Earth Observation Post 1236

I awoke lying on the floor of a glass cubical. I had no idea where I was. Probably a shower? The floor was white and solid, like porcelain, hard to lie on, the ceiling high above was also white. I stood up. It was light, but the light was diffuse, apparently coming from the floor and ceiling, casting no shadows. The cubical was a round cylinder of black glass and I couldn't see through to the other side. The glass ran all the way to the ceiling. There was no bath, no shower, no taps or any other fittings. It was big, perhaps five meters in diameter. Their was no visible air movement, and the temperature was unremarkable.

The last thing I remembered was lying on my bed. I had just gone to relax for a few minutes, but I must have fallen asleep. I was still wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, but my feet were bare. I had no idea how I had come to this strange place, was I having a lucid dream?

After a few seconds, the glass turned transparent, a vertical crack appeared, and it began to open. The glass shrank back into itself, not stopping until half of it had retracted, leaving a half-cylinder and an empty space on one side. Outside, I couldn't see much, just a large featureless empty room with white floors, white walls in the distance, and a white ceiling perhaps ten metres above. I went into the outer room.

Just outside where the glass had been, a white tile was on the floor. I picked it up, but it seemed featureless, and I put it back on the floor. I walked around the outer walls, finding that the room was approximately square, very large, perhaps 50 metres across, and completely featureless apart from the glass cylinder in the centre. I could see through the glass to the other side of the room.

After wandering around for a while, and finding nothing, I took another look at the tile that I had discarded, since it was the only object in the place. It was square, about 30cm on each side, and about 5mm thick. I looked at both sides, they were identical. I rubbed a finger over it. Text appeared. OK, I thought, it's a tablet computer. I sat against a wall and began to read.

"Earth Observation Post 1236.

Since this facility is currently unoccupied, you have been picked as a random subject to maintain operations. Do not be alarmed, you have been replicated and your original is carrying out his usual life unharmed. You may remain as long as you like, and when you are recycled, the facility will be reset and a new subject chosen to take your place. You are random subject No. 128."

I still wasn't sure if this was a dream, but even for a dream it was weird. The only thing to do was to play along for now, and I continued to read.

You have control of the four functions of this observation facility.

1) Remote observation. Examine any location on or inside the Earth and nearby space.

2) Imaging. Create a detailed model of any object or group of objects within a given boundary.

3) Replication. Construct a physical copy from an image.

4) Recycling. Return physical objects to be dismantled and returned to the elemental stockpiles.

I pondered. If this is not a dream, it's some kind of art project, or perhaps an experiment? Nobody could set that up ethically, I've basically been kidnapped into it. If it all worked as described, it was alien-level technology. What kind of sensor network would be needed to image a solid object? Better to assume for now that it's a dream or a prank and carry on playing along. Not that a facility like this wouldn't be useful for observing Earth in secret.

I selected remote observation. The screen changed to display options: start from current location, Earth overview, and saved locations (empty).

I picked current location. Some numbers appeared at the top of the display, presumably coordinates, and the air glowed brightly in front of me. Various buttons appeared, with symbols obviously corresponding to various directions. I figured out how to use it with some trial and error. I managed to zoom in on the glass cylinder, an image of it appearing before me in the glowing area. Apparently a hologram was being projected, presumably by something in the floor and ceiling. It was possible to move the viewpoint slowly or more rapidly. I moved the viewpoint down, into the floor, noticing that the floor was just a thin layer, and beneath the glass cylinder was a mass of equipment and pipework. Numerous pipes led into enormous tanks, and other pipes disappeared far into the Earth below and in other directions. Collecting materials, or geothermal energy perhaps?

It seemed that I was far underground. I starting moving the view upwards, scrolling rapidly for a long time through layers of rock before breaking out into the air. I moved the viewpoint close to the ground, finding a grass field and a few sheep wandering around. They ignored me, suggesting that there was no large drone flying around providing the view. How would it have worked underground, anyway? I pressed a button marked "save location" and was able to label the position "ground". A sheep went "baaa" and I jumped, having not realised that I had sound as well as vision.

