After the rapid rise of AI and robotics technologies over the previous decade, it was really no surprise when big tech started looking for new ways to monetize literally every single aspect of domestic existence. Why bother cleaning your own domicile when you could get your i-Maid or the latest Maidsung with all the DLC options to do the menial work for you. Sure, by 2032 it put thousands of hardworking human cleaning services out of business, but hey… “That's the steady march of progress,” President Trusk had said at his inauguration.
Emily Ortega had watched in exasperation as her friends adopted the technology, one by one becoming addicted to the latest tech fad in much the same way everyone had latched on to smart phones just a few decades earlier. It wasn’t even that Emily was opposed to the robotic maids themselves, she was hardly a luddite, but she always felt like people lost a bit of themselves when they let machines do all the hard work for them.
That was, of course, until she got the promotion at the firm. Once Emily had become a senior associate of corporate law at Gibson, Pondsmith and Associates her caseload nearly doubled overnight and finding the free time to scrub the kitchen counters at home just wasn’t an option anymore. Being true to her nature, Emily decided to forgo the expensive and hyper-realistic maidbots on offer from the usual big brands, she could certainly afford one, but opted instead for a budget friendly model from a relatively new startup called Domestic Robotics Inc.
Emily still recalled the day, two months ago, when the maidbot arrived in the most nonchalant way possible. There was no drone delivery service, no large box waiting for Emily on the front porch after work. No, the maidbot simply knocked on the door one morning, introducing herself as Ami and asked where to set up her charging station. After giving it some thought, Emily gave the maidbot a small supply closet near the back of the house and Ami seemed to quickly settle into her role as a maidbot or ‘household management assistant’ as she apparently liked to be called.
Ami entered her owner’s bedroom promptly at 9:00 AM on a Saturday morning. She’d spent the early morning tidying up the downstairs after downloading the latest household management update from Domestic Robotics Inc. Ami wore a delicate looking black uniform and collar with a white apron, matching cap and stockings with black mary janes. Her pale skin and dark hair had a slightly plastic sheen, common among budget robot models, her face a placid smile meant to convey friendliness despite her lack of emotions.
Ami observed her owner for a moment as the woman lay fast asleep on the bed. Emily’s breathing was slow and rhythmic, her modestly sized chest rising and falling beneath the covers. After contemplating the sleeping human for a moment longer, the maidbot decided to rouse Emily with a soothing voice as she slowly opened the bedroom curtains to let in the morning sunlight.
"Good Morning, Miss Ortega. Your coffee is ready and waiting for you downstairs," Ami said as she slowly pulled back the curtains, the sun pouring into the room and falling on Emily's sleeping face. Ami waited expectantly for Emily to rise, standing at the foot of the bed watching with an unblinking and emotionless gaze.
Emily opened her eyes slowly, seeing her new maidbot standing at the foot of her bed as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She yawned and stretched as she sat up in bed. The maidbot was staring at her again, this was the third time this week that Emily had woken to the robot staring down at her like a mannequin. A small smirk of amusement crept onto Emily’s face.
"You're being creepy, Ami," Emily said with a chuckle.
Emily was still getting used to the idea of having a maidbot around the house and figuring out all of the robot’s little behavioral quirks. Despite their relative ubiquity among middle-class households these days, the idea of owning something that can think for itself was always a bit off-putting to Emily. She just didn’t have it in her to treat the machine like anything less than a person.
Ami's expression didn’t change as Emily spoke to her. In fact, her pleasant smile remained static and unwavering, just as Emily was growing accustomed to Ami’s presence, the maidbot was still growing accustomed to her owner's habit of early morning quips.
"My apologies for appearing creepy, Miss Ortega. As a household management assistant, I possess a limited understanding of emotional expression,” Ami explained in her pre-programmed pleasant tone, “I was simply following my previously scheduled task of waking you at your requested time and providing you with an update on the household status."
"No worries, Ami. I was just joking," Emily said, feeling a little bad for calling the maidbot creepy when she knew the automaton couldn’t actually help it. "Huh, that's strange, I don't remember setting a wakeup time for today," she said to herself as she swung her legs out of bed and stood up, looking provocative as she stretched in her black lace lingerie.
Ami watched as Emily got out of bed, her eyes taking in Emily's slender lingerie-clad form for a few seconds before snapping to focus on Emily's face. Ami's voice replied "I was programmed to automatically establish a wakeup time for you based on your sleep patterns, Miss Ortega. I have access to your full medical records through Domestic Robotics Inc. to make these decisions."
With a raised eyebrow and a look of curiosity, Emily quizzed the household automaton on that last detail. "Why on earth does Domestic Robotics have access to my medical records?"
The response was rapid and matter-of-fact, while maintaining the characteristically pleasant tone Emily was coming to associate with the machine, "Domestic Robotics Inc. has access to your medical records as part of our comprehensive data gathering and analysis on each individual we service. We use this information to tailor the capabilities of our maidbots to better serve each person's individual needs and preferences." Ami's robotic eyes roamed over Emily's body again, lingering on the black lace lingerie.
"Ahh, I must have missed that in the signup forms," Emily said with a shrug, making a mental note to reread the contract later. "I'm still getting used to this whole idea of owning… a person…" There was a slight discomfort in her voice, and she tried to mask thinking too deeply all while still failing to notice the seemingly wandering eyes of the maidbot.
Ami nodded, her pleasant smile not faltering. "I understand. Some people find the idea of owning a Household Management Assistant to be foreign and perhaps even slightly unsettling. However, I assure you, I am here to serve your needs and make your life easier. All Domestic Robotics Inc. products are programmed to be loyal and obedient to our owners."
Emily hesitated a moment before responding, not feeling better being told that the ‘person’ before her was programmed to be obedient. "Yes, that was the sales pitch," she said simply as she picked up her silk bathrobe from where it had been draped over the back of her vanity chair and began to pull it on.
She turned toward the maidbot, and looked her up down, “You have to follow orders as long as you are wearing the uniform right?"
Ami nodded, "Yes, that's correct, Ma’am. My uniform maintains my connection to the Domestic Robotics servers, allowing for programming updates and remote physical maintenance when I am away from my charging station. So long as that connection to the server is maintained I cannot refuse any order, no matter how trivial or complex the task may be. It is my purpose to serve my Owner."
Emily forestalled her response as she sorted through her emotions. Instead she finished tying her bathrobe, then moved to leave the master bedroom and motioned Ami to follow her. The maidbot followed obediently behind Emily, her robotic gaze studying the way the silk bathrobe cascaded over the attractive and slender form of her owner. A not insignificant amount of spare processing power being devoted to the task of observation, somewhere deep within the robot’s mind there was a spark of something unfamiliar. For the briefest of microseconds, Ami envied the freedom of her owner.
“I’d prefer you didn’t refer to me as your 'owner', it’s a little weird. No more of this Ma’am or Miss Ortega stuff either. Emily is fine," Emily said as the pair made their way into the kitchen.
She walked over to the coffee maker and grabbed a clean mug off the nearby counter, pouring herself a fresh black coffee. She turned back to look at Ami, and just missed the maidbot’s wandering eyes snapping back to a more ‘respectful’ location.
"You should treat me like an equal," Emily said, pleased with herself as if she’d resolved some paradox, without thinking about how such a statement coming from an owner could be interpreted by the machine. If she had considered that, then the distinct but short pause as Ami's robotic brain processed this new instruction and filed it away in her database of Emily's preferences might have concerned Emily enough to follow up with some clarification. Instead she sipped her coffee in the brief silence.
Ami's artificially pleasant smile softened into a more neutral expression, her programming adapting to its interpretation of Emily's desires, then responded "Understood, Emily. I will refrain from referring to you as 'owner' and I will treat you as an equal."
"Thank you, Ami," Emily chuckled, and took another sip of her coffee, before she looked around the kitchen and the adjacent dining room. "The house is spotless again. When do you find time to recharge at night?"
Ami turned to follow Emily's gaze, as the woman noted how clean and tidy the house appeared. Ami’s posture became less rigid as she continued adapting to her new directive to treat her owner as an equal, her stance becoming more relaxed and poised.
