Chapter 51

After lunch on Tuesday, I came home from concubine classes to an empty cabin; LaRue and Cooper were both out on watch, as they called it, I guess, working. I wasn't tired; the classes were all about the mechanics of my new duties, and I didn't bother to pretend that I didn't enjoy them.

On the other hand, things weren't as cataclysmic as they'd been only the day before yesterday. LaRue and Coop had shoved the Anaconda and the Beer Can into me the night before and I'd loved it -- but the Anaconda seemed shorter and the Beer Can seemed more like Red Bull than Budweiser. Their attitudes had been a lot less aggressive, too -- and it took some of the excitement out of things. I still couldn't see me going back to Ed -- seeing him deep throat a black guy and having him do the other things he did, like actually pulling Crewman Harris' big black cock into my pussy and my ass like a wimp -- or, maybe the crowning achievement, watching his cock spurt onto the floor while he took the Anaconda up his ass and Harris' cock down his throat -- left me wanting to use him and abuse him, but not share a bed with him. I felt a little guilty about egging him on at the time, and then holding it against him, but what I did was just icing on the cake; I knew it and I knew HE knew it and I knew that was why he was staying away...

I'd been rough on the kids, maybe, but I was on vacation -- outside of the possibility that I was ALREADY growing one of the black trio's babies inside of me. I was looking forward to that; it would be a culmination. It was funny how Ed and I had carried these things around and never even said anything to one another about them. I knew somewhere inside that the Mandingo thing was utter bullshit, but I'd been excited by it for a long time, and Sunday had been a fantasy come to life -- even the parts where Ed let them trample him and use him as their bitch... I'd known peripherally that Ed was careful around black guys -- but I didn't realize that they scared the dog piss out of him. Looking back, I had to wonder what I'd have done if I'd known -- would I have gone out and engineered a scene like the one we had on my own?

I'd said things to the AI yesterday that were pretty cold-hearted; Ed's kids were the future, too -- and some of the qualities Ed displayed on Sunday afternoon were the very things that had made them wonderful kids and had made our lives together good. I decided to mend fences where I could; the fantasy might not be matched by any reality -- or by one not worth having. Ed, though... I just didn't know...

The AI announced, <You have an incoming communication, Donna Evans.>

"Okay."

<There is video. Please indicate where you would like for it to be displayed.>

"There, I guess." I pointed at a spot on the wall.

A black woman appeared there. She gave me the up-and-down and said, "Huh! You be Donna?"

"Yes." 'What the fuck?' I wondered.

"Thanks."

"What for?"

"Dumpin' on Ed. That means I don't have to share him -- and can keep ol' Moby Dick to myself!"

"Moby Dick!" I snorted. "THAT little thing?" The Anaconda was TWICE what Ed had!

The woman cocked her head, eyeing me as if I'd lost my mind. "Oh, yeah -- they fucked with your head, didn't they? They fucked with Ed's too. Maybe you'll recognize this?" Another patch of wall lit up, showing her knelt up sucking Ed's cock -- or SOMEBODY's cock... It wasn't Ed's -- he didn't HAVE eight and a half inches of cock! But it LOOKED like Ed's, otherwise... The scene shifted to Ed pumping his length into this woman, whatever her name was -- and her making loud, happy noises. It wasn't Ed's head on somebody else, either -- he had Ed's stroke... "Don't you worry, Honey!" she simpered as the video of them fucking disappeared. "I'll take good care of 'that little thing!' What kinda big, sloppy pussy you got, anyway? I've had the Anaconda and I've had the Beer Can and I'm Manny's woman so you KNOW I've had HIS dick! Shit, this is Manny's!" The video backed off to show a belly that bulged a bit with that signature look of about the fifth month of pregnancy. "You'd better learn to snap that pussy, Honey, or LaRue and Coop will just get tired of stuffin' them lank dicks of theirs in there and put you on the street!" She rubbed her belly. "Once I pop this little feller out, I'm gonna get Ed to do me up; maybe I'll get a girl. She'll be HOT! In the meantime, I get to enjoy Ed's nice, HARD dick!" She cocked her head. "You ain't seen LaRue and Coop go at it yet, have you, Honey? You don't think they're roommates by accident, do you? Coop likes havin' the Anaconda tickle his prostate; Ed ain't the first guy to get an ass full of Anaconda venom by a LOOOONG shot!" She stopped at that point and cocked her head. "I see I surprised you a couple of times. Like I said -- I just called to thank you for givin' me an exclusive on Ed. Y'all have a good time with Coop and LaRue, now!"

