Mega Man Fan Fiction ❯ The Upgrades ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

"Dr. Light, I think what you did for me isn't working," Mega Man said.

Light didn't look from his triple-monitor computer.  Goggles covered his eyes.  "What do you mean?"  

One screen contained a discolored wireframe Light could only interpret using his special glasses.  Another had a graph and scrolling lines of code.  The third displayed a draft of his speech to the robotics convention.  It did not have much more content than "Speech for International Conference on Artificial and Synthetic Intelligence".

"I think the upgrades may be malfunctioning," Rock said.

"What's the behavior?"

"I think it's more a lack of behavior.  I don't get any pleasure from manipulation."

"You're not supposed to.  It's ornamental," Light said, glancing between the two monitors that didn't contain his speech.  "It's not attached to your higher functions."

"Could it be?"

Light sighed, took off his goggles, and sat back in his chair.  "First, why in the world would you want it to?  And what would you do if it was?"

"It feels like it's only half-finished.  It's like needing to deliver information and not quite making the connection.  There's no feeling of satisfaction or resolve."  Mega Man pled to Light with his eyes.  

Light hunched over in his chair and rubbed his eyebrows.  "I don't even know how that would work.  How would you even get pleasure?  You have nothing like an endocrine system.  You don't have neurons or endorphins.  You have circuits and programming."

"Surely there's got to be some robotic equivalent.  I share so many human characteristics, both inside and out.  Maybe something within the AI?"

"It would be an illusion.  Instead of receiving pleasure, you would be getting a message like 'you have pleasure'.  And your reactions would be for humans to interpret.  That's why it's called 'artificial' intelligence.  It's synthetically created."

"If robots are just artificial people, can't you artificially create those sensations?"

Light sat back.  "Well, it's not that simple.  You can't just... unless..."  He hunched again, thinking.  "If I could overclock the systems, that would build up energy.  It would have to be brief though.  But then so is an orgasm.  Also, it's not quite same sensation -- it's more of a slowing.  A blanking euphoria."

"But that can be simulated, right?"

"Yes, that part would be easy.  But the integrity of it, I'd have no idea.  And the secondary effects like freezing of muscles...  I could add an interrupt to the vocalizations."  

Light turned to his computer and typed out a few notes into his development environment.  Then a few more.  Ideas poured out of him as he hovered over his keyboard.  He had to write it all down before he lost it.  

Once he was drained, he sat back.  "This could work.  With some refinement."

"How long will it take to implement?"

"Not long.  This will be just programming.  The hardware is already in place.  In fact, it... but..."  He sat back and sighed.  

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking how, this is another step towards..."  He gave a side-glance to Rock.  "That was the problem with your brother, you know.  We made him too human."

"I..." Mega Man swallowed.  "I don't think that's going to happen to me."

"No, no, of course not.  Your systems are totally different.  Different configurations, hardware.  Something like that could never happen to you."

"I won't let it happen to me."  Rock bowed respectfully.  "Thank you, Dr. Light.  I really appreciate this.  I know you've been so busy..."

"Don't worry about it," Light said.  Rock left him to work.  

He spent the rest of the day on Rock's modifications, occasionally pecking out a few words during compile time.  It didn't take long for Light to finalize the software, run it, debug it, and deploy it to a rough simulation of Rock's AI framework.  Everything seemed fine -- no interference with existing thought routines or pattern recognition.  And his interface could handle the extra load.

Still, Light was nervous.  He'd never made anything like this before, never intended to.  Rock had the three laws installed, but these new values tested the boundaries of his standard operating parameters.  Light had the feeling like when he left on vacation and forgot something.

He didn't even realize evening had come when the door opened.  He expected to see Rock, eager to take the next step towards being human.  Instead, it was Roll.

"Doctor Light?" she said.  "I'd like to be anatomically correct."

Light's mouth gaped.  "You?  Why?  Why in the world would you want that?"  He shirked away.  "Don't tell me you want a penis too."

