Waking Jani's Heart

Author's Notes: This short story is one of several I wrote to practice writing. A famous science fiction writer suggests beginning authors start by writing short stories so they can make their mistakes faster. This is my first published story so I am sure I have made a few mistakes. I hope that they will not deter readers from enjoying it.

I would like to thank KENJISATO for his editing assistance in getting this story ready for publication. I learned a lot from his great suggestions.

Waking Jani's Heart is my take on, what I call the 'AI coming of age' plot. By that, I mean the awakening of an AI's self awareness and transition from being a product to a person. It takes place in the future and features a discarded sex robot named Jani and a guy from our time who discovers her.

1

When Kirk spotted the disheveled woman in the park stumble, he rushed over to help her. He reached out his hand and asked, "Are you okay, miss?"

She looked up at him with a neutral expression and said, "I am having difficulty with my servos."

Her answer confused him, like so many things did in this new century. The Alcor reanimation thing worked, but he didn't count on the cultural shock for being revived 117 years after his failed appendectomy.

She took his hand and when she stood, Kirk heard a grinding noise coming from her right leg. "You have a bad prosthetic," he guessed.

"What's a prosthetic?" she asked.

"You know, your artificial leg. It's broken?"

"My leg is broken, but there's nothing artificial about it. It's my original leg. Installed at the factory."

Realization dawned on Kirk. He looked deeply at her face and now noticed, her complexion was a little bit off. "Are you a robot?", he asked excitedly.

She stood as straight as her broken leg allowed and pridefully said, "I'm a constructed companion... or at least, I was." A sadness crept in towards the end.

Kirk stared at her in amazement. She looked so real! Then it hit him. "What do you mean was?"

"Can't you tell? I'm obsolete. That's why my owner abandoned me here. Nobody wants an old, broken companion."

He looked her over and thought, 'This is what these people are throwing away?' He looked her in the eye and asked, "You seemed sad when you said that. That's pretty impressive programming."

With a confused expression, she replied, "What programming are you talking about? Wouldn't you be sad if you were abandoned?"

"You mean you actually feel sad. You can think?"

She looked at him, as if deciding whether he was being cruel like the others, or actually didn't know. She sensed a combination of amazement mixed with genuine concern in him. Somehow, he didn't not know about constructed companions.

"Yes, I think. I feel... I'm sad... I hear that when I'm collected... I won't feel anything anymore. At least there's that."

He made a decision. "You're not going to be 'collected' if I have anything to say about it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not going to let anyone harm you. You can stay at the apartment they gave me. There's room for the both of us."

"I don't understand. I told you I was obsolete. You can get one of the new models with realistic fluids and--"

"You're not obsolete. You're a person. People don't become obsolete!" Kirk explained.

She looked at him with amazement. "You mean you want to own me?"

Her question seemed to offend him. "No! People aren't supposed to own people. I want you to stay with me... if you want to, that is."

She hobbled towards him and gave him a hug. She told him, "I think if I had realistic fluids, I'd cry."

She ended the hug and smiled as she said, "My name is Jani... unless you want to change it."

He smiled and said, "No, Jani is a pretty name. Hi Jani, I'm Kirk." He helped her walk and they slowly made their way to his apartment building.

2

"So, Marken, I met this lady in the park...", Kirk said, to an older man on the monitor.

"Good. You're making friends," he said enthusiastically.

"We'll, she said she's a... how did she put it... a constructed companion."

Marken's enthusiasm waned. "Oh that. You saw a discarded sexbot. Sometimes guys abandon them in the park. A cleanup crew will find her soon."

"Well they won't get Jani. She's here with me."

Marken disapproved. "Kirk, if you want a sexbot, you can afford a new one, but at least try and meet some girls, first."

"That's not the point. I just want to protect Jani," he proclaimed.

Marken's reaction proved the cultural shock went both ways. "Why? It's just a machine. Probably an obsolete one at that."

"That doesn't matter. Can she be fixed? Her leg is broken."

"I suppose, but why not trade it in for a new one. The latest models have realistic fluids and--"

"I don't care about the fluids. I care about her. Can she be fixed?" he interrupted.

Marken sighed and said, "I'll arrange for transfer of title..."

