The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Cat typed rapidly, with two thumbs, on her iPhone.

“outside lee sanders house nobody here and no doorbell wtf pls let her know im here”

She ran through her cover story again in her head. She wondered whether Lee had bought it; from what Cat knew of her, probably not—Joanne had spoken of Lee as though she were some kind of goddess, rather than a psychotherapist.

Cat edited the message before sending it to Lee’s office in Los Angeles, deleting the “wtf” as it was too un—“nun-like”. Thank God her appointment was in the evening, when hopefully there would be someone in the LA office at that time to receive it.

While she stood in the street, waiting for a reply from the office, she checked out her blog “CATS TALES” for new comments. Only five in the last hour. Just wait till her next post.

A slender, athletic girl in Lycra riding gear rode up on a bicycle. She dismounted, right by Cat. She removed her sunglasses and helmet. She wasn’t a girl.

“Hi!” Said Cat, slightly taken aback at the unexpectedly youthful looking Lee. Cat had seen images of her on her web site, and while she had found her very attractive, she certainly didn’t expect her be so, so hot as she looked in real life.

“Hello, you’re Catherine! I’m so sorry if I’ve kept you waiting.”

“Only a few minutes.”

“Let’s go in.”

Once inside, Lee led her to the living room. Lee perched on the arm of her settee, slowly waggling one shapely blue Lycra-clad leg over her knee.

“You know, Ms Sanders—”

“— Lee.”

“Lee. I don’t mind waiting, while you change out of your gear.”

“No, no, we only have half an hour, and them I’m going to do some Yoga, I’m not going to change until after that.”

Lee gave her Cat one of her intense gazes, then reached some sort of conclusion in her mind.

“Well,” she said brightly.” Joanne was very taken with you, Catherine. So you’re an ex-nun now I take it, judging by your attire.”

“Yes. I’ve left the order.”

“Okay. Okay. Right. First things first—” Cat’s phone buzzing interrupted her.

“—Please turn your phone off. No, not silent, please turn it off.”

Cat complied, churlishly.

“Thank you. It’s a house rule. Now, first things first: If you want honesty and truthfulness from me, I think you should begin by telling me a bit more about you, without making up any more feeble, and quite frankly, ugly lies. You took advantage of poor Joanne, but don’t you dare try that with me.”

Cat opened her mouth. She quickly decided her best option was to tell Lee the truth, because for some reason she was being given a second chance.

“Okay. I’m an online blogger. I write a blog called Cat’s Tales.”

Lee was taken aback at Cat’s instant admission. Lee had hoped to start the meeting by putting Cat firmly on the defensive.

“I see. And you want to know about The Hive, so you can publish a sensational story on your blog.”

“Yes.”

“So you played a nasty trick to get inside The Hive. Why?” Lee’s tone was neutral and calm, but Cat felt the menace in it. She started talking quickly:

“Okay I was on holiday in Somerset, visiting a friend of mine, and she told me about The Hive. How it’s a sort of mystery with all these stories around it, because you can’t visit it, and you have to be invited by someone from there. So I—I had a nun’s costume, and decided... Look, it was only a bit of fun, I didn’t think Joanne would go and fall in love with me.”

“But she did. After, what, three or four visits? My, you must have been very charming.”

Cat wasn’t sure whether Lee was being sarcastic or flattering her.

“Sorry. Tell her I’m sorry.”

“No, I’ll leave you to face her. But you haven’t answered me to my satisfaction. What exactly made you curious?”

“Well, I suppose it’s because it’s so private. It makes me think that...”

“...That there’s something to hide?”

“Well, yeah.”

“There isn’t anything to hide, but I think most people have very mixed up ideas, and wouldn’t be able to understand it. They’d misrepresent it. Especially the newspapers. And bloggers too, no doubt.”

Lee stopped speaking, and gazed at Cat. After a moment she resumed, “But in your case—and don’t ask me why—I’m going to make an exception. So I will tell you about The Hive. But not yet.”

“Okay, thank you so much. Please, please can I use my phone? Just for notes?”

“No, use your brain. Anyway, before we talk about what I do, I want to know a bit more about you: How old are you?”

