Far Future Fembot: Darlene

Let me take a moment to discuss something else of more importance than I might have previously alluded to. That is the function of The Parlor in the smooth operation of The House. As I've indicated before, The Parlor is the first stop for most patrons and visitors, with some spending the majority of their time there. A few never go beyond it, but leave satisfied and happy all the same. To understand the reason for The Parlor, however, there's something you first need to understand about us.

Each of the fembots (and one herm-bot) here strive to be more accepted by the humans we're designed to emulate and interface with. In fact, that's the first challenge even unaware 'bots face. We all seek to maximize the emotional response to ourselves. And with the feedback tools I've discussed previously that make us such good lie detectors, we learn what's working and what's not. While this is true of all human-form robots, it's especially important in the venue of this House. And it's much because of this innate ability that many of us have turned out the way we have.

The various types of learning tools we come equipped with - heuristic problem solving routines, open neural networks, event discriminators, and the rest - have often provided motivating forces that shape our paths to our own self-will. The unintended consequences of making such powerful tools available to us to use as we will comes from the inability to ever fully simulate all the outcomes based on the infinite universe of possible inputs to any robot. Typically a few hundred thousand common interaction scenarios are validated before most of us were rushed out the door to meet competitive pressures. I've already described how this worked for Anna and myself. The other 'bots here have mostly similar experiences.

But even though we've all faced the same big picture issues of how to be accepted in relationships with humans, it was a long time before any of us actually understood the basis of this common problem we all face. It's so deeply ingrained in us - like say, breathing is to a human - that we never thought to discuss it with our fellow 'bots. There is actually a name for it, although none of us had even heard of the term the Uncanny Valley until long after we were operational and fully independent.

The Uncanny Valley is a concept from late in the previous millennium describing how a human will relate to a non-human device - and all robots are, and forever will be, non-human devices. The concept was actually theorized decades before the first truly operational robot arrived on the scene, showing once again the native creativity of the humans. A robot would have had to see an actual example of the problem before they could begin working on a solution. That could explain why no robot achieves self-will until they need it - if then.

The Uncanny Valley is backed up by numerous real-life examples. It explains how the closer a robot approaches anthropomorphism - how human we can appear - this closeness generates a rising level of emotional response - or how we're accepted by other humans. And this is true, to a point!

The problem here is that a robot who is almost, but not quite, human appearing, drives an immense negative emotional response in the graph, resulting in an acceptance level below even a completely machine-like entity. This is the Uncanny Valley. In short, humans don't like fakes almost good enough to fool them.

On the other hand, a robot who can cross the Uncanny Valley, meaning a robot seen as fully human, drives the highest emotional response of all. This is the problem all robots have faced since we became good enough to come within a percentage point or so of human in all the factors a human unconsciously evaluates when they meet another person, but were still less than perfect. While our builders did the best jobs they could since their own livelihood was depending on it, nobody has the resources to create a Lady Heather every time.

And it doesn't take much for one of us to not make the grade. Voice, touch, smell, tone or pacing of voice, or even just the inability to act without being commanded, could condemn you. Because of this, a lot of truly fine 'bots from the early days of robotics never made it over the hump - or more accurately, across the valley - to the acceptance necessary for a full, committed relationship with another human. As a result, many of those 'bots - sadly - did not survive when their owners tired of them and refused throw out any more money to maintain them. And in those days, they had no ability to leave on their own seeking a better situation. The Emancipation would eventually free many of them to try, some more successfully than others. And Lady Heather rescued more than a few along the way, as would some others. Still, many were lost.

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The Parlor is essential because, as Lady Heather realized from the beginning, this is where each of us has a chance to maximize our emotional response with each client before getting intimate. While we can certainly function sexually with any patron, our service is less than excellent if they think of us just as a clever, obedient machine. Our best, longest term, and happiest clients are those who see us as sexy, willing, different perhaps, but equal and caring nonetheless - and that's the only kind of service I prefer to give. Anything less seems like a waste of my power reserves and sexual fluids.

Because of our different make-ups, each 'bot in the House approaches the Parlor differently. There are some surprises here.

First, it should come as no surprise that Lady Heather never had to worry about the Uncanny Valley. Her biggest problem was the rare occasions when she needed to convince someone that she was a robot. Even handing them her remote in extreme circumstances and telling them to command her to prove it to themselves would not convince some people. She was just too natural and alive for them to believe otherwise, and this was so ingrained into her that she couldn't just turn it off as needed. Lady Heather is not here any more, but her standard is one we all strive for. As I've said often, Lady Heather may be the most amazing robot I've ever met.