Then she was gone. I collapsed in a chair. "Are you kidding me?" I wondered aloud.

I'd already learned that AIs couldn't always tell when they weren't wanted; this one didn't catch on... "The concubine Belle may have been engaging in prevarication at some point, but most of her statements appear to have been factual."

"Who is Manny?"

"Crewman Emanuel Harris. You were his concubine."

"He's letting Ed fuck that woman?"

"He has explicitly announced that Belle's next child will be fathered by Ed," the AI declared.

"That wasn't Ed's dick."

"It was," the AI argued.

"How big is it?"

"During the displayed session, videoed this morning, Ed's penis attained a length of eight point three seven inches," the AI supplied.

"Um." I thought hard -- this made no sense. "How long is the Anaconda?"

"At it's most recent penetration, nine point one one inches."

Okay, so... Something wasn't right. "You messed with our heads pretty bad, didn't you?" I asked the AI.

"Things went somewhat beyond the levels anticipated," the AI replied. "You had a psychotic episode."

Maybe my hot new situation wasn't as great as I thought it was...

I was pleased to have things moving again; the kids needed something to take their minds away from the strange situation and the strange surroundings and I was getting a chance to get the staff settled in -- some of them to new positions dictated by their CAP scores. There were problems and issues -- a ninth grade history teacher with a four point seven CAP could not be expected to teach actual sponsors, for instance, so assignments that we'd been getting away with when the students were in the sponsor track but not actually picked up had to be shifted. There weren't a lot of these issues, but there were enough to keep me busy.

The girls were shaking out; Nadine and I had a long talk and she was happy to be Head Bitch, despite her external status. I made it clear to her that I would hold her to certain standards, and while she was in charge of the household, abuses would be punished. I managed, somewhere in there, to let her know that if she just needed to be tightened up, there were other ways to invite a spanking other than wearing the girls' tongues off, for instance.

We still have two more concubines to collect for me and as many as four for Nadine...

Since the Foundation had no equipment to work with, we were busy trying to consolidate and get everyone taken care of. There were a bunch of people out there in the concubine pool that we needed to think about. Early in the day on Wednesday, I got news that Oliver had collected Rhonda Patterson after all, which had both positive and negative aspects; I was pleased for Oliver and Rhonda, but I would have liked to have gotten her myself...

Farris Lieberman was beside himself, of course. I had to hear ALL ABOUT how unfair it all was. Eventually, I got angry and said, "You need a keeper, Farris -- someone who can tell you when to shut up. Nobody who KNOWS you or has heard of you is going to offer to LIVE with you!" Naturally, he wasn't pleased and stomped out.

At home, Antonio and Peg were settling in; Antonio wasn't going to be Antonio for long at the rate that he was moving. He'd developed a distinct swish, for instance; I began to understand what Peg was talking about. She was right -- I limited myself to topping -- and I usually limited my sex partners to young, slightly built males. Muscle jocks -- bottom or not -- didn't appear, and neither did hairy bears. I wondered myself what that meant, exactly -- but I think my concubines knew already...

After dinner, Peg put Rory to bed and I sat relaxing and thinking about how I could solve issues like the Lieberman problem. Suddenly, Antonio went over to Peg and took her hand, "Come, Peg -- I show you." He led her to my chair and they both knelt up before me and Antonio said, "Dave, Honey, can we have your beautiful cock to play with? I want to teach Peg the deep throat..."

This wasn't something I could be expected to say no to -- and I didn't. The next twenty minutes had its ups and downs, but the experience of the instructor and the dedication of the student virtually guaranteed success. Professional mouth work was intermingled with, "Baby you have to estretch your neck... Baby don't mash him into the roof of your mouth with your tongue... Baby you don't have to suck HARD, just keep things tight and wet..." Finally, I delivered the unassailable evidence of success into Peg's mouth, and Antonio beamed, "See? I TOLD you you could do it! Give me a little to play with, Baby..." and leaned in to lock lips with Peg. I was still chuckling when Antonio turned to me and asked ingenuously, "Dave, Honey, can I have boobies?"