“I’m twenty.”

“A young beauty. I’m not surprised Joanne fell in love with you. You probably get that all the time, people falling in love with you.”

“Me, a beauty? Gosh no, no I think you’re amazing looking. I’m just,“

“Just what, Catherine?”

“I’m just—I just get attention. It’s not like you. I mean proper beauty.”

“Oh, you have ‘proper’ beauty too. You’d make a wonderful model.”

“What sort of model?”

“The sort, darling, that could sell anything.”

Cat met Lee’s stare.” If you were a bloke, that would sound really creepy.”

“Well, what if you were selling something you really believed in? Like, I don’t know: What do you believe in?”

“I believe in the truth.”

“Do you now? You’re very adept at lying for someone who claims —”

“— yes, but it was because I wanted to get to the truth about The Hive.”

“I see. So the end justifies the means.”

“I don’t know, it depends on what the Hive really is. Like maybe some sort of weird stuff happens, there. So what does go on there? You said that people wouldn’t understand it. I don’t get that: What is there to understand?”

Lee was again unnerved by Cat’s persistence and cheek.” All right: You need to first understand what’s making people unhappy in this world. I mean in the rich world. Not in places like Syria and South Sudan.”

“I don’t agree, I think most people are happy. I’m happy.”

“It depends on what you mean by ‘happy’. For me happiness means true contentment, a lack of want. Not the happiness you might get from drugs, or from an orgasm.”

Cat blurted, “I wouldn’t know.”

“What, you’ve never taken drugs, or you’ve never had an orgasm?”

“Neither.”

Lee was unsure whether she was being lied to. This disturbed her. Why was this young girl so hard for her to read? Was it because she reminded her somehow of herself?

“Have you tried?”

“Well, I’ve had sex, if that’s what you mean.”

“No, I mean masturbating.”

“Of course I have. And my boyfriend—my ex-boyfriend and me used to do it in front of each other a lot. I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”

“Neither do I. Maybe you’re just flirting. But I think there’s something more...”

Lee had been speaking half to herself.

“You claim to have never had an orgasm. I’m not sure I believe you, but if it is true, well, that’s a problem you share with a lot of other young people. You know what causes it, don’t you. Pornography.”

Cat almost felt pity for Lee with her outdated ideas.” I really, don’t think so.”

Lee saw that she needed to explain herself: “You have no idea how much I know about it. Young men are taking Viagra because they have erectile dysfunction. It started as a recreational thing. But not any more. They wank themselves stupid in front of their screens, and reality can’t match up to what they see there.”

“My boyfriend, my ex-boyfriend I mean, didn’t have any problem.”

“Lucky him. But I’m sure he spent more time online than on you.”

Lee continued her lecture: “You need to unplug yourselves from the wanking machine. All of you. You’re living in a made-up world, blind to real life, because you’re not being allowed to live a real life any more.”

“Basically you’re saying I need a tech detox.”

“Oh, shut up with all that rubbish! Don’t use those stupid phrases. ‘Tech detox’. Ugh. You need to change—your—MIND. Oh, darling, you don’t know how sad I get when I see this lost generation of yours, seeing you, a beautiful princess —”

Tears suddenly welled up in Lee’s eyes. She stopped, and shook her head slowly.

“Lee, you don’t need to worry. I get it. I do. That’s what my blog is about. There are a lot of people my age who are fed up with social media. We’re not all stupid zombies.”

“No, darling. And I’m sure you’re not one. I’m sorry. It’s just, I can picture how it could be, I know what needs to be done. It’s so sad, what’s happening to the world. It’s just...” She broke down again.

Cat rose from her chair and took Lee’s hand in her own, like a daughter consoling her widowed mother.

Lee smiled gratefully. Then she kissed cat, lightly on the lips. She kissed her again, lingeringly, gradually turning up the passion. Cat felt light-headed. She breathed in Lee’s perfume, mixed with her erotic-smelling sweat.

