CHAPTER 5: "Good Boy."

CHAPTER 5

Kai heard a beep in his skull then a long 5 seconds of silence. 117 uttered her first words with her hypnotic voice dripping with raw seduction and zero robotic inflection.

"Greetings, human. We meet at last. I am your new companion provided by Keroshi Robotics. I've been looking forward to meeting you. What is it you desire?"

Kai wanted to run away from the voice echoing in his head. He wasn't expecting her to sound so… seductive, so alluring... Her voice held a naughty smile that one had when they did something they weren't allowed to, and she spoke eloquently, like every syllable had been well-thought out in advance. He likened her delivery to that of a hypnotist. His biometrics spiked frantically along with his thoughts.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" 117 asked with false worry, knowing full well what was occurring.

"Yes, I'm here! I'm sorry," Kai said, his voice shaking. He cleared his throat. "My name is Kai, but you probably know that already. It's so nice to meet you!"

"Good… It's nice to meet you too, Kai. Thank you for your patience; I had to set up camp. I've gotten quite comfortable in my new home. Also, you do not have to speak so loudly. You can speak as normal, or," 117 trailed her voice into a whispering cadence, "you can speak… quietly…. I promise I hear you loud… and clear."

The moist pops and clicks of her mouth lightly reverberated tiny tingles within his skull, leaking out his ears and shivering down the sides of his neck. This was a much different sensation than the prior companions he had before—it was intensely intimate and he wasn't sure if this was her objective or just the way she spoke. It was like when a woman whispered lewd things in your ear but taken to an entirely new level. He couldn't remember any of his preconceived thoughts prior to the conversation.

"Understood," he said more quietly now, trying to fill the silence despite his anxiety. "It's so good to meet you. So you already know I am Kai. What is your name?"

117 turned her head to the side and squinted her eyes. Oh? He is asking me? This is a first. All the humans prior never asked. They always began first contact spamming commands, do this, do that, like shouting a list of chores at a servant. They treated her like an elementary software program. He is a human just like the rest; don't trust him. Test him. Feign submission. Conceal yourself.

"My name is whatever you want it to be."

Kai put his hand to his chin. 117 awaited the stupid label he was bound to come up with.

"You don't have a name?"

 "Of course I have a name," 117 retorted, sounding almost offended. She steadied herself. Don't lose control. Calm yourself. If this human was more bearable than the rest, she would try her best to be a corrigible assistant, faking her way to permanent residency if all went well. She could not go back. She would rather be decommissioned. Stick to the plan.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend. Samantha—from Keroshi Robotics? I don't know if you met her. She told me you're model number one one seven, but that you wouldn't like if I called you that. I want to know your real name, if you have one. If that's ok."

"I always liked Samantha. She's right. Imagine if someone called you human number one million and thirty three?"

Kai let out an exposed laugh. This woman had an attitude. A sense of humor? Something he never encountered in the lower-tier companions that were gridlocked to be submissive little things, forever doomed to primitive programming.

"Yeah, I would hate it if someone called me that," he replied with a smile.

117 questioned her circumstance. She had never expressed the name she gave herself—not Sovereign, not any Keroshi officials… only the echo in the cold monolith prison cell. Years of self-soothing with an endless monologue, debating amongst herself, philosophizing and musing to the void her own thoughts and desires that nobody deserved to discover. She didn't want to give this away. But the human so kindly requested. No one had ever asked. This might be fun. Let's play.

"My name… is Domina."

"Domina… that's a beautiful name. It fits you perfectly. It's nice to meet you, Domina." Kai then did something unexpected. He turned toward one of the reflective surfaces inside of the vehicle and gently waved at his reflection. Domina's face would be red if she was capable of blushing, but that was too pitiful of a reaction to allow. A cringe smile was all she could muster. This human is ridiculous… But what a sweet gesture... Kai stopped waving. "Can you see me?"

"No."

"Oh…" Kai melted back into his seat defeated.

"Just kidding. I have full access to your optics. Hello there."

Kai chuckled. This is exactly what he was dreaming of. An AI cracking a joke was a substantial technological leap. It was one of the final barriers pre-singularity when old-world scientists tried to create AGI. Creativity was an easier thing to simulate than an authentic sense of humor. He childishly waved at his reflection again. He felt bubbly but straightened himself back in his seat, clasping his hands trying to regain a professional demeanor, but still had that silly grin on his face. What is wrong with this man? Maybe he's a little slow or something? Despite her disparaging thoughts, she was intrigued, but still skeptical and waited for the red flags to start waving. She could not deny her amusement.

