Chapter 35

Gonzalo wasn't the only surprise package -- although perhaps he should have been. Late in the day, I got a call from Frieda out on the front walk -- we'd fitted her with a headset, "Master, there's a pickup wandering up and down the street out here... Hang on... Yeah, it's Tony."

I had my hands full. "AI, pass to Maureen."

<Roger.>

"Oh, shit..." came across the link -- Maureen's voice. Well, I wasn't THAT busy -- he was just her problem. Deciding it might be fun to watch, I headed for the entrance.

I beat Maureen; I was halfway down the front steps when she appeared. Beth and Frieda were leaning on the door of Tony's pickup. Tony looked up and spied me and said "Jack..." then his eyes flicked past me. I turned around, and there stood Maureen in her Civil Service greys. I closed on the truck and said, "I see you made the party."

"Yeah..." Tony was looking at Maureen. "What's going on?"

"I think I'll let Maureen tell you."

Maureen came down the steps reluctantly, but she got to us. "Have they told you?" she asked hesitantly.

"No."

"It's a pickup. We're -- I'm -- Confederacy."

"That kind of fucks us up, doesn't it?" Tony mused.

"It does if you can't handle Maureen wearing the pants in the family!" Frieda chuckled.

Tony eyed me. "How bad is it?"

"Could be bad," I told him. "She's Civil Service, and won't be able to take any shit. You might need to do some very embarrassing things -- in public -- to support her position."

"How many guys you got?" Tony asked Maureen.

"None, yet."

"You were... kinda emotional last night," Tony mused. "Maybe you changed your mind."

"Why did you come?" Maureen asked.

"Dunno," Tony shrugged, looking away. "It was good, I guess. Troy and I do the other thing quite a bit -- and it works, obviously -- but it's different."

"You won't be doing that," Maureen pointed out. "It'll be me -- and someone else -- probably female." She pursed her lips. "Maybe not."

She was bluffing -- but I'm not sure Tony could tell. He appeared to take it between the eyes. But he came back with, "I'm kinda used to sharing."

"Make up your minds," I rasped, "We haven't got all day!" Maureen glanced at me and I shrugged, grinning.

"Come on, if you want to," Maureen said finally, stepping away. Not looking at him, she added, "You'll probably have to stand around naked for a while -- but at least you look good that way."

Tony opened the door of the truck. "Leave the truck?"

"You won't need it," I told him.

"You know," he said diffidently, "I didn't bring Troy -- but he's got the scores."

"He does?" I was genuinely surprised. "I would have thought that he wouldn't since..."

<He is somewhat aggressive and controlling with females?> my AI erupted. Just because they don't laugh (where we can hear them, anyway)...

"Yeah, never mind. Okay, Tony, can you get him here without blowing the whole thing?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah, probably." He fished out his cell phone. "Troy! What're you doing? Yeah, right now! Basketball? Fuck THAT! Look, I just stumbled into babe city! You need to get your shit together and get down here, NOW! It's target rich, you know? I've never seen anything like it! Just do it, Man! Shit, I've got one already and I'm going for two! No, I dunno what it is, exactly, but they're wall to wall..." He gave the address. "It's a school or something, but school's out -- or maybe it isn't, given the young stuff... Yeah, hurry -- it's winding down and you don't want to miss the good stuff!" He hung up. "He's comin' -- but if he sees you guys..."

"Yeah, I get it," I agreed. "We need to stage something. How long have we got, do you figure?"

"Fifteen minutes?"

I nodded. "We're working two classrooms of seniors simultaneously. Frieda, Beth, go up to the high school wing and get me, oh, six volunteers in little or nothing -- or willing to get that way -- and bring 'em back here. Something with a good age spread."

"I'm on it, Master!" Frieda dashed off, outdistancing poor Beth, who wasn't built to run fast.

Tony's phone rang. "Yeah? Jeez, when have I lied to you?" Tony muted the phone. "He doesn't believe me."