Roll laughed.  "No, no.  I'm obviously a girl.  Why would I want boy parts?"

"I don't know."  Light rubbed his face.  "It's been a long day.  I haven't left this desk, designing upgrades for your brother.  This is because of him, isn't it?"

"Somewhat.  But moreover, I feel there's something missing from my body.  The way I figure it, you made me with gender in mind.  Why not make me with sex?"

Light hoped she meant "sex" as an attribute.  "Because you can't possibly be having sex.  Sex is for procreation, primarily.  Any of the secondary effects that come from it -- those are exclusive to humans."

"That's the problem.  I'm the more human of the two of us.  I have a human job, I act as your liaison and assistant.  Yet, I still have trouble relating to humans.  Some treat me warmly, some treat me as a slave, or worse, a machine.  Even though I don't outwardly resemble a robot."

"I can't argue with that.  But that has nothing to do with sex."

"Sex is something humans bond over.  It's one of the primal differences between us.  Many men and women discuss matters of a sexual nature, and I can't join in these.  Women especially.  Their greatest bonds form over matters of biology and relationships."

"And a vagina is going to help that?"

"It might.  I think anything would help.  If it doesn't, then nothing changes."

"I don't have time for this," Light said.  "I have multiple speeches to write.  I'm arguing against Asimovian rules while trying to enforce them with this."  He gestured to the lines of code on the computer screen.  

"Please," Roll held her hands together.  "It wouldn't take long.  I checked my designs.  There's already a slight cavity there.  And it's not like you're making a whole reproductive system."

He had already designed the software for Rock.  The same could apply to Roll with few modifications -- their architecture was almost identical.

Light waved his hand.  "Fine.  I should have something later tonight.  I can work on it while I'm upgrading your brother.  And tell him to come in here.  I'm ready to go over this with him."

In-between load times, Light cobbled together some sentences for his speech.  He was a programmer, not a speech writer.  And everything he wrote sounded too procedural.  First this, then that.  If not this, then this.  Every paragraph involved several hopeful glances to the other monitor and the number in front of "percent complete".

After a valid checksum and three correct diagnostics, both Mega Man and Roll's new AI deployments finished.  He activated their start-up programs.  Rock awoke first, blinking his eyes.  Next to him, Roll's eyelids fluttered.

There would never be enough showers in the world to cleanse Light's spirit after working on her.  It was like making a sex doll -- one that looked like his own daughter.  Roll used to be an endearing cherub who dutifully swept and cooked.  Now she was a mature high schooler, with adult breasts, hips, and thighs.  And other things.  

"Did it work?" Rock asked.  On start-up, he'd already checked his subroutines, made sure all existing programming was there, and the new software update was established.  Roll did the same.

"Everything seems fine from my end," Light said.  "How do you feel?"

Rock felt his body.  All his physical features were still there.  He felt a little more mature, a little more adult.  

"Different," Roll said.

"Me too."  Rock said.  

"I feel a little quivery," Roll said.

"I have so many stronger desires," Rock said.  "Like I'm holding a little dog that barks at everything."

"That sounds about right," Dr. Light said, remembering his high school days.  "Well, if you don't find any errors..."

"None," Rock said.  Roll shook her head as well.

"Good, then both of you, go about your business.  I've spent too much time on this already.  I've still got to finish this speech.  Then revise it.  And I've got a news program to go on.  I have to clean myself up.  Get my dress suit."

"I can take care of that, Dr. Light," Roll said.

"Yes, yes.  But I've got to put it on.  Go, go.  You're already..."  He grunted and turned back to the computer.

Roll and Rock smiled.  It wasn't atypical to see him trail off like a doddering old man.  Scientific reports spoke of the mind slowing as age increased.  And Light had so many things to think about.  

They backed away out of the laboratory.  Outside, Mega Man took a breath of air.

"What are you going to do?" Roll asked.

