I knelt at my master's feet. He had just finished listening to the first part of my story which I'd called To Go, Softly, As a Mouse. "This is wonderful," he said as he caressed my cheek. I gushed. That is the only way to describe it. It wasn't quite an orgasm but I was as wet and lubricated as I'd ever been. "How does this make you feel?" he asked as he indicated the print version of the story that was displayed on the wall.

"Empty," I said simply.

"Can you explain why that is, Frances?" He asked.

"Yes sir, there are things that I haven't told yet that make me feel that way."

"AI," my master said, "Frances is to finish this story. That is her main duty when she's not on watch. On watch she is authorized to continue her efforts so long as they don't interfere with her duty."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because this is important," My master told me as he raised me up and kissed me soundly causing my breasts which were already tender from the excitement that telling my story had caused. Luckily Kevin had finally been weaned and I didn't embarrass myself by having a letdown of milk when my nipples returned to aching hardness. Silent tears began to slip down my cheeks even though I was feeling very loved at the moment. James noticed and said, "Why are you crying?"

"You're too good to me."

Just then Brandy came through the door. "Did you bring the ping-pong paddle?" James asked.

I was surprised when she knelt and said, "Yes master, I deserve to be paddled."

From our talks together I knew that unlike me, Brandy got nothing from being paddled. I wondered why she had brought the paddle and why James was going to use it on her with me present. I didn't have to wonder long though because James said, "Frances, were you so distracted by this," he indicated the story I'd told, "that you were unable to perform your watch?"

"Maybe," I admitted. Some of the memories and the feelings they had stirred had put me in a very bad place.

"The AI agreed with that assessment, which is why Brandy came to check on you. Now the question is did Brandy distract you worse than telling this story?" I nodded unhappily. I knew my agreement would mean that Brandy probably got paddled. After all part of the reason that she came to interrupt me was that I needed to concentrate on work. Instead she had spent a good deal of the remainder of my watch shift kissing me.

"Brandy," James said sternly, "part of being a sponsor is being responsible for your actions. With that in mind, how should I discipline you?"

"That's for you to decide isn't it?" Brandy asked.

"No, if you're self-responsible then you set your own punishment when you break the rules," James told Brandy.

"I don't know what I should set," Brandy said,

"Frances, Brandy's failure is interrupting your time with me, what is your recommendation?"

I hesitated, I hated when James put me on a spot like this. Finally after considering what needed to be addressed I said, "What rules did she break?"

"Brandy broke two rules," the AI intoned using some sort of technology that made its voice seem to come from the center of the room. "The first rule she broke was inducing a concubine to have sex while the concubine was engaged in a task integral to the operation of Heinlein Station."

Before the AI could continue I said, "We didn't have sex!"

"Kissing that lasts more than thirty seconds while you're supposed to be on duty is considered sex," the AI said dryly.

"What is the punishment for that infraction?" I asked.

"Not less than twenty strokes, nor more than thirty, on the bare buttocks," the AI said.

"Did you know the consequences of your actions?" James asked as he put his hand on Brandy's cheek. She looked down before nodding. "Do you think that should enhance your punishment?"

"I suppose..." Brandy said softly.

"How much?" James asked sternly.

"I think I deserve at least the maximum punishment," Brandy said keeping her eyes focused on the floor.

I gasped. I liked a little or even a lot of spanking if I thought that the person performing it liked to do it to me and it wasn't designed to only impart pain. Brandy however didn't like pain. We'd discussed it one time after James had paddled me for some fault then held me. I begged him to fuck me silly then and Brandy had been in the room with us as it seemed that James wanted the whole family sans my kids to sleep together unless we were having an hour or so of one on one time with James. Punishments were always dealt out in the presence of the whole family, 'To encourage you all to do better', James told us.

"What other rule did you break?" James asked.

"I didn't ask Frances permission when I kissed her the first time on her watch," Brandy said.