Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >Serina's Story by barebear Serina -(TM)s Introduction -" Part 1 Arlington is a city of shining high-rises and sprawling parks. Often regarded as the economic capital of the world, only the wealthiest businessmen can live in the region known as the Metropolis. Mr. Francis is one such man. When his only daughter Serina was born, he set firmly in his mind that she should have the best life that he could give him. Now, Mr. Francis was a multibillionaire and the head chairman of Frase Industries. Many of his investments in major companies had paid off. He bought out the topmost 10 floors of the Frase Industries skyscraper in the Metropolis and decided to turn this into his family -(TM)s new home. However, Arlington is not as shining as it would seem. Just outside the Metropolis, between all the high-rises and attractions, slums spread many miles as the cost of living shot up due to companies buying land at high prices and the city developing parks to please the wealthy. This left the poor homeless. Mr. Francis wanted Serina to never experience poverty and wanted her to live a life of complete luxury. The truth was, there was a time when Mr. Francis himself lived in poverty, sharing a small house with three generations of his family. Mr. Francis had all the amenities Serina could want built into his skyscraper. A gym, theater, ballroom, pool, anything Serina wanted, it would be there. Either that, or it would be delivered by helicopter within the hour. He employed two full time chefs, two tutors, a personal trainer, and 45 butlers and maids to serve and clean up after Serina, all employed and housed on one of the floors of the house. She grew up doing whatever she wanted, except leaving the house. However, she also grew up disciplined. At the end of her teens, she was more educated, fit, and courteous than most people her age. Of course, the one thing she never learned about was poverty, neither in industrial 17th century London nor the poverty five kilometers from her own home. Serina had never seen anyone outside of these 50 people. She rarely saw her own father, even though he had a laughably short commute. There was an elevator that took him from his bedroom to his office, but he was frequently on trips, scouting out new investments. Anyway, as they were all housed in the same place and rarely saw others, clothes fell away. Serina had never been one to wear clothes, even the finest silks her father imported from Asia felt unnatural to her. Anyway, she didn -(TM)t need to wear clothes in the comfort and safety of her own home, so she was never told to. Most of the people employed in the house were always naked as well, on account of the few situations that required clothes. As Serina grew up, she didn -(TM)t fall into modesty and became ashamed of her nudity. Her only education was her two excellent tutors, both of which taught in the same state of dress, or undress, that Serina lived in. However, she wasn -(TM)t flamboyant either. She just accepted her nudity as the only way she had lived and would continue to live. She was taught only that -clothes are for protection - by the chefs, when Serina saw them tying strange pieces of a flexible material around their bodies. We know this as an -apron, - but the circumstances in which Serina lived led her to think that the apron was what was called -clothing, - and only used for protection. It was uncomfortable anyway; no one would wear that because they wanted to, right? The truth was that Serina hadn -(TM)t so much as seen proper clothes since she was a toddler and immediately threw them off. Serina had become close with one of the butlers, Pierre Stonier, who the other butlers and maids agreed should be the one in charge of Serina, as Serina liked him most. They often made good banter, debated about worldly events, and swam together. Pierre -(TM)s job was to keep Serina safe and teach her morals and ethics as he accompanied her around the house. He was also in charge of Serina -(TM)s schedule, which carefully balanced her education, meals, exercise, entertainment, and sleep. ***** Serina is now a young adult, 19 years old. She sits on the balcony coming out of her bedroom, sipping tea with Pierre as they watch the silhouettes of the Metropolis in front of the sunset. Serina is deep in thought. She -(TM)s staring at a hazy human figure on the other end of the city grounds in front of their building. How interesting, he appears to be lifting a large object. Doesn -(TM)t he have some form of repulsion lift attached to the bottom? Oh, silly me, it is probably a strength training exercise. Is it not usually done indoors though? Serina is not just deep in thought; she -(TM)s completely lost in her thoughts. -Tell me about what you learned today, Serina, - Pierre interrupts her inner monologue. Serina talks, still gazing at the strange man across the park. -Who is that man? I -(TM)ve seen people driving old trucks, like those in the pictures you show me, between different buildings the whole day, and he never seems to stop. Automated technology isn -(TM)t that advanced yet, is it? - Pierre sighs inside. He weighs his choices. After a silent second, he has a plan, as Serina -(TM)s ethics advisor. -There are people in this world that have made bad choices, like putting their money into bad investments, or committing infractions against the city. They usually don -(TM)t have much money to start, and after those actions, they lose more money. They end up in what is called -~poverty, -(TM) and can -(TM)t afford to live comfortable lives. They take large debts that they can -(TM)t repay and must work until they pass to pay what they owe. - He carefully leaves out information about the flawed bureaucratic systems that are the real source of poverty. -Father put his money into investments. Did he just get lucky? Would he have ended up like they did? - Serina is piqued, as she has never been taught this before. -No, no definitely not. What the impoverished did is called -~gambling. -(TM) - -But gambling is wagering something of value on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, right? - -Very good, you have memorized the dictionary well. However, the keystone word there is -~random. -(TM) Your father made safe investments in companies he believed would succeed. Gambling is simply rolling the dice. For example, say I give you a die. You must roll an even number if you want 10 currency units from me. However, if you roll and odd number, you will owe me 10 currency units. Would you take the deal? - Serina considers it. -A 50-50 chance is too risky. I wouldn -(TM)t. - Pierre says, -Very good. Of course, you wouldn -(TM)t. It simply doesn -(TM)t make sense. But the people that do take the risk have less money. If there -(TM)s even a remote chance that they -(TM)ll get money, they will take it. They keep their eyes on only the big prize of making big money, not the little scraps they lose along the way. But those little scraps always add up. Gambling is addictive this way. Do not ever fall into this trap. And then for the second reason poverty exists, obviously I do not need to tell you why committing an infraction is problematic. - Pierre smiles. He has avoided a conversation that Serina -(TM)s father would certainly not appreciate them having. However, he will have to fill out an incident report after Serina falls asleep. -But why aren -(TM)t education efforts being made by the city to stop gambling and infractions? Even if they were all selfish geese in the city hall, more income means higher tax revenue, which is better for them. It should be a win-win. - Pierre suspected this would happen. Serina is a very bright girl and has had only the best education in the world. -You feel like debating this, don -(TM)t you? Here, tomorrow during your midday meal we can talk some more. It -(TM)s time for your shower, and you can start writing an essay on measures that can be taken against poverty to show your tutor. How does that sound? - Serina replies -Great! - and Pierre helps her up from her chair. They walk across the grand bedroom to her shower, where a maid has already filled the bathtub. The soaps and shampoos are lined up, and Serina takes her pick. She picks a vanilla shampoo. She lowers herself into the tub and closes her eyes. Almost immediately, Pierre and the maid jump into action, making her bath as pleasant as possible. As the maid applies shampoo, Pierre massages her soft shoulders, making her way down her modest breasts and flat stomach. Serina had a slim build but was very fit. Her physical exercise consisted of 30 minutes swimming in the morning before breakfast, 30 minutes of weight training before lunch, and a five-kilometer run at least 10 kph after her second education block finished, typically mid-afternoon. Her food was carefully managed by the chefs, but Serina held herself to high standards regardless. Pierre -(TM)s thoughts drift to how attractive Serina is getting as his hands move lower and lower. She was no longer a child. Snap out of it Pierre! This is your client and master. Pierre quickly but masterfully finishes her lower body and nods to the maid. The maid quickly stands up, her breasts and thighs bouncing as she jogs to a closet. She turns around and stands as if she is ready to give Serina a hug, but is holding a towel in her hands, ready to dry her as soon as she steps out. Pierre massages her calves last, as he always does, to let Serina know that they -(TM)re done. Pierre steps back and holds a hairdryer, and Serina opens her eyes and walks to the maid, who dries her body as Pierre uses the hairdryer. Serina twirls around, her hair trailing behind her head, and then skips off to dinner. -Molly, would you please dry me? - Pierre speaks to the maid, who dries Pierre and then hands the towel to him. -Your