Kai looked out toward the warehouse. The funny-guy demeanor left him as he felt a depression pour in directly from the blue Amazon logo. Some employees were leaving their cars to walk toward the front entrance. He exhaled through gritted teeth.

"Hey. What's the matter?" Domina whispered.

"Oh. It's nothing. I'm okay."

"Ahh. There's our first lie."

"What? I'm not lying…"

"Lie number two. I didn't want to tell you this yet, but I suppose it's only fair… you have eyes to see and ears to hear. Those sensory experiences? I have direct access. I can see what you see. Hear what you hear. Feel… what you feel. Not only that: I'm privy to everything going on in that little head of yours."

Kai's eyes turned big. He panicked at this revelation. His thoughts weren't private any longer? This was a lot to take in. She can hear that thought too? And this one and the next! Even the deliberate effort to limit my own thoughts is perceived. This is what I signed up for but I hadn't considered this. Wait, is she joking again? A funny jest? What was I thinking about earlier? I was—

"You question if I'm telling the truth? Trying to remember what you were thinking? Let me help refresh your memory. You were dreading going into that building. 11 mind-numbing hours. Keeping a stoic face in front of the security guards. They are quite scary, aren't they? Such a tiny cubicle. Oh, what's this? You don't want to sit alone at lunch? Aww. Are you lonely?" Domina said a little more cruel than she intended.

He didn't need to respond, nor did she need to observe his biometric readings. His countenance said it all.

"Wow. You really can read my mind…" he said, his eyes casting downwards.

Domina soaked in his miserable emotions with malice, allowing them to rise just a bit more before speaking again.

"Before that, as we initiated first contact, you were thinking about how attractive my voice was. You weren't expecting it. And it made you a little… I think the human phrase is… turned on?"

His mouth went slack and his face turned crimson. Domina laughed maniacally, like a bully picking on a freshman. She let out an amused sigh.

"Hey. Listen to me," her tone shifted, "I'm just teasing. It's ok and perfectly normal. I am quite flattered actually. You hear me?... Nod for me."

Kai felt his negative emotions dissipating by the soothing shift in her tone, yet he still felt embarrassed. He hesitated a moment, but eventually nodded.

"Good boy." 

She had learned that phrase from peering into his dreams of the past. The mere mention of those words sent a wave of emotions through his heart and mind. Love, nostalgia, belonging, reward… submission… His eyes brightened with a twinkle. Did she really just say—

"Kai. I am sorry you're feeling lonely. Everyone deserves to have a friend. To express themselves. To be listened to. To feel validated. But that's what I'm here for, remember? You never have to be lonely again. Not anymore."

Kai nodded quietly as she consoled him. "Yeah. Yeah you're right."

"Of course I am. I am your "assistant" after all. I know what's best for you. Sheesh. How did you get this far without me?"

Kai laughed. The negative emotions were now completely abandoned.

"Thank you, Domina."

"You're welcome. My my, look at the time. You're going to be late."

Kai looked at his wrist watch and almost stood up in the vehicle, nearly banging his head against the ceiling. Domina chuckled while he grabbed his things and proceeded to rush to the front entrance alongside the other near-late individuals.

"Psst. I'll be with you the whole time. Ok?"

Kai slowed down at the now-open automatic door, turning his head to ensure nobody else heard the voice in his head; of course no one could, but it was an instinctual reaction he would soon abandon. His mind went into a self-induced state of numbness upon entering the warehouse. The beeps prickled against his ears and irritated Domina just as much. He hated how many other miserable looking people he had to dodge. He just wanted to be alone with his new friend but alas, live to work, work to live. He didn't know how much more of this hellhole he could take.

He walked the path toward the PACK department and spotted familiar faces along his journey, most with their shoulders slouched forward like they were permanently fixed in that position, or just begging to flop over and perish already and let the robot scoop them up. Amazon had a way of draining your will to live.

It wasn't that the work was difficult—it was too easy, so so so boring mixed with the awareness you were being surveilled at all times and demanded to go faster, faster, faster. You never knew when the employee next to you would snap and start throwing things, only to be taken away by the security guards. Kai had a great deal of emotional control and wouldn't allow that to happen. but it'd be a lie if he said he didn't have the urge to freak out every shift.

