The Crimes of Ms Jean Brady is set against the Background of R.Talsorians roleplaying game Cyberpunk. This is not intended as a challenge to their copyright. The Author grants permission to download a copy of this work for personal use. It may not be archived on pay sites or altered without the authors permission.

The Crimes of Ms Jean Brady

By jivinivan@hotmail.com

Part Eight

Marta looks out of the windows as they drive past Lakewood.

<Looks worse than home!> she thinks looking at the near derelict estate. The City Centre is little better. Apart from a tight cluster of State Government buildings and the Corporate enclave Denver looks as if it's not made up its mind to live or die from the wounds of the last twenty years.

A quick look at the Microtech Office had shown it to be still occupied - and still guarded, so Marta orders them to move on

A search at a dataterm in Government Plaza had turned up only two companies doing Sanitation in Denver, both locally owned. A quick trip out to their yards and a look over their premises doesn't make Marta comfortable.

<Neither one looks healthy. What's going on? There should be enough business to keep them going.>

She flips a coin and picks one of the two to approach. The owner seems more than happy to discuss selling up and for a fraction of the money Marta had available.

"What's the problem Hank, You seem eager to get shut?"

"It's the suburbs. We've contracts for Westminster and Brighton. Johan has the ones for Lakewood and South Glenn, but the Corporate Estates at Aurora..... that's where the money is.... and they have their own sanitation."

Marta rubs her head.

"You got any of the City Centre contracts?"

"Sure, but with White City sucking up the Corporate Business there's not much there. The Corps run their wagon in from Aurora for the office waste, they say it needs secure disposal, but I reckon they're just making use of the wagon to stop it sitting around rusting. We've got the Federal Building, the US Mint and the Mall and that's it. Corporate Plaza is foreign territory.

Marta smiles to herself.

<Nevada rules!>

Hank accepts the cheque and signs over his business. By 1000 Marta has notified Clarice and the Vegas office and Tony is convoying a short string of trucks to her.

"Leo. I need a feel for the local gangs. Westminster, Brighton and around the Capitol building."

"Why?"

"Nothing much. I'm just curious. Pay particular attention to the route along I-70."

Cleo furrows her brow, then stalks away.

"Anya, can you meet Clarice and her team at the airport? You'll need a minibus to bring them here."

"On it."

In Vegas Keanu is walking the convention halls at the annual Computer Designers Exhibition in his ES Corporate suit, his ID hanging from the lapel as he inspects all manner of new hardware and software on display for the trade.

<Never would have got past the door before!> he smiles to himself, <Corporate ID does wonders!>

Amusingly he's just spent a couple of hours at the Adult Goods Trade fair just up the road and his newly acquired case is bulging with catalogues for Jean and her sales team to consider.

A tremendously detailed model of Las Vegas catches his eye and Keanu makes his way across to the stand.

"What's this?"

The demonstrator looks him over, eyeing the Delegates badge.

"Latest development in Polychromatic superplastics."

Keanu examines the 3metre long by 2 metre wide model. Staring at the streets he can see cars moving.

"This is all one piece?"

"Yeah" the demonstrator says. "It's a modelling tool. You program the area you want in and the computer will deform and re-colour the surface to your requirements."

"You don't sound impressed."

"Virtuals are better."

"What else can it do?"

The demonstrator types a sequence into the computer and Vegas melts away to a flat sheet of whiteness. The surface ripples and extrudes a human body. A naked sexless figure laid on a table.

"Pretend your finger's a scalpel. Make an incision." the demonstrator suggests.

Keanu runs a fingertip down the bodies leg and the surface parts, revealing muscles and blood vessels beneath the skin.

"How much?" he asks.

"For this unit? 30K."

"Including the computer and software?"

"All in."

"Ok. Give me your literature. I think I could do something with this."

Down the hall he comes across a booth advertising Virtual Playgrounds.

<I wonder if we could meet at a Playground whilst she's out of town?> he wonders, <I'll mention it when I phone.>

By nightfall Clarice has negotiated entry to Aurora for her sales team. A vacant office block near Corp Centre has been rented for a peppercorn rent from the almost tearfully desperate realtor. They'd only wanted a single floor, but he'd given them the whole building, just to get it off his hands. Now Clarice's staff are settled in and resting whilst Marta and Clarice pour over a digest of information from Galahad.

"You ever see any of these Nano-Zombie things?" Clarice asks.

"No thank God. I heard plenty on the grapevine from my cousin at the airport. I had a bunch of them trapped in the compactor on my wagon, but they hadn't changed then."

"How do you plan to get access to the 'burb?"

"Oh, it'll work out, don't worry. You just get to the people on the target list."

Across the office Victor, Dayanne and Lucy are sleeping, ready for the morning.

A short distance away Kerry Stewart is trying to drive the facility to complete enough Payment Milestones on their current project to enable the payments to be collected and transferred to their budgets

"..... I don't care. Authorise overtime if you must, but I want those servers out of production and delivered to Frisco by weekend."

She cuts off the connection abruptly and fumes.

"Are you well Kerry Stewart?"

"Just angry Argus. The last of our available funding was used to hire those Contractors and they've just vanished without trace with the advance."

"Our opponent has had chance to fortify their position."

"Are you going back on-line? Some of the Researchers want their Net access restored.."

"No. The AI that attacked us is an unknown. I must formulate defences against a recurrence of it's intrusion. The best defence is if we are on-line for short periods at random intervals. Have you suffered enough pain for successful functioning?"

"Argus, don't ask about that. I have no wish to discuss it with you."

However much she doesn't wish to discuss it, her body has it's own Agenda and Kerry is soon fighting the distraction of her wicked, sinful sex, demanding her touch to satiate it's hunger.

Cleo walks the alleyways in the area she's picked out, looking for gangers. It's past midnight before she finds what she wants. A group of five gang members hanging out on a street corner near I-70.

She observes them for a while, stood beneath a streetlight, ruining their night vision, then she makes her approach. They don't see her until she's right on top of them when one of the older gangers speaks.

"What can we do for you Mr Suit?"

"Ms Suit." Cleo corrects.

"Ooooo!" they chorus.

"Has Ms Suit come looking to have her bumps felt?"

One of the younger gangers makes as if to stoke Cleo's buttock, but she captures his thumb and twists.

"AARGH!" he squeals.

"Ms Suit's bumps are fine on their own. Ms Suit has a business proposition for your leader. Where can I find them?"

The other gangers scramble around and Cleo uses her grip on their comrades thumb to interpose him between them.

The senior man halts them.

"In the Blighted Tree." he says and nods down the street.

"Obliged." Cleo replies and pushes the captive ganger away. "Keep your hands to yourself."she cautions as she walks away, "I don't want them, but next time I might keep them."

The morning shift stirs Aurora into activity. The burb services yard comes to life as the maintenance staff turn in to man their lawnmowers, street sweeper and other vehicles for another day of beautifying the Corporate Ideal. The Sanitation wagon rolls out of the yard and heads off to collect a load from the Corp Centre in town.

The journey uptown is quiet as most of the commuters use the rapidtrans and the driver has only the I-70 traffic to contend with. The wagon scoops the skips of domestic waste and shredded papers from the compound at Corp Centre then heads out, back onto I-70. But as he passes the on-ramp at the airport a motorcycle joins the Interstate and vanishes unseen into the blind spot behind him.

Out of sight the pillion on the motorbike lights a Molotov and taps the driver on the shoulder. The bike picks up speed closing on the open loading tray. The passenger lobs the bottle, but it hits the edge of the opening and bounces off to shatter on the road. The pillion produces another bottle, lights it and throws it harder, dropping it through the loading hatch into the part filled compactor, but the alcohol filled bottle lands in a pile of refuse rather than shattering.

The two gangers look at each other, then pull out from behind the wagon and accelerate away.

The wick in the bottle continues to burn as the wagon turns onto I-225, but as the wagon brakes to enter the Estate the load shifts. Not much, but enough to bring shredded paper to the burning wick.

The paper catches and burns quickly, igniting the whole load. Aurora gate Security are just flagging the wagon down for its check when they see the smoke billowing from the compactor.

"Whoa! You're on fire!" the guard yells at the driver.

"Ah shit! Musta picked up another ember."

He flicks the compactor on and the ram moves to crush the load and smother the fire, which is the usual tactic. Unfortunately not one best used on an unexploded Molotov.

As the compactor begins to crush the cargo the bottle shatters and inflammable alcohol spills over the interior of the compartment and under the compactor. The burning paper provides the flame and the alcohol lights and runs along the bed of the compactor and under the ram. The steel interior of the compactor is fireproof, not so the rubber hoses of the hydraulic system, loaded with pressure to drive the ram forwards and crush out the flames.

A fine spray of oil squirts from the ruptured pipe, igniting in an explosion that blows the access door off.

The driver bales out and runs for it as the wagon burns merrily in the main entrance.

Marta's briefing the old staff at the Sanitation Company when the phone rings.

"ES Recycling. Marta Wheaten speaking."

"Frank Brough. Denver Housing Incorporated."

"What can I do for you Mr Brough?"

"Would you care to tender for a contract to service the Aurora Estate?"

Marta smiles. Cleo's contacts have come through and Stage 1 is complete.

"How much refuse are we talking about Mr Brough.......?"

Clarice halts the minibus at the gates outside Aurora and her sales force climb out, eying the fire fighters damping down the burned out wagon.

"Ok team. Final check. You've got your E-books? Your Phones?. Everyone got their Nymph on? Ok. Go out and sell."

Security check their credentials against the list of approved visitors and they're in.

The first day is taken up doing door to door and posting handbills. They make few appointments in the Low-ranking accommodation as most of the occupants are out at work, but it has to be done for completeness before they move on to the middle ranking areas.

Victor is the first to approach a target address - the residence of Dr Kibu. He knocks politely and the door is opened by an attractive black woman.

"Good Afternoon Mrs Kibu." Victor says, referring to his e-book. "My name's, Victor from Executive Solutions. We're offering a Catalogue of products tailored to the Corporate Enclave dweller."

He offers her a card with his picture on it.

"If you're interested feel free to call me and we can arrange a meeting." He smiles pleasantly and begins to turn away.

Mrs Kibu looks at the card, unknowingly inhaling the pheromone cologne Victor is wearing.

Her head swims with a rush of blood and she finds herself speaking.

"I've a few minutes Victor. If you'd like to come inside and tell me more...." She holds the door open and Victor makes his way inside.

The house is scrupulously tidy, but Victor's eyes are drawn to the monitor cameras emplaced throughout the house.

Nira Kibu struggles to find something to say, to keep him near.

"Would you like something to drink.... Victor?"

"Coffee would be fine Mrs Kibu."

"Call me Nira."

"Coffee would be lovely Nira."

Victor sits quietly, watching her swish into the kitchen to make him a drink.

"So Victor, what can your company offer me I can't get locally?" she calls from the other room.

He opens his e-book and starts the Catalogue menus as she makes her way back.

"What takes your fancy?"

Nira flicks through the clothing, slowing as she gets into the Partywear.

"What sort of delivery time can you offer?"

"On these Nira? If you've a set of developed statistics we can deliver in two days. We can cut it for wear with or without underwear and if you have a preferred weapon, we can cut it for your holster of choice.

She looks surprised.

"What if I haven't got developed Statistics?"

"We can scan you if you wish, though there is a charge for this service if you decline to purchase anything."

"That's reasonable." she says, flipping on through the Partywear and into the underwear. She pauses and turns to him.

"Victor, do men really like this sort of thing?" she asks, indicating a page of minuscule underwear.

"Personally I prefer to see it on women." he smiles and after a moment she laughs with him.

"Sorry I meant on women."

"Yes. I think you might suit something from our Moonlight Range."

Nira flicks on until she hits an 'ACCESS DENIED' page.

"What's this Victor?"

"It's our 'Adults Only' section. I can't let you view it unless you're an Adult."

She laughs. "What's in there?"

"Things to spice up your sex life. Clothes, toys, books, films. That sort of thing."

It's hard to tell, but Victor's pretty sure she's blushing.

"Oh. Look at the time." he gasps. "I'm sorry Nira, I've taken too much of your time. If you like I can download a ROAD copy to your home system for you to browse at your leisure. If you're interested then we can make a proper appointment."

"ROAD?"

"Read Once And Delete. I'll unlock the Adult Section for you." he smiles and Nira's heart flips.

