Chapter 36

“This way, come on,” Theo said.

Sam jogged after him. Theo led her deeper into the building, rushing down staircases to avoid CaliaCorp’s staff and security.

“Here,” Theo said as he stopped at a door. “Follow me.”

He pushed open the door and walked into a long corridor. Along the corridor were more doors, and Theo walked directly to one on the left side and pushed it open. Sam followed as he walked inside. As soon as she entered the room she felt the hairs on her neck stand up. Something seemed wrong, terribly wrong, with the scene before her. The room looked luxurious, with red velvet couches and satin pillows, paired with walls painted black and gold lamps illuminating everything, as well as a muted lighting from a chandelier above. Trish was there, of course, wearing a latex catsuit and standing in front of a rack covered in the kind of implements that only lived in Sam’s fantasies. Whips and crops and paddles and collars and chains and clamps. Beside Trish stood Aisling, wearing white shirt and black skirt, with stilettos on her feet.

“Hi Sam,” Trish said.

Sam smiled meekly. “Trish, what’s happening.”

Aisling stepped forward and beckoned Theo to her with a crooked finger. He obediently walked to her side and stepped in behind her. “Sam, Trish has joined us here at CaliaCorp. She’s hoping you’ll do the same.”

Sam looked at Trish, feeling the same tears that came before begin to well up again. Then she looked at Theo, who hovered behind Aisling, almost hiding. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew what you were bringing me to. You let this… this corporate… bitch corrupt you.”

“Ignore her Theo, she just doesn’t understand. Good boy,” Aisling said.

Theo stayed silent.

“You asshole, you fucking asshole,” Sam yelled, her tears now flowing freely, “you promised you’d keep me safe. You fucking promised, Theo.”

For just a moment, Theo’s eyes fluttered, as if some part of him tried to fight, to resist. Then Aisling grabbed him by the chin.

“I made a promise to you too, my strong man, didn’t I?”

Theo nodded, his jaw slack.

“And you want that release, don’t you?”

He looked at Sam, his eyes pleading, desperate.

“Look at me, slave.”

Theo stared into Aisling’s eyes.

“You belong to me now. You’re my servant. Tell her.”

“No, Theo, no. You promised to keep me safe. Is this keeping me safe?” Sam sobbed.

“Theo, tell your friend the truth.”

Theo turned to look at Sam. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I belong to Aisling.”

Sam wiped away her tears, looked him in the eyes, and said, simply; “fuck you, Theo.”

“I’m sorry, Sam,” he repeated, “but this… this is better. For all of us.”

“No, Theo, please… Please don’t do this.”

Aisling yanked Theo by the chin, forcing his eyes back to hers, while pulling his cock from his underwear and letting it stand to attention before her.

“You brought her here just as you were told, you’ve earned your reward. Cum for your owner.” Aisling groped his crotch as she finished her sentence and Theo gurgled an incomprehensible reply as his orgasm finally came in huge ropes, spurting across the floor and Aisling’s shoes.

“Now kneel before your owner,” barked Aisling.

He dropped to his knees.

“And clean that up.”

Theo obeyed, mindlessly licking his cum from Aisling’s shoes, even as she turned back to face Sam, who stared aghast, eyes glassy with tears.

“He promised to protect me, what have you done to him?”

“I gave him just what he wanted, Sam, and maybe you want it too, just… not with me, isn’t that right, Trish.

“She’s right Sam, he wants this. I want this. Ben does, Marc does. We all understand now, CaliaCorp isn’t evil, it’s the best way to get the life we all want. A better world and happiness.”

“Trish, please,” Sam said, stepping closer to her friend, “snap out of it.”

“There’s nothing to snap out of,” Aisling said, still having Theo worship at her heels, “she’s happy now, in a role that suits her, that befits her powerful attitude.”

“Stay out of this you bitch,” Sam barked at Aisling before turning her attention back to Trish. “Please, please, just think about who you are, who you were. You came here to tell everyone they’re brainwashing people and now they’re doing it to you.”

“Do I look brainwashed to you, Sam?” Trish said, taking a confident stride forward, her massive heel clicking heavily on the ground. “Or do I look powerful, sexual, dominant?”

She looked like a scene from Sam’s biggest fantasy, the image she had in her mind of what she wanted most. Trish in control, maybe with some details slightly different but this strong, commanding Trish approaching her, it was a dream. In CaliaCorp headquarters though, it felt like a nightmare.

“Trish, listen to me, you’re a rebel in combat boots, ripped jeans, short skirts.”

“I can still wear those, if you want that,” Trish said, “this is just my work outfit.”

“Your… what?”

Trish stepped closer to Sam, close enough that Sam could hear the latex move, could smell it, could see the tightness of Trish’s long blonde hair being pulled back into a swishing ponytail.

“They made me a manager, Sam. I’m not brainwashed. I’m getting what I want. Power, control, people beneath me. It feels good, Sam. I feel good.”

“No, Trish this isn’t you.”