turn. - Serina -(TM)s comfort comes above their own, so Molly still stands with shampoo suds and water dripping before Pierre dries her off. As they leave, an orchestrated team of five servants rushes in to clean the bathroom. A couple hours later, when Molly checks on Serina before bed, she finds her on the balcony again. -It -(TM)s late, you should sleep. - Serina nods, and comes back in. She settles into the king-sized bed and turns into her pillow. Molly closes the curtains and turns off the light. -Good night, Serina. - Molly and Pierre act like the parents Serina never had. According to Serina -(TM)s biological father, her mother left with another man and now lives in the countryside as a farmer. And as for the father himself, he -(TM)s rarely around. Serina drifts off to sleep, as she continues thinking about the strange -impoverished - men loading boxes. Serina -(TM)s Escape -" Part 2 The next day happened as normal. Serina did not bring up her evening conversation with Pierre. She woke up, and was immediately escorted to the pool. After her swimming practice, she was given a shower and then sat down at the dining table for breakfast. The chefs served omelets and sliced avocados. Her tutors taught her business calculus, economics, Napoleonic wars, and classical literature. Soon it was time for her exercise block. 90 minutes later, she emerged from the gym dripping in sweat. Again, she quickly showered off and sat down for lunch. Much to Pierre -(TM)s surprise, Serina did not bring up their discussion as Pierre invited her to. Serina spent her free time after lunch playing table-tennis against a machine and then she read a newspaper that a tutor had curated for her. Serina sits on the balcony outside her room, even though it is a bit early for the sunset. -May I join you, milady? - Pierre knocks on the wall behind Serina as he peers around the corner. -Of course, Pierre. - After a long silence, Serina finally starts. -Would it be possible for me to see the city a bit? - Pierre is taken aback. -Serina, you have one of the best houses in Metropolis. You have everything you could ever want here within walking distance. In fact, if you so desire, you wouldn -(TM)t even have to walk! - Serina grimaces. She expected this. -But I can -(TM)t remember ever leaving the tower. Could I, just once, see what the city is like? Arlington is the richest city in the world, but I have never seen what it has to offer outside of these walls. - Secretly, Serina had no interest in the riches of Arlington. She was captivated by the strange men in old trucks, and this idea of poverty. Her inquisitive mind wanted to learn as much as it could, and she had just learned of a new topic that she just had to explore further. -I suppose we could get a chauffeur to take you around the city. I -(TM)ll see what I can do. I -(TM)ll let you know tomorrow at your midday meal if I manage to hire someone on such short notice, especially as tomorrow is a municipal holiday. We -(TM)ll leave after your meal. Bath time? - Serina grinned. -Thanks, Pierre! - She jumped up in excitement and Pierre stood up as well and called for Molly. At lunch the next day, Pierre confirmed the good news. -A man by name of Mr. Rolet will gladly escort you around the central area. However, I have given him strict rules. He is not to leave the Metropolis, nor is he to let you outside the vehicle at any time. If you desire anything within reason, Mr. Rolet will get it for you. He will arrive at 3:30 in a black colored 2034 Alset Type 3 SUV. Unfortunately, something came up and I will not be able to accompany you. The door and roof panels are monochromatic glass, so you will be able to make it transparent at any time if you wish for a better view by simply swiping on the respective panel. Don -(TM)t get into any trouble, alright? - Serina nods eagerly. -Yes, of course, Pierre! - Pierre hands her a ring. -Your father is 10 time zones away, so he called in the middle of the night, not realizing you were asleep. He told me to give you this ring. He says it is of the finest of one of his friend -(TM)s seasonal fashion lines. - Serina -(TM)s father is, in fact, 10 time zones away. However, he did not call, and certainly not over an item so trivial as a gift. It would have been such a surprise if he did, as he only does so to tell the steward that his trip had been extended or to send the helicopter to the airport to pick him up. Pierre hopes that his little white lie can be forgiven; he knows the consequences for losing Serina would be exponentially greater. Unknown to Serina, a pinhole camera and tracker with accuracy to down to a square meter is embedded into the ring. -Molly will accompany you down the private elevator and to the vehicle once Mr. Rolet arrives. - A page for Pierre comes over the intercom. -That -(TM)s me. I -(TM)d better go. - They exchange a quick hug and Pierre jogs up the stairs. Serina watches through an open window