Chapter 3

Friday Morning Breakfast.

Helen and Mark had left very late. She left a printout of her notification papers with David to properly inform the Selection Board of her placement and report, and agreed to come back later to talk about tomorrow, and how she wanted to be processed.

Margaret had brewed coffee and had that waiting at the table for him.

“Honey, I really appreciate what you are doing for Helen, but you aren’t going to get us in trouble are you?”

“No, I don’t think so. I am just going to look up some material that the Selection Board sent me on Judas Goats,” David replied. “There have been some regulatory changes and I think we can use them to our advantage.”

“What kind of advantage?” Margaret asked.

“I think we may be able to use Helen in a our operation in a way that will delay us having to process her.”

“What do you mean?” Margaret inquired, a bit interested.

“Most of the woman that come to us are pretty depressed and upset. Some are tearful and a few are almost violent. It spoils the meat when there are so many toxins released. A lot of them are scared of the process, and are in a mental fog. I understand the shock, but I can’t help but wonder if we could use her to help make the process better somehow. We used to have a Goat, but she slipped and died in an accident two years ago, and I didn’t want to have another accident on my insurance. If Helen has an accident, it won’t count against my workman’s comp costs.”

“My husband, the humanitarian butcher and smart businessman,” Margaret mused. “Would you have felt that way if it was me and not Helen?”

“I think I would have been more interested if it was you and not Helen.”

“I am flattered. I never thought you would feel that way considering what you do every day.”

“I don’t do it. I have a team that does. And they do it very quickly and smoothly,” David remarked.

“How exactly do you process someone?” Margaret asked.

“Well, you never really asked before, and you seemed uninterested,” David responded “But if you want to know I can take you to the plant and show you.”

“I would like that. I was always curious, but did not want to know too much in case my number came up,” Margaret replied. “You know that sometimes too much information is Too Much Information.”

“I can see how you would feel that way,” David replied. “Get dressed in something easy to come off and we will go to the plant.”

“Why easy to come off?” Margaret asked.

“Because it is easier to get the blood off of bare skin than clothing,” David responded. “Also bring your placement letter so we have it on file in case we have an inspection while you are there. So there are no misunderstandings.”

“OK. Is there anything else?”

“Just your sweet smile.”

I guess I am going to get up close and personal with some of this today, Margaret thought to herself. Funny that knowing it won’t happen to me makes me want to know more about it, Margaret observed about herself.

The drive to the plant was uneventful. David parked at the rear of the building, next to the entrance that served employees and was next to the loading dock for cooler trucks leaving the plant.

“Do I have to wear anything special, or anything when I go in?” Margaret asked.

“Yes, I need to put an orange collar around your neck now, so you don’t get mistaken in case of an inspection. And I need your placement letter now, so we can put it and a copy of your identification into the files.”

“Ok.”

Margaret and David entered the “Employee Only” entrance at the rear and ducked into the loading office door. Once inside, looking inside of the dispatch office, there was a closet. On the top shelf was a box marked “Illinois State Meat Management Board”. Pulling down and opening the box, David showed Margaret the contents. Margaret eyed the orange-coated stainless steel collars with the locking ends. It looked like an old time bicycle lock, which used a round key. Putting it on, the collar was comfortable around her neck. It hung like a large piece of heavy jewelry with a lock at the front. The keyhole was round and had a cover over it.

“You will take this off, right?” Margaret kidded David.

“Sure. But while you are in here, it will insure that there are no accidents. Women without these are candidates for processing, and we have to keep them straight.

“Oh.” Not the sort of mistake that Margaret wanted to have happen by any means.

Suddenly the overhead paging system blared, “Would David Findley please come to the front office? We have a situation.”

“Wonder what that is? Want to come along with me?” David asked.

“Sure,” Margaret said. Following David down a hallway, Margaret was able to look through windows on to the process floor.

I will have to come back here and study that a little, Margaret thought to herself. It looks interesting. Especially since I am not on the table.

