Chapter 18

8 Section 80 -- Ares Clipper

Karl Rauser was the last of his rather large party to step off the transporter pad into the empty Copernicus Station living unit. His wife, his fifteen-year-old daughter, his eleven-year-old son, his daughter's best friend, and five of his wife's friends with their young children were crowded into the living room.

The AI introduced itself and supplied the standard opening explanation. The children were happy to adjourn to play on the upper level, guided and supervised by the AI. Snacks and beverages were supplied and the adults settled themselves in the living room.

The standard orientation was delivered. As usual, the two eldest of the women lamented that they were too old to start a new family. As usual, the AI displayed holograms of the six mature women and encouraged them to request modifications. When the two teen girls complained of being left out, their hologram likenesses were added. Alterations were made until the women were delighted with the results. Karl sat in bemused silence. When it came to the point at which the AI would have undressed the holograms, it stopped.

"Thus far," said the AI, "the standard orientation has been delivered to you. Karl Rauser is a sponsor with a CAP score of 6.9. He is allotted two concubines. Before the deadline tomorrow, you must decide whether to irrevocably commit yourselves to become concubines or, in the alternative, to be returned to Earth. If you choose to become concubines, and even if you are immediately bound to a sponsor, you will be nude for the foreseeable future.

"At this point in the orientation, standard procedure is to unclothe the holograms and have you make any further alterations that you desire. In an all-female audience, the holograms would be unclothed as a matter of course. The holograms are not you, but they are a perfect representation of your appearance, as altered. Not only are you of mixed gender, you are not all family. We are mindful of your modesty at this early juncture. Your modesty will be a hindrance when you commit yourselves to concubinage. It is recommended that you allow the standard presentation to proceed. The unclothed holograms will in a small way help to acclimate you to nudity. You should spend time now discussing this matter. You should also begin to come to grips with the fact that only two of you can be sponsored by Karl Rauser."

Silence. Utter, complete silence weighed on the room. Karl was smart enough to keep his mouth shut and to feign indifference. The women alternated between exchanging embarrassed glances with each other and intense examinations of their laps.

"Karl Rauser," the AI broke the silence, "you and your group are scheduled to remain in the moon until you are boarded in the cube transporter Valhalla in about three weeks. However, the Kilo-class transporter Ares Clipper is now in Earth orbit and is in the process of extracting passengers for transit to a breeder colony. If you wish, you may select three concubines from among those in this room and be transferred to Ares Clipper."

"Yeah!" screeched Karl's daughter, Liesl. "Take us, Papa! Take Mama, and Alise and me!"

"Liesl," said her mother softly, "do you understand what you are asking?"

"Of course! We'll all live together, and I'll have my friend Alise for always!" Her mother gave her a long, sad look. "What's wrong? It'll be perfect!"

Margret Rauser was silent as she composed her thoughts. The rest of the group sat in pained silence, watching the tableaux. Liesl's elation began to turn into distress. "Liesl," Margret said softly, "if you go with Papa, then you will bear his children. Do you understand that?"

Liesl was poleaxed. She looked from her mother to her father, to her friend Alise and back again. She turned her gaze to the silent women, hoping one of them would speak up, rejecting the awful words her mother had spoken. Every single person in the room remained silent as she processed her mother's words. Tears started to flow freely down her cheeks. "That isn't what I wanted, Mama! Papa is yours! I can't do that to you! I can't do that with Papa!"

Margret sighed and tried to put on her most sympathetic expression. "Liesl, the choices for a concubine are quite limited. You can decline as many sponsorship requests as you want. You can't make a sponsor choose you. You can't make a sponsor choose both you and Alise. A sponsor might choose both of you -- I don't know whether that is likely or not. Your sponsor might be transferred to another colony and we won't be able to see you -- maybe never again.

"If Papa asks me, I will go with him, no matter who else is with us. If you want to be with me, then you will have to be with Papa and he will father your children. If you want to be with Alise, then being with Papa and me is the only way to make sure that you and Alise are together." She turned to Karl. "Do you want me with you?" Karl nodded and smiled. "If Liesl and Alise want to be with us, will you sponsor them?" Again, Karl nodded and smiled. Margret turned to Alise. "Alise, would you be willing to live with Papa and me if you could live with Liesl?"

