Artificial Happiness

Lisa's face lit up with curiosity when she heard the last part. "What aspect about the Naturals do you understand better?"

"I have gathered a lot of knowledge about them, but most importantly I learned to relate to their thoughts and feelings to some degree, which explains much of their behavior; for example what motivates their actions, how they spend their time or the root of their obsession with beauty and esthetics."

"That sounds very useful," Lisa remarked. "Could you tell me more about it?"

Robert smiled. He knew exactly why Lisa was interested in this particular topic. Both Workers had spent years optimizing space ships for Naturals and had dealt with the problems it entailed. There had been so many peculiar design decisions making vessels less efficient, requests for seemingly unnecessary amenities, security features which would have been obsolete if Naturals just adhered to safety guidelines and tedious precautions taken for all the ways people might deviate from recommended usage scenarios for no obvious reasons. These special requirements were a constant source of frustration. Not primarily because they created more work and additional challenges, but because it was incredibly difficult for Workers to comprehend and predict what Naturals might do or want. A better understanding of Naturals could potentially benefit Lisa's performance and unravel some old mysteries.

"There is a lot I could tell you," Robert claimed. "In order to really grasp what the mind of a Natural is like however, simple explanations will not be sufficient." He picked his next words very carefully, trying to hint at the configuration changes without explicitly mentioning anything which might trigger the safeguards in her CERS, which would immediately make her reject the idea. "It requires a certain transformation of your state of mind."

"That sounds ominous," Lisa said. "Could you be more specific?"

"It is hard to explain and I can't really tell you much about it; unless you would be willing to undergo this transformation yourself."

"What would that imply?" she asked skeptically.

"You would experience some new sensations and emotions; in addition you would learn a lot about the human mind and body. It is neither dangerous nor forbidden and everything you are subjected to is reversible. However, some of the things you learn are... strange and bewildering. The risk is that you might not be able to forget some of it."

"Why would I want that?"

Robert shrugged. "As I said, it might change your perspective on life. I am glad I did it, but I can't predict how it would affect you."

Lisa thought about it. Her internal struggle was obvious. This was a very unconventional offer and therefore not something a Worker would usually do; the prospect of acquiring useful knowledge was a strong incentive though and she had no reason to mistrust Robert. The moment of indecision probably meant that the evaluation procedures of her CERS had not reached a conclusive result. That would mean that the final choice was hers.

"It is not an absolute decision," Robert suggested. "We can start and if you don't like it you can stop anytime."

In the end Lisa's curiosity got the upper hand. "Okay, I want to try it."

That was enough confirmation for Robert. "Very well, close your eyes for a moment."

She gave him another skeptical look but complied. Robert moved behind her and put his UID close to the back of her head. At that point he could have simply retrieved her plug, but he wasn't sure how she would react; more precisely how her CERS would react. There was a way to work around this problem although Robert wasn't completely comfortable about it. With the same wireless trigger which allowed for extracting the Plug or doing a quick reset, he could also cause the CERS to put its host into a sleep-like state. The functionality's description claimed that it was intended to pacify Workers; whatever that meant.

After brief hesitation Robert issued the command. In mere seconds Lisa fell asleep in her seat. As soon as he was sure that she was really unaware, Robert started. After all the experience with reconfiguring his own CERS, he was quick at finding what he was looking for. There were some differences between his default configuration and hers. Considering that they both had pretty much the same job, it suggested that there were not only fixed configuration sets for certain occupations, but also more specialized ones fit to the peculiarities of a specific person. Apart from these small variations the essential settings were the same.

First Robert deactivated the CERS modification safeguard. Afterwards he browsed through additional parameters and made some minor adjustments; nothing too invasive, just some measures to ensure that she was free to make her own decisions and didn't obsess too much about her duties. When he came across the sexual inhibitor he was tempted to deactivate it as well. After brief consideration he resisted and dismissed the idea. Lisa would have to make this decision for herself.

Satisfied with his changes, Robert returned the Plug to its place and triggered the function which was supposed to wake Lisa up. That took a while but eventually she returned to full consciousness.

"What happened?" she asked drowsily.

"I altered your CERS configuration," Robert revealed.

