Chapter 68

Mark:

Monday morning I bounded out of bed at the sound of the alarm, squeezing a handful of Graciela's plush ass, and went off to shower and prepare for the day. Life was good -- I had more sex from hot women than I knew what to do with and things were starting to turn on the couples front. Javier met me in the main room for coffee, also looking chipper; there was some kind of an issue between him and his mother, but sex with Grandma Estrella was just fine ... I suspected it was merely the fact that Estrella was mellower -- maybe only in bed, but then, that's the location under discussion...

We gathered the clan for breakfast; I coordinated with Javier as to our planned final stop and elected to take Nana with me on my usual audit...

... And that's where things got a little weird...

You see, Nana was dressed -- in more or less regular clothing, the way dependents (mostly children) were dressed, not in a sponsor's uniform or a crew uniform. But she APPEARED to be maybe forty ... Concubines that looked at her were immediately incensed; if she was forty and not a sponsor, then she was a concubine, right? And if she was a concubine, why wasn't she naked? I passed off the initial rumbles and grumbles, not realizing the problem, but in the second mess, we were approached. A heavyset woman planted herself in front of me and said, "Decurion, what's up with this woman?" Why do I have to run around naked and she doesn't?" In a blink of an eye, it seemed that we were surrounded by unhappy concubines of both sexes...

"There is a simple answer," I replied, frowning at her in my best forbidding manner. "The woman is dressed as a dependent because she IS a dependent. MY dependent."

"Yeah, right!" some male groused. "What makes her a dependent?"

I thought about it. "AI, please project Nana Salazar's appearance upon arrival on the Valhalla." The AI obliged, displaying Nana as a crone in widow's weeds. "Nana is the product of the same medical treatments many of you have obtained and will obtain," I explained, "but there is only so much that can be done. She is -- how old are you, Nana?"

"Eighty-two," Nana supplied.

"As a result, we can't possibly restart her reproductive system. This is the youngest appearance we can provide for her, unlike many of you who will likely be shifted back to your teens or twenties. Therefore, she is a dependent."

"She doesn't LOOK like a dependent," someone grumbled. "How do I know that's her?"

"Do you remember World War Two, young man?" Nana asked. "I don't mean newsreels -- do you REMEMBER it? How much do you think gasoline cost during the Great Depression?"

"I don't know," the guy rasped, "Do you?"

I rubbed my face; appearances were deceiving, regularly, given Confederacy medical care -- but many of these people had not been exposed to it enough yet to realize that they might be looking at an octogenarian. This was a complication I hadn't expected when I ordered Nana regressed as far as was practical...

"Marcus, would it make your life easier if I went nude?" Nana asked. Despite a certain mild danger, her eyes were laughing. No doubt there were a dozen automated stingers pointed at this mess, but whose fault was it, anyway?

"It would seem to be the simplest solution," I admitted.

"Then I will make it so." Nana started getting out of her clothing. "Does that meet with everyone's approval?"

A small child appeared, having wormed her way through the crowd. "You're really eighty-two?"

"Yes I am, child. Let that be a lesson to you -- appearances can be deceiving." Nana, having removed everything, rolled her clothing up, then eyed the roll, grimacing, before turning and walking slowly to the recycler and dumping it. People parted before her and tended to close after, but she made it back to me unmolested. Smiling crookedly, Nana said, "Actually, I'm somewhat pleased that you think I look good enough to join you in this -- you certainly would not have wanted me to a week ago..."

"You look better than me," the original woman grumbled.

"Your sponsor will no doubt improve your appearance markedly, child..." Nana patted the woman's face. "All will be well. I'm sure you'll have many fine children; alas, my days of making such a contribution are long at an end." Nana turned to me. "Shall we go, Marcus?"

We had no further issues -- UNTIL we got back to the family! Graciela freaked! "Why is Nana naked?" she demanded.

"I'm not naked, Granddaughter," Nana replied haughtily, "I'm wearing a fine outfit of youth and beauty -- and as such should be on display!" Further explanations took a few minutes -- but the family understood, once they thought about it. "If the price I pay to look like this is to display it for my men to see, I pay it gladly!" Nana declared. "Other men get to look, but not touch..." I had the AI replicate some flip-flops; Nana had been wearing regular shoes when accosted, leaving her barefoot -- and everyone ELSE was in flip-flops -- well, all of the other concubines, anyway.

