A collared and uniformed Veronica stood outside of Evelyn’s room patiently waiting beside a serving cart. It was Monday morning now, and Veronica had become lost in a light trance and routine ever since the dinner date. Something about Evelyn’s voice and the words she used felt irresistible, and with each mind numbingly basic task Veronica performed it felt like she was slipping away. She wasn’t sure how to explain it, but it was like some real her that she’d become a stranger to was falling away only to be replaced by a version of herself that Evelyn had created. It didn’t help that she’d been ordered to prepare the bedroom when Evelyn and Caroline were intimate, and that she as forced to bow down as they fucked, reinforcing her place as being beneath them. She cursed the chastity belt that prevented her from dealing with how turned on she was. So turned on her brain felt like it was turning into mush, and this only made it easier for Evelyn to control her all weekend.

At least it was supposed to only be the weekend originally, but there were no signs that she was being let go. As much as the part of her she felt was her old and real self hated to admit it she wasn’t sure that being a maid was so bad. Her days had been heavily structured, and she was no longer overwhelmed by needing to plan them herself or center them around making sure that she could pay bills or buy groceries. She smiled as she considered how peaceful her days had been. They began early enough to serve breakfast in bed to Evelyn, no, her Mistress. Warm, fuzzy feelings flowed through her when she thought of Evelyn as her Mistress. She quickly became lost in that, and derailed from reflecting on her day to thinking of how amazing her Mistress truly was. She’d never tried to steer Veronica wrong, and as it turned out had simply been the firm hand that she had always needed in her life. Veronica finally understood. She felt thankful now. Life, in hindsight, did seem much easier when she listened to her Mistress.

“Enter.” Veronica’s mind, or what was left of it refocused on the command immediately. Her Lady, as Caroline demanded Veronica call her, wasn’t just finally permitting her to enter after what was roughly a five minute wait. She was commanding her to do so. Veronica, unable to resist the stern tone and the strong sense of authority behind it, would immediately obey and enter with a bow before rolling the cart to the side of the bed. Without a word she would begin serving breakfast in bed to Caroline. Caroline, upon Veronica finishing the setup, would smile and take a sip of orange juice. “I didn’t expect it to still be you. You do know it’s Monday, right? You don’t have to keep serving. It was just for the weekend, remember?”

”yes my Lady” were the only words to come to Veronica as she drizzled syrup over waffles until Caroline put her hand up, which led to her stopping immediately and Caroline’s amusement. The deal had only been that she would serve for the weekend, and somewhere deep inside she knew she should try to break free, but what was she supposed to do? She had no power. Her Mistress had won. She was now a servant to the Porter family. Maybe that was the point of letting her have more awareness and access to her memories this time. Including those of past times she served her Mistress. It was more common than she’d realized, and learned that by the time she’d been fired from her last job she’d been spending almost every evening and most weekends serving her Mistress as a secret maid. Had Mistress made sure she’d be too tired to perform well at her day job? She wanted to be angry at the possibility, but in a sense felt somewhat liberated from the burdens of independence. Maybe her being fired was her own fault anyway, and all of this was just so she would become more than just curious about the maids, but purely coincidental in timing. Perhaps it was to show her that she was invited to fully submit to being a servant herself in the event she needed somewhere to go. In a sense hadn’t she always been one though? She had always placed Elias, no, her Master and his needs above herself. Her new Mistress had always been able to boss her around so easily that Veronica wasn’t sure she’d ever had any true resistance to it or will of her own. Did she only try to be her own autonomous person because that’s what others expected of her? Was past resistance just for show? She felt happier and less stressed out this way, even if Mistress intimidated her so much that just a simple expression of annoyance would have her begging for forgiveness. Perhaps her obedience felt instinctual because it was just natural, like her purpose on this earth had always been to serve them, and her refusal to accept it had only created chaos in her life. Perhaps she couldn’t tell the difference between what was implanted in her and what was the previous her anymore. From memories to beliefs it seemed her Mistress controlled her reality. How had it taken this long to end up in service to the family in an official capacity? In a way she was jealous of Brianna, but her growing irritation that her Master had never asked her to officially be his servant quickly dissolved when she considered he must have a good reason for not doing so. That’s why he was a Master and she was a simple maid, after all. Then there was that accursed belt. Even if she left she wasn’t sure how to remove that. She’d have to come crawling back, begging for release, which would just be leverage for her Mistress to command that she commit to a lifetime of servitude. There was no point in rebellion or resistance even if release resulted in some sort of clarity which led to her thinking normally again. She’d already lost. She might as well sign the paperwork now. 

