Chapter 7: More Lessons

For the next three days, the lessons I taught did not change too much. I did bring Tanya to one class and discussed some childcare, but my emphasis was still on improving the atmosphere in the pod by making sure the others were happy. Some of the girls fought against this idea, particularly Erin who liked to brag about how good the sex was in her pod. Monica, Maxine and Rose were soon the star pupils. They enjoyed the interaction and their excited conversations made it clear that life in their pods was improving. Theresa even stopped by and decided to show the class just how much she appreciated my work at home by giving me a kiss that reduced me to a puddle on the floor. I can still remember struggling to my feet as she addressed the class.

"Ladies, I do hope you are listening closely to David. I know that what he is talking about sounds strange, but it does work. And the results are more than worth it."

It was Erin who had to respond back. I had managed to get my knees under me, but was still trying to restore strength to my legs when the girl snorted. "Ha! You're both just acting for us. Its all about power and control in the pod. If I control George with sex, I have the power over the other girls."

Theresa reached down to help me back to my feet and just shook her head. "And yet, you are in this class. Look, I'm not going to lie to you. I probably don't understand your situation perfectly, but I am a sponsor. David did not get to volunteer to come with me. Instead, I selected him during a pickup. I could have taken a woman, which was my first choice, or one of the other men there, but I approached him and we came to an agreement."

Maxine giggled. "Yeah, a no-sex agreement. He was just there to get Traci pregnant. I've heard the story."

Theresa smiled as the rest of the class gasped. Erin looked almost white with shock. I wanted to speak but Theresa squeezed my hand and waited for the ladies to calm down. Once they did she looked at Maxine. "I forgot just how much you and Traci talked. But it wasn't a no-sex agreement, although at the time I wasn't too happy with the idea of having sex with men. However, the point is that David accepted the position fully. He didn't come along just to be a sex toy, but to fully be part of my life. It makes a huge difference."

Monica was the next to speak. "But it all seems too hard."

Theresa nodded. "Has David ever said it was easy? He probably works harder than I do in our home, but he makes it a home. I haven't been there much, and yet during my last tour I spent a lot of time wishing I was back there in his arms. That's the biggest gift he gives me. I have a place I want to come back to. I have people I'm protecting not just because it's my duty, but because they are important to me. That kiss I just gave wasn't just for show. David treats me like a queen and I don't mind paying him back occasionally. I don't do it often enough."

I kissed Theresa on the cheek. "You never promised me you would, so I appreciate the times you do even more. And I prefer helping you."

Theresa giggled and I noticed most of the class smiling. "See?" Theresa said. "You'd think after being together for over a year that David and I would not be happy together, but we are probably happier. That's what he's trying to show you."

Most of the girls looked thoughtful. I smiled slightly because it seemed we were finally getting through when Nadia appeared in the doorway and walked over to give Theresa a kiss. She had been on a quick visit to the medical pod to verify if she was pregnant, and even if the brilliant smile had not given it away her whispered "Yes" to both of us made it clear that our newest concubine was expecting.

Theresa was turning to hug Nadia when Erin gasped out. "You! George dumped you. What are you doing here?"

Nadia looked over Theresa's shoulder. She just stared quietly and then sighed. "Erin. I shouldn't be surprised, but isn't it a bit fast for George to be so bored? Weren't you promising him endless blowjobs?"

Maxine was looking back and forth between the two and asked. "Wait, I'm missing something. Do you two know each other?"

Erin's spoke up, her voice dripping with venom. "Oh, we do. We spent five weeks together. My George selected her as one of his six concubines, but the stuck-up bitch never would work with him, so he dumped her with the Civil Service shortly after we landed. The barracks is far from here, Blondy. How did you escape?"

I expected Nadia to get upset, but instead she burst out laughing. "Erin, do me a favor tonight. Thank George for dumping me."

"What?" Erin screamed. "Why should I do that? You were an ungrateful bitch to him."

Nadia looked sad for a moment. "No. I don't deny that I felt intimidated by his brain, but I was never ungrateful or a bitch. I would have done just about anything to make him happy, but I never got the chance. The funny thing is that if he had given me more of a chance, I might not be where I am now."

Maxine looked at us and noticed that Theresa and Nadia were holding hands. "Wait! Does that mean that you are with Theresa now?"

Nadia blushed and nodded. "That's part of how David ended up teaching the class. Theresa brought her whole household to the barracks. While she was interviewing candidates David started entertaining a whole bunch of children and I approached him to ask about Theresa. I ended up telling him my story."

Theresa giggled. "And I was standing right behind her to hear the whole thing. After that, my decision was simple to make."

Rose looked at us. "But it looks like you've been together for ages. Has it really been just a week or so?"

Nadia paused to think. "Almost two. But it's been a very comfortable time. David makes it very easy to be part of the household."

