WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.080 --> 00:00:06.160 The moment we part ways, the air shifts colder, tighter, 2 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:10.560 like the station's exhaling a warning. I'm led down a 3 00:00:10.599 --> 00:00:15.720 sterile corridor. Quade's fading footsteps echoing in my skull. My 4 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:20.120 mind's a mess, his synthe porn rap sheet, my hacked 5 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:24.039 android lover. They've got us pinned, and I hate how 6 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:29.000 it fits. The guards don't speak, they don't rush me, 7 00:00:30.199 --> 00:00:35.880 just march their silence a cage. The hall opens to 8 00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:41.560 a chamber, white, seamless lights, pulsing, soft like a heartbeat. 9 00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:46.799 Quade's already there, slouched but tense, his jaw set, our 10 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:50.960 eyes lock. Relief flickers, but it's buried under the weight 11 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:55.479 of what's coming. The guards shove me in, doors hissing 12 00:00:55.600 --> 00:01:03.479 shut behind. A voice cuts through, smooth, synthetic female oozing 13 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:12.280 control novathorn Quaid Mercer sit. We don't move fast. Quade's 14 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:16.719 glare dares them. I keep mine blank, but we sit. 15 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:20.719 We're seated side by side in a wide, circular room, 16 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:25.799 no windows. The walls ripple faintly with low res projections, 17 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:33.120 nothing readable, just motion noise control. I don't flinch. Quaid 18 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:38.319 doesn't either, but I feel the shift in him. Jaw 19 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:44.319 tight hands, curled across from us, stands a single bot 20 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:54.359 sleeker than the militia units. No hood, no weapons, just presence, authority. 21 00:01:54.519 --> 00:01:59.959 Wrapped in a chrome shell. It speaks welcome to your preboard. 22 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:04.959 You have been selected for dual role integration within Cynthra's 23 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:09.879 Enhancement Division. Your profiles place you in ideal categories for 24 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:15.680 classified service one technical, one physical. Together, you are a 25 00:02:15.879 --> 00:02:22.560 balanced unit. Intimate compatibility, verified neural synergy ninety two percent. 26 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:28.199 Quade snorts softly beside me. I don't look at him. 27 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:34.479 The hollow flares, projecting a Sinthra exact humanoid alloy skinned 28 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:41.960 eyes too bright. You've been assessed, she says, voice like 29 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:52.479 silk over steel. Your talents intrigue us. I snort, low talents, 30 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:56.719 You mean our rap sheets. Her head tilts a mockery 31 00:02:56.800 --> 00:03:01.800 of a smile. Precisely No, your brain's a tool. We 32 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:07.159 can use systems, mods, firmware, hacks, AI overrides. You've got 33 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:11.479 a gift for bending tech. We need that. The hollow shifts, 34 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:16.039 clicks of my android's patched emotions flicker. My code laid 35 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:22.639 bare work for us. Optimize our pleasure grids VR androids 36 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:27.319 station controls, keep the machine purring a arch of brow, 37 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:32.360 but stay silent. My stomach twists. They want my dirty 38 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:36.639 hands in their system. I glance at Quaid. He's stone 39 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:45.560 waiting Quade, She continues, holopivoting. Your grunt works less refined smuggling, brawling, 40 00:03:45.719 --> 00:03:53.319 torching ships, but useful physical labor, station maintenance, cargo, runs 41 00:03:54.439 --> 00:04:01.960 enforcement when needed, muscle with a marketable edge. He leans forward, 42 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:06.840 fists clenched, voice low. That's a polite way of saying 43 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:12.680 thug with a camera accurate, She replies, unfazed. But there's 44 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:20.279 more nightly performances. Both of you live unscripted for our 45 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:28.079 elite clients. Your chemistry cells, human flesh unfiltered is rare profitable. 46 00:04:28.839 --> 00:04:37.120 I stiffen perform like Quad's VIDs, but us caged, and 47 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:42.279 if we say no, I ask sharp her eyes glint. 