"I don't want to OWN her. I want to HELP her," Kirk exclaimed.

"Somebody has to own it, or it gets recycled," he pointed out.

Now it was Kirk's turn to sigh. "If that's what it takes. Please arrange for her repair, too." He was beginning to have serious doubts about his new world.

3

The man behind the counter said, "The repair is going to cost over 30,000 credits. A new one would be cheaper. And, they have realistic fluids and--"

"I don't care about that. I care about my friend." Kirk was beginning to sound exasperated.

The clerk asked, "Which friend?"

Kirk turned around and pointed to Jani as she looked at him with admiration. "This friend! Please fix her leg. I'll pay."

The clerk looked compassionate as he said, "I see... I'll order a full refurbishment for the same price. She won't be like the new ones, but she'll look and function like when she was new."

Kirk looked relieved as he thanked the man. Perhaps there was hope for these people yet.

He turned to Jani and said, "I'll pick you up when they're done. In the mean-time, we can chat on the video phone."

"Oh no," she casually pointed out. "They'll turn me off until they're done."

How can that not bother her, he wondered. He was surprised when she leaned forward and kissed him. The clerk was surprised, as well. They weren't programmed to initiate intimacy in public places.

4

A week later, Kirk eagerly waited for Jani. He had only known her a couple of days before he dropped her off and already he missed her. Finally the doors to the waiting room opened and in walked Jani. When she saw him, her face lit up. She dropped a small suitcase and ran over to hug and kiss him.

Her long, black hair looked soft and shiny. Her skin was clean with no more blemishes. Her motions were almost completely silent, but none of that mattered to Kirk. What got his attention was the wide grin on her face. She actually looked happy.

"How do you feel, Jani?"

Her expression relaxed and she said, "My systems are... " Then she perked up and continued, "I feel great!"

"Good! Let's get you home."

When they arrived, she looked at him seductively and asked, "So... now that I'm all fixed up, do you want to play?" She then surprised herself by adding, "Please say yes!"

He enthusiastically said, "Sure!" Then he looked at her, not knowing what to do.

On her way to the bathroom, she said, "Let me get myself lubricated."

Kirk eagerly looked forward to her return. He told the house assistant to lower the bedroom lights and play some romantic music. What he heard sounded strange, so he asked for mid twentieth century romantic music. He was pleased to hear Dean Martin singing 'Everybody Loves Somebody'.

Jani came out of the bathroom wearing a sexy transparent negligee. He could make out her dark areolas and firm nipples on a pair of small, pert breasts. He was relieved that pubic hair was back in style as he spotted her dark, full patch. He had a reputation for being old fashioned in his day. What would these people make of him?

"Wow! You look amazing!" he told her.

She smiled and said, "Thank you. You look very hansome yourself."

They moved towards each other and kissed passionately. He opened his mouth and she opened hers. When he put his tongue in her mouth, he was initially surprised to find it dry, then he remembered. She stiffened upon sensing his reaction, but relaxed when he continued their kiss as if he hadn't noticed.

He inhaled and said, "You smell divine!"

"Thank you. They filled my reservoir with the latest scent."

He could feel her warmth and it occurred to him that she had been breathing, or at least pretending. Her skin was soft and feminine and he caressed her back as she rested her head on his shoulder. They slow danced to Bing Crosby's 'It's Been A Long Long Time'.

He kissed her again and became lost in the moment. His cock began to swell in anticipation of the evening. Jani stepped away, reached behind her, and started un-tying her top.

"Can I do that?" he asked her.

She looked pleasantly surprised and gently turned around. Kirk slowly pulled the strings from her top. He then pulled her hair aside and kissed the back of her slender neck.

Doris Day's 'Dream a Little Dream of Me' played as he wrapped his arms around her and caressed her belly. Her top came off in his hands and he let it drop.

Kirk continued to kiss Jani's neck, but also caressed her breasts. He was pleased to find them soft, except for her nipples. They stiffened when he touched them. Jani was truly amazing and he was so glad he had met her.

She swayed to the music and occasionally pressed her butt against his cock. The third time she pressed against him, he reached down with his right hand and caressed her pussy.

