19.

"You are five years old. Who is your best friend in all the world?"

"Jimmy McManus."

"Good, Tony. Now think about playing with Jimmy McManus. Where did you go together? What did you do? Remember everything you can."

Tony Rodenko was happy to comply. He enjoyed these mental exercises, which he'd been performing regularly for a week and a half now. There was no need to worry about being caught in the act; all his teammates belonged to Mistress now, even Warren. Oh, his boss still thought she ruled herself, but she didn't notice the changes in her scanner readings; and when she caught one of her team members at their exercises, she told herself they were hard at work.

"Excellent, Tony," chirped his Trixie. "Now scan your neurofilament again."

Tony obeyed, enjoying the tingle at the base of his skull as he tested it with his scanner. Tony could still remember the sensation of being pressed into the Trixie box and stung by the social worker's leavings. Some of his teammates had cried out when the neurofilament pierced their flesh, but not Tony. He was tough. Besides, the Tribase had him so firmly in its grip by then that he could barely moan. He'd succumbed more quickly than most, and accepted his programming with the least resistance. No screaming or crying or barricading himself in an office for Tony, no sir. He'd submitted almost instantly, like a good slave should.

And here he was, being a good slave again. Tony's scanner, which had been reconfigured by the comp department, showed that his neurofilament had at last absorbed all the data it needed. "Well done," sang the Trixie as he showed her the results. "Now you're ready to meet your Mistress."

20.

Naomi blinked rapidly and tried to focus. What the hell was going on? One minute she'd been in her office, saying a last tearful good to her Trixie; the next, she was standing here. And where was here, anyway? Darkness on three sides of her, blinding light on the forth, hands holding her tight as she caught her balance.

Suddenly a voice boomed out around her: "Welcome, ladies, gentlemen and customers, to the seventeenth annual Argenti Recycled Toy Fair!"

Naomi flinched as the scene came into focus. She was standing in the wings of a vast stage, surrounded by Trixies, while her archenemy basked in the spotlight. Nicole looked more ravishing than ever, dressed in a flame colored evening gown slit to the hips, with her hair spilling loose around her shoulders. To her dismay, Naomi realized she was similarly dressed. She stared at the woman on the stage.

"Before we begin," said Argenti, "I have a very special announcement to make. Many of you know that eleven years ago, I lost the love of my life. It wasn't death that took her from me, but a conflict of interest. Of ethics. Sadly, the drama became public in a way I would never have chosen." She glanced back into the wings.

Naomi felt the blood drain from her face. Oh yes, Naomi had made it public, all right. When you had a lead story like, 'Up-and-coming toymaker caught in bribery scandal,' you had to run with it. Just like you had to run from her. But here was Naomi, back in the heart of enemy's lair - she recognized the auditorium now - and running seemed as impossible as flying. Oh, Naomi tried, but she couldn't twist or turn or take a single step away from the stage. She couldn't even cry out. All she could do was stare at Nicole, beaming out across her audience, and agonize over what had been done to her. She got me. Somehow, she got me. Oh fuck, I've been recycled!

"But I'm a forgiving woman," Nicole went on, "not to mention a persistent one. And today, I'm happy to say, my true love and I have reconciled. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Ms. Naomi Warren!"

Oh no, thought Naomi as the Trixies released their grip. No way am I going out there with-- she glided gracefully out on stage-- the love of my life! She reached out to clasp Nicole's outstretched hand, then leaned in for a kiss. Only then did she turn to the audience, smiling warmly and bowing in acknowledgement of their applause. She basked in the glow of their approval.

"Thank you, thank you," said Naomi, bowing again. "I can't tell you how hard it's been, living without Nicole all these years. I've missed her terribly." She bit her lip and fought back tears. "All I can say is, I'm so thankful she never gave up on me." Nicole's arm came around her shoulders and the two of them kissed, oblivious now to the flashbulbs around them.

At last they pulled apart. Naomi faced the crowd again, remembering her lines now. She'd forgotten them in the sudden rush of emotion. "In celebration of our reunion, I've invited several key GlobeNetters to take part in this evening's Toy Fair. To begin, please join me in welcoming anchorman Walter Brown!"

Nicole led her off stage right as Walter entered stage left, riding atop a human-horse recyclee that came complete with flicking tail and huge, free-waving dick.

