Stopping before the holosuite's computer display panel, Rachel reached up and pressed the panel's power on switch. Moments later the display panel finished its system's diagnostics and switched from standby to ready mode.

Already feeling her heart pounding within her chest, Rachel took a deep breath and said, "Computer, access my private encrypted file storage and load program 'Always 29'."

Within seconds the holosuite's portal slid open as the computer responded, "Program 'Always 29' loaded and running. You may enter when ready."

A faint smile of utterly dark anticipation already on her face, Rachel stepped through the portal and entered the holosuite's virtual environment.

Rachel's smiled as she finally stood within her darkest nightmare.

Starting along the narrow catwalk Rachel could sense her excitement growing with each step she took toward the raised metal pedestal that waited ahead.

With each step along the polished metal surface of the dangerously narrow catwalk, Rachel could hear the sharp click of her heels echoing off into the holosuite's virtual endless expanse.

Stepping up onto the holosuite program's raised pedestal Rachel paused to stare in awe at her fiendishly diabolical creation. A sudden and intensely erotic sensation of dark anticipation filled her as she silently stood and stared at her death machine's long razor sharp blade.

Finally, at long last, Rachel knew she was ready. Finally, this night, she would live out her darkest nightmare, her darkest and most erotic fantasy. An overwhelming sense of completeness filled her as she said, "Computer, disable mortality and injury safeties."

Out of the vast emptiness the holosuite computer responded, "Disabling of mortality and injury safeties requires command level authorization."

Smiling, Rachel responded, "Authorization 'Rachel snuff toy 29' disable mortality and injury safeties under my authority."

A second passed, then the holosuite computer responded, "Command authorization confirmed, mortality and injury safeties disabled."

Realizing that not only was the program ready to fulfill her darkest fantasy but that she was to, Rachel turned back toward the holosuite's entrance portal and said, "Computer, close entrance portal and delete the pedestal access catwalk."

Rachel felt a sudden chill as she watched the portal and access catwalk vanished, she'd intentionally programmed the simulation to prevent the recreation of either the portal or the catwalk. Rachel knew she was now effectively trapped until the holo-simulation met its fiendishly diabolical termination criteria.

Turning to face the brutally sharp blade of her darkest and most terrifying nightmare, Rachel knew one final preparation still remained, taking a deep breath she said, "Computer, disable voice command input, authorization 'Rachel snuff toy 29'."

Realizing that time was short, Rachel carefully stepped up onto the death machine's activation platform.

Rachel could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she slowly raised her arms. She knew she as standing with the death machine's razor sharp blade point poised mere inches from her belly.

Her fingers intertwined behind her head, Rachel slowly arched her back until she felt her belly muscles stretch taunt. Only one single act now separated her from an agonizing death, one single deliberate act that would allow the holosuite's diabolical program to take her life.

A smile of overwhelming satisfaction on her face, Rachel took a deep breath and leaning her head back, closed her eyes.

Programmed to maximize both the eroticism and the agony of Rachel's demise, the holosuite program waited for almost a full minute before activating the blade's hydraulic ram to thrust over two feet of razor-sharp steel blade through Rachel's guts.

Had the holosuite's program been a living breathing sadist, it would have taken pleasure as the sound of Rachel's high-pitched scream.

The pain went far beyond anything Rachel ever imagined. The obscenely erotic sensation of the blade's cold steel blade shifting inside her violated guts with every breath she struggled to take. That no matter how slight the movement of her body, the brutal waves of white hot agony exploded from that cold blade overwhelmed her senses.

And yet, through the agony, deep down, Rachel knew the worst was still yet to come.

Based upon the program parameters, parameters set by Rachel herself, the holosuite program allowed Rachel to fully "enjoy" her agonizing torment for almost 20 minutes before the final phase of her darkly fatal fantasy began.

Rachel screamed as she felt the death machine rotating upward. Desperately she tried to grasp the smooth metal shaft of the hydraulic ram as she felt her toes lifting away from the ground. But she could already feel the cold steel blade sliding relentlessly deeper into her guts until her belly pressed against the blade's unyielding hilt.

A mere mortal, even a sadist, might have taken pity upon a beautiful young woman impaled upon such a hideously sharp steel blade, her delightful screams of agony, dark music to his ears, but tonight, Rachel's diabolical tormentor is just a machine. And as such, it can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with, it doesn't feel pity, it doesn't feel remorse, and it absolutely will not stop until she's is dead.

Holosuite command directive, holosuite program parameters met. Follow program directives, terminate holosuite program, permanently delete program from holosuite storage, and re-enable house sensors at daybreak.

As planned the house sensors came back on line and detected Rachel's body just after daybreak. As planned, the police discovered her cold lifeless body lying in the middle of her home holosuite, the holosuite's program memory erased. Checking her paperwork, one of the detectives noted that Rachel died just eight minutes before midnight, and that today would have been the Rachel's thirtieth birthday had she lived.

Upon hearing the news, one of the female detectives smiled knowingly. Some women would do anything not to turn 30.

Always 29...