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		DAMSELS UNDER GLASS: THE SERIES
		Cuento De Sabrina (Brie's Story) ———————————————— by Courier © 2001
		Chapter 2

Brie wriggled inside the slowly hardening resin pinning her to the Katacomb wall.  Escape was impossible, but she had to try, even with her bizarrely costumed captor standing right in front of her.  I will not be the mouse, the Latina thought defiantly, then saw the knowing sadistic glint in Kat's green eyes as she watched her helpless prey struggle.  Okay... maybe I will be the mouse, Brie conceded.


"One of the major advantages of this suit," Kat explained, "aside from its aesthetic value, is that the surface is impervious to the webbing material." Kat formed her right hand into a spear and slid it trough the slowly hardening resin web covering Brie's chest. To the captive's amazement the web seemed to part before the glistening gloved hand. Brie felt Kat's fingers nimbly unbuttoning the middle three buttons on her blouse. Then the hand slipped inside the blouse and Brie could feel the outer surface of the suit for the first time. It was unnaturally slick. As the back of Kat's fingers stroked her breast Brie had to admit it was a really sensual feeling, like being caressed by gossamer silks. Kat's hand snuck into Brie's bra and slid over her hardening nipple. Brie couldn't contain a moan.

"I suppose the suit has other advantages apart from resisting the webbing, hmmm?" Kat teased.

Brie lowered her head, blushing.  "What is it like on the inside?" she mumbled.

"Oh... the inside is lined, believe me," Kat said, "otherwise I wouldn't be able to walk ten feet without..."  Kat paused, a feral smile curling her lip.  "What a delicious idea, chica," Kat purred.  "Maybe I'll have Eve whip up a unitard of this stuff for you... unlined, of course."  Kat stroked Brie's erect nipple, carefully using the slick sides and backs of her glossy, black hand.  Brie sucked in her breath... and shuddered, the sensation was amazing.  "Maybe I'll chain you to one of the treadmills in Margo's gym?"  Kat kneaded Brie's breast and the captive Latina writhed in her resin bonds, moaning again.  "Maybe set the machine to shock you..."  Kat pinched Brie's nipple. "...if you don't keep pace."  The prisoner gasped... and glared at her tormentor, her pouting beauty framed by the few tousled, raven curls that had escaped her tight bun.  "Should make for quite an entertaining workout,"  Kat continued.

The black clad bodyguard slid her hand slowly out of Brie's blouse and resin prison. "Maybe next time I'll have something like that to test," she mused, then reached down and plucked a small, black chit from her belt. She clicked an embedded switch and one edge began flashing red. Nodding,she again slid her hand into the resin webbing and Brie's bra.  "This is a transponder used to tag captives for later retrieval. In theory, either a second team or a security-bot would come by and pick you up after I was done with you. No one's coming for you, of course, but I wanted to give the tech a thorough test."  Kat settled the locator into Brie's bra, nestling it against her nipple. It was smooth and cool and pressed her still erect nipple flat.

 Brie squirmed in her hardening bonds.  "What are you..?"

Kat's hand shot up and the black clad bodyguard placed her index finger across Brie's lips.  "Shhh, quiet chica," she scolded.  "I don't want to hear another word, understand?" Kat held her gloved finger on the Latina's lips and used her other hand to retrieve another device from her belt. This device was simple and appeared rather low tech. It consisted of a small black puck of rubber with a black metal loop extending from one side. To Brie it didn't look particularly unpleasant.  "Open wide," Kat commanded. 

Oh, it's some kind of gag, Brie thought. For the briefest moment she considered resisting Kat. Of course she knew the chief of security could easily overcome her resistance, but Brie relished the thrill of being over powered.  Brie obediently opened her mouth wide. She might resist Naomi, forcing her friend to get creative in her gagging, but Kat was all hard efficiency. She'd just poke Brie in her mandible joint, force open her mouth and pop the thing in anyway. Not much fun in that, Brie thought.