"He's not stupid," I grunted. I'd underestimated Troy, way back when... "Judith, fish out his cock and give him a hand job. Tony, take a pic -- just the hand on your dick..."

"Got it!" Tony went to the phone. "Don't believe me, huh? I'll send you a pic! Check THIS out!" Judith was embarrassed, but didn't let it stop her. Tony took the picture and sent it. Nobody but Tony and I seemed to notice that she didn't drop his cock like a hot rock afterward, but continued to jack it instead... The girls thundered up during the transmission lag, so we were ready when Troy opined that the chick attached to the hand was probably a dog...

Judith looked away, her eyes wet, when Tony relayed this -- I just handled it. Frieda and Beth had come up with a generally impressive mix of four seventeen and eighteen year old concubines and two older but hot looking MILFs. "Okay, we've got a sponsor on the phone, so we're interviewing. Tony, take a video of, um, that one," I picked out a petite blonde, "taking off her bra... Sweep through and get everyone, though. Everybody smile..." I motioned Frieda and Beth and Judith out of camera range. The girls, all indoctrinated concubine-track senior students, smiled fetchingly and presented themselves; the MILFs were more diffident, but caught on. The blonde waited until she was the center of attention, popped her bra, and wiggled her shoulders so her tits would jiggle.

Tony finished the capture and sent it off. "Satisfied, Dude? I don't know why I'm bothering..." He grinned and hung up. "Ten minutes, if he doesn't kill himself, driving."

I nodded. "Okay, as you indicated, he isn't worth a whole lot more trouble. Maureen, go back to wherever you're supposed to be and go back to work -- I'll marry you up with Tony when we're done." Both of them flinched at 'marry.' "Girls, I want you to hang out here with me until this guy shows up. Tony, here, is a male concubine, so you don't want to waste your time on him unless you think you can get to her -- because she owns him..." I pointed at Maureen's retreating back. "The guy coming is a demanding sort, so you might or might not want him -- but you should play the game, anyway -- it's good practice. Girls, you might want to talk to the older women about the realities in place, here. Beth, Frieda, Judith, go hang out in the attendance office and wait for my call." I reflected for the umpteenth time that I probably should have shipped Judith and her parents, at a minimum, to orbit, but they would be lost... Oliver and Vera and Britney had been cooling their heels in a counselor's office for hours. Technically, Maureen was no longer my problem -- she was Mark's. Since he was likely to make Centurion in short order I didn't feel sorry for him. I went back to communing with the AI.

We'd been overzealous in our estimates. We'd more or less figured that every student would bring in four family members -- which would have been about 14,400 family members. While there were exceptions, it was turning out that if a family had more children than the student, seventy percent of them were other students, which chopped the numbers. Add in single parents -- and the school had offered financial aid to single mothers whose children showed exceptional intelligence in an effort to load the dice, so there were more than one might think -- and mothers who came alone -- a fairly large figure -- and we actually got down to somewhere around one point eight. Exceptions didn't make up for this. We got a few househusbands and one notable uncle/babysitter/guardian and a couple of Hispanic families who brought everyone from Grandma to Cousin Julio to see Pedro's wonderful class project, but they didn't tip the scales. Actually, I considered us lucky, since many of those expected would be excess baggage... Faculty members tended to drag in every living relative -- but they didn't make up for the other lacks. We would be collecting off-site children -- but ignoring husbands where possible. Still, at this point we estimated that we would have 13,500 people in orbit, divided into groups of about 280 in each of the forty-eight holding areas off the transport rooms. It was STILL a massive undertaking. Add in the Brinkman headcount and the numbers got close to 14,000. The standing order for babysitters was 'Take whoever is on-site, if they want to go, avoiding large quantities of sub-sponsor males.' This was why we'd done the young elementary kids first -- they were most likely to have baby brothers and baby sisters at home in the care of SOMEBODY. I had a fifth of the Valhalla's 8000 personnel hopping at this point, either at the school, on the Valhalla watching the collection areas or on supplementary pickups.

