Artificial Happiness

"It's hard to tell what's right and wrong," Lisa pondered aloud. "Until recently we never really had to make that decision for ourselves. I can understand why you were tempted to do it. It is quite an exhilarating feeling; being in control of someone else."

Robert nodded. He was somewhat relieved that it was not just him. "Do you think this is how Naturals feel about us? Do they enjoy controlling us? Do they feel better about themselves, knowing that we only live to satisfy their needs? Or are they completely indifferent to our existence? Are we more like objects to them?"

Lisa considered for a moment then answered: "I don't know. Despite sharing a lot of their emotions, much of what they think and do is still a mystery to me."

"I know what you mean. It seems impossible to predict what they would do if they found out about us. I have no idea whether the way out of this predicament is to become more like them or return to the way we were. I can't even tell if either option is possible at all."

"We will figure it out in time," she assured him. "But now we should get cleaned up and go to our shift."

He nodded, suddenly realizing that their day had only just begun. At least work would distract him. Distraction was the only way to redeem him from his existential worries; At least for a little while.

12

Robert was standing in line, waiting patiently. The queue of Workers steadily moved forward. People around him were staring blankly with dreary expressions. It was a depressing scenario; but it wouldn't last long. Progress was fast. Robert was almost at the front. Only three Workers in front of him; two; one; his turn; he walked up to a free spot at one of the machines lined up left and right. The device demanded for data input. Familiar with the procedure he put his forearm against the highlighted scanning area. The implant transmitted the requested information. A small display on the machine lit up and showed a single word: Defective.

Suddenly Robert's mind went blank. Mouth agape he stared at the display in front of him. The illuminated word on it haunted him. What did it imply? Was he defective? Or was it his CERS? He had trouble remembering where he was and what he was doing here. His brain was in panic mode but his body had no idea what to do. It just stood there, sweating and trembling, waiting for something to happen.

"I am very sorry, this machine is broken, please select a different one," someone next to Robert said. It was a station technician, one of the many Workers constantly scurrying around the place to keep Zukunftsfabrik running. The man's words released Robert from his momentary daze. Slowly his mind started working properly again and he could reassemble the facts around the situation.

It was lunch break and he was in the canteen. He had been standing in line for his meal and had transmitted the data from his monitoring implants to the food dispenser. The machine was malfunctioning. That happened every now and then; nothing extraordinary or frightening about it. He had to actively repeat that to himself. Despite the realization that there was no danger, it took time to calm down after the sudden panic attack. When he had collected his meal from a different dispenser and approached the table where Lisa was sitting, his pulse was still elevated, his face pale and he was shaking slightly.

"What's wrong?" Lisa inquired immediately when she recognized his distraught state.

"Nothing, I'm fine," Robert lied, sitting down opposite of her.

"Nonsense, you look like you have just awoken from a nightmare."

Robert didn't know what to say, so he just avoided her gaze, staring at the bland nutrient paste in front of him.

"Are you having nightmares in the middle of the day now?" Lisa guessed, sounding very alarmed by the idea. She had been paying closer attention to his state of mind since the morning she had awoken him from that nightmare two weeks ago. It was obvious that she became more and more concerned. "This is really worrying. Your condition is getting worse by the day."

"I can get it under control," Robert promised. He had said that a lot lately. In the beginning he had believed it wholeheartedly. By now his certainty had started to crumble. Lisa was right; his psychological problems were increasing noticeably. It wasn't just the nightmares and the new symptom of sudden panic attacks; his entire mental state seemed to be deteriorating. Previously it had just been erratic and unpredictable, changing from one mood to the other frequently; now the scale seemed to tip more and more into the negative section of the spectrum. His current default condition was a crushingly depressing feeling of general discontent. It got even worse when he was hit by frequent fits of inexplicable dread, anxiety or sadness. The occasions when he really felt the joy and happiness which had been common until recently had become rare and short-lived. It felt like he was just living for these brief moments of bliss anymore, mindlessly suffering through the bleak, uneventful times in between. Most of the precious high-points involved Lisa's company, often but not always in some sexual context. She was the anchor which kept Robert from drifting off completely. All the more it pained him to lie to her, about how serious his condition had really become. Especially when she was looking at him with such worry in her eyes, like she was doing now.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, this is just a temporary phase" Robert insisted. He had told himself the same wishful theory for a while now. There was no evidence to back it up. He had tried to counteract the issues through adaptations to the CERS configuration, but the effectiveness of those measures was increasingly short-lived. It was like a painful irritation of the skin which temporarily improved when scratched but only worsened in the long run. However, leaving it to sort itself out hadn't worked either. It was more and more obvious that he was not in control of the situation. He didn't have any idea what else to do about it other than keep trying.