Kat lifted the gag and carefully inserted it into her compliant victim's waiting mouth. She seated it behind Brie's teeth, and flicked a small switch on the loop. Just as Brie was thinking, this is rather too small to be effective, the gag began to swell.  It didn't expand uniformly, like a pump gag, and it wasn't hard. It was more like a soft jelly, flowing out to fill her mouth. The gel touched the top of her throat and Brie began to panic. What if it flowed down her throat? What if there's a problem with the design? These are all prototype devices!

Kat watched her captive's eyes widen and her body squirm. Gripped by fear Brie struggled with a renewed vigor while Kat coldly observed the lack of give in the web cocoon. But then the gag gel changed. It flowed away from Brie's throat and went to coat her teeth, holding them with an amazing grip. Kat pressed another control on the loop and the gel began to contract. It pulled Brie's teeth together tightly, with only a thin film of the gel seperating them. The Latina imagined she must look like all her teeth were painted back. Her teeth were held tightly together, but her jaw muscles were totally relaxed. It was like a bizarre dental retainer a child might wear.

"This was developed from new dental appliance technology, like the so called 'invisible smart braces,'" Kat explained. She seemed to be relishing describing the use and purpose of each of the devices she was testing on her unwilling guinea pig. "Chemically bonds with the tooth enamel and responds to electric current like a memory plastic. The final version will be clear or enamel white, but the black is easier for testing. There were some problems with the chemical bonds refusing to release, but they're mostly solved. I think... Otherwise you may be drinking through a straw for a while..."  Brie's mouth was suddenly very dry. "The loop is for easy attachment of a leash or for securing a captive to a bar.  It'll be retractible in the final version.  I believe the appliance is strong enough to lift a person by, but Margo turned down my request to test that with Jodi," Kat said, "Ah well.  Once it's perfected," Kat added with a smile, "Margo will have that 'public gag' she's been trying to perfect for so long."

Holding up her hand, Kat flexed her fingers, somehow causing five glistening, sharp, ebony claws to extend from the fingertips of the glove. She twirled her now lethal fingers before Brie's angelic face. The helpless Latina watched as if in a trance. "These are coated with the same material as the suit, so I can do this..." Kat said. With her off hand she pulled at the web and cloth covering Brie's left forearm, then used the claws of efficiently slice off a square of the fabric. When she released the sleeve, the goop at the edges of the new hole touched Brie's bare flesh, then retreated to form a hard border. Kat held up the goop impregnated swatch in her clawed hand then opened a belt pouch and stored the sample. With another flex of her hand, the claws resheathed themselves. "So many tests, so little time," Kat mused, "But then I guess I should save a few sample pouches for my other targets, hmm?"  On the list of bad things for the Inner Circle, being on Kat's target list was right up there next to making Margo angry.  (In fact, the later often led to the former.)  "What next?" Kat mused aloud.  Brie watched with mute, helpless trepidation as her captor took stock of her remaining toys, then made a selection.

Naomi jogged down the darkened corridor as fast as her strapless pumps would allow. She had made only a few turns since leaving Brie but she knew she was already lost. Steam pipes, fiber optics trays, plumbing fixtures, every passage looks like every other, Naomi cursed. She had taken a blind turn to avoid following Jodi (better to split up ), and was now outside of the limited area of the Katacombs with which she was familiar. Her experience in the tunnels was very limited compared to Brie's. Naomi was constantly amazed by how easily her Latina friend was able to navigate in the twisting, intersecting passageways. And, since Brie always accompanied Naomi when she ventured into the passages, she had followed more or less on autopilot.  But now Naomi was alone... and if she had decoded Jodi-the-Bunny's message correctly, a dangerous hunting Kat was on her trail!

Naomi paused in flight and leaned against a smooth concrete wall. She quickly lifted up her feet one by one and removed her shoes. They were only going to slow her down. Naomi was wearing a silk pants suit in dove gray with a black tie. The suit had a stylishly masculine cut, although no one seeing it on Naomi could possibly misidentify her gender. At least the pants are functional and the color is good camouflage for this place, she thought. In her white, stockinged feet she started off down the corridor towards what she hoped was an exit.