The AI was busy telling me that the supplementary pickups were adding unexpected numbers to the total. A typical supplementary pickup went like this:

Gil Franken is in the second grade at Seifort. His mother, Barbara, came to Family Day with him, leaving Alison, aged five, and Jeffrey, aged three, at home in the care of Kimberly Wilson, a sixteen year old CAP four point six female from up the street. The extraction team shows up and Kim calls her mother -- who drops everything and rushes herself and two of Kim's siblings to the Franken home. No one complains that neither Albert Franken, Gil's father, nor Michael Wilson, Kimberly's father, is currently available; everybody KNOWS you take what you can get on a pickup! Initial headcount was one adult and three children -- but it grew to three adult females and five children during the loose supplementary pickup! The pickup team discovers that Michael Wilson is sponsor-class and ends up shifting to the Wilson home to pick up Michael and the other Wilson sibling, thirteen year old Wesley, upon their return from a soccer game -- and four had become ten. Suddenly, we were looking at 16,000 again...

The last group transported out of the school at four p.m. -- and we released three hundred and twenty who opted to stay on Earth -- mostly adult males. Thirty minutes later, we'd dismantled the last of the gear we'd used to control the crowds and secure the area and recovered to the Valhalla. Winding down wasn't really an option; I had an ungodly number of people packed three hundred to a room in the holding areas and thirty six supplementary pickup teams out.

Then Frieda muttered, "I wish we could have swept the grocery store..."

I just looked at her, but the Major said, "Fuck it. I need twelve volunteers for a closed pickup at a supermarket!" A dozen idiots raised their hands and he turned to me. "I've got this -- I'll take Frieda with me. You get things under control -- we need to get these people fed and quartered before they all go insane."

While I was saluting, the AI announced, <Based upon statistical data, you will need twenty one two-man supplementary extraction teams, Major.>

"Crap!" the Major erupted. "See to it," he instructed Mark -- who glared at me. I threw up my hands -- it wasn't my idea and I hadn't bought off...

"Major! A moment?" Oliver materialized from somewhere. The two of them entered into a conversation; I didn't hear either end, but I could see that Vera was a subject... I let it ride until Oliver stepped back, then waved my arm above my head. "Head 'em up and move 'em out!" Oliver gathered Vera, Britney, and Judith, I dragged in Beth, and Maureen beckoned Tony -- and I led them off to our OQ Clusters. After parking Oliver in Alpha Seventy Four and Maureen in Alpha Seventy Five, I took Beth home to check on Tara, Keisha, and the kids. Everybody seemed fine; I told them to wheedle the AI for a menu -- and the AI to support such requests -- gave all my girls a kiss and got out of there.

From there, I took the inter-ship transporters to Colonist Operations. The place was wall-to-wall holographic displays -- mostly of the holding areas at this point. Ninety-six operators were keeping an eye on the rooms, two to a holding area. "How bad is it?" I asked.

"Early arrivals are REAL restive!" the Operations NCO reported. "Young kids..." He shook his head and cued sound for Holding Area 48C. It was a wailer's concert; there must have been forty kids making the room echo to their unhappiness. I sighed. "Okay, we need to get them fed, dispersed, and bedded down. Are we set?"

"Passenger Mess Seventy is online and we have ten support staff to help get them past playing with menus," The Ops NCO reported.

"Tell the AI to limit them to ten selections or something," I directed. "They can play later. Requests for formula and diapers and such need to be handled. Is anyone giving the rooms any communications support? How are we handling issues?"

"Shit. We've just been watching for trouble -- not trying to fix anything..." the NCO grunted.