“Isn’t it?” Trish said. “Maybe you need to get to know me better.”

Sam wanted that. She wanted to be with her friend. She loved Trish. She wanted nothing more than to know her, intimately, completely, totally. But did she want it like this?

“Trish, please.”

Trish stepped closer and placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder. Sam felt electricity ripple through her at the touch. The sight of Trish’s body squeezed into the catsuit started to have an effect on her. It was pure sex, absolutely erotic.

“Sam, I want this, and I want you to have what you want. You just have to accept that things are different from what we thought. We never really knew what was in here, did we?”

Her heart wanted to believe Trish, but her mind told her not to. Reminding her of Calia, the AI running everything, of what controls people, what drives them. What drove her.

“Trish, I know what I want, I do, but is this the only way?”

“Did you ever get close to it, before you entered this building?”

“N-no.”

Trish smiled down at Sam. She was taller already and the heels made her even moreso. “And Sam, is it really being controlled, if you choose to take what you want?”

Sam pulled back. “I don’t want to be controlled.”

Trish walked to the rack of fetish gear on the wall and picked up a black collar. “You see, I think you do, Sam. I think you always have.”

“Trish, what are you doing?” Sam’s eyes grew wide as she stared at the collar in Trish’s hands.

“I think you know, Sam.”

“No, no Trish you can’t do that.”

Trish walked toward her. Aisling giggled, amused as the scene played out. She pulled Theo by the hair and dragged him up, so his head landed between her legs.

“Sam,” Trish continued, “I have something to tell you.”

Sam backed up, into the wall. “No, not here. Not like this.”

“I want you to know… I think you’d make such a cute puppy.”

Sam felt a sudden rush of arousal. Trish may as well have been touching her between her legs. A puppy, for Trish. The image filled her mind, making nothing else matter. Curled up at Trish’s feet, getting patted on the head, being taken care of. Being kept safe, and loved, and adored, and being good and faithful and loyal.

“I’ll always keep you safe, Sam,” Trish said.

Sam looked at Theo, who eagerly lapped at Aisling’s crotch through her tights. “I don’t know, Trish, that’s what Theo said.

Trish placed a hand on Sam’s cheek, taking her attention back. “You know I’m not like him. I’ll make sure you’re always taken care of. You’ll be my good girl, won’t you?”

Sam almost let out a bark, a yelp, but she held back. Everything she wanted stood right in front of her but she couldn’t give in, she couldn’t. Could she?

“I know what you want, they know it all, they told me. Let me give it to you.”

“They told you so you’d use it against me,” Sam snapped.

“No, Sam,” Trish replied, “they told me so I could be closer to you.”

Trish held up the collar. Sam pushed it away, and Trish raised it again. This time, Sam just looked at it.

“It’s what you want, isn’t it?” Trish said.

It was, but not just for sex or for some fetish. She wanted that because Trish was strong and commanding and sexy. Sam wanted it because she was in love.

“I… Trish… please, I don’t know.”

“It’s ok, Sam, it’s ok to just take what you want. It’s ok to choose your desire, your pleasure. It’s ok to choose me.”

“But it’s not just you, is it?”

Trish brushed Sam’s cheek. “What do you mean?”

“It’s CaliaCorp too.”

“But Sam, we’d never have even gotten this close if not for them. Would we?”

“I know, but that doesn’t seem right.”

“CaliaCorp brought us together, and we can stay together here. Always.”

Sam looked at the collar, looked at Trish’s beautiful eyes, looked at Theo desperately humping Aisling’s leg and realised that she saw three people who had exactly what they wanted. Maybe, she thought, she should have that too. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was some grand scheme, some double-cross upon double-cross, Theo betraying her and then Trish doing the same.

“I’m scared, Trish.”

“You think I’m not?” whispered Trish. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t, I’m just scared of what’s happening here.”

Trish moved her thumb across Sam’s lips, gently. “Don’t be, choose what you want. The only one in control here is you, Sam. Just tell me what you want, and you get it. It’s that simple.”

Sam took Trish’s hand in hers, holding it tightly, and bit her lip, before finally saying quietly; “I want… you.”

“I want you too, Sam.”

Trish raised the collar, and nodded with a smile. Sam nodded back. “I’ve always wanted you, Trish,” Sam said, “I’ve wanted this for so long. All I want is to be yours.”

“All I wanted was to have you,” Trish replied, clasping the collar around Sam’s neck.

As Trish tightened it and clasped the buckle, Sam looked at her friend and smiled.

“I love you, Trish.

Trish leaned close, a finger still on the collar around Sam’s neck, and planted a long, deep kiss on Sam’s lips, which parted slightly to enjoy the softness of Trish, the gentleness of the kiss, tender and deep, as a tug came on her collar and Sam felt like she was in her place. Where she belonged. Finally, their lips parted, and Trish looked at the ground, a sudden shyness gripping her. She looked up and into Sam’s wide eyes and smiled.

“I love you too.”