Author's note: All characters in this story are over 18, as stated within the story.
Apologies that there is a lot of back-story in this one before getting to the good stuff, but it is necessary to the plot and it saves a lot of time in later chapters.
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Paradise Obtained: Chapter 1 -- Ilse
Just two years ago I had none of the things I have described in the Prologue to my story. No harem of beautiful girls, no luxurious villas or castles, no great wealth, no fiancée.
What I did have was a good brain, experience in my chosen field of biochemistry and a modest reputation among my academic peers. Also, as a post-graduate PHD researcher at one of the Oxford colleges, I had access to excellent equipment, knowledgeable colleagues and, best of all, plenty of time to pursue my researches.
At 28, what I didn't have was a girlfriend, close personal friends or much of a social life outside my work colleagues. All in all, a somewhat lonely existence, which I compensated for by throwing myself into my work. The only reason I wasn't a virgin was that, at the age of 23, I had paid a prostitute for sex. The experience had not been pleasant or satisfying and I felt no wish to repeat it.
However, I retained a strong craving for both female companionship and an active sex life. In no way was I an 'Incel'. I didn't hate women or blame them for my predicament. In fact, I found I generally preferred the company of female colleagues to the endlessly competitive males around me.
But the truth was, I was just too timid and scared of rejection to ask anyone out on a date. And women, perhaps picking up on this, never seemed very interested in me in a romantic way. So, my life went on loveless and consumed by work.
Officially, I was engaged in detailed studies of human brain patterns with a view to finding the triggers that underlay particular behaviours. It was hoped in time that this work would lead to non-invasive cures for a number of personality disorders. I had established early on that male and female brains were sufficiently different in their responses to require separate study, and I had chosen to concentrate on the female brain.
While this official work went on, I had secretly started a research project of my own, the details of which I kept entirely to myself. This project was into mind control.
That phrase may conjure up images of brain-washed slaves, their minds wiped, shambling about waiting to be ordered around. My techniques do not, indeed cannot, do that. My subjects retain all their knowledge and experience and the much of their personality.
What I discovered I could achieve was considerable success in altering specific behaviours and perceptions of the world. In addition, I could plant a degree of auto-suggestion that subjects would act on later and I could cause them to forget what I had done.
In line with my field of work, I should stress that my technique only works on female brains. It would not be difficult, I think, to develop a similar device to affect men, but I have never tried, having no interest in doing so.
The method of achieving this level of control is highly complex and, anyway, I have no intention of revealing the secret of it in print. In its essence I use oscillating light patterns combined with rhythmic and persistent speech to implant the desired new or revised behaviour or ideas into the brain of the subject. Done correctly, the subject firmly believes and accepts this as what they personally desire and think.
As far as I can tell to date, the effect is permanent, even if the victim becomes aware that something has been done to them. (I will discuss in their proper place the observations of Georgia once she worked out for herself that I had altered her mind for my own benefit). However, I have not left this to chance and undertake regular top-ups of my harem to ensure their loyalty.
If all this sounds easy, I can assure you it was exactly the opposite. It took me three years' work to both perfect the technique and to reduce the size of the light pattern generator to something portable. In the latter task I was, eventually, completely successful. By working out what patterns actually had the effect I was seeking, I was able to reduce the generator to a handy pocket-sized device, looking pretty much like a small torch, around 10cm long by 3cm diameter.
During the three years of my mind control experiments, I tested my methods on many female subjects, telling them it was part of my brain pattern research. In this way I discovered the ability to implant new ideas. For example, I would tell a subject she liked a particular brand of soft drink different to her usual one and then monitor what she chose to buy in the canteen. Invariably, the revision in taste was adopted.
I also found I could implant suggestions. One experiment I repeated a number of times was to tell a subject to leave at the end of a session, but return five minutes later to ask if they had left their coat behind. This they would do, even if they never had a coat at all or were carrying it with them.
Another point was that while under my influence my subjects always answered questions honestly, as if unable to lie or conceal things. I tested this by asking for secret or personal things, computer passwords for example, or details of their true feelings about people. These always proved accurate.
Lastly, I discovered that I could cause my subjects to forget what had been said to or by them while they were undergoing the process, meaning that any idea or suggestion I implanted in them they always thought was their own.
During this whole time, I did not use this growing power for any personal gain, sexual, financial or otherwise. I would like to say this was virtue on my part, but it was more fear that I could not be certain that the technique was 100% effective and I might be caught. However, the day arrived when I was certain that it was fool-proof and I could use my mind control device in earnest.
At that point I was stricken by both a pang of conscience and also fear for my own safety. It dawned on me that the techniques I had developed could, in the wrong hands, be used by unscrupulous governments or commercial interests to control millions of citizens. That was not what I had in mind at all.
Further I realised that being in possession of such a powerful secret put me in danger as soon as such parties became aware of it. At best, I might find myself under the 'protection' of the CIA or some similar organisation, perhaps on a secret base in the middle of nowhere. At worst, I might end up dead. I needed protection and, fortunately, I thought I knew where to get it.
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Albrecht Haller, Swiss by birth, but head of the German Bio-Sciences company JI Weyer-Kant GMBH, has a reputation for both brilliance and ruthlessness. At only 41, he is one of the wealthiest men in Europe, a genuine billionaire, and largely self-made.
His success is built on both amazing innovation and in seeing opportunities where others do not and exploiting them to the hilt. It is fair to say that a lot of people don't much like Herr Heller, or his methods, but he does have a reputation for straight dealing. If he gives you his word he will stick to it.
We had met once, at an international biosciences conference in Paris, and for whatever reason he had taken an interest in the paper I presented -- which was on my legitimate research of course -- and had spent a full 40 minutes talking to me. When Haller left, he presented me with his contact details and told me, slightly cryptically perhaps, that if I ever developed something new, unusual and potentially high risk, to contact him.
And so that is what I now did, and to my surprise I was immediately put through to his office and spoke directly to the great man. Within minutes an airline ticket to Hamburg and a hotel reservation were booked for me. The following day, sharp at 9.00 a.m., I found myself being ushered into Albrecht Haller's office for a one-to-one meeting.
I came straight out with my secret and explained what I had invented. Most people would have been sceptical, but Haller said he had followed my work -- official and unofficial -- for some time and had surmised where it was leading. I also outlined my concerns and fears. Again, Haller had foreseen these. He actually had a contract already drawn up.
The deal was this. I would hand over all my research to his company. He would guarantee that the techniques I had developed would not be sold to governments or used for general oppression. Rather they would be exploited in other ways to achieve a financial return, but limited to specific uses, with which I need not concern myself.
I could employ the device I had developed for my own personal use, but must never discuss it with third party companies, governments or individuals. In return I would be guaranteed complete protection by Haller's powerful contacts.
I would be contracted to JI Weyer-Kant on a consultancy retainer of US$100m a year -- with $50m advance payment, but need do nothing to earn it, except Haller might ask me to go to particular locations occasionally. I should ask no questions about this.
