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III.
The sound of a voice after so much silence is shocking, and it takes a moment for you to remember you’re supposed to respond.
“Oh! Hi! Sorry...”
A soft giggle washes away your embarrassment, like it was a joke between old friends.
The sound of a voice after so much silence is shocking, and it takes a moment for you to remember you’re supposed to respond.
“Oh! Hi! Sorry...”
A soft giggle washes away your embarrassment, like it was a joke between old friends.
“It’s alright. You’re far from the first to be surprised.”
The voice pauses a moment to let that sink in before she continues.
“My name is Ada. I’ll be guiding you through the process. If it helps, please feel free to use female pronouns for me.”
The voice pauses a moment to let that sink in before she continues.
“My name is Ada. I’ll be guiding you through the process. If it helps, please feel free to use female pronouns for me.”
“Thank you!” The lingering nervousness is fading the more you listen to her voice. She seems so calm and in control that you instinctively want to trust her.
“So, what do I do next?”
“So, what do I do next?”
Ada seems to smile at your eager response.
“Please turn to your left and walk through the door. We’ll take this corridor to the processing station.”
“Please turn to your left and walk through the door. We’ll take this corridor to the processing station.”
As you walk, you notice the facade of an office fades away once you’re really inside. The walls are a white so bright and clean that it almost hurts your eyes. The doors are now brushed metal, with no visible handles.
It reminds you of pictures of a clean room. Industrial, yet sterile.
“Turn right here.”
You nod as you follow her instructions, and the next door you see slides open as you approach.
“Come inside, please.”
“Turn right here.”
You nod as you follow her instructions, and the next door you see slides open as you approach.
“Come inside, please.”
The lights have been dimmed, but it’s easy to make out a long exam table, with a padded head rest.
Behind you, the door silently closes again.
“Please remove all of your clothing, then lie down. Do not remove your headset.”
“Do I just leave the clothes on the floor?”
Behind you, the door silently closes again.
“Please remove all of your clothing, then lie down. Do not remove your headset.”
“Do I just leave the clothes on the floor?”
A chute you hadn’t noticed opens up on the wall.
“You may deposit them here.”
Normally you’d hate undressing like this, especially since she seems to be watching you, but this feels different.
Ada isn’t judging. Ada isn’t disgusted.
She just wants to help you belong.
“You may deposit them here.”
Normally you’d hate undressing like this, especially since she seems to be watching you, but this feels different.
Ada isn’t judging. Ada isn’t disgusted.
She just wants to help you belong.
Shoes, pants, shirt, underwear. Everything goes down the bin.
You didn’t realize how cool it was in here. Your skin is all gooseflesh as you lie back on the table, a shiver passing through you as you shift a bit to get comfortable.
“Thank you! We’ll begin in just a moment.”
You didn’t realize how cool it was in here. Your skin is all gooseflesh as you lie back on the table, a shiver passing through you as you shift a bit to get comfortable.
“Thank you! We’ll begin in just a moment.”
Something in Ada’s voice makes you shiver in a very different way. Making her happy makes you so, so happy.
You can just hear a whirring sound through the headphones as something drops out of the ceiling. A monitor that locks into place so you can see it easily without moving.
You can just hear a whirring sound through the headphones as something drops out of the ceiling. A monitor that locks into place so you can see it easily without moving.
There’s a pretty burst of colors as the monitor activates, cycling through several different hues before it returns to a black screen, and luminous green text begins to march across it even as Ada speaks, like a real time caption.
“Please respond to my questions with a yes or a no. You are here today to undergo the process?”
“Yes.”
Your answer appears beneath her words.
“You understand this is irreversible.”
“Yes.”
“Have you been coerced, bribed, or otherwise forced to come here today?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Your answer appears beneath her words.
“You understand this is irreversible.”
“Yes.”
“Have you been coerced, bribed, or otherwise forced to come here today?”
“No.”
“Are you under the influence of narcotics or alcohol?”
“No.”
“You have made this decision of your own free will.”
“Yes.”
“You consent to any and all procedures necessary.”
“Yes.”
Ada pauses a moment, and there’s a subtle building of tension in the air.
“No.”
“You have made this decision of your own free will.”
“Yes.”
“You consent to any and all procedures necessary.”
“Yes.”
Ada pauses a moment, and there’s a subtle building of tension in the air.
“This is your final opportunity to stop,” she says softly, but with an electric intensity. “We wish to ensure you are ready and willing to proceed.”
“Do you want to Belong?”
*”Yes.”*
“Do you want to Belong?”
*”Yes.”*
There’s no disguising the pleasure in her voice, and it makes you shudder again in sympathetic delight.
Even the text on the screen seems to brighten when Ada speaks again.
“Proceeding with integration.”
Even the text on the screen seems to brighten when Ada speaks again.
“Proceeding with integration.”