Right. Left. Haven't I seen that pump head before? Right again.  Oh, I hope Brie got away, Naomi worried. She knew they weren't in "real" danger, but Naomi was still a little inexperienced with the logic of Inner Circle games. She liked them—a lot—that she knew for sure, but she was still learning the where's and when's. For her more experienced Sisters of the Inner Circle there was a grace to their game playing. They seemed to know instinctively when and where such hyjinks were appropriate and who was interested. Naomi still tended to over-plan and over-prepare. She'd lay out her wilder exploits with her playmates ahead of time, something that Brie gave her no end of teasing for.

"Naomi, telling someone you are going to kidnap her sort of ruins the effect."

Still Naomi preferred the planning, but hoped that soon she'd be able to dream up an implement more exotic and spontaneous games. So far Naomi had mainly "played" with Brie. She's here this time too, Naomi thought, only this time she's probably running in the opposite direction!

Yes, Naomi loved the games of the Inner Circle and the women she got to play them with. For a group whose members spent most of their time planning to capture and "torment" each other, the women of the Inner Circle were amazingly loving and supportive. And they were all so different, yet the same at some level. Charlie was a hoot, bubbling with perkiness and energy.  Elke, solid and nurturing.  Anne... gorgeous smart Anne, as inexperienced as I am with most of this, Naomi mused, yet there was something about her, like Anne was a flower about to bloom... and Margo was... Well, Margo was Margo. And Jodi... Naomi had crossed paths with the mischievous aerobics instructor on a couple of occasions, and every time Jodi had managed to make something simple complicated. Maybe that was her "charm," but Naomi had the urge to swat her more often than embrace her. And now she's forced Brie and me into a game with Kat!

Up the ladder. Turn left.

Kat... Naomi worried. The bodyguard/security chief still gave Naomi the willies. Sure, Brie told her that Kat was really a sweetie and that her growl was worse that her bite, but to Naomi Kat was still the mysterious force that kidnapped her out of her own home and plopped her down into this "Wonderland." Perhaps it was that she had first encountered Kat in the "real world," but Naomi couldn't find a way to imagine Kat as "a sweetie."

Well, if Brie thinks she's a kitten underneath, let Brie play with her!

Down the steps and...

Naomi stopped at a double door with a green lighted bar across the top. Finally, an Exit! And it's clear!  Eve's housekeeping systems monitored the public sides of the exits constantly and illuminated the appropriate bar above the door: red for "no exit," too public; amber for "exit with caution;" and green for "all clear."

Naomi wanted nothing more than to push the door open and "escape" into the regular world of TESSERACT business. But she knew the rules. No Inner Circle member was allowed to exit the Katacombs where non-members could see them in an "inappropriate state." Naomi paused to catch her breath, looking at herself in the mirrored wall next to the door. She had worked up a slight sweat running through the corridors and she had a few dust marks on her suit. Still, she was presentable enough.

With a sigh of relief Naomi pushed the bar on the door...  and nothing happened. Neither the bar nor the door budged a centimeter.  Naomi tapped the touch screen next to the door to get the AI system's attention.  "Eve?" Naomi asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"No," came the immediate reply.

Was it Naomi imagination, or was the voice subtly different?  "Well then open the door," Naomi said.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Curtis, I'm afraid I can't do that." Now there was no doubt. Eve's careful precise voice had been replaced by something lighter, more... Playful?

"Eve, you sound a little weird", Naomi said, "You are Eve, right?"

"Of course I am, Silly Goose," the disembodied voice replied. "If I weren't, that would make you trapped in an endless maze of corridors over which some unknown, possibly sadistic force exercised complete control. Think of the possibilities!  It would control the temperature, the humidity, the really nasty automated defenses, the legions of armed robots. Why, you'd really be in trouble if that were the case, wouldn't you?"

"Er..." Naomi murmured. 

"Well wouldn't you?" the voice urged in a slightly threatening tone.

"Yes!" Naomi added hastily.

"Well then... of course I'm Eve," the voice replied, returning to its former, playful manner.

"Uh... okay," Naomi said, not entirely reassured. "Then can you unlock the door for me?" It was worth a shot.

"Noooo..." The voice drew the word out with exquisite joy.

"W-Why not?" Naomi faltered.

