Chapter 10

The Civil Service Representative, a Sub-Decurion, seemed to be in love with the sound of her own voice. Freddie sighed and pretended to pay attention. She was a washed out blonde in her forties and had been going over the important points again and again for the past twenty minutes. Granted, from the looks on the faces of a couple of the 'spare' concubines, they needed the repetition, but it was horrifyingly simple.

Concubines assigned to the Civil Service on Spindrift were put to work, most of them working fifty to seventy hours a week. That was the simple part. The horrifying part was that for most of them, they would work in a brothel. While they were pregnant, and for a few months after birth, they'd get other work, but after that it was back to being a whore.

Freddie felt bad for the two he'd escorted. It didn't sound like the kind of life anyone would choose if they knew what they were getting into. He watched the women in the room while he verified with the AI. They all wore the same ugly gray shifts, and most of them were young and pretty. They were here because they'd caught some marine's eye, or like Heather and Megan had happened to be picked up with someone's dependents.

The statements were for the most part accurate. Sure there were a few lucky women who had special skills that kept them out of the brothel, and others who had several small children and spent most of their time in childcare centers, but even then, they worked a few hours a week on their backs.

Some of the women didn't seem to believe it, while a couple didn't seem to understand. Chrissy's aunt got it though, she was crying quietly. Megan raised her hand. "Can't the Confederacy just make sure we get pregnant?"

The Sub-Decurion stopped for a moment, talking with the AI, then responded. She'd had to do that a lot, and he suspected that the woman had been picked up only a few days ago herself. "They can, and if you had a sponsor, they could request that. But without a sponsor, no. You'll have to do it the old fashioned way, keep trying until one takes."

Megan looked, if anything, more determined, but she didn't protest. At that moment she looked like a younger, taller version of Chrissy, just like her mom was a younger, taller version of Chrissy's mom. Both had blonde hair, blue eyes and nice curves. "Don't worry Mom," she whispered, "Chrissy will think of something. We knew we'd be having babies, everybody knows that. I like babies, I know you do too, they're so fun to hold, and sooo cute."

"You've never been pregnant," her mother said. "It's uncomfortable and you get fat and you have to pee all the time and sometimes it hurts pretty bad."

"Wasn't I worth it?"

"Of course you were Megan. Just seeing you the first time was worth all the rest, but still, it's not easy."

"I didn't think it would be easy, Mom, but it's better than being eaten by lizards. Besides ... I can think of someone whose babies I'd like to have." Megan glanced over at Freddie and looked away blushing when she realized he'd heard her.

This time yesterday, he'd been at school, and didn't even have a girlfriend. Today he was basically married and on a starship headed for a tropical paradise where he'd build starships together with his new wife. There was more. Last night, she'd had her sister join them in bed. And now her cousin had as much as said she wanted to have his baby. It felt too good to be true.

One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to mess things up by sleeping around on Chrissy. Even though he'd only known her a few weeks, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Sure, everything was different, different rules and all that, but Chrissy's idea about her handling the sleeping arrangements was a great one. Like when she'd called her sister down. He'd been perfectly willing to just hold Chrissy, but he was honest enough to admit he'd rather have sex than not, and even though there wasn't that extra something that he had with Chrissy, sex with Gina had been great.

He'd been a little weirded out doing Gina with her sister right there, but Chrissy had a point. He knew Gina a little and letting her think she could play him and Chrissy off against each other was a bad idea. The way Chrissy had gone about it was harsh, but she knew her sister, and he had no doubt the experience would keep Gina in line for quite a while. What they were going to do about Chrissy's mom though? He didn't know. It might be best to trade her for Megan. After all, the fourteen-year-old wanted to have his babies, and Molly clearly didn't. It wasn't something he could suggest though. Chrissy had to work through this herself.

"That's the way it is," the Sub-Decurion concluded. "It's too late to back out. You can't change your minds. The best thing for you to do is please a sponsor enough to take you on. Only a sponsor can make your life better. He can give you free time, better food, access to entertainment, and some input into what kind of jobs you'll do once you reach the colony." Out of the corner of his eye, Freddie saw Megan and her mother turn to look at him, but so did half the women in the room, he was the only guy there.

"Not him," The Sub-Decurion snapped. "He'd have to give up one of his concubines to take one of you. What's going to happen is that sometime in the next couple of days is that some concubine, probably one who used to be her sponsor's wife, is going to fuck up. She'll either lose her temper or refuse to do something. It might be a blowjob, or anal sex, or sex with another woman, but whatever the reason, she'll be out on her ass. He's gonna come to me looking for a replacement, and if you're lucky he'll ask to see you. When you get a chance like that, grab it with both hands. Show him that you're everything she wasn't. Show him that with you in his pod, he'll be happy. You've only got two or three days to get ready. I've arranged with the AI for some classes. These classes are a privilege. Those who can't pay attention or are disruptive will be confined to their rooms. Take a ten minute break, then be back here in your places."

