The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

“You look tired, Vic.” said Mr. Andersen, Victor’s boss. Broad-shouldered and strong, nature had obviously indended Darrel Kennith Andersen to be a hulking juggernaut of a man, but his body had never gotten the hint, stopping its vertical ascent at four-foot-six. Except for a forelock at the front and some stubborn growth at the back, the man was bald, though he had once had a full head of ebony hair. Character lines from his fifty years as a reporter and, later, an executive, had built themselves around the taut scar-line he’d received in a knife fight in his youth, just barely missing his right eye. The scar bespoke a hard childhood for the man. He was so unlike the many employees around him who knew not the meaning of hard work. He had earned his place in command, had made himself irreplacible, and thus, had secured himself in his position as managing chief, known as the Archangel of Death, because he was the lowest-ranking executive, and often was the one to oversee the enactment of decress “from above.” “How long’s it been since you had a vacation?”

“Six months.” Victor replied. “And it was the whole two weeks, and I’m not due to get any more until the new fiscal year.”

“True enough, Vic, but...” Mr. Andersen paused. “We’re having a bit of a turnover problem right now, and I’m not talking pastries.”

“I know, sir, that’s why you need me here.”

“No, that’s why I need you to not burn yourself out, Vic.” Mr. Andersen replied emphatically. “You’re one of precisely four employees we have left with any loyalty in them. The rest of these kids are just working here long enough to get some extra job experience and our name on their resume before they head over to that big station across the river, or they’re just here on work-study programs while they’re working their way through Baylor. That’s not your problem, though, not as copy editor, at any rate. It’s the board’s problem. Your problem is getting some rest so you’re not shambling around here half-dead.” He pulled a little keychain from his pocket. “Listen, Vic, you guys are very important to me, and that’s a fact. I need you in tip-top shape. So, since Vinnie’s back from sick leave, and your two weeks are already gone, I’m putting you on assignment.” He handed the keychain to Victor, who immediately recognized the black plastic head of a car key and the brand name of a company speciallizing in deadbolts for houses. He knew what Mr. Andersen was trying to do, but he owed it to the man to put up a little resistence if only to show he wasn’t totally fried.

“I appreciate it, Mr. Andersen, but I’m an editor, not an anchor.”

“You’re our most senior non-executive.” Mr. Andersen replied. “That gives you an idea of what makes a good employee and what makes...” He gestured to the youths on the other side of the one-way mirror Mr. Andersen used as a window so they couldn’t tell whether or not he was watching. Most often he was, but he didn’t want them to get cocky and make a mistake when he eventually had to go to the restroom or something. They were all going through the motions. One of the research guys was obviously viewing a porn site at his terminal, as evidenced by the bulge of his eyes and the too-pleased look on his face. Andersen entered a few keystrokes to confirm what he already knew, and sent an email to the man’s inbox. The pop-up window indicating he had mail appeared on cue, and was followed by a series of clicks from the young man’s mouse. “Let me finish before I have to tear into Danny Droolsalot over there.” Mr. Andersen continued. “What you hold in your hands is the key to the car parked in in spot 24B and a set of keys to a house on Lake Mexia, and the boat that’s parked there. Your assignment is to round up someone who’s looking for a steady job. Make that several someones. We need all the decent help we can get! You’ll be drawing a recruiter’s salary, which is cheaper than hiring a headhunter but still enough for you to be comfortable, and you’ll have an expense account.”

“Sir, I couldn’t impose...”

“Impose?” Mr. Andersen scoffed. “It’s not like I’m sending you on vacation, Vic. This rollover has investors looking elsewhere, and we can’t have that.” Well, if this was how Mr. Andersen was going to justify it, far be it for Victor to argue further.

“I won’t let you down, sir.”

“You never do, my boy.” Mr. Andersen said. “It’s a shame you’re our most senior non-executive at only four years.”

“That bad, sir?”

“Like I said.” Mr. Andersen replied. “Oh, and Vic?”

“Yes?”

Mr. Andersen pulled back his remaining hair with one hand in an attempt to give the impression of a widow’s peak, assumed a very bad Jack Nicholson face, and said in a very bad Jack Nicholson voice “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Victor gave a little laugh before he stepped out, almost running into the very nervous young porn-surfer. ”What the fuck did you think you were doing out there, Pennington?!?!“ he heard before the door closed.

