Handled, page 1

Cassidy Kane sat slumped in the wrought iron chair on the patio of the chic eatery. Sitting under the famous green awning with her agent, Aiden Fellows, she poked miserably at her food (fried calimari, fried okra, and fried onion rings, along with country fried steak and fried apples for dessert). From behind the oversize pink sunglasses she kept watching the people pass her by the on sidewalk, most of them oblivious as to who it was pouting in that chair and poking at her 100 dollar meal with that shiny silver fork.

"I do not want to play that role, Aiden! I'm 19 years old now, nineteen year old girls get boyfriends in movies, they do not play with DOLLS!"

"Oh, now, come on. It's a horror movie, and it is not "playing with dolls." Your dying grandma gives you a haunted doll, and you're being played younger because you look younger, you do not look over 15! Come on, its an easy five million bucks, Cassidy. America LOVES you!" Aiden tried to impress the girl with the figures, but knew she simply had no clue. She was the most miserable rich girl he had ever had the displeasure of handling, and the longer he acted as her "agent" (the clients were NEVER told they were being handled, NEVER) the more disturbed he became by her behavior. Glancing around to the bushes, he nodded at the papparazi to get their pictures and get on with it. He removed his hat, which told them to make it fast she was ready to melt down soon.

She heard the click of the camera, and like a deer in headlights froze. She saw a fat guy waddling towards the railing, a pen and paper in his hand. She noticed Aiden making strange gestures with his hands and head.

"Cassidy Kane!!" The guy blubbered, shoving the paper in her face.

It was as if a switch were thrown.

"Well, hey there, handsome fella." She dazzled the young man with her 7500 dollar smile, scribbled on the paper, and nearly shoved him on his way.

"Ya be sure ya come see mah new movie, now, Ok? Ah love you!" She shouted after him with her sexy southern drawl.

As soon as he was gone, her countenance returned to its previous sour look, and she glared at Aiden, pushing her plate to the edge of the table.

"Can we go now?"

Meanwhile, the fat guy collapsed on the bench to wait for the bus. In the thirty minutes he had waddled down the sidewalk, all he could think of was the sweet autograph in his pocket, Cassidy Kane!! He had followed her closer than any other starlet in Hollywood, due to the fact he had been a fan from the start. It was indeed his lucky day. As the President of the Hollywood Autograph Seekers Club, he just got one that was worth no less than a grand. Maybe more.

He took it out to look at it as he waited for the three o clock, and frowned, not amused.

There was one word on the piece of paper.

HELP.

+++++++++++

Aiden sat in his plush Hollywood office, rifling through some offers for his most profitable client, the Network-owned Cassidy Kane, current pop princess pulling in millions on the Network's subsidiary Music Channel, and millions more on the Network's Channel For Children, or more popularly known as C4C. It really didnt matter what script the Network decided to choose, in the end the Network would have its influence all over the film, working to keep the sheeple enslaved through the subliminal messages of its insidious media. If the average Joe felt inclined (something they never felt) they could have with little effort connected all media they consumed, back to one source, the Network.

But that is NOT the American way, for which people like Aiden Fellows were eternally grateful, considering they had signed their souls away for the posh luxuries of the privilege of working for the Network.

His intercom gently beeped.

"Yes, Margaret, what is it?"

"A Miss...I am sorry, Ms.Rose is here to see you."

Surprised, Aiden began shoveling the scripts into a drawer and straightened his hair.

"Let her in, please."

Click click click.

Into the office walked an extremely attractive raven haired goddess in a black form fitting business suit, and shiny red heels. (Louboutins today.)

"Aiden, what IS this I am hearing at Corporate about Cassidy Kane breaking down? I thought you had assured us the latest programming would last at LEAST until the tour is over. We have several tie in events where her services are absolutely essential. You cannot say no to one of the highest ranking Sultans in the world!!"

