The Empath Cycle: 2001 It Takes One - Book 1

"Would you believe because I was one a long time ago? Don't look so surprised. I didn't know what to do with my life and my uncle was working for this firm. He offered me an apprenticeship of sorts until I found my calling. I literally started in the mailroom and worked my way up. I could have stayed with the support staff, but I got interested in the science at one point and went back to school. And now I'm in charge of special projects. The ones nobody else really wants to do. Over the years, I've built a team of dedicated people. We do as much research and development as we do building projects. We are the ones the other divisions turn to when they encounter problems with no ready solutions."

"Aren't you in direct competition with the university research department, sir?"

"Not really. We share a lot of information with them."

"I still don't see what all that has to do with me, sir."

"One question, if I may, before I answer your own."

"Of course, sir."

"Of all the mistakes you found in the project, some were at technician level and any one of your fellow technicians would have been expected to catch them, but some were at junior engineer level and two were at senior level. How did you spot them?"

Sylvie blushed. "I've been interested in applied sciences for a long time, sir. I've been reading a lot on the subject. I've subscribed to many engineering magazines and the ones not available to the general public, I've been reading in the engineering department at the university for years. We are allowed as long as we don't take them out of the library. Also, I visit many web sites and chat rooms dedicated to engineering advances. That's how I caught the junior level ones. As for the others, we have a teacher who loves to spins yarns about his days in the field and he told us about some problems he encountered and how he solved them. I researched those to get more details and that's how I spotted the more subtle ones."

"You mean Alan Wilson is still teaching at the university?"

"Yes, sir. He's one of the best teachers at the Poly. Everybody loves him"

"I know. He was my mentor when I was there. He's the one who gave me the bug for research and development. Okay, one moment please."

He picked up his phone and dialed an internal number. "Hello, Annie.... You were right, as usual... Yes, yes, don't gloat, it's not nice... Of course. And bon appétit."

"Young woman, you've just cost me the price of a meal for a glutton and her husband. Don't look so shocked. I don't mind and it was a bet I'm happy to have lost. As for your question, would you believe that the project you found so riddled with mistakes came from this office?"

"It did?"

"Yes and I'm the one who made those errors... on purpose, I hasten to add. You see, Annie Langston is an old friend of mine and she always has her eye out for promising young engineers. When she finds one, I get first dibs on them for my division. She's been telling me about you since you started working for here last summer. This last project was a test and you've passed it with flying colors. In fact, you're only the second technician to have caught all the mistakes. The other one is my assistant. Now, he will stop boasting, I hope."

"Thank you, sir. Does this means that I can boast too?"

Jake White took his head in his hands in a gesture of long suffering. "Not another one." When he heard laughing behind the door John had left ajar, he raised his voice. "One of these days, young man, you'll be sitting in this chair and I hope you have an assistant just as annoying as you are." He grinned at Sylvie as he said that. "Now, young lady, I understand that you are still in your first semester at university."

"Yes, sir."

"That means you still have an open mind and have not been corrupted by the brainwashing they give students there. Don't worry about it. I mean that they spout guild propaganda and form engineers who will fit in the mold and who won't make waves. Unfortunately, that tends to discourage the creative ones from pursuing a career in the field and they either stay at the university as researchers or switch to pure sciences. What I want to offer you is a transfer to my division."

"You mean when I get my degree and have passed the guild exams."

"No, Ms. Tremblay. I mean right now. You will still be a technician until you graduate, but you will be part of my team. You will learn as much here as in school. Make no mistake. If you choose to join my team, I fully intend to work your fingers to the bone, so to speak. You could say it's an internship with pay. We will accommodate your study schedule as the firm already does, but over the summer and Holidays breaks, you will work full-time."

"That's fine, sir. When do I start?"

