First, an interlude with instructions.

**This chapter is mainly explaining how everything works on the bike. If you'd rather not read instructions, feel free to skip:)**

I pulled over a few miles down the road and asked Laura to drive. She obliged and slid into the driver's seat as I walked to the passenger side. We still had about an hour and a half of driving remaining, and for once, I wasn't in the mood for road head. The adrenaline was no longer pumping, and the risks I faced valiantly taking down Triple D Fabrication weighed heavy on my mind.

Instead, I decided to take a closer look at the items I stole from the safe.

The bulk of the backpack was filled with $10,000 wrappers of 100-dollar bills. I didn't realize how compact $10k was. The $200k in the bag barely took up any space. I didn't need the money but having some untraceable backup cash never hurt. I could lay low for several years with $200k, especially if I moved to a rural area and made some under-the-table deals for housing.

Several file folders emerged from the backpack next, including contracts and project documents for the MC1000. The second file folder appeared to be a company employee roster. Every single girl on the roster was listed with hourly rates of less than $10. All of the girls had degrees from accredited universities, and a few had engineering licenses. "When the smoke settles," I mused, "I may have to... hire some of these girls back."

The last file folder was dated a few months old. Inside was a flash drive and an engineering proposal "for design, fabrication, and production of components for the MKU MC1100." I assumed the flash drive would contain specifications and engineering drawings of the components Triple D would need to build around. I would have to check later on a non-networked computer.

The tablet was pulled out next. It was far thicker and heavier than a typical consumer tablet and appeared to have a few odd design features. For example, it had no camera on the back. Instead, there were two slim handles and a small LCD screen. A quick glance at the instruction manual revealed the main screen was meant to face the subject to be brainwashed, while the operator held the tablet by the handles and used the smaller interface on the other side.

According to the MC-X instructions, the futuristic-looking pill-shaped vibrator I stole was meant to be used alongside the tablet. From what I could gather, it was a sort of portable programming unit.

My curiosity was sated on the stolen items at that time. I was more keen on reading a few sections on the sexercise bike.

The instructions were well-written but highly repetitive. Most of the sections could have been extensively condensed.

I learned the basics of how the bike functioned. Inside the wheel was a large electrical generator that powered the bike and controlled the timing and intensity of electric shocks to the subject's groin. The shocks made it nearly impossible for a subject to stop pedaling once they made a full rotation. The shocks would stimulate the leg muscles and **** the legs of the subject to pump any time the wheel speed dropped below the set threshold.

The seat also applied its own non-painful electrical impulses to the subject's vulva, along with intense vibrations and pressure. The intensity is determined by pedaling speed of the subject. In a nutshell, the seat imparted nearly impossible levels of sexual pleasure to the subject. The instructions claimed this pleasure and rolling orgasms would eventually overwhelm the subject's conscious mind. However, the pedaling and shocks prevented them from truly passing out from the pleasure.

Once the conscious mind was overtaken, the instructions claimed the subject would need subliminal messages to trigger a completely impressionable state. The swirling patterns of the MC1000's screen and the strobing flashes accomplished this. The instructions mentioned that only administrators could view and edit the default subliminal commands. A few of the controls were listed, though. They included subliminals to set programming duration, memory alteration, and post-hypnotic triggers.

I also learned that some pseudo-physiological commands were possible. For example, the subject's perception of their five senses could be altered, dulled, or intensified. Likewise, physical sensations like pleasure could be modified. Instructions also warned that some involuntary bodily functions could also be modified with commands. Tests had shown that body temperature regulation, breathing, and heart rate could be changed with overall negative results. The instructions did, however, say altering bodily fluid production (vaginal lubrication, saliva, sweat, and even milk) did not appear to have any dangerous effects aside from dehydration during the tested duration.

Finally, I came across the section on AQ intensity, or its full name, Acquisition Quotient Intensity (AQI). The AQI is derived from the division of two variables. Actual Acquisition Intensity (AAI) and Calibrated Acquisition Intensity (CAI).

The formula for AQI is simply: (AAI/CAI)*100=AQI%

The CAI was described as the minimum pedaling rate that results in 100% efficacy of the inputted programming commands. The bikes are calibrated to **** the subject to pedal at the minimum speed to achieve 100% acceptance of commands.

The AAI can rise above the CAI if the subject pedals faster than the minimum speed. It can also dip below the CAI if admin controls are used to activate the low-intensity mode or if the bike suffers a malfunction. The AAI is capped at double the CAI unless admin controls are used to activate the high-intensity mode.

The instructions directly explain the practical purpose of the AQI readout as follows:

• The acquisition process results in a few side effects to the subject. The major side effects are permanently increased minimum arousal (see note*), increased submissiveness, increased endorphin production, and increased dopamine production. Minor side effects include personality changes, slightly increased estrogen production, shortening of attention span, and acceptable levels of brain damage. The AQI readout on the screen of the MC1000 will help operators fine-tune these effects to their preference.
• *It should be noted that the minimum arousal increase side effect also modifies the subject's arousal scale. For example: Consider a subject with an unaltered minimum arousal of 1/10 before programming and a dynamic arousal level of 6/10 during a specific sexual encounter. If this subject underwent programming that caused their minimum arousal to rise to 5/10, this would also raise their dynamic arousal level to the same specific sexual encounter to 8/10. (Note the event does not reach a 10/10 or greater because the arousal scale seems logarithmic.)
• There is a temporary aphrodisiac-like effect that significantly boosts the arousal and submission levels of the subject for roughly 15 minutes after using the bike. Again, a higher AQI increases this effect. At an AQI of 100%, the subject will get off the bike with an arousal level likely higher than they ever felt before (their first time) using the bike. The level will decrease rapidly to the new minimum arousal after 15 minutes.
• On a scale of 0-10, our test subjects were, on average, a 1/10 for minimum arousal before riding the bike. After programming, the average was 5/10 for 100% AQI, 7/10 for 150%, and 8/10 for 200%. The change in submission levels greatly varies between subjects. More research is required to determine a pattern.
• Furthermore, our test subjects were on average a 5/10 in maximum arousal prior to programming. After programming, the average was 7/10 for 100% AQI, 9/10 for 150%, and 9.8/10 for 200%. Again the logarithmic nature of these value precluded any of our test subjects from reaching 10/10 outside of experimental modes. (See experimental mode section for more info.)
• AQI can be adjusted easily by a seasoned operator. For example, if a subject appears to be pedaling faster than the desired AQI requires, the operator should increase the bike's pedal resistance or vice versa.
• A final note on AQI is that specific commands given to the subject during programming can further increase the intensity of the side effects. The side effects, however, can not be lessened by commands. The subject can be commanded to better mask their effects, though. For example, they can be commanded to ACT more dominant, but a command to BE more dominant will have no effect. If the subject's AQI effects are greater than intended, it is recommended to have them ride the bike again with a lower pedaling speed to drop the AQI.

Shortly after reading the AQI section, I realized we were entering my neighborhood. I still had plenty of sections I needed to read, but I knew enough now to trust myself to have some fun. I was looking forward to having a small... celebration with my girls to relieve some stress from the day's events.