"Please." she asks.

Victor dumps a copy of the catalogue onto her home system then makes his way to the door. As he leaves he shakes her hand and lets his fingers stroke across her palm as he releases her hand.

Nira shivers at the sight of him walking away and rushes back inside to flick through the Adult Catalogue.

Back at the office they discuss their days activities and plan the push into the Exec plots the following day.

The phone rings twice and the answering machine picks up.

"Good evening. You've reached the offices of Executive Solutions. The offices are currently closed, but you may use our automated system to book appointments. Please state the name of the Representative you wish to see or say 'Anyone' if you have no preference."

"Victor." the speaker announces.

Victor looks up. "Nira Kibu." he says.

"Please State your Name" the system goes on.

"Nira Kibu."

"Please state the preferred time of the appointment.

"Tomorrow 9.15 am."

"Victor will call tomorrow at 9.15 am."

Lucy looks at Victor.

"Looks like you're first to the plate."

"Best get some sleep then."

Kerry wakes with her hand between her thighs and a finger pressing on her clit. The act of snatching it away makes her come with an intensity great enough for her to fall off the bed. Kerry whips herself so long and hard to atone for her sin that she lacks time to shower and her back is a tracery of red lines beneath her corporate facade.

Settling into the seat at her desk she winces from the discomfort and works her way through the administrative load.

"Kerry Stewart. I am restoring the Netspace connection." Argus intones.

"Thank-you Argus. I'll notify the staff."

She quickly types a global e-mail, unaware that she's squeezing her thighs together rhythmically, pressing her sex which responds by swelling and flowering in arousal.

The return of the Microtech datafort to Netspace doesn't pass un-noticed and in Nevada Galahad is alerted by the sudden flow of data in and out of the fort. Kerry groans as the pile of work she has to deal with swells anew.

Dr Kibu wakes as his head hits the monitor.

Inside his head Argus speaks to him.

"Are you well Doctor?"

"Need sleep he moans," then recollecting that Argus dislikes such linguistic inexactitude restates his reply. "My function is impaired due to fatigue."

"Return to your residence and rest."

Mechanically the doctor rises, feeling the discomfort in his joints from having been sat at the terminal, unmoving, for so long.

"You may have six hours rest Dr Kibu. Return to work at 0900."

With that Argus withdraws its presence from him. Across the lab Dr Taylor is still working, trying more approaches to the problem that consumes their lives. Dr Kibu's stumbles from the lab. A car is waiting at the front entrance to take him home and the journey passes with his head filled with bitter thoughts about the way they'd been persuaded to accept the nano-links to Argus. Supposedly to improve their access to research data - the links now made them puppets who danced to Argus's tune. Links that they now knew could turn them into mindless zombies at Argus's whim.

The car pulls up at his house and he stumbles through the front door. Nira is waiting on the couch, wearing something scanty and holding a glass of wine, that tells him clearly what she wants.

"Timo?"

"Need Sleep." he groans, stumbling past her and up the stairs.

He doesn't hear the 'smash' as the glass shatters on the wall, falling onto the bed and into unconsciousness before his wife's fury at being spurned again registers on his exhausted brain.

Victor knocks once and the door opens, revealing Nira Kibu in a tiny negligee.

"Right on time. Come in Victor."

He can see that she's been crying, but goes in as bid.

"Is this a bad time?" he asks, "If there's something wrong I can come on another day."

"No. It's fine. I had a look through the copy of the catalogue you left on the house system and I want to order some stuff."

"Oh. That's no problem."

"It says you do cosmetics, manicures and other services?"

"What would you like?"

"A set of developed statistics first. Some cosmetics - I'd like you to work me up a personal scheme."

"No problem. I'll just need to scan your skin tone."

He touches the sensor against the skin of her throat and Nira shivers and sighs softly.

All business he types the codes in and brings up the catalogue on his e-book for Nira to select items from. Whilst she makes her selections he takes his cell phone and calls the office.

"Clarice? It's Victor. Could you send out the measuring unit?"

"Could I have a proper copy of your Catalogue?" Nira asks.

"One will be delivered with your order." Victor tells her. "In the meantime you can use my e-book and upload a copy to your system if you can show me the port."

Whilst Victor uploads a permanent copy to her home system Nira scans the book noting her purchases, then hands him a list of item numbers and shifts nervously in her seat.

"Victor?"

"Yes Nira?"

"Is this you in the Catalogue?"

"Yes. The Company feels we should model the products we sell."

She smiles <So that's what he looks like out of that suit.>

"Before you ask - yes, that's me in the films as well." he adds.

The film is covertly added to Nira's next list of purchases.

"The Measuring Unit will be here shortly. Would you like a female member of staff to help you. You'll need to disrobe to be measured."

"You've seen me like this," she replies, "naked isn't going to make a difference."

She crosses her legs, giving him a deliberate glimpse of her sex.

The doorbell rings and Clarice brings the units of the measuring system in. Victor sets it up, then turns to Nira. She pauses a moment, showing off her long legs, then slides the negligee off and turns before him in all her glory.

"Where do you want me?"

"Here please Nira."

He guides her with light touches, positioning her before the scanners. His fingers stroke her arms, the lightest touch parts her legs, poses her, controls her.

Nira aches for his touch.

"Ok. That's it for today Nira." Victor says brightly. "I'll deliver the first part of your order tomorrow, if that's ok?"

"Oh please...."

"That's fine. Same time tomorrow."

That isn't quite what Nira meant and they both know it. The size of the bulge in his pants tells Nira what she needs to know.

He wants her.

<Tomorrow!> she groans as he walks away <I'll have him tomorrow.>

Unseen the Easter egg in the catalogue software flowers.

Dayanne reaches the bachelor accommodation and their next target in the late afternoon. The block is sparsely occupied and Dayanne posts handbills through most of the doors, before making her way to the upper floor and its sole occupant. The stairs and upper corridor smell strongly of disinfectant as if the resident fears infection and wishes their environment to be free of contamination.

Dayanne surveys the corridor and waits, her heart in her throat and her stomach filled with butterflies. Unlike Victor's mark, the Stewart woman is a direct connection to Argus - who knows what security surrounds her? Dayanne draws a deep breath and tries to still her rampant imagination of the horrors that might lie in wait........

Kerry's dreams are turbulent. She's fastened to a frame and the Pastor is scourging her sins away, each stroke falling on her buttocks with delicious regularity. She wantonly pushes her buttocks backwards and the Pastor honours her corrupt sinful flesh with his holy maleness.

She wakes in the throes of an orgasm - a vile sinful orgasm that corrupts the holiness of her Pastor, making him into an object of her unclean lusts, a tool of the Devil.

She turns on her light and rushes to the cabinet. Taking a riding crop she strikes herself twice, then a knock at her door interrupts her. Snatching the door open she finds a small Amerind woman who's eyes are narrowed and watchful. Kerry raises the crop to strike her, but the woman moves with un-natural speed, striking the whip from her hand and pinning her against the doorframe.

Dayanne finds herself restraining her target without even being aware of what she was going to do.

<Thanks Oleg!> she thinks then looks her mark over. The crop marks are evident over her shoulder, but the vivid flush that marks her breasts and face must have some other cause.

"Let me go you whore!" Kerry snarls around the forearm that's only a fraction of an inch from choking her.

"You have room to talk!" Dayanne responds in kind.

Kerry goes stiff with shock <How did she know what I was thinking?>

Dayanne's hand thrusts without warning between Kerry's thighs, and she stares Kerry down.

"You punish yourself for your Lust?"

"No." Kerry says weakly, conscious of the dark woman's fingers pressing into the mushy heat between her thighs.

Dayanne pushes gently and Kerry lets herself be propelled backwards into her flat at this strangers command.

"Show me!" Dayanne orders.

Kerry leads her inside in a state of shock. Dayanne takes in the monitor cameras, the bible stand and it's painful kneeler, the penance book and the cupboard full of instruments of penance.

"You want to suffer for your sins." Dayanne guesses.

Kerry says nothing, simply biting her lip.

Dayanne studies her for a moment then makes a wild leap into the dark.

"All the penances in the world cannot save you. Your doom is upon you and your name already inscribed in my...... employers book."

She turns the book around, displaying its current page and Kerry gazes in horror at her

name, address and picture writ large on the screen.

Dayanne takes in the wide staring eyes and breathes a sigh of relief that her snap judgement seems to be close to the mark. She walks to the bible stand and points at the bible.

"Close it. It's pages are not for the likes of you to abuse."

Kerry closes her testament with trembling fingers.

"Put it in a bag and give it to me."

Kerry finds herself rushing to the kitchen and taking a carrier bag from her cupboard.. The Testament is thrust inside and she rushes back to find the strange woman surveying the book of Penances.

"Primitive" she tells Kerry, dropping it into a waste bin before turning to the instruments of Penance. Her gaze surveys the devices Kerry has accumulated to punish herself with and settles on a short broad strap.

"On your bed Slut!"

Kerry reluctantly complies.

"On your back, show me the insides of your thighs."

Kerry points her toes at corners the corners of the foot of her bed, exposing her secret self to the dark woman.

Dayanne smiles unpleasantly and begins to lash the insides of Kerry's milk white thighs. The strap stings and reddens the tender skin without breaking it and Kerry finds herself becoming aroused as Dayanne works her way up the insides of her thighs, closer and closer, until the blows are landing within an Ace of her swollen sex.

"Do you know how you doomed yourself Kerry Stewart?" Dayanne asks, "It was when you began enjoying inflicting Penance on yourself, claiming you were doing it to punish your sins, when you were doing it because you enjoyed it."

And with that Dayanne begins lightly lashing Kerry's sex.

The exposure of her unrealised sin shocks Kerry. But even more shocking is the intensity of the pleasure she receives from the lashing.

Dayanne waits until Kerry stops wailing like a lost soul and shuddering on the bed.

"You may close your legs."

"I thought damnation was supposed to hurt?"

"Your flesh doesn't hurt?"

"Yes..... but not like I thought....."

"You are merely at the beginning of your path."

Dayanne walks to the flat's base unit and slots the disc with the company catalogue to upload a copy onto the system, then hands a card to the stunned woman, just starting to rise from her bed.

"Call me when you have made your selections."

Kerry takes in the image appearing on the screen of her entertainment centre

"The Devil runs a Catalogue?"

"My Employer would be upset to have you call her that." Dayanne says, then leaves.

Argus notes the presence of another person in Kerry Stewart's accommodation, apparently assisting her with her periodic activity, but this person does none of the things that Argus is particularly watching for and leaves soon after, so the information is discarded as irrelevant.

Nira's home computer deactivates its speaker and dials out.

Galahad is inside in an instant, surveying the system and its connections. The record of the call is erased and the files stored on the system carefully catalogued and downloaded. System peripherals are checked and Galahad is pleased to discover that the camera's monitoring the Kibu residence are run through the system and across a bridge to Argus's datafort.

"Not quite a backdoor. Too slow for anything other than sampled Video. But a place to start....."

"You are late Kerry Stewart." Argus declares. "Tardiness at work is not acceptable."

"I'm sorry Argus. I was held up." Kerry replies, her mind full of the scandalous toys in the catalogue the demon woman had placed on her system.

<I don't know what I'm supposed to do!> she laments, <If I'm damned for enjoying it, am I supposed to pick things I'd enjoy?>

She settles to work, her stinging thighs reminding her of her recent punishment and her tingling sex of her pleasure.

The Gate Guard at the main entry to Aurora looks up at the raucous roar of an engine and she sees the headlight on the car making it, make their turn towards the entry.

"Harry.... It's them again."

"They ain't paying enough for me to stop them Carley. And we haven't the backup for a stand up fight - not since the last budgetary revision. If the Corp's want to keep gangers away from their people, well, then they ought to pay for it."

"You heard anything from that company at White City?"

"They're hiring. You interested?

"This place looks more and more like a ghost town every day Harry. I'm fed up of sticking my neck out for nothing, especially if they're not going to spring for back up."

"Let the scumballs pass, it's not worth it."

The gates remain open and the car-load of trouble makes its way onto the 'burb.

Marta steers the huge yellow sanitation wagon round the park streets of Aurora, scooping up their dumpster loads of waste. On the seat beside her sits a pile of packages received this morning, some churned out by the newly installed pair of Autofactories and some shipped from various suppliers.

