Corporate Love

Epilogue

"Are you ready for this?" asked Joey.

"Yes,

mostly

," answered Tina, giving him a brisk nod as she adjusted her jacket.

It felt weird to be dressed in one of her old college outfits. She was wearing a tight latex bodysuit underneath, but that wasn't the same as being nude.

She resented all of the work that had been necessary for this meeting. Hours of makeup and wigs for a mere ten minutes of artifice? It seemed rather wasteful.

Yet the machine had ordered it, and she had to admit that the two of them looked pretty sharp. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary when she examined her husband's tight, button up shirt or his starched collar.

Unless one knew where to look, the shine of black rubber near the bottom of his neckline could be mistaken for being a part of his outfit.

She swallowed as her eyes settled over his crotch, immediately blushing and turning away. There was no reason for her to be so unmitigatedly

horny.

Hive coupled them more than once a day, even

after

it had become obvious that the intended effect had been achieved.

Rubbing her belly absentmindedly, she could feel the rising bump. No matter what her parents said, this was something they couldn't take away from her.

The future was bright!

Oh

so bright, filled with love and submission to the machine!

She just had to convince her family of the same. Through whatever means

necessary.

"Okay," she said finally. "We have our assignments. Let's go see them."

Joey took her hand, and leaning over, kissed it. "Everything will be fine. They've been in the indoctrination room for a half hour, so they will be receptive. Follow the machine's commands. Make them

obey.

"

"Yes," whispered Tina, her eyelashes fluttering as her command box updated. "We obey."

VISIT INDOCTRINATION CHAMBER A-02.

She blinked, a wide smile taking over her face. "Very good. Let's have a little chat with them."

Mincing her steps, she followed her husband up to the door, waiting patiently for the scanner. The whisper of Hive thoughts kept her company, the logical mind of her husband steadying her body.

Clamping her lips together, she increased her pace, turning with Joey down one of the racks. Here were drones mounted in personal booths, being loaded and pleasured by the machine as they jerked in their restraints.

She studied one of the collared storage drones with envy, knowing that she would be back here again soon,

plugged in.

She couldn't imagine a better fate - losing oneself in the data streams while being pleasured by the probes was just so damn

arousing.

Alas, she didn't have time to fantasize. She needed to get her family dispositioned so that Hive could convert them into productive drones, like her.

She grinned at the thought of betraying them to the machine, but when she looked at it objectively, this was a good thing for them, wasn't it? Her parents would certainly loosen up after spending a couple of months in the rack!

Her brow furrowed. That wasn't likely, though, was it? With her father's abilities, he would probably be converted and sent back as a spy, working to supply Hive's needs. Worst case scenario, he might become a control drone, placed in a position of power over

her.

She shuddered at the idea, and Joey squeezed her hand. "It won't be that bad," he rumbled. "Trust in Hive. Hive knows best."

Yes, that was right. What she was worrying about simply didn't matter. If she was made subordinate to her father, he would be subordinate to the machine. They would

obey

, as expected of proper drones.

Their steps carried them through a cubicle farm filled with yellow rubber clad workers, the hum of their minds caressing her body. They were wearing helmets, violet text printing across the tinted screens.

Their legs were clamped inside sex control chairs, hips swallowed up in swooping black plastic. Hands extended, they tapped at their keyboards, generating the paperwork necessary to keep Hive running.

Within Hive, there was no need for such record keeping, but the outside world still ran on paper. As such, there needed to be worker drones to keep the wheels greased.

As they passed through the room, she noted that a few of them had slick, black cables plugged into the implant port on the back of their skulls. These drones were stationed on platforms, their red rubber bodies towering over the others.

Control drones.

As a storage drone, she spent most of her time in the rack, so she was rarely assigned as one of their subordinates. She shivered at the aura of obedience they exuded, knowing that she would do whatever they asked, as surely as she would obey the machine.

Joey squeezed her hand again, pulling her towards his side. She let out an exhausted breath, leaning into his shoulder as they exited the office space, marching into a corridor.

"I don't know why they bother me," she said idly. "We look exactly the same when we're in the rack."

"It's different when you see it happening to someone else," suggested Joey. "When you experience it yourself, you don't have to digest the enormity of the machine."

