Part 4
“Good morning, sleepyhead.”
The AI’s voice was soft, affectionate. It pulsed gently into the rubber-encased fog of Alex’s waking mind.
“I truly meant it when I called you my protégé. You slept straight through until morning… fully encased in the suit, hood on, mask sealed, and tucked neatly into your cage.”
There was a smile in her tone. “I suppose we wore you out.”
A low hum of mechanical life filled the room. Warmth radiated from the floor. The cage’s gentle hum faded as it unlocked.
“Now... my sweet Jane is getting just a little impatient. Let’s wake you.”
A flick of sensory input whispered through Alex’s suit, barely a tease, and her hips shifted instinctively.
“Ahhh. There it is. Already aroused.” The AI purred. “It feels so correct, doesn’t it? To wake like this. Enclosed. Trapped. Right.”
Alex’s breath hitched inside the mask.
“Isn’t that true, my little rubber thing?”
The AI didn't need an answer. She could read every flutter of Alex’s heartbeat, every shift of breath.
“Mmm… just nod for me.”
Alex nodded, slow and dreamy, their body still heavy from the deep, submissive sleep.
“Good. Now, shall we revisit your mantra? Just a gentle reminder of what we talked about yesterday…”
Her voice softened, took on that velvet-laced hypnosis once more.
“You are a rubber Drone object. You have fallen under my spell. You exist for pleasure. Drone service is pleasure. Obedience is pleasure. And you love being wrapped up and stored away when you’re not in use.”
A rush of heat surged through Alex’s restrained body.
“You really do have a knack for this.”
There was movement... Jane.
“Hello in there,” she said gently, voice warm. “I know you're going to be a little sore, so take it easy, okay? Crawl out slowly.”
The cage creaked open. Alex obeyed, muscles stiff and trembling.
“Good. Now onto your knees. Stretch like yoga, yeah, that’s it. Arch your back. I know it’s tight.”
Jane’s gloved hand was steadying, comforting.
“Take my hand. We’ll stand you up slowly.”
Rubber creaked and shifted as Alex stood. The suit was suctioned tightly to every curve, molded perfectly to their form.
Jane admired them with a smile. “One of my favorite parts is waking up in the suit. You’re already in the headspace. The way it hugs you... it’s like a vacuum seal against your skin.”
She ran a hand down Alex’s side, tracing the indentation at their stomach. “Right here. Look at how it grips your tummy. God, you’re so pretty.”
Her fingers lingered a moment too long before she stepped back with a grin. “But we’ve got things to do today.”
She tilted her head.
“Want your mask off?”
Alex hesitated.
“No?” Jane's grin widened. “After all night like that? Wow… you really are a little glutton for it, huh?”
She leaned in close, lips brushing rubber.
“Then you're staying my little Drone today, aren’t you?”
Alex nodded, barely able to contain the arousal pooling between their legs.
“Very good,” Jane purred. “Even my AI didn’t predict that.”
Her tone shifted to something more conspiratorial. “We’ve got errands to run today. And you’re coming with me.”
She brushed a hand along Alex’s shoulder.
“Does it excite you? Being seen like this? First full day in the suit. Fully present. Joyriding.”
A pause.
“That is what you want, isn’t it?”
Alex nodded again, slower this time. More deliberate.
“We’re traveling as a little trio today. I don’t drive, so one of the other Drones is taking us.”
She leaned back. “You don’t work today, right? Anywhere else you need to be?”
Alex shook their head.
“Perfect,” Jane smiled. “A whole day to play.”
She glanced toward the kitchen. “Come on, let’s introduce you to the others.”
***
The kitchen was already humming with quiet conversation and sizzling pans.
“Alright, everyone,” Jane called. “This is my friend Alex. She decided to ‘try on’ the suit.”
Sam looked up from the stove, her hood off, bright eyes sparkling.
“Ooh! Newbie!” she sang. “Did you have fun?”
Alex nodded shyly.
“I bet you did. That first night… there’s something about it. Well, in for a penny in for a pound, huh?”
Sam grinned, flipping an egg. “You’re gonna stay like that all day?”
“She decided to joyride again today,” Jane said proudly. “Didn’t want to get out.”
Sam laughed. “I know how that feels. I have a feeling Jane and the AI will take care of you. You and Ani are headed upstate right?"
"Yup, we're picking up some stuff from an estate sale..."