Lee and Cat stood locked in embrace, enveloped in each other’s arms. Lee’s fingers ran slowly and lightly up and down, up and down Cat’s back. Cat stroked the back of Lee’s firm thigh. Lee turned Cat around, gently but irresistibly, and pressed her body onto Cat as she held her tight. Cat felt Lee’s hard nipples against her shoulder blades. She moaned quietly as Lee sucked softly at her neck, her earlobe.

“I’m going to pat your little pussy, until you’re my little pet pussy cat...”

Lee’s right hand patted Cat’s belly quickly and lightly, pat-pat, pat-pat. And lower and lower down her fingers travelled, inexorably, now to Cat’s lower abdomen, pat-pat, pat-pat... with her middle finger she played with Cat’s pussy through her jeans. Deftly Lee undid Cat’s jeans buttons and pushed the top of them down, bringing her panties down with it. Now Lee drummed her fingers on her pussy lips, rapidly, ever more rapidly. Cat mouthed, ‘please stop... please...’

“Give in to it, darling. You can’t fight it, I’m too strong for you...”

Cat opened herself to Lee’s invading middle finger... “Please, please...” Deep inside her it went. The finger trembled and vibrated, Cat’s body tingled and convulsed... she moaned and sighed.... Lee’s other hand was busy with Cat’s breasts, clawing and devouring them, plucking at her nipples, scratching them. Cat wriggled; Lee’s assault was too intense, too powerful to resist... Cat submitted. Lee felt Cat give in to her, which aroused Lee’s own passions. Now she had her at her mercy. Almost spitefully she continued finger-fucking her, violating her, torturing her, overwhelming her, faster, faster... “Stop, please, please, Oh my God...”

Cat arched her neck, staring blindly up.

“Mmm. Now you’re mine. Come on, have a shower with me. I’m going to take you deeper.”

Pussy Cat

Next morning, as they lay with their legs intertwined on Lee’s big bed, Cat groped for her phone on the floor, which had just buzzed.

“I told you to turn it off.” Lee’s sleepy voice was muffled by a pillow.

“I know, sorry, I had a message in the night. Not important.”

“Of course it wasn’t important. Silly girl.”

Lee opened her eyes and watched Cat’s cello-shaped back rippling as she sat on the edge of the bed, tapping on her phone. Blogging. Texting. Messaging. Not being present, here with Lee.

“Darling, come here. Lick my pussy, my little pussy cat.”

Cat put the phone down and crawled down along the bed. Lee spread her legs and lowered Cat’s head onto to her pussy. She felt Cat’s golden hair tickling her thighs.” Lick me, little pussy cat. Lick. More. Lick. Don’t stop. More. There... Faster. That’s right...”

Lee raised her legs in the air and locked her thighs around Cat’s head. She held her like this while she climaxed.” Mmm, lick it all...”

Finally, when Lee reluctantly released Cat’s head from her grip, Cat said proudly, “Guess what!”

“What, darling?”

“I’ve just got ten thousand followers!”

Lee sat up.” Jolly good. Was that true, what you said yesterday, about you never having had an orgasm?”

“Yes, sort of... I mean nothing like with you, anyway.”

“So, you were lying. ‘Sort of’.”

“Yes, well, the end justifies the means, as you said.”

“The end being...?”

“What do you think?”

“Me? The end was to get to me?”

“Well, sort of. Lee, I don’t really plan these things. I just go with the flow.”

“Ok. Well, this isn’t the end. This is the beginning, for you. Because I do plan. And I have a plan for you I’d like to tell you about.”

“Really? Is it a cunning plan?”

“Well, I think so. But first, tell me about your blog. And your followers, my little pied piper...”

The Brat and the Canary

Ever since Rich had seen all those “money-bees” in Joe’s control room, they plagued his dreams. His programmed brain started to misbehave. Doubt and confusion clouded his mind; he was finding it hard to concentrate. He would leave the office, and wander into the orchards, where, feeling that familiar ache in his balls, he would ogle the female Workers, clad in their little shorts, high up on their ladders, picking the ripe apples, stretching up into the leafy boughs ...

Time to book a prayer cell.

By now, Rich knew from what Joe had told him, that the prayer cells functioned as audio-visual communications rooms, connected via The Hive’s main hub to a room in Lee’s house. From there she could check on and adjust the minds of those Hive members who were showing signs of becoming “bumble-bees”—de-programmed members who escape the hive.

