Part 2B: Marlenn

Marlenn.

A robot.

A bi-gendered robot!

Am I even living on Earth any more? What the FUCK is going on here?!

I stared at this haunting apparition hovering before my face for what seemed an eternity, and then I glanced once more at my hand. The hand she had used to let me feel her erect dick, hidden from the rest of the world in her pants. Pants no different from what I wear. Pants that shouldn't have to hide something like that on the real Marlenn Ioanis. The real Marlenn...

Who, I knew well, was a normal woman.

This Marlenn is not an exact robot copy. This Marlenn is an intersexual.

I also knew that the real Marlenn would never subject herself to an operation to make her one.

No normal person, in my experience, would. It probably isn't even possible yet.

That meant only one thing.

"What happened?"

A weak, apologetic smile crossed her face. "It's a long story, Deanna. A very long story."

We remained still for a moment, and then we turned on hearing Pauline politely clear her throat. As I remembered that my friend had no clue about what happened between Marlenn and I back in high school, I took a deep breath. "Sorry about that." I gave her an apologetic smile, and then I moved to do introductions: "Marlenn, this is Pauline Kim, a former English student of mine from Korea who works with me these days at the Morning Mist Training Hall on East Main. She's going to Brock this September to get her sociology degree. Pauline, this is -- as I've just found out -- a bi-'bot almost-replica of a former high school classmate of mine, Marlenn Ioanis."

"I also have that name." Marlenn offered her hand. "I'm honoured to make your acquaintance, Miss Kim."

"As am I, Sounsaeng-nim," Pauline gave her hand a firm squeeze. On hearing my friend give her the title Korean 'bots normally gave 'bot technicians, I was quick to notice Marlenn's blush. "It's rare to encounter a robot who also works as a technician."

"I'm a freed robot, like Deanna's friends, Reika and Irene," Marlenn explained. "As she just hinted, I'm an Implanted Personality model. My memory template -- whom I also address as my mother -- created me to serve as an assistant in her laboratory here in Welland."

An understanding look crossed Pauline's face. "I see. Well, it's clearly obvious to me that you and Deanna need to talk about some things, so I'll go watch Emiru-ya's show, then possibly ask her for another private dance."

I flashed an apologetic look her way. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She picked up her soju bottle and the shot glass before heading to the door. Stopping before opening it, she gazed at me. "That scar on your lower abdomen," she said, lowering her voice. "Was Marlenn's mother involved in that?"

"She was."

Marlenn and I had both spoken, by the way.

Pauline nodded. "I see. Shillehaemnida." Excuse me.

She stepped out. Marlenn closed the door behind her, and then she locked it. She then sat down on the mini-stage in front of me. We looked at each other for a moment before I finally realized I had to ask this question. "What happened to Marlenn?"

Fortunately, the 'bot sitting before me understood who I was ultimately talking about. "She disappeared five years ago, about a year after I first came on-line. To date..." She bowed her eyes. "No one has any idea what happened to her. Or why."

Disappeared.

Marlenn.

Disappeared.

Missing.

No trace.

Marlenn.

My Marlenn.

Oh, Marlenn...

"Are people looking for her?" I asked. "Her dad? The police?"

"Papa died three years ago," Marlenn replied. Hearing her call Mr. Ioanis that, I nodded. That had been the way the real Marlenn had addressed her father. "The police still have the case open, but nothing significant has been unearthed."

"What about her mom?"

Marlenn bit her lower lip. Another similarity between her and the real Marlenn; this was something she did when she was forced to admit something that hurt her badly. "Mama was devastated when Mother disappeared. She..." She paused for a moment before she took a deep breath. "A year later, she drank a whole bottle of drain cleaner. These days, she's at a senior centre near the hospital, watched over full-time."

I winced as a weight as big as Mount Logan started to sink on my heart. "Do you keep an eye on her?"

