Chapter 6

Their new home was stunning. Four hundred thirty square meters of living space spread over two levels. The closest way to describe it would be to compare it to a condominium complex. Unlike at a sponsor's home, only one AI served the neighborhood. Mr. Fixit informed them they could customize interior colors and textures. Eight total 'companion families' shared the building's courtyard. Richard and his women were happy to discover that Paul and Bobbi's little clan lived next door.

The first of the discoveries about Wayward started later that day. Prema and Kayla took Raji and Abby to meet Mr. Frobel, who would be the kindergarten teacher. The girls would stay in his class the remainder of the day. Ms. Magillicutty, the Pre-K specialist, took less than five minutes to enthrall Kobe and Johnny and have them waving goodbye to their moms.

Richard met his superior officers. The lead constable, Joshua Polanski, and the number one deputy, Ray-ray Jenkins looked like the proverbial odd couple. Joshua had a very seductive Georgia accent, but he was very impressed with Richard's credentials and offered him a watch commander's position. The biggest shock came with the realization that the entire police force consisted of concubines. Richard kissed everyone good-bye and stayed at work.

In a surprise move, the colony's daycare had been moved to the Palace of Troy. The daycare bore the name Hecuba's Grotto. As they entered through the doors and started to look over the rolling meadow scene, a high-pitched squeal greeted them. Within seconds, Bobbi Granger intercepted the group heading to the check-in desk.

"Hello," Bobbi hugged and greeted the group. "This is my part time job." She bounced with joy. "Three days a week under the sheets and three days a week here." The smile Bobbi wore showed her excitement. She whispered softly, "I'm even on call as an emergency feeder." Bobbi hefted her breasts.

The resulting laughter almost woke up Isaac. "Could you walk us through check in?" Prema asked Bobbi.

The conversation turned to decorating ideas for their new homes. By the time they crossed to the main desk, a barbecue for the complex had been initially planned.

Surprisingly, as they dropped off Jantel and Isaac, Laurie Findlay offered Prema a part time job at the grotto. She would have a similar schedule to Bobbi; they would work together one day a week. Instead of being an on-site feeding station, Prema would work with the toddlers.

A companion-use entry led to the backstage of the Trojan Palace. Maria discovered that holding a State of Ohio Cosmetology Instructor License inverted her role. She would help run the Beauty School for three days a week and work the palace three days a week. Makeup and hairstyles could be set for each evening by request of a client or companion. After the application of makeup or tattoos, a quick trip to a style pod would make it effectively permanent.

The tour of the Palace of Troy began. Ten minutes into the tour, the sheer size of the grounds became apparent. Deidra found herself drawn toward the water park. It dwarfed Key Lime, the park she worked at in Illinois. In the two years she had been in space, her Red Cross Life Guard Certification had lapsed.

"Good afternoon ladies." A tall blond man spoke with a German accent. "Which of you is Companion Deidra Meadows?"

Deidra stepped forward. "I'm Deidra Toller-Johnson."

The man stopped a moment. Every woman there knew the telltale signs of sub lingual communication. "Your family group never specified a surname of choice. Each of you therefore was assigned the surname of the surrogate you are bonded to." He paused a moment.

The group looked at each other. Maria spoke up. "We never knew we had a choice." She made eye contact with every woman in the group. "I think we could live with that."

"Then I will begin again." He looked at the clipboard he held. "Hello, I am Heinrich Grunewald, the head of guest safety at the Palace of Troy." He waved his free hand at the surroundings. "Tomorrow at nine, Ms. Deidra Meadows is scheduled to attend a water park safety meeting. It is a requirement for her part-time job."

"I get to work at the water park?"

Heinrich flipped up two pages. "Yes, two days a week." He surveyed her excitement. "Had you not been informed?"

"Just now, I accept."

Their tour was steered through the park. Deidra smiled happily.

Kayla felt a bit left out. What came next diminished her malaise. A mammoth banquet hall dominated the core of the palace. There were no less than five themed bar-restaurants on the perimeter. Each theme had its own mini brothel. Tucked behind different colored doors were rooms to engage the services. The rooms ranged from single beds to full-blown orgy suites.

A rotating marquee advertised the services available at each venue. Reading over them, they offered the same basic services, with varied names. Kayla wondered how many different ways the concept of a glory-hole could be conveyed. Her count now stood at seventeen.

Kayla chose to work primarily out of the country bar. The sign out front that showed a cowboy humping away in the middle of a displaced hoopskirt carried the tagline 'Get Your Naughty Schoolmarm.' She had a vision of a being naked under the skirt with hidden slits to invite roaming hands. Public sex, once so taboo, excited her. She wondered when Richard would get home.

