Brain Storm (US Edition) by Nicola Lawson

sound out loud as well although sound was monitored and recorded constantly along with each image. There were many other such rooms as this where people sat monitoring other images and rooms where analysis was made of pre-recorded data. This was only the first stop for what he was seeing. No doubt the image on the large screen now would be replayed many, many times.
    So engrossed was the watcher on the image of the young woman standing there naked under the water, that he almost didn't notice the increase in lighting as another person opened the door and entered the compact chamber. He tore his eyes away from the alluring display for a second to see who was disturbing him then he flicked his eyes back. It took a moment for his brain to register who it was that he had seen but when it did so he suddenly stood bolt upright and turned to face him.
    "Sir," he said trying to think of something else to say to cover up for the minor embarrassment. It was his job to be watching this, in fact this woman was one whom he had been expressly instructed to pay close attention to. But when someone as high up as that walked in on you staring at a naked woman you couldn't help but feel guilty. Of course normal people might have felt guilty for such an invasion of privacy in the first place.
    "Back to work," the newcomer said in a commanding voice. He stared at the screen without any visible reaction to the naked woman displayed on it. It might as well have been a weather report. "Has there been any indication that she is aware of what is going on?"
    The watcher sat himself back down as instructed an d swiveled his chair around to face the other man. "No sir."
    "Keep an eye on her and inform me instantly if that changes." And with that he just turned away and left the room. He was quickly forgotten as the watcher got back to his own private peepshow. And to think they paid him to do this.
    ***************
    Carla just stood there and let the tears and water wash over her. They hadn't provided any cleaning gel or soap and nor would Carla have hurried to use it even if they had. She couldn't stop them watching her but she wasn't going to perform for their pleasure. Apparently the guards had realized that she wasn't going to be moving any time soon to give them a better view.
    "Hey bitch turn around for us," the darker man said. "You aren't shy are you?"
    Both he and his companion laughed at that. Carla didn't move.
    "He asked you a question," the ginger one said. "If you ignore us we might have to get nasty."
    Her tears came on faster now but Carla ignored the threats and stayed where she was. Surely whoever was in charge wouldn't let them do anything to really hurt her. A little embarrassment or humiliation might be allowed but not anything more. Please nothing more.
    "Playing hard to get then. Or maybe you like it rough."
    Both men laughed again and the sound burrowed deep inside Carla's mind and crawled underneath her skin.
    "Don't touch me." It was meant to sound defiant, but whatever she intended it came out in a frightened squeak.
    The laughter got louder. "We don't have to lay a finger on you to get what we want."
    There was a moment’s hesitation and then a crackle. There was a flash of blinding light and a burst of static exploded in her head. She felt hot and itching and painful. She blinked her eyes to try and get her vision back but multicolored blobs of light swam all around her.
    Her sense of balance returned first out of her senses and she realized she was lying on the floor. Then she reclaimed her sense of touch and realized she was twitching and had no control over her limbs. The soles of her feet burned and she thought she might have banged her head. Her control returned quite quickly along with her sight. The two men were standing over getting a good look at her body which was on full view. The ginger one held his tazer staff with the pronged end touching the shallow pool of water in the base of the cubicle.
    "That was a