Chapter 58

Friday morning, I crawled out from between my big girls -- Beth and Keisha -- and prepared to go to work. It wasn't easy; the pair of them had tried to kill me overnight. I could fuck Beth for weeks, it seemed like -- and Keisha could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch -- and they kept trading off and absorbing every little wiggler I could muster. I must have been in the saddle for three hours! Clearly, I needed help; what was going to happen when I got home to Dottie and Tina with four new concubines in tow? I was holding my own now, but...

I took Frieda to work with me -- and explained my plan. "Yeah, that ought to work," she agreed, nodding. "You look wasted -- want another coffee?" Good ol' Frieda... In any case, Mack Taylor and his young son could wait until the afternoon...

Mark had a pretty decent looking Hispanic woman in tow -- and was acting just a leetle bit weird. "This is Graciela Salazar," he related, seeming somewhat embarrassed. "I've taken an... interest... in the Salazar family." I had to wonder what THAT meant... To my knowledge, no woman ever spent more than a single night in Mark's bed -- and most didn't last THAT long. Was something up? One thing was certain -- this Graciela woman seemed clam-happy to be where she was and was making an honest effort to be absolutely perfectly behaved...

Javier had morning sponsorship training, so I decided to wait discussing Graciela with him until after lunch. Graciela spent the morning following me, being the perfect concubine -- and too pleased with herself to allow me any comfort. The situation was out of control -- and I didn't see me fixing it; I was in too deep. I worked on my objectivity, but there were big holes in it where that curvy brown woman was concerned...

When we did put in an appearance at the Salazar's quarters, Javier hadn't returned yet -- but Estrella wasn't displaying the distress she had the previous evening. "Decurion..." she murmured, waving us inside. "Javier has not yet returned."

"And how are you this afternoon?" I asked.

"I am well. Graciela...?"

"I am VERY well..." Estrella's daughter replied. Clearly the pair had things to say to one another; I waved Graciela forward and settled into a chair.

Nana and Marisol put in an appearance; Nana was noticeably more youthful. "Decurion! How went your evening?" Nana asked.

I eyed her, trying to think of a way to keep the truth from her -- but she penetrated my glance. "Graciela will have a sponsor," she murmured, her eyes hooded.

"Yes." There -- I'd admitted it. "She will meet her obligations where Javier is concerned, but..."

"Estrella met hers last night -- and it was well done. There will be no more problems on that front," Nana informed me. "Will you be giving her another chance?"

Pursing my lips, I nodded. "I must. I shortchanged her."

Nana essayed a crooked smile. "And her culo?"

I grimaced. "Not tonight. That would again be unfair."

Nana nodded, then: "Decurion?"

"Yes?"

"Welcome to our family."

I nodded gravely. "My name is Mark. Actually, it is Marcus -- Marcus Tillotson."

"I think you should BE Marcus," Nana opined.

"It really only sounds right when you say it," I replied.

"Very well. Something to drink, perhaps?"

"Please," I replied. "Iced tea -- as brewed, not that nasty stuff from a can -- gently sugared with a bit of lemon."

"I have it," Marisol murmured, and headed for the kitchen.

"You are the head of the family now, Marcus," Nana murmured.

"You are the matriarch, and Javier is the head of the family," I argued.

"You know better," Nana retorted. "You assumed the position when you decided to accept Graciela."

"I wonder if Graciela didn't make that decision," I replied, rubbing my face.

Nana barked a chuckle. "It matters not."

"Nonetheless, Javier..." I began.

"Enjoys the blessings and privileges of his manhood," Nana finished. "You set the rules -- I assume that they have not changed?"

"They have not."

"May I ask a favor?"

"Certainly. What is it?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"I ask that, periodically, a certain old crone be allowed to grace your bed..."

"Are you a Salazar woman?" I asked.

"I am."

"Very well, then."

"Oh, boy!" Marisol erupted, handing me a chilled glass.

"You are not yet -- ah, never mind!" I rolled my eyes. "Four generations..."

"You are truly blessed," Nana simpered, her eyes hooded.

"Actually, how is it that you are all Salazars?" I asked.