"Yes, I do. I created two 'bot nursing assistants to watch over her, linked to me through the main programming computer at my lab. That's linked directly here." She tapped the side of her head. "If something happens to Mama, I'm the first to know."

"What about her brother?"

"He's married, with two children," she reported. "He's also my current owner of record, which is not as incestuous as it sounds. But..."

A shrug rolled her shoulders. "He has to worry more about his wife and kids," I concluded. Seeing her nod, I could only sit still as the strength in my body flowed out of me. Oh, damn it all, why did this have to happen?

Why... ?

"Why was I never told?"

"People were unsure as to what to say to you," she answered. "Some believed it would be best to tell you what happened to Mother right up front. Some believed that after what happened in high school, you shouldn't be bothered by it. Ultimately, so I heard from Papa, it was left to your mother to decide what should happen." A pause. "She said that if the time came that you did elect to return to Welland, what would happen then should be left to you..." Another pause as she gazed on me, her eyes glistening with tears. "And me."

I took that in, and then I sighed. Five years ago, I was busy learning meditative techniques from yoga masters in the ancient city of Kanpur, on the banks of the Ganges east of Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. It was partway through the "dash here, there and everywhere" part of my long walkabout. Six months in China and Tibet, six in India, six in Peru, then six in Mexico. Back then, returning to Welland was the farthest thing from my mind. "Oh, Mama..." I breathed out, a smile crossing my face.

No matter what, Mama always knew the best for me.

Thinking about that, I turned to gaze once more on the beautiful robot bearing the face and name of the woman who, for good and ill, has had the greatest impact on my life outside Mama and my grandmother Ivana. "So what do you want, Lenn? What do you want from me?"

Her answer was automatic. "For you to become my owner of record, Deanna. And for us to be together for the rest of our lives."

I took that in, and then I nodded. "I need to talk to Reika and Irene about that. Not to mention seek advice from some other people."

"I understand," she replied, allowing a slight smile to cross her face...

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you about Marlenn right up front, Deanna."

"It's okay," I replied, winking at Russ. It was closing in on last call as I relaxed by the bar, nursing my Sprite. I hadn't seen hide or hair of Pauline since shortly after Marlenn and I had our talk. Marlenn left around midnight, heading back to her laboratory to check on things there. Currently, she was hosting the M-'bot lover of a city councillor who was getting some programming upgrades. Glancing around the room, I watched as the dancers made their rounds of the tables to obtain whatever last tips were offered. Seeing how drunk most of the patrons seated around the main stage were, I gave the girls' chances on getting some last-minute bucks at about fifty-fifty. "Given the way I reacted after everything went down, I'm pretty grateful that everyone cared for how I felt about things."

"We've always done that." He smiled as he wiped down another glass. "You've always been a treasure to us, Deanna. Before and after the incident between you and Marlenn. Hell, a lot of us envied you, you know. We still do!"

I blinked. "Why would you envy someone like me?"

"Because you're both a man and a woman, Deanna!" He held up a finger to emphasize his point. "To people like me, you're both a great buddy whom we could go out and bar-hop with, horse around with like boys always do -- and at the same time, you're an incredibly attractive woman to woo and court. Lover and best friend, all wrapped in one package. You automatically understand where boys and girls are coming from. Even after you nearly killed yourself, you never lost that. Oh, sure, you were hurt by what Marlenn did. But for as long as I've known you, I've always seen you look to the good side of everything you've faced, everyone you've met. It surprised me you stayed away from Welland that long. Fourteen years?! Whoo!" He winked at me. "But it didn't surprise me that you finally chose to come back home."

I stared at my friend, and then I felt tears sting my eyes. Wiping them clean, I took a deep breath, then swallowed the rest of my Sprite. "Maybe I should fuckin' stop lying to myself and admit the fact that, deep down, I still love her," I muttered.

