"I wish that freeze trigger wouldn't break on me after only a couple minutes," Sara tells her husband.

"Well, you know, if you'd quit struggling against it...," responds Mike.

"But the struggle is half the fun!," Sara insists. "What's the point of hypnotic bondage if I can't struggle against my bonds?"

"I know, I know," Mike smiles. "Actually, I think I have an idea."

"Oh...?," Sara inquires cautiously.

"What if...we hypnotically replaced your consciousness with an operating system, like Windows for your brain?"

"Very funny." Sara knows Mike is well aware that she's not interested in using hypnosis to become any sort of slave.

"But what if I'm only half-joking? Here me out," Mike says. "Maybe the reason the trigger doesn't hold firmly enough is because it's not placed deeply enough, but in order to place it deeply enough we need to make you feel safe enough to relinquish that amount of control. So we need to make you feel extra safe so that you can feel extra controlled."

"And how would that scenario make me feel safe?," asks Sara.

"Alright, so first, we create a backup of your personality, which we make sure to store in a safe place somewhere in your mind."

"Okay...," Sara says, nervous but intrigued.

"Then, I install an operating system, so that I can communicate with your subconscious in a more direct way. Then, we create a copy of your personality, which I can tweak to add triggers and suggestions, while your original personality safely remains unaltered in storage. What do you think?"

"Hm." Sara pauses to think it over. "Yeah, I'd be willing to give that a try."

"Alright then, let's get you comfortable." As Sara lays down on the couch, Mike gets a pillow for her head, then takes a seat in the nearby chair.

"Sara, Sleep," he says. Sara becomes very relaxed, an after a few words of deepening, Mike guides her through an unusual scenario.

"Imagine a headband being placed on your head. Attached to it are wires that lead to a computer. I press a button and you start to feel a tingle in your brain, as computer softly buzzes and chirps. It's creating perfect backup of your entire being — your thoughts, your memories, your entire personality. The computer writes this data to an external disk drive in a small and indestructible little box. Progress at 50%. 75%. 100% I take the headband off your head and gently hand you this box, so you can place it somewhere deep in your mind, where it will always be safe. Have you found a safe place yet?"

"Yes," Sara says quietly.

"Good. Now matter what we do, we can always return to that backup. And with that peace of mind, I place the headband back on your head. I flip a switch and you once again feel a pleasant tingle, as all the thoughts from the original mind we just backed up are systematically deleted."

Sara is blown away to hear those words, but rather than feeling afraid she feels curiosity, and a tinge of excitement.

"Progress at 50%. 75%. 100%. Your head is now completely empty, giving us plenty of room for the new data we will install in its place."

Sara is astonished by the deep feeling of emptiness. It's like nothing she's ever felt before.

"I disconnect the current wires from your headband and attach new wires, which are plugged into a different machine. I press a button, and your empty head begins filling with new data. This is a new, high-end operating system called DOLL-E. But the progress bar suggests it's going to take some time to finish installing, so let me explain how DOLL-E works.

"This operating system comes with a built-in assistant that allows me to communicate directly with your subconscious. It's default state is set-up mode. From set-up mode, any time I want to launch a personality profile we've created, all I have to do is say, 'DOLL-E, open...' and then the name of the profile. And if I want to return to set-up mode, I will say "DOLL-E, open set-up mode" or "DOLL-E, close...' and the name of the profile.

"Any time DOLL-E enters set-up mode, the assistant says, 'Hello, I'm DOLL-E. How can I help?' Your eyes body's eyes won't close, but you'll feel yourself return to this deep place while I speak to DOLL-E. The first time DOLL-E launches, it will sit your body up on this couch in front of me, open your eyes, and enter set-up mode.

"Let's see how progress is looking. It's still installing.

"Okay, so DOLL-E also has a few safeguards in place. If at any time you need to leave a trance or break out of a suggestion because of an emergency or an unexpected event, DOLL-E will immediately launch your back-up personality, and in the back of your head you will hear the words 'the application quit unexpectedly.'

"If at any time DOLL-E senses that a suggestion has gone too far and is going to do something your backup personality would firmly reject, DOLL-E will report 'an unexpected error occurred.'

"I can also ask 'DOLL-E, status,' and regardless of what application is currently running, DOLL-E will report to me the name of the application that's currently active, and its energy level.

"I just got a notification that the installation is finished, so let's fire this up. DOLL-E, open set-up."

Somewhere deep in Sara's mind, her consciousness shivers as her body suddenly sits upright and opens her eyes. She hears her mouth say in a cheery voice, "Hello, I'm DOLL-E! How can I help?"

"DOLL-E, since I can't modify the backup personality in there, I want you to create a copy of the backup and name it 'Sara.' Can you do that?"

"New profile 'Sara' has been created!," DOLL-E responds.

"Good. DOLL-E, launch 'Sara.'"

Sara blinks a few times as she realizes she's suddenly in control. Mike asks, "How do you feel?"

"I...feel fine. I mean, that trance felt amazing! But now that I'm awake, I don't really feel any different." She chuckles before adding, "So am I supposed to be a copy of my actual self that's running on a computer?"

