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			DAMSELS UNDER GLASS: THE SERIES
			A Bug's Tale (Charlie's Story) ———————————————— by Van & Courier  ©2000
			Chapter 18

Charlie hurried down the passageway, her attention unevenly divided between the PalmCom in her hand and her physical surroundings.  As soon as she was out of Kat's sight Charlie (ever the cyberGeek) had reprogrammed the handheld computer to provide audio cues only to guide her towards Teri.  The screen (and most of the PalmCom's computing power) was busy scrambling to satisfy Charlie's insatiable curiosity concerning the workings of "Reverend Mother Peale's Masterpiece".

"Eve, this Peale chick was a freakin' genius," Charlie muttered as she paced along.  "Elliptical gears and cams, the staggered arrangement of the gear teeth... she invented strange attractors and she didn't even know what a zero was!  No wait... is it just long period pseudo-random?  No... I'd have to run a simulation but..."

"The device is chaotic," Eve confirmed.  "The angle, speed, and oscillatory behavior of the main wheel as well as intervals of activity and inactivity cannot be modeled in closed form."

"I knew it!" Charlie squealed with glee.  "Genius!  I would have loved to have met her.  I wonder how long it took her to—"

"Charlie," Eve intoned, "I suggest you consider the big picture.  You would not have enjoyed meeting the Reverend Mother Embeth Peale."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Charlie said with a giggle.  "A wise-ass like me?  It would've been a matter of minutes before she would have had me burned at the stake—oops!"  Her eyes glued to the PalmCom's tiny screen, Charlie had almost collided with the door to her destination.  "Uh... you have the key, Eve?" she asked.

"The door's not locked, Charlie," Eve intoned.

"Oh..." Charlie grunted, grinning sheepishly.  She took a deep breath and pulled the door open.  "Oh... my... God! " Charlie squealed, shivering with glee.  "It's... it's even better than I expected, it's..."  Charlie stared at the spectacle before her, mesmerized.

Teri was reclined on a wooden frame, flat on her back, arms outstretched, knees spread, and legs raised.  She was held in this position by stock-like, wooden clamps around her ankles, wrists, and neck.  Further, rope was wound around the frame and her body, lashing the archeologist's limbs and torso to the point of near immobility.  Finally, she was gagged, with a wide, tight strip of silver duct tape.

"Embeth's Wheel" was between Teri's legs, a large, mostly wooden machine of innumerable interlocking gears, chain drives, and weighted, balanced lever arms.  Closest to the helpless Teri ( touching her, in fact) was a wheel festooned with alternating long and short tufts of feathers.  It was slowly spinning, dragging the long feathers across Teri's pubic region, lightly brushing her swollen, glistening labia with the short feathers.  In addition, the wheel wobbled, drifted from side to side, moved in a little closer, then pulled back, then moved in closer again, and its speed of rotation varied, and—

"M'mmpfh!"

And there was a complicated set of counterweights rising and falling, and trains of leather belts were attached to several drive shafts, and a water clock dripped and—

"M'mmpfh!"

"Oh, sorry Ter," Charlie mumbled.  "It really is an amazing machine, isn't it?  Notice how the—"

"M'MMPGH!!"  Teri struggled for all she was worth, actually causing the wooden frame holding her captive to rock slightly.

"Sorr— eee!" Charlie said, rushed to her friend, and began peeling back the prisoner's tape gag.  "We've been rescued, by the way," she explained, "in case you haven't figured it out.  Margo sent her personal bodyguard—she's named Kat—and Janet got shot, but she's okay, and—"

The instant the peeling tape allowed, Teri expelled the foam ball in her mouth, actually spitting it several feet.  "Turn it off!  Turn it off!  Turn it off!" she begged.

Charlie examined the machine.  "Let's see now," she mused.  "The main clutch must be... someplace over there.  How many times have you cum?"