Russ grinned as he took my glass and refilled it. "Yeah. I still care for her, too. We all do. Believe me, I've got almost every priest in this city offering prayers to the Big Gent Upstairs to have her come back safe and sound," he admitted before handing my refilled glass back. "I mean, don't get me wrong. Lenn..." -- no doubt, like I started to do, Russ used a diminutive form of Marlenn's name to differentiate the 'bot version from the real McCoy -- "... does great work. She thrives on it, Deanna. But jeez! You can't dump all that on a 'bot all at once and not expect her to feel some pain and confusion from it! And I know Marlenn's brother wants to let her go."

"Would you do it?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Naah. I'd be friggin' tempted to try to persuade her to concentrate all her energy on helping me make things work right here at the Retreat. But I couldn't do that to her. Besides, Lenn wants you, Deanna. Who am I to stand in the way of that?"

I smirked before jolting on feeling a soft hand squeeze my shoulder. Turning around, I gazed on who had approached me. "Hi, Chie!" I hailed with a grin on recognizing her. "Is there something the matter?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am, but I was wondering if you'd like a last dance before everything closes down," she said.

I gazed at her, quickly noticing the hopeful look in her eyes. "Alright."

I picked up my drink and beckoned her to a private room. Once inside, she closed and locked the door, then knelt on the mini-stage as I took my place. Sipping my Sprite, I set the glass on a nearby table, and then I gazed on her. Chie is one of the taller of the new girls, standing 162 centimetres -- about five-foot-four -- sans high heels. While Emiru emphasizes the kawaii -- "cute" -- type of Japanese robot, Chie projects the demeanour of a street-smart city girl. Her eyes are a stormy grey, embedded in a pointed, hawkish face. Her long black hair is tied in a high ponytail with a dark silk handkerchief. Tonight, she wore a halter-top that exposed a well-honed midriff, plus leather hot pants. She must have bought it with her tip money; this mode of dress would never have been seen as acceptable in Japan. Like the others, she resembles a nubile girl in her late teens. If she had been a real girl, I would think she was from Kyushu, southernmost of the Home Islands, the one closest geographically to Korea and China.

"As beautiful as a Hakata doll," I whispered.

Chie looked at me, and then her eyes instantly watered as she lunged. Before I could react, she swamped me with a mouth-watering kiss. We held each other for a moment as our tongues played with each other, and then she pulled back. Her cheeks were as red as cherries. Seeing that, I could only conclude one thing: "I take it you were built in Fukuoka," I mused as I reached up to thread my fingers through her hair.

"Yes, I was. At the Mitsubushi plant in Hakata," she replied. Hakata is the eastern part of Fukuoka's city centre, containing the main train and bus terminals, plus the airport and sea ferry terminal for Korea. To say to any Fukuoka girl that she is as pretty as a Hakata doll, a fine porcelain figurine of local manufacture, is a profound compliment. No doubt, that tidbit had been programmed in Chie. "It always makes me feel wonderful whenever someone says that to me. Though I admit that it amazes me that a Canadian like you could notice something like that about me."

"I lived in Fukuoka for a year after graduating university. My first teaching job," I replied, grinning as I gave her a wink. "Though I did take the chance to see all the tourist traps in Japan, it was easy for me to notice all the peculiarities about the local scene." I paused to take a sip of my Sprite before carrying on, "And whenever I needed to take a break from the times I spent in Korea, I went to Fukuoka. Believe me, I got to know almost every hooker 'bot working in Nakasu." I winked again, eliciting a delighted laugh from Chie. Nakasu is Fukuoka's red light district, an island in the Naka River estuary on the Hakata side of downtown.

Chie perked on hearing the opening drumbeat of Highland. Standing, she turned to face me. "Do you want me to dance as a bi?"

I blinked, taken aback by her offer. It was flattering of her to offer that. "Don't you have the same problem Emiru has about that?"

She shook her head decisively. "No."