Once the dumpsters have been emptied Marta moves the wagon to a parking area off Retail Row and shuts the wagon down. She checks her jumpsuit is clean and neat before unfolding a trolley, loading the packages and beginning her second job - delivery supervisor.

Last stop on the list is the Kibu house. Marta knocks, and a woman answers.

"Mrs Kibu? Executive Solutions. I have part of your order."

"I've seen you somewhere before......" Nira says.

Marta looks embarrassed.

"You might have seen me in the Catalogue" Marta admits, "I was doing a costume for the more...... statuesque form."

<I wish I knew what Jean had put in the Catalogue.> Marta thinks, <God knows what this woman thinks of me!>

"The Belly Dancer!" Nira blurts and Marta blushes.

She produces an e-book and stylus.

"Would you receipt your order please, Mrs Kibu?"

Nira signs for the small pile of packages.

I have your complementary installation of the current Catalogue as well." Marta says picking up the pile of packages. "Would you show me where you want these?"

Nira guides her to the lounge, where Marta deposits them on the table.

"Would you like me to install the Catalogue on your home system. It'll overwrite the earlier edition Victor installed and this edition has an auto-update facility. It'll ask to call out every now and then to ensure your catalogue is always current."

Nira indicates the Entertainment terminal.

"Sorry Ms Kibu. It's not a ROAD file like the last one. It needs to go onto the storage on the main unit."

"That's in the utility cupboard." Nira says and guided Marta to the unit.

The House CPU sits in a rack atop a Microtech Camera Controller and a Hub unit. Marta slots the Catalogue into the house computer and starts the load sequence.

"It'll take a couple of minutes." Marta smiles. "Umm. Mrs Kibu.... could you tell me what my pictures looked like? I haven't had a chance to see them yet."

"Oh? Of course. Would you like a drink whist that's loading?"

"I could murder a coffee."

Nira goes to the kitchen and potters around making a drink and Marta takes the opportunity to examine the hub.

<Standard high rate hub, but Galahad said it was running too slow for Net access.>

She studies the indications on the front panel.

<Speed setting's low.>

Her fingers feel over the back of the unit, locating the speed setting switches. An angled mirror confirms the current slow setting and Marta quickly switches speed from Minimum to Maximum. On the front of the unit another light comes on.

<Auto Configure. It figures. The far end is holding the speed down. As well. It's what I'd do for security in their shoes, it just makes things a bit harder for me."

The house unit ejects the Catalogue and Marta extracts the data block, backs out of the cupboard and stretches.

"Marta? Is that your name?" Ms Kibu calls from the Lounge.

Marta goes in to see Nira scrutinising the latest issue of the Catalogue. The image of her dancing for Keanu is clear enough, though she hadn't been aware that it had been produced as a Hologram.

"The Belly Dancer! I knew I'd seen you. Details off." Nira says and the prices and order details disappear from the 3D image.

"Neither of you look like professionals." Nira murmurs, "Did you know him?"

"Keanu? He's my partner. And no, we're not professionals."

"Why'd you do it?"

"Company Policy - and... it just sort of happened."

Nira flips to a picture of Marta holding the embarrassingly phallic whip.

"You look good."

"Are there any more?" Marta asks.

"House? Search catalogue for pictures with models Marta and Keanu."

The picture blanks whilst the system scans the Catalogue.

"I take it there were more pictures taken at the time?"

"Well..... yes."

"You've nothing to be ashamed of they look good." Nira says, then continues "He loves you?"

"Yes."

"Then you've got more than I have and anything else doesn't matter."

Marta smiles.

"Thanks for the drink."

"You're welcome. Will you be delivering again?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll see you again."

Marta tows her trolley back to the truck and realises she's happier. Someone with no axe to grind says she looked good, her employer values her for her ability and her partner loves her.

<So what if I couldn't get a job at a casino!> she snorts.

The engine fires and the truck rolls out of Aurora.

Nira unwraps her purchases and considers the contents. A large package is marked for the attention of her beauty consultant, so she sets that aside. Another has several pairs of the stockings she ordered and she eagerly opens it up and selects a pair. Underwear and bras are in a different package and there too she makes a selection before retiring upstairs to try them on.

The briefs whisper over hers kin, so light she can barely feel them and the stockings encase her legs, caressing them excitingly. The bra fits her so precisely its like a lovers caress should be and Nira shivers at the thought of Victor handing her.

Descending the stairs she opens the last package removing the film and her most embarrassing purchase - an eight inch translucent red cock..

Nira slots the film and sits down to watch, oblivious to the omnipresent monitoring camera.

Galahad notes the images from the target house and interrupts the feed, shunting Argus images from the previous day. The camera controller responds to standard commands and toggles the camera to thermographic imaging. Galahad watches the patterns of heat change on Nira Kibu's body as she watches the film. The hot pulse in her throat displays her heartbeat and the rise and fall of her chest her breathing.

In the office in Denver's Corporate Centre, a cue list begins to spill from the printer, ready for Victor's next visit.

Nira watches the tale of deception, subterfuge and seduction in a nameless corporate 'burb. The sight of 'Tony' sweating as 'Mrs Grayson' gives a blow-job impresses Nira with his control and the capacity of the actresses throat. She enjoys the 'Head of Security' seducing 'Mrs Grayson', an Edger seducing 'Mrs Grayson's' maid and getting caught and 'ravished' by the guards.

The wonderfully snug panties stroke her sex as she grows wetter, making them stick to her heated flesh, until she has to tug them aside. The plastic cock is delightfully cool as she works it between her parted lips and into her cunt.

She's just buried it to the base when the door opens and her totally exhausted husband returns.

He stumbles into the lounge with unseeing eyes and drops bonelessly into a chair.

Nira freezes, but he seems unaware of what his wife is doing. Slowly she extracts the firm plastic rod, until her sex is just closing, the lips just kissing the intruders tip, then she thrusts it back in with an unmistakable wet slap.

Timo doesn't even notice. His wife is sat opposite him in nothing more than a bra, her stocking clad legs are widely spread and her underwear tugged aside revealing all, watching a Blue movie whilst she fucks herself with a plastic substitute for him. Nira curls a lip at the man she used to care for and works her new toy in and out with increasing speed and confidence before her heedless husband.

"Jean?" Galahad says in her head.

"What?" she snaps.

"I have information."

"Can it wait?"

Galahad links to her optic feed and looks through her eyes.

"Oh! Yes, it can wait."

Declan sees her eyes go vague and guesses she's talking with the AI, but then her attention is back on him as she squats over him, her haunches rising and falling like a Jockey riding a galloping Thoroughbred horse.

He captures her arms between his chest and upper arms and presses on her hips with his hands, forcing her down, driving his cock deeper. She shudders and gasps, rocking her hips furiously

"Give it to me." she croons

Declan grins lazily

<This is the first time I feel in control.>

Releasing her hands he pushes her off and turns her to mount from behind. Jean waits passively and he takes her quickly, riding her hard for his own release.

"Mmmm. Nice!" she smiles lazily, but just as he's about to snuggle into her to slip into slumber, she throws the sheet aside and jumps out of the bed.

"Things to do!"

Jean pulls her robe about her and cuts through the kitchen on the way to her office. As she picks up a coffee and a slice of toast she exchanges pleasantries with a couple of her staff taking a break from dealing with the Moonlight's clientele, takes a peek into the Security Centre to confirm all is well then settles behind her desk.

"Right Galahad. What information?"

"I may have a backdoor into Argus's Datafort. But to use it I have to have it unlocked from the inside."

"And for this you took me away from Declan?"

"No. We know that Argus is likely to have infested its Key staff and an unknown number of others with its Nano-links. Dr Kibu is impaired by overwork. He exhibits signs of extreme sleep deprivation and exhaustion. House logs show he's been working an average of eighteen hours a day with as little as four hours sleep and has been following this pattern since before we intercepted the first attempt to steal the Night City Research data. From his appearance I anticipate total collapse within two weeks."

"And so?"

"I need you to consider letting me suborn his link and using him to unlock the door."

"You need my permission?"

"No" Galahad admits, "but as the action has a high probability of resulting in his death I require your ethical guidance. Killing him could be viewed as contravening my directive to work in the interests of Microtech personnel."

"Mmmm. Do it. It's for the good of the Majority.

"When do we expect the Micropharmers to be on site? I'm working on a method of sampling the level of infestation, but you will need to have the facilities to analyse the samples."

"Anything else?"

"Victor and Dayanne are meeting their targets again tomorrow."

"Lucy?"

"Dr Taylor doesn't seem to be using her accommodation currently, but the house is still occupied by her children. Lucy says the neighbours haven't seen the Doctor for two months. Food arrives and the bills are paid, but that's all they can say."

"Make sure they're on the testing list."

"Noted."

Dawn sees Marta and Clarice briefing their troops for the day's operations. Victor is studying his intelligence briefing on Nira's apparent preferences and Dayanne studying Galahad's best suggestions for working on Kerry Stewart's head.

Researching from Dayanne's original contact report and referring to the bible Dayanne had carried away had bourne fruit. Dayanne now has full details on the small sect Kerry had grown up in and Galahad had provided a list of suitable tactics for Dayanne to use in operations against Ms Stewart.

Cleo and Anya are receiving their instructions for the seizure of Dr Kibu.

"Time to roll troops" Marta warns, hefting the modified Tech scanner that's to be used on Dr Kibu. In a twist of fate she finds quite amusing, their van downstairs is fitted with the equipment salvaged from Vegas that Argus had tried to use on Jean.

Timo Kibu jerks awake at Argus's command. His mind just alert enough to be able to clean and feed himself. He's just dressed when the doorbell rings and he wanders to the front door to find two women on the doorstep. There's a brilliant flash - then nothing.

Cleo and Anya manhandle his unconscious form across the pavement and into the van

"Four minutes to the car." Cleo hisses.

Marta positions his head between the dishes and studies the Tech Scanner.

"He's linked, but not active at the moment." she confirms, then flicks a switch. "And now we're screened."

The Vegas equipment contacts the control centre under his forebrain whilst maintaining the fiction all is well in the event Argus swings its attention to its puppet. The recode instructions are accepted and Marta nods to her waiting team.

"Put him on the ground. The car should be here in two minutes."

Anya and Cleo drag the dazed man back to his doorstep and are apparently attempting to revive him when the Microtech car pulls round the corner onto the road.

Cleo makes a show of waving it down

"Can you help us? We were just passing when this man tripped over his doorstep on the way out of his house."

The Microtech Solo looks the scene over. Dr Kibu is coming round, but has the exhausted look that's been growing on him this last couple of months."

<Poor stiff looks dead on his feet. Glad it's not me!>

"Doctor? Are you ok? It's Lennon, your driver. What happened?"

"Fell." mumbles Kibu. "So, tired."

"I'll get you to the infirmary Doctor." the driver reassures him. "Could one of you help me get him to the car?"

Anya takes one arm and helps the driver carry Timo Kibu to the car. Once he's aboard Anya closes the door and they watch the car recede into the distance before returning to the van.

"He's on his way Marta."

"Ok. Should be hearing from Galahad soon then." Marta says as she starts the engine and they drive away.

Victor makes his way to the same door ninety minutes later and rings the bell. Inside Nira's all a flutter, excited, but unsure how she should proceed. Several outfits have been tried, then rejected and she's finally settled on a loose skirt and a blouse.

"Good morning Victor."

"Morning Nira. Have the cosmetics arrived?"

"Yesterday."

"Good! I've got your clothing," he smiles, "could you take me somewhere I can give you the skin treatment? We need something you don't mind getting body lotion on."

She leads him to a room that has to be her personal space. The wall boasts Certificates declaring her to be an MD and reference works line the shelves. An examination Couch sits in the middle of the floor waiting.

For two hours he massages her and treats her with the skin care products she ordered, gradually working over her exposed skin. Nira peels away her clothing item by item, until she's down to the sensually smooth bra and panties.

She undoes the bra 'so you can do my back', but when her back is finished she turns over and presents her perfect, golden brown breasts to him.

"The company doesn't like us getting too intimate with our clients" Victor chides her.

"Oh please Victor. The skin feels so dry."

Victor smiles and a shiver of anticipation runs down her spine.

"If you're sure Nira."

"Please."