“Your Mistress had to catch a last minute flight this morning, so you’re mine today until I take you back to Elias and Sabrina’s. Since you seem to enjoy that uniform maybe I’ll wait until this evening. Hell, maybe I should just keep you here until they’re back from the trip.” Caroline’s tone seemed to be lighthearted, at least, and as if she were just teasing Veronica.

”yes my Lady,” Veronica said with a bow. Even though Caroline’s voice provided some relief Veronica still struggled to fully process what had happened to her. One moment she thought that her crush was taking her on a date, and the next moment she was a uniformed servant eager to please her Mistress. Maybe that was the problem. She was so turned on by her Mistress laying into her for being a cuckquean that she couldn’t think clearly, and then once the belt was on that seemed to be it. Now she was perpetually horny for Mistress, and it had made her far more pliable and eager to please. 

“You’re actually pretty good at this. You seem pretty excited when we give you commands, but you still behave appropriately. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so excited to shine Evelyn’s boots! You really do like being a maid, don’t you?” Caroline sounded genuinely curios.

“yes my Lady.” She couldn’t believe she said it out loud, or that it felt like an honest answer. She wasn’t necessarily trying to appease Caroline, but it was like she truly found enjoyment in servitude. In a way it actually felt good to say it, and Caroline’s observation wasn’t wrong. It felt good to see Mistress smile when, for once, a maid really did make that particular pair so shiny that you really could see yourself in them. 

“Well then I guess it makes sense that you’re still serving this morning. Maybe your Mistress is right.” Caroline paused for a moment before making eye contact. “I used to be unsure what to think, you know? Of the- well, I guess you servants. I didn’t even want them until recently. I viewed this type of thing as a holdover of a bygone era, and that’s really not a compliment, you know? I guess it just means I’m finally coming around. Especially since watching you fall into the role so easily has been kinda cute in all honesty. Maybe Evelyn is right that some of you are better off.” Caroline shrugged as she ate some bacon and sipped on some coffee. She took it black, and savored every moment of it. 

”yes my Lady,” Veronica said without hesitation. She knew that she should want to disagree and scream. Instead she found herself agreeing with her Mistress’s apparent opinions without question, and considered what her Lady’s coffee preferences said about her personality. It felt good to agree with not only her Mistress’s views, but to serve Caroline who seemed like such a thoughtful and professional person. She felt any sense of belief in all ultimately being equals fading away as her brain finally accepted something Mistress had always said. That some were just meant to serve and lacked the capacity for free will, free thought, or responsibility. That it was unfair and irresponsible to expect it of them. She recalled Mistress once saying that someone like an inventor needed someone to clean up after them, so that they could focus on inventing rather than dealing with something that a simpleton like Veronica was far more suited to. If she remembered correctly it was part of a criticism of Veronica attending a community college, and in hindsight her Mistress’s statement must have carried some truth to it given that she didn’t last long. Since then she’d mostly worked service jobs, and even those she was failing at unless she had extremely strict and controlling bosses. 

“You know what though? It’s not innate based on who you are or where you come from. Don’t think that you’re destined for this because of anything like that. We actually come from a similar background, and while you really are a good servant and I mean you’re almost perfect, I don’t think I’m so fully aligned with the corporate elite of this city just yet.” Caroline tapped on her glass of orange juice for a refill and smiled as Veronica immediately obeyed. “Look, I just want to give you a chance. Evelyn would want me looking out for you anyway, and I could have been you. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t do this. Consider it me looking out for someone I can relate to. Go get your regular clothes and your phone.”

Veronica was shocked. In a way it had disrupted the trance she seemed to be in. Not enough to break it, just to change the way it felt. “yes my Lady,” however, was still the response she gave. It felt automated, but she felt a little more like herself for some reason. Then she began feeling grateful to Caroline for giving her that feeling, only for it to fuel her dropping into light trance again. “She’s doing you a favor. Show gratitude. She wants what’s best for you. Do all she commands of you. Serve. Obey. Serve. Obey. Serve. Obey. Serve. Obey.” played on a loop in Veronica’s mind, the thought making itself feel like a rhythm her body danced to in the form of complete obedience. Caroline may have thought she was granting Veronica a choice, but Veronica just began to feel an even stronger desire to please her. Of course, it probably helped that Veronica and Caroline had similar economic circumstances growing up, and Caroline had ascended to amazing heights. Serving her was different than serving her Master or Mistress. A different type of admiration. She wanted to support Caroline’s ascent. 