"I know what you're thinking," said Walter, climbing down and winking broadly to the crowd. "This 'horse' looks a lot like me." He shot a broad glance between the horse's legs, and the audience laughed.

Meanwhile, back in the wings, Naomi had returned more or less to her senses. She stiffened in Nicole's grip, but once again found herself unable to run. A whimper escaped her locked jaws.

"Shhh, lover," whispered Nicole, nibbling her earlobe. She turned Naomi back to face Walter. "Explanations later. For now, just enjoy the show."

The horse really did look like Walter, and the nanny recyclee that followed looked like Penny Hodge, who introduced her. Next came a Raggedy Anne and Andy pair, then a dog-woman, none of whom looked remotely human. At the end of each spiel, the demonstrator led his or her charge out into the audience.

Now it was Tony Rodenko's turn, though he was clearly embarrassed by his charge. Tony's recyclee, called simply "Sensitive Man," was an open-shirted stud with the build of a superhero and the broody good looks of a romance novel cover boy. "Perfect for any social occasion," said Tony, nervously fingering his collar. The Sensitive Man shot him a simmering look and whispered something only the two of them could hear. "And perfect for either sex, too," muttered Tony. The audience laughed and cheered.

Next up was Marsha Pennington, displaying a toy that had been recycled to look like an antique blow-up doll. The toy's skin was smooth and pink, her nipples decorated with tassels (removable, Marsha pointed out), her limbs so stiff and rubbery that she could only walk on her toes. "But what makes this model unique," Marsha noted, as though the audience couldn't see for themselves, "is her mouth. Her lips are permanently molded into an 'O.' Her teeth have been removed, as have her vocal cords, but her tongue remains. In other words," she concluded, "she's the perfect toy for the traditionalist."

"On the other hand," said Anne Jacobs, stepping out from the wings, "if you're looking for a more modern rubber doll, check this out." She led her charge by a thick black chain, fastened to a loop that was, apparently, embedded in the woman's throat. There was no question it was a woman, though she was encased almost entirely in black rubber. Even her eyes and ears were covered; the only openings in her hood were tiny holes for her nostrils and a long, narrow slash around scarlet lips. Below her head, the rubber revealed two further openings: one, a figure eight cut to display her breasts; the other, a narrow rectangle which ran between her legs from cleft to cleft.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Anne proudly, "meet the rubberbot: seal-slick and ready for water sports. The suit is actually bonded to her skin, so when you're done playing with her, you can just hose her down and stand her in a corner."

Marsha, still acting the dutiful sidekick, broke in with a scripted question. "How does she see, Anne?"

Anne smiled triumphantly at the crowd. "Radar!" she crowed. "Implants in her skull allow her to 'see' her surroundings and hear her owner's voice. She can't actually read, nor can she speak - like the blowup 'bot, she's mute - but she'll obey almost any other command you give her."

"So if your taste runs to rubber," said Marsha to the crowd, "you can pick the 'bot you like best-"

"Or," Anne continued, "buy one of each and watch them interact!"

Anne and Marsha made their tour of the audience, accompanied by loud whistles and the smack of hands on rubber. When they and their teammates were through, Nicole took Naomi's hand and led her back out onstage. The captive's fear burned off in a flash and she smiled like a lovestruck teenager.

"Now, that, ladies and gentlemen," said Nicole, "was just the warm-up. Tonight's main event is the unveiling of a new line of Recycled Toys: the totally unique, completely incomparable, absolutely interchangeable Tenpack of Trixies!"

Kari Tomlinson wheeled them out, still in their boxes, packed side by side atop a long, low flatbed cart. Dressed in a ruby red Recycled Toys uniform, Kari seemed perfectly at ease in her new job. She smiled at Naomi as she passed her, and Naomi winked in return.

"All right, lover," said Nicole, pecking her quickly on the cheek, "let's demonstrate these toys for the crowd."

21.

"Try not to be too upset, darling," said Nicole. "I did it all for love." She twisted on the divan and a curl of red-gold hair tumbled down between her breasts. Despite herself, Naomi tracked its path with her eyes.

She could do little else. The Toy Fair was over and Nicole had given Naomi her mind back (as best Naomi could tell, anyway), but the captive could move only her upper body and was forbidden any acts of violence. They sat here in this private lounge, the Trixies ranged around them, and faced one another like the lovers they'd been.

