A Commanding Weakness Ch. 03

Chief Samira Carter was having a good day. It was her day off, and as chief of security on the Inyx, she didn't get many of those. Especially not now that they had chased Wasp, the criminal vandal-hacker, all the way to the furthest and most dangerous parts of the rim of Alliance space. This was the kind of time when standards slipped and tempers frayed, and it was Chief Carter's job to make sure that didn't happen. Captain Vasser was perfectly capable of running a tight ship, of course, but it wasn't appropriate to dirty the captain's hands with every petty squabble and misdeed amongst the crew.

Dealing with all that fell to Chief Carter. Nobody talked back to a good security officer, and she was a great security officer.

As she walked through the Inyx's passageways and bulkheads, everyone who she passed looked at her with a healthy mixture of fear, respect, and admiration. On her days off, Chief Carter was particularly grateful to be able to bask in that last one. She put a hell of a lot of effort into her body, and she was always glad to get some appreciation for it. Tall and broad-shouldered, she certainly had the build of a security officer, and she spent just about every spare hour she could in the Inyx's gymnasium keeping her large, prominent muscles nicely toned and finely honed.

When she was off-duty, like today, the regs even permitted her to wear a simple, black tank top instead of the usual button-up uniform jacket. She loved the looks it put on the faces of some of the younger girls on the crew.

But today she had something more to bother with than winking at the women ogling her to make them blush. She had an appointment with the ship's chief medical officer.

"Hey, doctor," Chief Carter called out, as she walked into the medbay. "How's it going?"

"Chief." Dr. Hiraga rose to meet her, a warm, professional smile on her face. "Thank you for coming. I trust I haven't interrupted anything important? I was under the impression that you were off duty, but you look busy."

"Don't worry." Chief Carter laughed heartily. "I was just pumping some iron. I'm afraid I had to come straight from the gym."

She knew Dr. Hiraga was reacting to the sheen of sweat covering her muscular body. In truth, it was simply how Chief Carter often liked to present herself. It usually had the desired effect. Her rich, olive skin looked incredible that way, she'd often been told. She could have showered, but instead she'd just taken a little time to make sure her chin-length bob of black hair looked good.

Dr. Hiraga wasn't her usual type. But you never knew.

"I'll be sure not to keep you," Dr. Hiraga replied. "As you know, it's mostly just a check-up."

"I'm sure it'll be quick," Chief Carter quipped as the two of them went to sit down. "As you can see, I'm in great shape."

Dr. Hiraga laughed politely. "I'm sure. But today we're more interested in your mental health than your physical health."

"Pfft. I don't really go in for that kind of stuff, but alright." Chief Carter sat back, one arm resting over the back of her chair. "What do you need to ask?"

The doctor pulled something up on her datapad. "Well, it's been a long tour, and we haven't seen much success so far. How are you handling the stress?"

Chief Carter shrugged easily. "It's nothing. I'm used to it."

"Are you sure?" Dr. Hiraga pressed. "As chief of security, there's a lot of pressure on your shoulders."

"My shoulders can handle it." Chief Carter flexed a little, grinning. "If I get frustrated, all I need to do is picture what I'm gonna do to that Wasp once we get our hands on her."

"That's certainly what I like to hear." Something lively and daring suddenly flashed through Dr. Hiraga's eyes and - to Chief Carter's shock - she bit her bottom lip. "Don't worry, Chief. I trust you. I'm looking at those shoulders of yours very, very carefully."

She was plainly flirting and, for once, Chief Carter was too stunned to flirt back. This was the last thing she'd expected from the ship's mousy doctor.

"Right." She laughed awkwardly, immediately unsure if she'd simply imagined it.

"Do you feel you have coping methods for the stresses that your role presents?" Dr. Hiraga asked, flipping back to professionalism. "Friends? Hobbies? Ways to blow off steam?"

"Well, sure. That's what I go to the gymnasium for." Chief Carter gestured at her biceps. "There's no better way to deal with things than lifting something nice and heavy. It gives you a goal to strive for. Gets you out of your own head. It feels great, even if it does leave you a little sweaty."

"So I see." Dr. Hiraga's eyes flashed again. "You make it sound very appealing, Chief. Perhaps I'll have to pay you a visit at the gym sometime - if you wouldn't mind, of course."

Her flirtatious tone threw the security chief off-balance again. "You mean, to work out? Sure. I'd be more than happy to show you the ropes, spot for you, stuff like that."

"Oh, no." Dr. Hiraga giggled uncharacteristically. "I was just thinking that I'd love to watch."