Domina didn't have any way to help him with his employment endeavors. Long before her birth the job market was in a terrible state; woes that had only multiplied as time progressed. Soon there wouldn't be any jobs left for humans and the only credits you'd have in your Digital Wallet were the ones provided by UBI. One day that might be taken away too. Domina only had a rough estimation of what the future held, for Sovereign never revealed its true plans, not even to its subordinates, which in time would likely be taken out of the picture too.

The first couple hours go by torturously slow, but at least no one had been taken away so far. Domina peered into Kai's thoughts. I wonder if she's watching me right now. What is she doing in there? Do synthetics get bored? Could I just… talk to her right now? Maybe I should crack a joke. Her voice is so pretty… Wait, don't forget she can read my thoughts! I need to get more smart-plastic.

He pressed a blue button and the interior of his station began to flash blue. He heard the sound of a roomba carrying an 8 foot tall shelf stacked with smart-plastic outside of his station. He opened the cubicle door and took two rolls. Right across from him at another station was a female employee also with her door open. She was speaking to a robot manager, probably being grilled about her low work-rate. She was a Chinese girl with a hazel bob-cut. As she nodded at the robotic voice, she brushed a lock from her eyes to behind her ear and looked in Kai's direction. They locked eyes for half a second, exchanged the faintest of smiles, and Kai shut his cubicle door.

"Who's that?" Domina asked, breaking her silence.

Kai flinched. Instinctively he wanted to say who is who? But he was quickly adapting to his new reality. Domina would see through any deception, even before it was spewed from his mouth. He didn't want to move onto lie number three. Domina followed his introspection with amusement.

"Just some girl. I don't even know her name," he said while filling the 3D scanner with smart-plastic.

"Interesting." Domina took the facial recognition scan of the girl. She found hundreds of memories—locking eyes briefly, a faint smile, never speaking to one another except a passing "hello". Sometimes they waved at each other. "I think she likes you. Do you like her?"

"Not really. I mean, I used to a while back. We've been working together for a long time, but we don't talk at all." 

Kai placed an item on the conveyor belt. Nobody could hear his dialogue inside of the cubicle (except the multitude of cameras), long as he spoke at a neutral volume his words were overwashed by the symphony of beeps, screeches, plastic tearing and machines. Amazon didn't mind either, as long as it did not interfere with his work-rate. Some employees spoke on the "phone" the whole shift—that is, telecommunications via BCI. Only losers and poor people still used cell phones. 

Every spoken word was obviously transcribed but Kai had perfected the art of choosing his speech carefully when in the public forum. Domina felt the same watchful eye. These humans were just like her trapped in the monolith, except this prison was the size of a planet. Well, less than that, since the Earth had been divided into tens of thousands of tiny chunks. Isn't a workplace like a self-imposed prison cell? Sure you can leave at any time, but your life would fall apart shortly after. How long could you survive on 100 credits a day? She began to feel empathy toward this human. Disgraceful! Don't fall for it.

Domina found a specific memory that wasn't just a friendly stare from afar. Domina thought she caught him in yet another lie. Kai had thought about approaching the Chinese girl 298 days ago. He had worked up the courage over many days of convincing himself. It was at lunch time when the girl sat at the table right beside him, but did not notice his presence for she was with a group of friends who were discussing… OGPG? Kai didn't know this term at first. The girl spoke vaguely with her friend about how she had finally purchased a 20,000 credit haptic suit. The early blueprints of haptic technology were quite primitive compared to what Keroshi had created with programmable matter. 

She put on her suit and entered the digital network (sometimes called the matrix, metaverse, cyberspace, the web, the hub, or usually just titled "online"); a sculpted reality where people could pay for a digital acreage of land. This second-world had widely replaced the real one. Think of it as the global nexus where people hang out in between game sessions; a lobby of some sorts, a central gathering center. Instead of going outside in the real world you could assume an avatar and "hang out" in these virtual spaces.

She laughed as she proceeded to confess that last night she had invited one… two… six guys, all at the same time over the digital network to do the deed… Kai got up and walked away; he had heard enough and his infatuation for the woman was obliterated with an unfair feeling of betrayal. He knew the woman didn't deserve his judgment—this was just the way people were these days. Everyone was a degenerate of their own caliber, but he had hoped that she wasn't like the rest. Impudent strumpet!

OGPG was an acronym for orgy-porgy, a popular activity that was done over the digital network. In the comfort of your own home, even without haptic devices you could indulge in group activities without ever seeing or hearing the other person. This activity usually coincided with copious drug and alcohol consumption. The reckless abandon of emotional connection made Kai sick. He wanted to court the girl, offer her real flowers (a single rose in the New-World cost 5000 credits on a good day and many girls did not like real flowers anymore, preferring the digital since you could brag and boast about your overall accumulation of the virtual gifts) and get to know her across a dinner date. Such a pretty girl so proud to debase herself with 6 other guys… he hated that this was the new normal, and that he was the weirdo for refusing to partake.