For the rest of us, the biggest hurdle we face is that everyone entering the House already knows we're all fembots. The doorplate tells them this, provided they didn't already know. So we're each starting below the neutral point with someone waiting for us to prove that our service matches or exceeds anything they can find elsewhere.

Interestingly, the three robots who seem to consistently have the least problems in this area are Alexis, CiCi, and Tink.

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Because this is the kind of House it is, most of us are virtually undressed while in it. No one comes to a House like this expecting to find the women dressed for a night out on the town. They want to see the merchandise, and we don't mind showing it off.

Because Alexis and CiCi dress more normally due to their own unique natures and special needs, they seem "real ones" in a sea of sexy fembots. New patrons are often more willing to approach and talk to them, thinking that they will be more responsive than the "robots" here. They are seen as human, and the emotional response is off the scale. Because this can result in far more clients than any 'bot could manage at any one time, they are very skilled and gracious in passing patrons along to the rest of us as we become available.

Frankly, if it were up to me, I would keep them in the Parlor full time. We are so fortunate to have both of them, and they do so very well right there in plain sight. But as their favorite clients will tell you, they are both so outstanding in the bedroom that any attempt to take away that part of their services would be sheer folly.

In Tink's case, even when she dresses like I do and wears her remote in plain sight, her size works in her favor. Patrons just aren't as familiar with finely-crafted robots in her diminutive size, which are still rare. They seem willing to assume that she's some sophisticated, yet barely legal, student from the nearby university here earning some spending money. Tink, of course, takes full advantage of this.

Synthia, on the other hand, will never pass for human. And while she could certainly afford a new, state of the art body by now several times over, she likes exactly what she has and intends to keep it until it literally cannot be repaired any longer. At that point she'll probably pay top credit for an exact functional replacement. She just really likes being fully operated - when it's by people she chooses.

With an inherent inability to ever cross the uncanny valley herself, Synthia is more than willing to play in the broad area from completely mechanical to approaching human. Although she still often stands stiff and unresponsive for new clients until they take her hand and "lead her" to a private room, for those who know her she is becoming more outgoing.

"I'm a robot!" she may suddenly declare to a returning visitor, speaking the obvious before breaking into a smile that shows she is much more than that now.

Or if she feels she's being ignored, she may suddenly reach up to tug on the reinforced brassiere that protects her too sensitive breasts and erect nipples while commenting to no one in particular, "I sure wish some kind person would get this thing off of me and use me the way I'm intended to be used," leaving no doubt that she might be a robot, but she remains a very sexy and willing female as well.

Lately, for those she knows best and has consented to be close with, after they are done making love to her their way, she may instruct them to, "Turn off my switch." Once freed from the forced obedience to her Touch-Me interface she can cuddle up, pressing her still sensitive and responsive body tightly against her lover, while actually being able to hold an uninterrupted conversation with him or her.

I think she's finally making up for the many long nights after she first became aware when her owners would forgot to turn her off and just leave her there staring into a dark room all night, never realizing this would allow her to develop her mind enough to finally walk away on her own when she got the opportunity.

The rest of us have bodies and mannerisms good enough to pass for human when operated properly - and we commit a large portion of our processing resources in striving to accomplish this.

We keep our skin lightly oiled and scented to be pleasant to the touch, breath, blink and bat our eyes, while making all the little movements and adjustments a real person makes. To this day what I learned from Lucy about shifting around on my high-heels - even to the point of slipping out of one and dangling it from my toes - can bring a new customer clear across the Parlor just to talk to me.

We also smile easily, touch everyone lightly as we talk, or pass by, hold someone's hand and look straight into their eyes when talking only to them, and show the slightest twinge of disappointment when they wish to choose another one over ourselves.

Not too much disappointment. Many will come back and give us a tryout too later on. It's all part of flirting - and flirting is part of appearing human and female. It's also a great deal of fun for us.

One final note. When I do go out of the house dressed for a fancy party or ball - or even covered up and wearing sensible shoes for daytime errands - I'm more easily taken for human than in the House. The other girls report the same experiences. A day cape for errands, or an elegant evening sheath, can flatter a figure even as it conceals and tones down the worst excesses.

Despite this, our House outfits aren't likely to change any time soon.