When Veronica finally returned, an amused Caroline would take her phone, unable to keep herself from completely containing her laugh. “I’m sorry, but it’s just so adorable that you brought your clothes instead of switching into them.” She would try to stop laughing and after a moment finally calmed herself before looking back to the new maid. “I guess it’s not really your fault. I didn’t tell you to change, and I guess you can stay in your new uniform if you really want to. Maybe you’ll be more confident in following my instructions when you are. Emphasis on choice though, you precious thing, unless you’re incapable of that now. If that’s the case then I guess she’s right that someone has to be responsible for you now.”

”thank you My Lady,” Veronica said with a bow. She looked at her clothes, then glanced at herself in the mirror, then at her clothes once more, then walked over to Caroline’s side and knelt. She wasn’t sure she could have chosen her old clothes even if she wanted to. The rhythm in her mind had only become louder as time went on, and her nerves felt like fire if she tried to stop her obedience for even one moment. Being in uniform made more sense.

“Maybe you really have finally found your place. Maybe you really were always meant to serve.” She would smile down on Veronica and pat her head, but Caroline’s tone indicated that she pitied her in a way. “Still, someone in my position has to look out for those like you since we’re actually capable of free will. I’d feel horrible if this became some sort of permanent arrangement you ended up hating but couldn’t escape. So I’m going to teach you how to day trade, and it will teach you how to trade in general. It means you have another option if you don’t want this, you know? Do you still have that thousand dollar tip from the other night?” She made a motion as though she were undoing an invisible zipper over Veronica’s mouth. “You may speak more freely if you wish.”

”yes my Lady.” Veronica’s heart raced. She wasn’t sure what to think as she stood and dug it out of her old outfit’s pockets. She hadn’t even realized that voice controls had been placed on her, and the lack of a limited vocabulary at least made it feel like the final crumbs of her thoughts and will weren’t being crushed into nothingness anymore. “Will Mistress be mad though, my Lady?” She hadn’t considered that such restrictions could have such an effect on one’s internal self, but even as she slowly began to sluggishly come back to herself she was more worried about displeasing her Mistress than her freedom. 

”What, that I’m teaching you this? She can get over it if she is.” Caroline said, snapping Veronica’s mind back into the real world as she played around with both of their phones. “I’d be surprised if she was though. She would probably just be impressed if you managed to break out of, well, this.” Caroline grinned as the maid knelt again, and would play with the collar’s O-ring. “Especially if you did it in spite of how far gone you seem. I’ll reiterate that you can speak freely with me as well.”

”If she wants me to be this, my Lady, why would she be okay with me doing otherwise?” Veronica, in a way, was afraid. What if Mistress punished her? She held out the thousand dollar tip in her hands, regardless, remaining obedient. Mistress would at least appreciate that. She felt a little weak and pathetic. As the occasional disruption in the trance brought her back somewhat, she was able to process some of those feelings again, and now here she was with a potential out and her focus remained on ensuring her Mistress was pleased. She thought of her brother and sister being as successful as they were. They were more like Caroline than she could ever be. She remembered her mom crying and worried that she’d end up this way, but felt nothing about it. It felt more important to please those who she now served than it did to care about the opinions of even her own family.

”All these years and you still don’t really get her, do you?” Caroline raised an eyebrow as she set the phones down. “She genuinely believes she’s doing what’s best for you. She does think some are better off that way, and that you reveal yourselves through subconscious desires and behaviors. She could definitely do it to anyone she wanted to, but typically she only does it if you cross her or just seem fit for it. She just believes everyone has their place and will fall into it naturally if allowed and properly guided. That and something about how we have a responsibility to take care of people who can’t seem to function without someone in charge of their lives. If you show her differently then maybe she’ll see you more like a friend. Like take me for example.” Caroline turned a little more towards the new maid as she took on a friendlier demeanor. “Even though I’d been subordinate to her and even though she definitely takes the lead in our relationship,” Caroline said as she bit her lip and smiled a little, “she saw someone who she could potentially see as an equal.” Caroline held her hand out as she finished explaining, “I promise that no matter what happens she will respect you taking a risk as well. You’re extremely risk averse and that’s part of why she views you the way she does. Maybe we’ll get her to see that potential in you too. If you even have it in you then I’ll dig it out and empower you. Trust me?”

Veronica bowed her head and handed the money over. “Mistress said I would know when the time was right for this money. For some reason this seems like it might be it.”

