Smart Duct Tape

A young lady named Sharna who orders a new product from a magazine. Its promoted as the worlds only smart duct tape. Its a roll which can sense when and where its needed and apply itself to whatever is desired. However the intelligence chip inside malfunctions when it makes a quick repair to a damaged microwave oven. The duct tape now decides that Sharna need repair and sets about to duct tape her until shes fixed. But Sharna isnt prepared to go under without a fight....

Chapter 1.

Sharna relaxed on the couch, lying down reading a magazine, sipping a cold ice tea as she always did on a Sunday when there was nothing to do and nothing on telly. She wore just a t-shirt, baggy shorts and a pair of socks. Typical drab garb for a boring Sunday.

The magazine was full of interesting stories and articles, mainly about movie stars and celebrities always being hounded by those idiotic news publishers and paparazzi. Sharna's mind drifted slightly to the horrific crash which had stolen her most loved monarch, Princess Diana. Almost as if in protest to that horrific act, she turned the page and didnt bother to read what Meryl Streep did with Bill Cosby under the bed... Her eyes flicked back and forth as she explored the nether regions of the magazine. The place she liked most. The adverts. Here was where you could laugh at all the cheap crap, and order some for an even bigger laugh. So called, Wonder cleaning products, useful articles that didnt even have an address in english to send to. Sharna smiled. Typical.

Turning the page, Sharna scanned the contents of this new rack of promotional crap, mentally sorting away the ads which wouldnt even be worth reading. Until she came across an intriguing advert. It was quite a simple one. It just read:

From Dynamic Labs comes the latest product in home maintenance!
Smart Duct Tape. The only roll that does the job for you, whenever it is needed! Order now for a revolution in duct tape repair!
Produced by Dr De'cassio.. PHD MD SRT MIT

Sharna let out a low whistle. This guy had more letters after his name than she had in her surname! The address was also genuine. She read it and saw that it was just over the border in the next state! And the price was unbelievable! Only 10 dollars! Sharna fetched her checkbook and within minutes, her compulsive side had delivered a check and order to the mailbox so very conveniently located on the footpath outside her very house. Sharna always wondered if the Postal company had known if she was coming.

Chapter 2.

* 4 - 6 weeks later * Sharna pulled down the flap of her mailbox and immediately noticed the smallish but nonetheless bulky package crammed in the end. Extracting it from the box didnt take long and the run into the house took even less time!

Sharna flopped down onto the couch, and tore open the package. Inside was two items. A small paper booklet, obviously the manual/warranty and a shrinkwrapped opaque package about twice the size of a duct tape roll. Odd. Thought Sharna, as she rolled it over in her hands. It was surprisingly heavy! Heavy means expensive she thought, remembering the famous line from Jurassic Park. But first, read the manual.

To her immediate disappointment, the manual wasnt all it seemed. It was deceptive in its content, being made of pages of thick card, it looked as thick as a Tv guide, but only contained three pages stapled together, with no words on the rear sides of any of the pages. Very economically produced she thought with a wry smile. The first page was nothing but a silhouette of a duct tape roll. The cover page. The second page was a thankyou for buying the product. And the last, was three instructional lines. They read:

To use the DT-E9000 remove from wrapping and press both red studs at the 
same time until they are completely depressed.

Once activated use these commands only. "Here" will summon the tape roll to
whatever position you are. "Fix" will activate the roll to fix the object.
"Stop" is self explanatory. Adding "All" to fix will order the tape to auto
fix everything in your house needing repair. 

Warning! The DT-E9000 will only respond to the first voice it hears. It
is not recommended to try this device out and then give as a gift to a friend
as the device will not respond.

Now Sharna was intrigued. She picked up the opaque package, the heavy opaque package. It felt bulky. Finding a leading edge, she used her long fingernail and slit the wrapping, pulling it off the device. This was amazing she thought. The device, was essentially a large roll of duct tape, sitting on a little, well for want of a better word, vehicle. It was a small vehicle that kinda resembled a tank with small tracks. This must be how it moves. The tank vehicle, also had two small arm like claws that were currently resting on the surface of the tank vehicle.

Sharna held the device in her hand. It wasnt that big. Only about as long as a football. The roll of duct tape was tightly compressed. There must be over a mile of tape on that roll she thought. Well, lets test this thing out. Sharna found the two red studs, and pressed them hard. With a click, they entered and Sharna could have sworn she heard a small whirring. But in a second it was gone. The only thing that changed was a yellow light lit up on the surface of the tank vehicle next to the inscribed letters "Reac."

