Tuesday, 28 January 2014

Tuesday, January 28, 2014 -

The Power of Persuasion

by John Benson
Published: Nov 16, 2013
Words: 23,790
Category: fantasy
Orientation: M/F
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OPENING EXTRACT
The Power of Persuasion

The jury filed in solemnly. Lori sweated. She felt a strong need to pee. Why had she thought she could get away with stealing money from a bank? Why has she insisted on a jury trial? Her cuteness may have had an effect on that old Judge, but this jury of nine women and three men were probably just jealous. The fore-lady in particular looked dangerously smug.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," the Judge said. "Have you reached a verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor," the fore-lady said. Smug. Yes, that was it exactly. Smug.

"Will the defendant please rise?" said the clerk. Her lawyer jumped to his feet and pulled her up by the elbow.

"What say you?" said the Judge.

"As to the indictment, fifteen counts of embezzlement against Solaris Trust and Savings Bank, guilty," the fore-lady said.

Lori was numb. She heard it as from a distance, as if it were happening to someone else.

"Thank you," said the Judge. "The jury are excused. The defendant is remanded to the State Hospital for evaluation, to see if slavery is a viable alternative to incarceration. The court is adjourned." The gavel banged down, like it was some fucking auction of something. Lori couldn't believe it.

"Slavery," she said.

"Why not?" the Bailiff said. "Why should the taxpayers pay to feed and house you, if some guy will pay for the privilege? Come on."

"We can appeal the sentence," her lawyer said. "The anti-slavery activists will probably fund it."

"Get the evaluation first," the Bailiff said. "The majority of people flunk it. The good news is, you're probably just going to prison."

The good news. Her life was suddenly over, and that was the good news. She followed the Bailiff docilely out of the courtroom. She caught the eye of the fore-lady. Smug. Absolutely smug.

---oOo---

The technician was a woman with soft brown curls and sympathetic eyes. "Just have a seat," she said. "If you just cooperate it won't take as long, and they won't have to strap you down or anything."

Lori eyed the chair suspiciously. The headset. She'd heart about the alchemy of mind control. "They tell me most people flunk," she said. "Aren't suitable, whatever that means. So then I just go to jail. Don't pass go."

The technician grinned. "That's right," she said. "Our reputation for being able to mess with minds is over-rated. If submission isn't already part of your fantasy life, we can't put it there, and slavery just isn't an option. Let's just put this on your head. Relax, it feels heavy but it doesn't hurt. All we're going to do today is show you a bunch of pictures and measure how they make you feel. Not changing you, just listening. Right?"

Lori tried to relax. The weight on her head was unnerving. "Can I fool it?" she asked.

"I don't know, hon. Have you studied an eastern meditation discipline for at least ten years?"

"Ah, no."