"Let this be your first lesson. Never agree to a contract on the spot. Always take a step back and consider the terms offered. In this case, I will give you an incentive. The three days you missed last week will be paid as sick days even if part-time employees don't have that kind of social benefits. Also, I want you to take the rest of the week off, with pay, of course, and think about my offer. On your way out, John will give you a copy of the entry-level contract. Think about it. Consult other people if you wish. I even urge you to talk about it with the people close to you as you will probably see less of them if you sign on. Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, sir, but I have a partner... a girlfriend. Is that a problem?"

"Why should it? Will it keep you from giving me 100% of your efforts when you're at work?"

"No, sir. Probably the opposite. She's also an engineering student."

"Then I don't see a problem. You will find that we are a big family in this division. We have our differences, we argue, but, in the end, the important thing is the science. I suggest that you and your partner have a coffee with John and his partner. They will give you an idea of what to expect."

"Thank you for the opportunity, sir."

"Then, that will be all for now, Ms. Tremblay. I will wait to hear from you next Monday morning."

They shook hands and Sylvie left his office in a daze. When John saw her, he rose from his desk and conspicuously shut the door to his boss' office with a grin.

"I suppose you're wondering if your awake right now or still in your bed dreaming."

"Oh, I know I'm awake. Trust me, I'm sure of that much. I don't see how I could say no to such an offer, though. It's exactly what I've been dreaming of for years."

"I know. I heard. And he knows it too. That's why he wants to snag you right away before the university realizes your potential and where your ambitions lie. He did the same to me ten years ago and I never regretted signing on."

"Did I understand correctly that you are gay? Isn't it a problem in an old boys' club such as an engineering firm?"

"I don't know about other divisions or other firms, but it's not an impediment to career advancement here. The old man's daughter is a lesbian and he is very protective of her. And I mean very protective. A few years ago, we briefly had a senior engineer who kept mouthing off about the LGBT community even after he was asked to keep his prejudices out of the work place. Well, one day Jake called him to his office to tell him that bigotry had no place in this division. The asshole had the gall to tell him that they were an affront to God and that nobody could tell him to shut up except God himself. The legend in the office is that he ended as an integral part of a support pylon for a bridge we were building at the time, if you know what I mean. The reality is that he left at the end of the day and we haven't seen him on this floor or even in this building since then."

They laughed at the image of the bigot sharing the fate of Jimmy Hoffa

"Here's your copy of the entry level contract. If you sign it, it will engage you for four years or until you get your diploma with an option for future employment after that. The conditions are good, excellent even. Make no mistake, you will be selling your soul to the Devil, but it's a devil we all love and you will be challenged here as you wouldn't be anywhere else that I've ever heard of. He will work you to the brink of mental exhaustion and expect you to be here the next morning, ready for more. I don't mean to scare you at all. The man will help you find resources you didn't know you had and he will be at your side every step of the way."

"He sounds like my kind of boss."

"He's more than that. He's a team leader. He used to be the first one here in the morning and the last one out in the evening. After I graduated and started working full-time, more often than not I was here before him to work on my projects in peace before the others came in and the phone started ringing. One day, he told me than since I was already here, I might as well make myself useful and help him on one of his projects. Then the sneaky so and so piled up more and more responsibilities on my desk until I found myself working full-time for him. And here I am."

"That sounds challenging. I was ready to accept his offer right away, so why did he tell me to take until Monday to think about it?"

"He's like that. He knows it's a big decision and he doesn't want to pressure you or take advantage of your enthusiasm."

"One more reason to come work for him as far as I'm concerned. Okay, I'll take the time and discuss it with my partner and a contract lawyer I know and trust to give me good advice. As for his last suggestion, would you be willing to have a coffee with my girlfriend and I?"

"Why settle for a coffee? My partner is a sous-chef at this big restaurant and it's his week-end off this week. How about a great supper next Saturday evening?"

"I'd love to, but we already have an engagement Saturday. We are going to this private club with her daughter and her pe... partner."

"Did you almost say 'her pet'?"

"No, I didn't."

John laughed. "And is this private club called the Phoenix?"

