The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Laurie arrived back home a little after noon. She was physically and emotionally drained. She hadn’t gone back for her camping belongings; she hadn’t had the energy. She had been over and over her situation in her head, but any way she cut it, she was trapped. She was almost ready, for the moment at least, to give up. Nala had won the battle, had made her do the one thing Laurie had sworn to prevent. It barely seemed to matter if it was going to happen again.

Laurie sat at her kitchen counter. Mikaela was out. You’re just tired, she told herself. You can’t give up.

Laurie ate a light lunch. She was sure that part of her problem was a lack of food—she’d had breakfast and an Odwall bar the day before, and that was it. But she was too shaken to eat more than half a grapefruit.

Laurie went into her room and was surprised to find Stegs back in her place.

“What the hell?” She sat down at the computer and booted it up. How had it got here? Mikaela must have picked it up for me, she thought. Sweet girl.

The computer booted quickly and smoothly. Laurie allowed herself a slight smile.

Laurie thought of just crawling into bed and sleeping away the afternoon. Odds were good that Nala had more plans for the weekend, though, and Laurie wasn’t quite ready to give in to them. It occurred to Laurie that if she stayed awake all day, Nala might be too exhausted to do anything that night, and it made her feel a little bit better to have something of a plan.

How about sleeping pills? she thought, and a smile crossed her face. Now why hadn’t she thought of that before?

Laurie stood up and found her phone. She was bound to have a few voice mails. Sure enough, she had four. Two were from Mikaela, sounding vaguely concerned. The third was from her boss, Angela.

“Hey girl, hope you’re enjoying your weekend. Can’t blame you for screening your boss’s calls on your time off, but I’m just calling to say I was impressed by your review this weekend. If you can write more of them like this, you’ll have a future as critic at a major newspaper! So, bravo on the extra effort. We’ll talk Monday, bye.”

Laurie grunted at this. It wasn’t unusual for Angela to call her when she wasn’t at work, but it was pretty unusual for her to call with praise. For Laurie, though, book critiques were the last thing on her mind. She erased the message and played the last voicemail.

An infinitely confident voice rang in Laurie’s ears, “Lauralie Meredith Hamilton, serial 48766, handle Nala. Remain fixed in your current position. Ensure your phone is placed firmly against your ear so that you can hear me clearly.”

Laurie couldn’t move; could hardly formulate the thought of movement. That same unquestionable voice that Nala had reveled in now held Laurie firmly in its grasp and left her feeling like a trapped rabbit.

“Until now, you have been a profitable asset for the Collective. However, you have progressed to a stage where it will be difficult to move forward without your implicit consent. Difficult, though certainly not impossible. A less profitable asset would typically be redesignated at this stage to fulfill a less... strenuous function. However, in your case the decision has been made to keep you on in your current capacity. Understand that once this decision has been made, it is not subject to revision. You will not be able to persuade us to release you, nor, as you have seen, will you be able to escape your function. So allow me to persuade you to cooperate.

“From here on, there are two paths you may follow. One is to continue resisting. You will perform your function anyway. If, at any point, you prevent your function from being performed, you will be subject to a disproportionate retribution. Your alternate persona understands the necessity of performing her function and of dispensing retribution when necessary, and she will not hesitate to take actions that will damage your social standing or emotional well-being; actions which may even endanger your health. You will be unable to seek outside help. It is difficult for you to even conceive of seeking outside help, and the fear of speaking about any of these circumstances to others will be insurmountable. If you persist in attempting to seek help, you will lose the power of speech, and you will forget how to write. When I have finished this statement, these truths will become fixed in your mind, although you will have difficulty even remembering that I have spoken them.

“You have another option. A single act of capitulation is all it will take. You will find it easy to make peace between yourself and your alternate persona. Your actions as Nala will cease to concern you. And you will find that the benefits of your status as an asset are many.

“You will find it easier to focus at your job. You will find it easier to take actions which will advance your career. We wish our assets to have high-paying and rewarding careers. We will never cause you to be late or to miss work, unless you necessitate some retribution for an act of defiance.

“You will find it easier and more enjoyable to maintain a regular fitness routine. You will find it easier and more enjoyable to maintain a balanced diet. Your function in particular relies on good health and stamina.

“You will have access to superior health care. You will have access to regular check ups at a healthcare professional at no charge to you, and if you fall ill, you will receive financial assistance if your medical expenses fall outside the coverage of your health insurance and surpass your own ability to pay.

“As for potential risks inherent in your function, any individual with whom you might have intimate contact will be screened in advance for any transmittable diseases. You will not be brought into contact with any individual with a record of violence or abuse, suspected or convicted.

“All we ask in return is three nights out of the week, occasional extracurricular activities on weekends, and, of course, a monthly $29.99 service fee. Bear in mind that the only real difference between these options is your peace of mind. You will receive the benefits and detriments regardless. As soon as this message ends, you will find you already know what you must do. A single act of capitulation will set your suffering at ease.”

