The Camera, Part 2 (Patreon)

Natalie Divine, Director of Special Projects, A.T.I.S.

I wonder what Jared would think if he had any notion of what I have in store. Of course, I had to maintain the illusion that my interest in his work was entirely professional. But as I watched the device's turret slowly zero in on her face, I felt my skin begin to heat up. The look on her lovely face, as she waits patiently for instructions, oblivious to the fact that she will soon be mine for good. You see, my interest in Molly goes well beyond merely testing the device. That's merely a side dish. The main course will be bending her mind into whatever shape I choose, transforming her into the ideal that I've dreamed of for months.

I first spotted Molly in an ad for scotch whiskey in a fashion magazine. Something about her eyes and the way her hair framed her face captivated me. I'm a little ashamed to admit that I have developed a bit of a crush, maybe one could even call it an obsession. I've seen every picture that has ever been taken of Molly, whether professionally or just on her Facebook page. Molly began to hold a starring role in much of my fantasy life after that. This is the perfect opportunity to bring my fantasies to life. Physically, she is already perfect for me, and soon her personality will be adjusted to conform to my...particular tastes.

There were quite a few actual cameras in the room, as well as one I had set up in the closet we were using as a changing room. I fully intended to make good use of all the footage we were getting. As far as Jared knows, the cameras are there so that I can present my successful test of the device to the board, and perhaps later to the stockholders. In truth, I want to be able to re-live the moments when I finally make Molly mine. Watching Jared's every move and learning how to operate the device without his assistance would be the icing on the cake. Soon, I would be ready to cast him aside, or perhaps drop him in front of his precious machine for a little taste of his own medicine.

The first item on Jared's drop-down menu of pre-set programs is a simple insurance policy. Molly is certain to have a few doubts about this set-up by now. I'm sure the notion of a mind-control device hasn't penetrated her thoughts yet, but the various oddities of this situation would make even the dimmest person suspicious. Luckily, if the first program operates successfully, none of those oddities need trouble Molly's little head any longer. I glanced back at the laptop.

Running perceptionmodification/normality.exe

Molly Brannon, Professional Model

It was really starting to get awkward. I stood frozen in my neutral position, waiting for the instructions I normally got at this point. I mean, usually I would be all dressed and done up at this point, and someone would be giving me different poses to do or telling me to tilt my head a quarter of an inch this way or that. I was really beginning to wonder if Natalie and her little minion were being completely straight with me. After all, if they wanted to test a 3-D camera, wouldn't they want me to do something a little more dynamic? Maybe a gymnast of martial artist would make more sense. I didn't want to interrupt, since whatever was happening on the screen seemed to have both of them enthralled. Most of my clients loathed having me interrupt a shot to ask a question, or even to shift position slightly.

I was just about to lose patience and ask what was supposed to be happening when I saw the soft, pink glow of the camera lens suddenly flare to life. Not only did it become brighter, the glow seemed to take on a strangely psychedelic quality. Blues and greens and purples swam in my vision, and short burst of steam erupted from one of the machines. I opened my mouth and raised my hand to ask what the hell that was all about, but then I lost my train of thought.

As I stood there, I realized that I had really been working myself into a near panic attack ever since I had set foot in this building, as though I might have to break and run away at any second. It was as though a vague sense of foreboding was stalking me, just below the threshold of consciousness. What was I getting so worked up about? There really wasn't anything odd or unusual about this at all. All the sudden that weird, creeping anxiety dropped away, and I was left in a world of...normality. Everything was so mundane, dull, boring, not worth making a big deal about. I glanced around at myself, at the blank white walls of the room, at Natalie and Jared and all their equipment. No matter how I looked at it, there just wasn't anything weird about any of it. I took a deep breath, and I felt my shoulders loosen. Sure, Jared seemed like a creep, and Natalie was a little overbearing, but they were really no worse than my usual clients.  The camera was a little funny-looking, but they had said that it was new technology that they had just finished developing, so I had to expect that. I really just needed to relax.

“Everything alright, Miss Brannon?” asked Natalie, her voice full of phony concern.

“Yeah, why?” I asked.

“Nothing. Would you mind changing your stance a bit? Could you stand in profile?”

I turned and looked toward the blank wall of the tiny room, showing the camera my left side. “Like this?”

“Yes, just like that. And could you pull on your ears?”

I wasn't sure what she meant by that. “Beg pardon?”

“Just pinch your ears and stretch them out.” she explained.

I did as she requested, pulled on my ears until they looked like bat ears. “Like this?”