Alise nodded vigorously and smiled brightly. She clearly wanted that to be the final decision. "That's what I have been expecting since Liesl invited me to join the pickup."

The AI said, "Karl Rauser, it appears that you are inclined to accept the invitation to be boarded in Ares Cruiser. It is recommended that you and your prospective concubines retire to another area of this living unit while you settle the matter. There is much important information that must be imparted to the other prospective concubines in this room. If any of you decide against being transferred into Ares Cruiser, you may return to this room at any time."

After obtaining a slight nod of agreement from Margret, Karl rose to his feet. "Where do you suggest we go?" he asked.

"It is recommended that you step into the hall, turn left and enter the first room on your right." Karl led the way and found himself in a room with an enormous bed. The room was so large that several pairs of upholstered chairs and side tables along the perimeter did not begin to make the room feel crowded.

"Papa!" cried Liesl as she turned from the huge bed to face him. "I'm a virgin! I can't have sex with you now! Not here, not now, not with Alise and Mama watching!"

"Karl," interjected the AI, "Liesl is obviously reluctant to submit to you as a sponsor. A test-drive is indicated to ensure her compliance."

"I see that tact is not your strong suit, AI," smirked Karl as he looked at Liesl. "I do not think that a 'test-drive' is what is needed right now."

"I don't know if I could ever have sex with you, Papa," Liesl said softly as she lowered her gaze. "I love you, Papa, but you're ... old."

"I'm only forty-one," he chuckled. "I don't think I'm old."

"But I'm only fifteen!" she shot back.

"Stop," said Margret firmly. She sat on the edge of the bed and gently tugged on Karl's arm, guiding him to sit beside her. She smiled and waved the girls into facing upholstered chairs. "AI, please show us a hologram of Karl aged twenty-five." The image of a younger Karl immediately appeared, his head full of hair and wearing the same clothing Karl presently wore. "Please add a bit more muscle to his arms and chest." The image instantly changed.

"Would you please make holograms of Liesl, Alise and me as we modified them before?" The three images appeared. "Please regress my age to eighteen." A younger Margret image appeared. "Liesl, would you like to be my twin?"

"Oh, yes, Mama," Liesl said with glee. "Can I have breasts like yours?"

"Ha!" chuckled Margret, "I would like to have breasts like yours! You can have big breasts -- if Papa approves. Mine are always in my way. I think small breasts are more sensitive. Now is not a good time for girl-talk. AI, make the Liesl and Alise images age eighteen." When the images changed, she continued, "Give Liesl somewhat bigger breasts. Please make mine a little smaller." Turning to Alise, she asked, "Alise? Bigger breasts?" Alise nodded vigorously and giggled. "Bigger breasts for the Alise image, please."

Turning to Liesl, she said, "We aren't truly twins, but we do look at least like sisters. Shall we three have the same haircuts and such?"

"I've always wanted to be blonde," Liesl giggled. "Alise, can Mama and I copy your hairstyle?" Alise giggled and nodded. The images changed.

"Liesl," Margret sighed, "I think all of us fantasize about what it would be like if we were picked up." As she spoke, she began slowly and inconspicuously to unbutton her blouse. "I always thought Papa would be picked up and I wouldn't be with him at the time. I thought I would be picked up while he wasn't with me. It always upset me to think that I wouldn't have Papa with me anymore, and that made me sad. I have always hoped that we would be at the same pickup, and Papa would choose me to come with him. I have thought a lot about being one of Papa's two concubines. I have come to terms with the fact that I will share Papa's affection and attention."

"Mama," what are you doing?" squawked Liesl. Margret had shrugged off her blouse and was reaching behind her back for the clasp of her bra.

"If the stories are correct," Margret said softly as she let her bra fall to the floor, "then I will have to be nude when we are moved to the transport ship."

"If you choose to be a concubine," said the AI, "then you will be nude regardless of whether your sponsor is transferred to Ares Clipper."

"I am going to be a concubine," Margret said firmly as she continued to undress. Turning to Karl, she asked, "Do you want me, husband?"

"Marriage does not exist in the Confederacy," said the AI.

Karl grinned, ignoring the interruption. "Yes, Margret. Will you be my concubine?"

With tears in her eyes and a serene smile, she firmly but softly said, "Yes."

"Recorded," the AI said as the couple tenderly hugged and kissed. "The concubine Margret is bound to Karl Rauser."