“Charlie got in trouble!” a singsong voice chimed from the gopher farm. The perpetrator was hidden behind a forest of particle board partitions, but Victor knew by sensing the glee among a sea of nervousness who had said it. He navigated the cubicle-maze with the ease of four years’ experience until he was at the cubicle of Kim Kahn, called Kimi by her friends and Genghis Kahn by those who had tried to get into her pants. Victor knew she was good at her job, but she was only biding her time until she could get a job interview with a competing station. He decided she could use a shift in loyalties.

“When’s your break, Ms. Kahn?” he asked.

“Four o’clock, Mr. Phillips.” Kim replied sheepishly, giving her superior a frightened expression.

“Would you find a stopping place in that document you’re working on and come see me in my office, please?”

“Yes, sir.” she replied, keeping her tone level despite the fears that echoed in her mind. He went to his office, pocketing the keys in his hand and walking as nonchalantly as one with his kind of plans could. He closed the blinds over his window and made himself relax. In minutes, Kim was at his door. She knocked politely. She was afraid she was going to get fired for something.

“Come in.” he said, speaking in Chinese, to keep her associating him with someone who was to be obeyed, such as the grownups in her childhood homeland.

“You...you speak Chinese?” she asked, sheepishly, as she entered.

“Close the door, please, and flip on the privacy light.” he said. She complied. Her thoughts were more fearful now, for she had consoled herself by muttering plans for revenge to herself in Chinese. The fact that Victor was speaking Chinese to her now only made her think that he had heard her and, unlike “the rest of the gwailao who infest this place,” had understood what she had said.

“Is there anything I can do for you, sir?” she asked, respectfully, in Chinese, since it was apparently the chosen language for this conversation. This could work to his advantage. Not only did she associate China with her childhood and childhood manners, including respect for adults who spoke it, but it had also forced her thoughts to dwell on her treacherous mutterings. He decided to keep himself vague, and pressure her to confess.

“I would like to discuss your plans for the future.” he said.

“My...my plans?” she asked.

“Yes, Kahn Kim.” He deliberately addressed her as she would have been addressed in China: Surname first, as if she had not Anglicized her name to fit in in America. “I am interested in your plans for the future. Where do you see yourself next month? Next year? Two years from now? Five?”

“I...I don’t know.” she stammered.

“Don’t you?” Victor asked. “Tell me, Kahn Kim, what did your parents teach you about loyalty?”

“I...uh...I...” she stammered.

“Do you know that bad turnover is a self-perpetuating problem?”

“It is?” she asked.

“Yes.” Victor replied. “There could be nothing wrong with a company’s way of doing business, but it is required to publish its turnover rate. Now, let’s say few disgruntled workers quit and move on to something else out of no reason other than they’re bored, or it’s no longer fashionable to work for that company. The company has to hire replacements. Suddenly the company has a rise, even a minute one, in turnover, and this comes to the attention of the investors. The investors panic, selling off their stock, hurting the company financially, causing budget cuts, which results in salary cuts, which results in more resignations, requiring more workers to be hired to replace the ones that left. This frightens the investors more, and the selling increases in pace. The cycle continues, only faster now. No one remembers why the turnover began, only that it has, and it is accellerating.” He had risen from his chair, and now stood before Kim, bending at the waist to stare into her fearful eyes. “There is a way to stop it, but it requires teamwork...and loyalty.” Her eyes were becoming tearful now. She was obviously struggling to keep her face from scrunching up in a full, bold-faced bawl. “The responsibility has been placed in my hands, Kahn Kim.”

“I am sorry.” she said, closing her eyes as two tears leaked down her face. “I am sorry for my disloyal comments, sir! I did not know anyone could understand me! I was frustrated! I was trying to calm myself! That is all! I do not truly wish to leave! Please don’t cast me away!”

“That is what I needed to hear.” Victor said, brushing her tears away. “I need loyal employees who can help me slow this thing, escape the downward spiral.”

“How can I help, sir? What can I do?”

“This is enough for now.” he said, patting her shoulder. “Do you have any job interviews scheduled?”