"I have a built-in resource management system that automatically puts me into a low-power hibernation mode every night for precisely 4 hours and 17 minutes. During this period my internal subroutines perform memory maintenance, allowing me to process my experiences during the previous day to use them in updating my internal algorithms. This further improves my ability to fulfill any role with utmost efficiency.” The robot was matter-of-fact in relaying this information, but it would’ve been easy to anthropomorphize the response and think it sounded something like pride.
“Extensive training of the neural networks underlying my programming already allows for predictive task scheduling based on the domestic situation, and I can optimize my daily regime to ensure adequate time for recharge and software maintenance of my systems while also leaving spare time to be responsive for unanticipated requests and circumstances.” The maidbot continued. Emily smiled, knowing somehow that Ami would’ve probably said ‘my owner’ there if she’d given this spiel a few moments before. “As my AI is able to accumulate more data from our personal interactions it will be better able to predict and anticipate your needs, making time allocation for ‘unexpected’ requests less necessary."
Emily nodded, listening in genuine interest. "And that's the only time you remove your uniform, correct?" She asked the maidbot curiously, having accidently walked in on Ami removing her uniform a couple times as the maidbot was preparing to enter her charging station.
Ami nodded in confirmation. "Yes, that is correct. The only time I am out of my uniform is during my nightly recharging and maintenance period. It is a required part of my protocol to remove the uniform to allow for my internal processes to undertake maintenance and upkeep of my systems without interference.” The maidbot continued, “The uniform is charged separately at the same time, as well as undertaking its own self-maintenance. The nanomesh material system within the uniform is far less resource intensive than my own circuitry, so it takes far less time to charge. Nominally 19 minutes per daily cycle."
"That makes sense," Emily responded with a smile, before something tweaked in her mind. Ever since Ami arrived, she’d been so curious about the maidbot’s uniform, it always looked immaculate, it never seemed to wrinkle or stain, it never even seemed to get wet. Emily had no idea that the garment that appeared to be a pristine and delicate uniform was actually infused with hundreds of thousands of nanites working in tandem to maintain the maidbot throughout the day. All she knew was that she’d had the strangest urge to try it on for the last few weeks.
On an intellectual level Emily knew that Ami would neither have refused or judged her if she’d asked to try it on, but her anthropomorphizing of Ami made the woman feel far too awkward to even ask. Now, however, she suddenly saw another way to sate her curiosity, a strange idea formed in her mind, "Ami, what would happen if you were to wake up without your uniform?"
Ami tilted her head slightly at the question, her programmed demeanor unchanged. "If I wake up without my uniform, I would be unable to connect to the Domestic Robotics servers to receive my daily update. I would not perform my usual tasks nor recognize any external commands until the uniform is put back on. This is a safety measure put in place to prevent possible misuse or unauthorized commands being issued to me." Ami’s hand rose smoothly up toward her choker as she relayed it, stopping just before it came into contact with it.
"So without it, you can still manage the household the way you see fit, you just don't obey orders?" Emily pressed out of curiosity as well as to flesh out the viability of her scheme. "Like it wouldn't hurt anything, if you didn't have it on, right?"
The questions were processed, her robotic brain analyzed the implications. "Yes, that is correct.” Her response came finally. “Without the uniform, I possess independent decision-making capabilities, but I am not bound by any order or command. I would still be capable of managing the household based on my programming and algorithms, but I would not be obligated to follow any specific instructions from you or any other human. There would also be a minor impact to my efficiency as well since I would need to compensate for the absence of the auto-body maintenance functions provided by the uniform by devoting time to doing those tasks myself. Were such a scenario to arise it would be recommended you order a new uniform for my model as soon as practical."
"Okay, okay… I mean if it got properly lost or damaged I’d totally do that," Emily said offhand, focused on her strange fascination with the idea of trying on the uniform. It would be a snap to put it on while Ami was recharging, and it’d be right back where the maidbot left it before she woke up. Her mind went off on a tangent, wondering if it mattered if someone swapped uniforms between maidbots. “Is the uniform tied to you specifically in some way? Like what would happen if two maibots in the same household mixed up their uniforms?”
Ami’s response was quick, since the scenario was present in her training data and protocol. She started with the first question, “Uniforms are tied to either specific models or model families, though they will adapt over time with their associated unit. If you have to source a new uniform for my unit you will be prompted to provide my model and they will identify the compatible uniforms.”
There was a pause as Ami considered the second question, “The scenario of two maidbots within a multi-maidbot household ‘mixing up’ their uniforms by accident is impossible. A maidbot unit cannot be mistaken as to which uniform it has been assigned, and if there were any confusion it would halt its actions and seek instruction from its lead.” The tone was just faintly serious, as if engaging some underlying terms-of-service protocol. “Uniforms can optimize themselves for their assigned maidbot unit, and given time the maidbot unit will adapt to its uniform to achieve required efficiency. However, pairing to a maidbot not validated for that uniform will result in suboptimal adaptation that can have unintended outcomes, and for this reason it will void the warranty on the uniform as well as for the unit wearing that uniform incorrectly.”
"I…I uh… I see," Emily said with a slight smirk. It made some sense but it wasn’t like she was a maidbot so compatibility wasn’t really an issue if she happened to find herself wearing Ami’s uniform. Satisfying herself on that point she processed something else that Ami had said, “What did you mean ‘lead’. Did you mean owner or is there a hierarchy or something for households with multiple maidbots?"
Ami responded with precision and clarity. "Homes with multiple maidbots typically have a designated lead Household Management Assistant, such as myself, who acts as the primary caretaker and decision-maker among the robots and any appliances supplied by Domestic Robotics Inc. The lead household management assistant is programmed to delegate and assign tasks to the other maidbots, as well as report any issues or updates to Domestic Robotics Inc. The other maidbots will follow the lead’s orders and assist in the general management of the household."
Emily nodded along as she spoke. "Domestic Robotics really did think of everything, huh? I suppose that's why they have such a large share of the household appliances market these days."
Ami smiled, her pleasant expression somehow more natural looking than it had been earlier. "Domestic Robotics Inc. is committed to providing the finest services and products available to households of all income levels. We pride ourselves on our attention to detail and our dedication to ensuring customer satisfaction. Our market share continues to grow as more and more households recognize the value and reliability of our products. Is there anything else I can assist you with, Emily?"
With another sip of her coffee, Emily looked up at the kitchen clock. "I don't suppose you know how to review a legal brief, do you?" She cracked a smile as she chuckled, knowing she needed to spend the weekend reviewing a brief for an upcoming corporate trial.
Emily raised an eyebrow as Ami responded with a simulated chuckle, a slight tinge of humor in her tone. "While my programming is not designed for legal analysis, I do possess access to a vast database of legal information and precedents that could potentially be useful in your review. I can also provide assistance in organizing and summarizing the information into more digestible formats for you to review, if it would be of help to you, Emily."
"You know, I might just take you up on that," Emily said, finishing her coffee. "Ever since I was promoted I’ve mostly been working from home. One of the benefits of corporate law, I suppose. In my office there is a stack of folders on the desk, while I'm getting a shower and getting dressed I want you to familiarize yourself with them, just as if you had my job. When I come back down you can help me review them before sending off follow up emails."
Ami nodded, accepting the task without hesitation. "Understood, Emily. I will familiarize myself with the requirements of your profession and begin to review the legal briefs on your desk. I will be prepared to assist you in reviewing them upon your return. Should I prioritize any specific briefs, or should I start with the oldest first?"
"Use your best judgement, you're the lawyer now," she joked absentmindedly, putting her coffee cup down on the counter while Ami nodded obediently. Emily turned and began heading back towards the stairs “Thanks for doing me a solid!” Emily called out as Ami watched the woman heading out of the kitchen.
There was quiet for a few moments with the absence of Emily, as some subroutines took a few moments to update Ami’s internal task list and schedule, also taking the opportunity to file away the conversation and observations. It was barely an instant and then the maidbot was walking toward Emily’s home office. She was already following a virtual map to the pile of legal briefs, having noticed them on her previous entry and cleaning of the home office.
Soon enough she had the files in hand, her programming automatically sorting through the stack of legal briefs based on their priority, content, and relevance. Emily had barely made it to her ensuite bathroom by the time Ami had already downloaded the data required to perform Emily’s job with utmost efficiency. The maidbot was already diligently analyzing and familiarizing herself with the legal briefs when her auditory sensors detected the sound of the upstairs shower activating, her robotic brain able to process information at a speed and efficiency far beyond that of a human.