"Rules of the game, my lovely blonde plaything." The voice was sweet, almost sing song. "When security protocols are invoked I run the Katacombs. And my dear Kat has invoked those protocols for the duration of her equipment testing.  Kat's game!  Kat's rules!  No escape!  Sorry!"

This strange version of Eve sounded anything but sorry.  "I don't get out?" Naomi asked. It wasn't the deepest question she could have asked, but it was all she could come up with. Like everyone else at TESSERACT she took the Eve system for granted. It was omnipresent, but never intrusive. It was there when you needed data, but was invisible otherwise. It was not playful!

"Well," The voice feigned pondering, "I suppose you don't. But I'm sure Kat will be along to collect you soon... unless you'd like to make a deal?"

In her years as a reporter and a business woman Naomi had developed a sixth sense for when she had to deal. Whatever this faux-Eve was, it ... she... controlled Naomi's only avenue of escape. Her reporting years had also turned Naomi into something of a gambler.  In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought.

"Okay, what's the deal?" She asked.

"I don't see why Kat should be the only one playing games today. I want to play one too," the voice sounded almost petulant. "You and I will play a little treasure hunt game. I'll give you directions to locations in the tunnels and you have to get there as fast as you can. If you make it in time, I'll give you a hint as to how to escape. If you don't... you'll have to pay a penalty. Sound like a lark?"

"Penalty?" Naomi asked, "What kind of— "

"If I told you it would ruin the fun!" the voice snapped.

It's better than just wandering around lost and waiting for Kat, Naomi decided.

"Okay, deal," she said.

"Good," the voice cooed. "Now I've checked your physical profile and I set the timer so that you should be able to make it... if you don't take too many wrong turns... and if I'm not cheating."

Naomi considered complaining, but that would just give Kat more time to catch up with her. "I trust you," she said grudgingly. No reason to make the playful AI angry, she thought.

"Aww... that's sweet!" Faux-Eve cooed.  "You trust me?  How naive—I mean nice!  Okay... ready, set," the voice said, "...right, left, left, down, right, left. You have two minutes. Go!"

"Right, left, left, down, right, left", Naomi chanted under her breath as she sprinted down the corridor to the right.

"I call this little toy a Stinger ," Kat purred, pulling another device from her belt. "You may recognize the technology involved," Kat explained to her helpless captive. The presented object was a short black cylinder that forked into two tines at the end. The tip of each tine bristled with the tiny glasslike beads of Charlie's TIKLER Technology.  As Kat depressed a small stud on the rod the beads sprang to colorful life, a kaleidoscope of glimmering colors. "Of course the usual recreational version synchronizes harmonic resonances, or some such techie nonsense.  I'll have to remember to torture a full explanation out of Charlie some time.  Anyway, this one, on the other hand, does exactly the opposite. Instead of stimulating a specific sensation, this little beauty stimulates almost all sensations."

Brie watched her captor anxiously. Being nervous around Kat was perfectly natural, but Kat with a new "toy" was really worrisome. Brie had played with some of the earlier TIKLER toys with Naomi and knew they packed a heck of a punch, but all those had been "synchronized," playful, pleasure giving devices...

"I can see all this exposition is putting you to sleep, and I wouldn't want you to miss any of this," Kat purred, "so how about a little Level Two demonstration?" She locked eyes with the pinioned Latina and adjusted a small dial on the rod. The intensity of the lights decreased very slightly. Kat held the rod up for Brie to contemplate... then moved it slowly and inexorably towards the bare spot on Brie's forearm.

The tines lightly brushed the inside of the helpless woman's arm and her whole body reacted, jerking against her captivity. No sounds escaped her clenched teeth. In fact, from the instant of the contact she couldn't even manage a gasp. The sensation was... overwhelming. It tickled and itched and was hot and cold and like she was being stroked and shocked and it tingled and felt like the worst "pins and needles" experience of her life. It wasn't painful, not at all, but it was "stunning." Brie had experience with extreme sensations, long tickling games and extended bouts of orgasm denial with Inner Circle Sisters came right to mind, but those sensations were spread out over minutes and hours. This was like all those feelings compressed into a single instant. There and gone.