"You can do that?"

"It's a long story; another time. How do you feel?"

"Not that different, to be honest."

"That is normal," Robert assured her. "It takes some time until you recognize the changes."

"Is this allowed?" She sounded concerned.

"It is not forbidden," Robert navigated around the actual question. "Nobody ever told us that we are not supposed to do it, right?"

"I don't think so," she agreed hesitantly. "Why didn't you just tell me what you would do"?

"Because you wouldn't have agreed to it otherwise."

"How do you know?"

"Because there is a feature in your CERS which prevents you from even considering the option. I have turned it off, together with some other mental restrictions."

Lisa looked ruminative, apparently trying hard to wrap her mind around the concept. "That is... kind of hard to fathom."

"I know," Robert agreed with an empathetic smile. "The CERS has an enormous impact on our thoughts and behaviors. When the company changes our configurations they basically alter our personalities."

"I kind of knew that but I never really thought about it," Lisa realized.

"That is another effect of the CERS. It deliberately keeps you away from such thoughts because they distract you and might lead to ideas the company doesn't appreciate."

Lisa took her time to contemplate those words. Afterwards she nodded faintly. "I think I'm starting to notice it; a difference in my thoughts I mean. It's very subtle but there is definitely something off."

"It will become more apparent in time," Robert assured her.

"So, am I like a Natural now?"

He shook his head. "I only made some small modifications. There are still plenty of ways the implants are influencing you. Turning off too many of them at once would be overwhelming."

"What about you?"

"For myself I have removed a lot more restrictions and manipulations, but not all of them. I don't know if I would ever want to get rid of them entirely. Being a Natural, even just partially, can be very strange, confusing and disturbing. Even the more agreeable aspects often take some getting used to."

"And what are those agreeable aspects? What are they doing with all their free time? What is so appealing about their life?"

"That is hard to describe. They have a lot of ways to entertain themselves. Most of those activities seem weird and pointless at first, but the more you witness, the harder it is to stay without them."

"For example?"

"For example watching videos purely for fun; not like the instruction videos we know; those are supposed to entertain viewers by triggering certain emotions. Listening to music has a similar effect and seems to be quite popular as well. They also spend a lot of time talking to each other about completely trivial topics. That sounds boring but it can be surprisingly comforting. Sometimes they drink alcohol to make themselves feel better."

"Alcohol?" Lisa asked in disbelief. "Like the stuff in our industrial cleaning substances? Isn't that poisonous?"

"It is not quite like the cleaning stuff, but similar; and yes it is poisonous, but only mildly. That is not much deterrence to them. They gladly sacrifice their health for some pleasure. Some of them enjoy eating food so much, they accumulate vast amount of surplus fat, to the point where it restricts their movement."

Lisa looked at him aghast. "That is crazy."

"I know. They have even turned the procedure intended for reproduction into a form of entertainment."

"You mean the way they make new humans?"

Robert suddenly remembered that his colleague was just as clueless about sexuality as he had been until recently.

"For making Natural humans, yes. Unlike us, they are not created in laboratories. Naturals can produce a new human without using any tools or technical aids. It is a purely organic process, requiring only certain parts of their bodies. In order to keep them motivated to reproduce, it comes with a lot of pleasant sensations."

"How does it work?" Lisa asked full of academic curiosity.

Robert wasn't quite sure how to begin. Trying to be as concise as possible, he gave her a very rough overview of the basic mechanics behind coitus, human reproduction and the importance it held for Naturals. The more he told her, the more incredulous Lisa looked.

"You are kidding," she accused once her colleague was done speaking. "That sounds ridiculous."

"No, it's all true, I swear." With a little unintended pride he added: "I even did it myself."

"Make a child?"

"No, just the sex part; Apparently Workers are infertile, so we cannot make children."

"You really did that with a woman?" Lisa asked in disbelief.

He nodded.

"Was she a Natural?"

"Yes; and there was also a Worker; well, almost."

"A Worker too? So we could do it as well?" she wanted to know.

"Well, we do have the physical prerequisites; so yes, we could."

"Show me." she demanded.

"What?"