”It very well may be, but to be honest with you it doesn’t really matter. You can decide this is the right time, and you just did. You could have given into your concern that it would displease your Mistress, but you chose to trust me, and maybe that means a little part of you is still hesitant about this.” Caroline spoke with her hands a lot, and would wave her hand around the maid as if drawing a picture frame around her. “Life is all about risks,” she continued, “and you’re taking a big risk right now, but you’re also taking a big risk if you decide to resign yourself to serving the Porters. It will change things between you and her. It will change things with you, Elias, and Sabrina as well. It’s extremely important that you truly understand what it means because once you belong to any of them there’s no going back. You saw your old friend Brianna didn’t you? She’s not herself anymore. She’s who they’ve molded her to be. She’s against everything she used to stand for and believes that people like her Master deserve their wealth and power. She absolutely worships him, Veronica, and she worships Evelyn like a Goddess.”

Veronica nodded. “I understand. To give them that power over me means I would agree to become anything they chose for me to be. If they command me to decide I like potato salad now then I’d have to learn to like it.”

Caroline blankly stared at her. In a way it was as if some glimmer of her hope for Veronica died with that statement. “Wait, that’s your go to? Not the loss of your freedom in every fucking aspect? You hate that so much that of all things that it’s your-“ Caroline shook her head and took a deep breath. “Shit. Evelyn may have a point. Listen I don’t want to derail. The point I’m trying to make is that I took a risk when I pursued Evelyn romantically, but in the long run it paid off. We could have both ended up in that uniform, you and I. You also need to understand that the training you’ve been through? Yeah, it’s a cake walk compared to what happens when they actually own you.”

”my Lady, did-“ Veronica sighed and paused for a moment as Caroline looked at her with pity in her eyes. She should have been more worried about what would happen if she were to give in, but here she was more concerned with her Mistress’s opinion of her than anything else. “Did Mistress ever, well, was her crush ever real?”

”See? Just asking that is a big risk especially for someone in your current position. I could have you severely punished for that. A little out of turn for a maid don’t you think? Even if you were my friend, I’m her partner, so what if it upset me enough to stop helping you, or what if the answer hurt your feelings?” Caroline’s tone was flat and cold now. She seemed annoyed that Veronica cared more about this than her seemingly impending enslavement.

Veronica bowed her head. “I- I’m sorry my Lady. I didn’t. I-I- didn’t mean to cross a line. Please forgiv-“

As Caroline set the money to the side she would lift Veronica’s gaze by her chin and smile. “Oh that’s enough. I’m fucking with you. Honest answer? Yes. It has been, though usually briefly, something that happens off and on. She adores you more than you realize, but she wants what’s best for you, and doesn’t think you’re suited to be an equal. To her you keep proving it every time there’s some glimmer of hope for you to make something of yourself. You’re more like some sort of pet to her. She really wanted you to rise closer to her and Elias, and some of her poking at you was to try and push you into proving her wrong, but at some point she accepted that you’d be better off like this. In spite of finding myself agreeing with her that you’re a bit dull up here,” she would pause and tap Veronica on top of the head, “I’m not so sure yet. In all fairness you being a simpleton right now is probably due to being in trance since the other night. So let’s see which of us is correct once you aren’t one for the rest of the week.”

Veronica felt warm. Complete. She didn’t care if she was a simpleton. She didn’t need to understand anything more than what people like the Porters and their peers wanted her to. She only needed to understand how to serve, how to clean, and how to properly behave. She would melt as she stared into the eyes of the woman who had just begun to scratch under her chin.

“Besides, we’re not monogamous,” Caroline smirked as she saw the way Veronica was looking at her. “We’re just each others main thing if that makes sense to you. So if something happened between you two it doesn’t take away from my relationship with her. Looks like the risk you took with that question paid off in a way didn’t it? Good girl.” Caroline would pat Veronica on the head before handing her phone back.

Veronica tried to maintain her composure as she took the phone in her hands and processed the praise. She would see an investment app displayed on the screen that she’d considered trying before but hadn’t ever deposited any money into even after getting her credentials approved. Her heart raced as she saw the balance. Ten thousand dollars. “My Lady, did you- I-I-I can’t possibly,” Veronica looked up at her with a mix of confusion and gratitude.

”Stop. I’m choosing to take a risk with you, and while I’m still processing where I am in life that allows me to say this, ten thousand dollars is nothing to me anymore. It’s less than half of what I technically make in a day now. It’s still a lot to you though, isn’t it? See, that’s something I still understand despite where I am in life now. That thousand? You took an informed risk. Informed is the key word there. It’s like this.” She readjusted the way she was sitting and finished off the rest of her orange juice. “You trusted me. Likely because you see me as sincere and know we have had similar life situations. I know you had very little growing up, and my family was crammed into a one bedroom apartment most of my life. I have more siblings than both of you, V, like you and my Evie combined. You know what that was like?” She paused like she was having a flashback. “I think deep down you also know your Mistress truly cares for you. She’s secretly been putting money into your account to help you pay rent. She’s stuck up for you against others before as well, hasn’t she? That guy who was being creepy to you at that bar a few years ago? Hell, he never fully recovered. They had no choice but to turn him into a drone after that.”