Rosylyn Rose was the Network's liason for all their important business. If you worked for the Network in any upper or elite fashion, (and many people worked for the Network, most as unknowing sheeple propogating the occult subliminal agenda of which the Network was made) you had been handled by Rosylyn Rose. She took the chair opposite his desk, crossed her long ivory legs, and rested one red toe upon the edge of his desk. Aiden's eyes bulged, his face reddened and he cleared his throat as he finally managed to look her in her sparkling green eyes.

"I ASSURE you, Roz, that Cassidy Kane will fulfill each obligation, and in addition if we need to tweak the programming I can arrange for her to fall off the wagon and go to rehab." Aiden smiled, and stood, excitedly pacing back and forth in front of the window which gave them both a panoramic view of LA.

"It is genious, Roz! Listen, here's how we will let it go down. She falls off the wagon, bam into rehab goes c4c's hottest child star. Hell, America will go ape crazy to find out their Classy Cassy has a major drug problem they knew nothing of! Out of rehab after reprogramming, we have Caz K, wild child, sex kitten who cannot be tamed! A complete break of the former good girl image, we can make millions on this! God this girl has at least a dozen more profitable years for the Network...if not MORE if we can then revert her back to Cass Kane, actress. Dr Beatz is owned by the Network, can you imagine the hype if he produces her first bad girl cd?"

"I certainly can imagine that, and it is a wonderful plan, Aiden, one of the reasons I keep you around is you are a very slick man, quick thinking I like that." Rosylyn uncrossed her legs and stood, strode towards Aiden until she was close enough for him to smell her intoxicating scent. He found himself looking up at her, and felt suddenly intimidated.

"But I am slicker than you, and always quicker. The Sultan wants the good girl, and he will be in town for her Last Concert of this tour in three weeks. Until then, she remains a good little girl, and I have been assured by the director of Granny's Doll that he can get her parts filmed in two weeks. So I expect Cassidy Kane to be a good little girl and make that movie, finish her tour AND take care of the Sultan, all with in the next three weeks. Then you may proceed with your plan, it is marvelous. I am going to give you the name of one of our more....discrete...short term tweakers, this man will make sure she can last the 21 days required. Cassidy is quite the spirited young lady, isnt she Aiden? No paps, if anyone gets wind Cassidy is seeing him, it would ruin her use for us, and she would have to be terminated. Remember Aiden it is always easier to prevent than to remove after the fact, this is true for everything we do."

With that Rosylyn Rose spun around and clicked her way out the door.

On the desk was a card, with a name and number. Feeling the pressure, he put the call through immediately. The one person you NEVER wanted angry at you was Rosylyn Rose.
**********************************************

Of course, the fat guy had a name, it was Ralph Morgan, and he had just feined illness to skip the weekly meeting of the HASC, and Vinnie Renaldo would be standing in as President and presider. It made Ralph angry, but he pushed it aside, because it was not good for his heart. He slapped out an order for Dominos on his laptop, and while he waited for delivery, he opened his file on Cassidy Kane.

As far as modern Network starlets went these days, she was the epitome of a manufactured star.

Born Cassandra Dee Cantrell in a small town called Bibleton Kentucky, the Network owned her parents, Sue and George Cantrell. They were both employed in Network subsidiary businesses: Sue as a hair dresser, and George as a preacher in one of the many conservative churches it owned across America. Like many good southern mothers, Sue spent her husband's money entering her cherub into local beauty pageants, where a shadowy young woman named Roz "discovered" C4C's next child star at age six, so went Cassidy's official bio. After a couple of commercials, the newest children's channel, C4C hired little Cassidy Kane to star at the age of eight as Franny Cooper, little sister on an average C4C offering, Kid's Stop. And at thriteen, they gave the beautiful young teen her own show, Classy Cassy, on which she debuted a gift for singing as well. The Network promoted its newest cash cow on all of its channels, and in its print media. There was no one left alive in America who had not seen a Classy Cassy tv show or movie, heard her CDs, gone to her concerts, bought her playsets, had her clothes, carried her lunchbox, or colored their hair with her line of Hair Color for Kids.