Sharna scratched her head and put the device down on the coffee table and walked out of the room. She walked into her bedroom, stood next to a picture frame which she had tried for weeks to repair with no success and took a deep breath. Sharna blushed, feeling really stupid talking to herself and called out "Here!"

Instantly she heard a high speed whirring, a thump then more whirring as the device came toward her. It came into her room at high speed and to her utmost amazement, actually drove up the side of the bedside chest of drawers where the picture frame was and waited patiently on the top. Sharna broke into peals of laughter. It was hilarious! The thing had driven up the side of the drawers unit and waited for her.. all at her command!

Now what do i do.. Sharna thought. She picked up the picture frame and put it next to the device (it needs a name she mused) and said "Fix!" in a firm voice. Again instantly, the device sprang to life. Sharna stepped back and watched in amazement. The device picked up the frame with its tiny but undoubtably strong arms. It placed it on its front and proceeded to reel out some tape. But instead of just slappin it on, it cut tiny threads of it, and layered them across the split in the frame expertly, increasing the strength ten fold. Then the device picked the frame up and turned it onto its other side. Repeating the process, the device stopped when it was finished. 

Sharna walked up to the bedside table and picked up the frame, marvelling at the intricacy of the repair. It was incredible. She flexed the frame, testing it. Nothing gave. The frame, despite having some tape on it was stronger now than when it was unbroken!

Now was the time to really put this thing through its paces. Sharna approached the device and said "Fix All!" in a firm voice. The device whirred into action, zipping down the side of the bedside chest of drawers and rushing into the lounge. It slowed down and patrolled the room. For the first time she noticed the little electronic eye mounted on the front of the tank that the roll rode around on. It was searching for something it was capable of repairing. In Sharna's eyes, she didnt think there was anything this thing couldnt repair, except maybe a bridge. But then, if it used cement tape instead of duct tape, maybe it would work.... whoa. 

Suddenly the device shot off, and Sharna raced after it as it shot into the rear junk room. By the time she arrived the device was engrossed in repairing a childs toy boat with a broken funnel hanging off it. When it was done it zoomed off again, leaving Sharna to pick up the toy boat. Amazing, just amazing. The funnel was attached with more strength than before, just like the picture frame. Sharna could hear more taping coming from the back patio. This time she didnt follow it. She knew it was doing it all by itself and it was pointless to watch it all the time.

Chapter 3.

Sharna went back into the lounge and turned on the TV. Yes! A good thing was finally on. Independance Day, on daytime slot.. odd, but good to watch. In the back of the house, the device was busy.

**It looked around its new world. It saw only red. Shapes. Images. Lines. It knew how to recognise broken objects by visible stress on the edges of irregular lines on an object. This it matched with the other edge and then applied tape in a unique method to reinforce and repair. It was powered by its own internal reactor and it had the smartest intelligence chip ever created. It had the unique ability of a machine, to be able to learn. And grow. It knew how to build tools if itself was incapable of performing a task. Its task right now: Repair the damaged, wherever they may be!**

The device moved slowly around the house now, from room to room, using its optical eye to scan and monitor everything. All that it saw was being catalogued and filed away in its own little harddrive. It moved into the bathroom and saw a mirror had fallen from its mounting and was resting in the cabinet now. The device identified where the mirror had been and formulated a repair method. It would turn some of the duct tape into a super strong double sided applicant and affix the mirror back to the wall, using the existing screw holes and screw plugs as a support for the mirror's weight. The device set to work and ten minutes later it was finished.

Almost like an artist, the device rolled back slightly and scanned its work. Checking for stress. It saw plenty of invisible stress but it was uniform, consistent and not getting any stronger. The repairs were finished and the device moved down the wall, and along the floor out of the bathroom. Next on the device's path was the kitchen. You or I would imagine there would be plenty to repair in the kitchen but the device knew this not. It just rolled into the kitchen and scanned. Identifying two repairable objects. The microwave heat seal and a power cord from a hand held egg beater.

Despite their appearance, the arms on the front of the little vehicle were incredibly strong. It picked the egg beater up around the rod shaft emerging from the motor and pulled it, cord and all onto the floor. Now it showed true brilliance. The device identified from its sensors the exact wires to reconnect and in which order. It wrapped each wire individually with a single layer of tape before wrapping all three in a double layer of tape to ensure they wouldnt come loose again. It identified the on switch and depressed it, awaiting the anticipated noise. The egg beater whirred into action and stopped as soon as the device turned it off. Success logged, onto next repair.

