The Experiment 4

"What I don't understand is, why do you insist on controlling production?"

Selena Warren sighed, glancing around her. Behind her stood Jeremy Wilkes, her former assistant, now full partner as well as lover. After locking gazes with him for a moment, she turned back to the speaker.

"Major Simmons," she replied, "this process is, as you say, extremely useful, with an array of possibilities that almost stagger the mind. Unfortunately, the possibilities for misuse are nearly as great. I will not allow my discovery to be used improperly. I'm sorry, but my terms are not open to negotiation. I will, with proper funding, produce and install my discovery as needed for the space program. I will not, under any circumstances, give over the process to the military for open use."

Major Simmons frowned. As the Air Force liaison for the space program, his superiors had chosen him to speak with Selena in an attempt to gain it for military use. He was an intelligent, earnest man, serious about his duties. He was also, Selena thought with a slight twitch of discomfort, the only reason she'd once more donned her lab coat over her current wardrobe choice.

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Simmons finally said. "I'd hoped we could come to some kind of agreement, but you seem determined to do this the hard way. You do realize, of course, that we can still claim your process in the name of national security."

"No," Selena replied, "you can't. I've studied the laws quite carefully, Major, and taken all necessary steps to protect my work. It's all legally documented and patent protected. I have all the proper permits and licenses, plus a waiver that states quite clearly that the military has no possible claim to my procedure or my services. So please do not insult me by assuming you can intimidate me with bluffs."

Now it was Simmons' turn to sigh. "Doctor Warren," he said, "I understand your concerns. But the unfortunate truth is, anything can be used for the wrong reasons. A gun's main purpose is for defense, but it can be used to commit murder. For that matter, so can a knife, an ax, a baseball bat, or even a knitting needle. It's simply a question of making sure the wrong people don't gain access to your process."

Selena shook her head. "Forgive me, Major, but, considering the amount of lethal hardware from the military that's floating around the world, mostly in the hands of what you call the wrong people, I'm afraid I haven't much confidence in your claim. Especially considering how many of those wrong people today were right people yesterday, figuratively speaking. No, my process stays with me, and that's final."

"But why? What is it about this process of yours that's so terrible in the wrong hands?"

For a moment, Selena simply gazed at him. "You want to see what can be so bad?" she finally said. "Fine, I'll give you an example."

* * *

"You want me to what?" Standing in the center of her lab, Selena sighed. This was definitely one of those days.

"Wanda, honey, it's for a good cause, I promise."

Wanda Evans stared at her. The resident doctor, Wanda had formerly been an employee of Alva Morris, Selena's nemesis. Kidnapped during the events that had finally defeated Alva's scheme to gain control of Selena's discovery, Wanda had spent an entire evening attached to a chair as a rubber statue. She had, ironically enough, come out of the experience a devoted rubber fan, gladly leaving her job with Morris to join Selena's staff as doctor and occasional rubber slave. So far, she'd shown no hesitation to anything Selena had suggested, but now she balked.

"You seriously want me to go in front of this guy, this complete stranger, naked?" Obviously, Wanda's main concern wasn't in the task, but the audience.

"It can't be helped, hon," Selena replied. "He has to see the entire process from start to finish if I'm going to convince him. I know you're shy, hon." At this, Selena couldn't help but smile, as Wanda stood before her wearing a crotchless, cupless bodysuit made from her formula. "Well," she added, "shy with anyone but us. But I really need you to do this. I'd use Jordan, but then I'd probably be spending half my time convincing her that fucking the Major wouldn't please me."

Wanda grinned. Since she'd been captured trying to steal Selena's formula, Jordan had been turned into a total sex slave, willing and eager to do just about anything with just about anyone if it would please her Mistress. "Good point. Ok, I'll do it." Her gaze narrowed slightly. "But you're really going to owe me for this."

"I know," Selena replied. "We'll take it out in trade."

"I plan on it," Wanda said, laughing. "Now, what do I need to do?"

