Sonata

=><= <img alt="cover" src="images/reg/cover.png"/> #SONATA *An Interactive Narrative* By: GlossandGlamour Version: 0.3a Got questions, feedback, or bugs to report? The author is best found on the Torean Discord, by (link: "clicking here.")[(goto-url: 'https://discord.gg/Y9TPgZg')] (colour: orange)[The tip-jar Patreon for all my games can be found by] (link: "clicking here.")[(goto-url: 'https://www.patreon.com/GlossandGlamour')] Like the game? My database of games can be found by (link: "clicking here.")[(goto-url: 'https://iconoclast.neocities.org/')] ========== [[Start->InitPage]] ========== [[Load->LoadPage]] ==========

<img alt="turntable" src="images/reg/turntable.gif"/> *In silence there is cruelty.* It was happening as it always did, before deployment. The bastion was at full alert, hundreds of people running about, preparing and double-checking, drawing out plans and outlining contingencies. Forward deployment of secondary units, flyover scans of likely engagement zones, evacuating civilians. So much-- and they excluded you from all of it. All they needed from you, all you were capable of after the initial neural flashing, was isolation. So you sat in your cell, hearing it all fade away, replaced by a quiet so cruel and complete it never failed to terrify. It wouldn't be long now. (set: $ArouHide to true)(set: $Arou to 5)(set: $ArmorHide to true)(set: $Armor to 3)(set: $StaminaHide to true)(set: $Stamina to 3)(set: $Suited to false)(set: $SaveName to "None")(set: $MoneyHide to true)(set: $Money to 0)(set: $Artemis to "(color: blue)[Artemis]")(set: $Handler to "(color: blue)[Handler]")(set: $Leashed to false)(set: $Gagged to false)(set: $Blindfold to false)(set: $Strike to 0)(set: $Strike2 to 0)(set: $Zero to "(color: cyan)[00]")(set: $Two to "(color: red)[02]")(set: $Five to "(color: red + white)[05]")(set: $SubCheck1 to 0)(set: $SubCheck2 to 0)(set: $SubCheck3 to 0)(set: $A0 to "(color: cyan)[Aria-00]")(set: $A2 to "(color: red)[Aria-02]")(set: $Con to 0)(set: $Obe to 0)(set: $Shocker to 0) [[You blink.->Intro1]]

(append: ?SideBar)[\ ========== (font: "Courier New")[Wetware (color: cyan)[00] Monitoring (if: $ArouHide is false)[(border: "solid")+(corner-radius:3)[San: { (if: $Arou is 0)[(color: red + white)[☒ ☒ ☒ ☒ ☒]] (if: $Arou is 1)[(color: yellow)[☐](color: red + white)[ ☒ ☒ ☒ ☒]] (if: $Arou is 2)[(color: yellow)[☐ ☐](color: red + white)[ ☒ ☒ ☒]] (if: $Arou is 3)[(color: yellow)[☐ ☐ ☐](color: red + white)[ ☒ ☒]] (if: $Arou is 4)[(color: yellow)[☐ ☐ ☐ ☐](color: red + white)[ ☒]] (if: $Arou is 5)[(color: yellow)[☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐]]}]] (if: $ArmorHide is false)[(if: $Suited is true)[(border: "solid")+(corner-radius:3)[Armor: { (if: $Armor is 0)[(color: blue)[☒ ☒ ☒]] (if: $Armor is 1)[(color: grey)[☐](color: red)[ ☒ ☒]] (if: $Armor is 2)[(color: grey)[☐ ☐](color: red)[ ☒]] (if: $Armor is 3)[(color: grey)[☐ ☐ ☐]]}]](else:)[Armor: (color: grey)[Unarmored]]] (if: $StaminaHide is false)[(border: "solid")+(corner-radius:3)[Stam: { (if: $Stamina is 0)[(color: blue)[☒ ☒ ☒]] (if: $Stamina is 1)[(color: green)[☐](color: blue)[ ☒ ☒]] (if: $Stamina is 2)[(color: green)[☐ ☐](color: blue)[ ☒]] (if: $Stamina is 3)[(color: green)[☐ ☐ ☐]]}]] (if: $MoneyHide is false)[Cash: (color: green)[$$Money]] --- (if: $Leashed is true)[Leashed] (if: $Blindfold is true)[Blinded] (if: $Gagged is true)[Gagged] (if: $Suited is true)[(color: red)[Installed]] --- [[Save Game->SavePage]] [[Restart/Load->RestartPage]] {(if: $Arou < 0)[(set: $Arou to 0)] (if: $Armor < 0)[(set: $Armor to 0)] (if: $Stamina < 0)[(set: $Stamina to 0)]} ]]

--------------------- Save or Load Your Game! --------------------- Once you Save your game, or if you are loading a game, use the link below to return to your last spot. --------------------- **Current Save Loaded:** (print: $SaveName) **Save Slot Status:** Save Slot A: (if: (saved-games:) contains "file A")[Slot Filled](else:)[*Empty Slot*] Save Slot B: (if: (saved-games:) contains "file B")[Slot Filled](else:)[*Empty Slot*] Save Slot C: (if: (saved-games:) contains "file C")[Slot Filled](else:)[*Empty Slot*] Save Slot D: (if: (saved-games:) contains "file D")[Slot Filled](else:)[*Empty Slot*] Save Slot E: (if: (saved-games:) contains "file E")[Slot Filled](else:)[*Empty Slot*] Save Slot F: (if: (saved-games:) contains "file F")[Slot Filled](else:)[*Empty Slot*] {(link: "((Save your game in Slot A))")[ (if: (save-game: "file A"))[Game saved in Slot A!] (else:)[Sorry, I couldn't save your game in Slot A.] ]} {(link: "((Save your game in Slot B))")[ (if: (save-game: "file B"))[Game saved in Slot B!] (else:)[Sorry, I couldn't save your game in Slot B.] ]} {(link: "((Save your game in Slot C))")[ (if: (save-game: "file C"))[Game saved in Slot C!] (else:)[Sorry, I couldn't save your game in Slot C.] ]} {(link: "((Save your game in Slot D))")[ (if: (save-game: "file D"))[Game saved in Slot D!] (else:)[Sorry, I couldn't save your game in Slot D.] ]} {(link: "((Save your game in Slot E))")[ (if: (save-game: "file E"))[Game saved in Slot E!] (else:)[Sorry, I couldn't save your game in Slot E.] ]} {(link: "((Save your game in Slot F))")[ (if: (save-game: "file F"))[Game saved in Slot F!] (else:)[Sorry, I couldn't save your game in Slot F.] ]} --------------------- (link: "Return to the Game!")[(go-to: (history:)'s last)]

By selecting to restart *Sonata*, all unsaved progress will be wiped clean. Please make sure to save your file if so desired before choosing to restart. If you do not wish to restart/load at this time, simply utilize the game's back arrow to return to wherever you were. Restarting will also clear the game and allow you to access the loading page at the start. (link: "RETURN TO START")[(reload:)]

(set: $HealthHide to false)(set: $ArmorHide to false)(set: $StaminaHide to false) [[Test3]]

(set: $Armor to 2)(set: $Suited to true)(set: $Health to 1)(set: $Stamina to 2)

It was hard to focus, almost impossible, but you do. Training saw to that, years of repetition that broke through the static your mind was slipping into. You couldn't manage much like this, not without your (color: blue)[Handler], but you had to keep yourself present. To drift entirely into the yawning maw of silence could undo you completely. So you forced yourself to blink again, shifting slightly, looking around. All you had to do was keep yourself here, until (color: blue)[she] came for you. (set: $Strike to 0) [[Look around the room.->ExamRoom]] [[Look at the record player.->ExamRec]] [[Look down at yourself.->ExamSelf]]

<img alt="cell" src="images/set/cell.png"/> The isolation cell was small, not intended for habitation-- merely containing you between mental flashing and deployment. Usually that meant perhaps an hour of confinement, but occasionally circumstances stretched things much longer. Either way, there was no handle on this side of the door-- you could not leave until retrieved. The imprint of that sealed door was obvious, but around it a series of rectangular blocks formed the padded walls, floor, and ceiling of the rest of the cell. Constructed from shiny grey material, the only break in the padding came from the window before which you sat. It let in light, tinted blue and seemingly natural, but you knew better. It looked out into the hotlab used to prepare wetware, though the glass was one-way-- anyone could look in, but you could only see the vaguest of blurry shapes. Beyond that, there was only the record player atop a shelf that jutted from the wall, and the raised block of padding you sat upon. Altogether? Austere. Calming. Utterly frustrating. (set: $Strike to it + 1) [[Look at the record player.->ExamRec]] [[Look down at yourself.->ExamSelf]] (if: $Strike > 2)[[[Finally, the silence breaks...->MeetHand]]]

<img alt="turntable" src="images/reg/turntable.gif"/> You turned your head slightly, glancing at the white record atop the white player, spinning silently. Or was it truly? When they had first put you in here, it had been loud enough to be bothersome, a discordant tune playing that rang in your head and seemed intent to shake your very bones. The technicians hadn't seemed bothered, but they weren't like you. But it had faded, not towards harmony, but into simple... nothingness. You could see the armature bumping along somewhere about halfway across the vinyl, it was still playing, but you simply couldn't hear it anymore. First the mental flash, then *this*. They called it attenuation. As soon as you could no longer hear it, that meant you were ready. (set: $Strike to it + 1) [[Look around the room.->ExamRoom]] [[Look down at yourself.->ExamSelf]] (if: $Strike > 2)[[[Finally, the silence breaks...->MeetHand]]]

<img alt="cellp1" src="images/player/cellp1.jpg"/> You look down at the glossy lines of your *wetsuit.* Each of your kind wore one, a skintight ensemble that ran from mid-throat to the tips of your toes, unbroken and fully sealed. It was slick to the touch, your wetsuit, semi-pliable and formed from a reflective material that caught the cell's blue-tinted light, sending it in waves down your tight body. Each wetsuit was unique, the design matched to the Instrument to which you were assigned. Yours is primarily white, offset by streaks of blue-black that formed dark marks along your flanks, beneath your arms, and on the heels of your boots. Several other points, notably the bangs that crossed your shoulders and at your hands stood out with a bright orange, while the text that was printed across your body in several places varied between the two. (color: orange)[WETWARE] across your chest. (color: cyan)[00] just below, different color but same font. (color: orange)[*Property of BDF8*] along your left collarbone, in small print. (color: cyan)[00] printed again, large across your right upper thigh, covering the entire front. (color: orange)[DANGER: WETWARE] across your back. Most of those you remembered, of course, from periods of wearing the uniform while more lucid. With a deployment so close, with your mental flash already applied, it could be difficult to read static text like that. Synced to your Instrument you could input a thousand lines a second, but stuck in that between state as you were now... everything was difficult. (set: $Strike to it + 1) [[Look around the room.->ExamRoom]] [[Look at the record player.->ExamRec]] (if: $Strike > 2)[[[Finally, the silence breaks...->MeetHand]]]

<img alt="cellp2" src="images/player/cellp2.png"/> A buzz, sharp and harsh, draws your attention upward-- to the indicator light just above the cell door. It flashed (color: blue)[blue], bright enough to cause you to wince, before a synthetic voice filled the padded cell. "(color: blue)[Wetware $Zero-- your mental baselines have been sufficiently suppressed. Deployment is imminent. Prepare for restraint variation one.]" You knew what that meant, what was expected of you. Humans could live a hundred years, if they were lucky. Shielded by the twin walls and fortifications the city manned around the clock, they pursued their dreams, built wonders, crafted artwork in a world gone mad. All the while protected by things like *you.* Wetware. You are nineteen, fully commissioned and registered as Wetware for about a year now. If not lost in combat you would be operational for perhaps a decade-- at most-- followed by decomissioning and retirement, and few left their Instruments behind with minds intact. Your training had been long, arduous, and was still ongoing. But *restraint* was familiar to you. Your wetsuit provided for various configurations, variation one being the simplest. Arms back behind you, wrists together. All you had to do was comply. (set: $Strike to 0) [[Stand and take the demanded position.->Comply]] [[Remain seated. No!->Resist]]

You stood, the wedge heels of your suit's integrated footware pushing you up onto your toes. It took only a step to reach the center of the room, facing the door, where you slipped your gloved hands behind your back. As soon as they reached just the right position they snapped together, wrist-to-wrist, with a suddenness that took you almost by surprise. Mag-locks, one of several pairs scattered across you, intended for just this sort of use. The voice returned moments later. "(color: blue)[Wetware $Zero, kneel.]" [[Resist, remain standing.->Resist2]] [[Struggle against your wrist restraints.->Struggle]] [[Kneel.->Kneel]]

Stubbornly, you remained where you were. It was hard to determine why, through the static of your mind. Were you tired? No, that didn't seem right. Embarrassed? They had worked to ensure you did not feel that much. Angry? Angry at being treated like this, of being mere *wetware* of being subjected to all manner of-- *The pain overtook you suddenly, sharp and pure.* With your wetsuit as tight as it was, it was hard to tell where it came from exactly, but that only made the sensation all the more consuming. It **hurt**, arcing through your synapses as readily as it coursed through your nerves, leaving you panting and quivering. "(color: blue)[Your purpose is to obey, $Zero.]" Of course it was. You *knew* that, as you scrambled to your feet. You did not want to get shocked again. (set: $Strike to it + 1)(set: $Sub to it + 1)(set: $Shocker to it + 1) [[Take the position.->Comply]]

Despite your training, you defied the voice. (if: $Strike is 1)[For the second time you resisted, and paid for it immediately. This second shock is stronger than the first, the tensing of every muscle your wetsuit covered almost enough to nearly cut the strength of your legs out from underneath you. *Almost.* When it ceased, you still needed to make the effort, to comply and obey. "(color: blue)[Kneel.]"](else:)[Stubbornly, you remained where you were. It was hard to determine why, through the static of your mind. Were you tired? No, that didn't seem right. Embarrassed? They had worked to ensure you did not feel that much. Angry? Angry at being treated like this, of being mere *wetware* of being subjected to all manner of-- *The pain overtook you suddenly, sharp and pure.* With your wetsuit as tight as it was, it was hard to tell where it came from exactly, but that only made the sensation all the more consuming. It **hurt**, arcing through your synapses as readily as it coursed through your nerves, leaving you panting and quivering. "(color: blue)[Your purpose is to obey, $Zero.]" Of course it was. You *knew* that.] (set: $Strike to it + 1)(set: $Sub to it + 1)(set: $Shocker to it + 1) [[All you could do was obey.->Kneel]]

You tug at your wrists, trying to pull them apart, to free yourself from the restriction. They hold fast, with a mechanical precision that only underlined just how fruitless this effort would be. Yet it is not that realization that prompts you to change tact, but the *shock.* (if: $Strike is 1)[This second shock is stronger than the first, the tensing of every muscle your wetsuit covered almost enough to nearly cut the strength of your legs out from underneath you. *Almost.* When it ceased, you still needed to make the effort, to comply and obey. "(color: blue)[Focus, $Zero.]"](else:)[*The pain overtook you suddenly, sharp and pure.* With your wetsuit as tight as it was, it was hard to tell where it came from exactly, but that only made the sensation all the more consuming. It **hurt**, arcing through your synapses as readily as it coursed through your nerves, leaving you panting and quivering. "(color: blue)[Do not get distracted, $Zero.]" Of course it was. You *knew* that, as you scrambled to comply.] (set: $Strike to it + 1) [[Take the position, kneel.->Kneel]]

<img alt="kneel" src="images/player/kneel.png"/> With a certain mechanical grace, you knelt, one knee than the other finding the padded ground before you spread your legs slightly. With your arms locked behind your back, there was nothing else to do but look forward, with (color: red)[red] eyes that glowed softly in the gloom of your cell. Yet nothing happened. Minutes passed, and the door remained sealed, the voice having gone silent. *Silent.* That realization started to eat at you again as your eyes glanced to the record player, its ghostly tune lost to your ears. Isolation played such tricks with your suppressed mind. [[Remain still.->Still]] [[Test your bindings.->Struggle2]] [[Do literally anything else.->Resist3]]

You had been told to kneel, and that implied you were to wait, so you did. Years of training had made you compliant like that, at least when flashed and suited for action. You were to obey, and serve. That was your purpose. And yet, without anything else to focus on but the door ahead, you were locked in here with your own mind. Already suppressed, primed for syncing, it was susceptible to all sorts of bad things. Some of them mundane: thinking about what your classmates were doing at that moment, of the combat to come, of the mind-rending sync itself. Some of it more... disconcerting. Like that sound, at the edge of your mind, coming not from the record player, or anything else nearby. But it was there, almost... almost a tune. A Song... [[Blank your thoughts, obey.->Still3]] [[Focus on... that song.->HandlerConcern]] [[Test your bindings.->Struggle2]] [[Doing literally anything else.->Resist3]]

Boredom, or perhaps simply the desire to escape that terrible silence, saw your wrists pull at the magnetic bond that kept them together. By twisting your arms and bringing your hands around your side, you could almost get at them, perhaps slip them under your knees? (if: $Strike is 2)[That is how you earned your third shock in such a short time, the pain just as sharp and sudden as it had been before. This time the correction lingers however, words lost to your locked tongue as your body quivered, unable to escape the pain washing across your body. When the wave finally, mercifully, broke you gasp for air and fight back tears. Yet what could you do? They did not even need to be in the same room to punish you, and even before your arms had been bound you could not have removed the wetsuit. All you could do, all you could *ever* do, was submit.](else-if: $Strike is 1)[For the second time you resisted, and paid for it immediately. This second shock is stronger than the first, the tensing of every muscle your wetsuit covered almost enough to nearly cut the strength of your legs out from underneath you. *Almost.* When it ceased, you still needed to make the effort, to comply and obey. "(color: blue)[Still, $Zero.]" What else could you do? They did not even need to be in the same room to punish you, and even before your arms had been bound you could not have removed the wetsuit. All you could do, all you could *ever* do, was submit.](else:)[You were resisting. It was hard to determine why, through the static of your mind. Were you tired? No, that didn't seem right. Embarrassed? They had worked to ensure you did not feel that much. Angry? Angry at being treated like this, of being mere *wetware* of being subjected to all manner of-- *The pain overtook you suddenly, sharp and pure.* With your wetsuit as tight as it was, it was hard to tell where it came from exactly, but that only made the sensation all the more consuming. It **hurt**, arcing through your synapses as readily as it coursed through your nerves, leaving you panting and quivering. "(color: blue)[Your purpose is to obey, $Zero.]" What else could you do? They did not even need to be in the same room to punish you, and even before your arms had been bound you could not have removed the wetsuit. All you could do, all you could *ever* do, was submit.] (set: $Strike to it + 1)(set: $Shocker to it + 1) [[Remain still!->Still]]

You could not wait, like some toy in its box. Not if you had any dignity left, not if you were to escape this awful silence! You had to stand, or pull against your bindings, anything to break out! (if: $Strike is 2)[That is how you earned your third shock in such a short time, the pain just as sharp and sudden as it had been before. This time the correction lingers however, words lost to your locked tongue as your body quivered, unable to escape the pain washing across your body. When the wave finally, mercifully, broke you gasp for air and fight back tears. Yet what could you do? They did not even need to be in the same room to punish you, and even before your arms had been bound you could not have removed the wetsuit. All you could do, all you could *ever* do, was submit.](else-if: $Shock is 1)[For the second time you resisted, and paid for it immediately. This second shock is stronger than the first, the tensing of every muscle your wetsuit covered almost enough to nearly cut the strength of your legs out from underneath you. *Almost.* When it ceased, you still needed to make the effort, to comply and obey. "(color: blue)[Still, $Zero.]" What else could you do? They did not even need to be in the same room to punish you, and even before your arms had been bound you could not have removed the wetsuit. All you could do, all you could *ever* do, was submit.](else:)[You were resisting. It was hard to determine why, through the static of your mind. Were you tired? No, that didn't seem right. Embarrassed? They had worked to ensure you did not feel that much. Angry? Angry at being treated like this, of being mere *wetware* of being subjected to all manner of-- *The pain overtook you suddenly, sharp and pure.* With your wetsuit as tight as it was, it was hard to tell where it came from exactly, but that only made the sensation all the more consuming. It **hurt**, arcing through your synapses as readily as it coursed through your nerves, leaving you panting and quivering. "(color: blue)[Your purpose is to obey, $Zero.]" What else could you do? They did not even need to be in the same room to punish you, and even before your arms had been bound you could not have removed the wetsuit. All you could do, all you could *ever* do, was submit.] (set: $Strike to it + 1)(set: $Sub to it + 1)(set: $Shocker to it + 1) [[Remain still!->Still]]

<img alt="submission" src="images/player/submission.png"/> No! You had been warned about that song, again and again. It was of the enemy, the danger that loomed on the edge of the subconscious when flashed or synced. You were to ignore it, to force it out, to accept the absence of thought as a *good* thing. Anything was better than that song. And so you waited, for a time you could not determine, and passed at least this segment of the test. For the door was finally, blissfully, opening... [[She had arrived!->HandlerEnter]]

You had been warned about that song, again and again. on the edge of the subconscious when flashed or synced. You were to ignore it, to force it out, to accept the absence of thought as a *good* thing. Anything was better than that song. But... but it was so quiet, so silent, and that song... if you just listened to, found the tune, captured that (color: red)[harmony]... "(color: blue)[$Zero!]" <img alt="stand2" src="images/artemis/stand2.png"/> (color: blue)[She] entered your cell, her voice snapping you back to reality. Cloaked in a black trench coat over an equally dark leather jacket, she stood nearly six feet tall, and would have towered over you even if you had not been kneeling. As it was, the contrast between your docile, rubber-coated form against her own imperious stance could not have been more distinct. That was fitting, expected even. You are her wetware, after all, and she is your (color: blue)[Handler].\ "Focus on me, $Zero. Stay with me here." She had introduced herself as Artemis, and you thought of it as a name since being conscripted into the Wetware Program, over the past few years. As your assigned $Handler, she had overseen your training and development, the rigorous tests and neural adaptivity therapies that allowed you to sync with an Instrument. Yet a Handler's duties went further than that, and Artemis was every bit the prototypical example of her role-- she also managed your psychological monitoring, daily schedule, schooling, and every other component of your day-to-day life between missions. And of course there was your post-deployment aftercare... "(color: blue)[I think we are... yes, there you are.]" She spoke the language of your shared people with a distinct lilt, her tone and cadence imprinted on your mind in a way that saw every word burn brightly across your subconscious. The horrifying, encroaching silence you had been contending with since isolation dissolved away in a blink of the eye-- replaced by echoes of her voice, like ripples on a pond, each smooth, rounded wave so utterly soothing. "(color: blue)[Have you been a good girl since I flashed your mind?]" The procedure, done each and every time you were to deploy, was hard to remember. You remembered everything before, but from that point on your memories would be mostly static for about a day or so. Even now, this very moment, would likely slip away after awhile. (set: $Strike to it + 1) [["Y-Yes, Artemis."->YesAnswer]] [["N-No..."->NoAnswer]] [[Remain silent.->QuietAnswer]]

<img alt="stand2" src="images/artemis/stand2.png"/> (color: blue)[She] entered your cell. Cloaked in a black trench coat over an equally dark leather jacket, she stood nearly six feet tall, and would have towered over you even if you had not been kneeling. As it was, the contrast between your docile, rubber-coated form against her own imperious stance could not have been more distinct. That was fitting, expected even. You are her wetware, after all, and she is your (color: blue)[Handler]. She had introduced herself as Artemis, and you thought of it as a name since being conscripted into the Wetware Program, over the past few years. As your assigned $Handler, she had overseen your training and development, the rigorous tests and neural adaptivity therapies that allowed you to sync with an Instrument. Yet a Handler's duties went further than that, and Artemis was every bit the prototypical example of her role-- she also managed your psychological monitoring, daily schedule, schooling, and every other component of your day-to-day life between missions. And of course there was your post-deployment aftercare... "(color: blue)[Good evening, $Zero.]" She spoke the language of your shared people with a distinct lilt, her tone and cadence imprinted on your mind in a way that saw every word burn brightly across your subconscious. The horrifying, encroaching silence you had been contending with since isolation dissolved away in a blink of the eye-- replaced by echoes of her voice, like ripples on a pond, each smooth, rounded wave so utterly soothing. "(color: blue)[Have you been a good girl since I flashed your mind?]" The procedure, done each and every time you were to deploy, was hard to remember. You remembered everything before, but from that point on your memories would be mostly static for about a day or so. Even now, this very moment, would likely slip away after awhile. [["Y-Yes, Artemis."->YesAnswer]] [["N-No..."->NoAnswer]] [[Remain silent.->QuietAnswer]]

(if: $Strike is 0)[<img alt="smile" src="images/artemis/smile.png"/>](else:)[<img alt="lookdown2" src="images/artemis/lookdown2.png"/>] You stumbled over the words, the effort to form them considerable with your mind so recently flashed. You hated feeling so useless, and it would only get worse after deployment. They would put you in a jacket for your own safety, until the sync had faded, and-- (color: blue)[She] *touched* you, gently placing two fingers beneath your chin. By instinct, you looked up for her, meeting her dark gaze. (if: $Strike is 0)[(set: $Obe to it + 1)(color: blue)["You *have* been good. I was watching, commanding."] Of course. The voice you had heard, distorted by the mechanical transfer yet distinct enough to pierce the defenses of your mind nevertheless. (color: blue)["You were perfect. Docile, submissive, obedient. You allowed yourself to be bound, and you did not chase the song. This is good. Handlers often suggest that combative, resistant wetware performs better in combat-- but I will accept your reliable submission, if you continue to provide it.]"](else-if: $Strike > 2)[(set: $Con to it + 1)(color: blue)[You will not lie to me, $Zero. I was watching you, commanding.]" Of course. The voice you had heard, distorted by the mechanical transfer yet distinct enough to pierce the defenses of your mind nevertheless. "(color: blue)[You were resistant every step of the way, and sought the Song you have been forbidden from tempting. Shocking you is a good start, but I will need to consider other methods of correction for you. Nevertheless... Handlers often suggest that combative, resistant wetware performs better in combat-- we shall see how true that is.]"](else:)[(color: blue)[You will not lie to me, $Zero. I was watching you, commanding."] Of course. The voice you had heard, distorted by the mechanical transfer yet distinct enough to pierce the defenses of your mind nevertheless. "(color: blue)[You were not entirely good. Docile, submissive, obedient. But you also were not entirely resistant, or repeatedly seeking the Song from which you have been forbidden. Handlers often suggest that combative, resistant wetware performs better in combat-- but obedient ones are more reliable.We shall have to see how you do today before I draw further conclusions.]"] She smiled, just a bit. "(color: blue)[Your makeup is well done, nevertheless. Of that I can fully approve. You are a beautiful young example of the Wetware Program, and we must underline that fact.]" Her hand left your chin, shifting to your neck. Just above where your suit ended she slipped a finger in, feeling for something hidden beneath, tight against your throat. With your hands bound behind you, her efforts leave you feeling deeply vulnerable. [[Pull back, out of reach.->Resist4]] [[Remain still.->Still4]]

(if: $Strike is 0)[<img alt="smile" src="images/artemis/smile.png"/>](else:)[<img alt="lookdown2" src="images/artemis/lookdown2.png"/>] You stumbled over the words, the effort to form them considerable with your mind so recently flashed. You hated feeling so useless, and it would only get worse after deployment. They would put you in a jacket for your own safety, until the sync had faded, and-- (color: blue)[She] *touched* you, gently placing two fingers beneath your chin. By instinct, you looked up for her, meeting her dark gaze. (if: $Strike is 0)[(set: $Obe to it + 1)(color: blue)["You must not be too hard on yourself. You *have* been good. I was watching, commanding."] Of course. The voice you had heard, distorted by the mechanical transfer yet distinct enough to pierce the defenses of your mind nevertheless. (color: blue)["You were perfect. Docile, submissive, obedient. You allowed yourself to be bound, and you did not chase the song. This is good. Handlers often suggest that combative, resistant wetware performs better in combat-- but I will accept your reliable submission, if you continue to provide it.]"](else-if: $Strike > 2)[(set: $Con to it + 1)(color: blue)[At least you are truthful with me. I was watching you, commanding.]" Of course. The voice you had heard, distorted by the mechanical transfer yet distinct enough to pierce the defenses of your mind nevertheless. "(color: blue)[You were resistant every step of the way, and sought the Song you have been forbidden from tempting. Shocking you is a good start, but I will need to consider other methods of correction for you. Nevertheless... Handlers often suggest that combative, resistant wetware performs better in combat-- we shall see how true that is.]"](else:)[(color: blue)[At least you do not lie to me. I was watching you, commanding."] Of course. The voice you had heard, distorted by the mechanical transfer yet distinct enough to pierce the defenses of your mind nevertheless. "(color: blue)[You were not entirely good. Docile, submissive, obedient. But you also were not entirely resistant, or repeatedly seeking the Song from which you have been forbidden. Handlers often suggest that combative, resistant wetware performs better in combat-- but obedient ones are more reliable.We shall have to see how you do today before I draw further conclusions.]"] She smiled, just a bit. "(color: blue)[Your makeup is well done, nevertheless. Of that I can fully approve. You are a beautiful young example of the Wetware Program, and we must underline that fact.]" Her hand left your chin, shifting to your neck. Just above where your suit ended she slipped a finger in, feeling for something hidden beneath, tight against your throat. With your hands bound behind you, her efforts leave you feeling deeply vulnerable. [[Pull back, out of reach.->Resist4]] [[Remain still.->Still4]]

(if: $Strike is 0)[<img alt="smile" src="images/artemis/smile.png"/>](else:)[<img alt="lookdown2" src="images/artemis/lookdown2.png"/>] You could have stumbled over your words, stuttering, but instead you hold your tongue. You hated feeling so useless, and it would only get worse after deployment. They would put you in a jacket for your own safety, until the sync had faded, and-- (color: blue)[She] *touched* you, gently placing two fingers beneath your chin. By instinct, you looked up for her, meeting her dark gaze. (if: $Strike is 0)[(set: $Obe to it + 1)(color: blue)["You must not be too hard on yourself. You *have* been good. I was watching, commanding."] Of course. The voice you had heard, distorted by the mechanical transfer yet distinct enough to pierce the defenses of your mind nevertheless. (color: blue)["You were perfect. Docile, submissive, obedient. You allowed yourself to be bound, and you did not chase the song. This is good. Handlers often suggest that combative, resistant wetware performs better in combat-- but I will accept your reliable submission, if you continue to provide it.]"](else-if: $Strike > 2)[(set: $Con to it + 1)(color: blue)[I shall take that as silent contrition. I was watching you, commanding.]" Of course. The voice you had heard, distorted by the mechanical transfer yet distinct enough to pierce the defenses of your mind nevertheless. "(color: blue)[You were resistant every step of the way, and sought the Song you have been forbidden from tempting. Shocking you is a good start, but I will need to consider other methods of correction for you. Nevertheless... Handlers often suggest that combative, resistant wetware performs better in combat-- we shall see how true that is.]"](else:)[(color: blue)[I will take that as silent contrition. I was watching you, commanding."] Of course. The voice you had heard, distorted by the mechanical transfer yet distinct enough to pierce the defenses of your mind nevertheless. "(color: blue)[You were not entirely good. Docile, submissive, obedient. But you also were not entirely resistant, or repeatedly seeking the Song from which you have been forbidden. Handlers often suggest that combative, resistant wetware performs better in combat-- but obedient ones are more reliable.We shall have to see how you do today before I draw further conclusions.]"] She smiled, just a bit. "(color: blue)[Your makeup is well done, nevertheless. Of that I can fully approve. You are a beautiful young example of the Wetware Program, and we must underline that fact.]" Her hand left your chin, shifting to your neck. Just above where your suit ended she slipped a finger in, feeling for something hidden beneath, tight against your throat. With your hands bound behind you, her efforts leave you feeling deeply vulnerable. [[Pull back, out of reach.->Resist4]] [[Remain still.->Still4]]

<img alt="choker" src="images/gear/choker.jpg"/> At the first hint of movement on your part, she bent over further, placing her other hand firmly on your shoulder. Those dark eyes bored down on you. "(color: blue)[Do not test me further, $Zero. I almost-- ah, there.]" At her touch, the subtle glow of your eyes brightened slightly. She had made contact with the monitoring choker you wore at all times, even outside of the wetsuit. They had never explained all that it did, but you had examined it enough in the mirror to picture it-- a band of shimmering iridescence across which micro-circuitry was embedded. A small plate was bolted to the front, which read: =><= (color: purple)[WETWARE $Zero Property of BAA] <== It monitored your biometrics and location at all times, you knew that at least. And at your $Handler's touch it granted you access, syncing with your ocular improvements to project a small UI across your vision. (color: green)[Stamina Tracking Activated!] Nearly two dozen different programs updated and announced their runtimes starting, but it was only the Stamina Tracking that lingered, its rough approximation of your physical status a constant glow at the edge of your vision. "(color: blue)[Well slept and ready, good. Today's mission will be something of an endurance test. Escort duty. Expectations of direct combat are low, but I will give a full briefing once you're installed. Which is our next step.]" From inside her trenchcoat, $Artemis produced a length of silvery chain. "(color: blue)[Do you feel you need your leash, $Zero? Few take to a mind flash, after all.]" (set: $StaminaHide to false) [[Nod, and request the leash.->YesLeash]] [[Shake your head no, you don't need it.->NoLeash]] [["You would know best, Handler."->LetHandlerLeash]]

<img alt="choker" src="images/gear/choker.jpg"/> You embrace the vulnerability, allowing your $Handler to work unimpeded. That earns another slight smile. "(color: blue)[Good girl. I almost-- ah, there.]" At her touch, the subtle glow of your eyes brightened slightly. She had made contact with the monitoring choker you wore at all times, even outside of the wetsuit. They had never explained all that it did, but you had examined it enough in the mirror to picture it-- a band of shimmering iridescence across which micro-circuitry was embedded. A small plate was bolted to the front, which read: =><= (color: purple)[WETWARE $Zero Property of BAA] <== It monitored your biometrics and location at all times, you knew that at least. And at your $Handler's touch it granted you access, syncing with your ocular improvements to project a small UI across your vision. (color: green)[Stamina Tracking Activated!] Nearly two dozen different programs updated and announced their runtimes starting, but it was only the Stamina Tracking that lingered, its rough approximation of your physical status a constant glow at the edge of your vision. "(color: blue)[Well slept and ready, good. Today's mission will be something of an endurance test. Escort duty. Expectations of direct combat are low, but I will give a full briefing once you're installed. Which is our next step.]" From inside her trenchcoat, $Artemis produced a length of silvery chain. "(color: blue)[Do you feel you need your leash, $Zero? Few take to a mind flash, after all.]" (set: $StaminaHide to false) [[Nod, and request the leash.->YesLeash]] [[Shake your head no, you don't need it.->NoLeash]] [["You would know best, Handler."->LetHandlerLeash]]

Your wetsuit's neck portion was hardened more than most of the other components, and had a smooth metallic section intended for just such use. As soon as your $Handler pressed the end of the chain to it, the metal snapped into place, held by a strong magnet. "(color: blue)[It is good that you know your limits, $Zero. Or perhaps you simply like to be on your leash?]" She gave you no opportunity to answer, but tugged on it gently, an indication that you were to rise. Doing so took a bit of effort without your arms to provide balance but you manage, eager to leave the cell. (set: $Leashed to true)(set: $Obe to it + 1) [[And leave you do, out through the cell door.->LeaveCell]]

Your wetsuit's neck portion was hardened more than most of the other components, and had a smooth metallic section intended for a leash to be magnetically attached. With your refusal, however, she returns the length of chain to her coat. "(color: blue)[Let us see if that is the right decision, hmm? Stand.]" Complying took a bit of effort withour your arms to provide balance but you manage, eager to leave the cell. $Artemis lead the way. (set: $Con to it + 1) [[And leave you do, out through the cell door.->LeaveCell]]

$Artemis considered you for a moment. (set: $Obe to it + 1) "(if: $Strike > 1)[(color: blue)[You've been combative since the flash, I think it would be better to give you a bit of liberty... and see if you can handle it. A good challenge.]" Your wetsuit's neck portion was hardened more than most of the other components, and had a smooth metallic section intended for a leash to be magnetically attached. With her decision, however, $Artemis returns the length of chain to her coat. "(color: blue)[Let us see if that is the right decision, hmm? Stand.]" Complying took a bit of effort withour your arms to provide balance but you manage, eager to leave the cell. $Artemis lead the way. ](else:)[(color: blue)[You have been mostly docile today, and I think you would prefer your leash. Besides-- why tempt you with other possibilities?]" Your wetsuit's neck portion was hardened more than most of the other components, and had a smooth metallic section intended for just such use. As soon as your $Handler pressed the end of the chain to it, the metal snapped into place, held by a strong magnet. "(color: blue)[I would think you like being out in public on your leash, hmm?]" She gave you no opportunity to answer, but tugged on it gently, an indication that you were to rise. Doing so took a bit of effort without your arms to provide balance but you manage, eager to leave the cell.(set: $Leashed to true)] [[And leave you do, out through the cell door.->LeaveCell]]

<img alt="celloutside" src="images/set/celloutside.jpg"/> Outside of the isolation cells, you find yourself in a hallway even darker than the cell you had just left-- though that was likely intentional, given the one-way glass that looked into each of them. Four such cells are visible, though two do not have their lights on and look unused for the day, while the other-- $Two-- is already empty. (if: $Leashed is true)[Tugging you along on your leash,](else:)[Leading the way,] Artemis sets a brisk pace towards the elevator at the end of the hall. Stepping in, the entire chamber is bathed in a laser that runs from ceiling to floor in a quick motion. "(color: red)[Wetware $Zero Detected. Please confirm Handler escort.]" The mechanical voice goes unanswered verbally, but $Artemis was ready for that, producing a keycard which she ran through the slot intended for such things directly above the control console. "(color: red)[Handler confirmed. $Zero logged as in transit.]" The elevator hummed to life as soon as $Artemis punched in a destination, her arms crossing (if: $Leashed is true)[in a way that kept your leash taut](else:)[below her chest]. "(color: blue)[You will have difficult remembering, $Zero, but overstimulation is major concern for wetware such as yourself once neural flashed. Thus the isolation as you recovered enough for transport. I will need you to try and contain yourself, as we move through the labs. Can you do that?]" [["Of course I can."->OfCourseTransit]] [["Umm... I don't think so."->DontThinkTransit]]

<img alt="stand1" src="images/artemis/stand1.jpg"/> Your confidence is met with a chuckle from the taller woman. (if: $Leashed is true)["(color: blue)[Well, on leash... I can ensure you manage either way.]"](else:)["(color: blue)[Well, without a leash... I will intervene if necessary.]"] (set: $Con to it + 1) [[With a ding, the elevator opened.->Hall1]]