Surprised by the strength in her words, I nodded. Grinning, she began to sway to the music. As I watched, a noticeable bulge appeared in her pants, rising up the line of her zipper to push her belt buckle away from her navel. Holy shit, how big was she?! Looking up to her face, I whistled as a passionate grimace, way different from what I'd normally expect from a fembot dancer, twisted her lips. As her hands mashed her breasts the way a strong male in lust might, her head gyrated in a circle to whip her ponytail around. I reached over to unsnap her belt and unzip her pants, allowing a cock as big as my own to emerge. Sure enough, it glistened in the low light. Unlike Reika and Irene -- not to mention myself -- Chie's male organ didn't come with a scrotum that would hood the front end of her womanhood.

Not knowing exactly what to do in a situation like this -- this was my first bi-'bot strip dance in a showclub, after all -- I simply grasped her toy with both my hands the way I like to be held. Automatically, Chie began to thrust in and out of my makeshift love hole, her whole upper body swaying to and fro as, too soon, the song approached its climax. My groin began to heat up as her thrusts reminded me of times I had spent making love with Reika and Irene. Along the way, I pulled a hand away to rub her flanks and breasts. Each time, her hands forced mine back down to continue gripping her joystick. Chie knew what she wanted.

While her movements lacked the subtle grace of a normal strip dance, I couldn't deny that this was seriously turning me on. Again with a temporarily free hand, I adjusted my trousers to allow my equipment some breathing room before she could grab me again. I tried to keep it in my pants to stay within Russ' rules. Chie's hand moved down to put mine where she felt it belonged, then on seeing what I was doing, she relaxed, a knowing grin crossing her face. Seeing that, I could only smile. Clearly, even though she might actually have little experience dealing with her "male" side, Chie understood what I was going through.

The song ended soon enough. Chie's movements came to a halt, her eyes focussing on the wall over my head. Gazing at her, I felt a chill run through me. I hadn't seen this sort of reaction whenever I had made love to Reika and Irene.

"Chie, you okay?" I prodded her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm malfunctioning," she whispered, a tear streaming down her right cheek.

Hearing her state that up front, panic clawed through me. "What... ?!"

"I've been unable to properly calibrate my pleasure buffer," Chie reported, the muscles around her eyes twitching. "We're not supposed to be allowed to make any changes to it, but I have to. My orgasm routines... !"

Instantly, I reached down to draw up her hot pants, zipping them up over her erection before reaching for her top. After living with Reika and Irene, I could easily guess what was happening inside Chie. Somehow, something had happened to inhibit the proper function of her pleasure buffer. Either she couldn't flush it after it filled, or the programming "screen" that shielded the remainder of her personality matrix from whatever overt sexual input poured into it wasn't working properly. If she couldn't adjust her buffer's screening level upwards, the input of data on her matrix would soon trigger her orgasm routines. And I knew that one of the primary commands Russ gave his dancers was to never allow their orgasm routines to trigger while they were working, even in the private rooms at the Retreat. This would cross a line dancers in showclubs weren't supposed to cross. Seeing the panic start to appear on her face, I stood up to slip her halter top back on.

Chie was literally caught between a direct order given by her owner and her body's need for sexual release.

A need that I helped her trigger by playing to both her male and female sides simultaneously!

And I strongly doubted she had any sort of decent background knowledge in her memory to help her figure a way out of this on her own.

"Washroom," I firmly told her. "Let's go."

She looked at me, and then she nodded, a flash of relief appearing in her eyes. I walked out of the private room first and alone, smartly marching across to the ladies' room. I stepped inside and waited. Seconds later, Chie walked in, struggling a bit to maintain her balance in the high heels she still wore. No doubt, the cascade of data was starting to affect her other basic functions. I guided her into one of the stalls, and then I followed. Lowering the toilet seat cover so I could be comfortable, I sat. Sensing what I had in mind, Chie locked the door behind us. My hands were already on her pants, unbuckling and unzipping them to let her dick spring free. As soon as I had shoved her clothes past her knees, I gripped her there with one hand, then taking a deep breath to ensure I didn't choke, swallowed her wholesale.