* * *

"Ok, Major," Selena said, guiding Simmons into what she thought of as the main half of the lab. In addition to the original stone vat, this half of the large room now sported a large metal tank, as well as a long, square glass tank. A thick rubber hose led from the first to the top of the second. Two thinner hoses dangled from the ceiling to coil near the tank's top. "You wanted to see what I'm talking about? Well, now's your chance."

Before Simmons could reply, Wanda entered the room. Pointedly ignoring the Major's eyes on her nudity, she marched quickly to the glass tank. "Can we get this over with?" At Selena's nod, she climbed a ladder leaning against the glass tank. Perched at the top, she slipped a set of diver's goggles over her eyes, then inserted the thin hoses into her nostrils. Carefully lowering herself into the tank, she nodded to signal that she was ready to begin.

Returning the nod, Selena moved to the metal tank and flipped a switch. Immediately, a clear liquid began pumping into the glass tank. As the level in the tank rose, so did Wanda, until, by the time the tank was full, she floated in the center of the liquid. Unmoving, she watched as Selena shut off the pump and palmed an activator.

"You see," she told Simmons, "we discovered, quite by accident, that the density of the formula allows anything with the relative mass of a human body to achieve almost perfect neutral buoyancy. That's why she's floating in the exact center. Now, when I hit this button...." Selena thumbed the activator.

"Is that it?" Simmons looked dubious. "I don't see anything different."

"Of course not," Selena replied. "This is actually a new variation on my formula. The original is black, but we found a way to make this batch clear. As to what's different....." Reaching down, Selena hit a button on the pump controls.

With a pop, one corner of the tank separated, the front panel folding back. Quickly, Selena pulled the now open tank from around Wanda. To Simmon's obvious surprise, the clear substance within moved not at all, nor did Wanda.

"Go ahead," Selena urged, "examine it."

Curious, Simmons approached. Under his prodding finger, it became obvious that Wanda was now encased in a block of solid, transparent rubber. Transfixed, he stared into her face, slightly blurred by the clear rubber but easily recognizable. Behind her goggles, her eyes blinked calmly as she stared back. His own eyes wide, Simmons turned toward Selena.

"Of course," Selena said, "the hoses in her nostrils allow her to get air. Now, imagine someone dropped into a similar tank of the original, black formula, but without air hoses. They'd be encased just as she is, but their experience would be fatal. And nobody would have any idea what had happened to them, unless someone had the bad luck to cut into that particular block of rubber."

Seeing Simmons shudder at the thought, Selena nodded. "Exactly," she continued. "The perfect way to get rid of someone. Not to mention a perfect way to smuggle just about anything. Even people. If this were black formula, I could cut the air hoses off flush with the surface and ship her anywhere in the world without anyone having the faintest clue. Who would look for kidnapped women in blocks of rubber headed to some factory?"

Still staring, Simmons could see Wanda's muscles seeming to tense, as if struggling. "I think something may be wrong," he said, pointing.

With a glance, Selena moved quickly to stand in front of the encased woman, holding up one hand in the universal "OK" symbol, her eyebrows rising. Slowly, Wanda's eyes blinked once. Seeing this, Selena turned away with a smile.

"She's fine," she said, ushering Simmons from the room. "Now you can see why I won't release my process," she explained. "Go back and tell your superiors my terms are final. They can accept them or do without."

With Simmons gone, Selena returned to the lab. Carefully, she replaced the tank around the block before using the activator to liquify the rubber. Inside, Wanda placed her hands against the sides, working her way up until she could grasp the top of the tank. Selena watched as she drew herself up to perch on the edge.

"Are you ok, hon?"

"Ok?" Wanda gasped, panting. "I've just been naked, helpless, totally encased in rubber, watching a guy I never met staring at me. Even you couldn't make me cum any harder than I just did."

Selena sighed with relief. "So you forgive me for wanting you to do this?"

"On once condition." Smiling, Wanda dropped back into the tank. Floating in the center, she pointed toward the activator, then placed her hands over her crotch. From her viewpoint, Selena could see she had one finger firmly inserted within herself. With a grin, she picked up the activator and thumbed the button.

"After you," she said softly, "it's my turn."

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22.09.14