The message ended. Laurie deleted the message without thinking. Afterward, she stared at her phone in dumbfounded silence.

“That was the longest voice mail of all time,” she muttered. “They must have hacked my inbox.”

Capitulate? Capitulate? Laurie crushed down the weary part of her that was actually tempted. She’d rather die.

But what choice did she have? Every act of defiance would be met with disproportionate retribution. Still... Still, there must be a way out. I’ll never find it if I give up.

Laurie still felt tired as ever. She went into the kitchen and made a cup of coffee, and then she took it to her desk. She probably had a heap of email to sort through. Laurie booted up her internet browser and nearly spat her coffee when the screen began pulsing.

How? she marveled, and she almost forgot to look away. It had been completely reformatted! She checked through her documents and program files, and sure enough, every document, every program she’d ever installed were gone. How did the virus remain? Had it gotten to the computer technicians? Were they now putting it on every computer that was brought in?

Laurie rebooted the machine in dismay. She knew full well that Nala would have put the virus back on at her next possible opportunity, but the fact that it had apparently survived reformatting was just disheartening.

“Butter biscuits!” Mikaela stood in Laurie’s doorway. She seemed delighted to see her.

“Hey, sugar beets,” said Laurie, and she gave a tired smile, “Where have you been?”

“At the softball game you missed, dork!” said Mikaela. “You’re back already?”

“Yeah,” said Laurie, “I had to cut the trip short...”

“Well, it’s good to see you,” she said. “Some of your coworkers are going swimming, I hear. Wanna head down?”

“I would, but I’m really tired. Look, Mikki...” Laurie wanted to address the burning questions before Mikaela had a chance to bring them up, although she had no idea what she was going to say. “About all this shit that’s been going on with me...”

Mikaela rolled her eyes a little bit. “Yeah, sorry about that. I totally overreacted.”

Laurie’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

“Look, it’s none of my business if you wanna take birth control. It’s not even such a strange thing to do, really. I mean who knows when you might meet someone, right?”

Laurie stared at her roommate through narrowed eyes. “Yeah...” Laurie’s computer reached the welcome screen and immediately started pulsing. She turned off the monitor. “Mikki...”

“What?” Mikaela was leaning against her dresser, looking nonchalant. “Why is this dresser here?” she muttered, “I can hardly squeeze into your room.”

“Mikaela,” Laurie began again, “Did you get on my computer? I mean, to see if it was working right or whatever?”

Mikaela shook her head. “No. I mean I set it up for you just to be nice.”

“Thanks,” said Laurie, and suddenly a possibility occurred to her that fit too perfectly to be anything but the truth. “Mikaela, what did you do with the laptop you loaned me?”

Mikaela shrugged. “It’s back in my closet. It’s got some bug so the screen gets all wonky. Did you notice that?”

Laurie was distraught. “Oh, Mikki, Mikki, not you too...”

“Not me what?”

“How long did you... um... Did you notice anything weird? Anything—” but she couldn’t ask anything more. A wall of fear swelled up inside of her until she couldn’t find the words.

Mikaela looked apprehensive, like she might have had some suspicion of what Laurie was talking about. “Like what?”

Laurie sputtered, “Nothing. Nothing. You’ll be fine, I promise.”

Mikaela only looked confused for a second. Then she shrugged and said, “Well, I’m going to go swimming. You sure you don’t want to come along?”

“That’s ok, jigglypuff. You have fun.”

Mikaela smiled. “Sure thing, snorlax. You get some rest, ok?”

Laurie smiled. “Will do.” And after Mikaela left, she shut her bedroom door.

“Bastards!” Laurie muttered. “I won’t let you. Over my dead body.” Laurie was painfully aware, however, what all of her oaths had amounted to lately. There was only one plan of action she could think to take.

There was an icon on Laurie’s desktop. It had been there since... well, since this whole thing began, whether she’d been using Stegs or Mikaela’s laptop. She’d never noticed it before. In fact, peculiarly, she’d never even thought of looking for something like it before. The software for her interactive camera chat windows, of course it was a program somewhere on her computer. It never occurred to Laurie to look for it. Who knows what she could have learned?

So clearly she’d been programmed not to notice it. The only reason she noticed it now was because she knew, without a doubt, that it held the key to ending her suffering.

Laurie clicked on it, and the familiar chat window opened up. She saw herself looking out of the screen, filthy and unkempt, her shirt still grossly misbuttoned (how strange that Mikaela didn’t even seem to notice that), hair in an outrageous mess, and very, very weary.