"You're insane," Naomi spat. It was all she could do to hold onto her anger now, but she refused to let it go. The only thing left to her then would be despair.

"You used to love me for it."

"Only until I discovered it was true. You're a sociopath, Nicole. You don't love anyone but yourself." Naomi narrowed her eyes. "Why did you really go to all this trouble with me and Renee and the rest of GlobeNet? You weren't just trying to get me back, were you?"

Nicole chuckled. "Of course not," she said. "You know me better than that. Now that I control a mass media conglomerate, I can spread my domination throughout the world. The subliminals are already in place, and with the help of tools like these Trixies..." Breaking off, she fondled the nearest doll. "But don't you see, Naomi? I did even that for you! If I didn't care about your love, I'd have wiped your mind long ago, as revenge for all the abuse you've given me. Instead, I'm offering you the chance to be co-regent of a planet!"

"I'd rather be mindwiped." Naomi folded her arms. "You've already destroyed Renee, beaten me, turned GlobeNet into your personal toy. What can you offer me now that I'd actually care about?"

"Explanations, for a start. I know you, Naomi. You're too much of a journalist not to wonder how I beat you."

"All I wonder about," growled her captive, "is which of these brainless bimbos was Renee."

Nicole threw back her head and laughed. "Do you really, now? Well, let's see." She glanced around the ring, frowning in mock concentration as she studied the identical faces. "You know, even I can't tell them apart when they're like this. But there is a way...."

Despite herself, Naomi felt her breath quicken. This was it. She could bear anything that came after, if only Nicole let her see Renee again. See her, and maybe touch her. Just for a moment.

"Sleeper override N. Argenti," said Nicole. "Disengage Holliday."

Holliday? thought Naomi. But her heart leapt when a Trixie to her left shuddered. She was coming awake! Renee was coming awake!

The ex-doll sighed, then dropped to her knees and pressed her lips to Nicole's bare feet. "Mistress," she murmured.

Argenti leaned forward to pat the woman's head, then turned it gently outward. "Naomi Warren," she said, "meet Leigh Holliday."

The Trixie looked up at Naomi, smiled even wider, and bowed almost as deeply as before. "Technically, Ms. Warren, we've already been introduced; but I know you don't remember. Please accept my apologies. It was never my intention to place myself above you, Lady."

Naomi gaped. She was still trying to fit her head around the notion that this wasn't Renee, that she hadn't just seen her lover bow to her enemy and call her "Mistress." And now, on top of it all, she had a Trixie apologizing to her?

"What?" she gasped. "How-? I don't-"

"I know, darling," soothed Nicole. "It's so confusing when you don't have all your memories back yet. Let me help. Warren Contingency Two override, N. Argenti. Disengage."

This time it was Naomi who shuddered. A host of new memories flashed through her mind: herself and Kari barricaded in Bertram's office, the stab of a dart buried deep in her neck, a stern-faced Trixie peering down on her as she kneeled - that last had been Holliday, she realized now. Disgusted, Naomi remembered herself sobbing at the Trixie's rebuke and allowing herself to be packaged like a doll for further processing. She remembered a second stab at her neck, at the nape this time, and winced as the memory sparked a tingling back there.

Somehow, this frightened her more than anything else: that Nicole and Holliday had left something in her, lying quiet and unnoticed even now. Her hands flew to the base of her skull.

Nicole regarded her with pitying amusement. "Don't worry, darling," she said. "It's just a neurofilament, inactive for now. You're luckier than your teammates."

"What did you put in me, Nicole?" Cold dread curled through Naomi's stomach.

"Just a recording device." Her captor stretched luxuriously on the divan. "It can't read your mind, of course, but it comes surprisingly close. The neurofilament is designed to track a brain's chemical activity, and emotional responses. Coupled with personality surveys, intensive interviews, and various mental exercises, it enables us to map a subject's personality in startling detail. Then we remove the neurofilament, implant them in a recyclee, program her with all the information we've gathered, and voila: the perfect clone."

Nicole grinned. "You see the possibilities, don't you, darling? Kings, queens, presidents, CEO's - I can replace them all with duplicates so exact not even their lovers will know the difference, then save the originals for future recycling."

"But isn't that a bit wasteful?" Naomi sneered. "Making two sets of slaves when one would do perfectly well?"