Ralph had no idea of the deeper connotations, such as Network ownership of souls, and sheeple and subliminals. What Ralph focused on was the career and the marketability of the signature of red hot celebs, and he prided himself on collecting autographs from stars before they were stars. This would have made his sixth authentic Cassidy Kane autograph, and considering like all C4C actresses eventually did, Cassidy would be transitioning to adult type roles soon (or obscurity, either was always an option and neither could ever be predicted) he had anticipted this particular autograph to bring in the low four digits.

Now he clicked his way through to the file containing the previous five autographs. He scanned the newest, and ran a signature autentication program he himself had invented. Like it always did, it would generate a certificate of authenticity for the eventual purchaser.

"What? That cannot be...." Ralph said aloud, puzzled at what appeared in the report.

Ding Dong!

Pizza....

"Authenticity denied" the soft robotic voice informed him.

"Would you like to reauthenticate?" it asked.

Knock Knock.

"Pizza!!" some kid yelled through the door.

"Hang on, I'm gettin my dough together!!" Ralph hollered. In his hurry he accidentally tipped the guy ten bucks, instead of his usual five, but Ralph was so confused by the third denial of authenticity that he would never realize his mistake.

He had stood there, and watched her scribble the word HELP onto that paper with his own special autograph pen. He had watched Cassidy Kane sign that word herself, so how in the world was it saying the word HELP was not an authentic Cassidy Kane?

As Ralph polished off the pizza pies, he began to devise a plan. He had a soft spot (ok not so soft some times lately) for the kid because like her, he too had been raised by a preacher and a hairdresser. Not to mention he had called her fame off the first commercial she ever did, and that had made Cassidy Kane one of his favorite celebrities currently. He needed to man up this time and look at her, get a picture or two along with another handwriting sample, because he did not like the way his thoughts were going with this mystery. Had his favorite pop princess been.....
***********************************************

"Ah don't wanna GO!! Lemme finish mah show, AIDSman." Cassidy Kane refused to leave her bed, naked under the covers, unbathed, and riveted to the reruns of her C4C hit, Classy Cassy, a show about a classy cheerleader named Cassy who is everyone's friend. As far as her fans were aware, Cassidy Kane was only 17, not 19, and she was a good girl, not the kind of girl who hated to bathe or wash her hair for days and loved nothing more than remaining under mounds of comforters watching herself for hours on the TV.

"Dammit, Cassandra Dee, get your mother loving behind into that shower right NOW! The Sultan is downstairs waiting." Aiden hissed.

She let loose a cackle, completely ignoring him, which enraged Aiden. He lunged at the brat, his arms almost to her neck when he felt a large pair of hands yank him back.

The Sultan!

"Get out, now." The Sultan commanded. Cassidy giggled like a little girl, gifting the man with her beautiful smile.

"Ah've been waitin a lifetime for someone to do that for me!" she purred. The Sultan smiled warmly at her.

"Why don't I wait here for you to shower, my darling? Then, you get to unwrap your present." From the folds of his robe be pulled a tiny box, wrapped in shiny red paper. Cassidy squealed in delight.

'Oh, the best presents come in the smallest boxes!!" she exclaimed, and wrapped in her dirty sheet she scrambled off to the shower, excited to see what the Sultan had for her to unwrap.

Meanwhile, banished downstairs with the Sultan's minions, two overgrown beasts of the grunting type, Aiden was attempting to ice his shoulders with bags of frozen peas when he heard the determined click of Rosylyn Rose approaching. He moaned, then sighed. These were the times he earned his paychecks.

"Well, thank GOD this will be over in...." Rosylyn glanced at her smartphone for the time. "I estimate the Sultan should be satisfied here in the next thrity minutes. He only paid for an hour so no later than 11 will this be. I have the limousine outside, we shall allow her to sleep here tonight, sedated of course, then immediately after daybreak she is to be whisked to the Center, for reprogramming." Rosylyn enjoyed the discomfort on Aiden's face until she realized it was less from her lecturing and ordering and more of a physical nature.