Rich didn’t want to “bumble”. He wanted to remain a good Hive Drone. The shame and devastation of losing his place in the Hive still outweighed that small part of his mind that was lapsing into its old ways.

He lay down on the soft carpeting, and bathed in the warm amber glow. He breathed, slowly, deeply, allowing the swirling lights and perfume to take him deep, deep down into hypnosis.

The Queen appeared, radiant, above him.

“Hello, my loyal servant. Let me in, into the depths of your mind. Good.”

“There is nothing to fear. You are safe from temptation. I told you once, long ago, that you are cured of your addiction, and that cure is permanent. Have no fear; let your Queen guide you. You serve the queen alone. Say it, my drone...”

“I serve the Queen alone.”

“You are safe in The Hive. The Hive keeps you.”

“I am safe in the Hive. The Hive keeps me.”

He felt better. The Queen let him lie silently for many minutes, while her words seeped into his mind.

After a while, she spoke again, more conversationally now:

“Good, D3. Now, I have a task for you. There will be a new Worker arriving next week. But she is actually not a Worker; she’s a princess in training. She is here to learn, from everyone, but particularly from the senior drones, and most of all, from you. You don’t need to keep any secrets from her; quite the opposite, tell her everything she wishes to know. But you must watch her, and if she shows signs of acting in a way that might be detrimental to the Hive, you should come to a prayer cell and talk to me. Do you understand?”

“Yes, My Queen.”

“Is there anything else?”

“No, My Queen. Thank you. Is she—” He hesitated.

“Yes, she is. She is beautiful, and she is dangerous. But she won’t be a temptation for you. She is only a child. I know your weaknesses, and she cannot exploit them.”

Rich left the prayer cell, feeling new strength and resolve.

A few days later, as Rich sat focussing intently on an Excel spreadsheet, D6 knocked and entered, accompanied by a young girl.

Rich looked up from his laptop. The girl didn’t have a Hive number yet, but he knew who she was. D6 spoke to her.” This is D3. He’s the money man here. Brother, this is Catherine—Cat. She’ll be number W292. I’ll leave her with you.”

D6 and Rich exchanged glances.

“Welcome. Call me Rich.”

“Hi, D3.” Cat sat down close to him. He smelled her perfume. She peered inquisitively at the spreadsheet.

“So, what’s this? Accounts?”

Rich wasn’t used to such forthrightness in The Hive.

“No, it’s a forecast. We’re planning on expanding, to music festivals, trekking vacations. Getting in a younger demographic. I just realised, that’s why you’re here.”

“Sort of.”

“’Sort of’? Then why exactly are you here, ‘Princess Catherine?’”

“I’m here to ask you questions. So don’t speak to me like that, Drone. Remember who I am. Address me as your Mistress.“

Rich checked if she was joking. He couldn’t tell.

“You’re not a princess yet. The Queen told me you’re still in training. So none of that, please.”

“Okay. Okay. You’re right, I’m new. So how should you address me?”

“How about, ‘Your Royal Bratness?’”

“Fine. And I’ll call you ‘My Loyal Money Man’. Except you don’t have any money, anymore. Do you.”

“I’ve invested it in The Hive. I can tell you’ve not had your orientation, otherwise you’d understand.”

“I don’t need ‘orientation’. And I understand what the appeal is to you. This is a place for addicts, losers, middle-aged hippies who don’t fit in, or never did. But it won’t work for young people. Young people are natural followers, not rebels like your generation. We don’t need your rules, we don’t need your abstinence. But we need to break away from you lot. Not you lot in here, you don’t count. I mean you lot out there, running things. We don’t want to take over. We need our own society, with our own leader. I get what Lee’s trying to do.”

Rich hadn’t expected such a speech.” Hmm. I’m sorry.”

“About what?”

“I shouldn’t have doubted The Queen’s judgement. She chose you, so you must be smart.”

“Yuh, I am. She needs me. She needs someone young.”

“And you need her.”

“Yes, and I need you to explain this spreadsheet.”