I'd been at this for a while by now, and was staring to get hungry, and I wanted to pee. There was no food or toilet in the facility, so I'd have to improvise. I got the main menu back up, to take another look at the replication and recycling options. If this worked like in Star Trek, surely I could replicate some food? And recycling could perhaps get rid of pee, if I could just collect it somehow? Replicate a pot? Unfortunately, I couldn't replicate anything, because I had no imaged objects.

I returned to remote observation, starting from the place I had labelled "ground". There was nothing to see but grass and sheep. I looked around for any sign of human habitation. I saw some trees some distance away, but moving the viewpoint close, it turned out it was just a wooded area. Eventually, I found a gravel road, and followed it away from the forest, eventually passing a house on one side. It was a modern brick bungalow with a large metal garage to one side. I zoomed in on the house, and saved the location "farm house".

Viewing inside, I found the kitchen. Nobody was around. First things first, I needed something to pee in. I found a large cupboard, and having no trouble seeing inside, found a empty bucket. Leaving it displayed on the hologram, I went back to the main menu to explore imaging. After some trial and error, I was able to place a virtual cube around the bucket, image it, and label it as "bucket".

Now, going back to the replication feature, I selected the bucket image for replication. The screen displayed a countdown timer, which only lasted a few seconds, and then the glass doors opened. Inside was the bucket, standing on a piece of wood which was apparently part of the cupboard and had been inadvertently included in the image. Well, better than missing the bottom of the bucket.

Finally, I was able to pee in a dignified way into the bucket. Exploring the recycling function, I simply walked out of the glass cylinder, which I now knew to be the replication/recycling chamber, pressed a button on the controller, and waited a few seconds as the glass doors closed, turned black, and then opened again. The piece of floor, the bucket, and its contents, were all gone.

Reflecting on what had just happened, I was shocked. Was this indeed alien technology? Did they really just go away and leave a human in charge of it? But what could I really do? I had no way to modify anything on the surface world, just explore and make images. Perhaps I could replicate a big drill, and dig my way out of this place? More likely it would kill me, what would be the temperature this deep in the Earth?

Anyway, I still needed to find food. I returned to my explorations of the house. There was a large double-doored fridge in the kitchen. I decided to image the whole thing, then replicated it. It wasn't running any more, the power cable being severed, and in any case, I had no electrical outlet to plug it in to. But inside there was food, and I picked out some cheese, beer, and potato salad, which I consumed enthusiastically.

Satisfied, I was now curious about my own replication. Was my original really out there, carrying on his usual daily life, oblivious? I had to check. I went to the Earth overview, found my home town, the small apartment building where I lived, and looked inside. Everything seemed to be in order, but I wasn't there. I saw a clock, and realised I'd be at work. I located the office building were I worked, zoomed in, and sure enough, there I was, busy with my mundane activities. This was wild. Could I somehow communicate with the other me? I didn't see how, no phone would work this deep underground.

Looking around my empty white-walled prison, I set to work making it more habitable. I imaged and replicated rugs, a table, a desk, some books, a bed, some divider screens to mark out separate rooms: a bedroom and an office. I collected images of various kinds of foods, hamburgers, cakes, some entire meals copied from restaurant tables, bottles of various kinds of alcohol. I set up a better toilet, although I'd still have to empty the contents periodically, so I put it near the replicator with a screen around it. Once this was done, I pondered. What am I supposed to do now? Observe the Earth? Watch everybody else going about their lives, while I just sat around all day getting fat and drunk?

I was just a ghost, not really a person any more. Haunting my old town. The ultimate voyeur? I took up stalking pretty girls, watching them in their homes, changing rooms. I masturbated all the time. Eventually, it was not enough. I had never been successful with girls. Could I do better now? Could I replicate one of my very own? But I could imagine the arguments, the complaints, perhaps she would say that she didn't want to be with me and blaming me for imprisoning her. What if she got hold of the controller and replicated a friend of her own, and they just took over and threw me into the recycler?

I could replicate a girl, tie her up, do what I liked. But what kind of monster would I be then? But what if it was what she deserved?