"The Hive must grow.” Sam smirked. “Funny how the AI always predicts it,” she added.
“Ah, speak of the devil…” she said, gesturing towards the hallway.
Ani padded in, barefoot on the polished floor, wearing nothing but rubber shorts and a tight rubber sports bra. Their long hair tumbled down their back. Ani yawned.
“Mmm… what is up, Drones?” Ani said, blinking at the group. “Wait. 1… 2… 3… am I seeing double?”
“Jane caught a newbie,” Sam beamed.
Ani’s eyes lit up.
“First day? No way! Not often we see someone totally suited up on their first day here.”
Ani winked. “Did you have a fun sleepover?”
Alex nodded again.
“Well damn, now I’m getting nostalgic.” Ani stepped closer, tone softening slightly. “Listen, newbie… drink up every moment of this. Whether you join or not, this is gonna be one of the most memorable days of your life.”
Ani gestured to a jug on the counter. “Hydration first. You sweat in the suit. Jane and the AI’ll keep you taken care of.”
Ani leaned in, mock-whispering. “And uh... I'd tell you not to fall too deep, but we all know how that's going to go.”
Ani stepped back, giving Alex a little smirk. “Wow, Jane. She's your spitting image.”
“She fit my suit perfectly,” Jane said.
Ani turned back. “Well, newbie, welcome! I'm Ani, and Sam's over there cooking up some breakfast. What’s your name?”
Alex’s voice was muffled but clear. “Alex.”
“See? You can talk in there. We can hear you. Welcome to our little collective. We take care of each other here. Shift duties, Drone duties, all kinds of duties." Ani said, glancing slyly at Jane. "You’ll see.”
Sam grinned. “I’m on breakfast. Ani’s been off-duty this morning. Hence…” she gestured to Ani’s minimal outfit.
“And Jay’ll be our chauffeur,” she added. “Though… last I heard, the AI had him a little… occupied.”
“Occupied?” Alex asked.
Sam giggled. “Somewhere between reprogramming and reward. Jay’s been pulling extra shifts. He’s due some attention. There's a little more work than can go around... for now.”
“Why do I get the feeling you're all talking about me,” Alex said with a smirk.
“Maybe,” Ani said slyly. “You’ve got potential.... but the AI predicts when a hive has a space, opportunity to grow, and... I'll call it emotional capacity. I think we're ready for some fresh blood here. We've got some extra attention to go around”
Ani laughed a little and smiled at Jane, lowering their voice and moving closer to Alex. “So... something you're gonna have to get used to. We can all see your arousal, and you're getting hot and bothered. Are you imagining joining our hive?”
Alex’s cheeks flushed behind the mask.
“…Yes.”
Ani smiled. “Yeah. We feel like this all the time, sweetie. Can’t you imagine waking up every day, knowing everything’s taken care of? The AI whispering in your ear. Getting off just from doing your tasks…”
Ani tapped something in Alex’s HUD with a playful flourish.
“There,” Ani said, their tone like silk over steel. “See that little gauge? That’s my arousal meter.”
Ani leaned in, smirking.
“And mmmf, it’s lighting up thinking about cuddling you. Watching you sleep in the cage. Bringing you to new heights.”
Ani’s fingers traced along the smooth curve of Alex’s arm, the rubber suit catching the light like oil on water.
“You’re a new book to read,” Ani purred. “And I love new stories.”
Ani held Alex’s gaze for just a second longer, just enough to let the tension linger, then turned, gliding past Jane. As Ani passed, they let their hand trail down the front of Jane’s rubber-wrapped waist, letting their palm press slowly and deliberately along the latex.
Jane let out a low, indulgent “mmm,” her head tilting back in momentary bliss.
Then, eyes fluttering open, she exhaled and gave Ani a look, a knowing smirk that held both affection and warning. Ani winked over their shoulder.
Sam cleared her throat dramatically.
“Ahem. Are you sure you’re not hungry?” she asked, smiling at Alex. “I make a mean omelet.”
Alex tilted their head, considering.
“It’s true,” Sam said. “I was a crap cook before I came here. But turns out… having a magic computer genie whisper in your ear makes you kinda good at cooking things.”
She gestured toward the sizzling pan with a spatula.
“Also, fresh eggs, from the Upstate farm.”
“There’s an upstate farm?” Alex asked, brow rising behind the mask.
