In the wee hours of the morning Alex walked the streets of downtown Los Angeles. He wasn't concerned much about where he was or where he was going. He felt positively giddy as he crossed streets against the lights (there was almost no traffic at this early hour) and skipped his way down dark alleys, shortcuts to his general eastward progress, headed home.

He'd known her less than a day, but he felt a great well of joy and appreciation after dinner with her. Perhaps it was love. He'd used the Master Control Program to make her trust him and interested in him, but nothing more. But as he'd bantered and flirted with her over dinner, as she told him the important themes of her life, as he reciprocated with the important themes of his, he'd realized how much they had in common.

Not on a surface level; his governing philosophy was of Science, of understanding the world and its laws and applying them to better humanity. Her governing philosophy was of Justice, of understanding society and its motivations, and uncovering and broadcasting truths to better humanity. Both of their world-views were based on logic and fundamental reality, and both of them had the betterment of their fellows at heart.

Alex had found her attractive the instant he'd seen her, a feeling that had intensified when he'd called her up as the subject of his Master Control Program. He'd used the Program to prime her mind and emotions to find him interesting and trustworthy. He did that because her body was gorgeous, beautiful, and fantastically sexy. And when he'd gotten to know her he would have done it all again, just for the sake of her mind and personality.

At the back of his thoughts, he hoped that she would have felt something similar on her own, after she'd gotten to know him. But she couldn't have; she'd been assigned by her superiors to question him, find out what he knew about poor Dan Scrowcroft's missing computer, naturally her sense of duty could never have allowed her to feel attraction to a suspect, to an interrogation target.

But he'd bypassed all of that. He'd used the Master Control Program to assure that she'd find him attractive and interesting and funny and worthy of love and respect. He still felt giddy over her good-bye kiss.

Abruptly Alex stopped and returned to the real world. Or perhaps, given the context of the Master Control Program, the Real World.

He'd taken a taxi into town, it was twenty miles back to his home. He pulled out his phone and called a taxi company. He moved to an intersection, read the street signs, and waited for a taxi. It came, he climbed in, and gave his address. The driver sped off, making his way to the freeway.

Alex was still buzzing when he arrived home. He made his way through the gate, trying to be as quiet as possible, remembering that his cousin Cathy was recently converted from suspicious antagonist of his sexual conquests to appreciative supporter. She seemed to be asleep. He thought about her boyfriend, Glenn. As he entered his room, feeling expansive and generous, he brought up the Master Control Program and entered Glen's name. With a few quick commands he altered Glenn's physiology so that his penis would grow from its current erect 6.5 inches to 8 inches, with a proportionate increase in diameter. Complete within eight days. the help function reported.

Then he entered Cathy's name, and altered her experience of sexual pleasure. From now on, sex for her — he'd started to make it sex with Glen, but realized that Cathy might not always want to be with Glen, so he was sure to make it sex in general — would be twice as good as normal, with the same multiplier for orgasms. Over the course of a month the multiplier would increase to three times, and two months after that, to four times. That should be gradual enough to avoid disturbing his suspicious cousin. He liked her, he loved her, he appreciated her criticism of his Program-enhanced lifestyle (he frowned to himself when he realized he'd just subverted that criticism) but above all he wanted his cousin to be happy. And now that she wasn't suspicious and concerned about his sexual exploits, she would be.

Then, finally, as the first rays of the rising sun were reflected into his room, Alex entered Annabelle Toscanini's name into the subject box. He felt a warm, tingly sensation in his gut when he saw her naked form in the Control Program display. He'd changed her surface impressions, the readouts verified that she liked him and trusted him. He did manage to figure out that she wasn't attracted to him. Not sexually. Not yet.

Still… she'd liked him enough that, over the course of their hours-long conversation she'd told him the paltry details she knew of the Scrowcroft investigation, and admitted that it was highly unusual to send an Agent of her juniority across the country with an Agent of her partner's caliber, on such an apparently flimsy justification for questioning.

Without Control Program coercion, he felt a similar intimacy and attraction for her. Oh, sex was part of it, she was fantastically beautiful, and he recognized that if she were physically deformed he couldn't feel the same way towards her. But she was bright and funny and intelligent and devoted — in a different way — to the same ideals that governed his own life. Despite knowing her for less than a day, he liked her on intimate levels. He wanted her to feel the same way towards him.

Without changing any outward appearances, he optimized her body. She was a law enforcement agent, subject to violent perils that most people weren't. He altered her muscles and nerves and bones the same as he'd done for himself, so her strength and reactions and resilience would be many times that of a normal human being. She was also an investigator; he made the same changes to her mind as he had to his own. Like his own, her intelligence would be slightly increased across multiple axes of measurement. He also improved her memory, rooted out a genetic pre-disposition for breast cancer, and optimized her metabolism, halting her aging process.

