Ten days after I was extracted I was just getting home to my quarters after training, when the AI reported that Sylvia, Billy Jo, Karen, Susan, Sally, Mary Beth and Linda wanted to talk to me privately. We decided to meet in my study because there was plenty of room for eight people and the other sponsors wanted the concubines out of the conversation for some reason.

As the ladies arrived in the pod I could see that all except Sylvia looked like they had not slept well for a few days, possibly since the extraction.

I started the meeting off with, "Welcome to my humble abode, can I get you anything to drink?"

I knew I was in trouble when the ladies requested coffee or tea. As they began to relax a little while we were waiting for the drinks from the nearby replicator, I could see just how tired they were. They were all yawning and fidgeting. They were obviously beyond their comfort level on something.

My mother was not saying anything, just letting them work on getting their courage up. The coffee and tea came. We passed it around and the ladies started drinking it. The effect the coffee had in itself seemed amazing. I later found out that the AI was worried and had added a tasteless stimulant and something to reduce their fear to the drinks.

The AI knew the ladies were going through some pretty serious problems and needed my help. It also knew just how scared the ladies were. I did not need the AI's nanites to tell me that there was a big problem at least in the minds of the ladies. They oozed fear at a level that I could almost smell.

Sally finally started, "Bruce, we have a problem and we would like to discuss it with you. We would like to hear your advice on the matter.

"The problem is pretty much the same for all of us. Our lives and our concubines are out of control and getting worse no matter what we try. The basic reason, we believe, is because we have no male in our harem. Some of us foolishly thought that our sexual needs and those of our concubines would be met by other sponsors. Others of us have lost our male concubines and are not having any luck replacing them.

"Apparently most male sponsors have their hands full right now and are not interested in adding to their problems. We have all tried to find sponsors we trust to solve our sex issues but we are not having any luck."

Sally stopped, unsure of herself, and Karen took over, "Billy Jo, Linda and I have also tried to replace our male concubine with a new concubine from the pool but the candidates are awful.

"Some of us have tried to use the Civil Service (CS) brothels, but that just scared us and our concubines. I changed my mind both times."

Susan continued, "I initially thought that my concubines and I were just too tall for the men but that is just not the case because all the other ladies here have the same problem. No one wants to have sex with us. With our libidos turned up that is a serious problem. We and our concubines need our itches scratched. We need sex bad and no amount of masturbating is coming even close to solving the problem."

Mary Beth said, "My concubines are fighting. They are being disrespectful to me and demanding I find them a man. I had to paddle two of them yesterday after one insulted another and a fight broke out. I am afraid to consider what my quarters are going to look like when I return."

Linda said, "Things in my apartment are also deteriorating. My mother is helping keep everyone in line but even she is obviously biting her tongue until it bleeds. It is only a matter of time with her."

<<They are dealing with the things that were done to help them bond. Their lives are confused because only copulation will trigger the proper hormones to reduce their needs. Until they copulate with a male human, nothing is going to put an end to their problems.

<<It is not going to get better over time either. You could fix it now but two days from now they are going to be in the same spot.>>

Sally then continued, shaking and with tears in her eyes, "We can all see where this is heading. We are all going to end up on the 'Punishments of the Day Show'. We are deathly afraid of that."

Sally was referencing the daily video feed of judicial punishments administered to sponsors and concubines for breaking rules and regulations. The bottom line was, sponsors were responsible for their own behavior and the behavior of their concubines and dependents. Some of the more serious violations were handled with corporal punishment. The punishments were public and shown as a deterrent. Sponsors and concubines were required to watch the feed at least once during their training. The punishments were carried out by Marines. They were often cruel and vicious. Sometimes concubines were required by their sponsors to view the feed as a reminder of what could occur if they did not get with the program.

Losing control of your concubines in public was one the the crimes that could get you a guest appearance on the show.

After she let that image sink in Sally continued, "We decided to get together with your mother and discuss the situation. We needed help. She told us the story of your testing, the outcome and then forming a joint household. She suggested that we find someone to form a joint household with us.

"It was then that I found out why I was at your birthday party and extracted. You wanted me as your concubine. When you found out that I was a sponsor and could not be your concubine, you went out of your way to talk the AI into extracting me and my pre-pack.

"Ever since I was eight years old I had wanted to marry you and have children. When the Sa'arm landed I knew that could not happen any more."

"As I told everyone at the meeting, 'I would rather be your concubine than be in the mess I have created.' Then I realized there was a way. I could form a joint household with you!

"Please Bruce, I want to have your children. I want my concubines to have your children. I am willing to go to extreme lengths to accomplish this. I love you! I will do anything for you! Please let's join households."

I sat there for a second stunned. She was really scared.