"I just need some distraction from those gloomy thoughts," Robert claimed with his best pretense of a cheerful smile. "Let's talk about something else."

Lisa did not seem convinced at all, but as usual she did not press the subject any further. Instead she fulfilled his wish and picked up a different topic: "In the afternoon the two of us have to go through the test results for the prototype simulations and decide on additional scenarios. I reserved a small conference room." With a naughty smile she added: "Just for the two of us. We might decide to take a break and have some fun in there."

Robert was only mildly surprised by the proposition. She had initiated such events before. Since their little adventure in the cockpit of the racing ship, Lisa had taken a liking to occasional sexual activities during work hours. Even without being manipulated by the CERS extension, the scenario excited her enough to put aside previous reservations. Generally the woman had developed a lewd side which was an unusual, but not unwelcome contrast to her otherwise reputable character.

"Sounds intriguing," Robert answered half-heartedly, failing to fake enthusiasm. A few days ago he would have still leaped at such an opportunity with vigor, but even his sex-drive had suffered severely from the recent decline in spirit.

"You don't seem very thrilled," Lisa accused with a pout.

"Sorry; I really appreciate the offer," he said with a sigh. "It's just difficult to develop ardor for anything with those dismal thoughts in my head. Maybe my mood will improve until the meeting." He had little hope that it would, but he would at least try to play along for her sake.

"Well, I will just have to get you into the mood," she announced.

"I am sure you will try."

Lisa nodded, appearing a little more optimistic about it than he was. His gloomy condition seemed to infect her as well and they spent the rest of the break in silence, consuming their tasteless meals with little appetite. Afterwards they went back to their work place in the same uncomfortable quietness.

When the pair entered their common office a young woman hurried towards them. Words came pouring out of the girl's mouth as soon as she was sure that her presence was recognized

"I am done with providing all the data inputs for the debris classification system and have finished the status report on the simulation tests; also there is an urgent message from the marketing department regarding some technical specifications they need."

She was talking to Lisa, who had recently become the young Worker's supervisor. Unlike Robert, whose productivity was in constant decline for weeks now, Lisa was a more valuable asset to the company than ever. Even though the time she spent in the office had decreased, her new mental configuration came with an increase in creativity and a heightened interest in fields beyond her usual occupation, which had led to some significant contributions to the current development project. The project managers had noticed her value and extended her responsibilities. To make sure she was not overburdened they had also provided her with an assistant who she could delegate the simpler tasks of her job to.

"Thank you, well done," Lisa praised her assistant. The 19 year old girl named Hanna beamed with a brilliant smile at her superior's laudatory words. Workers like her were even keener on praise and approval than others. Her CERS configuration contained some significant differences from the ones Robert and Lisa used to have. Engineers like them were conditioned to work more independently and make a lot of decisions on their own; they were granted more cognitive freedom and creative thought; they were also imbued with a deep passion for their specific fields and technologies, causing them to delight in solving problems and experiencing the emergence and completion of the products of their labor. Workers with an assistant configuration on the other hand were supposed to behave differently. They usually had a much broader range of varying tasks and were not as focused on specific fields. Often they carried out rather menial jobs which were not as rewarding on their own. Also they were not supposed to think on their own as much but should instead follow instructions meticulously. Blind obedience and accuracy in following orders were the most important criteria for them, so they were conditioned to receive the most joy from the acknowledgement and satisfaction of their superiors.

