The Curator Ch 08

Chapter 8: Chinese Puzzling

Sue lay on the cold tile for a few minutes recovering. Her rump was sore from the fall, and she had smacked her elbow on the floor, hard. Otherwise, she was alright. Suddenly she remembered that she was on the clock again. The squid was relentless. Getting to her feet was a real challenge. Wobbling on the heels, while trying to get her sore body to cooperate, took more effort than anyone else could ever understand. The weights tied to her nipples were sheer misery slapping around loose. She couldn't spare a hand to stabilize them.

Once she was back on her feet, Sue squinted to find the lab bench among the various astigmatic blurs. A few stumbles found it after almost knocking over a laptop computer sitting near the edge. She paused and tried to steady the weights. It didn't help much. The steady downward tug was merciless. She knew from experience that lifting them was not a good idea either. Her fingers carefully tested for her glasses. Once she had them back, she immediately felt like a new person; she felt back in control.

She allowed herself time for one deep breath then returned to action. Her mental clock was thinking she might have 4 or 5 minutes left at most. Now she could see the slipknots well enough to work them loose. The blood returning to her tortured buds was even more horrible than she might have guessed. All she could do was grit her teeth and wait it out while the clock ticked off another couple minutes. The bad thing was she still had to do the other nipple.

As soon as she stopped seeing stars, Sue started getting dressed by wiggling her bra into position. She quickly realized her stoutly erect nipples would have none of being compressed into the push-up cups. In addition to being really tender from the tortuous stretching and constriction, the nettle cream was still affecting them. Abandoning her bra, she pulled on her silky nylon undershirt and continued to dress. The thin soft fabric alone against her sensitive buds sent shivers through her. They still poked through her sweater, but there was little else she could do. As the saying goes, her "high beams" were stuck on. Sue couldn't afford the time to worry about it.

Sue knew she couldn't have much time left before the squid calculated its next devious choice. It seemed like it should have started up already. She began looking for the remote. It couldn't have fallen far. She found it behind the horse soon enough. The display made no sense at first. It didn't have the typical countdown she expected. She scrolled back through the entries. They didn't go very far. About 45 minutes ago, there was a message which said "Upgrade completed, restarting." There was no mention of lockdown mode ending, but there was no countdown either. She scrolled back looking for anything of note. Most of the other messages seemed routine enough until she saw "Subject profile complete." What the hell did that mean?

The icons were all still on the display, but it looked like she would be able to enter the passcode and remove the squid with the special tongs. It was on the original programmed settings she selected before the whole lockdown mode difficulty and would still run programs on a regular interval. The last one was "Harley Heaven." Maybe it would have been if it had really been a motorcycle vibrating underneath instead of the vibrating saddle.

She could see an icon showing signal strength. That was new. The remote had connected to the museum's free wi-fi. It must have automatically downloaded software updates. That would explain the differences in the manual. It probably had already been upgraded before. She didn't care. She would be free of the damned thing soon. Between the fall, the horse and the belly dancing, she was way too sore or she would have been dancing a happy dance: no more 10 minute rests or lockdown!

Feeling like she now had all the time in the world before the squid initiated another session, Sue carefully packed up the saddle and put it back in the drawer Martin and Charlie took it from. She looked around to make sure nothing gave away what happened. She wasn't sure what to do with her bra. Her purse was pretty much full. She found a big envelope in the lab supplies to put it in and just carried it. She was about ready to leave when Charlie came through the door looking a little out of breath.

"We expected you would be done by now so I came see if everything was alright," he said while puffing a little. He looked around in the room and then closed the laptop and started wrapping up the power cord. "Martin will want this back. It looks like everything is OK for the morning crew."

Sue immediately realized that they had been watching her with the webcam on the laptop to see if she was alright, presumably. Charlie must have seen the fall and rushed up to check on her. She pretended not to notice. They must not understand how much more tech savvy her generation was than they were. They thought they were so clever.