Nana chuckled. " Estrella took back her maiden name after divorcing Hector Suarez -- an American thing. Graciela -- well, there are Salazars and there are Salazars -- much as there are Joneses and Joneses. Her husband Raul was not even distantly related. It was an odd coincidence."

Javier arrived at that point. "How was your evening?" I asked.

"It was excellent!" The look on his face conveyed his satisfaction even more than words. "And yours?"

"Graciela is impressive," I replied. "Too impressive to pass up. We should talk."

Javier nodded, settling into a chair. "Then you will take her?"

"That is the plan," I agreed. "I set up a non-standard family situation when this whole thing was first pressed upon me. At the time, the plan was to ensure that your mother and grandmother did what was necessary for you to hold the family together -- and, frankly, to ensure my ability to escape. Now... now I have to ask you -- do you really want it this way?"

Javier smiled, his eyes flicking to his sister and great-grandmother. "You no longer wish to escape, then?"

"Well, I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm a bit nervous, but..." I drew a breath. "No."

"So do you become a Salazar, or do I become a Tillotson?" Javier asked.

"I'm not certain that either is required," I replied. "What might be simplest is that I take on both Graciela and Estrella, allowing you to use your own quotas for other picks. However, since we have set the rules, we will continue to share them."

"You should then share any new selections I make also," Javier pointed out.

"I may, but I needn't," I replied. "Let's see how that goes."

Javier nodded. "Very well. And Nana and Marisol?"

I pursed my lips. "I think... we should share responsibility for them, too..."

Javier smiled. "I think they might like that."

I nodded and stood, taking a long drink of my tea. "That's how we'll handle it, then. I need to return to work; I'll call for Estrella later. Graciela is at your disposal."

Javier nodded. "Based upon last night, you won't be disappointed."

I chuckled. "And neither will you!" I took my leave, heading for my office.

I sat in the shop, a bundle of nerves. The good news was that our late-morning snack -- a couple of very freshly-baked bagels and two coffees -- cost under six dollars. The bad news was Juanita, who just didn't understand... "We're going to lose the entire morning!" she complained, wringing her work-roughened hands.

I took one in mine and muttered, "Relax." Even if what I had been told the evening before about this place was a lie, I had confirmed that Graciela and the children were gone. This relieved some pressure on me; I could afford the morning. One way or another, Juanita would discover this soon; I had already released myself from the restrictions in my heart that placed Graciela and the children first. Juanita wasn't the beauty that Graciela was -- she had worked hard all her life and her body displayed the effects of that rough usage -- but she was otherwise superior in many areas, including her work ethic. Graciela inherited her mother's pride -- and I would not be one to say that the demands of raising our children were light, but Juanita would have taken a job as a maid or a cleaning woman somewhere to relieve some of the burden on me so that we could be together more. There was nothing wrong with Juanita's sex drive, either; we generally made love out of doors in order not to disturb the others in either bunkhouse and invite a possible group scene. In pillow-talk, Juanita admitted that such things HAD happened in the past; many women would have considered it gang-rape, but Juanita said, "You don't do something like that, loudly, under a man's nose and expect him not to participate. I was generally reluctant and attempted to impose limits -- but I was not always successful." Juanita's attitude may have saved her life; gang-bangs are not unknown to those living under our conditions, and a woman who insists -- loudly -- that it is gang-rape may force the hands of the male participants with violent results. In general, no one goes looking for some woman doing migrant labor if she goes missing, especially if everyone says she left in the night under her own power...

I limited my response to, "If I get this job, we'll both make up for it very quickly." I'd told her that I was going to a job interview, and that if I got hired, I would be leaving immediately; that's what got her there -- that and the offer to see to it that she was hired, too, if she came with me. But she was there on trust -- and if she trusted me, it didn't mean that she trusted anyone else involved.

I didn't, either. I was born a poor Mexican kid in a border town; I saw plenty of injustice before I slipped across the border to the U.S. I'd seen plenty since, too; illegals got some protection, but were still illegals. I actually wasn't an illegal any more; Graciela wasn't and we had children and we'd done the complicated dance with the government that led to me finally attaining citizenship -- too late to make anything of myself, but in plenty of time to see to it that our children had opportunities. I was gratified that they had taken one, too, that would secure their future better than anything I could do...