As Rich prepared to explain, Joe wandered in, holding a giant clay beaker. He took a slow sip, eying Cat all the while.

Cat turned to look at him.” Beer? In the morning?”

Joe wiped his beard.” Iced tea. You must be Catherine. How old are you?”

“None of your business.”

“’None of your business’—means about eighteen or nineteen.”

“Twenty, actually.”

“Ever met a sex addict before?”

Cat, creeped out by this weirdo, turned to Rich with “Help me out here” in her eyes, but Rich returned her look with “deal with it” in his.

“Okay, er, ‘five’. Hey, are you the guy who took my phone off me? The tekky?”

“Yep, one and the same. So be nice to the nice sex addict, if you want it back when you leave.”

Rich cut in.” Okay, brother. Enough.”

Joe laughed.” Hey, don’t worry about it, man. Hey, don’t take me serious, Catherine. And besides, there’s worse than Rich and me here.”

Joe left them alone.

“Sorry about him, he’s a bit of an evil genius.”

“He’s an asshole.”

“Undoubtedly. Aren’t we all?”

“Wow, you’re so bitter and cynical.”

“You misunderstand me. Yannow, you’re just too—”

“What? What am I ‘too’?”

“—Too fucking young. You know shit about life. Sorry. I’m Sorry. It’s me, I’m too old. So old I can’t even remember being young.”

“How old are you?”

“Forty-five.”

“Jesus, that’s not old! My last boyfriend was thirty-nine. Until I dumped him, because he was going to be forty. Which is waaay old.”

Rich quickly saw she was teasing, and laughed. She was okay. It felt good to joke with someone besides Joe. He was happy and surprised to find a fellow wit in this young beauty.

After an hour or so, Cat left Rich to continue his work, while she went to look around the grounds of the Hive. Joe came in, holding a giant bowl of brown rice and vegetable curry in one hand, and a giant spoon in the other. He shovelled a spoonful into his mouth, and spoke:

“Did you feel it? Did you fuckin’ feel it, man?”

“Feel what?”

“She was so fuckin’ coming on to me. She was fuckin’ begging me for it, man.”

“No, brother, I can’t say I felt any sexual vibe.”

Joe wandered out again, talking, Rich supposed, to himself: “Fucking still got it. Whoah...”

Rich chuckled to himself. Poor deluded schmuck. Anyone could tell it was me she’d been interested in.

Some days later, Rich wandered out by the riverbank at the edge of the grounds.

It was a beautiful warm day. On days like these the Hive was almost unreal in its Eden-like beauty. And everybody he saw was truly, deeply joyful, truly at peace. Here, he felt, The Queen reigned, cloaking the world in her silken gown, imparting harmony and serenity to the world. He lay down on his back in the damp long grass cradling his head in his hands, and looked up at the royal blue sky. He closed his eyes and let the swirling red glow of the sunlight through his eyelids take him into a pleasant trance. Then the glow darkened as a shadow passed over him.

“Hi!”

It was Cat, standing right by him blocking the sunlight. How had he not heard her approach?

He sat up.

“Can I join you, or do you want to hang out here alone?”

“No, it’s okay. I was just meditating.”

“Because I need to talk to you. In private. I’ve been waiting for you to go somewhere quiet. I followed you here.” Cat sat down next to Rich, and plucked at blades of grass.

“You could have just asked me, you know, I’m always happy to talk to you.”

“This is better. I prefer it when people aren’t prepared.”

“Okay, well you took me by surprise. So before I get a chance to ‘prepare’, what did you want to talk about? The birds and the bees?”

“Sort of.”

“You’re a bit old for that.”

“Tell me, were you really a sex addict?”

“Yes. I am. I use the present tense as a warning to myself to always be on my guard.”

“So, what, sex is like a drug for you?”

“Yes. It is a drug. Or rather it produces chemicals in me that act like a drug. You know, the chemicals that you release when you’ve had an orgasm.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Really? You’ve never had an orgasm? But you have had sex, right, with your ex? You know, the thirty-nine-year-old geezer?”

