[For those of you who've never heard of a Chasti-Permalock (or the predecessor, the "Chastilock2000"), a bit of introduction is in order. Back in 1998, I was watching some infomercial (for lack of a better programme), and was struck by the uncanny way that one Barbie-dollish spokesmodel was hyping up a product as though it were the greatest thing since sliced bread. I even forget what it was, but I remember realizing that it was something she'd probably never used, would never *have* to use, and probably wouldn't be all that good for her, anyway. And yet that pasted-on grin and phony enthusiasm was infectious. I was fascinated, but not in the product, just the Hollywood-style delivery of it.
So to be completely off-the-wall, I imagined some grinning, bubble-headed spokesmodel narrating in all seriousness an infomercial for a permanent chastity device which would rob her of her own sexual pleasure for the rest of her life (but make her constantly craving), and yet somehow she seems convinced that this was a good thing. Moreso, it utilized nanotechnology at an advanced state far beyond current theory (probably impossible, but that's the joy of fantasy). The concept was totally ludicrous, and nobody would ever go for a story like that.
I had it completely written (aside from some edits and additions by J.G. Leathers) in about three hours. The early badly-colored line-art took a little longer.
The "Chastilock2000 Infomercial" became a cult fave in the USENET newsgroups, it's been suggested that it inspired a name for two actual chastity devices which appeared in a few months following (Chastilock and CB2000 -- although both are male devices), and later my website (http://www.sweetchastity.com/) grew out of the realization from this little tale that there were some twisted people out there who actually enjoyed my kinky stuff. Well, that story is six years old last March (although I got the site URL much later), and what follows is one of a number of sequels it has inspired (by several authors, although the one below is mine).
Yes, it's weird (and it winds up slowly at first), but I hope you find it fun!]
A Day at the Office
By ten to seven, the main-floor lobby of the Chasti-Permalock building is already quite active these days. Sometimes, you'll catch a glimpse of political figures, foreign businessmen, military officials.... The other morning, we even had pop stars Britt Baby and PsycheDelia from the Diva Dolls pass through -- rumor is that there's a cross-promotion agreement in development, so perhaps they're going to be wearing our appliances, soon.
Employees punch in on the main floor, now. Ever since they brought in the scanners to do check-in, they like to encorporate that in the main lobby security clearance. I think they just like to have us show off our C-P devices so that onlookers can see that the staff proudly wears them.
Yeah, we inevitably have to show off our Chasti-Permalocks. After speaking into the voice print mic and giving a retinal scan, I lifted the front of my skirt and the attendant ran the hand scanner over the bar code embedded just above the device where pubic hair once grew, until a >blip< signalled that I was now recorded in the active roster and cleared to enter. "You may proceed," he told me.
Security is a huge issue here, particularily because of the nature of the technology that we wield. There is a global partial-moratorium on nanotech research, with Chasti-Permalock Corporation being one of the very few to be licensed internationally to research and utilize nanoscale tools (a more accurate term than "nanobots," because they're often more likely a charged compound than the kind of 'bot that we're used to).
And when you think about it, it's absolutely necessary. When you're talking about sub-atomic particles geared toward rebuilding matter on a molecular level, you're talking about being able to rebuild all of creation. Splitting an atom would be easy, and you don't need a several-ton warhead to do it. Without regulation, we could be looking at a shift from the old nuclear government-hoarded weapons of mass destruction to private enterprise knowledge-capable mass destruction. A laboratory accident could conceivably wipe out a city or begin a chain reaction that destroys an ecosystem. Oops.
You can guess how many folks would like to get their hands on this technology. Right now, Chasti-Permalock is one of three companies licensed in its use. And different divisions of the company direct many varied applications. The Vyrtu Division oversees medical applications, although the biological functions of Chasti-Permalock's devices require that the division works very closely with their central one. CPFab is researching the use of nanotechnology in construction endeavors and other commercial enterprise, while CPBotix deals with the cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence work we're doing, CP++ directs device and nanoscale programming, and "Ops" is the nickname we have for the unofficial division that works with the military and (as the rumor goes) probably accounts for the lion's share of our funding. My Division is CPKulture, which oversees many departments in the mainstream market geared toward pop commodities: entertainment, fashion, cosmetics (although some of the more radical bodily modification is governed by Vyrtu), and everything on down to the aesthetics of the basic devices that Chasti-Permalock is best known for, themselves. My own role is secretarial, in the Public Relations Department.
