Chapter 1 - Programming

Well, here's another new story. It seems that I simply keep getting ideas for new stories, which steal inspiration away from continuing my old ones.

I will get back to my other stories soon, but this one simply demanded to be written first.

It also seems that I simply can't write anything short and simple. The basic idea for this story needed some setup, so that's what you're getting in this chapter. Expect at least two more with the actual point of the story.

The title of this story might change. I don't really like the current one, but it's the best I could come up with.

Content: ff cunnilingus fingering

Even after what must have been dozens of times, the sight of Sigma Station, slowly spinning and gleaming in the sunlight and growing in the window as the shuttle approached, was always a welcome sight. There were a lot of very similar stations, most of them closer to civilization, but Sigma was home.

After two months away, even though much of that had been spent on Earth in an inspiring series of conferences and discussions, Sioned was happy to be back. As the shuttle rolled, making the station move out of her view through the window, she could feel her lab calling to her to put her new ideas into practice.

After a good night's sleep, she thought, yawning.

***

The next day started with a rather tedious meeting to welcome back Sioned and those of her colleagues who had also been away. There were a lot of speeches and discussion about what they had learned, and as usual Mike Henderson was the only one who had anything interesting to say. Small wonder, Sioned thought to herself as she finally managed to make it back to her office, He's the only one here smart enough to work on the cutting-edge work we should be focusing on. It was really too bad she so seldom had the opportunity to work on the same projects he did.

As soon as she sat down at her desk, she immediately dove back into her work, tweaking algorithms and spinning up simulations, filling the screens that covered the walls with code, graphs, statistics and other information.

By lunch, as the first of the efficiency results came back, she had been given authority over a small corner of the automated mine and factory that was Rho Station, built around and through a small nearby asteroid to support Sigma Station's need for raw materials and manufactured goods. Sioned tweaked the AI of the sector she had been assigned, using the algorithms she had come up with to -- hopefully -- increase its capacity for handling unexpected events and ability to improve on the designs sent to it by the people at Sigma Station.

An hour before the end of the day, Sioned was feeling confident that her changes would work, reducing the need for intervention by human supervisors and speeding up production. If these changes were widely applicable -- which it looked like they were -- she could look forward to a nice bonus as the Company applied them in other Stations and licensed them out.

Finally, she leaned back in her chair, turning her head to work out the crick in her neck and breathing in the steam from a fresh cup of coffee. She glanced at the clock. Another forty minutes left, and nothing much left to fill them with. The administration was always very insistent on getting a full day's work out of everyone, even though the researchers had tried to explain that it didn't usually work like that. She simply had to wait for the results of her changes, and there was little she could get done in the forty minutes she had left.

Well, if they insisted on keeping her here... There was a personal project she could work on.

AIs were used widely in the solar system, for anything from running automated factories to piloting spacecraft. Though by many measures they were much smarter than people, none of them were too great at handling the unexpected, or the complexities of human interaction. The general consensus was that those areas required true, human-like consciousness, which no-one had yet found a way of creating.

There had been a couple of talks while she was on Earth that had suggested a few possible avenues for improvement in those areas. Some of them would be possible for her to pursue as personal projects, especially since she would need to test her modifications to the Rho Station systems...

After  few minutes' thought, Sioned came to a decision. She took out her phone -- fortunately, the administration had relaxed its rues about connecting personal devices to the lab's networks -- and looked through her files. When she found what she was looking for, a couple of commands sent the designs off to the Rho factory.

She didn't have a license for the design, so this was not, strictly speaking, legal, but this far out from Earth people were generally pretty lax about things like copyright.

Just before the end of the day, the computer pinged to indicate that the design had been accepted and added to the test production queue. Now she only needed to arrange a shuttle to get over there and retrieve it. It wouldn't be too hard. She needed to check on the effects of her modifications, and that was best done in person.

***

Everything did, in fact go smoothly a couple of days later when she visited the factory. Her modifications had indeed improved efficiency -- she had a big pile of data to go through for extra optimization, which would keep her busy at work for the next couple of weeks -- and no-one looked askance as she returned to her quarters with a six-foot-tall crate on an autonomous dolly following along behind her. It took a little effort to get the crate trough the door to her quarters, but eventually it was inside.

She sent the auto-dolly off to wherever it was needed next and made sure the door was locked, then turned toward the big grey plastic rectangle now occupying the center of her living room. There was a flutter of nervousness in her stomach as she ran her fingers along the edge to undo the latches. She had spent a lot of time on this project on the way back from Earth, and the simulations had all worked out so far, but soon she would be putting her new code to the test.

There was a click as the last latch opened, and then a hiss as the seal broke and the inert atmosphere inside equalized with the outside air. The front panel of the crate swung open easily under Sioned's hand. Inside, in a shaped hollow in the foam filling the crate, was what looked like a young woman, with pastel blue hair pressed against the foam behind her back. She had her eyes closed and was completely naked.

