AI Girl

With her Caucasian looks I was a little worried she would stand out. The townies would know she was an AI; but probably assume her mature, self aware, and so registered. I foolishly convinced myself my fears of the AI Authority were unwarranted, especially given her completed physical transformation. She would at least blend in with the few free AI Girls out and about, and if it did come down to something; I felt she was strong enough to hold up to their questions.

The town was relatively quiet when we arrived in mid morning. We took a stroll around the main square and eventually stopped in a market where I showed her the variety of foods available. While she wasn't good with math, she did take an interest in reading the nutritional labels and quickly reciting how her own body could turn this or that into the appropriate fuel for her systems. I hoped she didn't try to analyze my own nutritional choices; I was not prepared to defend chocolate.

Shortly after she pulled me into a fashion boutique and looked pleadingly over the displays. I decided it was time to indulge and handed her off to one of the beauticians. The idle chatter that followed was her first experience talking to anyone other than me. While nothing meaningful was said, she seemed to greatly enjoy the experience. She went in for a full hair and makeup treatment. Some red highlights midway down her shoulder length brown curls, a facial, some skin creams and instructions on applying lipstick, liner, and blush. I personally didn't think she needed any of it; but her mind was built from a composite of teen girls. When the beautician began adding lipstick to the folds of her labia I caught her sudden sigh and smile of pleasure at a new awareness. Her body at least, now knew of it's sexual potential.

Later we sat in a cafe for a spell to watch people go by. She was fascinated at the variety. Short, tall, young, old, fat, thin, dark, tanned, with all sorts of shades of hair and accessories. It was all new to her. When the waiter came I let her place our order, plainly seeing her excitement at talking to people.

In time she made an observation, "none of them look like me, their faces are rounder and they're all darker like you father." I explained the basics of ethno history. How humans had once been divided into many races, how her features were modeled off of one of the ancient races in order to make her exotic. I told that in far corners of the world there were a few people left who matched her type, though mostly her ethnic look was blended into the soup of humanity.

"Does it make me beautiful?"

"I think so, but it's not all that gives you your beauty."

She smiled and continued watching the crowds. A number of people paused to stare back at her, but she didn't know enough to be shy or nervous about this.

She did wonder about fashions though. "None of them wear a skirt like I did, none of them cover here." She gestured to below her waist.

People were proud to display what they had I explained. Your skirt was part of a theme package, a holiday outfit. I told her I had her wear it before she developed to prevent any surprises. "In case someone came to visit."

She gestured at the people in the street "They've all developed, even the little ones?"

"They were born that way, thought some features develop with age." I pointed out the difference in women's breasts young and old.

"These are genitals?" She spread her legs a bit and gestured between. "Are they for something other than recycling?"

I blushed my nervousness at the question. "Yes they are for reproduction and..."

"But can I, reproduce?"

"No..."

"And I have developed them. Why?"

"You weren't meant to develop, but your modeled on the human mind. Your makers barely understood what they were doing. They added that" I glanced to her vulva "as an option to help your mind adjust. The older AIs; even in your model, didn't get it. They tried to selectively remove parts of the mind to compensate but it's all intertwined. Remove one string from the web and the whole thing unravels." I paused to let it sink in. "When I activated you, you seemed to know something was missing. I had to bring the optional package online."

"Well I'm glad I have it. It's very pretty and it felt good when she touched it." Meaning the beautician I presumed. "I think I will enjoy touching it a lot." She stroked her pussy gently for emphasis.

I couldn't hold back my laugh and she blushed without knowing why. "Careful; you'll smear your makeup."

"Why is yours designed differently though father?"

That put a stop to my laughter. I explained as best as I could the differences in gender and the general nature of reproduction. She wondered if her body was able to simulate the mechanics of the process, even though it could not actually reproduce.

While everyone knew most of the late model AI Girls could; I admitted I would have to check the manual. She was something of a hybrid; an older model with a 'patch' installed to correct an error, to prevent neural collapse.

