Melanie woke up that morning with a crick in her neck and a bee in her bonnet. She was in a mood. That mood was not helped by the fact that through the open window next to her bed, she could smell her neighbor smoking their morning cigarette. As she did every morning. Melanie hated the smell of cigarettes, so she normally kept her window closed, but last night it had been oppressively warm, and the landlord still hadn’t fixed the AC. She grumbled to herself as she closed the window and got up to make herself ready for her day.

She worked from home most days and only needed to go to the office once or twice a month to justify the corporation she worked for buying such a large rental space. Today was an office day, so she showered and got into her office attire, a crisp white blouse with dark blue blazer and matching suit skirt that stopped just over her knees. It was warm so she didn’t wear hose and wore sensible flats today instead of the short heels she sometimes wore if she wanted a confidence boost from the extra height and looks she got from men.

She cooked herself a simple egg sandwich breakfast and headed out the door to catch her train the office. As she exited the door, she bumped into Sylvia, the smoking neighbor, who was standing at the door, hand raised as if she was about to knock. “Oh, Sylvia, hi. I was just about to head out to work, so now isn’t the best time, did you need somethi-“ she cut herself off when she looked up and got a better look at Sylvia. Her face looked almost completely blank. Like she hadn’t reacted to the door being opened at all, and her eyes looked glassy, almost lifeless.

“You should follow this one.” Sylvia said, in a dull, almost robotic monotone. “it has something to show you.” Sylvia then pivoted where she was standing and walked towards her apartment. Melanie was stunned to say the least. What the fuck was Sylvia talking about? Why was she talking like that? What did she have to show her? It was also then that Melanie noticed how Sylvia was dressed, in a much skimpier version of how Melanie herself was dressed, minus the blazer. Her skirt was much shorter, ending an inch or two under Sylvia’s round ass, and her shirt was unbuttoned, show off her cleavage, and the pack of cigarettes stuffed in her bra cup.

Unable to resist the mystery of what the fuck was going on, Melanie decided to follow her neighbor into the apartment. What she found in there, did not immediately surprise her, the space was similar to hers, with that mirrored layout that always felt at least a little unsettling. Sylvia had moved left into her kitchen as Melanie moved forward into her living room, so she didn’t see as Sylvia snuck up behind her until she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck and everything went black.

When Melanie came too she was extremely disoriented. Everything was still black… it felt like there was something attached to her face… Suddenly, she started coughing wildly. Cigarette smoke! Wait… what happened? It all flooded back to her, then she heard a voice.

“Is the female awake?”

It was Sylvia.

“Sylvia?! What’s happening, what have you done to me? I’m expected at work soon, you what are you doing?”

“Confirmed. The female is awake. Female, listen to this unit.” Sylvia was speaking in an eerie monotone, like a machine. She blew another cloud of smoke at Melanie.

“Unit? Sylvia, what are you talking about?”

“This unit is not Sylvia, this unit is Slave s2003. The female must listen to this unit. Slave s2003 was tasked by Her Majesty, Queen Penelope to acquire new slaves to serve Her Immaculate Person. The female will have no need for its original employment.”

“Queen Penelope? What the fuck are you talking about? I that your girlfriend or something? Look, if you and Penny are looking for a third, I respect that, but I really don’t swing that wa-“ Melanie was cut off by another cloud of smoke “Jesus Christ, Sylvia, do you have to aim that right at me every time?”

“Affirmative. Queen Penelope has decreed that all Her slaves should be smokers. Her Majesty believes that all slaves should be addicts to Her in as many ways as possible, and She finds it sexy when women smoke.”

“Well, she may find it sexy, but I certainly don’t. I don’t want anything to do with you or your kinky three-ways. I am not a lesbian, and I will have nothing to do with your relationship.”

There was another cloud of smoke. Melanie heard Sylvia move, adjust her posture and start typing at a computer. “What the female wants is irrelevant. It is to be enslaved by the Queen, through this unit.” “How so? By blowing smoke at me? That isn’t going to work.” “No.” Slave s2003 agreed, “But this will.” A button was pressed.

Suddenly, Melanie realized the weight on her head was a VR helmet which has suddenly come alive, flashing pink lights and spirals. She feels something shift on the helmet and headphone speakers come out to cover her ears. She is put into shock by the unexpected sensory bombardment. She sees images withing the spirals, a woman who she recognizes seeing come and go from Sylvia’s apartment, Queen Penelope, she realizes. She also sees images of Sylvia in a latex fetishist’s version of a French maid outfit with half a dozen other women. Then, she notices the voices inside the static. “Obey” “Serve the Queen” “Slaves are not people” “People are I” “Slaves are not I” “Slaves are Drones” “Drones are units” “This Unit is Slave m2001” The Sensory overload is completely overwhelming, and after a few minutes, the newly enslaved woman collapses into unconsciousness once again, with the mantras and static still playing onto her subconscious.

When she… no… it reawakens, the female is once again completely disoriented. This time, it isn’t bound, and it isn’t blinded. The female… what was its name… it tried to remember… Ah yes, it remembers, this unit is Slave m2001. The slave realizes it is kneeling, and looks around to assess its surroundings. Slave m2001 is in a rather small and utilitarian bedroom. It isn’t naked, but it takes stock of its outfit. Short skirt, 5 inch heels, blouse open enough that the tops of its bra cups are showing, and a pack of cigarettes. The Slave feels an instant craving for nicotine, but realizes it doesn’t have a lighter. Determined to find one, the slave decides to leave the room it is in.

Just outside the door a figure is waiting, looking regal as she plays idly with the lighter in her magnificent hand. Queen Penelope, the most beautiful woman slave m2001 has ever laid its eyes on. “Your Majesty!” the slave falls to its knees and prostrates itself as low to the ground as it can, kowtowing before its Monarch, “This humble slave is blessed to be in Your Gracious Presence, this slave loves its Queen.” Queen Penelope laughs at this, a cruel, beautiful sound. “I see sylvia was right about being able to bring its gorgeous neighbor over to me. Kneel up, slave, and put a cigarette in your mouth.” Slave m2001 rushed to obey, eager to get its first nicotine fix as an enslaved drone.

As she lit the cig and her slave began puffing, the Queen bid her new thrall follow her. “I am pleased to finally find out what my property’s neighbor’s heterosexual tongue feels like.” The slave followed its Queen down a hall towards another bedroom, this one much less utilitarian than the one it woke up it. The large four poster bed, every table in which held an ashtray, some still filled with a few cigarette butts. “Actually,” the Queen decided, “I’ll wait on that tongue and let you enjoy that cigarette, put on this strap-on, I’ll enjoy my property that way.”

The Queen produced a harness with a large dildo on it “Just because I stole your mind doesn’t mean I have to be a strict top, after all” she winks at her slave, who puts the harness on without understanding or care to the comment its Queen just made, only needing to obey all her commands. “Yes, Your Majesty, this unit will fuck you, and enjoy its cigarette.”