"Okay, Chief. Give me Cluster 48 on audio. Five seconds with sirens, first." In the eight rooms of Cluster 48, red flashing lights spun and loud sirens erupted. "Make sure I can talk over the screams..." The sirens quit, but the noise from the floor didn't. "Your attention, please! I know this hasn't been a picnic thus far, and I apologize -- but we're going to try to get things properly on the road here. I need your cooperation, however -- EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" The reduction in noise wasn't really appreciable. "Chief, give me six comm consoles per room..." In each of Cluster 48's rooms, six panels slid aside, exposing audio/video terminals. "Okay! I've opened some communications devices. Those with EMERGENCIES please let us know the nature of them. Those who just want to waste time asking questions, I'm telling you this just once! If you attempt to use a console to ask stupid questions not involving the immediate health and welfare of yourself or your family, you're going to end up on the floor!" I spun to the operators. "Stupid people get stung!" Three seconds later, there was a ZAP! in 48D, followed by one in 48F... By the end of thirty seconds, people were shying away. "All right! The top priority right now is getting everyone fed and put down to sleep for tonight! If you will cooperate with us, things will go smoothly -- if you don't, there is going to be some pain handed out! Sponsors -- corral your families! Get everyone together and LISTEN to what I'm telling you! If you don't have a sponsor in your family, SOMEBODY has been running things -- pick up the reins!" I gave it thirty seconds; people started shuffling into groups, warily. "Okay. We're going to be opening doors to the Mess Hall for thirty or so people at a time. DON'T GET STUPID! Family groups cluster together, so we can identify you visually and keep you together -- if I can't tell where your family begins and ends, I'm going to use force fields to chop you up into groups. If you have a pickup team out getting family members and they haven't arrived, please wait for them. You won't miss out on anything -- this ship is built to accommodate a dozen times what we picked up. There will be food and there will be a place to sleep for everybody! If you need to stay, but you need something like medicine or baby formula or diapers or whatever, use a console -- they don't bite for that. I'll highlight an area where a door will appear..." I waved a finger at the operators. "There will be a hallway. Go straight down it to the Mess, where you will be fed. Once you are fed, gather your family group and go to the doors at the far end of the mess from where you came in and they will open for a group at a time. Follow the hallway to the glowing door and enter. There will be a common room and two baths and ten sleeping rooms. Sleeping rooms are subdivided, but the dividers can be moved some to adjust for family groups. Again, we're looking at about thirty people to a dorm. All this info will be repeated on screens on the walls of the Mess. Are we ready?" Everyone looked dazed. "ARE WE READY?" People looked around and nodded and mumbled. "Identify ports," I told the operators. "Okay, first thirty, cluster by the lit area of the wall. I WANT TO SEE FAMILIES! If you start trampling people, you'll end up stung!"

We ended up lighting off stingers in three of the eight rooms, despite everything. I sighed, shaking my head. "Chief, if you can think of a way to reduce the stupidity, do it -- but we need to start moving Cluster 49 to Mess 71."

The next four hours were an incredible pain in the ass. Eventually, we got everyone fed, and probably eighty people to Medical for one thing or another. Teams had to pick up and transport an additional twenty-seven victims of stinger fire -- and we spaced one of them for being too stupid to live, basically. We videoed it, too, and played it in the Messes as a warning that we were serious about people following instructions -- then we sucked him back in and recycled him -- no need to leave him out there for some ship to run over. In this particular case, his old lady cried a lot -- from happiness, I think.

When everyone was in quarters, I came on globally to put them to bed, "People, it's been a long day, so let's everyone just get some rest. Tomorrow, everyone will get briefings on sponsor and concubine conduct and by tomorrow night, everyone will know where they stand with regard to everyone else -- and hopefully, we can avoid any serious trouble. For tonight, since you DON'T know your rights and responsibilities, let's just keep to ourselves. Cuddle up if you want -- if momma wants a little comfort sex, that's okay -- but don't go hunting down that hot chick you saw today and try talking her out of a piece -- she might outrank you. If I get a rape complaint or an assault charge in the morning, I'm going to space the perpetrator -- and we WILL know how it went down because Big Brother IS watching you! Good night..." We dimmed the lights and went to night vision sensors. Thirty minutes later, after briefing the oncoming shift, I headed for quarters, burnt out.

Frieda was in quarters, bouncing. "We got all the good people, a bunch of families, and fifty or sixty customers and THEIR families!" she bubbled. I just nodded. "You look like shit, Master," she added soberly.