"Huh?—ooh! Charlie!   Turn it off—ahhh!"  Sweating and blushing, struggling in her inescapable bonds, Teri was obviously approaching climax.  "Three... Three times.  Please Charlie!  Turn it... Ahhhh... Turn it... Oh... Okay... Okay...  Leave it... Leave it on!  Leave it ooooon!"

Charlie watched as her friend shuddered under the caress of Embeth's Wheel, bucked against her bonds... then collapsed in their inescapable embrace.

"Wow!" Charlie said.  "That was a good one... a little quick maybe."  Embeth's Wheel continued turning; continued its feathery, teasing touch.  "Does that make four, or were you counting that one when you said 'three'?"

"Charlie...  No math...  Just turn it off!" Teri gasped, flushed, panting, and exhausted, sweat beading on her brow and breasts.  "Please," she begged.

"Oh, all right," Charlie sighed.  "I'll turn it off if you're going to be a baby about it."  Charlie turned towards the machine, but before her hand had even begun to move, the feathered wheel retreated several inches and slowly spun to a halt.  The rest of the machine continued spinning, turning, and grinding.  "Oh... I guess I don't have too turn it off after all," Charlie observed with a grin.

"It's... it's only resting," Teri gasped, still recovering.  "It does that... turn itself on and off.  It's like it... it has a mind of its own, evil thing!"

"Oh, I see," Charlie said, grinning and nodding sagely.  She then turned and gazed down at her friend.  "Victoria really trussed you up good, didn't she?"

"What... what about Victoria... and Drake?" Teri asked.

"They're both trussed up themselves at the moment," Charlie said, then struck a pose.  "Look at my outfit," she gushed.  "Isn't it cool?  Now that we're rescued, you'll get to wear one too.  Kat has a whole duffle bag full of these catsuit things in various sizes and colors.  Blue for you, don't you think?"

Teri flexed in her bonds.  "Uh... Charlie?"

"What?" Charlie demanded.  "Since when do you not like blue?  You look good in blue."

"I think she wants you to get on with the rescue, Bug," a husky, amused voice announced from the doorway.

Charlie turned (and Teri craned her clamp imprisoned neck) and they found Kat (Teri surmised it was Kat) standing in the doorway.  Close behind the catsuited bodyguard were Jessie and Delores, nude, bound, and gagged.

Kat entered the chamber and stepped to the side.  Her bound captives followed, encumbered by their short hobbles.

"Kat!" Charlie protested, "you were supposed to rescue them, not tie them up!"

"Them?" Teri demanded, "what about me?"

"I didn't tie you up," Charlie observed with a smug grin.  "I just haven't un-tied you."

"Oh!" Teri complained, twisting and struggling in her bonds in frustration.  "You little—"

Charlie ignored her college chum and hurried towards Jessie and Delores.  She put her arms around the bound and gagged Jessie, hugging the helpless teenager.  "You okay?" she asked anxiously.  Jessie nodded her gagged head, her blue eyes smiling.  Charlie examined Jessie's gag, biting her lower lip in concentration.  "Dermafoam," she sighed, then, seeing Jessie's confusion, explained.  "Dermafoam tape fuses into one solid mass.  I'll have to—"

Kat stepped forward and slapped a folded knife into Charlie's hand, then whispered something in her fellow TESSERACT employee's ear.  Charlie listened carefully... then grinned, opened the blade of the knife, stepped behind Delores, lifted the bound maid's raven curls, carefully sliced through Delores' dermafoam gag, and pulled the sticky strip from the Latina's lips.  Jessie watched in a bit of a daze, twisting her wrists and thumbs in their rope bonds.  "Say ah!" Charlie said, and helped Delores expel the rubber bladder stuffed in her mouth.

"Gracias," Delores gasped.

"De nada," Charlie said.  "You were very brave, letting Drake catch you so Jessie and I could get away," she said quietly.  "Thank you."  The petite rescuer then stood on her toes and kissed Delores' lips.

The bound maid was actually embarrassed.  "You... you are welcome, Señorita," she stammered, blushing prettily.