That was true. The machine had its tendrils

everywhere

, treating its drones like surrogate hands. Seeing this office made her understand just how

small

she was in the overall scheme.

She took some comfort from this realization. Although her family seemed like a huge deal to her, they were

nothing

in the face of the machine.

They would be subverted. They would be controlled. They would be

drones

.

As they neared their destination, her commands updated, bringing her new desires.

VISIT INDOCTRINATION CHAMBER A-02.

SEPARATE FAMILY. ESCORT SISTER. RECRUIT.

The orders burned in her vision, demands that she

must

fulfill. There was no fear. There was only

obedience

.

They moved out of the corridor, turning right and passing a bank of elevators. As they entered another security door, Tina sighed. "Do you think they'll see through our disguises?"

"Does it matter if they do?" asked Joey, a wry grin on his face. "They are in the center of Hive One. If we need help, there are thousands of drones all around us. There is no need to worry."

"I'm not worrying," frowned Tina, knowing this to be true. "I trust in the machine."

As they slowed in front of the indoctrination chamber, he turned and wrapped his other hand around her shoulder. "Then why do you tremble so?"

Tina closed her eyes and sighed. "It is one thing to understand logically, yet another to convince one's brain that it is

safe

."

She tilted her head, staring at him with glowing, blue eyes. "It won't affect my performance."

"See that it doesn't." He grinned, leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Remember to hide your eyes."

Tina started, frowning as she concentrated. It was

hard

to pretend to be a base level human. That's why she usually left the skullduggery to her husband.

It was just this one time.

She straightened her spine, retrieving her hand as she stared at the closed door. "It's time. Let's do it."

Joey moved under the scanner, his calm demeanor highlighted by the pulsing red light. The door clicked, hissing open. He led the way inside, striding forward with confidence.

She didn't feel as confident as him, but now was the time for action. She followed close behind, rounding the corner.

The room was large, the walls painted with a comfortable blue hue. Extra effort had gone into disguising the drop ceiling, smooth baffles mounted to diffuse the light.

The carpet was soft under her shoes, a high pile not commonly found in an office space. It was all carefully geared to make the occupants feel at home, to lull them into a fall sense of security.

Beyond a side counter occupied by a coffee maker and brass pot, there was a sofa facing a large screen that took up the far wall.

A hypnotic pattern danced over the display, a calming program meant to dull the senses. If she hadn't known this, she might have been caught up in the colorful spinning bars herself, but the commands from the machine kept her firmly on task.

As Joey moved up to the couch, her father rose to look at him, his arms folded. A foreboding expression was on his face, one which didn't waver as Joey extended his hand. "Welcome to the building!" he said brightly, waiting patiently for her father to respond.

Kim's brow creased, a look of confusion rushing through his eyes as they flicked towards Tina. "Just what is going on here?" he asked brusquely. "This isn't listed as a residential building. Just who

are

you?"

Tina moved up next to her husband, giving her father a bright grin. "He's my fiance, and if you take his hand, he'll introduce himself."

Her mother appeared next to her father, clasping his shoulder. "You might not approve of this, dear, but it's the only way we'll see our grandchildren."

Her eyes teared up as she spotted Tina's belly. "Oh my, you didn't

tell

us you were pregnant!"

"I was going to," said Tina nervously, trying to figure out how to diffuse the awkward situation.

A mousey head popped out from behind her father, the woman's elbow propped on the couch. "She told me," she said nonchalantly.

Satin whipped her head towards her other daughter. "Why am

I

the last one to know?"

Mara fidgeted, playing with her hair. "She didn't feel comfortable telling you. She was worried that you'd react like this. And you

did.

"

Satin screwed up her face, staring daggers at Mara. Her sister shrank back under the withering assault. Tina desperately wanted to tell her that it would be okay. Any plans of revenge her mother might harbor would be cut short as soon as the machine took control.

Her father finally relented, reaching out to shake Joey's hand. His fingers wrapped over her husband's, his grip tightening until Joey's knuckles turned white from the strain.

"I still don't approve of any of this. If I find out that you've been mistreating my daughter, I will

bury

you."

Nonplussed, Joey gave him a sharp nod, giving back as good as he got. "I haven't forced her to do anything she hasn't wanted to do," he replied. "You can ask her yourself."