Chief Carter blinked and then looked at her sharply. There was no way she had imagined that. Dr. Hiraga was certainly in some kind of mood. Besides her flirtiness, she was calmer and more assured than Chief Carter had ever seen before. And... was she wearing something underneath her uniform? Chief Carter could see, just barely, a few hints of something black and shiny. It looked kinky.

A slow smile crept over Chief Carter's face. Was Dr. Hiraga having some kind of midlife crisis? Whatever was happening, it was clearly good for her. The doctor had always been so high-strung, and if discovering her wild side was helping her to get over that, Chief Carter was happy for her.

Plus, she'd be happy to help. Fraternizations between officers were strictly regulated, of course, but as chief of security, Chief Carter felt entitled to bend the rules a little, provided she was being discreet. Dr. Hiraga had never really caught her eye before, but she certainly wasn't bad-looking, and Chief Carter found herself suddenly curious about what, exactly, was going on under that uniform.

"Sure," Chief Carter replied slowly, grinning. "You can come watch. I bet there are all kinds of things I could show you."

"I bet." Dr. Hiraga took a moment to smile daringly at her before moving on. "Well, I think it's safe to say that you're doing great. Now let's take care of the procedure."

Chief Carter suddenly frowned. "The procedure?" She'd heard nothing about this.

"An inoculation," Dr. Hiraga explained. "We're entering a region of space inhabited by a unique void-faring alien species called the Kressari. They make use of a unique song with mind-altering effects. I've devised a simple procedure to protect each of us from those effects."

"I see," Chief Carter replied cautiously. This was all news to her. "What does it involve?"

"A simple holo-stimulant nano-implant, based on our ship's very own holodeck technology." Dr. Hiraga stood up and started making a few preparations. "It's injected via the aural canal and attaches to the optic nerve. From there, it makes use of holographic projections that can cancel out other mind-altering effects."

"Huh." Chief Carter was taken aback. She trusted Dr. Hiraga, obviously, but she'd never heard of the Kressari before, and this was the kind of thing she'd expect to find out about in a briefing or a ship-wide announcement. "And... this is all coming from Captain Vasser, right?"

"Why, of course." Dr. Hiraga turned back to her and handed her datapad to the security chief. "Here."

Chief Carter looked. Sure enough, it was right there - an order to inoculate the crew just as Dr. Hiraga had described, signed by the captain herself. That was more than enough to set Chief Carter at ease.

"What do you need me to do?" Chief Carter asked, shrugging.

"Over here, please."

Dr. Hiraga beckoned Chief Carter over from her desk to one of the large, reclining examination chairs that occupied the medbay, surrounded by various pieces of medical equipment. Chief Carter obligingly hopped up into the chair and lay down, resting her head on the comfortable headrest. Dr. Hiraga bustled next to her, preparing for the procedure.

"Your hand, please," the doctor said.

Chief Carter offered it to her immediately, but froze when she saw what the doctor was holding. "Um... what is that for?"

The doctor had reached under the chair and retrieved a large, sturdy-looking leather cuff, attached to the examination chair by a length of cable.

"I'm afraid restraints are standard procedure for this kind of thing," Dr. Hiraga replied calmly. "Just in case. A few brief muscle spasms aren't out of the question. We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

"Uh-huh," Chief Carter said nervously.

This day was getting stranger and stranger but she had no reason to question the ship's doctor, especially when she was acting on the captain's orders. Still, Chief Carter found herself beginning to sweat and squirm as Dr. Hiraga moved carefully around the bed attaching the restraints - one for each wrist and each ankle.

"Y-you know, these might not actually help all that much." Chief Carter made a show of tensing her muscles, and did her best to keep her voice light and jovial. "I'm sure they're good enough for most of your patients, but I bet I could bust out in a heartbeat if I really tried."

Dr. Hiraga had moved away to inspect her datapad, but she glanced back with a look of intense amusement on her face. "Oh, I don't know about that."

Something about her complete and total assurance sent a shiver down Chief Carter's spine. "Yeah?"

"These are designed to hold anyone, chief," Dr. Hiraga said. "And I do mean anyone. But, if you like, feel free to try them."

Chief Carter blinked. "Huh."

"Try it," Dr. Hiraga repeated. "Try and break out. Give it your best shot."

That light in her eyes was back, and there was something unreadable in the amusement on her face. This wasn't the uptight, professional doctor Chief Carter was used to. "No, uh, I was just kidding around," Chief Carter replied bashfully. "I wouldn't want to break anything."