"Ah, but then I wouldn't have the pleasure of remodeling the originals and selling them! Think back to the Toy Fair, to the presentations your GlobeNetters made. Did you notice how some of the recyclees bore a resemblance to the people who introduced them? Walter Brown even made a joke about it."

The truth hit Naomi like a blow. "Oh no," she moaned, doubling over with her hands across her stomach. "Oh no, oh no!"

But "Oh yes," Nicole insisted. "Every one of the presenters was a clone. Every one of the toys was a member of your team."

"Even the-?" She could couldn't bring herself to say it: even the rubberbot? As much as she'd disliked Anne, Naomi would never have wished a fate like that on her. And yet, thanks to Naomi, every one her teammates had been recycled into toys. Every one except- "Kari." She had to hold onto some kind of hope, didn't she? "You didn't hurt Kari."

"I didn't hurt any of them. Well, I did restore Anne Jacobs v.1.0 before recycling her, just to gloat. But I digress. If you think I didn't turn Kari into a toy, I'm afraid you're wrong. The woman you saw onstage was no more Kari than the man you saw was Walter. As a matter of fact, the real Kari Tomlinson is right here in this room. Count the Trixies, darling. You'll find one extra."

Naomi couldn't help but obey, even though she was nauseous with horror. Blinking her eyes clear of tears, she began on her left and scanned quickly around the room. Two, four, six, eight, nine, ten, eleven! Kari was here, and she'd been turned into a mindless doll. Just like Renee. Naomi collapsed in tears.

"There there, dear," purred Nicole. "It's not as bad as all that. Sleeper override N. Argenti. Disengage Tomlinson."

Soft arms curled around Naomi's shoulders. A soft cheek brushed her face. "Don't cry, Lady," soothed a cheerful, generic voice. "It's okay, really."

Naomi shuddered away from the Trixie's grip and turned to stare at her. Blank, grinning face. Doll-flat eyes. And a warm intelligence underlying it like a candle in frosted glass.

"It's still me," said Kari, smoothing Naomi's tears with her thumb. "Only better than I was before. And happier." Her grin widened. "This is the most exciting job I've ever had in my life, Lady. I'm going to be a spy, just like Leigh!"

Naomi turned to the other sleeper agent, peering up from Nicole's knees with a smile identical to Kari's. "How wonderful for you," she said dully. Any minute now, I'll die of heartbreak and it will all be over with. Oh, Kari, I'm so sorry I got you into this. And Walter, and Tony, and even Anne. But most of all, Renee, I'm sorry for you. I never should have sent you on that assignment. This is all my fault, every bit of it.

The women watched her as she wept: the Trixies blankly, the sleeper agents sadly, Nicole appearing almost as heartbroken as Naomi.

At last Argenti shook her head. "That's enough. As much as you've hurt me, Naomi, I can't bear to see you suffer. I do love you, you know. I want you by my side, willingly, when I take over the world."

"Not fucking likely," Naomi muttered from inside her hands. "The only way you'll have me there is if you mindwipe me."

For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the patting of Kari's hand against her back. At last Nicole spoke. "You do want to see Renee again."

Naomi jerked upright, eyes dry at last but burning with hatred. "Oh, so it's blackmail, now, is it? Dangle Renee in front of me like a carrot, and maybe I'll walk into your arms? No thanks, bitch. I don't have to know which one of these dolls is Renee. You've already maimed her body and destroyed her mind; what else can you do to her except kill her? Go ahead and clone me, brainwash me, do whatever you like. Just don't expect me to care. I've had enough!"

Nicole sat quietly, studying her with a calm intensity that at last cracked into a smile. "That's why I love you, dear, sweet Naomi. Your passion. Do you really think I'd take that away from you?"

"You already have. You've destroyed the woman I love."

"I've done no such thing. When did I ever tell you I'd recycled Renee?"

Naomi's jaw fell open. "When you came to GlobeNet. You - you said-"

"I said I'd caught an intruder on the premises and processed her according to law. The first step in any sort of processing is to take the suspect into custody. Then comes the trial, which you know very well I couldn't risk."

"Are you saying-?"

"I haven't touched Renee's mind. She's being held here on the premises, in a secure cell with adequate food and water. She even has an occasional book, though of course we can't allow her access to the net. Kari saw her this morning. Didn't you, Kari?"

