The second floor was a long wooden corridor with a runner stretching from the top of the stairs to the end. At the far end, a window looked out onto the empty wasteland. Doors lined both sides, each with a number.


    They hadn’t even stepped onto the floor when a door ahead creaked open. A short blonde girl, about twenty, with green eyes and pale skin, stepped out. She wore a pink dress that hit below her knees, with streaks in her hair matching the shade. Her hands were gloved. Her expression was serious at first, but when she saw them, a wide smile spread across her face.


    “Hello, gentlemen!” She stopped in front of them and curtsied. Then her face shifted to something like fear before she brushed past.


    “Hey,” Daniel said, hoping Jasper wouldn’t engage her.


    Jasper greeted her too but let her go. Both fixed their eyes on the room she’d come from. The door stayed open, revealing a young man lying on his back on the bed, pants off.


    “Is this guy even alive?” Jasper said, taking a step inside.


    “No, Jas. Stay here.”


    “What if he’s dead?”


    “Doubt it. What’d she kill him with—her mouth?”


    “Mate, it’s possible. Once a girl sucked me dry so bad that after—”


    “Alright, Jas. Not now.”


    “Mate, with that Emma of yours, besides telling each other you love her, what else do you do? Every time sex comes up, you change the subject. We’re men, after all.”


    “Honestly, we don’t even say we love each other anymore.”


    “Well, then, even better. They can love you here, and it won’t count as cheating.”


    “Not the time for this talk. This guy really isn’t moving.”


    Jasper tugged Daniel lightly, leaving him at the door, and strode in confidently.


    “Hey, buddy. Need any—”


    Jasper stopped dead.


    “Mate, this guy’s a robot. He’s got black gloves.”


    Daniel stepped in. It wasn’t the most impressive sight he’d ever seen. The man looked about thirty, with tanned skin and black hair, a scar on his forehead. His hands were tied to the wooden headboard. He was shirtless from the waist up, his shirt tossed aside. His pants were down to his boots, a rag stuffed in his mouth.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    “Wow, mate, this guy’s got one hell of a package.”


    “That’s the most interesting part to you?” Daniel couldn’t believe the stuff Jasper said.


    “Just wondered what their private parts would be like. Honestly, I’d rather have seen a woman’s first.”


    “Yeah, I wasn’t exactly dying to see a naked male robot either, but here we are.”


    “Should we touch him?”


    “Well, in a real situation, we’d help. So we should now too. Isn’t that the point—to help the park evolve by showing what the robots lack?”


    “Well, this one’s lacking clothes.”


    “Didn’t think robots would pleasure each other too. That’s a surprise.”


    “Maybe they’re practicing.”


    Jasper’s loud laugh made the tied-up robot start thrashing, trying to break free.


    “Hold on, buddy. We didn’t do this—your lover left you like that. Wish she’d done it to me.”


    “Maybe they’re a couple, Jas.”


    “Mate, I’ll smack you, I swear. They’re robots, end of story.”


    Daniel untied the man’s hands, which flopped down like they had no muscle—technically true. Jasper pulled the rag from his mouth.


    “Speak, buddy. What happened?”


    The robot sat up, then stood and started dressing. His gloved fingers deftly handled every button and zipper. He didn’t look at them—not Daniel, not Jasper. Once dressed, he moved to the corner of the room.


    “Hello, gentlemen.”


    “There’s your glitch—no shame,” Jasper said, sounding like a programming professor.


    “Who are you?”


    “Yann. Nice to meet you. I work as a stablehand at Mr. Reed’s farm across the way.”


    “Interesting. The blonde snagged herself a stablehand. Or did you pay her, stableboy?”


    “I don’t understand, sir. What’re your names?”


    “He doesn’t understand,” Jasper said, adjusting his belt. “Should I ask Lady Violet if she understands you?”


    The boy flinched—or so it seemed to Daniel.


    “Not Lady Violet, sir, please. She doesn’t let stablehands in her bar. Says we stink.”


    “Listen, stableboy,” Jasper said, narrowing his eyes. Daniel knew that look—he was scheming. “We won’t tell Lady Violet, but you’ll owe us.”


    “Whatever you say, sir.”


    “I want you to introduce us to your man tomorrow… Reed, you said?”


    “Yes, Mr. Reed. He’s got a ranch.”


    “Don’t care what he’s got. Tomorrow, I wanna talk to him.”


    The boy stared at the floor, then looked up.


    “Deal, sir. Just don’t tell Lady Violet I was here.”


    Jasper stepped closer and offered his hand. The boy shook it and bolted out of the room as fast as he could.


    “Getting more interesting, Dan,” Jasper said. “These folks have their own messes. No one told us that. The best part? We can be the main characters in ‘em.”


    Jasper was right, and Daniel thought the same. This place wasn’t just built—every robot had a story, a path they could step into.


    They left the room as they’d found it and continued down the hall. At the far end, they found their rooms—Jasper in 204, Daniel in 205.


    The room was nice. One space with a big bed covered in soft rugs and a few pillows. Opposite the bed stood a hefty wardrobe—maybe not from this era, but it fit the vibe and could easily hold plenty of clothes. The window faced the door he’d entered through, taking up most of the wall, with two tied-back curtains adding coziness.


    The house they were in sat near the desert’s edge, and from this height, the distance was empty. Only behind one hill peeked a skyscraper, hinting at the modern era somewhere out there. It broke the mood a bit, but he could overlook it.


    He lay on the bed without undressing and, without noticing, found himself back home.