The next morning, I wake up to the sound of the door opening. I don't bother moving, still feeling a little tired. Footsteps approach my crib, and I hear a soft voice whisper, "Good morning, baby girl." It's Alice.
She reaches her hand in, gently brushing my hair away from my face. Her touch sends a shiver down my spine, but it's not an unpleasant feeling. "Are you ready to be a good girl today?" she asks with a smile.
I nod, still lying there. "Okay, well, why don't you sit up for me?" She helps me into a sitting position, then reaches into the crib and lifts me out, cradling me in her arms. It feels so good to be held by her again, even if it's just for a moment.
She carries me into the living room, where I see a table set up with a variety of toys. There's a dollhouse, some plastic animals, a play kitchen, and even a little table and chairs. I can't believe my eyes; this is the most toys I've ever seen in one place.
"Oh wait, I almost forgot" Alice says carrying me away, she carried me over to the lab once again, she places me on table. I tense up expecting more surgery but instead, She walks over to the weather machine.
She fiddles with a few knobs and buttons before finally turning a large switch. There's a click and a hiss of air, and then the white noise of the machine stops then, the screen goes black . She steps away, looking satisfied.
"There, leaving that on for too long will flood the forest, I think it's safe to turn it off now."
She takes me back to the living room walking past the game room, entering the hallway then taking the right door across from my room. I'm still in shock, my mouth hanging open as I stare at the table of toys. Alice must have heard my thoughts, because she chuckles and says, "You can play with those all day, if you want." Her voice is soft and gentle, and it makes me feel warm inside.
Alice pulls up her sleeve "Gamer, come to my location now." Soon after another white machine comes rolling in this one is shaped like an human wearing a maid dress, it still rides on tracks and has a torso with two arms and five fingers it's head is round, with 3 eyes.
"This, machine" Alice motions to the new machine, "Is called a gamer bot, it cable of playing human games with another human."
"Oh, like a friend?" I ask, a little confused.
"Yes, just like a friend," Alice says with a smile. "You can teach it games and play together."
I'm still a little nervous, but I decide to give it a try. I reach out my hand and pet the smooth surface of the gamer bot. It feels cool and metallic under my touch. "Okay, let's teach it how to play hide and seek!" I suggest eagerly.
Alice nods, and together we spend the next hour or so teaching the gamer bot the rules of the game. It listens carefully to our instructions, making tiny beeping noises as it processes the information. Finally, we decide to test it out.
I close my eyes and begin to count to ten. When I reach ten, I open my eyes and look around. The gamer bot is already here! It must have found me right away. I giggle and clap my hands excitedly.
"Good job, gamer bot!" I exclaim. "Now, let's see if you can hide really well." I lead it over to a corner of the room, behind a large stuffed animal. It beeps and wiggles until it's completely hidden from view. "Perfect!" I say, feeling proud.
I close my eyes and begin to count again. When I reach ten, I slowly open them and search for the gamer bot. It's really good at hiding! I have to look all over the room before I finally spot it peeking out from under the coffee table. I giggle and run over to it, giving it a big hug.
I start to feel like a kid again, or maybe I already am one.Alice watches us with a smile, looking content.
"It's so nice to see you enjoying yourself, Little One," she says softly. "You deserve this."
The gamer bot beeps, and Alice picks it up, gently setting it on the floor beside me. "You can play with it anytime you want," she says, running her fingers through my hair. Her touch is soothing, making me feel safe and protected. "And if you ever want to talk, or just... need someone to listen, I'm always here."
"Now," She says picking me up "It's time for breakfast." She takes me to the kitchen, where a highchair is set with food. I'm still a little hesitant, but I'm also hungry. Alice sits me down and starts to feed me, just like when I was a baby. The warm food tastes wonderful, and I find myself enjoying the company. "Can't I feed myself?" I ask, a little annoyed. "Now, now you know the rules baby, and you said you would be a good girl today." She teases, and I feel my face flush a little. "Fine," I mutter, but I can't help but smile a little. After breakfast, Alice cleans up and then carries me to the sofa. She sets me down with a soft toy and turns on the television. "Here you go, baby. You can watch some cartoons while I work." She says, giving my cheek a gentle kiss before heading over to her computer.
As I watch the colorful characters on the screen, I feel a contentment wash over me. It's strange, because I don't remember feeling this way before. But I like it. I like being taken care of, and having someone to play with. The gamer bot is still in the corner of the room, watching the television with me. It seems to understand the cartoons better than I do, and it makes little beeping noises whenever something funny happens.