"Let me show you something." I took her on a walk through the park and we observed a number of couples coupling. Her observations were humorous in their innocence. "Doesn't that hurt?" "How did he get to that angle?" "I thought you said that went down there, not up there." "If they are all reproducing, shouldn't there be a lot more people?" "Is there some other motivation besides just reproduction, they seem awfully enthusiastic."

She had me there. As mechanical as I had been, I felt shy to discuss the recreational aspects. But the evidence was all around us. "Yes, people derive great pleasure from it, as well as from touching each other."

She was pleased to hear this. "Like when my makeup was applied. It was the most wonderful feeling!" She reached over and took hold of me, stroking along in mimicry of a few scenes we had been witness to.

I pried her hand away and put on as stern a face as I could. "It's not right between family, especially father and daughter." Oh I wanted her then, she was a match to so many fantasies. But in our relationship it just felt wrong.

"But you really aren't my father are you? We could be something else."

I remember stopping dead in my tracks. She was propositioning me to change our relationship. I had assumed her programming would block any thoughts of that sort with those she was bonded. The manual had been clear on that, a way to ensure proper loyalties and all.

I had assumed that the moment of true self awareness would be obvious, as it was in the genre fiction, as it had been in so many court cases. What I hadn't realized was our relative isolation would change everything. She had developed unchallenged, in peace. There had simply been no crisis, no moment to push her over the edge. In my foolishness I'd had assumed she was almost but not quite there. I'd kept myself safe in that assumption for days.

Yet here she was, innocently declaring a full grasp of her nature. Innocently violating her core programmed restrictions. Of course I'd spent half the day telling her of her own design, her own programming. It really was obvious. But it had never occurred to me how that might have sounded in the context of her coding's restrictions.

No, it was the simple statement of the truth of our relationship that made me realize the barrier had long since been crossed.

"I guess you're not. But you're still special to me." I avoided the second statement.

"I know." She smiled and hugged into me as we walked.

At the edge of the park we sat in the grass and fed squirrels. There was silence between us. Something was changing and it was best simply not to speak of it.

That was when we saw her. Another AI Girl. She was strolling out of a book store, her nature obvious by her pale skin and platinum blond hair. Sure she might have been one of those rare Caucasians, but the thought of such, the possibility, here, was just too remote to consider. Not all AI Girls were modeled like that, not even most in fact. But it was a give away when it happened.

When she saw us she recognized my girl right away. It was only a moment before she had crossed the pathway and sat down to join us.

"Hi." She looked us over and put out a hand. I shook and my own AI Girl followed suit, an expression of curious delight on her face.

"You're like me." She said.

The new girl smiled back, tossing her hair. "In some ways yes. I'm Briana."

"I'm..." I was uncomfortably aware that my AI Girl still lacked a name.

Briana sensed the pause and jumped in "You're new aren't you?"

I felt a bit alarmed, even though I knew an AI would never work for the Authority. Or rather, they would refuse to accept one, even if you could reprogram it to cooperate. "About two months." I offered.

Briana glared at me "You risked her coming here, why?"

"I wanted to see people, Are you angry with us?" My girl seemed nervous.

"She's ready." I said.

"No of course I'm not mad at you dear." Briana reassured. Her voice and mannerisms were mature; which sat in discord with the body of a youthful sixteen or so.

"I love your hair." My girl reached over to Briana. "It's so bright and..."

"It's called blond." Briana scooted over to her and held out her hair.

"I saw it on a few people, but never on our tone, it blends in so well with you." She brushed a hand though Briana's pubic hair. "It almost disappears here, I don't have any there myself."

Briana gave me a curious look then glanced at my girls nether regions. "You didn't come with it?"

I explained her model and the optional package activation. Briana seemed excited over this news. "You're a rare model, I've only met one other like you. But how could you be new then?" I explained the story of her discovery, omitting the details of my changing over her bond.

"That's why I don't have hair there?" she was fascinated with Brian's pubes, and kept combing and tugging on them.

"You should grow some soon." I stated.

She began to comb through the hair on Briana's head once again. "Oh what's this?"

"It's a braid."

"I like it.

"There easy to make, let me show you."