<img alt="stand1" src="images/artemis/stand1.jpg"/> Your lack of confidence is met with a (if: $Leashed is true)[slight pull on your leash, the strict hold somewhat reassuring. "(color: blue)[Well, on leash... I can ensure you manage either way.]"](else:)[chuckle from your $Handler. "(color: blue)[Well, without a leash... I will intervene if necessary.]"] (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[With a ding, the elevator opened.->Hall1]]

<img alt="dresslab" src="images/set/dresslab.jpg"/> As you step out of the elevator, you're struck with on simple thought: **people!** It is a bit difficult, but you remember this place, having spent a period of time here after your mental flash. Yes-- the clean room at the center of the space currently occupied by three men scrubbing the space down with microcleanser was where you had been suited up inside your wetsuit. Had you been... naked, in front of all these scientists? More milled around the edges, working on computers or various other apparent projects. They each wore sterile looking science garb, which made $Artemis' trenchcoat and leather jacket stand out readily... not to mention your wetsuit, intensely skin-tight and so glossy it reflected a dozen different light sources across your feminine curves. Your passage certainly turned heads, the quiet conversations that had been ongoing cutting off, the subtle squeak of chairs twisting to look your way. These people *knew* you, they *knew* what you were, and yet... you were dressed as you were, arms bound, (if: $Leashed is true)[and being led on a leash! It was just... too much to take in, too much to process, to have gone from the silent isolation of your cell to all this attention, and people, and... and... (color: red)[Stamina -1!] (set: $Stamina to it - 1)](else:)[and could only follow along! At least you weren't on a leash, if you had been you suspect it would have been all too much in that moment. As it was, you steadied yourself, taking a deep breath and continuing onward.] You had to keep cool, stay focused! [[Keep your eyes down as you walk.->EyesDown]] [[Just follow your Handler...->FollowHandOnly]] [[Try looking up, counting the lights!->EyesUp]]

<img alt="submission" src="images/player/submission.png"/> Everything was just so... overwhelming. Naturally your eyes drifted downward, long lashes fluttering as you focused upon the floor, the glossy sight of your own feet down below occupying your attention. For a moment it seemed to work, it was simpler this way, until (if: $Leashed is true)[your leash suddenly went taut, pulling you to the side. Looking up sharply, you found $Artemis had maneuvered around a lab station sticking out a bit further than the others. Unable to see it, you had nearby bumped into it, drawing more attention to yourself. More eyes, more focus on your restrained hands, on your suit and curves and...](else:)[you bumped directly into a lab station that stuck out slightly further than the others, sending several testubes clattering as your eyes snapped up. $Artemis had rounded the obstruction, but with your eyes on the floor, now *everyone* was looking at you. More eyes, more focus on your restrained arms, on your suit and curves and...] (color: red)[Stamina -1](set: $Stamina to it - 1) This was just so hard! You almost wanted to go back to your quiet cell, to be alone and safe, but (if: $Leashed is true)[that leash](else:)[your Handler] pulled you ever onward. Together you exited into a hallway, a thoroughfare through which further lab personnel moved, along with support staff of all sorts. So many people and colors and words you struggled to read... Perhaps it would be best to focus on one thing? [[Focus on the people.->FocusPeople]] [[Focus on the colors.->FocusColors]] [[Focus on the words.->FocusWords]] (if: $Stamina is 1)[[["Ma'am, I'm feeling very... very overwhelmed."->AskBlind]]]

<img alt="stand2" src="images/artemis/stand2.png"/> Everything was just so... overwhelming. Yet if you focused on the floor you were going to bump into something, and if you focused on the lights your improved eyes would soon be mesmerized by overawing light sensitivity. You felt awash in a sea of sensations, and finally found yourself focusing on the one constant... $Artemis. Your $Handler passed through the lab so easily, without any apparent concern, her every step commanding and confident. (if: $Leashed is true)[Following her was easier with your leash, the line of silver chain linking you to her hand soothing in its assuredness.](else:)[You might have been restrained, but she was there, so close.] The anxiety and sense of overstimulation seemed to dissolve, at least for the moment, as your focused entirely on her back. This was just so hard! You almost wanted to go back to your quiet cell, to be alone and safe, but (if: $Leashed is true)[that leash](else:)[your Handler] pulled you ever onward. Together you exited into a hallway, a thoroughfare through which further lab personnel moved, along with support staff of all sorts. So many people and colors and words you struggled to read... Perhaps it would be best to focus on one thing? [[Focus on the people.->FocusPeople]] [[Focus on the colors.->FocusColors]] [[Focus on the words.->FocusWords]] (if: $Stamina is 1)[[["Ma'am, I'm feeling very... very overwhelmed."->AskBlind]]]

<img alt="eyesup" src="images/player/eyesup.png"/> Everything was just so... overwhelming. With effort your eyes drifted upward, long lashes fluttering as you focused upon the lights set into the ceiling. Row after row after row... a *bad* decision. Your altered eyes were naturally light sensitive, bothersome normally, but greatly more so after a mind flash. Colors were brighter, lights were brighter, your addled mind swam from the repetitive passing of each overhead. Light after light, casting their harsh glow upon you, sending waves of reflected light across your tight suit, mesmerizing and maddening and... *ugh.* (color: red)[Stamina -1](set: $Stamina to it - 1) And then (if: $Leashed is true)[your leash suddenly went taut, pulling you to the side. Looking up sharply, you found $Artemis had maneuvered around a lab station sticking out a bit further than the others. Unable to see it, you had nearby bumped into it, drawing more attention to yourself. More eyes, more focus on your restrained hands, on your suit and curves and...](else:)[you bumped directly into a lab station that stuck out slightly further than the others, sending several testubes clattering as your eyes snapped up. $Artemis had rounded the obstruction, but with your eyes on the floor, now *everyone* was looking at you. More eyes, more focus on your restrained arms, on your suit and curves and...] This was just so hard! You almost wanted to go back to your quiet cell, to be alone and safe, but (if: $Leashed is true)[that leash](else:)[your Handler] pulled you ever onward. Together you exited into a hallway, a thoroughfare through which further lab personnel moved, along with support staff of all sorts. So many people and colors and words you struggled to read... Perhaps it would be best to focus on one thing? [[Focus on the people.->FocusPeople]] [[Focus on the colors.->FocusColors]] [[Focus on the words.->FocusWords]] (if: $Stamina is 1)[[["Ma'am, I'm feeling very... very overwhelmed."->AskBlind]]]

<img alt="labhall" src="images/set/labhall.jpg"/> Each bastion facility had a laboratory complex at its core, a honeycomb of research facilities, Instrument bays, and of course those areas dedicated to managing wetware like yourself. Your people were on the defensive against the Song and its threatening harmony, and you were part of the shield. With enough time however, the humans you protected hoped for their other sciences to be the sword that eventually broke the enemy's back. And that meant people, dozens of them, moving between their posts and duties. Technicians in their clean suits, technicians in lab wear, custodians and menials in uniform-like jumpsuits. Your red eyes took them all in, bouncing here then there, shivering slightly as you felt yourself overwhelmed. A mind flash made you terribly susceptible to being overstimulated, and all those faces and people and lives and stories you glimpsed did just that-- not to mention their attention returned back at you, to your tight suit and bound arms. (color: red)[Stamina -1](set: $Stamina to it - 1) (if: $Stamina is 0)[(color: red)[STAMINA DEPLETED] You just couldn't take it. The leash, the restraints, the people and lights and colors and labs and hallways and words and... and... (color: blue)[She] was there before you even knew you had stopped, before your overwhelmed mind had fully processed what was happening. Tall and all in black, her arm was on her shoulder and she was bending down. [[Your Handler was here to help.->ForceBlind]]](else:)[A bad choice, and one your fragile psych paid for in the moment. But you knew you were almost there, to the Instrument Bays themselves. You could smell the solvent in the air, the giant contamination bays within which each great machine rested. It would be close now. All you had to do was **focus!** But on what? [[Focus on the Instrument itself...->FocusInstru]] [[Focus on the Instrument technicians...->FocusTech]] [[Focus on the Contamination Pools...->FocusContam]] (if: $Stamina is 1)[[["Ma'am, I'm feeling very... very overwhelmed."->AskBlind]]]]

<img alt="labhall" src="images/set/labhall.jpg"/> Each bastion facility had a laboratory complex at its core, a honeycomb of research facilities, Instrument bays, and of course those areas dedicated to managing wetware like yourself. Your people were on the defensive against the Song and its threatening harmony, and you were part of the shield. With enough time however, the humans you protected hoped for their other sciences to be the sword that eventually broke the enemy's back. And yet that shield, in that moment, was being defeated by mere *colors.* Your red eyes took them all in, bouncing here then there, shivering slightly as you felt yourself overwhelmed. A mind flash made you terribly susceptible to being overstimulated, and all these people, and signs, and neon lights, they were doing just that to you-- not to mention eyes you found focused back at you, to your tight suit and bound arms. (color: red)[Stamina -1](set: $Stamina to it - 1) (if: $Stamina is 0)[(color: red)[STAMINA DEPLETED] You just couldn't take it. The leash, the restraints, the people and lights and colors and labs and hallways and words and... and... (color: blue)[She] was there before you even knew you had stopped, before your overwhelmed mind had fully processed what was happening. Tall and all in black, her arm was on her shoulder and she was bending down. [[Your Handler was here to help.->ForceBlind]]](else:)[A bad choice, and one your fragile psych paid for in the moment. But you knew you were almost there, to the Instrument Bays themselves. You could smell the solvent in the air, the giant contamination bays within which each great machine rested. It would be close now. All you had to do was **focus!** But on what? [[Focus on the Instrument itself...->FocusInstru]] [[Focus on the Instrument technicians...->FocusTech]] [[Focus on the Contamination Pools...->FocusContam]] (if: $Stamina is 1)[[["Ma'am, I'm feeling very... very overwhelmed."->AskBlind]]]]

<img alt="labhall" src="images/set/labhall.jpg"/> Each bastion facility had a laboratory complex at its core, a honeycomb of research facilities, Instrument bays, and of course those areas dedicated to managing wetware like yourself. Your people were on the defensive against the Song and its threatening harmony, and you were part of the shield. With enough time however, the humans you protected hoped for their other sciences to be the sword that eventually broke the enemy's back. Yet that shield was terribly fragile at that moment. A mind flash made you susceptible to being overstimulated, and all these people, and signs, and neon lights, they threatened to do just that. Yet you focused, drawing your attention down to something manageable. *Words.* Signs of all sorts abounded along the hall, and while the flash had made managing written letters difficult, you could pick out numbers and at the very least patterns. That was... strangely comforting. Once installed, *everything* would be numbers. Numbers and data and a fight for your life. But at least for now, in that brief moment, you could take it. The leash, the restraints, the people and lights and colors and labs and hallways and words and... and... You were almost there, to the Instrument Bays themselves. You could smell the solvent in the air, the giant contamination bays within which each great machine rested. It would be close now. All you had to do was **focus!** But on what? [[Focus on the Instrument itself...->FocusInstru]] [[Focus on the Instrument technicians...->FocusTech]] [[Focus on the Contamination Pools...->FocusContam]] (if: $Stamina is 1)[[["Ma'am, I'm feeling very... very overwhelmed."->AskBlind]]]

<img alt="lookdown2" src="images/artemis/lookdown2.png"/> $Artemis halted, (if: $Leashed is true)[your leash going mercifully slack.](else:)[turning sharply to face you.] She loomed from above, her lips pursing slightly as she looked you over, performing a quick coherence field test that involved snapping her fingers and watching how your gaze shifted to follow. "(color: blue)[Very astute, $Zero. I would have intervened shortly had you not spoken up, but we shall not wait for your condition to deteriorate. Let us make the effort to assuage you.]" Once again she reached into her coat, its great length capable of holding all manner of secrets. This particular one proves to be a shaped strip of heavy material, of the same sort as your suit, an orange band connecting to each side. You were not asked to consent to its application of course, your $Handler had determined it necessary, and your compliance was merely expected. Slipping the device over your head, she aligned the thick, rounded portion over your eyes. In an instant your vision was gone, replaced by a blackness that tightened as she fixed the strap around your head. A blindfold, one you could not remove easily given your bound arms. Not only were you suited and restrained, now there was this... and you still had some walking to do. (if: $Leashed is true)[Luckily you were already leashed.](else:)[The sensation of a chain snapping to your suit's throat magnet, the leash she had offered before, explained how you would be directed.] (set: $Leashed to true)(set: $Blindfold to true)(set: $SubCheck2 to 1) "(color: blue)[There,]" she murmured. "(color: blue)[Better?]" <img alt="blindfold" src="images/gear/blindfold.png"/> [["No, I didn't want this!"->AngryBlind]] [["I can't be in public like this!"->AngryBlind]] [["Yes ma'am..."->AcceptBlind]]

<img alt="lookdown2" src="images/artemis/lookdown2.png"/> $Artemis loomed above you, her lips pursing slightly even as her free arm dipped into her coat. It's great length was capable of holding all manner of secrets, and this particular one proved to be a shaped strip of heavy material, the same sort which constituted your suit. An orange band connected each side. You were not asked to consent to its application of course, your $Handler had determined it necessary, and your compliance was merely expected. Slipping the device over your head, she aligned the thick, rounded portion over your eyes. In an instant your vision was gone, replaced by a blackness that tightened as she fixed the strap around your head. A blindfold, one you could not remove easily given your bound arms. Not only were you suited and restrained, now there was this... and you still had some walking to do. (if: $Leashed is true)[Luckily you were already leashed.](else:)[The sensation of a chain snapping to your suit's throat magnet, the leash she had offered before, explained how you would be directed.] (set: $Leashed to true)(set: $Blindfold to true))(set: $SubCheck2 to 2) "(color: blue)[There,]" she murmured. "(color: blue)[Better?]" <img alt="blindfold" src="images/gear/blindfold.png"/> You felt... exhausted, but the very real danger of passing out had passed. That you needed this sort of "help" just to walk across the facility said something about you, at least in your current state, that was harder to come to terms with. [["No, I didn't want this!"->AngryBlind]] [["I can't be in public like this!"->AngryBlind]] [["Yes ma'am..."->AcceptBlind]]

<img alt="contambay" src="images/set/contambay.png"/> Passing through a reinforced doorway, you entered into a cavernous hanger of sorts, stretching so far into the distance the great machine furthest away almost looked *small.* And how could that be? Each **Instrument** stood about 250 feet tall, testaments to human steadfastness even as they stared into the face of extermination. A bastion complex could generally support four at the very most, but only three were present currently, each kneeling chest deep in decontamination fluid of neon blue color. Sterile white gangways crisscrossed the massive pools, providing access for support staff, for Bay technicians, and of course... yourself. You found yourself focusing on the technicians, the men and women who could be seen bustling over the Units submerged in the contamination bays-- and sometimes even entering themselves, thick wading overalls providing protection for simple excursions, while full diving suits served those who had to dive in fully. They maintained your Instrument, and yet... and yet you found your mind scrambling for purchase as you considered their lives. They fixed and monitored the very purpose of your life, yet you were so different... so... human. None of them would know what it felt like to have your mind flashed, to be emptied of thought and intent to make syncing with an Instrument easier. To become one with a machine and then go even further, to become the machine itself, your mind rewired on the fly to maintain control over a 250 tall body. (color: red)[Stamina -1](set: $Stamina to it - 1) (if: $Stamina is 0)[(color: red)[STAMINA DEPLETED] You just couldn't take it. Why were you so different, why was your life so hard, why weren't you *human* to them? You felt yourself hyperventilating, your vision blurring as you stopped along the gangway. (color: blue)[She] was there before you even knew you had stopped, before your overwhelmed mind had fully processed what was happening. Tall and all in black, her arm was on her shoulder and she was bending down. [[Your Handler was here to help.->ForceBlind]]](else:)[But you were too close to fail now. You were here, your Unit approached. Since leaving your cell you had undergone a short gauntlet of stimulation and anxiety, but here... before your assigned Instrument, you finally felt at ease. All you had to do was look up at that great metallic machine to know your place and purpose, to understand why you had to undergo such strict training, frequent mind flashes, careful contamination protocols. All of it was to be one with those machines... [[Finally, peace.->WinTest]]]

<img alt="contambay" src="images/set/contambay.png"/> Passing through a reinforced doorway, you entered into a cavernous hanger of sorts, stretching so far into the distance the great machine furthest away almost looked *small.* And how could that be? Each **Instrument** stood about 250 feet tall, testaments to human steadfastness even as they stared into the face of extermination. A bastion complex could generally support four at the very most, but only three were present currently, each kneeling chest deep in decontamination fluid of neon blue color. Sterile white gangways crisscrossed the massive pools, providing access for support staff, for Bay technicians, and of course... yourself. You found yourself focusing on the great contamination pools themselves. Their vivid colors drew the eye, but it was that clinging scent that really stuck with you. Something like chlorine, yet sweeter, almost alluring in the way it played across your nose. As wetware, you knew that scent well. The Song rarely failed to utilize it nanite streams, and given their size, careful decontamination was simply a part of life. Yet only your kind were submerged in the very thing these people feared, those glistening silver pools of arcane technology that enveloped you while interfacing, threatening every pore were you not sealed into a wetsuit as a defensive precaution. Every wetware feared a breach in their suit, of being exposed to a technology your people no longer understood. The stories of those who had experienced it were the very thing of nightmares, were you still capable of dreams... (color: red)[Stamina -1](set: $Stamina to it - 1) (if: $Stamina is 0)[(color: red)[STAMINA DEPLETED] You just couldn't take it. Why were you so different, why was your life so hard, why weren't you *human* to them? You felt yourself hyperventilating, your vision blurring as you stopped along the gangway. (color: blue)[She] was there before you even knew you had stopped, before your overwhelmed mind had fully processed what was happening. Tall and all in black, her arm was on her shoulder and she was bending down. [[Your Handler was here to help.->ForceBlind]]](else:)[But you were too close to fail now. You were here, your Unit approached. Since leaving your cell you had undergone a short gauntlet of stimulation and anxiety, but here... before your assigned Instrument, you finally felt at ease. All you had to do was look up at that great metallic machine to know your place and purpose, to understand why you had to undergo such strict training, frequent mind flashes, careful contamination protocols. All of it was to be one with those machines... [[Finally, peace.->WinTest]]]

<img alt="contambay" src="images/set/contambay.png"/> Finally, you had arrived. Walking up the final gangway, you found yourself gazing up at a towering Instrument, its humanoid form constructed of a white material that matched the shading of your wetsuit exactly. Where blue and orange text was printed on your suit, so too did the machine feature a clear indicator on its massive armored shoulder: (color: orange)[UNIT 00] The letter stood two dozen feet high, and marked you and it as... linked. It was somehow even more magnificent up close, a sensation that overtook you every time you approached it before a mission. This was *your* Instrument, and in return, you were its Wetware. "Hey!" You turned to the sound, (if: $Leashed is true)[your leash pulling momentarily tight before $Artemis gave out a bit more slack.](else:)[$Artemis already facing back the way you had came.] A woman and wetware approached. (set: $Strike2 to 1) [[Look at the woman.->MeetJuno]] [[Look at the wetware.->Meet2]]

<img alt="blindfold" src="images/gear/blindfold.png"/> "(color: blue)[It is not about want you want or think,]" $Artemis replied. "(color: blue)[But what you need. You are fragile in your current state, and this will help. Now come along.]" She didn't give you a choice, not with the sudden pull on your leash. Blindfolded, you could either be literally pulled over, or you could follow along-- as best you could. That required trusting your $Handler completely, given your still bound arms. And while you missed seeing anything else of interest on your trip, without the distractions you found your mind focusing on your own body, fully encapsulated and tweaked by your wetsuit with every step... (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Stimulating indeed.->FailTest]]

<img alt="blindfold" src="images/gear/blindfold.png"/> (set: $Obe to it + 1) "(color: blue)[Very good,]" $Artemis replied. "(color: blue)[You are fragile in your current state, but I am here, and I will *always* protect you.]" She didn't give you a choice, not with the sudden pull on your leash. Blindfolded, you could either be literally pulled over, or you could follow along-- as best you could. That required trusting your $Handler completely, given your still bound arms. And while you missed seeing anything else of interest on your trip, without the distractions you found your mind focusing on your own body, fully encapsulated and tweaked by your wetsuit with every step... [[Stimulating indeed.->FailTest]]

<img alt="contambay" src="images/set/contambay.png"/> Your arrival comes with a sudden hand on your shoulder, and a whisper to halt from your $Handler. Feeling your leash go slack was the second indicator, but confirmation came as $Artemis began undoing the straps that held your blindfold in place. It slips free with a flash of light, your oversensitive eyes requiring a several moments of frantic blinking before they had accustomed themselves to light again. (color: green)[Blindfold removed!] (set: $Blindfold to false) You find yourself gazing up at a towering Instrument, its humanoid form constructed of a white material that matched the shading of your wetsuit exactly. Where blue and orange text was printed on your suit, so too did the machine feature a clear indicator on its massive armored shoulder: (color: orange)[UNIT 00] The letter stood two dozen feet high, and marked you and it as... linked. It was somehow even more magnificent up close, a sensation that overtook you every time you approached it before a mission. This was *your* Instrument, and in return, you were its Wetware. "Hey!" You turned to the sound, (if: $Leashed is true)[your leash pulling momentarily tight before $Artemis gave out a bit more slack.](else:)[$Artemis already facing back the way you had came.] A woman and wetware approached. (set: $Strike2 to 2) [[Look at the woman.->MeetJuno]] [[Look at the wetware.->Meet2]]

<img alt="juno2" src="images/npc/juno2.png"/> The woman is gold of hair and dark of expression, sculpted eyes seemingly perpetually narrowed in consideration. She was about the same height as your $Artemis, but that was where the similarities ended. Where $Artemis was sharply dressed and stood primly, this woman seemed almost casually indifferent to the wonders all around. She was wearing a suit, but was rolling up her sleeves as if preparing for a street brawl. "$Artemis," she greeted your $Handler with a slight nod, who returned it in kind. "(color: blue)[Juno.]" That was her name, right. That she was another Handler was obvious, at least, given her arrival alongside her wetware. But you had been trained to look to authority over even your own peers, and thus your eyes were drawn to this woman that-- yes, you *did* remember her. Juno was a genius, or so everyone said. She had a pair of doctorates in fact, in Physics and in Theoretical Harmony, and led a research team here in the Bastion that focused on the latter. "Mission parameters have changed," Juno continued, holding out a portfolio. The typing on the cover bled together to your flashed mind, but she held it out to $Artemis anyway, who took it, paging through even as she responded. "(color: blue)[So you found one?]" "Maybe," Juno replied, sticking her hands in her pockets. "We'll see." $Artemis' nose wrinkled slightly. "(color: blue)[This is going to be a long run for them, we should have $Five standing by too.]" Juno shrugged. "Too late for that. We're pulling the trigger now, with your $Zero and my $Two." [[Remain silent.->JunoSilent]] [["What is happening?"->JunoAsk]] [["I can handle whatever it is!"->JunoHandle]]

<img alt="crossed" src="images/002/crossed.jpg"/> Your fellow wetware wore a red wetsuit, just as glossy as your own and featuring several similar design elements: stripes on the flanks, a secondary blue-black on the arms, and the hint of a monitoring choker beneath the lip of her collar. She was even your age, while the markings across her suit made her designation clear. (color: red)[$Two]. $Artemis and the other handler had started discussing quietly, but $Two addressed you directly, one red-orange brow quirking upward. "You sizing me up, $Zero? Ha! I don't even need you for this mission. Right, ma'am?" She looked to her Handler, who broke from her conversation to look down at you and her charge. "You need to focus, $Two. Especially with the mission parameters having changed." "(color: blue)[So you found one?]" $Artemis cut in. "Maybe," the Handler replied, sticking her hands in her pockets. "We'll see." $Artemis' nose wrinkled slightly. "(color: blue)[This is going to be a long run for them, we should have $Five standing by too.]" A shrug. "Too late for that. We're pulling the trigger now, with your $Zero and my $Two." [[Remain silent.->JunoSilentAlt]] [["What is happening?"->JunoAskAlt]] [["I can handle whatever it is!"->JunoHandleAlt]]

<img alt="crossed" src="images/002/crossed.jpg"/> You may have decided to stay quiet, to let the two Handlers speak, but the other wetware certainly hadn't. She drew your attention for the first time as she leaned forward, interrupting the mission talk as she looked you over. "I could do this mission by myself, you know." She wore a red wetsuit, just as glossy as your own and featuring several similar design elements: stripes on the flanks, a secondary blue-black on the arms, and the hint of a monitoring choker beneath the lip of her collar. She was even your age, while the markings across her suit made her designation clear. (color: red)[$Two]. "Look at her, standing their all quiet! (if: $Leashed is true)[She needed a leash to even make it over here, ma'am,](else:)[She may not be on a leash,] (if: $Strike2 is 2)[but I saw her blindfolded and everything!](else:)[if she was blindfolded I would be sure of it. But, I mean, I am!] I don't need $Zero to do this." Her haughty tone was matched with an eager look towards Juno, but for all her bluster you noted $Two had her arms bound behind her too. (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Look down, submissively.->2Sub]] [[Step forward. "Don't talk to me like that!"->2Dom]]

<img alt="crossed" src="images/002/crossed.jpg"/> You may have expected the Handlers to reply, but instead it was the other wetware who intervened with a little sneer. "Don't you know anything, $Zero?" She leaned forward, looking you over. "I could do this mission by myself, you know." She wore a red wetsuit, just as glossy as your own and featuring several similar design elements: stripes on the flanks, a secondary blue-black on the arms, and the hint of a monitoring choker beneath the lip of her collar. She was even your age, while the markings across her suit made her designation clear. (color: red)[$Two]. "Don't tell them anything, ma'am, this is your discovery! And just look at her. (if: $Leashed is true)[She needed a leash to even make it over here, ma'am,](else:)[She may not be on a leash,] (if: $Strike2 is 2)[but I saw her blindfolded and everything!](else:)[if she was blindfolded I would be sure of it. But, I mean, I am!] I don't need $Zero to do this." Her haughty tone was matched with an eager look towards Juno, but for all her bluster you noted $Two had her arms bound behind her too. [[Look down, submissively.->2Sub]] [[Step forward. "Don't talk to me like that!"->2Dom]]

<img alt="crossed" src="images/002/crossed.jpg"/> You may have expected the Handlers to reply, but instead it was the other wetware who intervened with a little sneer. "Yeah, I doubt that." She leaned forward, looking you over. "I could do this mission by myself, you know." She wore a red wetsuit, just as glossy as your own and featuring several similar design elements: stripes on the flanks, a secondary blue-black on the arms, and the hint of a monitoring choker beneath the lip of her collar. She was even your age, while the markings across her suit made her designation clear. (color: red)[$Two]. "Really, I don't need $Zero! And just look at her. (if: $Leashed is true)[She needed a leash to even make it over here, ma'am,](else:)[She may not be on a leash,] (if: $Strike2 is 2)[but I saw her blindfolded and everything!](else:)[if she was blindfolded I would be sure of it. But, I mean, I am!] I don't need $Zero to do this." Her haughty tone was matched with an eager look towards Juno, but for all her bluster you noted $Two had her arms bound behind her too. (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Look down, submissively.->2Sub]] [[Step forward. "Don't talk to me like that!"->2Dom]]

<img alt="2dom" src="images/002/2dom.jpg"/> AS you flicked your red eyes down, $Two almost seemed to loom over you, looking down her nose with a satisfied grin. "See, she's just a useless *submissive.*" Your wiped mind tended to agree, even as another voice cut in with an imperious tone. "So are you, $Two." Juno. Glancing up, you see she has a hand possessively on the red suited girl's collar, the other beneath her chin, tipping it firmly upward to meet her eyes. "That's why you're wetware." $Two tried to respond, but the words died on her tongue, a soft little... *moan* escaping her lips. That seemed to satisfy Juno, who allowed a sharp smile to spread across her golden features. Somewhere along the way she had moved a leash up, clipping it to $Two's collar. (if: $Leashed is true)[Pulled away by the lead, amusement slips over you as you realize she had joined you in that particular fate.](else:)[Pulled away by the lead, amusement slips over you as you realize you at least had not needed that.] "(color: blue)[Headstrong thing, is she not?]" It seemed to be rhetorical from $Artemis as she watched them go, before turning to you as she raised a hand to her ear, where you glimpsed an earpiece. "(color: blue)[Let's get you in. Doctor Asakuma? $Zero is ready for final checks and installation.]" (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[From above, the sound of heavy machinery.->DoctorIntro]]

Your assertiveness seems to surprise $Two, she even draws back a half step. Before you could push her further however, an assertive voice intercedes. "(color: blue)[*Girls.* You have more important duties today than bickering.]" That had been $Artemis, but its Juno who stepped up, snapping her fingers in a sharp motion towards her charge. $Two deflated, alternating between shooting you an angry look and giving a pleading look towards Juno. Eventually she gave in however, opening her mouth wide with a roll of the eyes. Juno slipped a (color: red)[red] ball between her lips, securing it into place with a series of straps. "I warned you. Now, come on." Another snapping motion and $Two followed her as they retreated, but not before she turned back once more your way, bending forward at the waist and clearly trying to stick her tongue out at you. She didn't exactly succeed. <img alt="2angry" src="images/002/2angry.gif"/> "(color: blue)[Headstrong thing, is she not?]" It seemed to be rhetorical from $Artemis as she watched them go, before turning to you as she raised a hand to her ear, where you glimpsed an earpiece. "(color: blue)[Let's get you in. Doctor Asakuma? $Zero is ready for final checks and installation.]" (set: $SubCheck3 to 1)(set: $Con to it + 1) [[From above, the sound of heavy machinery.->DoctorIntro]]

<img alt="juno2" src="images/npc/juno2.png"/> You may have decided to stay quiet, to let the two Handlers speak, but the other wetware certainly wasn't. $Two almost seemed incapable of it. "Juno, I *can* do this." *Juno.* You remembered $Two's Handler now. The woman is gold of hair and dark of expression, sculpted eyes seemingly perpetually narrowed in consideration. She was about the same height as your $Artemis, but that was where the similarities ended. Where $Artemis was sharply dressed and stood primly, this woman seemed almost casually indifferent to the wonders all around. She was wearing a suit, but was rolling up her sleeves as if preparing for a street brawl. Yet Juno was a genius, or so everyone said. She had a pair of doctorates in fact, in Physics and in Theoretical Harmony, and led a research team here in the Bastion that focused on the latter. "Wetware does not decide such things," she declared, sternly. "Look at her, standing their all quiet! (if: $Leashed is true)[She needed a leash to even make it over here, ma'am,](else:)[She may not be on a leash,] (if: $Strike2 is 2)[but I saw her blindfolded and everything!](else:)[if she was blindfolded I would be sure of it. But, I mean, I am!] I don't need $Zero to do this, really!" Her haughty tone was matched with an eager look towards Juno, but for all her bluster you noted $Two had her arms bound behind her too. (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Look down, submissively.->2Sub]] [[Step forward. "Don't talk to me like that!"->2Dom]]

<img alt="juno2" src="images/npc/juno2.png"/> $Two overrode your question with an assertion of her own. "Juno, I *can* do this." *Juno.* You remembered $Two's Handler now. The woman is gold of hair and dark of expression, sculpted eyes seemingly perpetually narrowed in consideration. She was about the same height as your $Artemis, but that was where the similarities ended. Where $Artemis was sharply dressed and stood primly, this woman seemed almost casually indifferent to the wonders all around. She was wearing a suit, but was rolling up her sleeves as if preparing for a street brawl. Yet Juno was a genius, or so everyone said. She had a pair of doctorates in fact, in Physics and in Theoretical Harmony, and led a research team here in the Bastion that focused on the latter. "Wetware does not decide such things," she declared, sternly. "Then at least don't tell them anything, ma'am, this is your discovery! And just look at her. (if: $Leashed is true)[She needed a leash to even make it over here, ma'am,](else:)[She may not be on a leash,] (if: $Strike2 is 2)[but I saw her blindfolded and everything!](else:)[if she was blindfolded I would be sure of it. But, I mean, I am!] I don't need $Zero to do this, really!" Her haughty tone was matched with an eager look towards Juno, but for all her bluster you noted $Two had her arms bound behind her too. [[Look down, submissively.->2Sub]] [[Step forward. "Don't talk to me like that!"->2Dom]]

<img alt="juno2" src="images/npc/juno2.png"/> $Two snorted, her arms crossed. "$Zero is inexperienced, don't listen to her Juno." *Juno.* You remembered $Two's Handler now. The woman is gold of hair and dark of expression, sculpted eyes seemingly perpetually narrowed in consideration. She was about the same height as your $Artemis, but that was where the similarities ended. Where $Artemis was sharply dressed and stood primly, this woman seemed almost casually indifferent to the wonders all around. She was wearing a suit, but was rolling up her sleeves as if preparing for a street brawl. Yet Juno was a genius, or so everyone said. She had a pair of doctorates in fact, in Physics and in Theoretical Harmony, and led a research team here in the Bastion that focused on the latter. "Wetware does not decide such things," she declared, sternly. "Really, I don't need $Zero! And just look at her. (if: $Leashed is true)[She needed a leash to even make it over here, ma'am,](else:)[She may not be on a leash,] (if: $Strike2 is 2)[but I saw her blindfolded and everything!](else:)[if she was blindfolded I would be sure of it. But, I mean, I am!] I don't need $Zero to do this." Her haughty tone was matched with an eager look towards Juno, but for all her bluster you noted $Two had her arms bound behind her too. (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Look down, submissively.->2Sub]] [[Step forward. "Don't talk to me like that!"->2Dom]]

The decontamination pools were massive, the ceilings high, with windows near the ceiling indicating a row of technical facilities looking down upon it all. One section at that moment was moving, a great armature pivoting as an entire portion detached from where ceiling met wall and swung downward. Not so much splashing down in the decom-fluid beside you as settling gently, a pair of sliding doors faced the gangway and opened immediately. <img alt="doctor1" src="images/npc/doctor1.jpg"/> A woman emerged in a smart white laboratory uniform, the upper portion a bit shiny-- though far from the gloss of your wetsuit. Her short black hair was pulled back in a neat bun, strands from her bangs framing a face that broke into an open smile. "Handler Artemis. $Zero. Good day." She held a clipboard, pen at the ready. "(color: blue)[$Zero, with your mind flashed you may not remember-- this is Doctor Asakuma. Your assigned physician. She will be the one installing you. Be a good girl, say hello.]" [[Silently nod your head.->SilentDoctor]] [[Bow submissively.->SubDoctor]] [["I don't remember, but hello doctor!"->LoudDoctor]] [["Don't call me a good girl!"->LoudDoctor]]

Doctor Asakuma seemed to note down your response on her clipboard. "Nonverbal, as per the usual. The flash and attunement went well, Artemis?" $Artemis nodded herself. "(color: blue)[Yes.]" "And her suiting?" "(color: blue)[Wetsuit application went smoothly, and she is fully locked in. I *did* send you a preliminary report, Doctor.]" Doctor Asakuma smiled anew. "Trust, but verify. Duplicate procedures protect all involved. Any undue arousal from the wetware?" *Arousal?* They were talking about you like you were not even there! [["Hey, don't talk about that...!"->DoctorEmbarass]] [[Remain silent, eyes down.->DoctorQuiet]]

Doctor Asakuma seemed to note down your response on her clipboard. "Nonverbal and submissive. Very good. The flash and attunement went well, Artemis?" $Artemis nodded herself. "(color: blue)[Yes.]" "And her suiting?" "(color: blue)[Wetsuit application went smoothly, and she is fully locked in. I *did* send you a preliminary report, Doctor.]" Doctor Asakuma smiled anew. "Trust, but verify. Duplicate procedures protect all involved. Any undue arousal from the wetware?" *Arousal?* They were talking about you like you were not even there! (set: $Obe to it + 1) [["Hey, don't talk about that...!"->DoctorEmbarass]] [[Remain silent, eyes down.->DoctorQuiet]]

Doctor Asakuma seemed to note down your response on her clipboard. "Verbal and engaged. Interesting. $Two's bad habits rubbing off, perhaps. The flash and attunement went well, Artemis?" $Artemis nodded herself. "(color: blue)[Yes.]" "And her suiting?" "(color: blue)[Wetsuit application went smoothly, and she is fully locked in. I *did* send you a preliminary report, Doctor.]" Doctor Asakuma smiled anew. "Trust, but verify. Duplicate procedures protect all involved. Any undue arousal from the wetware?" *Arousal?* They were talking about you like you were not even there! (set: $Con to it + 1) [["Hey, don't talk about that...!"->DoctorEmbarass]] [[Remain silent, eyes down.->DoctorQuiet]]

<img alt="doctor1" src="images/npc/doctor1.jpg"/> (set: $Arou to 5) Your outburst earned a raised eyebrow from the Doctor, and a firm hand on your shoulder. $Artemis, holding you as a shock pulsed through your defenseless body. As you quiver in the aftermath, they continue as if you were a piece of equipment that had momentarily malfunctioned. "(color: blue)[I have not engaged her monitor yet, Doctor. Allow me.]" Using a small rectangular device, she tapped out a quick set of commands, and your eyes flashed in response. Joining the Stamina meter projected onto the corner of your vision was another datastream. (color: red + white)[Sanity Tracking Activated!] (set: $ArouHide to false) *They could track THAT?* "(color: blue)[Arousal within baselines, for the time being.]" "And her behavior after attenuation?" (if: $Shocker is 0)[$Artemis sounded pleased. "(color: blue)[Entirely submissive. I have not made use of her shock function at all.]"](if: $Shocker is 1)[Artemis sounded mostly pleased. "(color: blue)[Very submissive, though not entirely. I had to use her shock function once, and then again just now of course.]"](if: $Shocker is 2)[Artemis frowned a bit. "(color: blue)[Mildly resistant. I had to make use of her shock function twice.]"](if: $Shocker > 2)[Artemis frowned sharply. "(color: blue)[Combative. I had to make use of her shock function extensively.]"] Another note for the Doctor's clipboard. "I see $Zero is lightly restrained, very good. (if: $Leashed is true)[And she is leashed, suggestive of overstimulation. If you would remove it, $Artemis?" Your $Handler did so, unclipping the lead and returning it her jacket pocket. (set: $Leashed to false) (color: green)[Leash removed!] "Anything else?"](else:)[And she is not leashed, I see. Suggestive of confidence in the wetware. Anything else?"] $Artemis nodded. (if: $SubCheck2 is 0)["(color: blue)[$Zero did not require a blindfold during transport.]" "Oh?" The Doctor looked up. "Flashed and still perceptive, interesting...](if: $SubCheck2 is 1)["(color: blue)[$Zero requested a blindfold during transport, and I assisted her with one.]" "Oh?" The Doctor looked up. "Flashed and submissive enough to recognize the need for restriction? I will mark that down.](if: $SubCheck2 is 2)["(color: blue)[$Zero struggled during transport, and I applied a blindfold for her own wellbeing. She remains comforted by restriction.]" "Oh? The Doctor looked up. "Flashing often hampers their capacity for self-regulation. I'll note it in her file.] Last query: I saw you conversing with Handler Juno and her charge. Was $Two as... excitable as usual?" $Artemis exhaled sharply, almost a laugh. "(color: blue)[Of course.]" "And $Zero responded by...?" [[Remain silent, let your Handler answer for you.->DocSil]] [["I displayed submission, Doctor."->DocSub]] [["I didn't let her boss me around, Doctor!"->DocDom]]