The next segment was truly bizarre. Prema would need to pick out a marine from one of the first batches of trainees to father her next child. Deidra would be three months later, then Maria, then Kayla. Prema asked if she had to make her decision right away. The first trainees were expected in two weeks. She wanted to discuss this with her complete family. By the third rotation of marines' training, she would need to make her decision or Colinda, the colony AI, would make it for her.

"Companion Kayla Meadows, please report to the guest lounge at the main entrance." The voice thundered deep and heavy. "A party is waiting to interview you." Kayla almost wet herself. She sprinted toward the meeting, not from excitement, but from the need to avoid embarrassing herself.

Jodie Nez liked Kayla from the start. That start consisted of seeing the woman storm into the restroom, straight for the nearest stall. A sigh, followed by splashing water, explained the haste. Jodie slipped out the door and waited.

The survey that each companion had completed showed that Kayla used creating hook rugs as a calming activity. Pictures of some of the rugs she had completed had been sent to Colinda's Darjee contacts. They believed a market existed for abstracts or landscape scenes.

Kayla came out of the restroom, straightening her tight little dress. Jodie approached. "Kayla, I'm Jodie Nez." They shook hands. "Has anyone shared why Wayward was founded?"

"Isn't it just a breeding colony?"

"Yes, but we are so much more." Jodie pointed at a small table and chairs. "Sit, I'll explain." Once seated, Jodie began her explanation. "The Darjee are bankrolling the defense of this part of the galaxy. The races have been spoiled by using replicators. The simple fact is that natural handmade objects are highly valued." Jodie felt that Kayla understood what she was saying. "My group weaves rugs from natural products grown or made here on the planet. We have a place for you to make hook rugs two days a week."

Kayla brightened up. "A job offer?" Jodie nodded yes. "I'll do it." Three other women who entered the lounge mid speech rushed to hug Kayla.

"Bring the whole group. I'll show you the shop." Jodie stood and led them out the door.

At first, Rashmi Saani hid his disappointment at the training facility. The northern island was bloody well freezing. It looked like pictures from Traion 6. The exploration teams deep behind the Swarm advance had surveyed several abandoned boltholes. Built into the very wall of a one hundred meter cliff, the facility stood out from the surroundings. As they walked toward the main door, twin mounted heavy lasers tracked their movements. Walking up the ramp, he turned to view his entourage. Four of his tactical specialists had taken standard cover positions. Old habits die-hard; old bastards like these had proved very hard to kill.

"The entire cliff and mesa took almost a year to complete," announced Marsha Danvers, the planetary governor. "Instead of hollowing out a mountain, we created a new land form shaped like the range you see." She led them up the ramp. "Entries in the Darjee database provided a template for L'Chekt modular expansive construction. I hope I said that right." Her comment relieved a bit of tension. "Come inside."

Rashmi felt a gentle press to push him forward. He did not realize that he had stopped walking. The view was ... was enough to make him feel small. The oblong oval shape inside showed an area that looked to be several square kilometers. The sides curved up into an expansive dome.

"Inside here are eight hundred and seventy acres of usable floor space. We have an average height of four hundred feet." She pointed at movement on the left-hand side of the complex. "An initial evaluation bolt hole is under erection." Panels seemed to float into place. "Tractor- repulsers move the prefab panels into place. Mohawk assembler robots add internal structures that were observed to exist based on our limited observations of such structures." She pointed to the far side of the cavern. "At that position will be boarding–slash-repelling-boarders partial ship hulls." Turning, she led them toward the building labeled Administration. "The remaining five-eighths of the area will be configurable to your needs."

The reception area looked big enough to play basketball in. A staffed reception area stood opposite the doors. Several women turned and looked at the entering group. They were dressed in light green tops with a Marine Corp dark green capitol "C" on both sleeves. When the women stood, they were obviously pregnant and the black skirts were slit up to the point of their hips. They moved to open the doors to the stairs to the Administrative area. Once the group was up the stairs, Danvers stopped. "I made one change to the plans." She turned, opening a set of double doors. "I adore a view." The conference room had a clear ceiling and outer wall. "Please have a seat."

Small name placards rose from the table, showing each person where to sit. Danvers' seat was not at the head of the table. Colonel Rashmi Saani found himself at one end opposite Lieutenant Gloria Henrique.

The colonel took the floor. "In three weeks, our first two platoons will be arriving." He stood. "I decided to house the platoons in replicas of classic training huts. Respective officers and NCOs will be housed there also." He looked at Danvers. "Staff billet will be at the main colony. Each of our homes will have a transporter capability to any of the designated areas here at the facility." A man dressed as a priest walked into the room.