Chapter 18: Resistance

It was five hours later, around midnight, when Kay and Leslie came out of the break room.

All the worshipers were completely spent. They were sprawled over floor, exhausted.

The Ladies were busy raiding the vending machines.

"Whew! What a workout," said Leslie. "I don't think I could fuck another man, if my life depended on it."

"Liar," said Kay. "You're still horny, you just need some calories. She put her hand on top of Leslie's pussy.

The newest goddess gave a little shudder, then laughed. "You're right. I guess I really am insatiable."

"We all are. I'd like to run an experiment someday. Which would give out first, our libido or our stamina."

Leslie glanced down the hall, then nudged Kay. "Look."

Halfway down the hall was an area that was twice as wide as the rest of the hall. In that area was a time clock and some government safety posters.

In that area was a long table, arrayed with double quarter-pounders, fries, chocolate shakes, and apple pies. Standing behind the table was Monica, and two of the new immunes: Ed, the security guard, and a petite carrot top named Janet. The two novices were wearing green surgical scrubs.

Scrubs had become the default novice's uniform in Chihuahua.

Kay and Leslie dove into the food. Each wolfed down three burgers before they talked.

"There's not enough food here, you know." said Kay. "Not when you include all the faithful."

"I know," said Monica. "I am having more delivered every twenty minutes."

Kay shook her head in wonder. "What efficiency.

"Of all my decisions I've made lately, choosing you to be high priestess was my best, Monica."

The willowy Mexican flushed slightly, and nodded her head.

"I didn't know McDonald's delivers," said Leslie, after she'd introduced herself to Monica.

"They don't, normally. Pay enough money, and people are willing to change the rules."

Alice came out of the break room, and joined in the midnight snack.

"Weren't there three immunes found here?" asked Kay.

"Ah, that's Brad," said Monica. "I need to talk to you about him." She escorted Kay down the hall.

Kay motioned to Alice to join them.

Alice, who had just finished her first double quarter-pounder, grabbed two more, and followed.

As they passed the break room, Alice opened the door and called out, in a soft voice. "There's food out here."

All the awake goddesses bolted for the door.

Monica lead the two deities to Donald's office reception area to talk. "Brad does not want to be a priest."

Kay nodded. "It was bound to happen."

"He says he is happy with his life. He doesn't want to join us."

"I understand. You've done such a good job with all the other immunes, I've taken it for granted that they'd all be willing."

Alice interrupted. "How do you manage to convince so many to accept the priesthood?"

"Well, two-thirds of the immunes are women."

"Really?" asked Kay. "I hadn't noticed."

"Check the list. It's true.

"Anyway, the married women find themselves with an unfaithful husband."

"Like your aunt, Theresa," said Alice.

"Right. Most of them can't live with their husbands having sex with other women. They are suddenly alone, with no attachments. They latch onto the priesthood as a new life.

"Single women, like me, freak out when they see how much power over people you goddesses have. I sell the priesthood as a way to control them.

"This also works on some men, but most need monetary compensation. I told Ed, for instance, that his new job would still be security, but with double the pay, plus room and board for his whole family."

"His wife didn't come with him?" asked Kay.

"He never went home. I was filling him in on his situation at the time. His wife will visit tomorrow. I don't know how he'll take her having sex with women."

"What if she's immune too," asked Alice.

"The odds of that happening are astronomical. It has not happened yet. If she is immune, we'll keep them together, working as a team."

Kay redirected the conversation. "Why didn't the financial incentive work on Brad?"

"He owns his own business. He likes to make his own money. When we offer him twice what he made last year. He says that he'll make more than that in the coming year."

"I understand," said Kay. "Let me talk to him."

"He's in the office across the hall. He's cuffed to a chair. I had to tranquilize him first."

The three stood outside the office.

"Monica, give me your gun," said Kay.

"Which? The tranq gun or the nine millimeter?"

"The real one."

Monica unholstered the gun on her left thigh, and handed to the head Lady.

Kay walked through the doorway.

In the room was Brad, sitting in a solid plain aluminum chair; his hands cuffed behind him. He was a slim black man in his thirties, with short curly hair. A set of green scrubs lay folded at his feet. His eyes bugged out when he saw the gun in Kay's hand.

"I suppose you're the head goddess," he said with remarkable calm.

"I am Kay."

"Brad Grimes."

"We have a bit of a problem."

"I guess you could say that. You want me to join your merry little cult. And I don't want to."

"We're more than a cult. You saw how the people react to us."

"Some..."

"Over ninety-seven percent of all people worship us on sight. If affects them on a genetic level."

"And I happen to be part of the unaffected three percent."

"Exactly. To us, these people happen to be both a threat and an asset. We need you to become, for lack of a better word, one of our priests."

"I am a businessman. I've spent years building my web design company. I'm not going to throw it away and join you.

"Just leave me alone, and I won't interfere with your plans of global domination."

Kay sighed. "I wish I could. You see I'm very good at reading people; and I read in you, more than a little hostility."

"What do you expect? I'm dragged by my neighbor to what I thought was going to be an orgy. I was knocked out, and told that I had to join this cult... sorry, religion."

"It is this hostility that makes you a danger to us. I'm afraid you either join us, or I'll have to kill you." Kay leveled the nine millimeter pistol at his head.

"You... you wouldn't."

"I would. I have. Tell him, Alice."

Alice nodded. "Kay is more than capable. She's already killed one immune, with her bare hands."

"I snapped his neck." She handed the gun back to Monica. "If I were to kill you, I'd do it the same way."