Sioned could feel a blush form on her cheeks even though there was no-one around to see her as she took in the expanse of pale skin before her, her eyes drawn unconsciously to the two peaked, dark nipples atop their respective perky breasts. Silly of me, she though, of course it's naked, I didn't ask the factory for any clothing.

She reached out a tentative hand and prodded an immobile arm. The skin felt soft and flexible under her touch. It feels real, she thought, noting that it was a little cold, no doubt from being transported in the cargo hold of the shuttle.

It took some effort to remove the body from the crate. Its limbs wouldn't bend, so it wasn't easy to move it, and finally she left it propped up against the side of the couch. She gave it a quick inspection while trying to suppress the feeling that she looked like a pervert.

As her gaze roamed over the flawless body, she tried to keep in mind why she would have had the factory build her a sexbot: there were many designs for sophisticated robots out there, but if you wanted one that was as human as possible in looks and functionality, it turned out that the high-end sex toy industry had the best designs. So, she tried to remember as her hand ran over a beautifully sculpted, hairless pussy, she really didn't have any choice.

The insights she had found on earth suggested that if she wanted to build an AI that was better at interaction with humans and humanlike reasoning, it would need a humanlike body, at least during the initial training of its reasoning algorithms and priority values. So there was nothing strange about this, really.

As she turned back to the crate and retrieved the 'bot's remote, she almost believed it.

She turned the 'bot on with a tap of a button and watched as it ran through its start-up sequence. The limbs trembled, the head turned from side to side, and then it carefully stuck out its hands and pushed itself up from its awkward position.

It turned in place slowly until its vivid green eyes found Sioned and focused on her face. The mouth curved into a natural-looking smile.

"Hello," it said, in a melodic voice, "I am a Syntech model B00B companion bot. You appear to be my new owner. Is that correct?"

There was indeed room for improvement in the area of interaction. Sioned smiled as she replied.

"Yes, it is." It was always important to be unambiguous with voice-controlled machinery.

"Very well. What is your name, and is there a title with which you would like me to address you?"

"My name is Sioned Poole." She hesitated for a moment, then rallied. She didn't even know if the bot was going to keep its memory after her modifications. She might as well have a bit of fun. "You may address me as 'mistress'.

"Understood, mistress. Have you selected a name for me as well?"

She had.

"You name is Tai." Test-bed for AI Interaction, she'd called the project in her files. It made for a slightly forced acronym, but it sounded nice as a name.

"Understood. Do you have any further instructions for me?"

"I do."

Sioned carefully explained the bot's restrictions; it was not allowed to leave Sioned's quarters, and should remain out of sight should anyone visit, though it could explore inside to familiarize itself with its surroundings. Sioned had opted for the most complete software package, so she also set the bot the task of cleaning up her quarters if Sioned was away. Thankfully, it was about the same size as her, so she gave it some of her old clothes, so that it would be less of a distraction.

The bot -- Tai -- finished dressing itself in an old white t-shirt and a pair of black knee-length shorts, and Sioned felt a brief flash of irrational jealousy. She was wearing almost the exact same thing, but while on her they looked like what they were -- comfortable clothes for lounging around in her quarters -- on Tai, they looked almost sexy. Part of that was probably the way the shirt was tighter on Tai, of course. Though her sculpted breasts were small, they were still bigger than Sioned's near-nonexistent ones.

Lost in those thoughts, she almost missed what Tai said as she finished explaining her instructions.

"I understand. Should you be unsatisfied with my appearance, please check the manual for altering my hair length and the coloring of my hair, skin and eyes. Is there something you want me to do right now?"

Sioned hesitated. She had a copy of Tai's code on her tablet that she had applied her modifications and expansions to, but it really needed some final touches before she uploaded it. She could send Tai off to cook or something, but she had already ordered something from the mess, to be delivered at dinnertime.

Sioned had picked a female model Syntech bot because they were generally a revision or two ahead of the male versions, and she wanted the best for her project. Since she had had no intention of using the bot for its intended purpose, the fact that she herself was mostly attracted to men hadn't mattered. Now, as Tai looked at her with a slightly vacuous smile, a thought that had been brewing in the back of her mind became difficult to ignore. There was a growing warmth between her legs. She had seldom been the target of anyone's focused attention like this.

Sioned knew she was not generally considered beautiful. She was skinny rather than slender, her breasts were tiny, and though she kept her short black hair clean and well-groomed, she didn't pay too much attention to her appearance otherwise. The way Tai's eyes were constantly on her was flattering. It was an absurd thought, of course. It was part of the bot's programming to attend to its owner's desires, and for that it needed to pay attention to her. Still, when a bot looked like a cute girl, it set off certain hard-wired responses in the human brain.