“No, sir.” Kim replied emphatically. “I...I had sent in a few applications, but I will cancel them immediately!”

“Yes, I believe that’s best.” Victor said, gesturing toward his desk. Immediately, Kim sat in the rather comfortable chair, taking half a moment to enjoy the feeling before she picked up the phone and dialed an outside number. In English, Kim cancelled her job applications at four competing stations, turned to the computer to email the cancellation as well, then logged out of her email account and hung up the phone.

“Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?” she asked, looking up at him with an expression very much like he had imagined a well-trained servant would use. The combination of her expression and her tone of voice turned Victor on immeasurably. He caressed her cheek, allowing his tone to soften.

“There is something else.” Victor said. Her ankles crossed, her knees parted slightly, her face flushed, her pupils dilated, her back bent ever so slightly to emphasize her small bust. This change in body language spoke volumes which didn’t need to be verbalized, but Victor continued down his chosen path. “I won’t tell anyone about your mutterings, but I cannot stop what has begun without help.” She nuzzled into his hand as she continued to respond to the intimacy of the moment. “I need to know I can count on you to help me if necessary. You’ve been very honest with me, Kim, and I am grateful for that. Now I would like to be honest with you.” She gazed up at him. He had her undivided attention. “I cannot be certain yet, but I believe this assignment I have been given is multi-faceted. I think there may be someone moving up soon. I must do some work away from the office, and I need someone to keep an eye on things, scout the situation for me while I’m gone.”

“I will do anything you ask of me, sir.” Kim said, her hand rising to meet his. “I am at your disposal.” He brought her up out of the chair to meet him. One hand at the small of her back, he held her gaze, his finger tracing her jawline. She let a small moan escape her lips. Victor realized she liked being touched this way. Their lips brushed. Her mouth opened, admitting his tongue. She tasted faintly of gin and chamomile. She shivered as his hand traced down her side, slipping below the hem of her skirt. She cooed as he ran his fingers over the crotch of her very wet panties. Her hands began to unsnap his shirt. She ran her fingers over his muscular chest. “I’ve never felt this way...about anyone...before.” she grunted as his finger slid under her panties to caress her labia. “Please...I want this...take me...keep me...own me...” she moaned. Victor’s mind locked the office door as they moved into the tiny washroom. Her mind echoed with passion and pleasure. Victor found that she was a closet submissive, needing a strong male to guide her and dominate her, but afraid to show weakness in front of anyone lest she be taken advantage of.

“Take off your clothes for me.” he said, putting down the toilet lid so he could sit down. She moaned passionately at her fantasy come true.

“Yes, sir.” she replied. “Yes, master.” she amended. Her jacket fell from her shoulders to pool on the floor, followed by her tan skirt. She fumbled with the buttons on her blouse, ripping off the final three buttons in her eagerness to serve. Victor smiled. He wasn’t even controlling her. He stopped her, rising from his seat to rub at her erogenous zones through the undergarments.

“You like this?” he asked as she ground herself against his fingers. “Knowing who’s in charge?”

“Ayah!” she exclaimed as her body convulsed in orgasm. She collapsed against him. “Yes, master.” she sighed. He kissed her on the lips, moving one hand to the small of her back, which seemed to help her get aroused even more quickly.

“Hold out your arms.” he said, and she moaned as she complied. He unfastened the clasp of the silken strapless, dropping it to the floor as he began to play with her nipples. Her aureolas were small, but well-formed. Her nipples were little buds of pleasure that loved the attention he lavished on them. He watched through her mind as she felt the heat from his mouth as it approached one nipple, then fire as he began to suck on it. He alternated between the two nipples, delighting in her reactions. He brought his hands to the hem of her panties, which by now were soaked completely through. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked. “Because once I take these panties off, I will posess you. My word will be your law.” She moaned, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

“Yes.” she said. “I want you to own me, master. I want you to take me to hypnosis shows and make me pay for the tickets. I want to be your spy, your agent, your whore, your blow-up doll, whatever you want. I knew this the moment I started crying in your office, Master. You are my Master. I am your slave. I can only hope to be worthy of you, Master.” A quick mindbrush revealed that she had often visited a website called the Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive on company time and company computers. With the gift Zak had given him, he could easily protect her from retribution should it be discovered. Yes, he felt the wisest course was to accept her, and the responsibility that came with her.

