The maid who had imprisoned her stepped forward to the glass. "I see you've been exploring your new home. Looks like you were curious about the hatch in the top. It might have even occurred to you, since your breathing tube will never be removed, how we're going to keep you from starving to death. Look here!"
The maid held up a glass jar. Inside was a blob of black latex. Bethany stared at it in curious horror. It was shaped roughly like a curled-up raindrop about an inch wide and nine inches long. There were three fins down the sides and what looked like three waving tentacles on its "head". Bethany drifted closer to the jar, curious despite herself.
Suddenly the thing twitched to life. It thrashed violently and tried to swim towards Bethany. The mermaid recoiled with fright.
"Don't worry. It's not programmed to hurt you. Let me drop it in the hatch so it can say hello up close!" The maid opened the hatch and poured the thing into the tank with Bethany.
Bethany was amazed at how fast it could swim, and she twisted round trying to figure out where it had gone but she couldn't see it. Suddenly she squirmed in surprise and disgust. She'd just felt a sticky latex tentacle touch her butthole! The black thing was trying to force its way in. Bethany wriggled and bucked to try and dislodge it, but the tentacles let it keep a firm grip. She felt it slowly push its head inside her, and she clenched desperately. But it was no good. The thing was too strong and soon was sliding slowly inside her.
"This is how we're going to feed you. It's an experimental new food delivery system consisting of biodegradable latex surrounding a soft blend of nutrients and vitamins, controlled by a rudimentary guidance computer. It will make its way through your intestines and into your stomach, where it will dissolve and deliver all the nutrients you need to live. And the best part is, there's no way you can stop it because it's too fast and too strong. So even if you wanted to go on a hunger strike it would do you no good."
Bethany writhed, feeling the thing working its way backwards through her body. It felt strange and unpleasant. She glowered at the maid in fury. This was too humiliating to tolerate. |