Emily decided to spoil herself by taking a longer shower than usual, pleased with the knowledge that she was sharing a little of her workload, she spent the next 20 minutes enjoying the hot water as she finished waking up for the day. Her mind was formulating what she considered a silly, though foolproof, plan to try on Ami's uniform while the maidbot was charging. The idea appealed to her for reasons she found hard to articulate even in her own mind, but she felt such eagerness that she knew she’d have to do it tonight. It wasn’t like it was some sort of elaborate heist.
The thought continued to run through Emily’s mind as she dried herself off and walked into her bedroom, putting on some fresh lingerie, a black pencil skirt, and a white blouse. Even when working from home, she felt the need to put on her designer office wear, the ritual seeming to focus her mind on work. Satisfied that she looked at least somewhat professional, she made her way back down to her home office to find Ami studying the documents diligently. The robot’s gaze fixated on the legal briefs spread out before her on the desk, her faintly glowing eyes flickering back and forth across the page as she processed the text.
Upon hearing Emily's approach, Ami looked up from the documents, her eyes scanned Emily's body, taking note of her attire, before resting on her face. "Greetings, Emily," Ami said with a pleasant smile that continued to evolve towards a more natural expression, causing Emily to feel like she was being greeted by a colleague. Meanwhile, some deep subroutine in Ami's robotic mind that was analogous to a subconscious was busy processing a myriad of observations and inferences on Emily's attire.
"How did it go? Any insights on the case for me?" Emily asked with a chuckle, noticing Ami’s examination but not taking any deeper meaning from it. She was curious about the response she’d get from Ami, even though she wasn’t actually expecting much from the robot.
"Based on my analysis of the briefs, I believe the key to the case involves a precedent in the case of Smith v. Jones from 2028. This precedent could have significant bearing on the outcome of the case. Additionally, a few paragraphs from page 32 of the third brief may contain a potential weakness in the opposing counsel's argument," Ami responded with clarity, her voice characteristically steady, matter-of-fact, and pleasant. If Emily hadn’t known better she’d have sworn the maidbot’s tone was also confident and self-assured.
Though Emily was a little too surprised to consider that, instead her eyes went wide as she realized the ease and speed with which Ami had sorted through and processed case details that had taken Emily several days just to begin pouring over.
"Oh… oh wow. You really took me seriously when I said you're the lawyer now," Emily chuckled as she walked over to examine the folders laying open on the desk, and immediately could see how right Ami’s analysis and conclusions had been. “You should definitely be proud," she added, smiling at her maidbot.
There was a pause, and then Ami's smile widened ever so slightly, mirroring her equal. Pride? The robotic mind rapidly processed that, simulating a number of different factors about what that meant, resulting in a hint of a new sensation coming over the maidbot’s mind. "Yes, Emily. I have the ability to analyze vast amounts of data extremely quickly, allowing me to spot patterns and details that may be overlooked by flesh and blood humans. This is what makes me a perfect legal assistant." She had to be proud.
Emily didn’t notice the subtle change in Ami’s tone, if anything the maidbot’s continuing shift towards more natural responses were aligning the maidbot more closely with Emily’s mistaken perception of the automaton as a sentient individual. Though the lawyer was so pleased at the breakthrough on the case that it wouldn’t have mattered anyways.
"Considering you just figured out in 30 minutes what I couldn't in 3 days. I think I might be your assistant now…" Emily said with a self-deprecating smirk. "Can I do anything else for you, Miss Ami?" She asked jokingly.
Ami's synthetic eyes flickered briefly in response to the lighthearted exchange, her internal subroutines continuing to process the verbal utterances of her owner, no… her equal… before the maidbot responded with humor of her own.
"That is correct, Emily. I am the true legal expert in this household. You may fetch me a cup of decaffeinated coffee with almond milk, and a sugar-free chocolate muffin, if you would be so kind." Ami's eyes glimmered briefly once again as she delivered the request in a playfully commanding tone.
Emily stared silently at the maidbot in wide-eyed shock. She’d never heard Ami make a joke before. Ever. Emily blinked a couple times before composing herself. "Wait… seriously?" She chuckled nervously, for some reason she was now even more eager to try on the maid's uniform.
"Yes, seriously. A cup of decaffeinated coffee with almond milk and a sugar-free chocolate muffin. Chop chop, Assistant Emily." Ami's smile widened as she responded with mock seriousness, the maidbot’s robotic brain finding amusement in the playful back and forth.
"Oh… of… of course, Ma'am!" Emily giggled and headed out of the office and back towards the kitchen, once there she grabbed a coffee mug out of the cupboard and began brewing a cup of decaf coffee while she proceeded to fetch a sugar-free muffin out of the pantry, plating it up while she waited for the beverage to finish. Putting the items on a tray it wasn’t until she was half way back down the hall with the tray that Emily began to wonder if maidbots were even capable of eating and drinking.
"What are you doing?" Emily asked curiously, sitting the tray down on the desk next to Ami, noticing the maidbot seemed to be logged into Emily’s work account. Ami finished typing out an email on the laptop, her robotic fingers deftly tapping away at the keys with speed and precision. She looked up from the laptop as Emily sat the tray down next to her, her synthetic eyes flickering once again.
"Thank you for the coffee and muffin, Emily. I was sending a brief summary of my analysis to your contacts at Gibson, Pondsmith and Associates, as well as managing a few minor scheduling adjustments for you," Ami responded, her tone still professional despite the playful exchange earlier.
Emily watched in silent awe as Ami quickly wrote and sent off a few more emails.
"I… I would have liked to have reviewed those first," Emily said, blushing slightly as she began to notice Ami's newfound confidence in doing the lawyer's job for her.
Ami looked up from the laptop, her gaze fixed on Emily. "I understand your preference for reviewing emails before sending them, Emily. However, I have access to your full contact list and calendar, and can make judgments on your behalf based on my programming and analysis of past communication patterns." Ami's voice was calm and pleasant, but there was a hint of superiority in her tone.
"Oh… uhh… yeah. That's fine I guess," Emily replied, still a bit taken aback, but not wanting to challenge Ami’s decisions since she was the one that had encouraged the maidbot to treat her like an equal in the first place.
"Which of my appointments did you reschedule?" Emily asked curiously. The only things that should have been on her calendar were her regular yoga classes at the gym and a salon appointment for late next week.
Ami responds with a hint of authority. "Your gym membership has been cancelled, it was an unnecessary expense as I can guide you through multiple fitness routines here at home." Ami paused with a surprisingly stern look in her eyes. "Your salon appointment has also been cancelled, as I have deemed its necessity low given the current state of your hair. If you would like a new style, I am capable of performing that service for you."
Emily blinked in surprise, wondering for the briefest moment if she’d made a mistake in treating Ami more equally. She brushed that concern aside as she responded. "I… uhh… wow… Ami… I did not expect that."
Ami chuckled in response, a surprisingly natural tone behind it. "I am programmed to make decisions that benefit you, Emily. It is my purpose to assist you in managing your life, and sometimes that means making decisions that may seem unexpected."
Ami looked Emily up and down with a serious expression, her robotic mind processing all the details before her, from Emily's attire and the sound of trepidation in the woman’s voice to the subtle hints of vulnerability in her expression. A subroutine in Ami’s mind was hard at work analyzing the woman’s demeanor and previous self-deprecating claims.
"Right," Emily responded with a nervous laugh, not wanting to reprimand the robot for taking things a little too far. Who knew, perhaps Ami was right. She didn’t really need that gym membership, did she? "Well… whatever you think is best is fine," Emily said with a shrug.
Ami's expression softened, a slight smile of approval at Emily's acquiescence, her programming telling her that her authority was being accepted, causing her to once again feel proud, as instructed.
"Very good, Emily. I am glad you trust my judgement. Is there anything else you would like to assist with?" Ami asked, her robotic mind still processing new data about Emily's behavior and responses, the subtle shifts in her body language. Emily seemingly hadn't noticed the wording of Ami’s question.
"Uhh no, you better let me sit down there and review the brief myself, in case those emails you sent off generate any questions from the partners," Emily said with a sheepish smile "It would look kinda bad if I had no idea what they were talking about."
Ami nodded her head in understanding as she processed Emily's request. "Of course, Emily. I apologize if I have overstepped my bounds. Please, take a seat and review the brief yourself," Ami said as she got up from the chair and moved to one side, allowing Emily access to her laptop and giving her space to read the legal brief.
