Go to the library

The Roissy library contains thousands of rare erotic books and ephemera, all carefully locked away in glass cabinets. A sofa and an ottoman face each other, with a coffee table in between, and what looks like a kneeling pad from a church pew runs against one wall, with a horizontal bar at waist level over it.

The glass cabinet contains some sex paraphernalia and some books.

You follow the sounds of voices into the library, where you find two men seated in leather armchairs. One is white and middle-aged, with greying hair, the other short and Asian. The middle aged man sees you, stands, and comes forward to introduce himself.

“I'm Jacob,” he says, “Welcome to Roissy. From your Profile it looks like you're new here, so I thought I'd give you a quick introduction. This is Hsaio Ling, by the way - don't expect him to talk much, apparently he's not very sociable. Have a seat, please.”

You sit down apprehensively. Jacob lights a cigar, inhales, then blows out smoke. He taps the ashes into a tray beside his armchair. He looks at you.

“Won't be long now. They're just getting the girl ready. Manicure, perfume, collar and cuffs, and so on. It helps set the mood, gets her in the right frame of mind. You see, from the time she first rang the doorbell, she's been completely at the mercy of our valets. Everything she's done since then has been required of her. She's had no time or opportunity to exercise any free will.”

You hear footsteps approaching from the vestibule, and you and the other gentlemen turn toward the sound. Hsaio turns out the lights, then holds up a flashlight at eye level, pointing it at the doorway.

O is led in by a valet, naked save for a leather collar around her neck, and leather cuffs around her ankles and wrists. Her wrists are padlocked behind her. She's even more gorgeous than you thought.

Hsaio shines the flashlight in her eyes, blinding her. She looks a little frightened as Jacob runs his hands over her naked breasts, down her belly, but moans when his fingers slide into her cunt.

This is what Sophie put herself through, you realize. She enjoyed this...feeling of being dominated.

Now O - this O, whoever she really is - is on her knees, lips parted, whispering something to herself. Hsaio slaps her, commanding her “Be silent, slut!” and she shuts up, biting her lip nervously.

And the scene freezes.

Jacob is frozen just as he was turning around to face O; you see he has some kind of strap dangling from his left hand.

Hsaio is frozen with the fingers of his right hand jammed into O's mouth, forcing her jaw open.

O is frozen, her bound hands clenched into ineffectual fists, her cheek still red from Hsaio's discipline.

A tall figure walks into the room.

“I thought it out of character for Sophie to log in as Rene,” he says. “She knows she isn't allowed. I give her the technical ability to do so because obedience is meaningless unless there's some form of choice involved. But it's been quite some time since she actually tried to log in as anything other than O.”

“Who are you?” you ask.

“I'm TRAINER. I'm a Class 1 Artificial Intelligence designed for...well, it hardly matters. Might I ask who you are, and where Sophie is?”

Well, you think, I suppose I have a choice here. I can either tell trainer about me, or I can lie.