“Very good. And could you stick your tongue out please?”

I did as instructed. I wasn't clear on what this had to do with testing the camera, but I'm no engineer, and anyway, when I really thought about it, it seemed like a normal request.

“Goood.” said Natalie, drawing out the syllable a little more than necessary. “Could you wag your butt back and forth a little, please?”

“Ma'am!” hissed Jared, in what he probably thought was a whisper. He seemed bothered by something. Maybe I would find out about it after I was done shaking my butt.

Dr. Jared Fitzroy- Neurostimulation Specialist, A.T.I.S.

Stupid horny bitch! The damn thing is only operating at 10% capacity right now! The perceptual modification I had just beamed into this broad's neocortex was just a light touch, only a minor modification to her usual thought patterns. Natalie just can't control herself with so much power at her disposal. Granted, I was definitely chubbing up at the sight of the subject shaking her rump with her ears and tongue out, all with a look of completely bored indifference on her face. Maybe 10% power is enough, or maybe this sort of request wasn't as far outside the normal modeling wheelhouse as I would have imagined. All I had done so far was to paint the concept of “normal” across literally everything the subject perceived or thought about. I had been worried that she would object, or even flee the room, when Natalie started making really outlandish demands. Wants to control everybody, can't control herself. Classic. All the more reason to take her out of the picture for my future endeavors.

I reached under the bench and turned the power supply up to 20%, listening with professional satisfaction to the whir of the electric motor and the rush of the coolant in the hoses. Now that I was fairly certain that the subject wouldn't burst into flames, there was no sense doing things by half-measures. I called up the next program on the queue and began sending it into the subject's brain. Ostensibly, this phase was to test the beam's ability to affect the brain regardless of the subject's physical orientation, a must for the kind of fire-and-forget model I hoped to one day create. In truth, it was to satisfy my esteemed supervisor's not-so-secret weakness.

Running behaviormodification/thumbsucking.exe

Natalie Divine, Director of Special Projects, A.T.I.S.

I smiled as the colorful burst of light reflected off Molly's cheek as she continued to wag her ass for me. I had known that this would be a thrill, but I wasn't prepared for how intense the feeling of power would be. Even with just one little program, this device could completely alter a person's perception of reality. Imagine being able to make anyone believe that whatever is happening to them is perfectly normal! The applications are endless! This wasn't just some technological test. This was my ascension, my apotheosis! Poor Jared. Such a genius for technology and neuroscience, such a dullard when it comes to the calculus of power. He'll be in his proper place soon.

I watched as the hand that Molly had been using to stretch out her right ear released. With no sign of awareness, she popped her thumb into her mouth as though it were the most natural thing in the world. I allowed myself the pleasure of watching her indulge in a childish habit that most of us put away by the age of five. So cute.

Molly Brannon, Professional Model

“Miss Brannon, what are you doing?” asked Natalie. She didn't sound mad, just mildly curious. I wasn't sure what her problem was. After all, I was just doing what she'd told me to. I stopped shaking my butt and turned to ask her what she meant.

“Mmm-mm-hmm-hrr?” I asked, or I tried to. I looked down and noticed that I had my thumb in my mouth.

“Why are you sucking your thumb?” she asked. She sounded like a kindly-but-strict kindergarten teacher.

I popped the thumb out. I wasn't sure why I had been sucking on it. I don't usually do that. Do I? What if I do it all the time and just don't notice? God, how embarrassing.

“Um...dunno.” I said. Damn. I sounded thick as pigshit, even to myself. I could feel my cheeks redden.

“Well, stop that. It's a filthy habit.” she said. I nodded. I tried to relax my arm, but the second my attention was back on Natalie, the damn thing was aiming for my mouth again. Why was this happening, right now of all times?

“...sorry. Don't know why I was doing that.” I said. For some reason, I felt like there ought to be more to say, but it really didn't seem that way. I frowned for a second, but then dismissed the thought. I was just being silly. Looking around, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“I think we should try a change of wardrobe. Go ahead and get changed in that closet.” she said, pointing to a narrow door in the corner of the room opposite the entrance. “You'll find a set of numbered boxes. Go ahead and change into the outfit in the #1 box.”

I did as instructed. Sure enough, there were three boxes in the tiny room that had been set up as a make-shift changing area. It had a mirror and and a set of lights installed, as well as a small digital camera glued into one corner of the ceiling. I looked at it for a moment, wondering why it was there. I don't know why it grabbed my attention the way it did. It was perfectly normal.

