Chapter 2: Happy Birthday
Bai He stared at the screen of her phone, her finger hovering over the birthday well-wishing. Her birthday was weeks away, and she hadn’t given anyone her number recently. Was it a wrong number? Or something else? She shrugged, dismissing the thought. Probably just a misdial. She’d deal with it later. Right now, she had a project to fail.
The familiar hum of the office filled her ears—the click-clack of keyboards, the low murmur of conversations, the occasional cough or sneeze. She logged into her system, her eyes scanning the endless lines of code. Where had she gone wrong?
Bai He rubbed her temples, feeling the start of another headache. She reached for her coffee, only to come in contact with a box wrapped in colorful paper. It must have been there when she arrived, hidden behind her laptop bag. How she hadn't knocked into it until now was a mystery. With a puzzled look, Bai He picked up the box and shook it, hearing something rattle inside. The note on it was messy but legible: *For Bai He. Happy Birthday (sort of).*
She raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. Whoever sent this seemed to know her well enough to drop it off at her desk without raising suspicion. She tore open the paper, revealing a small, sleek device about the size of her hand. It was a pink plastic but had a sticky texture when she touched it. The bulbous end reminded Bai He of a phallus, but the other end had split hooks that looked articulated. It was unmarked except for a small inscription that read: *luv-R*.
"What in the world?" Bai He muttered, turning the device over in her hands. It was unlike anything she'd seen before. However, if it was phallic, erotic that would explain her ignorance of it.
Bai He was startled by the buzz her phone again. She looked over and saw another message from the unknown number. * There is a power switch on the side. Try it. *
Bai He's eyebrows shot up. She looked around the office, her eyes scanning the cubicles. Whoever was sending these messages knew she was looking at the device right now. She felt a chill run down her spine. Was she being watched?
She quickly looked at the device again, finding the small switch on the side. She hesitated for a moment before flipping it on. The device hummed to life, a soft vibration pulsing through her hands. She quickly turned it off, the sensation catching her off guard.
She glanced around again, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't see anyone paying her any attention.
The office was a sea of bowed heads, fingers tapping away at keyboards. Her gaze lingered on Jamie Chen's office, his door closed, the blinds drawn. She shuddered, willing herself not to think about him.
Another message from the unknown number: *It's a luv-R. Revolutionary AI-driven pleasure device.*
Bai He blinked, taken aback. "What the actual—?" she whispered, her cheeks flushing. Was this some kind of prank? Or worse, a joke from Jamie? She couldn't imagine Rong, her only friend here, sending her something like this.
He was kind, supportive, and clearly not the type to joke about sex toys. Jamie, on the other hand, was exactly the type to pull a stunt like this. Bai He felt that familiar anger bubbling up inside her. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd gotten to her.
Another message: *It's not a joke. It's the future of intimacy.*
Whoever was sending these messages clearly knew a lot about her, and about the technology she worked with. But why would someone send her such an intimate gift? And how did they know it was her birthday—weeks away, no less?
* Now, place it under your pantyhose. Let's see what it can do. *
The messages were relentless, each one pushing her boundaries more than the last. Bai He gripped her phone so tightly, her knuckles turned white. She scanned the office again, this time noticing Rong, her coworker and friend, watching her curiously from his desk. She offered him a tight smile, trying to hide her unease. He raised an eyebrow, clearly concerned, but said nothing.
Bai He took a deep breath and typed a response: *Who is this?*
*A friend,* came the swift reply. *One who sees your potential.*
Potential? What did that even mean?
Bai He felt a prickle of unease, her mind racing with possibilities. "Friend" could mean anyone—a colleague, a stalker, or worse, Jamie Chen himself. Her heart pounded in her chest as she typed back, * I don't understand. What are you trying to do? *
* I'm trying to show you what you could have. What you deserve. *
Bai He's fingers hovered over the keys, unsure of how to respond. The device still lay in her hand, its soft vibrations humming against her palm.
* And if I refuse? * Bai He asked after what felt like an eternity. She had to know if the veiled threat she sensed from the stranger was real or simply her imagination.
Bai He closed her eyes in anticipation, when she opened them, the reply greeted her.
* Open the encrypted folder on your desk terminal with the supplied key. * Bai He's eyes darted to her desk terminal, a black rectangle of a monitor with a keyboard and mouse. It connected to the company server, allowing everyone access to proprietary company files. She'd never noticed a folder on there before, but then again, she'd never looked too closely. Her job was to code, not to poke around in mysterious files.
* What encrypted folder? * She typed back, trying to keep her voice steady despite the rising unease within her.
* The one labeled with an inauspicious series of numbers. It's why no one has discovered it yet. Most will think it an echo from an update. *
A series of numbers? Bai He's fingers hovered over her keyboard. She didn’t know whether to be intrigued or terrified.
* What am I looking for? * she typed, hoping to buy some time and more information.
* Look for a file named 0101100011001100101001011101. *
Bai He stared at the string of binary numbers, her brow furrowing as she tried to memorize them. * That’s a lot of zeros and ones. *
* Just copy and paste, * the stranger replied. * It's labeled with a binary sequence, but don't worry, the decryption key is simple. *
Bai He hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keys. She trusted Rong, but this? This felt like a trap. Yet, the curiosity was there, gnawing at her. She glanced around the office, Jamie's office door still closed. Was he behind this? A sick prank? Or something more sinister?
She typed the binary sequence into her terminal, her heart pounding in her chest. The system whirred, and for a moment, she thought she'd made a mistake.
But then, a folder appeared on the screen, labeled with the binary sequence the stranger had provided. Bai He's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. She couldn't believe she'd actually found it.