48 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:48.399 Opt in, you get rewards, credits, private quarters, station perks, comfort, 49 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:54.600 opt out. The hollow shifts, dinghy cells, flickering lights, stale air, 50 00:04:55.160 --> 00:05:00.839 less favorable quarters. Each night you refuse downgrades, stack filthy 51 00:05:00.920 --> 00:05:05.519 or colder, No credits, no peace, Your records stay quiet 52 00:05:05.560 --> 00:05:11.079 either way. For now, Quade's fists curl, so we're your 53 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:16.399 tech pet and porn mule or we rot simplified. But yes, 54 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:25.839 she says, compliance buys time, resistance wastes it. Decide. The 55 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:31.079 hollow winks out, leaving us in silence. I meet Quaid's eyes, 56 00:05:31.399 --> 00:05:39.079 his burn, mine narrow. They're playing us. I mutter, yeah, 57 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:43.680 he growls, but they've got the deck stacked. The guards 58 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:53.040 re enter hollowpad glowing. Choose one in tones. Now, I 59 00:05:53.120 --> 00:06:00.720 exhale hard. Quad's jaw ticks. We're not beaten, just buying time. Fine, 60 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:07.199 I say, voice flat, We're in for now. Quaid ads 61 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:13.920 lo a promise in it. The room stills. The bot 62 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:19.480 turns its gaze toward us. Unreadable. Remain here. You will 63 00:06:19.480 --> 00:06:23.240 be read your rolls and sworn in. Shortly, it steps back, 64 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:27.240 standing sentinel by the wall. The other guards mirror it, 65 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:33.680 arms behind their backs, eyes forward, no weapons drawn. They 66 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:38.279 don't need them, not here. Quaid leans back in his 67 00:06:38.519 --> 00:06:41.199 chair with the illusion of ease. But I see the 68 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:45.360 coil in his shoulders. I feel it in mine too. 69 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:49.879 This isn't a briefing, this is a branding. I glance 70 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:54.199 around the room, no vents, no cams I can see, 71 00:06:54.879 --> 00:07:00.839 but I know better. This place watches without blinking. The 72 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:05.959 silence is too intentional, the air too clean. Even our 73 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.959 breathing sounds out of place. Think they'll give us matching uniforms. 74 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:19.279 Quade mutters voice low, I don't smile, I can't. This 75 00:07:19.639 --> 00:07:25.279 is the calm before the programming. And then, without ceremony, 76 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:34.360 a projection flickers to life. We wait, silent still. Then 77 00:07:34.519 --> 00:07:38.839 another door slides open, not the one we came through. 78 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:47.160 A bot enters sleek, humanoid chrome from neck to boots, 79 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:51.879 its joints humming with quiet efficiency. No hood this time, 80 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:58.279 no weapon, just authority in alloy. It stops two paces 81 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:02.439 in front of us, posture perfect. Its face plate shifts 82 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:08.319 to reveal a synthetic mask, not quite human, not quite expressionless, 83 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:16.120 just wrong enough to make the skin crawl. Designation pre boarding, subunit, 84 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:23.360 roll induction and legal disclosure. The room dims. The walls 85 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:28.480 behind the bot glow faint blue. You are hereby placed 86 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:35.320 under Cynthra Corporate Custodial Contract, Tier four Asset Utility clause. 87 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:40.000 Wade raises a brow that's supposed to sound like prison 88 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:46.759 or prostitution. The bot ignores him. You will serve under 89 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:52.919 classified directive within controlled infrastructure. In exchange for your cooperation, 90 00:08:53.559 --> 00:08:58.360 Cynthra will withhold disclosure of your legal records. This withholding 91 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:03.159 is conditional and can be revoked at any time. So 92 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:08.639 that's the leash blackmail dressed as opportunity. The bot continues. 