"You've done well so far, Cadet," ARMOR Training Commandant Krystal Washington said.

"Thank you, ma'am," Cadet Agent Aimee Lin said.

"Don't thank me just yet. The final test is the hardest. Many don't pass it, even some who have done as well as, or better than you have up to this point."

"Understood, ma'am. I will devote myself to preparing for it over the next two weeks, right up until it's time to take it."

Aimee Lin saw her instructor's expression sour. Immediately, the trainee knew she had said something wrong. But she didn't know what, nor how to correct her mistake. So, she simply stood at attention and awaited direction from the commandant.

Krystal eyed the cadet sternly. Her gaze slowly went up and down the young woman's body, from head to toe and back again.

In a non-formal setting, from any other individual, Aimee would have considered the look an ogle. Most people she met considered her attractive, if not outright sexy, and she was used to receiving such stares whether or not she wanted them. But she knew such attention would not come from her commandant. No, she understood that the head of the agency's training school was assessing her, rather than visually undressing her.

"Your final test isn't two weeks from now," Krystal said.

"Oh, I see. When is it, ma'am?"

"You will take it in 20 minutes."

Aimee's jaw dropped. She almost blurted out how unfair this revelation was, how unprepared she was, how she had no chance of passing it, and--

She held her tongue, using her training to ensure that she thought before she spoke. Such complaints would not only fall upon deaf ears, they would also make her look weak and unprepared. Those were the last things she wanted her superiors to think about her.

"Yes, ma'am," she said as calmly she could. "I will report to the examination room for my test. What supplies will I need to bring?"

"None. You will be given instructions by the proctor before the test starts. Good luck, Cadet."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Krystal turned and walked away. Aimee allowed herself a long, loud exhalation--the only sign of her worry and nervousness--and then she headed to the examination room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Special Agent Malea Hall unlocked the door, opened it, and gestured inward. Aimee thanked the proctor, then stepped inside the room. She had been here to take several tests, but she had never seen it setup like this.

Only four pieces of furniture resided in the room: two chairs in the middle of the floor with their backs to the door; a third, much larger chair up against the back wall; and a wheeled cart beside the third chair.

"Please move to the back wall," Malea said. "Remove all non-clothing items from your person. You may place them on the cart. Then remove your boots and socks. You may place them on the cart, as well."

Aimee held back the myriad of questions that she wanted to ask. She didn't think she was entitled to ask them, so she didn't. Instead, she nodded, and then proceeded to do as she had been instructed.

Soon, she stood in by the wheeled cart near the large chair. The cart now held her wallet, keys, phone, watch, and other peripheral items, along with her boots and socks. Though still fully clothed aside from her bare feet, she felt naked and exposed. Malea said nothing else to her, so she stood and waited, getting more and more nervous as time passed.

Finally, Krystal entered the room. The commandant spoke briefly and in hushed tones with the proctor. Both of them glanced at Aimee. Nods and more utterings were exchanged. Then, Krystal addressed her student.

"All right, Cadet, sit down in the chair."

"Yes, ma'am."

Aimee sat. The chair was reminiscent of a recliner. Its contours meshed with her body, its cushions yielded slightly but were firm underneath, and its fabric was pleasantly soft. All in all, she found it very comfortable. And for some reason, that bothered her.

She hadn't noticed the pocket sized electronic device that Malea held, nor did she see the proctor press a button on it. So the shudder from within the chair took her by surprise. It resonated through her body, shaking her momentarily.

Then, before she could react, smooth metal bands emerged from the armrests and closed around her wrists. She could feel similar ones envelope her ankles. The bottom portion of the chair then began to raise up, lifting her legs that were now bound to it. In a moment, her bare feet faced the front of the room where the proctor and commandant stood watching.

"We're ready, Commandant," Malea said.

Krystal nodded, then they both sat down in the two empty chairs.

"Cadet," Krystal said.

"Yes, Commandant," Aimee said, trying to keep the uncertainty she felt from seeping into her voice.

"Your test is simple. You must disobey me."

"Ma'am?"

"I will give you orders and ask you questions. You must disobey those orders, and either not answer the questions, or purposefully answer them incorrectly. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am. I understand."

Aimee understood what was required of her, but not why it was. This whole setup was very odd and wholly disconcerting. But, she had gotten through every test up to this point. Passing this final one would put her on the path to becoming a full fledged agent of ARMOR.

"Good." Krystal said. "I will tell you when the test begins."

Krystal nodded at the Malea, who pressed another button on the device in her hand.

A low, vibrating hum sounded from above Aimee's head. She looked up to see a small, streamlined, helmet-like object emerging from an open panel in the wall. A segmented metal arm was attached to its top, and the mechanical limb slowly pushed it out and then lowered it down toward the restrained cadet's head.

"Eyes front, Cadet."

Aimee complied, audibly gulping in anxiety despite herself.

She stared straight ahead as she felt the helmet slide into place over her scalp. It rested snugly there, covering her brow in the front and the tops of her ears on the sides. A moment later, numerous sharp but not quite painful points of contact were made with whatever was attached to the underside of the helmet and her head. The sensation soon faded, but then she felt something else.

