A Drone Remade Pt. 03

"I can see the writing. Nearly as solid as the truths. It was easy to write."

Owner Jim suddenly ordered, "Write a block saying, 'and Jane Doe is a human,' write it in blue, next to the truths."

The truth read 'This one is a drone,' and by it was 'and Jane Doe is a human.'

I spoke, "This one is a drone and Jane Doe is human."

I thought for a while because it remembered suddenly (Apples and Oranges) in a bowl of fruit. "It's like adding Apples and Oranges. You get a Plum pudding. Plums are Blue."

I waited, listening to the silence in my head.

An Owner sounded surprised, "I didn't expect that, explain more."

The walls had changed. The blocks are trees coloured red, blue, yellow, and green. Two people or things sit by a stone fountain. This drone is one. The other is Jane, myself. Jane is human. We smile at each other. The truth is still present (remember pain) but changed (remembering, randomly, I was reading a blue book to a baby). I thought that specific memory was true. How can I know any memory is true? I thought the truth had changed now.

I decide to say something to help my Owners. And because Jane smiles and wants something, "Jane and it see a different sort of truth now. Jane Doe is an Owner and wants to be happy and if it made Jane Doe happy it would be compliant. If Jane and I came back to this place, by the stone fountain, Jane could speak. Jane wants to remember this place, and to remember being a person. Tell me to remember this place."

"Remember this place." Owner Jim immediately repeated, "and describe it to us."

Owner Jim and Owner Wendy asked me a lot of questions then. Sometimes this drone answered and sometimes Jane answered them. The Owners seemed very happy, and something was trying to get out of this drone. It felt very compliant. After a while the hypnosis ended. All the Owners agreed that this was a change they wanted, including Owner Jane. The next session would use mind drugs to reinforce it.

+++ New Truths

I woke. It was Monday on week 16, or two and a half months after the court day, I repeated my truths:

"These truths cannot be changed and are applied in order.

This one is a drone, and Jane Doe is a human.

A drone does not harm a person.

A drone obeys owner's commands, and its owners are Jane Doe and Jim and Wendy.

A drone finds and seeks to fulfil owner's goals, and Jane Doe wants to be a human.

A drone obeys orders from Nokamura Corporation and lawful orders from law officers.

A drone seeks to minimise harm to owner's property, including itself.

A drone seeks to keep itself in good condition."

Then I, both of us, thought about where we could go and what we could do. Part of me wants to be a good drone, but I can do that by being my own Owner. The drone part doesn't care whether memories are correct or not. No, think again. The drone thinks it very important to maintain truths and keep protocols up to date. I felt worried at the thought that a protocol might be wrong. I would rehearse them as usual. That made me less worried. The other part of me knows that the drone needs guidance and goals. That's the harder part, because I want to like myself for myself. And to have a job. That's allowed now. The drone can help me with that, and I feel it eager to start searching for a job now.

I decide I want pleasure. I say it to myself, and the drone in me falls over itself to meet the Owner's goals. I use the female sex pleasure protocol, because that's useful to give a nice build up then hold..., and a nice orgasm with fingers and some pulling on my breasts. I am happy, and make sure to tell myself, "Now, together."

Sometime its only me in here, sometimes it's someone who had a drive to obey orders, and me too. Both are part of me. I don't care how they got into my head; I like both parts. I think I am interested in Wendy, and will let her know for sure soon. My preferences may have been changed, but I'm not interested in changing them again.

Mandy was the only real lover I'd ever had. The other is a fuzzy memory, but she was not real; the main emotional effect was my initial pairing with Mandy. I would like to be with Mandy again.

+++ Jane Finds New Goals

In the last two weeks we had made good progress. Both I and my other Owners felt this. It was 70%, or 18 weeks, through the review period.

"Jane, let's talk about goals now." said Owner Jim, after dinner as usual, and also as usual making notes. Why he didn't ask me to remember it, or use a recorder, I could never understand. I could easily remember my progress using a memory protocol, but I felt that offering to do it for him wouldn't meet Jim's goals.

"OK, Jim, I'm listening."

"You are doing well as a person and choosing your 'I' and 'me' now."

"Yes, I agree. I think I'm a pretend person, but if you can't tell the difference then I'm meeting your goals."

