All Comments on 'Artificial Happiness'

Normally, when I like a story, I like to comment at the end of each chapter. However, this story lacks chapters, so I’ll record my impressions by page in one fell swoop.

Page 1 – Interesting concept – Mind control programming that is not exactly coercive, but more encouraging and becomes effectively coercive through the establishment of habit and simply not giving information regarding possible options, which are discouraged anyway. I’m hooked.

So they are actually unpaid slaves, but they aren’t even aware of it. Concomitantly, society has no slave-suppression like whip-wielding overseers because the slaves don’t know they’re slaves and have no interest in revolting anyway. Seems like a weakness to be exploited, what if one of them decided to revolt? If it was just one, then he/she could be easily contained. But if it happened en masse, then the revolt would be immediately successful.

Page 2 – Universal Basic Income, a lovely thought, one which I would whole-heartedly support… if not for the fact that it would require a slave/peasant/drone class to make it sustainable. As we see here.

Typical Master/Slave situation – the slave is the effective one who does the real work while the Master gets all the credit, if any.

Interesting, the Workers are reprogrammable, I think I see where this might be going. Seems surprising that the Master has access to a reprogrammable woman and he wouldn’t do so. Oh, never mind, looks like he is. This won’t end well, it can’t.

Page 3 – Yup, saw that coming, that’s the end of David and probably Catharina. Wonder what will happen to her? Mind wipe? Disposal?

Fascinating plot development. What happens when you turn on someone’s sexuality in a zero-sexuality zone? Frustration seems likely. Loved the shower scene, was very well done. Poor guy.

Page 4 – Heh, remember puberty? Even if I could have turned it off… I would have turned it back on, lol.

And his co-pilot is a girl, naturally. A potential lover and/or information source? We’ll see.

Page 5 – Natural humans, conditioned by millennia of threat-detection and analysis, are going to pick up on weird behavior pretty fast. And she does. Lucky she didn’t freak when she saw his hard-on. Julia is a surprisingly empathetic – and empathizing – character. I like her.

Page 6 – No way this guy can fail to stand out like a sore thumb in public. On the other hand, maybe everyone will just think he’s autistic. Actually, I think that’s a perfect analogy. Robert is an autistic guy whose sexual autism was suddenly turned off. Interesting reveal that there are Workers programmed to be friendly and personable. Maybe he can get a copy of that program? Still seems surprising they haven’t been programmed for sex work, though.

Page 7 – Close call. He’s very lucky Amy never analyzed the thought that he might be a rogue Worker.

Page 8 – Oops, turns out there are sex-Workers. Whorehouse was a terrible idea, but key to his emotional development, so maybe a good idea. I loved the fact that he was able to comprehend the difference between having sex with someone who genuinely wants him, and sex with a mind-controlled whore.

Page 9 – Drunk sex. Usually a mistake. Have made that one myself.

Page 10 – You can never truly go home again. Home hasn’t changed, you have.

Clever that he used his freedom on the shift to seek out and acquire additional CERS software. Looking forward to seeing what he does with it. Like I said before, astonishing that one might have access to programmable lovers and not take advantage of it. It’s inevitable. Because penises.

Back with Lisa again. Sometimes I think I’m reading a philosophy text, not porn. But then, that’s a mark of great sci-fi – it makes you think about things. I’m super-impressed with your work. Just want you to know that.

Page 11 – Programming the girlfriend. I’m impressed with his restraint. I’m pretty sure that “Insatiable Blowjob Queen” would be my go-to program. Robert is a better man than I.

“Sure, you can see my hard-on!” “Hmm, fascinating, happens when I do this?” "You mean I can make it shoot out sperm just by touching?" Fascinating, lol. Loved the purely-innocent curiosity factor.

Page 12 – Lisa experiences jealousy for the 1st time – “These feelings are confusing and illogical." Heh, said the autistic Vulcan.

And then she reveals she’s taken charge of her own sexuality and has been masturbating for days. You go, Girl!

Page 13 – Biology defeats science and logic. As it always will, for all time, until the heat death of the Universe.

"I can create a wireless connection between my UID and your CERS.” And now he’s abusing his power to program his girlfriend. Should have seen that coming.

Page 14 – That felt rapey. She will have her revenge.

The nightmare was scary. He has to be nervous constantly at this point. Something has to give. And now she reprogramming her boyfriend. It had to happen at some point, women are like that. Oops, first anal… oops!

Page 15 – At this point, I’m getting worried – much like Robert – that there is some sort of periodic auditing spot-check that’s going to find them out.

Who, almost thought they were going to turn to the Dark Side with Hanna. We’ll see what happens…

Page 16 – Considering freeing everyone, I suppose they could create a remote-control dead-man’s switch that would turn off the CERS (or reprogram) all the Workers on the station if they were compromised by the Company. Seems like a good fail safe backup plan.

Page 17 – They were watching him the whole time. In spite of that, happy(ish)ever-after ending. Well done. I wonder what the future holds?

Final comment - next time, chapters, please. Great story! Five stars!

I liked the plot and the characters. It was very interesting, well written and it kept me thinking about the morality of the actions Robert was taking, both as a human being and as a newly awoken "natural". All in all a fantastic story, hope to read more from you!

Like ZZchromosome stated in his review, it is a long story all at once by Lit's standards, but that did not detract me from enjoying the whole creation. As the author stated, it was something he had to splurge out at one go. And, boy did he splurge.

There is a lot to think about in the voluminous text, and gives plenty of pauses for thought. The psychological torment Robert experienced showed that his base instinct is reasonably good, but his curiosity can become a bit too much of a temptation.

Despite the small number of spelling errors and typos this was an excellent story.

I also get the feeling that there should be a sequel story to this. Robert and Lisa's time in Munch. How they adapt to being out from under the control of their CERS implants. The life they have together, whether or not they remain together. Lots of story scope from this yet I feel.

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Devir Ginator

Great Sci-Fi story, where sexual content exists but is secondary and plot development is credible for Human Free Will and human driven developments, from that protagonist point of view.

Could and should inspire other stories, as it creates almost like an Alternate Universe not so hard to believe from happening.

Very nice Sci-Fi plot and idea indeed,