Chapter 52

Immediately after I spoke to the Decurion, I called Mama at home -- well, our cabin, anyway. "Mama, the Decurion called -- and he as much as admitted that your hand was in this! Do you not think I can attract a man on my own?"

"I don't know, Daughter!" Mama sneered. "A worm, perhaps -- but a man? I have little evidence..."

"Mama!" Hector, my ex husband, has been a point of conflict between Mama and I ever since we were dating -- and sadly, Mama was right. Hector was a smooth talker and I could not resist him; first, he took me to his bed, and then to wife. Now I know it was because he saw that I was easily controlled. Hector found job after job -- wonderful jobs with bright futures -- but the charm and guile that got him positions usually wore thin after a short time in the face of his laziness and he would be out of work again. I was the breadwinner -- AND the housewife! Hector had other pursuits...

It embarrasses me to say that I turned a blind eye on his dalliances, regularly. We had our fights about them, but I could not bring myself to leave him -- at least, not until Graciela turned fourteen and I noticed his wandering eye focused on his own daughter! That finally did it; I managed to escape with her before Graciela fell prey to her own father's smooth advances... Later, Graciela told me in confidence just how near a thing that had been; days -- even hours -- later, she would have lost her virginity to him -- and once she was sullied, I have grave fears concerning the uses he might have put her to. As it was, after I left him, I had a couple of very uncomfortable meetings with his creditors; he was gambling -- and losing, of course. Eventually, we moved to avoid the threats -- which might have continued, if Hector had shown any interest in either of us after the divorce. As it was, fortunately, we were not a lever on him, and he moved on to find some rich widow to support him and get him out of trouble.

Hector was a wedge between Graciela and me during the delicate period of her puberty, though; she did not realize at the time that she was being manipulated -- only that I was taking her away from her loving father. This led to rebellious behavior and her own poor choices where men were concerned. Perhaps I'm not being fair, but Raul was a migrant worker -- and seldom around for his wife OR his children. And I doubted seriously that he was faithful in any great measure...

In any case, Mama's rebuke was only the latest in a long list. "Hector is no longer an issue, Mama! Do you HAVE to bring him up again and again?"

"What is there about the Decurion that you fear?" was Mama's riposte.

"He is a hard man," I replied. "There is no gentleness in him."

Mama laughed. "He has a hard shell, daughter, because he must do hard things, daily. Do not mistake that surface for what goes on underneath. Why do you think he fears commitment so much that he has no women?"

I blinked, shocked. "What?"

"He seeks perfection -- and fears to find it. Is it not clear that he can have virtually any woman he wants? Yet he has none. He uses women -- harshly, I would wager, in an attempt to prove that they are inadequate -- but he does not give of himself to them. He fears that it will lead to his ruination," Mama theorized. "We know the one way to get past this, Daughter, and it is a potent weapon. It is his duty to have children -- it is EVERY sponsor's duty. He hasn't done it -- and he knows he must. Honor compels him to do something about this -- which is where you and Graciela come in. This is the probe that you will use to break a hole in that shell -- and enter through it."

"Which of us?" I asked. "Am I breaking the shell for Graciela?"

Mama laughed. "It is too early to tell. Remember what he told you -- remember the rules of the game. He can have you both -- which would free poor Javier of his responsibilities regarding you -- or neither -- or he can choose between you. Whichever one of you is the most perfect will be his first choice. Remember also what he will take from you."

"What?" I struggled to remember.

"He expects full service. He has said that he will use you in every way -- both of you. Do you not know what this means?"

"He will expect me to suck him..."

"Daughter! Are you so dense? He will use your culo!"

"MAMA!" I was horrified! My ass? He would put his cock in me there?

"You will purge yourself -- if you make a fuss or a mess, he will have his excuse -- and I will see if my granddaughter has any more sense than her mother. Hector did not use your culo? Ever? Somehow..." Mama mused.

"Yes, Mama, yes!" I waved my hands, waving away the disgusting subject. Hector HAD taken me there -- usually during that time of the month, or when I was fertile -- sometimes when I was pregnant. It hadn't been pleasant, but I had my duty to perform. Later, he had other outlets and seldom demanded it.