"If you want me to believe your dubious claims, I will have to see for myself."

"You mean right now?"

"Yes why not?" Being completely unfamiliar with the topic, just like Robert had once been, Lisa had no idea that some people might consider this request to be indecent. That was no surprise but Robert was still somewhat taken aback by how open she was about the topic.

"For once this would probably not be a very pleasant experience for you at the moment. I would have to deactivate your sexual inhibitor first."

"But you could do that now as well, right?"

"I could..." he agreed uncertainly. The idea was enticing. Just the thought of it caused a stirring in his loins. It also felt wrong to him though. Lisa had just learned about sexuality, knew almost nothing about it and had experienced none of the associated emotions and sensations; she hadn't gone through the same process as Robert. Doing this now seemed rushed and inappropriate. He wanted her to be motivated by real desire, not by pure thirst for knowledge. The whole scenario just wasn't what he had imagined it to be.

While the main intention about this whole endeavor had been finding someone to talk to and spend time with, Robert couldn't deny some erotic fantasies involving Lisa. He had been trying hard not to look at her that way, but even in the chaste factory uniform her attractiveness made it difficult for him. Staring at her pretty features while he felt an erection growing in his pants, Robert had to muster all his willpower to say the following words: "This is not the right time or place to do it."

"You said that a man's penis can grow larger and harder when he wants to have sex right?" Lisa asked.

"It does," Robert confirmed.

Her eyes wandered downwards. "There is a significant bulge in your pants," she observed. "I assume this is what you called and erection."

"It is," Robert admitted, blushing a little.

"So that would suggest you want to have sex?"

"No- well, yes, kind of; it is more complicated than that."

"Can I at least see it?" Lisa pleaded. "I really want to know what it looks like."

Robert hesitated, wanted to decline, but couldn't resist the woman's cute face, showing earnest curiosity.

"Fine;" Robert stood up and pushed down his pants, revealing a not quite fully erect phallus, raised upwards but not standing fully upright.

"You really told the truth," Lisa mused as she stared at the organ. She came closer with her seat, now sitting directly in front of Robert's exposed groin. Starting to observe his genitalia from up close she regarded it from different angles. Having her face so close to his dick provoked some very daring imagery in Robert's mind.

"Can I touch it?" Lisa asked.

"If you really want to," Robert agreed, trying not to sound excited about the prospect.

Lisa probed the appendage with her fingers, feeling the skin and squeezing the shaft. Her touches were more scientific exploration than sensual caress, but they aroused Robert nonetheless; enough to make the erection grow further and stand proudly.

"It reacts to touches," Lisa commented.

"Yes, that area is very sensitive when the sexual inhibitor is off," Robert informed her.

"Does it feel good?" she asked while running her fingers along the organ.

"It does," Robert confirmed.

Lisa continued her investigation by slowly drawing back the foreskin until the engorged head was fully uncovered. The phallus twitched slightly and a drop of precum emerged at the tip. Robert hadn't masturbated in a while, which made him react even stronger to the physical and mental stimulation.

"Is that the liquid which comes out at the end of sex?" Lisa enquired. She touched the drop and tested its viscosity.

"Not quite, the sperm has a different color and is ejected in larger quantity. This is just a small precursor released when getting closer to the actual ejaculation."

"Getting closer? But we are not having sex yet, are we?"

"No, but an ejaculation is not only triggered by sex; it just requires sufficient stimulation."

"You mean I can make it shoot out sperm just by touching?"

Robert nodded.

"Is there a special technique?"

Feeling both awkward and aroused, Robert showed her how to jerk him for the intended goal.

Her efforts were a bit clumsy but he didn't mind. The lack in proficiency was more than made up for by the immense mental satisfaction of watching Lisa work his dick. Inspired by this enticing sight he didn't keep the woman waiting for long. He barely had time to utter a warning before releasing a massive load. Lisa was startled by the sudden eruption, but apparently not disgusted by the emitted substance. She inspected the stuff with the same interest she had displayed thought the entirety of this weird lecture about sexuality. Once she had watched Robert's penis return to a flaccid state, her curiosity was satisfied for the moment.