Alex paused, unable to think of anything else to do for his new love. Most of the changes would be done in a week, the bone structure modifications done in a couple months. Enlarge her breasts? He liked them just the way they were. Sex? He wavered on that, finally deciding not to use the Program to make her find him attractive, not force her mind into having sex with him. He would try to win her attraction and affection naturally, without the Control Program's help. Still, remembering Terrie, he made changes to her brain and nervous system so that sex with himself — if and when it occurred — would be enjoyable far beyond any possible natural experience.

He could always change his mind if it didn't work. Finally, thinking about her investigation, he planted one small, subtle command into her mind. If her investigations ever caused her to find a mysterious computer disk she would give that disk to him. He blew a kiss to her image on the screen, then shut down his computer. He closed his curtains against the dawn, and went to bed.

A few days later…

Hi Terrie! Cathy greeted her friend at the gate.

Hi Cathy! Terrie smiled back, brightly, then her face twisted and warped and she burst into tears.

Terrie? What's wrong?

I broke up with Jack! her best friend sobbed.

Oh… Terrie and Jack had been an item since they'd all been Freshmen. The next year the two had moved into an off-campus apartment together, with the reluctant approval of their parents once they'd been convinced the couple had a serious commitment to each other.

Terrie had confided in Cathy their secret plans to elope over the summer, so once they graduated they'd have been legally married for a year. That was the requirement Peace Corps placed on couples wishing to join, something they both wanted to do. They would graduate, have an ‘official’ marriage ceremony for their family and friends, and then have a two year honeymoon helping to develop some third world village.

Then Terrie had confessed to Cathy that she'd slept with Alex. And really enjoyed the experience. So much that last week she'd returned, sneaking away from Jack, to get together with him again. Cathy, disbelieving, had spied on them together. Terrie had seemed so conflicted, so guilty about her feelings for Alex, that Cathy couldn't understand… until she saw her friend humping and rolling and shaking with pleasure underneath her cousin.

At the time she'd felt fear and dread at the knowledge that Alex had thoroughly seduced another of her friends. Now though, remembering how she'd watched them fuck, it had been so hot that she couldn't help but feel happy for her friend, and happy for her cousin. They were both beautiful people that she cared about, it was good that they were able to enjoy each other. Except that Terrie still had to deal with her feelings for Jack, and her betrayal of the plans they'd made together.

And now she'd decided. And Jack had lost.

Oh Terrie. Come in. What… what happened?

Terrie burst out crying again, sobbing uncontrollably. Cathy led her inside, sat her on the couch, hugged her, patted her back, and put a kettle of water on the stove for tea. Outside she heard the patter of rain begin; the weather service had been predicting a tropical storm front, a Pineapple Express from the vicinity of Hawaii, and now it had begun.

She returned to sit on the couch next to her friend. The crying had been stifled to sobs. Cathy took Terrie's hands in hers. What happened? she asked again.

Terrie looked like she was about to burst into tears, then she caught herself. Alex. she managed to choke out.

Oh! Oh Terrie. Oh that's… why?

Her chest heaved as if she had hiccups. I couldn't… I can't… be… close to Jack anymore. I just can't! Every time I try, every time he touches me, I can only think about Alex!

She broke out into sobs again, and Cathy hugged her. Shhh. Come on. You've known Jack for so long. You two were so close.

This only encouraged another bout of agonized sobs. I know! I know. But… Terrie sniffed, and made an obvious effort to control herself. I like Jack. I love Jack. But I also like Alex. I always have. And in some ways… he's smarter than Jack. He was always more… aware… of how I was feeling than Jack ever did. And I knew it was because he liked me, was attracted to me but… she burst into tears again.

Cathy hugged her. Shhh. Go on.

He, Jack, he liked me too but, well, I always have to tell him when I'm pissed off, or sad, or that I got an A+ on an exam. But Alex can always tell. I used to think, I used to think that was bad, that Alex paying so much attention to me just meant that he was… weak in some way. Pathetic. But I spent so much effort getting Jack to pay the same attention to my feelings.

This was all new to Cathy. She didn't know what to say. But it explained why Terrie was always so defensive when they teased her about liking Alex. Then the kettle began to whistle, and she got up to pour hot water into two mugs of hibiscus tea. She returned to the couch, offered a mug to Terrie, then placed it on the table when her friend ignored it. She took a sip from her own, then put it down next to Terrie's. Terrie, you've known Alex for years. You met him even before Jack, remember? When I invited you over the first day of school?

I know. I remember. I remember thinking that he liked me, but was too shy to say anything. And then I met Jack, and Jack wasn't shy and he was nice and handsome and… but then I slept with Alex. She pulled away from Cathy, her face screwed up again and she bawled aloud, curling her body to rest her forehead on her knees.

