As we reached the doors I let go of her and made her come after me at her own pace. She wanted to follow...she would follow. If only she would stop asking so much questions so that I can contemplate in peace.

All around her glass receptacles divided the rest of the girls, trapped in their own carnal world together with a few paying thugs, from us. I walked past without paying much attention, since I knew I had my own 'pet' to deal with. She needed to be tamed, or perhaps she needed to be controlled enough for the customers to handle her.

In each one of these glass cages were the subjects which we knew were prime products, but not those so rare ones who had a different kind of bite. One contained a familiar face to her, the other one an acquaintance. I knew this judging from the reactions she gave out each time one face appealed to her memories. So confused, and yet here she is remembering each and every one of these faces which stared out at her, proudly displaying their own bodies in a lustful pose.

I knew she was trying hard to process this and some other thoughts, and these manifested physically. I watch this take place with a minor surprise.

It dawned to me that when she saw what was happening to the girl I rescued she did not want to help her. She fantasized about 'raping' her. In place of her tattered clothes were a tight leather-straps outfit I'd only seen in the dark, dark outposts of the Alliance...the 'Black Market' where the slaves were much more masters than the 'masters' who bought them. These were aliens which were hard to subdue. females, yes, but most of them took down quite a few of our agents with them before they finally succumbed...and this was at the expense of a deal.

Subconsciously this girl was one of them, but I wasn't expecting this from a human. Much more one from this part of the galaxy which was considered the safest.

I expressed mild surprise and then she ranted about everything being one, large dream. My mind debated. Should I just tell her the truth or should I make it easy for her?

I decided in favor of the latter.

" You're right. It might be a dream." I said...but then again dream characters did not tell the dreamers that they were dreaming. The truth may sound more like a lie after all. " In truth you are awake, and what are you talking about dreaming?" I replied in a stern tone to replace my earlier reply.

" You are not dreaming. This is now."

The sudden release of me arm jus as I’d asked surprised me, made me wonder once again why this mans actions seemed to not match the things me eyes saw. Gently I massaged me tender shoulder as we walked an talked down the long corridor bounded on all sides by the glass rooms that young girls frolicked in like lustful wenches. I’d heard about this place called Amsterdam in Europe some place. They had a red light district and it kinda looked like this I reckon. But not all them girls wuz strangers. Some I’d seen or even known. This really couldn’t be happening could it? ‘lord’ I silently prayed ‘show me the way’. That stirring deep inside rose upwards ‘gan, forcing me to push it way back down to the depths it deserved to stay in. It wuz wrong to let me self into temptation, the ring upon me finger a sure reminder of love pledged to a wonderful partner. All them girls an thar ways made me wonder if he wuz after sum thing else from me…sum thing that made me all nervous an fidgety inside and sum thing he ain’t getting none of given me oath an all.

Four long years at the university an what did I have for it? A love, an education that now seemed strange an all, ticking each one off on me fingers as me champion walked on in silence like the dream he said it wuzn’t. Sure I could play the piana for any orchestra out thar I reckon. An I could take any man an break jus about any bone in his body if me sensei had been honest ‘bout me abilities…maybe it was the fact the belt was actually black that had driven me so hard for all those years of training. I had grown to like the color…or lack thereof. But then gods way wuz one of forgiveness and a turning the other cheek…even though thar were times it got real hard to do. Reminded me of the broken and bent bodies I’d left hind me jus today. Me shoulders shuddering at the thought an I shook me head a bit to clear it, red hair flying in all directions since I’d not had time to put it up in a pony tail yet.

An then thar wuz the numbers…the physics and those great electives of computer gaming. I’d never done no class that gave yah credits for playing games on a computer. Those of us that got real advanced they let into the 400 level classes. We got to get into these pods with screens all the way round and yah had to watch the numbers…be real good with numbers to make them go….an boy did they go. Most fun I’d ever had, though I don’t understand none of what the class wuz really ‘bout. Lord knows them other things I had to take I barely got through. I think the English teacher had it out for me. But, the … I caught a quick reflection in a mirror as we strode along, a red mass atop pale white skin caressed by black.