Going down the hallway they passed an open arch on the left leading into a break room. Inside there were two large men who were naked, but putting on white plastic uniforms and shoes.

A little further down the hall on the left, Helen looked through a set of windows into a large open area that was very open and not used. Old machinery occupied some of the space, surrounded by a high catwalk. I wonder what that was? Margaret wondered.

At the end of the hallway was a door labeled “Reception.” Underneath it were the instructions “Do not leave door propped open.”

This was where David was going, with Margaret right behind him.

Reception Bedlam

The Reception area was bedlam. The usual number of women coming in for processing was twelve to fifteen a day. Seating for that number was provided along the walls and around three tables scattered about the room. In the reception area today were thirty-two women, twenty of them having being bussed over from H&S.

Devony (the receptionist) was overwhelmed and trying to sort women out while getting files straight.

“I didn’t sign up for this much work,” Devony snapped as David walked into the reception room. “There is just too much work for any one woman here.”

“David, do you need me to help?” Margaret asked.

“Who is this sow?” Devony snapped.

“Hi. I am Margaret. How about we see how I can help you with this?”

“Do you know how to file?”

“I think I can learn pretty quickly. How about you let me help with this?”

“Ok. Take this pile and go over to that desk and I will take this one.”

“Ladies!” David said above the din of conversations. “Will the clients for H&S move over to the right, with your papers and identification, and the ladies scheduled for processing here at Findley, please come here to the left. And we will work extra hard to minimize your frustration and discomfort.”

“Devony. How many do we have for us today?” David asked.

“We had 15, but 3 have not shown yet,” she responded. “And who is that sow you brought up?”

“That is my wife. And she is no sow, as her papers cleared her permanently.”

“Oh Shit. Sorry, boss,” Devony answered. “I saw the collar and just assumed.”

“No problem,” David said, thinking to himself. Maybe not much longer.

Margaret in the meantime moved to the right-hand desk and grabbed the group of file folders from H&S. Collecting the identifications and letters of notification one at a time, she opened a file for each of the 20 subjects in her group. Some were surprises.

“Elizabeth Carter. I have not seen you for months. How are you?” Margaret asked the tall brunette.

“Except for this, not bad. I was notified earlier and I was going to just get it over with. Peter and the kids are at camp and won’t be home until next week, so I will miss seeing them. I wish I could delay until next week.”

“I am sorry about that. I am not sure what we can do.”

“Ask if you could,” Elizabeth asked. “It would mean a lot to the kids to say good bye.”

“When were you scheduled?”

“By Monday, the notice said,” Elizabeth replied with a catch in her voice.

“Let me talk to David. He owns this plant.”

“Really? I wish I had known that. I could have talked to you about this before. I did not know your husband was in the business. We have only heard of H&S and that other one.”

“David has been running this for 12 years. He inherited it from his father, who passed while we were making the product change from pigs to people.”

“Really?” Elizabeth asked. Last week this would have been a first page human-interest story, Elizabeth thought. Now it is my interest story.

“Have a seat and I will get back to you when we get this paperwork organized. Today is my first time coming to the plant with David. I had never had the chance to see his work before, with my writing and the kids.” And there were some things I really didn’t want to know, Margaret admitted to herself.

“I know what you mean. I spent most of yesterday transferring job responsibilities to others and setting up interviews for Doug to do to replace me next week. It was the least I could do for him in exchange for a Quick Shot.”

“What is a quick shot?” Margaret asked.

“Doesn’t it say there in my form? I was supposed to get a quick shot to the head instead of normal processing. Doug paid $2500 to H&S as a special process fee.”

“You know, I don’t see it, but I will have David check it out. We will just wait with you until we get that straightened out”.

“Carol Burns paid the same thing. She and I rode together to H&S. James drove us while he was on his way to work. In fact, we have to call him to collect the effects later today.”

“Honey,” Margaret said “he does not have to do that. We ship those things home to him. We can drop them off at your house on our way home.” Margaret was happy that she knew at least that much of how David ran his business.

