"Female volunteers wanted," the ad had said, "to take part in a research program aimed at investigating and ultimately increasing the female capacity for orgasm frequency, duration and intensity. Discretion and anonymity guaranteed."
First Cindy thought it was a joke. Or a hoax, aimed at swindling her out of her money, or maybe even something more sinister. But the ad had stayed on her mind, and the had found herself getting more and more curious. So finally, after thinking about it for more than a week, she had decided that there was no harm in a phone call. The woman who answered had appeared quite friendly and very professional. Yes, the research was conducted by one of the most prestigious facilities in the state. Yes, the protocols and ethics of the program were overseen by all the applicable regulating bodies. Yes, the research was sponsored by some of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country. Yes, they would be happy to answer all her questions without any obligation on her part.
So, much to her own surprise, Cindy found herself walking up to the entrance of a rather fancy building in one of the most expensive parts of town a few days later. The glass doors slid open when she approached, and a young but very prim and proper receptionist smiled at her and directed her to the elevator, which took her to the fourth floor.
The office in which she now sat was a very pleasant one, decorated in soothing pastel colors over a smooth expanse of creamy wall-to-wall. The chairs were luxurious and comfortable, the desk tastefully designed yet functional, and the woman behind it friendly and quite pretty. She looked to be in her early thirties and she reminded Cindy of one of her teachers in first grade. Except for the white lab coat.
"Thank you very much for coming, Cindy," the woman said. "I am doctor Julia Maynard. I realize it was a big step for you to come here. You probably feel more than a little awkward and apprehensive, given the nature of our research program, and I'm sure you have a lot of questions. So if it's okay with you, I'd like to give you a brief outline of what it is that we do, and if you decide you want to become involved we'll take it from there. Alright?"
Cindy smiled and nodded. Doctor Maynard was right; she did feel a little nervous. But she had come this far, so...
"Excellent," doctor Maynard continued. "In short, our research is aimed at finding new and perhaps revolutionary ways to improve everyone's sex lives by enhancing the female sexual experience. While Viagra and similar medication have been on the market for several decades and have dramatically improved the male sexual performance with beneficial results for both men and women, so far very little has been done on the female side, so to speak."
She paused for a moment and smiled.
"Medical researched aimed at the male role in sexual relationships focuses largely on three main areas. Firstly, it attempts to increase the male's ability to have an erection and to sustain it for an extended period, while also improving its quality, in other words to make his erection harder and more engorged. Secondly, it aims to delay the male orgasm and ejaculation, thereby increasing male sexual stamina and giving the female partner more time to achieve her own climax. Lastly it attempts to find ways to make males multi-orgasmic, in effect enabling them to have multiple orgasms and ejaculations during a single session of sexual intercourse without the usual refractory period during which the male normally looses his erection and no longer responds to sexual stimulation. Unfortunately this last line of research seems less promising at this point in time."
Doctor Maynard's frank and uninhibited attitude surprised Cindy, but it also intrigued her. She found herself getting interested.
"Our research focuses on the female sexual partner," doctor Maynard went on, "especially with respect to the female orgasm. In short, we look for ways to make women achieve their first orgasm more quickly during sexual intercourse, to reduce the interval between subsequent orgasms, and to make the orgasms more intense and more satisfying." She paused and smiled. "I'm just being honest and factual, and not a female chauvinist, when I say that most men are far more satisfied with a sexual experience in which the women shows intense and prolonged signs of pleasure. The male ego responds positively to his partner's satisfaction, so improving the female sexual experience is beneficial to both partners."
Cindy frowned. "How do you mean?"
Doctor Maynard smiled again. "Well, to put it bluntly: when you have sex with a guy and you have multiple volcanic orgasms, that makes him feel that he's good in bed, which massages his ego and helps to increase both his enthusiasm for lovemaking and his attention to your needs. It's an unpopular but not untrue notion that the male ego is the weakest link by far in the whole system of sexual interaction between men and women. The female orgasm goes a long way to reinforcing it. So everybody wins."
"Well, if you put it that way..."
"I do, and there's a massive body of independent and corroborated research backing it up. By enhancing the female sexual experience we enhance the male's as well, just like Viagra has done a lot for men and women both."
Cindy nodded slowly. "Okay... I think I see what you're getting at. So... How do you do that?"