<img alt="doctor1" src="images/npc/doctor1.jpg"/> Your submission earned a freshly scribbled note from the Doctor, and a firm hand on your shoulder. $Artemis. Having her there was comforting. "(color: blue)[I have not engaged her monitor yet, Doctor. Allow me.]" Using a small rectangular device, she tapped out a quick set of commands, and your eyes flashed in response. Joining the Stamina meter projected onto the corner of your vision was another datastream. (color: red + white)[Sanity Tracking Activated!] (set: $ArouHide to false) *They could track THAT?* "(color: blue)[Arousal within baselines, for the time being.]" "And her behavior after attenuation?" (if: $Shocker is 0)[$Artemis sounded pleased. "(color: blue)[Entirely submissive. I have not made use of her shock function at all.]"](if: $Shocker is 1)[Artemis sounded mostly pleased. "(color: blue)[Very submissive, though not entirely. I had to use her shock function once, and then again just now of course.]"](if: $Shocker is 2)[Artemis frowned a bit. "(color: blue)[Mildly resistant. I had to make use of her shock function twice.]"](if: $Shocker > 2)[Artemis frowned sharply. "(color: blue)[Combative. I had to make use of her shock function extensively.]"] Another note for the Doctor's clipboard. "I see $Zero is lightly restrained, very good. (if: $Leashed is true)[And she is leashed, suggestive of overstimulation. If you would remove it, $Artemis?" Your $Handler did so, unclipping the lead and returning it her jacket pocket. (set: $Leashed to false) (color: green)[Leash removed!] "Anything else?"](else:)[And she is not leashed, I see. Suggestive of confidence in the wetware. Anything else?"] $Artemis nodded. (if: $SubCheck2 is 0)["(color: blue)[$Zero did not require a blindfold during transport.]" "Oh?" The Doctor looked up. "Flashed and still perceptive, interesting...](if: $SubCheck2 is 1)["(color: blue)[$Zero requested a blindfold during transport, and I assisted her with one.]" "Oh?" The Doctor looked up. "Flashed and submissive enough to recognize the need for restriction? I will mark that down.](if: $SubCheck2 is 2)["(color: blue)[$Zero struggled during transport, and I applied a blindfold for her own wellbeing. She remains comforted by restriction.]" "Oh? The Doctor looked up. "Flashing often hampers their capacity for self-regulation. I'll note it in her file.] Last query: I saw you conversing with Handler Juno and her charge. Was $Two as... excitable as usual?" $Artemis exhaled sharply, almost a laugh. "(color: blue)[Of course.]" "And $Zero responded by...?" [[Remain silent, let your Handler answer for you.->DocSil]] [["I displayed submission, Doctor."->DocSub]] [["I didn't let her boss me around, Doctor!"->DocDom]]

With $Artemis there you allowed yourself the comfort of silence. Your $Handler could speak for you after all, and she did-- readily. (if: $SubCheck3 is 0)["(color: blue)[$Zero did not resist when challenged.]" "Another mark of submissiveness," Doctor Asakuma noted. "All wetware are remarkably submissive, but when in the presence of each other it is not uncommon for one to take a more domineering position. It is a fascinating area of study, actually. With our three there is limited opportunity to explore the topic, however."](else:)["(color: blue)[$Zero stood up to her.]" "All wetware are remarkably submissive," Doctor Asakuma noted. "But when in the presence of each other it is not uncommon for one to take a more domineering position. I'm very interesting to see how $Zero and $Two develop as a result."] Abruptly she clicked her pen closed, then turned, half-gesturing towards the room she had descended in. "That is everything on the checklist. Are you ready for installation, $Zero?" (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Nod yes.->Suitup]] [["Is... my Handler going to go in too?"->AskSuitup]]

Speaking up prompted a follow-up from $Artemis. (if: $SubCheck3 is 0)["(color: blue)[$Zero is correct.]" "Another mark of submissiveness," Doctor Asakuma noted. "All wetware are remarkably submissive, but when in the presence of each other it is not uncommon for one to take a more domineering position. It is a fascinating area of study, actually. With our three there is limited opportunity to explore the topic, however."](else:)["(color: blue)[$Zero overstates her assertiveness. She was submissive.]" "All wetware are remarkably submissive," Doctor Asakuma noted. "But when in the presence of each other it is not uncommon for one to take a more domineering position. I'm very interesting to see how $Zero and $Two develop as a result."] Abruptly she clicked her pen closed, then turned, half-gesturing towards the room she had descended in. "That is everything on the checklist. Are you ready for installation, $Zero?" (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Nod yes.->Suitup]] [["Is... my Handler going to go in too?"->AskSuitup]]

Speaking up prompted a follow-up from $Artemis. (if: $SubCheck3 is 0)["(color: blue)[$Zero wishes for that which is not true. $Two would have taken control had we not interceded.]" "Another mark of submissiveness," Doctor Asakuma noted. "All wetware are remarkably submissive, but when in the presence of each other it is not uncommon for one to take a more domineering position. It is a fascinating area of study, actually. With our three there is limited opportunity to explore the topic, however."](else:)["(color: blue)[$Zero is correct in her assessment.]" "All wetware are remarkably submissive," Doctor Asakuma noted. "But when in the presence of each other it is not uncommon for one to take a more domineering position. I'm very interesting to see how $Zero and $Two develop as a result."] Abruptly she clicked her pen closed, then turned, half-gesturing towards the room she had descended in. "That is everything on the checklist. Are you ready for installation, $Zero?" (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Nod yes.->Suitup]] [["Is... my Handler going to go in too?"->AskSuitup]]

<img alt="installcham" src="images/set/installcham.jpg"/> With a gentle hand on the portion of your back that read (color: orange)[DANGER: WETWARE], Doctor Asakuma led you through the doorway. It proved to be a small antechamber, the rest of the lab behind another door you had to pause before. A decontamination cycle ran through the room. "Every precaution is taken to ensure your health." When it concluded with a whisked door you stepped into the lab proper, just as the ground shifted beneath you. Glancing back, you caught a glimpse of $Artemis before she slid below, the entire room having risen up and over to the side. It eventually seemed to settle atop the head of Instrument 00. Confirmation is easy enough-- the floor is made of transparent panels. Your attention is pulled back upward however by several other labcoat wearing individuals approaching. Doctor Asakuma's team. "Are we ready?" She asked them, getting an affirmative from one of the women. "Good. You know the drill, everyone. Let's get her restrained." Asakuma guided you further into the room, her hand a firm direction. She seemed to be directing you towards the very center, where a rectangular framework jutted from the floor. Rendered in white semi-matte plastic, you noted its upper limits were just above your standing height. A series of straps hung from it, while to each side an array of... you couldn't quite recall their names awaited on tables, each occupying a neatly labeled section. They seemed to have a procedure here. The first part of that procedure was guiding you into the empty space at the center of the rectangular frame. Doctor Asakuma paused to pull a set of mint-green latex gloves from her pocket, slipping them on, before she reached up and pulled down one of the straps. It secured to the wrist cuffs you still wore behind your back, pulling your arms up slightly and immediately serving as a leash-- you couldn't wander far. She looked down at you like one might examine a particularly interesting amoeba on a microscopic platter. "If you would open your mouth, $Zero? Nice and wide." [[Open your mouth, as commanded.->OpenMouth]] [["...why? What's going on?"->AskMouth]] [[Snap your jaws shut. No!->FightMouth]]

<img alt="stand2" src="images/artemis/stand2.png"/> In the nearly blank slate that was your mind, anxiety had risen at being separated from your $Handler. It was a primal thing. You could not recall most of your past, or even what you had done that morning, but you remembered (color: blue)[her]. And her firm grip on your shoulder was reassuring as she leaned in, speaking quietly to you. "Doctor Asakuma will accompany you into the installation chamber. But I will be nearby, and once you're slotted in I will be in your ear all the way. Do not fear, $Zero. I would not let anything happen-- you are *my* wetware." And with that, she gave you a little push towards the doctor. [[You were HER wetware...->Suitup]]

(if: $SubCheck1 > 1)["Combative with $Artemis, now submissive. Well, I shan't look the proverbial gift horse in the mouth."](else:)["The submissive pattern continues. Good girl, $Zero."] Circling you revealed you could not turn to follow, the strap now mag-locked to your cuffs prevented that. Nor could you defend yourself as her latex-gloved hands reached towards each side of your face, pulling back your blue hair gently. Before you could react further she was sliding a white rubber ball between your lips. You waited to close your teeth to the intruder and eventually settled around it, a series of straps extending off to hold it in place. Doctor Asakuma was already working them, tightening and adjusting, drawing another under your chin and yet more to mag-lock to the clips you already wore in your hair. It felt deeply familiar, in truth. You searched your flashed mind, seeking context, but found only a sense of... comfort in the way it seated so firmly into place, the way the web of straps embraced your head, the feeling of being *controlled.* <img alt="gagged" src="images/gear/gagged.png"/> (color: green)[You have been gagged!] (set: $Gagged to true) "Wetware $Zero has been gagged, all locks engaged." Asakuma was listing details for one of her staff standing nearby, the woman having apparently inherited the duty of managing the clipboard. "Pupil dilation suggests submissive response." (set: $Obe to it + 1) [["Mmmmmph..."->ContentMoan]] [["Mmmgghh!!"->ExcitedMoan]]

<img alt="doctor1" src="images/npc/doctor1.jpg"/> "We are taking a precaution against just those sorts of questions, dear. It's not your fault, you're just wetware-- and recently flashed at that. But we will be here all day at this rate. Now, if you would...?" She mimicked opening her own mouth, even tapping a cheek as if you could ever miss it. [[Open your mouth, as commanded.->OpenMouth]] [[Snap your jaws shut. No!->FightMouth]]

(if: $SubCheck1 > 1)["Still combative, I see. Just because I am not as quick to utilize your shock function doesn't mean we're all just going to stand here and wait for you to comply, $Zero."](else:)["Suddenly combative, $Zero? You were doing so well. Well, just because I am not as quick to utilize your shock function doesn't mean we're all just going to stand here and wait for you to comply."] Circling you revealed you could not turn to follow, the strap now mag-locked to your cuffs prevented that. Nor could you defends yourself as her latex-gloved hands reached towards each side of your face, pulling back your blue hair gently. Then she cruelly reached out and seized your nose. Almost by instinct you tried to inhale through your nostrils, failed, and gasped loudly-- your mouth momentarily open, which Doctor Asakuma took full advantage of. Before you could react she was sliding a white rubber ball between your lips. You tried to close your teeth to the intruder but instead they lodged around it, a series of straps extending off to hold it in place. Doctor Asakuma was already working them, tightening and adjusting, drawing another under your chin and yet more to mag-lock to the clips you already wore in your hair. It felt deeply familiar, in truth. You searched your flashed mind, seeking context, but found only a sense of... comfort in the way it seated so firmly into place, the way the web of straps embraced your head, the feeling of being *controlled.* <img alt="gagged" src="images/gear/gagged.png"/> (color: green)[You have been gagged!] (set: $Gagged to true) "Wetware $Zero has been gagged, all locks engaged." Asakuma was listing details for one of her staff standing nearby, the woman having apparently inherited the duty of managing the clipboard. "Pupil dilation suggests submissive response." (set: $Con to it + 1) [["Mmmmmph..."->ContentMoan]] [["Mmmgghh!!"->ExcitedMoan]]

"Audible response confirms. They *really* enjoy this." As if to underline your increasing helplessness, the Doctor manipulated the strap your wrists were linked to, forcing you to turn this way, then that. Rivers of reflected lab light rand down your curvaceous form as your focus expanded, realizing so many other adults were around you-- and there you were, bound and gagged, locked inside a shiny latex suit. "You may proceed with Wetware staging, team." And all at once, they were advancing on you. A dozen hands settled on your body, some directing and holding, others moving items plucked from the surrounding tables into place. Small pouch-like envelopes of latex are pulled over your hands, each individually sealed away. They connect to a fresh strap locked around your wrists, a reinforcement for the maglocks your suit had in-built. To them a sleeve of sturdy material is added, enveloping your arms from wrist to shoulder, forcing them tightly-- painfully-- together. Further straps mark the topmost edge of the armbinder, each snapping into place with an audible *click.* <img alt="blowsuit" src="images/gear/blowsuit.png"/> Meanwhile other doctors are sliding straps into place, some of them mag-locking to your suit, some to each other. They wrap around your waist and shoulders, anchoring the binder even as they extend downward, halting momentarily before one of the doctors began running a thicker strap down between your legs and-- (color: red + white)[Sanity - 1] (set: $Arou to it - 1) It felt so *good* to be touched there. [[Squirm and wriggle.->FightStraps]] [["Mmmmmggh..."->MoanStraps]] [[Remain silent and still, panting softly.->MoanSilent]]

"Audible moan confirms and suggests retroactive dignity response. So very *late.*" As if to underline your increasing helplessness, the Doctor manipulated the strap your wrists were linked to, forcing you to turn this way, then that. Rivers of reflected lab light rand down your curvaceous form as your focus expanded, realizing so many other adults were around you-- and there you were, bound and gagged, locked inside a shiny latex suit. "You may proceed with Wetware staging, team." And all at once, they were advancing on you. A dozen hands settled on your body, some directing and holding, others moving items plucked from the surrounding tables into place. Small pouch-like envelopes of latex are pulled over your hands, each individually sealed away. They connect to a fresh strap locked around your wrists, a reinforcement for the maglocks your suit had in-built. To them a sleeve of sturdy material is added, enveloping your arms from wrist to shoulder, forcing them tightly-- painfully-- together. Further straps mark the topmost edge of the armbinder, each snapping into place with an audible *click.* <img alt="blowsuit" src="images/gear/blowsuit.png"/> Meanwhile other doctors are sliding straps into place, some of them mag-locking to your suit, some to each other. They wrap around your waist and shoulders, anchoring the binder even as they extend downward, halting momentarily before one of the doctors began running a thicker strap down between your legs and-- (color: red + white)[Sanity -1!] (set: $Arou to it - 1) It felt so *good* to be touched there. [[Squirm and wriggle.->FightStraps]] [["Mmmmmggh..."->MoanStraps]] [[Remain silent and still, panting softly.->MoanSilent]]

You twist and turn, the effort far harder now that your arms were so strictly bound. And in truth you weren't exactly sure if you were doing it to escape the touch of all those doctors, or to feel *more* of it. "Don't hesitate, Doctor Kasa," Asakuma admonished lightly, somewhere off to your side. "You only increase her arousal when doing so. Wetware are remarkably sensitive in their erogenous zones. Secure her belt strap quickly, confidently." "Y-Yes Doctor," the younger woman replied, looking briefly into your eyes, only to blush and step forward again. This time she succeeds in running the strap from just below your naval, between your thighs, and up to a similar mag-point at the small of your back. As it locked into place it pulled tight, the pressure not enough to trigger the response her touch had managed, but it was certainly distracting. "Now, $Zero," Doctor Asakuma said again, once more standing before you. She held in her hands three concerning looking objects, two phallic in shape, the last far smaller. "You likely do not recall in your state, but you will need to be fitted with your stim-inserts. I want you to take a deep breath and count to three." *Stim-inserts? At least she was warning you...* (set: $Con to it + 1) [[1...2...->InsertPlugs]]

You moan. *Lewdly.* Some of the doctors look to you, a scattering of different reactions on their features. "Don't hesitate, Doctor Kasa," Asakuma admonished lightly, somewhere off to your side. "You only increase her arousal when doing so. Wetware are remarkably sensitive in their erogenous zones. Secure her belt strap quickly, confidently." "Y-Yes Doctor," the younger woman replied, looking briefly into your eyes, only to blush and step forward again. This time she succeeds in running the strap from just below your naval, between your thighs, and up to a similar mag-point at the small of your back. As it locked into place it pulled tight, the pressure not enough to trigger the response her touch had managed, but it was certainly distracting. "Now, $Zero," Doctor Asakuma said again, once more standing before you. She held in her hands three concerning looking objects, two phallic in shape, the last far smaller. "You likely do not recall in your state, but you will need to be fitted with your stim-inserts. I want you to take a deep breath and count to three." *Stim-inserts? At least she was warning you...* [[1...2...->InsertPlugs]]

Your remain silent, you remain still. An object the Doctors worked on. "Don't hesitate, Doctor Kasa," Asakuma admonished lightly, somewhere off to your side. "You only increase her arousal when doing so. Wetware are remarkably sensitive in their erogenous zones. Secure her belt strap quickly, confidently." "Y-Yes Doctor," the younger woman replied, looking briefly into your eyes, only to blush and step forward again. This time she succeeds in running the strap from just below your naval, between your thighs, and up to a similar mag-point at the small of your back. As it locked into place it pulled tight, the pressure not enough to trigger the response her touch had managed, but it was certainly distracting. "Now, $Zero," Doctor Asakuma said again, once more standing before you. She held in her hands three concerning looking objects, two phallic in shape, the last far smaller. "You likely do not recall in your state, but you will need to be fitted with your stim-inserts. I want you to take a deep breath and count to three." *Stim-inserts? At least she was warning you...* (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[1...2...->InsertPlugs]]

<img alt="blowsuit" src="images/gear/blowsuit.png"/> She went on *two*. An old doctor's trick. You're certain your wetsuit had been sealed between your legs, but the latex seemed to part at a command Asakuma entered, even as she drove her first hand forward. Something *entered* you. The first of the phalli, thick and smooth. A hole in the strap between your legs had guided it, and once the base of the dildo hilted against you it locked the intruder into place. Just in time for the second. That one was a bit smaller, but it had to be as it entered your rear, the sensation of something impaled there so strange and yet... (color: red + white)[Sanity -1] (set: $Arou to it - 1) You felt so full, each orifice below plugged, your mouth harboring the ballgag. It was getting harder to move the more they bound you, but what you could manage shifted the stim-plugs, your inner walls clenching hard around them. You had been wet since coming to in that attunement cell, but *this* was pushing you even further. Was it normal for someone to be so easily aroused by this sort of thing? To revel in it even when surrounded by men and women she didn't know? "They always love that part," Asakuma noted with a certain scholarly distance, even as she seemed to check her work. "This one not always as much." A *third* device entered you, though far smaller and intimate. It pushed into a channel which could barely fit it, instead of a plug feeling more like a tube that extended out from your belt-strap. "Catheter installed. Excellent work, team. You may complete her restraints." [[There was more?->Bendback]]

The doctors run half a dozen more belts to hardpoints on your waist and legs. Once secured they, to your great surprise, pull back suddenly on your ankles. You lose your footing immediately yet do not fall, the web of straps running from your body to the frame supporting you entirely. That of course only allows them to fold your legs further and further back, until they flank the ending tip of your armbinder. Securing them there, you hang like a trussed up toy. <img alt="curl" src="images/reg/curl.png"/> By no means is it comfortable, but you discover you're more flexible than you had expected. How many times had you been restrained like this? [[Doesn't matter, struggle!->FightHog]] [[Hang silently and try to remember...->RememberHog]]

<img alt="kasa" src="images/npc/kasa.png"/> The Doctor who had installed the belt that ran between your legs crouched down before you, for the first time allowing you a proper look at her. Short, with white hair and kind eyes, she stares at you with a quiet fascination none of the others had matched. "Hi," she all but whispered, even as she used a small cloth, wiping at your drool. "I'm Emily. Umm, Doctor Kasa I mean. I just transferred in from the outer settlements, and I've never met a wetware before, but--" "*Doctor.*" Asakuma's voice cut in sternly. "We have a timetable to keep, and besides, she is unlikely to remember much of today anyway. The flash they're subjected to is very intensive." "Right, sorry, sorry--" Kasa finished wiping your chin, her touch gentle, before withdrawing suddenly. "Wetware $Zero is ready for her final components." (set: $Con to it + 1) [[They STILL were not done?->FinalInstall]]

You tried to remember, closing your eyes, focusing through the comfortable blank that was your mind. Certainly you remembered doing this before, and not just once or twice. No... you could not explain why, but perhaps two dozen such experiences like this seemed about right. If only... A sudden sigh from Asakuma snapped your eyes back open, just in time to catch the long line of drool your musings had allowed to escape from your gag. "Doctor Kasa, clean that will you? We still must apply her mask." "Of course, Doctor." <img alt="kasa" src="images/npc/kasa.png"/> The Doctor who had installed the belt that ran between your legs crouched down before you, for the first time allowing you a proper look at her. Short, with white hair and kind eyes, she stares at you with a quiet fascination none of the others had matched. "Hi," she all but whispered, even as she used a small cloth, wiping at your drool. "I'm Emily. Umm, Doctor Kasa I mean. I just transferred in from the outer settlements, and I've never met a wetware before, but--" "*Doctor.*" Asakuma's voice cut in sternly. "We have a timetable to keep, and besides, she is unlikely to remember much of today anyway. The flash they're subjected to is very intensive." "Right, sorry, sorry--" Kasa finished wiping your chin, her touch gentle, before withdrawing suddenly. "Wetware $Zero is ready for her final components." (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[They STILL were not done?->FinalInstall]]

Doctor Asakuma moved back before you, flanked to each side by one of her assistants. One held a (if: $SubCheck > 0)[a familiar bit of glossy material, the other what appeared to be a helmet. The first your recognized, it being the very same sort of blindfold that $Artemis had used on you earlier.](else:)[a strangely shaped bit of material, the other what appeared to be a helmet.] "Your blindfold," Asakuma noted the first item, then the other. "And your oxygen mask. This is how you breathe, when slotted in. I am showing you it so that you know to hold still once blindfolded, so that we can get the mask fitted to you. Understood?" She did not wait for an answer, but instead snapped her fingers. The first of the assistants strode forward, taking complete advantage of your suspended state of restraint. Sliding the blindfold into place, darkness over take you as she expertly snaps its locking components to the rest of your gag harness. <img alt="blindfold" src="images/gear/blindfold.png"/> (color: red)[You have been blindfolded!] (set: $Blindfold to true) As you shifted your head back and forth just a bit, searching for light, Asakuma's voice returned-- once again stern. "Be still, $Zero. Mask her." [[Hands seize your head.->FinallInstall2]]

<img alt="mask" src="images/gear/mask.png"/> "Align it better, across the bridge of her nose." "Checking oxygen and aphro lines, cleared and secured." "Vid-feed awaiting connection." "Affixing injection port." "Seal check... 100%. She is operating in her own environment now." Through it all, you could barely move. You felt the helmet slide into place, the firm rubber covering from chin to nose, the sudden lost sense of air moving across your face. The clamshell back came next, apparently fitted to every contour of your skull. Straps tightened it regardless, all of it settling over your gag and blindfold, layer upon layer. For a brief moment you couldn't breath, but they must have turned something on as you inhale suddenly, though that's a fresh experience-- the effort a bit trying, and any hint of scent replaced by a sterile, all-encompassing rubber. "Engage her rebreather, attach her bubbler." What had been a somewhat difficult inhalation grew even harder-- it had sounded distant, as if you were exhaling from a tube mounted somewhere to the frame all around you. Whatever the rebreather and inhaler were, however, made the next breath seemingly impossible-- first the sound of something small inflating, then a contained liquid bubbling up. Were you... breathing through it somehow? <img alt="rebreather" src="images/gear/rebreather.png"/> That should have terrified you. Bound, gagged, blinded, and now struggling to breathe... why weren't you afraid? That question stuck to your mind like a black smear against an otherwise pure white expanse. You had been confused, yes. Angry, perhaps. Aroused... definitely. But not *afraid*. Had they taken that from you with the mental flash? At least your exhalation was easier, merciful even in comparison. Nevertheless it left you jealous of Doctor Asakuma, *she* was breathing easily enough as she spoke suddenly, sounding quite muffled. "Keep at it, $Zero. You will adapt quickly. And Doctor Kasa, do not look so worried. The rebreather and bubbler induce her to breathe in a regimented manner, as I'm sure you recall. Yes it is difficult, but since introduction it improved sync rates by nearly 3%. Essential technology, and $Zero will be using it for several hours at least. Let us proceed to the comms check." *Several hours?!* You would have gasped, but your breathing situation stifled that. [[Being so restricted... it was making you wet.->MaskWet]] [[Being so restricted... how could you stand this!?->MaskStand]]

(color: red + white)[Sanity -1] (set: $Arou to it - 1) It was all coming together. The mind wipe, the bondage, the uniform, being suspended, your mask, the difficult breathing-- it was all-encompassing, leaving you terribly aroused. Your holes ached, the plugs inside them making the frustration all the more compelling. Somewhere distant you heard voices, your name repeated, but that paled in comparison to being a glossy white thing bound and suspended, lost to your own little world... (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Until a sudden jabbing pain at the side of your neck interceded.->GetStimmed]]

(color: blue)[Stamina decreased!] (set: $Stamina to it - 1) It was all coming together. The mind wipe, the bondage, the uniform, being suspended, your mask, the difficult breathing-- it was all-encompassing, the prospect of being left like this enough to drive you to struggle further. Against your mask, against the restraints, against the doctors who must be standing by just watch-- A *shock* hit you hard, instructive as it was blunt. You're left trying to gasp through your bubbler as a second pain hits... (set: $Con to it + 1) [[A sudden jabbing pain at the side of your neck.->GetCalmed]]

From that jab a sense of... calm flowed through you. It followed your veins, spreading out to your limbs and then collecting towards your red-hot sex. That cooled, the arousal fading, even if that left you all the more aching and frustrated. (set: $Arou to 5)(set: $Stamina to 3) (color: red + white)[Anti-Arousal Stim injected, Sanity reset!] (color: green)[Anti-Exhaustion Stim injected, Stamina reset!] And with the sudden clarity came a realization that Doctor Asakuma was speaking, and this time much more clearly, as if she was in your very ear. "...it is dangerous to use them when they are synced. Procedure does suggest giving wetware one of each as installation prep concludes, however. Cancels out any duress they endured since the mind flash. She should just about... ah, you can hear me, $Zero? Very good. I am transmitting through your helmet's radio link. Nod your head if it sounds clear." [[Nod weakly.->Install3]]

From that jab a sense of... calm flowed through you. It followed your veins, spreading out to your limbs and then collecting towards your sex. That cooled, the arousal fading, the pain in your bound limbs receding, even if that left you all the more aching and frustrated. (set: $Arou to 5)(set: $Stamina to 3) (color: red + white)[Anti-Arousal Stim injected, Sanity reset!] (color: green)[Anti-Exhaustion Stim injected, Stamina reset!] And with the sudden clarity came a realization that Doctor Asakuma was speaking, and this time much more clearly, as if she was in your very ear. "...it is dangerous to use them when they are synced. Procedure does suggest giving wetware one of each as installation prep concludes, however. Cancels out any duress they endured since the mind flash. She should just about... ah, you can hear me, $Zero? Very good. I am transmitting through your helmet's radio link. Nod your head if it sounds clear." [[Nod weakly.->Install3]]

"Good. Handler $Artemis, is your feed strong?" "(color: blue)[It is, Doctor.]" *Her* voice was even clearer, low and breathy as it so often was, but that only made it sweeter. You catch yourself before you looked around for her, blindfolded and helmeted as you are. "Excellent. $Zero, obviously you are not permitted to speak while installed, but you are fitted with a mind-to-text voxaphone. Use of it is allowed as necessary during deployment. It will be difficult to use while desynced, but I want you to confirm it is working for me. Focus on what you want to say, enunciate the words in your head, and give it a try." [[Think... "Can you hear this?"->CanHear]] [[Think... "Wetware 00 testing vox-function, do you read me?"->CanHearPro]] "Just let me say what I want!" (click-replace: "Just let me say what I want!")[[["Mm mgh mmh mmmgh ghh mggh!->CanSpeak]]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Can you hear this?]] The words flare to life on the HUD projected directly into your vision by your augmented eyes, and earning a response from outside your sealed little environment. "Yes," Doctor Asakuma responds, after what was presumably a moment to read the output. "Given your gag, this will be the only means of communication you are capable of, but mind the character limit-- and try to recall protocol? Instituting that program has not been as successful, given your mind flashes, but..." (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: 00? You're online? I've been installed for fifteen minutes already!]] "Ah," Asakuma noted with a sigh. "As you can see, all active Wetware have access to the channel." Artemis chimed in with a bit of bemusement in her voice. "(color: blue)[And $Two has been installed for roughly ninety seconds, we are not behind schedule. Juno, don't allow your Wetware to lie about mission-critical information like that.]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] [[Think... "That's what you deserve!"->CanShock]] [[Think... "It is good to hear your voice, Artemis."->CanArt]] [[Remain silent.->CanSilent]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Wetware 00 testing vox-function, do you read me?]] The words flare to life on the HUD projected directly into your vision by your augmented eyes, and earning a response from outside your sealed little environment. "Yes," Doctor Asakuma responds, after what was presumably a moment to read the output. "Given your gag, this will be the only means of communication you are capable of. I must also note, with approval, that you instinctually used proper protocol. Instituting that program has not been as successful, given your mind flashes, but..." (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: 00? You're online? I've been installed for fifteen minutes already!]] "Ah," Asakuma noted with a sigh. "As you can see, all active Wetware have access to the channel." Artemis chimed in with a bit of bemusement in her voice. "(color: blue)[And $Two has been installed for roughly ninety seconds, we are not behind schedule. Juno, don't allow your Wetware to lie about mission-critical information like that.]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Think... "That's what you deserve!"->CanShock]] [[Think... "It is good to hear your voice, Artemis."->CanArt]] [[Remain silent.->CanSilent]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Just let me say what I want!]] The words flare to life on the HUD projected directly into your vision by your augmented eyes, and quickly earn a shock that erupts through your body. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] "(color: blue)[You will remember your place, $Zero.]" Artemis did not sound pleased. "Well," Doctor Asakuma responds, after what was presumably a moment to read the output. "Given your gag, this will be the only means of communication you are capable of, but mind the character limit-- and try to recall protocol? Instituting that program has not been as successful, given your mind flashes, but..." (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: 00? You're online? I've been installed for fifteen minutes already!]] "Ah," Asakuma noted with a sigh. "As you can see, all active Wetware have access to the channel." Artemis chimed in with a bit of bemusement in her voice. "(color: blue)[And $Two has been installed for roughly ninety seconds, we are not behind schedule. Juno, don't allow your Wetware to lie about mission-critical information like that.]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] (set: $Con to it + 1)(set: $Shocker to it + 1) [[Think... "That's what you deserve!"->CanShock]] [[Think... "It is good to hear your voice, Artemis."->CanArt]] [[Remain silent.->CanSilent]]

<img alt="crossed" src="images/002/crossed.jpg"/> (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: That's what you deserve!]] In that moment you realize that if $Two had already been installed, that meant... she had to be like you, right? In her red wetsuit, restrained, suspended, blindfolded, gagged, breathing through a Discord-cursed mask just like your own! It is a wonderful image, one that even sticks in your mind as a sudden shock lances through you. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Haha, see now--]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] "(color: blue)[Girls, enough!]" Artemis snapped. "(color: blue)[I'm muting the line for 60 seconds. $Two, focus on your launch. Doctor Asakuma? Slot $Zero in.]" You were still hyperventilating a bit, the shock of the well... *shock* having combined with your rebreather to force a focus on that. As you try, blind and swinging helplessly, you hear something mechanical begin to whisk... open? Yes. It was directly beneath you in fact, and not hard to imagine as to the source: the glass-like paneled floor had apparently opened. "Lab slot opened," Doctor Kasa said, muffled because she was not feeding into your helmet comms directly. "Opening Instrument 00's wetware slot." Despite your flashed mind, you could remember that. Your Instrument had a head, but the Wetware Slot was just behind it, heavily armored doors that could open in a rectangular fashion. Fully exposed, the resulting slot was... just about the same size as the framework you were currently suspended from. "Armored Doors opened. Slot cleared." One of the other doctors. "Oxygen, phero, data, sync, pump, and emergency ports primed and ready for pairing." "Handler $Artemis?" Doctor Asakuma now spoke, and you can almost imagine her hand hovering over a red button, safety glass flicked up and away. "Do I have your permission to slot (color: cyan)[Wetware 00]?" "(color: blue)[Permission Granted.]" (set: $Con to it + 1)(set: $Shocker to it + 1) [[The suspension frame shivered.->Insertion]]

<img alt="smile" src="images/artemis/smile.png"/> (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: It is good to hear your voice, Artemis.]] "(color: blue)[I told you I would be with you every step of the way.]" $Artemis' smile broke through your flashed mind, a rare enough memory that you had apparently held onto it throughout. It seemed to match her tone, and certainly left you with a sense of... safety. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Oh, does 00 miss her hand--]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[00: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] In that moment you realize that if $Two had already been installed, that meant... she had to be like you, right? In her red wetsuit, restrained, suspended, blindfolded, gagged, breathing through a Discord-cursed mask just like your own! It is a wonderful image, particularly as you imagine her quivering from the shock her system had just announced to everyone in the bastion. "You will behave yourself, $Two." That was Juno, it wasn't surprising she also had a connection to your shared channel. "Or I will hold down the shock button until you do. Is that clear?" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: ...yes ma'am.]] "(color: blue)[I will mute the line for 60 seconds as we slot $Zero.]" As if on cue you hear something mechanical begin to whisk... open? Yes. It was directly beneath you in fact, and not hard to imagine as to the source: the glass-like paneled floor had apparently opened. "Lab slot opened," Doctor Kasa said, muffled because she was not feeding into your helmet comms directly. "Opening Instrument 00's wetware slot." Despite your flashed mind, you could remember that. Your Instrument had a head, but the Wetware Slot was just behind it, heavily armored doors that could open in a rectangular fashion. Fully exposed, the resulting slot was... just about the same size as the framework you were currently suspended from. "Armored Doors opened. Slot cleared." One of the other doctors. "Oxygen, phero, data, sync, pump, and emergency ports primed and ready for pairing." "Handler $Artemis?" Doctor Asakuma now spoke, and you can almost imagine her hand hovering over a red button, safety glass flicked up and away. "Do I have your permission to slot (color: cyan)[Wetware 00]?" "(color: blue)[Permission Granted.]" [[The suspension frame shivered.->Insertion]]

<img alt="crossed" src="images/002/crossed.jpg"/> You remain silent, finding peace in not needing to speak. Gagged as you were, it seemed only natural anyway. Unfortunately for your fellow wetware however, she did not share that proclivity. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: I didn't need to be shocked, I--]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[00: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] In that moment you realize that if $Two had already been installed, that meant... she had to be like you, right? In her red wetsuit, restrained, suspended, blindfolded, gagged, breathing through a Discord-cursed mask just like your own! It is a wonderful image, particularly as you imagine her quivering from the shock her system had just announced to everyone in the bastion. "You require every shock I give you, $Two." That was Juno, it wasn't surprising she also had a connection to your shared channel. "Just as $Zero requires when applied by $Artemis. You both need the supervision. Is that clear?" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: ...yes ma'am.]] "(color: blue)[I will mute the line for 60 seconds as we slot $Zero.]" As if on cue you hear something mechanical begin to whisk... open? Yes. It was directly beneath you in fact, and not hard to imagine as to the source: the glass-like paneled floor had apparently opened. "Lab slot opened," Doctor Kasa said, muffled because she was not feeding into your helmet comms directly. "Opening Instrument 00's wetware slot." Despite your flashed mind, you could remember that. Your Instrument had a head, but the Wetware Slot was just behind it, heavily armored doors that could open in a rectangular fashion. Fully exposed, the resulting slot was... just about the same size as the framework you were currently suspended from. "Armored Doors opened. Slot cleared." One of the other doctors. "Oxygen, phero, data, sync, pump, and emergency ports primed and ready for pairing." "Handler $Artemis?" Doctor Asakuma now spoke, and you can almost imagine her hand hovering over a red button, safety glass flicked up and away. "Do I have your permission to slot (color: cyan)[Wetware 00]?" "(color: blue)[Permission Granted.]" (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[The suspension frame shivered.->Insertion]]

Down you went, the frame around you aligned perfectly with a set of rails built into the Instrument's slot. Blind, bound, and hogtied you pass from the sterile confines of the lab and into a passage only exactly as wide as necessary. Thousands of pounds of armor envelop you and still you descend, a wetware's place being in the very heart of the torso-- centrally located for processing needs, and also because it was the most heavily armored. A final, conclusive *thunk* is paired with the sense of padding enveloping you all around. It was smooth to the touch, at least as far as your wetsuited body could discern, and seemed to be sculpted to your every contour. After several more heavy clunks you felt more of the padding folding in behind you, pressing up against your back, your thighs, your booted feet. And then? Silence, save for the blown-bubble sound of your inhalations. It persists for just long enough for a sense of claustrophobia to rise in you, though again without a sense of fear-- just the *knowing* of being completely entombed in a massive construct. "(color: blue)[$Zero, do you read me? Your radio link shows green across the board, good. We are going to plug in your inserts now. Hold steady.]" Before you could even focus on the words to ask what she meant, you suddenly felt *something* press up into the space between your legs. Positioned to be almost laying on your stomach (though in truth you were still suspended), with your legs folded up behind you and spread, there was ample room for that *something* to conform with and then align itself. With a mechanical whirl, it then pushed forward and *locked* into the bases of your plugs. "Front and rear plungers secured," came a voice, undoubtedly one of the myriad of Doctors overseeing the process. "Oxygen and Phero seals confirmed. She is running on system O2." "Slot seals confirmed, outer locks secured." "Sync ready." $Artemis' smooth voice returned. "(color: blue)[This is it, $Zero. We are going to insert your neural links, and sync you with your Instrument. It will feel strange, but that's expected. Once fully engaged, your instincts and sub-conscious training will assert itself. I cannot fully explain the sensation because I have never felt it-- those who can experience it are very rare indeed. That's why you're special, $Zero. That's why we need you.]" She paused, though you hear her take a deep breath away from whatever microphone she was using. When she returns, she had retaken her stern *Handler* voice. "(color: blue)[Wetware $Zero, confirm sync readiness.]" [[Think... "Wetware 00, ready to sync".->Insert2]] [[Think... "Yeah, I'm ready!"->Insert2v2]]