"What are Jane's goals?"

"I have several things I want to do. I want to meet my Owner's goals, which means I want to pretend to be a human well. I want to make Wendy happy, so I want to make love to her. I want a job of some sort."

Wendy gulped, "That's not ethical for me."

I had thought she would say that, and I had prepared an argument, "Relationships between lawyers and clients aren't banned in the United Kingdom, and we could use Jim to monitor that you are acting in my best interest. Also, you want me to be a better person, and you believe that improvements in my pretending would be in my best interests."

"That's not the issue, I agree with you on that," she responded, which I had also expected. I waited for her next argument, again prepared.

Wendy continued, "I personally, could never have a relationship with a slave, and a drone is a slave and I own you, partially. It's against my beliefs. You know I am an anti-droner."

"Then, remove yourself as an Owner. You want to do that anyway and I'm ready."

Jim and Wendy both looked embarrassed. I waited without filling in the silence for a minute; then I used my last argument.

"You haven't said you don't want to. I'm attracted to you."

"I do find you attractive," she stated, blushing.

I smiled at her and turned to Jim, thinking of him as Owner Jim, "Change my ownership. If my feelings change, we can change it back."

Jim spoke clearly, "Attention Drone, I as Owner of Jane Doe remove Wendy Sayer as an appointed person." He wrote down the change.

I thought for a while. Wendy was not my Owner. Jane wanted to have sex with Wendy. The drone part of me, was happy. That would make an Owner happy. This was simpler, I had fewer Owners to make happy. The drone felt it was compliant. I thought I had better check.

"Jim, have your goals changed as far as Wendy and I are concerned?"

"No, no change."

I smiled again at Wendy and kept smiling at her. I was referencing the female sex protocol, which had been fun learning. Jane was attracted to Wendy and all of me was sure Wendy wanted me. I didn't have to do anything immediate though.

"I would like to have sex with you Wendy. I've wanted to for a while," I said softly. She reminded me of my first love, and Mandy.

I visited her in her bedroom that night and woke her. I used some of the techniques that Mandy and I had practised together on Wendy, and it was delicious. Wendy was happy because I was with her, I was happy because she was so attractive to me, and she was also happy because I was acting freely. It was easier to make love to her if I thought in a two step manner, 'my goal is to make Wendy happy,' and then 'act to meet my Owner's goals.' The female sex protocol covered giving and receiving, so I was enjoying orgasms, which were a positive reinforcement. I had been taught that well. I remembered Mandy in bed with me, although I didn't say anything to Wendy.

+++ Anti-droner meeting

A month (week 22, day 154) before the court review Wendy and I went out together. We had been to coffee shops, and malls about twice a week. I was usually quiet but had successfully negotiated ordering drinks and shopping in a supermarket. I was trying hard, and usually successful, in not moving like a drone and avoiding drone positions. People didn't notice though, even when I slipped. People were not as observant as drones most of the time.

Wendy had lent me money – it was coming from funds that I theoretically controlled but had not yet researched. I could use my 'inner drone,' as I thought of it, to understand the funds in a day so I was not going to bother until just before court.

This time we were going, at her insistence, to an anti-droner meeting; this was being held in the evening, in a large hall the local group had hired. Jim didn't come with us. He had told us an ex-trainer wouldn't be welcome. Wendy didn't press him.

"You don't have to say anything, Jane. Also, speaking as your lawyer too, I don't think you should say anything whatsoever about Nokamura. Remember the court order is in effect at the moment. You can talk about your other experiences if you want. The members would be very interested in them. I want you here to show you more about me."

"I'm with you because you asked. I'm not confident enough to talk much while pretending to be a human to another human person." That was a slip. I checked my emotional state, but I was only slightly stressed. I was adequately fed and watered and had been sleeping well.

"Don't say human person. Especially at this meeting, people might react to that." Wendy advised.

"I think I proved the point. This one is going to stay silent."

A raised eyebrow, "This one?"

"I can joke too."

I smiled and relaxed. I could see Wendy smile too, in the street lamps, and I enjoyed it. Also, I had clarified, I had no orders to talk.