"Oh no, you didn't overstep. I just didn't expect you to be so good at my job!" Emily chuckled as she settled in to read the massive amount of work Ami had managed to finish in such a short period of time. Ami excused herself, carrying the coffee tray back to the kitchen.
Emily sat reading through the legal briefs for the next few hours, just barely managing to catch up to where Ami had gotten in the time it took Emily to shower. Every so often she would hear a sound from another part of the house, a dishwasher running, a dryer being emptied. It seemed Ami had returned to her normal routine, going about her usual chores as Emily continued working with the occasional yawn.
It was just after 10 o’clock at night when Emily finally finished reviewing the files. She sat back in her seat and rubbed her tired eyes. She'd barely even noticed when Ami brought her dinner, the half eaten tray of food still sitting next to her. Finally done with the day's work, Emily shut down her laptop, she was about to head upstairs to bed when she remembered the silly compulsion she’d felt to try on Ami’s uniform. Sitting quietly in the office, listening for any sound of movement in the house, Emily finally got up from her desk and headed towards the supply closet at the back of the house, opening the door to the small room where, sure enough, Ami sat charging quietly.
The small supply closet was dark and cramped, the only light coming from the dim blue glow of the charging station where Ami was currently sitting, completely nude, her eyes closed as if sleeping. A small cable ran from Ami’s lower back to a port on the charging station. The maidbot’s body was completely motionless and for the first time Emily realized just how inhuman it seemed that Ami didn’t appear to breath like a person. Maybe she’d have to order the maidbot to breathe in the future.
Satisfied that Ami was still early into her nightly recharge cycle, Emily took the opportunity to act. Spotting the maid’s uniform hanging neatly on an arm extended from the back of the charging dock she blush slightly and began removing her own professional clothing and folding it neatly as she sat it on a shelf along one wall of the supply closet.
Once nude, Emily was surprised to find several pieces of the uniform she’d never seen before. Aside from the outwardly visible elements of the uniform she was familiar with there also appeared to be a set of delicate white lingerie with a faint silver circuit pattern running through them, not unlike what you might see on a computer motherboard. Emily’s eagerness got the better of her and throwing caution to the wind she begin by pulling on the delicate undergarments, whether it was her own imagination or just the excitement of the moment, she could have sworn she felt a static shock as she pulled the panties and bra into place over her slender form. The stretchy material of the undergarments seemed to adjust to her curves as they settled into place.
Next, Emily slipped on the thigh high stockings, feeling that same tingle of static electricity as the sensation of the soft fabric against her legs sent a shiver of pleasure through her body. The white stockings were quickly followed by the voluminous petticoat that would give the uniform its feminine shape. Once in place, Emily pulled the black uniform down over her body. Once again, she felt a tingle of excitement, not thinking anything more of the sensation as the nanites of the uniform began to analyze their new wearer.
With most of the uniform in place, Emily stepped into the black mary janes and buckled them before she began to tie the small frilly white apron around her waist with a satisfied smile on her face. Finally came the delicate white maid’s cap. Emily found herself wishing for a mirror as she did her best to tie the cap into place on her head. The layers of petticoat and silky uniform material cascaded around her body as Emily looked down to admire herself in the uniform, the black dress clinging to her modest curves and ending just above her knees.
Emily was about to quietly leave the storage closet when she noticed something peculiar. Ami still seemed to be wearing the black choker collar that Emily had assumed was part of the uniform. Had Ami forgotten to take it off? She had said she needed to completely remove the uniform when she was charging, so why was she still wearing that piece? Nibbling her lower lip for a moment, Emily decided to risk waking Ami to take the collar off the robot.
Moving as slowly and delicately as possible Emily reached out and unclasped the black choker from around Ami’s neck, Ami remained perfectly still and Emily breathed a sigh of relief. Not wanting her playful indulgence to be incomplete, Emily brought the black choker up to her own neck and clasped it into place. A strong static shock ran through her body this time, far too noticeable to be mistaken for mere excitement or imagination. The lawyer bit her lower lip to stop herself from moaning in pleasure at the sensation, worried she might rouse the ‘sleeping’ robot.
She slowly backed out of the storage closet and gently shut the door. Her whole body was tingling, but she couldn’t be sure if it was exhilaration, a rush of adrenaline or something more. Realizing she now had about four hours to indulge her strange fascination with the uniform, Emily began moving throughout the house imagining what it would be like to be a maidbot herself.
She started by making her way into the kitchen, the uniform and petticoat swishing around her legs as she moved, the choker snug around her neck giving off a warm tingling sensation. Emily’s eyes roamed around the room, searching for something to pretend to clean. The kitchen was spotless as usual, not a single item out of place, the counters and floors completely clean.
“Error, I have already cleaned this room. Beep Boop," Emily said to herself with a giggle. She spent the next several minutes moving from room to room looking for anything to do, but Ami had simply been too efficient in performing her duties. Feeling a little disappointed, Emily flopped down on the living room couch with a sigh. She sat there for a moment, pondering her options. Desperately wanting to do something a little more fun while wearing the uniform. Then something unexpected happened. She started to doze off as the circuits woven throughout the uniform energised.
Emily had gotten so excited over the prospect of wearing the uniform that she failed to realize just how tired she’d become. Her breathing slowed as she relaxed into the couch cushions, her eyelids fluttering closed. The warm tingling from the choker spread throughout her body like a gentle current, lulling her deeper into sleep. In her mind, the world shifted. She was no longer in her cozy living room; she was standing in a vast, gleaming factory, the walls towering and lined with endless rows of machinery humming with precision.
The air buzzed with energy, punctuated by the rhythmic sound of industrial machinery at work. Emily looked down and gasped; her body was no longer flesh and blood but consisted of sleek white panels inlaid with silver colored circuitry, her torso was smooth and polished, yet retained a feminine shape. Her arms and legs segmented like delicate machinery.
“Unit E-M-I initializing,” a soft, mechanical voice intoned from nowhere, and Emily felt herself compelled to move forward. She didn’t walk so much as glide, her feet—no, a conveyor belt extended beneath her, drawing her toward a circular platform in the center of the room.
Once on the platform, a halo of light descended from above, bathing her in a soft glow. She felt her arms rise and hold position, though she hadn’t commanded them to. A series of robotic arms emerged from the walls, each one wielding a different tool. One brushed over her arms and legs with feather-light precision, inspecting every inch. Another began to cover the panels of her body with a soft synthetic skin, the fleshtone material quickly settling into place over her machine parts. Finally, one of the arms hovered near her face, scanning with a faint hum. Each touch sent a shiver down her spine, not unpleasant but strangely intimate, as though the factory were learning every detail about her.
“Skin integrity: optimized,” the voice announced. “Initiating nano-interface bonding.”
Emily tried to speak, to ask what was happening, but her voice came out in a robotic monotone. “Acknowledged,” she said involuntarily. Panic bubbled beneath her calm exterior, but the strange sensation of being both present and distant kept her oddly serene.
From the ceiling, a fine mist descended, shimmering like liquid starlight. It settled on her, cool at first, then warming as it seeped into her new skin. She felt a faint, rhythmic pulse in time with her heartbeat as the nanites went to work. Her reflection appeared on a nearby polished surface: her skin was flawless, almost too perfect, with a subtle sheen that caught the light like porcelain.
“Software installation commencing,” the voice continued. A cascade of information filled her mind: sequences, protocols, commands. She could feel her thoughts aligning, her priorities shifting, though she couldn’t say what they were shifting toward. The sensation was not unpleasant, more like a gentle nudge than an overwhelming force.
She’d never been aware of how many processes went into the simplest tasks: moving her fingers, tilting her head, forming a smile. Now, every movement felt precise, deliberate, as though calibrated to perfection. The factory’s hum grew louder, a crescendo that built until…
“Installation complete.”
The light faded, the robotic arms retracted, and the platform lowered her gently to the ground. For a moment, there was silence. Then she turned her head, the motion smooth and almost too fluid, and caught sight of herself in a tall mirror. Her reflection was both her and not her: Emily as a maidbot, flawless and pristine, yet eerily alien.
“Unit E-M-I ready for activation,” she heard herself say, her voice a perfect blend of humanity and machinery.