Excuse me. The Human Relations Department. I keep forgetting about the recent name change.
All the way up the elevator, I couldn't help thinking about the bar code. Upon accessing a new floor of the building, or entering or exiting a new cluster of offices, we have to get our bar code scanned -- this is how our movements throughout the building are continually monitored. It is also for this reason that it is mandatory in the dress code that women wear mini-skirts and only their devices underneath, barring special personal circumstances. But it disturbs me that our bar codes are so intimate, while men (that is, unless they're part of the various intergendered programs) can wear theirs on their chests. They justify this by physiology: we can't have women publically baring their breasts and men publically baring their genitals (the vast majority of women wear permanent genital devices like mine, and the few exceptions are indecency exceptions that management is willing to live with). What's worse is the bar code's significance. For example, when we get our bar codes scanned to leave the building, we sign the same asset management form that we would if we were taking some other major piece of company property off the premises.
I'm not the only one who's noticed the implications. Several co-workers have remarked on this.
"Keep in mind, though," Ellen from the Telco department had said, "that once you're Chasti-Permalock, you're always Chasti-Permalock. They pretty much own us, anyway. That non-disclosure agreement we sign when accepted for employment here gives them authorization to 'upgrade' our devices upon termination, and we all know that means cutting off all ability to communicate our knowledge of company programs to anyone else... and just about all ability to otherwise function as a human being, in the process. It's not really a change in treatment of staff so much as an acknowledgement of that fact."
Sixth floor. I scanned in, and scanned again when I reached the HRD entrance. "Good morning, Jasmine," Cindy beamed from behind the reception desk. "The board meeting's at eight and we've got a few guests coming in for it. Mr. Sternson wants you to report to him at least a half hour before the meeting. Oh, and you're a mouth girl, today."
A "mouth girl." As if there was ever any doubt.
Sexual favors are not only abused in this company, they've become expected. Part of it is from maintaining an atmosphere of having to enjoy as much pleasure as we can before we lose it to the devices we'll be volunteered to wear. There's no secret that Chasti-Permalock Corporation bucks the sexual harassment policies of other workplaces -- they even welcome the attention, so that prospective employees and the public at large acknowledge that sexuality is a part of the bargain in working for C-P. Therefore, all applicants agree to submit to that treatment. After all, sexuality is an integral part of the market that Chasti-Permalock deals with. They don't hire often, so they can be extremely selective and only take on compliant personnel. When I started there, it was partly for the excitement, I admit.
And that's how I became a mouth girl. Sexual duties are assigned daily. Cindy's usually given ass duties, even though she hates anal sex. Me, I'm always a mouth girl. When I took the job, my talents were assessed and I was given top marks for oral performance. It usually takes several months or even a year or two before a new employee is volunteered for device testing, but within the first two weeks of my employment here, I received permanent vaginal and anal devices. There was no doubt as to where they wanted me perpetually assigned. So I'm a mouth girl. Rare days, I'm assigned "tongue" duties -- oral chores for women -- and I've never been assigned as "hand girl" (I'm not even sure it exists, aside from on paper) or "titty girl," but otherwise, my repertoire is limited. I sort of regret having practiced on a bottle for the couple days before my job interview.
But that was several years ago. Before setting up at the office, I paused to fix myself a coffee in the employee lounge. Cindy slipped in, having had the same idea. "Hey, listen," she confided in a whisper, "I overheard Winston talking about the mass-market devices. He said something about a back door feature. Do you think that the company might be getting involved with population control? I mean, being that they're so closely allied with the government..."
I stopped her there. I've observed that it's not healthy to speculate, in this company. "If they were talking about a 'back door' feature," I fib, "it was probably a euphemism to describe an anal device."
