The door to the train station slid open with a smooth hiss, and Lexa and her Controller took their next steps towards completing her subjugation.

It hadn't taken long after waking up (to the smell of Magenta scrambling eggs in the kitchen while critiquing her supply of cereals) to stuff herself into an outfit that'd get her to her destination without too much attention - a comfortable pleated black skirt and soft purple hoodie, finished with a black beanie and a pair of practical combat boots she'd used in the arena for years.

“Next train arriving in - ten minutes. Please mind the gap.” An automated voice politely announced from speakers across the building. As the broadcast concluded, a few travellers picked up the pace in hurrying across the station, but most paid it little heed. With no games going on in the Holosseum, it was a quiet day.

It was anything but a boring day for Lexa, though. If anything, it felt like the only day that mattered. She could feel her heart begin to race as she'd processed the announcement. She was so, so close to what she'd been made to want more than anything.

Just as in private, the new programming that had reshaped her personality had changed her perception of everything - even just walking in public felt incredible . Feeling her mind instinctively take each step closer to her full conditioning, unable to resist even if she wanted to, smiling and calm as she walked past crowds of people who couldn't see that beneath the veneer, she was a happily subdued proto-Drone?

Well, if she didn't have a destination and a timetable stamped into her mind, Lexa would have been somewhere private with her hands between her legs. She'd been made to find her subjugation incredibly arousing, and if things like her own desires still mattered, this whole experience would have taken much, much longer.

Above them the holographic false sky of the torus-shaped station shone in an imitation of a pleasant spring morning, and the recycled air of the habitat sections felt pleasantly cool on Lexa's skin. This was no backwater habitat - big money had been spent on making the environment feel as far away from space as they could get.

The gradually sloping surface of the habitat ring afforded a brilliant view of the rail line's route, cutting a path through vast public gardens and past the larger estates of the wealthy, a pearly white bridge of sleek plasteel between the islands of more densely packed urban structures scattered across the station.

The station was busy at all hours, populated with scientists, merchants, games enthusiasts and a few shadier types, so there was rarely a designated rush hour. That meant that though the train station's open-air hub wasn't empty, the lines for tickets moved quickly.

Lexa quickly glanced towards the woman standing beside her, desperate to get going.

Magenta had been quietly escorting her since informing Lexa of their designated route to Mesmer's HQ, the pink-haired woman gesturing to stop as they moved past the train station entrance.

Magenta had borrowed from Lexa's wardrobe, wearing a leather jacket over the same outfit as last night. As a breeze rushed through the open door behind them, Lexa couldn't help but savour the scent of Pomegranate wafting from her Controller's hair.

“I will get the tickets - wait here for me?” Magenta phrased it like a friendly question, wearing a smile that didn't meet her glazed, pink eyes - but there was no mistaking the command hidden beneath her words, and Lexa's mind instantly found itself bending to her will.

“Sure.” Lexa smiled brightly and nodded, watching as her Controller stepped away and headed for one of the digital ticket kiosks In the center of the room, flanked by a vast holographic display laden with advertisements.

The station had almost as many corporations as it did inhabitants, and every one of them had set up shop on one of the most well known trade ports for light years because they were desperate for attention.

Of course, she now knew that one of those corporations did deserve her absolute attention. Loyalty to Mesmer Holo-Technologies had been burned into her soul, and she was desperate for the chance to serve them however they desired.

It was a far cry from the kind of person she'd been, desperate for a paycheck but always suspicious of corpo types.

But that was okay, Lexa realised with a smile. Her programming had made everything okay. She could serve now, and soon her full programming would see her happily discard any aspect of her personality that her Controllers had no need for.

It felt so good to admit that; to obey and reinforce her obedience. Warm redness dusted her cheeks, and beneath her skirt, Lexa felt her girlcock shudder with pleasure, a reward from her programming.

She needed to obey. It was good to obey.

Soon, she would be perfected, and-

“Well, shit. Haven't seen you around in a while.” A gently raspy voice hummed from behind her, drawing Lexa's attention. It was as familiar and as unwelcome as a gunshot.

With her unkempt waves of sea-green hair and wearing an old and very well used long spacer’s coat, covered in full pockets and pouches and with a messenger bag over her shoulder, Eclipse looked like a busy woman.

Lexa wasn't really surprised by that. Rubicon Manufacturing's team hacking expert was always rushing around town when she was off the clock, tinkering with something or following up corporate gossip or sneaking around places she probably shouldn't be.

When Lexa had still possessed strong opinions on things other than unthinking obedience, it had been exciting at first, being Eclipse's friend. Then, when she'd gotten kicked off the team and Eclipse hadn't, that excitement had turned sour. Eclipse was a busy woman, always juggling priorities, and in one entire month she hadn't found the time to check up on someone who'd considered her a close friend.

Of course, in the present, Lexa's thoughts ran sweet as sex and bright as authentic sunlight. She didn't have time for hate or resentment or bitterness, unless she was ordered to. Those feelings were for people, not eager and mindless assets.