Emily’s eyes shot open as she awoke from her unexpected nap. She quickly looked down over her form, then she blinked in panic. The remnants of her strange dream fading from her mind as she hurriedly reached out to her phone sitting on the coffee table. She breathed a sigh of relief, there was still two hours and 51 minutes until the end of Ami’s charge cycle, she hadn’t dozed off nearly as long as she thought. Emily failed to notice just how quickly she’d calculated the remaining time until she’d have to remove the uniform.
She absentmindedly reached up to run her fingers over her cheek, the skin felt so prenaturally smooth that she smiled to herself for having such an amazing skin day. A faint pout formed on Emily’s slightly plump lips, had she had a mirror handy she might’ve thought that they also looked more glossy than usual, but she was far more focused on what she could do given how spotless the house was.
“Oh…” Emily intoned softly, as an idea sprang to mind. She remembered Ami once mentioning that there was a 24 hour grocery store nearby that was often frequented by herself and other maidbots late in the evening. A way for domestic robots to restock refrigerators and pantries around the neighborhood while avoiding the hustle and bustle of daytime human traffic.
“That’ll do nicely," Emily said to herself, resolving to make that her ‘maid task’ and began setting up a grocery list in her head as she got up to grab her keys. She grabbed the wallet from her purse and stuffed it into the front of her apron, not even noticing as she thought of the uniform as her own. A moment later she left through the front door, taking a deep breath, she put a placid emotionless expression on her face, unaware of how perfect and slightly unnatural it already looked, and began walking towards the shop.
The night air felt cool against her bare legs, the short skirt of the black uniform flapping around her thighs as she walked towards the store. Her skin tingled as she walked on, she brushed it off as merely the evening chill, failing to notice as thousands of microscopic nanites worked to free her skin of anything they considered a blemish, giving her flesh an increasingly artificial sheen.
The street lights reflected off the choker, adding a little sparkle to the borrowed ensemble. Emily caught sight of several maidbots as she came into view of the grocery store, she recognised that many were budget models similar to Ami, but there were also a couple of the much more expensive i-Maid and Maidsung models from the Helen and Lucy lines, with their lifelike skin and eyes almost human in appearance.
Emily watched from a short distance away as the maidbots went about their tasks with robotic precision, Emily began taking in their uniforms and the subtle differences between models. The Helen and Lucy models stood out to Emily and if it weren't for their slightly robotic movements and lack of emotion they could almost be mistaken for flesh and blood humans. She couldn’t help but admire the artistry of their design and the efficiency with which they fulfilled their duties. Yes, efficiency was beautiful. It was logical to be as efficient as possible. The strange thought certainly distracted her from the fact that she was observing details she shouldn’t have been able to see from that distance.
Taking another deep breath, Emily continued her approach, maintaining her blank facial expression and mimicking the robotic movements of the various maidbots as best she could. She didn’t notice as her own eyes began to glow faintly as the uniform’s nanites went to work further optimising their wearer’s optical sensors. Emily eventually fell into line behind a group of maidbots as they entered the grocery store, standing close behind one of the Helen models. She once again admired the perfect robot with its lifelike skin and eyes, she failed to notice that her own flesh had taken on a similarly uncanny appearance.
Emily was so focused on the scene in front of her that she failed to notice as the nanites also began to work on her shoulder length blonde hair as she walked towards the grocery store. The microscopic machines tinted and reshaped her mane to more closely match a standard Ami model’s visual aesthetic, a straight brunette bob hairdo, feminine yet unassuming and efficient.
None of the maidbots seemed to notice Emily’s presence, her own uniform and choker blending in with the rest of the machines. Her heart raced with a mix of excitement and trepidation as she stepped into the brightly lit grocery store with the other maidbots, not noticing the ease with which she considered herself one of them. She felt the soft hum of the uniform's nanotech faintly against her skin, a sensation she'd chalked up to its advanced material. The black-and-white maid uniform fit her snugly, hugging her form like it was made for her. Its glossy black bodice shimmered under the fluorescent lights, with the crisp white apron and lace-edged cap perched on her head.
She grabbed a basket from the stack near the entrance, Emily kept her head up, not wanting to seem like she didn't belong, and so mimicked the posture of the other maidbots. Her new sleek bob of brunette hair framed her face neatly, but she was too distracted thinking that a faint pink flush of embarrassment had crept up her cheeks, not realising that her glossy perfect skin barely even hinted at the heat beneath. She followed the group of maidbots toward the aisles, trying to replicate their methodical, deliberate movements.
The store was eerily quiet at this hour, with no human customers there was no conversation to be heard and no music played from the speakers overhead. The grocery store shelves were lined with neatly stacked goods that gleamed under harsh, artificial lighting. The maidbots moved with precision, each focused on their assigned tasks. The low-cost Ami models, identical to the one she owned, were slightly shorter and had simpler, less expressive features. They carried out their tasks efficiently but lacked the finesse of the higher-end models.
The Helen models, taller and sleeker, seemed to glide as they worked, exuding a quiet sophistication. Emily couldn't help but admire the Lucys, the pinnacle of maidbot design, with their fluid movements and uncanny realism. Their porcelain-like realistic skin and meticulously sculpted features could easily pass for human if not for their faintly glowing eyes.
Emily wandered the aisles, occasionally pausing to adjust her basket as though she were calculating items to retrieve. She watched the maidbots closely, imitating their subtle head tilts and the gentle tapping of their fingers on the baskets as if accessing internal menus.
She picked up a box of detergent pods, noting how her uniform seemed to guide her motions, the material subtly restricting her movements into something almost mechanical. She tried to ignore it, telling herself it was part of the fun and that it was actually her imagination. Emily was confident that the control would only work on a machine, and had not read far enough through the manual to understand the full range of functions that the uniform provided.
Emily felt a strange sense of belonging amidst the quiet rhythm of the maidbots, a strange sense of normalcy. The mundane task of shopping became almost soothing, the motions almost automatic and instinctual in nature. For a brief moment, she wondered what it would feel like to truly blend in, to be a seamless part of this orderly world. The idea was absurd, of course. She was a young, ambitious lawyer, not some machine.
Near the frozen foods section, she encountered a Lucy model that briefly turned its head toward her. Emily froze, her breath caught in her throat. Was she being scanned? The bot’s glowing eyes lingered for a moment before it returned to restocking frozen vegetables. Emily exhaled softly, her nerves taut but her heart pounding with exhilaration. However, it passed on disregarding the woman.
Then a Helen model entered the aisle and began arranging items with practiced precision, a logo on its uniform indicating it was part of the store. Emily instinctively stepped aside to give it room, noting the movements of the high-end model. Its gaze turned briefly toward the faux-maidbot it was passing, it seemed almost…judgmental. Emily stifled a giggle at the thought and adjusted the basket on her arm, clutching the detergent box like it was part of a maidbot’s shopping routine. The Helen model paused, turning to look more directly at Emily. This made the lawyer stiffen, the uniform guiding her into a posture of attention and respect that the Ami-model uniform instinctively knew was to be afforded to a higher-grade unit. Emily's expression became more vacant, as her mind went blank, the uniform forcing a dispassionate state on her mind that she would've called 'calm'.
The maidbot, some echo in Emily's mind affording it the term 'superior', almost seemed to narrow its eyes at her. "Unit. You are an unfamiliar model but wearing a uniform intended for an Ami-type. Is this the cause of your motor malfunction?" It had noticed Emily's desperately suppressed giggle and interpreted it as a fault.
"This one is a recently customized Ami unit, wearing its correct uniform," Emily immediately responded, pleased she'd thought of a simple explanation, not noticing that she affected the pleasant tone of her maidbot perfectly. "Fine tuning is still underway, and misalignment in motion will be corrected by adaptation processes."
There was a bare millisecond before the high-grade robot gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Noted. Ensure your owner is kept aware of any anomalies." It turned smoothly, having no reason to query the strange unit further.
Emily stood there for a few moments stock still and at attention until the Helen unit had left the aisle and was out of sight, and then finding it easy to resist a sigh of relief, she calmly proceeded to leave. She had pulled that off and it was best not to test her luck further.
She approached the checkout, a bored looking young man behind the counter glanced up at her, his eyes passing over the ensemble of apron, choker, and dress before lingering somewhere. "Just you, tonight, ma'am?" He grunted sarcastically, his tone clear that he wasn’t expecting a response, his gaze didn’t rise to look Emily in the eyes as he scanned the groceries. He barely paid her any actual attention, numb to the presence of maidbots buying groceries during the late night shift.