Chie gasped, her back arching to the point where her head smacked into the stall door, her hands ramming into the dividing walls as I started to pump away. It didn't take long for me to strike the motherlode; only a dozen or so strokes were enough to flood my mouth with her ivory gold. I kept my lips firmly sealed around her, trying not to gag too much on her cum before I could swallow it down the right tube.

Finally, after sensing that no more was coming from her for now, I reached over to the roll of toilet paper. Yanking down a metre or so of the stuff, I bundled it up into a thick pad, and then I poised it under my chin before letting her dick slip out of my mouth. Sure enough, tiny globs of cum were still leaking out of her, now falling onto the paper. As soon as that stopped, I got to work cleaning her up.

Once she was dry, I moved to dump the paper into the toilet. "You better put that away for now," I warned her.

Chie jerkily nodded, her eyes still hazed over. No doubt, her mind was still being bombarded with multiple streams of sexual input. I watched as her phallus slowly retracted into her black bush of pubic hair, leaving no visible trace of her bi-'bot nature. When that was complete, she pulled her hot pants up and made herself decent again. I unlocked the door to slip out of the stall. She followed me, then after taking a quick glance around, gave me a hug and very long kiss. "Thank you." She held me close as we rubbed our foreheads together. "If I could, I'd take you somewhere nice and romantic to pay you back any which way you'd like," she added with a wink.

"You might just get the chance." I reached up to tussle her hair as I moved to walk her out of the washroom. "Let me talk to Russ and find out what's going on, first. Something tells me he wanted me to meet you tonight."

"Alright..."

Seven hours later, my eyes opened to gaze on the ceiling of the beautiful bedroom I share with Reika and Irene. Adjusting my body to work out the kinks, I looked left to see a nude Chie lying near the edge of the bed. Since she was facing me, I was quick to note her content smile. No doubt, she was dreaming about something, taking the chance to sort and file all her recent experiences into her memory core. Gently, I shifted myself off the bed and reached for my nightshirt. My nose quickly picked up the many smells of a Western-style breakfast from the living room. Walking in, I grinned on seeing my lovers waiting for me. "'Morning."

"You were already asleep when we came in," Irene reported as we took our seats and dug in. "How long will Chie stay with us?"

"Until the start of work today," I replied. "She needs to go to the bank to put the girls' tip money into their accounts."

"Russ normally does that," Reika noted before sipping her tea.

"She needs a chance to get out and around," I added. "Get outside those four walls and experience some changes into her routine."

"Why?" Irene prodded.

I quickly filled them in with what Russ told me last night after closing. Hearing Chie's story, Reika and Irene could only nod. "Is Russ willing to let her go if someone makes himself available as Chie's new owner?" the latter asked before drinking her orange juice.

"He is," a lilting voice answered from behind us.

We turned as Chie walked into the room. Like Reika and Irene, she had draped herself in a nightshirt. One glance at her groin revealed that she was in "male" format. That brought back pleasant memories from last night when we'd finally been alone to let her use that wonderful toy as Mother Nature intended. And she had used it well.

Reika waved her to the empty chair to my left. "We have some food for you."

"Thank you." Chie took her place, and then she picked up her fork. "Itadakimasu!" she called out. I am about to partake.

With that, she dug into the food. I watched her briefly before turning back to my own breakfast. It didn't surprise me that Chie had the ability to eat and drink. The micro-fusion technology used to break down food into energy for auxiliary power had become commonplace over the last decade. With the demand for more "human-acting" robots going into orbit, it is quite cheap and easy to have even a simple stripper 'bot outfitted with such a system. Chie doesn't actually need it, of course; neither do Reika or Irene when you get down to it. A 'bot's primary power core is, regardless of the exact energy expenditures she faces over her lifetime, designed to last several years before it has to be either refurbished or replaced. Doing that is finally getting cheap, or so I've heard. Well, I mused to myself, the human body has certain redundancies built into it. Why shouldn't a 'bot's body have the same sort of thing?