Alice works on her computer in the next room, but I can still hear her occasional laughter. It's a comforting sound. She's always so nice to me, and she listens when I talk. Sometimes, I catch her looking at me with a funny expression, like she's not quite sure what to make of me. But she never says anything, and she never tries to change me back into someone I'm not.
I wonder about my real mom. I try to remember what she looked like, but the memories are all fuzzy. Sometimes, when I'm having a bad dream or feeling scared, I wish she were here. But then I remember how mean she was, and I'm glad that I have Alice now.
Alice is always so gentle and kind. She never yells at me, never hits me, a stark contrast from my mother. She lets me play with the gamer bot, and even lets me watch cartoons all day if I want to. Sometimes, when we're cuddled up on the sofa, I feel like she's my real mom. It's almost like she knows what I need before I even have to ask.
But there's still a part of me that wonders... what it would be like to go home. I don't remember much about my old life, but I know that it can't have been as good as this. Maybe my real mom and dad would be nicer to me now, or maybe they'd send me back to this place. The thought of leaving Alice behind makes my stomach hurt, but the idea of going home... it's hard to resist.
Alice picks up her laptop, moving to another room. I spend time watching cartoons, occasionally glancing over at her, but she doesn't seem to notice. The gamer bot is still in the corner of the room, humming softly. It's not as interesting to play with when Alice isn't around, but it's still better than being alone.
As I watch TV, I start to feel a strange sensation in my stomach. It's like I really have to go to the bathroom. I try to ignore it, but it only gets worse. Finally, I decide I can't hold it in anymore.
I look around, Alice isn't here not that she'd let me use the bathroom anyway, but there's no way I'm using the diaper. I pause for a moment, looking over at the white orb next to me on the sofa.
I press the bottom and talk into it. "Lifer come to the sofa." I say my voice muffed by the pacifier.
Moments lifter comes rolling up the sofa, it's green light switching to yellow." Um, can you carry me to a bathroom and place me on a toilet please?" Lifter beeps at me in acknowledgement before rolling over and positioning itself under my bottom. With surprising strength, it lifts me up off the sofa and begins to roll me across the room.
I grip onto its light panel for dear life, feeling a little dizzy as we move through the facility. It carries me back towards my room, into the hallway taking the back door. Lifter carefully lowers me down onto a soft, fluffy toilet seat and then rolls itself over to the side of the room, where it hovers expectantly.
"Wait a second," I think to myself I can go where ever I want with this thing, Alice made it so I can't walk but I can just ride around on this thing now. "Lifter beeps impatiently, reminding me of its purpose. I sigh, feeling a little guilty for taking advantage of its helpful nature. "Sorry, Lifter.
I'll just use the bathroom real quick and then we can go back."
I lift the seat and sit down on the toilet. It's been a while since I've done this by myself, but I remember how it goes. I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and try to relax. There's a warm sensation in my stomach, and then I feel a release as my body does what it needs to do. It feels so much better to use the toilet.
When I'm finished, I flush and wash my hands, drying them on a soft, clean towel. I stand up, feeling a bit wobbly at first, and then I remember that I can't walk. I crash back down on my butt, then I put myself laying on my back and pull my diaper back up.
Lifter is still waiting patiently by the side of the room. I take a deep breath, feeling a little embarrassed about my situation. It's hard not to feel like a baby again, even though I know I'm not. I try to push these thoughts aside as I climb back onto the lifter.
The lifter rolls me back towards the sofa, Alice is back inside the game room working at her laptop once again it's plugged in now, I assume she went to get her charger. As we approach the sofa, I notice the gamer bot is still humming softly in the corner. I wonder if it's aware of anything that's happening around it.
Alice notices me and turns her chair around smiling. "Oh, you're such a smart baby girl aren't you? Having lifter give you rides like that." She Coos and walks over to me. "Tell me, where did you and lifter go?" She asks, reaching down to pull the pacifier from my mouth. I want to tell her, but I'm too embarrassed, I also don't want her to find out or she'll most likely punish me. I just nod and gibber, trying to avoid eye contact. She laughs, thinking I'm being cute. "Oh, you're just the sweetest thing." She says, patting my head. "Why don't you go back to playing with your little friend over there?" She motions to the gamer bot.
"Can I just keep watching TV, mommy?"