"So. You can be a fool about this, or you can purge yourself and perhaps apply a little lubrication," Mama said blandly. I nodded, numbly; Mama and I had NEVER discussed such things! I'd always assumed the subject was too delicate to approach with her! Perhaps I should have known better... "Mama, I never expected to have this conversation..."

"Men do this..." Mama waved it off, "to other men, even. Yes, before you ask, your father enjoyed it occasionally. I did, too, sometimes."

"But..." I wrinkled my nose. "It hurts. And it's nasty."

"It's nasty if you are not prepared -- and the preparation is unpleasant. The pain... This is also a preparation thing -- a mental one. If a man takes this from you, you are not relaxed; it is rape, and painful, and disgusting. If you give it to him, you have the proper attitude and while there may be an initial period of pain, unless he is brutal, it will become tolerable, or even pleasant. There are women who enjoy it..."

"Putas," I muttered.

Mama cocked her head. "You would class me as a whore?"

Shocked, I covered my mouth, "S--sorry, Mama!"

"Your grandfather was gentle and adept," Mama said blandly. "He brought me to the pinnacle many times that way. Sometimes, I touched myself; others, his cojones bumping my button did it for me..." Mama sighed. "I remember sex with some fondness, Daughter -- and I feel younger every day..."

I was beyond surprise... "About Javier..."

Mama's eyes narrowed. "What about him?"

"I cannot do... that..."

"Then Graciela will win, if she has sense. Do you not understand that if you disobey the Decurion in any particular, you are done? Why do you think he has put this stipulation in place?"

"So I will lose?"

"So you will do right by your grandson!" Mama snapped.

"Mama! You can't be serious! The church says..."

"The Church says anything that will further it's purposes! You FOOL!" Mama snarled. "I am old, Child. I have seen many things. In the old country, the Church would marry children to dirty old men and not even blink! Cross a priest's palm with enough silver and suddenly you are not REALLY related to your niece or your cousin -- or perhaps your sister! A mistake was made in the recording documents... The rules exist for the poor. Divorce is a sin, but with enough money, an annulment is possible after decades and several children! Are you BLIND?" She shook her head. "Churches start out as places to nourish the spirit, but they are run by MEN and men of religion are prone to all of the evils that plague men who pursue other careers. And that means that religion becomes the servant of politics -- and an extremely powerful one, at that!"

"But, Mama..."

"You accuse me of being old and inflexible, when it is actually YOU who will not bend!" Mama accused. "Have you not listened to the lectures? This is science and superstition -- and you cling to the latter!"

"I..."

"Do as you will..." Mama waved a dismissal and the AI broke the connection.

I sat for half an hour, trying to decide what to do. There were other men -- why would I do this? But I knew the answer -- one way or another, it had been proven that the Decurion was a worthy prospect -- and with him, I at least had an excuse for falling back on my grandson. If I found nothing else suitable, I would have to go to Javier on my own, uncompelled -- and lose face. "AI?"

"Estrella Salazar?"

"Please conduct me to the Decurion's quarters. I... I will need some things..."

"The items required will be made available in the Decurion's quarters."

I cleaned first -- which may not have been wise. The AI provided bottled enemas, for which I was duly thankful; I'd been exposed to the red bag and hose before... Enemas were as uncomfortable as I remembered them being, but I suffered through two. Lubricating my anus was merely embarrassing -- and there was no one present but me -- and the AI -- and whoever called up the surveillance video. If I were the Decurion, I'd have spent half of the afternoon watching me... It was nearly the dinner hour before I finished; I'd no sooner washed my hands than the Decurion put in an appearance. The door flew open and I stood there, open-mouthed, before I grew sense and went to my knees under his measuring gaze. He grunted when I'd settled to 'Attention'.

"I'd have thought Presentation One was more appropriate..."

"I was taken by surprise..." I replied. "What do I call you?"

"Temporarily, for the purposes of the test, you are mine, so 'Master' is appropriate," he replied.

"Yes, Master."

"So you don't feel Presentation One is appropriate?" he pressed.