"Bill is walking over to get Chinese at the place down the block. The snow is pretty bad. We're all going to be here overnight by the looks of it. They've declared a state of emergency. Why don't you come down and join us? We got you chicken with garlic sauce. Maya said you like that. How'd it go? I hope we weren't too rough on you."

Sue was impressed Maya remembered her favorite Chinese selection. "It was a little rough, but I could handle it. I can't say I'd want to do it again though." She started to walk with Charlie back to the lobby. "I need to know a little more about a few things," she blurted out abruptly like it was someone else started talking.

"Understandable," was all that Charlie said.

"What do you and Martin know about the glyph on my chest?" She didn't know any better way to say it than straight out.

Charlie was rather matter of fact like he was expecting her to ask. "The glyph shows that you passed the first of the three great Nuymean rites, but you already know that."

"Yes, but I wanted to know more about it. I've found very little information." Sue continued, "I don't even know how to begin the second rite. The only clue I've found is about a book by Dr. Barnes being in the annex."

"I wish I could help you more. I don't know if there is more to the glyph than that, but I do know Dr. Barnes had one just like it." By the way Charlie reacted Sue didn't think he knew about the book, but he continued. "There is a large Nuymean display in the annex. It was rebuilt stone-by-stone there where the floor was strong enough. The whole exhibit in the annex is outdated from the women's lib era of the '60s into '70s. It was a political showpiece meant to show ways in which women were exploited and treated deplorably through history."

Charlie paused a moment to check down a side passage before continuing. This section of the museum was new to her and the hallways were a bit confusing. The passages were all behind the displays and marked for employee use only.

He continued, "The science was questionable even then and the times have changed, but it sold tickets which was the intention. 'There's no such thing as bad publicity.'"

He looked her way as if checking to see if she was paying attention. "The whole annex building has safety code issues and accessibility problems so it's just been sitting there mothballed. Few people remember it these days. It's completely surrounded by other buildings which don't have windows in that direction. It's such a tragedy to hide the beautiful stonework. With the asbestos, lead paint and shear bulk of masonry, the trustees decided to build around it rather than incur the costs involved in tearing it down or renovating it. The Director can give you official access, but we can work something out in the meantime."

Charlie paused for a minute looking down another passage while his security guard habits took the forefront. "Maggie Barnes passed the first and second rites, but we never knew how she did it or faced the trials. She left on sabbatical for over a year and came back changed. I know she visited other museums with Nuymean artifacts and traveled in South America. She somehow attempted the third and final trial but failed. You need to be prepared much more than she was if you want to pass it. She trained extensively, and it wasn't enough. I can't tell you much more than that. She never told us the details. Martin and I are willing to help you, but ultimately you need to push yourself sexually to a level you might not be willing go."

Sue was surprised that Charlie was so forthcoming, but he hadn't said anything truly revealing. "Charlie, did you move the wooden crate back?" She wondered about her own level of willingness as well, but for now, science first.

Sue watched him closely while he answered. "What wooden crate?" was all he said.

She believed him so didn't even ask about the heater or the glyph, but now the mystery only deepened. She thought she had finally figured it out. Now she was clueless. "Dr. Barnes was your wife wasn't she?"

Charlie gave her a look like he was surprised. "I thought that our relationship was long forgotten. She never took my name, and it's been many years since her passing. We were madly in love but grew a little distant as she became more obsessed with the Nuymeans. I miss her tremendously, but the work always came first."

Sue continued with her new found boldness. "I have my doubts about this priestess thing. From the facts, it's a bunch of unproven unscientific nonsense, but I

feel

like there is so much more going on here. I can't explain how but my experiences have had some kind of deeper connection to something I don't understand. Now I need to know more. I need to continue with the trials. Anything you and Martin can help me with will be appreciated."