Then I extrapolated. I said, "Wait a minute! The six of you! You all want to be part of my household?"

The six said "YES!" simultaneously.

The tilt meter in my mind was going off. I was for the first time in a long time not sure what to do. The right thing in my mind was to say, 'Sorry, I just have too much on my plate already.' I knew I was already stretched too thin. This would have been a disaster waiting to happen but I could not turn them down either. In my own way I considered them my family, being that I was responsible for them being extracted. At the same time I could not allow this to happen to my household.

"Ladies, you've obviously been talking to the AI and my mother. I need to ask the AI a few things and make sure we are on the same page. Please be patient while I do."

I said sub-vocally to the AI, <AI, is this possible, can we form a household with eight sponsors?> I was hoping for the answer of 'no.'

The AI responded, <<I don't see why not. I would have stopped them before they arrived here if I thought it would not work. It has been done before in many colonies. Usually it is men getting together to help each other in their work, and keep their families happy.

<<As I explained to the ladies earlier though, the only way this is going to work, in your household is if all seven of the female sponsors agree to defer to you in all household matters. They have to be on the same terms as your mother and you.>>

I said to the AI, <Have you spelled out my mother's and my agreement to them?>

<<With your mother's help, yes they understand the terms. That includes the discipline terms, termination rights, the first spanking and sex test drive. Most of them are concerned about the spanking and test drive, with the exception of Linda, but they are willing to do just about anything to have you as their partner in their household. They agree that it would be best if they all were on the same terms and have agreed to the spanking and sex.

<<Linda is looking forward to the spanking and sex. Several of the sponsors find the spanking idea kinky and interesting. You need to remember their libidos are turned up to make sure that they bond with their concubines and the concubines are turned up even higher. Unfortunately, the women don't have the proper hardware to deliver the necessary chemicals in an ejaculation to counter the chemicals used to increase their libidos. The female sponsors and concubines libidos are just getting stronger. The sooner you have sex with them the better.

<<These particular sponsors need a partner even more than sex. The spanking will just make them hotter and more ready to receive you.>>

I continued to the AI, <I don't think this will work. I see major problems because Ed and I are spread too thin already. Ed is going to croak when I am away or deployed. We need more men.>

Then I said to the AI, <My mother initiated this, didn't she.>

The AI said, <<Yes, but to her credit she initially started talking to the women when she saw how unhappy they were. She is more experienced and wanted to try to help them. The idea of joining households came to her during the conversations. I was partly at fault because I revealed the reason they were extracted. Your mother felt they needed a strong male or they were going to fail. She thought that you might help.

<<Sally stated that she would rather be your concubine than in the mess she was seeing develop in her household. She said that the only way to fix her problem, as far as she could see was to send one of her concubines to civil service and get a male. I knew that getting a male from the current crop in the pool was a very limited affair, from the experiences of Linda, Billy Jo and Karen trying to replace their males. I was also seeing signs that someone was going to get hurt if things did not change. The other five ladies agreed with Sally.

<<Your mother thought of coming to you for help and thought of combining households temporarily. The other women wanted it on a permanent basis. Your mother, knowing you were stretched, decided a permanent joint household was not a good idea. They ladies disagreed and talked your mother into it. The next thing your mother knew she was making sure that they succeeded in convincing you that it would work. She didn't start manipulating you or coaching the ladies until then. She knows she is manipulating you into a situation you cannot refuse and you are not going to be happy, but she also thinks if it earns her a spanking it is worth it for the common good. She is worried that she is spreading you too thin and is scared that you will reject the idea because of it. Then she will have earned the spanking for nothing. She and I hope that you will think of something.>>

Then AI said, <<If anything, I am more responsible than your mother for this mess and I found myself helping them talk you into this.

<<The ladies started working on their pitches to you. I thought that they would wait a day or two before coming to you. I think they were more desperate than I surmised because once they were done they wanted to talk to you today.

<<I suggest that you let them all say their little speeches as they have worked very hard all day preparing them. They state how they feel about you and explain their problems. It will also help them bond with you, if they think you are listening to them and helping them.

<<Once you agree, I want to get the households involved with each other to work together to solve the sex schedule problems. If they work together on a schedule there will be less jealousy. It will let them lay the framework for more cooperation and working together in the future.>>

I looked at the ladies and thought about their current concubines. I asked the AI, <As far as I can tell it looks like they all chose their closest friends. Do any of them have a mother figure or a medical concubine?>

The AI responded, <<No they do not. Oh, I see where you are going with this. It solves a several problems. I have no problem with applying the mother figure and medical professional rules to them, IF they get on board with you and you agree to father two thirds of the children. Sally, Mary Beth and Susan will need two concubines, a female qualifying mother and a male. One of them will be a qualifying medical person. Billy Jo, Linda and Karen will need three more concubines. I suggest a male, a breeding female and a female mother figure. One of the three needs to be a medical person. It will also even up the situation with your household. Your mother will agree to two extra concubines too. She understands the problem of you being stretched too thin. One of her current concubines qualifies as a mother figure so you can specify one male for her, one being a medical person.>>