Her nipples stand firm and proud from the dark skinned globes and Victor carefully works the cream in, enjoying the way her nipples crinkle as they erect. His touch is just right. Firm enough to make her feel it, gentle enough to feel good. Nira is both limp from the massage of her body and tense with anticipation of what she hopes is coming. Victor circles the couch they're using, thanking the long hours he spent on the VR teaching rig at the Ranch as he handles her breasts. Nira is purring and the wet mark visible in the crotch of her panties announces that she's ready, and more than ready.

<Well....the prompt sheet suggests she likes a little force and coercion.> he thinks, <So let's start with that.>

"Lift your hips please Nira and slip your underwear off."

Eagerly she complies, raising her hips and peeling the sticky underwear off her sex. He stands and watches her. Nira shivers at his close assessment. He touches her leg and she obediently parts them, letting him look where no-one but her husband and her doctor have gazed before.

He reaches down and eases a finger between the lips of her furrow.

"You seem to be aroused Nira."

"I'm sorry. I just...."

"It's fine. Don't worry." he says, digging in the box and producing a pair of clippers. "It seems a pity such a pretty pussy is ungroomed."

The clippers vibrate, making her whole mound shiver amazingly. He parts her legs widely without resistance and proceeds to trim her pubic hair quickly and deftly. The swollen lips of her sex tremble with the clippers and Nira bites her lip as the sensation is transmitted to her clit.

"No. Please." she gasps, "I'll come!"

"Nira. Shut up, lie back and enjoy."

The barbering is swiftly completed, deft stokes with a razor reducing her to a narrow strip of hair like an exclamation mark over her sex.

"Brazilian ok?" He asks.

Nira gasps, not daring to speak.

"Did you come Nira?"

"N... N.....N....." she gasps.

"You're close? How close?"

Without warning he touches a finger, carefully oiled, to the throbbing nubbin of flesh at the top of her slit. Nira screams and arches her back as the unexpected stimulation drives her over the edge.

Victor waits until she's calmed.

"Looks like your profile was correct."

"Profile?"

"The one that said you were a likely customer for our special services."

"Oh?"

"Just lie still whilst I do your makeup."

Nira feels him touch her sex. A smooth, steady stroke that explores first one side and then the other, then a slow circling of her clit, teasing it out from beneath its fleshy covering, before he moves on to her nipples. Nira feels him treat her nipples in the same manner, a firm touch on the wrinkled flesh before he moves onto her face. By the time her foundation is applied her sex is tingling and she writhes for the want of his touch.

"Hold still or I'll smudge your eyes." Victor orders, but she can't. The tingling has spread to her nipples and commands her attention.

Victor digs in the box again and comes up with a blue translucent twin to the dildo she'd used the previous night. His hand moves between her thighs and she feels a delightfully cool tip, just pushing into her swollen sex .

"Here. Use this."

"But.... I don't...." she stammers

"Someone who looks a lot like you does. Someone who used one of these in front of her husband last night."

"You saw?" she gasps incredulously.

"Everything. Now calm yourself and I'll finish.

The cool tip is too tempting and Nira succumbs to temptation, working the rod in and out of her sex, enjoying its wicked coolness, leaving the shaft glistening with her arousal.

"You watched me? How?" She pants.

"We have our ways."

"What are you going to do?"

"Leave you a satisfied customer. And from last night's performance that's going to include exploring your desires."

"My desires?" Nira moans weakly.

"You seemed to enjoy the threat of exposure. Humiliation and a few other things as well. We can do all that for you."

"Like in the film?"

"Which bits did you like the best? Do you fancy seducing the gardener?"

The dildo speeds its strokes and Nira moans.

"Perhaps the maid?"

Her hand makes meaty slaps as it meets the mound of her sex.

"No? What then? Ravished by Security? Or shall I make something special up for you? Something Daring? Something Risky?"

Nira moans and reaches for his trousers.

"Fuck me." she begs.

"In front of your husband?"

Nira becomes frantic and Victor puts aside the cosmetics and moves to her feet. Taking her ankles he raises her feet vertically, drawing her to the end of the couch and displacing the dildo. His trousers undo, freeing his maleness, which slowly sinks into her lust sodden sex.

Nira sighs in satisfaction and feels something touch her lip.

"Suck it Nira. You want me to use you? To make you my slut? Show me how dirty you can be!"

As Victor slides hilt deep into her willing belly Nira begins to lick at the tip of the dildo.

"Better than that, "Victor snarls, "or I'll have to show you some of the toys that never made it into the catalogue.

Nira shivers at his tone, all thought of her husband fled she surrenders her will to him, letting Victor control her actions. The Dildo, slick and spicy with her own juices slides deeper into her mouth.

"That's a good slut." he murmurs, his hands pressing on her ribs as he rides her, "My little slut."

His claim of ownership is enough and Nira wails around the gagging dildo as her body undulates beneath him.

Kerry climbs the stairs to her flat, half convinced that the dark woman was something she's imagined. When Dayanne steps out of the lift she jumps in shock and stares at dayanne part in relief she didn't imagine it and part in terror of what might come.

"Come to me Kerry Stewart."

Kerry makes her way to the dark woman, trembling inside.

Dayanne eyes her slowly.

"You dress as a decent woman, but I know the lust in your heart."

"I am decent!" Kerry protests.

"Satan!" Dayanne calls.

Kerry's heart nearly stops in terror, but what comes out of the lift looks like a dog.

"Satan, find a bitch!" Dayanne orders.

The dog moves, its nose scenting the air and Kerry catches a glimpse of Carboglass and knows it's a droid, then it pushes its nose under her skirt and between her thighs

"Oh. No!"

"Silent Slut. Satan will treat you as you deserve. If you are a decent woman, you'll be saved. If you're a lust filled whore whose body seeks to pollute the holiness of the divine's temples..... well, I'm sure you'll see."

Something hard runs the length of Kerry's furrow, dwelling on her clit and tucking the fabric of her briefs into her entry.

"Oh... God help me!" she begs

Dayanne slaps her.

"You pollute his name Whore."

Satan barks and Dayanne looks down at him.

"You want them out of the way?" she asks and the droid barks again.

"Satan tells me that you're lying to me Whore. That you stink of Lust."

"I'm pure." Kerry moans. "I'm still a virgin."

"Pull your underwear aside." Dayanne commands and Kerry obeys without protest.

Satan plants his muzzle in her mushy sex and slides the slim penetrator into her.

"Oh! Oh! No. Please. I'm a virgin." She moans.

"Satan?"

The dog barks again.

"Very well Kerry Stewart. In this at least you are honest. Satan, leave the bitch."

The droid activates the pump in its head and withdraws a sample of Kerry's vaginal secretions as it pulls from her.

Dayanne watches Kerry, still holding her skirts up around her waist and her underwear aside.

"Here's a card Slut. Be at the address on it at 1600. You won't like it if my Mistresses Minions have to track you down."

Alan Taylor looks at the clock and sighs. Nearly time to finish school for the day and another evening in alone trying to deal with the idiots from next door and their friends.

<Why do they want to hang out with those losers?> he wonders, <It's not like they're starving or being hassled by Boosters. Why'd they have to hang with a gang? Why do they keep hassling me?>

The bell rings and he gathers his books and makes his way through the corridors filled with other pupils intent on returning to their homes on the 'burb and thinks of the state of their once neat Grade 5 house

<Mum'll freak when she comes home! But I just can't keep it tidy on my own.>

The voice of his friend, Jennifer King, breaks into his reverie.

"Hi Alan. What are you up to this weekend? You fancy going to Ms Stewart's Bible class tonight?"

Alan looks her over as if she's lost it.

"Right, like I don't have enough problems studying with Billy and Jeff coming round the house, trying to get me to go down their friends place all the time!"

"I hear they're running with the Drifters?"

"Don't I know it. They keep trying to get me to go to the Clubhouse with them. Hopefully they'll grow out of it."

"Bible Class? "

"Not for me, and not with Ms Stewart. She's all the marks of a fanatic - I'm surprised she's not roped you into a crusade to reclaim the Holy Lands or something. She hates men anyway"

"It's just a tick-in-the-box course for a job at Microtech. You know 'engages in Company Approved Social Activities', you don't even have to sit an exam, just get her to sign your attendance card."

"Couldn't you join a theatrical society or something?"

"It's ok for you Alan. Your Mother's already got a job at Microtech. With her grade you're 90% there already, the rest of us have to jump through the hoops."

They reach the parting of the ways and they go their separate ways.

<This address?> Kerry thinks, looking at the office block not far from her work. She slips the card into the slot and the outer doors open. The chrome and Glass Atrium is bare of all signs of life, but a lift stands open, waiting. The inside is all burnished aluminium, brightly lit, but with no controls or indicators beyond a single card slot. Again Kerry uses the card she was given and the doors slide shut and seal. There's a sensation of movement, of the lift rising then the doors open and Kerry finds herself looking into a reception area. A sexless blonde with a crew cut looks up.

"Yes?"

"I'm.... My name is Kerry Stewart. I was told to come here."

The figure looks at the screen of her terminal and nods.

"Good. You made it in time Kerry Stewart. Stand there."

Kerry follows the pointing finger to a line marked on the polished stone floor, so she moves across to the line.

Standing there she can hear cries from the other side of the tin partition wall, the screams sound like a soul in torment and Kerry quails at what must be happening to draw sounds like that out of a person.

The blonde stands and comes across and Kerry can see it has the hips of a woman, but not the bust. Her eyes catch the blonde's and she starts - instead of normal eyes the blonde's eyes are gold, with a black slit pupil. In the close cropped hair she catches a glimpse of what can only be horns and a whiff of sulphur assaults her nostrils. Kerry turns to flee in atavistic terror, but the lift doors are closed and refuse to open to her panic stricken attempts to pull them apart.

A powerful hand grips her by the neck and drags her back to the line.

"Stand." the figure growls, "now, lets check your personal details."

Kerry finds herself confirming the details of her life, read to her by what can only be a demon in human form. Every detail is listed, down to her preferred foods, Grandparents names and the whereabouts of her siblings. The depth of their knowledge is frightening.

"You told your personal Agent you were a virgin Kerry Stewart?"

"Yes." she quavers

"You managed to maintain that flimsy proof of your virtue whilst abandoning the rest?"

"Yes."

"Pastimes?"

"I run a Bible Class for young Ladies."

"Really?" the being says with a raised eyebrow, "You don't feel it's hypocritical for someone as dirty as you to preach to innocents?"

"No.... I.... it wasn't like that."

"You weren't preaching virtues like Honesty and Chastity to them when you were a lying lust filled whore in all but a single act?"

Kerry opens her mouth to reply, but nothing comes out.

"You were warned about masquerading as something you're not Kerry Stewart? Why are you still pretending to be a Decent woman? Strip."

Kerry sheds her blouse and skirt to stand in shoes and underwear.

"All of it."

She sheds the last remnants of her clothing in a daze to stand before the frightening figure on the cold stone floor. Trembling at the realisation she's aroused and at the possibility that this creature might discover that.

"Fold your clothing whore!"

Across the office Marta struggles with a newly arrived piece of equipment. Power connectors and control Buses are tucked into the underfloor trunking and she checks the wall mountings are secure before standing back.

At a flick of a switch the flat plastic sheet turns black and Marta steps back toconsider their latest project. Now fixed to the wall the modelling table looks like a thick door set in one side of the office, its dismantled packing cases stacked on a trolley by the door.

"Jeez. I hate rush jobs." Marta hisses to herself.

Across the room on a Holo-link from Vegas Keanu watches his partner

"Don't whinge. I've not even had chance to study the code this thing runs. As soon as I mentioned it to Jean she had me buy one and send it across with all the hounds I'd finished."

Satisfied the unit's secure Marta turns to her partner's image.

"We ok?"

"That's it. You can run the program sequence I hashed up now."

Marta opens a panel and throws a breaker. Lights come on down the side of the frame and the surface of the wall ripples.

A face appears in the hard plastic surface.

"Self Test : Passed. Memory Test : Passed. Remote Link : Active." it says.

"Ok. Tell Dayanne it's ready to rock. Let me know how it goes."

"Are we going to try the Virtual thing?" Marta asks.

"The Playground? If you want to."

"Meet you there at nine tonight."

"Looking forward to it. See you soon."

He blows her a kiss, then his image winks out like a candle flame.

Nira Kibu screams her pleasure again. She'd been shocked at first when Victor had taken her to his company offices, but the forbidden thrill of being stripped, then making love across a desk whilst the world went by on the other side of the mirrored glass had been mind-blowing.