"I assumed that it was too late, Master." I lifted my breasts to him. I'm fifty-three -- well, I think I've been physically backed down to forty-five or so -- so they don't just jut from my chest like they did when I was eighteen -- but I think they're presentable... They're pointed and on the low end of a 'C' cup and although they've slid some, they don't point downward and droop.

"I think it is too early to assume, don't you?" he chided, eyeing me.

"Yes, Master." It was going to be a long night at this rate...

It was. We wandered through four mess areas before finally settling in one to eat. I heeled him everywhere, one step behind and one to the right. When he pointed his finger at the floor, I went to my knees and assumed 'Attention.' I admit it, I'm not as young as he is -- or at least, as he appears to be -- and getting up and down began to hurt. I ate on my knees, kneeling to his left so he could use his right hand conveniently; he fed me with his fingers. It was messy and embarrassing.

When we finally got back to his quarters, he conducted the inspection that I'd expected initially, then he said, "Find me a glass of red wine." It took me a bit to realize that all I had to do was order it from the replicator. He was laughing at me from his chair, I could tell -- not that his stony face showed it much. I knelt and presented it and he took two sips and handed it back, muttering, "It needs to breathe. Come, I need a shower -- you can wash my back."

It wasn't that simple, of course. Yes, I washed his back -- then I knelt in the spray and sucked his erection. He was rough, of course, and demanding; he drove me onto his length, his hand in the hair at the back of my head. It was deliberate abuse -- yet he never quite pushed me so far that I needed to vomit. He complained that I could not take him deep into my throat; oddly, that had never been an issue with Hector or the very few other men who had followed him. He used me, thoroughly, yet... he didn't go too far...

His seed was copious; I choked a little. He didn't pin me in place and he let me recover -- but something told me that I needed to try and not lose any. "Well..." he grunted, and I figured he'd checked the block, but I hadn't gotten an 'A.' "Get a towel..." I was surprised; we'd been doing this air drying thing in the shower -- that's what the AIs were teaching. But the Decurion had bath towels... I got out, dripping, and he followed, and I dried him; he settled the towel around his waist and said, "Do the air thing -- make sure the shower is clean. When you're dry, bring my wine to the bedroom." I did as I was told, trying not to think dark thoughts.

He was asleep when I got there.

Wednesday afternoon, I decided that I was sleeping with the boys. I think it was Cletus that triggered it; he was moving well and his hair was coming in full and black, except for a dusting at the temples -- very distinguished. Big Mike was looking good, too, but it showed less; I think the belly was retreating, not that it had ever been a serious thing, since he was a bear in the first place. Discovering Cletus' eyes wandering to various women -- and some reaction off and on from his cock -- pretty much clinched it.

My big project for the day was one Bernice Farris. This was one busted chick... I remembered basically where she'd come from -- in that I remembered her sister, Jolene Wells, the lingerie shop owner. Ironically, I was the only one of the three of us who bought lingerie at her shop that day who could legally wear mine -- and it, well, I wasn't certain if it made the trip, actually. Anyway, Bernice was addicted to painkillers; the AI insisted that if we just flushed her out, the cure wouldn't take (although where she was going to get painkillers on a Confederacy ship wasn't clear). No, we needed to make it hurt. The AI handled THAT, too -- and told her that the only way she was going to be able to deal with the pain was to fuck.

That was where I came in; I got to be her procurer. There was now a short list of male concubines without females for one reason or another -- usually because they'd been dumped for fucking up. It was Bernice's lot in life to service this group, most of whom were losers of one type or another. I chased down one Gonzalo Cuatrecasas, the uncrowned king of the loose male concubines, to arrange for this fun...

The good news was that Bernice already looked less wasted and more healthy; the bad news was that it was almost all physical and very little of it was mental. Gonzalo wasn't thrilled, and I couldn't blame him; we had to hear the plan from the AI twice before we believed it.

Bernice had been hooking for drug money -- and she tolerated sex at least. She was going to be cured whether she liked it or not, as Confederacy medicine isn't big on pharmaceuticals, so the answer, from the AI perspective, was that if she wanted to feel good, she should have sex...