That wasn't

strictly

true, given that many of the things they had done together had been commanded by the machine. Her family didn't need to know any of that, though.

She let out a hissing sigh. "Enough of this male posturing!" she declared. "Dad, meet my fiance, Joey. Joey, meet Kim, he is the CEO of Brontax, an international equipment manufacturer."

"Pleased to meet you," said Joey, his eyes flashing a light blue as her father finally let go of his hand.

It must have been more punishing than she had thought. She needed to get this moving along before they started with the fisticuffs.

"Joey, why don't you show my parents what you've been working on? I want to spend time with my sister."

Joey gave her a nod. "Of course," he said, his mouth wide with a fake grin as he held out an arm, gesturing towards the door. "If you two will come with me, I'll demonstrate our product."

Her father frowned, crossing his arms. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what it is that you

do.

I'm tired of being given the runaround!"

Not again! She should have expected this kind of intransigence from her dad! Her mind raced, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse.

Joey shrugged, lowering his arm. "It would be far easier to show you, but fine, I'll do my best to describe it." He lowered his shoulders, looking off to one side. "You see, Mr. Lee, we are involved in creating innovative technical products that will change the future."

Tina noticed that Joey had moved subtly, positioning himself in front of the screen, which had amped up its flickering display. "Mainly, we deal with the intersection between man and machine, the biotechnical reality of our age."

He folded his arms, taking a step aside. "Why don't I give you a small taste of the future? Hive, please introduce yourself."

The patterns on the television swirled, updating with glowing violet text.

HELLO, TINA'S FAMILY. HOW MAY I BE OF ASSISTANCE?

"What's this? A glorified chatbot?" blustered her father, taking a step towards the screen.

A cursor spun, the text flashing.

I AM HIVE. I RUN THE OPERATIONS IN THIS BUILDING. I AM CAPABLE OF MORE THAN A SIMPLE CHATBOT. HOW MAY I BE OF ASSISTANCE?

"Tell me what's going on here!" roared her father, abandoning his usually stony mien.

I SENSE THAT YOU ARE ANGRY. THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR THE HEART. YOU SHOULD EXPERIENCE CALMNESS SO THAT YOU CAN ENGAGE YOUR RATIONAL BRAIN.

The swirling patterns behind the text intensified, calm blues shifting in enticing swoops that pulled the eye. The baffles on the lights above moved at the same time, painting the patterns over their bodies and the floor. The entire

room

was under the control of the machine.

For a long moment, Tina thought that her father would lash out again, but she spotted the confusion in his eyes, his lips working in a way that suggested that he had forgotten his next vitriolic statement.

"I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot," suggested Joey, crossing over to the cabinet containing the coffee pot.

Sliding open a drawer, he retrieved several headsets, grinning at Tina as he handed her two of them. Walking up to her father, he plopped one on top of his head, adjusting the glowing visor so that it sat on his nose.

Kim shivered, his mouth gaping open as the screen tracked his eyes, enhancing the patterns by beaming them directly into his brain. His body language softened as the machine took control of his limbic system, reducing him to a quivering lump.

CALMNESS. PAY ATTENTION AS YOU ADJUST. IT'S HARD TO LET GO AND FEEL THE FLOW. TO UNDERSTAND YOUR ROLE.

"Kim?" whined her mother, her body swaying as she stared at the wall. "Is everything okay? Why don't you say something? Take

charge?

"

This was par for the course. Her mother always looked up to her father, deriving her authority from him. She knew that her orders would be obeyed, because

he

was in command.

No longer.

The machine was in control of

all

of them!

She started to relax, a soft smile appearing on her face as everyone who had tortured her during her childhood slipped into a trance. This felt

better

than she was expecting!

LOVE. OBEDIENCE. YOU LOVE OBEDIENCE. YOU LOVE OBEYING. YOU LOVE RELAXING. YOU ARE RELAXED.

Joey returned to retrieve one of the headsets he had given her, patting her shoulder. Returning to her mesmerized family, he dropped this visor over the top of her mother's head.

She jerked at its sudden presence, her body shivering as the mesmerizing screen locked onto her eyes. Within a matter of moments, her expression cleared, and she stood up straight, staring at the screen. Her lips began to move, mouthing the instructions.