“Could you?” Elizabeth asked. “That would be excellent of you. Carol stayed at H&S, but I was bussed here. I guess I did not make the Human table cut.”

“Darling, neither would I. And does it really matter?”

“No, I guess not. Still, I have been so competitive all my life, I was sort of on a ego trip of being on a Spit like that woman last year on the six o’clock news.”

“I am not sure how David processes here. We can talk later. Let me finish getting all these folders together, and get things organized and we can talk in a bit. I am sure that we will have some time, given this crowd.”

“Ok,” Elizabeth said, as she walked to the chairs near the door.

David and Devony had gotten their 12 organized already, and were starting to move the group toward the processing hallway.

“Devony, can you take this group through to the house floor, and into the back?” David asked. She can be the Judas Goat today, and get them lead through to the shock door. While David helped Margaret with the rest.

“I don’t like to do that,” Devony replied. “I don’t like to get too close to the meat.”

“Well, at least get them into the exam rooms and pass out the blood and urine cups so Barbara can get started,” David countered.

“I don’t like doing that. I would rather sit here.”

“Devony, does the phrase “other duties as assigned” mean anything to you?” David whispered into her ear.

“Yes. It means I quit this flunky job and I am out of here. I told you I don’t get close to the meat.”

Ok, David thought. I have had enough. “All right. Get your bag and get out. I will work this myself.”

“That will be the day. You and that sow?”

“Remember,” David interrupted, “the laws around creating a disturbance in a processing plant let me mark you as selected right now. So shut up and get out of here before I fill out a folder for you. -Unless you want to be a blue-plate special tonight, I suggest you get your bag and get out of here.”

I have never seen a black woman blanch like that, David thought as he looked at Devony while she got her bag and left by the employee door. Next time I see her, I will process her myself.

“Margaret, we have to talk.”

“Sure, honey. I am almost finished here, and Liz and I are going to have a short talk.”

“In a moment. I need your help. Can you take this first group into the examination rooms down the hall and get them their sample cups and blood sample kits?

“Sure. I can do that.”

“And have Barbara give you access back up to here when you have them settled so we can talk a little.”

“Sure. Ladies, if you will come this way,” Margaret said as she picked up the folders from the desk” And follow me to the exam rooms.”

It took Margaret 15 minutes to get all of the first lot of 12 settled into the exam rooms. She put them one by one into the rooms and slid their folder into the holder on the outside of the door, and then distributed the urine cups and the blood sample tubes. All of these were to be aligned as part of the grading process.

Barbara Knowles was a 25-year veteran nurse who had worked for David for about 6 years. The routine was down to a science with her and she was a tad taken back by a woman in an Orange collar leading and organizing the women. She had not worked with a Goat since Krista Markham died last year. It was an accident; she slipped on the floor and hit her head on the table. Poor woman died in front. It took three hours to clean up the mess. The outer hallway was carpeted up to the process revolving door, and you don’t want a mess like that to be seen. It upset the stock. After Krista’s death, the insurance had hit David with a High level increase in Workmans Comp to offset the issues of employee injury.

“Thanks for the help,” Barbara said to the new Goat. “Are you here for processing?”

“I hope not. I am David’s wife. I am Margaret Findley.”

“Oh. Hi. I am Barbara Knowles. Were you selected?”

“No. Just traveling with David. He put the collar on me to keep from any mistakes. He said that the boys on the floor were pretty strict and that inspectors wanted a clear identifier.”

“Yes, he is right about that. And with the mess at H&S last week, we don’t want any inspection problems,” Barbara replied. “The rumor mill has it that they had e-coli spread due to bad cut strokes and no one bothered to clean up.”

“Wow. That is not good. I hope our crew is more careful.”

“They are. Chris and Marty are all real wizards with a knife. And there is not much to distract them.”

“Ok. David said for you to buzz me back to the reception, he wanted to talk to me a little more, unless you need more help?”