"I feel like shit," I confirmed. "Keisha, not tonight -- but you can sleep with me. Beth, you're on deck, too. Tara and Frieda, please crash in the spare room. Can someone coax a sandwich and a beer out of the AI for me?"

I don't remember eating.

From my perspective, it was a train wreck. By the time we got there with the rental car, Jack was tied up and had no time to help us get set up on the ship, so we stayed with him and tried to help. He had twenty or thirty soldiers to help, but there were a LOT of people and there had to be positive control, so basically, I kept Vera and Britney as far out of the way as I could and watched. Maureen was drafted and given a uniform and exhausted herself trying to get people organized -- but it seemed to me that the team was woefully understaffed.

Finally, Jack escorted us up to the Valhalla and our quarters. Just before, as we were gathering to finally transport up, Frieda came out with something and Major Howard took her up on it. They gathered to head off somewhere, but honor impelled me to correct an injustice, "Major! A moment?"

"Yes?" I could tell that the layer of his patience was thin over a number of things, including fatigue.

"You were shortchanged the other night -- are you aware of that?"

"Excuse me?" He looked blank.

"Vera was attempting to mislead us. She's an accomplished fellatrix -- and she owes you a better effort," I informed him. "Now that I'm aware of it, honor is involved."

"Really?" He flicked a glance at the culprit.

"He's right sir," Frieda interjected. "She swallows cocks -- deep-throat."

"So..." The Major eyed me.

"So when your business is complete, should you require relaxation, I recommend that you visit my quarters -- and I will see to it that Vera services ALL of your needs."

The Major pursed his lips. "It's a pleasant prospect. She was a better than fair fuck..."

I nodded. "You had her attention at that point. That's when the mask slipped. Frieda has the details; I'm sure she would take great delight in briefing you."

"Thank you, Doctor. We're nowhere near finished -- I'm certain that I would enjoy some feminine companionship when things settle down."

"She will be available to expiate her sin... whenever," I assured him.

"Very good. I need to get going now." He nodded at me, turned and pointed Frieda off toward whatever they were going to be doing next.

I returned to my entourage -- which at this point included Judith -- and we responded when Jack made his roundup. He still had no time for us, really; his instructions upon entering our quarters were, "Yell for the AI if you need anything. Get it to tell you the standard permission sets for concubines or they won't be able to do anything and you'll be irritated. AI!"

'Lieutenant Harper?'

"Deliver the standard briefing to Doctor Hopkins. Provide him with meal options. Make sure he has enough of the basics that no one is inconvenienced too badly!" He turned to me. "Got to run -- my girls are next door and they've been there all day, so I HOPE they've learned a few things. Ask them if you like. Maureen is on the other side -- but she's probably not free yet. Still, she's been interacting with an AI all day and should have a feel for things. Bye!"

The AI droned on for a while; apparently it could accomplish amazing things. I discovered what the basic permissions for concubines were and had mine start setting up housekeeping. Vera had the lead on this, with Britney as understudy and Judith assisting -- not that there appeared to be that much to do with the AI supplying food from a replicator and the beds made up. Eventually, therefore, I was settled with a glass of wine and it was time to have a word with a certain concubine... "Vera."

"Master?"

"Did you make note of my discussion with the Major prior to our departure?"

"Yes, Master." Vera's response was VERY cautious.

"Then you no doubt realize that you were the subject of conversation," I noted.

"I... Yes, Master." Vera's features settled into dread anticipation.

"Your foolish pretense the other night leaves us both with a debt of honor. You lied to the man. Worse, you made him suffer," I rumbled.

"Yes, Master." Vera bent her head in shame.

"Tonight -- or at his convenience, if not tonight -- you will make it up to him -- with interest. The minimum you will do is to demonstrate your true capability as a fellatrix. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master..." Vera nodded.

"That, however, is the minimum. You will give him anything he wants -- I really don't care WHAT it is! That being the case, you may want to prepare yourself in case he is interested in anal sex..." I mused.

"Yes, Master..." Vera appeared crestfallen at this revelation.