The jet-black leather seemed to shimmer on me skin in utter contrast to the freckled paleness of me. Straps held it hard an fast upon me, forcing the yielding skin to depress ‘gainst the hard surface. Made me wonder how I really looked in me outfit if I’d had time to stop. I wanted a bit more clothing on…given we wuz walking thought some sort of tunnel that seemed a bit on the perverse side. Me skin tingled beneath the leather, an as he spoke a strange feeling of knowing his voice…of having it heard its demanding cadence an pitch sometime in me past. I really didn’t like this leather right then…it wuz all wrong mostly cause the beast inside wuz stretching an Hanaji wuzn’t round to deal with it. I had to get me mind elsewhere an a yammering on ‘bout things jus might be the ticket outta this lil dilemma.

“I’ll be the first to tell yah that me dreams are really weird an all. An I don’t think I be either, but yah never know.” Looking up to his face and catching his sidelong gaze I winked and then let me lips curl upwards in a full grin. Dreams were like that. How many dreams had awoken me in the middle of night, the sheets drenched in sweat and me love gently shaking me…that worried look upon her face as she peered at me in the gray of night. How many times had I awoken to strange sights…an strange places. The outfit I know wore wuz jus one such enigma in me life. “Well then, we will walk an talk…an yah will tell me more of yourself, cause somehow I feel like we have met…perhaps on campus…I don’t think its none to earlier than that. But then, “I shrugged me shoulders. “if yah could help me find Hanaji and get us on a big ole jet airliner to ga back an meet the folks. Now that’s a scary thought. I have no idea how they will take all this like…like me going off to school and a getting’ hitched to another girl an a learning that god don’t really mind us having a lil pleasure an all if it’s a thing yah do for another and yah help um by it. We all need to give jus a bit. What bout you….what do you think?”
I turned to him, the boots sending echoes down the long grey hall, my strides having to be long to keep up with him an all. “So?” Playfully I punched him in the shoulder, working to get his attention, as he appeared to have that look upon his face like me pattering on wuzn’t at the top of his lil ole hit parade.

Men….were they really all like this?

The way she hit me on the shoulder...it really brings back memories which I really do not know if I should even consider bringing back or not. I just knew that I had to keep on with this neglection, just had t ignore her.

The way she talked with me...well, it was really getting all too hard to stay adamant with this expression.

We kept on walking and she kept on talking. Coaxing out enough from me must have been tedious work, but I've got something special for her. Since anyway, she will be my prize for such a hard time rounding up the rest of the girls...

" Are you really this way?" I asked, trying not to sound too irritated. " I haven't met...anyone...who would dare talk to me in such a way."

She spoke of school, of life, and of knowing all these girls and such. She wanted to know where the jet-liner was so that she can get back home. If she only knew that there was no way in hell that was going happen, I'm sure she would try to kick my ass and procure a craft for escaping. But that's never going to happen.

Besides she wouldn't even dare escape if she knew what she was in store for.

" You should just get some rest. It seems the events of the day had gone into you head and that's why you aren't thinking well." I said, directing her into a medical bay of sorts...which was really my room, prepped up and with three thugs waiting in line. She might be delighted since she's like this...dominatrix...and these alien thugs are quite a challenge but if my suspicions are correct, she'll have their heads before dinner time.

I kept dodging the questions. That was a past I left behind long ago since I joined this organization.

The corridor changed with a quick right turn down the adjoining corridor. His eyes remained affixed straight ahead, the face never betraying a single emotion even as I tried to pry from him jus a lil hint of the humanity that must lurk beneath the stoic demeanor. Not a comment…nothing, so I talked on after one short pause after another, like me ma tried to tell me, god gave us one mouth an two ears so we would listen twice as much as we talked. Well perhaps I wuz a bit in violation of this un, but then I’d never walked with sum one that kept thar trap so closed as me rescuer till he uttered them words…" Are you really this way?" I asked, trying not to sound too irritated. " I haven't met...anyone...who would dare talk to me in such a way."
“How do I talk, you mean others don’t share what is a going on at all with yah…don’t treat yah well. Well yah ain’t so bad yah know, maybe if yah would at least talk a bit and share a thing or two ‘bout yur self others would get tah know yah. Ma always said to be polite an treat people like yah would like to be treated an life would be good.” The corridor went on, a red line down its middle. The mans bulk next to me sliding me towards the middle of the hall so I could remain next to him. “Well don’t worry none, I like yah, but it’d be more fun if yah talked a lil more too. I’ll be quit though so yah can.”