Cathy rested her hand on Terrie's back running it up and down along her spine, petting her, trying to calm her. Hey! she said, trying to sound happy and light hearted, smiling even though she knew Terrie couldn't see. Lots of girls have slept with Alex. But they didn't cry about it!

Terrie snorted, a chuckle mixing itself into her sobs. She sat up again, smiling, even though streams of tears ran down her cheeks. I guess I'm not crying about that either, then.

“It's just that, that first time, with Alex, it was so good, I wasn't sure it was real. Maybe a fluke, you know? Maybe all the hype, all the other girls, Ophelia, Allison built him up in my mind… but after… Every time I tried to be with Jack, every time he touched me, I couldn't help but think about Alex.

“And then, the second time, it was better. And since then every time Jack has kissed me, or touched my ass or… anything, I can't help but think about Alex. And how it felt better with Alex. And then I started to think about other things the same way, how Alex's compliments were always so much more natural than Jack's. How much harder I had to work to make Jack pick up on my feelings, while Alex seemed to know even when I didn't want him to. And finally, tonight, I thought “Why am I with Jack? Why not Alex instead?” So I… Terrie erupted into heaving, choking bawls of sadness and remorse.

Cathy hugged her again, pulling her friend's head against her shoulder, rubbing her hand along her back, doing her best to comfort her. So what happened? she asked softly.

Terrie pulled back again, sitting up straight. Tonight Jack got angry again. He wanted… to be intimate. He wanted sex. We haven't done it since I… Alex… When I couldn't he got angry. He asked me what was wrong. I couldn't answer, couldn't tell him anything. He just got angrier. He shouted. So I said “Maybe I should just be on my own for a while!” and he said “Maybe you should!” So I left. I came here. Cathy I don't know what to do! She sniffled once, and then again, and then began crying quietly. Terrie's whole body shuddered against Cathy.

Cathy rested her hand on Terrie's shoulder. It's okay. she said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. You can stay here. As long as you want. This couch pulls out to a bed. She paused, but then realized Terrie was as much aware of it as she was. But, of course, Alex is here too.

Terrie exhaled sharply. She chuckled even. Yeah, I guess I knew that.

Well, if you don't want to see Alex, I won't let him talk to you.

Terrie chuckled again. And if I do?

Cathy struggled with mixed emotions, with wrongness combined with happiness for people close to her. Then I guess I will let him talk to you.

At that moment the poolside door opened. The sound of the pounding rain grew louder and Alex, soaking wet, entered. Both girls stood up from the couch, turning to face him. He closed the door behind him and shook his head like a dog, sending droplets of water flying in a halo. Hey Cathy. Hi Terrie! he made a double-take, absorbing Terrie's tears and distraught expression. What's wrong?

Oh Alex! Terrie started crying again and rushed forward to wrap her arms around him. She pressed her face into his chest and sobbed into his already-wet shirt.

Reflexively, Alex hugged her to him, stroking her back with one hand. He looked over her shoulder at his cousin, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

Cathy made her face stern and disapproving. She carefully mouthed the words Your fault! to her cousin.

He lowered his gaze to the back of Terrie's head, the closest he could get to her face. What happened Terrie?

I broke up with Jack! her voice was muffled against his chest.

Alex's expression reverted to careful neutrality. Oh. He looked back to Cathy and raised his eyebrows, asking her again for advice or explanation. She simply glared at him, and again mouthed the words “Your fault!”.

Alex sighed, and directed his eyes to Terrie's head. We should talk about this, then.

He gently pushed Terrie away from him, then put an arm around her shoulder and guided her back to the couch where he sat down next to her. He held her hand. Tell me about it.

Slowly, haltingly, Terrie began to tell Alex the same story she'd told Cathy, the series of revelations that had convinced that perhaps Jack was not her one true soul mate. That, maybe, Alex had more to offer her than Jack did. After a few minutes Terrie had relaxed to the point where she wasn't crying any more. After that, she relaxed against Alex as they sat hip-to-hip on the couch, her head rested on his shoulder. At that point Cathy left them alone. It was fast, yes, but obviously her best friend Terrie was in love with her cousin Alex. She wasn't the only girl, true, but she knew her cousin well enough to think that he might feel something similar for Terrie.

After half an hour Terrie's account of her emotional catastrophe drew to a close. She'd told Alex how she felt about him, how she felt about Jack, how she'd decided the one was categorically preferable to the other. But he was still able to key into her deep emotional conflict. He could tell she still felt incredible psychic pain.

His hand, around her shoulder, stroked her arm, up and down from the wrist. I wish I could make you feel better. he said at last.

For the first time that evening, Terrie actually laughed. Then she tipped her head back, and sat up to smile into his face. Jerk! she told him. You know you can. You know how.