The hall was cold to start with, although it warmed up with about 50 attendees. The catering was terrible; I could do much better. I had lukewarm stewed tea, so I considered not drinking it. It would hydrate me. Wendy was talking to several people, who all seemed to know her, so I decided to sit at the side and not drink any more tea. I thought about brewing tea and types of tea. These were peaceful thoughts. Wendy likes tea too, and I knew how to make good tea for her. I could have noticed she was drinking coffee tonight; perhaps I didn't because she wasn't my Owner now.

A person, aged about 40, came across the hall, from the huddle near Wendy, to see me.

"Hello, I'm Christopher and I'm the deputy chair-person of this group. I don't think I've seen you before. You look a bit left out, so I want to welcome you. Do you want to join us?"

"No, I am just seeing what happens at this meeting. It's my first time." I could manage small talk without engaging. Just think.

"We are planning to join with a national demonstration later this year, and we have someone here who is a lawyer that is involved in a case where a drone was freed. They are going to talk about it. It's the first time a drone has been freed who's not held in the custody of a company."

"I know whom you are talking about." I was reluctant to link myself to Wendy at this point. It might not meet Wendy's goals, and I could assess it was unlikely to meet any of my goals. Perhaps I should have a goal of socialising at meetings.

"Do you know the purpose of our organisation?" he asked, looking intense, and not waiting for an answer. "We have a barbaric society that tortures people and destroys them just for minor crimes. The whole system is based on making money. We want to change that."

I thought I should reply.

"I will see what happens tonight then," I kept my intonation level. I suddenly disliked Jane for being found guilty. At the same time, I expected any system would have its flaws. Justice was a big system and flaws were well known in it. People kept committing crimes and being caught, so a lot of criminals existed, and making drones kept the jail population very low. I remembered knowing and feeling that from before. I didn't recall being tortured and I wasn't destroyed. My memories were inaccurate, but I was here now. I was a good drone. "I will make my judgement on the organisation based on observation."

"Aren't you outraged about people being made into drones?" He inquired intensely.

I decided to say my true feelings; I felt rage towards him, because he was belittling me. "I don't think that being made into a drone is torture, and I don't think that being made into a drone is being destroyed. If a person were killed they would be destroyed. Are you saying that those two things are the same?"

He looked very surprised, "Why are you here then?"

"I was asked to come by someone."

"Who?"

"Wendy Sayer."

"If you know her, then you know she is the speaker tonight."

"I know that. I know her quite well."

He looked at Wendy, then back at me, then Wendy again. I could predict his thought processes.

"You are the drone that was freed."

I felt annoyed at this. That was a new emotion too, I could feel dislike and rage and annoyance. Tonight was getting more interesting than I had expected. "Yes, Person." Perhaps I could talk to people after all.

He puffed himself up. I decided that this might get out of hand. I didn't need to cause a scene, and I wasn't sure of the extent of the court order. I mustn't damage my own goals. My goal was to have a quiet night. My goal wasn't to hurt Wendy.

"I apologise. That was deliberate and rude. I don't believe in all that you do. I don't believe that I have been destroyed. I do want to see what happens tonight in the meeting."

He opened and shut his mouth, then decided on politeness too, "It was nice to meet you, and I am sorry about my remark too." He paused, "I won't use destroyed again."

Wendy's talk was about the legal precedents now set. Several drones had been falsely convicted, but I was the first one where the restoration, her phrase, was being carried out outside a drone factory. Other former drones had stayed in the factory they had been made in, legally freed, and paid a small wage by the company. Though they were free they had not been seen in society or made public statements.

Wendy, as my good lawyer, and lover, didn't say anything specific about me. Only that a new type of treatment was being tried. I found out at least 30 other people were in a similar state to me. I had never asked since they had not interested me. No one else in the hall connected me to Wendy. Everyone else was angry about the numbers. I was not sure, either that anger was useful in such cases, as mine, or that being a drone was bad. I liked being a good drone. I didn't remember torture but only some pain. My memories were unreliable of course.

After the meeting, as we drove back to the house, I asked Wendy, "Can I meet one of the other restored drones?"

"I certainly don't see why not. Their treatment was different, but legally they can see anyone they want. They don't come out in public. Nokamura has several of them and some might be local. I'll ask about it."