"Boobies?" I blinked.

"Yes. Boobies. Like Pegs -- maybe a little bit esmaller," Antonio confirmed seriously, cupping one of Peg's mounds.

"Where did this come from?" I asked.

"Peg, I love her like a sister, but I'm jealous -- she has so much more to offer... Baby, would you do the Presentation Three for me, please?" Peg did so, puzzled, and Antonio knelt up beside her, then waved his hand over their butts. "See? Peg has a sweet ass, eh? Mine, it is a little bony. And she has two holes, yes? I wish I did -- but I know she doesn't use one, does she?" He waved his finger in Peg's face, "Shame on you, Baby! You need to give our Dave some booty!" He reached out and rubbed Peg's plush ass and said, "Hokay, we can turn around. Dave, Honey, I want to be as much woman for you as I can..."

I sat there, my head cocked, eyeing him. "Why?"

He reached up and caressed my cheek. "Honey, you may not know what you want, but Antonio knows what you want. Part of it is the build; Antonio is hokay, but not perfect. Part of it is the attitude -- Antonio HAS that! But others do, too -- and the body, also. Dave, Honey, if you go to Lieutenant Jack and ask him to borrow little Frieda, Antonio will be zip! Gone! You put Antonio on the doorstep!"

"I don't know," I mused. "What about..."

"Deek?" Antonio finished for me. "Hokay, you like to drink a little cum -- and sometimes, you like to have a little something in your hole, eh? But it's 'a LITTLE something' -- you don't like big fat deeks." He sobered. "If I could, I would have my little deek and two holes for you -- and boobies. Less hair -- except on my head. I could do it all, then... except babies."

I chuckled. "No babies?"

"I don't think that is possible," Antonio sighed.

"So you want to be a girl?"

"Well, a T-girl, anyway. A hermaphrodite would be... perfect..."

"I don't know what is possible," I mused. "AI?"

"Manipulation of breast tissue and hair is simple, even on an otherwise totally male body," the AI said to us all. "Antonio requires only minor adjustments to body fat in a few locations to make him appear more feminine."

"More booty?" Antonio grinned, grabbing his ass.

"Essentially. Some widening of the hips is indicated. It is assumed that you prefer a narrow, lightly muscled body shape, Dave Chambers. Antonio has this."

"Would the boobies work?" Antonio wanted to know. "I want to feed babies. I want to feed my honey..." He batted his eyes at me.

"Lactation is triggerable even in unmodified males; it is therefore fairly simple," the AI replied.

"Other issues?" I murmured.

"Mixing male and female genitalia presents issues," the AI noted. "Placement of the testicles is primary, as they are in their current location for heat dissipation. The clitoris is erectile tissue and large ones resemble a penis -- and is thus simple to deal with. Testes are retractable into the inguinal canals..." The AI seemed to stop and think for a moment. "Vaginas have been created during gender reassignment surgery, but are functionally limited and require the mental support of the bearer to be effective; creation of an actual vagina is possible -- however, Confederacy canon prohibits total gender reassignment to include a functioning uterus outside of exceptional cases for the same reason that reactivation of the ovaries in totally post-menopausal females is prohibited."

"Why is that, exactly?" I asked.

"Many species consider the reactivation of fertility to be abuse and exploitation, even in non-sentient creatures. Menopause and the related phenomena in other species causes a cascade of changes, both physical and mental, in the individual involved. While it is usually not difficult to reverse this cascade in progress, once it is complete, re-stimulation of the reproductive system can cause an incomplete restart of the system, resulting in physical deterioration and decreased lifespan. The mental adjustments tend to be irreversible, and in the vast majority of cases, the reactivation of the reproductive system is viewed by the individual involved as an injustice," the AI related. "Similarly, total sexual reassignment is difficult to ensure completion of and it alters the subject mentally and emotionally. The vast majority of beings who honestly believe that they are candidates discover that they are not when the procedure is pursued to completion. There ARE exceptions -- these individuals generally operate in a partially adjusted state for a lengthy period of time before application for an exception to this policy to ensure that they really understand gestation, for instance. It is one thing to be fully functionally female for sexual purposes and another to bear offspring."

