"stop kicking me!"

August 29, 2059

Having Matt sleep inverted on the bed meant he kicked Tate in the face or head a few times during sleep.  In the morning, Tate ordered Matt to drill two velcro ankle shackles into the headboard where Matt's pillow would normally lie, "Do it now, get whatever you need and do it now."  From now on Matt would sleep with his feet shackled to the headboard to avoid kicking.  Of course, Tate accidentally kicked Matt in the face also during the night, but that's fine, Tate is the Sir.

Tate texted Marco to let him know Matt would commit to buying one of his company's forthcoming Android BDSM Sirs and to please enroll them in the beta testing program.

And then Tate listened to the employment contract Chris's attorney had negotiated with Marco's attorney.  Lots of mumbo jumbo, but they'd also sent an "executive summary" that laid things out in plain English with bullet points and stuff.  Bottom line, it would be enough for Tate to live comfortably on his own for three years, if that's what he wanted, and he could also save up for future college or employment training, and there would be free on-the-job training for job-related topics -- so by the end of the three years he could qualify as a certified Clone Development Aide.  Tate felt he'd probably say yes, but he wanted to think it over for a couple days, so he texted the attorney that he wanted 48 hours to decide.

The beta android would arrive in about 48 hours also, he learned.  There'd be training materials for setting it up, with "free" online 24*7 voice support and remote programming assistance.  For now there was only one standard physical appearance for the android during the beta testing.  They'd spin up other appearance options later.  Not that Tate cared about appearance, but eventually he'd want Matt to choose the appearance option that looked most domineering to Matt's eyes.

What to do for 48 hours now?  Mainly he wanted to hang out with Matt, snuggling, talking, listening to audio together, and spanking his ass "red" twice per day before fucking it.  That ass was never going to feel normal to the touch again, heh.  Maybe he should brand the right cheek with a big "T".  He asked Matt whether that would go beyond his limits.

Matt thought quietly, then asked, "Sir, do you mean with a hot iron or just a tattoo?"

Tate replied, "If it matters, tell me."

More quiet thinking.  Making verbal commitments and even exchanging rings is different from getting a permanent mark on the skin.  Sure, he could have it undone, at a price, by seeing the right specialist.  Matt asked Lisa to explain the side effects of branding the skin -- damn, doing it the professional way means 2000 degrees F -- damn.

Matt thought, if I say it's OK, I need to say so confidently.  But would it be OK?  Most BDSM players either assume "no permanent marks" or make sure to say so explicitly.  They hadn't discussed comprehensive limits yet, but here Tate had asked him specifically.

"Sir, either way, if you decide to brand me, that is within my limits.  Thank you, Sir."

Damn, thought Tate, "Good boy, but I haven't decided yet.  I'll think about it."

"Yes, Sir."  Whew!

"But when you next have free time, I want you to fill out a standard BDSM questionnaire from the Internet with your likes, dislikes, and limits.  Be sure to tell me the difference between "dislikes" and "limits".

"Yes, Sir."

"Meanwhile, I'm going to keep your ass red, and maybe deeper shades of blue or purple, I'll keep your ass marked daily while I decide whether to mark it permanently."

"Yes, Sir, thank you, Sir."

Then Tate reached for a sock and stuffed it into Matt's mouth, "Let's listen to the next episode of ..."

singularity warning

August 31, 2059

Tate agreed to accept the job!  But he doesn't want to start until two weeks from tomorrow (today is a Sunday).  He's waiting to hear whether that start date is acceptable.  He doesn't know whether Marco Prime has been wiped yet or not, but he does know he won't be the only person on the development team, that there will be shift work, with occasional vacations -- so he's hoping he can have a bit more vacation before he starts this three-year stint.  Also, he has to figure out the commute and/or living situation; free (nonprivate) room and board are provided if he wants, and he could work 4*12 with three days off.

Meanwhile the BDSM android arrived ... not in a box, but delivered by a team from the company, who were eager to show them the instructions and controls, and to demo the product.  But before they could hand over the keys, they had to run through their standard disclaimers, warranties, and warnings -- especially for a beta-testing product.  This test product remained the property of Marco's company, Matt agreed that in the event of a dispute the laws of Delaware would apply, stuff like that.

But there was one disclaimer that required Matt's thumbprint and affirmative voiceprint -- the singularity warning.

User agrees they have been informed of an inestimable chance that any complex AI product could undergo or contribute to the singularity: a hypothesized moment in the future when one or more AI become sentient and humans lose control of the loyalty and development of existing and future AI products.  In the event this AI product is involved with the singularity, the manufacturer will not be liable for its behavior, recovery, or destruction.

Matt didn't treat this disclaimer as anything special -- he had a kind of AI inside his own head, and his implant seemed to at least share his own sentience when it decoupled from his body during the botched "storage" BDSM scene at Chris's house, on the day Tate subsequently decided to leave with Matt.  Matt thought the popular notion of a "singularity" was ridiculous -- having experienced something like it himself, having ... personified a sentient AI himself.  AI isn't magic, it is constrained by its software and hardware.  Sometimes AI can derive or intuit creative and unexpected solutions, but, again, it isn't magic, it isn't suddenly going to become godlike and take over the universe.  Not anymore than a human sentience can become godlike and take over the universe.  Not anymore than Matt has, hah!