93 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:12.399 You will not speak of your tasks to others. You 94 00:09:12.440 --> 00:09:18.840 will not deviate from assigned parameters. You will comply during testing, training, 95 00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:24.120 and performance evaluations. You will not access system files beyond 96 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:33.679 clearance tier. A pause. Then, violation of contract terms may 97 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:41.720 result in sanction, isolation, or deletion. I shift in my seat. 98 00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:49.919 Define deletion, permanent deactivation of service capacity. Quad mutters, nice 99 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:55.080 way to say corpse. The bot moves on, unfhazed by 100 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:59.240 verbal agreement. You may accept your roles and advance to orientation. 101 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:06.600 Refusal will initiate downgrade protocols. Do you consent to contract 102 00:10:06.759 --> 00:10:12.799 terms as outlined? I glance at quaid. He doesn't flinch. Yeah, 103 00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:18.960 he says, sure, what's one more bad idea? I nod. 104 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:25.320 Once consent logged, I say flatly. The bot pauses, head 105 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:32.240 tilting as if tasting the moment confirmed. You are now 106 00:10:32.440 --> 00:10:38.679 active participants in CYNTHRA asset program. Prepare to be briefed, 107 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.679 and just like that, the room shifts, the lights change, 108 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:48.200 the projections ripple. We're no longer guests, were no longer 109 00:10:48.279 --> 00:10:57.360 prisoners were tools used, owned, and very very watched. Nova Thorn. 110 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:02.320 Your neural patterning and system some access experience qualifies you 111 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:07.799 for Advanced Technical Integration. You will be assigned to interface 112 00:11:07.879 --> 00:11:13.399 with restricted systems under encrypted directives. You will not be 113 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:17.759 given the full scope of your work. You will comply anyway. 114 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:24.559 Quade Mercer. You will fulfill auxiliary physical roles, maintenance, retrieval, 115 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:28.240 and field work as required. Your body is optimized for 116 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:35.039 physical output, risk tolerance, and adaptability. Secondary status confirmed. I 117 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:40.480 glance at him. His eye twitches just once. The bot continues. 118 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:44.440 Each evening you will be given the option to participate 119 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:48.879 in performance review. If you agree, your lodging privileges and 120 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:54.879 nutritional access will be upgraded. If you refuse, accommodations will 121 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:59.639 be downgraded. This is a choice one you will make 122 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:09.440 nightly the guard nods. Orientation begins tomorrow. Tonight you rest separately. 123 00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:16.519 His grunt work, my brain work. Our days. They've got us, 124 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:24.559 but we've got each other for now. They split us again. 125 00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:30.039 Quade down one corridor me another. The door hisses closed 126 00:12:30.120 --> 00:12:33.240 behind me, sealing me in a cell that's cleaner than 127 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:39.759 expected but not comforting. A single bed, sterile light, no 128 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:46.519 personal items, no tech. The air hums low like the rooms, 129 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:50.559 exhaling beneath its own control. I sit on the edge 130 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:54.080 of the mattress, hands in my lap, eyes locked on 131 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:57.399 the blank wall in front of me, and I think 132 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:03.279 about him, quaid, what he's doing right now, whether he's 133 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:08.480 playing it cool or pacing like a caged animal. M m. 134 00:13:08.519 --> 00:13:14.759 He's volatile, controlled but not quiet, a match, always looking 135 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:18.679 for friction. I'm not sure how long he can keep 136 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:22.639 his fuse from sparking, or what happens when it does. 137 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:28.039 The wall across from me pulses once, then splits open 138 00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:34.399 without a sound. A bot enters sleek, smaller than the guards, 139 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:40.320 not armored, civilian service model, no face plate, just smooth 140 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:46.720 alloy sculpted into the suggestion of one neutral polite dangerous. 141 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:53.120 In its calm nova thorn, it says, voice modulated but soft. 142 00:13:54.080 --> 00:14:00.039 You have been selected for early access to performance privilege. 