Brie realized her eyes weren't focusing properly, and she blinked furiously, trying hard to clear her vision. Her first sight was of her interested captor, one dark eyebrow raised in question.

"Interesting, hmm?" Kat playfully inquired. "That was the word the R&D girl used to describe it... one of the words." Using her off hand Kat reached out and stroked the spot she had "stung." Brie turned her head and looked at the effected spot. There was hardly a mark. A slight blush, but that could be from her generally elevated heart rate and respiration, Brie figured.  Kat's expression became thoughtful.  "I did let that cute little R&D thing go... my last test subject... didn't I?  I hate to think of her naked and alone... gagged... strapped to that steel table in that darkened sealed lab, hour after hour after hour.  She has black hair, like yours," Kat confided to her current victim, "and fair skin with freckles, the cutest dimples, button nose, blue eyes... cornflower , actually."  Brie continued blinking.  "I'll have to check," Kat said wistfully, "...if I don't forget."  The shining, black-clad bodyguard smiled and shrugged.  "No matter.  Someone will find her..."

Kat's hand trailed up the Latina's arm, over the hardening foam and up to Brie's chin, turning her head to face her captor's. Kat's face was mere inches away. Brie could smell the plastic tang of the shining bodysuit, could smell the polycarbons outgassing from the foam, and could just detect the slightest scent of lavender coming from her captor.

"I really have to get back to hunting," Kat said, still holding Brie's chin in place, "But once I've rounded up Jodi and Naomi I'll be back for you. You'll be interested to learn that the Stinger has a very different effect depending on the local density of nerve endings. The more, the merrier." Kat's smile made Brie feel like lunch for a tigress who hadn't eaten in a week. "And we haven't had a chance to see how much of a resistance a 'target' can build up. Up for a little R&D, Sanchez? A little B&D R&D?" Kat smirked at her own joke.

Brie tried to shake her head, but the grip of Kat's hand was inescapable. Brie knew that Eve (and by extension Margo) wouldn't allow Kat to do anything to her beyond her limits, but Kat had a way of pushing limits to the edge. Brie shivered in her partial cocoon, not sure if she should be more scared or excited.

"Back to the hunt," Kat said. She holstered the Stinger and pulled a smaller cylinder from her bandoleer. This one was about 5 inches long and an inch in diameter. One end was color coded with a bright, neon green band, and there was a small plate raised off one side. Kat flicked open the tip of the cylinder revealing a pale, glowing , green button.

"This is another toy I'm testing." Kat explained, "It's a grenade." Brie's eyes widened in shock. "A non-explosive grenade..." Brie breathed a quick sigh of relief through her nose. "...an gas grenade." Brie's relief was short lived. "I hear it's pretty nasty stuff," Kat continued her explanation, "...supposed to totally incapacitate a small group in close quarters. Leaves 'em squirming on the ground trying to scratch everywhere as once, but finding that even the slightest touch only makes the sensation worse. Fun to watch, no doubt. Can't imagine what it would be like if one itched... everywhere, but couldn't scratch... anywhere... Can you? Anyway, I took the counter agent this morning, myself." Kat pressed the button three times in quick succession and the grenade emitted an audible click. "Now, as long as the spoon isn't released," Kat indicated the strip plate running along the length of the grenade, "nothing happens."

Kat held the grenade back in her right hand and quickly tapped a stud on the gag in Brie's mouth. Instantly the material flowed off of Brie's teeth and back into it's original puck shape. In a moment the gag was pulled out and tossed aside. 

"Kat I..." was all Brie managed before the primed grenade was forced into her mouth like a bit. Kat smiled and pushed the rod tightly back between Brie's teeth, forcing her lips into an uncomfortable rictus.

"Now," Kat said, "Just hold onto that and I'll be back for you later."  She reached out and gave the side of Brie's clenched chin an affectionate stroke with the back of her slick, black glove.  Brie shuddered and mewed through her potentially violently eruptive gag, straining to maintain her grip and ignore Kat's sensual, teasing touch.  "...possibly quite a bit later, I'm afraid," Kat continued, ammending her previous remark.

Kat checked her equipment and trotted quickly off down the dim corridor.