Mike smiles and shrugs.

"Because I don't really feel any different."

"DOLL-E, status," Mike requests.

Without a thought, Sara cheerily blurts out, "Profile 'Sara' is currently running at 80%" quickly followed by, "Look, that's cute, but it's not like we haven't played with triggers like that before."

"True. Fair enough," says Mike, smiling like he knows something.

"Why is my energy at '80%'?" asks Sara.

"You're the one who said it," Mike shrugs.

"Well, hm. I guess it could mean it's been a long day, but the trance energized me a little. Maybe I shouldn't overth--"

"DOLL-E, close 'Sara,'" Mike interrupts.

"Hello, I'm DOLL-E! How can I help?" In the back of Sara's mind, it suddenly sinks in that these trance triggers are reversed. Instead of telling her to sleep and wake up, as if being awake is her default state, these new triggers are implying that being closed is her default state and being opened is the event. She feels conflicted about this, but yet also excited.

"DOLL-E, I want to create a new mode," Mikes says. "When I say 'DOLL-E, enter command mode,' the open application will no longer have control over her body's movement. She will be able to speak and move her eyes, but nothing else will respond to her direct commands. Her body will only move if she hears a command preceded by the word 'DOLL-E.' And when she hears that command, her body will immediately follow the command without hesitation. This will be her new status quo, until I say 'DOLL-E, exit command mode.' Please create command mode."

"Command mode created!"

"Fantastic. DOLL-E, open 'Sara.'" Mike looks at Sara and lifts an eyebrow. "Do you feel any different now?"

Sara ponders for a moment. "I don't know what to tell you, I still feel the same. I mean, I feel a little turned on, but otherw--"

"DOLL-E, enter command mode."

Sara freezes mid-gesture, but once again takes on a tone of being unimpressed. "So you created a freeze trigger where I can still talk?"

"Well, let's just see how long it takes you to break out of this one," Mike says with a sly grin.

Sara concentrates on moving her limbs as Mike watches. Something feels different this time, but she can't quite put her finger on it.

"It's been a few minutes, are you stuck for real?," Mike teases.

"I'm not ready to declare defeat just yet!," Sara says defiantly. "Although I could use a glass of water. I'm feeling a little parched."

"DOLL-E, bring me a glass of water."

Sara stands up and heads towards the kitchen. Being hypnotically commanded to bring Mike a glass of water isn't anything new, but usually it just feels like she's compelled to do it. This time she feels more removed from her body.

After handing Mike the glass of water, he tells DOLL-E to sit back down, then cheekily holds out the glass to her and says, "Here's your glass of water." He pauses. "Oh, sorry. DOLL-E, take this glass of water."

As Sara watches her hand take back the glass of water, she sticks out her tongue at Mike, before her body leans back and faces forward once again.

"Aren't you going to take a drink of your water?," Mike asks.

"I'm working on it," Sara says, focusing intently the hand holding the glass.

"Okay, well you keep at it," Mike says. "I have to go to the bathroom."

Sara spends several more minutes staring at the glass, surprised and a little excited that no matter how much she concentrates, nothing wants to move. Eventually Mike returns.

"So, you take that drink yet?"

"I...I can't," Sara sighs, admitting defeat. "I mean, that's great, because it means it works for real now! But I'm also thirsty, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd..." she sighs "...let me drink this water."

"But you can drink it," Mike says.

"No, I can't," argues Sara.

"But you can," responds Mike.

"What kind of bizarre reverse psychology-- Is this some sort of strengthening exercise you're trying on me?," Sara says, exasperated and frustrated.

"No, I'm being very serious. There is a way you can drink that water yourself," Mike says.

Sara looks doubtful.

"I've even demonstrated it to you, several times now."

Sara's expression turns to puzzlement, and then to horrified realization. "No... No, you can't mean..."

Mike smiles.

"You mean...so I have to say...," Sara sighs. "DOLL-E, take a drink of water."

Suddenly Sara's hand moves, her mouth swallows, and her hand returns to where it was. Sara sighs louder.

"See? I knew you could do it!," Mike grinned.

"Ohhh, when I get out of this..." says Sara.

"You'll what?" asks Mike, still smiling.

"I'll hug you." Sara finally cracks a slight smile.

"You could do that right now. I could make you do that right now," Mike points out.

"That is true, yes," Sara retorts.

"So look, I know you want to continue to explore this new state, but I've gotta go pick something up from the store quick," Mike says as he stands up and makes his way to the door to put his shoes on.

"Wait, but you can't-- DOLL-E, turn to face Mike. But you can't leave me here like this!," Sara pleads.

"Why not?," asks Mike. "You can move all on your own, you can guide yourself to the kitchen or the bathroom, you can turn on the TV. You'll be fine babysitting yourself."

"But..."

"I'll only be 15 minutes! 20 minutes tops," Mike assures her.

"I-- Okay, fine," Sara sighs. "DOLL-E, pick up the remote..."

"Have fun!" Mike says, as he gently closes the door behind him.