"Aiden, can you...Peas tell me what is going on? Shoulder pads are so passe. Really." She clicked over to him and flicked them off his shoulders, which she clapped roundly with her delicate hands.

"Youch!!! Stop it, dammit, the Sultan manhandled me, Ok?" Angrily Aiden retrieved the peas and replaced them upon his shoulders, scowling at Roz. She laughed, delighted at his pain.

"Cheer up, Aid. You did it, you kept her on track, just like you were ordered to do so, and you earned your reward. The Sultan has already communicated to me he is finished, and will be down shortly." She wiggled her smart phone at him and smiled. "I really love your style of handling Aiden, you will accompany her to the Center to ensure all goes as planned."

She turned as the Sultan came down the steps, a large smile on his handsome face. He snapped and his minions were by his side. Holding an arm out, Roz linked hers to his, and together they left the mansion for dinner and a play. (all paid for by the Network).

Aiden had a long night ahead of himself. Sedating the girl would be difficult after what she just went through. He figured a brisk scotch or two was justified.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It had been extremely difficult for Ralph to find a bush big enough for good cover in Cassidy's's gated community. Fortunately, the night guard was a member of the HASC, so entry to the place was no problem. Since he split his spoils with the guard (in addition to autographs, Ralph was trying desperately to break into the papparazzi business, and three celebs lived behind these gates. So far, the guard had split two grand with Ralph for six visits, that was no chump change.)

Using his new night vision long range lens, Ralph got the entire Sultan arrival and departure. He did not recognize the female that left with the Sultan and had never noticed her arrive or enter. He just hoped like she had the last time, Cassidy would open her curtains and let him get some good shots of her dancing in her room. The last time the pictures had been blurry but this time he had the new camera and a tripod, so he settled in to wait. Her bedroom light was on and the window was cracked because he could see the curtains moving. With his hand on a bulb click, and the camera set up to the laptop, Ralph's adrenaline gushed when he noticed the curtains being ripped aside, and he had a clear shot of Classy Cassy, in full cheerleader uniform! He began snapping, transfixed with her robotic like motions of cheers, and he had to restrain himself when he saw a man enter the room. The man had a tray of water and a needle, and Ralph chuckled when, while ignoring him, she pom pommed the tray and needle right out the window! He heard them verbally squabble, then the next thing he knew a Jaguar driven by the man was flying out of the complex.

He had staked her out before. This meant one thing.

Classy Cassy was alone.

He set the timer for shots every three seconds, and making certain the coast was clear, Ralph scurried across the street to the bushes under her window, from where he could hear her cheering. He noticed the tray and found the needle, which he grabbed and stuffed into his pocket. Then, mesmerized, he looked up to see her looking down on him.

"Oh, its you again! Ah just knew you would come help me! Ah knew it!! Wanna come up ta see me cheer, like the Sultan just did? The door's unlocked, hurry up before half time is over!" she shouted down at him.

So Ralph hurried up before half time was over.

It was a modest mansion for such a mega star and Cassidy laughed at Ralph as they trudged upstairs to her room.

"Oh ahm hardly here, and besides the Network owns the whole subdivision. Everyone who lives here works for the Network in some way shape or form."

They sat on her bed, Ralph scooching the pom poms over so he did not squash them. He felt he was in a dream world, some fantasy or dissassociative state of being....he was in Classy Cassy's bedroom, on her bed!!

"So did you just have sex with that Sultan?" Ralph heard himself blurt, and he blanched in horror at the words. FOOL! He berated himself, until he realized the harp melody was actually her laughter, gently enjoying the joke he did not know he had made.

