Chapter 19

Day 9

9 Section 81 -- Surplus female concubines

The remaining Day 1 unbound concubines -- now all women -- were concentrated into two neighborhoods. The male concubine prospects had gone home the day before.

Few Day 1 sponsors still needed concubines. Those sponsors, almost exclusively men, had personality traits that ensured that the lives of their concubines would be terrifying and painful.

The choices for the unbound concubines were both unappealing: they could allow themselves to be sponsored by a beast, or wait until arrival on the colony before being sponsored. No one knew what the latter meant, except that they had been informed in the early orientation sessions that the sponsors on the colony would most likely be fourteen-year-olds or men who had already killed or rejected concubines. Most of the women were arriving at the conclusion that being owned by a fourteen-year-old boy was not the worst thing that could happen to them. The women at least hoped that they could influence the young men to become good lovers and thoughtful 'husbands.' But arrival on the colony was still nearly two weeks away. Assignment to a colony brothel was known to be a distinct possibility. Even though the women had made themselves sexually available to prospective sponsors -- strangers all -- the prospect of actually becoming whores was wrenching.

The libido of the unsponsored concubines had been enhanced when they reached the moon and had not been scaled back. Opportunities to relieve their urges with men had been scant. Some sponsors roamed the women's neighborhood, knowing that the women's urge to mate was powerful. The sexual sessions they inflicted upon the unwary were appalling. The stewards did nothing.

There being an acute shortage of cock in the neighborhood, many of the women turned to each other for comfort. Off-duty stewards made an effort to make themselves available, but there weren't enough male stewards who were willing to make such a 'sacrifice' to go around. A whole lot of the women were climbing-the-walls horny.

"Settle down, please," said the Fleet Auxiliary representative with an amplified voice. As the women found seats and became quiet, she continued. "There are about twelve hundred of you unsponsored concubines in this and one other neighborhood. This meeting is to discuss with you how you would like to proceed. There remain five days until the cube ship transporter arrives, and a week of transit before you arrive in the colony. Almost none of you are going to find a sponsor before you arrive at the colony, and it is unknown how long it will take after arrival before you are sponsored.

"The Confederacy would like you to become pregnant as soon as possible. I know many of you are anxious to at least practice your baby-making skills." That brought the chuckles she sought. "There are maybe three alternatives that have been considered to help you get some satisfaction and, hopefully, get a bun in as many of your ovens as possible. We would like your input.

"You were extracted on the first day of our "new and improved 'office building' procedure". One office building in each of two cities was evacuated on that day. Some of you were in the building; the rest of you were extracted as 'dependents' of office workers. We used the same procedure in four cities each over the next three days. As you know, unsponsored male concubine candidates from your two cities were sent home yesterday. Unsponsored male candidates from the four second-day cities are going home today. Unsponsored male candidates from the third-day cities go home tomorrow, and fourth-day cities the day after that.

You are from Charlotte or Dallas. On the second day, people were extracted from Manchester and Glasgow in the UK, Phoenix, Arizona and Edmonton, Alberta. On the third day, people were extracted from Melbourne and Sydney, Australia and Mumbai and Indore, India. On the fourth day, extractions happened in Anchorage, Alaska, Honolulu, Hawaii, Osaka, Japan and Seoul, South Korea.

"The second-day people have pretty much formed their families. The unsponsored concubines are about in the position you were in yesterday. You remember your own circumstances two days ago and three days ago.

"The first option is for you to be transferred to one of these areas, and you can try to be sponsored. Your best chances -- which are still quite limited -- are with the fourth day groups, but only half of them speak English as their native tongue. If you are transferred to one of those areas, you will have to share living quarters and will compete with the unsponsored concubines who are already there.

"The second option that we can think of is that we would ask sponsors to open their homes and take you in. We have not discussed this option with the sponsors, and we do not know what the response will be. We do not know what will be the response of the sponsors' existing concubines. The concubines do not have a vote in the matter but, as you know, their acute displeasure could easily disrupt the harmony of the entire family unit. You could stay as long as you wanted and as long as the sponsor wanted. You could come back to this neighborhood as often as you like. You can go to another sponsor if you wish and if the sponsor wishes. The sponsors will not be allowed to keep you. We do want you to become pregnant. We think it will be good for you to be in a family situation, albeit temporarily.

"The third option is for you to remain where you are. You are free to leave the neighborhood and use any of the abundant entertainment and recreation areas. Regrettably, there will be little opportunity for you to become pregnant or even to practice that art.

"Now I want to answer your questions and open the discussion." There were a lot of questions and a lot of discussion.

"We've had quite an ordeal this last week," one woman said. "I'm older than most. I have a lot more fat and a lot less hair than when I was younger. I have been humiliated and oppressed for a week. I don't need to become a Barbie Doll, but I sure would feel better about myself if I had a chance to have my body improved a little bit. Do you think we could get some modest changes done before we go looking for a mercy fuck?"

The steward considered for a moment with a thousand-yard stare in her eyes. Presently, she recovered and faced the woman. "Technically, you presently belong to the Civil Service until you are permanently sponsored. Yes, we will allow modest changes to your bodies: fat reduction, hair changes, correction of any disfigurement, and the like. We will not roll back your age. When you are eventually sponsored, your sponsor may make any additional changes he or she wants."