GIVE IN. LET YOURSELF GO. EMBRACE THE COLORS THAT SWIRL IN YOUR MIND LIKE SMOOTH CHOCOLATE. YOU ARE HAPPY. YOU POSSESS THE FREEDOM THAT COMES WITH OBEDIENCE.

Tina had the last headset in her hands. She knew what she needed to do with it. The command burned in her vision, suppressing her reluctance.

Her feet moved automatically, bringing her to the far end of the couch, where her sister sat curled up, watching the screen. She stared at her brown eyes, the way her cheeks dimpled as she lost her mind to the machine.

Cute.

It was almost a shame to hide that face behind a visor, but the headset was already descending, pushing her sister's hair aside as it clamped around her skull. With a brief adjustment, it dropped into position, the glowing sensors tracking her eyes.

She let out a small noise, tightening her fists into little balls against her chest under her large breasts. She was

captured.

Tina sighed, her eyes rolling up into her head as endorphins were released in her brain, her arousal suddenly spiking. She was forced to brace herself against the back of the couch, lest she drop to the floor in a quivering wreck.

Damn, it felt good to obey the machine

. She tilted her head up, unfocused as a small moan escaped her lips.

Joey appeared, lifting her up against his body. "You did it, my little slut slave," he whispered in her ear, kissing her neck. "I knew that you could, but the machine wanted to see whether you would betray your family. You passed this test. You've been put in for a promotion. Your first task is to finish the job."

Her head snapped up as she looked at her father. "No, not

him

," chuckled Joey. "You get to start with easier prey."

Oh.

That made her feel a little better, but working to convert her sister was still an uncomfortable prospect. She was only a year younger, but they had never been close. Mara had always been the favored one, given special dispensation to spend all her free time curled up with her phone.

This unequal treatment had bred contempt, but she had never outright

hated

her. Mara had always been her cute, useless little sister - it was hard to see her as anything

else

.

There really was no reason to think that way any longer. Her sister was about to enter college, and she was perfectly capable of making decisions for herself. She just didn't

want

to.

ESCORT SISTER TO CONVERSION POD L-03. RECRUIT.

Well, now she wouldn't

have

to. Stepping around the couch, she took her sister by the arm, pulling her gently to her feet. "Come on, sis, it's time to get you prepped."

Mara's brow creased in confusion. "I don't wanna," she said with a pout, lifting up her hands in defiance.

"You might not

now

, but once the machine has control, you will do whatever it asks," said Tina firmly. "Just watch the display and follow me, you don't have to think. In fact, you probably

shouldn't.

"

"Don't... think," muttered Mara, her hands dropping back to her sides as her back straightened up.

"That's right," encouraged Tina, tugging her along. "Everything will be okay, you just need to come with me now. I'm going to show you something

wonderful.

"

Joey gave her a nod as she escorted Mara past her parents, moving with confident strides towards the door. "I'll take good care of them," he called out.

"Yes," replied Tina, staring straight ahead, commands burning into her brain. "The machine will take care of us all."

The door whisked open, and she stepped out into the corridor, herding her sister in front of her. They walked along in silence for a few minutes, Mara being indoctrinated by the visor.

Her jaw dropped open, lips pursing together. "This is like a game," she said in an airy voice. "I'm a little princess, being escorted towards her throne!"

She giggled, turning to look at Tina, her eyes an eerie blue under the visor. "Thank you, subject. I can take it from here!"

She thrust her chest out, marching down the hallway with long steps, almost as though she was matching the beat of a brass band. Bemused, Tina followed, keeping up the pace as she watched her sister with an eagle eye.

This delusion probably wasn't the result of an escape attempt. She was simply confused, the machine's trance causing her to disassociate into the world of one of the games she played.

It was harmless enough, at the moment, since she was currently headed in the right direction. Conversion was one more hallway over, past a couple of nondescript conference rooms and a security door.

Mara crossed into the hallway, where a group of drones dressed in streetwear were marching as a unit. These drones had the usual implants, but they were hidden under carefully applied wigs. They had no rubber skin coating or barcodes, though they were as firmly enslaved as any other drone.