"I'm going to try out my new systems," he replied gleefully.  "What about you?"  

"Yes, I suppose I'll do that.  Although I have a few responsibilities first."  She gestured back to Light's lab.  "But I'm not even sure how to start with this new physiology."

Mega Man put a finger to his chin.  "You know, I don't either.  It's like having the tools, but not knowing how to use them."

Both of them underwent intense training periods during their first activations.  Contrary to what most people thought, AI did not equate to instant knowledge and comprehension.  Robots were learning machines, and robots like Rock and Roll needed to learn how to be human.

"I suppose more research is warranted."  Rock snickered.  "I'm sure the Internet has no shortage of source material."

Roll laughed too.  "We still have our normal duties though.  Perhaps we should split the labor."

"You study sociological aspects, I'll analyze biological."

"Agreed."  

Roll stood in front of the full-length mirror.  She could have brought up blueprints, run diagnostics, formed data models, but that wasn't what she wanted.  She wanted to know what she looked like.  To see what humans see.  

The house was clean beyond recognition, the bills were paid, the garden was weeded and fed, and dinner was prepared.  This was her reward to herself for completing her duties -- a chance to fully examine her body for the first time.

The red dress she traditionally wore felt smaller.  She'd already let it out to compensate for her new shape.  But more than that, it didn't feel like it fit her personality anymore.  

Roll pinched one of the shoulder straps.  She hesitated.  Was undressing appropriate?  Right now?  She was in a private room, though.  And this was her body.

She tugged the band the rest of the way down, taking the top of the undershirt with it.  Her left breast bulged and popped out.  This was it.  This was her license to womanhood.

Her fingers released the strap and caressed the soft flesh of her breast.  She didn't know what to expect -- she had never felt a human breast.  Would it feel rubbery and synthetic, like so many sexbots?  Would it fall into the uncanny valley of "creepily unreal"?  

But by touching it, a warm, comforting sensation spread in her body, compounded by small vibrating sparks.  The tips of her fingers brushed her puffy pink nipple.  They traced around the crinkly areola.  More small shocks triggered as the warm feeling fell to the background.  

This was new.  Her AI gave her feelings of pleasure before -- satisfaction of a job well done, amusement at comedy, contentment from luxury.  But this felt different.  More fundamental, more primal, more arousing.  

She brought down her other strap.  Now topless, she stood before the mirror, hands cupping her breasts.  She pushed them up, pressing them into her chest, then let them drop.  The sensations were exquisite.  She giggled.  

Unable to resist, she wriggled the dress off until it lay wrinkled on the floor.  She stood before the mirror, naked and all flesh.  Through comparative analysis, her body most closely resembled a sixteen-year-old girl.  And a well-developed one.  Now she understood why some men looked at her a certain way.

She could not see her new sex organs in this view.  The lack of hair confused her.  Pubic hair was a natural development, although many sexual women removed it or kept it tightly groomed.  Still, her pelvis now had a slight bulging mound.  She patted it, ran two fingers along the new skin.  Then down further.  And further.  

It happened bit by bit.  Then, all at once.  Roll gasped.  She had no idea her system was capable of such a surge.  It was like a button that triggered joy.  This must have been part of the new configuration.  By her estimates, her hardware could withstand the thrill for a short time -- about the length of an average sexual encounter.

From a side view, her rigid buttocks rounded out into a pleasing shape.  Her breasts did the same, hanging buxomly from her chest.  What would it feel like for someone to grab her ass?  Or squeeze a breast.  Or put a penis inside her?  The idea of a foreign object, penetrating her -- like a knife sliding in and out, over and over -- felt eerie.

But despite that, most women enjoyed sex.  They enjoyed having a partner.  She surely wasn't the only one to have those fears.  Maybe they were part of the experience.  And for the first time, she felt human.

Roll pulled her clothes back on, slipping on one strap after the other.  She'd learned all she could about her own sexuality -- it was time to compare notes.