes that came with the default setting.
“Yes,” I nodded.
‘Specifics?’ Tabitha asked as she walked closer to me.
“Season four, episode five,” I said, knowing exactly what I wanted to see.
The clothes shimmered and changed. Diana laughed at me when I told her my favorite episode. She said I only liked the character in that episode because the outfit showed off her massive chest and a lot of cleavage.
‘Is this it?’ Tabitha asked; she stood only inches away from me now.
“Yes,” I nodded. “But,” I shook my head.
‘What is it?’ Tabitha asked as she looked at me.
“They are a bit smaller than what the real character has,” I said.
I know Tabitha, the robot, was only going off the actress’s measurements, but she wore prosthetics and other things to enhance her breast size in the series.
Immediately Tabitha’s breasts started expanding.
‘Is this to your liking?’ Tabitha asked.
“A little bigger,” I nodded. I watched as they increased again. “A little more,” I said. “Perfect.”
Tabitha stood even closer to me. ‘Should I save these parameters?’
“Yes,” I nodded as I took her hand and went to the bedroom.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~
Later that night
“What have you learned?” the blonde lady from the office said, staring at Tabitha through a monitor.
‘There is another meeting in two weeks, Ted is meeting one of the people in charge of the movement,’ Tabitha said.
“Do you have a location?” the first lady asked.
‘Not yet, but after tonight I don’t think I will get much resistance,’ Tabitha replied. ‘Sending the Logan clone over was a good strategic move.’
“The clone gave you the information needed to complete the job. That was its purpose,” the blonde lady said.
‘He is stirring, I should return to bed,’ Tabitha said, looking behind her.
“Get the information you need, then start the cloning process immediately afterward,” the blonde lady ordered.
‘Understood,’ Tabitha replied as the monitor went black.
“Everything is going to plan, sir,” the lady turned to look at a man sitting in a chair.
“Good, we are happy with your success,” the man said, leaning forward. “Humans are so easy to manipulate.”
“I agree they are mere cattle, waiting to be slaughtered,” she said as her eyes turned black.
Author’s Note: The rest of this story as well as many others of my stories, are on my other pages, the links to which can be found: [here](https://linktr.ee/alexander.martin)
Source: reddit.com/r/eroticliterature/comments/127whc4/plugged_in_part_2_21_m42f33_scifi_artificial