A red line, I walked it, each step of the black leather stiletto boots one in front of the other down its width. A walk designed to be sexy, a way the outfit made me feel…in control an full of me lords good graces. In me old town they might scream harlot or slut or any of them other terrible things. But after 4 years of school away from me ma and pa I’d become sum thing I knew wuz very different than the naive girl that had left the small town of me birth. I could hold me head high as I walked an be comfortable being a girl an all. Still I worried on Hanaji, worried that she be all right. Perhaps now we were headed towards the infirmary, the corridors getting cleaner looking an all.

The white walls glistened as if tens of maids scrubbed them clean on a constant bases. The deep red stripe continuing as we walked past strange white doors, not a knob in sight. It wuz only when a man emerged from one of them doors I knew what it was. Immediately he stepped to the side, an saluted, a strange grin forming on them crooked lips of his, a scar running from over his eye to the crinkled chin giving him a rather course look about him. Me hairs rose on the back of me hair as we walked by, an I swear them eyes watched me bum proceed down the hall, the back strap of me knickers disappearing tween me cheeks.

With a turn down ‘nother bisecting type corridor his eyes left me an I settled a lil closer to me escort. In that moment, I felt like I was on one of them sci-fi movie sets of sorts, the strangeness of the doors, the strangeness of the corridor. The ceilings glowed with light, bright an making the walls warm an inviting. Another door, opening in the otherwise blank wall rising to disappear in the ceiling sum place while me escort finally said sum thing...

Glancing inwards, I noted the full bed, its blue coverings looking like a small pool of water, inviting it is warmth. A Jacuzzi or small pool tucked into a corner. But it wuz the men that gave me pause, made me wonder what I had gotten me self into by following him here. The looks within thar eyes, like wolves looking at some tasty lil lamb, an I seemed the lamb I reckon. Fingers curling, I prepared for what it wuz starting to look like. “Ah, Thanks…um. Not really tired as we jus got up, an really don’t need no butlers or such, so If we could jus go to the infirmary an all so I could check on Hanaji I’d appreciate it a whole lot. I worry bout her as we are married an all.” I let me hand go forward, showing off the big ole diamond ring that Hanaji had put thar. “See this be the ring that me love gave me. Could I see her please?” I wuz ready to fight, praying for all I wuz worth under me breath, but not showing the fear, pushing it back till I felt gods calm come over me an knew I was ready for whatever came. A quite breath, expelling the air an ready.

A crooked smile appears on my face. So naive, and yet so sexy in her outfit.

For a moment the gentle giant disappears. I begin to remember that after all, I am a lieutenant, a high-ranking official in a high-ranking position. I forgot to flaunt my power...the power which was supposed to be my controller, the power that was supposed to be mine.

" And where do you think you're going, little bird?" I said, in a largely demeaning tone, with a hint of malice and teasing. " I did say you weren't going home for a very long time, now, did I?"

At this words the thugs started to laugh stupidly. If my calculations are correct, she'll have them begging for sweet, sweet release soon before they even start to touch her. From what I've seen before, and from my earlier observation she's a different kind of girl...my kind of girl. I'll just have to see for myself if this is true before I even start to consider bringing her back to the colony somewhere near the rings of Jupiter.

The thugs started to move, and went on either side of her. One on each side and I was behind her. However, I did not do anything. My smile quickly disappeared as quick as it appeared, and I once again fell silent.

Let the games start, I say.

The ring did little to change the men’s demeanor, an me rescuer wuz a turning out to be one of ‘um bad double-crossing ones. How had I missed all the signs? His voice signaling his intentions as clearly as the men that started to circle me. The three moved like a pack of wolves, circling the lone doe, ready to pounce…knowing her hooves to be sharp but sure that their teeth were sharper. I’d been thrown to them like a piece of meat, an rape an a using me for their amusement wuz no doubt on each of thar minds. I’d seen enough already that with this audience I knew finally what wuz up. Ohhhh, what a fool I’d been. An thar wuz no way the first time I wuz with some man wuz gonna be in this foul way. Well there’d been an angel if yah could believe that an in some ways I wuz now thinking It’d had really been one of them whoppers of a dream. But this … this I could only hope wuz a dream as they moved.