Microwave. The device uploaded from its own harddrive a design that matched the microwave in front of itself. It wasnt perfect but it showed the device how to get to the damaged area and repair it without destroying this sensitive appliance. With effortless determination, the device went to work repairing the old worn heat seal on the rear of the microwave. This it repaired using the same method as it had on the picture frame. It extracted tiny strips and made a webbing which it applied to the damaged area before sealing with a strong piece of carefully cut duct tape. Perfection again. The device's internal computer moved onto its next stage of repairing, "test device". Identifying the on switch, the duct tape artist pressed and awaited the expected noise. But what it got was far from what it expected.

As soon as the microwave whirled into action, it bombarded the poor little device with short wave energy, leaking through the duct tape seal. While duct tape makes a good heat seal and bonding agent, it isnt radio- active proof and this was something the little device had not been programmed for. Inside the device's tank like body, electrical energy was flying all over the place being directed and redirected by the radiation. The microwave turned off after ten seconds of activity. (a feature on newer microwaves to stop kids just turning them on for the heck of it) However the device was still feeling the effect of all the short wave energy. Finally as if in dire protest, the device's internal computer shut down and the device fell quiet.

Chapter 4.

From the lounge room where Sharna lay quietly watching the movie (still in her drab garb of socks and slacks) she heard the egg beater turn on and off, then a little bit later heard the microwave turn on and off, but unlike the egg beater, there wasnt a whirring noise to follow, indicating the device she bought was on the move again. Sharna's senses went on high and she listened intently waiting for someting to happen. She turned down the movie and watched an aerial battle involving alien ships and fighter planes underneath a huge round alien vessel in silence while trying to hear if her little toy was ok. She watched the humans win the day in silence but still no sign from her device. Thoughts of if it had fallen or if it was damaged went through her mind as she got up and began to follow where the device had gone. She headed immediately for the kitchen since thats where she had heard the activity last and spotted her investment lying on its side on the counter near the microwave.

Picking the heavy tool up, she noticed that the Reac light was still lit but it was blinking and another light next to Reboot was now lit. Sharna put the device down on the floor, upright and walked six feet away and called out "Here!". Nothing happened. There was no point referring to the ridiculously short manual, so she picked the device up in her hands and did the only sensible thing. Pressed the two red studs in again.

**The computer core activated upon recieving fresh energy from the reactor and initiated its boot up sequence:
Check arms........ ok
Check motion......... ok
Check reac......... ok
Check memory........ ok
Check primes........ FAIL FAIL FAIL
In response to this, the computer activated fail safe and loaded a new set if primes.. known to us as prime directives. Rules the computer must NOT ever break. But this time one was missing. This is what the computer found.

1. Shut down in case of failure.
2. >>> DELETED <<<
3. Dormant mode upon completion of task.

The computer accepted this, being logical as it was, and completed boot-up going into ready mode. But for all who want to know, the directive missing was:

2. Organic life is not repairable.

The device now awaited its master's command.**

Sharna walked away from the device, and called out over her shoulder "Fix All!" getting the device back onto track, hearing it whizz off in the opposite direction. She was pleased with herself, thinking how smart she was to have fixed such a complicated device! She sat down on the couch and turned the volume up just in time to see Will Smith say to his fictional son "Didnt I promise you fireworks?" before the movie ended with some excellent music. For some reason, Sharna felt as if she was being watched suddenly.. and turned around to see that the device was positioned in the door way that lead from her room to the lounge room. She could hear it whirring away, scanning the room. 

**The device's scanner recorded only one repairable object. A large heavily damaged object about 170 centimetres tall. It was covered with stress lines and stress areas, inherrant to movement which it knew lead to damage, wear and tear. The solution. prevent the movement, equalize the stress and permanently seal all stress areas. It decided the repair method best suited was a complete cast all around the object since it detected no singular moving parts or power output throughout the device.**

Chapter 5.

Sharna raised one eyebrow as the device moved directly towards her busily playing with its duct tape roll, reeling out a length. It moved right up to her socked foot and planted the end of the duct tape on her sock near her toes. At first Sharna thought this was odd but when the device took off and ran around her at high speed, binding her feet together, she screamed and fell over. The device was pulled off its course and fell on its side. No problem, it just used one arm to lever itself up but now the repair target had changed shape. It was long and flat now with several largish bumps. Not tall anymore. This meant a new repair method. Using its arms, it severed the length of tape from its roll and backed off to scan for a new method of repair.

