Second In Command
Chapter 3
by ConsciousControlFreak
The soft hum of her air conditioner was the only sound that filled Katherine’s office, minus the clicking of her manicured nails on her keyboard.
A neat pile of reports sat to her left, untouched, while she scrolled through emails that blurred into one another.
A neat pile of reports sat to her left, untouched, while she scrolled through emails that blurred into one another.
Her mind was miles away.
It was the end of the work day, and Katherine was exhausted—not physically, but emotionally. Her argument with Brian, still echoing in her mind like a looping reel.
Every word…
Every moment of tension, playing back in repeated, vivid detail.
Every word…
Every moment of tension, playing back in repeated, vivid detail.
Argument, after argument. Week, after week. For the past six years, and counting.
This couldn’t continue.
*Was it really just her career that ruined everything?*
A part of her knew Brian would say yes—that her job ruined things.
But her title of Vice President of ChemTech was one that was hard-earned.
It wasn’t just a job—it had become her very identity.
And if Brian couldn’t see that, then maybe he never really knew her at all.
But her title of Vice President of ChemTech was one that was hard-earned.
It wasn’t just a job—it had become her very identity.
And if Brian couldn’t see that, then maybe he never really knew her at all.
As Katherine stared blankly at her computer screen, the thoughts of Richard came creeping back into her mind, as-if her subconscious were using the opportunity to flood thoughts into her vulnerable brain.
No matter how hard she tried to focus on work, her mind assaulted her with the pleasant, warm memory.
*Richard…*
The way his fingers had brushed against hers during their last conversation, the intensity of his gaze that made her heart skip.
6’2”… President of the company…
That dark hair and blue eyes…
That dark hair and blue eyes…
She hated how much his presence lingered in her thoughts, how she couldn’t shake the image of his smirk or the sound of his voice saying her name.
The guilt gnawed at her, but it was coupled with something else—a spark of excitement, something she hadn’t felt with Brian in years.
The guilt gnawed at her, but it was coupled with something else—a spark of excitement, something she hadn’t felt with Brian in years.
A knock on the door came, jerking her out of her own, swirling thoughts.
She was grateful.
“Come in!” Katherine called out, pushing her emotions aside, or at least attempting to.
The door opened, and a young employee entered, someone Katherine vaguely recognized from the lab. He was holding a small, unassuming box in both hands, his posture stiff as though delivering something of importance.
“Vice President Westerbeck,” he greeted formally, offering her a quick nod before stepping closer, “This just came from R&D. It’s… well, it’s the Subconscious Awakener. Prototype A.”
Katherine blinked, confused for a second before she remembered the briefing she had skimmed over a month ago.
The Subconscious Awakener—a chemical designed to unlock the deeper parts of the human mind, allowing any person to access repressed desires and emotions within one’s brain.
The Subconscious Awakener—a chemical designed to unlock the deeper parts of the human mind, allowing any person to access repressed desires and emotions within one’s brain.
Katherine remembered this project. But it was apparently much further along in the development process than she thought.
The employee placed the box on her desk carefully, as if afraid to drop it. He handed her a small dossier as well.
“It already passed the animal testing phase, surprisingly enough,” he explained, his tone flat and professional, “The team thought you’d want to take a look before it moves to the Human-testing phase.”
Katherine picked up the dossier without much interest, flipping through the pages mechanically. The text blurred, the scientific jargon bouncing off her as she scanned the contents without absorbing a single word.
“Thank you,” she said absentmindedly, placing the folder back on her desk.
Katherine gestured toward the corner of her office.
Katherine gestured toward the corner of her office.
“Just… leave it there.”
The employee nodded, swiftly placing the box in the corner before retreating from the room, the door closing softly behind him.
Katherine barely noticed.
Katherine barely noticed.
Her eyes lingered on the small box for a moment, curiosity flickering briefly before she turned back to her work.
It’s just another project, just another prototype.
But even as she tried to refocus on her tasks, the thought of the Subconscious Awakener lingered in her mind…
The idea of unlocking her own subconscious mind, of accessing her deeper thoughts, her hidden desires… it gnawed at her like an itch she couldn’t scratch.
The idea of unlocking her own subconscious mind, of accessing her deeper thoughts, her hidden desires… it gnawed at her like an itch she couldn’t scratch.
*What would I find, if I DID try it?*
The question pulsed in her mind, refusing to leave.
Would it help her understand why she and Brian had grown apart?
Would it give her clarity about her feelings for Richard?
Would it force her to confront things she wasn’t ready to acknowledge?
Would it help her understand why she and Brian had grown apart?
Would it give her clarity about her feelings for Richard?
Would it force her to confront things she wasn’t ready to acknowledge?
Would she… Would she finally learn the truth?
She didn’t want to think about it, but the temptation was there, quietly whispering to her from the back of her mind.
Katherine leaned back in her swivel chair, her fingers tapping the desk rhythmically as she stared blankly ahead.
Katherine leaned back in her swivel chair, her fingers tapping the desk rhythmically as she stared blankly ahead.
The truth was, she didn’t know what she wanted anymore.
The more she tried to convince herself that Brian had been the problem—that his desires were unreasonable—the more doubt crept in.
Maybe it wasn’t just him…
Maybe she had been part of the problem too.
Maybe it wasn’t just him…
Maybe she had been part of the problem too.
Katherine’s gaze drifted back to the box in the corner.
*What would my subconscious tell me, if I really listened?*
Her heart fluttered with a mix of anxiety and curiosity.
She wasn’t ready to deal with it—not yet—but something in her gut told her that this vial would play a bigger role in her life than she was willing to admit.
She wasn’t ready to deal with it—not yet—but something in her gut told her that this vial would play a bigger role in her life than she was willing to admit.
Looking both ways, Katherine took out one of the vials and slipped it into her purse.
A feeling of excitement and dread filled her heart as she stole her very first item from work.