“Nope. It was more like a father daughter thing. He was married. We just used to kiss and cuddle, and he took me out to the theatre and stuff. I was more like an escort.”

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t have you pegged for a virgin. But to be honest, kudos. I wish I’d had that attitude. But, how, I mean, The Queen said you’re training as a princess. You know what they do, right.”

“Yes. She didn’t seem to think that would be a problem.”

“No, I guess not. In fact that will be a turn-on for some guys.”

“But not you.”

“No. Look, darling, in the first place, I’m done with that. I’ve had a lifetime of sex, and I’ve had it up to here with it. Yannow, some people give up smoking, they give up meat, some give up coffee; they just up and say one day, ‘That’s it.’”

“Don’t patronise me, calling me ‘darling’, just because I’m—never mind. And in the second place, you don’t go for younger girls. Right?”

“No, I don’t. Not that you’re not beautiful, because you are. And anyway in the third place, I belong to My Queen.”

“Okay. Shame. Because I always fancied older men.”

Rich laughed.” You picked just about the worst guy, in the worst place, to lose your virginity to.”

“Yes.” She sighed, and lay her head on Rich’s chest.” I did pick you, though.” Damn you, balls.

She snuggled and clutched his shirt.” Mmm, this feels nice. Hold me.”

“I don’t think we should.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not your type. I’m too young for you.” Her hand felt his hard-on.” Or maybe not.”

He rolled her over until he was on top of her. She lay back on the grass, her hair framing her beautiful sunlit face like a dazzling solar corona. It was so smooth and perfect, except for a few delicious freckles on her cheeks. Her parted lips were full and moist. Like a doctor, he examined her face, her wet tongue just visible behind her perfect white teeth, her s-shaped nostrils, her lips... her beckoning lips, whispering silently, ‘take me’, ‘take me’...

He clamped his lips on hers. His long, rasping tongue pushed deep inside her helpless opened mouth, subdued and raped her own little frightened tongue, pushed deeper, rummaging like an intruding ferret in a mouse hole. She rolled her body, tried to beg him to stop, but his weight was fully on her, his lips gagged her.” Mm, mm!”

He pulled back, but she thrust her lips back onto his and shut her eyes tight. Her legs gripped his. His pelvis rocked involuntary, slowly, pushing his heard-on against her groin.

He stood suddenly.” Get up. Strip. Now.”

She obeyed, brushing off leaves. She pulled her tee-shirt over her head. Watching him, she undid her bra and let it drop to the floor. Her tits were full and round, womanly. The desire in his look gave her a chill, and a thrill in her pussy.

“Good. Now your jeans. Go on.”

“What about you?”

“Take—off—your -clothes. Brat.” She liked that.

She stood naked before him. Her pubes were thick and golden curls, like her hair. She was an angel. She was truly a princess. A virgin princess. But not for long.

Piercing her with his hungry gaze, he pushed the top of his jeans down. He grabbed his fat, hard cock in his fist and ran his hand slowly up and down it.

“Now. You want to be fucked? Answer me, brat.”

“Yes.”

“Ok. Come here. Right here. Closer.”

She advanced until she stood a few inches from him, her eyes level with his chest. She smelled his sweat. Her hands went to his shoulders but he thrust them back against to her sides.

“No touchee. Now, on your knees. Suck my balls. Not my dick. My balls. And keep your hands on your knees. No touchee.”

She knelt and sucked. With a finger, he pushed his balls right into her mouth.

“Lick and suck, brat.”

She licked and flicked her tongue on his balls, while her lips made little sucking noises. She was kind of expert at it, part of Rich thought dimly. His ardour rose quickly, too quickly. He felt he was about to cum. He pushed her head away suddenly.

“Okay. On your back. Time to lose your virginity, brat.”

He came, too quickly, inside her. He felt her shuddering rippling orgasm on his shaft even as his own orgasm faded.

“Wow.... Sorry. Shit. Sorry. It’s been a while.”

“It’s okay.” She kissed him on the ear.” It’s okay.”

“Too damn quick though.”

“Quick is sometimes good.”

“What do you know about it? Virgin.”

“I’m not a virgin, Rich.”

“What??”