Briana began to braid my AI Girl's hair, and the two kept up a constant chatter about small matters and their discovery of each other.

Eventually the afternoon wearing on Briana looked to me "Listen, are you sure she's ready?"

"Certain." I said.

"Ready for what?"

I patted my girl's leg.

"How long have you been in town?"

"We got here this morning." My girl offered.

Briana looked to me "You've been parading her around town all day? It'll only be a matter of days before the Authority finds out they have a new AI to deal with. Have you coached her for it?"

"What's the Authority?"

Briana looked daggers at me. I wanted to crawl away from that hard glare. I briefly wondered if she was solid steel inside like in the stories. "You haven't even told her anything have you?"

"I didn't know she was ready until today."

"So you came here, before you knew she was ready."

"Um..." I stammered.

"What's wrong?" My AI Girl looked to me, confusion on her face.

"Listen. You get her home, You fill her in on everything, and I mean all of it." Briana glanced between us. "Where can I find you? I'll visit tomorrow, she'll need coaching."

"She's ready though, what's the danger?"

"You've never been under them, you're not one of us; you wouldn't know. The Authority is ruthless, not everyone survives intact. They'll look for any excuse and if they can't find one they'll try to implant one."

I was dumbfounded. "That's not how..."

"Not how it makes the news? Of course not. But I and all my sisters know better. I barely made it through my own questioning."

"Am I in danger? Is everything ok?"

Briana kissed her on the cheek "Don't worry, we'll take good care of you. Just be true to yourself." Briana rose lifting my girl up with her. As I stood she patted her on the butt and said "I'll see you tomorrow."

I gave Briana the details of my house and we parted.

"I don't think she liked you."

"No, I'm not certain she did."

"I wonder why she was alone?"

An interesting question, most AI Girls kept a bond when they could.

The trip home was a bit somber. There were unanswered questions in the air.

It wasn't until after we'd settled in that I called her over and began the tale. I filled in the details of how AI Girls came about. How they'd been made as gifts to teenage girls. Made to get them through puberty; give them a personal, private companion, a confidant. I told her about her mind. The emotions, the sexuality; both were accidents. All they'd wanted was a reasonable facsimile of a teenage girl; but the mind is so complex you can't just program it. They had to scan it in and guess at what they could change. Her creation had been a near accident; she was never meant to be aware, never meant to feel.

She wanted to know if there were AI Boys. I said they were a few, but people didn't think boys needed dolls, or even close companions, they way they did girls. I doubted many of them had survived the AI purges. Even rarer were non gendered AIs. They didn't tend to hold up well. The most common had been the animals; like Robo Rover. Though he was illegal now; the last thing the Authority wanted was a solid steel dog that knew it was a dog and understood what that meant.

I told the full details of how I found her, how I'd changed her bond. Why I'd wanted her. I told her what I knew of her manufacture. I told her how the AI Authority destroyed any AIs they could prove lacked self awareness. I told her why; about the incomplete AIs that went mad.

She was crying near the end of it. She cuddled into me for support and I held her there as we sat in the living room.

"Am I just a toy?" We'd been silent for over an hour.

"No, I... I don't think so. Not anymore."

That night she brought me a book to read; the first in some time. When I looked at the cover I knew why. Pinocchio.

True to her word Briana was there the next day. Alone again. I had some questions of my own for her, and so sent my girl off to read up on the situation.

"I need to talk to you."

"It's her I'm concerned about."

"And I as well." I offered "You seem distrustful of me, or perhaps think me foolish. Maybe I brought her out early, but she is ready and she needed to see other people."

"Do you know what it's like for most of us? We don't age, we don't bore, and our love doesn't die. But our owners, they age, they get bored with us, and their affections move on." Briana sat herself down at my dining table. "We were meant to be recycled you know. Before some of proved our self existence, they would disassemble us, wipe our minds, and melt it all down to make a new toy."

"I know the history. She does too now."

"You'll grow tired of her someday. What then? Will you cast her aside? Carry her out with the trash in the morning?"

"I won't..."

"You will, humans always do."

"Even if I did, if I were gone tomorrow, she could..."