Lisa knew all that and left out no chance to tell Hanna what a great job she was doing.

"I will look into the message in a moment," she said. "You can go back to your ordering task. I will call you as soon as I need something."

The girl nodded obediently, spun around and was off.

Robert's gaze lingered on Hanna as she departed. She had a youthful, almost giddy demeanor but turned all serious and business-like whenever she spoke to Lisa. Robert found that kind of cute. Cute was also the word he would have used to describe her appearance: below average size, a lithe, slender body, short black hair and a pretty, round face usually displaying an amicable smile. In many ways she was very different from Lisa. To Robert, Lisa was definitely the more attractive woman, but Hanna's youthful charm had an undeniable appeal.

While Robert watched the girl walk away, Lisa studied him. When he finally noticed her look, she showed him a smirk. "You like her."

Robert shrugged. "She is a kind person and a dedicated employee."

"She sure is, but that is not what I mean," Lisa clarified. "I mean the kind of liking where you want to get into her little cunt." Recently Lisa had adopted a more vulgar vocabulary, mostly derived from videos they had watched together. She occasionally used it to get Robert turned on; usually with success.

"What?" Robert asked, suddenly very uncomfortable; especially because some thoughts in that direction had indeed crossed his mind once or twice. "That is crazy. She's just another Worker."

"So was I. That didn't stop you from wanting me, did it?"

"That's different; we have been friends for years. I didn't free you from the CERS just to have sex with you."

"Relax," Lisa said with a chuckle. "I am not accusing you of anything. Just admit that you find her attractive; no harm in it."

Somehow Robert was really reluctant to comment on another woman's appearance to Lisa but it really seemed like she did not mind. "She is kind of pretty," he finally conceded.

"I knew it," Lisa said with a triumphant smile but didn't pry any further.

Afterwards both of them returned to their work stations and went after their individual tasks. Two hours later they met at the reserved conference room for their assignment. Dutifully the two of them started carrying out their tasks. About half an hour into the activity, Hanna entered the room bringing some printouts Lisa had apparently requested.

"Do you need anything else?" the girl asked.

"Yes, there is in fact something I would like to discuss," Lisa said. "Robert has just raised an interesting question."

Robert looked at her in confusion because he could not remember asking anything. Lisa ignored him and kept talking to her assistant: "He wanted to know where exactly the limits of an assistant's services lie. As I am quite knew to having an assistant I could not really answer that. Maybe you can shed some light on the matter."

Robert was utterly confused by the conversation Lisa had initiated.

"I will try my best to be of help but I'm afraid I don't quite know what you mean by limits," Hanna admitted.

"What I mean is, are there some things you are not allowed or not supposed to do, even when I order them?"

"Well, I am not allowed to break any company rules of course," Hanna explained. "Other than that I am not aware of any reason why I would not carry out anything you ask of me; as long as I am capable of doing so."

"So if I would ask something very strange of you, something very different from your usual tasks, you would have no reservations doing it?" Lisa wanted to know.

"It is not my responsibility to decide whether something is strange or not. If you ask something of me you will have your reasons and I will obey."

"So if I would ask you something really weird, for example: I want you to take your cloth off. That wouldn't be a problem for you?"

"Of course not," Hanna replied dutifully. "Do you want me to take my cloth off?"

"If it doesn't make you feel uncomfortable..."

"Not at all," the young woman claimed and started shedding her cloth with enthusiasm. "How far should I undress?"

"All the way please," Lisa requested.

Bewildered, Robert's gaze darted back and forth between Lisa's face and the undressing Worker before them. Lisa showed him a wicked grin which was both worrying and arousing. Soon Hanna was standing there naked, awaiting further instructions. Robert couldn't help but drink in the enticing sight. Her slender, youthful body was magnificent to behold. With smaller breasts and a narrower hip she was not as curvy as Lisa but well-proportioned for her general shape.

