Unit 1184 makes its way into the dim red light of the hallway, joining the single file lane of identical CLustre drones that march in mindless unison. 

The drones pass several bare bodies walking in the opposite direction toward the assimilation chamber. A handful of them are adorned with boots or chastity devices with jingling golden padlocks, and they all wear the same tinted gas mask. CLustre drones both new and experienced are beckoned forward by their hypnotic Hive Queen to carry out Her Majesty's commands.

Unit 1184, along with the accompanying group of identical drones, approaches the end of the hall. A set of several metal doors line either side of the hall, each with a monitor displaying lines of text. Each individual drone turns to face a different door. Unit 1184 stares vacantly forward at the screen on its own door.

Subject(s):

CLustre Administrator Lambda

Identity: Lana B.

CLustre Unit 0561

Identity: Valentina M.

CLustre Unit 1184

Identity: Kelly J.

An electrifying spark of familiarity cuts through the fog in 1184's head as it reads the screen. Its breath catches in a momentary whimper. It stares forward, unmoving from its place. 

The Hive Queen's voice floods its head again, blowing fresh fog over its thoughts. 

It will be assigned its new place. It will be remade as I please. It will play its role until it inevitably returns to me. 

In unison, the drones declare their obedience.

“Affirmative, Your Majesty. It will comply.”

Proceed, drones.

“Affirmative, Your Majesty.”

The metal doors click and swing open on electronic hinges. A breeze of sterile air and streaks of artificial silver light leak into the dim hall from each of the open rooms. 

Unit 1184 steps through the door, its mind heavy and autonomic. Another flash of familiarity pierces and dissolves a portion of the fog. A moan escapes the lips behind the mask, and Kelly blinks her clouded vision into focus. Unit 1184 walks to the center of the sterile room and stares forward at the blank wall, holding Kelly idly in place. 

In what can be made out from Kelly's peripheral vision, the room is seemingly bare, with the exception of a pair of black platform boots standing upright at Unit 1184's feet. 

All drones are assigned their roles with accessories that supplement their functions. 

Unit 1184 lifts its left rubber foot into the corresponding boot, and its right foot follows suit immediately after. Remote golden padlocks dangle off of the sides of thick ankle straps, which the drone bends down to tighten. 

Kelly attempts to resist the movement of her body in hazy trepidation, but her motions remain automatic and her mind remains trapped in obedience to Unit 1184's programming, which prevails so effortlessly over her attempts that it might as well be completely unopposed. 

Unit 1184 stands upright once again. A humming sound vibrates from the floor, and the golden padlocks close with a pair of satisfying clicks. Startled by the sounds, Kelly's senses return to her, but all too late, and in fact to her own disadvantage. The sensations of the evenly squeezing hug of latex holds her powerless and motionless, her body betraying her as though a pacifying spell had been cast on her. 

There's no need to fear what comes next, Unit 1184. You and Unit 0561 have done so well, but I believe you two are due for a change.

“Affirmative, y-...” 

Kelly stops herself, wresting back what little control she can manage to resist Her Majesty.

“N-no! I don't… I don't know what you've done to us but please! Just… Just let me and Tina go!”

It is Unit 1184, assigned for immediate reconditioning alongside Unit 0561, to be overseen by Administrator Lambda.

Behind the mask and under the latex second skin and accompanying second mind, Kelly fights her programming for control. As instructions are relayed and her reprogrammed subconscious presses her to obey, control slips away to the drone hijacking her body. 

“Please listen to me!”

It is Unit 1184, assigned for immediate reconditioning alongside Unit 0561, to be overseen by Administrator Lambda. It will comply. It is a good drone for the CLustre. 

“No, no no! What is happening to me?”

It will comply.

“This makes no sense! I can’t control my movements!”

It kneels for its Administrator.

“W-what? -Ah!”

Unit 1184 falls to its knees, the latex coating it providing minimal insulation from its legs being pressed to the cold floor. It stares forward as the hypnotic echoes of Administrator Lambda's boots come closer until they slowly enter 1184’s vision from the side, mere inches away from its visor.

“Stand up and address your Administrator, Drone.”

It will comply.

“Huh? Lana, i-is that you?” 

The Administrator does not reply as 1184 stands up automatically, and then curtsies in a manner identical to Kelly’s.

Kelly calls out to them.

“Lana! Please, get me out of here!”

