Chapter 61

Eleanor:

Master reviewed the video footage of the entire process. "Bitch, you continue to amaze me!" he chuckled. "I couldn't have done better myself!" He stood there for almost a minute, frowning at me, cocking his head. Finally, he said, "This is against my better judgment, but ... AI!"

"Troy Powers?" Oddly, the AI's mention of his name was my first exposure to it. So my Master's name was Troy...

"I accept this woman, Eleanor Whatshername..."

"Epstein," the AI supplied.

"Yeah, whatever..." Master eyed me.

"I accept," I blurted.

"Duly recorded," the AI intoned.

"Don't make me regret this," Master growled. "If you do, I'll find some way to fix it so you pull a train from here to the mess -- daily."

"Yes, Master." I knew better than to smile.

"Tell them Tuesday afternoon," Master directed. "We get in next Friday, I think ... No, maybe we'll need a fall-back position -- I don't want to cut it too close, in case we have to toss this bunch..." He mused a moment -- and maybe I was the only one who recognized that his impatience and anticipation were the hidden drivers, here... "Tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon. Arrange it -- then get down to Medical. I'll tell them what I want." He shooed me off.

I went into the next room and called the Brocks. "My Master will see you tomorrow afternoon. Is that convenient?"

I watched Janine look irritated, then realize that she needed to adjust her attitude. "Yes. One o'clock?"

"That's fine."

"We'll reserve the same suite."

"We'll see you there." I hung up, then headed out to check on Reggie.

He was in the main room with Master. "Come here, Shit Bird," Master directed Reggie. "Grab my arm." Reggie came forward and grasped Master's forearm and Master hauled him into the air a bit. "See how long you can hang on. You kids need exercise -- besides your thumbs. All of you have big thumbs from video games -- and nothing else." Reggie, hanging from Master's forearm, was grinning from ear to ear. Master looked up at me. "I've got this. If I get bored, I'll hang him in a closet or something." I smiled, nodded, and withdrew, knowing that Master intended Reggie no harm -- and that Reggie was undoubtedly getting more attention from Master than he had ever managed from his own father.

I went into the tube not knowing what I would emerge looking like -- and emerged not changed much. Master had every hair follicle below my eyebrows removed -- that was the first thing I noticed in the mirror. My breasts rode higher, and some stretch marks left over from Reggie were gone. I felt younger and looked younger and my hair was the same color at the roots as it was at the tips and was glossier and springier. Oddly, he hadn't shrunk me much; some cellulite was gone...

"You're off to a good start," the medic announced. "By tomorrow, you'll be flushed out, pretty much, and regressed back to about twenty-five. Everything else is pretty minor, I think." I thanked her and went back to my Master.

"Well?" he demanded, eyeing me in his truculent way.

"Master, why didn't you... ?" I turned and looked down at my butt.

"Shrink your ass?" Master chuckled. "I've gotten used to it. Besides, when I spank it or fuck it, I want it to jiggle, not be all tight." There didn't seem to be much to be said, so I said nothing, merely shrugging a bit in acceptance. "Go see if there is a playground or something on this tub," Master directed. "I'm serious about Reggie getting exercise. Be back for dinner." He waved me off. I went away smiling, thinking, 'He's just EEEVIL, my Master is... '

Maureen:

"June?" I burbled, once the connection was established.

"Maureen?" June was only allowing display from then neck up -- and she looked disheveled, but radiant.

"How did it go?"

"Today is the first day of my life as a REAL woman," June gushed. "I'm SOOO happy! Thank you!" The video panned back to show her sitting up naked in bed with Jesse Sayer's head on her lap. There was a clapping sound going on; at my prompting, the video panned left to display Barb playing some hand game with young Zachary. Clearly, they had moved in...

"So, all is well?"

"I think so."

Unable to come up with anything intelligent to say, I finished up with, "Call me if you need anything."

At Saturday's staff meeting, flush with my success, I planned to beard Decurion Tillotson for not having ANY concubines. THAT didn't work ... When I showed up at his office around noon, there was a curvy young Hispanic woman kneeling next to his chair. "Um, did you hire a temp?" I asked.

The Decurion looked amused. "Not this time. This is Graciela Salazar. I've assumed responsibility for the entire Salazar family, which spans four generations of females. I'm mentoring young Javier Salazar, who is just over the border into sponsorship."

"Four generations?" I sputtered.