The only new emotion she felt as she took in the sight of her ex-self's ex-friend was a hint of worry. Eclipse knew Lexa - or at least she knew the Lexa that had existed until yesterday. There was the risk that she'd tell something had changed - that something had been done to her.

That went against her orders, against the fundamental center of Lexa's new identity.

“Oh…” Lexa paused, hoping to buy time while she decided how to handle this in a way that complied with her orders for discretion. “Eclipse. Hey.”

“You look frazzled.” Eclipse looked her up and down, “Still on the job hunt?”

There was a smile on Eclipse's round face, but she seemed nervous. She was glancing away at the floor every few seconds, and there was less of the cocky excitability she'd come to expect from the hacker.

Good. She felt bad. Lexa could use that.

“Something like that. Had to run here to make sure I was on time.” Lexa lied with a polite, thin smile. “...how's the team?”

“...Things are going… well.” Eclipse answered after a moment, “We kicked the Court's ass, last match.” The hacker added.

They'd both had strong rivalries with players from the eccentric fantasy-themed team. Maybe she was trying to cheer her up. Before, it might even have worked a little.

But camaraderie wasn't what Lexa needed right now.

“Sounded like you're doing fine without me.” Lexa replied bluntly, arms crossed.

Eclipse was quiet for a moment, smile gone. Then she nodded with a sigh, eyes now mostly just staring at the floor.

“.... look, I know I've been an ass.” She explained quietly, stuffing her hands in her pockets. “I meant to catch up, after my last message, but things have been really busy. Bitch Queen's got everyone running around to really impress the corpos and I just-”

“That's a fucking joke.” Lexa feigned anger she didn't feel, looking over at her friend with a sneer. “You didn't have time to even send one message?”

Lexa had never been one for the cameras. But her orders demanded she play the role of the woman she'd been and make it to her full conversion without raising questions, and she obeyed without question or doubt.

“You know how I get…” Eclipse muttered sheepishly. “Lots of stuff going on all at once. You were out of focus, and I didn't mean to, I just…”

“Forgot. Yeah.” Lexa cut in to twist the knife.

“Look, I'm not gonna tell you not to be pissed off. Just… are you okay?” Eclipse asked, eyes unable to meet Lexa's, her voice subdued, a far cry from her usual cockiness. “I haven't heard about you getting picked up by any of the other teams and I know you've been applying. Are you gonna be able to stay here? On the station?”

“I'm fine.” Lexa scoffed, “You don't have to worry about me.”

“Well, I'm gonna - we were in this together.” Her ex-teammate muttered.

“We were.” Lexa emphasised bluntly, her face twisted into a sneer. “Things are different now, and you clearly have other places to be.”

It was amazing, really. Eclipse really wanted to help her. If she found out what had really happened she'd certainly try to ‘save’ her. But Lexa had been reshaped and enlightened, and now she was eagerly turning that help away, ensuring that she would never escape the sweet programming that had been and would be burned into her mind.

Fuck, she was wet. It felt so good, and Eclipse having no idea somehow made it hotter. Obedience was pleasure.

Familiar footsteps approached from behind. “I have the tickets… Who is- Oh.”

Lexa glanced to her side as Magenta's voice provided comforting reinforcement - her Controller has returned, tickets in hand, and now her eyes were locked on Eclipse.

Eclipse's eyes widened, first as she registered that Lexa hadn't been alone, then a look of sudden recognition. She always had an eye for detail. “Oh. Oh.”

“Magenta, this is Eclipse.” Lexa glanced back at her Controller, sharing an unspoken look as Lexa emphasised, “My former teammate.”

“We've, uh, ‘met’.” Eclipse hummed politely, a hint of nervousness creeping into her tone.

“I threw her off a building once.” Magenta noted, with a half-smirk that seemed almost predatory as she looked up and down her opponent.

Eclipse blushed, looking between the pair of them, clearly drawing conclusions as Lexa drew closer to Magenta. “So, you two are…”

“We have a busy day out planned.” Lexa cut in bluntly, resting a hand on Magenta's shoulder and pointedly ignoring Eclipse. “Anyway, we should probably get going to our platform, right?”

“Right.” Magenta nodded, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes as she took in Lexa's behaviour.

Maybe this would have gone differently, if she'd ran into Eclipse earlier, or if the other woman had gone to the effort of reaching out.

But Lexa's mind had been broken and reshaped and used. Her friendships did not matter. Her desires had been redefined.

Reconnecting with Eclipse and repairing their friendship would just get in the way of following her Controller's orders.

So, with a smile on her face and a sweet tingle between her legs, Lexa happily watched her bridges burn.

“See you around.” Lexa spoke coldly as she turned, lightly tugging Magenta along with her by the arm.

“Right… See ya…” She faintly heard from behind, relishing the defeated tone in her ex-friend's voice.

Walking across the station, Lexa didn't need to look back to know that she'd succeeded.

“Well done.” She heard her Controller whisper after a few moments, the praise quickly sending a rush up Lexa's spine.

There would be no ‘saving’ her now, with nothing but a train ride between Lexa and her perfection.