"It's possible. I don't know the name of the place. We are to be guests of her daughter who is a member."

John was laughing so hard he had to sit back on his chair. "Ask her if that's the name of the club and if it is, the invitation stands for supper. We'll just do it earlier and will join you to go to the club. What did you say is the name of your partner's daughter?"

"I didn't say, but it's Jade."

"This is a small world indeed." He scribbled on a post-it and handed it to Sylvie. "We'll expect you at 6:00pm. Please come dressed to go out."

"If we're talking about the same club, I'll have to ask if it's all right with her and I'll get back to you."

"Trust me it'll be all right. See you then miss... or is it pet?"

"It's miss and we'll see."

As Sylvie rode the elevator down, she wondered if she had done the right thing by answering John's last question.

"Yes, Aunt Brigitte, it was mammy Catherine's beach... Down to the last detail. There was even mammy Arianna's medieval castle and mammy Juliette's Arabian Nights palace and they played in it... No, they were asleep at first, then she took them there... That's what we thought, but you know what mammy Sarah always said about the impossible... And she saw us when we tried to divert her attention... Yes, I agree, but she also said she could see our auras out there and she pushed us out... No, she was nice about it and said we could visit. All we had to do was ask... Okay then, but we would feel more comfortable if you could do some research from your end before we talk to her... We'll wait for your call then."

>You are to come to your condo directly after you finish work. From the moment you step into the metro, you are my pet. Act accordingly. If you are alone in the corridor, you will undress before you knock on the door. ILY. S.<

Patricia felt faint when she read the text. She excused herself from class and ran to the lavatory. Once she was seated, pants and panties around her ankles, she re-read it and moaned. She hesitated before putting her shaking hand between her legs. She knew how turned on she was and she didn't want to risk being overheard. When she couldn't resist anymore she stepped out of her pants and stuffed her panties in her mouth.

There was no playing, no stimulating, she needed to come and right away. She plunged two fingers in her flowing vagina and curled them upward. With her other hand, she stroked her pearl vigorously. In seconds, she was shaking violently and moaning loudly. When her orgasm took her, her cries were barely muffled by the improvised gag.

She sat there, panting, for long minutes. She wanted to run home, but her miss had written 'after you finish work'. Did she know what it would do to her? Did she do it on purpose? Panties still in her mouth, she picked up her phone from the floor and sent a reply.

>Yes, miss. May I come home to you right now? ILY. P.<

The reply was immediate.

>You may not. You will continue work normally. You will think of your miss in her uniform, waiting for you. You may not touch yourself.<

The thought of her miss in her latex costume had her ears buzzing. At least she had masturbated before getting her marching orders. She didn't think she could have made it through the afternoon otherwise. Now, she could honestly tell her miss that she had obeyed... but how was she supposed to wipe her cream without touching herself?

It was pure torture. Every time she looked at the messages, she had to grip a table or sit as her knees threatened to buckle. She still had an hour to go when a student discreetly told her she should put in a tampon or at least a pad. Looking down, she was embarrassed to see a telltale wet spot on the crotch of her pants. After thanking to woman, she ran to the lavatory and replaced the two pads by two new ones, hoping they would last longer as she had exhausted her emergency supply.

By the time she went to her locker, she had to hold something before her, hoping it didn't show in the back. At least her coat was long enough to cover the embarrassing proof of her arousal.

In the metro, eyes lowered, she couldn't see the faces of the other passengers, but she heard a couple of them sniff repeatedly as they caught her scent when she moved and her coat flared open.

Standing before the door, her coat at her feet, she saw the wetness showing to mid-thigh, but she was past caring. Her miss was behind the door, waiting for her. She was down to her underwear when she heard a door open further down the corridor. She blushed furiously, but kept disrobing. The idea that she was exposing herself this way compounded her arousal. When she was completely naked, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It seemed like an eternity before the door opened and there she stood...