“I won’t need any for about ½ hour. After I am done collecting blood, I give the women a tonic that increases urine, so I can get a urine sample. Then they leave the rest rooms and they move to 2^nd stage processing. You can help me move them if you like.”

“Ok. Can you buzz me back?”

“Sure.”

Meanwhile, in reception, David was organizing the names on the next 20 selectees. He realized he had about 30 to 45 minutes before he could send the next batch through. And he also knew based on the stack of folders that he had another 15 to go through today. 3 of his had not shown up yet, and 12 more were coming from M&S. I better tell Marty to start the generator in the reefer trailer, in case we have to store all of this today, David thought. And have Chris and Marty move everything out of the Chiller and Freezer into the trailer so we have some chiller room. This is a 3-day process for our plant, not the norm. Glad tomorrow is Saturday. We are open but H&S is not. So we won’t get any more from them tomorrow in case we have to live store a few of these here.

“Live Store” was slang for holding women prior to processing. Usually you had to hold them in a pen. David had converted a small area of the plant into a dorm area with 8 rooms and queen beds for just such an occasion. He did that after a power failure had him keep a day’s processees in house over night. No use having spoilage affect the product.

Still, Live Store meant heightened security, and overtime. All of which ate into the profit margin. Would be nice to have a better system.

Margaret interrupted David’s thoughts as she came back from the Stage one Processing room. The buzz of the door from the other side released it to swing inside and let Margaret back into reception.

“Honey, Is there anything I can do to help here? Now that I know I am safe, I feel pretty curious about this place,” Margaret whispered.

“You sure can. We have to figure out how to handle this load and I just fired Devony for mouthing off. Thanks for leading that first group back.”

“Barbara said that we had about 30 minutes before moving them to the next stage. What do we need to do then?”

“Well, they go to the bathroom, and we get the urine samples. After that, they go to the strip room, and remove all clothes, and jewelry and personal affects. Those go into a box, which we send back to the next of kin. I don’t charge for that.”

“Oh. So they are naked?”

“Yes. Then we take them down the hall to the revolving door. One the other side they are processed one at a time.”

“How is that done?” Margaret asked, felt herself get a little nervous. And she also got a little wet.

“Easier to show you then tell you. And it makes the stock nervous to talk about it”.

“Oh, By the way. Liz asked about a “Quick Shot” special treatment. What is that?”

“Quick Shot?” David asked. “Never heard of it.”

“Well, she paid H&S $2500 for a shot to the head instead of regular processing. She said Carol Burns supposedly paid the same thing.”

“Hmm,” David thought to himself. This was something he had never thought of before. Special Services based on the client request. Guess some would pay a premium to stay out of the crowd.

“After this next group, why don’t you, me and Elizabeth talk about this? I wonder how exactly that is being done? In the meantime, let’s you and me take a walk.”

“Sure. Can we really leave these women alone here?” Margaret asked, looking around.

“Sure. We tell them we are going for some water and to bring up more chairs.”

“Ladies,” David said to the group, “We are sorry for the delay. Margaret and I are going to pick up some water bottles for you and some additional chairs. Wait here, we will be right back.”

David and Margaret went down the hallway to the break room where Chris and Marty were finishing dressing.

“Guys, I want to introduce you to my wife, Margaret. She is going to be working here today, which is why the orange collar. So if she comes through the door by mistake, don’t process her.”

“You sure you mean that, boss?” Chris wisecracked. His own wife was processed last year and he had been playing the field for a while. It was funny how many women were interested in a man who worked in a slaughterhouse in Chicago. Some of them he had dated, he later saw in the line. For 30 seconds or so they recognized him. Until the blood ran out and they passed out.

“No. It’s too much trouble to train a new one.” David answered. To which, Margaret smacked him on the shoulder.

“Now is that assault of a processor?” Marty asked, getting into the jokes.