Alice simply smiles back at me "Of course sweetie what ever you want." I smile back at her weakly and turn my attention back to the TV. The cartoon on now is about a group of colorful animals living in a jungle, and they're all having a big party. I watch as they dance and play games, feeling a pang of envy. It seems so carefree and fun. I wish I could be out there with them, laughing and enjoying myself.
I glance over at the gamer bot again, wondering if it's even aware that I'm here. Maybe if I could just talk to it, it would be less lonely. I reach out a hand and touch its smooth surface, feeling the cool metal beneath my fingers. "Hey there," I whisper, "what's your name?" There's no response, but I don't expect one. It's just a robot after all.
"I told you before, baby girl. All my machines are one tricks they only know how to do one thing." I sigh, rolling my eyes. "But why? Why can't they just be like us and be able to do everything?"
"Because my dear, the human brain is complex, a little too complex. AI no matter how much it tries will never be able to form complex thoughts like we humans do, each machine can only do one task, that's why I have so many different ones. "I think about this for a moment, wondering if it's true. I mean, I've seen movies where robots were able to think and feel just like people. But then again, those were just movies. Maybe Alice is right. Maybe I should just accept that the gamer bot is here to play games and that's all it's ever going to do.
Alice pauses for a moment "Although there is one I have that does talk." That catches my attention immediately. "What? You have one that talks? Where is it?"
"Well, you see I went and transplanted a human brain inside of this one to see what would happen so it can talk and it's as smart as us, It also has human hands and other things..."I can't believe it. A robot with a human brain. That's incredible. "Can I meet it?" I ask, excitement welling up inside me. Alice turns to me and frowns. "I wouldn't recommended it, he's a bit of an ass."
"What do you mean, a bit of an ass?" I ask, feeling a bit deflated. "Can't I just meet him and see for myself?"
"Well I guess you could call him sassy, he's not a full on jerk or evil, just has a bit of sass that makes him a jerk, although I don't know if he realizes it." I consider this for a moment. The idea of meeting a robot with a human brain, someone who could actually talk to me and understand me, is still incredibly exciting. "Okay," I say finally. "I'll take that chance. When can I meet him?"
"Oh, meet him now?" Alice says in a amused tone. "Each one of my machines are made to do a specific task, do you know what his is?" "No, what is it?"
"Well, I got tired of doing my job, so I made a machine with human intelligence to do it for me."
I raise an eyebrow. "And what's his job?"
"To make new machines and repair the machines that I have right now."
It takes me a moment to process this information. A robot with a human brain who makes other robots. That's... kind of ironic, I guess. "So, if I meet him, he'd be able to make me a new friend?" I ask hopefully.
Alice frowns at the statement, "I mean yea, he could make you your own personal robot if you want him to." I nod excitedly, "Okay! Let's do it! I want a robot friend, just like you!"
Alice sighs realizing I'm not going to back down. "Alright but I'm going to warn you one last time his appearance is unsettling and he's a bit of a jerk." I nod, not deterred. "I can handle that."
"Creator, come here for a second please." Alice says into her arm gadget. For a brief moment it's silent, Alice stares at the door, I hear what sounds like an engine or of some sort humming in the distance. The sound getting louder and louder up I see the door nob leading back to the sterile lab slowly turning the door opens, and I see a figure floating into the room.
It's shape is strange it looks to be only 3 feet tall, unlike to other machines who ride around on tracks to get where they need to go this one is floating with propellers, they seem to be on the bottom side of it. It's bottom half is wedge shaped with the upper half forming into a circle like shape it has a small head, and it has what looks like curved black spikes, across it's back. Talita, sees the unsettling side of the machine Alice described right after on the torso. It has not one, not two, but three human white pale human arms on one side of it. Coming out of it's torso, they look slimly and gooey. On it's head are 6 black small glass like eyes, laid out in a circler pattern surrounding one big eye in the middle.
"What is it?" It speaks, it's voice is deep and almost soothing. Alice looks at creator and then at me. "Oh nothing the baby just wanted to meet you Mr. Creator."
Creator doesn't respond back just floats in place staring at Me and Alice.
"So anyway," Alice finally says breaking the silence. "I need you to make a new machine for me."
The robot with the human brain, Creator, floats closer to Alice. "And what is it that you want?" he asks, his voice still deep and soothing.
Alice turns to me "You're making one for her, ask her what she wants."
"Hmmm," I say, thinking about it. "I don't really know what I want, but I think I'd like a robot friend. Someone I could talk to and do things with. Someone who understands me."
Creator simply looks at me, "I cannot make one that talks." It says in a annoyed tone.