"No silly, I am still in good girl mode. Tomorrow morning, the real me, Cassandra, the girl you are now speaking to, is going to cease to exist. I am going to undergo transitioning programming at the Center, then I will get a new agent to manage the rest of my career. I won't even remember this part of my career, if all goes as planned. All I did with the Sultan was act out some scenes from my show on c4c, Classy Cassy. What kind of idiot pays a million bucks to see that when you can see it for free on tv every night?" She asked. She held out her hand, showing him the beautiful emerald ring the Sultan had gifted her. He did not know what to say.

"Ah knew you would come help me, Ralphie. Being my biggest fan and all."

"H...Help you how? Of course I came to help you, you asked me to."

"Ralphie, I need you to fly me out to Bibleton, I want to see my mommy and daddy one last time, before they put me asleep forever. I wanna tell em good bye. Ralphie, will you help me do that? I know your grandpa left you his Cessna, and you are a damn good pilot, despite your weight. Aidsman won't be back for a while, he has to get more sedative, and the pharmacy is out. Please? Please, Ralphie."

"It's Ralph, ok I will fly you to Bibleton. This is crazy you know, you are going to have a lot to fill me in on during the flight."

"Don't worry Ralphie, I love to talk, and these are supposed to be the last words Cassandra Dee Cantrell will ever speak. I need someone I can trust to hear them, Ralphie, and I trust you. I do not want to sleep forever, Ralphie, I just want to go home and live a normal life, not this Hollywood life of hell. I am just so tired, Ralphie. My mommy and daddy will want me back, I know they will. They send me a card every year at Christmas and on my birthday and it says, thats our girl!"

Ralph watched as the teen starlet shone from inside when she spoke. It was true, some stars did shine, and Cassidy Kane was one of those stars. She was wildly popular and beautiful, and as bizzare as her request was, Ralph already had the flight plan filed and plotted from his smart phone. Who says no to Cassidy Kane?

"Are you ready, Cassandra?" he asked, eager to get in the air. He had texted the airport and they were readying the plane for him at that moment.

"There is no time like the present, is there, Ralphie?"

___________________________________________________________

The two kids were in the air and en route to Bibleton when Aiden screeched back into the driveway. The open front door bode unwell, and the empty bedroom caused him to groan, then screech. He dreaded the call to Roz, just dreaded it.

"Don't worry, hotshot, she isn't going anywhere important. She's with her new handler, he just does not realize it yet."

Startled, Aiden fumbled and dropped his cell phone, confused. He should have heard Roz approach...

She smiled, her green eyes twinkling as she held out a pair of red pumps in her left hand.

"They say there is no rest for the wicked, but my feet deserve comfort every now and again." She sat the shoes on Cassidy's dresser and gently placed her arms around Aiden. Cooing in his ear, she assured him of what a wonderful handler he was, and what the Network had in store for him would more than make up for these final, exhausting days he had survived with Cass.

Completely relaxed after her pep talk, he joined her on the king sized bed for some rest and relaxation, as the soft glow of the full moon rippled through the sheer curtains. They had both earned it, and the kids would not be back for hours. Some of the perks of working for the Network were well worth the price the job extracted from your soul.

Tonight, Aiden would enjoy his Reward.

------------------------------------

Ralph had this part of the flight on autopilot, and he wanted to hear Cassandra's story.

"All right, so you are wanting me to believe that tomorrow you are going to get "programmed"? That sounds....crazy, Cassidy."

"Cassandra, Ralphie. On the last day of being me, please call me Cassandra."

"OK, Cassandra. I don't understand this, are you saying you have....split personality?" Ralph went ahead and said the dark thought aloud. "I mean, my signature authentification program failed to authenticate your HELP autograph as a real Cassidy Kane, and I got....concerned. That is why I really happened to be under your window." Ralph felt like jumping out the window, he was blushing so hard at the admission he had showed up not really to help at all, but to satisfy his own curiosity.