Breakfast was soon concluded, with Chie bowing her head in thanks to Reika and Irene. "Gochisou-sama deshita." Thank you for the meal.

Reika smiled. "Our pleasure."

We all pitched in to clean up the mess before returning to the living room. Chie was guided into the guest chair while I relaxed on the sofa. Reika and Irene sat to either side of me. "Chie, do you have any idea what you want to do with yourself eventually?" Irene asked.

Our guest shook her head. "Not really. I mean, if necessary, I can continue to work as a strip-dancer. But..."

"You're already getting bored doing just that," I finished for her.

Chie nodded, an ashamed look crossing her face. "Yes. There's no real satisfaction for me doing it now." Then she glanced at me, coyly smiling. "I have to admit that after reviewing what happened between us last night, ma'am, I could've just simply commanded my body's sexual systems to shut down because I was having trouble tuning my pleasure buffer. But..."

"At the time it happened, you couldn't really think about stopping it." Reika tittered. "Believe me, Chie, Irene and I've gone through a lot of the same things you'll be experiencing soon enough."

"Kind of a robot puberty," I added.

"Deanna, do you know if there's someone out there who might want to be Chie's new owner?" Irene asked.

"I know one possible candidate," I noted, then moved to explain...

"Missed you last night."

Pauline started on hearing me say that, and then an apologetic flush crossed her face before she moved to get changed. "I left about one o'clock," she admitted as I slipped on my top. "The way the dancers were willing to let me do almost anything to them..."

I tied my belt around my waist. "Got to you real quick, huh?"

She nodded. "Ne. It's not that I didn't enjoy it. I did, a lot. But..."

"Well, you have to have a certain mindset to visit a showclub, especially ones with loose rules of conduct like Russ' place." I sat down on the small bench that divides the ladies' change room. Our fellow teachers were busy in the training room running an adult class under Master Lily's supervision. The kids would start coming in over the next hour. "Are you still looking for a 'bot of your own?"

Pauline pulled up her trousers. "Yes, I am. Why? Is there one available?"

"Do you remember Chie?"

She stared at me. "Girl about my height, black hair in a ponytail?"

I nodded. "That's her. Russ is willing to let her go for eight thousand. He got her and the others of her group real cheap from a guy in Vancouver who couldn't get his own club off the ground. Chie's saved thirty-five hundred in tips. I'm sure the others would contribute some of their own tip money if they're asked. I'll add something of my own. So will Reika and Irene. How much can you throw in?"

"I can pay the whole amount," Pauline vowed. "There's no need for Chie-ya or any of you to contribute."

My eyebrow arched. "Are you sure? I know your parents are working overtime to help you live comfortably here."

"I know." She then smirked as she tied off her trousers and slipped on her top. "My parents know that I'm interested in getting a robot. I've got twenty thousand in the bank. What they don't know is what type of robot I'm after."

She winked at me. "They're expecting you to get an M-'bot?"

"Ne."

"What will they say when they find out what type of 'bot Chie is?"

She shrugged. "Won't matter to them in the long run. Right now, they think I'm staying in Canada just to get my university degree, then it's back to P'ohang to find a nice man to marry. After which, I'll settle down and become a housewife. That, of course, means that whatever robot I purchase here in Canada will not be coming with me when I return to Korea." After slipping the top over her head, she gave me a thankful smile as she reached for her belt. "You, Sounsaeng-nim, taught me how much better it is to chart your own destiny."

"You're gonna be in for a fight when that time comes, Pauline-a," I warned her, a delighted grin crossing my face.

"I've got four years to prepare for that time." She held up a finger to emphasize her point. "Six if I go for my master's degree."

"Fair enough." I nodded before something came to me. "Would this be your first 'bot, Pauline?"

"Ne. Why do you ask?"

"We'll have to go at this really slow, then," I advised her. "Just buying a 'bot doesn't answer your needs -- or the 'bot's B all at once."

Pauline gave me a curious look, and then she slowly nodded...