Charlie was very firm when he replied. "Sue, you have no choice but to continue now. I don't know much about this process. Men are rather excluded in anything related to the Nuymean priestesshood. However, I know that the gods have accepted your offer to submit to them and have marked you. They are looking for full commitment. You are honored more than you know and should not insult that acceptance. I hope you understand the severity of what you have started. As far as your personal feelings, I fear they may not really matter in the end."

For the first time Sue felt scared and in over her head. A chill ran up her spine. She remembered seeing some depictions of those supposedly cursed by the Nuymean gods and it was abhorrent. Images of people without arms, blinded, disfigured or otherwise mutilated are hard to ignore. When it came to gods and sacrifices the Nuymeans had some loose similarities to the neighboring Maya and Aztec peoples. Most likely it was all exaggerated. The drawings were often from accounts not by the Nuymean people themselves, much like many of the accounts about the Aztec and Maya were from Westerners. Nevertheless, it was not the kind of chance she wanted to take. What had she gotten herself into? She never intended to become some kind of priestess for some almost forgotten ancient culture.

She had stumbled into something much greater than she understood and was in a situation where she would need to trust faith and instinct: two ideas completely opposite to the scientific and evidence-based ethic she had committed her life to following. How had it become so...intense? How had superstition become an important consideration. Was it all in her head? She couldn't shake the driven feeling. Even though Sue couldn't uncover the truths involved yet, she did

know

, somehow. Her fundamental belief in science, that everything eventually had a logical explanation, was only part of the puzzle. It didn't matter if she should pursue this course to the end. The experience would somehow be its own end. That was her new belief and an approach that could, at least temporarily, be enough for her.

"So I'm on my own with the second rite?" Sue asked.

"Martin and I are both willing to help but we don't know how the second rite is done. It must have to do with the ritual circle in the annex though, especially if Maggie placed a book there. She was very protective of books so I find it a bit odd that she would do that. She was rather obsessive in obtaining, moving and reassembling the Nuymean circle there. She didn't want it going to the annex, but the available space, politics and funding swung that way at the time."

They approached the lobby. She wished she had more time and still had questions. It all happened so fast. She didn't even notice that her walking pace was almost normal, despite the new footwear. Sue didn't want the others to overhear anything so changed the subject to the weather. Snow was a fact of life here, but there weren't very many storms as bad as this one. She could smell the Chinese food and hear Bill talking with Martin, Maya and Cindy. Maya always seemed to be here. The museum had an endless list of projects to keep her busy. She thought it was odd that Cindy was still here until she remembered her car issues. With the snow, she must have had problems getting home. Sue straightened up and tried to hide her soreness. She tucked the envelope with her bra under her arm as naturally as possible.

Sue quietly joined the group while ignoring Bill. He was openly staring at her chest obviously spotting her erect nipples through the sweater. His eyes started downwards while she suddenly realized her nether lips and clit were also very swollen from the cream. She probably had something like a lewd camel toe through the tights, but wasn't about to look and possibly draw attention to it. She could feel her face start to turn red. She was about ready to run out of the room.

Maya provided a suitable distraction. She was much larger with firm round breasts; the kind that looked heavy and full of milk all the time. The cold seemed to have affected her nipples as well. It was only natural. Maya passed her the paperboard containers with her food, leaning across Bill. Sue sat down quickly at the folding table. The containers were still hot to the touch and for a while the food took over while Sue lost herself in the small-talk.

Bill had trudged the two blocks through the snow. At least he was helpful, she though a bit spitefully. Yum, wonton soup...everyone was impressed with her chopstick prowess on the chicken, but she didn't think it was any big deal and hadn't thought much about it before. Her fortune cookie said, "Your beauty will be unmatched when you achieve peace with your soul." What the hell? Even the fortune cookie seemed to have no solid explanation, but it sounded like something profound was going on.

Bill kept talking about

Alien Watch

. There were new pictures of Nuymean objects and they were from the museum--her museum. Apparently the Director didn't know about them and no one was about to tell him. Perhaps it would blow over. She looked at the magazine, and some of the pictures were of artifacts not on public display. She recognized the area. It was one of the basement hallways.