They cleaned up the mess and returned to their original seating arrangement. Lisa seemed blissfully unaffected by the awkwardness which afflicted Robert about the entire situation.

"So where do we go from here?" she asked. "What is the logical next step for a better understanding of the Naturals?"

"I would say you should take some time to get used to your new state of mind," Robert suggested with a shrug. "Afterwards I can show you how to modify your CERS configuration and provide you with the necessary software. From then on it is just experimenting to find out what works for you."

Lisa nodded, clearly eager to progress with this new experiment, but also accepting Robert's wisdom in the matter.

"In the meantime we should probably get back to the reason we came here in the first place," Robert proposed.

Suddenly remembering that they were actually in the middle of their shift and supposed to discuss some software, Lisa regarded her UID on the table with a pensive expression. Distracted by her interaction with Robert, she had completely forgotten about it in the meantime. That had certainly never happened before.

"Interesting," she commented the occurrence. "I am starting to see how the changes affect my behavior. It is strange and a bit unsettling, but also fascinating."

"You barely scratched the surface," Robert told her. "There is a lot more to come."

9

"It's crazy," Lisa whispered. "We really shouldn't be doing this." Her words spoke of worry, but there was an excited anticipation in her voice and face, which betrayed her true feelings. She wanted it as much as Robert; maybe even more. He had his doubts as well, but they would not change his decision on the matter. Of course he would not force Lisa to do anything she didn't want.

"If you don't want to do it, this is the last chance to reconsider," he told her softly, not moving until she had made up her mind.

She hesitated for a few seconds. Finally she took a deep breath and her resolve returned. "I'm fine; let's do it."

He gave her a reassuring smile and she smiled back at him. Once he was absolutely sure she as on board, he turned around and walked towards the shuttle. Lisa followed close behind.

They were currently in the traffic dock of the space station. Their intention was to leave the orbiting structure and go down to the colony on the surface of Mars. Just like Venus, it had a commercial district, which was their desired target. VRW provided a free shuttle transfer between Zukunftsfabrik station and the colony in regular intervals. These shuttles were primarily intended for Naturals. There were a few dozen of those around on the space station at any time: Among them were visitors, customers, business partners, employee family members, high-level managers and other VRW staff with jobs which couldn't be done or weren't allowed to be done by Workers. A few of them lived on the station permanently, the rest just stayed for a time ranging from a few hours to a few month. Being intended as a factory, development facility and office, the station itself contained hardly any means of entertainment and a very meager culinary selection. For Naturals this was an unacceptable condition of course, so the company ensured that they could easily go down to Mars in their spare time.

Workers could use this service as well, but were expected to do so only on explicit orders. Nobody cared to verify the existence of such orders though. Usually the CERS took care of that. Nothing was preventing Workers from boarding a shuttle just because they wanted to. People would just assume they were going to the planet on some official assignment.

The chance of being discovered was relatively small. There were very few Naturals who might recognize Robert and Lisa; of those even fewer would be able to tell that they were not acting on official business. Even if the pair was unlucky enough to run into one of those, it was likely the person wouldn't even notice them. Naturals tended to hardly even look at Workers most of the time. A certain risk remained of course and it caused the two Workers a constantly increasing nervousness. Still, they could not endure the thought of not trying it.

Shortly after Robert had started showing Lisa how the CERS worked and helped her experiment with her own configuration, the two of them had taken up the hobby of going on some exploration trips. It had started out very simple; they had been leaving their office together one evening and reached a fork in the hallway. Both had passed that particular spot countless times and always taken the left path; neither had ever gone the other way or knew where it might lead. Feeling adventurous they simply decided to break out of their routine and went right. Nothing particularly exciting awaited them on this path and eventually they ended up in the same place they would have gotten to anyway. Still the incident had a significant impact. It made them realize how little they had cared about their environment in the past and how clueless they were about most of the space station which was their home. Even though they had spent most of their lives there, more than half of the accessible sections were a complete mystery. "With the right configuration, a Worker could probably spend his entire life in one single room and never wonder what lies beyond its walls," Robert had theorized during one of the conversations which had become a regular activity between the two. The thought made them both feel anxious and constricted about their trivial, uninspiring existences.