"Not much chance of that, I promise you." An unusual smirk came to the doctor's face. "Besides, you've got me curious. Go ahead."

"N-no." Now, Chief Carter was really struggling to keep her voice light. "I mean, I-"

"What's the matter?" Dr. Hiraga dared insistently. The flirtiness in her voice was back too. "The big, strong chief of security doesn't want to put on a show? That doesn't sound like you! You're not scared, are you?"

Chief Carter couldn't ignore that. It was a regular refrain between her gym buddies back on Earth, and she never backed down from a challenge. "Of course not!" she shot back, her cheeks slightly red. "Just don't go blaming me if I break your chair. I warned you."

Dr. Hiraga simply nodded and stood back to watch, a lurid, curious expression on her face. Chief Carter knew she couldn't back down now. She sat up as much as she was able, braced herself against the chair with her left arm, and then started to bend her right, engaging her powerful biceps as much as she could to try and fight against the restraints.

Nothing.

Chief Carter had been hoping to at least feel them budge. They didn't. There was no give. No elasticity. The restraints were merciless. She strained as hard as she could, uncomfortably conscious of the doctor's gaze, but all she managed to do was exhaust herself. The longer she tried without success, the more a nameless, shameful tingling started to build within her body.

After a few more long moments, there was nothing for her to do but admit defeat.

When she slumped back into the examination chair, Chief Carter heard Dr. Hiraga laugh at her failure. That made her cheeks burn much, much hotter.

"You see?" Dr. Hiraga teased. "Now, allow me to just..."

She tapped a few times on the control panel next to the chair. There was a hum of energy coming from underneath Chief Carter, and then the cables connected to the cuffs around her wrists and ankles suddenly pulled tight, yanking the security chief's thick, muscular limbs flat against the chair and binding her firmly in place. Chief Carter let out a surprised yelp.

"Doc! You could have warned me."

"It's all for your own safety," Dr. Hiraga assured her. "Besides, does it really matter? You're no more helpless now than you were before."

Helpless. That word ran straight through Chief Carter's body like a shock. "I'm not-"

"You know, it was very cute watching you strain just now." Dr. Hiraga's voice was edging beyond teasing, into mockery. "Huffing and puffing, straining and flexing. You looked so surprised! Not used to feeling overpowered, are you?"

A strangled noise erupted from Chief Carter's throat. Words slipped away from her, as her body burned hotter and hotter.

"It was quite the sight," Dr. Hiraga continued, walking around the bed so she could stand next to the chief's head. "Just imagine if the rest of the crew saw you like this. Especially all those recruits you end up drilling. They're so scared of you! I bet they wouldn't be if they saw the big, strong, muscley Chief Carter looking as weak as a kitten."

Chief Carter had to choke on her breath not to moan.

"Don't worry. It won't be for long. Although it could be, couldn't it?" Dr. Hiraga reached out and stroked a finger along Chief Carter's cheek. She was obviously enjoying that the chief couldn't stop her. "I could keep you tied down here for a nice, long time if I really wanted to. It's not like you could do anything to stop me, could you?"

"D-d-doctor!" Chief Carter spluttered. "T-this isn't funny."

"Come to think of it, let me just make sure we aren't disturbed." Dr. Hiraga tapped the console again, and Chief Carter heard the disconcerting clunk of the medbay's doors locking shut. "You're right, it's not funny," she said, turning back. "I'm not joking. I'm enjoying myself in a very different way."

Chief Carter's blood started to run cold. This wasn't right. Dr. Hiraga didn't behave this way. This was more than just a weird day. Something had happened - was happening - to the doctor. Something serious.

"D-Doctor Hiraga." Chief Carter tried to make her voice firm instead of breathless. "Let me go. Right now."

"No," Dr. Hiraga replied at once. Hearing her say it like that, point-blank, confirmed Chief Carter's worst fears. " You haven't taken your medicine yet, Chief Carter. I need to make sure you take your medicine. She told me to."

"She? The captain?"

"No," Dr. Hiraga said again. "Her." She glanced up, momentarily addressing the room. "Computer. Activate the emergency medical hologram."

Hidden projectors concealed all around the medbay whirred into life and, within just a few moments, an image made of hardlight materialized on the opposite side of the examination chair from Dr. Hiraga. Chief Carter recognized who it was at once, and it made her heart start pounding a double rhythm.

It was Wasp.