I, uh… Alex was flustered. I mean, if you want… I wasn't sure…

She leaned into him again, this time stretching her head up to kiss him. He reciprocated, she rotated her upper body, and his hands found their way to gently stroke her breasts through her shirt. Her hand, in turn, found its way to his crotch, and after a minute of stroking exploration found what she'd been looking for.

Shall we, uh… nice…

Mmmmm. Yes, let's.

They stood together, never breaking contact. In the hallway to Alex's room they paused for a moment, Terrie's back to the wall, Alex leaning against her, and when they parted somehow her shirt and bra and his trousers and underwear ended up on the floor.

They stumbled together into Alex's room. He removed her remaining clothing, intensely aware of her hot, excited pussy. She slid her hands up from his hips, under his shirt. He raised his arms and she whisked it against they wall. They were naked.

Alex was highly excited as he tumbled onto the bed after Terrie. More excited even than his first time with Allison. This evening Terrie had confessed that, after years of attraction, she was in love with Alex, more so than she felt for her long-time partner Jack.

Of course, that was due to the effects of the Master Control Program. He'd keyed her nervous system, her very sexuality, to respond to him with unprecedentedly positive reinforcement. In Terrie, apparently, this had brought forth previous unconscious feelings she identified as passionate, romantic love. That was okay. He'd always liked Terrie, always found her attractive. He was sure his emotions were similar for her.

But she had a partner, Jack. She'd lived with him for two years. They'd planned to marry. Yet her feelings for Alex — new as they might be — challenged and surpassed what she felt for Jack. The conflict within was painful to her, she couldn't deal with the turmoil, couldn't think about anything but the chaos within her mind. She wanted relief from that inner battle, wanted to put it aside for a while. And she thought he could help her with that.

For his part, Alex was fairly certain that he could help her forget her worries, forget herself for a while.

Tonight, their third time together, he was pleasantly reminded of how tight Terrie's pussy felt. She was hot and excited and ready and dripping wet with internal lubrication, and still the squeezing pressure and resistance he felt as he pushed his cock into her sent thrills of pleasure arcing up his spine to ignite in his brain. True, his cock was big, he'd used the Control Program to make it so. But Terrie's pussy must be correspondingly, naturally, tight.

But the pleasurable friction of penetration was secondary to the pleasure of Terrie's reaction to penetration. The way she spread her legs and rocked her hips and pushed herself against him so that every millimeter of his length was clasped by her hot pussy. The way her eyes fluttered, even as they tried to stare back into his own.

Thanks, she said, when they had moved and twisted to be joined as deeply as possible.

Thanks? he asked back.

For reminding me, for reassuring me, how… incredibly… good… you feel… Her eyelids started to flutter again. Alex arched his back, sliding his length out of her, eliciting a gasp, and then another gasp as he pushed his way back again, reveling in the slight, hot, resistance of her tightness.

Terrie blinked, and met his eyes again. Feels so good. she said simply. Alex smiled back at her, withdrew again, thrust in again. Then he repeated it, faster. Soon they both lost the ability to consider what they were doing, and just did it. At the back of his mind he realized that Terrie was in the depths of overwhelming orgasm. Her pussy pulsed and milked his cock, her back arched, pressing her body up against his, her eyes were closed, her mouth was open in a silent exhalation of pleasure. He closed his eyes as a ball of neural fire erupted from his groin. It exploded through his cock, shooting deep into Terrie's womanhood. It surged along his spine, into his head, drenching him in burning, fantastic pleasure. Together they reached a shuddering peak of ecstasy, drew back, paused for a moment of realization — then they did it again. And then again. And again.

Cathy woke them the next morning. For the first time, she stuck her head into her cousin's bedroom when she knew he was with a girl. With Terrie, her best friend. Hey you two! she called in, after checking to make sure they were asleep and not… ‘busy’ again. Or still. After seeing the clothing on the hallway floor, she'd been a bit worried. Breakfast? Waffles? Fresh fruit from the market?

Alex blinked, stared, and nudged the girl beside him. Thank you Cathy! Yes. Just a minute now.

Alex relaxed back onto the bed while Terrie stumbled her way into the bathroom. The new Cathy was a definite improvement. Accepting of his liaisons. Friendly to him and his girlfriends — or at least to her best friend Terrie, after she'd spent the night with him. Cathy's acceptance of that relationship was worth any trepidations he might have felt about neutralizing his external ‘conscience’ to check his use of the Master Control Program.

Terrie loved him, an emotional depth unveiled by the manipulations of the Control Program. He, in return, loved Terrie, and had for some time. Plus there was Allison, and Sasha, and Ophelia… and lately Special Agent Annabelle Toscanini of the FBI. Life was good.