As the couple broke their hug, Liesl asked, "But Mama, why did you undress first?"

Margret gave her a rueful smile. "Liesl, you are an adult now. You have to make a decision tonight that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. I wanted to make myself vulnerable right now, to show you that I feel safe and protected by Papa, by Karl. I think I look pretty good for a forty-year-old woman. I confess that I'm looking forward to being eighteen again very soon. I may be eighteen for the rest of my life. I don't know how things work in the Confederacy. I want you to know what it looks like -- what it feels like -- to be a forty-year-old woman." With that she stood and approached Liesl. "Stand up, Liesl. I want you to feel my breasts -- I didn't know you liked my breasts! -- and see whether you really want that." Margret collected Liesl's hands and placed them on her own breasts. When she was sure that Liesl's hands would remain there, she let her arms fall to her sides. Liesl gently stroked, hefted and caressed her mother's breasts, the doubtful expression becoming one of interest and even some pleasure.

"Feel my waist and my tummy," she directed, and Liesl complied. "I was once slender like you," she chuckled sadly. "I'm not as fit anymore. Move around and examine my bottom." Again, Liesl complied. "I swear, if I can have a tight butt again, I'll never let it go as I have."

Margret guided Liesl back in front of her and wrapped her into a loving hug. "We have been affectionate in front of you, but we have kept our intimacy private. I suppose that was for the best but now I regret it. I will tell you that Karl is a wonderful lover. He is considerate, and passionate and playful. I have never felt unsafe with Karl, in bed or anywhere else.

She brought them to arms' length and looked her daughter in the eyes. "If you decide to go with us, then I will be your twin and I won't be your Mama anymore. If you decide to go with us, then Karl will be your sponsor, your man, and he won't be your Papa anymore. If you decide not to go with us, then we will still be your Mama and your Papa but we won't live on the same planet.

"There isn't going to be any sex with anyone in this room right now. If you decide to take Karl as your lover, I want you to wait until you can go to him willingly, happily and confidently. I will be with you and Karl if you want me to. Right now," and she reached her hand out to Alise and urged her to her feet, "I want you and Alise to kneel on both sides of Karl's knees." When she had settled them, she continued, "I want you to help each other undress Karl. You can touch him, or not -- it's your choice. Karl isn't twenty-five again yet. Karl would be unable to tell you truthfully how he feels about you as women, but his body cannot lie."

Liesl gasped, looking frantically from Margret to Karl to Alise and back again. The others were silent as she worked through her feelings. Finally, with a look of resignation mixed with acute trepidation, she looked at her friend. Alise winked and raised her hands toward the top of Karl's shirt. She kept her hands suspended there until Liesl's hands joined hers.

With shaking hands, Liesl managed to get two buttons undone before she sank back and dropped her hands to her lap. With a pleading look to her mother, she said, "Mama, why are you making us do this?"

Margret knelt between her daughter and Alise. "Liesl, I'm going to tell you a bit about myself. I thought about asking you to tell me about yourself, but I think that would be too stressful for you right now." She sighed, looked down as she prepared herself and then looked up to engage her daughter's eyes.

"There are dreams, and there are fantasies and there is pretending. All of them are in your mind and no harm is done. You can't control your dreams. Sometimes dreams are acting out what you really want -- even if you are not consciously aware of your want. Sometimes dreams are acting out what you deeply fear. Fantasies and pretending are harmless. You can imagine or pretend the most outrageous things and, when it's over, nothing has changed.

"When I masturbate," and a gasp escaped Liesl's startled expression, "I have a few favorite fantasies that help me reach orgasm. I like to masturbate in the shower. I like to imagine that someone has turned off the bathroom light and it is completely dark. The shower curtain is moved back and someone steps into the shower with me. I cannot tell who the person is. I am already facing the showerhead in the front of the shower. The person bends me forward. I have to hold the faucet handles for balance. The faceless person presses himself into me from behind and strokes powerfully for a long time. Finally, he fills me with his seed and I explode in an orgasm so powerful that I fall to my knees. When I recover, he is gone."

They were silent for a while. Liesl asked, "Why did you tell me that?"

"Liesl, I have imagined lots and lots of sexy things. Some are things that would be terrible if they happened in real life. Some are things that will never -- should never -- happen in real life. Lots of them are things that could happen. I have imagined a lot of things that might have happened if I were picked up without Karl.