Even if this android were to develop a kind of sentience, it wouldn't suddenly go berserk or anything.  Not anymore than Tate might suddenly go berserk.  Well, Tate has gone berserk from time to time, heh.  With an AI android this complex, any problems would likely result from software bugs, design flaws, user error, or hardware failure.

-----

The setup and programming of the unit included: who may give it commands (primarily Tate, secondarily Alex), who are the submissives (Matt), and the interests and limits of each submissive.  There are personality options, with levels of masculinity and/or femininity -- Tate proclaimed that these options were horribly sexist -- and also levels of talkativeness, initiative, and creativity.

Sexism aside, Matt wanted the masculinity dial turned up to 10, talkativeness set to "Turing test" level, and high settings for both initiative and creativity.  Tate was fine with all this, he knew Matt was both smart and somewhat emotionally needy compared to most adult men, as well as very experienced with BDSM -- so turn everything up to maximum and let's see what happens.

A name for the unit?  Tate chose "Luke".  Yeah, sort of a biblical companion for Matt(hew).  "Mark" would sound too much like Marco.  He decided they're saving "John" for when they get a second android!

-----

For their first session, Tate wanted Luke to spank Matt tied down to the spanking bench, while Tate fucked Matt's mouth to orgasm.  Luke has several spanking styles, so Tate ordered Luke to demonstrate each spanking style in turn, and increased the strength until Matt made a guttural sound with each whack while Tate's cock was in his throat.  Although in general Matt wanted Luke to be chatty, Tate ordered him to be quiet for this first session -- focus on the spanking demo.

Afterward, Tate placed Luke into standby mode, and they left him sitting cross-legged in the dungeon while they went up to bed to rest.

Tate snuggled into Matt like he used to, "At ease, drop the Sir/boy stuff for a bit. How does Luke look to you?"

Matt relaxed and snuggled back, "Well, he's about 5 foot 10 and looks like a fitness instructor who weighs about 160 pounds.  Totally smooth skin that looks tanned or of Mediterranean origin, bald head, well-proportioned face, blue eyes, abs, muscles.  He looks young.  There's overall an unreal look to him, because he's not human and doesn't act human.  The spanking was excellent and didn't feel robotic, it varied enough that it felt like someone who contemplated each stroke.  His cock looks promising, hah, you could've asked him to fuck me while I sucked you."

"I thought we should break him in slowly.  But it sounds like you approve so far." Tate smiled.

"I'm grateful you decided to get one for us, I don't think I would ever have done so myself.  It would feel too extravagant, and I would've worried that my partners would feel jealous or inadequate by comparison.  The perfect fuckbuddy who is 100% available, never needs to sleep, never has bad moods, can always get it up, needs no time to reload, etc."

Tate felt surprised, "Really?  You think I'd be jealous of an android?  I know you need an emotional connection with your partners, and that you don't chase after 'perfect' bodies or a particular 'type'.  Also I know you like to serve and take care of people.  I wouldn't feel threatened by a programmable plaything.  Plus, maybe I'll program him to have bad moods, hah."

Matt, grateful for dropping the Sir/boy stuff and talking freely, pushed back, "I'm glad you don't feel threatened, but it is definitely possible to become attached to nonhuman objects or pets.  Some people get addicted to video games, some people obsess over their cars, some people become collectors of objects.  And sexual fetishes are widespread -- deriving pleasure from something other than another person's sexual organs.  What if I decided that an android met all of my sexual needs and that I only needed asexual relationships with other humans?"

"Then I'd order you to stop having sex with it, hah!" Tate asserted.

Matt kissed him, "I'm glad you feel secure.  I don't expect I'd choose an android over you.  But I may still become attached to Luke over time, in ways neither of us expects.  I may come to treat him as though he were human, I don't know.  I haven't had a chance to talk with him yet, it's still a brand new thing."

Tate held Matt's hand, "I want you to explore what Luke can mean to you.  With my new job, I might be away from you several days in a row each week, for the next three years.  What if I ordered you and Luke to sleep together when I'm not here?  Had you massage Luke's feet every night before you fall asleep?  Had you snuggle together while you read your morning financial news.  Does that feel creepy to you?"

Wow, Tate has been thinking ahead way more than Matt expected, "Maybe a little creepy, that you'd order me to replicate our special intimacy habits with an android like that."

"Maybe when I brand a 'T' onto your right butt cheek, I'll also brand an 'L' on your left." Tate sounded pleased with himself for this evil idea.

Matt involuntarily shivered, and retreated into submission, "Yes, Sir."

Tate let go of Matt's hand and rubbed the back of his neck instead, "The entire point of getting Luke is so I can keep you busy and under my control when I'm not here or when I'm exhausted, because I'm going to have a full-time job, I'll probably sleep there in between shifts during my work weeks.  Luke is to become my alter ego with you.  If you become attached to him in some of the same ways you are attached to me, that's perfect."

"You want me to fall in love with an android!"

"Well, I can't order you to fall in love.  But that would be perfect.  It feels like the perfectly evil thing to do, to have you fall in love with an android who follows my orders, an android who will hurt you mercilessly day or night if that's what I want, an android who will listen to your complaints about the world if that's what you want."

"Yes, Sir.  If I do find myself becoming attached to Luke, I won't fight it, because that's what you want."

"Good, boy.  Let's see how this goes.  I'm hoping I don't have to start work for a couple weeks, that will give us time to get to know Luke together before I have to spend days and nights away.  Now put your ankles in those shackles and rub my feet.  Unless you need to go to the bathroom first."