<img alt="sync" src="images/reg/sync.gif"/> (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Wetware 00, ready to sync.]] At three points along your back, from the base of your neck to just above the tailbone, something pressed into you-- into the ports your wetsuit had waiting there. Seals, beneath which were your neural jacks, a triple set of implants designed for this singular purpose. (color: white)[**AND THE MUSIC STARTED.**] The Instrument flooded into you, miles of fiber-optic facsimile synapses spread in redundant clusters throughout its armored form. Subsystems layered upon subsystems, those that handled the weapons, those that stabilized it during locomotion, those that ran its sensory radars and diagnostics and its heat arrays. Altogether it was too much for any computer to manage, a bandwidth fiend that had burned out the greatest of supercomputers like a snapping finger. But an organic mind, sentient and thinking-- *that* had bandwidth to spare, if properly conditioned, flashed in preparation, and rigorously trained. You had been a mathematics savant as a child, the first precursor sign they looked for, and the others had followed. They had taken you from your parents while young, and flashed your mind for the first time-- long and hard, a system reboot of sorts. Then they had built you back up, teaching you what you needed to know, supplementing it with what you needed to remain stable. They had burned out most of the first generation by ignoring the latter, but lessons had been learned through the second and third generations. You are one of the fourth, a testament to mankind's ingenuity when backed up against the wall. [[Open your eyes.->Insert3]]

<img alt="sync" src="images/reg/sync.gif"/> (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Yeah, I'm ready!]] At three points along your back, from the base of your neck to just above the tailbone, something pressed into you-- into the ports your wetsuit had waiting there. Seals, beneath which were your neural jacks, a triple set of implants designed for this singular purpose. (color: white)[**AND THE MUSIC STARTED.**] The Instrument flooded into you, miles of fiber-optic facsimile synapses spread in redundant clusters throughout its armored form. Subsystems layered upon subsystems, those that handled the weapons, those that stabilized it during locomotion, those that ran its sensory radars and diagnostics and its heat arrays. Altogether it was too much for any computer to manage, a bandwidth fiend that had burned out the greatest of supercomputers like a snapping finger. But an organic mind, sentient and thinking-- *that* had bandwidth to spare, if properly conditioned, flashed in preparation, and rigorously trained. You had been a mathematics savant as a child, the first precursor sign they looked for, and the others had followed. They had taken you from your parents while young, and flashed your mind for the first time-- long and hard, a system reboot of sorts. Then they had built you back up, teaching you what you needed to know, supplementing it with what you needed to remain stable. They had burned out most of the first generation by ignoring the latter, but lessons had been learned through the second and third generations. You are one of the fourth, a testament to mankind's ingenuity when backed up against the wall. [[Open your eyes.->Insert3]]

<img alt="mech" src="images/reg/mech.png"/> Instinct had you link into the Instrument's exterior cameras, pushing the feed through your neural jacks to eyes augmented for just this purpose. Had you been able to see the mismatch between your physical vision and the digital signal it would have desynced you, but *blindfolded* you only had the Instrument's eyes to see-- and with them you look down. You knelt in the decontamination pool, though the pad upon which you rested was already moving towards the exterior doorway, the decom-fluid draining out. Somewhere within you were a glossy white form strictly bound, but as your mind hummed this new song you found yourself thinking as the construct of steel that stretched below. Two thick legs, heavy armor across the torso, all of it painted grey. To your left rested a massive shield, your right gripped a sword. *Discordant Entities usually shrugged off ranged weapons.* You knew that, and so many other things, but only *now*-- as part of the greater whole. Wetware and Instrument, singing a singular song you had always known. An ***Aria.*** (color: cyan)[WETWARE INSTALLED! Armor Tracking unlocked.] (set: $Suited to true)(set: $ArmorHide to false) "$A0 sync levels rising. 40%, 60%, all nominal." $Artemis' voice interceded. "(color: blue)[$A0, you're looking good. We're moving you to the staging field. How are you feeling?]" [[Think... "I have never felt better, Artemis."->LikeAria]] [[Think... "Ready to serve, ma'am."->NeatAria]] [[Think... "Like I could take on the world!"->ExciteAria]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: I have never felt better, Artemis.]] "(color: blue)[This is what you were made for. But you do have a job to do, upload incoming.]" Data flowed into the you as readily as the Instrument actually receiving the tight-beam, a flood of geographic maps, suggested routes, Discord reporting, and a thousand other things your fully synced mind parsed and analyzed in moments. Even so, $Artemis proceeded with a brief-- that was tradition. "(color: blue)[Today units $A0 and $A2 will be escorting Taskforce Theta to Designated ROI B-3068, and will provide overwatch during scavenging operations. Theta deployed eight hours ago, and will meet you at the designated waypoint marker.]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: This doesn't add up-- the route, it swerves towards an area of High Discordant Activity, here near Waypoint Eight. That's not a scavenging profile, that's looking for a fight.]] It was only text, but you could almost read excitement in $Two's words. And she was right-- scavenging missions usually went out of their way to avoid trouble, and rarely were given Aria support, much less the deployment of two units. [[Remain silent.->Insert4]] [[Think... "Yeah, what is going on?"->Insert4A]] [[Think... "It is irregular, ma'am."->Insert4B]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Ready to serve, ma'am.]] "(color: blue)[Good, that is your purpose. Upload incoming.]" Data flowed into the you as readily as the Instrument actually receiving the tight-beam, a flood of geographic maps, suggested routes, Discord reporting, and a thousand other things your fully synced mind parsed and analyzed in moments. Even so, $Artemis proceeded with a brief-- that was tradition. "(color: blue)[Today units $A0 and $A2 will be escorting Taskforce Theta to Designated ROI B-3068, and will provide overwatch during scavenging operations. Theta deployed eight hours ago, and will meet you at the designated waypoint marker.]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: This doesn't add up-- the route, it swerves towards an area of High Discordant Activity, here near Waypoint Eight. That's not a scavenging profile, that's looking for a fight.]] It was only text, but you could almost read excitement in $Two's words. And she was right-- scavenging missions usually went out of their way to avoid trouble, and rarely were given Aria support, much less the deployment of two units. (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Remain silent.->Insert4]] [[Think... "Yeah, what is going on?"->Insert4A]] [[Think... "It is irregular, ma'am."->Insert4B]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Like I could take on the world!]] "(color: blue)[Good, but do try to maintain a bit more protocol. Now-- upload incoming.]" Data flowed into the you as readily as the Instrument actually receiving the tight-beam, a flood of geographic maps, suggested routes, Discord reporting, and a thousand other things your fully synced mind parsed and analyzed in moments. Even so, $Artemis proceeded with a brief-- that was tradition. "(color: blue)[Today units $A0 and $A2 will be escorting Taskforce Theta to Designated ROI B-3068, and will provide overwatch during scavenging operations. Theta deployed eight hours ago, and will meet you at the designated waypoint marker.]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: This doesn't add up-- the route, it swerves towards an area of High Discordant Activity, here near Waypoint Eight. That's not a scavenging profile, that's looking for a fight.]] It was only text, but you could almost read excitement in $Two's words. And she was right-- scavenging missions usually went out of their way to avoid trouble, and rarely were given Aria support, much less the deployment of two units. (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Remain silent.->Insert4]] [[Think... "Yeah, what is going on?"->Insert4A]] [[Think... "It is irregular, ma'am."->Insert4B]]

$Artemis cleared her throat. "(color: blue)[Very astute, $Two. What I described is your *Primary Objective*, to keep the members of the Taskforce alive. We suspect that will involve only a few lower level entities at worst. But yes, you do have a secondary objective-- there have been... irregular reports from the area you outlined. The Taskforce was routed as it was to see if we can draw anything out. A calculated risk. If that does occur, you will defend the Taskforce and we will update operating parameters as necessary. Is that understood?]" (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Think... "Yes, ma'am."->Insert5A]] [[Think... "So the Taskforce is... bait?"->Insert5B]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Yeah, what is going on?]] $Artemis cleared her throat. "(color: blue)[Allow me to explain, $Zero. What I described is your *Primary Objective*, to keep the members of the Taskforce alive. We suspect that will involve only a few lower level entities at worst. But yes, you do have a secondary objective-- there have been... irregular reports from the area you outlined. The Taskforce was routed as it was to see if we can draw anything out. A calculated risk. If that does occur, you will defend the Taskforce and we will update operating parameters as necessary. Is that understood?]" [[Think... "Yes, ma'am."->Insert5A]] [[Think... "So the Taskforce is... bait?"->Insert5B]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: It is irregular, ma'am.]] $Artemis cleared her throat. "(color: blue)[You are correct, $Zero. Allow me to explain. What I described is your *Primary Objective*, to keep the members of the Taskforce alive. We suspect that will involve only a few lower level entities at worst. But yes, you do have a secondary objective-- there have been... irregular reports from the area you outlined. The Taskforce was routed as it was to see if we can draw anything out. A calculated risk. If that does occur, you will defend the Taskforce and we will update operating parameters as necessary. Is that understood?]" (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Think... "Yes, ma'am."->Insert5A]] [[Think... "So the Taskforce is... bait?"->Insert5B]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Yes, ma'am.]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Yes, ma'am.]] Your response and $Two's came in nearly at the same time. "(color: blue)[Good girls. $A0, you should be clearing the decom bay in a moment. Once free, you may fully engage and rendezvous with $A2 at the perimeter.]" <img alt="launch" src="images/set/launch.png"/> As forewarned, you soon emerged out into the open air. Working through procedures that came to you as if pulling them from a database, which you effectively were, you cleared the decom-platform your Instrument rested on and finally rose. Up, ever upward, to your full and commanding height. Decom-fluid ran down sheet armor in rivulets as you got your bearings. Behind you would be the city, tightly packed towers encircled by the interior wall. As Wetware you had only ever explored its cacophony of shops, factories, and homes while escorted. As $A0, you were not permitted to operate inside without a VERY good reason. Thus the Bastion's placement, studded in the wall like particularly thick thorn. It had released you into the agricultural ring, the expanse of green fields and sparse facilities that stretched from the formidable inner wall out to the lesser outer perimeter. The latter was your destination. And so you started walking, 250 feet of heavily armored war machine, following the route your Handler and team had prescribed. The agricultural ring was sparsely inhabited but not entirely devoid of life, and at several points you found MPs blocking off intersections and a handful of onlookers. Your deployments always drew attention from the populace, but few had the clearance to leave the Inner City and see much in person. How many, you wondered, thought about the girl at the center of your towering Instrument? Of a glossy, curvy form so strictly restrained, isolated and overstimulated, her mind altogether spread throughout the machine and running terribly hot? [[The perimeter approaches.->Perm1]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: So the Taskforce is... bait?]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: I was wondering too...]] "(color: blue)[Mhmm. I would not advise thinking of it like that, but you are not exactly wrong. As I said-- a calculated risk. Better to flush out whatever is happening out there then waiting for it to hit our perimeter. Now-- $A0, you should be clearing the decom bay in a moment. Once free, you may fully engage and rendezvous with $A2 at the perimeter.]" <img alt="launch" src="images/set/launch.png"/> As forewarned, you soon emerged out into the open air. Working through procedures that came to you as if pulling them from a database, which you effectively were, you cleared the decom-platform your Instrument rested on and finally rose. Up, ever upward, to your full and commanding height. Decom-fluid ran down sheet armor in rivulets as you got your bearings. Behind you would be the city, tightly packed towers encircled by the interior wall. As Wetware you had only ever explored its cacophony of shops, factories, and homes while escorted. As $A0, you were not permitted to operate inside without a VERY good reason. Thus the Bastion's placement, studded in the wall like particularly thick thorn. It had released you into the agricultural ring, the expanse of green fields and sparse facilities that stretched from the formidable inner wall out to the lesser outer perimeter. The latter was your destination. And so you started walking, 250 feet of heavily armored war machine, following the route your Handler and team had prescribed. The agricultural ring was sparsely inhabited but not entirely devoid of life, and at several points you found MPs blocking off intersections and a handful of onlookers. Your deployments always drew attention from the populace, but few had the clearance to leave the Inner City and see much in person. How many, you wondered, thought about the girl at the center of your towering Instrument? Of a glossy, curvy form so strictly restrained, isolated and overstimulated, her mind altogether spread throughout the machine and running terribly hot? [[The perimeter approaches.->Perm1]]

<img alt="perm2" src="images/set/perm2.png"/> The Perimeter wall came into sight awhile later. Not nearly as impressive as the inner wall, it was however much more thoroughly garrisoned, an extensive effort to keep Discordant Entities from slipping over and into the agricultural ring. Today all seemed quiet (and the patrol reports you downloaded confirmed that). $A2 waited near one of the gates, her sword stuck into the ground-- though she pulled it free at your approach, shouldering her shield anew. <img alt="mech" src="images/002/mech.jpg"/> $Two's Instrument was in many ways similar to your own-- Instruments improved over each generation, but it was more iterative than anything revolutionary. It was a bright red however, matching her wetsuit, armed as you were primarily with a heavy shield and sword. Her design was a bit lighter however, sacrificing some of the heavy armor you bore for a greater top speed. That aligned with the hammer/anvil doctrine of combat favored during Duets. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: You're here. Finally. Was just about to ask Juno to edge me to keep sync rates up, I hate waiting.]] (set: $Strike to 0)(set: $APC to 0)(set: $2Help to 0)(set: $Fight to 0) [[Think... "We aren't allowed to request stimulation."->Narc]] [[Think... "It was barely five minutes."->NarcNo]] [[Think... "Sorry, 02."->NarcSub]]

<img alt="mech" src="images/reg/mech.png"/> (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: We aren't allowed to request stimulation.]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Ugh, don't be such a buzzkill. Come on.]] $A2 lead the way through the gate, soldiers waving as you passed by. Disassociated from yourself, it seemed hard in that moment to imagine being as small as they were. A desolate and rapidly deteriorating road stretched out before you-- work details generally had to be assigned escorts out here, and the backlog for such work was always long. If $A2 noticed your looking down, she didn't comment on it, instead hefting her sword a bit. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: You parse the reports on our last engagement? You let that M-E get behind you, that's always bad.]] Her phrasing, *did you parse the reports*, was poignant. You couldn't remember your last deployment, or any of the others since your activation as wetware. The mind flashes were necessary to pilot, to survive an encounter with an M-E-- Major Entity-- but your memories for the next 24 hours rarely survived. But you *had* read the reports, and you were right. Apparently you had lost the M-E behind your shield, and it had gotten around behind, a dangerous occurrence. A major weakness of your Instruments was a lack of flexibility, and reaching up and behind was nearly impossible. Amusing, really, given your physical form was currently wearing an armbinder, back arched, all but touching your own toes. (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Think... "It won't happen again."->BackWont]] [[Think... "I still got the term."->BackTerm]] [[Think... "I was punished sufficiently."->BackPun]]

<img alt="mech" src="images/reg/mech.png"/> (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: It was barely five minutes.]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Don't make we wait, next time. Come on.]] $A2 lead the way through the gate, soldiers waving as you passed by. Disassociated from yourself, it seemed hard in that moment to imagine being as small as they were. A desolate and rapidly deteriorating road stretched out before you-- work details generally had to be assigned escorts out here, and the backlog for such work was always long. If $A2 noticed your looking down, she didn't comment on it, instead hefting her sword a bit. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: You parse the reports on our last engagement? You let that M-E get behind you, that's always bad.]] Her phrasing, *did you parse the reports*, was poignant. You couldn't remember your last deployment, or any of the others since your activation as wetware. The mind flashes were necessary to pilot, to survive an encounter with an M-E-- Major Entity-- but your memories for the next 24 hours rarely survived. But you *had* read the reports, and you were right. Apparently you had lost the M-E behind your shield, and it had gotten around behind, a dangerous occurrence. A major weakness of your Instruments was a lack of flexibility, and reaching up and behind was nearly impossible. Amusing, really, given your physical form was currently wearing an armbinder, back arched, all but touching your own toes. (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Think... "It won't happen again."->BackWont]] [[Think... "I still got the term."->BackTerm]] [[Think... "I was punished sufficiently."->BackPun]]

<img alt="mech" src="images/reg/mech.png"/> (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Sorry, 02.]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: I'll forgive you when you do better. Come on.]] $A2 lead the way through the gate, soldiers waving as you passed by. Disassociated from yourself, it seemed hard in that moment to imagine being as small as they were. A desolate and rapidly deteriorating road stretched out before you-- work details generally had to be assigned escorts out here, and the backlog for such work was always long. If $A2 noticed your looking down, she didn't comment on it, instead hefting her sword a bit. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: You parse the reports on our last engagement? You let that M-E get behind you, that's always bad.]] Her phrasing, *did you parse the reports*, was poignant. You couldn't remember your last deployment, or any of the others since your activation as wetware. The mind flashes were necessary to pilot, to survive an encounter with an M-E-- Major Entity-- but your memories for the next 24 hours rarely survived. But you *had* read the reports, and you were right. Apparently you had lost the M-E behind your shield, and it had gotten around behind, a dangerous occurrence. A major weakness of your Instruments was a lack of flexibility, and reaching up and behind was nearly impossible. Amusing, really, given your physical form was currently wearing an armbinder, back arched, all but touching your own toes. [[Think... "It won't happen again."->BackWont]] [[Think... "I still got the term."->BackTerm]] [[Think... "I was punished sufficiently."->BackPun]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: It won't happen again.]] The red-armored machine looked back at you. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: It better not, with $Five out-of-action for a few weeks we are all the city has.]] "(color: blue)[$A0, $A2!]" $Artemis' voice broke through a bit of static, your distance from the city already considerable. "(color: blue)[You're coming up on Taskforce Theta. They are engaged, I repeat *engaged* with an L-E pack. Should be able to handle it, but you will make far shorter work of it. Double time, girls!]" Within your towering steel form, a soft, smooth white body quivered as the plugs inside it purred to life. The effort was gentle, but you were *sensitive*, and being utterly incapable of escaping the vibrators, much less even *touching* them with your hands made it all the more exciting-- and that by itself pushed you into a run. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Finally! Let's go!]] $A2 must have been experiencing the same, as she broke into a similar loping gait, her Instrument's higher speeds allowing her to get out ahead of you. In the distance, muzzle flashes became apparent amongst a small clump of buildings that may have once served as a waystation along the highway. Taskforce Theta had circled the wagons, their armored vehicles firing down the various thoroughfares between the buildings. Their targets generally varied in size and shape-- Discord came in all sorts of shapes-- but were generally about ten feet high, perched on two legs or running on all fours, animal-like with studded carapaces and glistening jaws. They moved with remarkable speed, leaping between buildings, trying to draw closer. <img alt="critter" src="images/npc/critter.png"/> You could rush in with your sword, but your Instrument also wielded secondary Saturation Missiles-- designed for use against distant targets. They had a considerable area of effect, but luckily the L-E (Lesser Entity) had yet to close range with their targets. [[Push in close with your sword!->PickSword]] [[Fire a missile barrage from range!->PickMissiles]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: I still got the term.]] The red-armored machine looked back at you. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Yeah, and $Five got hurt for it. Good job, hero.]] "(color: blue)[$A0, $A2!]" $Artemis' voice broke through a bit of static, your distance from the city already considerable. "(color: blue)[You're coming up on Taskforce Theta. They are engaged, I repeat *engaged* with an L-E pack. Should be able to handle it, but you will make far shorter work of it. Double time, girls!]" Within your towering steel form, a soft, smooth white body quivered as the plugs inside it purred to life. The effort was gentle, but you were *sensitive*, and being utterly incapable of escaping the vibrators, much less even *touching* them with your hands made it all the more exciting-- and that by itself pushed you into a run. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Finally! Let's go!]] $A2 must have been experiencing the same, as she broke into a similar loping gait, her Instrument's higher speeds allowing her to get out ahead of you. In the distance, muzzle flashes became apparent amongst a small clump of buildings that may have once served as a waystation along the highway. Taskforce Theta had circled the wagons, their armored vehicles firing down the various thoroughfares between the buildings. Their targets generally varied in size and shape-- Discord came in all sorts of shapes-- but were generally about ten feet high, perched on two legs or running on all fours, animal-like with studded carapaces and glistening jaws. They moved with remarkable speed, leaping between buildings, trying to draw closer. <img alt="critter" src="images/npc/critter.png"/> You could rush in with your sword, but your Instrument also wielded secondary Saturation Missiles-- designed for use against distant targets. They had a considerable area of effect, but luckily the L-E (Lesser Entity) had yet to close range with their targets. (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Push in close with your sword!->PickSword]] [[Fire a missile barrage from range!->PickMissiles]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: I was punished sufficiently.]] The red-armored machine looked back at you. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: I saw that in the reports too. $Five got hurt, but you got solitary for a week. We can do better.]] "(color: blue)[$A0, $A2!]" $Artemis' voice broke through a bit of static, your distance from the city already considerable. "(color: blue)[You're coming up on Taskforce Theta. They are engaged, I repeat *engaged* with an L-E pack. Should be able to handle it, but you will make far shorter work of it. Double time, girls!]" Within your towering steel form, a soft, smooth white body quivered as the plugs inside it purred to life. The effort was gentle, but you were *sensitive*, and being utterly incapable of escaping the vibrators, much less even *touching* them with your hands made it all the more exciting-- and that by itself pushed you into a run. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Finally! Let's go!]] $A2 must have been experiencing the same, as she broke into a similar loping gait, her Instrument's higher speeds allowing her to get out ahead of you. In the distance, muzzle flashes became apparent amongst a small clump of buildings that may have once served as a waystation along the highway. Taskforce Theta had circled the wagons, their armored vehicles firing down the various thoroughfares between the buildings. Their targets generally varied in size and shape-- Discord came in all sorts of shapes-- but were generally about ten feet high, perched on two legs or running on all fours, animal-like with studded carapaces and glistening jaws. They moved with remarkable speed, leaping between buildings, trying to draw closer. <img alt="critter" src="images/npc/critter.png"/> You could rush in with your sword, but your Instrument also wielded secondary Saturation Missiles-- designed for use against distant targets. They had a considerable area of effect, but luckily the L-E (Lesser Entity) had yet to close range with their targets. (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Push in close with your sword!->PickSword]] [[Fire a missile barrage from range!->PickMissiles]]

<img alt="sword" src="images/gear/sword.png"/> Adjusting your sword grip, you rushed in. $A2 had paused to aim, her particle beam flashing as you went by, a distant L-E tumbling off a building in an explosion of gore. With your choice to close however, you felt the vibrators lodged inside your body increase their vibrations-- then pull *out*, perhaps a quarter of the way, only to plunge back into you. It felt good, no-- ***wonderful***, each stroke pumping at your wet slit and eager rear. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Anti-Dissonance Measures Activated]] (set: $Strike to 1) You had no control over *that* particular function of your Instrument, the system semi-automated, semi-controlled by your Handler back at the Bastion. But it was essential. As your arousal rose, your mind fuzzed, combining with the latent aftereffects of your mind flash. Your consciousness emptied, the beginnings of a battle-lust starting-- increasing your sync rates *and* making you resistant to Dissonance. These lesser entities radiated only a bit of the stuff, but it was procedure. [[Moan, and strike!->PickSword2]]

<img alt="sat" src="images/gear/sat.png"/> At your mental command a targeting overlay flashed across your blindfolded eyes, a half dozen of the monsters outlined in little cyan boxes. Each blinked for a moment until a targeting lock engaged, and you fired. Panels on your Instrument's shoulders rolled open, a pair of missiles streaking out. Instead of heading directly towards the L-E, they arched upward, then blew apart into a multitude of smaller explosives that rained down. Each of the six targets blew apart in clouds of black-blooded gore. A good choice-- they likely would have scattered if you had gone in sword-first. At your side, $A2 had deployed her particle cannon, picking a few off at far longer range. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Nice shot, but they are getting swamped-- let's get in closer!]] She burst into a sprint and you followed, only to feel the vibrators lodged inside your body increase their vibrations-- then pull *out*, perhaps a quarter of the way, only to plunge back into you. It felt good, no-- ***wonderful***, each stroke pumping at your wet slit and eager rear. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Anti-Dissonance Measures Activated]] (set: $Strike to 1) You had no control over *that* particular function of your Instrument, the system semi-automated, semi-controlled by your Handler back at the Bastion. But it was essential. As your arousal rose, your mind fuzzed, combining with the latent aftereffects of your mind flash. Your consciousness emptied, the beginnings of a battle-lust starting-- increasing your sync rates *and* making you resistant to Dissonance. These lesser entities radiated only a bit of the stuff, but it was procedure. [[You moan, wetly.->PickMissiles2]]

<img alt="sword" src="images/gear/sword.png"/> Your moan was not translated by your vox device-- it was indeed tuned to ignore such outbursts from wetware, which would have otherwise clogged the comm line. Your first target meanwhile had its back turned to you, its powerful legs tensing for another leap. The blade in your hands came down with practiced precision, cleaving the monster in two, its black blood smearing the silvery weapon as you spun, driving it into another. A third fell to a kick, the L-E slamming into one of the buildings opposite. The others nearby had scattered, recognizing your threat. With your missiles you likely would have gotten more of them-- and they had been both far enough from you and the soldiers to be useable, but you were doing well regardless. Pounding up to the circle of armored vehicles, you caught a glimpse of $A2 between two buildings, sliding into attack with her own sword. Black bursts on several of the upper building floors suggested she had sniped a few from afar. Your new vantage however revealed a new threat-- a larger beat, still an L-E, but perhaps 50 feet tall. It was bearing down on an armored vehicle while a dozen or so of the smaller variants skittered along the sides of the buildings nearby. Already they were too close for ranged attack, but darting in to head off the big one would allow the smaller foes to jump onto you. In a pack like that, they could seek the gaps in your armored plating. Either way, you had only seconds to choose. [[Charge the beast, save the soldiers.->SaveSold]] [[Sacrifice the APC, engage the enemy safely.->KillSold]]

<img alt="critter2" src="images/npc/critter2.png"/> Your Handler might have chosen differently, but she had gone quiet-- in the midst of combat, only you had the reaction time to make these sorts of decisions. So in you went, putting yourself between the APC and the charging Entity. Besides its greater size it was armored too, your first strike glancing off a plate. Turning the blade, it pushed in, forcing you to catch it with your shield. And as expected, the smaller Entities began leaping down, onto your shoulders and back. (set: $Armor to it - 1) (color: red)[Armor -1] They sought the seams of your armor, digging in, ripping at whatever gave way to their greedy claws. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: $Zero! You idiot!]] Despite her words, $A2 fired several times from behind you, picking off the smaller Entities one-by-one with her rifle. That freed you to focus on the larger monster, and just in time, as it seemed to notice its allies were falling. Pivoting suddenly, it circled your shield-- not towards you as expected, but around, towards the APC still behind you. Opening its mandibles, you knew what was coming before it spit forth-- black bile, Concentrated Dissonance. If those soldiers were hit, it would eat through the armor and skin of the lucky ones-- the survivors would be cursed with far worse. [[This is your chance, gut the Entity!->KillEnt]] [[Throw yourself between the soldiers and bile!->DiveBile]]

<img alt="critter2" src="images/npc/critter2.png"/> Your Handler might have chosen differently, but she had gone quiet-- in the midst of combat, only you had the reaction time to make these sorts of decisions. So you held back, letting the smaller Entities jump down, swarming the APC. The soldiers fought heartedly, but those not inside the armored vehicle were separated, wrapped into a gel-like substance the Entities spit, and quickly carried away. That gave you just the opportunity you needed to leap over them however, the much larger Entity-- and greater threat-- now all alone. Besides its greater size it was armored too, your first strike glancing off its armor, forcing you to bring up your shield in defense. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: $Zero! Term that thing!]] Trusting you to take on the larger foe, she had turned her particle rifle on the smaller entities, scattering the rest from the APC. The larger entity seemed to notice its sudden isolation. Pivoting suddenly, it circled your shield-- not towards you as expected, but around, towards the APC still behind you. Opening its mandibles, you knew what was coming before it spit forth-- black bile, Concentrated Dissonance. If those soldiers were hit, it would eat through the armor and skin of the lucky ones-- the survivors would be cursed with far worse. (set: $APC to it + 1) [[This is your chance, gut the Entity!->KillEnt]] [[Throw yourself between the soldiers and bile!->DiveBile]]

Pounding up to the circle of armored vehicles, you lose $A2 in the sidestreets, only to catch a glimpse of her between two buildings, sliding into attack with her own sword. Your new vantage however revealed a new threat-- a larger beat, still an L-E, but perhaps 50 feet tall. It was bearing down on an armored vehicle while a dozen or so of the smaller variants skittered along the sides of the buildings nearby. Already they were too close for ranged attack, but darting in to head off the big one would allow the smaller foes to jump onto you. In a pack like that, they could seek the gaps in your armored plating. Either way, you had only seconds to choose. [[Charge the beast, save the soldiers.->SaveSold]] [[Sacrifice the APC, engage the enemy safely.->KillSold]]

<img alt="critter2" src="images/npc/critter2.png"/> The Dissonance splattered across the APC, slipping into firing ports, air vents, and even if those were all closed, eating through the steel itself. Nothing was more potent, and while you *were* heavily armored enough to shake off that relatively small amount, it would have required greater use of anti-Dissonance countermeasures. And that was the real threat-- for exposure to the stuff effected the *mind*. Anyone pulled from that APC would addled at best, their sense of self utterly destroyed if the exposure was bad enough. You would have had your stimulators and mind flash as a shield, a sacrifice that gave you protection against Dissonance, but you had made your choice-- and steeled your blade. (set: $Strike to it - 1) It drove into the large Entity's gut, sliding off a plate then catching on a seam. You pushed, black blood pouring out and across your blade. Every part of the monster had Dissonance, but the carcass far less than that which it had spit. And as it died you pulled your blade out, turning, only to find the little battle done. (set: $APC to it + 1) [[You had won!->EndFirstFight]]

<img alt="critter2" src="images/npc/critter2.png"/> With everything you had, you lurched to the side, catching some of the Dissonance on your shield but allowing much of it to slather across your chest. It was black as night, and soaked in quickly, eating through a bit of steel. You were heavily armored enough to survive that however, the *real* danger came from what the Dissonance did to the *mind*. The stuff effected the *mind*, exposure from concentrate like that enough to addle most minds, and utterly destroy many. You were special though. Prepared for this. As the Dissonance emanated from the bile it struggled to find purchase on your flashed mind, and in response your countermeasures amped up further. Both vibrators, already working back and forth inside you, sped up even quicker. (set: $Arou to it - 1) (color: red + white)[Sanity -1] You moaned again, drooling inside your mask, struggling to breathe as the dildos pumped back and forth. Arousal was the only surefire means yet found to counteract Dissonance, a stronger song than that black dirge, and your training had ensured you could take a *lot* of it. It would have been humiliating to think about yourself, bent over and being fucked while soldiers fought around you, but the stimulation only furthered your battle lust-- pushing out such extraneous thoughts, replacing it with purity of focus. You harnessed it from where you landed on your side, swinging your sword up-- and clear through the monster's neck. Black blood burst like a fountain from the stump you left. Every part of the monster had Dissonance, but the carcass far less than that which it had spit. And as it died you pushed back to your feet, turning, only to find the little battle done. [[You had won!->EndFirstFight]]

<img alt="mech" src="images/reg/mech.png"/> (if: $APC is 0)[Soldiers poured from the little APC you had saved, men and women both, cheering up at your towering bulk-- even as they backed off slightly as the Dissonant bile melted away. In daylight it persisted for only a few moments. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: You saved them all. Stupid, now you're damaged.]] Artemis' voice cut in. "(color: blue)[That's true, $Two. Ultimately we have a good deal of soldiers-- and only three wetware, currently. Some might call those men expendable. But you are their protectors, girls. This is your purpose. Good job, $Zero.]"](else-if: $APC is 1)[The soldiers of the APC, reduced in number by half, had little to celebrate. Immediately they broke into containment protocols, spraying their comrades with decom-spray. It could not heal those splashed by Dissonance, or recover those taken by the Entities, but it would prevent further exposure. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: You saved some of them. Now you're damaged, but at least you were sort of smart about it.]] Artemis' voice cut in. "(color: blue)[That's true, $Two. Ultimately we have a good deal of soldiers-- and only three wetware, currently. Some might call those men expendable. But you are their protectors, girls. This is your purpose. Good job, $Zero.]"](else-if: $APC is 2)[Soldiers from other vehicles sprinted towards the one you had sacrificed for the greater good, spraying it down with decon-spray. It could not heal the survivors that emerged, already appearing dazed (the first symptom of Dissonance), but it would keep them from spreading it further. Those who were taken by the smaller Entities would have to be written off. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Not bad, $Zero. I wanted the big one, but you termed it clean.]] Artemis' voice cut in. "(color: blue)[That's true, $Two. Were have a good deal of soldiers-- and only three wetware, currently. Some might call those men expendable. But you are their protectors, girls. This is your purpose. I think you could have done more, $Zero.]" ](else:)[BROKEN REPORT ME] Whatever the outcome, as your adrenaline filtered out you momentarily found yourself recognizing an intense... ache, deep inside your armored bulk. Your body, your *real* body, had been left breathing hard from the exertion, still fighting your mask, while your muscles ached and twitched. Checking your chronometer, you realized it had already been three hours since installation. So strictly bound, you were starting to tire. (set: $Stamina to it - 1) (color: blue)[Stamina lost!] Forcefully you suppressed that sense of yourself, becoming the machine again. But not before the voices in your ears noticed. "Sync rate drop in Wetware $Zero. Similar degradation in $Two." (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: I'm fine!]] You can hear a bit of concern in $Artemis' voice, at least until she covered it with stern confidence. "(color: blue)[You still have another two hours to the Waypoint we discussed, the questionable one. And then another hour to the Scavenge site. I will authorize a round of stim-injections there, but for now... we should have known about that big L-E. They don't come into safe zones like that, usually.]" "Proximity suggests it came from our Waypoint-of-Interest," another voice noted. Doctor Asakuma, you realized. "(color: blue)[And that's what worries me.,]" $Artemis replied, "(color: blue)[We will just have to be careful. Girls, take flanking positions on the convoy.]" [[As your Instrument moved to comply, somewhere within you drooled in your mask.->InterestStart]]

Time seemed to slow as you march along the desolate road, green lichen-covered plains stretching out in every direction. Occasionally you passed a clump of more advanced life, usually a stand of trees or a suddenly verdant wellspring of flowers, but life out here struggled. Dissonance was spread unevenly across the world, but over time rainfall tended to leave residual amounts on everything. This was turning into an endurance run. You knew you had been trained this, flexibility and fortitude being constant concerns for your physical body, but being so strictly bound for hours on end allowed the building aches and pains to occasionally pierce your battle-lust. Sync rates fluttered as a result, even as your stimulators and pumping phalli continued to work your holes. But your secondary objective came into view eventually. The road curved towards what your geographic surveys indicated was a rare surviving forest-- or at least it *had* been during the last patrol pass. Much had changed. From a distance it looked as if a forest fire hard ripped through, blackened trunks standing up like rotten teeth. But zooming your optics in revealed strange, otherworldly hollowing out of trunk centers, thick root systems at the bottom and a sickly canopy of empty branches above. Leaves had browned and fallen like winter was approaching-- you had trouble remembering dates, but a quick check of a calendar confirmed it was far too early. And a white looking ash covered the ground, building up into small dunes where the wind had blown it. <img alt="foreset" src="images/set/forest.png"/> "(color: blue)[$A2 and $A0 halt-- we are reading extreme Dissonance ahead. Repeat, Rating IV levels of ambient Dissonance. Hold position, we are analyzing.]" $A2 halted as ordered, pressing her shield into the ground and seemingly resting against it as she looked over the strangely corrupted forest. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: What do you think, $Zero?]] (set: $Strike to 0) [[Think... "That doesn't look good."->NoGoodForest]] [[Think... "That looks like a trap.->TrapForest]] [[Think... "We are Wetware, we don't think."->WetForest]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: That doesn't look good.]] You could almost here the huff from your fellow Wetware. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: True that.]] It took a few minutes for $Artemis to come to a decision. "(color: blue)[Listen up, girls. That forest is far too heavily irradiated with Dissonance for the convoy to move through. They have been ordered to pull back and form a defensive position while you both investigate further.]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: We are going to get bathed in Dissonance!]] As if in response you felt your stimulators spin up further, twisting inside you, working your sore slit. Even after hours of vibration is still felt so *good*, enough to narrow your vision and clear your mind, even as you moaned loudly into your gag. It's not hard to imagine $Two undergoing the same. "(color: blue)[We will keep your inserts running hard to compensate. The convoy's scanner array isn't picking up any movement, but I want you to particularly careful. Watch each others backs. Is that understood?]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Yes, ma'am.]] (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Think... "Yes, ma'am."->Forest2]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: That looks like a trap.]] You could almost here the huff from your fellow Wetware. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Think so? Anything big would find it hard to hide in there.]] It took a few minutes for $Artemis to come to a decision. "(color: blue)[Listen up, girls. That forest is far too heavily irradiated with Dissonance for the convoy to move through. They have been ordered to pull back and form a defensive position while you both investigate further.]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: We are going to get bathed in Dissonance!]] As if in response you felt your stimulators spin up further, twisting inside you, working your sore slit. Even after hours of vibration is still felt so *good*, enough to narrow your vision and clear your mind, even as you moaned loudly into your gag. It's not hard to imagine $Two undergoing the same. "(color: blue)[We will keep your inserts running hard to compensate. The convoy's scanner array isn't picking up any movement, but I want you to particularly careful. Watch each others backs. Is that understood?]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Yes, ma'am.]] (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Think... "Yes, ma'am."->Forest2]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: We are Wetware, we don't think.]] You could almost here the huff from your fellow Wetware. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: It was a turn of-- ugh, nevermind. Handler's pet.]] It took a few minutes for $Artemis to come to a decision. "(color: blue)[Listen up, girls. That forest is far too heavily irradiated with Dissonance for the convoy to move through. They have been ordered to pull back and form a defensive position while you both investigate further.]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: We are going to get bathed in Dissonance!]] As if in response you felt your stimulators spin up further, twisting inside you, working your sore slit. Even after hours of vibration is still felt so *good*, enough to narrow your vision and clear your mind, even as you moaned loudly into your gag. It's not hard to imagine $Two undergoing the same. "(color: blue)[We will keep your inserts running hard to compensate. The convoy's scanner array isn't picking up any movement, but I want you to particularly careful. Watch each others backs. Is that understood?]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Yes, ma'am.]] (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[Think... "Yes, ma'am."->Forest2]]