With the uproar behind us, we ate, then Marisol and Javier headed off to classes and I escorted my harem back to my quarters -- from the center of the formation. I was enjoying the sway and roll of Graciela's generous hips from the rear when Nana crept up beside me and whispered, "Have you had her culo yet?"

"No." But I threw a hardon.

"Leave it to me. Marisol and I will prepare her for tonight."

"Estrella has the duty," I objected.

"Duty -- bah! Pleasure, you mean!" Nana retorted. "There will be plenty for Estrella after you have introduced Graciela to the joys of having her culo plunged..."

"What are you angling for now, old woman?" I whispered back, amused.

"It is my place to be indispensable..."

I chuckled; the little sneak WAS up to something! I hugged her to me, murmuring, "I don't know if I can spare you, now that I have drunk in your nude glory..."

"It's all part of my grand plan for domination of the males in the family," Nana teased. "Watch the tetas..." She wriggled her shoulders, initiating a delightful jiggle. "Soon, you will follow me everywhere, drooling, like you do Graciela's culo..." I laughed out loud, prompting a glance from Graciela -- which caused another chuckle.

"Graciela's culo will wait until tomorrow," I chided Nana, "I'd planned to drag you along with me today, especially now that you're dressed for it."

Nana cocked her head and eyed me sidelong, smiling, "Perhaps I can interest you in my culo?" She presented it and twitched it at me.

"When you have given up your plans for male domination, perhaps," I chuckled.

"When that happens, I will show you a culo that knows how to entertain your pito..." Nana smiled.

"You two!" Estrella erupted, hands on her hips in mock horror, "Why don't you just do it in the hallway? Nana, have you no honor? You would steal our man from us to be your plaything? Your own daughter and granddaughter?"

Nana waved negligently at her, "Eh, you are American -- you have no appreciation for the finer things ... Marcus is a pearl beyond price, and you would spend him for hamburgers."

I laughed out loud.

We dropped the girls off and went to Colonist Control and then my office -- but the culo talk continued off and on all day, comments like:

"Estrellita has done it, I am sure; Hector would have talked her into it. But you know Estrellita -- she's a bit of a tight-ass, so she probably has bad habits. I'm sure she would whine about it hurting."

And another time:

"I have high hopes for Marisol -- she's young and eager and doesn't have the hang-ups the other two do. I'm sure that if it is presented properly, she'll be thrilled to death to let you use her culo all the time..."

I was surprised that she didn't prognosticate about Javier! Of course, the upshot of the whole thing was that by evening my cock was like steel! Still, I gritted my teeth and determined that there would be no ass action; Estrella's pussy would do just fine. Actually, I needed her mouth before dinner to take the edge off. Estrella, of course, wanted to know the source of the excitement -- and Nana, seemingly unconcerned, was happy to provide the information: "We've been discussing Graciela's culo -- well, and yours ... And Marisol's, too, I think..." THAT got me a look...

"You are fascinated by... ?"

"Actually, it's your mother who won't drop the subject," I growled. "She thinks she's found something to tease me with and it has been culo, culo, culo all day long..."

"Well..." Estrella raised an eyebrow.

"Well, nothing!" I snapped. "If you want, we can see if Nana's predictions regarding you are correct -- or you can do what you were doing!"

"He's a little testy, isn't he?" Nana said mildly.

"Mama!" Estrella backed off her suction to admonish her mother.

"Of course, you know who has the most fuckable culo in the Salazar family, right?" I growled. "According to Nana, of course..."

Estrella gave her mother a look, "So THAT's it!"

"Just exactly!" I replied. "It's a blatant attempt to lure me into her web -- and she's turned you into a victim! Suck!"

Estrella managed to laugh about it.

Later, in bed, Estrella, fiddling with the fur around my right nipple, mused, "It has been a long time since Mama has had a man..."

"And?"

"You should give her a taste of her own medicine."

"How, exactly?"

"Make her watch." Estrella grinned at me. "Make her watch you with me, make her watch you with Graciela, make her watch you with Marisol. If you want to win this battle, you need to take the fight to her!"