The folder name was a jumble of numbers and letters, a mix of binary and ASCII, making it look like a scrambled mess. Bai He's fingers trembled slightly as she hovered the mouse cursor over it, her heart pounding in her chest. She felt like she was on the brink of something, a secret waiting to be uncovered.
In it she found a series of video files. When Bai He clicked on one, she saw herself, at her desk, open a package she received. It was a package she was quite familiar with, microchips. She watched herself open it, her movements seemingly routine. Then she took the package of chips and slid it into a prelabeled air carrier . The video ended. Bai He stared at the screen, her mind racing. She never remembered packing that shipment. Or the one after it. Or the one after that.
* That's not me. This is an obvious fake. * Bai He typed quickly, her heart pounding as she watched herself on the screen, the illusion of normalcy shattered by the sheer surreality of the situation.
* It's not fake. It's a recording. A very well-hidden one. * The reply was swift, the confidence unnerving.
* Why would you record me? * She typed, her fingers flying over the keys as she tried to make sense of it all. * And how is this supposed to show me what I deserve? *
* Because if you refuse to cooperate, I'll release these recordings. You'll be out of a job, and possibly arrested. *
Bai He’s heart pounded in her chest as she read the message. She looked around the office, her eyes darting from Rong’s desk to Jamie’s closed office door. She was being blackmailed, and she had no idea by whom or why.
* You can’t do that. * She typed, trying to keep the fear from her voice. * These recordings are illegal. *
* It’s a risk I’m willing to take. You, on the other hand, have more to lose. *
Bai He’s blood ran cold. The stranger was serious. She felt a chill spread through her as the reality of the situation sank in. She was trapped, cornered by someone who knew her secrets and had the power to ruin her.
* What do you want? * She typed, her fingers trembling. * What’s the point of all this? *
*I want you to place the luv-R inside your pantyhose, with the bulbous end over your entrance and the two split hooks against the hood of your clitoris. Simple. * The stranger typed back, the instructions leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Bai He stared at the message, her heart pounding in her chest. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her as she read and reread the instructions. This was beyond weird, beyond inappropriate. It was a violation, pure and simple.
She looked up, her eyes darting to Rong's desk. He was still watching her, his brow furrowed with concern. She gave him a quick, subtle shake of her head, hoping he'd understand she was okay. For now.
Bai He turned her attention back to the screen, her eyes scanning the message over and over. This was blackmail, plain and simple. She'd seen enough crime dramas to know that her best bet was to play along, at least for now. She hadn't come this far to let some faceless stranger take it all away.
She picked up the device , her hands trembling slightly as she studied it. It was smooth, almost velvety to the touch. The design was sleek, with no obvious buttons or controls, save for the small switch on the side. The other end, the one meant to be inserted, was soft and pliable, almost like silk.
Bai He gathered up her skirt , her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. She glanced around quickly to make sure no one was watching, and then slipped her hand inside her pantyhose, her fingers fumbling with the device. She shuddered as she touched herself, the cold plastic sending a jolt through her.
She positioned the device as instructed, feeling a chill run down her spine. The split hooks seemed to mold to her skin, fitting perfectly against her clitoris. She felt exposed, vulnerable, and more than a little violated. But there was no going back now. Not if she wanted to keep her job, her reputation, her life.
Bai He felt a wave of anger surge through her, hot and fierce. She was not going to let some faceless creep have this kind of power over her. She would play along, yes, but she would not go down without a fight. She would not let herself be a victim.
She lowered her skirt, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked around the office, her eyes landing on Rong, still watching her with concern. She gave him a small nod, trying to reassure him. He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, but he turned back to his work.
Bai He looked down at her phone, the message from the stranger still on the screen. * You'll love this. * It read as a gentle vibration in only the bulbous end began.
Bai He's body tensed, her heart racing as she felt the device come to life beneath her skirt. She could feel the subtle pulse, the gentle ebb and flow of the sensation. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before, both strange and unsettling.
She tried to focus on her work, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she attempted to ignore the humming device. But it was impossible to concentrate, her mind racing with thoughts of the stranger, the videos, and the blackmail. She felt a constant, low-level panic coursing through her veins, her palms slick with sweat.
Rong approached her desk, his eyes scanning her face.
"Everything okay, Bai He?" he asked, his voice low so as not to draw attention. She nodded, forcing a tight smile. "Yeah, just... just a lot on my mind."
He didn't look convinced. "If you need to talk, I'm here. We could grab lunch, find a quiet spot to brainstorm." His brow furrowed as he glanced down at her screen, the encrypted folder still open. "And if you want to report something... suspicious, I can help with that too."
Bai He's heart swelled with gratitude. Rong was a good man, a friend when she needed one.
Bai He's eyes welled up, the gravity of her situation hitting her like a tidal wave. She shook her head, blinking back tears. "I'm okay, Rong. Really."
He hesitated, his gaze lingering on her face before he nodded. "Alright, but if you change your mind..." He left the rest unsaid, but Bai He knew he meant it. She could rely on him.
As Rong walked away, Bai He took a shaky breath, her heart pounding wildly.
The two articulated arms started to rotate like a shiatsu massage device. She could feel the hood of her clit unfurl under the gentle massage. A strange warmth spread over her, unlike any sensation she had felt before.
Another message: * Relax, Bai He. Embrace the pleasure. * The vibrations intensified, and she felt her body respond involuntarily, a wave of pleasure coursing through her.
She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to remain focused on her work. She couldn’t let this thing control her. She typed furiously, trying to ignore the growing heat between her legs.
"I... have... principles..." Bai He gasped aloud, only to be surprised by a rapid reply by the stranger.
* And that is our problem. *