I frown. "Oh, why not?" Creator turns to Alice, "I'm leaving,"
"Wait, wait!" I cry, putting a hand on his floating body. "Don't go! I mean, can't you just make one that talks? Please?"
It keeps floating away, "Not possible." it says in it's deep voice. Alice sighs and pats me on the head. "Don't worry, I'm sure we can find something else for you to do. Maybe we can even make you a robot pet or something." I nod, still disappointed. With that
Creator floats out of the room closing the door behind it. "Hmm, perhaps he's a sociopath." Alice ponders. Examining creators first social conversation that wasn't done with her.
"But he's so cute!" I protest, giggling. "He just needs some love and attention!"
"You think THATS cute?" Alice askes in a surprised voice. I frown, confused. "Yeah, why wouldn't I? He's got those cute little spikes and those big eyes... he's adorable!"
Alice smiles at me and places me on her lap pressing her hand on the front of my diaper.
"Hmm, that's strange you should be wet by now."
I tense up remembering what I did with lifter, I should have though this through she's gonna get suspicious if I'm never wet.
"Wait a moment, when you hitched a ride on lifer where did you go again?" Alice askes frowning." I swallow nervously, "Uh...just around the hallway...I didn't go far."
"Around the hallway?" Alice's eyes narrow. "You had lifter take you to the bathroom, didn't you?"
I feel a lump forming in my throat. "Y-yes...I'm sorry...I just..."
Alice frowns and glares at me, picking me up "Guess who gets to lose their bladder control now?" She says in a fake happy voice.
I feel a chill run down my spine. "Please, Alice..." I whimper. "I'll be good, I promise." She ignores my plea, carrying me over to the door. The lab is cold and sterile, with rows of metal tables and shelves lined with various medical equipment. In the center of the room is a large surgical table, covered in a sterile sheet. Alice places me down on the table, and I feel a cold sensation as metal restraints click into place, holding my arms and legs immobile. Tears stream down my face as I realize there's no escape.
"I warned you what would happen if you kept holding it in but you took it a step further didn't you?" Alice leans over me, her eyes narrowed as she examines my dry diaper. She reaches down and unsnaps the tabs, pulling the diaper off and throwing it into a nearby trash can. The cold air hits my exposed skin and I shiver, feeling even more vulnerable. She then shoves a pacifier in my mouth. Next, she produces a long, thick needle, sterilized with alcohol. "Now, I'm going to insert this into your bladder and let you release all that pent up urine," she says, her voice cold and emotionless.
I whimper and struggle against the restraints, but it's no use. She finds my belly button and cleans it with another alcohol wipe, then inserts the needle.
"You're going to feel a lot of pressure and discomfort," she warns me, "but just try to relax and let it out." The cold metal touches my skin, sending shivers down my spine. I feel a sting as she pierces my flesh, and then the pressure begins to build. I try to hold it in, but it's no use. Tears stream down my face as I lose control and release my bladder.
Hot urine poors on the table, and I feel a strange mixture of relief and shame. Alice slowly removes the needle, wipes it clean with a sterile pad, and disposes of it. "There we go," she says, her voice distant and emotionless. "That should teach you not to lie to me." She snaps a diaper into place, making sure it's securely fastened around my waist.
I cry silently, feeling the new dry diaper against my skin. My body is limp and heavy, drained of all energy. I wish I could apologize, but I know that words mean nothing to her. She's already decided my fate.
"Now baby girl, you won't be able to hold your bladder in anymore, isn't that better? One less thing to worry about." Alice's words cut through me like a knife. She doesn't understand. I'm not her baby girl, I'm not a little girl at all. I'm a grown woman trapped in this body, forced to live this nightmare. My heart aches as I realize that I'll never escape this lab, this life, this identity.
"Now," Alice says firmly and calmly "You're punished you're going to stay in your crib in timeout for the rest of the day." I want to protest, to beg for mercy, but I'm too tired and overwhelmed to even muster a whimper.
She walks back to the game room, into the hallway then opens the door to my room. Then she places me inside the crib.
As she leaves the room, I hear the click of the lock falling into place, sealing me inside. I look over to my toybox, then I eye the bars of the crib that surround me I feel like I'm in a cage.
My eyelids grow heavy, and soon I'm drifting off to sleep. My dreams are haunted by images of the cold lab, the needle, and Alice's emotionless face. I toss and turn, trying to find a comfortable position in the tiny crib, but it's no use. The harder I fight against the uncomfortable reality of my situation, the more exhausted I become.