View source for Tales from the Benacian Union/Ainaive at the Finishing School

{{Benacian Union article}}
''(The following was gently coaxed from the chatGPT)''

==Ainaive at the Finishing School==

''Mary Goddricsdottir is a young girl of Keltian descent, who was born in [[Hemptonwic]] on the [[Warring Islands]] and was resettled in the [[Unified Governorates]] after the annexation of the islands by the [[Benacian Union]] and the death of her father in {{AN|1710}}, when she was nine years old. She was selected, at the age of thirteen, to attend a [[Finishing Schools (Benacian Union)|Finishing School]] in the [[Governorate of Upper Lywall]], situated in the rural outskirts of [[Sansabury]]. Finishing schools are exclusive institutions in the Benacian Union which are intended to produce highly educated, [[Conditioned Social Harmonisation|conditioned]] young women who will take on leadership roles in the society. Mary is a bright, ambitious and talented individual, but the harsh reality of the Finishing School and the Ainaive session that she must attend threatens to break her spirit and reshape her into a compliant member of the society.''

===Part I.===

Mary and her classmates sat nervously in their white uniforms, awaiting the start of their Ainaive session. The girls were all in their early teens, and they had been selected for this special programme because of their potential to become the future leaders of the Benacian Union. The room was dimly lit and filled with the scent of incense. Soft music played in the background, and the girls could hear the gentle sound of water flowing from a nearby fountain. They were told to close their eyes and focus on their breath, as the session was about to begin. Mary felt a sense of unease, as she knew that the Ainaive session would involve psychoactive drugs and deep psychological conditioning. She had heard stories of girls who had been broken by the programme, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen to her.

The Governess of the school, a stern woman with a cold gaze, explains that the Ainaive is a mental training with physical and psychological components, designed to help them internalise the values and beliefs of the Union-State. She tells them that this will be the first of many such exercises, and that it is important that they all cooperate fully.

As the girls begin their breathing exercises, one of them, Mary, feels a knot of resistance in her stomach. She can't shake the feeling that something is not right about this whole situation. She watches as her classmates close their eyes and begin to relax, but she keeps her eyes open, determined to resist.

As the Governess leads them through the exercises, Mary can feel the tension in her body growing. She tries to focus on something else, anything else, but the hypnotic rhythm of the Governess's voice keeps pulling her back. She can feel her resistance slipping away, and a sense of panic begins to rise within her.

The Governess then explains that they would be receiving nutritional supplements to encourage a more relaxed, happy state and muscle exercises to locate and eliminate tension.

The girls were then led to take psychoactive drugs, Mary is horrified, she felt like a test subject and not a student. She tried to say something but the Governess quickly shushed her. Mary knew she had to escape from this place before it was too late.

As the exercise comes to an end, Mary is the only one who has not fully cooperated. The Governess looks at her with a cold, calculating gaze, and Mary knows that she will be watched closely from now on. She has failed the test, and she knows that there will be consequences.

But Mary is determined to resist, no matter what it takes. She knows that her life, and her mind, are at stake. The Governess's words echo in her head: "As subjects of the Union-State, you are expected to be loyal and compliant." But Mary knows that she will not be broken that easily. She will fight to keep her sense of self and her freedom, even if it means going up against the powerful forces that seek to control her.

===Part II.===

Dr. Williams, the behavioural therapist assigned to the Finishing School, was given the task of discovering the cause of Mary's sudden defiance during the Ainaive exercise. She was a diligent and experienced therapist, who had worked with many subjects in the past, but this case was different. Mary's resistance was not something she had encountered before.

Dr. Williams sat in her office, studying the file on Mary. She was a bright, ambitious young woman, with excellent grades and a promising future. But something had changed in her, something that had made her resistant to the conditioning process. Dr. Williams needed to find out what that was.

She began by conducting a series of interviews with Mary, asking her about her life, her beliefs, and her thoughts. Mary was hesitant at first, but as the sessions went on, she began to open up. She talked about her family, her friends, and her dreams. She talked about her desire to be a doctor, to help people and make a difference in the world.

Dr. Williams listened carefully, taking notes and analyzing every word. She could see that Mary was a complex, intelligent young woman, with a strong sense of self and a deep sense of morality. But there was something else there, something that was causing her to resist the conditioning.

As she delved deeper into the therapy sessions, Dr. Williams discovered that Mary had been exposed to subversive ideas and information that conflicted with the values of the Union-State. She had been talking to people who questioned the regime's ideology and she had been reading books that challenged the status quo. This information caused a rift in her mind, creating a cognitive dissonance, which made her resistant to the conditioning.

Dr. Williams knew that she had to act fast. She reported her findings to the Governess and the Masters of Discipline, and they quickly took action. Mary was separated from her classmates and put under close surveillance, in order to prevent her from spreading her ideas and corrupting the other students.

Dr. Williams continued to work with Mary, trying to help her align her thoughts and beliefs with those of the Union-State. She used various techniques of cognitive-behavioural therapy, such as re-education, positive reinforcement, and punishment to help her overcome her resistance.

Despite her efforts, Mary never fully succumbed to the conditioning. She went through the motions, but her spirit was broken. She knew she was being watched and controlled, and she felt trapped. But she also knew that she would never truly be free, not as long as she was in the Benacian Union.

===Part III.===

Mary sat in the small, sterile room, her hands tightly clenched in her lap. Across from her sat Dr. Williams and the Master of Discipline, their expressions blank and unreadable. She knew what was coming, they had been interrogating her for weeks now, trying to find out what had made her resistant to the conditioning.