<img alt="forest" src="images/set/forest.png"/> Together you approached the forest with $A2, heavy footfalls echoing through the brittle branches ahead. All was still and silent, so intensely in fact you briefly became aware of your own strained breathing. That rebreather was deeply frustrating, but you had adapted, each breath a regimented, meditative effort you were only rarely aware of. $A2 thumped her shield on the ground. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: I'll lead. Best foot forward, you know.]] That would certainly assuage her pride, but you were the more heavily armored Aria. Proper protocol suggested she should let you lead. [[Think... "No, I'm taking point. More armor."->TakeLead]] [[Allow 02 to lead the way.->TwoLead]]

<img alt="forest" src="images/set/forest.png"/> (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: No, I'm taking point. More armor.]] Your assertion-- and a quickened gait to take the lead, was met with an angry gesture from $A2, but she didn't question your tactics further. Together you entered the sickened perimeter of the forest. Warnings flared to life across your HUD as your Instrument noted the rising Dissonance, but your mind was empty, your body squirming with each shove of the cocks into your body, each wonderfully teasing wave of pleasure that wracked your cunt. Every crack and crevice of your mind was smoothed over or filled with the sensation, leaving the creeping madness nothing upon which to grab hold. "(color: blue)[Remember, girls--]" $Artemis' voice came in crackly, the Dissonance levels high enough to even warp radio. "(color: blue)[Keep to your own song, do not follow Dissonant notes, trust in your desire. You are--]" An ash-bank to your left suddenly burst apart, a black *thing* emerging! (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Shield up!->TakeLead2]]

<img alt="forest" src="images/set/forest.png"/> You remained quiet, allowing $A2 to take the lead. She did so happily, even twirling her sword in a flourish as she moved ahead. Together you entered the sickened perimeter of the forest. Warnings flared to life across your HUD as your Instrument noted the rising Dissonance, but your mind was empty, your body squirming with each shove of the cocks into your body, each wonderfully teasing wave of pleasure that wracked your cunt. Every crack and crevice of your mind was smoothed over or filled with the sensation, leaving the creeping madness nothing upon which to grab hold. "(color: blue)[Remember, girls--]" $Artemis' voice came in crackly, the Dissonance levels high enough to even warp radio. "(color: blue)[Keep to your own song, do not follow Dissonant notes, trust in your desire. You are--]" An ash-bank to your left suddenly burst apart, a black *thing* emerging! (set: $Obe to it + 1) [[It was right beside 02!->TwoLead2]]

To use your shield was a good gut instinct, but your position in the lead left you precious little time to react-- and the thing was *fast*. It was up on its feet, and a good 25 feet *taller* than you in the blink of an eye. Gleaming red slashed outward, two bouncing off your shield, one your chest plating, but the last drove hard into a shoulder joint. And it felt... good? (color: red + white)[Sanity -1] (set: $Arou to it - 1) Your vibrators! They had jolted you with a heavy purr, a reaction to the black bile you saw running down the spine of the knife lodged in your shoulder. Concentrated Dissonance! With a lurch you pulled back, getting your first good look at your foe. <img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> It was a Dissonant Entity, but... mechanical? Far more lithe than your armored form, six arms and a serrated tail each moved with unnerving independence. A singular blood red eye stared out from a vaguely humanoid face. That didn't make any sense-- Dissonant Entities were animals, creatures of instinct, but this looked like... a twist Instrument. Your Handler's booming voice broke through the surprise. "(color: blue)[--repeat, Major Dissonant Entity confirmed! Code Black! Get me readings on its capabilities, that can't be ri--]" You lose track of her words as the Entity darts in again, a whirlwind of blades. [[Fend it off with your sword!->EntSword]] [[Use your shield, defend!->EntShield]]

<img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> You bring up your sword quickly, but it was even quicker, moving with a dancer's elegant grace to dodge the blade. And that was all it took to get inside your defense, knives gouging at your body, ripping at your armor. (color: red)[Armor -1] (set: $Armor to it - 1) It may have been all over there had $A2 not come in from the side, driving her sword like a spear. The Entity dodged that too, but was forced to take several steps in retreat. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Damn thing-- it's so fast!]] "(color: blue)[Focus, girls!]" $Artemis shouted, just as a data upload hit your tightbeam feed. Observed characteristics you had witnessed were already being parsed, sorted, and fed into your combat subroutines. Your mind burned as the data passed through it. "(color: blue)[It is too fast to engage individually.]" The Entity meanwhile danced back further, seeking distance. "(color: blue)[You will need to work together, corner it, make it-- $A2 watch out!]" You expected a knife, but the Entity was still far away. Indeed it had stopped altogether, leaning forward, armored shutters around the blood red eye opened further, staring at you, looking at *you*. Not the Instrument, but the girl within. It was looking at ***you.*** (color: white)[(font: "courier new")[(text-style: "blurrier")[11: ...help...]]] Was it... messaging you? [[Try and listen to it.->EntListen]] [[Dodge to the side!->EntDodge]]

<img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> You play defense, and smartly too. The thing was too fast to intercept on approach, it likely would have gotten in far too close if you had tried. Your shield however was like a wall it bounced off of, knives clattering uselessly as it gouged deep troughs in the think steel. It only halted as $A2 moved in from the side, driving her sword like a spear. The Entity dodged back and forced her to miss, but that required several steps in retreat. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Damn thing-- it's so fast!]] "(color: blue)[Focus, girls!]" $Artemis shouted, just as a data upload hit your tightbeam feed. Observed characteristics you had witnessed were already being parsed, sorted, and fed into your combat subroutines. Your mind burned as the data passed through it. "(color: blue)[It is too fast to engage individually.]" The Entity meanwhile danced back further, seeking distance. "(color: blue)[You will need to work together, corner it, make it-- $A2 watch out!]" You expected a knife, but the Entity was still far away. Indeed it had stopped altogether, leaning forward, armored shutters around the blood red eye opened further, staring at you, looking at *you*. Not the Instrument, but the girl within. It was looking at ***you.*** (color: white)[(font: "courier new")[(text-style: "blurrier")[11: ...help...]]] Was it... messaging you? [[Try and listen to it.->EntListen]] [[Dodge to the side!->EntDodge]]

Having chosen to lead, it was $Two caught in the ambush, her shield coming up quickly-- but not quickly enough. The thing was *fast*, and a good 25 feet taller than you both as it sprung to its feet in the blink of an eye. Gleaming red lights slashed outward, two bouncing off her shield, one her chest plating, but the last drove hard into her shoulder joint. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Mmmmmmhhh!!]] It was rare for a moan to be picked up on a vox, suggesting a sudden spike in $Two's vibrators. You realize why they had engaged moments later, as black bile ran down the spine of the knife lodged in her shoulder. Concentrated Dissonance! With a lurch she pulled back, clearing your way to get a good look at the foe. <img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> It was a Dissonant Entity, but... mechanical? Far more lithe than your armored form, six arms and a serrated tail each moved with unnerving independence. A singular blood red eye stared out from a vaguely humanoid face. That didn't make any sense-- Dissonant Entities were animals, creatures of instinct, but this looked like... a twisted Instrument. Your Handler's booming voice broke through the surprise. "(color: blue)[--repeat, Major Dissonant Entity confirmed! Code Black! Get me readings on its capabilities, that can't be ri--]" You lose track of her words as the Entity darts in again, a whirlwind of blades. [[Fend it off with your sword!->EntSword]] [[Use your shield, defend!->EntShield]]

<img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> You remain still, transfixed by the words blinking to life on your HUD. Dissonant Entities, even the Major Entities like this one, did not communicate. And yet the words continued, laborious... (color: white)[(font: "courier new")[(text-style: "blurrier")[11: ...help...]]] (color: white)[(font: "courier new")[(text-style: "blur")[11: ...free you...]]] (color: white)[(font: "courier new")[11: ...help free you from the silence!]] (color: red + white)[Sanity -1] (set: $Arou to it - 1) (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Idiot Wetware!]] $Two's text broke through your reverie just as you were slammed to the side, her armored form colliding with your own, pushing you out of the Entity's glare. Your battle-lust returned in an instant, clarity that allowed you to realize you had been standing completely still for several moments-- and were far more aroused than you had been moments before. "(color: blue)[You are not permitted to listen to its song, $Zero! Shake it off!]" The Entity broke from its pose as well, hissing a sound that screeched through your exterior microphones, moments before two of its arms lashed out. The Dissonance-dripping knives it held flew across the distance with frightening accuracy, one driving into your waist, the other taking $A2 in the hip. (color: red + white)[Sanity -1] (set: $Arou to it - 1) It had hit a weak spot, the Dissonance pouring in, requiring your vibrators to churn ever harder. Deep within you shudder, inner muscles quaking as you clench hard around the intruders pumping harshly at you. (if: $Arou < 4)["(color: blue)[Girls, we're fucking you both hard right now, you can't let it keep chipping away at you. An orgasm would desync you! Attack!]"](else:)["(color: blue)[$A2, we're fucking you hard right now. $A0 you're doing a bit better, but you can't let it keep chipping away at you. An orgasm will desync you. Attack, together!]"] It was still a distance away, but you could boost towards it to get into sword range. Or you had your missiles. [[Boost and strike with your sword!->BoostStrike]] [[Launch a salvo of missiles!->MissileStrike]]

<img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> (color: white)[(font: "courier new")[(text-style: "blurrier")[11: ...help...]]] (color: white)[(font: "courier new")[(text-style: "blur")[11: ...free you...]]] With a gagged growl you pulled hard to the side, out of the Entity's glare. As soon as you were free mental clarity returned, your battle-lust running hot, the danger you had been in clear. "(color: blue)[Good one, $A0! It was just trying to trap you, do not listen to its song!]" The Entity broke from its pose as well, hissing a sound that screeched through your exterior microphones, moments before two of its arms lashed out. The Dissonance-dripping knives it held flew across the distance with frightening accuracy, one driving into your waist, the other taking $A2 in the hip. (color: red + white)[Sanity -1] (set: $Arou to it - 1) It had hit a weak spot, the Dissonance pouring in, requiring your vibrators to churn ever harder. Deep within you shudder, inner muscles quaking as you clench hard around the intruders pumping harshly at you. (if: $Arou < 4)["(color: blue)[Girls, we're fucking you both hard right now, you can't let it keep chipping away at you. An orgasm would desync you! Attack!]"](else:)["(color: blue)[$A2, we're fucking you hard right now. $A0 you're doing a bit better, but you can't let it keep chipping away at you. An orgasm will desync you. Attack, together!]"] It was still a distance away, but you could boost towards it to get into sword range. Or you had your missiles. [[Boost and strike with your sword!->BoostStrike]] [[Launch a salvo of missiles!->MissileStrike]]

<img alt="sword" src="images/gear/sword.png"/> Your missiles were intended for just this sort of work, but you boosted forward, preferring your sword. The distance was considerable, the Entity had backed off far, but you persisted-- even as you felt sweat running down your face within the sealed confines of your mask. (color: blue)[Stamina -1] (set: $Stamina to it - 1) You struck precisely, angling your blade, hoping to slash it in half. The entity parried with two of its four remaining blades, the other pair lashing out-- only for a second blade to intercede, catching them in a shower of sparks and black bile. $A2 stood beside you. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: You're not getting this term alone! Together!]] It was more than just an order, it was an opened datastream. Connecting to it linked the mind of $A2 with your own, each of you in control of your own Instrument but supernaturally *aware* of each other's movements. It was an altogether more advanced kind of sync, an entirely new type of song-- a duet. And it was working. The Entity was driven back, your sword catching it several times, its unnatural movements the only thing keeping it from being cleaved apart. Backwards it retreated, stirring up ash and crashing through desiccated trees. You were winning, you just had to keep this up, stay together and-- Suddenly it lashed out with its tail, a wicked thing of serrated steel. You dodged right, $A2 to the left, and in that momentary gap the Entity struck. It drove not a knife but its foot into your chest, sending you toppling over, only to spring towards your partner. $A2 caught it on her shield, but its momentum knocked her over onto her back, the Entity atop her. $A2 was pinned! (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Get it off of me!]] You could do that, you thought as you pushed to your feet. Or... its back was turned towards you. This could be your chance to finish it, or at least wound it terribly! [[Attack-- and help 02!->Help2]] [[Attack-- and focus on hurting the Entity!->Leave2]]

<img alt="sat" src="images/gear/sat.png"/> Your missiles were intended for just this sort of work, and you put them to good use, shoulder plates receding as the heavy ordinance roared free. They boosted up into the air then shattered apart into a dozen small ordinances each, raining down like hellfire. The Entity was caught by surprise, its arms coming up to shield itself as the forest burst into flame. Into it $A2 charged, her words spraying like neon ink across your eyes. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: This is our chance! Follow me, we can do this together!]] It was more than just an order, it was an opened datastream. Connecting to it linked the mind of $A2 with your own, each of you in control of your own Instrument but supernaturally *aware* of each other's movements. It was an altogether more advanced kind of sync, an entirely new type of song-- a duet. And it was working. Pushing forward you found them engaged and joined the fray. The Entity was driven back, your sword catching several times on armored plates damaged from your missile strike, its unnatural movements the only thing keeping it from being cleaved apart. Backwards it retreated, stirring up ash and crashing through desiccated trees. You were winning, you just had to keep this up, stay together and-- Suddenly it lashed out with its tail, a wicked thing of serrated steel. You dodged right, $A2 to the left, and in that momentary gap the Entity struck. It drove not a knife but its foot into your chest, sending you toppling over, only to spring towards your partner. $A2 caught it on her shield, but its momentum knocked her over onto her back, the Entity atop her. $A2 was pinned! (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Get it off of me!]] You could do that, you thought as you pushed to your feet. Or... its back was turned towards you. This could be your chance to finish it, or at least wound it terribly! [[Attack-- and help 02!->Help2]] [[Attack-- and focus on hurting the Entity!->Leave2]]

<img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> (set: $Obe to it + 1) This may have been a chance to seriously wound your foe, but $Two was in real trouble. Pushing forward you waded into the whirlwind of knives that was the Entity, stabbing your sword into the ground to free your hand, then using it to seize it and pull hard. It gave way, your Instrument seemed to be stronger, but that only turned its attention wholly on you. Twisting as if its spine was rubber, its two empty hands grabbed your shoulders, the other four still armed with knives darting in savagely. (color: red)[Armor -1] (set: $Armor to it - 1) In its fury it wasn't as precise as before however, the dangerous blades slashing deep troughs in your armor but seeping further black bile into your Instrument. Through the assault you notice $A2 only appeared dazed-- she wasn't seriously hurt-- but that was only brief comfort as your situation rapidly worsened. Pulling your free arm back, you tried to force the Entity off of you, only to take several more stab wounds up and down the limb. (if: $Armor < 1)[[[The damage to your Instrument is too extensive...->ArmorEnd]]](else-if: $Stamina < 1)[[[You gasp, utterly exhausted...->ExhaustEnd]]](else-if: $Arou < 1)[[[You moan, unable to check your arousal...->ArouEnd]]](else:)[[[Force it off, whatever it takes!->ForceEnt]] [[Grab one of the blades, tangle it up!->TangleEnt]]]

<img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> (set: $2Help to 1)(set: $Con to it + 1) This might be your only chance to seriously wound your foe-- $Two would understand. Instead of rushing to assist her you took your time to rise to your feet, flip your sword to a reverse grip, and only then advance. Through it all $Two was being battered, several tears in her armor leaking black bile from the Entity's blades-- you can only imagine how hard her vibrators would be running. With a savage plunging movement you brought your own sword to bear-- driving it through the thing's back. It ran straight through and out the other side, black gore showering you. It halted. Then it twisted as if its spine was rubber, free limbs grabbing your shoulders, dragging itself up the blade to bring its other arms into range. Through the assault you notice $A2 was struggling to rise, her silence on the comm line perhaps the greatest indicator of her duress. But you had other concerns, namely the whirling thing clawing at you. Releasing your blade, it was stuck fast anyway, at least frees an arm to do something with. (if: $Armor < 1)[[[The damage to your Instrument is too extensive...->ArmorEnd]]](else-if: $Stamina < 1)[[[You gasp, utterly exhausted...->ExhaustEnd]]](else-if: $Arou < 1)[[[You moan, unable to check your arousal...->ArouEnd]]](else:)[[[Force it off, whatever it takes!->ForceEnt]] [[Grab one of the blades, tangle it up!->TangleEnt]]]

<img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> You use your free arm, pushing and shoving, doing whatever you could to force the Entity back. It's *hard*. The thing seemed ravenous, its blades darting in and out, its free hands gripping hard. Within your wetsuit deep within, you momentarily choke on your rebreather from the effort, moaning as you struggle against your bindings. (color: red)[Stamina -1!] (set: $Stamina to it - 1) It takes nearly everything you have, but its worth it-- you force the creature (if: $2Help is 1)[off your blade, seizing it again.](else:)[to back off, grabbing your sword by the hilt as you too backstep.] For the briefest of moments the Entity slows, looking between $A2 (if: $2Help is 1)[struggling to rise](else:)[finally finding her feet again], and yourself. Threat subroutines were struggling to keep up with the unknown thought processes of the thing, but you discern it was likely weighing the odds. That it had settled on them-- and was risking it all on a roll of the proverbial dice-- comes with incoming warnings. It had thrown *all* its remaining knives towards you. Parrying them with sword and shield would be exhausting, but doable. Or you could take the hits, saving your stamina but force yourself to deal with that bile-- and further fucking of your holes to ensure he madness they emitted did not overtake you. (if: $Armor < 1)[[[The damage to your Instrument is too extensive...->ArmorEnd]]](else-if: $Stamina < 1)[[[You gasp, utterly exhausted...->ExhaustEnd]]](else-if: $Arou < 1)[[[You moan, unable to check your arousal...->ArouEnd]]](else:)[[[Parry them all!->ParryEnt]] [[Take the hits, its almost spent!->TakeEnt]]]

<img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> You use your free arm, wrapping your elbow around one arm, seizing the wrist of another along the way. The space between you quickly becomes a web of interlocked webs, but the Entity kept stabbing throughout, each wound a flash of pain only your flashed mind could handle-- and each paired with a fresh thrum of your vibrators as the system fought to keep you deeply aroused. (color: red + white)[Sanity -1!] (set: $Arou to it - 1) Eventually the creature realized it had overextended-- you force it (if: $2Help is 1)[off your blade, seizing it again.](else:)[to back off, grabbing your sword by the hilt as you too backstep.] For the briefest of moments the Entity slows, looking between $A2 (if: $2Help is 1)[struggling to rise](else:)[finally finding her feet again], and yourself. Threat subroutines were struggling to keep up with the unknown thought processes of the thing, but you discern it was likely weighing the odds. That it had settled on them-- and was risking it all on a roll of the proverbial dice-- comes with incoming warnings. It had thrown *all* its remaining knives towards you. Parrying them with sword and shield would be exhausting, but doable. Or you could take the hits, saving your stamina but force yourself to deal with that bile-- and further fucking of your holes to ensure he madness they emitted did not overtake you. (if: $Armor < 1)[[[The damage to your Instrument is too extensive...->ArmorEnd]]](else-if: $Stamina < 1)[[[You gasp, utterly exhausted...->ExhaustEnd]]](else-if: $Arou < 1)[[[You moan, unable to check your arousal...->ArouEnd]]](else:)[[[Parry them all!->ParryEnt]] [[Take the hits, its almost spent!->TakeEnt]]]

<img alt="arm" src="images/reg/arm.gif"/> It was just too much. Your body strained in duress, hogtied and vulnerable. Both plugs worked back and forth, joined by the contacts on your nipples that kept you wet and deeply aroused. In the end it was your Instrument that gave out. Battered from combat, its armor clawed and damaged exposing the sensitive components underneath, your finally faltered. The array of warnings that had been splayed across your eyes double, then triple before they start spitting data directly into your comm line. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Critical Instrument damaged detected. Wetware viability in danger. Rebooting...]] Everything went black, your song halted, and suddenly you were no longer a towering behemoth of steel but a glossy little thing tightly bound and dripping from her exposed slit. The last stroke had ended only halfway inside you, an end as sudden as it was immensely frustrating. You could not see or hear anything beyond your own labored breathing. Nor could you touch or move or speak. There was just that terrible yawning silence as fear finally blossomed in your mind. You *were* helpless, completely at the mercy of the sounds of distant, muffled battle. What would happen if your Instrument was lost, if you were... (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Emergency shunts engaged. Rebooting wetware...]] You're forced to blink away tears as you read the automated message, only belatedly wondering what rebooting meant when *you* were the wet-- The **SHOCK** is heavy and long, emanating from your collar but spreading throughout your body. You squirmed and thrashed in response, choking on your rebreather, left in agony as your spinal implants plug back in. Your Instrument came back to life, but *everything* hurt. (set: $Fight to 4) [[Open your eyes...->ArmorEnd2]]

<img alt="arm" src="images/reg/pen.gif"/> It was just too much. Your body strained in duress, hogtied and vulnerable. Both plugs worked back and forth, joined by the contacts on your nipples that kept you wet and deeply aroused. Your mind held, your Instrument shrugged off the damage, but in the end it was your body that gave way. The array of warnings that had been splayed across your eyes double, then triple before they start spitting data directly into your comm line. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: This Wetware's biometrics have reached Critical levels. Danger Protocol 1. Rebooting...]] Everything went black, your song halted, and suddenly you were no longer a towering behemoth of steel but a glossy little thing tightly bound and dripping from her exposed slit. The last stroke had ended only halfway inside you, an end as sudden as it was immensely frustrating. You could not see or hear anything beyond your own labored breathing. Nor could you touch or move or speak. There was just that terrible yawning silence as fear finally blossomed in your mind. You *were* helpless, completely at the mercy of the sounds of distant, muffled battle. What would happen if your Instrument was lost, if you were... (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Baselines reestablished. Rebooting wetware...]] You're forced to blink away tears as you read the automated message, only belatedly wondering what rebooting meant when *you* were the wet-- The **SHOCK** is heavy and long, emanating from your collar but spreading throughout your body. You squirmed and thrashed in response, choking on your rebreather, left in agony as your spinal implants plug back in. The pain forced a final, desperate bit of strength into your glossy body. (set: $Fight to 5) [[Open your eyes...->ExhaustEnd2]]

<img alt="psych" src="images/reg/psych.gif"/> It was just too much. Your body strained in duress, hogtied and vulnerable. Both plugs worked back and forth, joined by the contacts on your nipples that kept you wet and deeply aroused. Your Instrument shrugged off the damage, your body yearned for more, but your mind... that broke beneath the strain. The array of warnings that had been splayed across your eyes double, then triple before they start spitting data directly into your comm line. Then you orgasmed. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: SYNC ALERT. This Wetware has orgasmed without permission. Rebooting systems, reconnecting sync...]] Everything went black, your song halted, and suddenly you were no longer a towering behemoth of steel but a glossy little thing tightly bound and dripping from her exposed slit. The last stroke had ended only halfway inside you, an end as sudden as it was immensely frustrating, but it had been enough. You hear yourself moaning wantonly, lost to the pleasure as you tense up and then release it all at once. Biting your ballgag, squirming on the cock half-lodged in your slit, you feel as you have never before-- not that you could imagine once. Warmth and bliss and peace flow from your cunt, the chemical rush of release so very sweet. It lasts for some time, but not long enough. Each wave ebbs further, each making you more aware you could not see or hear anything beyond your own labored breathing. Nor could you touch or move or speak. There was just that terrible yawning silence as fear finally blossomed in your mind. You had been fighting, you *helpless*, completely at the mercy of the sounds of distant, muffled battle. What would happen if your Instrument was lost, if you were... (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Applying punishment subroutines. Rebooting wetware...]] You're forced to blink away tears as you read the automated message, only belatedly wondering what rebooting meant when *you* were the wet-- The **SHOCK** is heavy and long, emanating from your collar but spreading throughout your body. You squirmed and thrashed in response, choking on your rebreather, left in agony as your spinal implants plug back in. The pain forced force a meager, barely-there sync from your glossy body, but it was enough. (set: $Fight to 3) [[Open your eyes...->ArouEnd2]]

<img alt="mech" src="images/reg/mech.png"/> Challenged to *parry this*, you do, a flurry of movements putting your shield or blade between each and every one of the thrown knives. Your arms were not really moving, they remained locked inside the armbinder deep within the Aria's hull, but your muscles ached afterward nevertheless. (color: red)[Stamina - 1] (set: $Stamina to it - 1) Your efforts seemed to only further enrage the Entity, damaged as it now was, having lost all its weapons. It almost seemed impossible, yet its movements became even quicker, darting first to the left, then driving into the right-- directly towards you. As it had toppled $A2 it now did the same to you, screeching as it raked its claw-like hands across you, your comm-line flickering once again. (color: white)[(font: "courier new")[(text-style: "blurrier")[11: ...let... me... help... YOU!]]] "(color: blue)[Deafen $Zero!]" $Artemis shouted. "(color: blue)[Keep that thing out!]" They cut your feed, cruel silence overtaking you as the Entity thrashed above, the scene your camera-eyes took in feeling so very disconnected in that moment. Everything slowed, your own movements and that of the Entity's crawling as you saw it suddenly rear back, black jaws dislocating like a snake's, Concentrated Resonance warnings blinking silently in your HUD... (if: $Armor < 1)[[[The damage to your Instrument is too extensive...->ArmorEnd]]](else-if: $Stamina < 1)[[[You gasp, utterly exhausted...->ExhaustEnd]]](else-if: $Arou < 1)[[[You moan, unable to check your arousal...->ArouEnd]]](else:)[[[You could almost hear a song in that oil-black maw...->LastTry]]]

<img alt="mech" src="images/reg/mech.png"/> You take the blows, once more the pain offset by the hard purr of you vibrators, the way they pulled out and then plunged back into you enough to bend your mind away from the corruption, from the sickly sweet song that bile sang. (color: red + white)[Sanity - 1] (set: $Arou to it - 1) Your efforts seemed to only further enrage the Entity, damaged as it now was, having lost all its weapons. It almost seemed impossible, yet its movements became even quicker, darting first to the left, then driving into the right-- directly towards you. As it had toppled $A2 it now did the same to you, screeching as it raked its claw-like hands across you, your comm-line flickering once again. (color: white)[(font: "courier new")[(text-style: "blurrier")[11: ...let... me... help... YOU!]]] "(color: blue)[Deafen $Zero!]" $Artemis shouted. "(color: blue)[Keep that thing out!]" They cut your feed, cruel silence overtaking you as the Entity thrashed above, the scene your camera-eyes took in feeling so very disconnected in that moment. Everything slowed, your own movements and that of the Entity's crawling as you saw it suddenly rear back, black jaws dislocating like a snake's, Concentrated Resonance warnings blinking silently in your HUD... (if: $Armor < 1)[[[The damage to your Instrument is too extensive...->ArmorEnd]]](else-if: $Stamina < 1)[[[You gasp, utterly exhausted...->ExhaustEnd]]](else-if: $Arou < 1)[[[You moan, unable to check your arousal...->ArouEnd]]](else:)[[[You could almost hear a song in that oil-black maw...->LastTry]]]

(if: $2Help is 1)[<img alt="mech" src="images/reg/mech.png"/> Off to the side you saw $A2 falter, her heavily wounded and Discord-smeared form collapsing back to her knees-- just as your comm line came back. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: SYNC ALERT. This Wetware has orgasmed without permission. Applying punishment subroutines, rebooting wetware!]] Your fellow Aria's external lights flickered off, and perhaps you just imagined it but you thought you could hear $Two screaming in ecstasy and agony as she lost herself to the sensations wracking her red-suited body within her Instrument. "(color: blue)[Dammit, $A0, hold on!]" Almost belatedly you looked back, into the Entity's distended maw, as it breathed black Resonance all over you. (color: red + white)[Sanity -2] (set: $Arou to it - 2) (if: $Arou < 1)[[[You lose yourself to the bliss...->ArouEnd]]](else:)[[[You are bathed in bliss...->NoHelpWin]]]](else:)[<img alt="mech" src="images/002/mech.jpg"/> Off to the side you see $A2 finally, her wounded and Discord-smeared form seizing her sword once again-- just in time for your comm line to come back. "(color: blue)[Dammit, $A0, hold on!]" Almost belatedly you looked back, into the Entity's distended maw, black bile spilling forth... [[A flash of red...->TeamKill]]]

<img alt="mech" src="images/reg/mech.png"/> The bile poured over you, hissing as it ate at your armor, singing as it ate at your mind. There was a melody there, undeniably. A song that belied the Discordance, wild and *alive*. You felt it in your soaking wet loins, in your raw rear, in your hardened nipples. It would be so easy to follow it... join it... *No.* With a savage swing you bring your blade up one more time, shearing clear through two of the surprised Entity's limbs before continuing through its neck. The head rips off in a fresh fountain of black gore, the body left behind shuddering once then giving out entirely. It collapsed atop you. With a something between a moan and a groan you pushed it off, watching the Discordance burn off you in the sunlight as you lay sprawled for several long moments. Your Handler seemed to know, $Artemis waiting for you to catch your breath before speaking. "(color: blue)[Wonderful job, $Zero. I'm very proud of you.]" You pushed yourself over, then back to a knee. $A2 was kneeling nearby, her system once more active, but her silence felt. $Artemis noticed your attention. "(color: blue)[$Two is being punished for orgasming. It was a tough fight, but... she did not have permission, and that is the protocol. Now I need you to do something, $Zero.]" (set: $Fight to 1) [[What more could she need of you?->EndFight]]

<img alt="mech" src="images/002/mech.jpg"/> $Two took it in the side with her sword, the Entity screeching as it tried to turn towards its returned assailant. That saved you from its attack and opened it up for a thundering blow from your own sword, catching it in the other side, further up. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Together! Push!]] Once more the duet engaged, and as one you drove your swords further in, first from your back, then your knees, then standing. The Entity fought every inch of the way, right up until $A2's sword broke free and severed its legs entirely, just as yours pulled from the shoulder and took off its head. Gore fountained around your ankles as it finally collapsed. With a something between a moan and a groan you pushed it off, watching the Discordance burn off you in the sunlight as you stood beside $Two for several long moments. Your Handler seemed to know, $Artemis waiting for you to catch your breath before speaking. "(color: blue)[Wonderful job, girls. I'm very proud of you both.]" $Two knelt on one knee, her lack of a response probably a symptom of her exhaustion. you felt much the same, a bone-deep tiredness that keep dropping your sync rates. "(color: blue)[Now, there is one more thing I need you to do, $Zero.]" (set: $Fight to 2) [[What more could she need of you?->EndFight]]

<img alt="evilmech" src="images/npc/evilmech.png"/> Your defeated foe lay in the ash, its shattered limbs and utterly destroyed head occasionally sparking mechanically, even as black blood-like bile leaked out and pooled beneath it. To your surprise, it twitched even now. "(color: blue)[$A2, turn it over.]" $Two did so, using her blade as a lever then using a heavy boot to kick it the rest of the way. Face (or whatever was left of it) down, you could see the armored hump of its back-- and what appeared to be a *slot* located there. Just like the one you had been inserted into, during installation... "(color: blue)[$Zero, I need you to carefully remove that component.]" [[Think... "What is going on here?"->EvilWhat]] [[Think... "I thought it was trying to speak to me, during the fight..."->EvilSpeak]] [[Say nothing. Do as you're told.->CutOut]]

You returned to the world outside to find yourself on your knees, sword rammed into the ground, shield cast aside. "(color: blue)[$Zero, there you are. Focus.]" $Artemis sounded displeased, and another shock-- no less painful, but far shorter, arched through your battered body and mind. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] "(color: blue)[Your tactics leave something to be desired.]" She made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. "(color: blue)[You are lucky you were deployed as a team today-- $A2 finished the Entity.]" Blearily you looked over and saw $Two's instrument standing over the fallen thing, her sword rammed straight through what once had been its head. (if: $2Help is 1)[She had orgasmed, but had apparently recovered just in time to save you. "(color: blue)[I have already scheduled you for imprinting detail during your upcoming Decon period, and $Two has punishment detail for orgasming. But we can discuss that later. For now-- up on your feet, $Zero. I need you to do something.]"](else:)[She had made it through the battle with a good bit of damage, but had not succumbed in the way you had-- and had apparently finished the foe off. "(color: blue)[I have already scheduled you for imprinting detail during your upcoming Decon period. But we can discuss that later. For now-- up on your feet, $Zero. I need you to do something.]"] [[What more could she want from you..?->EndFight]]

You returned to the world outside to find yourself on your knees, sword rammed into the ground, shield cast aside. "(color: blue)[$Zero, there you are. Focus.]" $Artemis sounded displeased, and another shock-- no less painful, but far shorter, arched through your battered body and mind. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] "(color: blue)[Your conditioning leaves something to be desired.]" She made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. "(color: blue)[You are lucky you were deployed as a team today-- $A2 finished the Entity.]" Blearily you looked over and saw $Two's instrument standing over the fallen thing, her sword rammed straight through what once had been its head. (if: $2Help is 1)[She had orgasmed, but had apparently recovered just in time to save you. "(color: blue)[I have already scheduled you for stamina detail during your upcoming Decon period, and $Two has punishment detail for orgasming. But we can discuss that later. For now-- up on your feet, $Zero. I need you to do something.]"](else:)[She had made it through the battle with a good bit of damage, but had not succumbed in the way you had-- and had apparently finished the foe off. "(color: blue)[I have already scheduled you for stamina detail during your upcoming Decon period. But we can discuss that later. For now-- up on your feet, $Zero. I need you to do something.]"] [[What more could she want from you..?->EndFight]]

You returned to the world outside to find yourself on your knees, sword rammed into the ground, shield cast aside. "(color: blue)[$Zero, there you are. Focus.]" $Artemis sounded displeased, and another shock-- no less painful, but far shorter, arched through your battered body and mind. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] "(color: blue)[You did not have my permission to cum.]" She made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. "(color: blue)[You are lucky you were deployed as a team today-- $A2 finished the Entity.]" Blearily you looked over and saw $Two's instrument standing over the fallen thing, her sword rammed straight through what once had been its head. (if: $2Help is 1)[She had orgasmed too, but first, and had apparently recovered just in time to save you. "(color: blue)[Juno and I have already scheduled you for punishment detail during your upcoming Decon period. But we can discuss that later. For now-- up on your feet, $Zero. I need you to do something.]"](else:)[She had made it through the battle with a good bit of damage, but had not succumbed in the way you had-- and had apparently finished the foe off. "(color: blue)[I have already scheduled you for punishment detail during your upcoming Decon period. But we can discuss that later. For now-- up on your feet, $Zero. I need you to do something.]"] [[What more could she want from you..?->EndFight]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: What is going on here?]] A moment passed without a response. When it came, it do so via your own system. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] That *hurt*, your muscles seizing up as you enduring the shock. That your vox didn't even allow you to vocalize it seemed all the more cruel. "(color: blue)[The classification of this mission has just been escalated. You are not allowed an answer to ask that question, Wetware $Zero.]" Your Handler's tone was not the sort to allow argument, but $Two tried regardless. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Come on, that looks just like the slots we--]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] "(color: blue)[You will not ask, and you will not speak of this. Is that understood?]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Yes, ma'am.]] "(color: blue)[I want to hear it from you too, $Zero.]" (set: $Shocker to it + 1) [[Think... "Yes, ma'am."->Q2]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00:I thought it was trying to speak to me, during the fight...]] A moment passed without a response. When it came, it do so via your own system. (color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] That *hurt*, your muscles seizing up as you enduring the shock. That your vox didn't even allow you to vocalize it seemed all the more cruel. "(color: blue)[The classification of this mission has just been escalated. You are not allowed to express that, or ask any further questions Wetware $Zero.]" Your Handler's tone was not the sort to allow argument, but $Two tried regardless. (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Come on, I heard it too--]] (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: A corrective shock has been applied to this wetware.]] "(color: blue)[You will not ask, and you will not speak of this. Is that understood?]" (color: red)[(font: "courier new")[02: Yes, ma'am.]] "(color: blue)[I want to hear it from you too, $Zero.]" (set: $Shocker to it + 1) [[Think... "Yes, ma'am."->Q2]]

Your sword was not a precision tool, but you do your best. Kneeling beside the biomechanical corpse you carefully cut around the armored door, then peel it away entire. It takes several tries but you manage to pluck out the component within, a glossy black rectangle that could have just fit you if standing. Unlike the framework you had been lowered into your Instrument with, what you had pulled free has opaque sides, and seemed to be leaking some of that black Discordant Resonance. "(color: blue)[There is a truck in the convoy waiting for it. Given the battle damage you both sustained, and this unexpected development, the mission parameters have changed.]" $Artemis pushed a new map and set of objectives into your Instrument, and thus mind. "(color: blue)[You will now escort the convoy back to the Bastion. Confirm understanding, and prepare to move out.]" You do, finding the truck in short order and depositing the strange cargo carefully. Hazard-suited technicians were already crawling over it as other members of the team pulled up a protective canopy. [[You still have a long walk back.->EndMission]]

(color: cyan)[(font: "courier new")[00: Yes, ma'am.]] "(color: blue)[Good girl. Now cut out that component.]" [[What choice did you have?->CutOut]]

The walk at least was uneventful. (if: $Fight > 2)[With the damage your body, mind, and Instrument had taken its far from easy, but you manage it.](else:)[Having survived the encounter and triumphed made it easier, but by no means *easy*.] Towards the end you found your thoughts to be drifting, several long stretches filled with a sort of mental static you struggled to push through. When you finally did, that only made you painfully aware of your sore and aching body still lodged in the heart of the Instrument. Your sync rates were getting very low. At the perimeter you separated from the convoy, they were heading to the bastion but had to take roads-- you and $A2 could simple walk through the fields to reach home. And thus you do, parting ways with your fellow Wetware as you came to your individual decontamination bay. Technicians are out in abundance, no sooner had you knelt on the platform are they dragging you back in, the pool filling back up. Once aligned with the hot lab above it shifted into position, and soon you're working through ejection procedures. [[Hit the button.->EndMission2]]