"Oh hell," Sioned said, "Why not?" It wasn't as if the bot was really female, anyway. It was a complicated toy.

Tai's brow wrinkled into a -- cute -- frown of incomprehension. "I did not understand the question. Please restate."

Sioned sighed. Tai really needed some better programming. "Never mind."

She dropped onto the couch -- a big one, with soft cushions and nearly-real leather, one of the few luxuries she had indulged in other than her top-of-the-line computing equipment -- and picked up her tablet. She might as well have some fun while she ran the final checks on the new code.

"Kneel," she commanded, "and lick me. Low intensity," she added, as Tai sank down between her legs with a 'Yes, mistress.' She didn't want to get too distracted.

As Sioned brought her tablet up and called up the T.A.I project, the felt a pair of slim hands carefully pull down her shorts. Her panties quickly followed.

She ahd experience with cunnilingus, of course. While she was currently in a bit of a dry spell, she had had several boyfriends, though none of them had lasted more than a year or so. Work had always been more important. Tai's delicate touch was a new sensation, however. Skillful fingers danced over her thighs, mapping out her responses as the sought out her sensitive spots. As a giggle escaped her, she made a note to make sure she kept the body-language learning expert package in the bot's programming.

Tai was methodical, her fingers moving up Sioned's thighs inch by inch, mapping every twitch and response as they slowly got closer to her center. After a while, as Sioned focused on the work in front of her, her mind reaching the Zen-like state where the code clicked together in her mind, the sensations faded into the background of her awareness.

She wasn't consciously aware of the fingers reaching her lips, massaging them and spreading them apart. The pleasure as careful digits slid between her folds, which were quickly growing wet, siimple became part of the pleasure at expanses of code slotting together in perfect harmony.

Her breath hitched when a warm, wet tongue darted out and skimmed along her pussy. It explored her, avoiding her clit and gently building up her excitement. She didn't notice as she unconsciously spread her legs wider while Tai licked wide swathes from the bottom of her pussy to the top, nor when little sighs of pleasure began escaping from her mouth while she kept working away at the project on her tablet.

Kai's pink tongue gradually went deeper, licking along Sioned's folds and sometimes dipping into her hole, backing off whenever Sioned's breathing grew too harsh. A button nose brushed Sioned's clit as Tai worked, raising her excitement higher, higher but never so high as to make her cum.

Sioned worked frantically, no longer consciously aware of the pleasure coursing through her body as spires of code built themselves in her mind and flowed through her dancing fingers into the talent but spurred on by it nonetheless. There was nothing but the code, the complex workings of the AI she was building, as she floated in a haze of pleasure.

A finger slipped deep inside her pussy in one go, curling, twisting, exploring her responses and seeking out the spots that brought out moans, sighs and hitched breath. Sioned groaned as it was joined by a second, stretching her gently and making the tablet tremble in her hands. The two digits began sliding in and out of her lubricated hole as the tireless tongue swirled along her folds and around her throbbing clit.

When Sioned's thighs began trembling and her breathing grew irregular, Tai's motions slowed, obedient to Sioned's instructions for low intensity. As Sioned kept working, Tai kept her pleasure ticking over, keeping her pussy wet without ever pushing her close to her climax.

As the minutes passed and turned into hours, Sioned slumped further and further in her seat, sinking down into the cushions while she worked and Tai grew more and more familiar with her body, her responses, and kept the pleasure buzzing through her as her fingers pumped away ceaselessly and her tongue roamed over every inch of Sioned's swollen pussy, never retracing its steps but leaving no part alone for long either.

Tai's fingers made squelching sounds as Sioned's wetness flowed from her pussy, dripping down onto the couch and covering her thighs in a glistening sheen of excitement.

It was only when Sioned's tablet PINGed to announce a successful compile that she surfaced from her thoughts and became aware that her body was trembling with pleasure.

"Oh," she breathed, as she let the tablet drop to the couch beside her. She looked down at the head between her legs, the blue hair bobbing gently as the bot worked at her pussy. The sight sent a bolt of pleasure shooting straight to her clit and made her shiver.

Her body felt tired and utterly relaxed, suffused with the pleasure radiating out from her center. She turned her unsteady head and looked at the clock. It was fifteen minutes until dinnertime. She hadn't hit this pitch of concentration for years. She had expected to be at it at least until ten or so.

"W-well," she stammered, tousling Tai's hair with a trembling hand. The bot didn't pause in its movements. "I guess it's good I kept most of your original directives and capabilities intact."

She took a deep, shuddering breath. Fifteen minutes until dinner got here. She had some time to... see what else Tai could do.

"Increase intensity. Make me orgasm!"

Tai's response was a hum of acknowledgement that made Sioned's clit buzz. A moment later, the fingers inside her sped up while the tongue ceased its wandering and went directly to her clit. Sioned gasped.