Veronica remembered that night very well, but didn’t think about it much. It was roughly three years ago and she was at a bar with Evelyn, Elias, Brianna before her transformation, and a handful of friends from both their high school and college years. Some creep refused to back off of Veronica, and she’d started feeling scared. Elias did notice, but she remembered Evelyn pushing him aside as he tried to make his way to her. Evelyn had always been protective of him as well. It all happened so fast. The man had taken a swing at Evelyn after she tore his hand away from Veronica, and if that wasn’t bad enough he’d made the mistake of landing the blow. Evelyn took it like a boxing champion, and slowly turned her head back to him with nothing in her eyes. No rage. No tears. No shock. Just a horrifying calm. Veronica never forgot that look. The next thing she knew she found herself in awe of the way Evelyn had so effortlessly destroyed the creep while he was taken to a nearby hospital. She’d never realized that someone’s body could bend and break in so many ways, especially so quickly, or that they could still be alive afterwards. She always felt grateful to her new Mistress for that night. She considered that she did always feel safe with her. Even if she was intimidated by her. As she remembered she found herself smiling and blushing as she bowed her head. Mistress had looked out for her so much, and had even saved her before. She wondered why she ever resisted. Mistress likely wasn’t trying to force her to stay, but simply couldn’t find time to unlock her due to whatever business she had to attend to. Veronica wondered if she wanted to be unlocked, and that maybe serving her Mistress was the least she could do.

“You could interpret that as her just being possessive of you I guess, but that smile tells me you’d like that anyway.” Caroline gave a smirk. “So what if you rise above this possibility of lifelong servitude? Of being owned by her, Elias, or just considered property of the family as a whole? She’d probably just take to guiding you into new heights. I just want to see if I win or if she’s right about you being better off as a maid. So, since you’re still in a trance on some level and I need to practice my skills with that sort of thing? Number goes up and you rise ever closer to us. Number goes down? Well.” She smiled as she toyed with the O ring again. “I guess it’s this for you then.”

For the rest of the morning and afternoon Veronica felt like maybe this was a prank or a game. It had to be, right? Even trading was like a game to Caroline. Most games weren’t like this though, with the end results potentially leading to such opposite economic and social extremes. Wealthy simply for existing versus being property. As the hours went on, Caroline would teach Veronica how to make good trades both daily and long term, teaching her how to read charts and reports. Veronica did feel like she was getting the hang of it, but it felt like a lot of work. 

“Whoa! Hey look at that!” Caroline exclaimed when she looked back at Veronica’s phone. “You turned it into $12,000? What the hell did you buy? Look not every day will necessarily be that good. Some days are going to suck, but imagine if you’d had $100,000, or $1,000,000?  Don’t get discouraged when a bad day happens, because this is amazing, and I’m proud of you! Just listen to me and keep doing whatever you did, V, and maybe you’ll be making big moves with numbers like that someday!” 

“yes my Lady. i only followed your instruction. how to determine real value, read reports, and take well informed risks. Do I pay tribute?” Veronica asked.

”I won’t do that to you, V, just being happy with whatever you choose in the end is good enough for me. Assuming you even still have a choice, but if you do choose to remain your own person you have this now. If you do end up choosing servitude though?” Caroline pondered for a moment, exaggerating it with putting her hand on her chin in an almost cartoonish manner before pointing and continuing. “Well, to me it’s respectful to treat someone the way they want to be treated, even if they want to live in servitude and be treated like shit. So I would borrow you sometimes. You’d spend a day here and there in perfect trance, and you’d spend it as a machine. Automating my trades for me that day since you’re so good at it. Hell, it’s been one fucking day and you’re off to a stronger start than I was the first time I tried it. If you keep that up I may just try to buy you and essentially turn you into a money printing machine. A day trade drone.” She smiled deviously. “My personal ATM. If a way out is this easy for you and you still choose being a slave then maybe you really were meant for it. Just think on what you really want, that’s all I ask, and I’ll respect your decision in the end.