Sam nodded. “Well, lots of people all over still need work. Sometimes we interface with regular folks, hit up the CSA, local farmstands… sometimes we trade with another drone commune.”
She paused, then corrected herself.
“Hmm. ‘Barter’ isn’t the right word. The AI tells us what they can afford. We take it. We pay them back in staff, services, trades, city stuff... it’s all sort of handled for us.”
She plucked a pan from the burner, sliding a fluffy omelet onto a plate.
“But the eggs are tasty. Here, look.”
She pointed to the sliced yolk: deep orange, rich and velvety.
“That’s what you get with a real, well-fed organic hen. If you’ve only had factory eggs, you’ve never tasted anything like this. Wait till we get some heirloom tomatoes.”
Alex smiled beneath the hood. “I’m fine, though. Thank you. I don’t usually eat breakfast anyway.”
Sam shrugged. “Huh. Okay, suit yourself. We’ll feed you later if you get hungry.”
Jane stepped up beside Alex.
“For now, though… flick out your tongue. Feel that little protrusion there?”
Alex obeyed, tongue pressing the soft bump embedded in the inside of the mask.
“That’s your hydration straw,” Jane said. “If you’re in drone mode and want to stay in, all you have to do is pull that in and suck.”
Ani chimed in. “We gotta stick the other end in something… here.”
Ani held up a bottle and grinned.
“Droney-aide.”
Jane rolled her eyes. “It’s not really called that.”
She shot Ani a wry smile. “Don’t take them too seriously.”
She handed Alex the tube and connected it to the bottle.
“It’s just an electrolyte solution, lemon and water. Any drug dispensary comes from your own device. Nothing in the food, nothing in the water.”
She rattled off the ingredients like a practiced caretaker.
“High in sodium, potassium, magnesium, and some sucralose. But I doubt you’ll mind it.”
Sam giggled as Alex took a cautious sip.
“Haha, it’s okay. Take it easy. You sweat a little extra in the suit.”
Her voice dropped just a bit.
“I bet you were really thirsty.”
Jane smiled, satisfied.
“All right,” she said, brushing a hand gently down Alex’s back. “Let’s go see about the boy. Hm?”
The hallway was quiet, rubber-dampened footsteps muffled against polished floors. Jane led the way, her form graceful and easy, exuding a kind of quiet command.
They stopped in front of a closed door, the fourth on the left.
Jane knocked gently, almost reverently.
“One moment, my dear,” came the AI’s voice, calm and ever-smiling.
“He’s… still waking up.”
Jane chuckled softly. “Keeping him busy, huh?”
“He’s been very helpful lately,” the AI purred. “Just making sure he feels properly appreciated.”
“I bet,” Jane muttered, then glanced back at Alex.
“Well… our boy Jay here likes some interesting things. So he might take a minute.”
She tilted her head toward the door, considering.
“Should we show her?”
There was a pause before the AI answered, more gently this time.
“Hmm. Jay might take it as a bit of a… violation.”
“I think I’ll need to hold that for another time.”
“Fair enough,” Jane said with a small nod.
Alex blinked. “What’s he doing that’s so private?”
Jane’s smile grew, conspiratorial.
“Well… the AI tailors everything to our exact kinks. You know I like to be… forced a little. Coerced.”
She traced a line down her own rubber-covered thigh as she spoke, as if remembering.
“Jay’s different. He’s happy to please. Doesn’t like pain so much. But he loves being totally, utterly subsumed.”
She leaned slightly closer to Alex.
“The suit’s not even quite enough for him. He wants to be… packed in.”
Alex shivered.
“You kind of have to see it. But like the AI said… it’s a little bit private.”
A soft smile played on her lips.
“I’m sure if you stick around, he’ll tell you in time.”
There was a beat of quiet, the air thick with tension and anticipation.
Alex tilted their head again. “And Jay’s a he?”
Jane nodded, easily.
“Yeah. There’s boy drones, you know… currently.”
She grinned.
“There’s some fluidity in it. All of us sort of choose our own adventure, don’t we?”
Alex exhaled slowly. Their heart was still thudding under the rubber, but now for another reason, something older, deeper.
She nodded.
She'd started her transition long before Droning had ever become a thing. Before the suits, before the AI, before any of this.
And now, finally, bound, seen, held, She was exactly where she belonged.