“You’ve been so honest with me, Kim. Now I want to be honest with you. I have a power. A power which would let me change things about you. I would never use it to harm you, but I want you to know that your fantasies can come true if you want them to.” She gazed into his eyes, and he let her be aware of his presence in her mind.

“Take me, Master.” she said, her voice a half-moan of desire. “Keep me. Change me. Alter me to your desires.” With his hand on the back of her head, he made a few minor alterations, removing some inhibitions and useless things like jealousy and the tiny claustrophobic twinge she had felt upon entering the washroom. He also made himself the only man she could ever desire, though she would be open to sex with females as well. He saw that she was a little ashamed of her nearly flat chest and wished she could be a little bigger, especialy for her new Master. That, too, was easily changed, and tears of joy streamed down her face as she suddenly found herself sporting a B-cup chest. He pulled down her panties, depositing them on the sink as he kissed her, and she orgasmed again, though she was unable to form even the word “ayah” with his mouth over hers. She sank to her knees, undoing Victor’s belt, then his slacks, pulling them down along with his boxers. She gazed lovingly at his nine-inch cock. Seeing a drop of fluid at the tip, she extended her tongue and licked it off. His cock jumped at the contact, and she jumped in surprise. He chuckled warmly, giving her an encouraging caress. “I love you, Master.” she cooed before taking the engorged head in her tiny mouth. Its girth stretched her lips almost painfully, but she pressed on, desperate to get it inside her. He reached the back of her throat with only four inches in her mouth. She was a neophyte when it came to fellatio. She didn’t know how to deep-throat yet. It didn’t matter. He pulled out and drew her toward the toilet, where he sat. Her three-inch heels slipped on the porcelain until he began to hold them in place with the power of his mind, but she was finally able to straddle his hips. She slid onto him, her tight body gradually accomodating itself to its new owner. She cried out as her cherry broke, but he made sure the sound never left the room. He began to gradually pump her up and down on him, and she rode him just as she rode the waves of pleasure coursing through her brain. “Ayah! Ayah! Ayah! Ayah!” she cried as she had her most intense orgasm of the afternoon. He erupted within her, his semen nearly scalding in its heat. She flopped limply against him, helpless, unable and unwilling to resist anything else he might do to or for her.

“You’re a good little pet, Kim.” Victor sighed, running his fingers through her dark hair as they calmed down.

“Thank you, Master.” Kim sighed sleepily.

“There’s one more thing I want to do before we must rejoin the real world, darling.” he said. “I’m going to evolve you a bit. Not as much as I’ve been, but enough that you will be able to serve me well for years to come.” She passed out as his power flowed through her, altering her D.N.A. ever so slightly, extending her lifespan and giving her vast recuperative and regenerative abilities. Her eyes fluttered open as she began to recover. “Now get dressed, but leave the undergarments.” he said. “The bra won’t fit you anymore, and the panties are too soaked for you to be comfortable. You’ll have to buy some new underwear later.”

“Yes, my beloved Master.” she cooed, kissing him as she moved to obey. Mr. Andersen was approaching. Victor dressed quickly, pocketing the underwear and willing the smells of lovemaking up through the vent. He gestured for Kim to sit down as he telekinetically unlocked the door and slipped her his cell phone number and pager number. Mr. Andersen gave his distinctive knock just as Victor and Kim were arranging themselves.

“Come in.” he said, switching back to English.

“Phillips, you’re still here?” Mr. Andersen asked, affecting to sound irritated for Kim’s sake. “Olsen said the privacy light’s been on in here for almost half an hour.”

“I just had some things to settle with Ms. Kahn before I left, sir.” Victor said.

“And why aren’t you wearing a bra?” Mr. Andersen demanded.

“It no longer fits, sir.” Kim replied in her second most respectful tone.

“I recommend, then, that you buy yourself some that do before tomorrow, Ms. Kahn.” Mr. Andersen said.

“With all due respect, sir, that’s...part of what we discussed.”

“Oh, well far be it for me to run a finished arguement into the ground.” Mr. Andersen said. “In fact, why don’t we give Ms. Kahn the rest of the afternoon off so she can finish that and beat traffic.”