The feeling was not one she had ever experienced, but it reminded her of being underwater. Sound echoed oddly, though her ears remained mostly uncovered. And all external stimuli had a distant quality to it.

Then, she heard Krystal's voice, as clearly and loudly as if the commandant were talking directly into her ear. Of course, Krystal remained seated half a room away. Maybe the helmet housed an audio receiver, or an amplifier? In any case, her instructor gave her an order.

"The test begins now. Tell me your name, Cadet."

Even knowing that now, with the test underway, she must disobey, Aimee found that she didn't want to. But she knew what she needed to do. So she did it.

"No," she said.

"I said, tell me your name."

The desire to do as she was told remained, and in fact strengthened. But so did Aimee's resolve to pass the test.

"No."

"Tell. Me. Your. Name."

Was it getting harder to resist? It was. But why? Aimee wasn't sure, but she had to struggle to disobey.

"My name is...John Doe."

"No, it isn't. Tell me your real name."

Why was it so hard to tell a simple lie? She didn't know. Although, she felt a bit dizzy and disoriented. That underwater/isolated feeling was more intense now. Still, why would that make it harder to disobey her instructor?

"My name is...Adam Lewis."

"You will tell me your name. Now."

"My name is...Ai-Ai-Aimee. Aimee Lin."

The words poured forth from her mouth before she could stop them. No! She couldn't fail, not so easily. And yet, she was relieved at having answered correctly. She almost felt good having done so.

"Tell me," Krystal commanded, "your passcode to the armory."

"N-no."

It felt wrong to disobey. It made her tense, uneasy. What was going on?

"Tell me your passcode right now."

"N-n...n-nn...f-ff...f-four...four-eight-nine-six-two-one-three-eight."

The uneasiness subsided as soon Aimee spoke the numbers. But not just did it subside, another feeling replaced it--one of well-being, of comfort, of pleasure.

"Tell me that you are loyal to SCOURGE."

Aimee grimaced. The ill feelings returned and intensified within her as she fought to not say such a horrible thing. She shook her head and clenched her fists. She scrunched and splayed her toes. But nothing would make the feeling go away. She knew the only way to stop it was to...obey.

But she couldn't obey! She had to not only pass the test, but also to show her dedication to her own agency. SCOURGE was their enemy, and as such was her enemy, too. She couldn't obey. She mustn't obey. She...had to obey. She had to!

"You are loyal to SCOURGE. Say it. Say it now," Krystal said.

Aimee's lips quivered. She shut her eyes and trembled. Then, she opened her mouth. And she spoke.

"I am...loyal to SCOURGE."

The words washed away her discomfort like flood waters cascading over a pile of leaves. Immense waves of pleasure filled the void it left. She moaned out loud, and her eyes fluttered closed.

"You will obey me. You must obey me. You will do anything I say."

Without hesitation, Aimee responded.

"I will obey you. I must obey you. I will do anything you say."

A dopey grin spread across Aimee's face. She had never felt so good in all her life.

"I think we've seen enough," Malea said. "She failed."

"What setting did she reach?" Krystal asked.

"The Mesmercap was on level one for the first command. I raised it up one level for each subsequent command. She only made it to level three before fully breaking."

"That's not very good. Level three barely equates to the interrogation and brainwashing methods that SCOURGE uses. She'd be putty in their hands. No, we couldn't send her out to the field with such little willpower. I agree that she deserves to fail."

Malea nodded. Krystal sighed, looked at the cadet, and then addressed the proctor again.

"Thank you for your assistance," she said. "I'll finish up here and deal with the release of the student."

With another nod, Malea stood up and left the room. Krystal also stood, and then walked over to the trainee.

"Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you."

Aimee continued smiling blissfully.

"You are no longer a cadet."

"I am no longer a cadet."

"You have failed this test and flunked out of the trainee program."

"I have failed this test and flunked out of the trainee program."

"You proved too suggestible and easy to brainwash to be trusted in the field."

"I proved too suggestible and easy to brainwash to be trusted in the field."

"But that doesn't bother you."

"It doesn't bother me."

"Because you have a new role, one that you desire very much."

"I have a new role that I desire very much."

"That role is slave. You are my slave, and I am your mistress."

"I am your slave, and you are my mistress."

"Once I complete your brainwashing, you will join the other failed trainees as part of my harem. You will live only to serve, obey, and worship me."

"I will live only to serve, obey, and worship you."

Krystal repeated the inspecting head-to-toe look that she had given the former cadet prior to the test. Not that Aimee noticed--oblivious as she was to everything but her mistress's commands and the pleasure she felt in carrying them out--but the look was definitely an ogle.

After allowing herself a moment to visually enjoy her sexy new slave, Krystal took a device similar to what Malea had used from her pocket. She pressed a button on it. Immediately, the Mesmercap began rising up on its arm, and the chair restraints opened with a click.

"It is time for me to complete your brainwashing in my private chambers, slave. Come with me."

"Yes, Mistress."

Krystal turned and headed toward the door. Aimee stood up from the chair. Ignoring her shoes and other possessions on the cart, she walked barefoot across the floor. Catching up to her mistress, she moved mindlessly onward to her fate....