She'd screamed in shock and delight when he'd pressed her bare breasts against the cold glass and taken her from behind, now she was face down over the desk again, his cock filling her willing sex.

"Don't you ever come Victor?" she whimpers

"You want me to?"

"If you want me to be your slut, you're going to have to come in me."

Unseen behind her, Victor smiles. <This is much better than Porn Stars.> a greased thumb brushes over her anus and she wriggles in anticipation.

"You were excited by Anal sex." he whispers, then his slippery thumb presses in her ass. Nira wails again as she feels the ring relaxing, opening for him then his thumb is inside her. She can feel it rubbing against his cock, the two organs pleasuring her separated by a thin wall of flesh.

"What are you?" he whispers in her ear.

"I'm a slut!" she howls. "A faithless adulterous slut. Your thumb's in my ass and you're fucking me and I love it!"

"And I'm going to fuck you in the ass later."

"Oh GOD!" she screams, surrendering to fantasies made real.

"Tell me your desires Whore."

Kerry trembles and the being produced a Cat-o-nine-tails.

"Turn and grip the bar, or tell me."

The wicked looking lash persuades Kerry to talk.

"I dreamed of doing things with my Pastor."

"What things?"

"Letting him fuck me whilst he lashed me."

"And?"

"Kissing his... his...."

"Say it."

"His cock. I wanted to kiss his cock like the whore of Babylon. I wanted him to thrust his holy maleness into me and fill me!"

"What else?"

"I had thoughts about the girls in my Bible Class. They were....." she tails off

Cleo looks at her e-book.

"They're hardly pure. But mostly honest."

Kerry looks shocked.

"But...."

"Some of them may aspire to follow your false example of purity, but our records show over half of them already have contraceptive implants. You wanted to lure them to your filthy bed and work your evil desires on them?"

"I.... I.... I...."

"I'll take Kerry Stewart now." Dayanne says, "Thank you Cee. So Kerry Stewart, we approach the truth. You lust after Clergy and young girls. What else?"

Cleo rolls her eyes and hurries to join Marta clearing up the bits of packing case.

"Almost done Leo." Marta grins, "How was your part in the play?"

"I think I'd rather deal with Gangers. That was hard work."

"Dayanne says she's a religious masochist. You can't be afraid of being too rough with her. We need to have her turned quickly. She's one of the keys to Argus."

Cleo peels the mock horn from her hair.

"The things I do for this Company!"

Dr Kibu nods off in the lab once more. The voice in his head jerks him upright and he feels his legs walking without his will moving him.

A part of his mind knows this is wrong - terribly wrong - but his exhaustion is so great...

He walks vaguely around the building opening doors. In a cupboard he flicks switches and watches lights change. Some part of his mind knows his actions have meaning - but not what that meaning is.

He closes the cupboard and begins to run back to his lab, but as he begins to ascend the stairs a giant hand grips his chest and his legs collapse into darkness.

The woman being tortured on the other side of the partition gives out a high wavering cry and Kerry winces.

"What are you going to do with me?"

"What you wanted to do to yourself."

Dayanne slips a collar around Kerry's neck and clips a leash to it.

"Come." she orders, drawing Kerry along a deserted corridor and into a room facing a black wall.

"What.....?"

Dayanne touches the wall high up on the right.

"Hand."

The hairs on Kerry's neck rise as a hand emerges from the blackness.

"Hand."

Another emerges high and to the left.

"Reach up Kerry Stewart."

As soon as her hands approach the ones extruded from the wall they seize her wrists.

"Hand. Hand." Dayanne orders and hands seize Kerry's ankles and spread them widely. Kerry watches a ripples move from the edges of the wall towards its centre.

"Watch the wall Kerry Stewart. It responds to what lurks in your heart.

The ripples come together, then pass through each other and change, forming a low ridge before her that swells and bursts from the wall to shape itself into a huge phallus jutting of from the wall near its base. Kerry watches in alarm as it grows larger, swelling and rising between her legs until its huge head rests in the entrance to her belly.

She gasps as its strains upwards forcing her onto tiptoes to keep it from sinking inside.

The first stroke of Dayanne's Lash falls across her shoulders and Kerry jumps forwards, her nipples drag across the black surface of the wall creating twin furrows. She looks down and realises to her horror fingers are forming to grasp her nipples.

Dayanne's second stroke falls across her buttocks and Kerry jerks her hips forward, grinding the implacable hardness into her sex, pushing the huge head slightly deeper. The fingers seize her nipples and lift and Kerry is forced to lift herself slightly higher. Staining to maintain her position with leg muscles that scream their agony.

The touch of the huge Phallus in her entry warns her that it to has gone higher to maintain it's pressure against her sex.

Kerry loses count of the strokes. The tension in her immobile limbs ans on her breasts adding to her arousal until the fluttering in her belly can't be held off any longer. Kerry thrusts her hips back and forth, working the rounded head of the instrument of her torture in her entry and coming, coming, coming in front of her torturer.

The hands release her and Kerry falls into Dayanne's arms.

"Come Kerry Stewart. It is time for you to be about your labours."

In a daze Kerry lets Dayanne dress her and pack her into the lift.

"Return here after work." Dayanne orders. "And remember Kerry Stewart, we are watching you."

Kerry feels the lift descend and the doors open into the empty reception area. She takes a couple of steps out of the lift when a sudden intense vibration is applied to her sex, making her knees buckle and she falls to the marble floor. Hitching her skirt up she finds a plastic object secured against her sex, a cunning ridge holding in centralised in her furrow. Kerry tugs on the straps holding it in place, but at the increase in tension on the strap, the device bursts to life again applying intense stimulation to her sex. Kerry flops around bonelessly on the floor, helpless under the remorseless assault.

A pair of legs walk across her view and Kerry finds herself looking into the face of her personal Torturer. Dayanne reaches down and slaps Kerry's hand away.

"Do not interfere with your reward." Dayanne snaps, "Leave it alone and go to work."

In short order Kerry finds herself helped to her feet and hustled into the street.

Alan does his homework and munches the Kibble and dietary supplements that seem to be all his mother will order from the shops lately. Outside he can hear the Jeff and Billy clattering about with some of their new 'friends'.

<I wish Mom would come home.> Alan frets.

The door bell chimes.

"What is it?" Alan asks, thankful for the lock.

"'S me Al" Jeff calls. "We're going down the Clubhouse. There's a party and we're invited for our initiation. Wondered if you'd like to come?"

"No thanks Jeff. Stuff to do."

"Aw, go on Al. You can see us make our bones to night. There's a keg and munchies and the guys have scored some primo weed!"

"Not my scene Jeff."

"You study too hard Alan. You should mellow out, relax a bit. You'll never get to University if you have a nervous breakdown from overwork."

<And I won't get there by hanging out with a bunch of wannabe streetpunks.>

"Sorry Jeff. Too much to do. See ya later."

Jeff turns from the locked door and descends to the street and the waiting gangers.

"He wouldn't buy it."

"No Bitch. No Bones. That's the price boys."

"We'll come up with something won't we Billy. Call you as soon as we do."

Victor halts the company car outside Nira's house and walks round the car to the trunk. Taking a bag filled with her clothes he walks up to the house and opens the door, putting it inside before returning to the car.

In spite of the isolated position of the house Nira is scooted down in her seat to avoid a chance encounter with one of her neighbours. Victor opens her door and takes the leash attached to the collar that is all she is wearing, drawing her from the car to stand naked on the pavement. He pauses a moment then leads her up the path to her door.

Nira is nervous as hell, but excited at the same time.

<What if someone sees me?> she wonders.

At the door Victor pauses, producing a camera and making her turn a slow 360 whilst he photographs her. Her trim body is well worth recording. The glistening evidence of her accessibility and recent use decorates the insides of her dark thighs.

A figure walks into view and Nira's heart falters

"There's someone coming Victor. Let me go in please."

He looks across and laughs.

"It's Lucy from the office."

"Hello Victor. Is this Nira? Stand up straight Slut. Stop trying to hide yourself!"

Lucy runs hands over Nira's naked body, caressing the curves and Nira burns in shame. She jumps as a hand stokes the lower curve of her buttock and a finger touches her intimately.

"You made good use of her Victor?" Lucy asks, gently caressing the entry of Nira's sex with the fingertip.

"She's hot. Aren't you Nira?"

Lucy's finger withdraws as she removes her hand from Nira's buttock and Nira makes a little noise of disappointment, but Lucy merely transfers the hand to her belly, then slides her pale fingers lower, through the remnants of her bush, then lower still. Nira gasps as Lucy's middle finger slides gently over her clit and into her furrow.

"No...." she breathes, but Lucy's not listening. The finger bends slightly and Nira makes another wordless noise as is sinks easily into her belly

<I'm being fingered by a woman on my own front doorstep....> she shudders but makes no protest.

"She's very easy Victor."

"What are you Nira?" he breathes in her ear

"A slut Victor. A hot slut. Your slut."

Lucy turns her attention to Victor, still sliding her finger in and out of Nira's honeypot.

"You forgot to take a sample at the office. Clarice sent me out with the kit."

Nira finds herself maneuvered to stand naked against her own front door. Lucy kneels at her feet and makes her part her legs widely whilst Victor makes her push her hips forward.

"Ready?" Lucy asks, then gently pushes something into her belly and kisses the top of her slit.

Nira's legs want to buckle as Lucy skilfully tongues her, but Victor holds her in place as the sampler draws off some of Nira's juices for analysis. The device beeps, indicating a sufficient sample has been collected, but Lucy doesn't withdraw it, choosing to work the probe in and out of the naked woman as she tongues her.

Nira wails audibly, pulling her hands up to stifle her cries, but Victor bats them aside, forcing them down onto Lucy's head.

"Enjoy your treat my slut." he whispers.

Unable to decline Nira contents herself with guiding Lucy, whilst Victor handles her breasts and takes more images of her.

Shamed, scared and incredibly excited Nira lets them force her to come and come on her own doorstep, recording her humiliation and her surrender on camera.

Finally Victor releases her and opens her front door. Lucy withdraws the sampler probe, packs it into a case and waves as she moves on to her next call. Victor guides the trembling Nira inside to the security of her own lounge.

"Was that satisfactory Nira?"

"What?"

"Have we satisfied your fantasy?"

"Oh! Er... Yes. Very satisfactory."

"Good. Here's your bill."

"That was all part of your service?"

"Unless you want to live like that."

Nira considers briefly.

"I'm tempted... but...."

Victor grins.

"Too intense? Too many other commitments?"

"Um... yes."

She studies the bill briefly then gives Victor her charge card and keys the release code into his proffered cash transfer unit.

"Um.. Victor?"

"Yes?"

"Can we work through the others?"

"Of course. When?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Any preferences?"

"I get to choose?" she asks.

"Now you mention it. No. I'll arrange a surprise."

Kerry enters her office and sits, pressing the hard pad into her sex.

"Where have you been Kerry Stewart?" Argus demands, "You have been out of observation for six hours."

"I had some things to do Argus."

"What activities have you been pursuing?"

"Religious observances" Kerry says <It's not really a lie.>

The pad buzzes to life and pressed hard against her sex as it is Kerry 'enjoys' its full effect.

"You seem uneasy Kerry Stewart." Argus comments as she wriggles in response to the delicious sensations she's being 'rewarded' with.

"It's just an itch."

"Do you require medication or treatment?"

Kerry's mind leaps to her Treatment spreadeagled and balanced atop the rod that was just a fraction too large to impale her.

"No, I'm receiving the necessary treatment already."

The pad stops its maddening vibrations short of bringing her to orgasm. Without thinking Kerry reaches under her skirt and tugs one of the straps securing the pad in place. It stirs to life and she rocks her hips for maximum effect.

"Kerry Stewart."

"Ye... Yes Argus?" she pants.

"Dr Kibu suffered a collapse today?"

"What?" she exclaims, all thought of bringing herself off forgotten.

"He was on the staircase to his lab and collapsed. The doctor has diagnosed exhaustion and has prescribed four weeks rest once he's released from hospital."

"How long will that be?"

"The doctor was somewhat vague. It depends on his recovery from surgery."

"Surgery? For exhaustion?"

"Apparently Dr Kibu required the replacement of an internal organ."

"What?"

"The heart. A suitable cybernetic replacement has been installed and he should be able to go home in a few days."

"He had his heart replaced?"