There was a rush for the bathrooms. Megan and her mother lingered next to him. "Thank you for bringing us Freddie," Megan said, grabbing his hand in both of hers and squeezing it. "You didn't have to stick your neck out like that for us. Even if the worst happens, at least you've saved us from the lizards. Didn't he Mom?"

Heather looked worried, but she forced a smile and gave him a brief hug. "Yes, thank you so much. Thank you for what you've done for Chrissy too, she deserves someone who loves her."

The Civil Service Sub-Decurion elbowed them roughly out of the way. "Go on, I need to talk with this sponsor and you're in the way." Heather backed away immediately, but Megan gave him a smile and squeezed his hand again before she let go and followed her mother to the line for the bathroom. The Sub-Decurion glared after them, and then, not bothering to introduce herself came right to the point. "You haven't done them any favors getting them special treatment like that. The younger one especially will have a rude awakening. She just doesn't have the right mindset."

Why? Because she's not desperate and terrified like the others? Because she trusts Chrissy and me to take care of her? Freddie didn't voice his objections out loud. "So what can I do to help?"

"You had to be here to see what the reality is. We were authorized a dozen extras, but the Marines got softhearted and brought in eighteen; plus they managed, I don't know how, to get permission to bring back six more today. Then you go and talk the AI into letting you bring two more. I've got to somehow make sure none of them get themselves killed. Letting those two think they are special isn't going to help any."

"Twenty-six? That's a lot. If there's anything we can do to help, just let us know. In fact, the AI said something about us being responsible for them until we reach Spindrift, so we can just keep them with us and you'll have two less to worry about."

The Sub-Decurion snorted. "That would be too easy, I wish I could just give them to you. That would suit me fine. I'd give you another dozen to go with them if I could. Here's the deal, you are responsible for what they do, and for punishing them if they get out of line. If you don't I'll probably be the one who has to space them. I also need to run them through the basic orientation, and arrange for them to meet with potential sponsors. You'll need to escort them to and from classes and interviews. If you fuck it up in any way, I'll put them in close confinement so I don't have to stress about them."

Chrissy would probably freak if that happened. "Don't worry," Freddie told the woman, "We'll keep them out of trouble."

"You do that." She took off her hat and ran her fingers through her hair. "Look, you're a good kid, but this is a serious, life or death responsibility. I'm not sure when they'll be finished today, but I can give you an hour's warning. You've got to be here on time to pick them up."

"One or both of us will be here," he assured her.

She didn't answer, but hurried off to stop a shoving match between two of the younger women. It looked like the two of them were fighting over who got to go to the bathroom first. The Sub-Decurion pulled a stinger out of her pocket. Zap. Zap. They both fell to the ground twitching. One of them lost control of her bladder on the way down. She'd used low power, and instead of laying there in a stinger-induced sleep, they both moaned and tried to get up. She kicked their legs out from under them and said something too quietly for him to hear. After some more prodding, they both stood, shrugged their tunics off, and stood there naked with their hands behind their heads. She gestured to another woman who picked up the shifts and tossed them into a recycler.

Civil Service, that's what they called it. He understood, intellectually, why the Sub-Decurion had to be so harsh, but he didn't like it. Freddie shook his head and turned away. It might have to happen, but he didn't have to watch it. Heather looked sick to her stomach, but Megan smiled at him, gave him a little wave, and then a thumbs up as he left the pod.

Chrissy was waiting in bed naked when he got back to their pod. She held her arms out to him and he joined her. She kissed him thoroughly, then helped him out of his tunic and trousers. "I want you inside me again." She was already wet. He lined up and eased himself into her tight, hot pussy. She winced but pulled him down to her. "Yes, oh yes..."

She felt so good wrapped around his dick that he forgot himself and pumped in longer, faster strokes. She moaned and he couldn't tell if it was from pleasure or pain. She moaned again, biting her lip, and he knew. He stopped and backed out slowly. "I'm hurting you."

Chrissy wrapped her surprisingly strong legs around him and used them to force him back inside. "No ... yes, but it feels sooo good! Don't stop Freddie, please."

It took him longer to bring her off than it had before, but when she came, it was a long wild ride as she pulsed around him. The feel of her thrashing beneath him, and the way her sweet pussy seemed to be trying to suck the cum right out of his balls drove him over the edge. He couldn't help himself and lost control, pounding into her until he collapsed, spent, on top of her. He didn't pull out, but propped himself up on his elbows so he could see her face. "I'm sorry Baby, you just got me so hot, I couldn't help it.

She ran her hands down his sides to his waist, and pulled him tighter to her. "That was wonderful love. It didn't hurt nearly as much as the first time, and you make me feel so good. I want to do it again and again." She shifted under him and winced. "Well, maybe not right away, can we just stay like this for a while?"