"Here, let me get you untied," Charlie offered, and started fumbling with Delores' wrist bonds.

"Hey!" Teri protested.  "Hey!   What about me?  Helpless old friend here!"

Charlie smiled at Kat (who for once, smiled back)!  "Cool yer jets, Ter," Charlie called over her shoulder.  "Delores is a hero!"

"Well," Kat purred, "I'm going to call Seattle and make a few arrangements.  I'll be seeing you ladies later.  Nice meeting you, Doctor Fournelle," she called to the helpless archeologist, then spun on her heel and was out the door.

"Uh—sure, uh—Were we introduced?  Hey wait!" Teri called.  "Why can't you untie me?"  It was too late.  Kat was gone.  "Oh!" Teri complained, tugging on her bonds.  "Charlieeee!"

Charlie had finished untying Delores' upper body and had knelt to untie her hobble.  "She was selfish like that in school too," Charlie explained to the grinning maid.  "It was always me, me, me!  'No you can't borrow my sweater'!  'That's my lip gloss'!"

"Oh—you liar!   Teri complained.  "As if a munchkin like you could even fit into any of my things.  Oooh!"  Teri pulled on her bonds in frustration.  "Just you wait, Little Bit.  When I get free I'm gonna... uh oh!"  The feathered wheel of the Reverend Mother's machine shuddered, then slowly began to spin.  "Charlieeee?" Teri whined piteously.

"Oh... poor Ter," Charlie sighed, then turned back to Delores.  "There, all free," she observed, placing the rope of the former hobble in Delores' hand.  Charlie then turned to Jessie.  "She looks a little sunburned, doesn't she?" she remarked to Delores.

"A little," the grinning maid confirmed.  "I have some lotion up in the Lodge I should perhaps rub on the Señorita, no?"

Charlie reached up and straightened Jessie's hair.  "Rub on the Señorita, sí!" the smiling pixie agreed.

Jessie's eyes darted from Charlie to Delores, noting with concern that the maid was tying a slip knot in the rope in her hands.

Embeth's Wheel picked up speed, and the tips of the long feathers began to delicately flail Teri's sex.  "Charlie, you rat fink!  Help me!" the frustrated archeologist begged, cringing in her bonds.

"Be right with you, Ter," Charlie answered.  "Don't go anywhere."

Delores dropped the loop over Jessie's head and tightened the slip knot.  "Señorita Kat has asked me to insure Miss Jessie will be, how you say, indisposed?"  Charlie nodded.  "—indisposed," Delores continued, "for a few hours, until things are... arranged."

Charlie smiled and placed her hand beside Jessie's gagged cheek.  "Victoria and Drake will be going away, for a while... probably a very long while," she said.  "You are the new mistress of Copperhead Lodge, Jessie."

Jessie looked stunned, then she mewed through her gag and twisted in her bonds.

"It's best this way," Charlie sighed.  "You'll have a say in what happens to your cousin and Drake later, after things have developed a little more, but for now, it's not your responsibility... or your burden."

Jessie stamped one hobbled, bare foot and complained through her gag.

Delores leaned close and kissed Jessie's forehead.  "She does not deserve your compassion, Little Fox," the maid whispered.  "Señora Vic would have been very cruel to you... and more.  They tell me she will be punished, but no harm will come to her... and I believe them."

Jessie looked from Delores to Charlie, then sighed and slowly nodded her gagged head.

"Good girl," Charlie said with a dimpled grin.

"Come, Little Fox," Delores said, pulling on Jessie's rope leash.  "I think you share my bed tonight... 'Mistress of Copperhead Lodge'."

Jessie's eye grew wide for a moment as she studied her new captor, then she cocked her head coyly to the side and gave a theatrical, exaggerated sigh.  Charlie grinned and waved as Delores led the mock resisting Jessie from the chamber.  "Bye, you two," she called.  "Don't do anything I wouldn't...  Uh... Never mind."  She then turned to face Teri and Embeth's Wheel, and sauntered to her friend's side.