"That's because I was not Cassidy at that moment, I pretended to act like her, to fool Aidsman my agent, but I was really myself, Cassandra, and I know who you are, you are one of my biggest fans, Ralphie, I knew you would come and help me. It doesn't matter why you came, I knew you would come. I don't know if I even want to go on, Ralphie, I need to talk to momma and daddy. I mean, I feel bad, I am their only support, their careers dont pay much. If I move back home, they may not be able to afford me, you know. I feel torn, split in half, but what about me? I am just so....tired....Ralphie." Cassandra sighed and settled back in the seat, closing her eyes.

"Wake me when we get there, Ralphie, will ya?" she asked softly.

"Sure, Cassandra."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The best thing about traveling with a star the magnitude of Cassidy Kane was the perks. Upon landing on a strip of gravel in the middle of a field, in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, there sat waiting for them, a Ford Explorer 4x4. Ralph nudged Cassandra, who mumbled, then woke and blankly looked around in the dark. With a tremor to her voice, she asked Ralph, as she gazed out the window,

"Who am I right now?"

Ralph, a bit taken aback, replied,

"I believe I am speaking to Cassandra Dee Cantrell at this moment," he replied softly, hoping to God that was truly who she woke up to be. Her relieved sigh told him he answered correctly.

"Oh Ralphie, you did it, you got me here! Look, the vehicle is waiting, let's go see momma and daddy!"

Cassandra began unbuckeling and jumped out of the plane. Ralph followed, and once they were driving further down the gravel road, which wound up and down and curved and valleyed, he took notice of the long grey buildings they kept passing along the way, rows and rows of them.

"Cassandra, what are those buildings for?" he asked.

"Oh I dont know they werent here when I was a baby. Momma and daddy must've invested in this land and put up chicken houses. If thats the case they may not be needing me to work after all!" she replied.

Off in the distance a soft glow got brighter and brighter as they neared, it was a two story plain white farmhouse, and behind it, a pretty red barn.

"Oh Ralphie, it is just as I recall! JUST the same! My room is lit up!" She poitned to the upstairs window where a soft light glowed in the window. "Hurry up, I want you to meet my parents!" As soon as they stopped, she hopped out of the vehicle and took off at full run to the front door, in which a plump older woman stood, dishrag in hand at three am, smiling warmly at Cassidy Kane.

"That's my girl!!" Raplph heard the woman shrill loudly; in the silence of the rural Kentucky evening, the shrill echoed through his being. But not Cassidy, when she heard those words he noticed her entire demeanor change, and for the first time since he had even known who Cassidy Kane was, he was certain he was looking at the real base personality, not Cassidy, and not even Cassandra Dee Cantrell, because when she spoke, it was in the voice of a child.

"Momma!! It's me, Cathy!!" the star formerly known as Cassidy Kane cried, falling into the ample bosom of the woman in the door. The woman encircled the now sobbing child/girl, while keeping her glance squarely upon the approaching Ralph.

Cathy?

"I know who you are, you're my girl. And look at this, you brought your brother with you."

Now Ralphie looked befuddled. But the woman paid his confusion no heed as she nudged them into the home.

"Daddy!!" Cassandra squealed, rushing into his arms. Her father gave her a big hug, smiling softly, and he patted her back.

"There there, girl, cheer up! No tears, you haven't forgotten to remember?" he grumbled gruffly, and Cassandra smiled.

"No tearth, Daddy, not Cathy!"

"I wanna thee my room!" Cassandra implored, and before anyone could answer, she ran upstairs. Her father smiled at Mother and Ralph, and went upstairs after her.

That left Ralph alone with Cassandra's mother, who was giving Ralph the once over. Her eagle eyes stopped on his right pants pocket.

"Ralphie, what's in your pocket?" she asked him.

"Oh, uh..." He pulled out the syringe, and Cassandra's mother took it from him, a tight smile upon her thin lips.

"I thought so, Ralphie. Just like a good handler, you've come prepared. Those insticts have been bred into your kind for almost two hundred and fifty years, you know." She commented, slipping the syringe in her apron.

