Artificial Happiness

She gave him an enthusiastic nod and hurried to the bar. Robert wouldn't have minded her to take her time, finding the view of her well-shaped behind quite entertaining. She returned shortly, carrying two glasses containing mixed liquids of multiple colorful hues. The drink was mostly sweet with only a slight hint of liquor hiding underneath. The taste was quite welcome and Robert sipped it eagerly, having no clue how to strike up a conversation with the beautiful woman who had placed herself right next to him, leaving very little space in between. Luckily she took the lead.

"I am Sarah," she introduced herself.

"Robert; pleased to meet you," he replied, mentally scolding himself for not thinking about an introduction himself.

"You are here for the first time, right?" she followed up.

"Is that so obvious?"

"It is; but I think it's cute." To emphasize that statement she gave him an encouraging look and squeezed his thigh with one hand. She might have ventured further but sensing how tense Robert was, she took it slow.

"Where are you from?" Sarah asked casually.

"I currently live on a space station around Mars," he kind of dodged the question.

"That must be fascinating," she claimed with what sounded like genuine interest. "What brings you to Venus?"

"I am here on a work assignment," Robert replied truthfully.

"Oh I love men who work," she beamed and her hand slid upwards ever so slightly. "What do you do?"

"I work at VRW, a company producing space ships. I am currently testing our latest model." Talking about his work made him a lot more comfortable and confident. This was the one topic he was really proficient in.

"Sounds amazing; flying through space and visiting different Planets, moons and space stations..."

"Have you ever traveled in a space ship?" Robert asked.

"Oh no, I would never dare. I have been on Venus for as long as I can remember and I am quite happy here."

Her words caused a sudden realization for Robert: She was a Worker; all the women in this establishment were; of course. Now that he thought about it, it seemed completely obvious; their exaggerated friendliness, enthusiasm for the job and almost unnatural beauty were all plain indications that all of them were bred and conditioned for this. If almost any other service job was done by Workers it was only logical that it applied to this one as well. Nevertheless it hadn't occurred to Robert before. Maybe it was due to the fact that they didn't fulfill the cliché of the uniformly clothed, highly efficient workforce he was used to from factory life; or perhaps because Robert had been under the impression that Workers and sexuality were two entirely incompatible things; maybe he had just not cared to think about it.

The revelation caused the emergence of a mixture of conflicting sentiments. On the one hand Robert realized that none of these women were here out of their own volition. They had been sold to this establishment just like he had been sold to VRW. Their entire behavior was just a product of their conditioning. It wasn't really Sarah who had decided to come to him and offer her company; it had been the computer in her head which more or less piloted her. Each smile, each kind word and each touch was the result of a mental manipulation by the cybernetic implants.

On the other hand it meant that there were actually real emotions behind her actions. It wasn't just an act with the intention of fooling him into liking her. Just like he enjoyed his work, it was safe to assume that she enjoyed hers; the CERS would make sure of that. Her smiles were the result of actual happiness, her laughs of genuine amusement, and her actions of real desire. Pleasing a customer was her task, so it was only logical that it would bring her joy. It was the very purpose she existed for.

Robert was really unsure how to feel about this situation. Usually his CERS took care of such inner conflicts, but with the control of the system significantly throttled, he was left to his own devices. Sarah noticed his distracted condition.

"Is everything alright?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No- no, of course not," Robert quickly ensured her. The idea of seeing anything but a smile on the beautiful girl's face was abhorrent to him. "I just drifted off into some work-related conundrum. But you have my undivided attention again."

Somehow, talking to Sarah came a lot easier now that he was aware that she was a Worker. Part of it was a sudden curiosity. He wanted to know more about her life, which was supposed to be similar, yet seemed so different compared to his. "Have you always worked here?"

"No, I was transferred here a few months ago. Before that I was a waitress in a restaurant on the other side of the district."

"Why were you transferred?"