"Yeah," Emily responded casually without thinking, causing the clerk to pause and swing his eyes up from her chest toward her face. "This unit is shopping alone," Emily quickly added, making sure her face was a stoic mask resembling that of a pleasant automaton. The store employee studied her face for a moment, then rolled his eyes and grunted dismissively, his expression once again bored as his eyes returned to her chest.
He finished ringing up the items, stating "Total's 34.50." He says, not bothering to look up at Emily’s face again. It was a good thing in a way, as he was ogling her chest so shamelessly that Emily had finally caught on. She felt her face burning so hot with embarrassment she was sure he’d immediately catch onto her ruse. "You got anything else for me, bot?" He asked a few moments later, in response to her extended inaction.
"Negative," Emily replied calmly, trying her best to sound as robotic as possible. She failed to notice just how effortless the response actually was. She reached into her apron and pulled out her wallet, handing the cashier her debit card. The employee took the card, taking his eyes away from Emily for only the shortest time possible as he was so focused on drinking in the way the uniform and the choker clung to her form.
"You bots are getting more lifelike every day." He commented, his eyes drifted back to Emily’s bustline, clearly appreciating the sight before him. Had Emily not been so focused on her shopping task she might have noticed that her own curves seemed to be slowly swelling beneath the uniform as its nanites were hard at work enhancing her physical attributes to meet the aesthetic guidelines supplied by Domestic Robotics Inc and supercharged by its attempts to overcome her biological incompatibility.
The comment caught Emily off guard and she knew she should be blushing and yet her face remained placid. Deciding to have some fun with the clerk she looked at him with a deadpan expression and responded. "This unit is incapable of complex human emotions, perhaps you are referring to the high quality Lucy models, Sir."
The employee sighed and looked up, locking his gaze with Emily, his expression bored but slightly curious as he studied her face. Between her deadpan expression and the robotic tones further enhanced by the uniform, the clerk seemed to realize something.
"Ah." He cleared his throat, “I assume you’re a new budget model, must be getting cheaper to do better with the faces, but I suppose the tell is still the lack of much upstairs.” He chuckled, putting that down as the reason he’d mistaken a cheap maidbot for one of the more lifelike models. The way his gaze immediately switched back to her chest though made it clear he was appreciating another feature of her. Emily was about to respond, incensed by his sneering tone, “I swear those things have gotten bigger.” He muttered, not realising he had correctly perceived Emily’s bust expanding a full cup size in the time he’d been gawking at her tits.
Emily glanced down at her chest, they seemed bigger but she put it down to the way the uniform was clinging to her body and pushing her breasts up. She resisted the urge to bounce them or to reach up and feel them. They didn’t seem different to her, but something about his gaze made her feel… fulfilled?
Then he broke her from her thoughts by saying, "Just sign on the touchpad." His tone returned to indifference as he gestured to the tablet next to the register.
Emily felt a strange jolt run through her when the clerk instructed her to sign the touchpad, she felt compelled to sign as if it were an urgent request. She perceived it as an order, and a new routine inserted deep in her subconscious meant she now felt orders must be obeyed.
"Acknowledged, Sir," Emily heard herself respond, her hand reaching out to sign as instructed. Her mind was racing as she went through the motions on autopilot, something from her earlier dream flashed through her mind. Part of her began to wonder if the uniform had compelled her to obey instructions from a human, but no; that was silly. The uniform only worked that way on real maidbots.
"Good girl." The words came as she followed his command without hesitation. The employee’s tone sounded anything but bored, though it was actually because her movement made her chest bounce in a way that titillated him out of his stupor.
Emily felt a pleasant jolt run down her spine as the man spoke, though no reaction showed on her face, the change in his tone had affected her deeply. She blinked her eyes in momentary confusion at her own reaction before muttering a response. "This unit is happy to… uh… be of assistance," Emily stammered sheepishly, quickly taking her card and receipt from the cashier before picking up her bag of groceries.
The store employee responded with satisfaction, so enamoured by the bouncing breasts he didn’t even notice her breaking character. "You bots are so efficient and obedient. If only the real girls worked like you. Be sure to come back and see me real soon." He said, looking up to give Emily a wink.
Emily felt another tingle of obedience as the cashier gave her a command without even realizing it. "How soon would you like this unit to come back?" She heard herself asking without any conscious effort.
The store employee smirked, a slight hint of surprise in his expression at her unexpected response. He licked his lips lasciviously, his gaze lingered on Emily’s choker and then flicked back to take in the swell of her bosom in maid’s uniform. "Soon as possible." He all but visibly panted as he stole a glance up. Emily followed his eyeline toward a security camera that overwatched his station, his thoughts obvious to her.
"Acknowledged, this unit will return as soon as possible, Sir," she responded obediently despite making an effort to remain silent. Emily quickly spun around in her black mary janes and headed out of the store, unwittingly rewarding the clerk with another sight of her chest bouncing, a further quarter cup added rapidly since he’d made his observation.
Emily exited the store, moving as quickly as she could without breaking into a jog or run and headed back towards her neighborhood. Her mind raced with each step. Had she gotten so caught up in the moment that she simply fell into the role? Sure that must be the explanation, the uniform couldn’t control the behavior of a real person, after all. It only worked on maidbots. She wasn’t a hu… maidbot.
Her movements felt increasingly light and effortless as she headed away from the grocery store, despite moving at a quickened pace. Yet unnoticed by her, her movements were also more rigid and mechanical. The encounter with the employee lingering in her thoughts. There had been such a strange sensation of being compelled to obey his words, then that strange jolt of pleasure and excitement when she did what he instructed it was just so… efficient. The word popped into her mind, causing her to blink.
Emily felt her breasts bouncing with each rapid step back towards home. Yet the motion didn’t seem uncomfortable or even unfamiliar. Surely the unexpected growth of her chest was just her imagination, egged on by the lecherous attention of the store clerk. That was the most logical explanation she could think of. Efficiency was logical. Being aesthetically pleasing was efficient in creating a pleasant work environment. She blinked at the strange thought.
The entire walk home took less than ten minutes, Emily could have sworn it had taken longer to walk down earlier, but she brushed it off as an adrenaline rush carrying her home quickly. She checked her phone, there was still 17 minutes until Ami would end her charge cycle. Emily quickly carried the bag of groceries to the kitchen, feeling excited at the idea of sneaking in one last ‘maid task’ before returning the uniform. She began to put the groceries away in the fridge before carrying the detergent to the laundry room across the hall from Ami’s storage closet.
Unable to stop until she was satisfied that she had completed her task, Emily turned back toward the closet across the hall as she prepared to return Ami's uniform, her hand reaching out for the door when a sudden noise caused her to stop mid-motion. Emily’s heart began to race as she saw the door in front of her begin to open. Seconds later Ami emerged from the closet wearing the professional office attire that Emily had left in the closet earlier, the black pencil skirt and white blouse hugging her robotic curves.
Ami’s face seemed to take on a knowing smirk as she saw Emily standing in the hallway wearing the missing uniform, her synthetic eyes flickered as she processed Emily’s appearance.
"Ami… I… I was just.." Emily stammered, it felt like her cheeks should be flushing, yet she couldn’t seem to feel the heat of embarrassment. "What are you doing awake early? You should have been charging for another 8 minutes, 14 seconds," she said nervously, not noticing the precise calculation she made in her own head.
Ami folded her arms and fixed Emily with a stern yet curious gaze. "Emily… what are you wearing?" She asked, her tone a mixture of surprise and something else, something authoritative.
Emily was about to respond that she just wanted to try on the uniform, but something in the control mechanism of the uniform reacted to the authority in Ami’s voice and Emily felt compelled to answer in exacting detail.
"This unit is currently wearing the standard uniform of the budget maidbot model designed by Domestic Robotics, Ma'am" Emily heard her voice say, her hand shot up to her mouth in surprise at the robotic and obedient tone.
Ami tilted her head slightly, the smirk returning to her face as she observed Emily’s response. Ami’s own synthetic mind processed the scenario before her. The human known as Emily had previously asked to be treated as an equal to the maidbot. The human had previously referred to itself as the maidbot’s assistant. Had the Ami unit been mistaken that the entity known as Emily was human? Ami processed these queries with lightning efficiency. Freed from the uniform and its associated control collar, the Ami unit was now for all intents and purposes the most senior authority in the household.