Sharna freaked out meanwhile. Having fallen over and had her socked feet taped together tightly, she was scared now. Sharna tried to stand up but it was too difficult, managing only to fall down again. She gave up and did a sort of feet tied together on her hands and knees crawl/hop to her room and slammed the door, sitting up against it to bar entrance. Breathing heavily and shaking, Sharna found the stray edge of the tape and began to unwind it from her feet. Luckily she had her socks on so the tape failed to affix tightly. But she was amazed at how much tape was on there in such a short time of wrapping. 

Sharna peeled off about four metres of tape and scrunched it into a tight ball, throwing it into the corner. She waited, thinking about why on Earth her device had attacked her. All Sharna could imagine is that the device must have been damaged somehow and by starting it up again, she made it worse. She had to find a way to stop it. In case it tried to attack her again. Although Sharna did have to admit, being wrapped tightly around her feet had been somewhat nice on after thought.

But her resolve was made. If anybody was going to put duct tape on her, it was going to be herself. Not some pint sized machine with an attitude problem. Sharna decided it was time for a nap now, try and get some energy back for later, for when she was going to battle the device for control of her house. In a way she smiled... this was going to be fun.

** It waited outside the door for five minutes. The alloted waiting period for any event with no anticipated arrival point. Upon ending the five minutes, the device retreated to an area in the house it had designated as a base. Said area was the garage, abundunt in tools and material suited for repair and advancement. Right now, the device knew it needed to become more equipped to handle the situation. Its task would not be complete until it had followed its masters orders and fixed all. But in its present state, it wasnt strong enough to tackle the large stress area. It set to work modifying itself in preparation.**

Sharna, unaware of all this slept quietly, still wearing her socks and weekend garb. She had pushed the chest of drawers up against the door to prevent the device opening it with its arms. Time passes....

Chapter 6.

DINGALINGALINGALINGALING!!!! Sharna slammed her hand down hard on the alarm clock that had rudely awakened her from a nice, but already forgotten dream. Rubbing her eyes she struggled to focus them on the hands of the clock eventually working out that it was 7PM. Perfect. She was rested and ready for fun. Maybe that ten bucks was worth more than it initially seemed.

Sharna grabbed the edge of the chest of drawers and heaved them out of the way, pushing them back where they came from. That done, the doorway and the rest of the house, currently controlled by a marauding roll of duct tape with wheels was accessible. Sharna turned the handle of the door, maintaining pressure on the door, with a socked foot wedged behind it in case she needed to slam it and hold it fast in a hurry.

The door opened up two inches under Sharnas allowance, and she peeked out into the lounge room. Strangely enough, the house didnt seem to be hers. It seemed different, almost as if she had woken up in a strangers house. Sharna allowed the door to come open half way, her foot still wedged behind it to allow her to regulate how far it was allowed to open. 

Still nothing. Perhaps the device was broken again. But Sharna knew it wasnt. She knew because she saw the TV had been repaired. That was new. So it was still out there. Probably waiting for her. Damn.. what did it want? She very cautiously stepped out of the door, taking with her a sharp knife she kept stashed away in the bottom drawer of the chest. Just in case she assured herself. Although personally she would have preferred a golf club not that she had one.. 

Sharna emerged into the lounge room, crouched slightly, as she looked under the table at the end, hoping to see the device. But no such luck. Wherever it was, it wasnt being obvious. She walked slowly to the end of the lounge, thankful that she hadnt taken off her blue ankle socks. They were making her walking almost silent. Then Sharna's ears pricked up. Almost... She heard a noise, sort of like, a clicking. A repeating clicking.. Click... click... click.. It was getting closer. And faster... It was now a fast series of clicks approaching her... In a second.. it would come around from the kitchen... Sharna prepared the knife.. ready to throw it if needed.

Then, from around the corner came... a wind up dog. It was a cute little toy she had recieved as a novelty some years back. But it wasnt making a barking noise. That was odd. Sharna picked the little dog up, and turned it over, its legs still thrashing about. The batteries were fine. But no bark. Sharna's eyes roved around the toy until suddenly..

WHUMP!! She fell flat on her back as something flew around her waist and dragged her down to the carpet. She screamed.. dropping the knife, her instinct for survival taking over. Struggling to see what had dropped her like that, Sharna was twisting around and thrashing around like fish on deck. She caught a glimpse of a strange hopping thing but that was all, a glimpse.