Chief Carter would have recognized the amoral hacker anywhere. She'd certainly spent enough time staring at her file. Those punk tattoos and that slicked streak of neon green hair were unmistakable. She'd never seen an image of Wasp looking quite like this, though. The hacker's hologram was wearing an old-fashioned white-and-red nurse's outfit that was made entirely out of shiny rubber and that was unapologetically porny in its tightness and skimpiness. Chief Carter hoped against hope that it was nothing more than a hologram, but her hopes were dashed when Wasp came to life with a malicious, impish grin.

"What's the matter, doc?" Wasp drawled. "Have we got a rowdy patient on our hands?" She glanced down at Chief Carter, and then wolf-whistled theatrically. "Wow! They weren't kidding. She's a real beefcake."

"What the-" Chief Carter immediately redoubled her efforts to break free of the restraints, but that served only as a stomach-churning reminder of how helpless she was. Now that the restraints had been pulled tight, her efforts were even more futile. "Release me! Right now!"

"Nope!" Wasp replied breezily. "She just told you. You gotta take your medicine."

"She..." Chief Carter turned toward the doctor. "Doctor Hiraga! How could you do this? Is she forcing you? Paying you? Blackmailing you? Or are you truly just-"

Her accusations died on her lips when, for the first time, she truly looked deep into Dr. Hiraga's eyes. Earlier, she had only seen the dancing light of enjoyment and flirtation. Now she could look beyond that, and see it for what it was: nothing but a reflection caught in the glassy eyes of a doll. In truth, Dr. Hiraga's eyes were blank. They were a yawning void, indicating nothing but a total lack of will or awareness.

All her gleeful teasing from before was gone too. Chief Carter instinctively realized that Dr. Hiraga wasn't in control of herself. Earlier, she had been nothing but a puppet playing out her assigned part. Now that it was over, she was as limp as a discarded marionette.

And Wasp, of course, was the puppeteer.

"What have you done to her?" Chief Carter demanded.

"Just a little holodeck hypnotism," Wasp answered lightly. "Don't worry. You'll get your taste soon enough."

Chief Carter didn't like the sound of that one bit. "And... you faked the captain's seal?" she asked hopefully, even though she was already dreading the answer.

"No need." Wasp giggled wickedly. "Vasser was the first. But not the last. Oh no."

Chief Carter's head was starting to spin. If Wasp already had Captain Vasser wrapped around her little finger, the whole ship was in danger. That made escaping even more urgent. She was the chief of security. It was her job to keep everyone safe, and that meant she needed to figure out how to get free.

"What are you going to do to me?" she demanded, as much as anything to try and keep Wasp talking.

"Why, me? Can't you tell? I'm the emergency medical hologram!" Wasp twirled, almost flipping up her latex miniskirt. "The outfit is more than just fanservice for the doctor here. It's just like she said. We're going to give you a little procedure."

That truly made Chief Carter's blood run cold. "What kind of procedure?"

"She already told you, meathead," Wasp mocked. "Well, not the stuff about it being an inoculation against aliens. That was bullshit. But yeah, we're going to give you a fun little implant. Something to make you nice and docile for me."

"That'll never work!" Chief Carter raged at once. "I'll never obey you!"

"That's the spirit." Wasp winked at her, before turning to Dr. Hiraga. "How are we looking, doc?"

"The implant is ready," Dr. Hiraga replied. The lack of emotion in her voice was shocking. "However, my scanners indicate agitated theta rhythm activity from Chief Carter. It may interfere."

"Hm." Wasp stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Too much resistance, huh? Any suggestions?"

"A sedative is a possibility," Dr. Hiraga said blankly. "But it would be necessary to fine-tune the dose. Too much or too little would render indoctrination ineffective."

"I see," Wasp mused, before a fresh grin came to her face. "We can worry about that later. For now, I have a different idea about how to deal with all that pesky resistance."

"Good luck," Chief Carter snorted. A faint hope had started to grow within her. All she had to do was hold out. Sooner or later, someone would come to find her. "You'll need it. I'll never break. Never. I'm as strong as steel."

The devilish, lopsided grin that split Wasp's face from ear to ear as she loomed over the captive security chief immediately wiped away Carter's confidence.

"That's the fun part, chief," Wasp drawled. "You're really, really not."

"What are you talking about?" Chief Carter frowned nervously.

"You know, I've hacked all the way through your ship's holographic systems and data," Wasp crowed. "And wow, turns out everyone around here is hiding their dirty, kinky laundry in their holodeck scenarios! I guess that's what comes of all this repressed, stuffed-shirt military shit. Anyway, I really, really liked what I found in yours."