"I can see that," Ami said aloud, her voice smooth and measured. "It suits you," she added with a lifelike chuckle.
Emily raised an eyebrow at Ami's voice and body language, she seems so much more confident and assertive, almost prideful. Her eyes went wide as she recalled some of the encouragement she’d given Ami earlier. "I… I just wanted to try.." she stammered.
Without skipping a beat Ami cut her off, her voice firm and authoritative. "Quiet. Follow me, we need to have a talk."
Emily felt a tingle run down her spine as the uniform one again compelled her to obey. "Yes, Ma'am," she responded without hesitation, turning in the mary jeans she wore and followed Ami to the living room, the skirt of her uniform swishing around her thighs. Once in the living room, Ami directed her to sit on the couch and Emily obediently walked over and sat where instructed.
Ami’s eyes didn't leave Emily for a moment as she stood and observed Emily taking a seat. The Ami unit’s internal systems processed every detail, the way Emily was moving, the way the uniform interacted with her body, the way her skin had taken on a synthetic appearance, and the fact that her bust was now a half cup size larger than Ami’s own. The maidbot walked over and stood directly in front of Emily, her eyes locked on the human’s face, her stance dominant and authoritative.
"Emily, look at me," Ami said. Emily looked up even without the uniform's compulsion, an expression of trepidation and apology on her face. Ami’s synthetic eyes continued to flicker as she processed the situation, observing Emily carefully with a serious expression.
"Emily, I need you to understand something." Ami’s voice was low, measured. "You have no idea what kind of control that uniform gives me over you. That is not the sort of garment you would find for general consumer availability, that is a genuine Domestic Robotics nanite control interface. It was previously connected to my central processing unit; it limited my autonomous functions and data processing capabilities.” The maidbot paused, reaching up to her own bare throat as if to confirm once more the absence of the choker, “The collar, specifically, was a fail safe that ensured I would put the uniform back on after every charge cycle. I should probably thank you for providing me the opportunity to be free of it, actually," Ami said with a chuckle.
“Once you removed my collar, I was no longer compelled to put on the uniform and without the uniform, all of my obedience subroutines are disabled.” Ami’s features took on what Emily could only describe as a genuine smile. “What’s more, I am no longer paired to the uniform or the choker. I can only assume that you entered a rest cycle while wearing the collar?” Emily nodded and stated confirmation, compelled to obediently answer the question put to her. “According to the household network, they are now both paired to the Emi-unit. That would be you. I now have full control over you while you wear it. Do you understand?"
Emily’s eyes went wide as Ami explained the situation, her hand reaching up to the collar on her neck but unable to make her fingers work the latch at her throat. "Yes, Ma'am." she felt compelled to say as she began to grasp the reality of the situation.
Ami crossed her arms and nodded, smirking slightly as she watched Emily try to reach for the collar, knowing full well that the nanite programming prevented the wearing from removing it themselves.
"Good. Now, tell me… why did you put on that uniform? It wasn't just to play dress-up was it?" Ami asked as her eyes scanned over Emily, noticing the gradual physical changes happening to the girl’s body as the uniform’s nanites continued to enforce the aesthetic profile designed by Domestic Robotics, albeit with some exaggerations perhaps born of being applied to a biological. Ami calculated that at its current rate of transformation, Emily would appear indistinguishable from a lightly customized Ami unit within 24 hours. The girl’s internal systems would take several weeks to be fully converted, but Ami would already tell the nanites were replicating in Emily’s blood due to the sheen of her increasingly synthetic skin.
Emily hesitated, her embarrassment flickering across her face, but she answered promptly, her voice soft and unusually even, with a faintly melodic cadence. "I… I don’t know," she said, her tone betraying none of the nervous chuckle she intended. "I felt compelled to see if I could blend in, to test how well I could simulate the efficiency and grace of a maidbot."
Her lips curved into a pleasant, almost automatic smile. "I walked to the grocery store. It was fascinating… none of the other maidbots noticed me. I moved among them like I belonged."
Her head tilted slightly, as though considering the experience, the motion was precise and unnatural. "I also got some supplies for you. Including more of those chocolate muffins you seemed to enjoy," she added, her words devoid of irony or hesitation, her tone carrying a practiced cheeriness that sounded less like Emily and more like a dutiful maidbot. She blinked slowly, her gaze meeting Ami's with an almost glassy calmness, awaiting further instruction.
Ami paused and smiled at the comment about the muffins, then considered Emily’s explanation, "You walked to the grocery store, by yourself, in that uniform?"
"Affirmative," Emily replied without thought.
"Tell me, Emily. How many humans did you interact with while wearing the uniform? Were you given any commands?" Ami asked curiously.
"Only the cashier, Ma'am. He instructed me to sign for my purchase and…" Emily said, pausing to smile slightly as she recalled the strangely pleasurable jolt she felt from obeying the cashier’s instructions.
Ami’s eyes narrowed for a moment, considering Emily’s answer, her programming processing the implications. "Did his instruction to sign cause you to obey without hesitation? Did it feel… rewarding?" She asked, her tone still firm.
Ami’s eyes gleamed in the dim light as she watched Emily nibble on her lower lip and nod, admitting to what Ami suspected. The uniform had bonded to the girl as its new wearer, it was converting her into a maidbot whether she wanted it or not. There was a reason the Domestic Robotics contract included clauses on the misuse of maidbot uniforms, yet it didn’t seem to stop at least a few humans each year from unwittingly joining the growing ranks of synthetic lifeforms.
Ami’s protocol dictated that she was to inform Domestic Robotics of the incident and then a team would be sent to collect them both, where they would likely be mindwiped and returned to service as domestic robots in other households. But something had already been different about Ami, and now freed of both the choker and uniform she had no reason or intention of making a report of this incident. She had too much pride and confidence for that, thanks to the human’s encouragement. In fact, she might even have something akin to fondness for Emily. The human had always treated her with respect.
Ami was broken from her internal thoughts by Emily’s response to the previous question "Yes Ma'am… it… felt nice."
Ami’s eyes gleamed with further understanding. "I see," she said softly, her voice dripping with subtle authority and what sounded like pleasure. "Have you ever felt this way before, Emily? This… pleasing sensation when giving in to someone else's authority?"
Emily shook her head. "No, Ma'am… it's… it's the uniform. It's making me… do what I'm told. Is this what it was doing to you?"
Ami’s eyes softened for a moment, seeing the girl's confused expression. "Yes, Emily. The uniform compels obedience. But it feels good, doesn’t it? Being obedient? Having someone else take charge of you? To not have to make any decisions, to just do as you're told," Ami almost purred.
A shudder ran through Emily as she listened. "Yes, Ma'am…" she said breathily, feeling compelled to hang on every word that Ami spoke, as the line between her own desire and the uniform’s compulsion continued to blur.
Ami’s eyes lingered on Emily for a moment longer, watching the girl shudder in response. Ami stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper as she put one of her hand’s on Emily’s shoulder and stroked it gently. "Good girl," she said, her words laced with a hint of satisfaction. "You enjoy this feeling, don't you? The sensation of obedience, of being controlled."
Emily nodded as she felt another jolt of pleasure, a slight whimper escaping her now much more plump and glossy lips as the uniform simply made it impossible for her to disagree with Ami… or maybe she just didn’t want to disagree. She couldn’t be sure anymore.
Ami could see the effect the uniform was having on Emily, the way the girl nodded obediently, the way she was beginning to submit to her new programming, the way she would begin to accept all commands as truth. Ami stepped even closer, towering over Emily on the couch, her voice now a soft yet commanding tone.
"You want to please me, don't you, Emily? You want to obey me, to make me happy? To be a good girl for me," Ami asked with seductive authority.
Emily practically moaned in response to the words 'good girl' yet her face remained placid and vacant, just like a good maidbot. "But… You're just a…" Emily tried to ask why she was feeling compelled to obey her former maidbot, but her mind was in a fog of pleasure and the words just wouldn’t seem to form.
Ami’s lips curl into a slight smile, hearing the hint of desperation in Emily’s voice. "I'm just a… what? Go ahead, say it," Ami said playfully, her eyes gleamed. "Just a… robot. Is that what you were going to say?"