I couldn't resist. I started to observe a school, in a rich area of a city not far from where I lived. I saved the location and went back frequently, watching how the students interacted. I watched the locker rooms when the girls were changing for sports.

Eventually, I picked somebody out. A girl named Emma. Her parents were absurdly wealthy. She was cute with a perfect body. But the way she treated others was appalling. She had a few friends, all rich and attractive, but she would bully anybody she thought was inferior. She had sycophants who would protect her and do whatever she asked, including beating up her "enemies."

To prepare, I assembled some special equipment. Frames, bars, cages, handcuffs, pieces of rope, knives, clamps, whips, a handgun. I wasn't going to take any risks. I imaged her, right after she had finished one of her bullying sessions. The victim had been a nerdy boy named Evan who reminded me of myself at that age. She had been humiliating him for her friends without any apparent purpose.

Once I was ready, I replicated her. When the glass doors opened, she was standing there, dazed. Then she saw me, and the gun I was pointing at her, and she screamed. "That's enough," I said, "nobody can hear you here." "What did you do to me? Where am I? She looked fitfully around the empty glass chamber, the white walls, and high white ceiling. "I am justice," I said, "what you did to Evan wasn't very nice, was it? What did he ever do to you?" "You are a cop? If you know what what's good for you, you'll let me go right now. My father is a big benefactor of the police union and a friend of the Mayor." "Then I guess I'll have to handle this myself, without help from the regular channels," I growled. She was taken aback. "You don't look so brave now without your so-called friends to help." "I have friends, a lot of friends, powerful friends. You look like a complete loser!" "Maybe I'll just shoot you," I said, gesturing with the gun, "most people would be better off without your type." "No wait! We can work this out. I'm sorry for what I said. Let's work this out and then we can pretend that this never happened. I won't tell anybody."

"Good, you are starting to come to your senses." I said. "You'll do what I ask?" "Yes, within reason." "Maybe I'm not reasonable. What then?" "You are a man, I know what men like. I'm always doing things for men." "Yes, I've been watching you, the way you twist your henchmen around your little finger. Will you do for me what you do for them?" "Of course, I do that all the time and I'll do it for you," she said. I was getting to the good part. I said, "I just want to be careful. I don't want you attacking me when I'm not expecting it. I'm going to secure your arms and legs so that you can't hit me." "That won't be necessary," she said quietly. "Well, let's start with something easy, like you stripping for me." "OK, but no photos, no videos, right?" "Fine, your rules." I went out of the chamber for a moment, and returned with a portable stereo, its battery charged and its memory card packed with popular tracks. I turned it on, and it started playing "You Can Leave Your Hat On", the Joe Cocker version. She grimaced, but began to dance.

She was tall, perhaps 175cm. Her hair was honey blond, perfectly straight, reaching almost to her waist, but cut into a short fringe at the front. Her eyes are amber, her face attractive with high cheekbones. She is wearing a skimpy black jacket, showing a white shirt underneath, a long black scarf, a black and white checked skirt, over the knee, black stockings, chunky black shoes. I watched as she danced and removed the scarf and the shoes, then the jacket, revealing the simple sleeveless white shirt with a little cleavage. She removed the skirt, showing red panties and a red belt, with suspenders holding up the stockings. She removed the belt and the stockings. She removed the shirt, revealing a red bra. The song ended, leaving her standing in her bra and panties. I had seen her naked when spying on her, but it was different to have her really here. Her breasts were a decent size, she had an all-over tan, a navel ornament with a small cross, but no other jewellery.