“I just said that because that’s what you wanted to hear. I just wanted you. I really wanted you to want me back. Please don’t be angry with me, it’s just how I am, I say what I think people want to hear.”

Rich was too post-coitally stoned to care what this brat was saying right now.

He replied dozily, “I’m not angry. You’re just a fucking lying little princess brat, I get it.”

She rested her head on his chest once more. It felt good. Why the hell wasn’t he angry? She was so deceitful and manipulative. Oh well, probably them goddamn pheromones, again.

“Rich?”

“Mm?”

“I have another question about the birds and the bees.”

“Shoot. But I doubt if I can tell you anything you don’t already know.”

“It’s about the princesses, and all those sad blokes. The addicts, the slaves.”

“Oh. The honey-bees, right?”

“Yes. Are they, well, are they a means to an end? Or are they the end in itself?”

“You’re asking me if The Queen is just about money? I can’t help you there. You have to make your own mind up.”

“Listen, Rich. Can you please not call her The Queen? This whole thing is just brainwashing. She’s not a queen, she’s just Lee. She’s brainwashing you. And for fuck’s sake you’re just going along with it. I don’t get it.”

“It’s my choice. And to me, she is a queen.”

“Yes, but you’re sick.”

“I was sick once, but not anymore. I’m through explaining. You either buy it, or you don’t.”

“But Rich, it’s just—crap! It’s all a fucked-up game in your heads. And she’s using you. Simple as.”

“I need this. Please don’t try to deprogram me. Was that what this is all about? Was that why you, ”

“— Seduced you? Yes. Yes, I suppose so. Because I care about you. Go on, just call her ‘Lee’. Go on. For me.”

“All right, if it makes you happy, ‘Lee’. But she’s still my Queen.”

“What if I told you your ‘queen’ is going to abdicate?”

Rich sat up.” What do you mean?”

“I mean, she’s being investigated by the Inland Revenue here. And the IRS in America. And they’re going after all the online operation. They’re going to shut the whole thing down.”

“What are you talking about? I would know about it. They would have frozen the assets.”

“They will. Look, if you don’t believe me, let’s ring her, you can hear it from her.” She reached over to her jeans, which were still laying besides her, and pulled a mobile phone from a pocket.

“How, where did you get that?”

“Joe gave it back to me.”

“Joe? But he never lets anyone... Oh, I get it. You worked on him too. Fuck, what an idiot I am.”

Cat ignored him, as she called Lee’s private number.

“She’s not answering. Anyway, you’ve got to believe me. They’re going to arrest her. Lee’s going to end up in jail unless we do something.”

“You’re lying. I don’t know what your motive is here, but you’re lying.”

“Look, I’m talking to you because I want you to help. Help her. You love her, don’t you? I mean you really love her.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, Rich, please just snap out of it. Wake up, you fucking brain-dead idiot. She needs you.”

“Yes I do love her. If she needed me, she’d ask me herself. I’d do anything for her. She knows that. I don’t trust you. I need to hear it from her.”

“She can’t ask for help. She’s not like that. Don’t you see, she’s as trapped as you, by this. She’s in denial. She can’t show weakness. Oh Rich, wake up, please, wake up.”

In the bough of a nearby oak tree, a blackbird sang sweetly. He was standing on a bough. If you could speak blackbird, you’d know what he was saying: “I’m the meanest motherfucking blackbird around. So don’t fuck with me. This is my tree. And this hole here, this nice hole in this here oak, this is my fucking nest hole. So stay the fuck away.”

Peeping out of the blackbird’s fucking nest hole was a webcam. And it was pointing at Rich and Cat, naked in the grass.

Your Memory Plays Tricks

Rich emerged from the prayer cell, feeling new strength and resolve.

He returned to his office and began working on an Excel spreadsheet.

D6 knocked and entered, accompanied by a young girl.

Rich looked up from his laptop. Pretty girl. He hadn’t seen her before. She already had a Hive number: W292. D6 spoke to her.” This is D3. Brother, this is Catherine—Cat, a new volunteer. She’s just been through orientation. I know you’re heading that way in a minute. Can you show her to the Southwest dorm, there’s nobody around at the moment.”