Teri was staring up at the ceiling, biting her lower lip in concentration, grimacing slightly as the feathers stroked the most intimate region of her body.  "Charlie?" she gasped.

"You called me a 'rat fink'," Charlie accused, hands on her petite hips.

"That's 'cause you are one," Teri snapped.  "Rat fink, rat fink, rat fink!"

Charlie smiled coyly.  "Well, if you're going to be that way..."

Teri locked eyes with her diminutive friend.  "Please Charlie...  I'm tired...  and I promise: no unspeakable revenge."

"Not even a little unspeakable revenge?" Charlie complained.

"Pleeease?" Teri whined, biting her lip in a coy pout.

"Poor Ter," Charlie whispered, then leaned down and threw a small lever on the side of the Reverend Mother's machine.  The wheel immediately stopped spinning, retracted, and all the workings of the complex engine slowly ground to a halt.  Teri relaxed in her bonds as Charlie untied the rope lashing the panting archeologist to the frame, then released all the clamps, one by one.  Charlie helped her naked, exhausted pal climb off the frame, then the two friends hugged each other close in a tight embrace.

"I was so scared," Teri whispered after several seconds.

"I know," Charlie said.  "I was too... and the worst part was I couldn't tell you I'd been able to send a message... that help was on the way... that there was hope."

"I thought we were... that we'd never..."  Teri held her tiny rescuer close, tears streaming down her face.

After several long seconds, the friends pulled apart, then laughed.  Both were crying.  "Let's get out of here and find you some food and a place to get some sleep," Charlie said, reaching up and wiping the tears from Teri's smiling face.

"And a shower," Teri added.  "I could really use a hot shower."

"I wasn't gonna mention it, but you are a little ripe, Ter," Charlie said, delicately wrinkling her button nose, "stinky, in fact."

Teri gasped in mock outrage.  "You'd be 'stinky' too if you'd been... Oh, come on, Rat Fink."  Teri put her arm around Charlie's shoulders and they started towards the door.

"Don't call me Rat Fink... Stinky ," Charlie complained.

"Rat Fink!" Teri said with a laugh.

"Stinky!" Charlie responded.

"Rat Fink!"

"Stinky!"

The exchange continued as the friends ambled down the passageway.  Back in the chamber, Embeth's Wheel remained frozen in mid-cycle, awaiting its next visitor with machine patience.

Victoria struggled weakly in her silken cocoon.  Escape was as impossible as ever.  She could barely even squirm in the tight shroud of spider silk.  Her most violent efforts caused the web suspending her in the dimly lit passage to shudder delicately, but nothing more.  It had been some hours since she had last seen one of the huge spiders that had placed her in her current predicament.  The spider venom that had been coursing through her veins seemed to have largely worn off, maybe, but the helpless redhead still felt somewhat odd... detached... like she was drugged... or in shock.

Victoria heard a curious whining noise, like an electrical motor; no, a series of electrical motors, and it was getting louder.  Then a strange apparition came into view around the bend of the corridor: a large, steel robot.  It had a rectangular body and four articulated legs, each of which terminated in a set of wide, rubber, caterpillar treads.  Two women were following the robot.  One had long, straight, dark hair, and was clad in a black catsuit.  The other had very short, dark hair, and was wearing a gray-green, pilot's coverall.  Victoria mewed through her silken gag, but was ignored.

"I don't see what you're complaining about," the short haired pilot said to the one in the catsuit.  "It's only a few days, and someone has to be here to make sure the Bug doesn't get herself re-kidnapped before things are sorted out at this end.  Besides, this place is a palace... the upstairs anyway."

"I'd just as soon get back now," the catsuited woman answered.  "You know I get nervous when Margo's on her own."

The robot came to a halt, its legs folded, and it settled onto its treads.  Victoria could now see that the robot's body was actually a flat, rectangular platform, and a large, metal, storage case was clamped on its back.  The redheaded captive mewed and struggled anew, and was still ignored.