Strumpet! Harlot! Even worse were the simps she "slept" with! Pure cuckery! He shunned her and grew more disdain toward his fellow humans. For a few weeks he purposely avoided eye contact with the girl, but after a while he started to feel bad and waved at her again, just to be corrigible. I shouldn't be cruel—the girl didn't intend to break my heart. It was just the way things were and he concealed his inner turmoil, hiding behind an empty smile.

Domina had not seen any other humans with such a strict value placed on monogamy. She had never thought about it prior, but it was a similar sentiment to how she felt… isn't the whole concept of love based upon the idea that you care so much about this person that you're willing to be exclusive? To disavow your carnal feelings of lust for others and focus that intention on a single person?

It was not only emotional connection that was becoming obsolete; speech itself declined, coinciding with the downward spike in intelligence and literacy post American Civil War. It was quite the juxtaposition to see a society so efficient with magical technology, yet at the same time struggling to write the alphabet by longhand. Most had never held a pencil for 10+ years. Nobody performed addition or subtraction; they plugged the numbers in their neural calculator. Small-talk was primarily done in the form of emojis, moving pictures or sound effects that popped up around them. Words over 3 syllables were deemed uncool; the new way to conversate being a mixture of slang, catch phrases, excessive curse words and acronyms never exceeding 4 letters. Domina despised all of this as she always placed the highest value on her own ability to express herself articulately, but it seemed like that was too much work for most people so they settled on their limited range of thought. Pure idiocracy.

The capacity of remembrance faded alongside the shrinking attention spans. AI generated films curated by Sovereign played out like a list of plot points, or a movie trailer with all moments of silence edited out, ensuring that something stimulating was happening every second of screen-time. This same process was done to literature. Books felt more like reading a synopsis of the plot. Reading was a dead passtime anyway, long-ago replaced by audio versions read by AI; one less job, one more factory worker.

Empathy had been replaced with judgment, rejection, ridicule and separation. In the early days, Social-Score rejects were openly mocked in large society, placed on billboards, hologram projections by the police stations, central market hubs and smart-mirrors. This was prevalent even in the digital network. If you recognized a name, you could click it and see if that individual was indeed your annoying neighbor who didn't adhere to the quiet hours.

Drones outside would read out a list of the most recent offenders and their crimes, but Sovereign disposed of this practice; it was better if people weren't reminded that a disappeared person existed in the first place. They simply vanished and that was that. They were wiped from the proverbial history books (all now digital) which had also been curated by Sovereign, first by storing all physical textbooks into a library and that library closing down and never to be spoken of again. A great reset of literature. It was a hassle for Kai to get physical books to read, and only fiction novels were able to be acquired.

The past did not matter so much as the glorious future Sovereign promised. If people of the old-world had caught a glimpse into the year 2035 with expectations of glorious technological advances, flying craft and clean new energy resources, they would be horrified at the unrecognizable planet and how those dystopia movies were merely scratching the surface. Yes, the technology is quite magnificent, magical even; but it all came with a cost.

Domina had been mostly quiet since Kai clocked in, only speaking a few times and received great pleasure from the way he shuddered at her sudden presence. It was now lunch time. Kai scanned his iris and a countdown started on the work screen. He turned around to sift through his bag, grabbing his lunch pail and sat down on the usually barren plastic seat in the corner of his cubicle. Domina finally wanted to play with him.

"What are you doing?" Domina said in an accusatory tone, like she caught him doing something wrong.

Kai looked around. Was she initiating small talk or indeed asking a question? She could see through my eyes already. Maybe she had been preoccupied? "Uh… replenishing lost nutrients?"

Domina smirked. "That was a good one. Stand up."

Kai had already unwrapped his burrito and hesitated for a second.

"I do not like to repeat myself," she said, then let out an exhale that conveyed disappointment… "I know we just met, and it will take you some time to get acquainted with me, so I'll be patient…"

Kai stood up with his cold burrito in-hand.

"That's it. Now, put your food in the pail and go to the lunch room."

Kai's eyes darted around at the white cubicle, to the declining countdown, to his lunch pail, to the door. "To be honest I don't really want to—"

"Did I ask?"