Tai's slim digits curled inside her, her fingertips skimming over her G-spot with every thrust. Her skillful tongue flicked rapidly over her clit, going faster and rougher until she let out a hissing breath, then pulling back until the sensations was just at the edge of too hard.

Tai had learned Sioned's body well over the past few hours, and now put all that knowledge to use to push her toward her orgasm as fast as possible. A third finger was added, the sensation of her stretching pussy making stars appear of her eyes. The fingers moved faster and faster, past the point at which any human would have had to give up in fatigue. Sioned trembled in her seat, her fingers flexing jerkily as the overwhelming feelings coursed through her.

It didn't take long. Sioned was muzzily aware that the tongue was replaced by a pair of strumming fingers, freeing it up to once again roam her folds. The added sensation was the last straw. As Tai's finger's pistoned in and out of her and roughly flicked her clit, Sioned's limbs locked up and her breath stuck in her throat.

A wave of pleasure that had been building for hours now finally crested and crashed over her.

"Gnuh!" she gasped, unable to even scream as a tremendous orgasm ripped through her and took her breath away.

She barely noticed that Tai's motions changed, growing gentler and drawing out her orgasm even as a squirt of Sioned's fluids splashed over the bot's face. As her orgasm slowly faded, the motions grew gentler still, slowly letting her down from the peak of her pleasure as she collapsed bonelessly on the couch.

Sioned blinked slowly as clarity returned. Tai was still kneeling between her legs, unmoving now and looking up at her with an attentive expression on her cum-covered face.

"T-that-" Sioned began, breathing deeply, "that was well done."

"Thank you, mistress," the bot replied with a small smile. "Shall I fetch you new clothing, and clean this up?"

Sioned looked down. Her shorts, on the floor, were drenched with her own fluids, and there was a big wet spot on the couch. Tai's shirt was wet as well, the darker spots of her nipples clearly visible through the near-transparent cloth.

"Yes, and put some new clothes on as well."

Sioned could lie here for a while until she got her breath back.

***

Tai worked efficiently. By the time the door chimed to announce the delivery of dinner, it had cleaned up the wet spot, retrieved new clothing for Sioned, and had withdrawn to the bedroom to change its own clothes.

Sioned ate quickly. The Station's mess usually delivered pretty good food from the limited variety that was available on a self-sufficient station, but she barely noticed the taste as she rushed through dinner.

As soon as she was done, she left the mess on the table and called Tai back into the room.

"Lie down on the couch, face-down," she ordered.

The bot obeyed quickly and without question. Sioned took up the remove again and powered it down, and a few minutes later she had used the tools that had also come in the crate to split open the synthetic skin in its back and open up a panel to show the bot's controlling computer.

Sioned scratched her chin thoughtfully.

"Yes, I was right. There is no way my new program is going to run on this."

The compact electronics inside were fairly powerful for their size, but they had mostly been built for robustness and reliability in a mobile platform. The modifications she had made to the bot's code had increased the memory and processor requirements by an order of magnitude.

"Thankfully, I came prepared," she said. She didn't normally talk to herself, but even face-down and turned off, the bot looked human enough that she had and urge to explain things.

It took a bit of work -- the bot's internals had not been designed with end-user modification in mind -- but eventually she managed to replace the bot's internal computer with a radio receiver and a small processor to encode the input from the body's sensors. Sioned carefully closed up the panel and re-sealed the skin, then turned to the black one-foot-cubical chassis that had also come in the crate from the factory. She had know she would need more processing power, and this small server would link up with the bot's body over radio. There was no real need for its brain to be inside its body, after all.

She uploaded her modified code to the server, then checked through the code on her tablet one last time. A more complex AI with a greater capacity for learning needed more complex directives as well; the simple drive to follow orders could go wrong in an AI that was capable of 'thinking' more about its orders, and that hopefully would show more initiative. She had gone for a more general drive to look out for Sioned's desires and well-being. The exact directives didn't matter much, of course. It was more about seeing what her new programming would allow the AI to make of those directives.

There were still the bedrock directives of obeying orders and avoiding harm to people, of course. After a moment of thought, she plugged took the memory module from the old processor and plugged it into the new cube. She didn't want to have to repeat her instructions to the new incarnation of Tai.

She sat back to look at her handiwork for a moment, and was then distracted by a beep from her tablet. She had been at this longer than she'd thought. It was almost bedtime.

Oh well, that wasn't a bad thing. Sioned picked up the remote and turned the body on again, then moved the cubical chassis to a corner of the room and plugged it in. With a push of the power button, it turned on, the light on the front glowing a bright blue as the fans spun up.

The disadvantage to a more advanced AI was that, especially the first time, it would take several hours to boot up and become familiar with its body.

Sioned yawned and went to brush her teeth. The new Tai would be ready by the time she woke up the following day.