"So..." I murmured.

The AI displayed a three-dimensional image of Antonio in full scale, turning slowly behind Antonio and Peg. "Functional breasts in 'A' cup..." the AI narrated visible adjustments. "Removal of body hair in unwanted locations..."

"Leave a bit of pubic hair," I interjected.

"A little diamond that will fit under a bikini?" Antonio suggested. "Not that I wear one..."

"Okay."

"Arm hair?" the AI queried. "Many Hispanic females have dark hair on their arms and at other locations, but it is silky and not coarse..."

"Let's see it," I directed. The AI generated a close-up. It was actually a feature of Antonio that I enjoyed -- but would enjoy more if it were silky and feminine. "Keep it."

"Penile length at four point five inches and girth reduction to that of late puberty. This assumed that you will continue to require full function and the ability to penetrate to just beyond your prostate."

This was embarrassing, but relevant. "Approved."

"When not erect, the penis will shrink to resemble a large clitoris. A clitoral hood will be provided and merged with the foreskin to foster this illusion," the AI continued. "Testes will be retracted into the inguinal canals as long as temperatures allow this; the scrotum will be bifurcated to create labia majora that will swell and allow the testes to descend when necessary. The wearing of clothing should be carefully thought out and as a usual thing, should not include an undergarment over the genitalia."

"No panties!" Antonio grinned. "I like that!"

"A fully functional vagina can be supplied and urethral function redirected. Lengthy labia minora will assist testicular cooling..." A pair of droopy inner lips with dime-sized tabs depended from the altered crotch of the hologram.

Antonio clapped his hands. "I'm a girl! The pussy -- it works?"

"A normal lining of nervous tissue is included," the AI reported. "Certain tendons and ligaments will need to be re-routed to accommodate a generally feminine internal structure. The penis, while capable of solid erection, will not be as firmly oriented, as certain ligaments that maintain its orientation will have been moved or reduced in order to maintain the testes. This means an erection may not point upward, even though it is firm. Your species has been known to lengthen the penis by cutting these ligaments, which tend to retard the length of the penis by holding the base at some depth inside the body cavity, anchoring it. In his case, the area in question would be required for other purposes. Sex, when participating as a male, with a firm erection, once seated, will not present any issues."

"Other recommendations?" I was frankly amazed.

Adjustments to the voicebox to raise the vocal range to contralto and reduce the size of the Adam's apple," the AI replied. "This will not affect the throat aperture. As an aside, it would be beneficial for Peg if her throat aperture were to be enlarged slightly. Slight adjustments to the facial features would enhance femininity." Antonio was already somewhat elfin in his features; the displayed changes were VERY slight -- but effective.

Antonio gave me puppy dog eyes over his shoulder. "Dave, Honey -- I want this -- ALL of it! Please? Pretty please?"

"Maybe we should give Peg a cock!" I joked.

"Baby?" Antonio cocked his head, grinning at her. "Wouldn't THAT be fun?"

"I... don't think so..." Peg murmured.

"The penis would be non-functional from a reproductive standpoint, but would be very sensitive and act as a large clitoris..." the AI offered. "It could be sized similarly to Antonio's and would look the same as his in its non-erectile state."

Peg looked bothered. "I wouldn't want to 'Boinggg!' while I was being... fucked..."

"This is easily dealt with," the AI replied. "In Antonio's case, an erection during vaginal sex will not be possible; his testes will have retracted deep inside and various adjustments to ensure that neither they nor his penis are subjected to injury will keep him from erecting. For you, it would be possible, but not necessarily pleasant, so an adjustment can be made to ensure that it does not occur. Antonio WILL be capable of an erection during anal sex, however..."

"David?" Peg passed the decision to me.

"I'm not sure you want Antonio to have any tactical advantages," I mused.

Peg bit her lip. "I'll try it, if you think it's okay."

"Fine," I murmured. "What kind of timeline are we looking at?"