I saw them as they came through the door; you could tell, if you weren't a sheep and stayed alert. The pride, the upright posture, the bearing, the careful movement, the alertness -- they COULD have been police or some other type of soldier, but at over six and a half feet... One of them was wearing a 'Grateful Dead' T-shirt and it molded itself to a body that looked like a giant 'G.I. Joe' doll. It wasn't just the muscles, either -- he looked almost bullet-proof. They went and stood in line to get food; Juanita caught my attention and said, "Dios Mio!" and made to flee.

"Sit, Juanita, relax. Trust me," I whispered. "They aren't INS." Juanita's 'papers' couldn't stand up to an intense examination by law enforcement of any type, so she avoided contact with cops -- but I knew these weren't cops...

The third guy wasn't as physically impressive -- but he WAS trouble. Clearly, he was following the other two; just as clearly, he was up to something. I watched him scan the room, taking in the men and women in business clothing who were taking advantage of the wireless internet to conduct business meetings. Then he got on his cell phone... "Wait here," I told Juanita. She turned positively ashen, but she sat still. I got up, carrying my coffee cup, and joined the men in line.

I needed a gambit -- and could think of only the stupidest, most obvious ploy. It would have to do... "Do you know what time it is?" I asked Mr. Grateful Dead.

He looked at his watch and took a moment; it wasn't set for local time. "Almost ten-thirty."

"The guy in the corner on the cell phone followed you in. He's trouble."

"Yeah. We know." He fished out his Blackberry and poked it a couple of times. "Salazar, right?"

"Yes."

"Keep your head down. There's an Earth First cell working in the county and they've pissed us off one time too many. The backup team is waiting for them to assemble." He flicked a glance at Juanita. "That your old lady?"

"Yes."

"Okay, we'll try to get your table behind the wall shield when it goes up."

"Thanks."

"No problem. She's freaking; you'd better go over and settle her down before she blows things." He eyed me significantly. "You can tell her, now."

"Thanks." I headed back to the table. "Sit, Juanita. Relax. Let me get you another coffee. All is well," I assured her.

"What is going on?"

"I need for you to compose yourself. It is very important that you settle down," I insisted quietly. "Life and death important."

"Dios Mio! I knew it! They're cops!" she whispered.

"They're not -- and you don't matter to them. Now relax and I'll tell you all about it," I whispered back, patting her hand. "Keep your eyes on me and don't do anything silly."

She took a breath. "Okay."

"They're Confederacy soldiers," I told her. "There will be a pickup."

Her eyes popped. "How do you know this?"

I smiled. "Never mind -- it's my 'job interview'. But there is something else going on..."

"What?"

"There is an Earth First guy in the house, and he's called for backup."

"Dios Mio!"

"Shhh! Relax. The hunter is about to become the hunted; the Confederacy soldiers know about it and are planning on taking out the Earth First team. We're going to pretend we know nothing about anything until the mess is over -- and then I'm taking you to the colonies with me."

"You are?" Juanita's eyes glowed. "What about Graciela?"

"Graciela and the children were extracted three days ago. I have been... relieved... of my responsibility for them," I related.

"So, you're..?"

"Yours?" I finished for her, smiling. "No, you're mine!" I pulled her to me and kissed her.

THAT relaxed her, finally -- until she remembered... "How many...?"

"Two. But I don't HAVE to take any other women," I replied.

Juanita pursed her lips. "I should not interfere. Besides, maybe you can take a cute little gringa that we can use as a maid and housekeeper?"

I had to laugh at her wit -- what a switch THAT would be! "I would have to use her..."

"Of course! She owes you! She wouldn't want to make you unhappy -- bad things could happen..." Juanita mocked.