One of the other girls, who had been joining in the conversations more and more, spoke up. "I just wish I'd seen most of this earlier. I envy you; you have found something special already. I have a bit more work to make mine special."

I looked at the woman. "So it's working for you..."

The woman seemed to blush; it was hard to tell, as her skin was a deep chocolate brown. "Yolanda. Yes it is working. It's not happening quickly as Stella and I both seem to want to be the top concubine in the household, but once I stopped fighting with her, things got a lot better. I just wish that James was home. He's in the marines and they are off training for a major offensive."

I smiled. "Well, don't give up. Do you have children?"

Yolanda nodded. "Six. I'm really thirty-four and Stella is thirty-two. Stella and I worked at a bar, and James was a customer when there was a pickup. He let us bring the children, but they have so much energy sometimes. How can I help with that?"

Nadia giggled. "Soccer works. Get the kids a ball and some kind of goal. The replicators can make a nice plastic one. I kind of want to try football, but Alex isn't big enough yet."

Erin looked like she might have swallowed a lemon, but Maxine giggled. "Its nice to see the kids outside. So many of the households just stay in their pods and never come out at all. I just wish I knew more people."

I nodded at that. "Yolanda, I do have one suggestion, if things continue to improve between you and Stella. I'm sure that with so many children, it's hard to find private time with James. Try to find someone nearby who can watch the children the night James returns, so both you and Stella can reward him for being your master."

Erin looked even more upset. "Reward him? Why should any of us reward our masters? We are their sex slaves."

Theresa shook her head. "But no sponsor has to keep you or take you. It's funny, but having David made me realize that truth. In a way, he gave me a great gift but I also gave him a greater one. I could have left him on Earth. He would have been stuck waiting for another chance to escape, and was possibly going to fail. Instead I gave him a chance to escape the near certain death and start anew. Yes, he made a gift of himself to me. He is, in theory, my slave, but I don't treat him as one because he rewards me for that gift to him every day."

Nadia surprised me by giggling. "Ladies, I spent time in the unattached concubine barracks. There you'll find lots of time to talk and listen. David has unearthed a few truths for concubines. Don't let yourself get caught in the trap of thinking of yourself as just a sex slave. Just about every concubine who gets returned to the barracks and swapped out believed only that of herself. It's the ones who make being their master's concubine a privilege who stay for a long time with one sponsor."

Monica seemed thoughtful. "I never saw it that way. I guess Larry wasn't the best master on the way out and I forgot."

Maxine giggled and turned to Monica. "Hey, my mother is my mistress, and she doesn't have a bisexual bone in her body. Worse, when she does go on missions I get left behind while she takes her male concubine along, so I end up with months of being mostly alone. I know your pain."

I could hear a murmur of surprise from the ladies.

The class broke up at that point although Maxine, Monica and Rose waited in the room. Once everyone had left the room Maxine walked up to me and stood in front of me. I silently waited for her to speak, as she fidgeted in front of me.

"David? Can we ... Well ... David, we'd like to ask a huge favor, which Theresa probably has to approve," Maxine said.

I looked over at Theresa who shrugged. "I need to know what it is," I said.

Rose giggled. "We'd like, if its permitted to visit your pod tomorrow after class and have you cook a barbeque. I'd bring the children from my pod, and..."

Monica sighed. "I think I can get Vera and Lacey to come. Wanda will refuse, but it would be nice for the other two to see another pod."

I looked at the trio. "And your masters won't have a problem with this?"

Maxine giggled. "Mom will probably show up with some chip dip and her new boy-toy. She loves barbeques and Zack has already admitted he doesn't know how to cook. It's an opportunity for her to participate."

Monica smiled. "Larry never forbade us when it came to going out. And I know that the pod is open to us. It shouldn't be a problem."

Rose just shrugged. "It's just me and the kids, and like Monica I'm allowed to enter and exit freely."

I looked over at Theresa who smiled. "I love the idea. It would be nice to have visitors. I only wish we could have the sponsors there."

Rose and Monica both nodded sadly, before rushing off. Maxine watched them and shrugged. "It will be good for them. Both of those girls have been pretty hurt by the situation, and something to make them smile might help."

She followed the others out and then Theresa dragged me home. Sophie heard about the planned barbeque for the next day, and despite my protests the whole pod began planning various activities and foods for the next day. The new soccer field was still in the process of being installed, so other activities were actively worked on.

"Too bad we can't have a beach and swimming," Nadia said with a sigh as she gathered a couple of Frisbees from the replicator.

"A beach?" Theresa said with a happy scream. "You mean sand, waves, water and volleyball type beach?"

I smiled. "I'm thinking girls in thong bikinis, nice tans, and a chance to spread oil over the back of a pair of beautiful blond ladies until they are so hot they drag each other home and leave me to gather the kids up."