"I was unaware of this, ma'am." Ralph replied. Just then, he heard Cassandra scream, and they both ran upstairs. Ralph was shocked to see Cassandra being restrained by her father, and on the bed, sat a little girl no more than six years old, smiling at everyone.

She was an exact replica of Cassandra at that age!!

Mother had Cassandra sedated with the syringe before she could work herself up into a frenzy, and Father carried his child downstairs.

Ralph stood their shocked, mouth agape, and Mother swatted his arm, hard, and told him to shut his mouth, he would catch flies. Leaving the child to her book, they too returned downstairs, and everyone sat in the parlor.

"Well Ralph, I am sure you have many questions. But I believe deep down you know what is going on, don't you Ralph?" Mother said.

"Not really. What happened with Cassandra? Who is upstairs? She looks exactly like Cassidy Kane in her first commercial for Hobbit Burgers."

"That's because she is a genetic clone, Ralph. Just like all the kids we keep here at Bibleton Farm."

"But her behavior tonight....she was talking about some place called the Center, and being a new celebrity when she comes out, called Caz K, but to be honest, Cascade would be much better suited for her." Ralph seemed surprised, and wondered where he was getting this!

"Ralph, what you saw tonight was her programming breaking down.Her spirit, her shine, is strong, very strong. Sometimes it breaks her programming. Yes she will enter the Center, it is one of the few places in the United States equipped to treat our programmed celebrities. However, it does not harm them at all, and with a good Handler, she will have a wonderful life. As for you, Ralph, you were born here as well.Your grandfather, who raised you, is part of the Network's Military assets. He always knew with your attention to detail you would one day make a fine Handler. Your genetic line comes from a line over two centuries old, a line of superior Handlers indeed. "

"You said I was her brother....is Cassidy really ...my sister?" He blushed.

"It was a figure of speech, Ralph. You were both created here, I call all the children here on the Farm brothers and sisters, because this is the only "family" some of them know. But you have suspected this, already, haven't you, Ralph? I get printouts of your Google searches. Cloning is one of your special interests. You will soon become quite illimunated as to why you possess the drives and desires you possess!"

Mother motioned for Father to take the girl back to the Ford. Shen then stood, and put her arm around Ralph, leading him outside.

"Now we are going to need you to go ahead and get back to the house with her, Ralph. The sedative will keep her down until she can be delivered to the Center. You will be accompanying your new client to the Center where the first of your Handler Programming will be implemented, not that you will need much, you are an extremely fine young man, Ralphie, brilliant! And of course, you will be introduced to your new Boss, your Network contact, Mz. Rose."

"What if...." Ralph stopped himself. of course he knew the answer.

"What if the Programming doesn't work for Cassandra? Is that what your fear is, Ralphie? We have three more models of her age in the barns, if we need to pull them, Ralphie. The Network takes its Programming, both on the screen and in the minds of its stars, very seriously. The public is not done consuming this celebrity, we will continue to offer her to them until their hunger is sated. But humans are predictable, Ralphie. They always eat again, and the Network will always be there to provide them a delicious meal."

_______________________

Epilogue

Ralph Morgan sat behind his sleek black desk, in his penthouse overlooking Hollywood. In the two years since he had returned to Cassidy Kane's house, and been handed the beige envelope wrapped in twine and sealed with red wax, by the beautiful Rosylyn Rose, he had enjoyed a modicum of success rare for one his age. He had accompanied his new client to become reprogrammed, and had emerged slimmer, and more refined. She had emerged as Cascade, good girl gone very bad. All grown up, one of the first moves he made for her career was to secure the role of an evil succubus who lures her victims by pretending to be a college co ed, called Suck or Swim. It shocked some of her hard core c4c fans, because she went topless for nearly half movie, and generated a world wide buzz of gossip, outrage, boycotts and publicity.

Just another successful day at the Network.

Ralph lit the cigar and puffed away, wondering what worldly delights were awaiting him tomorrow.

Click click click....

Something told Ralph he would soon find out....