_Chapter 3:  Preparations for Battle_
 
 
 
          The next week was pure hell for Ron.  He knew his family was in
trouble.  He knew he couldn't help them where he was.  He *wanted* to be with
them, but he knew he needed to finish learning here, or he might not be able
to help them.
 
          Jess tried to console him, she did her best as his servant to keep
his mind off it, but it just wasn't working.  They had just finished making
love for the second time that day, when he rolled onto his back and stared up
at the ceiling.
 
          "Ron?  Is there anything I can do?"
 
          "No, I don't think so.  Get me my clothes, will ya?"
 
          She jumped up to do as he asked.  Ron got dressed and cleaned up,
because it was almost time for his next lesson.  Pete showed up right on time.
 
          "Hey, Ron.  I heard about your family.  Don't worry, man.  We'll get
you ready for it.  Today, we need you to bring Megan with you.  Today's lesson
requires her services."
 
          "Okay.  Megan! Come here!"  Megan emerged from her room, and walked
to Ron's side.  She had mellowed only slightly from the first day, but Ron had
placed controls on her to keep her in line.  The three of them left, and
walked to the usual classroom.  When they got there, they found James talking
to one of the committee members.  Ron sat down and waited quietly until they
were ready to deal with him.
 
          "So, this is he?"  The committee member asked.
 
          "Yes.  I think he's ready.  Today is one of his final lessons."
 
          "Very well.  Proceed.  I will observe and report."
 
          "Alright."  He turned to Ron and said, "Today, we explore one of
your last lessons.  You've already had some mild experience with Direct Mental
Programming, but you haven't really used it to overwrite a mind yet.  It's
time to take care of Megan.  She's been neglected for five weeks, now, and
that's much too long for a nice girl like her."  James smirked when he said
it, and Ron caught the joke.
 
          "Okay.  I've been studying the lesson.  What do you want me to make
her into?"
 
          "That's entirely up to you.  Just remember, if you make her into
something you don't like, you have to fix it later.  Just make it noticeable. 
I'll scan her when you're finished to check your work."
 
          "Okey-doke."  Ron looked at Megan, and said, "Come here, Megan." 
Ron saw the fear in her eyes, and she didn't move.  Ron grew irritated.  He
reached out mentally, grabbed her around the waist, and dragged her forcibly
to him.  He looked her in the eyes, and saw her terror.  He'd finally learned
how to look someone in the eyes without blanking them.  "Sit down."  His voice
held a warning, and Megan sat down quickly.  Ron reached out and took her
hand.  She jumped, and then froze.
 
          Ron wiggled his way into her mind.  He found images of her family,
all seemed to be malicious little bastards.  He knew that this was *her* view
of them, but he didn't figure they were very pleasant people, if they'd raised
her like this.  He continued looking, for now just plotting ground, finding
things that needed changing.  He knew what he wanted from Megan, and he wanted
to make sure he did it right.  Megan was going to become his one true sex
slave.  Her only purpose in life would be to serve his body.  All of the other
people in his life, Jess included, he had some emotional ties to.  Megan he
didn't know from nobody.  He needed to release the urge to just completely
devastate someone's will, and he figured she was the best choice available.
 
          After about twenty minutes of plotting, Ron moved to the very center
of her psyche.  This was the core, the central theme of her mind.  In Megan,
this was a dark place, not at all pleasant.  Ron knew of no way to change this
place.  So, he ripped it out.
 
          Megan screamed.  She howled, she snarled, she sounded very much like
a wounded animal.  If not for Ron's physical control over her, she very well
might have hurt herself.  James and the committeeman looked on with interest. 
They recognized the sign of a dying personality.  They looked at each other
and smiled.
 
          Ron now replaced the psyche he had just obliterated.  What he
replaced it with was... himself.  He had just made himself the center of her
entire world.  That complete, he went through and started deleting whole
blocks of memory.  This was the wholesale slaughter of her identity.  By the
time he had finished, she remembered neither her father nor her mother.  She
remembered only Ron.  She saw him as provider, protector, comforter, lover,
friend.  Her desire was to make him happy.  She would do whatever he wanted,
whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted.  She had no wishes of her own except
to see him pleased with her.
 