<img alt="submission" src="images/player/submission.png"/> After hours of installation and running hot, after two combat engagements, you finally give the last mental confirmation. Your world goes dark your video feeds cut, and your holes are filled once more when the plugs drive in all the way and then decouple from the armatures that had been working you over all day. (set: $Suited to false) Wet, exhausted, and mentally drained you are pulled upward, emerging back into the lab just as strictly bound as you had started hours ago. The first thing they do is decouple your helmet, allowing you to breathe deeply-- and freely-- for the first time in too long. The sensation of cool air on your face is like being born anew. Next came not your blindfold, but your gag, nimble fingers-- it felt so good to be touched!-- reaching out and undoing the straps that held it in place. It fell down immediately, the ball hanging from your neck as a thick line of drool ran down and splattered on the floor. You start panting immediately, the sense of sheer exhaustion only getting worse by the moment. (color: green)[Gag removed!] (set: $Gagged to false) "$Zero? This is Doctor Asakuma. Give me a status report, Wetware $Zero. Are you well?" [[Nod weakly.->AnswerNod]] [[Shake your head weakly.->AnswerNod]] [["Please... just... l-let me... c-cum."->AnswerCum]]

<img alt="blindfold" src="images/gear/blindfold.png"/> "Mhmm," the Doctor replies immediately, her voice muffled, to the even more distant sound of her pen scratching at a clipboard. "You have just been subjected to more cognitive activity than most people undergo in their lifetimes, burned the same amount of calories as a top percentile athlete, and did it all while being sexually stimulated to levels I can barely fathom." She said it so matter-of-factly. (if: $Arou is 0)["$Artemis will not be pleased you orgasmed.](else-if: $Stamina is 0)["You have not orgasmed, which is proper, but your exhaustion metrics are troubling indeed.](else-if: $Armor is 0)["You have not orgasmed, which is proper, but you nearly totaled your Instrument.](else:)["You may not have orgasmed, which is proper, but nearly every one of your vital metrics are troubling, and you nearly totaled your Instrument.] Remove the wetware's blindfold." (color: green)[Blindfold removed!] (set: $Blindfold to false) Finally allowed to see for yourself once again, you find the liberty double-edged, the lab's bright lights burning your eyes. Quickly you shut them, chancing only an occasional blinking frenzy. It takes a good minute to adapt. By then your other bindings had been mostly undone-- your legs unfolded, armbinder removed, the monoglove around your hands gone. Several of the straps that had kept you suspended remain, your booted feet on the floor but hanging limply. Could you even stand? Every muscle ached, every movement seemed to send fresh currents of pain, even *thinking* was growing harder. You need to sleep, but instead you are given a command. "Arms out, $Zero. Palms down." [[You are too tired to do anything but comply, slowly.->GetJacket]]

<img alt="blindfold" src="images/gear/blindfold.png"/> (if: $Arou is 0)["You ruined your sync, and risked mental contamination by orgasming already. Not to mention](else:)["You are not allowed to ask for that, $Zero. But I shall overlook it, as] you have just been subjected to more cognitive activity than most people undergo in their lifetimes, burned the same amount of calories as a top percentile athlete, and did it all while being sexually stimulated to levels I can barely fathom." She said it so matter-of-factly, if sounding a bit muffled. (if: $Arou is 0)["$Artemis will not be pleased you orgasmed.](else-if: $Stamina is 0)["You have not orgasmed, which is proper, but your exhaustion metrics are troubling indeed.](else-if: $Armor is 0)["You have not orgasmed, which is proper, but you nearly totaled your Instrument.](else:)["You may not have orgasmed, which is proper, but nearly every one of your vital metrics are troubling, and you nearly totaled your Instrument.] Remove the wetware's blindfold." (color: green)[Blindfold removed!] (set: $Blindfold to false) Finally allowed to see for yourself once again, you find the liberty double-edged, the lab's bright lights burning your eyes. Quickly you shut them, chancing only an occasional blinking frenzy. It takes a good minute to adapt. By then your other bindings had been mostly undone-- your legs unfolded, armbinder removed, the monoglove around your hands gone. Several of the straps that had kept you suspended remain, your booted feet on the floor but hanging limply. Could you even stand? Every muscle ached, every movement seemed to send fresh currents of pain, even *thinking* was growing harder. You need to sleep, but instead you are given a command. "Arms out, $Zero. Palms down." [[You are too tired to do anything but comply, slowly.->GetJacket]]

A flash of light, brighter than anything you have ever known. And there go your memories, your thoughts, *everything.* {**Slot A:** (if: (saved-games:) contains "file A")[ (link: "((Load your saved game))")[(load-game: "file A")] ] (else:)[ *empty slot* ]} {**Slot B:** (if: (saved-games:) contains "file B")[ (link: "((Load your saved game))")[(load-game: "file B")] ] (else:)[ *empty slot* ]} {**Slot C:** (if: (saved-games:) contains "file C")[ (link: "((Load your saved game))")[(load-game: "file C")] ] (else:)[ *empty slot* ]} {**Slot D:** (if: (saved-games:) contains "file D")[ (link: "((Load your saved game))")[(load-game: "file D")] ] (else:)[ *empty slot* ]} {**Slot E:** (if: (saved-games:) contains "file E")[ (link: "((Load your saved game))")[(load-game: "file E")] ] (else:)[ *empty slot* ]} {**Slot F:** (if: (saved-games:) contains "file F")[ (link: "((Load your saved game))")[(load-game: "file F")] ] (else:)[ *empty slot* ]} [[Return to Start, instead.->Game Start]]

<img alt="haz" src="images/npc/haz.png"/> Your arms tremble as you lift them, a pitiful display. So too do your eyes rise however, and it is only then that your realize Doctor Asakuma was no longer wearing a mere lab coat. Instead she seems to have donned a full body suit, complete with gas-mask and integrated air tank. It is tightly fitted, though nowhere near as tight as your wetsuit, showing off a trim figure beneath. Nor was she alone, *all* of the Doctors at the various stations or standing nearby were now wearing them. "Hazardous Dissonance Suits," she explained, noting your stare. "Your Instrument is covered in Dissonance and you very well may be contaminated. Every precaution must be taken. Regular Dissonance has a half-life of a few seconds in sunlight, several minutes in artificial light, and potentially hours or days if collected on the underside of a boot, or between one's fingers. This is standard procedure, as is your mandatory post-operation confinement." *Confinement?* "Get her jacket on." [[Several gloved hands grabbed you all at once.->GetJacket2]]

<img alt="jacket1" src="images/gear/jacket1.png"/> They were not rough with you, but they *were* firm. Not that it was really necessary. You could barely keep your arms out, and almost thanked them as they took that over. Of course they used that control to feed your arms into the sleeves of a glossy garment Doctor Kasa brought forward, the tight material gliding effortlessly over your wetsuit. The sleeves themselves ended in tapered glove-like portions, sealing your hands away. Guiding up one leg then the other the attending doctors aligned what appeared to be a leotard, more of the sterile, silvery-white latex being smoothed into place from thigh to throat. Once aligned, you could feel even more hands working up your back. "Ensure those straps are tight," Asakuma advised. "Tight and locked." The only splashes of color on the semi-transparent, long-sleeved leotard were three red crosses on white, the age-old medicinal sign on each shoulder and below your left breast, and the writing that encircled them: (color: red)[**WARNING: COGNITO-HAZARD**] At your throat, more text. (color: red)[**BEWARE DISSONANCE**] And largest of all, in yet more red, along your forearms: (color: red)[**KEEP RESTRAINED AT ALL TIMES**] You felt Doctor Asakuma's orders being carried out to the letter as the glossy latex addition to your outfit pulled just a bit tighter, the last of the straps at your back secured. "Now, $Zero, you will cross your arms beneath your chest." [[Position yourself as requested, you needed this.->GoodJacket]] [["N-No, I don't need any of this, I'm fine!"->BadJacket]]

<img alt="jacket2" src="images/gear/jacket2.png"/> (set: $Obe to it + 1) You did not resist, shifting your arms, the obedient wetware awaiting her bondage. And Doctor Kasa provides, taking the ends of the sleeves you had just aligned, wrapping them further around. At the small of your back they secured together, while two more straps across your forearms now beneath your chest kept you from raising or lowering them much. "Wetware secured," Kasa noted to her superior. "Her gag?" Asakuma nodded. "Her gag. To ensure the mental health of Wetware, we do not allow them speech of any kind during their time in the Isolation Ward." You had nearly forgotten about it, but the web of straps and shiny ball you had worn throughout your time installed still hung from your neck. With your arms now useless beneath your chest, it was a simple matter for the doctor to pluck it with gloved fingers and pop it back into your mouth. (color: red)[You are now gagged!] (set: $Gagged to true) [[It felt right to have the ball between your teeth...->ToIsoWard]]

<img alt="jacket2" src="images/gear/jacket2.png"/> (set: $Con to it + 1) You tried to make your point clear, but your words were slurred, your movements lethargic. Doctor Kasa looked on with a concerned expression, but eventually acted, taking the ends of the sleeves and pulling them into place beneath your chest, wrapping them further around. At the small of your back they secured together, while two more straps across your forearms now beneath your chest kept you from raising or lowering them much. "Wetware secured," Kasa noted to her superior. "Her gag?" Asakuma nodded. "Her gag. To ensure the mental health of Wetware, we do not allow them speech of any kind during their time in the Isolation Ward." You had nearly forgotten about it, but the web of straps and shiny ball you had worn throughout your time installed still hung from your neck. With your arms now useless beneath your chest, it was a simple matter for the doctor to pluck it with gloved fingers and pop it back into your mouth. (color: red)[You are now gagged!] (set: $Gagged to true) [[It felt right to have the ball between your teeth...->ToIsoWard]]

"Wetware $Zero is jacketed and gagged, ready for transport to the Isolation Ward." Doctor Asakuma looked over her underling's work, even testing one of the locks with a tug, before she nodded. "Agreed. Take her. $Two is already there, and Handler $Artemis indicated she would be along shortly." Instead of returning to the edge of the Containment Pool at the shoulder of your damaged Instrument, the entire lab shifted along the ceiling, aligning with a hallway. You are led through it, a male Doctor to your right and left, half leading you, half carrying your weary body. Halfway down the pristine door, two more hazmat-suited men stood guard. Halting before them, Doctor Kasa slipped up beside you-- apparently she had followed along. "Wetware $Zero," she indicated you as if she could mean anyone else, "for commitment to the Isolation Ward." One of the guards pulled a log from a peg on the wall. "If you would sign her in, Doctor? And you will need to mark what type of commitment. Voluntary-- or involuntary." Doctor Kasa glanced your way. [[Remain quiet and still. Voluntary.->IsoWard2]] [[Struggle. Involuntary!->IsoInvolWard2]]

<img alt="kasa" src="images/npc/kasa.png"/> Doctor Kasa smiled softly. "Voluntary." Writing to that effect, she handed the log back to the guard, who unsealed the door leading further in. It was yet another airlock, one that cycled you through eventually. Nothing but pure, sterile (color: white)[white] greeted you. The walls, the floors, the ceilings-- all of it pristine and spotless. That at least made some sense, if this was intended to ensure you were not contaminated. Surely the smallest speck of black Dissonant bile would be obvious here. You don't go far. Passing a nurse's station, each of them again dressed in full body hazmat suits, you are eventually halted before a heavy looking door. (color: white)[**ISOLATION CELL #2**] (color: white)[Assigned to:] (color: cyan)[Wetware 00] | (color: red)[Wetware 02] (color: orange)[**Resonance Warning -- Danger**] "Here we are," Doctor Kasa noted, trying to sound cheerful. "Your home for just a short while, I promise. You will be out in no time." Using her keycard to open the door, she directed the men attending you to push you in-- hissed quietly as they did so a bit roughly-- then closed the door behind you. [[Home sweet home...->IsoWard3]]

<img alt="cell" src="images/set/cell.png"/> To the sound of a heavy lock engaging in the door behind you, you glance around, finding at least something you recognized-- a cell very similar to the one you had occupied this morning. Padded latex walls, an observation window you could not see out of, and little else in amenities. At least you're not alone. As promised, $Two is already there, in an exacting predicament to your own. She is still in her wetsuit but wearing a straitjacket atop it, her arms tightly bound, a gag firmly secured in her mouth. <img alt="2contain" src="images/002/2contain.png"/> (if: $2Help is 0)[She looks at you wearily, seated with her back to the padded wall, long legs splayed out before her. With a tilt of her head, she seems to offer a space beside her. [[Take the offered space.->IsoSpace]] [[Kneel submissively facing the door instead.->IsoKneel]]](else:)[She looks at you with a mixture of exhaustion and anger-- the later obviously emanating from your decision to strike the Entity instead of helping her when she had been pinned. Seated with her back to the padded wall, long legs splayed out before her, she haughtily turned her head away. [[Take a seated position beside her anyway.->IsoSpace]] [[Kneel submissively facing the door instead.->IsoKneel]]]

Taking a similar seated position beside $Two, (if: $2Help is 0)[your fellow Wetware rolls her eyes-- as if embarrassed you had actually taken her up on the offer.](else:)[your fellow Wetware actually *growls*, still looking away.] And there you sit. What else could you do? Both of you were exhausted, every joint in your arms and legs burned. Your muscles were sore too, and your cunt-- (if: $Fight is 3)[well, you had orgasmed, but that had only left your passions simmering, your slit and rear aching after so long plugged and thrusting.](else:)[well, even utterly exhausted, your sex begged for the climax it had so long been denied. That both your holes ached after so long plugged and thrusting was a secondary concern.] Yet there was little you could do, not while suited and straitjacketed. All you could do was wait, locked in your cell. (set: $Con to it + 1) [[Until the door lock clicked again.->IsoArt]]

Moving to the center of the cell, you kneel and position yourself in a docile manner, (if: $2Help is 0)[your fellow Wetware rolling her eyes her eyes-- as if she expected nothing less from you.](else:)[your fellow Wetware staring daggers at you all the way.] (set: $Obe to it + 1) And there you kneel. What else could you do? Both of you were exhausted, every joint in your arms and legs burned. Your muscles were sore too, and your cunt-- (if: $Fight is 3)[well, you had orgasmed, but that had only left your passions simmering, your slit and rear aching after so long plugged and thrusting.](else:)[well, even utterly exhausted, your sex begged for the climax it had so long been denied. That both your holes ached after so long plugged and thrusting was a secondary concern.] Yet there was little you could do, not while suited and straitjacketed. All you could do was wait, locked in your cell. [[Until the door lock clicked again.->IsoArt]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> "(color: blue)[Girls...]" The voice was your Handler, but the outfit-- she had changed considerably from trench coat and tactical boots. Standing above you, hands on her hips, $Artemis was cloaked in white, not as shiny as your own wetsuit but still quite glossy, medicinally green gloves and bicep patches that said (color: orange)[VISITOR] providing splashes of color. Her face is covered by a heavy looking gasmask, the filters extensive, her breathing audible as she gestured towards you. "(color: blue)["I thought you might have dozed off already, but I see that was nothing to fear. It would have been cruel to wake you.]" They must be taking your contamination quite seriously if she was dressed like that, but the tight white material clung to her curves in a way that pulled the eye in, leaving you staring. Shifting in your jacket, you rubbed your thighs together once or twice. "(color: blue)[$Two, Juno asked me to assist in your (if: $Fight is 1)[punishment](else:)[reward]. Having us *both* suit up for such work would be ridiculous.]" $Two moaned softly, perhaps noncommittal, perhaps distracted. $Artemis didn't seem to care either way. "(color: blue)[I know the effects of your flashes are rapidily worsening. Further loss of memory, extreme exhaustion, confusion. This is normal, in the hours after being synced with an Instrument. The worst will pass by this time tomorrow, and you will begin to recover.]" She clasped her hands together. "(color: blue)[It is also normal for Wetware to be rewarded--- or punished-- after a mission, based on their operating performance. You are held to strict governances and standards. $Two, shall we start with you?]" The red-suited Wetware perked up, nodding despite her visible exhaustion. [[How did she do?->2Report]]

<img alt="2contain" src="images/002/2contain.png"/> Several items hung from her belt, one a familiar looking... wand? They all shifted as your Handler bent over, her chest so prominent and full, as she rested a hand on $Two's shoulder. "(color: blue)[Let us start with the minor engagement, at the rendezvous point? You get full marks for your performance, $Two. Excellent marksmanship, good judgement. As a token of their appreciation, the Convoy commander requested you be rewarded. Thus, when cleared for solid foods-- probably tomorrow-- we will allow you to select from the hospital menu, instead of your usual nutrient slurries.]" $Two seemed quite pleased at that-- the slurries they normally fed you must have been especially bad if even your addled mind could remember their pale colors, thick composition, and utter lack of flavor. $Artemis was far from done. "(color: blue)[Your behavior prior to deployment however was less than exemplary. You were combative and, while we encourage confidence, required extensive use of your shock collar. Due to the extensive Discordant material you were exposed to, the Doctors recommended you stay here in Isolation for two weeks. Had you behaved yourself Juno may have overridden that, but as it stands... you will be here for the full time.]" Two weeks here, in this white cell, bound and gagged? $Two certainly didn't seem to like that, her eyes flashed with frustration, but she was too tired to do more-- and $Artemis didn't give her time to brood on it. "(color: blue)[And lastly, your performance against the Entity. (if: $Fight is 1)[A victory, but one you ultimately did not have a complete part in. No-- you orgasmed without permission, during a full sync. Against an unexpected foe, with largely unknown capabilities, you allowed yourself to be overcome by desire-- something we have trained you extensively to avoid. You will be subjected to full restraint, sensory deprivation, and stimulation denial for the extent of your two weeks here.](else-if: $Fight is 2)[A resounding victory, all things considered, working in a duet with $Zero. Against an unexpected foe, with largely unknown capabilities, you performed admirably-- and will be rewarded. You have have been authorized to claim a full Entity Termination... and an orgasm, which I will provide shortly.](else:)[A hard won victory, (if: $2Help is 0)[achieved without the support of your fellow Aria unit during the climax. Against an unexpected foe, with largely unknown capabilities, you performed admirably-- and will be rewarded. You have have been authorized to claim a full Entity Termination... and an orgasm, which I will provide shortly.](else:)[achieved by the barest of margins, despite orgasming without permission just beforehand. Against an unexpected foe, with largely unknown capabilities, you allowed yourself to be overcome by desire-- something we have trained you extensively to avoid. Yet you did win. You will not be subjected to extensive punishment, given this mixed outcome, but you *will* be spending your two weeks in an imprinting tube where we will work on your battle tactics.]] ]" (if:$Fight is 1)[$Two's eyes crew wide at that, your own memories fuzzy on what that entailed. She seemed to have a somewhat better grasp, her gagged pleading making that evident, but all her rising panic managed was a shake of $Artemis' head. "(color: blue)[Don't make it worse on yourself.]"](else-if: $Fight is 2)[$Two's eyes lit up, her legs spreading immediately, the hand on her shoulder perhaps the only thing keeping her from pressing her sealed slit against $Artemis right that moment. The Handler, for her part, smiled. "(color: blue)[Hold on, I must give $Zero's verdict]"](else:)[(if: $2Help is 0)[$Two's eyes $Two's eyes lit up, her legs spreading immediately, the hand on her shoulder perhaps the only thing keeping her from pressing her sealed slit against $Artemis right that moment. The Handler, for her part, smiled. "(color: blue)[Hold on, I must give $Zero's verdict]"](else:)[$Two's eyes darkened, a long, resigned exhalation suggesting she had expected something like this.]] $Artemis then moved to you, your own gagged reflection in her dark mask as she looked down at you. [[How did you do?->PlayerReport]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> "(color: blue)[Hello, $Zero.]" You could see her dark eyes beneath the visor, peering down at you, so intense your instincts screamed to look away-- but she had placed a gloved hand beneath your chin, two fingers all she needed to keep your head up. (if: $APC is 0)["(color: blue)[Your actions in the smaller skirmish were extraordinary, and the Commander of the Convoy wanted to personally extended his thanks to you. I explained that, as Wetware, you are not entitled to thanks, that you were just performing your function. Nevertheless, I allowed him to sponsor fresh meals for you during your stay here, the same as $Two.]"](else:)["(color: blue)[Your actions in the smaller skirmish were satisfactory. The duel with the larger creature ended successfully, yet the APC crew behind you did not survive intact. As I said, officially satisfactory, but I personally wish for you to do better. Your purpose is to protect humans, to be their shield. The Commander wished to extend his sponsoring of fresh food to you as he did for $Two, but I vetoed the decision. I do not reward you for mere satisfaction.]"] Her thumb moved higher, first tapping your ballgag once, then running in a small circle along its edge, where your lips pressed in close. (if: $Shocker is < 4)["(color: blue)[Then there is the matter of your behavior since you were flashed. Overall you have been quite submissive and docile, as befits Wetware. Remember: you must always strive to be deferential to humans and beautiful to look at-- even when outside your Instrument. Especially then. You are the city's, and must always look your best for them.]" "(color: blue)[That said... given the amount of Dissonance you were exposed to today, out of an abundance of caution the Doctors wish to keep you here in Isolation for two weeks. I see no need for that, and can have you released to my custody in one week instead.]"](else-if: $Shocker is 4 or 5 or 6)[(color: blue)["[Then there is the matter of your behavior since you were flashed. Overall you have been a bit more docile and submissive than I had expected, but less than I had hoped. Remember: you must always strive to be deferential to humans and beautiful to look at-- even when outside your Instrument. Especially then. You are the city's, and must always look your best for them.]" "(color: blue)[That said... given the amount of Dissonance you were exposed to today, out of an abundance of caution the Doctors wish to keep you here in Isolation for two weeks. I could get you released early, but will not-- time here will perhaps help you remember your place better in the future.]"]](else:)["(color: blue)[Then there is the matter of your behavior since you were flashed. Overall you have been quite combative and resistant to commands, which is utterly unbecoming of Wetware. Remember: you must always strive to be deferential to humans and beautiful to look at-- even when outside your Instrument. Especially then. You are the city's, and must always look your best for them.]" "(color: blue)[That said... given the amount of Dissonance you were exposed to today, out of an abundance of caution the Doctors wish to keep you here in Isolation for two weeks. With your behavior, I have made it *three*. Hopefully the time in this cell gives you time to reflect on your actions.]"] The finger on your ballgag halted. (if: $Con >= $Obe)["(color: blue)[Hopefully it is clear, however, that there is a difference between disobeying and *confidence*. In your life and when slotted *confidence* can be very important. It is the opposite of pure obedience, and could shape your options in the future. At moment you have shown confidence today, if you were wondering.]"](else:)["(color: blue)[Hopefully it is clear, however, that there is a difference between disobeying and *confidence*. In your life and when slotted *confidence* can be very important. It is the opposite of pure obedience, and could shape your options in the future. At moment you have shown pure obedience however, if you were wondering.]"] [[You listened, staring up at her...->PlayerReport2]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> (set: $Fate to 0)(set: $2Fate to 0)(set: $Strike to 0) "(color: blue)[And that,]" your Handler continued, "(color: blue)[brings us to your performance against the new type of Entity.]" She did not explain its background, or what had happened since you had turned over the component dug out of the fallen thing's back. You were only ever told what you needed to know. "(color: blue)[(if: $Fight is 1)[You have been credited with a solo Entity termination, and I have made special note in your record that you did so against a particularly dangerous foe. As a reward, you will be allowed to orgasm, $Zero. I will personally attend to it.](if: $Fight is 2)[You have been credited with a half-termination of an Entity, and I have made special note in your record that you achieved this in tight cooperation with $Two. As a reward, you will be allowed an orgasm which I will attend to personally.](if: $Fight is 3)[You did not function as we desire-- indeed, you orgasmed without permission, causing de-sync that could very well have led to your loss in combat had $Two not been there. No mistake is more egregious, and I have recommended you for full punishment regalia, sensory deprivation, and stimulation denial during your stay here.](if: $Fight is 4)[You did not function as we desire-- indeed, you allowed your Instrument to take dangerous levels of damage, to the point a reboot was required in the middle of combat. There are more egregious mistakes-- you could have orgasmed-- but as it stands you will need to do better. I have thus recommended you spend your time here in a sensory tank, having combat tactics better imprinted on you.](if: $Fight is 5)[You did not function as we desire-- indeed, you collapsed physically, to the point a reboot and heavy shock were required in the middle of combat. There are more egregious mistakes-- you could have orgasmed-- but as it stands you will need to do better. I have thus recommended you spend your time here in a sensory tank, during which time we will work on your conditioning.]]" (if: $Fight is 1 or 2)[An *orgasm.* The mere idea was enough to refresh you, driving out the all-encompassing exhaustion today's service had induced. There was nothing more rare, not for Wetware. When your mental defenses against Dissonance required almost superhuman levels of arousal, allowing a Wetware to climax threatened her efficiency. How long had it been since your last one? Hours of being literally fucked during service today, yes, but beyond that? You couldn't exactly remember, not with the flash's effects worsening. It must have been a long time, though. You deserved it. *Unless...* $Artemis caught that look in your red eyes. "(color: blue)[Unless, of course, you were to indicate you don't deserve my merciful touch. If you, for example, *begged* for further instruction and correction. Begged for punishment regalia, sensory deprivation, and total body restraint... perhaps I could even be convinced to force *both* my $Zero and $Two to undergo such an experience.]" She cocked her masked head, looking down at you. [[You want the orgasm!->AllowOrg]] [[You want... to be punished.->BegPunish]] [[You want... to be punished, alongside 02.->DuetPunish]]](else-if: $Fight is 4 or 5)[Days... weeks, spent in a sensory tank? You couldn't exactly remember what that entailed, not with your flashed mind worsening after today's service, but a vague sense of *distaste* filled you. You don't think you would like that. [[Lower your eyes and accept it.->SenseTankA]] [[Fight against your restraints, no, not the tank!->SenseTankB]]](else:)[Days... weeks, spent in full punishment regalia? You couldn't exactly remember what that entailed, not with your flashed mind worsening after today's service, but an intense sense of *dread* filled you. Whatever it was, your subconscious remembered enough to fear it. [[Lower your eyes, accept punishment.->SoloPunishA]] [[Fight against your restraints, not the punishment suit!->SoloPunishB]]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> Eagerly, without shame, you arch your back, thrusting your hips forward in a display that could only mean one thing: of *course* you wanted to orgasm. (if: $Fight is 2)[At your side, despite narrowed eyes, $Two was doing the same.] "(color: blue)[Very well,]" your Handler moved, reaching down. (if: $Fight is 2)[From each hip she pulled forth a length of shaped plastic, wand-like, the top portion rounded.](else:)[From her hip she pulled forth a length of spaed plastic, wand-like, the portion rounded.] With a flick of the thumb the thing buzzed to life, vibrating at a speed that seemed mind-numbing even from afar. "(color: blue)[Wetware grade vibrator wand,]" she noted. "(color: blue)[The technicians have to build them strong to sate your kind. Come here, spread your legs.]" (if: $Fight is 2)[$Two did so immediately, half sliding along the slick padded floor. Once close, $Artemis snapped a collar to her throat. [[Approach eagerly!->QuickApproachDuo]] [[Approach carefuly.->CarefulApproachDuo]]](else:)[ [[Approach eagerly!->QuickApproach]] [[Approach carefuly.->CarefulApproach]]]

<img alt="arthaz2" src="images/artemis/arthaz2.png"/> Making your intentions known with pleading eyes and several moaned sounds, your Handler tips her head to the side, reflections rolling off her mask. A moment of consideration passes. It ends with $Artemis reaching forward, hooking a finger into your collar and drawing close. "(color: blue)["If I were to fulfill such a request, I would note it in your permanent file. Sexual deviancy and a desire for confinement are greatly valued in Wetware.]" She twists her grip, pulling you even closer, until your exhaling fogged the bottom of her mask. "(color: blue)[It would be a strict experience. Frustrating. Restrictive. Everything I know you love, but far from *easy* nevertheless.(if: $APC is 0)[ I would also rescind the fresh food perk you earned, from assisting that armored personnel carrier. The punishment suits are fitted for nutrient slurry only. ](else:)[ ]But if you really want it, $Zero, I will allow it.]" [[Give her a pleading look.->StartSoloPunish]] [[Nevermind-- take your reward!->AllowOrg]]

<img alt="arthaz2" src="images/artemis/arthaz2.png"/> Making your intentions known with pleading eyes and several moaned sounds, your Handler tips her head to the side, reflections rolling off her mask. A moment of consideration passes. It ends with $Artemis reaching forward, hooking a finger into your collar and drawing close. "(color: blue)["If I were to fulfill such a request, I would note it in your permanent file. Sexual deviancy and a desire for confinement are greatly valued in Wetware.]" $Two meanwhile had straightened up at your response, at *that* she struggles to her knees, making her own-- very different-- desires intensely clear. $Artemis glances her way, but eventually twists her grip, pulling you even closer, until your exhaling fogged the bottom of her mask. "(color: blue)[It would be a strict experience. Frustrating. Restrictive. Everything I know you love, but far from *easy* nevertheless.(if: $APC is 0)[ I would also rescind the fresh food perk you earned, from assisting that armored personnel carrier. The punishment suits are fitted for nutrient slurry only. ](else:)[ ]But if you really want it, $Zero, I will allow it. And I can think of no better bonding experience than undergoing it alongside $Two.]" "Mmmmmmghh!!" $Two did not agree. [[Give her a pleading look.->StartDuetPunish]] [[Nevermind-- take your reward!->AllowOrg]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> You had failed, and you accept the punishment. (if: $Fight > 2 and $2Help is 1)[At least you would not be alone in the experience, as $Two had been slated for the same fate. She seems less at ease with it all, but her straightjacket and gag at least keep her from making the situation worse. "(color: blue)[Good girls,]" $Artemis approves, turning to press her keycard against the cell door. The heavy lock clicked open. "(color: blue)[I will have the nurses bring in the imprinters, and get you rigged for submersion.]" As she leaves $Two snaps a harsh look at you, clearly leveling blame for her punishment on you. It had been her fault she had let that Entity atop her, though, right?](else:)[$Two watches you with a bemused expression somehow worked around her gag, the expression only growing as $Artemis approaches her, using strong arms to drag her down into a position on her back, legs spread. From her belt the Handler drew a wand-like device, flicking its switch to induce an aggressive hum. "(color: blue)[Wetware grade vibrator wand,]" she noted. "(color: blue)[The technicians have to build them strong to sate your kind. $Two? You will not cum until I give permission, is that understood?" The girl nodded, and $Artemis looked towards you. "(color: blue)[I've already called the nurses for you-- they will get you installed. I hope you learn something from the experience, $Zero.]"]] Instead of an answer, you only get the Isolation Ward's attending nurses. They bring with them a pair of large pods, your cell intended for all sorts of uses. Each are about six feet tall, just as white and sterile as everything else here, though as one begins pre-installation checks you see bright orange latex padding inside. Getting you ready felt like getting prepped for insertion, though it involved a bit less bondage. You keep your suit and straitjacket, gag too. Over your head goes a helmet very much like the one you wore in your Instrument, but with the viewplate replaced by an electronic block. Only once it was on your head did you realize it was a screen, the entire thing intended for projecting VR experiences directly at your face. The tubes that fed you oxygen were, of course, fitted with a rebreather and bubbler that mimicked your Instrument. Plugged in and struggling to breathe once again, the nurses closed the exterior doors, forcing the pod to press up against your every cord. Then came the water, a saline solution that helped you float just a bit. It didn't take long, a few minutes perhaps, for the sensation of being almost entirely submerged and afloat to drift away... the sensory deprivation heightened as they closed the lid and allowed the water to fill up all the way. You're left alone with your thoughts. (if: $Fight is 4)[(set: $Fate to 4)](if: $Fight is 5)[(set: $Fate to 5)](if: $2Help is 1)[(set: $2Fate to 4)](if: $2Help is 0)[(set: $2Fate to 3)] <img alt="pod" src="images/set/pod.png"/> [[A few weeks like this?->SensePodder]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> You had failed, how much worse could it get if you resisted? So you fight, a losing battle from the start. Straitjacketed and gagged, you might as well have been slotted in and trying to take down an Entity in an Instrument without arms. Worse-- you don't even have a target. Wriggling on the ground is more akin to a tantrum than anything else. Eventually you slow, your exhaustion returning. (if: $Fight > 2 and $2Help is 1)[At least you would not be alone in the experience, as $Two had been slated for the same fate. She seems less at ease with it all, but her straightjacket and gag at least keep her from making the situation worse. "(color: blue)[All the more reason for the tank,]" $Artemis sighs, turning to press her keycard against the cell door. The heavy lock clicked open. "(color: blue)[I will have the nurses bring in the imprinters, and get you rigged for submersion.]" As she leaves $Two snaps a harsh look at you, clearly leveling blame for her punishment on you. It had been her fault she had let that Entity atop her, though, right?](else:)[$Two watches you with a bemused expression somehow worked around her gag, the expression only growing as $Artemis approaches her, using strong arms to drag her down into a position on her back, legs spread. From her belt the Handler drew a wand-like device, flicking its switch to induce an aggressive hum. "(color: blue)[Wetware grade vibrator wand,]" she noted. "(color: blue)[The technicians have to build them strong to sate your kind. $Two? You will not cum until I give permission, is that understood?" The girl nodded, and $Artemis looked towards you. "(color: blue)[I've already called the nurses for you-- they will get you installed. I hope you learn something from the experience, $Zero.]"]] Instead of an answer, you only get the Isolation Ward's attending nurses. They bring with them a pair of large pods, your cell intended for all sorts of uses. Each are about six feet tall, just as white and sterile as everything else here, though as one begins pre-installation checks you see bright orange latex padding inside. Getting you ready felt like getting prepped for insertion, though it involved a bit less bondage. You keep your suit and straitjacket, gag too. Over your head goes a helmet very much like the one you wore in your Instrument, but with the viewplate replaced by an electronic block. Only once it was on your head did you realize it was a screen, the entire thing intended for projecting VR experiences directly at your face. The tubes that fed you oxygen were, of course, fitted with a rebreather and bubbler that mimicked your Instrument. Plugged in and struggling to breathe once again, the nurses closed the exterior doors, forcing the pod to press up against your every cord. Then came the water, a saline solution that helped you float just a bit. It didn't take long, a few minutes perhaps, for the sensation of being almost entirely submerged and afloat to drift away... the sensory deprivation heightened as they closed the lid and allowed the water to fill up all the way. You're left alone with your thoughts. <img alt="pod" src="images/set/pod.png"/> (if: $Fight is 4)[(set: $Fate to 4)](if: $Fight is 5)[(set: $Fate to 5)](if: $2Help is 1)[(set: $2Fate to 4)](if: $2Help is 0)[(set: $2Fate to 3)] [[A few weeks like this?->SensePodder]]

<img alt="arthaz2" src="images/artemis/arthaz2.png"/> (set: $Fate to 1)(if: $2Help is 0)[(set: $2Fate to 3)](else:)[(set: $2Fate to 4)] Bending down, hooking a finger into your collar, $Artemis draws you close. "(color: blue)[(if: $APC is 0)[I will have to rescind the fresh food reward, as well. The suits are only designed for nutrient slurry. Nevertheless, know that I still appreciate the effort you put into saving those men.](else:)[You will also be subsisting on nutrient slurry, of course. Not that you have a choice, the suits are not designed for anything more.]]" She releases you, only to run a hand along your blue hair, almost as if petting you gently. Her voice however remains stern. "(color: blue)[It is good you understand the necessity nevertheless.]" Her other hand pulled a small radio transceiver from her belt. "(color: blue)[Yes, it's me. Prep $Zero's Discipline Suit. The full rig, yes. Very good.]" [[It was not long before the nurses arrived.->StartSoloSuit]]

<img alt="arthaz2" src="images/artemis/arthaz2.png"/> (set: $Fate to 1)(if: $2Help is 0)[(set: $2Fate to 3)](else:)[(set: $2Fate to 4)] Bending down, hooking a finger into your collar, $Artemis draws you close. You halt what had known to be an impossible struggle to escape your fate, her gaze alone enough to stifle the rebellion. In her voice you found a sense of safety, in her glare a nearly unavoidable instinct to look down and submit. "(color: blue)[(if: $APC is 0)[I will have to rescind the fresh food reward, as well. The suits are only designed for nutrient slurry. Nevertheless, know that I still appreciate the effort you put into saving those men.](else:)[You will also be subsisting on nutrient slurry, of course. Not that you have a choice, the suits are not designed for anything more.]]" She releases you, only to run a hand along your blue hair, almost as if petting you gently. Her voice however remains stern. "(color: blue)[Some day you will understand why this is necessary.]" Her other hand pulled a small radio transceiver from her belt. "(color: blue)[Yes, it's me. Prep $Zero's Discipline Suit. The full rig, yes. Very good.]" [[It was not long before the nurses arrived.->StartSoloSuit]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> (set: $Con to it + 1)(set: $Fate to 3)(set: $2Fate to 3) You approach quickly, confidently. $Artemis snaps a leash to your collar, then guides you backwards as you spread your legs. Beside you $Two takes the same position, her red hair flared out around her. "(color: blue)[Now girls,]" $Artemis mused, pulling your leashes taught, forcing you to bend slightly at the waist as she knelt before you, her knees planted one between your thighs, one between $Two's. "(color: blue)[Since you worked so well together, I think it only fitting we practice your climaxing as a duet as well. Is that clear? You will only orgasm when I command, and you will do so together.]" $Two nodded eagerly at that, her unnaturally blue eyes just as wide as your red pair. [[Nod too!->DuoOrg]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> (set: $Obe to it + 1)(set: $Fate to 3)(set: $2Fate to 3) You approach carefully, primly. $Artemis snaps a leash to your collar, then guides you backwards as you spread your legs. Beside you $Two takes the same position, her red hair flared out around her. "(color: blue)[Now girls,]" $Artemis mused, pulling your leashes taught, forcing you to bend slightly at the waist as she knelt before you, her knees planted one between your thighs, one between $Two's. "(color: blue)[Since you worked so well together, I think it only fitting we practice your climaxing as a duet as well. Is that clear? You will only orgasm when I command, and you will do so together.]" $Two nodded eagerly at that, her unnaturally blue eyes just as wide as your red pair. [[Nod too!->DuoOrg]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> (set: $Obe to it + 1)(set: $Fate to 3)(set: $2Fate to 1) You approach quickly, confidently. $Artemis snaps a leash to your collar, then guides you backwards as you spread your legs. $Two is left to watch, clearly eager to come join you-- and perhaps even more eager to escape her eventual fate. "(color: blue)[Now, $Zero,]" $Artemis mused, pulling your leashe taught, forcing you to bend slightly at the waist as she knelt before you, her knees planted between your thighs. "(color: blue)[Even in this we must practice, if only a bit. Do you understand, $Zero? You will not climax until I give you permission to do so.]" [[Nod eagerly->SingleOrg]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> (set: $Obe to it + 1)(set: $Fate to 3)(set: $2Fate to 1) You approach carefully, primly. $Artemis snaps a leash to your collar, then guides you backwards as you spread your legs. $Two is left to watch, clearly eager to come join you-- and perhaps even more eager to escape her eventual fate. "(color: blue)[Now, $Zero,]" $Artemis mused, pulling your leashe taught, forcing you to bend slightly at the waist as she knelt before you, her knees planted between your thighs. "(color: blue)[Even in this we must practice, if only a bit. Do you understand, $Zero? You will not climax until I give you permission to do so.]" . [[Nod eagerly->SingleOrg]]