Doctor Maynard leaned back in her chair. "Our research explores several avenues at once," she said. "Some are quantitative, some empirical. That means, in simple terms, that we experiment with different substances and gauge their effect on the female sexual response. We start with a standardized way of inducing sexual stimulation to orgasm, through the direct stimulation of certain nerve paths. First we do this without any additional treatment to establish the subject's baseline, and then we administer various substances to compare the subject's response to the same stimulation. Some improve it, others don't. We measure the intensity, duration and frequency of the subject's orgasms objectively by monitoring her physical parameters, and after each session we ask her to rate her various orgasms and her overall sexual experience subjectively."
Cindy frowned. "So... Which... substances... do you use?"
"Nothing potentially harmful, I assure you," doctor Maynard replied. "We limit ourself to compounds that occur naturally in the female human body: various neurotransmitters, amino acids and other proteins, trace elements, and so on. Right now we are achieving promising results with certain types of cholines. We do not use psycho-active substances, potentially harmful drugs or chemicals."
"Cholines?"
"A group of substances that occur naturally in a variety of foods. Choline is produced by your liver and plays an important role in your nervous system."
"Oh, okay. So... It's all natural stuff with no side effects?"
Doctor Maynard nodded. "No side effects at all. Not in the way we use them, at least. A lot of people believe that because a substance is "natural" it is automatically harmless. But you only have to think about all the poisonous plants occurring in nature to know that that's wrong. No matter how natural it is, Belladonna can still easily kill you." She smiled. "But the substances we use are completely safe. They have to be, if we are to develop a product that we can get FDA approval for. And make no mistake: the commercial aspect is an important aspect of this research program. The backing we get from our sponsors does not come free of charge. We are expected to deliver a commercially viable product. But fortunately it looks like we're well on our way to do that."
Cindy slowly nodded. "I can see why you would have to. So... How do you do this research?"
Doctor Maynard nodded. "A good question, and I should have explained that already. In short, if you should decide that you want to take part in our research program, you would come here twice a month. You can come during the day or in the evening, whatever is most convenient for you. Your typical appointments would be one week apart, and coincide with the same point in your menstrual cycle every month, so that we can eliminate your cyclic hormonal fluctuations as a factor. You will also be asked not to have sex or to masturbate at least 48 hours prior to your appointment, and not to use any recreational drugs at all while participating in the program. Finally, it will be necessary for you to remove your pubic hair if you haven't done so already, and to make sure your genital area is as hairless and smooth as possible prior to each appointment. And while you may discontinue your participation in the program at any time, we do ask that you stick with it for at least two or three months. When you decide to leave us you will be asked to fill out an exit questionnaire."
Doctor Maynard thought for a moment. "What else? A typical session can take anything from about two hours to an entire morning, afternoon or evening, depending on how it goes and how far you decide you want to take it. When you arrive, you will first be given some orange juice to drink, which may or may not contain a substance we want to research. You won't know what's in it or if there is anything in it at all, because the psychological factor in this type of research is huge, and we need to keep the placebo effect from skewing our results. Sometimes there won't be any experimental compound in it at all, because every now and then we need to re-establish your baseline. Then you will fill you a brief list of questions, and if you like you can have a shower. Most of your volunteers do. You will also be asked to supply a urine sample, and we recommend you go to the bathroom in any case, because an empty bladder will make things so much more comfortable."
Cindy couldn't help smiling at that.
"When you're ready," Doctor Maynard continued, "I myself or one of my assistants will take you to a test room, which is entirely private and also completely sound proof. You will then lie down on a test couch and be fitted with a set of electrodes to monitor your vital functions, and which will also stimulate the right nerve pathways to induce sexual arousal. Probes will be inserted into your vagina and anus. Don't worry, it will all be very comfortable. Your legs will be in stirrups, and your arms will be gently and comfortably restrained to keep you in place during orgasm, and to prevent you from giving yourself manual stimulation, which you will want to do once the test gets underway. You will then be left alone, and the computer will begin to stimulate your body."
She smiled again. "You will probably have your first orgasm in ten minutes or so, and you will continue to experience a series of orgasms which can be very intense. This will go on until you decide that you have had enough, at which point you will press a button and the test will be completed. The computer may also decide to end the test based on your vital signs. Once the test is complete, we will enter the room again, remove the electrodes and the probes, and help you get off the couch if you still feel too shaky to stand. You will be asked to supply another urine sample, and you will probably want to use the bathroom in any case at that point. You can have another shower or a bath if you like. You will be given a drink to restore your electrolytes and to replace some of the fluids you have lost during your prolonged high levels of sexual arousal. A final check-up concludes the experiment, and when you feel ready you go home."