"I don't know," Sarah admitted. "They told me I was needed here and that I would be a great addition to the team."

"Do you like your new work?" Robert already knew the answer of course but he needed to hear it from her.

"Yes, I absolutely love it. I liked being a waitress, but working here is even better.

"What do you like most about it?"

"Oh there are so many great things; if I have to pick the one I enjoy most, I would say it's the sex."

That was the first time she explicitly mentioned the supposed purpose of this business and a good opportunity for Robert to steer the conversation into the direction he was most interested in.

"Did you have sex before you started working here?"

"No, of course not," Sarah answered as if the thought was completely absurd. "Why would a waitress have sex?"

"Right; did you know anything about sex when you were a waitress?" he pressed on.

She had to think about that for a moment. "I don't think I did. When I was transferred, I received an extensive training where I learned everything about the topic. Maybe I have already known some of the stuff I learned there, but it's hard to tell." Trying to remember seemed to come with an effort. That was no surprise to Robert. Switching jobs entailed substantial changes in the CERS-configuration and from his experience he knew that it could be confusing and leave certain memories hazy and distorted. The effect was probably even more drastic if she didn't know about the changes.

"I guess by now you must be quite the expert in matters of sexuality," Robert remarked.

"Do you want to find out for yourself?" she asked. Both her voice and her facial expression suddenly became much more lascivious, a strong contrast to the casual nature the conversation had held so far. It had not been Robert's intention but the talk about sex had caused Sarah's CERS to stimulate her physical desires and urge her to speed things up. As a consequence she had moved even closer to Robert and the touch of her hand, now almost at his groin, had become more firm.

Robert didn't need any artificial enhancement to increase his arousal; the natural stimulations of the current situation were more than sufficient. By now they were also strong enough to wash away any doubts or inhibitions.

"I would like that very much," he admitted.

With a satisfied grin, Sarah stood up, took him by the hand and led him across the room. Through a door in the back, they left the part of the building which looked like a bar and entered a different part which resembled a hotel. A large reception desk dominated the room. From behind it, a man in a suit greeted the couple politely.

"You will need to arrange the formalities here," Sarah informed Robert, indicating the reception. "I will meet you in our room." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before disappearing through another door which read "Employees Only"

Being left alone Robert was somewhat confused and unsettled, but he surrendered himself to whatever procedure was required. At this point he was willing to put up with quite a lot in order to see Sarah again.

"Welcome Sir, is this your first visit?" the receptionist wanted to know. He seemed to be a Natural but had a formal demeanor which was unusual for his kind.

"Yes."

"Have you already picked a package?"

"Package?" Robert asked. "I am not sure what you mean."

"A configuration package," the man specified. "It determines the personality, behavior, sexual preferences, stimulation intensity and physical responsiveness of your companion."

"You mean the configuration of her CERS?"

He nodded.

"You are changing the settings of her implants for each individual customer?" Robert asked in disbelief.

"Correct; our employees and their implants are specifically optimized for fast configuration changes almost without side effects. We use the most modern and sophisticated CERS technology on the market." The pride with which the man explained this suggested that he had misinterpreted the reason for his customer's disbelief. Robert was less impressed that this was possible and more shocked that somebody would actually do it.

"What kind of configurations are we talking about?" Robert asked, uncertain if he really wanted to know.

The man explained the possibilities with an advertising tone:

"There are many configurable traits and for each of those there is a broad range of possible settings. One of the most important traits is her attitude towards you. Depending on your preferences she could be madly in love with you, have more friend-like feelings, be interested only in your body, treat you with an emotionless professionalism or even despise you; and plenty of other variants.

"You can also choose from many basic personality traits: Shy and timid or confident and wild; well-mannered good girl or dirty-talking slut; nice friend or arrogant bitch.

"Another trait controls whether her behavior is more on the active or passive side. The passive extreme means she will take no action on her own. She will just submit to your will and let you do whatever you want. On the other end of the spectrum she will take the initiative, put in a lot of work and act on her own impulses. Anything in between is possible.