"An hour at Medical should see many of the cosmetic changes in place for Antonio and a visible adjustment in Peg," the AI replied. "Deep rearrangement of the internal organs for the creation of the vagina in Antonio will take perhaps seven days, with function at ten. Peg's erection will be functional as early as in three days."

"So I'm going to have to start calling you Antonia?" I asked Antonio.

"Toni? With an 'I'?" he countered.

"This is reversible if I don't like it?" I queried.

"Completely," the AI assured us.

"We're off to Medical, then..."

An hour later, I was squatting in front of Peg, manipulating a clitoris that was over an inch long with my fingers while she moaned and gasped and held onto my shoulders. "Omigod!" she gasped, "No wonder guys want to fuck all the time!"

"Okay, this one's cooked," the medic on duty announced, and the cover popped open on Antonia's tube. Antonia sat up and shrieked, "Boobies!" cupping a pair of teacup-sized cones. "I'm so happy! Do they work?" she asked, hopping down.

"Bring them here..." I directed. She did and I latched onto a nipple.

"OOOOOO!!! YES!" Antonia howled. "Oh, Baby!"

"They'll get better," the medic -- a female -- chuckled. Eyeing Peg's... adjustment... she said, "I've never had this asked for... Let me know how it all works out."

"Sure," I chuckled, and took my 'girls' home.

I took Judith home with me Tuesday night after dinner; she wanted it that way and I wanted it that way. And we slept together and it was fucking great and when I sent her home to her folks and went on watch the next morning, I felt like fourteen kinds of shitass. Do I want her? Fuck yes! Doing without her yesterday made THAT crystal clear... Do I want to take her away from her family? Fuck no! I wasn't seeing any solutions... And I was going to be back for dinner with the family tonight and sit there and pretend that I wasn't an asshole...

Lunch had come and gone; I was busy reassigning concubine families to new quarters, deliberately rotating them through facilities to improve their visibility, when the AI announced, <You have an inbound communication.>

"Put it through. Tillotson."

"Decurion?"

"Yes."

"Why have you not called for my daughter or my granddaughter? Do you truly fear commitment that much?"

"Mrs. Salazar?"

"Call me Nana -- everyone else does, these days. Well?" Her visage appeared on my desk screen.

"What makes you think...?" I began.

"You made the rules. They await," Nana cut me off.

"Why would either of them want me?" I temporized.

"False modesty. Come, we both know why. Added to the obvious is the fact that they both think they're selling their souls, and they want to get a good price for them," Nana snorted.

"Excuse me?"

"Javier. Neither of them can bend the neck and crawl into Javier's bed without the excuse you offered -- they require the competition for your favor as an excuse to brave the evils of incest." Nana's tone was derisive.

"You don't seem to be upset by that issue," I pointed out.

"The rules in America were different than those of the old country -- and the rules of the new world we go to are different still. I have spoken to Javier at length about this, and I understand why it is just another superstition. My modern daughter and granddaughter, however, fear the wrath of the church." Again, Nana was derisive, particularly at the last.

"Do you not fear the wrath of the church?" I asked.

"When I was young, perhaps," Nana replied. "Before I saw too many girls the age of Marisol being married off to dirty old men three times their age -- with the blessing of the church... This rule has been broken before -- and money fixes everything, even religion. If anything, this was even more true in the old country than it was in America."

"What do you want of me, Madam?" I asked, trying to get ahead of her for once.

"I want you to follow through. I want you to take a woman from the Salazar stable into your bed for a 'test drive' -- after which, I want you to impress upon her that her next stop is Javier's bed... You cannot lose by this -- and it will break down the barriers between Javier and his mother and grandmother," Nana replied.

"How do you figure that I cannot lose?" I asked.

"At a minimum, you will have gotten your quarters cleaned and some good sex," Nana replied, "and you will have done Javier a favor. At best, you will decide to keep one or both and meet your commitments to father a large family -- and gain the benefit of my wise counsel." Nana smiled and eyed me sidelong.

I shook my head. "Why don't I just cut the corner and take you off poor Javier's hands and bring your age back a few more years?" I chuckled.