          This process had taken well over an hour, so thorough a job had he
done.  When Ron finally pulled out, Megan collapsed onto the table.  Ron was
dripping sweat, and slightly winded.  The committeeman handed him a soda.
 
          "Drink up.  You've lost quite a bit of fluid over the last hour."
 
          As Ron drank up, James did a full scan of Megan.  When he was
finished, the committeeman asked, "Well?  How'd he do?"
 
          "I think you'd better look for yourself."  James looked a little
pale, Ron thought.
 
          "Ron, may I?"  It was standard procedure to ask before scanning
another person's followers.
 
          "Sure, go ahead."  The man did, and the color drained from his face
far more obviously than James'.
 
          "Did I goof?  Is something wrong?"  Ron worried that he might have
just turned the girl into a vegetable.
 
          The man turned to James.  "I have never seen a rewrite that...
complete before.  There isn't anything left, not one shred.  Not even the
stuff we hid in there."
 
          "What's he talking about, James?"
 
          James finally explained.  "Ron, when we acquired Megan, we did a
full mental map.  We also hid a few spurious memories around in her head, in
areas that a normal psionic wasn't likely to find.  They're not there
anymore.  That means you were able to wipe her entire memory bank and rewrite
it with, I must say, a damned fine list of memories intended to give her a
singular goal in life."
 
          "Is she gonna be okay?"
 
          "Oh, yeah.  She'll be fine.  And, honestly, she'll probably be a lot
happier now.  She should wake up in a few minutes.  Wait here until she does. 
Feel free to stay here as long as she needs, classes are over for the day.  We
have to go to a meeting, so we'll see you later."  The committeeman shook
Ron's hand, and they both left.
 
          Ron sat, waiting for Megan to wake up.  *Their reactions were sure
strange.  I mean, it really wasn't that hard.  Time consuming, yes, but not
hard.  I wish she hadn't screamed like that, though.  I nearly shit my pants
when she did that.  I wonder what she'll be like when she wakes up?  She's got
to be friendlier than she was before.*
 
          Just then, Megan began to stir.  Ron sat up, and helped her sit up
in her chair.  She was shaking her head, like she was trying to clear a
buzzing noise.  Ron pushed his soda over to her.  "Have a sip.  It'll make you
feel better."  She opened her eyes and focussed on the can, grabbing it and
taking several drinks from it.  Then she set it down and looked at Ron.
 
          Her whole expression changed at that point.  What had been a scowl
turned into a beautiful smile.  Her eyes lit up, and her face filled with joy.
 
          "Master!"  She dropped to her knees at his feet and laid her head in
his lap.  "What can I do for you, Master?"
 
          Well, needless to say, this display was making Ron horny as hell. 
His dick was already rigid, and he felt he deserved some relief.  "Take out my
cock and suck on it."
 
          Megan's hands fairly flew to his zipper.  She undid his pants,
reached in, and pulled out his cock.  The look on her face was one of pure
lust.  She licked his shaft up and down, getting it nice and wet, then she
sucked him in.  Her tongue circled around the head of his cock, and then she
took him all the way.  As Jess had done, Megan deep-throated him like a
porn-star.  Each time, she would waggle her tongue as she came out, driving
him closer and closer to the edge.  It wasn't long before he felt the need,
and he grabbed her head and shoved his cock as far in as it would go.  He held
her there, and started coming down her throat.  He finally came down from his
climax, but he didn't even begin to soften.  He pulled out of her mouth, and
she sat back on her heels.
 
          "Stand up and undress.  Do it sexy."
 