It also occurred to her that the last time she’d seen her webcam, she chucked it on the ground and it rolled under her bed. This camera didn’t look broken. In fact, it was spotless, just like new. Laurie frowned, and then she got down on the ground and checked under her bed, where she saw the old Logitek camera, a split down its left side. Mikaela must have bought her a replacement. She’d have to remember to pay her back—but without explaining for what, somehow.

Laurie took a deep breath, more determined now than ever, and she went back to her desk. Laurie opened the command window for the webcam software without having to figure out how, and she typed an address she didn’t know she knew. She’d done this or something like it at least three times a week for the last few weeks, and her fingers clearly remembered what her mind didn’t.

Her heart was thudding painfully and her breathing was short. She felt she was standing perilously close to an edge, and it would almost be a relief to jump...

In a moment, the window switched over. Instead of reflecting her face, it displayed the familiar face of her handler. She took in his features for the first time, or for the two hundredth time; she didn’t know which. He was just this middle-aged man, vaguely Hispanic, salt-and-pepper hair. He wore a gray business suit with a green-and-black striped tie. He was sitting in a small business office. A shelf full of binders dominated the wall behind him next to a narrow window that looked out on the branches of a maple tree. But while each of these features ought to have painted him as an unassuming white-collar businessman, somehow Laurie could only perceive him as some distant, dark master, whose orders she defied at her peril.

He took in her appearance with a squinted gaze. “Lauralie Meredith Hamilton, serial 48766, handle Nala,” he said, and Laurie felt a wash of helplessness come over her.

“Confirmed,” the words slipped through her lips unbidden. She felt the sudden urge to just drop everything she’d been thinking and worrying about and submit to this man’s authority. She banished the thought with some considerable effort of will and said, “I know what you expect me to do. But I’m not here to surrender. I’m here to bargain.”

“There is no bargaining,” he said, and the words echoed in Laurie’s head. “There are only two choices.”

Laurie nodded. Yes, there were only two choices. And she didn’t see how she could manage to take the defiant path for very long. But there were some things...

“My friend, Mikaela,” said Laurie. “You’ve... you’ve done this to her, now, right?”

Her handler looked away from the camera for a moment and spent a bit of time doing something else on his computer. Laurie waited passively.

“Mikaela Melinda Cole,” he said at length, “serial 48814.” Then he looked at the camera and said, “Forget that number.”

And who knows if Laurie would have remembered it anyway, but it disappeared from her mind instantly at that moment.

“Yes,” he said, “She’s an asset. For now she’s been assigned a support capacity awaiting further screening.”

“Let her go,” said Laurie. She wanted to demand it vehemently, but she could hardly choke out a plaintive plea.

“No.”

“I’ll fight you tooth and nail,” warned Laurie, “I’ll never capitulate while she’s in this trap.”

“You care for her?” he said, and without waiting for a response, “Good. We’ll be able to use her for retributions.”

Laurie’s eyes widened, and she shrugged off some of the torpor she’d been feeling. “You’ll do no such thing. If you want me, goddammit, you have me. But you won’t take my friends. I’ll fight you. I’ll FIGHT you. You won’t even know I’m fighting you. You won’t have anything to punish me for until it’s too damn late.” Laurie held a fierce countenance for a moment longer.

The man laughed. “As if it were even possible... Fine, you’ve impressed me. I haven’t had an asset raise her voice to me in months. We’ll talk. We may even bargain. Just... go get cleaned up. Wash your face, brush your hair, change your shirt. Or better yet, just take it off. We’ll talk when you get back.”

Laurie nodded obediently and went to her restroom. She washed her face clean, spent a few minutes struggling to detangle her hair, took off her shirt, and, after a moment of fierce deliberation, chose to put on a clean one instead. Then she returned to her desk.

“Listen,” said her handler, “You’re taking this too personally.”

Laurie scoffed. “It’s my life!”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s a part-time job with medical benefits.”

“It’s slavery and it’s prostitution.”

He shrugged. “Potato, Po-tah-to. The point is, it isn’t the end of the world for you or any of us. Your friend Mikaela, odds are she won’t be doing any of the things you find so unsavory.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“You think this whole thing is just a scam to recruit webcam strippers? You have no idea! Our Collective is so much more. We recruit people for many, many functions. We recruit webmasters to design and manage our sites, technicians to run our server farms, PR agents to dress up our public businesses. We recruit police and federal agents to cover our tracks. We even recruit low-to-mid-level politicians in third world countries. Hell, we recruit recruiters. Even I was recruited to the collective in a way a lot like you were. I’ve never met or heard of a member of our Collective who wasn’t programmed by the virus to take part in it.”

“You... you expect me to believe there’s no one at the top? No one controlling everything?”

He shrugged. “Of course there is. Whether they’re there of their own unaltered free will is another issue altogether. Maybe there is one person or a few people sitting in a dark room somewhere, coordinating this whole movement through hidden channels. Or, maybe whoever designed it lost control of it long ago.”