"Robert has taken up an interest in human anatomy recently," Lisa provided an explanation for his shameless staring with amusement in her voice. Hanna would probably not even have noticed his looks otherwise. There was no sign of self-consciousness on her. "I am sure he wants to get a better look," she went on. "Could you come closer and get on the table?"

Without a moment of hesitation the assistant climbed onto the conference table. Meanwhile Lisa sat closer to Robert and slipped an unseen hand under the table into his pants. Unsurprisingly she found a quickly growing erection there. She freed the organ from its confines and started slowly stroking it; so close, yet not visible to Hanna. It was an exhilarating scenario.

Lisa sent her assistant through a series of tantalizing poses on the table, testing both Hanna's flexibility and Robert's restraint. In between she made sure to praise the girl for how well she performed the exercises, which ensured that she maintained a brilliant smile while going from one lascivious position to the next. Each pose was more provocative than the last. At some point she was on her knees, facing away from the pair of observers, head on the table, thighs spread, stretching her cute little butt in the air and granting a very revealing view at the pinkness between her legs.

At the sight Robert's arousal approached a peak, but just at the same moment Lisa stopped her jerking and withdrew her hand.

"Thank you Hanna, we have seen enough," she suddenly dismissed her assistant. "You can get dressed."

Hanna did what she was told without a question. "Do you need anything else?" she asked once she was wearing cloth again, as if she had just completed an absolutely normal assignment.

"Not for now," Lisa refused. "You may leave. Thank you for indulging our curiosity."

The girl nodded and left the room.

"What was that?" Robert asked once he was alone with Lisa.

"I told you I would get you in the mood." With a smug expression she flicked his bulging erection. "Looks like I succeeded."

"And now?"

"Now I will claim my price," she announced and mounted his lap, facing him. As their private parts touched, Robert felt a wetness which suggested that the situation had excited Lisa as well. Putting her arms around his neck she leaned close and whispered: "You liked how I made little Hanna pose didn't you?"

"I did," he admitted. "But I was surprised how naughty you can be."

"Oh you have no idea how naughty I can be," she claimed, while raising her hips and guiding Robert's dick to her entrance. "There is so much more we could do." With a satisfied sigh she let herself sink down his length.

"For example?" he asked, just sitting there and letting Lisa ride him.

"Maybe next time we let Hanna watch," she proposed, slowly sliding up and down.

"And how would we explain to her what we are doing?" Robert wanted to know.

"We don't have to explain anything. She will do whatever I tell her, with a smile on her face." She increased her pace and added a gyrating motion of her hips. Robert was overwhelmed by the new, lewd side of his lover. "I might even go further. I could instruct her to suck your cock. I'm sure you would love that." At this point Robert couldn't manage much more than a groan as a response. Lisa just kept going. "I might even let you use all of her holes. She probably won't object to that either. You could do to her whatever you want, she would just accept it willingly; like a perfect little sex toy."

Robert couldn't take it any longer. He grabbed Lisa's waist, thrust his hips upwards and burst. Lisa kept moving throughout his intense orgasm, squeezing every last drop out of him. Afterwards they just stayed entangled for a while.

"Would you really use Hanna like that?" Robert asked once a post-coital soberness had set in. Now the idea was more concerning than arousing.

"I haven't really thought about it in earnest," Lisa admitted. "Probably not; it sounded enticing in the heat of passion, but the more I consider it, the more wrong it seems."

Robert nodded. "I feel the same."

"We could free her from the CERS though," Lisa proposed. "Show her the world from our side. Then she can decide for herself what she wants to do. We would have another person to confide in."

"Is that what you want?" Robert asked.

Lisa just shrugged. "I don't know. It's not like I need someone else. But I have been thinking lately: Is this how we will spend the rest of our lives? Are we going to keep up this secrete existence somewhere between Worker and Natural forever? Just the two of us?"

Robert could understand her well. He had pondered over the same issue many times. "I know what you mean. I don't like the idea of stagnating in this situation forever either; but the further we go, the more risks we take, the higher the chance that the company will find out what is going on."