"Mary," began Dr. Williams, her voice calm and soothing, "we want to help you. We want you to be able to fully embrace the values of the Union-State and become a meritorious subject."

Mary nodded, her heart racing. She knew that she couldn't tell them the truth, about the books she had read, the people she had talked to, and the ideas that had been planted in her mind.

"We know that you have been exposed to subversive ideas and information," continued the Master of Discipline, his voice cold and hard, "and we need to know where you got it from and who else you have told."

Mary felt a chill run down her spine. She knew that if she told them the truth, she would be punished, possibly even expelled from the Finishing School. She also knew that if she lied, they would see through it and punish her even more.

"I-I don't know," she stammered, her voice trembling. "I-I just read some books, talked to some people. I didn't know they were bad."

The Master of Discipline leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "You are not being honest with us, Mary. We have ways of making you talk."

Mary's heart sank, she knew that they would use whatever means necessary to get her to reveal the truth. She thought about her family, her friends, and her future. She knew that if she stayed true to herself, she would lose everything. But if she gave in, she would lose herself.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I-I don't know what you want me to say."

The Master of Discipline sat back, his eyes cold and disappointed. "You have one more chance, Mary. Think carefully before you speak."

Mary knew that she was running out of time, she had to make a decision. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She knew that whatever choice she made, it would change her life forever.

The Master of Discipline sat back in his chair, his expression unreadable. He had been patient with Mary, but her resistance was becoming a problem. He couldn't allow her to remain unresponsive to the conditioning, it would set a bad example for the other girls and undermine the efforts of the Finishing School. He had to act quickly and decisively.

"Dr. Williams," he said, his voice firm and commanding, "I want you to administer a strong psychoactive substance to Mary. We need to break through her resistance and get to the root of her problem."

Dr. Williams nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. She knew that this was a last resort, but sometimes drastic measures were necessary. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small vial filled with a clear liquid.

"Mary," she said, her voice still calm and soothing, "I need you to take this medicine. It will help you to relax and open your mind to the conditioning."

Mary looked at the vial with fear and trepidation. She knew that this was it, the moment she had been dreading. She had to make a decision, either take the medicine and give in to their demands or refuse and face the consequences.

"Please, Mary," Dr. Williams continued, "trust us, we only want to help you."

Mary took the vial and unscrewed the cap. She could feel the eyes of the Master of Discipline and Dr. Williams on her as she stared at the liquid inside. She knew that there was no turning back, whatever choice she made would change her life forever. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then she drank the medicine.

The Master of Discipline watched as Mary swallowed the medicine, a small sense of satisfaction creeping over him. He knew that the psychoactive substance would do its job and break through Mary's resistance. He would finally find out what was causing her defiance and be able to take corrective action. He sat back and waited for the medicine to take effect, ready to finally get to the bottom of this problem.

===Part IV.===

As the psychoactive substance took hold, Mary felt her body begin to relax. Her muscles became heavy and her mind began to drift. She felt as though she was floating on a sea of warmth and light. The room around her seemed to fade away, replaced by a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes. She felt herself being pulled deeper and deeper into a world of hallucinations.

The images that flooded her mind were at first beautiful and peaceful, but they soon became darker and more sinister. She saw herself in a dark forest, surrounded by twisted trees and writhing shadows. She felt a sense of dread and fear creeping over her, but she couldn't look away. The shadows began to take shape, forming into twisted monsters that lunged at her from every direction. She felt a scream rising in her throat, but it was trapped, trapped inside her mind.

As the hallucinations grew more intense, Mary felt her mind begin to crack. She could feel something deep within her, a dark and terrible secret that had been buried for years, fighting to be set free. She tried to resist, but the drugs and the conditioning were too powerful. The secret began to spill out of her in a torrent of words and images. She told of a past that was dark and painful, of a family that was torn apart by war and tragedy, of a father who died at the hands of the regime and a mother who was left to suffer alone. She spoke of a life filled with anger and resentment, of a hatred for the Union-State and the Nationalist and Humanist Party that had taken everything from her.

The Master of Discipline listened to Mary's confession with a mixture of shock and disgust. He couldn't believe that such a thing could happen in his Institute. He knew he had to act quickly to stamp out this seed of rebellion before it spread to the other girls. He turned to Dr. Williams and then nodded, signalling the end of the session. Mary's hallucinations slowly subsided, and she was left alone with her thoughts, her mind heavy with the weight of her confession, and the guilt that came with it.

===Part V.===

After weeks of intense therapy and conditioning, Mary finally began to understand the importance of her role in the Benacian Union. She was able to reconcile her duty to society with her own personal desires and aspirations. With the help of her therapist, Dr. Williams, Mary was able to overcome her resistance and embrace the teachings of the Ainaive. She was amazed at how much her thinking and behaviour changed, and she felt a sense of calm and contentment that she had never experienced before. Mary was now motivated by the philosophical truths of Humanist Cosmology and was a steadfast defender of Human Supremacy. She had a new understanding of the importance of the Coordinated State for the attainment of a truly just Harmonious Society. At the next Ainaive session, Mary willingly participated and even volunteered to be a subject for the psychoactive drugs. Her transformation was complete and she was now the perfect example of a conditioned and harmonised subject of the Benacian Union. She now assists with the familiarisation of new girls brought to the Finishing School, helping to identify which ones amongst them would benefit from the same interventions that she had received. Truly like the ouroboros, the system is self-perpetuating and self-sustaining.

[[Category:Literature]]