"I know you have hormones coursing through your body. I assume you have learned how to pleasure yourself." Liesl blushed crimson. "You are a virgin. Is your hymen intact?" The blush deepened. After hesitating, Liesl nodded. "When you pleasure yourself, do you fantasize about one of your teachers? Boys at school? Karl? A movie star?" Liesl couldn't look at her mother. "Do you fantasize about what it must feel like to have a man thrust deep inside your body?" By now, Liesl was so embarrassed and ashamed that she began to quietly sob.

Margret turned to Alise. "Will you help us out here, please?" A smiling Alise began to unbutton her blouse. "No, no, no," laughed Margret. Even Liesl giggled through her tears and stopped sobbing. "Stay dressed for now. I've told you that I am a sexual person. I have vivid fantasies. I have thought a lot about being picked up, about different sexual encounters. I know you are a healthy young woman. Will you share some of your hopes and fears about being picked up? Will you acknowledge your growing sexuality?"

Alise blushed and glanced at Karl before returning her gaze to Margret. "I sometimes think about Mr. Wagner, the math teacher," she confessed.

"He is a handsome man," Margret agreed with an encouraging smile. "Have you caught him looking at you in a way he shouldn't?" Alise giggled and nodded shyly. "Have you ever noticed someone trying to get a glimpse up your skirt, or down your blouse?" Another shy nod. "And did you shift your posture so he can see more, but not too much?" Shocked at the suggestion, Alise's blush deepened and she looked away before nodding shyly. "Isn't it exciting to know that someone is attracted to you?" Both girls giggled happily. "Have you seen evidence of a man's attraction in his pants?" The giggling girls blushed and nodded.

"If you are typical teenagers," Margaret continued, "you probably think that your parents stopped having sex on the day your youngest sibling was conceived."

Alise giggled. "My parents keep their activities behind closed doors but they make a lot of racket!" Liesl and Alise laughed. Margaret nodded understanding.

"Liesl, I hate to have to break this to you here and now, but my sexual desire has never been higher in my life. A woman's libido peaks at about my age. If you want to be with Karl very infrequently, that will be fine. Karl will not suffer any lack of female attention. I suspect that Alise will be an eager and frequent participant once the ice is broken."

"During the initial screening, for all adults the libido is enhanced and inhibitions are relaxed," intoned the AI. "The effects will become increasingly apparent over the next few days."

Margret looked at Karl with hooded eyes. "Oh, my darling, you're in for quite a time," she said softly. Karl blushed and smiled but otherwise kept still.

"I have thought about being with my dad," Alise supplied. "I got powerful orgasms from that. I have thought about being sandwiched between ... Karl ... and Liesl, both of them kissing and touching me. Those were great ones, too."

"Alise, have you ever touched a boy's privates? Has a boy ever touched yours?" asked Margret.

"Only though clothes," she blushed. "I've never let a boy under my blouse or in my panties." She looked at Liesl for a moment before adding, "Boys, that is..."

Margret gave a knowing smile. "Alise, I have been paying attention mostly to Liesl because she's distressed about her choice. Do you want to find out what my big boobs are like?"

Alise nodded and giggled. She shifted her knees a little so that she was nearly facing Margret. She reached out, let her hands hover over Margret's breasts for a moment, and then began caressing them as she smiled serenely. "Yes, I would like THESE," as she gently rubbed and pinched the nipples. "It is so hard, waiting to finish growing. I feel so..."

"Gangly," Liesl supplied. "I've grown UP more than I've grown OUT. My titties are so small. I don't have much of a waist yet. My legs are like sticks..." Her tears began anew. "How could anyone want me as I am?"

Margret gave her a wry smile. "Oh, you'd be surprised. Men have a special weakness for young girls. Usually, they don't act on the attraction. Tell me that you haven't noticed your Papa appreciating your beauty?"

"He has?" Liesl was thoroughly surprised.

Now it was Margret's turn to blush. "Sometimes when we go to bed, I pretend to be a young girl. Karl enjoys that very much. It isn't you that we are pretending me to be, just some imaginary young girl. But I'm sure you -- each of you -- have starred in Karl's fantasies. Fantasies are not real, and they do no harm. Now, our reality has changed. I'm sure he will allow you to advance the age of your bodies, but I hope you will be with him at least once before the changes are made." Both girls looked at Karl, Margret and each other with dawning understanding.