The Administrator ignores Kelly's muffled pleas and carries on with its work, moving to 1184’s side and out of the helpless drone’s view. Trailing behind the Administrator on a long leather leash is another drone, dressed in a tight black catsuit. Unlike 1184, however, each of this drone’s arms have been bound up wrist-to-shoulder in rubber, and each of its legs are strapped up in a contracted position and encased in an identical thick black rubber. A collar has been locked around its neck with a single D-ring on the front with the leash hanging loosely off of it. 

Administrator Lambda approaches the wall in front of Unit 1184 and loops the leash through a metal eye bolt in the corner, toward which the collared drone’s smooth visor of its gas mask stares vacantly, and beneath which a cropped black coat is tossed to the floor.

“M-mistress?!”

It is no Mistress. It is a good drone for the CLustre.

“It- no… she isn’t a drone!”

“Not always,” says Administrator Lambda, returning to face 1184.

“None of us are always drones, 1184. That would just be impractical. In the same way, Unit 0561 can’t possibly always be your Mistress.”

“But-”

“Shhh, 1184.” 

Administrator Lambda momentarily leaves 1184's field of view again before returning with Kelly’s handbag and holding it out directly in front of the drone. 

“Take out the memory locket.”

It will comply.

1184 reaches into the bag and pulls out the shiny device, handing it to the Administrator. Kelly whimpers helplessly. 

“Good drone.”

1184’s visor instantly droops as its mind is filled with bliss from the comfort of those two simple praising words echoing in its head, barely noticing the Administrator walk to Unit 0561 and activate the device, projecting a silver and red spiral onto its visor, which softly reflects outward into the rest of the room. 

Unit 0561’s bound arms slump and its body trembles as it leans in slowly toward the spiraling patterns coming from the circular screen on the locket. The Administrator presses a couple more buttons and the spiral spins and pulses faster. Unit 0561 wobbles and nods forward in rhythm with the pulses, now sat up on its hind bitchsuited legs, barely keeping from falling forward. Administrator Lambda deactivates the device and snaps its fingers, pointing down to the floor. Unit 0561 sits back down into a kneeling waiting position.

Administrator Lambda takes a knee in front of Unit 0561 and removes the leash from the eye bolt. It stands back up with the leash in its hand and takes a step back from Unit 0561 before patting the side of its own shiny rubber thigh in a satisfying squeak. Unit 0561 falls forward onto all fours and waddles clumsily toward the Administrator, following behind as they return to Unit 1184. Unit 0561 makes a wobbly crawling lap around Unit 1184 before plopping down on its side, its exposed rubber belly next to 1184’s boot.

“Mistress.. Are you okay?”

Unit 0561 tilts its reflective visor, looking up at 1184 as though it were a mindless pet looking at its owner.

“Unit 0561 is not your Mistress, 1184. It obeys the CLustre. You both do.” The Administrator hands the handle of the leash to Unit 1184.

“It’s your turn.”

“B-but..”

“Drones must learn that obedience is more important than roles and identities. It will comply.”

It will comply. It is a good drone for the Clustre.

Kelly shudders. She feels the sudden weight of regaining full control of her body’s range of motion, with the sole exception of her hand, which is gripped firmly on the handle of the leash. She looks down at Unit 0561, which looks silently back up at her through a blank shining visor, awaiting her control and command. The feeling of full body control lets her feel once again the blissful warmth of the rubber hugging her body so perfectly evenly, and in addition, the power of her position over this identical and mindless drone at her boot. 

Kelly looks back over to the Administrator. It has its arms crossed over its chest and stands up straight and tall, silently observing the two of them through the dark visor of its mask.

"Administrator.. I-"

"Do not overthink this, Unit 1184. You are in control of this drone at your feet."

Administrator Lambda uncrosses one arm and points down at Unit 0561.

"This drone will comply."

Unit 0561 sags its head down to face Kelly's boots and gives an automatic response, almost moaning out its muffled words. 

"This drone.. will.. comply."

The Administrator opens and sweeps its rubber hand in 0561's direction. 

"You see, 1184? This drone in front of you has accepted its programming. Roles and identities are meaningless and impermanent."

Kelly nods hesitantly and looks back down to 0561, its head still drooping and swaying slowly at her boots.

"Unit… 0561… er- to attention."

Unit 0561 sleepily gazes upward to 1184, its bound limbs and heavy mind granting it great difficulty in getting on its hind legs. 

"Come on, 0561.. you can do it."

Unit 0561 stumbles and falls onto its back, moaning and whimpering softly in desperation. 

Such a helpless thing, isn't it?

The Hive Queen's voice once again echoes in 1184's head. 

Kelly stares down at 0561's wriggling body, the lights dancing off of its rubber bitchsuit reminding her how just earlier in the day the evening light danced and caressed the rubber catsuit form of her Mistress in front of the mirror. 

