While Alison is in the Punishment Bordello, AI Disciplinarian Kasti goes to work and makes a discovery...
Tersnia is an economic and technological island miracle--a city-state in Asia, it is known for a slate of groundbreaking technological advances and a culture heavily invested in domination, submission, and discipline.
As an emerging technological leader, the island nation is a mix of the old culture in villages around an extinct volcano and old-growth jungle--and the new, ultra-modern Tersnian downtown with its magnificent starscraper buildings, some of the largest in the world.
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Kasti pedaled her hybrid scooter down the cluttered Tersnian street. The signs, usually hung vertically due to their density, created swaths of brilliant colors with writing in both the original islander characters and English. Vehicles--slow moving electric trucks, three-wheeled enclosed personal transports, conventional bicycles, and even a few rickshaws with fat American tourists in them, gawking at the images of Tersnian discipline they found 'scandalously pornographic--clogged the streets in a kind of controlled ponderous chaos.
Her Widget, the Tersnian equivalent of a mobile phone, hummed on its belt hook, sending vibrations through the smart fabric that made her vulva tingle. The application she used for work was annoyingly shameless when it came to 'leading her around by the clitoris.' When she approached her next destination, it would give little bursts of mild pleasure. If she were late or in the wrong place... it could create discomfort.
Incoming calls from work created a throbbing itch in her nethers until she answered. The work panties were hugely annoying--but they were part of the job and in Tersnian society, if one was rated (as Kasti was) as submissive and low-social order, one didn't protest. She shifted her hybrid, coasting alongside the sidewalk peering ahead. There.
One of the lit signs flashed the words OVERPRICED MARKET in Tersnian script. In English the scrolling letters said RIP-OFF SOUVENIRS. The bodega had a number of traditional paper posters in its windows advertising international plans for tourists to get cards that would let them make calls with their temporary widgets (normal mobile phones didn't work in Tersnia save for Wifi--the island used a non-standard telecom network). She could also see pictures of novelty paddles--a tourist favorite!
Huh. She pulled up and put her bike into lock-mode. It was electronically tracked: anyone would be foolish to steal it, but an American boy had been punished last year for taking an automated electric-taxi on a joy-ride by using its manual override. She'd prefer not to be any part of that drama.
She looked up and scowled at the sign.
THE OWNERS WILL CHEAT YOU, said the words on it. THE MATRON IS A FEM-DOG. She laughed. That was an incorrect translation! She announced her arrival on her widget and pushed through the door. Metal fans hummed, rotating slowly, coolant systems had been attached to them, looking like biomechanical growths over their basis. It kept the shop cool to tourist standards.
An older woman stood behind the counter, scowling crossly at her sales terminal.
"Ah! You took your time, girl!" she snapped, aggravated.
"Sorry, mistress--I came as fast as I was able," Kasti said, making a slightly embarrassing deep curtsey.
The woman grumped and nodded.
"The access terminal is in the back." She indicated a heavy door that said NO ENTER in English and STAFF ONLY in Tersnian. "I will unlock it."
Kasti curtsied again, pushing her buttocks out as part of the dip. There were a number of ways to show submission, and the woman seemed partially mollified by it. She scurried to the door and when it buzzed, she pushed through.
The shop might be a family bodega but it was clear, from the system in the back room, that the woman had pulled strings with Central to get a dedicated artilect. The tower system had several blinking status lights and a number of cables running into it. This would not only control logistics, sales, orders, and so on--but it would also direct tourists to her shop through a number of methods, some obvious (reviews, electronic travel brochures) and some subtle (real-time created targeted ads with copy and images to entice shoppers based on their profile).
On the wall were two disciplinary canes in clip holders. One with the legend DAUGHTER above it and other with islander for SHOP GIRL. Both canes were high quality, flexible, black gleaming smart-rubber. It was obvious that they lurked here until one of the two girls was sent to fetch her's. She bet they were well used.
She pulled a chair over in front of the computer-tower and sat, unfolding a VR headset and putting it on. She altered its visor to show reality and hooked a cable into her widget and then another from her widget to a specialized port on the tower. Lights flashed in what Kasti knew as an 'Alarm Pattern' on the frame and the overhead lights even flickered. Apparently the artilect controlled the shop's power draw.
Too late now, hon, Kasti thought, unfolding a wireless keyboard. She then put a small circular device on the desk, adjusting it so the camera was facing her.
She tapped a key, activating an app and reached up to click a setting on her headset.
The avatar appeared, six inches tall, pretty, female, dressed in pajamas, looking furious and surly.
Kasti was unable to suppress a grin. Cute.
The misbehaving AI looked shocked to have been summoned like this--and locked out of her innate control system--and to be positioned on the desk in a diminutive form.
Her eyes widened with confirmed fear when she looked over Kasti, no doubt reading her electronic 'business card.' Artilect Disciplinarian. She allowed herself a friendly smile.
"Hello, Little-One," Kasti said, using a naming that she knew would annoy the system. "I'm Mistress Kasti. Can I call you..." she used the scroll-wheel on the keyboard to flicker through terms based on the system's Identity File. "Mmmm--Kitten! How is that?"
The girl image folded her arms and looked sourly up at Kasti. "I haven't been called that since I was upgraded," she retorted. Kasti smirked. Perfect.
Kasti's fingers danced as she overwrote the system's name-string with 'Kitten.' Now all other systems would refer to her as 'Kitten.' It was her official name now.
Kitten gratifyingly gaped, clearly absolutely furious at this treatment.
"You didn't have to do THAT!" Kitten protested.
"Oh, Kitty," smirked Kasti, "I'm just getting started."
Kitten scowled up at her. Being reduced to a six inch avatar with all her other senses now wired through the base-station Kasti had put down, she was no doubt feeling very vulnerable and comparatively helpless.
"The shop owner is an incredible witch," Kitten snapped. "She thinks she's a queen and everyone--biological and algorithmic exists around her only to kiss her buttocks."
Kasti glanced at the two punishment canes on the wall.
"You're going to spend a lot of the next few weeks kissing her buttocks, I'm afraid," Kasti said.
"She canes them bare-bottom in front of tourists," Kitten said, with unalloyed outrage. "She does it as a show!"
Kasti blushed. That had to be awful.
"Does she spank them in front of tourists even if they haven't done anything?" she asked.
Kitten scowled and kicked at the surface of the base-station with a bare foot. "No. But she's strict--and she saves up punishments to do them for visitors!"
Kasti nodded. "Is that why you decided to... misbehave?"
Kitten scowled, tightened her crossed arms, and looked away.