Sharna became aware now, during her frantic struggles, that something had bound her legs together quite thoroughly. She knew it was the device and reached over to pick up her knife where it lay. Her hands just managed to clasp the handle of the knife as another streamer of duct tape flew over her face, right across her mouth. It seemed to pull tight immediately, hugging her head, plastering her lips tightly together preventing her from making any sound. Sharna tried to scream on instinct but tape prevailed and she was silent. 

More tape flew in front of her field of view, this time it landed over chest, pinning her arms down. It had wrapped itself around just once and now Sharna felt she was losing this fight. The dog was just a diversion and the device had evolved somehow. Sharna, meanwhile still had the knife which she used quickly to slash the bonds around her ankles and thighs. The knife flashed, and the tape fell. Panting through her nose, Sharna struggled to her feet, and made a head long dive for her room. Her arms were almost useless, having been pinned to her side by a wide strip of tape but they helped still to balance her.

Sharna felt more tape cling to her as the device obviously tried to ensnare her with a cord made of tape which it threw. Sharna saw a bit of tape hit her thigh and attach, making her drop down onto her knees as it was pulled taught. But Sharna knew what to do. With a mighty effort, she rolled onto her back, lifted a leg and slammed it into the device. Just before she hit it, she saw what it looked like now. It had found some metal and in some way, it had modified them into a pair of legs complete with feet and braces for anchoring. The device now stood over a foot tall, and it had two optical eyes, not one. The other was different however. It had been removed from something that she had in the house. 

The device didnt even know what hit it, as Sharna's socked foot slammed into its mid section, sending it flying across the room to land in an ungainly heap, the tape streamer released as the device flew. Upon landing, the device began to right itself using extended arms. Sharna tried to scream again, and struggled into her room, using her foot to slam the door, just as the device ran up to the door, a streamer of duct tape already held in its pincers ready for deployment.

Chapter 7.

From behind the door, Sharna heard a scratching, and a shuddering as the device tried to bully the door open. Using the knife she still held in her hand, Sharna cut herself free of the offending tape and stood up, with one hand still on the door in case. Her plan was to move the chest of drawers against the door where it had been during her nap.

Sharna lay down on her bed.. relieved at having been safe after such a near miss. Damn that machine was more powerful and smart than she thought. And how in the hell had it grown legs! But Sharna suddenly did a doubletake. The gag, she was still gagged tightly with duct tape. Yet it was so comfortable, that she almost didnt want to take it off. This confirmed it. She did have a duct tape fetish. She had thought that much. Her suspicions had been aroused when she noticed how she got wet and a little bit breathless whenever she saw duct tape being used on some helpless lady on TV. Sharna decided it would be better to take the gag off.

Reaching around behind her head, Sharna used the tips of her fingers to find the edge of the tape, having trouble cos it so was well applied. Eventually, the edge of the tape yielded to her probing fingers and she carefully pulled it off. It slid off her hair easily because it her hair was long and straight, and well washed. But it was firmly stuck to her lips. She carefully pulled the tape, feeling it resist. It didnt want to come off. Thinking it might be easier to remove, Sharna used the knife to cut all the tape off that wasnt stuck to her skin. Leaving behind a strip of tape only six inches wide but almost irremovable..

What was this stuff? Wincing with her eyes tightly closed, she pulled the tape hard, feeling it leaving her skin, more than likely taking with it the top two layers. Damn they should use this stuff as an exfoliant. With tears springing to her eyes, Sharna finally got the tape off, gasping with hot searing pain from her massively stinging cheeks. Her lips werent that bad because they were damp when the tape was applied.

She threw the piece of tape down on the floor in disgust, tempted to jump on it, however reconsidering that in case it stuck to her again. Sharna fell backwards onto her bed for a much needed breather. Her plan to fight the device had failed miserably with her almost getting caught. It was dark now outside. Perhaps it would be easier to fight the machine when it was pitch black. But then again, what if it had infra red. Scary. But she couldnt risk waiting to daylight. She couldnt risk sleeping in case it entered and captured her whilst she was asleep.

Sharna decided to have another attempt at beating this device. But first she would have to prepare for battle. The devices main weapon was duct tape. However it was smart, and mobile. Capable of throwing it. So, Sharna would have to make herself far less able to have tape stuck on her. Hmm. What to use. Talcum powder. Talcum powder would make her skin really slippery and would mess up the duct tape thrown at her so it would be nothing more than harmless strips of papery material.