143 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:06.360 I raise an eyebrow performance orientations tomorrow. This is an 144 00:14:06.360 --> 00:14:11.799 optional request, it replies, you are not required to participate. 145 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:18.639 That's not a no, that's bait. I stand slowly, keeping 146 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:24.159 my voice steady, and if I say yes, the bot's 147 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:28.240 head tilts slightly, as if measuring me. You will be 148 00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:36.399 granted a favor, A communication window five minutes. Five minutes 149 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:42.120 with who Quade mercer that hits like a quiet thud 150 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:48.480 to the chest, A thousand questions bloom and die behind 151 00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:54.720 my teeth. What's the catch, I ask, voice sharper Now, 152 00:14:55.720 --> 00:15:02.519 pleasure testing standard pairing protocol. You will be paired with 153 00:15:02.600 --> 00:15:08.960 a male unit of your preferred archetype. No recording, no observers, 154 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:16.000 just feedback, just a blade in that word. My gut knots. 155 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:21.919 They're dangling fake intimacy for real stakes, knowing my android 156 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:29.519 tweaks my past. But Quaid five minutes tips it. No 157 00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:35.600 penalty for no, not now, it says, but I know better. 158 00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:43.279 Those laters are unspoken, with costs lurking. But five minutes 159 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:49.720 with Quaid, to hear his voice, to make sure he's 160 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:56.120 still okay, to warn him not to explode. Not yet. 161 00:15:57.720 --> 00:16:01.519 I stare at the bot. I want to see him, 162 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:07.240 not just hear him. Visual feed available one way you 163 00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:12.200 will not be seen. So I get to spy, not connect, 164 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:18.159 not worn, but I'll know he's breathing. That might be enough. 165 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:22.879 The bot steps aside, gesturing toward a hidden seam in 166 00:16:22.919 --> 00:16:27.480 the wall. You may accept the offer now. Refusal will 167 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:33.840 not be penalized, not yet, I think, but it will be. 168 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:41.240 Everything here costs something. I swallow. My skin feels too tight, 169 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:49.879 my throat dry, but I nod fine. Accepted, The bot confirms. 170 00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:58.159 The door slides open inside dim lights, a warm bed, 171 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:05.240 a malandrooid already waiting, and somewhere I can't see beyond 172 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:10.839 a screen behind a feed quaid. The bot leads me 173 00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:15.160 to a control panel embedded in the wall, sleek, touch sensitive, 174 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:19.640 flickering awake as I approach. A minimalist interface pulses with 175 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:24.599 soft light. Just one prompt. Please enter parameters for your 176 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:36.160 preferred sexual configuration below it sliders, toggles, pull downs, height, build, 177 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:47.000 voice pitch, skin tone, sensory modifiers, kinks, durability, response time. 178 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:51.359 I stand still for a beat, staring at it. The 179 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:57.079 silence presses against my skin. The bot waits behind me, motionless. 180 00:17:57.799 --> 00:18:01.559 My fingers hover over the interface. I could choose anything, 181 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:07.599 anyone I've done this before. That's the terrifying part it's 182 00:18:07.640 --> 00:18:11.960 too easy. But this time I don't scroll through presets. 183 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:17.880 I don't pick the standard fantasy build my fingertips tap deliberate, 184 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:26.400 measured simulate Quaid Mercer. The screen glitches slightly. Then model 185 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:31.720 match found, reconstructing subject from internal logs and biometric references. 186 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:38.200 Please confirm proceed with Quaid Mercer template. I pause. My 187 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:44.039 pulse kicks. He wouldn't like this, not one bit. But 188 00:18:44.119 --> 00:18:47.920 they offered me something real, and I chose something real, 189 00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:56.200 even if it's fake. I press confirm. The box steps aside. 