against the leather straps, trying with everything I had to break them. If I could get out of that chair, I could easily take care of these men. But the bonds were too strong.
There is no need to struggle, Mr. Carter," Kalinin said smoothly as he grasped my forearm. "Escape at this point is quite impossible."
The needle came down, and the technician held my shoulders so I couldn't move. There was just a small hint of pleasure in Kalinin's face as he jabbed the needle into an enlarged vein, then pushed the plunger on the syringe.
Five
A feeling of euphoria was coming over me. Then I began to get numb. My breathing slowed down markedly, and I felt perspiration dripping from my forehead and upper lip. I didn't even care that I'd been drugged, and the awful feeling of panic had disappeared. I could still remember everything they'd said to me, and I knew they were going to use me in some horrible experiment in terror, but I was no longer concerned about it. I knew I should be, but I simply didn't care about anything. For a few minutes I fought the feeling, trying to rekindle the rage I'd felt inside me, but there was none left. Whatever they did, whatever they said, was all right with me. It was silly to fight it, to worry about it. I was in their power, and their power was enormous. I would submit to it, and maybe somehow I would survive. After all, that was what really counted in the long run.
Their faces warped in front of me — Tanya's and Kalinin's — and they were staring at me as they would stare at a guinea pig in a cage, but I didn't mind. They had their job to do, and I'd let them do it.
Kalinin reached toward my face and lifted my eyelids. He nodded to Tanya and then he left us. Tanya brought a straight chair up and faced me. She sat very close. I stared into her brilliant blue eyes and found a dimension I'd missed before.
"Now you are feeling very relaxed, very much at ease," she said to me in a soft, sensual voice. The voice, the inflection, increased my feeling of well-being.
"Yes," I said, gazing into the deep blue pools of her eyes.
"As you look into my eyes, your own eyes are becoming tired. Your eyelids are becoming very heavy, and you want to close them."
My eyelids fluttered.
"It is a struggle to keep your eyes open now. When I count to five, you will close your eyes because you want to. You will feel greatly relieved when you close your eyes. After you close them, you will slowly slip into a deep trance. One. You are very sleepy. Two. Your eyelids are very heavy. Three. You are deeply relaxed and submissive. Four. When your eyes close, you will let my voice guide you in your responses and actions. Five."
My eyes seemed to close of their own volition. I knew that I couldn't keep them from closing, but I didn't even want to try.
"You are now in a hypnotic trance, and you will respond to my voice."
She was speaking in a soft, quiet monotone that was somehow extremely persuasive. I found that I felt tremendous affection for the lovely sound of her voice — that sensual, cajoling voice — and I wanted to do whatever it asked of me.
"Do you understand?" she asked.
"Yes, I understand."
"Good. Now we are going to place this ring device onto your head and attach the electrodes." I felt someone moving the piece of equipment onto my head. It fit like a headband, and I remembered the maze of wires that had run from it.
"As I speak to you, Nick, you will receive audio-visual data from the machine. The things you see and hear will be pleasant and will assist you in reaching the deepest state of trance." I heard a button click somewhere, and then a swirl of beautiful colors assailed the blackness Tanya had created. Along with the colors came a soft swell of music, beautiful music I'd never heard before. And Tanya's voice accompanied the lovely sights and sounds.
"All the muscles of your body are gently relaxing, easily relaxing, and a great sense of euphoria is engulfing you. You are on an escalator
There is no need to struggle, Mr. Carter," Kalinin said smoothly as he grasped my forearm. "Escape at this point is quite impossible."
The needle came down, and the technician held my shoulders so I couldn't move. There was just a small hint of pleasure in Kalinin's face as he jabbed the needle into an enlarged vein, then pushed the plunger on the syringe.
Five
A feeling of euphoria was coming over me. Then I began to get numb. My breathing slowed down markedly, and I felt perspiration dripping from my forehead and upper lip. I didn't even care that I'd been drugged, and the awful feeling of panic had disappeared. I could still remember everything they'd said to me, and I knew they were going to use me in some horrible experiment in terror, but I was no longer concerned about it. I knew I should be, but I simply didn't care about anything. For a few minutes I fought the feeling, trying to rekindle the rage I'd felt inside me, but there was none left. Whatever they did, whatever they said, was all right with me. It was silly to fight it, to worry about it. I was in their power, and their power was enormous. I would submit to it, and maybe somehow I would survive. After all, that was what really counted in the long run.
Their faces warped in front of me — Tanya's and Kalinin's — and they were staring at me as they would stare at a guinea pig in a cage, but I didn't mind. They had their job to do, and I'd let them do it.
Kalinin reached toward my face and lifted my eyelids. He nodded to Tanya and then he left us. Tanya brought a straight chair up and faced me. She sat very close. I stared into her brilliant blue eyes and found a dimension I'd missed before.
"Now you are feeling very relaxed, very much at ease," she said to me in a soft, sensual voice. The voice, the inflection, increased my feeling of well-being.
"Yes," I said, gazing into the deep blue pools of her eyes.
"As you look into my eyes, your own eyes are becoming tired. Your eyelids are becoming very heavy, and you want to close them."
My eyelids fluttered.
"It is a struggle to keep your eyes open now. When I count to five, you will close your eyes because you want to. You will feel greatly relieved when you close your eyes. After you close them, you will slowly slip into a deep trance. One. You are very sleepy. Two. Your eyelids are very heavy. Three. You are deeply relaxed and submissive. Four. When your eyes close, you will let my voice guide you in your responses and actions. Five."
My eyes seemed to close of their own volition. I knew that I couldn't keep them from closing, but I didn't even want to try.
"You are now in a hypnotic trance, and you will respond to my voice."
She was speaking in a soft, quiet monotone that was somehow extremely persuasive. I found that I felt tremendous affection for the lovely sound of her voice — that sensual, cajoling voice — and I wanted to do whatever it asked of me.
"Do you understand?" she asked.
"Yes, I understand."
"Good. Now we are going to place this ring device onto your head and attach the electrodes." I felt someone moving the piece of equipment onto my head. It fit like a headband, and I remembered the maze of wires that had run from it.
"As I speak to you, Nick, you will receive audio-visual data from the machine. The things you see and hear will be pleasant and will assist you in reaching the deepest state of trance." I heard a button click somewhere, and then a swirl of beautiful colors assailed the blackness Tanya had created. Along with the colors came a soft swell of music, beautiful music I'd never heard before. And Tanya's voice accompanied the lovely sights and sounds.
"All the muscles of your body are gently relaxing, easily relaxing, and a great sense of euphoria is engulfing you. You are on an escalator
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