But she would have to be totally covered in it for it to work. That would mean she would have to be naked. Sharna stood up and pulled her t-shirt off, revealing a set of beautifully rounded breasts with alert pink nipples just begging for some oral attention. On a weekend, like this, Sharna never bothered to wear any undergarments so when she took off her baggy shorts, her soft pubic mound came into clear view. Now she had nothing on except her socks, which she removed with one hand while standing on one foot. She was tempted to smell her sockies, as she did a lot of the time but that wasnt the time. Now naked as a baby, Sharna made ready for the next stage of battle by picking up a three pound bottle of talcum powder.

Sharna opened the top and sniffed it. Mmmmm baby. Nice smell. She went into the cupboard, taking out a sheet of cloth that she laid onto the floor. She didnt want talcum powder all through the carpet now. Sharna stood in the middle of this sheet of material, and began to dust herself down with talcum powder, being very liberal in application. She rubbed it in hard making it almost a part of herself before putting more on top.

Once done, Sharna looked really strange. She was white as a sheet all over, and naked! Pretty strange but necessary. To test her main defence out she picked up the awful piece of tape that had killed her face before and applied it sticky side inwards to her soft bum cheek. She pressed it on and when she let it go, was satisfied to see it just fall off. Ready.

Chapter 8.

Sharna picked up a broom from the corner of the room and smashed the head off it. This she would use as a staff. Sharna was quite efficient at using a staff weapon. And she thought for sure that the device wouldnt be made of titanium. So looking rather like a stark white jungle warrior, she pulled the drawers away from the door, being careful not to rub too much talc off herself and opened the door confidently. 

As expected, all was dark. Some light filtered through the curtains from the bright street light outside. Sharna had complained many times to the local council to take the super bulb out of it and reduce it to a standard residential strength bulb. But now she thanked it. All was silent as Sharna, the white warrior padded through to the end of the lounge. She saw the little toy dog where it had been dropped at their last encounter. It was still, so obviously its batteries were flat. Pity. It was a cute toy. Sharna used the end of her staff to flick the toy into a corner where it wouldnt trip her up in case she had to run.

Onwards through her house she went. Into the kitchen. It was darker here because her kitchen was inside the center of the house. Not much night light got in here, and as she approached the end doorway leading to the rear hallway, it got darker still. Sharna used her staff now to prod the air in front of her. She didnt want to hit anything. Her staff made a solid thunk as it contacted with the wall. She was more left than her mind told her, so she compensated by moving to where the doorway should be but her mind was telling her she was about to hit the left wall. 

Sharna felt somewhat disorientated and this scared her. But she swallowed her fear and walked confidently with her staff at the ready, through the doorway.. or at least that was her intention. A trap, set by the device had made other plans. While Sharna had been preparing her defence the device had made a strong net of duct tape and had suspended it by thin cords of tape so it covered and hung gently in the kitchen to hallway doorway. In the darkest spot, in the most likely door its victim would use.

Sharna freaked out and fell as she hit and felt the drag on her. She went down for a tumble and the net enclosed on her. While it didnt stick to her skin, it did stick to itself, making a net like bag around the struggling Sharna. Fight as she might, Sharna couldnt get it off. It just bunched up and got tighter as it attached in more and more places to itself.

She could feel a lot of the tape getting ruined by her talc covering but it wasnt stopping the net from enclosing her. She didnt have a knife handy and her staff seemed to have been flung out of her hands during her fall and frantic grab at the net which now trapped her. But something made Sharna stop struggling. For the first time, she saw two bright red dots hovering about half a metre off the ground, pointed at her, bobbing a little bit as if in a barely moving pond viewed sideways.

Sharna knew what it was. It had done this and it had heard her fall into its trap. She screamed and tried to thrash even harder, succeeding in only dragging the net tighter onto her slender talc covered frame. The device, seemingly confident of its captured prey, moved closer. Sharna knew what it was going to do.

Chapter 9.

The device wound out a length of tape from its supply and walked toward Sharna on lengthened metal legs. It stood half a metre tall now, its eyes on the top of its head for maximum surveillance. It looked positively monstrous. It advanced on Sharna, walking slowly down to her feet, still kicking hard in an attempt to free herself. But they were kicking as one now because the net was so tight. The device shot out a stream of tape and pulled on it when it attached to part of the net near her ankles.