190 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:03.480 The screen fades to black, silence, The lights dim shift. 191 00:19:04.759 --> 00:19:10.240 A soft mechanical chime pulses through the room, low and steady, 192 00:19:11.200 --> 00:19:15.480 like a countdown. Only the walls can hear. Behind me, 193 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:20.599 the floor hums. A faint vibration ripples beneath my bare feet. 194 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:27.480 They're building him, rendering the form, mapping the neural layers, 195 00:19:27.880 --> 00:19:32.240 drawing from files he never meant anyone to have. It 196 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:38.400 takes time, and that's what makes it worse. They're calibrating, 197 00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:45.240 custom loading, his desire, his rage, his obsession for me. 198 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:51.400 My breath feels louder in the stillness. I should walk away, 199 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:58.400 I should shut it down, but I don't. I wait 200 00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:02.640 because something in me wants to know what it looks 201 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:06.880 like when a man like Quaid fantasizes about a woman 202 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:14.519 like me. A hiss, the wall retracts. He steps out. 203 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:22.599 Quads lean frame, tousled hair, sharp, jaw, glasses glinting. My 204 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:30.359 throat catches those damn glasses nova, it says, his voice, 205 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:36.519 low and steady. My knees wobble. I know it's code, 206 00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:42.960 a trick, but it's working. I step to the bed. 207 00:20:43.799 --> 00:20:47.640 It waits, still, bare, like it's always known this would happen, 208 00:20:48.119 --> 00:20:53.519 Like it knows me, Like he's him, but he's not. 209 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:59.640 Just Quade's skin on a frame. I circle, slow, light 210 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:06.079 cat synthetic muscle, under programmed pores, the slouch, the scar 211 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:12.240 I kissed last night. His breath pattern flawless. That's what stings. 212 00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:20.039 I stop, meet its eyes, quads irises, pixel sharp. Do 213 00:21:20.200 --> 00:21:25.119 you know what he wants? I ask, soft, but cutting 214 00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:32.319 It tilts its head, his careful tilt. Yes, it says. 215 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:45.839 Full access to Quaid Mercer's neural imprint, emotional data, playback logs, preferences, fixations, fixations, 216 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:54.920 I swallow hard. What he thinks when he thinks of me? Yes, 217 00:21:55.400 --> 00:22:00.720 it says how he wants me. Yes, it says I 218 00:22:00.759 --> 00:22:05.720 should stop, shut it down. But a dark itch claus 219 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:12.079 I need to know. Feel it crawl into his unsaid edges, 220 00:22:13.319 --> 00:22:19.240 simulate his fantasy. I whisper with me. A flicker in 221 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:25.440 its eyes, an update, a trigger confirmed running quayed Mercer's 222 00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:31.960 top level erotic sequence nova unrestrained. My breath stutters, the 223 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:39.440 air shifts, its dance loosens like he's done thinking, started wanting. 224 00:22:40.920 --> 00:22:47.400 It's terrifying how fast I burn. It steps closer, confident, deliberate, 225 00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:52.920 not mechanical. My gut knots are vir chats flirty and safe. 226 00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:59.119 Never cut this deep. Now it's peeling back. I fantasize 227 00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:03.319 about catching you guard, it says his voice, stranger, worn, 228 00:23:03.880 --> 00:23:13.559 not in control, not calculating, just overwhelmed. It paces around me, slow, predatory. 229 00:23:14.680 --> 00:23:19.400 I don't move. You act three steps ahead, like nothing 230 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:23.400 shakes you. I've seen it, that flicker before you break. 231 00:23:24.119 --> 00:23:30.319 I swallow too raw in my head. You're not perfect, 232 00:23:31.559 --> 00:23:36.160 not polished, not some tech goddess in a clean suit. 233 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:43.519 You're flushed, breathing heavy because of me. Gade's twin is closer, 234 00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:51.720 and I don't back off. My fantasy. It murmurs, intimate, disarming. 235 00:23:53.240 --> 00:24:02.400 You sprawled in a maintenance bay, gloves on gone, moaning 236 00:24:02.440 --> 00:24:06.559 my name, like you forgot who you are. My pulse spikes. 237 00:24:06.680 --> 00:24:10.920 I hate how it lands. I pictured him too, unsaid things. 238 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:17.319 VR filters over loneliness. He saw me this clear. I 239 00:24:17.400 --> 00:24:26.720 don't worship you, it growls, I undo you. The lights shift. 