“Not yet,” David answered. “Guys, we have a lot of work today. You have to pack all of the stuff from the chiller into the reefer trailer, and have Gus crank it down. We have 3 days worth of work out there today. H&S dumped 30 on to us so far today. Guess they don’t have any holding pens. They also are going to be dumping 30 or so on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of next week. So we will have to crank it up.”

“I can’t work late. I have kid duty this evening,” Marty said. “Both girls are going to a recital tonight and my Ex is working late at Ortho Ford.”

“Ok. I guess I can pick some out to keep in the holding pens over night,” David said.

“We’re working half shift tomorrow, right?” Chris asked. “With clean-up in the afternoon. Some might have to keep until Monday.”

“I hate to do that. Feed and oversight cuts into margin. But you may be right. We may have a few weekenders,” David said.

“Liz and Helen would love that. I am sure they would help to keep things organized,” Margaret said, thinking that there would be a use for her friends.

“Do you think they will be able to do that and not freak out?” David asked.

“I think that they would do anything to get extension. I know I would. Besides, we know what happens to runaways,” Margaret said with a shudder.

Runaways were always taken to the public square and mounted on a spit that was staked into the ground. It was adjusted to be six inches taller then the inseam of the woman being placed on it.

When the woman was stood over it, it was guided into the vagina to a depth of 6 inches and locked. With her hands tied behind her, and nude, a woman couldn’t do anything while she was there. Some women bent their knees and got it over with, piercing their lower organs and bleeding to death. Others stood for hours, waiting until their strength gave out and they too slid to the ground, often with the spit sticking out of their chest or neck. Most women thought about this before running.

“You are right. That buys them some time. Besides I want to talk to Helen and Liz anyway to get some ideas from them,” David said. “I might have a way of getting a better margin on this business,”

“If you do, boss, you going to share the wealth?” Chris asked.

“Of course I will. When have I ever abused you guys?” David asked.

“Does watching all that good Pussy go by count?” Marty asked. “Sorry, Mrs. F,” he added a bit embarrassed.

“Marty, it’s all dead when it gets to you. Or they are dying fast. Chris is our cutter just inside of the door,” David explained.

“Maybe we can intercept some of that in route to save you some once in a while,” Margaret intoned with a smile looking at Marty.

“Don’t do that. He is lazy enough with out taking all of his energy away,” David remarked. “Of course, we could keep a few more overnights. But would your wife like that?” David asked with a smug smile.

“So long as they don’t come home or send me home with anything,” Marty replied.

“Well, we will have to see what we can do,” Margaret snickered to the group.

Margaret’s snicker and speech took David aback. Unless it hadn’t sunk into Margaret what was really going on, this was a facet of her personality he needed to keep an eye on.

“Ok,” David said. “We need to get some chairs and a case of water up to reception. Margaret, I want to ask you to strip and take the first group into the Stripping room. Help Christen and Casey with stripping and boxing, then lead the first group down the hall and through the revolving door. You go first so that the group follows you. Marty and Chris, don’t stun her when she comes through the door. Show her where to stand out of the way while you process this group. She can watch. Margaret, when they are finished with the first few, you come back up to the reception room and we can talk to Liz and any of the others while we are waiting for spaces in the interview section. Make sure you wash off first in case you get blood on you when Chris makes his cuts.”

“Ok,” Margaret answered, feeling a little funny in the stomach. She realized that the women she was talking to in reception, and had taken into the exam rooms were going to be killed in a few minutes while she watched, and after that she was going to go up to reception to talk to another group. This is kind of wild. Almost like the first time David and she went to a Swingers Club. It was the same funny feeling in her stomach, and the same drip down her thighs.

Margaret pulled off her clothes and shoes and deposited them on the table. She walked over to pick up two folding chairs. While she did, David, Marty and Chris picked up additional chairs, and they all walked to reception.

First Time as a Goat.

Marty made the second trip to reception as David and Margaret were setting up chairs. Margaret felt a little self conscious standing nude around all of the women in reception, and a couple of them gasped at the sight of her body with the orange collar.