Sylvie had taken her time going home. She had a lot to think about. She spent an hour nursing a coffee at Starbucks, surfing the web on her portable computer, researching her future boss. There was no doubt in her mind she would accept the position, but the man sounded too good to be true. By the time she dropped the cold beverage in the garbage bin, she was grinning.

She was in high spirits when she got to the condo. She knew she should take this opportunity to get ahead in her homework, but she was too excited to concentrate. She tried to meditate to wind down, but she made the mistake of sitting on Patricia's... on their bed. When she tried to blank her mind, her lover's image refused to leave her. Maybe if she masturbated, it would help her relax, so she stripped and laid on the bed, her face on her lover's pillow so she could inhale her scent.

It was faint, just enough to bring Patricia's image to her mind. She could picture her relaxed features as she slept, but she wanted more, she needed more. Getting up, she went to the dirty laundry basket and found the panties her lover had worn the night before, the ones she had to change when they woke from their special dream because they were soaked.

Back on the bed, she brought them to her nose. The picture she now had was very different. There was no peace in its features, only passion. With a smile, she let her hand roam her body, remembering her lover's caresses, how she had taken her when they 'woke'. She could feel her lips on her own, her teeth on her neck, her tongue on her breasts, on her stomach, on her thighs. Sylvie's hips were thrusting off the bed as she relived the urgency of their morning lovemaking. She scratched her thighs as Patricia had done, searing her marks on her flesh. She thrust two fingers in her vagina, then three, then four. She couldn't reach that far or she would have fisted herself.

The pleasure building within her was overwhelming. She trashed all over the bed as she tried vainly to crest, but the orgasm eluded her. The pleasure kept building to nearly intolerable levels. In desperation, she reached to the night table and yanked the drawer open. Reaching inside she grabbed what she was searching for and ripped the package open. With shaking fingers, she applied the clamps, but they weren't tight enough. This was not the time to experiment. Without thinking, she set them to maximum pressure and clipped them on both nipples simultaneously.

The effect was immediate. Whether the blood-curdling scream was due to the intense pain or the orgasm raging through her body was moot. She lost control of her muscles as spams made her feel as if a massive electrical current was running along her every nerves. Her ejaculation reached her feet, drenching the quilt under her. The orgasm wouldn't stop. It was simply too much of a good thing. Reaching the end of her energy, she feebly managed to raise her clenched hands from between her legs where they had been clutching her mound and unclipped the clamps. As the blood rushed back to her bruised nipples, the exquisite pain caused her to have one last orgasm before she fainted.

When she regained her senses, she was shaking violently, yet she couldn't have moved a muscle if her life had depended on it. 'That's one sure fire way to relax.' She thought with a grin.

Once in control of her body again, she stumbled her way to the guest room to get Jade's robe. That's when she saw the two latex costumes laid out neatly on the bed. She admired them for a moment, imagining herself wearing one while Patricia wore her French maid costume. She felt a tingle deep inside at the image. She grinned and went in search of her phone.

She sent the text and waited for the reply. She tried to imagine the effect it would have on Patricia. Would she get into the game? Would it turn her on? When she didn't get an answer, she figured Patricia didn't have her phone with her so she went back to the kitchen table to see if she could concentrate enough now to do some homework. She was reading the problem for the fifth time without it making any more sense than the first when her phone beeped.

She laughed when she read the text. She could imagine Patricia somewhere private catching her breath after masturbating. She composed her text carefully, going for maximum effect, and hit 'send'. She expected an immediate 'Yes, miss' reply. When she didn't get it, she grinned evilly. The game was on.

She put the picture of Patricia and Karlie in costume on the screen in the living room so she could see it and got to work. Once in a while, she would lift her eyes and look at her two lovers in their pet costumes. Twice, she rose and went to the couch where she masturbated while watching the two women having sex. She had little interest in porn, but there was something profoundly erotic in watching the quasi-twins making love. Maybe because she knew it was not faked and they actually loved each other.