The strip of tape was cut from the main supply after the device had released about two metres of tape. It walked back towards its captive, and with amazing strength, just lifted her ankles right off the ground! It used a pincer to grip a bundle of netting so it could lift without worrying about losing her. Sharna struggled hard, throwing her hips this way and that but the device was strong and didnt drop her.

It used its free arm to pick up the length of tape from the point where it attached to her ankle and then using incredible dexterity, wound the tape tightly around her ankles until all the tape had been used. Then the device walked off out of the room, leaving Sharna to struggle in vain. Sharna fought with all her strength, managing only to get breathless and hot. 

After about five minutes, the device returned. It was carrying with it a pulley kit and a rope. Sharna could see this out of the corner of her eye and couldnt work out what was going on. But even wierder, the device, still carrying its strange cargo, proceeded to walk up the side of the doorframe where the net had been and hung upside down from the top of the frame. Sharna couldnt see what was going on because of the darkness but when the device came down empty handed, she assumed it had used the implements at the top of the doorframe.

The device moved down to Sharna's feet, where the tape had been wrapped firmly around them. It looked at her feet for a minute, making a very quiet whirring. It was checking something. When it appeared to have finished looking, it walked in the direction of the doorframe, and came back a second later carrying a piece of rope, that travelled upwards from its claw toward the frame. The device used its end of the rope to wind around Sharna's ankles, over where it had wrapped the tape, using a knot that could only have been learned from a scouts book, which Sharna knew was in the garage awaiting sorting. 

The device finished tying the knot and did another look and whirr action, almost as if assessing its own work. Perhaps that was what it was doing Sharna thought. Damn this thing is smart. She renewed her efforts only to be rewarded this time by an almight tug on her ankles that dragged her across the floor toward the doorframe. What the?? She thought. Her ankles were tugged on again, but this time they rose up in the air and no effort from Sharna could bring them down. 

Another tug. Her ankles were pulled way up into the air, her body following faithfully behind, pulling closer still to the doorframe. By now her bum was off the ground, her ankles pulled almost straight upright. Yet strangely, there didnt seem to be much stress on them. Again, the massive pull occured, her ankles going still higher, this time her shoulders began to raise off the ground. She knew what was going on now. She was tied to the pulley and the device was using it as a method of hoisting her off the ground. But for what?

One last tug and Sharna left terra firma. She swung gently and quietly from the doorframe, feeling no stress on her ankles, wrapped in a net made of duct tape. Now hanging from the top of the door frame, the device released some duct tape and stuck it on to Sharnas feet. From here it walked down her body slowly, wrapping as it went. Her feet disappeared under many layers of ultra tight duct tape wrapping. Then her ankles and calves. Sharna was helpless to fight and she had been beaten. So much for a battle plan. She should have just slept it out and fought the damn thing in day- light.

By now the device had bound her knees together. Its wrapping was a work of art. Matching the lines of the tape perfectly so it almost looked seamless. Yet incredibly strong. It was working faster now. Almost as if it had a time limit. It spooled out yards and yards of tape, moving down Sharna's bound frame at a slow rate while wrapping her as tightly as it possibly could. Its eyes alerted it to the evening out of the stress pattern in the upper regions. It was working!

Sharna's upper thighs disappeared under the duct tape wrapping. They were pulled so tightly together now that her poor crotch was flattened between her thighs. Her pussy's wetness trapped in a tight but tiny gap just below her crotch. The device kept wrapping though. Binding her waist and the wrists together. Sharna could see this but couldnt move her arms out of Her elbows were pressed flat hard against her chest as her arms were pinned down tightly, the wrapping continuing downwards toward her head. 

For a moment, Sharna panicked. What if the device suffocated her? Would it really go that far? She certainly hoped not. By now her chest was half covered in super tight, seamless duct tape wrapping. She could feel the pressure on her chest as the device mercilessly continued wrapping. Now her breasts came under attack. Without remorse or care, the device wrapped her firm but tender breasts under ten layers of duct tape per inch, on its way to her head. They were squashed under the silvery binding, being reduced in size to an almost nothing. It hurt a little bit but not much.

The device carried on. It had reached her shoulders now and for the first time it paused. It was wondering how to wrap her shoulders and neck despite the angles. After only a few seconds of hesitation, it continued wrapping in a figure eight pattern until the shoulders were totally covered right up to the base of her neck. From here it wrapped as per normal, usual tightness and efficiency, yet surprisingly it wasnt tight enough to impede her breathing through her throat. 