There was more to it than that, of course; those little nannite bugs in her were inducing unpleasantness when she wasn't having sex and boosting things when she was -- and Bernice's addictive personality was handling the rest. Bernice caught on right away, and now she wanted to do three things -- eat, sleep, and fuck. Sex can be hard work, especially if you're diligently pursuing it in huge quantities; Bernice was sleeping for eight hours and eating for four -- and fucking as much as possible the other twelve. This would taper off after a while; the pains would ease and the pleasure would attenuate, and she would theoretically end up basically normal, just about the time when her body was fully flushed of chemicals and pregnancy was an option. It was hoped that somewhere along the line, the sponsorship situation would handle itself.

Gonzalo's people were guys who had been picked up by themselves (one or two who had been in a grocery store when it was swept -- the one Beth and Frieda had worked at, apparently), guys who had accompanied their kids to Family Day without their wives (again, only a handful -- including one uncle who was a guardian), and males whose one-time wives had distanced themselves from for one reason or another after pickup. The last group was the largest -- and it wasn't huge -- but it was expected to grow as the females ran into trouble trying to get placed with an extra male in the picture. These guys were either problem children in their own right or expected to become problem children by virtue of their situation -- and I felt sorry for the latter group.

Gonzalo did, too. I discovered that he was a nice guy, if firmly grounded in reality, and a careful organizer. Males with kids in tow were separated from those who had none; Gonzalo explained to me that it wasn't fair to the kids and it presented blackmail opportunities and a poor environment to expose them to the troublemakers. Males with kids were Gonzalo's top priority; he enlisted my assistance in 'marrying them up' with female sponsors, wherever possible.

The 'troublemakers' were shades of gray. Some of them were just on the receiving end when their ex-spouses discovered that they could get a no-fault divorce in ten seconds or less. I learned that if a guy in Gonzalo's group had an ex-spouse floating around out there, she was suspect; some of them were doing the right thing for themselves and their kids, and some of them were worse than the males -- by a goodly margin. I'd have liked to strip a couple of them of their offspring and send the kids to their fathers, but at this point, it might not improve their fates.

Back to Bernice. Initially, she'd been released into the general population -- but by Tuesday, she was shameless. A male concubine sporting anything resembling an erection wasn't safe; Bernice would try to back onto it right in front of the man's ex-spouse. This wasn't good for domestic tranquility, as you might imagine. That being the case, Gonzalo agreed to grant Bernice regular access to Cluster Seven-Forty-Seven, generally described as the Bachelor Concubines' Quarters.

The initial pass was a feeding frenzy, but Bernice wasn't displaying much in the way of personality, so things backed off; you could have put up a 'U-R-Next' number dispenser next to the door of her little cube and that would have limited her vocabulary to 'Next!' She seemed to be going for volume, so I had a talk with the AI and it adjusted things -- after which, I had to sit Bernice down and explain things, "Honey, quantity isn't as good as quality."

"Why not?" Bernice queried in a flat voice, "I'm getting a ton of sperm -- isn't that what I'm here for?"

"Semen isn't a drug, Honey," I sighed. "You're not being pleasured by the dose. It's the act itself -- you need to pace yourself -- stretch things out. I think you'll find that if you're cuddled up with a guy in the afterglow, it's as good as if he's trying to set fire to the inside of your pussy."

"I don't know any of these guys," Bernice groused. "Shit, I'm not sure I WANT to!" She knew what she was dealing with, too...

"There are some really nice guys in the group," I insisted.

"Yeah, right."

"Well, there are a few out there with kids -- but we can't have you throwing yourself on their dicks and pumping and getting up to leave with goo running down your leg in front of the kids..." I insisted.

"But I like it a little wild!" Bernice complained.

"So do I, Honey," I sighed. "It's the approach that matters. You can't just jump on a guy's dick! Oh, it works once or twice, but even guys realize when you're using them to masturbate."

"What would YOU know about it?" Bernice snarled.

I laughed. "Want to set up a contest? I'm the original gang-bang slut! I can fuck you under the table, all three holes running at once! I haven't seen you deep throat a guy yet! Besides, they'll come back for me, but they won't for you -- you're showing all of the personality of a carp."

Bernice eyed me. "You're shitting me, right?"