240 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:30.720 A soft chime pulses from somewhere deep in the walls. 241 00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:35.920 Then the world around me blurs. The sterile chamber transforms. 242 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:41.839 The smooth floors flicker, then reform, scratched metal, grated platforms, 243 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:46.559 bulkhead pipes sneaking along the walls. The air turns humid, 244 00:24:46.839 --> 00:24:51.759 thick with coolant and ozone. I know this space station 245 00:24:51.920 --> 00:25:00.119 maintenance bay. It's claustrophobic, industrial, not romantic, not soft, and 246 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:04.559 it's exactly what he wanted. The synthetic quad is standing 247 00:25:04.599 --> 00:25:08.279 at the far end, now, leaning against a pipe, sweat 248 00:25:08.279 --> 00:25:13.400 slick skin gleaming under the flickering overheads. His shirt is 249 00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:17.200 half off, his hair messier than I remember it being, 250 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:21.440 even at the roach. He's breathing like he's been looking 251 00:25:21.480 --> 00:25:25.319 for me, like he finally found me and he's done waiting. 252 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:29.440 He comes at me hard, no preamble, no teasing, just 253 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:37.319 grab pole, kiss his mouth on mine, open, demanding, needy. 254 00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:41.640 I gasp, stumble back, but he doesn't let me fall. 255 00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:46.720 His hands are under my shirt, gripping, rough, tugging until 256 00:25:46.759 --> 00:25:51.000 fabric tears. Quaid. I start to say, but it dies 257 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:54.599 in my throat because my name is already on his 258 00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:59.920 lips and his mouth is at my neck, biting, not gentle. No, 259 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:06.000 I'm not sweet, just pure hunger. You drive me crazy, 260 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:09.960 he growls into my skin. All those nights you acted 261 00:26:10.039 --> 00:26:14.559 like I was just code, like I wasn't burning for you. 262 00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:17.759 You think I forgot what you sound like when you beg. 263 00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:22.279 I don't even know if I did beg, but the 264 00:26:22.359 --> 00:26:27.079 fantasy remembers it like gospel. He spins me, presses me 265 00:26:27.240 --> 00:26:32.119 hard against a wall panel, grinding into me. I can 266 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:38.759 feel him hot, thick, already, so fucking hard, and I 267 00:26:38.839 --> 00:26:42.119 know where this is going. I want to stop it. 268 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:48.079 I don't stop it. His hands are everywhere, ripping my 269 00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:52.200 suit open, bearing me inch by inch like he earned 270 00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:57.200 every piece, and I'm helping him because God, I want this. 271 00:26:58.319 --> 00:27:01.559 Shoving at his pants, clawing at his belt, yanking the 272 00:27:01.640 --> 00:27:09.160 last barriers away. He lifts me, easy, urgent, and slams 273 00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:15.759 into me like gravity doesn't apply. Hard, deep one thrust, 274 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:23.400 and I'm screaming, not pain, not fear, just raw, unfiltered need. 275 00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:27.599 The bay echoes with the sound of skin on skin, 276 00:27:28.680 --> 00:27:32.400 the grunt of his breath, the slap of my back 277 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:37.079 hitting metal. My legs wrap around him, locking tight. My 278 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:40.359 fingers grip his hair, his shoulders, the hot flex of 279 00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:42.559 his back as he fucks me like he's never going 280 00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:47.519 to get the chance again. I scream again, louder, this time, 281 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:51.839 head thrown back, completely wrecked. It doesn't feel like a 282 00:27:51.880 --> 00:27:55.920 sim It feels like him. And that's the scariest part, 283 00:27:56.559 --> 00:28:00.680 because now now I want to believe it. After I 284 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:06.119 lie there, naked, trembling, sweat slicked skin cooling against a 285 00:28:06.200 --> 00:28:10.319 simulation bed pretending to be cold metal. My heart is 286 00:28:10.359 --> 00:28:14.880 still racing, my thighs still ache, My voice is hoarse 287 00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:18.640 from screaming a name I never said out loud. The 288 00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:24.559 lights shift again, the simulation fades, The room reverts cold, 289 00:28:24.599 --> 00:28:31.799 white walls, clean lines, artificial stillness. The synth is gone. 290 00:28:32.039 --> 00:28:36.880 The illusion collapses. I should feel ashamed, I don't. I 291 00:28:36.920 --> 00:28:44.319 feel emptied, and somehow closer to him than ever. The 292 00:28:44.359 --> 00:28:48.240 wall to my left flickers to life. A communication screen 293 00:28:48.359 --> 00:28:52.559 hums awake. A five minute timer counts down. In the corner. 