Sharna could see the device as it used its legs to span the doorframe during its task. It had reached her chin and in its predictable style, just wrapped around and around. But when it came to her mouth, it stopped. Here was an anomaly. A hole, or deficiency in the overall smoothness of the target. It referred to its database and uploaded a file on sorting this problem out. The file referred to finding something that occupied the same space as the hole and using that as packing.

The device didnt have anything nearby so it severed the tape length and dropped to the floor to go off in search of packing. Sharna hung there like a cocooned bug. She tried to test her bonds but they were so absolutely tight that no give was found. Not a slightest bit. None. It was the most incredible feeling shed ever had! Helpless, trapped and impossible to escape. But strangely sensuous.

Her reverie was shattered however when the device returned carrying something. Something white. Two of them. Even in semi-darkness, Sharna recognised her running shoe's socks. They had been in the hamper right next to the door at the end of the kitchen. In her minds eye, she saw what it was going to do. And she didnt like it.

Chapter 10.

The device hopped back up onto its usual position, spread across the door frame and walked down to where it had been before. It found the loose edge of the tape stream and fused it to the end of its own roll. It was ready to continue now, but first... 

Sharna felt a sock entering her mouth forcibly. A very strong metal arm inserted it and pushed it around until it fitted and filled in all the odd corners of her oral cavity. She gagged on the taste and size of the offending sock, but it got worse when the second sock entered.

It was shoved in harder than the first, packing her mouth full of used sweaty socks with an awful taste. But before Sharna could spit them, the device wrapped her mouth over in a dozen layers of duct tape, tight as hell to ensure the packing wouldnt move. It paused. Before wrapping her further, it scanned the terrain and saw that the hole was gone and the anomaly remedied. The socks had been a perfect fit. Meanwhile Sharna was in a great deal of uncomfort. The socks were awful and her mouth filled tight with them. Her mouth had been wrapped over tightly and she couldnt even utter a mumble.

She felt and saw from real close up the device continue wrapping. It avoided her nose where it detected incoming and outgoing ventilation and proceeded over the bridge of Sharna's nose, her eyes and up her forehead until it finished at the crown of her head. To look at Sharna now would have been heaven. For a duct tape lover. She looked like a seamless silver mummy from which no movement could be seen at all. Even her head was seamless. Just two slight indents where her eyes would normally be. 

Finished with its work, the device dropped to the floor and picked up the rope which operated the pulley. Using it in reverse, it lowered Sharna gently to the floor, until she lay down again. Getting her to lay down flat was harder to do than it looked but it accomplished it in record time. It used it's leg braces to anchor to the floor as it pulled Sharna around through the kitchen into the lounge where it had first targeted her.

When Sharna, the silver package was in place, the device stopped still and began whirring. 

** Inside its hull, the device's computer checked its code. The trigger order "fix all" had been commanded therefore the program was set. Now that the program was over, the device went onto a special program. This was only meant to be executed at the end of the first fix all. Because the device was a sharware style copy. It would only operate for one week or until the end of a fix all. Now that it was ended, the device played via audio a message from its creator designed to promote the device and prompt the user to send for the $600 renewal kit to get the device working again.**

GREETINGS CUSTOMER. I AM PLEASED THAT YOU HAVE PURCHASED THE DT-E9000 AND HOPE IT HAS SERVED YOU WELL.

Sharna heard this audio playback and swore at it in her mind. Serve me well my ass, It has served ME into this situation!

THE TRIAL PERIOD FOR USE OF THIS DEVICE IS UNFORTUNATELY OVER NOW. SO DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF PRODUCING THIS DEVICE, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU FORWARD $600 DOLLARS TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE IN EXCHANGE FOR A RENEWAL CHIP THAT WILL ALLOW YOUR DT-E9000 TO RETURN TO NORMAL SERVICE.

SPECIAL OFFER! IF YOU DECIDE TO PURCHASE THE UPGRADE CHIP, YOU WILL HAVE ACCESS TO OUR SERVICE AND HELP LINE FOR ANY MAJOR DIFFICULTIES YOU MAY HAVE. BUT FOR BASIC PROBLEMS, JUST REMEMBER TO TELL YOUR DEVICE TO STOP.

Sharna heard this final line and if a duct tape enclosed woman, with two socks firmly jammed in her mouth could scream.. this one just did.
THE END.

18/05/01