"Not even close." I shook my head. "I have two male concubines and a husband. Well, we're not married any more, but we're still domestic. I'm a regular fuck pig -- how do you think I got THIS job?"

"Yeah, right..."

"Hmmm. I don't have anything to use as proof..." I muttered.

<There is some surveillance from a drone tracking Lieutenant Harper,> the AI piped in my ear, <You were engaging in sex with multiple partners at a club called Ray's...>

"Actually, the AI says there IS some footage out there..." I announced. The AI stuck it up on a nearby wall. It was me and the Major -- and me and those other two guys -- and me and Ollie... The AI didn't run it all in real time -- it threw up clips, sewed together so Bernice could see the transitions. "That's my husband," I announced, pointing out Ollie as he plowed me from behind, "or domestic partner, or whatever they call it when two sponsors live together."

"Ooookay..." Bernice was nonplussed. "Why were you wearing a collar?"

"I was a concubine at the time," I replied. "That was a place on Earth, too. I guess I'm living proof that sex will set you free..."

"Weird." Bernice shook her head -- but I had her attention. "So I should take it easy and maybe talk to a guy..."

"Yeah. You know, hookers who are just a collection of holes don't make a lot of money. Sometimes, that's all a guy wants -- but for him to come back, you have to make him feel wanted and welcome. They won't admit it, but they like to be cuddled, too. Pussy is more important to them than dick is to us, probably, but they like to feel mated for a few minutes at a time, anyway."

"Yeah, okay..." It seemed to be an alien concept; I was going to have to talk to Bernice's sister and find out where her head was. But she settled down some in the afternoon...

At dinner, Chief Slocum showed up again and Judith crawled into his lap almost immediately. Neither of them was kidding anyone; the sole question was 'Why aren't they hooked up?' I asked Jack about it and he said that Chief felt that he couldn't ask Judith to leave her family. I figured that when we arrived at Nuevo Angelino, a decision was going to get made -- and I pretty much knew what it was. I wasn't going to hold it against her; this was love, not just, 'We like to fuck and one of us needs a sponsor and the other needs a concubine.' The Chief was clearly embarrassed; Jack said he knew what it looked like, but he couldn't stay away when Judith turned her puppy dog eyes on him. It was just another sign...

I made the announcement at dinner. "Ollie, I think I'll..." I fumbled, not really having words for it... "Um, handle my, uh, other responsibilities, tonight," I finished lamely.

"Ah." As clumsy as I was, Ollie's glance at Cletus and Mike indicated that he'd gotten my meaning. "Actually, that's... convenient..." He flicked a glance at Rhonda and I realized that he hadn't had his first go with her, either! Stupid me -- I'd been tied up in my own issues and missed the fact totally... Judith, sitting on Chief's lap, snickered. Maureen looked like she was going to say something, but Tony popped up from beside her and bent to kiss her neck over her uniform collar and she relaxed and forgot about it. There was something more than 'Me sponsor, you concubine!' going on there, too... Of Jack's brood, probably the only one alert was Frieda; she gave me the thumbs up.

Dinner over, we went our separate ways -- which meant that Judith went off with Chief, among other things. I led 'the boys' back to the quarters specifically assigned to me and made the grand announcement, "It's Wednesday night and Mama wants to party, Boys!"

Both of them looked a little hesitant. "It's, uh, been a while since everything worked," Cletus ventured.

"It's been popping up, though, hasn't it?" I replied confidently. "AI, how is Cletus doing?"

"General vascular issues required repair before the reproductive system could be allowed to generate a load on the heart; however, Cletus White should now be capable of anything he was able to do at age thirty-five," the AI replied. "Repairs continue, and age regression and augmentation should be complete within the week, but he should be able to support two orgasms in a session and four within six hours, properly paced."

"Huh!" was about all Cletus could get out.

"What about Mike?" I asked.

"Michael Ferguson is well into augmentation. Current capacity is four orgasms within the first hour, six in two and eight in four."

"Jesus Christ!" Mike exploded.

I grinned. "You're a teenager again, Mike! Come here and let me suck that thing!" I started working my way out of my uniform. "Cletus, until you can catch up, every shot counts -- so you get pussy. I hope you don't mind..."