"Margo's hardly 'on her own,'" the pilot said.  "Your staff can protect her for a few days, unless you've been delinquent in their training."

The case on the robot's back opened with a hiss and the pilot reached in and extacted a bundle of some sort.  The catsuited woman then reached inside and pulled out what looked to be a black steel helmet.

"Touché," the catsuit said, continuing the conversation.  "I still want to get back.  You owe me pints at O'Blarney's."

"I owe you pints?" the pilot laughed.  "More the other way around, Miss I Never Lose at Darts."  The pilot unrolled the bundle, revealing several coils of rope and a plastic bag full of thin, clear tubing and... things.  Victoria's eyes widened.  She could see that the bundle itself was a canvas body sheath, with leather straps.

The catsuit set down the helmet.  "My foot did not cross the line," she said.  "I never cross the line."

"You're a liar and cheat, Miss Katherine Mayfair," the pilot said with an exaggerated Irish brogue, a smile belying her hard words.

"You're a bit of the rogue yourself, Miss Lourdes O'No-Last-Name," the other said with a toothy grin.  She then (finally) directed her attention towards Victoria... and her grin turned decidedly feral.  "Eve really outdid herself this time," she purred.

"Remind me not to get on Eve's shit list," the pilot said quietly, with a grin of her own.

The catsuit pulled a blade from somewhere and stepped forward.  In a matter of seconds Victoria was sliced from the web, her cocoon, and its underlying lattice of silken bonds.  Then the band of silk securing her gag was severed.  Kneeling on the stone floor, naked, weak, and still festooned with extraneous silk threads and cords, Victoria pried the silk wad from her mouth and let it drop to the floor.  She looked up at her rescuers and worked her jaw, trying to speak.

The pilot reached into a thigh pocket and tossed Victoria a bottle of spring water.  The pale, freckled redhead popped the cap and rapidly drank half its contents, then set the bottle on the floor and licked her lips, nervously regarding the grim duo looming over her.  "Thank you," she said.  "There... there are spiders—"

"Shut up," the catsuit said coldly.  "You'll speak when spoken to.  My name's Kat."  She gestured at the pilot.  "And this is Lourdes.  But on the rare occasion you are not gagged and are given permission to speak, you will address us as 'Mistress'."

Victoria's eyes darted from the Kat to Lourdes.  Both women were very beautiful—and clearly —quite hostile.  The nude redhead nervously pulled the remaining silk strands from her body, then carefully nodded, prudently silent.

"Good," Kat purred.  "Here's what's going to happen.  We're going to bind you hand and foot, fit you with a couple of very cleverly designed catheters, then strap you into that sheath over there."

Lourdes pointed to the helmet.  "That goes on your head, of course," she explained.  "It has blinders, earphones, air lines, a gag with a feeding tube—the usual amenities."

"Once you're comfortably strapped inside your new home," Kat said, gesturing towards the packing case, "air, water, food, and sewer lines are attached; we seal the lid, this nasty gel expands and locks up solid—rock hard solid—and you're ready for transport and storage—longterm storage."

"You won't be alone," the pilot said.  "Your slut girlfriend is already in the box, waiting for you."

Victoria involuntarily eased herself back, and found her naked back hard against the silk shrouded stone wall of the passageway.  "Drake?" she croaked.  "Drake is—"

"I said shut up!" Kat barked, then stooped and picked up a coil of thin cotton rope.  "You will fight us, won't you?" she said with an evil, gloating grin.  "We'll be very disappointed if you don't fight us."

FIVE DAYS LATER
TESSERACT WORLD HEADQUARTERS
SEATTLE, USA
MAG-LEV STATION LINKING THE HQ CAMPUS TO SEATAC AIRPORT

---

The ultra-streamlined mag-lev car emerged from the concrete mouth of the tunnel, eased to a halt, and settled onto its rail, sending a hollow metallic clap echoing through the huge underground complex.  Seconds later, the doors hissed open and a synthesized voice announced the arrival of the airport shuttle.

