Mattie groaned and lent back in her chair, staring at the screen. None of the code was making any sense, anymore. The project was way behind, the client was getting ‘twitchy’ and something was still very wrong…

Not able to think about the project because she was so stressed out, Mattie let her mind wander and, as usual, it settled on adult fiction…

She started reading a story about ‘Maidbots’ and ‘control collars’. A smile twitched across her face. How good it would be to not think at all, at the moment, just rest, and God knows her flat could do with a clean and tidy…

Before she knew it, she had fired up the home control computer and added a little routine to control a remote activated robot, a design that she had been working on a few years ago. She had had to shelve the idea then, because AI and some computer components either weren’t powerful enough, or too large to be practical but now there were some distinct possibilities.

As she was also experienced as an electronics engineer and used to the concept of sensors monitoring life signs, such as heart rate and movement, she worked out that a certain sensor, biased in a certain way, could affect motor control. Her mouth opened in amazement as she managed to get the computer to raise and lower her right arm on demand…!

Before she knew it, she had written the rest of the control programme and built a version of the controller that fitted around her neck. Her perverse sense of humour had stencilled ‘MAID’ on the outside of the box holding the components. Not thinking anything about the consequences, she had put on the collar and thumped the ‘Activate’ key on the tablet…

The first movement of her body not under her control came as a surprise. She had totally forgotten that she had looked into Maidbots in the past, and she had a complete costume for one in her wardrobe. The AI, however, had not…

It was only when the AI steered her into her bedroom and started her undressing that she suddenly realised what was about to happen. She couldn’t put that costume on, however! She’d lost the keys to the locks on it ages ago…!

Mattie fought to stop herself, to no avail. The AI wanted a maid, and it was going to get one.

Sobbing, Mattie struggled to the last, but she was soon wearing the maid outfit, with all the locks snapped shut. To her horror, the AI had even made her put on the hood, a modification that she had added as she wanted to be enclosed but visible at the same time. The visor was also sealed down…

Mattie forced herself to stop crying. Too much liquid and vapour would fog the visor, and she would be unable to see out. See had found that out last time she tried the suit on, pleasured herself and steamed it up. It had been ages before she could see enough to undo the suit…

Staring out helplessly from behind her visor, Mattie headed for the kitchen to get on with the washing and washing up.

Two days later, the flat was spotless, and perfectly tidy. Mattie, on the other hand, was a wreck. She had programmed in short food and drink breaks twice a day; during these, the visor lifted enough for her to eat and drink, but only for ten minutes; after that, the computer shut the visor and steered her automatically to the toilet to relieve herself. She had already wet herself once because she had totally forgotten how she programmed the system; luckily, the maid costume was fitted with built in nappies. Once the electronics picked up the nappy was really wet or heavy, Mattie was automatically sent to the toilet to change it and dispose of the old one. Also, by sheer chance, as well as being a bit of a pack rat, Mattie still had a bag of the nappies from when she had last worn the suit…

“Parcel Delivery”, said the AI ‘voice’ in Mattie’s ears.

To her mortification and embarrassment, Mattie was then made to answer the door in full uniform and sign for it. The AI had clamped her mouth shut so she couldn’t even ask the shocked delivery driver for help…!

This went on for a week. Mattie’s project deadline came and went. Calls and emails went unanswered. Mattie’s boss, already fed up with the constant delays and excuses, had assumed that she had ‘done a runner’ and fired her.

Mattie cried as she listened to the message on her answerphone…

“Shopping and restock”, said the AI.

Oh God! It was going to make her go shopping, sealed in the uniform!

The AI got her to go into a room and get a coat. The trouble was it picked one that was completely transparent. It made look even more like a fetish doll…!

Mattie put her wallet and keys into the pocket of the coat, still fighting for control. Wait; maybe the AI would lose control of her when she left the flat! Suddenly, she heard a bleep from the collar…

“Offline control software downloaded”, said the AI. “Maidbot control is now independent of the house WiFi.”

Mattie just cried in frustration…

How the hell was she ever going to get free…?