"Mind? Do I mind?" Cletus whacked himself on the forehead, "Lord, Lord! I never figured to SMELL pussy again, let alone fuck it!" He stepped up to help me work my uniform off the rest of the way.

"Well, I know I'm not a joy to look at, but it's what I've got..." I muttered.

"Been probly twenty-five years since I've done this well -- and SHE wasn't white..." Cletus muttered.

"Ollie's had four," I murmured. "The color of my next kid is totally dependent upon which one of you gets there first..." Big Mike just snorted as I went to my knees before him, then groaned as I took his meat in hand. Mike hadn't been super-endowed, but he was thick; now he was a bit above average in length and VERY thick! I jacked him, pushing back his foreskin, and tasted his pre-cum for the first time. Mike hissed and put his hands in my hair -- not quite trying to control things.

"I'm gonna lick this for a bit if you don't mind," came a rumble from behind me.

I popped my lips off Mike's salami and said, "Just don't forget to fuck it!" Cletus chuckled and leaned in and I discovered that he had a mean tongue! He made sure I got off on it, grunting and gasping around Mike's hard meat, before he put his hands on my hips and nosed that tapered cock of his home into its new hole... I wailed around Mike's erection, but Mike was there, anyway; I'd been taking him deep every third stroke, even given his surprising girth. That had been set up as a deliberate fit, anyway, down at Medical; I wanted my boys to be able to enjoy themselves. Mike erupted in my mouth, grunting, and I sucked in the thick, slimy clumps, enjoying the taste and the texture. This was the new Vera -- the woman who could enjoy being fucked silly and eating a quart of cum if she wanted to -- and if I did it was nobody else's business! I reveled in it as Cletus got a stroke going, pushing nearly a foot of stiff, tapered meat deep in my pussy, battering my cervix and opening me up. It was fucking GREAT!

When Cletus' spike spewed into my depths, I'd had three orgasms already; I waved him around so I could clean up the excess, while begging Mike to plug me and make sure nothing came out until he could mix his babymakers with Cletus'. I don't remember EXACTLY when I decided that I wanted to be pregnant again right away, but it had been on my short list of adjustments while the boys got worked on. I didn't discuss it with Ollie, either -- it was an independent decision. Maybe Beth triggered the urge...

When Mike roared and blasted away inside me, I was coming down from Orgasm Number Five -- and the night was young. I took his cock in for a suck to get our mixed juices from it, and it stayed hard, so I suggested that we move to the bedroom. There, I took Mike into my mouth again, taking my time, enjoying it and making sure he got as much pleasure as I could provide -- but when I looked over my shoulder at Cletus, it was for something else... "I didn't do anything to prepare, Sweetie, but I want that in my ass -- okay? I want it deep..."

"Yeah, okay..." Cletus nodded. "Want some lube or anything?"

"Spit. Only what you have to do to keep from hurting us both, okay, Sweetie? Nothing artificial..."

"Hey, okay..." I watched him test his member for stiffness. "Pussy juice okay?"

"That's natural..." I knew he wanted to take a few strokes to firm himself up. I went back to Mike, working hard to tease another flood of his man juice from him -- and Cletus took it easy, not hammering or forcing me so that I could do a good job. He was in and out of my twat in easy strokes, then he popped up and applied just enough pressure to open my back hole as I pressed down. The head popped through, but that was less than half the battle; I don't know how many times he spat in the next several minutes before that prong of his was seated... He just kind of held it there, rocking slowly, while I finished Mike off; Mike fell away, groaning, while I swished his seed through my teeth, making nasty noises with it, enjoying myself.

Then Cletus began to stroke...

I'd never had anything that big up my ass -- it was incredible! Don't tell me you can't cum from a cock in your ass-- I did twice! I howled and screamed and Mike reached between my legs and diddled my joy button while kissing me and I nearly sucked his tongue out at the roots! We were a nasty, stinking mess when it was all over, but it was wonderful! We all staggered to the shower -- a large one, thank God! -- and the AI performed some magic while we were getting clean and the bed was ready for us to fall into when we came out. We cuddled up with Cletus on my left and Mike on my right and I drifted into dreamland, satiated...