Test Subject, Part 9

Author's note:  The following story is satire, and is not intended to, in any
sense, impugn the fine folks at big tobacco companies who, no doubt, put
their customers best interests ahead of their profits.  

The author does not necessarily condone the use of tobacco, by adults or
minors, nor the use of illegal substances, nor masturbation, nor
participation in lesbian sex, nor any other morally questionable practice
depicted in the story.  Later parts of the story contain graphic sexual
language, and are not suitable for underage readers.  
Any resemblance to smoking fetish fiction is purely accidental.  
All other imaginable disclaimers apply.

Test Subject
Part 9: "Goodies"

Dr. Monroe seemed to have not heard the question, and Maureen didn't repeat
it, but instead, took another drag on her cigarette. Dr. Monroe reached into
her purse and took out a Kleenex. "Your mascara's running a bit," she almost
whispered as she gazed into Maureen's eyes, just as Maureen was drawing in a
thick ball of smoke from a snap inhale. 

Maureen blushed as she demurely exhaled a long thin stream of smoke downward
and accepted the tissue. As she looked into Dr. Monroe's inscrutable and
bottomless brown eyes, she wondered to herself, "Does Cynthia have the hots
for me?" Each of the women took another drag on their cigarettes and inhaled
sharply before Maureen looked away and dabbled at her running mascara.

"While you were away, your sister finished her cigarette, and then completed
a few more tests," Dr. Monroe said, finally answering Maureen's question.
"She did very well at a math test we gave her, and was able to do some
complex multiplication and long division problems quickly, without paper and
pencil. She also did very well at a reading comprehension test, and on some
abstract reasoning puzzles. However, the last test was a different matter."

Maureen glanced at her sister's image on the screen. Julia appeared a bit
edgy. She kept licking her lips, and looking over at the pack of cigarettes
left on the table. She was still hooked up to all of the monitoring
equipment. Emily had apparently left the room. "Why? What was the last test?"
Maureen asked, after taking an obligatory puff on her now almost finished
cigarette.

"It was a test of her hand-eye coordination, which she failed miserably
because by that time her hands were shaking a little bit. The test was
designed for her to fail, though. It's part of the script. The stress and
frustration will make her next cigarette that much more rewarding."

"You're very manipulative, you know," Maureen said laughingly, before
lighting up another cigarette from the stub of her last one. 

"You have no idea," Dr. Monroe replied. "Besides, I'm sure she'll thank me
for it later."

As Emily returned to the room Julia jumped visibly. Maureen noticed that she
still kept eyeing the cigarettes on the table and licking her lips.

"We're almost done," said Emily, cordially. "I hope it was a pleasant
experience for you."

"It really was," Julia said with conviction, before adding, "To tell you the
truth, I didn't want it to end." 

"It doesn't have to," Emily murmured.

"She's about to pop the question!" Dr. Monroe said, excitedly.

Before Maureen could ask what question the doctor was talking about, Emily
added, "If you'd like, you can sample our product for as long as you'd like,
and we'll pay you $1000 each week. You can smoke as much or as little as
you'd like, and all you have to do is come in once a week for further tests.
What do you think?"

"Um, well, can I smoke one more cigarette while I think it over?" At this
point, Julia seemed totally focused on just getting more nicotine in her body
as soon as possible.

Before Emily had finished saying "Feel free," Julia was almost lunging for
the cigarettes. She somehow managed to get one out of the pack, and then lit
up in short order. The lighter's bright blue flame flashed its reflection off
of Julia's stylish glasses for only an instant, and then only the reflection
of the glowing tip of her cigarette could be seen in the lenses. Julia
inhaled and exhaled quickly, before taking a second puff and holding the
smoke inside.

"What have you people done to me?" Julia asked, rhetorically repeating a
question her sister had asked only a few short days ago. "I should be really
worried that I'm smoking my third cigarette in less than 45 minutes," she
exhaled, took another puff, and then inhaled again before adding, "But I'm
not. It's weird; it's like I want to be addicted to smoking."

"You do want to be addicted," Emily said, emphatically, reaching for the pack
on the table. She took out another cigarette and examined it as she spoke.
"Nicotine addiction is wonderful. Don't worry. Just give in to it." Emily
clicked the lighter and brought her cigarette to life. She sucked the smoke
in with a hiss and then said, "Every time I inhale this stuff it reminds me
why I love smoking so much, and why I never want to quit." 

Maureen expected her sister to be troubled by Emily's speech. Certainly the
old Julia would have been. But instead, Julia nodded her head in agreement as
she pulled hard on her cigarette and breathed it all in deep. She closed her
eyes as she held in the smoke, and then opened them again as she let the
smoke slowly escape from her lips and nostrils.

"Look how much more relaxed she is," Dr. Monroe pointed out. "She's learning
to reach for a cigarette when she's stressed out."

"I know I always smoke a cigarette or two when I'm nervous or tired," replied
Maureen through an exhale. She added, taking a short, hard hit on her Allure
cigarette between each, "And when I wake up- when I go to bed- after eating-
when I talk on the phone- before and after class- when I'm happy or sad- when
I'm driving- and of course after sex."