"Now, you two, strip off Karl's clothes as fast as you can." Alise went right back to his shirt buttons. Liesl hesitated only a moment before she started to pull the shirt from under the pant waist. Now giggling, they helped each other get the shirt off and discarded. As Liesl hesitated, Alise shot to the floor and began untying a shoelace. Liesl recovered and quickly followed suit. The shoes flew over the girls' shoulders, followed by the socks. Again, Liesl balked. Alise made for the belt and had it open in a flash. She worked on the button, now hindered by Liesl's hands working the zipper.

"Lift up! Lift up!" Alise laughed as she grabbed the side of his pants and began to tug. Liesl was only a beat behind. Karl dutifully raised his hips off the bed to let his pants come down. Liesl had to go back for a fresh handhold when she discovered that Alise was pulling down both pants and underwear at once.

The girls' attention was on Karl's lower legs and feet as they struggled to finish their task. When they were done, they turned and looked at Karl. His cock was at half-mast and pointed right at them. Both girls gasped. Margret was right there to take the lead.

"Karl, move forward and open your knees," she instructed. "Girls, watch as Karl becomes fully erect." As predicted, Karl's cock continued to inflate, pointing ever upward until it flopped onto his abdomen.

Alise moved in closer. "Can I touch it?" she asked. A smiling Karl silently nodded. She brought her hand in and gingerly surrounded the shaft of his cock. The expression on her face was priceless. She looked at Liesl and giggled. "You do it," she said. Alise moved her small hand toward the base of his cock. Liesl's hand found its way to the upper portion and the head. Her face expressed wonder and excitement.

"Is that semen?" asked Alise.

"No," answered Margret, "that is lubricant. Your bodies make a lubricant very much like that. Together, they make it possible for a man to enter a woman without injury."

"When does the semen come out?" asked Liesl, who was becoming more comfortable by the moment.

"You know what you must do to achieve orgasm," chuckled Margret. "You have to RUB. The equipment is not the same on girls and boys, and the rubbing is not the same, either. For now, open your hands until you are just touching him. Start to stroke up and down the shaft."

It took a bit for the two girls to get in rhythm. They were completely enraptured with their activity. Karl's hiss of pleasure caused the girls to withdraw their hands as though from a hot stove. Margret's laugh was musical. "That hiss means you're doing it right," she chuckled. This time, Liesl's hand was back first and she resumed her stroking. Alise's hand was right behind.

"Not that we're in any hurry," smiled Margret, "but why don't I help you?" She rose from the floor and sat in a nearby upholstered chair. "Men respond to visual stimulation much more than women do. Karl loves to watch me masturbate. I'll give Karl a show, and I guarantee that he'll act like a human fire hose," she laughed. Karl groaned. The girls giggled. They looked at each other. Liesl was at first scandalized at her mother's planned action. She looked at her own fist stroking up and down Karl's cock and decided it was all right.

Margret scooted forward in her chair and leaned against the chair back. She ran her index finger up through her pussy lips and showed the girls. "I'm already pretty wet," she giggled. "I think I'll get used to nudity very fast." As the girls gawked, Margret brought her finger to her mouth and made a show of cleaning it. "Don't stop," she reminded them. The girls restarted with renewed vigor. "Not too fast, and not too hard," she warned. "Share that lubricant all along the shaft."

Margret often tortured Karl by stretching out her masturbation session for a long time. She wasn't confident that the girls weren't chafing his cock, so she decided to expedite the show. She was putting on a show for the girls, too, so she started a bit slowly. She stroked up and down her body, lingering here or there before moving on.

It wasn't long before her right hand was stationed between her legs; her left hand had breast duty. Karl had laser-like focus on her right hand and the parted lips beneath it. The girls' attention was divided between watching Margret, keeping their own hand rhythm steady while watching the hard cock, and watching Karl's face as his heart rate and blood pressure soared.

Soon, he began gasping for breath and his face was perspiring. Margret, too, was flushed with arousal and exertion. "He knows I'm about to orgasm," she breathed. "He'll be right behind me." Soon, her body began to spasm and she keened her orgasm. Right on cue, with a huge groan Karl shot jet after jet through the air and onto his abdomen. The girls trilled with excitement. Liesl jerked her hand away but Alise held on for dear life. The last of Karl's spend flowed over her hand.

