My thanks go again to the wonderful volunteer editor, firmbutgentle, who has worked with me to refine my story. Thank you, FBG!
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Clara's eyes fluttered open and she pulled the covers up more tightly over her form to protect against the cold. Her rear hurt and she needed to use the restroom, but in her sleep-addled state, she was more concerned with the cold that was making her shiver.
My bed is more comfortable than usual,
she thought as she rolled over contentedly. She reached for her phone to check the time, but she didn't feel it beside her in bed. As she moved her hand over the sheets and blankets, realization dawned on her that they didn't feel right. She sat up quickly to gather stock of her surroundings. As she did, the lights illuminated automatically to reveal that she was being held in a cage large enough to hold several pieces of furniture. She looked beyond the cage bars to find that stalactites extended downward from the ceiling of what was apparently a large cavern. As she expected, when she searched the edges of the cavern floor, there were clusters of stalagmites near the walls of the cavern, shooting upward.
I'm in a fucking cage in mother fucking Lost River Caverns... or Merrimack Caverns, or wherever, and something is definitely up my ass!
Clara pulled herself from the bed and hoisted a foot on the mattress so her fingers could explore behind her. Sure enough, there was now a bar of some sort going from the bottom of her chastity cup, extending upward a few inches above the cleft of her ass cheeks where it ended with a flat, round plate that adhered to her skin much as the cup itself did. The bar was rigid, no wider than a plump stringbean, and curved perfectly to keep it flush against her body. Though she was able to wedge her finger beneath it, it was too snug for her to be able to grab it. It held a plug inside her with no base for her to grip. Upon further exploration, she realized it was threaded through the bar that ran up along her body, holding it firmly in place. The plug could not be removed without removing the bar, and she was sure that the only person who was going to be able to do that was Ian Kline. Nevertheless she pulled at it. It held firm. Her fingers grazed the flat, circular disk that served as an anchor for the rear bar. She could not dig even a fingernail beneath it, just as she could not slip anything beneath the cup that covered her sex.
A full-length mirror stood outside of the cage, just beyond arm's length from the bars. She couldn't touch it, but she could see her reflection. Clara pulled the satin nightie she wore up to her waist and tried looking at herself in the mirror. What little she could see behind her confirmed what she felt with her fingers. A gold plate was stuck to her lower back and a solid bar plunged into the crack of her ass, disappearing from view unless she held her cheeks open.
The cage offered little to help or even explain her situation. No electronic devices or anything useful was in her reach. Even the furniture was fixed firmly to the floor. The cage held a table with two chairs, a recliner, and the twin-sized bed she woke up in. Like the mirror, there was a dresser and a desk with a chair outside of the cage, along with a heater that was softly blowing warm on her. She stretched her arm out through the bars to try to touch the items, but they were too far away. A toilet and sink combo were situated in a small water closet that was exposed through bars to anyone in the cavern.
So much for privacy.
She tried the door to the cage to find it was locked.
Of course it's locked. It's a cage,
she thought.
Clara's eyes scanned the cavern chamber and she noticed there were two clearly defined sides. The smaller section had a residential area complete with kitchenette, dining space, and a living room with a sofa, and television. It looked like a movie studio set with finishings that extended upward as far as the camera would be filming and then exposed rock beyond that. The décor was ultra-modern and appeared to be expensive. A large flatscreen TV was mounted on the wall and a camel colored, leather sofa wrapped around the viewing area of the TV. On the opposite side of the cage, there was some kind of laboratory. Not a chemistry lab like the one at school; more like an engineering laboratory. It contained numerous worktables, equipment, and computers situated on raised and sunken platforms where different types of work might be completed in semi-separated spaces. Two steps up on a round platform was a work space with a table and a pair of robotic arms. Two steps down there was another work table covered with small tools and unfinished projects that Clara could not identify. It wasn't a one-person show here. There was enough space to comfortably fit a dozen or so laboratory workers. The floors were smooth and level everywhere she looked, but the varying elevations in the laboratory may have accommodated the unevenness of the natural cavern floor. Her gaze settled on what appeared to be a camera peering at her and she waved both arms at it wildly, hoping to gain the attention of anyone manning the cameras.
"Your Master is coming down to greet you. Kneel for him."
Clara's eyes narrowed as she identified that the source of the robotic voice was the camera, which proved to be much larger than she initially estimated. It had a head and small body, and when it had finished climbing down from its perch, she could see that it stood about two-and-a-half-feet tall and had a bipedal design. Her eyes widened with fear as the little white robot began to approach her with a surprisingly realistic gait. She crossed to the opposite end of the cage to avoid it until she further assessed its threat level.
"Your Master will be displeased if you are not kneeling for him," it reiterated in a tinny voice when she had not moved to its recommended position.
"Kneeling for who? I don't have a Master."
The little robot tilted its head but remained quiet.
"He's right," Ian Kline said, descending a wraparound staircase from an overhead landing. He was wearing house shoes and a warm robe and his hair looked tousled, likely from being in bed. "It's customary for people in your position to kneel for their Masters and hold that position until they are told they may break the pose."
"Professor Kline! -I mean Ian, oh thank goodness! Where the fuck are we?" It was as if she didn't hear his greeting at all, or notice the nonchalance he expressed over seeing his student locked in a cage. "The door is over here. Can you find a key?"
"I agree that last names are inappropriate given the intimacy that we've shared and will continue to share, but WERT over here has it right." Clara's gaze followed Ian's and landed on the little robot who appeared confused with its head tilted. "We will need to work on the formalities that will be expected of you. I'd like you to grab the cushion that's by the door." She glared at him, piecing together that Ian was the "Master" the robot was referring to.
"Is this your doing?" she asked, gesturing to the cavern at large. Ian was not jumping to hunt for the key to the door, so the answer seemed obvious to her.
"You're here at my insistence, yes." Ian turned to address the robot next. "WERT, this is my new pet, Clara Newman." WERT nodded. "She is not here voluntarily, but she is mine. Your new assignment is to assist my pet in addressing her needs. I have uploaded her contract and rules for you to keep track of. If she needs anything that doesn't conflict with the contract or her rules, you may provide it. Anything that seems questionable, run past me first. If I'm not around, you can ask one of the staff members upstairs. Clara is not to leave the laboratory floor without an approved escort. Currently, I am the only approved escort. I'd like you to power down now. I need to have a private conversation with my pet."
WERT chimed in confirmation of the new commands. Its red recording light dimmed and turned off as did the ambient lighting on its body.
"What the fuck?" Clara said, confused with what she just observed. "You can just talk to it like you talk to a person?"
Ian turned his attention back to her, ignoring her question. "I told you to get the cushion," he reminded her.
"No," Clara said defiantly. "I want answers! Why am I here? Where are we?"