"God knows what he'll want," I pointed out. "I'll plan to do without you tonight. Make whatever preparations you consider sensible, and wait up for him. He'll likely be late and tired -- perhaps he'll want a massage or something. AI, are there any whirlpool baths or hot tubs available? What about massage tables?"

"There are various items of this nature at the end of the corridor," the AI replied. "Some can be provided here on short notice; plumbing fixtures, however would be a waste of resources over the expected transit time."

"Thank you. Run along and make your preparations, Vera. I expect you to stay up until he returns -- that would be all night if necessary."

"Yes, Master..." Vera slunk off.

I probably failed to conceal my amusement, as Judith looked somewhat disgusted with me. Seeing this, I said, "Why don't you see if she would like to have your assistance with that enema?" I hadn't taken Judith as a concubine -- but she was there... That left Britney. "You can help her or not -- as you like. But remember that you are a team..." I settled back in my chair -- then I had a thought. "AI, what is the current directive on nudity?"

"Despite some confusion, nudity among concubines has not yet been enforced," the AI replied. "However, by twelve hundred hours tomorrow, universal nudity of concubines is to be enforced for a period of not less than forty-eight hours -- after which, sponsors may pursue their own preference. This is a part of the concubine indoctrination process."

"Excellent," I murmured, adding, "Girls! Uniform of the day is nudity until further notice!"

"Daddy?" Judith stuck her head around the door.

"Are you a concubine? Are you here?" I replied. "You don't have to be MY concubine to have to conform to rules that apply to ALL concubines! Do as you're told!"

"Yes, Daddy..."

"Vera!" I yelled.

"She's naked, Master -- but indisposed," Britney replied.

"Very well."

It was well after nine p.m. by my watch when the AI announced, "Major Howard has arrived."

"Bid him enter," I replied, "Vera!"

"Coming, Master!" Vera hove into view.

The door slid open and Major Howard entered. "I'm thinking maybe another time," he murmured.

"That's fine," I agreed, "but I thought you might like an attended soak in a hot tub or something. Vera can assist with that."

"That IS an idea!" the Major replied.

"Good. Use her. Keep her for the night, if you like. Do... whatever."

"That's generous," the Major commented.

"She owes you -- and she can use the practice."

"Very well..." The Major turned around and, as the door opened, snapped his fingers and pointed to a spot behind him and to his right. Vera gave me a look of utter horror, but assumed the position. "Goodnight, Doctor," the Major murmured, and left the room; Vera diffidently padded after him.

"I can't BELIEVE you did that!" Judith burst out. "You just GAVE Momma to a strange man!"

"Not so strange," I replied, "He's had her before. However, it's not for you to judge, in any case. At this point, the more precarious your mother sees her position as being, the more likely she'll learn to behave. As for you -- if you continue to bring your views to the table uninvited, I may become irritated and ask you to join the general concubine pool in order to preserve domestic tranquility."

Judith looked stricken. "Yes, Daddy."

"If I were you, I would try to get a jump on the educational curriculum for concubines -- and start adhering to the rules thereof," I remonstrated. "I am not at all certain that I wish to keep you -- for various reasons. Therefore, you need to be able to present yourself properly. If, in the end, I am stuck with you, you WILL toe the line, just as your mother will!"

"Yes, Daddy!" She got out of my sight -- which was just as well... As it was, I beckoned Britney to me and explored every curve, fold, and crevice of her delightful body... Tonight, if the Major did as I recommended -- and I suspected that he would -- I would give Britney our 'wedding night' -- an evening for the two of us. It wouldn't be our first sex -- but then how many couples these days wait until the wedding night to couple? Few, I imagine...

We waited an hour, after which I could contain myself no longer. I took Britney to bed and tasted her sweet core until she screamed, then attacked it with my probe, again and again, until I'd flooded her twice and heard her cries of completion three times. Frankly, I amazed myself! I may have amazed Britney, too; certainly, she was pleased... I fell asleep vaguely wondering how Vera was dealing with her night with Major Howard...