They didn't reveal much except that a lot of supposedly Nuymean artifacts were collected there in boxes. The big question the article discussed was why the museum was increasing its Nuymean collection. Sue was even mentioned. They said she had been influenced by aliens during a remote desert expedition. She had been on a desert expedition so they had some of the facts right.

A whole round of discussion and new speculations about alien origins was documented along with a new round of conspiracy theories. Sue knew that it meant trouble. Lots of people had access to that hallway so they would probably never know who took the pictures. It was sure they had a spy amongst them. What were they up to and why did they care?

On the walk back to her office, Sue felt exhausted. She fondled the key Charlie had given her, having no pocket to put it in. It was the typical heavy high security key the museum used. Everything was starting to catch up with her. With her shifted schedule, this was the middle of the night for her after almost a whole day without sleep. Lost in thought, she absentmindedly clicked her way down the basement hallway, the sound of the heels seeming normal. She was completely oblivious to the soreness in her legs, the weight of the shoes, and equally oblivious to how dead-on her balance had become. She was also completely unaware of how the sway of her hips and the flirty wiggle of her ass had become an unconscious part of her natural movement.

Sue was planning her approach. First things first: get the squid out of her. After that she needed sleep. She really needed some fresh clothes, a shower and a number of other things too (a toothbrush would be nice), but wasn't going anywhere in this snowstorm. Next, would be to find out about the second ritual and the annex. Dr. Barnes had left her bread crumbs and she must follow them regardless of where they led. Somewhere along the line she needed to find something worthy of publication out of all of it.

After the long walk, she was feeling aroused. The squid didn't move but was large enough that the invasion was hard to ignore while walking. Again, it was her biological machine at work. Push button A and get result B. No doubt she would need to build up that machine to simulate the Nuymean training. She unlocked the door to her office thinking about sleep and her penetrated vagina.

Still, she resisted the temptation. Her swollen clit was really owned right now by the insidious squid. The slightest touch could start a whole new round of itchy stimulation from the nettle gel. Her nipples were certainly itching at the slightest shift of her undershirt. Hard to tell what penalty it would come up with if the squid detected some other stimulation than its own, even if between sessions. She had to get it out of her while she had the chance. She unlocked the drawer to her stash--still annoyed with her peeping Tom landlord--and got out the removal tongs.

She picked up the remote to punch in the supposed default passcode, but it simply beeped. The display said, "Program already in progress. Try again later." Almost immediately she felt something in her lower region. It was the wire. "Insert headphones immediately," appeared. She was a few seconds too late?

Enough of this. There has to be a way to cancel the program.

She fingered the remote, navigating to the menu, and looked for the deactivate options again. They were grayed out. She tried to select them, but the remote wouldn't allow her. "Insert headphones immediately," blinked again and she felt a slight electrical jolt to warn her this time.

Exasperated, she felt down inside her tights for the wire she knew would be dangling out of her pussy then plugged in her ear buds. The display immediately changed to "Multi-Orgasmic Training." She felt a slight rush of panic, the most dreaded of options in the manual. She had a lot of doubts whether she could handle it. Soon it was starting, ready-or-not, and Sue could hear the beginning of another piece of classic music.

The squid didn't seem to be coordinating with the music this time and had simply started faintly vibrating. How had she ended up forced to endure this thing again? She wanted to scream. Her mind was racing at what the multi-orgasmic training might involve and how to avoid it. However part of her was already getting horny enough not to care. The idea of forced multiple orgasms alone was making her flush with heat.

As she heard the music, Sue recognized Beethoven's 9th Symphony. All she could think was "fuck!" but the horny part of her got even more horny at the new turn of events the squid had devised. She heard that at the time audio CDs were being created, Beethoven's 9th was the standard for how long a single disc needed to be, the longest piece of music commonly sold. She resigned herself to what was ahead and reclined in her office chair prepared for an ordeal over an hour long.