as Pierre waves from a helicopter. The sound of the blades is almost as loud as Serina -(TM)s heartbeat. I finally get to see the outside!! She steps back from the window and twirls around on her toe, her brown hair whipping around behind her. Serina then somersaults a couple meters, then continues spinning. She whirls and dances all the way to the hall, where she finally collapses into a couch. Out of breath, Serina looks down at her hand, still holding the ring. She rolls the ring around on her bare thigh. The cool, unnatural metal on her exposed skin makes her shiver. She is surprised that her father thought of her. Her father rarely talks to her when he -(TM)s in the same building, let alone on the other side of the world. Serina cautiously picks up the ring and slides it down her finger. It -(TM)s a rather plain, small, silver ring, but is engraved with swirls of a lighter silver. Serina looks around for a clock. It -(TM)s 1:04. She -(TM)s eager to leave. Until now, she hadn -(TM)t realized how much of the same thing her life had been. Wake up, swim, shower, eat, school, run, eat, more school, wind down for bed, only to do it all again. Her excitement overpowers everything else she feels. Serina jolts back to reality as a pair of warm hands squeeze her shoulders from behind with a short shriek. -Aah, Molly! You nearly gave me a heart attack! - -My apologies. - Molly smiles, -but it -(TM)s time for your tour and I didn -(TM)t think you would want to miss that. Do you want to go get ready? - Serina -(TM)s face lights up with a thousand watts of energy. -I -(TM)ve been ready! - She jumps up and grabs Molly by the arm, dragging her on a fast jog across the open floor. Molly -(TM)s chest bounces as she struggles to keep up. While Serina jumps up and down while waiting for the elevator to arrive, Molly pants and sits down on the marble floor. -My God, calm down Serina! - Serina bends down and kneels in front of Molly. Molly takes her hand. -I understand Pierre has told you that you must follow certain rules. In addition to those rules, you must be back by 7:00, in time for a bath before your father arrives today. His flight lands at 8:00, and you must be back to eat dinner with him. The chauffeur will hold you to the timetable, do you understand? - Serina squeezes her hand and replies -Yes, Molly. - They rise and embrace, just as the elevator dings. Molly realizes that Serina is wearing the ring. -Your wearing the ring means a lot to your father. Do keep it safe. - Serina nods and steps into the elevator, and Molly follows. At the bottom, they step outside. The wind snaps at Serina -(TM)s skin, throwing her hair to the side. Serina is shocked, as she has never felt the wind before, except on the roof. But that wind is unnatural and loud. This wind is peaceful. She takes in a breath of nature. Strange smells and sounds surround her: leaking gasoline, fresh lilacs, electric hums, and chirping birds. What a strange mix of nature and industry. She stares up at the sky and spreads her arms wide to feel all the air. The weathered concrete footpath is strangely rough, but satisfyingly warm. The sun is so bright! Compared to any LED ever developed, nothing matches the brightness of the sun. Oh, and the way it glints off every building and bench! Serina takes in all the beauty of the Metropolis from ground level. Meanwhile, the chauffeur, Mr. Rolet, is taking something else in. His brain turns to fuzz as a beautiful naked woman walks out in front of him, completely unfazed by her lack of clothing. Mr. Rolet avidly studies her features from the legs up. His eyes rest below her stomach for a second, before moving up her concave stomach and then staring directly at her breasts. -Hello Mr. Rolet! - Serina sees Mr. Rolet staring at her and presumes that he wishes to talk. -Oh, uh, hello. Hello Miss. I will need to search on your person for contraband before you enter my vehicle. You understand, of course. Uh, security reasons. - Serina naively agrees. -Yes, of course. - His hungry hands start under her arms, and then move to her breasts. He spends an unusually long time under her modest breasts, -ensuring that there are no hidden substances. - He then slides his hands up and down her stomach and lower back. -Please take a wider stance, miss. - Serina does so, while the chauffeur strokes between her legs and then her thigh. When he finishes, he pats her on her butt, and then pulls away, embarrassed. Molly comes up behind Serina and Mr. Rolet -(TM)s eyes shift to take in all her curves before it -(TM)s too late. Noticing Mr. Rolet -(TM)s shaking hands and eyes glued to her D cups, Molly smirks and bends down to meet Mr. Rolet -(TM)s eyes, as they clearly won -(TM)t be rising to meet her own. -I do think you should get going before it becomes dark. I would hate for a hindered view of my brea- sorry, the buildings. I promise, I will be waiting here for when you come back, Mr. Rolet. - She