"You could have a point," I agreed, "but your ass might be forfeit. In the process of giving her what she thinks she wants I may have to lay a trap. Currently, she thinks exposing me to culo will cause an addiction."

"I would do this. Mama needs to be taken down a peg. I will speak to Graciela, too. We will beg for it and act like it is the most wonderful thing..."

I eyed Estrella. Are women just not happy unless they're involved in some kind of conspiracy? "Very well. If you can, try to brace Graciela. We'll do the thing with all proper ceremony -- and witnesses -- tomorrow night."

"It will be as you say, Master." Estrella grinned.

Oliver:

Monday, I sat down with my girls. Vera was gone for the day; to be fair, Vera was gone, period. I knew that she wanted to continue our relationship after a fashion, but we'd opened her little chrysalis and the butterfly that emerged didn't REALLY need me; she had other needs and desires and foci. Rhonda and Britney were too bright and too valuable to leave at home every day; I wanted them with me. That meant that we needed a woman at home -- and maybe more than one; maybe a man, too, although that admission came harder. Judith was going with Chief Slocum if I had to handcuff them to each other -- anything else was just ridiculous. Therefore it was time to go hunting a couple. After the morning Brinkman staff meeting, I put my girls on it and set myself the more onerous task of preparing the speech I would give Vera releasing her, when that situation came to a head.

I considered that the children were the important component of the situation; I wanted bright, sponsorship-capable children properly picked up and nurtured, if at all possible. That set the girls some parameters and they got busy -- but there was quite a bit of sifting to be done.

As it turned out, they needn't have bothered; I saw something viable the moment it passed in front of me, in the form of a young, well-dressed, dark-haired boy carrying a large bowl of ice cream. We had just arrived for luncheon and the boy was in the line in front of us at the replicators, where he collected his massive dessert -- and he was just in the process of carrying it off when a voice erupted, "Adrian! Adrian Turner, you take that back and get a sandwich, NOW!" I turned to see a somewhat heavy brunette in her early thirties facing the boy down, feet planted, fist on hips.

"Aw, Mom!" the miscreant whined -- but he turned back and took the bowl to the recycler, trying to sneak a bite as he did.

"Adrian..." his mother warned. Adrian dropped the spoon, then dumped the bowl in the recycler, angrily.

"Britney..." I murmured.

"I'm on it." She began murmuring to the AI. In a moment, the data was appearing for me; Evelyn Turner, thirty-two, CAP five point nine, good nurturing and problem-solving scores, mother of Adrian Turner, eleven, in sponsor track at Siefort and Claudette Turner, nine, track indeterminate. Husband Jeffrey, thirty-three, CAP six point one, occupation listed as laboratory technician at a chemical plant.

Nudity did not present Evelyn well; her breasts sagged and the roll at her belly was visible and her legs weren't that nice. She'd had two kids -- and it showed -- and not just in the form of the vertical Caesarian section scar on her belly. She turned and noticed me examining her and looked behind me at my girls -- and burst into tears and fled.

I didn't understand. "What just happened?"

"I think we were a little daunting," Rhonda offered.

"Ah." I thought about it while we collected our food, then turned to young Adrian, who had been forced to rejoin the line behind us. "We're going to go sit over there," I told him, pointing out a spot. "Please ask your mother and father to join us."

Adrian eyed me suspiciously. "Why should I, Mister?"

"Because if you do, I am going to insist that you be allowed that bowl of ice cream," I replied, "AFTER your sandwich, of course."

Adrian gave the idea some thought and nodded. "Okay."

"We'll be waiting." We moved off and settled at the designated table. Moments later, young Adrian gravitated to the vicinity of his parents and delivered the message. His mother's head came up, swung our direction, and her eyes met mine -- then she hunched herself and looked away. Her mate, however, -- a tall, thin, rather cadaverous looking individual in glasses and a brush cut -- gently but firmly motivated her to collect the children and slowly make her way into my presence.

"My son says you want to see us..." Evelyn said quietly, "although I can't guess why."

I waved at seats. "I was impressed with your demonstration of parental authority," I told her. "It's so refreshing these days." While Evelyn eyed me suspiciously to see if I was serious, I turned my attention to the male, "Jeffrey, is it? What kind of laboratory work did you do?"

"New materials research," he replied, naming a major firm. "Polymers, mostly."