I was still chuckling when it started going down. Five guys came through the door wearing long coats; this was either 'The Matrix' or trouble was going to start -- or both. The Marines ignored them -- which should have clued them in that they were expected, but didn't. They stationed themselves around the room. A couple of minutes later, three other guys came in -- except I could tell they weren't Earth First from their attitudes. They went through the line and picked up food, then selected positions which covered the EF guys from plain sight. Finally, one of the original pair stood up and said, "Okay, this is a pickup," and the shield went up. The EF team was waiting for the Marine to call out sponsor's names and get them to acknowledge who they were so thay could kill the sponsors with the Marines -- but they never got the chance, because the second team -- whoever they were -- gunned them down with stingers. Mr. Grateful Dead stood talking to someone -- apparently on an earphone rig -- and announced, "All clear. We got the outside team, too. You guys take these idiots out and sweat them for the rest of the cell and we'll get on with the pickup." The three guys in the second group got up and made a pile of the five EF guns and the recon weenie and set up what must have been a transporter and tossed them into it like sacks of grain or something, then they transported out, themselves.

By then, everyone was standing around; there were a lot of people in business wear and some guys in casual outfits with computers -- and Juanita and me. Mr. Grateful Dead announced, "I'm Corporal Holliston and this IS a pickup." He read off three names -- one of which was Raul Salazar.

"Let's go," I told Juanita, cocking my head at the man. We got up and went over to him and he greeted me with, "You're pretty alert -- that's a good trait."

I said, "Thanks."

"You're due one more," he observed.

I turned to Juanita, "Want to help me find our cleaning slut?" Juanita nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

Women were getting naked and lining up; we walked the line, but I let Juanita pick. We ended up with a bleached blonde woman who'd been wearing a business suit; Juanita apparently based her selection solely upon how well she licked pussy, which was fine by me. Either I would grow fond of her at some point, or I wouldn't...

Ten minutes later, we were on a starship. Thanks, Graciela! Thank your sponsor for me!

Friday morning, the young Sub-Decurion came for me; Tony was along, but he kept his hands to himself. Maureen -- the Sub-Decurion -- dragged me out of my quarters, insisting that I get acclimated. The mess was FULL of naked people -- and many of them didn't look as good as me. I attracted male attention, too -- from naked males, generally. One in particular came over to me and asked, "I wonder if I might be of service?"

Flustered, I asked, "How?"

He shrugged. "Any way that works, I guess. Do you have any concubines?"

"No," I replied shortly.

"I have a wife -- well, a mate, and a child..."

"Yes?" I stared at him blankly.

"We need... a sponsor..." he said hesitantly.

"Oh." I shook my head to clear it. "I'm a little dense this morning." I gave him a closer examination, but there was nothing about him that stood out. "No thank you -- not at this time, anyway." I turned away, embarrassed.

Maureen waved him away, saying, "Good initiative, but no sale."

"Is that going to happen often?" I asked.

"More and more, I bet," Maureen replied. "Couples need a sponsor. Males need a sponsor. A woman can separate herself and her children from her mate and be more desirable, but a male alone is going to have problems. As we get closer to the colony, the level of desperation will go up. That one was polite and he was obviously thinking; you're a catch because you obviously need a male."

"Obviously?"

"If you're going to reproduce..."

"Let's back up," I burst out. "I'm a catch?"

Maureen shrugged. "There are a lot fewer of us than there are male sponsors." She eyed me. "Why don't we go down to Medical and at least get you to where you're SUPPOSED to be..."

"I... I don't think so," I replied. "I'm out of shape on purpose. If I'm in shape, I get too tense and can't sleep."

"If you're sleeping wrapped around a man, I GUARANTEE you won't be tense!" Maureen retorted, chuckling.

I shivered thinking about it. "I don't think I'm ready..."

"You need to GET ready!" Maureen insisted, "And soon!"

"What's the hurry?" I whined.

"Right now, you can pick couples," Maureen replied. "By the time we make orbit around Nuevo Angelino, most of the women will have dumped their mates in the hopes of collecting a sponsor on their own. Right now is primetime, since we both KNOW you need a couple!"

"I... Well..." Maureen's logic was flawless.

"After breakfast." She led me to the replicator and we ordered.

We were accosted three more times at breakfast. After the second, Maureen said, "You have good instincts. If the male doesn't interest you, you needn't bother. There are plenty more fish in the sea."

