Lori arrived first, even though it was Madison's apartment that she, Sally and Madison had decided to use for their regular meetings. Madison lived alone and her apartment was difficult to pry on, and privacy was essential. Fortunately for her, Lori didn't have to wait for Madison to return from her classes. She let herself in, using the spare key Madison had given to her. Neither she nor Sally had been hesitant to give Lori full, free access to their places. After what they'd shared, prudishness about things like that was completely senseless.
It had been a couple of weeks since Lori had first brainwashed Madison - or rather, since Unit 7005 had done so. Lori was no longer certain there was even much of difference. At first, of course, she'd been completely unaware of 7005's existence. Then, when she'd stumbled upon the programming that had been placed in her head, she'd been terrified, regarding 7005 as a foreign presence installed into her mind in a grotesque violation of her free will. Over time, though, her fear had dwindled, and had been replaced by a sense of perverse curiosity. She'd come to appreciate the ways that being 7005 let her shed her stresses and anxieties. Even though she never remembered any of it, she always woke up from those brainwashed states feeling refreshed, or even euphoric.
She'd started asking Harper to activate 7005, because it just felt that good to be mindless and obedient. Since then, her acceptance of her situation had only grown. Now, she was always aware of 7005. She could feel it as a presence in her mind. She could feel that programming, that conditioning, that training. That brainwashing. The word 'brainwashing' made her shiver, and lick her lips with anticipation. 7005 didn't scare her anymore. In fact, she found its presence in her mind comforting. It was always there, ready to uncoil and smother her consciousness in cold, smooth latex, washing away all her fears and doubts. 7005 was part of her. Lori accepted that now. Not just any part; a deep, important part. Sometimes, Lori felt like 7005 was more real than she was. More fundamental. That didn't scare her either.
There was a knock at the door. It was Madison, Lori immediately knew. Madison was always a little early, and Sally was always a little late. Lori went to open the door for her. Madison could get into her own apartment on her own, of course, if she needed to. But she knew Lori was there, and she liked to knock. She liked the ritual of it, Lori figured.
"Hi," Lori said, greeting her friend. "Come in."
"Hi," Madison said, slightly breathily. She followed Lori inside, and into her bedroom.
Madison had embraced her transformation eagerly, much more so than either Lori or Sally. Lori wasn't sure why. Maybe the way that she had converted Madison had left an indelible impression on her friend's psyche. It certainly seemed that way, from how Madison had acted since then. Or maybe the hypnotic conditioning had simply awoke something that was already deep inside her. Lori was harboring a small amount of scientific curiosity about which it was, but she knew it didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were both fulfilling their role, their programming. Lori had absolutely no doubts at all that Madison was thoroughly brainwashed, and was taking herself deeper into brainwashing every day. Unit 7428 was fully compliant.
"I'm sorry I'm early," Madison said haltingly, pacing across the floor of her own apartment. Lori knew from experience that there was no point asking her to sit. She was far too excited.
"It's not a problem," Lori replied.
"Good." Madison seemed a little more settled
Amongst all the changes Lori had witnessed in Madison, the only one that discomforted her was Madison's tendency to treat her with something close to reverence. As if she were some kind of priestess, or even some kind of saint. It made sense, admittedly. She'd opened Madison up to a whole new world, one that she had very effusively voiced her enthusiasm for and appreciation of. Perhaps for her, it had been like a religious moment. Still, it was uncomfortable. Lori didn't have to confidence to accept being treated that way, and 7005 utterly rejected the idea that a mere drone should be treated with any respect. No-one deserved that. No-one except The Administrator.
Lori still knew nothing about whoever it was that was truly behind everything she'd experienced, but she could feel them in her mind, a little like how she could feel 7005. There was something lying behind the programming and brainwashing in her head; some tell-tale traces of authorship that she could pick up on. But more than that, she felt an indescribable sense of submission towards that author. No, submission, wasn't a strong enough term. It was more automatic than that, and more irresistible. She felt like she was nothing more than a cog in a giant machine, a simple instrument that could do nothing more than serve its purpose. Lori was always shocked at how comforting she'd begun to find that.
"I'm sure Sally will be here soon," Lori said out loud, answering Madison's unspoken question. Madison nodded quickly a few times, grateful for the reassurance, but she remained fidgety and agitated. Lori knew perfectly well she was eager, rather than anxious. It was obvious from the way her face kept pulling into a smile and the way she kept rubbing her thighs together needily as she paced, and most of all from the shining, zealous look in her eyes. Lori would have been lying to herself if she'd been trying to pretend she didn't feel a measure of that same eagerness, but for her it was tempered by a more sober sense of duty. She didn't think of herself as superior to Madison, but she felt she needed to be a responsible guide to their transformation.
Several silent minutes passed before there was another knock at the door, this one timid and reticent. Lori checked the time on her phone as she went to answer it. Sally was a few minutes late, but not as late as she had been last time. That was progress. When she opened the door, Lori found Sally standing before her, looking down at the ground. There was a faint blush in her friend's round cheeks. She looked guilty. Lori knew all too well exactly what must have been going through Sally's head. She'd promised herself she wasn't going to come, and with each step she'd promised herself that the next step would see her turning around and heading home. But here Sally was. Nothing was forcing her. She wasn't being coerced or blackmailed. She'd simply had one sweet taste of what it meant to surrender the blissful, perfect programming that Lori had exposed her to. Now, it was Sally's forbidden fruit. She couldn't stay away, and each time she gave in, its hold over her grew stronger. Soon, she would stop fighting it. Lori knew that from experience too.
"Come in," Lori invited her, once it became clear Sally wasn't going to say anything.