"(color: blue)[Good girls. Let us begin.]" Her words were so clinical, but her touch-- or more correctly, that of the vibrators she pushes up between your legs, then $Two's, is electric. Your wetsuit had ports for the dildos that had fucked you during combat, but $Artemis merely presses the vibrating head firming against your crotch. It's enough-- more than enough. $Two seemed to agree, as she moaned beside you immediately, eyes closing in ecstasy. "(color: blue)[It would have been acceptable for me to delegate this duty to your nurses,]" your Handler mused, so calm as you wriggled in bliss. The vibrators were so *strong.* "(color: blue)[But I have always thought it important to do this particular task personally. Isn't that right, $Zero? It is always *my* hand that makes you cum.]" She flicked a switch, and somehow the vibrator ran even *harder*. At your side, $Two gasped, her glossy suit rubbing up against you as bucked in her straitjacket. "(color: blue)[Machines can handle so much-- and they must. Since the first Dissonant song, we've lost so much, as a people. There are never enough of us. Humans are an endangered species. And Wetware candidates are a thousand times rarer. So few have nervous systems capable of bearing the mental load, bodies capable of hours and hours of stimulation, and the mind of an utter, unrepentant submissive. I-- $Two, you do not have my permission yet.]" "Mmmmmmmgghh...!!" $Two made it half a moan, half a squeal, but kept the pleasure at bay. [[Join her in a moan. "Mmmmmmmmggph!"->DuoMoan]] [[Pant and squirm!->DuoSquirm]]

"(color: blue)[Good girl. Let us begin.]" Her words were so clinical, but her touch-- or more correctly, that of the vibrators she pushes up between your legs, is electric. Your wetsuit had ports for the dildos that had fucked you during combat, but $Artemis merely presses the vibrating head firming against your crotch. It's enough-- more than enough. "(color: blue)[It would have been acceptable for me to delegate this duty to your nurses,]" your Handler mused, so calm as you wriggled in bliss. The vibrators were so *strong.* "(color: blue)[But I have always thought it important to do this particular task personally. Isn't that right, $Zero? It is always *my* hand that makes you cum.]" She flicked a switch, and somehow the vibrator ran even *harder*. "(color: blue)[Machines can handle so much-- and they must. Since the first Dissonant song, we've lost so much, as a people. There are never enough of us. Humans are an endangered species. And Wetware candidates are a thousand times rarer. So few have nervous systems capable of bearing the mental load, bodies capable of hours and hours of stimulation, and the mind of an utter, unrepentant submissive. I-- $Zero, you do not have my permission yet.]" That was getting hard to remember. [[Moan in response. "Mmmmmmmmggph!"->SingleMoan]] [[Pant and squirm!->SingleSquirm]]

You moan loudly, the sound made all the lewder as your gag garbled it. The cell swallowed it whole, sound-dampeners beneath the padding not even allowing an echo. No matter how much you screamed in here, those outside would not hear it-- and *that* thought only made you wetter. $Artemis had know you since you were pulled from school and family, she understood just what you were-- but what of the nurses she hand mentioned, or the general populace beyond the Bastion? What was it like to be *human*? You're not sure you knew anymore. While they went about their day, their lives, you were here-- in layers of latex, bound, gagged, and struggling to hold onto your mind. Was it fair? No. But you were different, you were Wetware. Another click between your legs brought fresh waves of desire, your passion mounting. $Two tipped her head to the side to look at you, then rolled her eyes back and closed them, quivering in ecstasy. "(color: blue)[That is the highest setting,]" $Artemis noted, so far above the fire between your legs, the petty thoughts in your mind. Shifting her grip, she pushed the wand even harder against you. "(color: blue)[This interminable siege cannot go on forever-- and I am certain you girls are the tool we will use to finally shatter that black song. How can you be anything else, when you sing so well?]" Singing? Only then do you realize you were moaning again, your thighs flexing, your toes curling in your boots. You were so very close to cumming... "(color: blue)[Hold, girls.. hold... just a few more moments...]" [[You can't hold, cum!!->DuoCum]] [[Hold with everything you have!!->DuoHold]]

You twist and fight, trying to escape your straitjacket-- though if your intentions were to make the pleasure stop, or to merely touch yourself further, you could not tell. As you squirm however your suit squeaks, latex against latex making a peculiar sound you were intimately familiar with. The cell swallowed it whole, sound-dampeners beneath the padding not even allowing an echo. No matter how much you screamed in here, those outside would not hear it-- and *that* thought only made you wetter. $Artemis had know you since you were pulled from school and family, she understood just what you were-- but what of the nurses she hand mentioned, or the general populace beyond the Bastion? What was it like to be *human*? You're not sure you knew anymore. While they went about their day, their lives, you were here-- in layers of latex, bound, gagged, and struggling to hold onto your mind. Was it fair? No. But you were different, you were Wetware. Another click between your legs brought fresh waves of desire, your passion mounting. $Two tipped her head to the side to look at you, then rolled her eyes back and closed them, quivering in ecstasy. "(color: blue)[That is the highest setting,]" $Artemis noted, so far above the fire between your legs, the petty thoughts in your mind. Shifting her grip, she pushed the wand even harder against you. "(color: blue)[This interminable siege cannot go on forever-- and I am certain you girls are the tool we will use to finally shatter that black song. How can you be anything else, when you sing so well?]" Singing? Only then do you realize you were moaning again, your thighs flexing, your toes curling in your boots. You were so very close to cumming... "(color: blue)[Hold, girls.. hold... just a few more moments...]" [[You can't hold, cum!!->DuoCum]] [[Hold with everything you have!!->DuoHold]]

You moan loudly, the sound made all the lewder as your gag garbled it. The cell swallowed it whole, sound-dampeners beneath the padding not even allowing an echo. No matter how much you screamed in here, those outside would not hear it-- and *that* thought only made you wetter. $Artemis had know you since you were pulled from school and family, she understood just what you were-- but what of the nurses she hand mentioned, or the general populace beyond the Bastion? What was it like to be *human*? You're not sure you knew anymore. While they went about their day, their lives, you were here-- in layers of latex, bound, gagged, and struggling to hold onto your mind. Was it fair? No. But you were different, you were Wetware. Another click between your legs brought fresh waves of desire, your passion mounting. "(color: blue)[That is the highest setting,]" $Artemis noted, so far above the fire between your legs, the petty thoughts in your mind. Shifting her grip, she pushed the wand even harder against you. "(color: blue)[This interminable siege cannot go on forever-- and I am certain you girls are the tool we will use to finally shatter that black song. How can you be anything else, when you sing so well?]" Singing? Only then do you realize you were moaning again, your thighs flexing, your toes curling in your boots. You were so very close to cumming... "(color: blue)[Hold, $Zero.. hold... just a few more moments...]" [[You can't hold, cum!!->DuoCum]] [[Hold with everything you have!!->DuoHold]]

You twist and fight, trying to escape your straitjacket-- though if your intentions were to make the pleasure stop, or to merely touch yourself further, you could not tell. As you squirm however your suit squeaks, latex against latex making a peculiar sound you were intimately familiar with. The cell swallowed it whole, sound-dampeners beneath the padding not even allowing an echo. No matter how much you screamed in here, those outside would not hear it-- and *that* thought only made you wetter. $Artemis had know you since you were pulled from school and family, she understood just what you were-- but what of the nurses she hand mentioned, or the general populace beyond the Bastion? What was it like to be *human*? You're not sure you knew anymore. While they went about their day, their lives, you were here-- in layers of latex, bound, gagged, and struggling to hold onto your mind. Was it fair? No. But you were different, you were Wetware. Another click between your legs brought fresh waves of desire, your passion mounting. "(color: blue)[That is the highest setting,]" $Artemis noted, so far above the fire between your legs, the petty thoughts in your mind. Shifting her grip, she pushed the wand even harder against you. "(color: blue)[This interminable siege cannot go on forever-- and I am certain you girls are the tool we will use to finally shatter that black song. How can you be anything else, when you sing so well?]" Singing? Only then do you realize you were moaning again, your thighs flexing, your toes curling in your boots. You were so very close to cumming... "(color: blue)[Hold, $Zero.. hold... just a few more moments...]" [[You can't hold, cum!!->DuoCum]] [[Hold with everything you have!!->DuoHold]]

Your Handler's words are drowned out by that purr between your legs, hours and hours of sexual frustration making its allure a song of its own. You follow it, cresting towards orgasm. Three, two, one... *SLAP* Your closed eyes flash open, long dark lashes highlighting the movement. Looking down, you see $Artemis' hand on your ass, where she had slapped it, moments before the stinging pain shot through your rear. "(color: blue)[I will not let you fail me, $Zero.]" She twisted the vibrator, driving it *just* right. "(color: blue)[*Now* you have my permission to cum!]" And cum you do. Eyes closed, drooling wildly, body quivering uncontrollably. You might have had a mind flashed of near everything, but you're sure nothing ever felt this good. And it goes on and on, the legendary arousal of Wetware making your orgasms incredibly long too. Your mind empties, your body still shaking, the pleasure still coming. In the *nothing* that followed, you recall leaning forward, aligning your head with a machine directed at your eyes. A flash of light this morning, and they took your mind. Would you ever see it returned? Did you want to when this felt so good? (if: $2Fate is 3)[[["Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmggh!!!"->DuoRewardEnd]]](else:)[[["Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmggh!!!"->SoloRwardEnd]]]

Your Handler's words are drowned out by that purr between your legs, hours and hours of sexual frustration making its allure a song of its own. But you were Wetware, and Wetware followed commands. Even if it saw them plunging into Dissonance, even if it meant certain death, even if you were told to do the one thing in the world you had never wanted to do more. "(color: blue)[You will never fail me, girls.]" She twisted the vibrator, driving it *just* right. "(color: blue)[*Now* you have my permission to cum!]" And cum you do. Eyes closed, drooling wildly, body quivering uncontrollably. You might have had a mind flashed of near everything, but you're sure nothing ever felt this good. And it goes on and on, the legendary arousal of Wetware making your orgasms incredibly long too. Your mind empties, your body still shaking, the pleasure still coming. In the *nothing* that followed, you recall leaning forward, aligning your head with a machine directed at your eyes. A flash of light, and they took your mind. Would you ever see it returned? Did you want to when this felt so good? (if: $2Fate is 3)[[["Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmggh!!!"->DuoRewardEnd]]](else:)[[["Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmggh!!!"->SoloRwardEnd]]]

<img alt="arched" src="images/002/arched.png"/> Your red eyes flash as they open again, your back arched, the last wave of pleasure coursing through your cunt and running out through your body. At your side $Two was arched as well, a mirrored image that seemed to have actually brought a smile to $Artemis' masked face. Further pleasure followed from the orgasm, but that had been its peak, each subsequent wave a lesser echo. In time, over the course of a few minutes, you come down entirely-- feeling comfortably warm, at utterly at ease. $Two followed you, shifting back and forth as she pulled contentedly at her restraints. $Artemis flicked off the wands, returning them to her hip holsters. She didn't say anything for a bit, merely standing, observing as you looked up at her quietly. Only after some time had passed-- you couldn't really tell how long-- does she flash a keycard near the door. Its lock cracked open. "(color: blue)[Have a good night, girls.]" With that she was gone. All you had left was a sense of intense wetness between your legs, and... a yawn. Then another, the effort somewhat awkward around your gag. Without the arousal, you were so tired, and your mind so empty. You couldn't think, nor did you want to, instead merely turning your head to the side. $Two was already there, looking at you, her blue gaze narrowing as if to take offense-- only for the effort to collapse, a final quivering stretch marking her falling asleep. You follow her moments later. [[Never a sounder sleep.->NoBindSkip]]

<img alt="arch" src="images/player/arch.png"/> Your red eyes flash as they open again, your back arched, the last wave of pleasure coursing through your cunt and running out through your body. Further pleasure followed from the orgasm, but that had been its peak, each subsequent wave a lesser echo. In time, over the course of a few minutes, you come down entirely-- feeling comfortably warm, at utterly at ease. $Artemis flicked off the wand, returning it to her hip holster. She didn't say anything for a bit, merely standing, observing as you looked up at her quietly. Only after some time had passed-- you couldn't really tell how long-- does she flash a keycard near the door. Its lock cracked open. "(color: blue)[Have a good night, $Zero.]" With that she was gone. All you had left was a sense of intense wetness between your legs, and... a yawn. Then another, the effort somewhat awkward around your gag. Without the arousal, you were so tired, and your mind so empty. You couldn't think, nor did you want to, instead merely turning your head to the side. $Two was there, off a bit, watching your blissfall slide towards sleep with a jealous expression. Those piercing blue eyes are the last thing you see before it finally overtakes you. [[Never a sounder sleep.->NoBindSkip]]

Your time in isolation passed quite quickly, at things concerned. That orgasm, singular and brilliant, had certainly helped-- but in truth the day-to-day was easy enough otherwise. Yes you were straitjacketed and having nurses care for you was more than a little embarrassing, but you got plenty of sleep and didn't have to actually *do* much else. (if: $APC is 0)[Good food helped. As Wetware you generally were given only a thermos of nutrient slurry to drink per day-- hardly desirable, but immensely invigorating and nutritious. Actual *food* was a treat in comparison, fresh selections from the outer agricultural ring prepared daily and served to you piece by piece by an attentive nurse.](else:)[If only the food was better. As Wetware you generally were given only a thermos of nutrient slurry to drink per day-- hardly desirable, but immensely invigorating and nutritious. Actual food would have been a treat in comparison, but that was only rewarded-- usually for commendations in the field. Perhaps next time you would do better.] (if: $2Fate is 1)[And through it all there was $Two to serve as amusement, of a sort. She had been suited up in her punishment uniform later on your first day. A heavier grade straitjacket, straps that secured her in an upright position against the wall, ballet boots locked on legs folded back, even a full enclosed ball hood-- her moans had been a near constant companion. Besides breathing restrictions you presumed she was being almost constantly edged, only to be shocked on the edge of climax, the frustration building again and again. The sound of deeply muffled begging sometimes emerged, but you struggled to conclude if she was begging for it to stop, or begging for more. It was almost enough to make you envious of her. <img alt="2punish" src="images/002/2punish.png"/>](else-if: $2Fate is 3)[And through it all you had $Two as your (mostly) silent companion. Gagged and restrained as you both were, there wasn't really an opportunity for conversation, but sharing the space for another wasn't too bad. She even surprised you near the end of your confinement when you woke up to find her seated next to you, head resting on your shoulder as she slept. After waking she kicked you once or twice, of course. <img alt="2contain" src="images/002/2contain.png"/>](else:)[And through it all you had $Two to serve as amusement, of a sort. She had been installed inside the imprinting pod up against the wall later on the first day, and had been submerged and sealed in ever since. Occasionally you heard a moan, and more frequently a frustrated groan, but you could only guess at what she was really experiencing. The headset they had strapped on her certainly looked capable of making her a captive audience. <img alt="pod" src="images/set/pod.png"/>] Eventually however, after the two weeks she had been sentenced to, $Two was released from Isolation. (if: $Shocker is < 4)[You had left a week prior, your shortened sentence a blessing-- and a reminder that good behavior had its benefits.](else-if: $Shocker is 4 or 5 or 6)[You had left alongside her, finally released back into the Bastion.](else:)[You had been forced to endure an extra week, a reminder that bad behavior had consequences.] [[A few weeks later...->Part2Start]]

<img alt="pod" src="images/set/pod.png"/> Time has no meaning to you in the sealed, water-filled pod. There is no sky to see through your visor, no ground to touch as you float in the enclosed space, latex padding pressing up against you at every angle. You wanted nothing more to sleep, but you couldn't even remember if you had just awoken, or had yet to slumber. How long had you been locked inside already? Perhaps a few hours, perhaps a few days? There is *nothing* except that which your Handler had chose to bombard you with via the visor locked onto your head. Floating, sealed in, you were a perfectly captive audience. (if: $Fight is 4)[Battle tactics, technical specifications, everything humanity had learned about Dissonant entities-- it flooded your mind, honing your skills in the way only a Wetware could be improved. You were not a physical threat, but as the computing unit at the center of an Instrument your song was that of numbers and thoroughput, known limitations and expected ranged. You could fire two missiles in a salvo, 1.8 seconds between the revolver cycling and you could fire again, distances and turning radii-- and then a **shock**. That kept you awake while others tested your retention. The length of your sword's blade versus the arm-length of the average Major Entity-- did you know it? A shock would follow if you failed, a shock would follow if you took too long to answer, a shock would follow if you closed your eyes overlong. And every once in awhile, the voice of your Handler. It was a soft caress to your mind, even if the words were firm. "(color: blue)[Machines can handle so much-- and they must. Since the first Dissonant song, we've lost so much, as a people. There are never enough of us. Humans are an endangered species. And Wetware candidates are a thousand times rarer. So few have nervous systems capable of bearing the mental load, bodies capable of hours and hours of stimulation, and the mind of an utter, unrepentant submissive. You must do better in battle.]"](else:)[A half hundred electrodes beneath your suit activated, pulsing your muscles, simulating an aggressive workout, even as your mask worked you through breathing exercises, lessons you had learned a dozen times yet would learn again. Otherwise the **shock** came. That kept you awake as your body started to ache, as you teetering on the very edge of passing out entirely. A shock would follow if you did not breathe just right, a shock would follow if you struggled too much, a shock would follow if you closed your eyes overlong. And every once in awhile, the voice of your Handler. It was a soft caress to your mind, even if the words were firm. "(color: blue)[Machines can handle so much-- and they must. Since the first Dissonant song, we've lost so much, as a people. There are never enough of us. Humans are an endangered species. And Wetware candidates are a thousand times rarer. So few have nervous systems capable of bearing the mental load, bodies capable of hours and hours of stimulation, and the mind of an utter, unrepentant submissive. You must as fit as we can make you.]"] [[It is a torturous few days...->SensePodder2]]

You could twist and fight, but what was the point? Locked inside your wetsuit, locked inside your straitjacket, locked inside the pod itself, you could no more escape this predicament than you could your life as a Wetware. Not even your moans could escape, not with such thick padding and the pod itself in your sound-dampened cell. It swallowed such things whole, removing even the chance for an echo. And yet that degree of helplessness only made you wetter. $Artemis had know you since you were pulled from school and family, she understood just what you were-- but what of the nurses she hand mentioned, or the general populace beyond the Bastion? What was it like to be *human*? You're not sure you knew anymore. While they went about their day, their lives, you were here-- in layers of latex, bound, gagged, and struggling to hold onto your mind. Was it fair? No. But you were different, you were Wetware. "(color: blue)[This interminable siege cannot go on forever-- and I am certain you girls are the tool we will use to finally shatter that black song. You are the fourth generation of Wetware, and the strongest yet by far.]" [[So wet, so frustrated... if only you could cum.->PodCum]] [[You would make her proud, you would be better...->PodBetter]]

You tried to parse the lesson as you did while slotted in-- without conscious effort, allowing your mind to focus elsewhere. You could not smell or see or touch much, but you still feel *yourself*. So glossy and curvy, writhing in bondage, begging for release. (if: $2Fate is 3)[All the while $Two got what you had been denied-- a vibrator between her legs, held by your own Handler.](else:)[All the while $Two underwent the same in her own pod, so close yet completely isolated.] "(color: blue)[Don't you dare...]" It had been so long you weren't even sure if $Artemis had really said anything. Were they actively monitoring you? How could she ever know you were working yourself up despite the deprivation? So close now, so close, if you just could... "(color: blue)[I will not let you fail me, $Zero]" The shock that followed is worse than the others so far, so complete and long you could only scream-- and no one could hear you. On and on it went, until its sudden halting left you contemplating if the absence of such mind-numbing pain was a sensation all its own. In that great *nothing* you suddenly recalled leaning forward, aligning your head with a machine directed at your eyes. A flash of light and they took your mind. Would you ever see it returned? Did you deserve to? [[The lessons return...->TankEnd]]

You tried to parse the lesson as you did while slotted in-- examining it and putting it away, accessing it without conscious thought or effort. (if: $2Fate is 3)[All the while $Two got what you had been denied-- a vibrator between her legs, held by your own Handler.](else:)[All the while $Two underwent the same in her own pod, so close yet completely isolated.] "(color: blue)[You will be better...]" It had been so long you weren't even sure if $Artemis had really said anything. Were they actively monitoring you? Did she know you were trying to hard to please her, so hard to be the Wetware she needed? "(color: blue)[I will not let you fail me, $Zero]" A purr between your legs, after so much denial and punishment, nearly saw you orgasm right there. It felt so *good* yet was so short you were left wondering if you had imagined that too? But no, even here, arousal pushed away the pain and aching of your loins, filling it with a contemplative emptiness. In that great *nothing* you suddenly recalled leaning forward, aligning your head with a machine directed at your eyes. A flash of light and they took your mind. Would you ever see it returned? Did you deserve to? [[The lessons return...->TankEnd]]

Your time in isolation passed quite slowly. Without a sense of time the only way to count the passage of days was the daily injection of nutrient slurry into your mask. As Wetware you were used to the invigorating, nutritious, if entirely unenviable meal, but restricted as you were it seemed a blessing-- though only if you swallowed hard and fast, the pump not much caring if you choked and struggled. (if: $APC is 0)[Your time in isolation passed quite slowly, though good food helped. Once a day the nurses would unseal your pod and hand feed you, piece by piece, the freshest meals cultivated out in the agricultural ring. They never removed the visor, so you could not see, but the flavors seemed all the sweeter for your otherwise intense isolation. Helping that APC had placed a burden on you, one that may have forced your defeat in battle, but it had its perks too.](else:)[Your time in isolation passed quite slowly. Without a sense of time the only way to count the passage of days was the daily injection of nutrient slurry into your mask. As Wetware you were used to the invigorating, nutritious, if entirely unenviable meal, but restricted as you were it seemed a blessing-- though only if you swallowed hard and fast, the pump not much caring if you choked and struggled. Commendations earned in the field were generally the only way to be fed something better.] (if: $2Fate is 1)[And through it all you could always think of $Two. She had been suited up in her punishment uniform later on your first day. A heavier grade straitjacket, straps that secured her in an upright position against the wall, ballet boots locked on legs folded back, even a full enclosed ball hood-- her moans were loud enough to hear when the pod halted for your meals. Besides breathing restrictions you presumed she was being almost constantly edged, only to be shocked on the edge of climax, the frustration building again and again. The sound of deeply muffled begging sometimes emerged, but you struggled to conclude if she was begging for it to stop, or begging for more. It was almost enough to make you envious of her. <img alt="2punish" src="images/002/2punish.png"/>](else-if: $2Fate is 3)[And through it all you had $Two nearby, even if you could not see her while sealed away. Once or twice you had even thought you heard a slight tapping, as if her toe had been kicking at your pod. Though perhaps it had simply been sleep-induced mania-- she didn't really care about your predicament, right? <img alt="2contain" src="images/002/2contain.png"/>](else:)[And through it all you had $Two to serve as a companion, of a sort. She had been sealed in her own pod just as you were, undergoing the same sort of lessons. Occasionally you heard a moan while being fed, and more frequently a frustrated groan, but that was as far as things went. <img alt="pod" src="images/set/pod.png"/>] Eventually however, after the two weeks she had been sentenced to, $Two was released from Isolation. (if: $Shocker is < 4)[You had left a week prior, your shortened sentence a blessing-- and a reminder that good behavior had its benefits.](else-if: $Shocker is 4 or 5 or 6)[You had left alongside her, finally released back into the Bastion.](else:)[You had been forced to endure an extra week, a reminder that bad behavior had consequences.] [[A few weeks later...->Part2Start]]

With distance from a mind flash, your memories returned in bits and bunches. The smallest stimuli could trigger them, a particular color, and half-head word. You would never be complete, a Wetware's mind was not her own, but you could manage yourself most days, and that was enough. Life returned to its normal routine as a result. Your Handler set your schedule, but you had some flexibility in there-- even time off, though you could never go far. Besides the collar you wore at all times, your passcard only gave you limited access to most areas, and none at all to places beyond the Bastion that housed Instruments and Wetware alike. The fortress was your home, prison, and the city beyond's best defense against the darkness without. Occasionally you thought of your last fight against the strange machine-creature, and wondered at just what you had pulled from its back. But $Artemis and the other staff never mentioned it around you, and after awhile that too started to fade. You certainly had enough to worry about-- lessons, workouts, the day-to-day of living in the Slot-- what the Bastion's crew called the living quarters reserved for Wetware at the very center of the Bastion itself. Today was Monday-- the only day of the week you were not required to rise early for Conditioning training. $Two had been assigned Standby today too, which required her to be in her Wetsuit and near her Instrument in the event of an emergency deployment, but that meant you had gotten a rare morning to sleep in, and had made full use of it. Rising well rested, you had taken to the communal shower-- blissfully empty given the time of day-- and only now were deciding on your outfit for the day. (set: $Gagged to false) [[A choice to be made.->SchoolUni]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> (set: $Fate to 2)(if: $2Help is 0)[(set: $2Fate to 3)](else:)[(set: $2Fate to 4)] Dark eyes flash beneath her mask, as $Artemis let you go, rising back to her full height. "(color: blue)["Such a sweet-talker you are, my $Zero."]" $Two looked on with eyes as wide as they were easily read-- they all but screamed *I can't believe you're this level of stupid, wetware.* $Artemis understood better, her eye still on you as she lifted a small radio transceiver to her mask mouthpiece. "(color: blue)[Yes, it's me. Prep $Zero's Discipline Suit. The full rig, yes. Very good.]" [[It was not long before the nurses arrived.->StartSoloSuit]]

<img alt="arthaz" src="images/artemis/arthaz.png"/> (set: $Fate to 2)(set: $2Fate to 2) Dark eyes flash beneath her mask, as $Artemis let you go, rising back to her full height. "(color: blue)["Such a sweet-talker you are, my $Zero."]" $Two disagreed, pulling against her straitjacket, even daring to push up to her feet for a moment. $Artemis halted that with a look, a step forward enough to push your fellow Wetware back down to her knees. She hesitated, then shot you a look sharp enough to puncture your Instrument's frontal armor. $Artemis understood better, her gaze returning to you as she lifted a small radio transceiver to her mask mouthpiece. "(color: blue)[Yes, it's me. Prep $Zero and $Two's Discipline Suits. The full rigs, yes. Very good.]" [[It was not long before the nurses arrived.->StartDualSuit]]

In many ways, the process of being suited in your Discipline Suit is similar to that of being prepared for Installation. The scientists and doctoral degree holders are replaced by an array of nurses, but they are no less demanding, no less well-coordinated. Off comes your straitjacket and wetsuit, the embarrassment of being naked in a room filled with people offset by how quickly the move to dress you again in heavier variants. The gauge of latex is thicker, the sensation of wearing it more intense, the presence of steel hardpoints and thick straps more obvious. As two nurses pull long boots up your feet, forcing your toes forward to align with tall heels that would make walking nearly impossible, others are working on the new straitjacket. It's another leotard design, your arms secured beneath your chest with more of the straps. Much heavier locks secure each restraining component in turn, and are joined by a new pair of cuffs that lock around your thighs, chains running up to hook into the web-like harness criss-crossing your body. They would prevent even the most determined struggling from pulling your jacket upward, and provide handy places to secure your ankles, after your legs had been folded uncomfortably back. That left you balancing precariously on your knees, but the nurses saw to that too, guiding you until your back was to the wall, and even more straps could be linked to it and your other restraints. As their hands pulled away, you remained where you were, upright and incapable of falling over-- or moving much at all. The last of nurses was securing a collar around your neck-- thick and heavy as everything else, its design ensuring a keen posture, chin up-- while another was down between your legs, though you could no longer monitor what she was doing. Drool dripped down from the gag you still wore as you stared ahead, unable to do much else. "Catheter in." The doctor working between your legs stood up. "She can stay like this for weeks, with the stamina Wetware have." "Got it," another replied matter-of-factly. "It is scheduled for (if: $Shocker < 4)[only a week of treatment,](else-if: $Shocker is 4 or 5 or 6)[two whole weeks in there,](else:)[three entire weeks in there,] but we could scarcely last a day. Incredible, aren't they?" A loud pair of clicks sounded from behind your head. "Posture collar is on. She just needs her blindfold and hood. Make sure the feeder tube is aligned, they don't get to take it off even for feeding." [[Moan, wet and eager.->MoanSuit]] [[Remain still and quiet.->QuietSuit]] [[Bite your gag and struggle!->StruggleSuit]]

(if: $2Fate is 2)[<img alt="2punish" src="images/002/2punish.png"/> $Two had been two tired to fight her fate, but whenever the team of doctors you each had surrounding you formed a window where you could meet eyes, she continued to glare at you harshly. That only ended as they slipped a blindfold into place, followed shortly by an oversized hood they began pumping up. A final groan, howling and frustrated, escaped her faceless form as your own nurses blocked your view again.](else:)[$Two watched your rapidly approaching fate from where she had been left on the floor, destined for her (if: $2Fate is 3)[weeks in an imprinting tank after they had finished with you. Even so, she looked on with actual empathy in her eyes-- at least until she noticed you were looking. Quickly, she replaced it with scornful amusement.](else:)[well-earned orgasm after they had finished with you. Even so, she looked on with actual empathy in her eyes-- at least until she noticed you were looking. Quickly, she replaced it with scornful amusement.]] Your moan, meanwhile, had caused even the nurses to pause. "(color: blue)[Not usual,]" $Artemis declared, from where she had been watching the work with a critical eye. "(color: blue)[Wetware are naturally submissive, binding them like this often only excites them. $Five is similar in that regard, but that is why we cycle them throughout the experience. $Zero here will learn.]" The nurses seemed to accept that, returning to their work. There wasn't much left. A blindfold is applied first, the same sort you had worn while slotted in. (color: red)[You have been blindfolded!] (set: $Blindfold to true) Without eyes, you were surprised when they forced a pair of tubes up your nose, and another through your gag-- (if: $2Fate is 2)[though the sound of an infernal rebreater/bubbler combo coming from $Two's side of the room keyed you in early to what followed.](else:)[a sudden restriction in your air intake keying you in to what was happening.] A facsimile of your breathing arrangement inside your Instrument had been created, your airflow this time passing up through the top of an oversized white hood they had been aligning. Once in place, they inflate it, a very consistent pressure spreading across your face-- and rendering you utterly faceless to world beyond. <img alt="punish" src="images/player/punish.png"/> As you fought to breathe, as you contended with the far more intense sense of total enclosure the thicker latex imparted, as you tried to settle into the heavy restraints forcing you into such a strict and uncompromising condition, the touch of the nurses upon your body finally withdrew. "$Zero(if: $2Fate is 2)[ and $Two have ](else:)[ are ] fully sealed and locked, Handler. Awaiting cycle start." "(color: blue)[Well done,]" the familiar voice of Artemis, so muffled, drew closer. You felt the back of a hand running gently across your breast, finding nipples already painfully hard, before drifting down to rest on your waist. Her other hand settled on something you only now realized had been pressed up between your legs. "(color: blue)[That is a Wetware grade vibrator wand,]" she explained. "(color: blue)[The technicians here have to build them strong to sate your kind. It will be running for the next (if: $Shocker < 4)[week.](else-if: $Shocker is 4 or 5 or 6)[two weeks.](else:)[three weeks.] You do not have permission to orgasm, and will not be given the opportunity to do so. (if: $Fate is 2)[After all, you asked for this.](else:)[You demonstrated in the field you cannot control yourself, so we will enforce that control instead. I will return thrice through your time inside, at which point you may beg for my mercy.]]" She gave you no further opportunity to respond, before flicking the device on between your legs. It felt good. Maddeningly, ravenously so. [[And you cannot escape it...->SuitRun1]]

(if: $2Fate is 2)[<img alt="2punish" src="images/002/2punish.png"/> $Two had been two tired to fight her fate, but whenever the team of doctors you each had surrounding you formed a window where you could meet eyes, she continued to glare at you harshly. That only ended as they slipped a blindfold into place, followed shortly by an oversized hood they began pumping up. A final groan, howling and frustrated, escaped her faceless form as your own nurses blocked your view again.](else:)[$Two watched your rapidly approaching fate from where she had been left on the floor, destined for her (if: $2Fate is 3)[weeks in an imprinting tank after they had finished with you. Even so, she looked on with actual empathy in her eyes-- at least until she noticed you were looking. Quickly, she replaced it with scornful amusement.](else:)[well-earned orgasm after they had finished with you. Even so, she looked on with actual empathy in her eyes-- at least until she noticed you were looking. Quickly, she replaced it with scornful amusement.]] Your silent, utterly submissive behavior had meanwhile caused a few of the nurses to pause. "(color: blue)[You may proceed. $Zero is merely very compliant,]" $Artemis declared, from where she had been watching the work with a critical eye. "(color: blue)[Wetware are naturally submissive, but some more than others. She is not like you or I, if we were being prepared for such a fate.]" The nurses seemed to accept that, returning to their work. There wasn't much left. A blindfold is applied first, the same sort you had worn while slotted in. (color: red)[You have been blindfolded!] (set: $Blindfold to true) Without eyes, you were surprised when they forced a pair of tubes up your nose, and another through your gag-- (if: $2Fate is 2)[though the sound of an infernal rebreater/bubbler combo coming from $Two's side of the room keyed you in early to what followed.](else:)[a sudden restriction in your air intake keying you in to what was happening.] A facsimile of your breathing arrangement inside your Instrument had been created, your airflow this time passing up through the top of an oversized white hood they had been aligning. Once in place, they inflate it, a very consistent pressure spreading across your face-- and rendering you utterly faceless to world beyond. <img alt="punish" src="images/player/punish.png"/> As you fought to breathe, as you contended with the far more intense sense of total enclosure the thicker latex imparted, as you tried to settle into the heavy restraints forcing you into such a strict and uncompromising condition, the touch of the nurses upon your body finally withdrew. "$Zero(if: $2Fate is 2)[ and $Two have ](else:)[ are ] fully sealed and locked, Handler. Awaiting cycle start." "(color: blue)[Well done,]" the familiar voice of Artemis, so muffled, drew closer. You felt the back of a hand running gently across your breast, finding nipples already painfully hard, before drifting down to rest on your waist. Her other hand settled on something you only now realized had been pressed up between your legs. "(color: blue)[That is a Wetware grade vibrator wand,]" she explained. "(color: blue)[The technicians here have to build them strong to sate your kind. It will be running for the next (if: $Shocker < 4)[week.](else-if: $Shocker is 4 or 5 or 6)[two weeks.](else:)[three weeks.] You do not have permission to orgasm, and will not be given the opportunity to do so. (if: $Fate is 2)[After all, you asked for this.](else:)[You demonstrated in the field you cannot control yourself, so we will enforce that control instead. I will return thrice through your time inside, at which point you may beg for my mercy.]]" She gave you no further opportunity to respond, before flicking the device on between your legs. It felt good. Maddeningly, ravenously so. [[And you cannot escape it...->SuitRun1]]

(if: $2Fate is 2)[<img alt="2punish" src="images/002/2punish.png"/> $Two had been two tired to fight her fate, but whenever the team of doctors you each had surrounding you formed a window where you could meet eyes, she continued to glare at you harshly. That only ended as they slipped a blindfold into place, followed shortly by an oversized hood they began pumping up. A final groan, howling and frustrated, escaped her faceless form as your own nurses blocked your view again.](else:)[$Two watched your rapidly approaching fate from where she had been left on the floor, destined for her (if: $2Fate is 3)[weeks in an imprinting tank after they had finished with you. Even so, she looked on with actual empathy in her eyes-- at least until she noticed you were looking. Quickly, she replaced it with scornful amusement.](else:)[well-earned orgasm after they had finished with you. Even so, she looked on with actual empathy in her eyes-- at least until she noticed you were looking. Quickly, she replaced it with scornful amusement.]] You bite down on the ball lodged between your teeth, tasting the rubber even if you achieved little. Already strictly restrained, and still quite exhausted, struggling is likewise pointless. It did at least demonstrate enough resistance to earn a pause from the nurses, though. "(color: blue)[Proceed with her suiting,]" $Artemis declared, from where she had been watching the work with a critical eye. "(color: blue)[Wetware are naturally submissive, but that does not mean some enjoy struggling against that fact. She will like it, in the end. They always do.]" The nurses seemed to accept that, returning to their work. There wasn't much left. A blindfold is applied first, the same sort you had worn while slotted in. (color: red)[You have been blindfolded!] (set: $Blindfold to true) Without eyes, you were surprised when they forced a pair of tubes up your nose, and another through your gag-- (if: $2Fate is 2)[though the sound of an infernal rebreater/bubbler combo coming from $Two's side of the room keyed you in early to what followed.](else:)[a sudden restriction in your air intake keying you in to what was happening.] A facsimile of your breathing arrangement inside your Instrument had been created, your airflow this time passing up through the top of an oversized white hood they had been aligning. Once in place, they inflate it, a very consistent pressure spreading across your face-- and rendering you utterly faceless to world beyond. <img alt="punish" src="images/player/punish.png"/> As you fought to breathe, as you contended with the far more intense sense of total enclosure the thicker latex imparted, as you tried to settle into the heavy restraints forcing you into such a strict and uncompromising condition, the touch of the nurses upon your body finally withdrew. "$Zero(if: $2Fate is 2)[ and $Two have ](else:)[ are ] fully sealed and locked, Handler. Awaiting cycle start." "(color: blue)[Well done,]" the familiar voice of Artemis, so muffled, drew closer. You felt the back of a hand running gently across your breast, finding nipples already painfully hard, before drifting down to rest on your waist. Her other hand settled on something you only now realized had been pressed up between your legs. "(color: blue)[That is a Wetware grade vibrator wand,]" she explained. "(color: blue)[The technicians here have to build them strong to sate your kind. It will be running for the next (if: $Shocker < 4)[week.](else-if: $Shocker is 4 or 5 or 6)[two weeks.](else:)[three weeks.] You do not have permission to orgasm, and will not be given the opportunity to do so. (if: $Fate is 2)[After all, you asked for this.](else:)[You demonstrated in the field you cannot control yourself, so we will enforce that control instead. I will return thrice through your time inside, at which point you may beg for my mercy.]]" She gave you no further opportunity to respond, before flicking the device on between your legs. It felt good. Maddeningly, ravenously so. [[And you cannot escape it...->SuitRun1]]