"Can I see them on my own?"

"I don't have any right to stop you."

"You know I don't agree with your anti-droner politics, don't you?"

After a long pause Wendy broke the silence, "Why not, I would have thought you would want justice. I want justice for you."

"It's not all bad, and I don't feel I've been destroyed. Someone said that to me tonight."

"Jane, I would never say destroyed. You are doing so well," Wendy consoled me.

"Pretending to be a person."

"I don't think you are pretending, you are very warm and loving."

"I can pretend that too." This was being honest. The conversation lapsed. I think that I want Wendy to know what I am and be happy with it. I like to think of her as my Owner, and to meet her goals. She used to be my Owner.

I showed her that I appreciated my relationship with her when we went to bed. I stayed in her bed that night too.

We carried on with the same routine for another two days before we had the big argument. I was in my room, on my screen, browsing the web; I had found the Nokamura site. The site was recruiting drones.

'Become a drone. Good bonus. Good conditions guaranteed for ten years. An ecstatic, loving, initial training,' summed the pitch up. They wanted young, good- looking people of both sexes. Their families got a sizeable bonus on signing. One could even book, for a smaller bonus, a trial induction session over two days. The site made it sound like a spa. Even cosmetic surgery was offered to candidates who wanted it. Candidates with drug problems were welcome. The candidates didn't need qualifications, or special skills. The sex would be great.

It was in full colour, with videos of drones saying how much they enjoyed being a drone, and how much they enjoyed being made into a drone. Some bits were pornographic, showing how drones had sex. It was like any other porn but was tasteful rather than hardcore.

I knew it was partially true. Becoming a drone had not been unpleasant. It had been like a wild love affair, from the first day. The pictures had the look of Mandy. I thought about looking for her. I didn't find her, if I had, I might have wanted her more. All the female drones had the same look, the same shortish haircut and the same way of looking at the camera as if they wanted me.

From the site, a woman said, "I am a drone, looking for girls to love, and train with me. You are still you, after the process, but you have a purpose for life, and you will not be lonely again. No more unemployment worries, no more relationship worries, no more worries. If you are unhappy come to us and we can make it better."

I knew it was partly false, but only partly. I knew that my memories were partly false. I know the company were recruiting for economic reasons, the demand for drones being so high. It was a trap, but the bait looked very good.

It looked attractive to me, to my drone. It wanted to be compliant, and not worry except about orders. I desired orders.

I had been browsing the site for an hour, looking mostly at the female images. They had all sex combinations of course. I was looking harder at the women, looking for Mandy again, when Wendy came in.

She was shocked. She was shouting that all her efforts were to make me a person, and drones were wrong.

"Jane, what are you doing? Looking at this rubbish! I thought you wanted me. I'm trying to make you into a person again, I'm trying to save you!"

"I often think I want to be a simple drone again. I would be happy."

She got even more furious, "What's the matter, aren't I real enough for you? You have me, and I thought you loved me."

I retreated to my inner drone, "Jane wants you, her drone wants to make you want her. I enjoy making love with you. I can teach you more about making love using the female sex protocol and we will both enjoy it even more then. Being a person is difficult for me."

She spoke quietly, white, and shaking. "We are so through, I never want to touch you again, you thing!"

+++ What Jane Wants

As usual Jim, Wendy, and I dined together. After the meal, I opened the discussion. I had been living with them, pretending to be a person, for five and a half months; only two weeks to go before the court review. I felt strong enough to start talking now, "I know what I want if I am released, and I know how to get it."

Jim and Wendy looked at me.

Jim asked, "If released? I think you will succeed, if not at the next hearing, then in a few weeks."

"Whatever the legal term is, freed, emancipated. From the power of attorney. Jane the person, and the drone, both want the same thing, or can be compliant with the same thing. What are the chances of release?"

Wendy answered stiffly, "The legal term is just cancelled or if not fully cancelled partially revoked," looking down at her cup. Relations had been cooler since the breakup. She still looked attractive but wasn't the person that I wanted now. We wanted different things. She continued, "I think you have a very good chance. You are clearly making your own decisions now. If not now, we will ask for another review in 6 weeks. I think this treatment has been a success for you."