"The doctor said he's been working for too long and suffered an arrest."

"How long has he been working?"

"I have kept Dr Kibu working on the project 18 hours a day."

"How many days rest has he had in the last two months?"

"None."

"And you've got Dr Taylor on the same regimen?"

"Yes. She has been sleeping in the lab rather than travelling to her home."

"Argus, you can't work them like that - no wonder they've made little progress. No more than 12 hours work in a day and at least one day off in ten."

"This seems inefficient Kerry Stewart."

"Biological systems can't cope with that level of continuous effort. Check with your medical database."

"I have no such database."

"Then conform to the rules in the company employment manual."

"Understood Kerry Stewart. I shall send Dr Taylor home now.

Kerry shakes her head. <I hope that's not wrecked our chances> she thinks, then recalling her current state she corrects herself, <It's chances. I'm doomed.>

In the Portacabin in Vegas Keanu slips the trodes over his head and connects to the net. The playground's icon blooms before him and he makes his way through the entry protocols, noting with interest the intensive scan the system subjects him to.

A bird of Paradise appears before him.

"Good evening. And how may Virtual Playgrounds assist you?"

"I'm waiting for my partner, she'll be using the designator MW. "

"And you?"

"KR"

"What sort of fantasy would you like?"

"One for two participants please."

"Certainly. What type of fantasy would you enjoy?"

"Umm. I think we'll both decide when she arrives."

"Very well. If you would like to enter our waiting area and peruse the selections...."

Marta sheds her overalls after another active day and reclines on her blow up mattress in the privacy of one of the empty offices.

<I'm not sure about this.> she thinks, <It was my suggestion and I miss him, but doing it Virtual seems wrong somehow.>

The trodes slip over her head and she makes the connection on the interface box, letting it take her to the Playground.

Negotiating the entry protocols she identifies herself, then finds herself directed to a waiting area. Keanu is studying a virtual catalogue as she arrives. She goes to him and tries to hug him, but he backs off sharply.

"Who are you?"

"Your fantasy." she says, realising he hasn't recognised the generic Icon she's displaying.

"Umm sorry, I'm waiting for my partner. You must be here by mistake."

"No mistake. The Playground can give you what you truly desire. Would you prefer me Taller? Shorter? Different hair colour? Different skin colour? Different species?"

"What I'd prefer is my partner. Now."

Marta decides to play with him a bit. Using her interface unit she calls the playgrounds Icon editor, remaking the icon to a parody of her meat body.

"You want this?" she asks.

"I want my partner."

"Why? When you could have this?" she asks, changing her form to resemble the latest female star on the Braindance scene. "Or this? Or this?"

Her Virtual body flicks and changes through the forms of several female personalities famous for their looks.

"Who are you? Where's Marta?"

The bird of Paradise appears - apparently answering his summons.

"Where's MW?" he asks.

"This is MW. Logging in from the Denver City Grid." the bird confirms.

"It's me Keanu. I'm just playing with you."

"Are you? What did the corporate who attacked you with a.... a droid call it?"

"Brutus and her name was Clarice and she works for me in Denver now."

Reassured he dismisses the bird.

"I don't like this Marta. I can't trust what I perceive here. And I need to. Lets just wait until we can get together."

"Oh. If you're sure."

"I want to stuff you. Not a simulation. It would be........ wrong somehow. I mean... I can't be certain it's you."

"Dummy!" Marta chides him perversely reassured. "I'll see you soon."

Alan wakes to the shrilling of the smoke alarm. He opens the door and smoke billows into his bedroom. Closing the door he goes straight to the window and out onto the trellis down the side of the house. Scrambling down he heads for the ground and the nearest payphone to call out the Fire Brigade. Descending in a hurry he fails to notice the waiting brothers. The first indication of trouble is when he puts his foot through a loop of rope and Billy pulls it tight and lifts it.. Stumbling off the trellis his other foot is captured by Jeff.

"What are you doing?"

"Shut up. Hop this way."

With one leg held high Billy and Jeff manoeuver him into the empty garage and shut the doors. Billy throws his rope over a beam and pulls his foot as high as he can. As Alan struggles to stay upright Jeff captures first one wrist then the other, hoisting his hands skywards as well.

"Let me go!" he bellows, "You pricks are in trouble when I get free!"

"You're our ticket into the Drifters Alan, so shut up and get with the program."

Alan begins to shout and scream in the hope of drawing someone to his aid, but Jeff forestalls him by jamming a duster from one of the shelves into his mouth. Immobilised and silenced Alan can only watch as they drag a workbench from its place by the wall and push it over to him. Jeff ties the ankle of the leg he's standing on to one leg of the bench and grins in anticipation.

"Call the Gang Billy. Tell them we've got our Bitch."

Billy rushes off into the house to make the call.

Jeff takes one of the ropes securing Alan's wrists and pulls it around the leg at the far end of the bench. Alan struggles to do something whist the tension is off that arm, but he quickly pulls the rope taut, pulling Alan forwards until he reaches the point at which his arms are being pulled in opposite directions.

Alan screams through his gag as he pulls, threatening to pull his arms out of their sockets then waits for Billy to return, eying him like a cut of meat.

Billy rushes back in.

"They're on their way Jeff."

"Slack off the other arm as I pull him down."

Between the two of them they force him over the workbench and secure him in place.

"Nice." Billy says, admiring their handiwork.

"Get the scissors. It's time we got him ready."

Alan struggles, but ropes that bind him are secure and he can do nothing as they cut his clothing away.

The three cars roar past the gate and the lone guard makes no effort to halt them, feeling helpless to stop whatever's going on, reduced to pretending they don't see the gangers coming onto the 'burb.

As they cross the 'burb the single night patrol car watches them, following for a while, then breaking off to avoid a confrontation as they pull up at the Taylor house. Watching as the garage door opens and fifteen or so gangers climb from their cars and vanish inside the garage.

Lucy waves and turns away from her last appointment, the demonstration Cyberhound padding obediently at her heels.

<Five sales! I'm surprised we've moved that many - still, I suppose they're cleaner than a real dog and you don't have to use them as a sex droid.> she looks at her watch <Still time to check up on the Taylor house.>

As she walks down the street three cars pass her, and the whistles and lewd suggestions shouted from the cars makes her eyes them warily. Though Denver is much quieter than her home town of Detroit she can still recognise Gangers on the prowl.

<What are they doing on a Corporate Suburb? Why weren't they stopped by the security?> she wonders. The cars turn out of sight, but their mere presence makes her uneasy.

"Teeth Rex, Teeth."

Beside her the hound barks softly in acknowledgement of the unbarring of it's attack subroutines and it's whole attitude changes from friendly pup to something much more focussed and purposeful.

Lucy turns the corner to find the three cars have pulled up outside her destination, but the occupants are nowhere to be seen.

There's a muted scream and coarse laughter from the Taylor's garage and Lucy can see curtains twitching in the adjacent houses, but lights stay off and no-one ventures out. Her own sense of self preservation tells her to turn around and get out of there, but there's another cry of pain and protest and the decision is made for her.

Sneaking closer she speed dials.

"Executive Solutions Denver."

"Leo? It's Lucy. I've a situation at Aurora. I'm at the Taylor house and there's something going on."

"What do you mean by something?"

"I've three carloads of gangers on site and they're up to something in the garage."

"Do you need to get involved?"

Lucy moves closer to get a view through the open garage doors. For an instant she sees a boy bound over a workbench, his face screwed up in agony, then a figure moves between them, blocking Lucy's view, but the movement of his hips tells her all she needs to know.

"Shit!" she breathes, "Leo, it's a gang rape in progress. Looks like my target's dependant is the victim."

"You still got Rex with you?"

"Yes. I've unbarred his attack protocols."

"You armed?"

"Just an Avenger."

"Put him to Hi-Threat and let him take the heat. I'm calling Victor. He's supposed to be within one block of you. Hold whilst I call security."

Lucy waits an endless thirty seconds before Cleo comes back on the line.

"We're on our way, but it's going to be at least ten minutes. Aurora Security seem reluctant to turn out for some reason."

"I'll wait for Victor, then we'll have to act." she disconnects and turns to the waiting Rex.

"Rex, Hi-Threat."

On either side of his chest rocket pods snap out and the cover for the sharpwire launcher rotates to clear the muzzle. The normally invisible carboglass teeth and claws extend to their deployed positions and the hound becomes perfectly still.

The sound of a running man draws her attention to the street behind her as Victor runs up the pavement.

"What've we got?"

"Trouble"

There's a howl of protest from inside the garage and the sound of a solid blow being delivered.

"The Bitch bit me!" someone protests, "Where are those pliers, I'll show him what happens to bitches who bite!"

The threat crystallises Lucy's decision and she pulls a laser pointer from her bag.

"Rex. Target cars. Mark. Mark. Mark." she says, flashing a spot of laser light on each of the three gang cars.

Designate Hostiles inside area. Mark." the pointer circumnavigates the open garage doors.

"Designate single Friendly inside marked area." she strains for a clear line of sight to the bound girl, but the milling gangers, eagerly anticipating some impromptu dentistry block her view, so she has to settle for a far more chancy verbal description.

"Friendly is immobile male within the target area. Confirm target designation."

The Cyberhound says nothing confirming the designations are satisfactory.

"Rex, get mean."

The rocket pods spit projectiles on compressed air. Once clear of the pods the projectiles ignite their solid fuel propellant and race to the cars.

Three 'Phut's and Rex is moving towards the garage before the third projectile has even ignited its fuel. Victor cocks his pistol, but the sound is lost in the 'crack' of the first projectile striking its target punching through the thin bodywork and firing the HE charge that's it's warhead.. The car's trunk flies open as the charge detonates inside then disappears as the ruptured fuel tank is ignited by the white hot rocket propellant.

As Rex enters the garage the gangers are beginning to react to the sound of the second projectile punching through the wing of it's target, to expend its force against the engine block, their attention is focussed on the hood of the car spinning in the air, rather than on the robotic killing machine slipping into their midst.

Rex scans the garage, making threat assessments. The single friendly is identified and the hostile by his head negated by a quick snap of teeth. The ganger doesn't even feel pain as the hounds teeth sheer through armour to remove the muscles from the back of his thigh. Rex doesn't slow to finish him, instead swinging to bring the Sharpwire launcher into play on a clot of gangers waiting their turn. A jet of silly string spurts from the port in his chest to spray over them, crystalising from soft string to hard, razor sharp plastic in fractions of a second.

A pistol shot strikes Rex's torso but ricochets from the underlying Cerumet into the sharpwired gangers. Rex spins and leaps. Carboglass teeth close on the arm holding the weapon and close with implacable force.

The ganger screams as the hound hits him, sinking claws into his thigh as its teeth shear effortlessly through skin and bone. There's a final 'crack' as the bone gives way and his hand and the pistol fall to the floor, leaving him literally disarmed.

Rex tuns his back and leaps to the next hostile on its threat table, a ganger with a knife. The knife swings in against his chest, but unlike a real dog Rex has no spaces between ribs to admit a knife and the blade catches, then snaps with a metallic note. Rex slams into the youth, driving his own claws in, then springs away, thrusting the ex-knifeman away and slamming him into the wall.

Outside Lucy and Victor cover the garage entry, whilst screams shouts and a single gunshot come from within.

A rush of figures pour from the garage, fumbling for weapons as a silent demon falls on their comrades. Lucy doesn't wait for them to finish drawing weapons, her pistol barks twice, firing into the mass of bodies, then Victor joins her in pouring fire into the confused gangers.

Beset from two sides by unknown assailants the gangers scatter, leaving anyone to wounded to run behind. Lucy and Victor watch them flee as the crashing of falling bodies ceases and all that is left is cries of pain. As the last of the gangers vanishes Victor cautiously makes his way to the garage and looks within. The interior is a slaughterhouse, blood splashed walls and chunks of tissue laid on the floor make the place resemble a scene from hell. The only sound is the soft weeping from the bound victim as blood runs down his legs.

"Rex. Good boy!"

The Cyberhound drops the ganger whose throat it's just removed and reverts to it's playful pup persona. Victor looks around to find Rex has finished off the wounded gangers and the only living being inside the garage is the victim.

"Lucy - get up here, can you examine him? I don't think I'd be welcome just now."

Lucy takes in the scene and blanches.

"Jeez!"

"So that's what happens when you take the brakes all the way off...." Victor says in awe.