<img alt="punish" src="images/player/punish.png"/> (if: $Fate is 2)[You may have begged for this, but that didn't make it any easier.](else:)[You may have orgasmed in your Instrument already, but you were already horny again.] And the powerful vibrator secured between your legs, pressed up against your slit, is as subtle as a battering ram. It takes only a few minutes for even the arousal limits of a Wetware to be reached. With that thing running so hard, you would cum long and pure, a thought that sees you tense up even as the pleasure crests-- --and you're **shocked** so hard you can only scream. The vibrator disengages too, the orgasm you had been sprinting towards the edge of disappearing like a Dissonance in the sun. No matter how hard you fought and begged into your gag, it would not return-- though the vibrator did. A few minutes later you fully realized what $Artemis had meant when you were to be "cycled", as again you crested the final rise of an orgasmic high, only for the pain and halting vibrations to slam you back down. A process, a *cycle*, that repeated again and again and again... Hours passed, perhaps days? You could no more tell the passage of time than you could stop that awful cycle, the all-embracing sensation of your Discipline Suit amplifying the sensations, so much latex and bondage exactly the sort of thing that got you wet. You wanted to cum, you wanted it more than anything, but that was simply not allowed. "(color: blue)[$Zero...]" Breathing raggedly through your rebreather, at first you thought the voice to be in your own head. But no-- it was your earpiece, a voice low and sweet and so very desired in that moment. $Artemis. "(color: blue)[(if: $Fate is 2)[You could have orgasmed, but you wanted this. I am so very proud of you. Machines can handle so much-- and they must. Since the first Dissonant song, we've lost so much, as a people. There are never enough of us. Humans are an endangered species. And Wetware candidates are a thousand times rarer. So few have nervous systems capable of bearing the mental load, bodies capable of hours and hours of stimulation, and the mind of an utter, unrepentant submissive. To admit what you are, and what you want, only makes you stronger But as I said, if you have had enough... you may beg for an early release.]](else:)[Machines can handle so much-- and they must. Since the first Dissonant song, we've lost so much, as a people. There are never enough of us. Humans are an endangered species. And Wetware candidates are a thousand times rarer. So few have nervous systems capable of bearing the mental load, bodies capable of hours and hours of stimulation, and the mind of an utter, unrepentant submissive. That does not mean you are allowed to orgasm without my permission. Think of it every time you are cycled and denied. But... as I said, if you have had enough... you may beg for an early release.]" You nearly orgasmed on that last word, *release*, but again the shocker halted you. Tears welled beneath hood and blindfold. You wanted to cum *so badly.* [[Moan that you deserve this...->SuitRun2]] [[Beg to be released...!->SuitAsk]]

<img alt="punish" src="images/player/punish.png"/> You *did* deserve this, and are left to it. More time passes, and your world collapses. Where once there had been the Bastion, the Dissonant, *everything*-- now you only had the heavy, constant scent of latex, the pressure of your suit, the stricture of your bondage, and that vibrator, churning all but eternally. You almost *wanted* it to run forever, if only to avoid the raw frustration that came when it turned off, when you were shocked so hard. It was a routine, one that cycled through in the space of a few minutes at the very most, or so it seemed. The only break came when they fed you. You presumed it was once a day, but had lost track of the count. It was not latex, bondage, or vibration-- and you had no more strength for anything else. The nutrient slurry pumped into your mouth at least helped a bit. It never tasted good, but it did give you a burst of energy. You tried to keep the image of your strictly restrained body being fed like that from your mind-- it only aroused you further, and that made the shocks come quicker. Sometime later... hours? Days? $Artemis returned, as foretold. "(color: blue)[I can train you to endure, $Zero, but your limits are ultimately your own. This war is like a siege-- and I am certain you girls are the tool we will use to finally shatter that black song. You are the fourth generation of Wetware, and the strongest yet by far. Discipline Suits are only approved for use on your generation, after all.]" She paused. Had she gone? You could not tell, but you did nearly cum. Then came the shock, the frustration, and her voice again. She was still there. "(color: blue)[Do you want release, $Zero?]" [[Yes... beg for it... whatever it takes...->SuitAsk2]] [[No... this was... for your own good...->SuitRun3]]

<img alt="punish" src="images/player/punish.png"/> (set: $Strike to it + 1) (if: $Strike is 1)[$Artemis clicked her tongue. "(color: blue)[No.]" No? But she had said, you couldn't-- the thoughts are ripped from your mind by a fresh near-orgasm and its attending nerve wrenching shock. (if: $Fate is 2)["(color: blue)[I know what you must think, $Zero. But you asked for this. It is my duty to know what you need, not what you *want.*]"](else:)["(color: blue)[You have yet to learn your lesson. I know you think you have, but no-- you have not.]"] And with that she goes silent, perhaps watching you still, perhaps having left. You have absolutely no way of knowing.](if: $Strike is 2)[Instead of an immediate response, you suddenly felt a hand exploring your glossy, smooth breast-- tracing where the straps holding you to the wall met it. To most it would have been barely anything, a tease, but after so long with nothing but your bondage and the want between your legs, well-- you nearly orgasmed right there, only for the cycle to trigger early, and seemingly earlier. In its wake you moan anew. "(color: blue)[Think on this, $Zero, as you nearly cum-- again and again. Do you *deserve* to cum?]" The words echo in your mind, or perhaps that was just a figment of your sex-starved mind. Either way, you're left in your tight bondage, with little else to ponder.](if: $Strike is 3)["(color: blue)[I had hoped you would realize,]" $Artemis mused in your ear. "(color: blue)[That you do not get to make choices like that, $Zero. You are allowed only to endure what we demand of you. That is what makes you special. That is what makes you Wetware. But we do test you, at times.]" You nearly came twice in those bare sentences, writhing in your bondage, enduring as best you can. She was never going to allow you out early-- this was exactly what she had said it would be. A test.] [[Do you moan, or weep?->SuitRun2]]

<img alt="punish" src="images/player/punish.png"/> Did you pass out at that moment, or merely lose track of your own mind? When it returned, it came with a memory, somewhat recent. You-- leaning forward, pressing your head to a device that aligned before your eyes. A flash of light... and they took your mind. Would you ever see it returned? Did you deserve to? Another shock snapped you from the thought, back to the hell that was your existence within the Discipline Suit. You knew you were sweating beneath all the layers, just as you knew you were gasping for breath, fighting the posture collar as if that would allow you one free inhalation. How long had it been? *How long?* You had a Wetware's endurance when it came to bondage, but even your limbs ached, the straps all around you biting deep. Another shock, another failed orgasm. You couldn't even feel your own womanhood anymore, not after so much direct stimulation, but it still emanated sensations. Aching, begging, otherworldly desire-- then frustration and pain, so much pain. Tipping your head forward the scant eighth of an inch you could, you imagine someone holding you, running hands down your exhausted, yet still so very glossy body. You were helpless before them, yet they took no advantage, merely holding-- comforting. A bit of warmth before the next orgasm, before the next shock, before the next lesson, it felt like bliss, it felt like... "(color: blue)[$Zero.]" $Artemis. Was she holding you? Could you trust your own mind anymore? "(color: blue)[Do you want out, $Zero?]" [[Yes... yes... please... yes...->SuitAsk3]] [[No...->SuitEnder]]

<img alt="punish" src="images/player/punish.png"/> When it finally ended, after (if: $Shocker < 4)[a full week](else-if: $Shocker is 4 or 5 or 6)[two full weeks](else:)[three full weeks], there was little fanfare. Hands merely settled on you, though you thought them another delirious dream. Only when your hood was finally removed, your sweat-soaked hair and fluttering eyes blessed with fresh air, did you realized they had come to release you. (set: $Blindfold to false)(color: green)[Blindfold removed!] (if: $2Fate is 2)[<img alt="punish" src="images/002/2punish.png"/> Across the room, $Two also had her mask off, her blue eyes unfocused as she stared straight ahead, seemingly senseless. You aren't doing much better, drool running down your chin and onto your chest.](else:)[Your eyes struggle to focus as you stare into the near distance, drool running freely down your chin and onto your chest.] In the end the nurses have to wheel you out of the cell on a gurney, (if: $Shocker < 4)[several hours](else:)[several days] of recuperation in a more traditional hospital room required before you were finally discharged. You spent most of the time in fitful slumber, waiting for the salves and painkillers they gave you to take full effect. Somewhere along the way you must have had a visitor though, as you wake to find a card left on the bedside table. Brilliant (color: blue)[blue] ink in a firm, precise hand decorate one side. (color: blue)[*You did well to endure it.*] $Artemis. Thoughts of her swirl in your mind as you doze back off. [[They release you soon after.->Part2Start]]

<img alt="podhall" src="images/set/podhall.png"/> Stepping out of the shower chamber, you found yourself in the Wetware sleeping quarters. Eight individual pod-like rectangles lined the narrow hallway, though you knew only three of them were occupied at the moment. It was hard to imagine how crowded it would have been if the Bastion was at full complement. Certainly there would have been *someone* there to notice your nakedness, but there was only the camera on the wall for that. It didn't bother you-- since being singled out as a potential Wetware you had been monitored almost constantly. There was even a camera in the shower you had just left. Of the eight, your pod is the first on right, top level. (color: cyan)[Wetware 00] was printed on a small plaque near the doorpad as you climbed up on the first step of the ladder nearby. The door slid open automatically in reaction, your meager worldly possessions coming into view. <img alt="podbed" src="images/set/podbed.png"/> Private property was forbidden to Wetware, and guards searched your quarters twice a week to ensure you were not hiding contraband, but they did allow a few temporary possessions. Yours rest on a shelf built into the far wall and consist of a book and keycard. To your surprise however, there is also a small blue-gold box you don't recognize. (set: $Outfit to 0)(set: $Choc to 0)(set: $Keycard to 0)(set: $Strike to 0) [[Strange.->RoomHub]]

<img alt="podbed" src="images/set/podbed.png"/> You stand before the small pod you called home, (if: $Outfit is 0)[feeling slightly cold as the last droplets of water dry on your naked body.](else-if: $Outfit is 1)[your casual uniform feeling a bit stiff as you examine your things.](else:)[your wetsuit glossy in the reflected light.] [[Examine the book.->CheckBook]] (if: $Choc is 0)[[[Examine the Gold Box that wasn't there before.->CheckBox]]](else-if: $Choc is 1)[You have eaten the chocolate that once rested in the gold box.](else-if: $Choc is 2)[The Gold Box with the chocolate inside rests on the shelf.](else:)[You have thrown away the gold box and the chocolate within.] (if: $Keycard is 0)[[[Examine the Keycard.->CheckKeycard]]](else-if: $Outfit is 2)[The Keycard sits on the shelf, unnecessary when wearing your plugsuit.](else:)[You have picked up your keycard.] [[Examine yourself in the mirror->CheckMirror]] (if: $Outfit is 0)[[[Open your outfit locker, get dressed.->CheckOutfits]]](else:)[You have already gotten dressed.] [[Close the door and leave the Slot.->LeaveRooms]]

You pick up the small book, selected from the library made available to Wetware. Like all the books in the selection, it is written in the QK-script, a mathematically based shorthand developed specifically for use by Instrument systems that synced with Wetware. Far more condensed and concise that normal languages, there is no natural way to speak it but you can read it just fine-- for Wetware it came naturally after being synced long enough, regular people had to study it for years. The title is *Incremental Delineation: the Generation Progress of Wetware Since the First Black Symphony* [[Put the book back down.->RoomHub]] [[Flip it open to a random page.->BookPage]]

The Box, a pastel blue with golden accents, fit snugly in the the palm of your hand. But where had it come from? This was exactly the sort of thing that usually qualified as contraband for Wetware-- and that basically meant anything not at least somewhat related to your purpose and missions. It would be a simple thing to open it, and sate your curiosity. Or you could dispose of it right now, you weren't allowed to have it after all. [[Open it up at least!->OpenBox]] [[Throw the Box away, unopened.->ThrowBoxNoOpen]]

The keycard is familiar to you, a well-used tool for getting around the Bastion. As a military installation security was a high priority, and the keycard could be used to get through the various doors and checkpoints spread throughout. Yours featured a picture of yourself and quite a bit of text. (color: cyan)[**WETWARE** Designation: 00 Age: 19 Hair Color: Blue Eye Color: Red (Augmented) Security Level: W-I (Wetware) Privileges: None **LIBERTY RESTRICTIONS ACTIVE**] (if: $Outfit is 2)[You didn't actually need the keycard to leave your room, however. Having decided to put on your wetsuit, the ID-chip in your right wrist cuff would provide the same functionality. And of course you didn't have any pockets to carry it at the moment. [[Put the card down.->RoomHub]]](else-if: $Outfit is 0)[You would need this, or an equivalent, to leave the Wetware sleeping quarters. Taking it now would be foolish however, as your naked body lacked any means of carrying it. [[Put the card down.->RoomHub]]](else:)[You would need this to leave the Wetware sleeping quarters. Of course your Wetsuit had the same functionality built into its right cuff, but you had chosen a more... human outfit, and thus would need the keycard. Best to take it with you. (set: $Keycard to 1) [[Take the card.->RoomHub]]]

(if: $Outfit is 0)[<img alt="nakedface" src="images/player/nakedface.png"/> Looking into the mirror off to the side of your bed, you find your reflection looking back. Young, with short blue hair-- you had been born with that shade, a marker of latent Dissonant corruption in the womb, or so people said. The red of your eyes however were unnatural, a result of the replacement of your irises with a design that could integrate with Instrument hardware. Apparently the procedure could result in a variety of vivid colors. By habit you check your makeup. Darkly contoured eyelids, long lashes, perfectly shaped eyebrows-- to maintain one's self was a requirement you bore as Wetware, and one $Artemis enforced rigorously. To be anything less than presentable suggested a lack of readiness in the Wetware program, and that simply would not do. At least you did not have to adjust it much, as modern cosmetics lasted for several weeks at at time. Otherwise you weren't wearing anything, though you could always come back once you decided on what to wear.](else-if: $Outfit is 2)[<img alt="front" src="images/player/front.png"/> Looking into the mirror off to the side of your bed, you find your reflection looking back. Young, with short blue hair-- you had been born with that shade, a marker of latent Dissonant corruption in the womb, or so people said. The red of your eyes however were unnatural, a result of the replacement of your irises with a design that could integrate with Instrument hardware. Apparently the procedure could result in a variety of vivid colors. By habit you check your makeup. Darkly contoured eyelids, long lashes, perfectly shaped eyebrows-- to maintain one's self was a requirement you bore as Wetware, and one $Artemis enforced rigorously. To be anything less than presentable suggested a lack of readiness in the Wetware program, and that simply would not do. At least you did not have to adjust it much, as modern cosmetics lasted for several weeks at at time. You had chosen to wear your Wetsuit over more "normal" clothing", and it clung to your body like a second glossy skin. Your number, printed on the center of your chest, stood out along with the black and orange secondary panels. The pair of neural clips in your hair were white too, and were designed to be integrated into the gags you so often wore. Wearing your Wetsuit, there would be no confusion regarding what you are-- humans wore textiles, while you are wrapped in skintight latex. You had long since associated its subtle pressure all over your body as reassuring, though that came at the cost of your humanity of course.](else:)[<img alt="frontuni" src="images/player/frontuni.png"/> Looking into the mirror off to the side of your bed, you find your reflection looking back. Young, with short blue hair-- you had been born with that shade, a marker of latent Dissonant corruption in the womb, or so people said. The red of your eyes however were unnatural, a result of the replacement of your irises with a design that could integrate with Instrument hardware. Apparently the procedure could result in a variety of vivid colors. By habit you check your makeup. Darkly contoured eyelids, long lashes, perfectly shaped eyebrows-- to maintain one's self was a requirement you bore as Wetware, and one $Artemis enforced rigorously. To be anything less than presentable suggested a lack of readiness in the Wetware program, and that simply would not do. At least you did not have to adjust it much, as modern cosmetics lasted for several weeks at at time. You had chosen to wear your "casual" uniform, a blue dress over white blouse offset by red bow and black knee-high socks. It was made of textiles, the sort humans wore, and felt just a tad too scratchy to your skin-- but it would let you blend in a bit better with the Bastion's staff. A *bit*. The uniform was that of the city's Academy, where the best and brightest trained for roles in the Defense Forces, but it was rare indeed that other Academy students came to the Bastion. Nevertheless, as you twisted your hips back and forth and watched the skirt flair, it did feel good to wear something besides latex.] [[Step back and away.->RoomHub]]

Your outfit locker is a large panel to the left of your cubby, $Zero once again printed neatly on it near the recessed handle. Opening it reveals... a very limited selection. Just two in fact. The first is your casual uniform, a dress and blouse combination used by Academy members within the city proper. While your situation was obviously irregular, the Academy did operate a small enclave within the Bastion for the further training of you and your fellow wetware. The other option, currently sheathed in protective plastic, is of course your Wetsuit. Mandatory wearing of it was only required on days you were scheduled to be on deployment standby, but there was nothing in the regulations against wearing it otherwise-- $Five almost always did, in fact. But it was a *Wetsuit*, skin-tight and latex, lacking pockets or other utilitarian features. It would mark you out as Wetware and nothing else. [[Close the locker for now.->RoomHub]] [[Examine the Academy Uniform.->CheckUni]] [[Examine the Wetsuit.->CheckWet]]

<img alt="podbed" src="images/set/podbed.png"/> The door at the far end of the Slot stands closed, its armored and reinforced design suggesting it protected things of great value-- namely yourself and the other Wetware. A panel at the side would allow exiting, if you had the right access. (if: $Outfit is 2)[Had you chosen the Academy uniform you would have required a keycard to leave, but your Wetsuit was designed to control and monitor you-- and as such it had an ID chip embedded in your wrist cuff. All it would take is holding up your arm to the scanner. [[Time to leave.->ExitRoom]] [[Go back to your bed.->RoomHub]]](else-if: $Keycard is 1)[(if: $Outfit > 0)[Dressed and ready for the day, you pull forth your ID card. All it would take is slotting it through the door's scanner to leave. [[Do it, time to leave.->ExitRoom]] [[Turn back to your bed.->RoomHub]]](else:)[You had your keycard and a *desire* to leave... but you needed to get dressed to do that. Running about the Bastion naked would be ridiculous. [[Turn back to your bed.->RoomHub]]]](else:)[Unfortunately you do not have your keycard, or the chip embedded in a wetsuit. Collecting either would allow you to leave. [[Turn back, return to your bed.->RoomHub]]]

You open the book to a random page near the front, the compact and tightly arranged symbols translating easily as your eyes skim over them. *The First and Second Generation Wetware were largely incomplete system components, developed during a period of extended emergency and deeply limited in sync-rates and resulting capability. The Third Generation solved the existent problems revolving around Wetware burnout rates, and for the first time achieved sync-rates over 60%. With these tools the Designated Fallback positions were stabilized, and development slowed considerably as performance gains became increasingly difficult to achieve.* *The Fourth and current generation of Wetware can be easily recognized by their much reduced spinal hardware and the introduction of synthetic irises, resulting in a variety of vivid colors after implantation. Genetic improvements have also allowed for longer duration missions, and greatly improved overall combat ability.* You were a fourth generation Wetware, of course. The first production model assigned to this Bastion, thus your designation. $Zero. It was hard not to think of it as a name, but if you were ever to be reassigned they would likely relabel you as necessary. Only people were allowed names. [[Put the book down.->RoomHub]]

<img alt="choc" src="images/reg/choc.png"/> Opening up the small box reveals... chocolate inside. A small swirled luxury and a rare delicacy in the Bastion-- much less the city beyond. You had heard of the stuff somewhere or another, that it was transported in from another region, but had never actually tasted it yourself. You are not allowed such things, of course. Most days you were allowed only nutrient slurries, actual food being reserved for rewards. And hadn't you heard that chocolate made one fat? Maintaining a strict weight and physical proportions was another requirement placed upon you. But it was so small, and you were curious... [[Eat the chocolate!->EatChoc]] [[Put it back, save it for later.->SaveChoc]] [[Throw the contraband away.->TossChoc]]

Curious or not, you are Wetware and this was not allowed. Opening the small disposal chute in your cubby, you dropped the box down it entirely unopened. Whatever secret it had contained would be sent to the incinerator, but you felt a warm little tingle nevertheless. It felt good to comply. (set: $Choc to 3) [[Focus on other things.->RoomHub]]

<img alt="choc" src="images/reg/choc.png"/> Carefully you plucked the chocolate from its little packaged bed, held it briefly before you, then popped it in your mouth. The flavor was *immediate* and intense, a sweetness you had never experienced before. It was so good! Yet it melted quickly in your mouth, the treat lingering longer. You are Wetware, intense-- even extreme-- stimulation was a frequent experience for you, but that little piece of chocolate... it almost competed with such things, if only because of its novelty. How many other little things like this did you miss out on, given your position? Something to ponder as you slipped the empty packaging down your cubby's garbage disposal. (set: $Choc to 1) [[Best to dispose of the evidence.->RoomHub]]

<img alt="choc" src="images/reg/choc.png"/> Perhaps you were struck with indecision, perhaps your conscious whispered that it was *forbidden.* Whatever the case, you found yourself closing the small box again and returning it to the shelf. There it glimmered in the soft lighting of your cubby, a secret you likely could not keep for long-- the guards would find it soon. Still, it felt good to know you owned *something*-- if only for a day. (set: $Choc to 2) [[Focus on other things.->RoomHub]]

The chocolate looked tempting and you were terribly curious to try it, but your training took over for you. This was contraband and you were Wetware, possession of it was not allowed. Opening the small disposal chute in your cubby, you dropped the golden box and its candy treasure down it. It felt good to comply. (set: $Choc to 3) [[Focus on other things.->RoomHub]]

<img alt="uni1" src="images/player/uni1.png"/> White and blue with a splash of red, the Academy uniform is made of synthetic textiles and well-fitted-- keeping your exacting measurements was undoubtedly some poor fool's sole job in the Bastion. [[Put it on!->SelectUni]] [[Examine your Wetsuit.->CheckWet]]

<img alt="uni1" src="images/player/fullbod.png"/> Your Wetsuit rests in its protective enclosure, looking thin and frail-- it needed a body to fill it out and smooth out the wrinkles. Otherwise it is much as you remembered it, glossy and smooth, the universal uniform of Wetware like yourself. Wearing it would mark you out as less than human, but... you are less than them, aren't you? [[Put it on!->SelectWet]] [[Examine the Academy Uniform.->CheckUni]]

<img alt="uni1" src="images/player/uni1.png"/> Pulling out the uniform and hooking its hanger on your cubby's lip, you slide on the undergarments first-- a simple pair of panties and a supportive bra. Over it you slide the blouse then the skirt, adjusting the suspender-like portions that ran over your shoulders. The bow you tie in a loose design just below your throat before pulling up the black socks and sliding on the black shoes. A simple affair all things considered, but comfortable. *Mostly.* You always found textiles to just the slightest bit itchy-- the sort of edge-of-consciousness thing that only revealed itself if you found yourself focusing on it as you were doing now. Forcing that from your mind, you found other intrusive thoughts slipping in. Dressed like this... you could almost wonder what girls your age wore in the city itself, or remembering the glances you caught while being escorted through that area. This outfit at least made you feel, you supposed, just a little bit human. (set: $Outfit to 1) (color: green)[Academy Uniform Equipped] [[And that's not a bad thing.->RoomHub]]

<img alt="uni1" src="images/player/fullbod.png"/> Pulling out the uniform and hooking its hanger on your cubby's lip, you undo the protective sheath's seals. They release with a quiet hiss, allowing you to pull the singular garment out. If necessary a full team could assist your suiting up in the space of a few seconds, but alone the process takes longer. A hidden seam along the back, following the counter of the powerpack allows you to create a space just large enough to stick one leg in, then the other. Pulling it up is a struggle, but it had been stored with lube inside, and the material was quite stretchy-- it just took effort. You manage, inch by inch, first aligning the boots, then working it up your legs, your thighs, your waist and chest. The breast cups await only pressing your chest into them, the barest glimpse of the electrodes and stim-array built inside to further your arousal when slotted in. Pushing your arms into the sleeves, you flex your hands inside the gloves to settle them. That left only the seam itself still cracked open and a variety of wrinkles, both of which you dispel by activating the controller built into your right wrist. With a fresh hiss the suit pulls just a bit tighter, squeezing out the wrinkles and closing the seam until it was as if it had never been. You found yourself pressing your chest out just a bit further in the aftermath, the all-body embrace pushing you towards a perfected posture. Only then did the automatic locks engage across the suit, securing your wrist shackles, sealing the seam access, and utterly imprisoning you inside. You lack the code to disengage them, and would need to seek permission for that. Slowly you examine yourself, checking the Wetsuit over. It looked good, the cold clamminess it had started with rapidly disappearing as your body heat soaked in. Altogether you look like the perfect Wetware-- ready for service, capable of being restrained, uniformed and submissive. (set: $Outfit to 2) (color: red)[Wetsuit Equipped and Locked!] [[You could be little else..->RoomHub]]

<img alt="lounge" src="images/set/lounge.png"/> If the Slot and its pod-like containers was your bed, the Lounge could best be considered your home. A contained space set aside for the communal use of all Wetware, it consisted primarily of a high-ceiling area featuring a couch, loungers, tables, and a pool at its very center. A half dozen cameras blink menacingly from their perches above, but it is the woman seated on the pool's edge that draws your eye. $Five. [[She gives a knowing smile.->Meet5]]

<img alt="smile" src="images/005/smile.png"/> "Hey, sis." She always called you and $Two that, to $Two's consternation. At 24 years of age she was older than you, and taller too. For the moment however she was seated on the pool's edge, her legs kicking slowly in the crystalline water. (if: $Outfit is 1)[Unlike you she wore her Wetsuit,](else:)[like you she wore her Wetsuit,] a primarily pink ensemble with contoured white ridges across her chest and waist. A pair of red glasses rested a bit further down her nose than would have been useful, but she didn't need them anyway. Like all fourth generation Wetware her eyes had been perfected by implanting custom optics. "Got lucky, y'know. That new Doctor came around, asking about how you were doing. Any other one would have woken you up, ran tests or whatever. She actually said she would come back latter though, when I told her you were sleeping. That one is still learning, heh." She perked up suddenly, as if just remembering something. "You see what I left you?" (if: $Choc is 0)[[["I have no idea what you're talking about.->DumbChoc]]](else:)[[["You mean that gold box...?"->IdentBox]] [["You mean that contraband box?"->ContraBox]]]

<img alt="smile" src="images/005/smile.png"/> Her smile falters for a moment, then comes back even stronger. "I guess I should have uploaded it to your optics like a mission parameter, huh? That's my bad, sis. Nevermind, the guards will dispose of it anyway. If anyone asks, just tell them I gave it to you." Had you missed something in your bed area? It was too late to go back now. "Anyway... haven't seen you around for awhile. My being out of commission for a bit, your schedule, being perpetually understocked in Wetware... you know how it is. How are you doing?" [["Not too bad, I guess."->5NotBad]] [["I've been better."->5BeenBetter]] [["I am ready to serve, if needed."->5Serve]]

<img alt="smile" src="images/005/smile.png"/> Her smile widens even further. "Yeah, but the box is just a box. I meant what's inside, the chocolate! You try it?" (if: $Choc is 1)[You had, and tell her so. "Pretty good, right?](else:)[You did not, and tell her so. "Aw, come on.] Swiped it from a desk in the Control Room, figured you might like it. Just because we're Wetware doesn't mean we can't have some nice things too." $Five reached up, adjusting her headband slightly. Unlike your hair clips, her gag mounts are embedded in the larger band itself. "Anyway... haven't seen you around for awhile. My being out of commission for a bit, your schedule, being perpetually understocked in Wetware... you know how it is. How are you doing?" [["Not too bad, I guess."->5NotBad]] [["I've been better."->5BeenBetter]] [["I am ready to serve, if needed."->5Serve]]

<img alt="smile" src="images/005/smile.png"/> Her smile falters, only to come back even stronger. "Don't be like that, it was a gift. A gift of chocolate, sis. Did you try it?" (if: $Choc is 1)[You had, and tell her so. "Pretty good, right?](else:)[You did not, and tell her so. "Aw, come on.] Swiped it from a desk in the Control Room, figured you might like it. Just because we're Wetware doesn't mean we can't have some nice things too." $Five reached up, adjusting her headband slightly. Unlike your hair clips, her gag mounts are embedded in the larger band itself. "Anyway... haven't seen you around for awhile. My being out of commission for a bit, your schedule, being perpetually understocked in Wetware... you know how it is. How are you doing?" [["Not too bad, I guess."->5NotBad]] [["I've been better."->5BeenBetter]] [["I am ready to serve, if needed."->5Serve]]

<img alt="sitting" src="images/005/sitting.png"/> $Five pulls her legs from the water, rivulets running in smooth lines down her glossy form. (if: $Fate is 1)["No offense, but I'm kinda doubting that. Heard they put you in a Discipline Suit after the last op. I'm a total slut, and even I get loopy in those things after a few hours. No shame in admitting to it.](if: $Fate is 2)["I heard you got put into a Discipline Suit after the last op. Normally I'd say that could never leave someone 'not too bad'... but I also heard you begged for the treatment? I guess we're both sluts for that sort of thing, huh?](if: $Fate is 3)["I bet you are, heard you got an officially sanctioned orgasm from $Artemis herself. Makes me a little wet just thinking about it, you know?](if: $Fate is 4)["Better than expected, then. Heard they put you in a reconditioning pod. Burned a fresh set of tactical scenarios into your mind, huh? Not exactly fun.](if: $Fate is 5)["Better than expected, then. Heard they put you in a reconditioning pod. Gave you the old full body workout, huh? Not exactly fun.] But hey-- that thing you fought out there, I read the reports. Hell of a thing." "I'll be out at least for another week, they tell me. My Instrument's neural rig is being replaced, and its taking longer than normal. Something about my being a retrofitted Gen-3, I guess." She shrugs pink, sloping shoulders. "You should probably track down that Doctor, the new one. Uh... Doctor Kasa, that was the name! The doe-eyed one who tries really hard not to stare at a Wetsuit but only makes it more obvious. She said she would be near the City Entrance, I guess some Academy students are visiting." [["Academy Students?"->AskAcad]] [["I will report promptly."->ReportPrompt]] [["I was going to do my own things today."->OwnThings]]

<img alt="sitting" src="images/005/sitting.png"/> $Five pulls her legs from the water, rivulets running in smooth lines down her glossy form. (if: $Fate is 1)["Yeah, I can believe that. Heard they put you in a Discipline Suit after the last op. I'm a total slut, and even I get loopy in those things after a few hours. No shame in admitting to it.](if: $Fate is 2)["I heard you got put into a Discipline Suit after the last op. Normally I wouldn't be surprised by you feeling raw after that... but I also heard you begged for the treatment? I guess we're both sluts for that sort of thing, huh?](if: $Fate is 3)["Really? Heard you got an officially sanctioned orgasm from $Artemis herself. Makes me a little wet just thinking about it, you know?](if: $Fate is 4)["About what I expected, then. Heard they put you in a reconditioning pod. Burned a fresh set of tactical scenarios into your mind, huh? Not exactly fun.](if: $Fate is 5)["About what I expected, then. Heard they put you in a reconditioning pod. Gave you the old full body workout, huh? Not exactly fun.] But hey-- that thing you fought out there, I read the reports. Hell of a thing." "I'll be out at least for another week, they tell me. My Instrument's neural rig is being replaced, and its taking longer than normal. Something about my being a retrofitted Gen-3, I guess." She shrugs pink, sloping shoulders. "You should probably track down that Doctor, the new one. Uh... Doctor Kasa, that was the name!. The doe-eyed one who tries really hard not to stare at a Wetsuit but only makes it more obvious. She said she would be near the City Entrance, I guess some Academy students are visiting." [["Academy Students?"->AskAcad]] [["I will report promptly."->ReportPrompt]] [["I was going to do my own things today."->OwnThings]]

<img alt="sitting" src="images/005/sitting.png"/> $Five pulls her legs from the water, rivulets running in smooth lines down her glossy form. "Of course, we all are. But I (if: $Fate is 1)[heard they put you in a Discipline Suit after the last op. I'm a total slut, and even I get loopy in those things after a few hours. No shame in admitting to it.](if: $Fate is 2)[heard you got put into a Discipline Suit after the last op. Normally I wouldn't be surprised by you feeling raw after that... but I also heard you begged for the treatment? I guess we're both sluts for that sort of thing, huh?](if: $Fate is 3)[heard you got an officially sanctioned orgasm from $Artemis herself. Makes me a little wet just thinking about it, you know?](if: $Fate is 4)[heard they put you in a reconditioning pod. Burned a fresh set of tactical scenarios into your mind, huh? Not exactly fun.](if: $Fate is 5)[heard they put you in a reconditioning pod. Gave you the old full body workout, huh? Not exactly fun.] But hey-- that thing you fought out there, I read the reports. Hell of a thing." "I'll be out at least for another week, they tell me. My Instrument's neural rig is being replaced, and its taking longer than normal. Something about my being a retrofitted Gen-3, I guess." She shrugs pink, sloping shoulders. "You should probably track down that Doctor, the new one. Uh... Doctor Kasa, that was the name! The doe-eyed one who tries really hard not to stare at a Wetsuit but only makes it more obvious. She said she would be near the City Entrance, I guess some Academy students are visiting." [["Academy Students?"->AskAcad]] [["I will report promptly."->ReportPrompt]] [["I was going to do my own things today."->OwnThings]]

<img alt="sitting" src="images/005/sitting.png"/> "Yep." Sufficiently dried, $Five rose to her feet. "A fresh crop of humans your age, being shown around the Bastion. Bet they would get a kick out of seeing an actual Wetware, face-to-face. (if: $Outfit is 1)[Then you can field that one question we always get, about schooling, considering you're wearing the Academy uniform. Do we go to regular classes? No. Can we read? Better than they can. Bleh.](else:)[Especially when you're in your Wetsuit. Such stares they will give, then the questions come. How do they feel to wear? Good. Are we really locked into them? Yes. Bleh.]" $Five moved over to the wall, leaning against it. "One other thing. $Artemis is in the hot labs. I know its your rest day, and its undoubtedly hers, but Handlers are gonna Handle. Or something. Anyway, you should go say hello. Proper thing to do. Just... do it last, is my suggestion. Once a Handler gets her leash on you, there often isn't a chance to do much else, y'know? *You did.* [[With that, 05 moved turned on a TV vid-screen and stood to watch it.->LoungeBreak]]

<img alt="sitting" src="images/005/sitting.png"/> "I don't think she can give you a commendation for being so dutiful, $Zero." Sufficiently dried, $Five rose to her feet, but winked along the way. "You will find her showing a fresh crop of humans your age, around the Bastion. Bet they would get a kick out of seeing an actual Wetware, face-to-face. (if: $Outfit is 1)[Then you can field that one question we always get, about schooling, considering you're wearing the Academy uniform. Do we go to regular classes? No. Can we read? Better than they can. Bleh.](else:)[Especially when you're in your Wetsuit. Such stares they will give, then the questions come. How do they feel to wear? Good. Are we really locked into them? Yes. Bleh.]" $Five moved over to the wall, leaning against it. "One other thing. $Artemis is in the hot labs. I know its your rest day, and its undoubtedly hers, but Handlers are gonna Handle. Or something. Anyway, you should go say hello. Proper thing to do. Just... do it last, is my suggestion. Once a Handler gets her leash on you, there often isn't a chance to do much else, y'know? *You did.* [[With that, 05 moved turned on a TV vid-screen and stood to watch it.->LoungeBreak]]

<img alt="sitting" src="images/005/sitting.png"/> "Let me give you some advice, sis. If you're going to piss off one of the Doctors controlling our dildos while slotted in, pick and choose those fights carefully, alright?" Sufficiently dried, $Five rose to her feet, but winked along the way. "You will find her showing a fresh crop of humans your age, around the Bastion. Bet they would get a kick out of seeing an actual Wetware, face-to-face. (if: $Outfit is 1)[Then you can field that one question we always get, about schooling, considering you're wearing the Academy uniform. Do we go to regular classes? No. Can we read? Better than they can. Bleh.](else:)[Especially when you're in your Wetsuit. Such stares they will give, then the questions come. How do they feel to wear? Good. Are we really locked into them? Yes. Bleh.]" $Five moved over to the wall, leaning against it. "One other thing. $Artemis is in the hot labs. I know its your rest day, and its undoubtedly hers, but Handlers are gonna Handle. Or something. Anyway, you should go say hello. Proper thing to do. Just... do it last, is my suggestion. Once a Handler gets her leash on you, there often isn't a chance to do much else, y'know? *You did.* [[With that, 05 moved turned on a TV vid-screen and stood to watch it.->LoungeBreak]]

<img alt="lounge" src="images/set/lounge.png"/> Thank you for playing Sonata 0.3a! This experimental game is in active development, and your feedback, thoughts, desires-- whatever-- are greatly appreciated! You can best provide them at the Torean Discord, dedicated to all things latex! (link: "Click here to visit.")[(goto-url: 'https://discord.gg/Y9TPgZg')] (colour: orange)[If you would like to throw a little something into my tip jar, (link: "click here.")[(goto-url: 'https://www.patreon.com/GlossandGlamour')]] Like the game? My other games can be found by (link: "clicking here.")[(goto-url: 'https://iconoclast.neocities.org/')] --Glossandglamour, the Author If you would like to go the extra mile, screenshotting and posting the following to the Discord server helps with balancing systems and assessing choice interest! APC = $APC Player Fate: $Fate $Two Fate: $2Fate Shock Collar Uses: $Shocker Oufit Selected: $Outfit Chocolate!: $Choc

<img alt="kasa" src="images/npc/kasa.png"/> Doctor Kasa watched your efforts, forever in vain, with concern. "Involuntary." Writing to that effect, she handed the log back to the guard, who unsealed the door leading further in. It was yet another airlock, one that cycled you through eventually. Nothing but pure, sterile (color: white)[white] greeted you. The walls, the floors, the ceilings-- all of it pristine and spotless. That at least made some sense, if this was intended to ensure you were not contaminated. Surely the smallest speck of black Dissonant bile would be obvious here. You don't go far. Passing a nurse's station, each of them again dressed in full body hazmat suits, you are eventually halted before a heavy looking door. (color: white)[**ISOLATION CELL #2**] (color: white)[Assigned to:] (color: cyan)[Wetware 00] | (color: red)[Wetware 02] (color: orange)[**Resonance Warning -- Danger**] "Here we are," Doctor Kasa noted, trying to sound cheerful. "Your home for just a short while, I promise. You will be out in no time." Using her keycard to open the door, she directed the men attending you to push you in-- hissed quietly as they did so a bit roughly-- then closed the door behind you. [[Home sweet home...->IsoWard3]]

(set: $Shocker to 4) [[PlayerReport]]