“My, I guess that means that this is real,” Elizabeth said when Margaret brought over her chair.

“Now, Liz. You don’t have anything to worry about. We aren’t going to abuse you,” Margaret replied.

“I know. But you are going home and I’m not,” Liz replied

“Unless David sees your lovely body and decides to trade me in,” Margaret retorted. “Besides David and I want to talk to you about your arrangements with H&S and see how we can honor it.”

“Thank you, Margaret. It really would be sweet of you.”

“Ok. I will be right back in a few. I have to see how the first group is getting along. You and the others stay here and David will keep you company.”

As Margaret moved toward the examination hallway door, she saw another group coming in. A crowd of about 15 women entered, with a single man wearing a uniform with the H&S logo on it. Looks like a busy day. I had better get things moving I guess, Margaret thought to herself as she left reception.

On the other side, Barbara was just finishing up drawing 12 samples of blood, and moving the first set into the bathroom. She saw Margaret coming and nodded toward the lab room door.

“I need you to collect the urine samples. We don’t usually use them except as a clarifier. The blood tests do most all of the drug, cancer and other disease testing. We use the urine as a last check for pregnancy and any other agents.”

“What is special about pregnancy” Margaret asked.

“David’s dad had a rule on second verification of sex on all pregnant subjects. All subjects are supposed to be checked for pregnancy and child sex. If the child is male, the subject is excluded from processing. If female, they are processed normally and the baby is snuffed as well. Mother first, so there is no revolt.”

“So what do we do?” Margaret asked, amazed by the additional work.

“We verify pregnancy. If pregnant, you take them to the imaging room over there, and when we finish with the day’s normal load, we do a Geocentisis of the mother. If the Geo shows a male, we keep her out of the herd and send her home. If its a female, we send her on last.

“We have a Geocentisis machine?” Margaret asked, astounded by the implication. “Isn’t that almost $600 thousand?”

“Yes. But we buy them as upgrades every year. David can always sell the old one to other processors or to hospitals. Devon Cartwright at Major Medical brings a new one in every year and sells the old one. Our cost is only about $1200 a year in depreciation.”

Wow, thought Margaret to herself. This was news. I didn’t ever think of the implication of dealing with pregnant women in the plant. And since male babies were so rare (Only one in 5 at this time, with the effects of the gas finally wearing off) every one was needed to keep the Species going. Barbara’s sons had kept her out of the lottery for 18 years, and she had slipped through the last two to make it to safety.

“You will have to show me how to work that one. I will get the urine samples to you quickly and get these to stripping.”

“I see you are all ready for the part,” Barbara remarked

“Yes. David always liked me naked and wet. And I admit that I am getting that way here.”

“It is natural. Krista, our old goat, used to chase Chris and Marty around after the run, she was so horny. David never got any, he was too stodgy.”

“He is not stodgy. He just did not have permission to play around if I was not there,” Margaret said. And she felt good that David behaved when she was not there to watch him. I guess, she thought, that means I am going to rape him at the end of the day.

“Well, he sure had opportunity. He has a lot of rules for treatment that are left over from his father, I guess. And he is almost never down here in the process plant. Usually I move the women into the Lavatory and down to stripping in groups. David feeds them into me from reception and intake, and the girls line them up and send them into processing. But he sure does know what happens. He had new cabinets and instruments for me set up last month even before I mentioned to him that we needed them.”

“Yes. He is like that at home. Focused on all of the details.” Even on mine, Margaret thought to herself. “Well, let me get these women moved on,” Margaret said, as she moved toward the rest room.

Like the back to the lavatory room, the bathroom door was locked to the inside, but opened to allow entry. Inside, several of the women were milling around in front of the sink cleaning their hands and holding their specimen cups.

“What are these for?” a short older brunette asked

“Pregnancy verification. If any of you are at this time, we have to do further testing before we continue,” Margaret said with her newfound knowledge.