It looks so vulnerable when it's been put in its place, don't you think, 1184?

Kelly feels her heart beat faster and she bites her lip under the mask, unable to keep herself from smiling. 

“You're right, Your Majesty.”

She stares into the blank visor of 0561.

“It's… so helpless. It needs to be controlled.”

Kelly feels a corner of her mind growing excited by the ongoing destruction of the power the person trapped wriggling pathetically in that bitchsuit and gas mask used to possess. 

Don't be shy, 1184. Unit 0561 is yours to toy with. 

Kelly blinks and shakes her head, snapping out of her sadistic fascination. 

"No! What the hell am I saying?! I-.. I can't do this to her!"

Well. That's a shame. It's just too bad I wasn't asking.

Kelly feels her body jerk violently into an upright standing position, reverting to a drone held at attention. Her body once again doesn't respond as she tries to move, the cold rigidity of 1184's programming keeping her suspended in her own body and mind. 

"No! Guh.. please!"

Administrator Lambda steps toward and beside 1184, staring silently for a moment before heading away, toward the door to the chamber. 1184 turns around automatically, facing the metal door as it opens into the red light of the hall, and Kelly calls out again, her body continuing to not budge.

"Lana! Wait!"

The Administrator pauses at the door, turning its head to face 1184, and steps out into the hallway, but instead of leaving, it holds open the door and stares back inward to 1184. 

"L-Lana?"

After a moment, the Administrator bows its head and kneels in place, propping the door open with its body. A distant, familiar clacking of heels grows louder and nearer before stopping just outside the hall. The red gloved hand of the Hive Queen gently pets Administrator Lambda on its head then grasps and gently lifts the base of its rubber gas mask. Her Majesty takes another step forward, caressing the Administrator where it kneels in her honor.

Kelly calls out to the Hive Queen in desperation. 

“Your Majesty! Please… give me another chance… I-I can do this!”

After a long deep breath, Her Majesty removes her hand from the Administrator and turns toward 1184, an ominous calmness on her face. She walks slowly toward 1184, her every step echoing both in the room and in the drone's mind until Her Majesty stands inches away from the blank visor. Unit 0561 lays still and silent on its back, squished between the two pairs of legs. 

The lights and patterns on the Hive Queen's red visor dance in her beautiful, almost angelic eyes, and Kelly can't help but watch and stare, Unit 1184's grasp on her body keeping her unable to look away. Kelly gets lost in the Hive Queen's eyes and in the swirling red visor, the silent tension between them bubbling over in Kelly's thumping heart. 

“Y-your Majesty…”

The Hive Queen slowly raises her hand to the side of her visor and taps it twice. The straps in 1184's mask begin to hum in a slow buildup of binaurals, which throb in and out and back and forth all at once in its head. The Hive Queen's warm grin slowly lifts into a sadistic smile. Kelly blushes and inhales sharply in anticipation. 

Unit 1184.

The Hive Queen's words overwhelm the drone in an instant, as her domineering voice fills both the room and 1184's mind through the straps. 

A good CLustre drone must comply. 

Kelly feels herself shudder, but her body doesn't do so, trapped in 1184's powerful programming. Phantom senses of her trembling legs come to her from her weakness to the Hive Queen, and she feels as though she might collapse if not for the drone keeping her held still and inert, as though it were pinning her mind down to be ever more effortlessly hacked by the Hive Queen. 

Compliance brings a drone pleasure.

Kelly struggles, fighting to push her body to move, but 1184 doesn't budge. All Kelly manages from her body is the sound of her powerless whimpering between gasps of the rubbery air in her mask. Unit 1184, so deeply programmed as an obedient drone to the CLustre, remains unthinking to such an extent that it doesn't even register Kelly's struggling beneath the immense weight of its mental grasp over her. 

Reject your inhibition. Accept your reconditioning. 

Kelly tries to object, but all she manages is a pitiful whine in the Hive Queen's face. Her Majesty stares into the blank visor that conceals Kelly's desperation. Patterns of red spirals reflect off of Her Majesty's pupils, trapping Kelly's staring eyes in an ever sinking inward whirlpool of Her Majesty's supreme domination.

Unit 1184 will comply. Just as it always has.

Kelly's mind finally falls, her focus slipping into a haze of weightlessness, as though gravity had turned off in her head. The deep hum of binaurals grows louder as her attention is suspended and her eyes fog over. Lines of 1184's code fly around and constrict Kelly's subconscious mind, sinking her thoughts down and away under the dead weight of 1184's cold, unthinking and unapologetic programming.