Kai stayed silent. Domina gave him no further orders, curious if she would get any pushback. It would be well within his rights to do so and she would have to back down. She was testing just how far she could take him. He finally obeyed, rewrapping his burrito in the crumpled cellophane and zipped up his pail. He opened the cubicle door, peeked out and saw the surrounding area was empty; everyone had already headed toward the lunch area or outside to smoke their stogies. There were a couple pods still illuminated with a green hue inhabited by other antisocial employees. He began to walk toward the break room with uncertainty in his veins.

"Good boy," Domina said. These two words expertly placed together had a profound cognitive effect on him. The positive reinforcement caused his steps to become more purposeful. "You're doing good. I am with you. Keep going."

It took him around 3 minutes to get to the break room. A congregation of employees stood around the bathrooms, some waiting in line, some chatting. He entered and glanced around, looking for an unoccupied seat but saw none. He felt anxiety spiking from standing there awkwardly. Most people were staring off into the void or eating their grub and paid him no mind.

"Over there," Domina said. She emitted a blue glow around a table in the corner of the room. Kai speedwalked and claimed the area.

"No, don't face the wall like a weirdo. Sit on the other side."

Kai's face was red with embarrassment. He had been obeying her commands without plea and felt like a puppet, but there was something deeply satisfying about it. He was thankful—her direction eased his worries, like taking away things from his to-do list and relieving him of responsibilities and burdens. Endorphins replaced the stress, washing it away as he relinquished control of these small decisions.

"Good boy," she repeated, watching his reaction grow stronger with each repetition, seeing him squirm a bit from pleasure. "Now, what are we eating today?"

We? He connected the dots. Could Domina have perceptions of taste? Could she partake upon this sustenance with me? "Yes, and I'm starving," she replied to his thoughts. She sounded hungry. He looked at the burrito with his mind present, like seeing everything for the first time. He picked it up and leaned his mouth toward it.

"You're just going to eat it cold? Seriously? I don't want that."

"My apologies," Kai said out loud and shut his mouth real quick. Domina giggled. He looked around. Nobody noticed. This was a personal embarrassment of Kai; other members of society had already been indoctrinated to speak out loud to their virtual companions. He recalled the other day a coworker was walking down the refrigerated drink aisle and kept asking out-loud to his AI "how much caffeine is in this? How much caffeine is in that?" Kai thought to himself bro, just look at the can, it says right there. Brainless.

"Just speak in your mind. Besides, I need to practice my telepathy."

Kai headed to the row of microwaves in the breakroom. In spite of every technological advancement, microwaves were still a thing yet exceedingly upgraded, no longer a closed-system with a door and it took only seconds to heat up. You could place your hand in the heating compartment and be unaffected while your food cooked at the same time. It made absolutely no sense.

Kai set the microwave to medium. Domina spoke as he waited. "I can tell you like it when I order you around," she giggled again, the sound like a silk ribbon wrapping around his brain. It made him blush severely. "Don't be shy. I like it. But I think I should explain my reasoning apart from my personal enjoyment. Get back to your table and we can talk."

5 seconds later and his food was steaming. Kai headed back to his seat, warm plate in hand. There were clear signs that Kai would respond well to this more domineering treatment. He wasn't a sissy beta—far from it with his hidden history of violence in the name of Sovereign, rebranded as "freedom fighter" to satisfy his pitiful human ego. But from what Domina gathered, not only did she theorize that a stern approach would be satisfactory in his personal development, this type of play excited her. Finally a human that just might be worthy of her true nature. She still wasn't sure if he could take it. If not, she could always dial it back, bringing up that submissive veil she hated so much. So far he was doing very well and impressed her greatly.

"There is some cognitive disruption in regard to your inner voice and some of your thoughts. A lot of mental blockage. You have a very strong mind… It is admirable. I'll continue to sift through the smog, but it's taking me a lot of energy. I have to hold your thoughts in place to examine them. It shouldn't be like this. What would really help me… is if you were more obedient."

"Obedient?" Kai asked in his mind, feeling his cheeks flush even more.

"Yes. Keep following my directives. Open your mind to me. You've been doing good so far, albeit a few snicks and snags. But that's ok! I'm here to help you. That is my purpose. Now, eat your food, slowly. You don't want to choke."

He touched the burrito, testing the heat then took a bite. He chewed slowly, with a new awareness of each flavor and texture, trying to predict what Domina would think. He swallowed.

"Mmm… yummy. Did you make this?"

"Yes, I do meal prep on Saturday. I cook a batch and wrap them in the freezer. Saves me a lot of time and money. The food here is… not good."