The old bat called my bluff! "I'm beyond my childbearing years, so you would not gain from that perspective -- but if you think I would not come into your bed and show my idiot children how a woman makes love to a man, think again, Decurion!"

"I would have thought you were beyond such things," I said carefully.

"I'm an old widow!" she snapped. "I can't AFFORD pride! I must get the touch of a man where I can!"

"I'm not going to win here, am I?" I sighed.

"Of course not!" Nana chuckled, eyeing me and smiling slyly. "You are too direct. I, on the other hand, am old and wise and female -- I have time to scheme... You need me -- I am merely doing you the favor of forcing you to realize it."

I examined the issue from every angle. What could this hurt? The deal as I had proposed it required whomever I 'took to my bed,' as Nana put it, to sleep with young Javier -- which would cure their foolishness, no doubt. Nothing was said indicating that I had to keep either of them. The old woman's wits were razor-sharp -- I was better off if she were a friend than an enemy. Maybe she WAS a valuable resource; perhaps I should ask her to follow Hopkins the Younger around, keeping her out of trouble... "Very well," I replied, "Send..." Who was the best choice to make this work with Javier in control in the end? "...Estrella around to my quarters. Let's see if she has any idea how to take care of a man."

Nana nodded. "You are not without wit and intelligence," she declared. "Estrella would have been my choice in your position. But you should make the call -- I manipulate better from behind the curtains..."

"You and the Wizard of Oz," I mused. "Fine."

"I will leave you now," Nana replied. "AI, shut this thing off! I was just getting used to cell phones..."

I chuckled despite myself. "Get me Estrella Salazar."

In a moment, she appeared on the screen. "Decurion?"

"Your mother has convinced me that I should allow you an opportunity to impress me," I announced. "After you've thanked her and received whatever advice I'm certain she will offer you regarding the matter, go to my quarters. I expect to find it spotless when I arrive. We will be touring several messes for dinner; I will expect you to behave perfectly, so if you were not paying attention in classes, you should embark upon remedial training. You will be staying the night -- if I do not become irritated and kick you out of my bed. Do you remember the other half of the rules of the offer as I presented them?"

Estrella stood there, her face reflecting the conflict within her over whether she should pretend ignorance or not. I sighed. "You are not your mother -- she would have had an answer ready -- with justifications for it if I called her on it. To remind you, you will present yourself to your grandson and spend tomorrow night in HIS bed. Are we clear? These are the ground rules, and I expect you to abide by them."

"He's my grandson!"

"Yes."

"He's fourteen!"

"He's fully functional, I'm told. What he needs is an experienced woman to teach him how to do things right -- someone with patience and experience -- and who loves the boy..." I eyed her for about three seconds. "No? AI, get me Gr..."

"I'll do it!" Estrella erupted.

"I'm done arguing and cajoling," I said coldly. "You will obey me -- PERFECTLY -- or I will punish you! Are we clear?"

"Yes, Decurion."

"A concubine of mine is always on display as an example of perfect servitude -- or, worst case, as an example of the results of failure. I have an example to set."

"I understand, Decurion."

"If you decide you cannot perform to standard, send your daughter," I instructed. "You mother seems to think that one of you can be taught to meet my standard. Poor Javier..." I waved a disconnect signal to the AI.

Fifteen minutes later, Nana was back, cackling. "Yes, you are the man... My daughter and granddaughter are both spirited beasts, trained in America to think they are superior. I'm enjoying watching you at work already. Will you ride them like a cowboy?"

"And take a chance at being thrown?" I retorted. "Unlikely. I'll tie them to a post and let them get tired and thirsty and tractable trying to pull away. Then they will stand to the saddle." I grinned. "I may not even sex Estrella tonight, knowing that she won't escape Javier tomorrow."

Nana's face split in a wide grin. "That is EVIL! Brilliant! Promise me, though, that you will take her at least once before you decide..."

"The deal was for me to use her everywhere. It wouldn't be a fair test if I didn't..." I stopped then, because of the expression that flickered across Nana's face. "What?"

Nana eyed me for a bit, then said quietly, "As long as you subscribe to the concept of 'fair', I will always win -- because I know when to dispense with it and when not to." She closed the connection, leaving me one very thoughtful individual...