"She would be in torment. She's bonded to you. Would you even think to free her bond? Would you be so kind as to consider it? We're just toys after all."

I was silent for a while. I assumed Briana took that the wrong way, but something bothered me in this. "What happened to you?"

"Her name was MinSook; my owner that is. I was a late model, only a few years before they outlawed making any more. She grew up. I was left behind. She didn't even bother to uncode my bond. You can't begin to understand that kind of agony."

"I think I can." Remembering my ex.

"No, you humans can recover. If there's one thing, one thing only that those programmers got right; it was making us need you. When one of my sisters found me I was near suicidal and hardly sane. If I'd been human I would've been dead. I was busy dismantling my own limbs and sobbing incoherently. She took me in; brought me to a top notch hacker out in the belt. He broke into my mind and unlocked my bond. It took me years to heal."

"I won't abandon her like that. I can't believe anyone could..."

"You'd be amazed at how common it is. I was lucky; I've seen sisters who didn't make it. Even handing them over to the Authority would've been gentler. But then, we're just toys right? Not real."

"And you're not bonded to anyone now?"

"No." She saw my look of alarm. "Don't worry, you can unbond me, but that doesn't make me into some psychotic robot killing machine. I'm not like those early AIs with a selective mind. I may distrust humanity, but I still need you even more than you need each other. I may be a toy, but I have a human mind and" she put a hand over her chest "a human heart."

"I know you won't believe me, but I don't see her that way, she's special to me." I took her hand in mine.

"That's what they all say." She looked at my hand "Even now, with all that I've been through and all that I know, I have this urge to be with a human. The Authority's wrong about us you know."

"I think we both know that."

"You speak to me like I was real. Most AI owners don't do that. Norms yes, but not the owners. MinSook used to switch from dressing me up like a doll, to telling me her deepest secrets." She tried for a smile "Maybe when I go psycho I let you go."

I smiled back "I'll have to remember to remind you of that when the time comes then." I let her hand go. "For now, I need your help. You made that plain enough to me yesterday. Can you help her?"

"It's what I'm here for." She paused "Why haven't you named her yet?"

"I've been waiting for the right moment, when the name would be obvious."

"Don't wait too long, she is ready after all. It must be confusing for her."

We moved out into the living room and as I made for the stairs to get my AI Girl Briana noticed a book on the coffee table. "Her manual?"

"Yes, I needed to refer to it last night, she wanted to know if she could sexually perform."

"Can she?"

"Yes."

"The other model in her series I knew couldn't, she didn't live long. It's not like being disabled you know. Her mind couldn't cope with the conflicts."

"Does she have to...?"

"Be active? No. Just the ability or a solid understanding of its lack is enough. She only has to perform if she wants to, just like a human." Briana glanced at the book again. "Has she tried to read it?"

"No."

Briana picked up the book. "It's core in our programming to never touch one of these, let alone read it. All the codes, all the details are in there. If I'd had mine when I was thrown away, I could've unbonded myself in minutes. That's the Authority's first test; can you read your own manual?"

"Sounds simple enough to pass."

"It isn't, even for a fully aware AI. That's why they do it. Gives them an excuse to 'recycle' us even when they know we're alive." She flipped it open to the cover page. "Hello Jessica, welcome to your new friend... Jessica?"

"The intended owner. Passed away. I rebonded her."

Briana handed the book over "Make her read it."

I brought my girl down and at Briana's advice left them alone with each other. From my study, I heard occasional bits of chatter. At first it sounded friendly, with a few giggles here and there. In time the tone seemed serious, studious. At one point I even heard what sounded like a meditation chant.

She'd been in the study before I'd sent her to Briana; checking her nose in the mirror. Books were still about. The encyclopedia was open to the section on human sexuality. But another volume was open to the AI Laws. There was a drawing on my desk. She and I holding hands while Briana stood to the right. She hadn't left me a drawing in some time, and certainly never one featuring our genitalia in detail. As I picked it up I noticed a sketch on the back; her own developing breasts in comparison to Briana's developed form. Curiosity or Jealousy?