Nana Salazar is eighty or so," the Decurion related. "She's a dependent, technically, being too old to be a concubine. Graciela's mother Estrella is fifty-three, if I recall correctly. Graciela is somewhat younger than that, but older than she appears -- and her daughter Marisol is twelve."

"That's quite a family..." I said faintly.

"You'll be seeing a lot of Nana," the Decurion said, grinning, "I'm going to saddle you with her -- or maybe vice-versa -- because she's not only wise, she's devious. I think you'll learn a thing or two!" Gonzalo sat there grinning, too, so I guess he was in on the joke.

After the meeting, I asked Momma, "Did you know about this?"

"Nope," she replied, "I got blind-sided the same as you did. I had no idea. Just a few days ago he had nothing -- and no interest."

Frieda:

Nobody did poor Mack Friday night. I discovered the mistake Saturday morning at breakfast, but kept my big mouth shut; Tara and I had had 'the duty' the night before, leaving Beth and Keisha on deck. And since there were noises going around to the effect that Beth wasn't doing Mack without a direct order from Jack and Keisha is kind of shy, well...

I pulled Tara aside and talked with her. We'd both taken it easy on Jack the night before -- well, for us, anyway. We'd gotten one ride apiece and the off girl had 'helped out.' I like Tara and I don't mind chewing her titties and she's a helluva clit-sucker and knows I like having my ass played with. She doesn't taste too bad, either... "Hey, nobody welcomed Mack to the family."

"No shit? That sucks!" was Tara's response.

"Well, Jack's letting Beth get away with being a one man woman and Keisha..."

"Wouldn't be the first to volunteer," Tara finished. "She might after a pep talk though..."

"Let's talk to Mack first," I suggested. "He may not be interested for one reason or another." Jack had gone out after breakfast -- with Beth. I kinda figured she was gonna get a talking to at some point...

I took the lead; Tara hung back but was there for moral support. "Hey, Mack, I'm thinking that you didn't get much of a welcome to the family."

Mack shrugged. "I didn't expect much, really. I'm just happy to be here -- for myself, and for Michael."

"Well," I replied, "I still think you ought to have gotten a little something -- but Beth is seriously hooked on Jack and not looking for substitutes, and Keisha is a little shy. Tara and I, well, we were taking our turn, you know?" I cocked my head. "I bet if I let her know it was okay, Keisha might up something..."

"I don't want anybody to feel obligated," Mack protested.

"Too late!" I went to the door. "Keisha!"

Keisha came lumbering in. I mean, she's the sweetest thing, but she's fucking huge, you know? "Yeah?" She looked from me to Mack and back.

"Nobody took care of Mack last night," I accused.

"Oh." Keisha looked at Mack. "I wasn't sure..."

Mack threw out his hands. "Hey, I'm in no position to make demands!"

"I just didn't figure you'd want any," Keisha mumbled. "Not of me, anyways."

Mack cocked an eyebrow. "The way I understand it, if you have an itch, it's my job to scratch it if Jack isn't available. I don't see where I'd have a hard time getting motivated for any of you."

Keisha frowned, looking thoughtful, and I realized that Mack had talked over her head. "He said he'd be happy to fuck you, Honey."

Keisha's eyes popped. "OH! Okay! Maybe tonight, then..."

"Who has the duty tonight?" I asked.

"You and Beth," Keisha replied. "Jack was bitchin' that Beth and I damn near kill him..."

"And I'm an improvement?" I was a little insulted!

"Well, he's hopin'..." Keisha grinned.

"I predict that you're gonna look like an Oreo tonight, Mack -- the white filling in a black pussy sandwich!" I chuckled. I managed to scandalize two of them; Tara just cackled.

"Y'all want anything now?" Keisha asked. "I feel kinda bad; heck I coulda had you all to myself!"

"It's okay, really!" Mack protested. "I wasn't expecting anything. Besides, I'm not used to getting sex every day..." The look on his face said he got a lot less than that. "Jack took a risk; do you know how I ended up here?"

"I sense a story coming on!" I erupted. "Everybody, let's get some coffee and Mack can give us his life story!"

Mack rolled his eyes. "THAT'LL take about eight seconds!"

"Well, we can tell YOU some tales, too..." I offered.

"Sure." He shrugged.

A couple of minutes later, we were all relaxing on chairs in the living room. "You start, Mack," I cajoled.