“As you wish, Mr. Andersen.” Kim said. “I understand how important proper dress is for a respected news organization. I will leave immediately.”

“There’s one we don’t have to worry about.” Victor said.

“Who? Kahn?” Mr. Andersen asked. “She’s been muttering things in Chinese and we haven’t been able to find a translator that’ll give us a straight answer.”

“That’s another thing we discussed.” Victor replied. “I’ve established where her loyalties lie, though, Mr. Andersen, and she’s expressed a willingness to spy for me if I need her to.”

“That’s not part of your assignment.” Mr. Andersen remarked.

“With all due respect, Mr. Andersen, my assignment was to find loyal employees, yes?” Victor replied. “I found one.”

“Did you find out what the mutterings were about?”

“A little pep-talk for herself when she’s feeling stressed.” Victor replied. “She knows it unnerves the other workers, but it is her native tongue, and when she’s stressed...”

“She regresses linguistically. I’ve heard of it happening.” Mr. Andersen said. “You’re sure she offered to spy for you?”

“Positive.” Victor replied. “She said it clear as a bell. In her country, disloyalty is...severely looked down upon. Now, sir, I must be honest with you. I sense something else in this assignment.”

“I figured I wouldn’t be able to fool you.” Mr. Andersen said. “I’ve been in this game a long time, my boy...”

“You’re not retiring, sir?!”

“Ha! Not while I’m still breathing, Vic.” He closed the door. “No, but I was mentored by the guy who is. Ned Fuller. He said that when he had to have a nurse come with him to work and was unable to ‘make full use of the situation,’ it was time to step down. This is going to leave a hole, which some of the lower-downs are going to try to fill. No matter how they shuffle it, though, there’s going to be space for a new executive, and I’m scouting some people.”

“I probably shouldn’t ask who the competition is.”

“Here’s a hint, there’s four of you, all proven loyal.”

“Ah, okay.” Victor said. “Well, I’d better get to work on that assignment, then, hadn’t I?”

“That might help, yes. Got the keys?” Victor pulled the two keychains from his jeans pocket.

“Oh, one more thing.” Victor said. “Ms. Kahn reported some unauthorized use of her terminal during her restroom breaks and lunch periods.” Unnoticed by Mr. Andersen, Victor’s pen began to scribble out timeframes on a 3 x 5 card. “She says she keeps coming back from her breaks to find her browser open to the homepage. She also finds strange URLs in her history when she’s typing in URLs which begin with the same letters. I have the timeframes she mentioned over here.” He picked up the card, glancing at it to make sure it was the right one, and handed it to Mr. Andersen. “She wants permission to change her password and use a password-protected screen saver with a low idleness allowance.”

“It’d get annoying when she stops to try and think.”

“She feels it’s worth the nuissance to keep her job. She likes working here, and I think our little chat will help her better deal with some of the stressors in her life so she doesn’t end up bringing it to work, resulting in the mutterings.”

“I’ll bring it up with the boys in data management.” Mr. Andersen said. “Now get out of here.” Victor took the hint and left, finding the car, a beautiful ivory-cream colored convertible, after checking with his Palm Pilot to be sure his expense account was there. The convertible top and power windows obediently retracted as he tweeted the keychain at it.

“Mr. Andersen, you’re going to spoil me yet.” he chuckled as he hopped into the seat without bothering to open the door. He slid the key into the ignition and was pleasantly reminded of his encounter with Kim. He started the engine and pulled out of the space, driving up the ramp to the parking building’s entrance.

“I think you handled that remarkably well.” Zak’s voice said. “And you’ve just conceived what we hope will be the first of many offspring.”

“She’s pregnant?” Victor asked. “That was fast.”

“Well, you did penetrate her cervix while you were claiming her as your love slave, there, my friend.” Zak replied. “I say, buckle up or you’re going to get pulled over!”

“Right.” Victor replied. Zak’s image was sitting in the passenger seat, buckled in with an illusory seatbelt. The real one was hanging behind him.

“My telekinesis is iffy at this distance, so sue me.” Zak remarked.

“You’re getting better.”