          Megan stood up.  She moved her hands up to her breasts and started
to rub them.  She made her hands move in circles, bigger and bigger, until her
hands reached the bottom of her T-shirt.  She turned to face away from Ron,
and pulled the shirt off over her head.  She was wearing a bra, but she didn't
remove that yet.  She sidled over to Ron and placed her hand on the back of
his head.  She pulled his face into her tits, and Ron breathed her wonderful
scent.  She backed off, and undid her jeans.  Slowly, teasingly, she wiggled
them down off her hips, until they fell to the floor.  She stepped out of each
leg, taking her shoes and socks off as she did.  Now she was clad only in
underwear.  She was swaying and moving to some unheard tune, and Ron was
enthralled with her performance.  She faced away from him again, and undid her
bra.  She slipped it off of her arms, but held the front in place.  She faced
him now, and flung the bra off.  Her breasts jiggled with the action, and
Ron's dick jerked.  She was doing her very best to tantalize him, and it was
working.  She bent down, and started working her panties off.  She turned
around to give him a better view.  Her panties hit the ground, and she spread
her legs shoulder width to show Ron her pussy.
 
          Ron could take no more. He stood up, took his pants off, and
approached his prize.  She stood up as he touched her, but he moved her to the
table and bent her over.  He plowed into her furrow full force, and she let
out a grunt.  He started slamming into her as hard as he could: he was
actually moving the table.  As she came in a mind-wrenching orgasm, he decided
he wanted *all* of her.  He pulled out of her pussy, and pressed his cock to
her asshole.  Her mindset had been so completely altered that, instead of
resisting, she encouraged him.
 
          "Yes, Master!  Fuck my ass!"  She pushed back at him, and he slowly
worked into her.  He set up a rhythm that increased pace.  He reached around
and grabbed her tits, pinching her nipples.  He pounded her for some time, and
she started to come again.  At that point, she reached back and gently
massaged his balls.  This was the last straw for him, and he came violently in
her ass.  They were both exhausted, and collapsed onto the table.
 
 
 
          The following day was supposed to be a day of rest.  Ron thought
this was a good idea, since he was pretty worn out.  *Having one slave who
wants me all the time was bad enough.  Now I've got *two* to deal with!  Well,
It could be worse...*  It had, however, managed to take his mind off of his
family problems for a few hours, and he was grateful for that.  Since today
was an off day, he was surprised when there came a knock at the door.  Megan
answered it without being asked, and led James back into the room.
 
          "Ron, you need to come with me.  No questions."
 
          "What?"  That got him a stern look from James, and so he got up and
followed James outside.  They got in an electric cart, and headed towards the
main office building.  *What did I do?  They haven't told me about any rules
I've broken.  What's this all about?*  These were all things he would have
said to James, if he'd been allowed to.
 
          They entered the main office building, and headed up to the third
floor.  James directed Ron to a waiting room.  "Wait here.  Do *not* leave
this room until someone comes for you."  Ron sat down, and started...
waiting.  There were several objects in the room, and Ron passed the time, and
improved his skill, by flying them around the room.
 
          Ron figured twenty-six and a half minutes had passed since James
left.  He had learned how to hold an almost atomically-accurate clock in his
head.  He decided he was probably going to be here awhile.  *Might as well
work on my levitation.*
 
          Ron set about working on telekineting himself off the floor, and had
actually managed to raise himself to the ceiling, when the door opened.  Ron
almost fell, he was so surprised, but he caught himself, and lowered himself
back to his chair.  The person at the door was wearing a maroon jumpsuit, and
a ninja-style hood, so that all that was visible were her eyes.  He knew it
was a her from the bumps in the front of her suit.  She signaled to him to
follow her, but she didn't speak.  He followed her out of the room and down a
hallway.  They approached a door with two gray-clad guards in front of it. 
The guards opened the doors and stood aside to let them pass.  She motioned
Ron into the room, but did not enter herself.  The room was very dark, and Ron
wondered what was going on.  Then the doors closed behind him, and the room
became pitch black.  At this point, Ron put up the strongest mental shield he
could sustain.  He stood perfectly still, and listened.  He was just starting
to think he could hear breathing, when lights snapped on overhead.  They were
spotlights.  One focused on him.  Ten other lights focussed on the other
people in the room, all dressed in white.
 
*          The Committee!  But what do they want with me?*
 
          The one to his extreme left spoke up.  "Ronald Chaffey?"
 
          "Yes?"
 
          "We are the Committee.  We control all activities here at CAMP."
 
          "I know.  I asked James about you."
 
          "We are aware of this.  I am sure, you are wondering why we have
brought you here."
 
          "Well, actually..."
 