"There isn't much, really," Mack replied. "I married Vicky out of high school. We had Michael more or less right away, and then everything dropped off. I was in electronics repair. Vicky was in and out, sexually -- and it got worse when she turned up pregnant with Monica. Over time, she got ... abusive ... over our sex life. I suspected that she was sleeping around -- there were just a lot of odd things going on with her -- but I kept my head down for the kids' sake. Besides, it was my fault, apparently. Anyway, after we got picked up, she started flirting with a couple of other women's husbands and the next thing I knew, they were doing a threesome thing right in front of me and the kids! Things got a little -- acrimonious, I guess you'd describe it -- and everybody got canned for rape or assault. Then Jack showed up..."

"Rape?" I raised a hand.

"Vicky saw that she was going to get into trouble over the mess and lied about it, basically. She definitely started it, and if she wanted out at some point, it was probably only momentary. It was clear to me that she did it because she could, because she planned to split, and because she got a kick out of knifing me in the back..." Mack related.

"Then what happened?" Keisha was all sympathy.

"Jack showed up and put us all in different rooms and the AIs started interrogating me -- I'm pretty sure it was the same for the others," Mack replied. "Vicky rolled over pretty quick, I guess. The AIs see EVERYTHING -- did you know that? Anyway, Vicky admitted what she was up to -- including cuckolding me and the fact that Monica isn't mine, even. I guess Jack was pretty disgusted with her. Anyway, he separated us, and he separated the other two couples. I guess to punish Vicky, he went over how fucked they were with the other two guys and then sicced them on her. I saw the video; one of them was a real rough rider -- beat the shit out of her and then fucked her in the ass. The other guy seemed happy just taking leftovers. Funny thing was, it seemed like she got off on it. Now I'm sort of wondering..."

Tara cocked her head. "What, Baby?"

"Maybe it wasn't the sex, per se," Mack mused. "Maybe I was just too gentle."

Tara looked sympathetic. "It happens, Baby. When we fuck -- I'm telling you up-front, so you know -- you can use me like toilet paper. I actually like it. You would think being a black woman that the idea of being a slave wouldn't be big with me, but I'm not wired right, or something -- I like being used. If I even look at you crooked, you just grab you a piece -- shake me, beat my ass, choke me with your cock -- and don't worry about it, Baby -- I like it!"

Mack shook his head. "I don't know if I can do that."

I eyed him. "Mack, I think you're a real nice guy -- but sometimes, you need to let yourself go, you know? You can do that with Tara -- get even with Vicky and get it out of your system. You won't upset her -- she REALLY likes it!"

Mack looked troubled. "I'll think about it."

Realizing what was up, I pressed, "You think you'll go overboard, don't you?"

Mack eyed me, considering. "Yes."

"Don't sweat it, Sweetie. I'll ride shotgun, if you like. You can go nuts until I step in. I'm good at these things," I assured him.

Mack nodded. "I'll ... think about it."

"She had you thinking you couldn't fuck, didn't she?" I guessed.

"Yeah."

"It was all about the extras, I bet. That happens," I consoled him. "People lie about such things -- or don't even tell their spouse -- and shit happens. If you'd known, you probably could have fixed it."

"Maybe." Mack's eyes were hooded.

"Is there more?" I asked.

"Yeah." Mack smiled. "Jack has some weird ideas of punishment. He told the other guys' women that if they wanted, they should have sex with me and it would be videoed -- and he would MAKE their men watch it -- several times."

"So you got laid, Baby?" Tara chuckled.

"Yeah, one of them did me twice," Mack replied. "The other one didn't seem comfortable with the idea."

"Twice, huh? You don't sound busted to me..." Keisha offered.

Mack grinned. "Maybe not. That's my tale -- NEXT!"

"You got a chunk of mine already," Tara replied. "I was married, but he walked, after three kids. I had this thing -- and like Frieda said, I didn't really let it out, so I never really got what I was looking for. My old man -- he took advantage of some parts -- like the fact that I didn't bitch a lot when he came home smelling like some other woman -- but he never really picked up on the whole deal, you know? He just wandered out the door one day and didn't come back ... My boss was sticking a dick in me occasionally at work, because he discovered I would let him -- and he wasn't real nice about it, and that was okay, too ... Then Jack came along one night with Beth and Frieda -- who I knew as customers -- but things went wild and I found myself sitting at their table and spilling my guts..."