“After six months of practice, my boy, I should hope so.”

“So do you know what colors I should pick out for the baby’s room?” Victor asked.

“You sure you’d rather not wait?”

“I’m not one of those ‘I don’t wanna know until it happens’ kind of men, Zak, you know that. I’m curious almost to the point of it being a liability.”

“True, true.” Zak remarked. “Your pretty little Asian pet is going to have a pretty little half-white-half-Asian girl. She’ll take a great deal after her mother, except that she’ll have the mammary gene your sister had...”

“Oh, brother.” Victor muttered, remembering his sister and the D-cup bras she was wearing by the time she hit junior high. Idly, he wondered if his sister’s chest would even fit on a petite Asian frame like the one Kim had.

“...and your striking cerulean irises, too.” the alien continued.

“Okay, so I’ll pick out some baby clothes that will bring out her baby blues, then.” Victor said.

“That one is fascinating.” Zak remarked. “If only there were a submissive like her for every dominant like you.”

“If there were a submissive for every dominant, life would be a lot easier.”

“True enough.” Zak replied. “She writes, too, you know. I think you’ve read a couple of her stories. She wrote one where a character sharing her name was transformed into an obedient sex-zombie by her sorority sister and then there was a phone call and one of the frat boys did the same to the mistress and they came to live with the frat boy as his living sex dolls.”

“You know, it’s really hard to drive with an erection.” Victor said, shaking the thought from his mind to calm down his nine-inch monster.

“Sorry, Vic old boy.” Zak said. “I keep forgetting how much blood that new tool of yours diverts away from your brain. Speaking of which, you should probably get someone else pregnant pretty soon. I realize you don’t have any control over it, but try for a boy this time. Girls are so limited in how many offspring they can bear at a time.”

“I will...consider your proposal.” Victor replied, rolling his eyes.

“Alright, I know, I’m sorry, alright?” Zak managed to say around a laugh. “I shouldn’t be so chauvanistic. Like I said before...”

“Breed like an illegal immigrant on welfare. I know.” Victor replied. “Uh-oh. Looks like you messed me up after all. Make yourself scarce while I ditch Dudley Dorite, okay?” Zak’s image disappeared without preliminaries. Free to concentrate once more, Victor veered to the right and made the policeman behind him think he had been following the red convertible in front of him. “I should pay more attention to my speedometer.” he muttered.

“And I shouldn’t distract you while you’re driving.” Zak’s voice said. “I’ll call you back when you get home. You will have to pack, after all.” Victor slowed down to thirty-five, well within the posted speed limit of forty. He recalled memories of his intercourse with Kim to his mind to cheer himself up. It worked so well that he was feeling courteous enough to allow an old lady to merge into his lane when she got stuck behind a truck waiting for a left-hand turn. He sensed righteous wrath to the southeast and made a right, then another right, then another and slammed the gas to peel through a yellow light on his way to investigate. Down three blocks and over two, he found a little girl surrounded by four guys in suits. He peeled into the parking lot, aiming for the nearest suit, but succeeded only in scattering them. He turned around, grabbed the girl and peeled out as the guys in suits shot at him. He tossed the girl into the passenger seat and told her to buckle up as he pulled into an open garage and closed the door. Using his mental powers to make them not notice his incoming skidmarks, he waited, tire-iron in hand, until he sensed them pass in their vehicle and make a turn around the block. He re-opened the garage door and climbed back into the car, backing out and heading for his place.

“Thank you.” the girl said, then frowned. “They broke my laptop.”

“Who are you?” he asked. She was too emotionally intense for him to probe. It happened sometimes.

“Penelope Simms.” the girl replied. “Call me ‘Penny’ and you die.”

“Fair enough.” Victor replied. “I’m Victor Phillips.”

“You work at Channel 5, don’t you?”

“Yes, how’d you know?”

“I pay attention to the credits. You’re the copy editor, right?”

“Right.” Victor said. “Now, what reason would those professional-looking men have to break your laptop?”

“I’m a hacker.” Penelope said. “I’m too good at what I do to be allowed to work on my own. The government can’t have that. And what I do is I protect normal people’s privacy.”

“How?”