After breakfast, I let Maureen drag me down to Medical and after a conference with the AI they put me back together the way I SHOULD look at thirty-eight. They sloughed off forty pounds and tightened me up and removed some loose skin left over from when I REALLY swelled up and had rolls. They even shrank my breasts a bit! Oh, it didn't happen instantly, not all of it, but I gathered that the hour and a half I spent in the tube put me ahead of the average concubine in repairs. I would be different again in the morning, the medics assured me. They put some incredibly old woman in the tube next to me; I was amazed -- wasn't she too old to be a concubine?

After Medical, we went back to my quarters to call up 'personal ads' from couples. The AI showed me some couples that may have been perfect, but... no chemistry, I guess you would say. After two hours, I was about to give up when something surfaced...

The woman kneeling in the foreground was a brunette, fairly small, with small breasts but really big areolas and a bit of a belly with a prominent scar from a Caesarian section. On her left stood a serious-looking male child of about nine. Behind them hovered a man, more or less just visible between them. The man was sharp-featured and intelligent-looking, with fair skin and dark hair with the bluish signs of a permanent five o'clock shadow. All three -- even the child -- wore eyeglasses. "This one!" I erupted. The AI started the video.

The woman spoke, of course. "Hi, I'm Barb, and this is Jesse, and this is little Zack. We're the Sayers. I'm twenty-eight and Jesse is, too. We've been working for various computer companies since college -- menial stuff, mostly -- well, I've actually been doing day care for a couple of years. Jesse had been hoping to find something important to help with the whole Sa'arm thing, but I guess you have to be in the right place at the right time... Um, anyway, Zack is in third grade and doing well -- we think he'll test out for the sponsor track. I love kids, but we don't have any other children; I had a hard time carrying Zack and we're hoping that Medical will find something and fix it. Jesse does his part very well, I think, but..." She blushed at that point. "We, uh, both like sex -- I don't really feel comfortable going through a lot of display positions for a video, but we'll be happy to at an interview. We, um, understand the rules." She bit her lip. "I guess that's it. If you'd like to set up an interview, we're at two six three three seven."

I hadn't been paying attention to the numbers, so I asked the AI, "Please display their CAP scores again?"

Barb was a five point eight and Jesse was a six point two. "Zachary Sayer is expected to test in the seven point four range," the AI added verbally as it displayed the scores on the wall.

"What was Jesse's degree in?" I asked. There was a pause; apparently the AI didn't know everything, after all.

"Cosmology," it replied, though, after a moment.

"I want to see these people," I told Maureen. "But I don't want them to know who I am, yet."

"AI, disguise June's voice and call the Sayers," Maureen directed. "No video on their end."

"Acknowledged." In a moment the wall lit with the young couple scrambling to get into Attention. Barb looked a bit disheveled and Jesse was trying to tuck an erection between his legs. It looked decidedly average, from my extremely limited experience -- which was probably a good thing.

"Hello?" Barb said tentatively.

"Have I disturbed you?" I asked.

"Oh, no, no... Zachary is at school this morning, so we were um, getting in a little quality time..." Barb blushed scarlet -- and so did Jesse. "This is much more important."

"Have you been conducting many interviews?" I asked.

"No." Barb looked embarrassed. "No more than any other couple, anyway."

"I see. Do you have any other appointments today? I would like to schedule something."

Barb, poor thing, lacked a poker face; I could tell Jesse didn't, but with her handling the conversation, it didn't matter. "I'm sure we could schedule something. What would be convenient for you?" She flicked a glance at Jesse. "Depending upon how deep the interview goes, it might be best done in the morning while Zack is in classes..."

"How problematic is that facet of things for you?" I asked.

Jesse answered this -- and it made sense. If I was male and I asked that question, I would be asking him how he planned to tolerate my having sex with his mate, after all... "We can handle it." What he meant, of courses, was, 'I can handle it.'

"That must be distressing..." I opined.

"Not in the correct environment," he insisted. "I... don't think we would survive an interview similar to the one on video the other day, but in an open, caring relationship, I'm sure we would do fine."