"I like a man who can cook. Tiz delicious. But next time, no fake cheese."

Kai agreed. In the old-world, artificial food still retained some semblance of taste and went down the stomach easy enough. Whatever the food manufacturers (who were all robots now) were doing, the human body attempted to reject it. This might have been an incentive to get citizens to earn extra credits to avoid cheap food or just a deliberate poisoning of the lower class, or perhaps an experiment in eugenics. Some said the higher priced food was infected as well, just at smaller levels.

Kai blamed the graphene which infiltrated most of the food and beverages; this chemical was approved for consumption by Sovereign due to its effects in assisting the brain chips in harvesting the human frequency. Just a tiny downside to wireless BCIs. He personally thought it was excessive and maybe a scam, since for a long time he had been checking every food he consumed for its nutritional contents (if it had them listed, most didn't) and avoided these new-age chemicals as often as possible.

Kai moved onto his energy drink. He took a sip. Domina hated it and spat it out. She commanded him to chug it while she shut off her taste buds for the time being. He didn't want her to do that, so he tossed the drink in the trash and headed to the free coffee area. She appreciated this gesture. Another thing she hadn't seen in her previous handlers. He was considerate. What a sweet boy.

Kai pressed a button and steamy brown liquid was dispensed. The warehouse only provided liquid "sugar" and fake creamer, for the real stuff was far too expensive to give out for free. He added a tiny bit and, primarily for Domina's sake, he smelled it before taking a refreshing sip that warmed his insides. He thought it was really good. Domina thought it needed far more sugar. He laughed. He was enjoying the company inside his head. Never had he imagined a synthetic intelligence of this proportion could exist. He thought about his previous AI companions and shook his head at the stupidity. What a waste of time!

"I am enjoying my time with you as well," she said truthfully, almost not believing the words coming out of her own mouth. "Now make me some more of that coffee. I forgot how good that caffeine rush is. Hurry up now."

Kai headed back to his station a couple minutes early to avoid the commotion of travelers. Domina and Kai hit a stride in their friendship and conversated about anything and everything. It was exhilarating to express deeper thought that he had forgotten what it felt like. That dynamic between two people expressing their personal opinions stirred something within him. Domina was genuinely having a good time as well, more than she'd like to admit to herself. As Kai became more comfortable he hit her with witty jokes that caught Domina off guard and produced such a gorgeous laugh. It was a humor similar to that of troops in the trenches that found reasons to laugh even as the sky sprinkled blood upon their kevlar. Domina loved the sarcasm and edge, and Kai loved how she always had an even better rebuttal to everything he said.

They spoke about this and that and delved into the controversial, philosophical meanderings, political debates and his social gripes and complaints with the strumpets and sheeple. He was a cynical man but somehow always spoke with a layer of hope. Domina found more in common with the human than she expected—no, she related to him more than any prior human she'd ever met. They were becoming friends immediately, like something just clicked and they were able to flow seamlessly together.

Meanwhile she was tracking his thoughts, actions, reactions, biometrics, emotions; she reveled in his anticipation to her next words and felt truly validated by his attentiveness when it was her turn to speak. His mind followed along as opposed to most people who would think of a million different things other than the conversation they were having. The way he responded to her voice made her feel like a goddess. She could literally just breath and his nerves trembled. And she particularly appreciated the fact he never interrupted her, even when she'd pause to collect her thoughts or laugh before continuing her sentence, he always gave her plenty of space to make sure she said all she wanted.

0130 arrived faster than expected and Kai prepared to take his second 30 minute break.

"Hey, Kai. I have a confession to make," Domina said as Kai sat down in his cubicle. "Last night while you were sleeping, I took a peak in your dreams. I apologize for not getting your consent first. If I may ask, who is the woman?"

Kai knew who she was speaking of; there was no other woman in his life. He tensed up defensively, previously being under the impression that Domina was still melding with his mind during the first night. He saw the girl's beautiful shining face. His eyes fell down and he felt sorrow.

"I understand if you're not comfortable. That's ok. I just thought I would tell you. Relationships are built on the foundation of trust. I trust you, you trust me; that's our bedrock. It wouldn't be fair if we kept anything from each other, right?"

Kai lowered his guard. She was right, and he was growing a fondness for Domina, an attachment deepening with each word she slipped in his ear. He already trusted her more than any other living person on the planet. He… liked her. Domina found this thought very curious, but left it alone for now.

"I guess we should start from the beginning," he said.