Dr. Monroe was gazing at her again while taking a long drag on her own
cigarette. "Me too," she said. "Julia will also learn to smoke at these
times, and each of the thousands of times that she does so will only
reinforce the primary lessons of nicotine dependency."

Julia took a pensive puff on her cigarette before speaking again. "What about
the health risks?"

Emily smiled reassuringly. "There is no safe cigarette. However, you should
know that our product is much less dangerous than any other tobacco on the
market. It burns cleaner, and produces less carcinogens."

"Well, also there's my family. I still live at home with my parents, and even
though they smoke, they'll be pretty upset if I start." Julia had always been
eager to please her parents. "There's also all the time that I'm at school
each day."

"No concerns there, either," Emily replied, little wisps of smoke floating
from her lips. "You're a big girl, so you should be free to make your own
decisions. Even so, there are ways of keeping it from your folks."

"Maureen wasn't able to keep it hidden for long when she started." 

"She didn't have technology on her side," Emily giggled. "I have some goodies
for you to take home, if, of course, you decide to work with us longer."

Emily put her cigarette in her mouth before moving across the room to a
cabinet. Puffing hands free, she removed a key from her pocket and opened the
cabinet. She removed a few items and then sat down again next to Julia.

"You've heard of the quit smoking patch and gum, but this is the keep smoking
patch and gum. You can wear the patch while you're at school, or if you can't
sneak away to smoke. If the cravings get more intense, chew on this gum, and
you should be able to get your needed fix."

Maureen's eyes popped out in surprise just as she was lighting yet another
Allure. "Can I get some of that?" she asked Dr. Monroe. "It'd be a great help
when I'm in class and have to wait to smoke."

"Of course," Dr. Monroe replied. "You'll also be interested in the next
thing."

Emily took another drag and smiled broadly as she snapped the smoke in,
displaying her slightly yellowed but very straight teeth. "This is our `James
Bond' product. I've used it myself in airplane bathrooms." She opened a small
box, and took out what appeared to be a blue water bottle. 

"Don't tell me you've invented nicotine water," laughed Julia.

"This is a special smokeless pipe." Emily crushed out her cigarette before
retrieving another one from the pack. Instead of lighting it, however, she
unscrewed the top of the bottle, revealing a chamber of some sort inside.
"What you do," she continued, "is simply put your cigarette in this tube,
screw back on the lid, and press this button while sucking in on the straw.
When you've had a long enough drag, let go of the button, and whenever you
want to exhale, blow back through the straw. The pipe captures everything you
exhale, with no lingering odor. I'll show you how easy it is."

Emily put the cigarette in the tube, and screwed back on the lid. As she
pressed the small button on the side of the bottle and sucked in on the
straw, her chest expanded as she breathed deeply in. Smiling contentedly, she
released the button, paused for a few seconds, evidently to savor the smoke
that now filled her lungs, and then blew back into the bottle. She took a
deep breath, and then blew once more into the straw, emptying her lungs.

"Wow. That's neat!" Julia said. "Can I try it?"

"I want to try it too," Maureen commented, taking note of her sister's
gleeful reaction on the television monitor. 

"I'll get you one. The best thing is that it can be used for more than just
cigarettes," Dr. Monroe said, wryly.

Julia followed Emily's directions to the letter, and grinned, flashing her
braces before taking another drag on the cigarette she held between her
middle and index finger.

"Do you have to clean it?" Julia asked.

Emily unscrewed the bottom, and revealed some yellowish cotton on the bottom.
"All you have to do is stuff the bottom of the bottle with cotton after every
few uses, and the rest of the bottle is self-cleaning. So you'll be able to
smoke anytime you can get away to a bathroom, or even in your car, without
anybody knowing."

Julia's cigarette was almost finished. "I still don't really know what I'm
getting involved with here. This is very tempting."

Emily lit up once more, and exhaled in Julia's direction. "Well, speaking
just for myself, I'm glad that I'm involved. Smoking these helps me immensely
in school, the health risks are minimal, and the pleasure-" her voice trailed
away as she inhaled a powerful drag.

Julia took a final drag on her cigarette, and then, as she breathed in, her
face brightened. "You've convinced me. Count me in!" she exclaimed.

"Fantastic," said Emily. "I'll just get a couple of forms for you to sign,
and then you can be on your way home with a bag full of goodies."

In the other room, Maureen and Dr. Monroe sat quietly smoking their
respective cigarettes. "So do I get a bag of goodies too?" asked Maureen.

Dr. Monroe removed her glasses and looked intently at Maureen. "You've
demonstrated a lot of loyalty tonight, by bringing your sister to us. I would
like to make a proposal to you, and was wondering if I could do it over
dinner at my place after you've taken your sister home. I can give you the
same goodies we're giving your sister, plus some extras that I know you'll
really enjoy. What do you think?"

Maureen thought about it only for a moment. "I don't have any plans tonight,
and it would be nice to get to know you a little bit better. So, sure,
Cynthia. I'd love to come over."

"It's a date then," said Dr. Monroe.

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