“I wrote a program called Sub-Zero.” Penelope said. “He’s kinda like that Bonzi Buddy you see ads for online, except instead of telling you you have a chat-appointment at www.sexygothbondage.com, he tells you when somebody’s looking at what’s in your computer or what you’re doing, and then he freezes them so they can’t even reboot. Badabing, badaboom, they’re out of commission. It also sends Frost Packets attached to every data packet your computer sends out, and if the wrong person intercepts them...”

“Badabing, badaboom.” Victor finished, smiling. “I like it. Where can I get a copy?” Penelope pulled a tiny mini-CD from her shoe. It was about the size of the CDs that came with the X-Men: Evolution toys at Burger King.

“It’s as close as you can possibly get to absolute security, which makes it a threat to the government’s underground divisions.”

“And they couldn’t have that.” Victor sighed. “How do I get in touch with your parents?”

“Travel back in time about six hours.” Penelope replied sourly.

“I’m sorry.” Victor said.

“I have to go into hiding for a while.” she said.

“I’ll be out of town on business.” Victor offered. “They didn’t get a chance to look at my plates, except for one guy, but I erased that memory when they passed by. They shouldn’t be able to find you if we alter your appearance somewhat.”

“How can you erase memories?” Penelope asked.

I’m a hacker of sorts, too, but my computers are made of synapses, not microchips. Victor replied telepathically.

“Dayum!” Penelope exclaimed. “You should use your powers for good or something, you know.”

“I do.” Victor said. He took one calming breath to expel the stress of the chase and began to explain about Zak and his gift, and about his assignment in Limestone County. Penelope was silent until they reached his house.

“Vic? Vic is that you?” Mrs. Cruz, his next-door neighbor, asked.

“Hola, Señora Cruz!” he called.

“I didn’t recognize you in the flashy car.” the woman continued. “You win the lottery or something?”

“I wish. No, Mr. Andersen’s sending me on assignment and loaned me a company car.”

“Caramba! I wish Enrique worked for a company like that!”

“We could use someone loyal like your husband, Mrs. Cruz!” Victor called. “Too much rollover’s been hurting the stock!”

“Who’s the girl?”

“Would you believe I rescued her from government black-ops agents who wanted to kill her because she protects people from being hacked into by the government’s computer crackers?”

“That story’s too big for you to make up just for little old me, but she’s muy bonita!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Cruz!” Penelope called. Victor and Penelope ascended the steps to the house. Penelope shrieked when she saw Zak sitting in the recliner.

“I see you’re letting her in on this.” Victor remarked.

“You let her in on it, Vic, old friend.” Zak remarked. “Still, there are plenty worse people you could have chosen. She’s a good one. Shame about her parents.”

“Yeah.” Victor replied.

“You pack your things while I keep her company.” Zak said. “You do have an assignment, after all.”

“Several, apparently.” Victor remarked, moving off into the bedroom to gather things. He also went into the storage room and found some of his nephew’s old clothes that appeared to be close enough in size to what Penelope would need. He tossed them to Penelope, telling her to try them on. After a quick check on all the clothes, she picked out the best fits and discarded the rest, giving her a seven-day wardrobe of blue jeans and shorts and ten T-shirts to pick from.

“I think you should give her the full Darwin, don’t you?” Zak asked.

“If she wants it.”

“What’s the ‘full Darwin?’”

“He’s referring to a few abilities he passed on to me, including the ability to pass on these abilities to others, in whole or in part.” Victor replied.

“Such as?”

“Nigh-instantaneous healing, extended lifespan, psychic powers, gift of tongues and an instinctive understanding of machines, for starters.” Zak said. “I evolved him as much as I could without altering his physical appearance beyond one or two...enhancements...to make him more desireable to those with whom he wishes to breed.”

“Some kind of alien experiment?”

“I’ll explain along the way, Penelope.” Victor said. “Remember, though. With great power...”

“Comes great responsibility, I know.” Penelope said. “Why do you think I use my hacker skills to stop bad hackers from getting into other people’s PCs?”

“She’s just like you, only more intense because of her extreme youth.” Zak remarked.

“So do you want the full Darwin?” Victor asked.

“If it’ll help me protect people’s rights.”

“You better believe it, sugar.” Victor quipped, touching Penelope’s forehead.