Theresa gasped, but Nadia jumped at me and wrapped me up in a hug. "Only if you come home fast to shove that cock in my pussy and get me to scream with pleasure again!"

I looked over at Theresa. "I believe our mistress gets to decide if you get to cum," I said with a wink.

Theresa giggled and came over to give me a scorching kiss. As she released me she looked me in the eyes. "David, I haven't said this enough, and I know I won't say it right. Yes, you are my concubine, but you've become a whole lot more than that. This pod here, is more of a home than anyplace I've ever lived and you made it that way. The tribute you created for Traci the night we brought Nadia home was touching and melted the final chains on my heart. I look at the four children we have and hope they can find half the happiness I have. Sex with you is special. Its not the same as sex with Traci or Nadia, and I'll never want another man, but I now burn for your touch. If we do get a beach, we'll sneak out there one night and I'll take you out there. We'll put a blanket down and you can love me for hours."

I stood there speechless. Nadia waited a moment and then smiled. "She means it, David! While you are teaching, she and I usually spend the hour together, and we talk. I love her. God do I love her. But you complete her and us. This home is special because you make it so."

The rest of the night was quiet. Nadia and Theresa spent the night proving that their words from the afternoon were not hot air and I could barely drag myself from the bed the next morning when Tanya started crying because she was hungry.

The next day during class I noticed that a few of my original students were gone and Tribune Octavian had brought some new students and was watching as I led the class through an exercise in listening and working with others. The new students seemed unsure, but Monica and Maxine cheerfully led the others, and by the end, even a few of the older students who rarely participated were smiling and nodding as I wrapped up the class with a few words. It was a rather upbeat group that filed out of the class at the end of the day.

Maxine waved and pointed off towards Theresa's pod as she led Rose and Monica out the door. I would have followed, but Octavian asked me to wait.

"Sorry," he said. "I just have to know, what is your CAP?"

"Three point nine."

"What? There is no way your score is that low!"

I shrugged. "I have no reason to lie. I'm sure the AI will support my statement."

"Affirmative," the AI said in my support. "Concubine David Tolvin has a registered CAP of three point nine. His only test was almost four years ago. Recent events suggest that a retest would return a different score."

The tribune looked at me. "Do you want to retest?"

I shook my head. "Perhaps I'm being a bit selfish, but I like where I am now. I love Theresa completely. Right now I have a wonderful family that I'm part of, and something to work towards. Yes, I could end up with a higher score and an opportunity to volunteer, but I'm happy where I am."

I could sense the disappointment from the man next to me. "The Confederacy needs every man it can get. The Sa'arm are winning. How can you deny the Confederacy your services?"

"I'm not really denying my services though. I support Theresa, who obviously has impressed the high command sufficiently if she already has received two promotions, and I wouldn't call my classes unsupportive. I just don't see myself in any role that takes me away from my family now." The room had cleared out and I led the Tribune to the door.

"What family?" the tribune replied. "Families don't really exist in Confederacy law."

I stopped at the doorway. "I know, but humanity still does better if there is a family to belong to. I belong with Theresa, and Nadia. They are my family, even if it's not a traditional one. And right now, I promised to hurry home for a barbeque."

To my surprise Tribune Octavian nodded. "Think you have room for another? I knew about the party since Rose and Monica checked in before they brought the rest of the households here. I'd like to see your family together. Your family works, and I need more working families on this planet."

I shrugged. "Theresa might ask you to leave, and it's her party, I'm just the cook."

The tribune followed me out of the administration pod and on a quiet walk through the township. As usual, the pods were all quiet and it was a lonely walk until we could hear the cheerful cries of Amber and Alex in the distance. Octavian looked up in surprise. "Wow, just hearing that makes this place seem..."

"Like a friendly neighborhood rather than a prison camp?" I answered with a smirk. "That's probably the biggest problem I see. But that needs the sponsors to get involved. Most want their concubines to stay at home, like the good sex slaves they are supposed to be, and as a result the sense of community is lost."

The tribune returned to silence as we turned a final corner and could see the gathering in the distance. As soon as we came into sight, there was a joyous cry from Amber and a soccer ball came bouncing our way. I calmly trapped it and then pushed it over to Octavian.

"Give it a boot and then come and see the setup," I suggested. He looked down in surprise and then gave the ball a rather tentative kick, which sent it skipping along the ground. I buried my laugh and dashed after it, giving it another kick to speed it along.

A man I did not recognize trapped the ball and used some kind of heel kick to shoot it above his head. He then headed the ball along. It must have been aimed at the goal, but Amber's loud cry of "Missed!" made it clear that the flashy move had not put the ball into the net. The man just shrugged and stood waiting until Octavian and I finally reached the gathering.