Number 239, they called her.
My name is Elaida, she sorely wished she could say.
Except there was nobody to say it to. Well, there were "people", but they were not truly people. They didn't understand what a "name" was.
The day was dragging on, as it usually did. Her nipples were swollen and aching, clamped between devious little jaws with little relief. Weights swung from them with every little motion, tugging at the sore nubs in a maddening dance. Her feet and calves hurt in those sky-high stilettos, although she was getting better at walking in them by the day. She was encased in stiff, constricting boned leather from beneath her breasts to just above her hips, forcing her to keep her back perfectly straight. And her jaws ached from the 3-inch shiny red ball filling her mouth, causing a constant trickle of drool down her chin and onto her breasts.
She was exhausted. And starving. Her schedule had been packed ever since the dratted universal alarm had started echoing in the sterile hallways this morning, and she ached for a good meal and the paltry comfort of her bunk.
But she could not stop. The thick collar around her neck was an ever-present threat, just waiting to send jolts of pain through her entire body.
Stretching her lips around the gigantic ball in a vain attempt to alleviate some of the strain in her jaw, she forced her mind to the task at hand, seeking to blur out all the distractions. Polish vase, mince two steps to the left. Polish next vase, mince three steps. Polish...
A green flash filled her vision, and on the lower right of her field of view, words were printed out: "TASK #10 COMPLETED. PROCEED TO MESS HALL".
Relief, blessed relief. Depositing her cloth and polish in the designated slot, she made her way down the corridor to the mess hall, nipple weights dancing with each quick, tottering step... Only an estimated 100 metres away, but a 15-minute walk for a girl in 6-inch stilettos with her ankles bound by a short chain.
***
The mess hall was full when Elaida arrived - she would have to wait in line. Cursing under her breath, she picked up a pair of soft, foamy-looking cuffs from the front desk. Putting her wrists behind her back, she slipped them on, then reached up with her fingers and closed the locking clasp on them.