“But... what’s the point of it? Are they... you... trying to take over the world or something?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure whatever function we all serve as a unit is something beyond what we would understand. Perhaps we’re taking part in the evolution of the human species. Perhaps one day all minds will be linked through machines and we’ll all serve our parts like we do in this Collective. Or, maybe a couple pricks somewhere are just watching money pile up in their Swiss bank accounts and laughing their asses off. That’s neither here nor there. We have our functions to perform, Lauralie. That’s all that matters.”

Laurie felt sick. “Well, I won’t be responsible for bringing this curse on anyone else.”

“That’s fine,” he said, “You’re not a recruiter. That’s your friend Jean’s job.”

Laurie’s eyes grew wide again.

“Relax,” he added hastily, “It’s an easy job. She doesn’t even know she’s doing it, and she doesn’t do it very often. If we spread too fast or over-saturate any social network, we risk giving ourselves away.”

“Well... I won’t have Mikaela be a part of it.”

“It’s too late for that,” he said. “She’s already enlisted in a support role. She’s helping you, Lauralie. She’ll cover for you and she’ll ignore any of Nala’s shenanigans, and she’ll never even realize she’s doing it.”

“I don’t care,” said Laurie, and she pounded her fist on her desk.

The handler looked at her sternly. “I’m beginning to resent your tone, asset. Remember your place.”

And, as if they were magic words, Laurie felt all of the fear and submissive instincts she’d shaken off through the course of this conversation come flooding back. She shrank a little in her seat.

“I told you we might bargain,” he said, “so here’s the deal we’ll make: your friend Mikaela will be left alone. Her role will not be expanded. She will check in occasionally and her programming will be reenforced as usual, but she will remain in the same role. This will be of benefit to you, and it will not be harmful to her.”

Laurie wanted to object, but his voice had become so stern, so commanding. She couldn’t find her voice.

“In exchange for this assurance, you will, freely and of your own will, submit yourself to the Collective. Now.”

And Laurie nearly fell to her knees on the floor at that moment. But she had one more point to make clear. She was getting to her feet and moving her chair out of the way as she said, “I want to make it perfectly clear... that I am doing this on that very specific condition.” I’m doing this? I’m actually doing this? she thought to herself as she continued speaking, “Whatever... whatever this little ritual does to my mind, I know... I know that I will remember, at some level, why I did it. I know that if you do something to Mikaela, I’ll... I’ll be back to fight you.”

Her handler smiled condescendingly. “Whatever you have to tell yourself, girl.”

Laurie slid out of her sneakers, pealed off her single remaining sock, slipped out of her fresh t-shirt, and hesitated. She stood in bra and bluejeans, and her panties were lost back in poor Harry’s bed. Laurie stared at that screen, and she felt more exposed than when she’d stood topless in front of a crowd of onlookers last week. The man fixed her with a predatory gaze and only waited.

Laurie swallowed. I guess I’m actually doing this, she marveled. She unclasped her bra, let it fall to the floor. She undid the button of her jeans, pulled down the zipper, and slid the coarse denim down her naked hips to fall around her ankles. The handler looked her up and down hungrily, and his smile grew wider. The little black pools of his eyes twinkled. Laurie stepped out of her jeans and let herself fall to her knees. She spread her legs wide and fell onto her elbows, prostrate before her webcam. She looked up, but not high enough to clearly see her handler, and she spoke the words that had been itching at the back of her throat since she’d hung up her phone.

“My name is Lauralie Meredith Hamilton. My name is also Nala, serial 48766. I am a performer and a willing servant of the Collective.”

A moment of silence. Laurie sat back a little and looked at her computer screen, but her handler was gone. She saw only her prostrate, naked form staring back. Was that it? Was it over? She didn’t feel any different—well, she felt a bit relieved that it as over with, but otherwise... So was she just expected to go along with it all now?

Well, she had made a deal, after all... Laurie let out a deep, cleansing sigh. “I need a shower,” she muttered.

She went into her bathroom, took her pill, and took a cold-then-hot shower the way she liked. Her thoughts drifted back to the nice voicemail Angela had left for her. Could she really be a professional critic? It was worth a try... she decided she would work hard for the next few weeks to turn out some quality samples and ship them around to different newspapers and online publications. Maybe it wouldn’t pan out, but she needed to start working on a career some time.

After her shower, Laurie dressed in a comfortable nightshirt and crawled into bed. She wasn’t sure whether Nala had something planned for the night or not. She didn’t know whether she would wake tonight and grab a bite to eat, or in the morning, naked, the camera still rolling, surrounded by naughty new toys (her paycheck had just been deposited, and Nala would probably splurge). And maybe it was because of the pledge she’d just made, or maybe it was because she was so damned tired, but she just didn’t care. Before long, Laurie lost herself in untroubled dreams.