"Then there is the matter of dominance. In most configurations your companion will do what you ask from her if it is reasonable within the situation. There are even more submissive configurations, where she will display a more devote attitude and obey each and every command with utmost precision; as long as it doesn't conflict with our rules of conduct of course. If you prefer a more strong-willed, more dominant character that is also possible. From a little disobedience and an occasional enforcement of her own will, all the way to her asserting dominance and giving commands, everything can be arranged. Please note that physical punishment beyond what counts as trivialities is not included in the standard services and will entail extra cost and need for clarification.

"Another thing to configure is her libido. The higher you set it the more aroused she will be and the stronger she will crave satisfaction. In addition to that you can increase or decrease the pleasure she will be able to receive. When this trait is maximized, the CERS will amplify stimulations to the point where she can reach an orgasm very easily. On the other extreme she will get only very little satisfaction from the act. It is also possible to grant her normal stimulation but prevent her climax until you explicitly allow it.

"There are some more granular options but those are the most important choices. The available standard packages consist of predefined settings for all of these traits, combining them into a character which is realistic and consistent. However, if none of those suits your tastes, it is also possible to create a custom package at a small additional fee. As this is your first visit I would recommend sticking to the standards."

Robert had listened to the explanation with increasing perplexity. He really couldn't tell how to feel about this. Partly he was horrified that someone would constantly make such drastic interventions on the mind of a Worker for the banal purpose of catering to the fetishes of Naturals. He couldn't imagine a life were his own mind was in such constant flux. At the same time he was fascinated by the technological implications. It proved that with his experiences so far, he had only scratched the surface of what was possible when playing with CERS settings.

"Could you also just leave her with her natural personality?" he asked.

The receptionist let out a patronizing chuckle.

"She is a Worker; she has no natural personality. Everything she says and does and feels is a product of her CERS."

That statement hit Robert hard. Was it true? If yes, what would that mean for him? Did he have a personality? Were the recent changes to his character really a return to his natural self or just a different version of a completely artificial person? Could he ever be like the Naturals or would there always be a barrier between them?

"If I may make a suggestion," the man in the suit proposed. "I would recommend standard package number four, a very commonly requested configuration. Your companion will be kind, amiable and very attracted to you. She will put your pleasure above all else and make an effort to deliver it. She will take some initiative, provide guidance and push you a little for your own good, but will also respect your boundaries and pace. Her libido and pleasure will be slightly increased to ensure she will have plenty of fun. It is well suited for new and inexperienced customers, feels quite natural and fits well to Sarah."

Robert considered it. He really wanted to see the woman again; and he wanted much more from her.

"Will she enjoy it?" Robert asked.

"Of course," the man claimed with absolute certainty. "All Workers enjoy their jobs. She might even get more pleasure out of it than you."

Robert nodded. It made sense. He had always liked his work. Why should Sarah not feel the same way?

"Alright, I'll take it."

"Great, I will set it up." He typed something on the terminal in front of him. "How would you like to pay?" the man asked.

Robert handed him the credit chip Julia had provided. The suited man took it graciously and put it into a reading device.

"Thank you very much. You will be charged for every half hour you started, calculated from first entering the room, until you leave. This includes all standard services as listed in our general conditions. Any additional services or companions come at an extra fee. Any more questions or requests?"

Robert shook his head.

"Very well, your companion will join you shortly in room number six." He indicated the corridor to the right of the reception desk. "Have a pleasant stay."

Robert took the suggested path and walked through the hallway until he reached a door marked with a six. The room on the other side was small, furnished in warm colors and almost fully occupied by a giant bed. He paced up and down along the side, anxiously waiting for a companion he wasn't sure he even wanted to join him. After his conversation with Sarah he had been so sure that this was what he desired but after all he had learned in the meantime, a new kind of doubt had taken hold of him. Not just due to nervousness and insecurity, but because he questioned the ethical implications of the entire undertaking.