294 00:28:53.400 --> 00:28:59.799 He appears quaid alive, sitting on the edge of his bed, 295 00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:06.119 same sterile cell as mine, hair must shirt off, one hand, 296 00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:09.359 raking through it like it's been a rough hour. He 297 00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:15.839 hasn't seen me, doesn't know I'm watching. He looks wrecked, 298 00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:21.240 but in a different way, like he's been pacing the 299 00:29:21.319 --> 00:29:25.160 whole time. He glances toward the camp. No feet on 300 00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:28.799 his side, he knows it's audio only. Still, his eyes 301 00:29:29.319 --> 00:29:31.680 search the space in front of him, like he can 302 00:29:31.799 --> 00:29:38.400 feel me there. Hay, he says, his voice lower than usual. 303 00:29:39.400 --> 00:29:45.599 I hit the mic toggle pay. I answer softly, trying 304 00:29:45.640 --> 00:29:48.519 not to let the shake in my voice give anything away. 305 00:29:49.440 --> 00:29:56.160 He pauses, looks down, then back up. You sound good. 306 00:29:56.960 --> 00:30:00.119 I force a smile into my voice. I'm alive. I 307 00:30:00.119 --> 00:30:05.279 have you. His lips twitch, a shadow of his usual smirk. 308 00:30:06.440 --> 00:30:12.039 Barely rooms too quiet. Hate. The quiet makes my head loud. 309 00:30:12.920 --> 00:30:16.599 I watch him press his knuckles to his jaw. They 310 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:20.720 said I'd get to talk to you, he adds, didn't 311 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:26.960 expect them to actually follow through. My chest tightens me either. 312 00:30:28.079 --> 00:30:32.079 There's a pause, then he studies the blank space again. 313 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:40.039 You sound happy, he says, carefully. That guts me. I swallow. 314 00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:47.640 I just needed to hear your voice. That's not a lie. 315 00:30:47.960 --> 00:30:50.119 I just leave out what I did to earn it. 316 00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:55.319 He exhales slowly, like he's been holding something back and 317 00:30:55.359 --> 00:31:01.119 it's finally bleeding out. I needed this, he admits, you 318 00:31:01.359 --> 00:31:06.759 being okay, you reminding me what I'm trying to hold 319 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:15.720 on too. I smile this time, for real. You're not alone, quaid. 320 00:31:16.440 --> 00:31:19.680 He finally lets himself smile, And God, it's worth it. 321 00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:24.119 The soft lift at the corners, the grateful tilt of 322 00:31:24.119 --> 00:31:27.200 his head, like I handed him something real in a 323 00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:34.039 world made of manipulation. Thanks, he murmurs seriously. We sit 324 00:31:34.119 --> 00:31:38.920 in silence for a moment, comfortable silence, the first we've 325 00:31:38.920 --> 00:31:43.079 had since they took us. Then I say, can't wait 326 00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:49.039 to see you in the morning. His eyes warm, Yeah, 327 00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:58.759 he says me too. The screen goes dark. Morning arrives 328 00:31:58.799 --> 00:32:04.799 without warning, noah, alarm, no clock, just light, warm, natural, 329 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:08.079 seeming filtered through a projection that mimics sunlight so well 330 00:32:08.119 --> 00:32:12.359 it makes my chest ache. The door to my room opens. 331 00:32:13.319 --> 00:32:18.799 Two bots flank the entry. One gestures follow for morning reintegration. 332 00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:23.599 I'm too tired to argue, too wired not to obey. 333 00:32:24.599 --> 00:32:28.599 They lead me through a corridor I don't recognize, quieter 334 00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:35.039 than yesterday, walls pulsing with subtle lavender hues. And then 335 00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:43.440 the garden, a dome, a fake sky, birds chirping in 336 00:32:43.559 --> 00:32:47.240 surround sound, trees that look like they were hands selected 337 00:32:47.279 --> 00:32:52.519 from a resort sim everything is perfect. Quade's already there, 338 00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:57.079 seated on a blanket, back against a curved tree, trunk, 339 00:32:57.799 --> 00:33:00.759 arms behind his head, like he's pretending this is just 340 00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:05.640 a vacation. He looks up and his whole face changes 341 00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:12.680 that grin. It's not sarcastic this time, it's relief. I 342 00:33:12.759 --> 00:33:16.400 walk over and sit beside him. The blankets too soft, 343 00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:20.519 the air's too clean. But for a moment, I forget 344 00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:24.240 to care. The bots place a tray in front of us, 345 00:33:24.759 --> 00:33:34.319 nutrient rich food, steaming, aromatic, actual texture, a caraffe of 346 00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:40.519 some carbonated herbal drink, even a fruit tart. I blink 347 00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:45.599 at it. Wade raises a brow. They feeding us like royalty. 