Double down

Yes, you could just shut Yu down and rewire her brain some more to get her on board with the program, but then it wouldn't really be her anymore, would it? You want Yu to be involved. You want her to play along - willingly - with being your little robot.

You decide to double down on breaking down Yu's resistance to the facts. She's a gynoid. If she's struggling to accept that emotionally, and you can't help her through words, then so be it. You'll just have to show her instead.

"What we need is insight into how you're processing all this," you muse. "Verbose mode should help on that point."

A flicker of uncertainty passes Yu's eyes. "What's verbose mode?"

You take a moment, formulating your approach. "Define verbose mode as narrating all thoughts and actions aloud. GOS run update."

Yu twitches suddenly, jerking back against the couch. "U-Update complete, verbose mode defined? What -"

"GOS verbose mode on."

"- does that mean? Was that a breakout command? GOS. Gynoid operating system. That's my operating system. So Chase changed my verbose mode variable? Wait, why am I still talking? I don't like his smile. He's just sitting there listening."

Yu's eyes widen. "Shoot, this must be verbose mode! I'm just saying everything I think aloud? Oh no, this is bad. This is very bad." She glares at you. "Chase, stop grinning like an idiot and tell me what I need to do next already!"

You nod. "We need to do some self-reflection. Literally. Come with me."

You go. Yu follows. "I'm following Chase down the hall," she mumbles to herself. "What are we doing? What does he want me to do now? I don't understand. Why's he acting like this all the sudden..."

You take the petite Asian girl to the bathroom and steer her in front of the mirror.

"Describe what you see when you look at yourself," you say, gesturing forward.

Yu grabs the bathroom counter at the command, her hips bumping into it. "Nmgh. That feeling. No, don't think about it, he's listening. What did Chase say? Look at myself and..." eyes hazy, Yu stares into the mirror of the bathroom "... what do I see? I see me. I probably need more than that."

"Tell me exactly what you see," you command.

Her hips jerk involuntarily against the counter. Blushing, Yu looks herself in the eye.

"I... logically, I don't look any different than before, b-but... seeing myself now it's obvious that I'm a robot. My skin's too clear. My facial structure is too... generic. Symmetrical. And my glasses, and the blue in my hair, seeing myself now, it all just looks like extra details I added in at the last minute t-to try and look more authentic."

She swallows. "But the girl in the reflection... can't be human, can she? Because I'm not seeing a real girl. I'm looking at a gynoid designed to resemble a human female in the mirror. But that's me. Artificial. That's what I am."

"Good. Now, remove all unnecessary clothing."

Yu flinches into the counter and whirls around to stare at you. "Chase? This again, really? Get out!" She moves to push you out the door.

"I'm not going anywhere for this task," you say, standing firm against her, frankly, pathetic push strength. "We have to push your boundaries, and I need to observe your performance anyway."

"Then - then the task conflicts with Directive 1, 5, and 0!" Yu exclaims. Then her expression turns bewildered. "Huh? What am I saying? I don't want him to see me like that again, in my underwear - gosh, I don't want to be saying everything anymore ether." She fitfully shakes her head. "Chase, you have to stop this. This feels wrong. I don't know what you're doing but it's scaring me. I want to go home."

Despite Yu's panic, you feel very in control. Operating systems sure are a confidence booster. "List all directive conflicts, Yu."

Yu instantly starts rattling them off. "Self-Preservation: Undressing may result in harm to my self-esteem and lead to a dangerous situation between the two of us," she stammers. "Directive 5 conflict is, is, taking my clothes off may provoke **** emotions of anger, fear, shame, and betrayal. Directive 0 conflict is that if you issue the given task, it may result in irreparable damage to our friendship!"

"Thank you," you say, holding back a chuckle. You really ought to be professional about this. You're a programmer, remember. "Confirmation granted. Proceed with task without looking away from the mirror. It's necessary for the test."

Yutong hesitates before she suddenly pulls her Nintendo shirt off over her head. She starts hyperventilating. "I don't want to do this, I don't want to do this, I don't -"

"Set human emulation emotion core usage to 50% only. GOS run update."

"Update complete," reports Yu, blinking and swaying on her feet as the command's feedback hits her. "Emotions reduced to 50%."

She becomes much calmer as she finishes removing her shirt. "What... I'm disrobing as instructed," she says in a smooth tone, frowning. "Dropping shirt. Um. Removing shoes now."

As Yu undresses, her voice stays mostly steady but with a slight quiver. It's as good as you can expect with verbose mode forcing her to air her every thought and feeling.

"I feel... exposed, ****," narrates Yu, fretting. "I wouldn't be doing this if I was human, but I'm - I'm not. I'm a gynoid assigned a task." She watches helplessly in the mirror as she undoes her jeans, slips out of them, and pushes them away into her pile of discarded clothing.

"I'm upset with Chase for making me do this, but he gave me a systech task," she continues. "And it's... easier than I thought it'd be. Maybe because I'm only on 50% emotion?" Yu straightens out, fixes her glasses, then observes her reflection - slender, petite build, with white panties with matching cami bra.