          "We do not follow the activities, or the studies, of everyone at
CAMP.  Most students pass through without any direct contact with us.  You,
however, we have followed with great interest.  Your skills are finely tuned. 
James tells us that you have achieved a level of psion-17.  That is most
impressive, and the highest rate any Talent has ever managed.  You should be
proud, young Ron."
 
          "Thank you, sir.  But you still haven't told me why I'm here."
 
          The man chuckled.  "So I haven't.  You will recall that one of us
observed your last class session.  This was a final evaluation.  We have
brought you here today to make you an offer.  One that we hope you will
accept."
 
          "What is it?"
 
          "We would like you to become an employee of CAMP.  Now, you should
know that CAMP does not hire very many employees.  We are very selective about
whom we ask.  You have been chosen because of your level of ability, your
intelligence, your maturity, and your interest in the sciences."
 
          "Well, what would I be doing?"
 
          "We can discuss exact details later.  What you need to know now is
that, you would still live at your home, though you would need to travel a
bit.  Your life would not be overly disturbed, except that you would need to
do things for us from time to time.  Your real job with us would start when
your education is finished.  By that, I mean when you graduate from high
school.  They tell me that you are quite a good computer programmer.  Is this
true?"
 
          "I'd like to think so, sir."  Ron was amazed.  *Work for them?  They
want ME to work for them?  What can I do that they can't already?*
 
          "Very good.  That will be important.  Please see that you keep up
with that skill.  Now then, do you accept the job?  You should know that it
pays very well, though I'm sure you know by now that money will never concern
you again."
 
          "Well, sure, I guess.  So long as you don't want me to go around
killing people or something."
 
          "No, nothing like that.  We will now let James explain more about
CAMP to you.  He has been preparing you for this day since you arrived.  We
know you'll feel more comfortable talking with him than us, so he will remain
your contact for now."  With that, the ten lights over the Committee snapped
off, leaving just his spotlight.  At which point, a door over to Ron's right
opened, and James walked in.
 
          "Okay, Ron!  Welcome aboard.  I'm sure you've found this whole
procedure a little strange, but it was necessary, let me assure you."
 
          "What's this all about?  What do they want me to do?"
 
          "Well, first, let's cover a little background.  CAMP is about ten
years old now.  We have a total of around 3,000 members, scattered throughout
the United States.  So you know, and, by the way you're not allowed to tell
anyone this, you are just outside of a small town in southeastern New Mexico
called Hobbs.  CAMP's sole purpose since inception has been to build a
membership base.  However, there has always been an underlying goal.  That
goal is about to become CAMP's driving force."
 
          "Am I allowed to know what that goal is?"
 
          "Allowed to know?  Ron, you're going to help us achieve it!  CAMP's
influence in the world has been severely limited by the fact that nobody knows
we exist.  We haven't even revealed ourselves in any major way to the
government yet.  Unfortunately, with only 3,000 members, we cannot affect
enough people in society to effect any real change.  That is where you come
in."
 
          "What can I do?"
 
          "Well, let's just say that you have some unique skills and
interests, that make you the perfect person for the job."
 
          "What _is_ the job?"
 
          "We want to influence the mind of every person in America."
 
          "Geez, James!  That's over 250 MILLION people!  I can't influence
all of them!"
 
          "We don't expect you to do it personally.  All of this will be
explained later."
 
          "Okay, but what do you want them all to do?"
 
          "Small changes, really.  We need to set up an atmosphere where
changing things in the government won't be noticed, or that will actually be
accepted and welcomed.  The changes we want to make, you don't need to know
yet.  Right now, you'll simply be acting as a field agent for CAMP, until you
graduate.  Then, you'll come back here, and we'll explain the whole plan in
greater detail.  At that point, you can decide if you want to continue with us
or not."
 
          "So, how much do I get paid, anyway?  And what will I have to do as
a 'field agent'?"
 
          "Field agents handle problems in their local area.  We will point
you out to any CAMP members in your immediate area, and tell them to come to
you if they have a problem.  As for salary, well, starting salary for a field
agent is about $750,000 a year."  Ron nearly fainted at that number.  "Don't
worry, CAMP can afford it.  You'd be surprised just how many companies are
giving us lots of money to continue our 'research'."  James raised his
eyebrows, and Ron understood.
 