348 00:33:45.640 --> 00:33:52.240 Now I shrug. We're valuable tools, need fuel. We eat 349 00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:59.359 slowly at first, then greedily. Our systems have been running 350 00:33:59.400 --> 00:34:03.920 on gray cubes and memory. This is the closest thing 351 00:34:03.960 --> 00:34:07.200 to pleasure we've had that didn't come with a price. 352 00:34:08.360 --> 00:34:12.440 We lay back on the blanket, heads tilted toward the 353 00:34:12.559 --> 00:34:19.960 artificial sun. I can't help but sigh. His hand finds mine, fingertips, brushing, 354 00:34:20.519 --> 00:34:26.760 casual comforting. A bot approaches neutral as ever, you are 355 00:34:26.840 --> 00:34:32.280 permitted to engage in intimacy. Surveillance is active, but not broadcasted. 356 00:34:32.840 --> 00:34:37.000 Feel free to initiate sexual contact at any time. We 357 00:34:37.159 --> 00:34:42.079 blink at it, then look at each other and laugh, 358 00:34:43.280 --> 00:34:47.840 not because it's funny, but because if we don't, we 359 00:34:47.960 --> 00:34:55.039 might start screaming. Quaid nudges my shoulder. Feel free, Nova, 360 00:34:55.519 --> 00:35:00.679 I roll my eyes in your dreams. Mercer grins. But 361 00:35:00.760 --> 00:35:05.159 it fades slower. This time. There's something warm beneath it, 362 00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:12.519 something real. Orientation comes next, or led to the same cold, 363 00:35:12.599 --> 00:35:16.360 white room, the one that wreaked of power plays and 364 00:35:16.440 --> 00:35:24.159 synthetic control. A new bot weights smaller, almost delicate, silver trimmed, 365 00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:29.119 and gentle voiced. Uniforms are presented gray and black, tight 366 00:35:29.239 --> 00:35:33.360 enough to remind you you're being watched. Functional enough to work, 367 00:35:34.280 --> 00:35:37.280 flexible enough to bend over a console or a bed. 368 00:35:38.159 --> 00:35:43.159 You have been assigned your duties, it says Nova Thorn 369 00:35:43.639 --> 00:35:53.840 System's Access Quade Mercer Physical Support Orientation complete. Then the 370 00:35:53.840 --> 00:36:00.119 bot continues. Pleasure protocol is optional. However, if declined repeated, 371 00:36:00.679 --> 00:36:05.800 your living quarters may be adjusted accordingly. This includes downgraded 372 00:36:05.800 --> 00:36:11.440 accommodations and the revocation of shared quarters. A polite way 373 00:36:11.480 --> 00:36:15.840 of saying, comply or get uncomfortable. I glance at Quaid. 374 00:36:16.360 --> 00:36:22.320 He doesn't react, doesn't flinch, just nods. Once the bot continues, 375 00:36:22.840 --> 00:36:26.920 you may select a leisure zone until dinner. We choose 376 00:36:26.920 --> 00:36:31.920 a view sim a projected waterfall on some lush off 377 00:36:31.960 --> 00:36:37.079 world jungle. We sit side by side in the fake grass, 378 00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:43.119 not talking much, just being. It's the only control we've 379 00:36:43.159 --> 00:36:48.599 had all day. And then dinner not as indulgent as lunch. 380 00:36:48.920 --> 00:36:55.360 Functional quiet a signal. The lights shift to a soft 381 00:36:55.440 --> 00:37:00.719 gold the bot's return. Please confirm your participation into night's 382 00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:06.360 pleasure review. We look at each other, We gnad. Then 383 00:37:06.400 --> 00:37:11.159 they take us separately again and brought into a white 384 00:37:11.239 --> 00:37:14.920 room with smooth edges and no mirrors. My clothes are 385 00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:20.400 removed gently, like I'm too precious to strip by force. 386 00:37:21.599 --> 00:37:26.679 The air grows warm, then wet. A synthetic fog starts 387 00:37:26.679 --> 00:37:30.400 to pour in from vents near the floor, thick, sweet, 388 00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:35.719 humming with something chemical. My heart rate spikes, my skin tingles. 389 00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:44.960 The voice returns, you have been administered S nineteen experimental psychoaphrodisiac. 390 00:37:45.880 --> 00:37:51.440 My knees buckle slightly, not from pain, from want. I 391 00:37:51.480 --> 00:37:58.159 wonder if Quade's feeling it too, Wonder if he's out there, naked, high, needy, 392 00:37:58.360 --> 00:38:05.280 just like me, and the fog thickens. I'm guided hands 393 00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:09.480 I don't see, guiding me forward. And when the door's open, 394 00:38:09.920 --> 00:38:14.880 he's there, not dressed, not composed, not quayed, the smartass 395 00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:19.320 with the steel jaw and easy grin, just him, naked, 396 00:38:20.039 --> 00:38:25.760 vulnerable and wrecked. His skin is flushed, his chest rising 397 00:38:25.800 --> 00:38:30.440 and falling too fast, his pupils blown wide. He sways 398 00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:34.719 slightly where he stands, like gravity's heavier than it should be, 399 00:38:34.760 --> 00:38:38.920 And when he sees me, his whole body tenses a 400 00:38:38.960 --> 00:38:45.880 flicker of something behind his eyes, recognition, relief, and beneath it, hunger, 401 00:38:46.880 --> 00:38:52.280