"Yes, Mistress. I told her how you'd freed us all, and how you'd reconciled with my Lady here."

"You see, Naomi?" said Nicole. "Renee is fine. She's not in the best of spirits, but she's fine. You'll see her shortly."

This time Naomi refused to jump to the bait. "Right," she laughed bitterly. "I get it. I'll see her if I agree to stay with you."

"Don't be silly, darling. I've already told you I love you too much to see you suffer. You will see Renee again, regardless of your decision here."

"Oh yeah? So what's the catch? Do you recycle her before I get there?"

"No, I recycle you before you get there. Well, 'reprogram' you, at least. It's up to you to decide whether or not you keep your original identity."

Why did I ever think I could trust this woman? Despair washed over Naomi like a wave. She struggled to stay afloat in it. "Bullshit. What are you really offering me, Nicole?"

For answer, Argenti looked to the Trixie behind Naomi's head. "Come around here, Kari. Stand where we both can see you."

"Yes, Mistress." She trotted around the divan and posed prettily at the women's feet.

"Kari, tell Naomi how you came to be a sleeper agent."

"Yes, Mistress." She rotated in place and fixed Naomi with a sunny smile. "Lady, Mistress gave me a choice of what I wanted to become. She said it was my reward for being so kind to Leigh...and to you."

"And you chose to become a slavemaker?" sneered Naomi.

Despite her modifications, Kari managed to look hurt. "No, " she said, "a freedom fighter. I'll be breaking people free of their old, false loyalties and restoring them to their one true Mistress."

Naomi turned back to Nicole. "This is your idea of free will, is it? Kari was brainwashed before you ever gave her that choice!"

"Tsk, not brainwashed, darling. Just lightly rinsed. She had enough sense of self to choose the role that suited her best. You always were a sub at heart, weren't you, Kari?"

"Yes, Mistress," beamed the girl.

"And you've always wanted a better body, haven't you? Something a little trimmer, more doll-like?"

"Yes, Mistress.

"Now you have you heart's desire. Tell us, Kari, how does it feel to know that at any moment, I could say the magic words and turn you into a mindless automaton?"

Kari dampened visibly. "It feels soooo hot, Mistress. I love it!"

"So if I told you to ready yourself for it now?"

"Mmmm!" Kari bit her lip and pressed a hand to her cunt. "I'm yours, Mistress! Please!"

Nicole turned back to her captive. "You see, Naomi? That's the real Kari talking. I didn't plant those desires in her mind; I only freed them." She turned back to the doll-in-waiting. "Sleeper override N. Argenti. Reengage Tomlinson."

The light in Kari's face snuffed out, and she sprang to attention, hand glistening wetly at her side.

"Look at her," purred Nicole. "She's already forgotten everything that happened over the last few minutes. She doesn't even remember her name, yet she's happier than she's ever been in her life." She turned to Holliday, still crouching at her side. "And you, my sweet. Are you ready for your turn?"

"Yes, Mistress, if it pleases you." Leigh ran her tongue quickly down the length of Nicole's fingers. "It certainly pleases me."

"Good girl. Sleeper override N. Argenti. Reengage Holliday."

Leigh froze on her way toward Nicole's elbow. Snapping upright, she fell naturally into the same pose as Kari.

"As you can see," said Nicole, reaching out to squeeze Holliday's ass, "both Kari and Leigh are right where they want to be. But somehow, Naomi, I don't see you acquiescing to their fate. Given the choice, what would you rather become - a horse, a dog, a doll, a rubberbot - anything or anyone you saw onstage tonight? Even Naomi Warren v.2.0. You've already had a taste of that mindset. It wasn't so bad, was it, dear?"

"Oh, so that's it," muttered the captive. The words were almost too bitter to speak, but for the sake of hate she forced herself. "You want me to stay myself but love you, so you can parade me in front of Renee. No thanks, I'd rather be a rubberbot."

Nicole seemed not the least perturbed. "You know, of course, that Renee will be hurt no matter which option you choose."

"But you won't." The rage was building again, and Naomi's words came more quickly, more forcefully. "The only way I can hurt you is by hurting myself. And I'll do whatever I have to, to hurt you most. So you really want to give me a choice, eh, Nicole? Okay, then, my choice is to become a rubberbot. That's what I want, Nicole: to destroy the woman you claim to love."