The AI paused and said, <<It would be better though if this idea came from you than me. When you are explaining this to them you need to lay down the law. If they will not agree to them adding male concubines then this is not going to work well. Make it part of the terms to the deal.>>

<<This also gives the AIs justification for a pickup at 'Brigham's and Women's Hospital' (BWH) in Boston. We've been wanting to do something like that for years. We can pickup a bunch of women and men who are doctors and nurses but do not have a qualifying CAP. There is a trauma conference ongoing there today and tomorrow. The men are quite capable but they are not military material and have been exempted from the draft. The AIs have been wanting to ask for this to solve several problems but could not justify the risk.

<<The biggest problem we have is the people don't trust a machine. They want to feel that someone who understands what it is to be human is in charge of their health care. This is particularly troublesome during pregnancy and the act of giving birth. There will be several sponsors but we needed more to justify it. We will guarantee sponsorship for as many concubines that want to come. All they have to do is prove that they are medical personnel or are qualifying mothers figures. Some of the sponsors in your colony need more concubines. They will have a better selection now. The rehab colony, which we are hoping to start somewhere soon also needs more people.

<<This is a fabulous idea. I can solve problems on several other colonies that way too. There is a shortage of doctors on all colonies. I've just cleared it with DECO they will do it tomorrow. DECO knew about the medical problem and the shortage of mother figure concubines.>>

I said, <BWH is a good idea, but there are several other hospitals in the general area. You ought to do them all at the same time. Just remember not to strip the hospitals bare. It would not be good for the sick in the hospitals if you did. It would be the worst possible publicity.>

<<Agreed. For the record, your problem solving skills have impressed me again. When we are done here I have a proposal to make to you.>>

I said, <My problem causing skills are impressing me right now. Let's hear their stories.>

"Okay ladies the AI and I are done. Please continue with your presentation."

Realizing Sally was done, Susan started her little speech. "Bruce, we met several years ago at one of my basketball games. I had never met a jock who was smart and treated me right. You were shorter than me but were not intimidated at all. I found myself thinking of you in terms of a boyfriend even though you were younger than me. Then the Sa'arm thing happened, when I received my CAP score my life changed. I needed to save my friends. I figured that the problem with not having a male could be handled by using other sponsors for conception sex. I thought otherwise the women in my family could use males in the brothels everyone has heard about. I had no idea how bad an idea that was going to be.

"I was shocked to hear that the reason I was extracted at your party was because you had attempted to select me as a concubine and when learning that I was not available saw to it that I was extracted anyway. You even made sure my pre-pack was extracted. I can assure you that I was moved by this, in more ways than one. I thank you for saving my life and someday I hope to repay you.

"Beyond that though, when I heard that it was possible to form joint households I immediately wanted to be part of your household. When your mother said we could try it I was ready to jump for joy. I am willing to go to extreme lengths to make being part of your household happen."

Billy Jo then related her story. Billy Jo said, "Bruce, I know you as a fine lab partner and a gentleman who never attempted to take advantage of me even when I was very vulnerable and made mistakes. Sally is a good friend, if not I would have wanted to go out with you and who knows what would have happened. If the chemistry teacher knew how many times you saved my experiments, I would have received a D instead of an A. My dad would have roasted my butt. The idea of having you spank me for messing up some of those labs made me hot and bothered. I could not hurt Sally that way though.

"I thank you for having me extracted and bringing my pre-pack. I thank you even more for having me extracted in a way that showed me how bad a choice I made for a male concubine.

"I again need your help. I would like to be part of your household. I am willing to agree to just about any terms and conditions."

Then it was Karen's turn. She too was still very pissed off at her boyfriend. "I was not immediately interested in finding a replacement for him but I found that, with all the sex going on around the moon base, my concubines and I could not stand not having any. My concubines are getting very upset with me and I have already had to paddle two of them for getting too abusive to me. I am afraid things are beginning to get out of control and therefore I began to seek out other sponsors. I apparently underestimated the task because I have been turned down by everyone I have asked. My youth and inexperience was not worth anything when the men have experienced concubines that are much more fun." I could see tears in her eyes as she was talking about the rejection.

Karen paused a second, composing herself and then continued, "I was surprised by the extraction at your birthday party, but I was glad that my pre-pack was with me. It never occurred to me that you had set it up that way.

"Bruce, I again need your help. Would you please allow my family and I be part of your household? I am more than willing to accept the conditions you have agreed to with Sylvia."