“Sure. Hello there, Catherine. Welcome.”

“Hello, sir. Thank you.”

D5 poked his head round the door.

“292, this is D5. He’s a bit of an evil genius. Runs all the computers.”

D5 nodded at her.” Hey. Welcome to the Hive. Rich, I’m just making a pot of tea. Want a brewski?”

As they walked through the dairy courtyard on the way to the Hive kitchens, Rich chatted to the new recruit.

“I know what orientation is like. It’s a bit disorientating.”

“Yes, it is a bit.”

“Yes. We have people from all over the world here. Excuse me, but, you look familiar. Have we met before?”

W292 turned her head away.” No. We haven’t.”

“Oh well, the memory plays tricks. Here you are. This is where you’re staying.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome. Well, see you around.”

“Sir, I’d like to ask you something, if I may.”

“Shoot.”

She lowered her voice to a whisper: “When you get back to your office I’d like to ask you to open the bottom-right hand drawer of your desk.”

“Excuse me?”

“Thank you for showing me the way here, sir.”

Your Memory Plays Tricks

Rich emerged from the prayer cell, feeling new strength and resolve.

He returned to his office and began working on an Excel spreadsheet. The mouse stopped working.” Fuck”. He hated having to use the trackpad. Maybe it’s just the batteries. He called out.” HEY, Brother five! Do you have any batteries?”

But Brother Five was not there. He was at that moment lying, deep, deep in a trance, in a prayer cell, listening to the words of His Queen.

Rich opened and closed the drawers of his desk, hoping to find spare batteries. In the bottom drawer was an unfamiliar notebook. And scrawled in pencil on the front were the words “I’ll be back for you.”

He took out the notebook and began to read it.

Thirty minutes later, he banged open the door of the South West dorm. It was empty, except for a Worker making beds. Rich stalked along the line of beds, looking at the little brass number on them. He called to the worker.” Have you seen 292? Number 292? She’s new.”

“Sorry sir. The newest person here is 280. A man, sir. 292 isn’t due to arrive until next week. I can show you the list.”

“No, it’s okay.” He returned to his office. He heard Joe next door.

“Hey, Brother five, I was looking for you earlier.”

“Hey, Brother Richard. Sorry I was out getting my Hive mind buzzed.”

“Cool. Cool. Hey, Brother, do you remember that cute new recruit yesterday? Six introduced her to us.”

Joe stepped into the room.

“Can’t say I do, buddy. I guess she wasn’t cute enough.”

“I guess. I gotta go.”

“Where?”

“I gotta go take a fucking dump, what’s it to you.” Rich slammed the door and ran out.

Joe muttered to himself, “Hell, don’t know why he can’t just use the John right here. Maybe he don’t like the smell of my shit.”

On the far side of the river, Cat crawled onto the bank, her clothes soaked. She took out her phone. Dead, of course. All she could do is wait for her ride away from there. She knew nobody would be looking for her. Except for D6. And she was safely out of his reach.

Bumblebee

W406 had been called away from the medical centre to deal with an unconscious person in one of the prayer cells. She was used to that; epileptics, hypotensive people, or simply people suffering from overwork would frequently faint in the warm, somewhat stifling atmosphere there. So she was shocked when she arrived to see a blindfolded man with blood pouring from his head, who appeared to have been knocked unconscious by a heavy blow. It was D3.

“What happened, sir?”

“I’ll tell you later. Please check him.” D6 rubbed his lips in agitation.

“Ok, we need to get him to the med room.”

“No! No. The guest rooms. They’re nearer.”

There was a strange atmosphere of disturbance and fear in the Hive. People were talking about a senior drone threatening to bumble, freaking out and having to be subdued; and a rumour grew, arising almost out of the air itself, that The Queen was here, in person.

D3 awoke to the sounds of a leaf-blower humming far away, and the twittering of songbirds. He became conscious of a blindfold over his eyes. He twitched his face muscles to try and loosen it, to no effect. He tried to think straight: Where was he? He felt the fresh country breeze through an open window and caught the faint sickly scent of honeysuckle.” I’ve been here before.”