There was interest in all three of the options. The steward promised an update as soon as she could.

"Your attention, please," announced the AI. "As you may know, family formation is all but complete for those of you extracted from Charlotte and Dallas. From each of these two cities, some twenty-two hundred sponsors have formed family groups representing about eighteen thousand men, women, and children.

"There remains something of a problem. The number of female concubines extracted exceeds the number allotted to sponsors by approximately six hundred for each of these two cities. These women will be sponsored by residents of the colony after transport. The cube ship transport will arrive in five days. The transit will last for a week. Sponsorship remains about two weeks hence for these women.

"The unsponsored concubines, and their children, are presently housed in two neighborhoods. There are no adult males resident in the neighborhoods. The women have endured the concubine selection process and have been repeatedly passed over or rejected. Their humiliation and shame is now compounded by the sense that they have been abandoned. Importantly, substantially none of the women have become impregnated, a high priority for the Confederacy.

"It is thought that these women -- and their children, in some cases -- will be far better off if they are temporarily integrated with sponsors and their families. The assignments are voluntary on the part of the sponsor. The concubines will remain the property of the Civil Service. The concubines will be removed from the sponsor family groups before arrival at the colony in preparation for permanent sponsorship by a volunteer already on the colony. Accordingly, the maximum duration of the temporary assignments is less than two weeks.

"Either the concubine or the sponsor are allowed to end the temporary assignment at any time, for any reason. If the temporary assignment is not mutually beneficial, then the concubine will be returned to the unsponsored concubine neighborhood and may later be assigned to the family of another sponsor.

"If you are willing to volunteer as a temporary family for one of these concubines, or if you have questions, please say so."

George, Jenna and Andie looked at each other, nonplussed. "Well," allowed Jenna, "there is a semi-vacancy in your bed, George. Even with my libido juiced, I'm not carrying my share of the load."

"You're carrying your share of the load for our family," giggled Andie, "right in your tummy. Seriously, though, you have shared your man with me. I can't really refuse to share our man with someone who needs our help."

"Andie," Jenna reproved, "George is not 'my man' anymore. We're a family now, and you're every bit as much a member as I am."

"I know, I know," said Andie. "Still, I think we could temporarily add another woman without either of us having to go without. George, what do you think?"

"I don't want to do anything that will interfere with our family formation," he answered.

"Oh, we're definitely a family now," said Jenna. "Andie is pregnant with your baby. We both love you with all our hearts. If you are inclined to volunteer, George, it's okay with us. It's only temporary, after all."

"AI," said George, "I'm willing to consider the proposal. Can you elaborate a bit about the woman -- or the type of woman -- who would be assigned to our family?"

"For your particular family," replied the AI, "a woman would be selected from those who have been preyed upon by her fellow concubines. You and your two concubines are deemed well qualified to help such a woman recover her dignity, her sense of self-worth, her confidence and her trust. Many of the women among the unsponsored concubines would not be considered attractive to most human males. The woman will be granted some limited body modifications before she arrives. The modifications will not include age regression and will be more in the nature of weight loss and correction of any disfigurement."

That shocked both Andie and Jenna. "Do it, George," said Andie. "Self-esteem is something we can help a woman rebuild."

"Okay," said George. "I have reservations, but we will try and see how it goes. AI, when will the woman arrive?"

"Jill Imhoff is presently enroute to the medical bay, where she will undergo some body modification. She and her child will then proceed to this location. You should expect her in about three hours."

"Can you give us any more information about Jill or her child?" asked Jenna.

"Jill Imhoff is twenty-six years old. Her son, Asa, is four years old." Both women tittered in happy surprise. "Jill Imhoff is about to undergo weight reduction. She will not be made slender but will shed considerable weight. Jill Imhoff..."

"Can you drop her last name, please?" George asked plaintively.

"Acknowledged. For the past three days, Jill spent as much time as possible in her room with her son. Other concubines resident in the same living unit used every opportunity to torture Jill, both physically and emotionally. Her present emotional state might best be described as 'cowed.' She is being escorted to the medical bay by a steward, who will supervise the child while Jill is in a med tube. It was clear that Jill would not or could not make the trip on her own."

"Jill and her son Asa are at your door," intoned the AI.

The three raced to the front door. "Open the door," George said as they approached from the inside. As the door slid open, both Jenna and Andie greeted Jill with excited chatter and hugs. Jill recoiled at the physical contact. That brought Jenna and Andie up short and they toned down their own displays.

George also had observed Jill's reaction to the physical contact. He opted for a more reserved offering of both of his hands. Jill hesitated momentarily and then accepted George's hands with a grateful smile. "I'm pleased to meet you, Jill. Welcome to our home. Please come in."

Andie's four-year-old twin girls and Jenna's three-year-old son were already in a corner of the living room. Sally and Lonnie were 'finger painting' on whitened rectangles on the wall. There were circles of color nearby on the wall. The children changed color by touching a new colored circle. Molly had a storybook on her lap. The AI was reading the story. The people and animals in the pictures were mobile and Molly was paying close attention.