Margret quickly recovered and approached the girls. She made a show of bringing Alise's hand up and licking it clean. The girls squawked in surprise. Margret gathered a fingerful of Karl's spend and offered it to Alise, who doubtfully accepted it. Alise's face registered a range of expressions, ending with a smile. Liesl was every bit as doubtful but accepted her gift and ended up smiling as well.

"Karl will be soft for a while," smiled Margret. "Are there any other concerns you have about joining in a happy, loving family?" Both girls giggled and shook their heads. "Well, if you're going to be concubines, then you know the uniform of the day," she chuckled as she pointed at her own body. The laughing girls immediately began stripping off clothes, tossing them here and there. When they were done, Margret gathered them in a hug. She turned them so the three could face Karl.

"This is the part where the sponsor asks..." smiled Margret.

"Liesl, Alise," asked a smiling Karl, "will you be my concubines?"

"YES," they answered.

"Molly Fagan, Eamon Fagan, you are each entitled to two concubines," said the AI. "You and your group are scheduled to remain in the moon until you are boarded in the cube transporter Valhalla in about three weeks. However, the Kilo transporter Ares Clipper is now in Earth orbit and is in the process of extracting passengers for transit to a breeder colony. If you wish, you may each select three concubines from among those in this room and be transferred to Ares Clipper."

Twins, Molly and Eamon had been part of the secondary extraction of their mother's 'dependents.' Nora Fagan had contacted Molly while she was at school. Molly and Eamon had gathered their brother Declan, six of Molly's friends and three teachers. Two of the teachers had each brought two children.

Molly's friends were all atwitter at the body changes that they had made to holographic images of themselves. Miss Riley, at twenty-four the youngest of the three teachers and the one who taught art, was enjoying and encouraging the girls' enthusiasm. Mrs. Grant, the history teacher, had kept her two small children with her and was absorbed in their play. Mrs. Sullivan, the oldest of the three teachers, was watching the goings-on in bemused silence. Her two children were still minors but were older than those of Mrs. Grant. Fourteen-year-old Declan sat alone, rather bewildered at the entire affair and completely unsure of his future. His 6.3 CAP score was not high enough for him to volunteer. He had wanted not to come to the moon at all but his twin siblings had insisted.

Nora was in rather bad shape. She sat alone with her head held high but a river of tears ran down her cheeks. Earlier, Molly had tried to console her mother, who was deeply distraught with the loss of her husband and the unknown future facing her. Nora had been unwilling to participate in the body-sculpting exercise.

Molly and Eamon turned to face each other. Both were surprised at the AI's offer. "This is rather abrupt," sighed Eamon. "It's been a kaleidoscope of sights and sounds, a whole range of thoughts and emotions. We've only been here for a few minutes. Now, the AI wants us to choose our families for the rest of our lives."

"We've been a family," sighed Molly. "Ma's not doing too well over the loss of Da and what her future holds. If we take up the offer, I guess our family will be split up."

"Molly and Eamon," interjected the AI, "it is permitted for sponsors to combine households."

Molly blushed deeply but had a quick riposte. "Ah, Eamon Fagan," she said coyly, "would you be wantin' to bonk yer sister?"

Eamon hadn't recovered his bearings after the AI's point as quickly as his sister. He smiled at her gibe but she could tell that he was lost in thought. His head shook a bit as though he had snapped back into consciousness. "I may as well," he sighed, "it looks like I'll be bonking my ma and you'll be bonking my brother."

Molly's surprise was palpable. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it," reasoned Eamon. "Even if we don't go now, what is the only way to make sure Ma is taken care of? What is the only way to make sure Declan is sponsored? We can stay here, wait for the next boat to sail, see whether Ma can catch a sponsor, see whether Declan can get himself sponsored. Even then, how do we know how Ma's sponsor will treat her? How will we know whether Declan has the chance to grow into sponsorship? The only way for you and I to take care of our family is for you to sponsor Declan and for me to sponsor Ma. We may as well have a joint household. It would keep our family together. I wasn't looking forward to the end of our twin relationship. I've never said much, but you have to know that you're more to me than just a sister."