Charlie emerged from the stylish, deco-revival interior.  She was dressed, businesslike, in a charcoal jacket and black skirt, dark hose, and medium heel black pumps.

A second later, she was joined by Jessie.  The redheaded teenager was clad in a similar fashion, only her jacket and skirt were a tweedy olive plaid.  She was obviously more than a little nervous, and awkward in her unaccustomed urban attire.  Charlie gave her young friend an encouraging smile, her hand a gentle squeeze.

Finally, Kat emerged, wearing her usual leather-spandex catsuit and boots, with the addition of a short, black, leather jacket.  The jacket softened the outfit, giving Kat the air of someone with expensive, mildly avant-garde tastes.  (Not coincidentally, it also effectively concealed the bodyguard's weapons harness.)  Kat also smiled at Jessie (with uncharacteristic warmth) and gestured across the terminal.

At the far end of the large, near empty concourse, a reception party of two was waiting: Margo, in an elegant black wool dress, and Elke, in one of her TESSERACT Health Club uniforms of tights and leotard.

Charlie squealed in delight, dropped Jessie's hand, and raced across the terminal, bounding directly into Elke's arms.  The pixie and Amazon shared a passionate kiss, and Charlie locked her legs around the blonde Health Club Director's waist, losing one of her pumps in the process.

Jessie swallowed, then, Kat at her side, demurely approached Margo and the still lip-locked Elke and Charlie.  The freckled teen smiled nervously at Margo Wells (the World Famous Margo Wells, the Richest Woman on the Planet Margo Wells), feeling very much out of her element.

"She won't bite you, kid," Kat whispered in the self-conscious teenager's ear.

"Kat," Margo scolded, "be good."  She then smiled warmly at Jessie and extended her right hand.  "I'm Margo Wells," she announced (unnecessarily).  "Welcome to TESSERACT Headquarters."

"Uh... thank you, ma'am," Jessie stammered, shaking the offered hand.

"Please feel at home, Jessie," Margo said.  "May I call you Jessie?"

"Yeah, sure ma'am," the slightly reassured teen answered.

"Margo, please," Margo said with a disarming grin.

"Okay, Margo," Jessie said with a grin of her own, more at ease.

Margo then turned to the still kissing Charlie and Elke, waited a few more seconds, then cleared her throat.  "Ahem."

Charlie came up for air, but still maintained her tight hold on Elke's shoulders, neck, and waist.  "Hi'ya Margo!" she said, beaming her megawatt dimpled smile.

"Hello Bug," Margo answered with a chuckle.  "You better let Elke go sometime soon.  I don't think she's getting enough oxygen."

Instantly contrite, Charlie released her arms and legs and dropped to her feet.  Standing in front of the statuesque Amazon, Charlie's upturned face barely came to Elke's breasts.  "Hi," Charlie said in a whisper.

Tears welling, Elke crushed the diminutive Charlie in a tight embrace.

Kat, standing at Margo's opposite shoulder, snorted in disgust.  "Oh please," she sighed.  "Get a room you two."

Elke, hugging Charlie and smiling brightly, mouthed a silent thank you to the glowering bodyguard.  Kat said nothing... but did nod, ever so slightly.

"Uh... now I think it's Charlie who could use the air," Margo observed.

Abashed, Elke released the petite center of attention, who did indeed gasp several deep breaths, then smiled again and turned to embrace Margo.

"Welcome home, Bug," Margo purred.  After several seconds she released her grinning employee and gestured towards the waiting executive elevator.  "Let's go up to my office," she suggested.  "We have a lot to talk about."

The group walked to the elevator and entered, the doors closed... and immediately reopened.  Charlie sprinted back to the site of the reunion, grabbed her missing shoe, and hurried back to the elevator, hopping on one foot until she succeeded in slipping back into the wayward pump.

"Oh, Charlie," Elke sighed as the doors closed again.