Her panties were tied at the sides, but not for long. Kirk grinned as he pulled on the strings and her panties fell to the floor. He ran his fingers through her soft, luxuriant pubic hair and found her clit. It too stiffened with his touch.

Jani moaned softly and continued to press into his now hard cock. She turned around and looked at him with anticipation. "My turn!" she said enthusiastically.

She lifted his shirt, and grinned when she pulled down his pants. His underwear tented out so she delicately guided them around his cock before removing them.

They heard Nat King Cole's 'Embraceable You' played, as he hugged and kissed her deeply, enjoying the feeling of her nipples against his chest.

Jani then guided Kirk backwards to the edge of the bed. He lay down and scooted back as she crawled over him. He couldn't resist gently tugging on her nipples as she moved forward.

She smiled and said, "My. You're in a hurry!" Again, she looked surprised and said, "Me, too!"

She positioned herself over his cock and expertly lowered herself so he felt his cock right at her pussy's entrance. It was quite slippery and he slid in easily. Then her pussy tightened so it had a firm grip on him.

"Would you prefer me to massage you sitting still, or do you want me to bounce?"

He looked confused, so she demonstrated. He felt waves varying pressure move across his cock. It was like nothing he had experienced. His face lit up and he said, "Wow! That's amazing! Keep doing that."

Jani beamed with pride as she sat still on him. Kirk started to moan and breath heavily. She knew just how to read him. When he was close to climaxing, she backed off just enough. Waves of pleasure washed over him and he gripped her hips tightly.

Over time, the duration of deeper massages shortened as he keep getting close to discharge. His expression grew intense and his moans quite loud. When he started squirming under her, she knew it was time. She grinned in anticipation, and he felt a particularly intense massage.

He shouted, "Ahhhhh!" and she felt him climax hard inside her. When he caught his breath, he looked at her and tried to speak. "Oh God! What... how... oh my god, that felt good!"

Jani leaned over and kissed him. Kirk wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

When their kiss ended, he looked at her with admiration and asked, "Can you have an orgasm?"

His question surprised her and she answered, "Why, yes!"

As Tony Bennett sang 'The Way You Look Tonight', he asked, "How do you like to be touched?"

She looked at him in wonder. "You're full of surprises!" Then she lay on her back and said, "My nipples and clit are very sensitive."

Kirk said, "Then prepare for some intense kissing." He gently kissed each of her still hard nipples while he massaged her clit with his fingers. He was rewarded with increasingly louder moans from her.

He then moved between her legs and started sucking hard on her clit. When she started to squirm, he knew he was on the right track. He reached up with both hands and tweaked both of her nipples. Now it was her turn to breathe hard and shout.

Kirk wasn't sure about what to expect or when he should stop, but she made that obvious by screaming, "This feels so intense! Ahhhhhh!" She gripped his head and held it tight to her pussy. Her legs moved spasmodically, then she froze.

Concerned, Kirk managed to free his head so he could look at her. Her expression was one of pure joy. After her orgasm ebbed, she looked at him with great appreciation.

She started to say, "Thank you for tha--" Then, with a look of shock, she said, "I.. I love you! I LOVE you. How... why... I've never felt this emotion... It's so intense..."

Kirk smiled and, "Jani, I'm falling in love with you too!" He didn't need any fancy enhancements for tears to form in his eyes.

They kissed and hugged for a long time. Jim Reeves's 'Welcome To My World' started playing as he asked her, "Jani, will you be my girl?"

"But I thought I already was."

"No, I meant, will you be my girlfriend? Do you choose me?"

The look on her face was one of intense love as she answered, "Oh course! I love you. I want to belong to you forever!"

"And I'll belong to you forever too."

Epilogue

Sometimes, it takes an outsider to see things clearly. Kirk campaigned heavily for constructed companions' rights. It took many more years, but he and Jani eventually succeeded in getting the United Nations to recognize her kind as real people.

Author's postscript: The Alcor Life Extension Foundation is real. As of this writing they are preserving the bodies of close to 200 members in hope that future doctors will develop revival techniques and cure their illnesses.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed my small contribution to the AI and erotica genres and I appreciate your feedback.

Perry