Back in her apartment, Nina opened her laptop and navigated to Sirius Software's main website. She bought and downloaded both the base and extreme expansion pack of the original Master of Arcadia and launched the game.
The very first screen contained a warning that the game contained explicit sexual imagery and depictions of torture and female slavery. It urged players to use discretion and caution when playing and to not try to replicate or perform any of the acts depicted in the game. It also had a disclaimer that Sirius Software would not be liable or responsible for any damages or injuries that would result from players trying to enact scenes in the game.
With some trepidation, Nina clicked the "Yes I understand" button, to proceed to the next screen.
Heavy metal music blasted out of her Laptop's speakers. She frantically mashed the volume down button and rummaged in her purse for her earbuds.
With earbuds in place, and the music volume down to a low level, she started play the Visual Novel.
As Nina played through the game, she became aware of several things. First, the female NPCs were not as one-dimensional as she believed they were.
They each had distinct personalities, mannerisms and motivations, and actually contributed to the overarching plot by helping the player character at crucial emotional moments.
The turn based combat dynamics were engaging and challenging. The game was not some power fantasy, it actually made you work to amass the wealth and power.
The cut scenes were strangely erotic. Nina actually found herself getting aroused as the player character inflicted pain and pleasure on his female slaves. She also realized that the game let you choose your play style through dialog options, you could either be vicious, cruel and evil, or brave and heroic, with only mild amounts of violence.
Dawn was breaking as Nina finally finished her first play through of Master of Arcadia.
Exhausted, she reached for her phone.
"I'll be late today, was up all night playing" she sent.
"Submit your report and take the day off" came Aaron's reply.
Blinking in surprise, she typed a quick "OK", grabbed her notes and started to compile her report with a surge of Adrenalin.
Thirty minutes later, Nina hit "send" on the email containing her report, and she fell onto her bed completely exhausted.
Aaron chuckled as he read through Nina's confused, almost incoherent report on what had resonated with her in Master of Arcadia.
It appeared that she had enjoyed seeing the submission of the female characters, and felt a strong fascination with their need to submit. She also seemed to resonate with the player character's dominance and sadism.
"Looks like we've got a switch on our hands" mused Aaron to himself.
---
Nina awoke late in the evening, after a deep and refreshing sleep.
She gasped as she checked her phone. There was a message from Sirius Software!
"Achievement unlocked" was all it said.
Her phone then buzzed again with a new message, this time from her bank.
2000 dollars were credited to her account from Sirius Software!
Confusion furrowed her brow. While she was happy with the bonus, she wondered what Aaron meant by Achievement unlocked.
"What do you mean by Achievement unlocked?" she texted Aaron.
"Sirius Software's employees receive a bonus for each game they play and submit a report on what resonates with them." came Aaron's reply.
"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?!" Nina furiously typed back.
"Feeling masochistic, are we? Given your beliefs, I thought you would reject the perk out of principle, why bother telling you?" came the sardonic reply.
A thrill of horror ran through Nina. She sprang to her laptop and pulled up the report she had sent Aaron.
Panic gripped her as she read through her confused, almost incoherent observations of how she found the submission and pain aspect of the game fascinating, while also wishing that she could both inflict and feel the same things.
"Please disregard that report, I will submit another one" she frantically typed.
"No I won't. I found it quite illuminating" came the reply.
Nina tossed her phone away and screamed into her pillow in embarrassment and frustration.
---
Nina suppressed a shiver as she sat at her desk organizing Aaron's schedule for the week.
She had spent the weekend in a conflicted and confused mess.
Master of Arcadia had awoken a dark fascination that terrified her, and challenged everything she had been taught to view as harmful and dangerous.
She felt herself drawn towards the game's themes of dominance and submission, and whenever she thought of Aaron, she felt a powerful urge to become a conduit to his will, relishing in his power and the opportunity to wield some of it herself.
Her dislike for him and his oppressive views and policies had morphed into a perverse admiration for how efficiently he had implemented systems and measures to infuse his world-view into Sirius Software's corporate culture and image, while protecting it from dissenting opinions and views such as the ones she had.
Finally giving up on trying to make sense of these new feelings and fantasies, Nina threw herself into her work, wondering why Aaron hadn't summoned her yet or given her any new instructions.
The elevator doors hissed open, and Aaron emerged from the elevator in a black leather motorcycle racing suit, a black full face helmet tucked under his arm.
Nina couldn't help but stare. The racing suit's armor padding and form-fitting style only served to make Aaron look sexier and more dominant to her already conflicted mind.
"Hello Ms. Avanthika, I'll be with you in a few minutes" he said as he strode towards his office, removing one of his racing gauntlets.
The massive office door hissed open as he pressed his hand into the handprint lock.
"Y-Yes of course Mr. Zakhrov" stammered Nina, unable to tear her eyes off his perfectly sculpted body in the form-fitting racing suit.
The office door finally boomed shut, bringing her back to reality, making her flush in embarrassment for staring at Aaron.
"I wonder if this is how men feel when they stare at sexy women" wondered Nina aloud as she sank back into her chair to resume her work.
A few minutes later, Aaron's office door hissed open, and he strode out in his regular black leather business suit.
"Let's get down to business Ms. Avanthika. I need you to clear my schedule for next week and book a flight to Tokyo on Monday morning 10:00 AM Eastern Time. Do you have a passport?" asked Aaron.
"Y-yes sir" said Nina, struggling to suppress her excitement. She was going on her first overseas trip!
"Good. We'll be meeting representatives from SEGA for a collaborative development deal on a new game. Get business class tickets for both of us and book a pair of executive rooms at the Hyatt. We'll be spending the week there, so pack accordingly." instructed Aaron as Nina took down notes.
"Wouldn't a private suite be a more efficient option sir?" asked Nina a blush creeping up her neck as she suggested it.
Aaron gave her a cold stare. "No." he replied.
Nina looked away embarrassed and a little hurt. It seemed that Aaron still kept his guard up despite her exposing some of her own vulnerability to him.
"I suppose this will be your first time in Tokyo?" asked Aaron, snapping Nina back to attention.
"Y-Yes sir" answered Nina, wrestling with her feelings of hurt that Aaron had rejected the idea of sharing a suite, and her feminist insistence that separate rooms were the obvious choice.
"Very well, keep 3 of your evenings free. I shall give you a tour. That will be all" said Aaron, returning to his office.
Hearing that, Nina's feelings of hurt vanished, and as soon as Aaron's office door had boomed shut, she let out a squeal of excitement.