"Nice, but you didn't quite finish before the music ran out." "You are seeing more than most ever get." "What about those boyfriends, the ones who rough people up for you?" "The trick is to give them a little to keep them interested, they'll always be hoping for more." "So you don't fuck them? Give them blowjobs? Maybe a hand job at least?" "One of them got a hand job as a special reward a few weeks ago, and he's been telling the others about it ever since. We were drunk, and it didn't last long. I have a boyfriend though." "Alright, so you prefer to reserve the sexy stuff for him?" "Of course, but if somebody is forcing me, what can I do? she whimpered. "Your best bet is to cooperate. How long do you think it will be before people notice that you are missing and start looking?" "I was with my friends, and they'd notice right away that I was gone! How did you even do that? I was there one moment, and then suddenly here." "I bribed one of them, they got you away from the group and gave you a drug. You've probably forgotten the last few minutes." "What! Tell me which scumbag it was! That's infuriating." "It was Peter," I said, picking one who I'd seen Emma yell at recently. "Oh." "Being mean to people can have unexpected consequences." "I can do much better, if you let met go." "I'm sure you will, but you haven't been punished yet. So how long do you think we have, before your parents come looking?" "Oh, they are busy people, but there are staff at the house and they'll notice soon." "You never stay out late, maybe spend the night away from home?" "Sure, but I'd call." She glanced at her jacket on the floor, I guess that's where she had her phone. "Do you know that your phone is a tracking device, it will lead people right to you if it's still switched on? Once you are missed, they'll try to call you and then it won't take long before you are found. Can you cooperate in the meantime? "Yes, I can do that," she said, puzzled. Giving her hope, just like she did with the boys! The irony. "Alright, take off you bra next." I gestured with the gun again, just to remind her that I still had it. "Is that all you want? To see me topless?" I could see now she was going to play for time, which was fine, since I had all the time in the world. "I want to see you naked, first the bra, then the panties." "Why should I even do it? You won't shoot me, people will be here soon, and you'd be done for murder. I'm not just some rando homeless guy you can kill and nobody will notice, they'll throw the book at you." "I could just come over and rip them off myself." "You'd better not try." "Are you refusing to cooperate now? You said you would." "I said within reason, and I've already done enough."

I wasn't sure how to proceed from here. Try to overpower her and get the handcuffs on? I didn't want to be kicked and scratched. Maybe a warning shot? I didn't even know what would happen if it hit the glass or floor. Perhaps it would break the mechanism, or perhaps the bullet would bounce randomly.

"This is stupid," I said, "I should just kill you now, I'll have plenty of time to get away, and society will be better off without you." "I don't think that you are that kind of person," she said, "but I'll make a gesture of goodwill and remove my bra." "Alright, I'd like that." She reached behind her back and fiddled with the clasp for some time, then gathered it up with her hands in front of her chest. Finally, she cast it aside, put her hands behind her back, and thrust out her chest. Her tits were a bit over average size, round, hanging slightly at the bottom, "Satisfied?" "Very much, your tits are just the way I like them. Are they natural?" "Yes, perfectly. Would you like to feel them?" "I don't want to get too close, you may try to grab my gun or something." "I'm just a girl, not a ninja assassin."

"Get your scarf," I said, "and tie your ankles together." "No Way! Here, I'll squeeze my tits for you myself." She proceeded to caress each one, and give it a good squeeze. I was transfixed. "Would you like to suck?" she said, still squeezing a tit, "I'd enjoy it." I almost did, but I didn't trust her, having seen what she could do to others. "Just a moment," I said. I retreated outside the chamber, where I'd left some equipment, and selected a demonic-looking knife that I'd found at a speciality shop. I put the gun in a holster and clipped it in, and returned, to find that she was looking around, but hadn't moved. "Don't try anything," I said, gesturing with the knife, "I've got a good grip on this thing, and I'd hate to cut you with it. I want to punish you, but not that badly." "So what are you going to do, give me a spanking? She said, only slightly cowed. "We'll see, but first I want to get those panties off." "I thought you'd never ask," she said coyly, slipping them down and stepping out of them. Her pussy was clean-shaven and there were no tan-lines. "Turn around," I said, and she complied, showing me her perfect bum. "Put your hands behind your back." "Why?" "Do you want to do it the hard way?" I touched her back with the tip of the knife, and it pierced the skin. "Ow!" she yelled, and put her hands behind her back.

I picked up the scarf, and putting the knife in a pocket, grabbed both of her wrists. "Ow!" she said again. I tied the scarf around her wrists, it would do for now. "On your knees!" I demanded, and dragged her down. I tied the loose end of the scarf to one of her ankles. She was trapped for the moment, although struggling and yelling. "Quiet! Stop struggling, or I'll cut you good!" I said. She stopped immediately. I think she was finally afraid of me.