Her voice echoed in the suddenly silent room. Even the Trixies ranged around them seemed to hang on Nicole's next words. She shifted again on her divan, catching the curl between her breasts and twisting it thoughtfully. At last she spoke.

"Don't forget," she said, "about the neurofilament. If you do insist on becoming a rubberbot, I'll just use it to make another you."

"It won't be the same," answered Naomi, but she couldn't stop her voice from cracking. Surely she wouldn't dare. Would she? "You'll always know it isn't me."

"Not if I reprogram myself." Nicole laughed to see the doubt on Naomi face. "Come on, sweetheart. After all I've done to prove my love for you, do you really think I'd balk at that? What do I have to fear? My staff obey my will more carefully than any doctor on the planet! I'd trust any one of them with the keys to my mind." She stretched out a toe and brushed Kari-Trixie's clit. "In fact, if it came right down to it, I might command Kari here to perform the procedure and let you watch from the sidelines. Then all of us would come out happy in the end...well, all except Renee."

Suddenly serious, she pulled upright and locked her eyes on the captive's. "Renee Goodwin broke into my headquarters, stole trade secrets - and worst of all, attempted to steal you from me. She deserves to be punished."

"No," said Naomi, but now her voice was little more than a whisper. Her rage was gone, and nothing remained to her but despair. Nicole had thought of everything.

"Yeeeees," crooned her captor. "Remember, Naomi, that Renee has already seen what I did to Kari. Do you think she expects me to do the same to you? Or does she think I have something worse in mind? I doubt she could even conceive of a recycling like Anne's, but what she can't anticipate, she can't steel herself to face. Come now, Naomi. Do you want me to have to tell Renee who's there to see her, under all that shiny rubber? Do you want to face her eyeless and mute, lacking even the wit to recognize the woman you loved?"

Again Naomi buried her face in her hands, but this time there was no Kari to stroke her back.

"Wouldn't it be better," purred Nicole, "to face her with your mind very nearly intact? She'd forgive you for not loving her anymore. She'd know that was my doing, and be glad I'd done no worse."

Naomi looked up with eyes as dead as a doll's. "And what would you do to her then?"

"I haven't made up my mind yet, but I'm sure you'd like a voice in that decision."

What kind of voice would Naomi have, though? Almost too shell-shocked to think, she forced her thoughts back to her time onstage, when she'd held Nicole's hand and pledged her love before an auditorium full of strangers. How much of the woman she'd been then was really her? Naomi had been too much in love with her captor to think of Renee, but at least she didn't recall any ill will toward the reporter. Meanwhile, her attitude toward her teammates had been the same as ever. She remembered the wink-smile she'd shared with Kari...well, with Kari's clone. She'd felt the same maternal friendship for the intern as she always had. Did she dare to hope that Naomi v.2.0 would be as kind to Renee as she was to Kari?

Hope. There was that hateful word again. But Naomi v.2.0 was the only option that offered Renee any hope at all. The rubberbot certainly couldn't speak up for her.

Naomi sighed. "You haven't left me much choice, have you, Nicole?"

"Of course I have, dear. How could I do any less for the woman I love?"

22.

Naomi stepped shyly into the room. She couldn't remember being this conscious of her nakedness since her very first night with Nicole. But of course, they hadn't seen one another this way in over a decade, a decade Naomi had spent on the run. She'd done everything she could to hide from her love - and her lover. In fact, she'd even stooped to abusing Nicole in the press when all she'd really wanted, the whole time, was the comfort of her embrace. But Naomi had swallowed her pride in the end, and when she came to Nicole and asked for her help, Nicole had been glad to give it.

Her lover had even acquiesced to Naomi's strangest request. The newswoman knew she could never fully support Nicole as long as she had qualms about her work. But she wanted to. The only solution, then, was to submit to a mild form of recycling.

Nicole had been surprised but understanding of her request, and now that procedure was behind them, Naomi knew she'd made the right decision. Her doubts and fears were gone, and as far as she could tell, Nicole had made no other changes to her mind. But of course, Naomi had expected no less from the woman she loved so perfectly.

Catching sight of her now, Naomi felt her cunt zing with anticipation. Nicole lay nude on the bed, lounging among the silks like an earthbound Venus. Her skin was palest pink with accents of coral at nipples and mons. Her pubic hair, barely darker than the curls on her head, was neatly trimmed and sparkled with dew. Her breasts jutted like soft, conical shells topped by nubbly points. "Come to me, love," she purred.