"Yeah. Didn't think to set limits on him when I did the designation. He's finished all hostiles in the target area."

A car pulls up and Cleo and Anya bail out. Victor waves the all clear

"All done Leo. We need Medivac for the Victim."

"What about the attackers?"

"If they got away they're alive. Otherwise....."

Cleo takes a look inside then pulls her phone out and presses for the office.

"Marta, its Cleo - I need Medivac and Clean up at Aurora. Looks like three cars and ten clients. We'll keep Aurora Security off your back." she hangs up and turns to her fellow Solo.

"Anya, that's your job. Make sure they carry on hiding in their shack"

"You have any trouble getting in?" Victor asks.

"Aurora Security are hiding in their guardpost. Get me a dumpster will you Victor. Lucy - cut him free. Is there anywhere round here you can take him that's safe?"

Victor returns with the Taylor's dumpster.

"Nira Kibu's place is just up the street. She might shelter him whilst we wait for Medivac."

"Take him there with Lucy."

Marta drives the sanitation wagon and a trailer up to the Aurora entrance. The gates stand ajar and Anya waves her through from the guardpost doorway.

The wagons mechanical grab quickly lifts the three wrecked cars into the trailer, though the twitching curtains clearly warn the operation hasn't gone un-noticed. Marta clambers down from the cab and goes to inspect the garage.

"Ew! Gross! Clean up is the right word Cleo. I've spare coveralls in the cab and some gloves. You want this place imaging?"

"Better had. We might need to cover our asses later."

The scene is comprehensively recorded then the various body parts are bagged and placed in the dumpster. Marta wheels the container full of corpses to the truck and tosses them into the compactor before dropping the dumpster on the trailer with the cars. As she backs the truck onto the trailer she notes a door being opened across the street and a man nervously makes his way across to the truck.

"Umm. What's going on?"

"Just cleaning ups some trash." Marta says, then hops down with a bag and heads for the garage.

"We thought we heard shots." the man says.

"Everything's under control. Just go home." Marta shouts over her shoulder.

Cleo comes out and takes a look at the concerned resident and he beats a retreat.

Here." Marta says tossing Cleo a can from the bag. "Spruce up - spray it on any big stains. I've a bug bomb for the final clean up."

The nanite based cleaner is sprayed on the bloodstained walls and floor and the organic remnants fade away as the programmed nanites disassemble them. Once the big stains are gone Marta gets the BugBomb from the bag and sets it up on the floor. The discharge unit is primed and she retreats out of the garage closing the door on the beeping unit.

The bomb discharges it's payload into the confines of the garage, dusting every surface with programmed nanites which begin to search for their target materials. Inorganic materials are ignored, but the programmed units voraciously consume every trace of insect chitin along with dead human skin cells, droplets of blood too small to have been targeted with the spruce up and any other bodily fluids.

"Leave it for thirty minutes Leo. After that the nanites will have powered down and self destructed. You can open the door and let the wind blow through to disperse the dust. I'm off to dump the trash."

"Ok. I'll get Marta on the way out. See you back at the office."

Marta scrambles up to her cab, guns the wagon's engine and drives off towing the trailer.

Victor and Lucy struggle up the street supporting the limp boy between them. The way he's stumbling worries Victor and he pauses to examine him again.

<Only a few years younger than me.> He realises. <Damn. We should have gotten there sooner.>

In the orange glow of the streetlights he can see blood running down his thighs.

"You get any Medical Training Lucy?"

"Wasn't on my list of wants. Why?"

"Me neither, but I don't think that's a good sign." he says indicating the blood.

"Shit! How far to your marks place?"

"Two blocks."

"Lets pick up the pace."

"What do you think'll happen over this?"

"The way this place is? Probably nothing."

"We shouldn't let this ride. We should do something."

"You're in favour of punishing rapists?" Lucy asks, "After what you're planning for Mrs Kibu?"

" Mrs Kibu is paying for sex. She says 'no' to anything and that's it. No Consent no activity."

"Had a friend who said rape was the crime men used to subjugate women."

"Not just women. I think Rex killed the sons-of-bitches too quickly." Victor looks at Alan again. "We'd better carry him. Walking is taking too long."

The banging at her door draws Nira from the security of her study. She glances in her empty bedroom and curses Timo agin.

<The bastard's not even bothered to call and say he wasn't coming home!> she thinks before she makes her way downstairs.

On the doorstep Victor and Lucy are supporting a naked young man, dripping blood down his thighs, unnaturally pale and quivering in what has to be the first stages of shock.

"What's happened?"

"Dr Taylor's son. He's been attacked. We need to get him under cover. I think he's in shock."

Nira studies the boy. From her internship she'd say shock's not the only thing he's suffering from, but it's certainly the immediate problem. She stands aside and Victor picks the boy up and carries him inside followed by Lucy and a blood covered cyberhound.

"What's this?"

"One of our products, don't worry about it. What you do to help him whilst I call Medivac?"

"Put him on the floor. Elevate his limbs. I'll just get my bag."

Nira scrambles upstairs to get her unused medical kit and returns to find Lucy and the dog gone and Victor on the phone.

".....yes. Now. Put it on the Executive Solutions Account. Shock I think. He's been raped. No.... not that I can see. Ok. Four minutes then." he turns to Nira. "Sorry to bring him here but this was the closest safe place I could think of and I remembered you're medically trained."

"What about Security?"

"Aurora Night Security's not worth shit. Either they've been paid off or they're too scared to get involved."

"So what's happening?"

"I've called our Trauma Team Account Manager. They're sending out an AV."

"You called TT out on your account?"

"Company Policy."

Nira falls silent, but Victor can read her puzzlement.

<Why is this company getting involved in the welfare of dependants of employees of another company?>

That leads in directions he'd rather she wasn't thinking. Her next question confirms his concern.

"What were you doing at the Taylor House?"

"Lucy called for help."

"And what....."

Victor's spared having to reply by the shriek of an AV dropping into the street. As he's opening the door Medtechs are disembarking from the vehicle as their security detachment secure the area.

"Here!" Victor calls, drawing their attention.

Alan is swiftly loaded and the AV lifts off leaving Victor with the urgent problem of Nira.

<She could blow the whole op if she calls Microtech in.>

"Just what is going on?" she demands, "What where you doing when that poor boy was attacked. Why was your cyberhound covered in blood? Tell me before I call Microtech security."

"That would be highly unwise." her house suddenly booms.

She squeaks in surprise and Victor takes advantage of her distraction to bear her to the floor.

"What are you doing?" she protests, kicking and struggling in his grasp.

<I could do without this right now.> he realises, <But I can't see any other way of keeping her quiet. Thank god for cyberwear!>

As commanded the Mr Studd stands to, ready to perform as required.

"Be quiet Mrs Kibu. This is a hostile extraction. Your medical skills will be highly prised by your new employer."

"What?"

Nira looks puzzled, uncomprehending, but at least she stops struggling.

"And to ensure your good behaviour it's been decided to impregnate you." Victor chances releasing her to stroke her face. "Unless it's inconvenient right now?"

"Oh....Oh! I see! We're playing?"

"Kidnap? Blackmail? Forced Impregnation?"

"Oh! Oh Yes!" she says eagerly.

"Bondage?"

Nira's legs part slightly

"Are you going to hold me long?"

"How long do you want?"

"Until I ask you to stop."

"I'm going to tie you up and call for the transport." he warns, then turns her over, puts her palms together, loops his belt around her arms above the elbows and pulls it tight, pulling her arms and shoulders back.

Nira moans in discomfort as her turns her over and cups her breasts firmly, struggling against the belt restraining her, but the tension lock buckle stays tight. His hands slip beneath her T-Shirt and Nira feels the fastener between her breasts open, then his cool hands are on her warm flesh.

"V....Victor... you are safe? I mean you're not fertile?"

"All turned off Nira."

His hands ease her skirt upwards revealing more of her dark thighs and her briefs stretched tightly over her Mons betraying the intimate contours beneath. Victors fingers stroke the silky fabric lingering in the increasingly moist gusset. Nira's legs sag further apart.

"Turn it on..." she breathes, "And stay in Character."

"Where are your research notes Mrs Kibu. We'll need them to reproduce your research to date."

"In my study." Nira moans, her sex pulsing hotly, "Please don't go there."

Victor frogmarches her to her room and packs a bag for her.

"Toiletries?"

"In the bathroom."

She guides him to the en-suite and stares fixedly at the medicine cabinet. Victor takes the hint, opens the mirrored door and examines the contents.

"You need any medication?"

"No...." she breathes, her voice husky with anticipation.

Victor pays closer attention to the bottles.

"Ovulon.... You've been trying to conceive? Well, that'll be handy. If you've already started a course we won't have to put you on them!"

Nira shivers.

"Don't.... please don't..... I'll be a good employee. You can fit me with a Cortex bomb if you want."

Victor pops the lid off and makes a show of extracting one of the tablets.

"Open your mouth. Your loyalty device is going in your belly, not your head."

Nira clamps her lips together, but as soon as his fingers touch her cheeks her mouth opens to receive the tablet. A thoughtful look crosses her face and she spits the pill into the sink.

"That's Asprin! I'm paying for better than that!"

"Are you certain that this's what you want?" Victor asks incredulously.

"It'll serve him right! Now, I won't tell you again! Stay in Character."

He pushes his fingers into her cheeks and Nira's mouth opens for her medicine. A glass of water washes the pill down then Victor gathers up her bag and steers her down to the lounge. Turning off the lights she opens the curtains, letting the orange glow of the streetlights spill into the room.

Choosing one of the armchairs facing the window Victor sits, guiding Nira in front of him. Her skirt pushes up over her hips and his fingers seek out the bow at the hip of her briefs. Nira draws a gasp of air as he tugs the knot undone and the garment drops away leaving her naked from the waist down.. The sound of the fastener on his trousers is clear an she watches the garments slips over his feet from their position between her own legs. When he pushes gently on the backs of her knees she sinks into his lap. The blunt head of his maleness butts against her leg, then finds its way easily to her sex.

"No, No." Nira begs as her own weight presses him deeper inside her.

She strains to stand, but with her hands bound behind her she can only use her legs and the angle of her body is not making it easy. With a struggle she manages to raise herself until the tip of him is only just in her, then he pulls on the belt stopping her from rising any further. She strains briefly, trying to raise her hips the fraction of an inch necessary to escape, but her weakening leg muscles betray her and she sinks down again, feeling herself squeezing her captor's deeply buried manhood..

Victor tugs up her T-shirt exposing her dark skinned breasts.

"Maybe you're thinking about calling to your neighbours for help Mrs Kibu? I wouldn't bother. Not unless you want us to kill them."

Nira recalls well publicised stories of extractions where such things have happened and she struggles to rise again, absorbed by the fantasy Victor is presenting for her, but he again prevents her from escaping. She struggles and strains to raise herself that last fraction of an inch, but the sight of someone walking in the street seen through the large picture window makes her thrust down on him rather than being seen.

"Please don't kill my neighbours" she pleads, her hips rising and falling eagerly, "I'll come with you. Just don't make me pregnant."

"I'm not the one who's doing all the work - you are. You make yourself ours more and more each second. With each thrust you get closer and closer to filling your belly."

Nira's movements become more and more frantic, more energetic, until she's grinding herself frantically against Victor, feeling the tip of his cock caressing her cervix. He releases her hands and transfers his grip to her hips, holding her in place. Nira feels him twitching inside her then a feeling of added moisture warns her he's gushing deep inside.

Nira quivers on his still erect manhood as her body betrays her eagerness for more. But he doesn't grow soft, deliciously he remains rigid inside her and she rides on, forgetting her self assigned role in this fantasy. Victors hand caresses her throat and Nira reaches her own crisis, her body following it's pre-programmed instructions.

As she regains her breath Victor reaches for his phone, but again her house speaks.

"Transport is on it's way Victor."

"Thanks."

"What was that?" Nira asks.

"Don't talk or I'll have to gag you."

"But what.....?"

Victor grasps her chin and taking her fallen briefs tucks them into her mouth.

"Your safety release is two stamps Nira. You understand? Two stamps and I'll ungag you." Nira nods, feeling the tie strings that Victor's left projecting from her mouth. She moans as his fingers begin to stroke her, slowly circling the lips encircling his penetrating manhood and toying with her exposed and defenceless clit.