speaks loudly. -Yes, yes of course. My apologies, ma -(TM)am. What is the name of my client? - The chauffeur turns a shade of red. -You will be driving Miss Serina around the Metropolis. I understand a man named Pierre has given you very specific instructions that are to be followed. - Molly stands up and steps closer to Mr. Rolet, until her breasts bump into Mr. Rolet, who then turns an even brighter red. Then, she leans in for a hug, and then pecks Mr. Rolet on the cheek. Before pulling away, she whispers to Mr. Rolet. Although she whispers quietly so that Serina would not hear, -soft - is not the right description; it is very much an aggressive whisper. -And given her attire, one more instruction: at no point will you take advantage of her innocence, understood? - Molly pinches a tender area of his skin between his ribs and twists it. Mr. Rolet jumps back in pain, too afraid to say anything. Instead, he cowers and nods. The woman in front of him, undressed as she may be, is suddenly no longer a bedroom fantasy, but more intimidating than his own mother scolding him. Molly realizes this. She puts her arms at her hips and puffs out her chest to stand taller, and obviously to accentuate one of her traits. -And just for the fun of it, if she asks any questions about clothing, you will stop the car, exit the car, undress fully, including your underwear, leave them in a trashcan, and then continue driving without covering up with your hands or anything else. I will be asking Serina questions about how her trip went on her return. Maybe for some more fun, you -(TM)ll let Serina remove your clothes for you. - That last part was clearly not as much as a suggestion as the words themselves implied. She then raises her voice to speak to Serina, who is in awe of seeing flowers up close. -Serina, Mr. Rolet is ready for you. If you need anything at all, just ask him. Remember, both of you, back by 7. - ***** Some time later ***** At 6:58, a completely naked man stands in front of a tower talking cheerfully with a woman as a black Alset SUV turns the corner. The woman wears a mischievous grin on her face. A sheepish, middle-aged man, equally naked as the other man, opens the driver-side door and steps out, also as expected. -Stay here, Pierre. - Molly steps forwards and tries to change her grin to a polite one. -Hello Mr. Rolet, I trust your tour went well? - She gives the now naked chauffeur a complete skin-on-skin hug, reveling in his bare-assed embarrassment. She then lowers her voice as she spoke to him earlier that day. -Now open the door, help Serina out, and give her a hug just like this one. - Mr. Rolet builds up the courage to say something that will very surely get him killed, slowly and painfully. -I might have -- lost Serina? - Molly -(TM)s face stares up at Mr. Rolet, and then drives her knee up his crotch. Mr. Rolet collapses onto Molly, who still holds him up as if nothing had happened. Pierre, still unaware of the quiet conversation, winces and bends over, as if he could feel the pain in his own body. Pierre is aware that Molly is one of the few staff members that uses the gym, other than Serina -(TM)s personal trainer. However, instead of focusing on the treadmill and pool, Molly is often found with weights and strength-training machines. He knows that earlier in her life, Molly had served in the military. In international training exercises, she had taken down Indian MARCOS, British SAS, and US SEALs. She had experience fighting elite commandos from all over the world and could easily destroy the security forces of anyone in Arlington in just her skin. Molly whispers angrily to Mr. Rolet, -If I wanted to, I could kill you right here with an elbow to collapse your lungs. Or I could tie you to a treadmill at maximum speed. Or dangle you from a helicopter as we take a peaceful tour to the city. I could make your life heaven or hell, depending on if you -(TM)re lying or not. I usually don -(TM)t like liars, but I can make an exception this once. OPEN THE DOOR. - She screams the last part directly into his ear. Pierre, at grave risk to his own life, places his hand on Molly -(TM)s shoulder, and lightly pulls her back. Thankfully, Pierre remains uninjured. Unfortunately, Molly crushes Mr. Rolet -(TM)s foot, so the same can -(TM)t be said for him. Mr. Rolet limps back to the car and opens the door. Pierre gasps, while Molly pulls away from Pierre and puts a fist to the poor chauffeur -(TM)s stomach, who falls backwards into the empty row of seats. -YOU SNAKE! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER? WHERE IS SHE? - -Please, leave me! - Molly pulls him up by his arms and yells at Pierre to lift his legs and move him into the elevator. Molly plants her heel into the car door, giving it a new dent to always remember her by. -Please, believe me! It wasn -(TM)t my fault! I tried to stop her! - That went about as well as I expected, he thought to himself.