          "That's a hell of a lot of money.  Just how busy am I going to be as
a field agent?"
 
          "No way to tell.  You might never be called upon.  Then again, we've
had field agents that got called on once a month.  Usually, it only takes a
few hours to straighten out problems.  Remember when you called about Jessica?"
 
          "Yes."
 
          "You were calling a regional field agent.  We don't have a local
agent in your area, and so we had to send you to the regional agent.  He is
pretty overworked, and he needs some relief.  There are about 10 members in
your area of responsibility, and approximately 50 latent Talents.  Latents are
people who have The Ability, but don't know it yet.  Like you were, six months
ago."
 
*          Geez, it* was* less than six months since I learned I had this
thing.  Now, I'm going to work for an organization that deals solely with
people that have it.*
 
 
 
          Ron and James talked for the rest of the day.  When he returned to
his room, he found his two followers on either side of the room, scowling at
each other.  Both women started toward him, then noticed the other doing the
same, and started to glare at each other.
 
          "What is going on here?!"  Ron's voice was stern, commanding.  Both
girls cowered, neither answered him.  Knowing her responses better, he turned
to Jessica.  "Jessica?  What is the problem?"
 
          "She says *she's* your slave!  I want to be your slave!  How can we
both be?"
 
*          I don't have the energy to deal with this!  Ugh.  Am I going to run
across this problem often?*  A little voice in his head responded, *Yeah,
probably.*
 
          "Okay, both of you, come stand in front of me, Jessica stand here,
Megan stand here."  He directed them to an exact spot, so as to avoid further
fighting.  He could tell that the argument had almost come to blows, but that
they had both backed off, fearing it would upset him to find either of them
hurt.  He started with Jessica, and started to implant commands.  He wasn't
using DMP (Direct Mental Programming), just rearranging a few thoughts with
Mental Conditioning.  He hadn't decided which, if either, of them was going to
be his head slave, so he left the issue undecided for now.  He turned to
Megan, who was almost quaking before him.  *She's scared shitless.  I wonder
why.*  A little probing answered that.  He was displeased.  Her greatest drive
in life now was to please him.  She had failed, and she was afraid of his
response.  Ron went in and did some fine-tuning of her programming,
reinforcing her feeling of him as protector and friend, and easing off on her
fear of failing to please him, while leaving the need to do so alone.
 
          That completed,  Ron felt things would settle down a little.  He had
removed the ability for either of them to be jealous of anyone Ron was
interested in.  He instilled an absolute need to cooperate with each other to
serve the master.  Ron made sure that neither of them had the capability to
betray him.  He felt sure he had solved this crisis, though he wondered what
the next crisis would be.
 
          Ron was just about to suggest they all go to bed when there was a
knock at the door.  Ron was closest, so he answered it.  It was Pete.
 
          "Ron, James says that you should take tomorrow off.  You and he will
be returning to your home the day after.  He says it's time."
 
          "Okay.  Thanks, Pete.  For everything."  They shook hands, and Pete
left.
 
          Ron turned and went back into the room, closing the door and
slumping against it.  *Time?  Am I ready?  What if I screw up?  I can't let
that bitch hurt my family!  I need to rest.  I need sleep.*  Ron was
exhausted, both mentally and physically, but he didn't think he could get to
sleep, his mind was so rattled.  He thought of something that just might help.
 
          Ron walked to the bed and undressed down to his undies.  Then he lay
on the bed.  "Slaves! come here!"  Both ladies rushed to his side.  "I am very
tired.  I need to get some sleep, but I'm very stressed out.  I want you both
to give me a rub-down.  Make it soothing, not sexy.  Do a good job, and we'll
have fun tomorrow."
 
          The girls looked at each other, and, without a word, went to work on
him.  With one on each side, they began rubbing him.  Jessica started on his
shoulders, while Megan started on his feet.  Before they had made it anywhere
near meeting in the middle, Ron was fast asleep.
 
*          Trouble can wait.  Right now, I've got to rest......*