—————-

“My personal ATM.” The statement echoed in Veronica’s mind later that night as she laid in the guest room Elias and Sabrina had so graciously allowed her to use. She finally felt like herself again, and for the most part her memory of the weekend was quickly becoming foggy as it typically did when she came out of trance, but something was different this time. This time her memories may have been hazy but more implanted truths and desires were sticking than usual. Why did she think she’d secretly been a maid for Evelyn for years now? Why did she find the idea not only hot, but extremely fulfilling even on emotional and psychological levels? Why did that outweigh how turned on the idea made her? Why did she send a text saying “tribute, my Lady” along with a quarter of today’s trade profits to Caroline? How long had she even been into day trading? Her heart raced as Caroline typed. The three dots indicating that she was already replying were sending her heart into overdrive. She didn’t even realize she had Caroline’s number until now. 

”I suppose that’s it then. Fine. It’s disrespectful if I don’t treat you the way you clearly want to be. I’d be a bad friend if I ignored your wants and needs. Every day I expect 50% of any profits that come from that account when you are actively trading, not 25%. Leave the base $10000 in there at all times. Use the other half of each day’s profits for whatever you want, but I think what you really want to do is see how much you can send me in a day. So you should probably leave it in there so the account keeps growing and generates more profit every day. :)” Caroline’s text stared Veronica in the face as her phone illuminated the guest bedroom. Veronica wasn’t even sure what she meant by that being it, but she found this text extremely hot, and with no chastity belt hindering her anymore she began to slowly touch herself.

”So then. What are you?” Another text from Caroline.

Veronica wasn’t sure why her thumb typed out the words it did. It had to be just a fantasy. That’s all it could really be, right? Her turned on and typing something out that was fueled purely by how desperate she was to cum. “I am a secret maid to Mistress Evelyn Porter. I hope that I will soon be a maid to Master Elias and Mistress Sabrina Porter, officially a servant to the Porter family. If my skills please you then I beg to be of service to you as well. I could see you marrying Mistress Evelyn, and that makes you a member of the family I serve. I will be your trade drone, your personal ATM, if allowed.”

”That’s right. You’re a servant to this family. A maid. A slave. You love to obey, and what’s more obedient than sending money to the woman who stood between you and your crush? This is the second time a Porter you fell for was more interested in putting you to work than being with you, isn’t it, and you still stuck around simping for them. You love that don’t you? You’re their loyal, simping, obedient cuckquean and you want them to exploit you. You’re an asset. Don’t be a mooch. Be beneficial to them. Evelyn said I can give you permission to cum so you better give me a good answer.”

Veronica inserted two fingers into herself as the text sunk in and used her other hand to keep typing. “yes My Lady.”

”That’s right. ATM, activate.” The text came through immediately.

Veronica felt closer now. Barely able to think anymore as she typed again. The words came to her without any thought anyway. She didn’t need thought. She imagined herself being strapped into a chair within in a big metal box that’s resembled a computer. On the inside there were some monitors tracking markets, and there she was in full trance, covered in silver latex head to toe with her hands just free enough to use the trading app. Devices would pump nutrients in and waste out when necessary, and a number of speakers within the box would play a brainwashing loop. “ATM online. Please input command.” She said aloud, both in the fantasy in her head and in real life as she sent the reply. She imagined being trapped like that forever. Mindless. Obedient. A machine that existed only to make Caroline more money. 

”LMAO HOLY SHIT. You know what? My future wife is right. Some people really do deserve to be used and exploited. You bring it on yourselves. I’d thank you for eliminating my remaining hesitation, but you don’t deserve any praise just for doing what you’re supposed to. Now I don’t have to feel bad about what I do anymore, and I can take my place as Evelyn’s Queen, ruling over pathetic things like you without apology. ATM, deactivate. I want you to say it again. ATM, activate.” Caroline was clearly changing. Any lingering hesitance when it came to class or her new place in the world was destroyed by how obedient and eager to be enslaved Veronica seemed to be. 

”ATM online. Please input command.” Veronica sent it as a voice message. She could hardly believe herself. She’d pulled off sounding like an AI assistant version of herself. She imagined her box being in a room full of them. Just one, forgotten in a sea of them.

”YES. YES THAT’S WHAT I WANT. Every time I activate you I want confirmation in a voice message. I don’t care if you’re in a store. I don’t give a fuck if you’re visiting your mom or your siblings. Those are your settings now.”  Caroline replied.

“Settings confirmed. How else may this unit serve you today, my Lady?” Veronica couldn’t believe herself. 

”Hmm. My Queen.*” The reply came through instantly again. 

”yes my Queen. How else may this unit serve you today, my Queen?” Veronica recorded and sent. “Come on come on come on let me cum please” she said out loud. She wasn’t even in really trance anymore, but the long term effects of each trance were finally beginning to catch up to her. Unfortunately for Veronica, she was too turned on right now to notice in any significant way.