"Now, how shall we spend the time waiting for our lift?" he muses as his fingers stroke Nira's come slick Labia.

Victor fishes in the bag he's packed for Nira and comes up with one of her purchases.

"Lets open a new front of attack on a very naughty girl."

He gently eases her forwards, then Nira feels a rounded tip stroking in the crease of her ass, but she can make no protest as the slippery tip descends towards the gateway hidden there.

The tip settles in the puckered ring and strokes back and forth across it. Nira quivers, not sure if she should stamp twice and stop him, or let him continue. The pressure against her ass increases and the tip pushes inside, forcing her to relax and accept its slippery length as Victor pushes it deeper.

The feeling of fullness grows as the increasing girth of the plug is pushed deeper, forcing her anus to dilate to accept it. Just as she feels she can do longer bear it, the diameter of the plug reduces and Nira can feel her own ass squeezing it into her until it suddenly flares again preventing it vanishing into her bowels.

Victor helps her upright again, his reassuring touch calming her. His fingers touch her sex again, teasing and arousing her, but stopping short of permitting her release as she grows accustomed to the sensation in her ass. Her hips stir again, rubbing his still erect member in her sex.

Victor waits until her breathing has settled then, unseen, produces a small vibrator. Activated it makes nothing more than an almost inaudible polite hum. Easing her forwards again he slips the tip of the vibrator neatly into the end of the butt plug and Nira is caught utterly unprepared as her ass suddenly receives the intense vibration along the impaling rod buried deep in her ass.

She fights the bonds on her arms without success and makes a single panicked stamp before the unfamiliar sensation brings on a wholly familiar and deeply satisfactory one.

Victor lets the orgasming woman collapse across his knees, then eases out of her and guides her to the floor. The vibrator abandons the plastic entry of the butt plug to work along the edges of Nira's drooling dark lipped sex. A single swipe along each swollen lip has them parting to display the blood charged pinkness between and Victor spends a delicious 20 minutes stroking the trembling tip along the fringes of her entry, peeling the swollen lips back and circling her pearl as it emerges from its hiding place.

Nira is moaning through her gag when the doorbell rings. Victor looks up to see Marta waving through the window. He puts the vibrator away and manoeuvres Nira to the front door.

"One to go?" Marta asks.

"Quick as you can."

They frogmarch her to the van, Victor releases his belt and they secure her to tie-downs on the van bed then Victor pulls her briefs from her mouth.

"You ok Mrs Kibu?" marta asks.

It takes Nira a second to switch from her fantasy to reality.

"Oh. Have you a blanket or something to put under me?"

"No problem. We like to keep our customers happy."

Reassured and made comfortable Nira relaxes as Victor closes the doors and secures her legs apart.

The engine starts and the van drives carefully off the 'burb as Victor resumes his careful exploration of Nira's bound body. By the time they reach the office her legs are trembling so badly she can no longer walk and they have to move her in a wheelchair up to a room where she's collared and left on a long chain.

"Sleep now Nira. We'll continue your indoctrination tomorrow."

Placing her bag by the bed he leaves her to explore her prison. Nira walks round the room, testing the length of the chain fixing her collar to the bed. She can reach the toilet and washbasin, but the door is beyond her range of movement.

She settles onto the bed, unconsciously stroking her skin with the silk sheets. Her fingers touch her swollen sex and in spite of the number of times she's already come she begins to stroke herself again.

<God I'm so horny!>

She fishes in her bag and comes up with one of her new vibrators.

<Just once more, then I'll go to sleep.>

Outside Victor hurries to a meeting. Clarice is setting up the video link as Victor takes his seat and Dayanne passes him a coffee.

"Mrs Kibu wearing you out yet?" she quips.

"Lucy back?" Victor asks flatly.

"She's just finished cleaning Rex. Thank God for Stainblock. Or we'd never have got the blood out of the fur! The Taylor kid's stable. But they'll be with TT for a while."

The link comes to life and an image of Jean flickers into view.

"Good, you're all here. Victor, have you been intimate with Mrs Kibu?"

"Yes Ms Kelly. I had to have her brought in. She was beginning to wonder about our op and it was the only way to keep her quiet."

"I want you to Night City as soon as possible. Clarice - you'll need to arrange transport."

"Is there a problem?" Victor asks.

"The samples you collected indicate she's infested with inactive nanites. We have to determine if they're infectious - that means we have to check if you've been infested. After the Micropharmers have checked you out you're to escort them back to Denver with their equipment. We may need to dose a lot of people with a counter agent."

"Got it."

"Whilst you're in Night City you'll meet up with Mr Hatcher, Ms Ingles, Ms Columbo and Ms Suarez. They're your reinforcements."

"Umm. I don't know Night City." Victor admits.

"I'll arrange for you to be met from someone from the Night City Office. Don't sleep with anyone else until you've been checked out. Tell me about the situation with Ms Kibu."

"She thinks we're acting out her kidnap and forced impregnation fantasies."

"Ok.... support her belief. Clarice, you'll have to keep her distracted whilst Victor's away. Have you identified the gangers who were at the Taylor house? We need to minimize additional infestations - don't forget Argus can potentially call them up as extra forces on short order."

"I've got Cleo and Anya on clean up now."

"Good. Anything else?"

"What sort of clean up are they performing?" Victor asks.

"You want to make a point Victor?" Jean asks him.

"I don't like rapists."

"It's up to their tactical assessment of the situation. We need to remove the gangers as a factor in the overall situation. If things are as bad as your reports indicate we might want to consider taking over the 'burb - in which case a permanent solution is highly appropriate."

"Kill them you mean?"

"I'd prefer if we could take it to a court and get the appropriate ruling, but that's not possible."

"We might be able to do something about that if we had a stronger footing on the estate." Galahad interjects, "If we had the security contract we could apply the laws of our State of Incorporation."

"You mean Cleo could be operating under Nevada law if she's on Corporate business?"

"If the locals decline jurisdiction. Yes."

"Look into that. Right. Anything else? Right continue working on your targets and I'd like you to keep sending me updates, but don't get too close until you've had your own doses of Nano."

No one says anything and Jean cuts the link leaving them in the room alone.

"I wish she'd make up her mind - get intimate with them, then don't sleep with them." Lucy mutters, "It's not like she's the one who's getting fucked!"

"I think Jean's done her share of that Ms Crane." a voice says.

The display flickers to life again with Galahad's Icon.

"Oh jeez" Victor mutters, "the company AI."

"Umm. I didn't mean anything by it." Lucy says, trying to backtrack in the face of her comments, fearing they might be reported to the person who owns her contract.

"You are perhaps justifiably aggrieved that you've ended up working in something you view as little more than whoring." Galahad says. "Jean has been there, she did what was necessary at the time, just as you are."

"Yeah, right."

The screen flickers and Galahad's image is replaced with that of Jean in the hotel room. The Denver staff watch her with the three businessmen in silence.

"Jean did this to achieve her objective of liberating the staff members who now run the West Coat operation. She will do what is necessary to succeed. If that means using you she will. But she won't discard you needlessly. You know you are taking part in something important, something serious. It's important for you to know your employer knows what you're experiencing. Its important you know the whole company is behind you. That everyone will go the distance for you. Do you have to tools you need to complete your role?"

"Yes. But we're still slaves, we're almost being held against our will." Lucy complains.

"Hey speak for yourself." Dayanne retorts. "I'd be twiddling my thumbs on the Res if I wasn't here. This is a step up for me."

"Victor?" Lucy asks.

"I've no complaints. If my folks had bought me back I'd probably still be bumming about town - either that or in the slammer or looking at the underside of the desert. I must have been sailing close to the edge of what the COA would tolerate."

"I could have been home in Detroit!" Lucy protests.

"Your husband could have bought you free at any time. Instead he's filled for divorce on the grounds of you abandoning him and moved in with an Alice Klieg."

"He has? The shit! Did he sell the softs?"

"I don't have access to that information, but it would seem likely."

"Are the Repo men looking for him?"

"It would be likely, but they won't be looking too hard in Detroit."

"He sells my ass, does a quick sell on the softs and sets up with Alice Klieg! The bastard! Just wait till I get back to Nevada. I'll have a word or two for the loan company, I'm sure they'd love to know all about his whereabouts."

"I'll prepare a printout for you Ms Crane."

"Well Leo?" Anya asks.

"It's them ok. The question is treatment or termination?"

"What do you think?"

"Vicious children playing at gangs."

"Will anyone miss them?"

"No. We make it look like another gang and keep the heat off our own backs - get another bunch of worthless scum off the streets."

"Molotovs and multiple weapons?"

"Yup. I've a bunch of Poly-one-shots in the trunk. Couple of shots from each should satisfy any forensics they're likely to bring in.

"Approach?"

"They thought they got smart. Bricked up all but one door at street level. Unless they've cut a door into the drains their only routes out are the roof and the front door."

Cleo opens the cars trunk and lifts out a crate of bottles filled with something and stoppered with wicks.

"CHOO₂?"

"Bathtub Napalm." Cleo corrects.

"Ow. You don't like them do you?"

"Rape's an ugly crime. No-one's going to miss them."

"You planning to check the sewer?"

"Not in person."

Cleo rummages in the trunk again and hauls out a large, heavy cylinder.

"Propane."

Anya winces.

"You'll blow inspection covers for blocks!"

"Area needs redeveloping anyway."

They hook the manhole cover up and between them manhandle the cylinder to the hole. Cleo secures the rope to the top of the cylinder and around the tow hitch on the car, then they ease it over the edge.

"Why's there never a man around when you need one?" Cleo grunts sarcastically as the cylinder's weight falls onto the rope.

"Covering Head Office." Anya grins.

Cleo climbs into the car, then nods at Anya, who opens the valve.

Cleo lets the handbrake off and the moaning cylinder descends into the sewer. It hits the bottom and Anya unties the rope and tosses it down the hole after the improvised FAE whilst Cleo reverses the car out of the danger zone.

"Ready?"

"Let me light a wick." Anya murmurs.

"We need to get some inside."

"Oh, I've got that covered."

Anya takes her lit Molotov and a couple of one shots and crosses the street to the front door of the Drifters Clubhouse. She tries the door, but it's locked, so she knocks.

The door opens a crack and a bloody ganger looks out.

"What?"

"I heard you were having a party. I wanted to come."

The ganger looks nonplussed. His confusion overriding awareness of the burning Molotov in Anya's hand. The door opens slightly wider and Anya shoves it open.

Awareness of his error lights the gangers face an instant before Anya's one shot goes off. As he falls Anya lobs the Molotov onto the wooden staircase.

Cleo looks at the front of the building, aware of the gunshot and the sudden flare of light from the front doorway, then she tosses her own Molotov down the open manhole.

The vented Propane has mixed nicely with the air and it ignites with a 'whoof' that sends a pillar of blue flame venting out of the open manhole. More spectacular are the matching pillars that explode at intervals down the road, throwing inspection covers into the night sky.

Anya lobs another pair of Molotovs into the front hallway and backs off to see what develops. From across the street Cleo fires a one shot into one of the first storey windows to make an entry then lobs her own Molotov through the hole.

The sound of screams seems to indicate the room had been occupied but nothing comes ot of the window but smoke and flames.

"They must have taken the internal walls out Leo." Anya comments from the rear of the building. "I can see flames through the windows at the back."

Cleo clicks her mike in acknowledgement. Seeing the way the flames show on the floor above, they must have gutted the building of anything that would stop the spread of flame.

"You in position to cover any jumpers?"

"Ready."

The fire rapidly engulfs the building. The first Jumper takes their chances from the roof shortly after the fire's got a firm hold on the second storey and Anya takes a moment to finish the injured Ganger off with one of the poly guns. Then she changes weapons and returns to watching the roof. Dimly seen figures moving on the roof draw a burst from Cleo's SMG then a burst of flame blows out all the windows on the second floor suggesting something flammable has just taken flame.

After a couple of minutes, part of the roof gives way with a crash and flames leap into the night sky. With free access to the air the fire rapidly consumes the rest of the second floor and the roof vanishes into the inferno. It's collapse prompts a general failure and the whole structure slowly folds into its own basement, throwing a ball of fire skywards.

"Think that did the job?" Anya asks.

"Should have." Cleo responds, tossing the one shots and her 'dirty' SMG into the flames. "Let's go home."

They melt away into the dark as the distant sound of sirens announces the eventual arrival of the authorities.

End of Part 8