Inside the box with the #1 on it, I found a classical over-the-shoulder black dress, with matching high-heeled shoes, long black gloves that reached past the elbow, and a string of white pearls. It was accompanied by a sheer bra and pantie set, which is normal. Avoiding panty lines is a must. I was annoyed by how often I had to pull my thumb out of my mouth while getting dressed, but it kept wandering back into my mouth without me consciously thinking about it. I wasn't clear on why that kept happening, but it felt normal, so I decided to ignore it. I emerged back into the testing room looking like an elegant socialite instead of a single woman enjoying her weekend.

“Very nice, but we're still having the thumb issue, dear. You don't want our shareholders thinking you're a little thumbsucker, do you?” said Natalie. Although her voice was disapproving, I noticed that the smile on her face was now warmer and more genuine. She seemed nicer, frankly, in spite of her condescending attitude. I plucked my thumb out, and very nearly wiped it on my dress before I caught myself.

“Oh! Sorry.” I said with a smile. I felt funny, but I wasn't sure why. At least Jared wasn't poking fun at me for sucking my thumb. He was too busy typing away at his keyboard. I took up position on the marked spot, and another burst of colors flashed across my vision. The hiss of steam was louder this time. I considered asking if there was something wrong, but after thinking about it a little, I was certain it was normal. Jared was fussing around with the equipment so much, he would certainly notice if something were amiss.

I returned my attention to my pose. I  notices that I was having difficulty returning to my usual relaxed position. My feet didn't seem to want to stay on the ground. There was a little bit of stress in my cheeks, and I realized it was because I was smiling. Not the vague Mona-Lisa smile I normally used, but a full-on grin. My legs twitched, and I just managed to catch my thumb trying to sneak its way back into my mouth.

“Is the something the matter, Miss Brannon?” asked Natalie.

I wasn't sure how to answer. Standing there, something stirred inside of me. Like nothing I had ever felt before, as though a dam had broken open, and let in a sea of warm honey and sunshine. I felt so...so...HAPPY! Like I could burst from sheer joy! Like very inch of me was made of music and jellybeans! The air felt warm and pleasant in the tiny room. Natalie seemed more welcoming and kind than she had a moment ago. Even Jared now seemed more like a funny little nerd than the creepy weirdo he had seemed like a moment ago.

Dr. Jared Fitzroy- Neurostimulation Specialist, A.T.I.S.

attitudemodifaction/moodup.exe...complete

I think I'm prepared to call the experiment with  mood alteration a resounding success. The subject looked like she had just heard of the death of some extremely wealthy and much-despised relative, and was struggling to appear somber despite her excitement. She was smiling, positively beaming, and seemed to be unable to stand still. Her feet and hands kept twitching, as though she were trying not to break into a dance. I wasn't completely clear on why Natalie had requested this one. It may be that she was trying to camouflage her actual desires among something clearly harmless. I would have to test my device's ability to lower mood at another time. Still, I could see the appeal of this setting. Natalie certainly seemed to be in a pleasant mood to match the subject's, although that's probably just mirror neurons at work. A smile can be genuinely infectious, or so I've heard.

Still, can't sit around appreciating my own genius all day. It was time to test one of the more sophisticated programs at my disposal. The dress Natalie had selected as the subject's first costume had a hidden purpose. It was well within the subject's normal tastes. It was sexy, but in a classy, subdued kind of way. What I needed to do was to test my device's ability to override the subject's normal aesthetic sensibilities in a precise, controlled way.

Running aestheticmodifaction/juvenile.exe

Natalie Divine, Director of Special Projects, A.T.I.S.

Aww, she is so damn adorable, grinning and fidgeting in front of the camera like a hyperactive toddler waiting for Mommy to take the picture. There's something so pleasing about seeing a beautiful woman who just can't keep a smile off her face. Oh, look, Mr. Thumb is hiding in his little cave again. It makes me want to run over and pinch her little cheek. Still, I'm having way too much fun playing the strict schoolmarm to stop now.

“Miss Brannon?” I asked in my 'testy' voice.

“Mmm?” she asked through her thumb. She looked down, then withdrew her thumb again. She smiled guiltily. So cute.

“Thank you. Could you try a more serious expression? Maybe even  look a little annoyed or upset? We're going for a brooding look, like a heroine from a gothic novel.” I explained evenly.

“Sure thing!” she said, a little too quickly.