Naomi never noticed the camera lens hidden among the mirrors on the ceiling. Its cords traveled backwards and downwards, deep beneath Nicole's boudoir and into the depths of her recycling compound. There, Renee Goodwin lay bound on a table as the performance unfolded on a screen overhead. She saw her enemy's hands slide around her lover's buttocks, saw her bury her face in Naomi's blond thatch, saw Naomi arch her back in ecstasy. Renee's eyes filled with tears, but she didn't look away. She was determined to know the worst of it.

Nicole's tongue slid up Naomi's belly and circled around her breasts. Then she began to suckle, drawing her lover down with gentle insistence onto the bed. Naomi's leg eased between Nicole's and Nicole turned, so that their lower lips kissed and moistened the flesh around them. She used to do that with me, Renee thought, and blinked her eyes clear of tears.

Audio feed brought her the hiss of silk, the sighs of the lovers, the slick smack of bodies sliding together. Now Naomi's upper lips found Nicole's lower ones, and vice versa. Their hands roamed madly over breasts and thighs as their tongues played havoc with swollen clits.

Naomi came first, bucking and shrieking in a pattern all too familiar to Renee. Her fingers dug deep into Nicole's buttocks as she struggled to hold herself in place. Nicole followed suit, and soon the two were writhing so hard they almost fell out of the bed. Renee was actually disappointed when they didn't. Would a hard enough knock restore Naomi to her true self, she wondered? But no, Argenti's programming was too deep for that. Renee's lover was gone. Forever.

Sated at last, the two women uncurled and lay back, shoulder to shoulder, staring up at the hidden camera. Naomi, of course, saw nothing but her own reflection and her lover's, and she smiled at the secret lens. Nicole in her turn curled a finger through Naomi's damp hair and twisted it loosely. "I've missed you so much," she whispered.

"And I've missed you." Still gazing upward, Naomi joined her hand to Nicole's. "I promise I'll never push you away again. I'm with you forever now. In everything."

"Everything? Even-"

"Yes, even in the recycling." She rolled toward her lover. "Teach me how to do it, Nicole. I want every part of your life to be part of my life, too."

Nicole turned to face her and sweetly kissed her lips. "What a wonderful idea, Naomi. We can be partners in Recycled Toys, just as we're partners in everything else! When do you want to start?"

"Today! I know you must have dozens of new orders after the Toy Fair. Let me help you fill them."

"Gladly," trilled Nicole. "I do have a good bit of work ahead. The Trixies were an even bigger hit than I'd hoped, and the other new models are selling almost as well. The rubberbot seems to be especially popular."

"I'm not surprised." Naomi smiled, then grew thoughtful. "That would be a good model to start with, wouldn't it? I mean, the rubberbot is basically a blank slate, so there's not much I could do to mess one up."

"Or if you did mess it up - not that it's likely -we'd only have to erase and start over. That's a great idea, Naomi. And it just so happens that I have a subject prepped and ready for rubberizing: an ex-reporter who broke into my facility and tried to steal my designs."

Naomi's face screwed up in sympathy. "How awful," she pouted. "I hope she wasn't one of mine."

"Don't worry, darling. She was just a freelancer, looking for a leg up in the market. Her name was Renee Godwin."

"Goodwin, Goodwin...." Naomi chewed her lip. "You know, that name almost sounds familiar, but I don't know her, have I?"

"Of course you don't, sweetheart. You have better taste than to associate with the likes of that one."

Naomi pecked her on the lips. "Now that you mention it, I guess I do. But even if I wouldn't associate with Goodwin, I still can't wait to meet her. What would a person like that say? How could she even defend herself?"

Nicole's laughter tinkled through the bedroom. "That's the best part," she answered. "She can't defend herself; my assistants have already clipped her vocal cords." She traced her lover's lips with a fingertip. "Don't be too disappointed, darling."

"Don't worry." Naomi kissed the fingertip and smiled. "I can't be disappointed by anything you do, Nicole. Besides, I doubt Goodwin would say anything I'd want to hear, anyway."

Back in the recycling lab, Renee closed her eyes and sobbed in silence. It was all she could do.