Those concerns were put aside for the moment when Sarah entered the room. She looked pretty much the same as when he had last seen her, just a few minutes earlier, yet her beauty overwhelmed him anew.

"Did you miss me?" she smirked when she noticed his longing gaze.

"I did," he admitted.

"So here I am." She came close and wrapped her arms around him. Robert felt a comforting warmth as she pressed her body against his. "So what do you want to do now?" her lewd expression suggested that she had some intriguing ideas.

"I am not sure," Robert said hesitantly. He believed to notice a subtle change in Sarah's demeanor from before. Maybe he just imagined it because he knew that her mind had been altered in the meantime but it was still off-putting.

"In that case, let me give you some ideas." Sarah slid down onto her knees and started removing the cloth from the lower part of his body. Robert just stood there, frozen between delight and reluctance. While his mind was irresolute, his body had no such inhibitions. When his penis was freed, it had already grown substantially. Sarah's touches quickly brought it to its full size. She delicately wrapped a small, soft hand around the shaft, slowly pulled back the foreskin and planted a kiss onto the exposed head.

"How about that?" she asked, looking up at him with a grin.

"That's really good," Robert confirmed, unable to deny his very obvious arousal.

It was enough confirmation for her to continue. Her lips engulfed the engorged tip of his dick while one hand delicately moved along its length and the other caressed his testicles. Robert could feel her warm tongue slide over his most sensitive part. For a while she kept licking and sucking lightly, teasing him with every contact. The treatment intensified his arousal, vanquishing all other thoughts form his mind and made him tremble with desire; yet it did not grant the full satisfaction he so desperately craved. When he was almost ready to beg for more, she started venturing further. Very slowly but persistently her soft lips came closer, gliding over the skin of his shaft. More and more of his phallus disappeared in the woman's mouth. He thought she would stop when the tip pressed against the back of her throat; she didn't. Seemingly without effort she swallowed his entire length. The sensation made Robert sigh with pleasure. It became even better when Sarah started moving again. He soon realized that he wouldn't be able to endure this for long. Just when he felt the climax approach, Sarah retreated and freed his twitching organ, depriving it of the stimulation which would have been needed to send him over the edge. It seemed she could read his body just as well as he could; and she wasn't going to let this end yet. Returning to her previous exercises she effectively kept him close to the peak for a while but never let him reach it. It was incredibly frustrating and pleasant at the same time. At some point she let go of his dick and rose to her feet.

"There is still a lot more for us to try," Sarah commented with a suggestive smile. She took a step back so Robert had a good view of her entire body before starting to discard the few pieces of clothing still covering it. Completely mesmerized, Robert drank in the stunning sight, his eyes wandering between the two small, pink nipples, her hairless groin and the gorgeous body as a whole. After granting him some time for a thorough inspection, she climbed onto the bed. On the far side of it she sat down facing Robert, leaned back and spread her legs wide so he could see her most private parts. A glistening film of wetness covering her labia indicated her arousal. Not his achievement, but that of her implants, Robert knew. The thought made his doubts from earlier well up again.

One of Sarah's hands spread her nether lips while the other beckoned him to come closer; her lustful gaze challenged him to do so much more. He followed the invitation. When he was close enough she reached for his erection, guiding it to the desired target. She placed the tip against her entrance then leaned back and waited for him to do go the rest of the way. While he hesitated, she put a hand to the side of his face raised her eyes to his and gave him a look which shook him to the core. It was a genuine expression of deeply felt emotion. There was desire and affection and trust in that expression, maybe even love. Surely it was intended to encourage and reassure him but to Robert it was an atrocity. This look had no right to be shared in this situation, between those two people. She was not supposed to give it to him and he did not deserve to receive it. It was unreal and wrong. Terrified by his own thoughts, Robert withdrew from the woman, as if her touch burnt his skin.