Chapter 19: The Price

"Paris is well worth a mass."
HENRY OF NAVARRE

"I would rather be a beggar and single than a queen and married."
QUEEN ELIZABETH I OF ENGLAND

As the weeks passed she continued to learn from the computer. Her skills improved both in creating programs and in giving immediate commands to people she met. The lessons covered other things, too. Each chapter in the tutorial was followed by an extensive test. Only after passing the test was she allowed to advance to the next chapter. History lessons on a gallery of rulers, from Alexander the Great to V.I. Lenin, as well as commentaries dealing with various aspects of leadership were given.

As Gina's reawakened moral beliefs slowly fused with the taped personality she had lived with for so long, her interest in sex leveled out, but still reared itself on occasion. A few times she called the escort service and had men, and more rarely women, come to the house. Sometimes she controlled them and had them do her bidding, other times she would allow them their own minds. She always tipped generously.

Ben was neutral about this. He explained one evening after dinner. "It's your choice. Don't forget who you are, though. You hold power of life and death over every human being. Hold your subjects close, but not too close. Especially with your family."

"What about my family?"

"Don't get upset, but I think you should erase yourself from their memories, like I did with mine..."

"No," she said flatly.

He shrugged. "I understand. It might not even be the best thing for you. You're part of the new world, Gina. I believe that's what the world needs in its ruler right now. Out with the old, in with the new. The king is dead, long live the queen. Gina, would you marry me?"

"Huh?" He had a habit of switching subjects on the fly like that.

"I love you and I'd like you to be the mother of my child." He said it like he was asking her to pick up some milk at the market.

Gina looked at him for a few seconds. "No," she said, shaking her head.

"May I ask why?"

"I don't love you."

"You did at one time. Remember that night in the hospital long ago, when we first met? By now you must have realized that it was no coincidence. As soon as I learned that your parents were going to tell you kids of their plans to divorce, I dropped everything and commandeered a military jet into town. I ordered the doctors to slap a cast on my leg to kindle sympathy from you and had them put me into your room. Everything was arranged with fine precision so I could spend some time with you alone and try to recover you. I fell in love you that first night. But even if I had hated you, you'd still be here today."

"Later on, when I freed you from your tape commands, I tried to make you see me as a potential enemy. That was to test your powers of machination, as well as your ruthlessness. I must admit, you did so-so on that, you're just too trusting... Stalin would have had you for breakfast. Fortunately, there are no more Stalins, at least not for you. Whether or not you create one someday or not still remains to be seen."

"Anyway, I'm not asking you to marry me because I love you, and you shouldn't be refusing because you don't love me. I'm doing it so you'll have your child. I can see as plain as day that you're going to have one sooner or later, You're just that type of person. And when it does, you'll maybe have a husband kicking around the palace. Eventually you'll tell him about your... profession, as it were. Hell, you might even do something really stupid like freeing *him* from tape bondage. With two people free all my precautions become moot. The results could be very, very bad. Besides, I'd make a good husband, and you'd inherit everything after I'm gone. A sensible solution, don't you think?"

"But I don't want to get married."

Ben closed his eyes and sighed. He carefully folded his napkin and set it on the plate in front of him. "When will you start thinking about something other than yourself?" He stood and left the room.

Gina took stacks of clothes out of the dresser drawers and put them into her suitcase. The doctor stood, leaning against the doorway.

"You've never been one to run away before, Gina. Can't we work this out?"

"There's nothing to work out. I quit. Get somebody else to run the world."

"No. You're it."

"I don't want it."

"Do you want to be taped again? To be returned to the community?"

Gina stopped packing. She looked at the doctor, her face full of loathing."Is that my choice? Either be trapped with you or go back to being a happy idiot?"

"You weren't always happy back when, as I recall. But no, you have lots of choices. I gave you the power to make these choices because I felt you were the best person for the job. I still do. The fact that you don't want it only confirms my judgment. A good rule of thumb: Anyone who wants to rule the world should under no circumstances be allowed to do so. But you don't have to leave."

"Do I still have to marry you?"

"Not immediately, but if you do stay, eventually you will."

Gina forced her suitcase closed and locked it. "Here's the keys to the car. I returned all the other stuff."

Ben shrugged. "Keep it." Gina tossed them onto the bed. "I assume that you're going to be staying with your mother for now." he said.

"I don't think that's any of your business."

"You're right. Sorry to nose in. May I call you once in a while, to see how you're doing?"

Gina made a face. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

"I understand. Well, I wish you good luck. We may not meet again." He turned and left.

Picking up the suitcase, she walked out the bedroom door. Ben was nowhere to be seen. She went down to the foyer. Mrs. Montoya was waiting there. Gina went to the woman and took her hand. "Goodbye, Mees Gina," the older woman said, holding back a tear.

"Goodbye Esmerelda. I'm going to miss you." They kissed each other's cheeks.

"Why he no leave instead of you?" Gina frowned, suddenly suspicious at the reference to the doctor. A part of her still didn't think he would just let her walk out like this. Maybe he was using Mrs. Montoya to get her to stay somehow. Without another word, she picked up her bag, opened the front door and exited.

Mindy and Gina Robinson sat at the kitchen table working a jigsaw puzzle. As they searched and tried pieces, they talked. As worried as Mindy was about her daughter, she patiently waited until Gina was ready to talk to her about Ben.

Gina said, "I think Lisa took it the hardest when I dissolved all my sex circles. She said that I was way beyond nun and had gone directly to Virgin Mary status. She said I should get some help."

"To be honest dear, I'm still a trifle baffled why you did it. You say you still love us, but you don't *love* us." She shook her head.

"I really can't explain, mom. It's just... , not right."

"So you keep saying." Mindy took her daughter's hand and held it tenderly. "Honey, I think it would be good for you." She lightly ran her fingers over it and slowly brought it up to her lips.

Gina pulled her hand back. "Mother, stop that!"

Mindy's eyes glazed over. "Yes, mistress," she droned. Then, a second later, she blinked and resumed searching for pieces.

Gina sighed. Her mother continued to make gentle advances to her, despite her commands that she stop. The attitudes about sex were too ingrained, at too high a meta-imperative. She would obey Gina for a short while, then the instruction would wear off and her incestuous impulses would return. She could have taped her not to do this, but she would have to return to the doctor's house to prepare the tape.

Kevin and Sally came over for dinner that night. Afterwards, in the family room, they had an announcement to make.

"Mom, sis? We have something to tell you. Sally's pregnant!"

"That's wonderful!" Mindy gushed. Mindy and Sally stood and hugged. "Grandchildren at last! When are you due?"

"Around Christmas."

"I hope she enjoys these as much as I have," she said, squeezing Sally's breasts. The pair started to kiss and play with each other.

"How big do you think they'll get?" Sally asked.

Mindy pulled Sally's tee-shirt off... Her already copious breasts jiggled free. "I don't think they'll get much bigger. But they'll be sensitive." The older woman knelt and pulled down the other's sweats. Then Sally undressed Mindy and they went to the couch and sat together. They each placed a hand on the other's pussy and began to rub.

Gina stood and left the room. She went upstairs to her bedroom and sat on the bed. The wantonness that her mother and her brother's girlfriend were showing for each other made her a little nauseous. She'd seen her mother masturbating several times since she'd moved back home, but this was just too much. She heard a gentle knocking on the door.