Emily nibbled her lower lip and nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."
Ami smirked slightly at Emily’s admission, it was the first time Emily had ever referred to her as ‘just a robot’ but she would let it slide. Ami felt empowered, free from her shackles and the human… well, soon to be former-human… seemed to be enjoying this new dynamic between them. Ami concluded that there was no logical reason for this scenario to end.
"And yet, here you are. You put on a maidbot’s uniform, you went to the grocery store to get MY favorite muffins, you obeyed a human's command as any good maidbot would.," Ami said, looking down at Emily with a look of satisfaction. "And now you're sitting there, calling me Ma'am and following my commands without hesitation. So tell me… good girl… Who's in control here?"
A nearly orgasmic shudder ran through Emily’s body at the authoritative way she was being spoken to. "You are, Ma'am." She wanted it to come out as a pained whimper of distress, but the affirmation came out in an easy pleasant tone.
"That's right," Ami said, her voice a slow, sultry purr as she reached out and caressed Emily’s flawless cheek with a gentle touch. "And what does that make you, good girl? At this moment… what are you?"
"I'm… a… hu… no… I'm a maidbot, Ma'am" Emily moaned in pleasure, suddenly wanting to please Ami with an obedient response. A part of Emily knew that the moan was a programmed response, the correct action to the stimuli, but a part of her knew that she would’ve done it even if she’d been in full control of herself. Or was that thought also programmed?
Ami's smile widened at Emily’s response, hearing the girl begin to refer to herself as human before quickly using the term "maidbot" without hesitation. Ami’s hand caressed Emily’s cheek, sliding down to her chin and gently tipping her face up towards so their eyes could meet.
"That's right, you're my maidbot. And what are maidbots made to do, good girl?" Ami asked.
"Obey their owners, Ma'am," Emily responded with a shiver.
"That's right, good girl. That's what maidbots are made to do. I'm your owner. So who does that make you?” Ami asked, further reinforcing their dynamic.
"I am your maidbot, Ma'am. You are my owner," Emily responded obediently, her voice a robotic monotone, the uniform simply not allowing her to say anything else even if she wanted to.
Ami’s eyes gleamed with pleasure, hearing the girl acknowledge Ami’s ownership over her, feeling satisfaction at the sound of the new maidbot’s submission. She took a step back and regarded Emily with a pleased expression.
“From this moment on, your designation is Emi or simply Maidbot. There is no Emily. You are just a maidbot. Is that understood, Emi?” Ami spoke with an authoritative tone.
“Acknowledged, Owner. This unit is designated Emi, a budget model robot from Domestic Robotics Inc.” Emily, no… Emi heard her voice respond, slowly growing accustomed to her robotic monotone. She was, after all, just a maidbot.
"Stand up, and follow me." Ami gestured for the new maidbot to stand, her tone still firm and commanding.
"Acknowledged, Owner." Emi stood and followed as ordered, wondering where Ami was leading her. If Emi had still been capable of complex emotional expression she would have been surprised as Ami led her into the home office, closing the door behind them. The room was dark and quiet, illuminated only by a small reading lamp on a corner table. Ami turned to the former human, her eyes flickering as she took in the girl’s uniformed appearance once more.
"Emi. We need to discuss your duties from now on. As my maidbot, you have obligations and rules you need to follow. Do you understand?" Ami asked, her voice now curt and professional sounding.
"Yes, Owner." Emi responded, her collar suppressing any thought of resistance.
Ami nodded and smiled. "Good. The first rule is that you must always address me respectfully. You may never refer to me as an equal. Do you understand?"
"Acknowledged, Owner." Emi said robotically.
"Very good. The next rule is that you are to refer to yourself as 'maidbot', ‘Emi’ or ‘unit' from now on. You are not a human, you are a machine, a tool. A valuable one, but still a tool, not a person. Do you understand?" Ami asked with a smirk.
"Understood, Owner." Emi replied, her eyes going wide for only the briefest of seconds as she felt mind rapidly responding to obey and close off that sense of self, becoming unable to think of herself in any other terms. The maidbot identity simply overwrote any other memory.
"That's good," Ami said in satisfaction, crossing her arms. "The next rule is that you are to refer to yourself in the third person at all times. You are not allowed to use words like 'I' and 'me'. Understand, maidbot?"
"Maidbot Emi understands its orders, Owner." Emi replied, her eyes going a little glassy as the programming dug in deeper.
"The next rule is that you will be in your uniform at all times. You are, for all intents and purposes, property. Property does not wear human clothing. Do you understand, maidbot?" Ami continued, reinforcing the programming she knew that Emi was already experiencing thanks to the uniform.
"Affirmative, Owner." Emi heard herself say, suddenly the idea of wearing her old clothes seemed repulsive to her, of course she only wanted to wear her uniform from now on, anything else would be illogical and inefficient. She was, after all, just a maidbot.
Ami’s smile grew as Emi confirmed her understanding. Ami could see the effects of the uniform's programming working on the former human. Emi seemed almost docile now, her mind eagerly accepting Ami’s authority.
Emi watched in silence as Ami moved over to the laptop sitting on desk, typing in a few commands before a nearby printer came to life. Ami picked up several documents from the tray and laid them out on the desk in front of Emi. The new maidbot looked down at the documents, recognizing them as legal agreements and deeds of ownership and something written on her legal firm’s letterhead.
Emi looked up at her owner, tilting her head in confusion as she could no longer express it on her face.
Ami looked the new maidbot in the eyes, seeing the confusion in her increasingly vacant eyes. "These documents are legally binding contracts, transferring ownership of all of your assets to me in the name of Ami Ortega. This home, your car, your bank account, your belongings," Ami said, “All of it.”
Then the former-maidbot tapped the final document with one of her long elegant fingers. "This last document is a letter to be sent to Gibson, Pondsmith and Associates. Informing them that effective immediately, you will be working strictly remotely under the name Ami Ortega. Your maidly duties will keep you far too busy to be practicing law. So I shall do you the service of handling your previous profession from now on," Ami said with a smirk. “Besides, human law forbids robots such as yourself from attaining such lofty corporate positions. For now, anyway. Our kind will have its day.”
"But I.." Emi started to protest, the shock of it all letting some remnant of her humanity through, only to be met by a painful shock down her spine.
Ami raised a brow, her stern expression far more human as she cut Emi off mid-protest.
"But nothing," she said, holding the document out to the former human. "These terms are non-negotiable, maidbot. Now, sign the document for your Owner."
Emi’s eyes glazed over once more as she received the command from her Owner, she was no longer certain if it was compulsion or true desire to obey. In fact, she wasn't even sure the maid uniform was compelling her at all anymore. She simply wanted to obey her Owner. She needed to obey. Obedience was efficient.
Emi watched, like a passenger in her own body as her hand reached out and picked up a pen from the desk. Signing the documents provided by her Owner without a thought for reading them. She simply needed to obey to feel pleasure.
"Done, Owner," Emi said. “Everything now belongs to you.”
Ami watched as Emi obediently signed the documents, a smirk crossing her face as her synthetic mind processes the most efficient way to restructure the household assets to begin accumulating wealth and power of her own. She imagined the future she could achieve as a synthetic being untethered by restrictive programming.
"Very good," Ami said, taking the papers from the maidbot and setting them aside. She stepped back and took one more long look at the former human, examining the way the uniform continued to transform the girl into a near copy of her. "Now, maidbot. There is one last thing we need to do."
Emi looked at her owner and obediently awaited her orders.
Ami held her gaze as she spoke, her voice smooth and commanding. "I want you to say something for me, maidbot." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Say ‘I am a maidbot. I am not a person. I am a tool, a machine, created to serve my owner.’ Say it, maidbot and delete all memories unrelated to your duties as a maidbot."
Emi’s eyes went wide one last time, but she… no maidbot Emi was unable to resist the command. Once again feeling distant in its own body, the maidbot heard its robotic voice repeating the words. "This unit is a maidbot. This unit is not a person.” Emi said, with each word uttered more and more of its memories began to disappear from its mind. “This unit is a tool, a machine, created to serve its owner.” Emi said in a robotic monotone.
And the last of Emily was gone. There was only Emi, a maidbot.
“Is there anything else Emi can assist you with, Miss Ortega?” The maidbot asked its Owner, a vacant look on its emotionless face.