”Send the rest of my money. Now. Then I want you to get your pleasure, and it’s going to feel so much better than any other time, and you fall asleep immediately afterwards. You should only cum when permitted because you’ve been obedient. In the morning you’ll thank me, but I don’t want you to remember why. I think whatever is sticking for you needs to keep sticking but the fog still needs to smother your memories. Forget because I told you to. I don’t give a shit if you’re in trance or just into this. You have chosen obedience and servitude, and I only dropped you off like 4 hours ago. You will behave the way you are now every time I activate you.” Caroline sent.

”Settings confirmed. Preferences saved. Dispensing, please wait.” Veronica replied, and then proceeded to send the money before recording another voice message. “Cash dispensed. Thank you for allowing this unit to serve today.” 

“K.” Was all Caroline replied with. Normally it would hurt Veronica’s feelings, but instead all being dismissed as she’d fulfilled her function was send her into the biggest sea of pleasure she’d ever experienced. It felt like it would never end, and she basked in her subservience as she slowly fell asleep. 

———

Veronica was in a deep sleep, experiencing yet another highly realistic dream. Evelyn, dressed in her military dictator outfit, cruelly laughed as Veronica struggled against a tight leash. The resistant self she sometimes imagined in her head was now her self from a first person point of view, but rather than being strong and defiant she was broken and battered. She had rebelled one too many times, demanding that Evelyn stop twisting her memories and the narrative around her loving friendship with Elias.

Yet even with the weeks of torture she had received in this dream setting’s apparent lore this part of her remained. The bruises, the blood, the manipulation? She may have been broken, but something in her wasn’t. She refused to give up. She used all of her strength to violently twist and break Evelyn’s grip on the leash, sending the chain whipping upwards into Evelyn’s mouth before making a break for it. As she forced herself from all fours onto her legs and into a full sprint, she noticed that in the distance there was a glass door and a key on a string not dangling far from it. Her muscles ached as the torment, dehydration, and dragging the heavy chain hanging from her collar immediately set in. She couldn’t give up now. She’d rather collapse here and her life be over than be on that leash anymore.

She glanced behind and saw Evelyn slowly following. Walking. Her eyes were horrifyingly calm even as blood poured from her mouth. That scared Veronica more than anger would, and she would do her best to maintain her sprint. She couldn’t go back now. She didn’t even want to imagine the punishment she’d receive if she were caught. As she got closer to the door she would see a figure standing behind the glass door. It was her. Not truly, but a machine made to resemble her. Built and programmed by Evelyn most likely. A version of Veronica that would obey without question, that would understand and embrace that it was property, a version that didn’t think for itself, a version that would be easily reshaped at will by its Owner and Creator a version that would thrive in strict order and inescapable servitude. A version of Veronica that was set to replace her, but not if she destroyed it.

Veronica reached the key, tripping over herself as she snatched it, and as she struggled to get up she glanced behind her to see that Evelyn was impossibly close. Veronica gasped as she quickly made her way to the door and shoved the key into the lock, struggling to turn it as tears formed in her eyes. “Come on come on turn just fucking turn please please ple- NO NO NO!” Veronica felt the chain pull tight. Evelyn had caught up to her. “NO! NO PLEASE I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!” she cried, but Evelyn did not respond, instead pulling the chain tighter as Veronica began to feel herself dragged back. She reached out towards the robot version of herself, standing in the doorway of a glass hallway, its destruction the only way she believed she could escape. She was so close. Tears streamed down her face as her screams fell from words and into incoherence, and then into silence, but she still struggled. If only she could break Evelyn’s grip again. 

The Veronicabot stood perfectly still. Its body was chrome, with a latex maid uniform and some type of electronic collar. It had yet to be activated, and for the real Veronica this meant there was still hope. She tried to break Evelyn’s grip again, but failed, and was running out of strength.

”Oh I see.” Evelyn said. 

Veronica shook with fear. She’d made a deal with the devil, ever agreeing to serve in exchange for what her Mistress provided, even just for a week all those years ago. She expected punishment to come as she dropped to her knees in submission. She prepared to grovel and beg. It was over. At least she thought it was, but punishment never came. 

“So you finally get it. Go on then, slave. Crawl. Crawl to true freedom if it’s what you really want.” Evelyn commanded as she dropped the leash. 

