Update: The winner of both polls was Alpha Submission, so that’s the one we’ll be exploring!
Yeah, that sounded like just the thing for his ex to deal with–a good way to fuck with that superiority complex of his would be to make him a little more…amenable to serving others. Any others, really, in his mind. He ran through the list of programs, and selected his choice, the Alpha/Beta Scenario. Whoever went through it, depending on the mode, would find themselves as either the Alpha or the Beta–and either every man in the scenario would serve them helplessly, or they would find themselves unable to resist servicing all of the men they find.
He loaded it up, being extra careful to designate the target, Perrion, as the beta in the scenario–but what sort of scenario should he run? After all, Perrion thought that he was going on a mental vacation–well, a copy of him still was going on a vacation, but this one was going to be having a different sort of experience altogether. In fact, why let him think that anything had really changed at all?
He programed the scenario to follow the subjects own memory patterns for a normal day–Perrion would wake up, go to work, behave like everything in his life was completely normal…but in fact, it was going to be a day unlike any he’d ever experienced, and when the day was over, this version of Perrion would have a very different sort of understanding of his place relative to the other men in the world. Trak eyed the VR system he had for himself, but he wasn’t quite certain if he wanted to plug in as himself or not–probably not, actually. Part of the magic of VR was that you didn’t have to be yourself all the time, right?
He waited, impatiently, until at last, everything was ready. He did a final check, and then ran it. As far as Perrion was concerned, he would wake up in his bed, just like he remembered doing every day, and go to work, just like always–but after that…things would probably take a slight deviation. He loaded up the display–he could see the simulation running from any point of view, including Perrion’s, and watched the simulation load. Now, the real fun would begin.
***
Perrion opened his eyes, and was…surprised to find himself staring at his own bedroom curtains. Had…it been a dream? He could have sworn that just a moment before, he’d laid down in a pod, ready for a week of virtual vacation. He’d selected an excellent cruise simulation package, traveling the Mediterranean Sea, before most of the coastlines had shifted inland by several miles in some places. It was the only place to experience the city of Venice, anymore, painstakingly recreated from early 21st century photographs…but that was neither here nor there, apparently, because he wasn’t going anywhere, virtually or physically, except work.
But as he showered, got dressed, and ate breakfast, he kept having an unshakable sense of deja vu, that refused to fade. Things would be progressing just like they usually did–but too exactly. He would spread the butter on his toast in exactly the same way he could recall spreading it before, but as soon as he experinced the sensation, it disappeared, almost like something was blocking it. Still, it kept happening all morning, down to the bird song out the window–the birds rarely sang anymore, since most of them had gone extinct, and so, when they did, it was always quite…an event.
But by the time he was in his car and driving to work, things had settled down somewhat, or he’d simply adjusted to it, and it no longer bothered him. It was just a normal day, and he was perfectly prepared for all the usual sorts of meetings and work he’d have to do…right? Even if he couldn’t recall anything in particular, he had everything in his calendar on his phone, so it would be fine. There was…something else though–almost a his and a heat behind his ears, inside his skull, like someone was soldering wires to the surface of his brain. It wasn’t…comfortable, but something told him not to think too much about it at all. It wasn’t important–he just needed to do whatever came naturally.
He got out of his car, got his briefcase, and as he walked into the building, he saw a co-worker arriving with him, and where he usually would have waved and smiled…he faltered as soon as he met the man’s eyes, and saw the look in them, and he quickly averted his own. The man…he shouldn’t have done that, he shouldn’t have looked at him, he shouldn’t have even…forced the man to notice him. He leaned against the wall for a moment, trying to get a hold of himself, trying to cling to…the memory. He usually just walked right into the office, brimming with confidence, feeling like he belonged there, but that one…glance had changed…everything somehow. He got himself together, trying to put on his usual face, and followed the man inside, being sure to maintain a respectful distance from him, and being sure to keep his eyes to the floor, to prevent the possibility that he might accidentally offend anyone else. So he wouldn’t offend another…another man.
He got to his office without further incident, and now that he was alone, he felt a bit more normal, like there was still a chance for the day to continue on the right track, on the track he knew it should go. Where he was the boss, where he was the…the alpha…right?
Then there was a knock on the door, and Perrion’s heart clenched. Whoever it was didn’t wait for him to invite them inside, they just opened the door and stepped inside.
***
So, who is it that Perrion is going to be interacting with?
- His young, twinkish secretary
- A blue collar, bearish maintenance man
- A chubby IT worker
Polls are live!
Polls run until Sunday afternoon.
Bracken's Corner 