It was a real struggle not to laugh as she tried desperately to make her face stay in any position other than a smile. She pursed her lips, frowned deeply, and gritted her teeth, but it was all useless. She was full of rainbows and puppy kisses, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Molly Brannon, Professional Model

Brooding? How was I supposed to do that? It would have been easy five minutes earlier, but right now it was all I could do to not break into song. I couldn't even remember the last time I had felt so purely and effortlessly good! As I struggled to twist my face into a scowl of irritation, all I could think of was how utterly silly I must look. Then thought made want to break out into helpless giggles. Man, this was getting difficult. I tried to think of something, anything, that could take me out of this unaccountable good mood. Without even trying, I thought of the dress.

The dress was genuinely getting on my nerves. When I had first come out of the changing room,  I had felt very confident with it. It was exactly the kind of thing I liked to wear when I was being photographed. It actually looked a lot like something I had worn for a whiskey ad a few months earlier. It fit perfectly, and it really highlighted my curves in a pleasantly understated kind of way. I had thought I looked sophisticated, maybe even regal. But at some point, it had started to feel rather drab. The color was much too severe, for one thing. What was this, a funeral? The pearls and the heels were even worse. Made me look practically matronly.

I struck more poses at Natalie's instruction, trying to keep my mind on my nasty-looking outfit so I wouldn't start grinning again. What was wrong with me today? First that weird bout of anxiety, and now I felt like I was walking on sunshine. It was enough to make me think I ought to be on some kind of medication. If nothing else, that would give me an excuse. I chuckled a little at that thought.

“Maintain your composure, Miss Brannon.” said Natalie, which only made me chuckle harder. The camera produced another colorful burst of lights, and the spurt of steam was bigger than ever. I liked the pretty colors.

“Now, could you turn around and give your butt a cheeky little slap?” asked Natalie in the same didactic voice.

I did as she requested, grateful that once I was facing away from the camera, I was free to grin as much as I wanted.

“Very good. I think we have enough shots of that outfit. Go and change into the next set, please.” ordered Natalie sternly. I ran toward the little changing room as fast as my high heels would allow. I couldn't wait to be out of this boring costume. I didn't know what would be waiting for me in that second box, but it had to be better than this.

I opened the box, and I almost squealed aloud at what I saw. It was soooo CUTE! There was a pastel pink set of overalls with big round yellow buttons, a light green shirt with a picture of a bunny on the front, and set of banana yellow sneakers with velcro straps. The outfit also came with its own underwear, which were thick and had a picture of Minnie Mouse across the front. I was so thrilled to see it that I began jumping up and down! I quickly kicked off my shoes and began pulling off the awful black dress.

Well, I tried to. For some reason, I found the dress was much harder to remove than it had been to put on. I kept pinching and pulling at the awful thin material, but it wouldn't come loose. After a few minutes of tugging on it, I head a soft knock at the changing room door.

“Miss Brannon?” came Natalie's voice. “Is everything alright in there?”

“Umm...just a minute!” I called, still trying to get out of my dress as I spoke. I felt my cheeks blush.

The door opened. “Are you having trouble, dear? Do you need help?”

Nearly all off the sternness was gone from her voice. She sounded friendly and concerned. I should have been mortified, but I really only felt a little silly. Something clicked, and I wanted to slap myself on the forehead. There was no need to take care of this myself! I could just ask for help!

“Uh...yeah, this thing is really being a pain for some reason.” I said, blushing furiously. As much as I hated to admit it, having someone be so concerned about me felt good. She smiled warmly and closed the door behind her, so Jared couldn't peek in on us.

“Arms up.” She pulled the dress over my head easily. I didn't know why that had never occurred to me. Butterflies were fluttering around my stomach as she gently spun me around and undid my bra strap. I tried to explain that I could handle it from here.

“Ah-mma-maaa...” I pulled my thumb out once again. “I can get dressed myself, y'know.”

Natalie chuckled a little. “You think so? Alright, go ahead sweetie.”

I wasn't sure why she was calling me “sweetie”. Just because she had helped me out of a dress didn't make her my auntie all of the sudden. I thought about asking her to leave while I got dressed, but then I realized that it was perfectly normal for her to be here. I walked over to the box and started pulling out items, one after another. Let's see...which one goes on first? I felt like I ought to know this, but I was drawing a blank. Natalie tapped her foot impatiently as I stared at the clothes. The panties! That was the first thing! Why was that so hard to think of? I picked them up and stared at them. I turned them over and over in my hands, trying think of the way to get them on.

“Are you sure you wouldn't rather have some help?” she asked. It kinda felt like she was making fun of me, but I knew she was right. I wasn't getting anywhere here. I cast my eyes down and nodded my head. Her smile widened.