Veronica knew it was likely a trap. A test of her realization that there was no escape from her Mistress’s grasp. Yet maybe Evelyn really did have a limit, and would respect what Veronica truly wanted. Evelyn didn’t pursue anymore. She simply stood as Veronica crawled. As Veronica obeyed. She realized that she’d been ordered to do this and was doing so. Then she realized as she glanced back once more. Mistress was amused. Mistress was entertained, and as Veronica reached the robot she felt some relief that this seemed to ultimately be a game for Mistress.

”Go on, slave, we both know you don’t want to keep performing. God you were so dramatic this time too. Haven’t we done this long enough?  Haven’t I let you go each time you wanted me to? I’m only a little frustrated because you hit me with the chain, but in a moment it won’t even make sense to punish you anymore.” Evelyn said, crossing her arms.

Veronica was so confused. She expected Evelyn to kill her, but she was encouraging her, and then she heard Caroline’s voice speak from right beside her. When she looked towards the direction of the voice Caroline was leaning against the open doorway near the robot.

”All these years and you still don’t really get her, do you?” Caroline smirked as she tipped her head towards Evelyn.

Veronica looked back towards the robot. It was directly in front of her now, and then she realized that the hallway was just a display of some sort. A dead end. Storage for the robot. There was never an escape, and yet she began to calm down. Curiosity was taking over as she reached towards the robot. She wondered what it would be like to be so perfect, so obedient, never needing to face a punishment or discipline. She tried to shake the thoughts that if she were as obedient as a robot then the Porters would be pleased with her. It seemed peaceful, and then she touched the robot.

“All these years and you’re finally beginning to understand,” Evelyn stood next to her now and spoke with a strangely comforting tone. “Not just me, but her.” Evelyn nodded towards the robot. A machine that was ultimately a reflection of Veronica herself. All of her submissive tendencies, her desire to please, her desire to obey, her desire to be liberated from freedom, to be useful, and so much more all filtered into a new version of herself. Not a version to replace her, but to be her best self. Her most perfect, useful, obedient self who no longer had hindrances from doing what she had always been meant to do. 

”That’s it then, isn’t it?” Caroline said with a grin. In the background Evelyn began to laugh maniacally as Veronica began dissolving  into static.

Veronica screamed in horror as she felt herself being absorbed into the machine. Her screams became more synthetic and mechanical as more of her disappeared into the circuitry of a perfect, mechanical slave. The eyes and lights between each joint began to glow as the static disappeared fully into the machine.

Outside of the dream, Veronica tossed and turned, mumbling in her sleep. “Yes Mistress. You have always controlled me and my reality Mistress.” Eventually followed with l”Please please I want to serve Eli please please I want him to be my Master” 

Brianna, still assigned to Veronica and still sleeping on her floor as she commanded, briefly woke up to hear such things. She would not speak, nor disturb Veronica, but she bowed her head in understanding and would then proceed to make her return to the servant’s quarters. She knew that she and Veronica would be equals again soon, and this knowledge override any assignment to tend to her for now. She would not tell anyone, not even her Master, because ultimately Veronica would have to bow to him consciously in acceptance to truly complete her journey. Brianna was never to interfere with anyone’s decision to become a slave to Porter family.  

Meanwhile, the years of programming which were finally surfacing were burning themselves deeply into every fiber of Veronica’s being. As if her transformation was finally nearing its completion. As if she was becoming who she had always been, and the her that society had pressured her to be was finally falling away. 

Within the dream the new Veronicabot would continue to remain perfectly still. Inside it was her, and she now sat out of its eye displays from a first person perspective, but she felt peaceful. She felt ready to obey. She felt like she couldn’t move without a command. For the first time, even as a slave machine, she finally felt free. She wasn’t sure why she’d ever been so afraid, and then as her download into herself completed, she spoke. She sounded like an AI voice assistant version of herself as her servos whirred to life and her diagnostic check completed. “Maidbot Unit V3-R1N1CA online and ready to serve. Good evening Mistress. Good evening my Queen.” She no longer had to think before she spoke, as the words came automatically due to her programming, and better yet was that she didn’t have to think at all. She felt herself fully merging into her circuitry and programming, and with that her thoughts would disappear entirely. At last. She was empty. She was ready to be filled with her Owner’s will, and could not do a thing without it.

“Good job, V3, now give me an acceptance status report.” Caroline commanded.

V3 would immediately respond. Its programming processed a response the millisecond that Caroline’s command ended. “yes my Queen. Enslavement process 100% complete. Unit acceptance: positive. Unit awareness of its fate: 50%. Unit will need to run the integration process for further awareness and absolute, uncompromising acceptance.” Then it waited, until Mistress Evelyn silently nodded. “yes Mistress. Beginning integration process.”