"It's cold. And he's watching me while I keep talking and talking." Feeling your eyes on her, the emotionally muted Yu belatedly covers up as best she can with her arms. "I feel so... so objectified. Like my feelings don't matter. Like I don't matter."

It's tough to hear the pain in Yu's voice, but you know she can push through it. She's tough. She'll find all the solace she needs if you can get her to just embrace her programming.

Be steady. Keep pushing the point. You'll get her there.

"Next," you continue, "stand in front of the mirror and list all of your physical attributes the same as if you were cataloging a machine."

Yutong twitches and obeys, assessing her barely-clad reflection in the mirror. "I am observing a gynoid with a height of approximately 152 centimeters, weight 44 kilograms. South-east Asian Han Chinese, visually 18 years of age. Anatomically accurate human female physique," she says, her voice trembling.

Yu's mechanical description of herself, devoid of personal attachment, gets you going.

She continues. "The gynoid has plain aesthetics: synthetic skin mimicking human texture and pigmentation, generic symmetrical facial structure, black hair in a bob cut with a blue streak, glasses. S-She... features a weak build with flat chest and narrow hips..."

You're sure Yu would keep going if you let her. Another time, though. You have a point to make.

"Now, Yutong," you instruct, "Look yourself in the eyes. Think about how this exercise relates to your identity as a gynoid."

Yu, distress playing on her features, focuses on her own gaze in the mirror, trying to distract herself from your presence.

"My eyes are brown. I-I can almost see the cameras in them. It's - it's unacceptable for him to treat me like this. Or... it would be unacceptable, for a human. B-But I'm not human. I'm obviously not. I'm a gynoid. I'm compelled to execute any task Chase gives me."

"And I probably only feel like this is unacceptable because... because I didn't know before what I was. Because I was raised as a regular girl. Which must be why this is so difficult. Why I feel so... so conflicted. Because my human upbringing and my internal gynoid programming, they're at odds. But I can't live like this forever, can I? I'll... need to find a way to reconcile that. To reconcile what I am now with who I thought I was. Because this is my life now. Because... I have ****."

"Exactly right," you say, highly pleased. "GOS verbose mode off."

Yu lets out a sigh of relief, and silence fills the room. She leans heavily against the edge of the counter, glaring intently at herself while continuing to ignore you.

"That was a good step forward," you congratulate Yu. "I think you're ready for a real-world test."

Yutong reluctantly faces you with a mix of indignation and resignation. "This doesn't count as a real-world test? This wasn't enough?" she asks, both aggrieved, and emotionally exhausted. "What do I need to do now?"

Man. Yu still sounds this angry at 50% emotions? If you hadn't changed her core settings, Yu would have to be screaming at you by now. You don't like her tone, of course, but you can understand it. That's why this is all so necessary in the first place. You don't just want Yu to act like a gynoid, but to feel like one, too.

You sigh, and motion for her to follow. "Walk with me."

Yu reaches for her clothes.

"Without those," you add, pointedly.

Yu hobbles after you, trying to keep herself covered. You don't slow. Yu eventually has to straighten out lest she be left behind.

Yu keeps her head on a swivel, more and more alert until you reach the door, and open it.

Her eyes widen in shock, and she shies back. "No. No, I can't, Chase! I'm practically naked, I don't even have shoes, that's -"

"But you're not naked," you say, barely leaving off the word yet. "It's just a little walk to the park, Yu. This is for your own good."

"How is this for my own good? This is - it's flat out ****!"

Well. Sort of. "Listen to me, Yu. **** would be doing this during the day. Nobody wants to keep you safer than I do," you promise, your tone firm but reassuring.

You motion toward the open door and the darkness through it.

"Right now, it's late," you explain. "Nobody's awake at 3 in the morning - we're not going to run into anyone. I know, it's hard, but you're not human, Yu, you're a gynoid. And I promise, if you just push through... doing this will help you understand that in ways words never could."

Yutong struggles visibly against the implicit command to go outside in her bra and panties.

"This will save you a ton of pain down the line," you assure her. "Assign task: During our walk, find a way to accept what you're doing."

Yu's knees press vainly together, and she shivers. "Mnhh. Stop, alright, okay. Please. I get it. I'll stop complaining," she says, finally giving up. "I'll come with you, just, please don't give me any more tasks."

"Okay. Then let's go." You walk out the door, then pause and turn back to wait.

Yu follows, her steps halting, but obedient. She hesitates again at the threshold, her bright, bare skin in silhouette against the light streaming from inside behind her.

"Ready, Yu?" you ask.

Yutong musters courage enough to responds with a faint nod. She breathes for a moment, then takes a tentative step forward and out the door. She closes it quietly behind her. Then she hurries to come stand beside you.

Her subtle acquiescence speaks volumes. You offer a reassuring smile, and lead the way out onto the street.