I waved off the sound and asked, "What is he talking about?"

"We showed a video to all of the male concubines -- recorded live -- of a woman who selected a black man out of some fantasy she had -- and he and two others proceeded to give her that fantasy. They basically did everything you could think of to both the wife AND the husband, including actively embarrassing and cuckolding him..."

"I'm afraid that I have no imagination where these things are concerned," I admitted.

"AI, ask the Sayers to wait on hold -- indicate that we're taking another call. Then display that ugly video -- probably at four or five to one..." Maureen directed.

Over the next ten minutes or so, I received quite the education! We slowed it down for key points and Maureen narrated here and there -- and I sat there shaking my head. It was the worst thing I'd ever seen in my life -- but I was embarrassed to admit that I found it to be arousing. The things they did to that man.... The woman clearly went off the deep end -- but she was happy about it, more or less. The things SHE did to her mate were... unforgivable, unless he was really psychologically inclined to enjoy masochism. The dominance and submission aspects of the scene were compelling; I guess everyone reacts to that kind of thing on one level or another. I think some humans are pack animals and some are herd animals -- but in both cases, we react to demonstrations of leadership. The males were brutes -- and while that should have put me off, I'm embarrassed to say that the woman's attitude made it all very exciting! If she'd been acting like a rape victim, I would have been horrified; as it was, I was envious.

The poor man... they thoroughly debased him -- with the help of his mate! I was horrified -- and titillated. So many things were clear... The man feared blacks -- and they took advantage of it. Clearly, he loved his children; he went absolutely to the wall for them. His spouse just as clearly wasn't worth his loyalty. I seriously doubt that he enjoyed any part of that scene, despite the fact that he ejaculated at one point; I think he was merely caught up in the orgy of self-destruction that was going on just as I was, watching it...

When the video finished, we sat a moment while I digested it, then we went back to the Sayers, who were getting restive. "My apologies. I needed to accept that call. Where were we?" I asked.

Jesse took the lead. "What we're prepared to tolerate," he replied.

"Ah, yes, the video," I murmured as if I hadn't just been immersed in the thing.

"I don't think that couple survived that scene," Jesse declared. "We're prepared to accept quite a bit, but I don't think we would care to go into an interview with someone contemplating that level of abuse."

"Setting aside the psychological overtones, what do you think of the physical acts?" I asked.

Jesse visibly steeled himself. "The physical acts are just sex," he replied. "In a different, less coercive environment, where there is mutual trust..."

"Thank you for your honesty," I said, more or less cutting him off. Both of them flinched, assuming that the telephone interview was at an end. "I would like to meet with you..." I stopped, because Maureen was whispering quietly to the AI.

<Meeting Suite Seven Seventy-Six,> the AI supplied. <Thirty minutes.>

"Can we meet in Suite Seven Seven Six in say, thirty minutes?" I relayed.

The couple glanced at one another. "That will be fine," Barb replied, assuming the lead.

"Excellent. I will see you there." I waved to the AI to cut the connection and the wall blanked. "How was that?"

"I think it went well," Maureen opined. "Do you want me to go along?"

"I'm going to have to deal with them on my own," I mused. "I should probably do this part by myself."

"This couple has excellent credentials," the AI opined. "They were in the pool for your second set, but it is understood that you are looking for a certain connection that the first wave couples did not provide."

"What were you selecting for?" I asked.

"Male sexual prowess," the AI replied. "Jesse Sayer is well-supplied in this regard naturally, but there was an assumption that once you get started there will be a period of... enthusiasm."

"I see..." I muttered, embarrassed. "I think I might like to start with someone normal, if you don't mind."

"Acknowledged," the AI replied, unperturbed. "Jesse Sayer is easily augmented, in any case. You may wish to shorten his recovery cycle so that he is completely capable of servicing both yourself and Barbara Sayer -- although your needs come first..."

"Um, yes," I mused. AIs apparently have no tact at all. "Please direct me to the suite."

Maureen separated herself at the door to my quarters. "Call me and let me know how it goes," she said, waving and heading off down the corridor.