The one on me right, a handsome thing with a strong jaw line and sharp chiseled features that each move emphasized along his muscular frame. I could smell his scent, musky an sweet all at the same time. The room wuz filled with masculinity, a warmth that crept inwards from me nose an made me warm. I thought of him as ‘perty boy’, the one with the piercing blue eyes an physic the girls at school woulda been cooing o’er. In some ways I felt much the same way, ‘cept these wuzn’t the right circumstances. Ohhhhhh, I wanted to say sumthing…sumthing witty an smart like but the lord didn’t like pride an I wuz none too certain that much of me would be intact after this. Quickly I glanced left, me heart pounding in me chest like a big ole drum.

The one on me left had one of them round type faces with the eyes spread wide across a flat nose. Worse, wuz he didn’t look like he had no neck at all…instead the head just seemed to go straight to big broad shoulders framed by the grimy off-white T-shirt, the round skin of his shoulders bulging beyond the narrow straps of cloth that held it across his big burly frame. The grin forming on his lips was one of malicious intent an I’m sure wuz meant for me. Suppressing a shudder, I looked away from ‘grizzly’ an quickly scanned the man to me front.

A crooked scar ran down his left cheek to end someplace below the cut of his high necked shirt. The grin was wicked an the eyes a dancing with mischievous mirth an intelligence. Muscles rippled in skinny arms that hide the fact he was dangerous. I could see it in his eyes, the calculating, the knowing. Fear crept along me spin forcing me to spend precious moments to suppress it. Of the three ole ‘scar face’ would be the worst I reckoned. No, he wuz her not for total brawn but for his ability to think, an a thinking man wuz a dangerous one our sensei had always said.

Me chest rose an fell, me breasts pushing upwards till they barely remained restrained under the tight black corset of leather. I made up me mind, an acted….time slowing….eyes locked in me target, the soft flesh of what should have been a neck on a normal man an wuz nothing but a extension of shoulders on ‘grizzly’. Muscles tensed in me legs an I sprang…..Two steps, the large burley hands open, clawing at me middle as his grin widened in anticipation of catching me first. The trailing leg flew upwards tween the twin pillars of shrink wrapped muscle. Pushing off me other leg an throwing me top a bit backwards I watched as the hands jus thump painfully off me tender breasts as the pillars moved inwards to lock the leg in place before it reached the area of a mans greatest weakness. Momentum is a funny thing, once started though it don’t stop on its own….one leg slowing…stopping… the other now continuing in it’s upward arc…till me eyes locked on that bobbing point of his neck an me leg reached the height I needed.

The spiked heal went first…motion…countermotion … my body starting to turn, me eyes just seeing me foot slide into the neck. So slow…life could be so slow when you really focused. ‘Grizzly’s’ grin fading, hands stopping, me leg hitting a bit of pressure then pushing further forwards as the other leg came free. It wuz like climbing a wall, one step at a time. I kept me momentum flowing as me leg went over his head an I reached with me hands for the floor, backwards now, no longer able to see grizzly. However, perty boy was stepping towards me. ‘Good….’ I thought. His face grinning an anxious till the me leg swung an the other pulled free of tensed flesh with an arc of red dots flying off the long hard point of the stiletto heal. A line of um hitting that perty face an marring it with drops of red from forehead to left cheek…

Fingers hit the hard floor, an for the first time I felt the thrumming of the surface like it wuz alive an moving. Hands caught me weight an transferred it to me arms…arms to shoulders an pain…pain crisscrossed me an the shoulder gave a bit, sending me right. Still I rolled with it, ignoring what I could an only releasing a small gasp of air as I tucked an rolled sideways. Just to perty boys right, his face moving, the grin fading upon his lips, his eyes still facing forwards seeing sumthing beyond me vision…I let me left foot become an edge, thrusting it towards the side of the knee that propelled him forwards.

With a sickening crunch I felt me foot slice into the side of the leg. The leg bowed in ways it shouldn’t…moving sideways an away from me as Me own leg extended fully an I twisted round it to roll up on knees…then feet. Everything so slow, gaze focused as I swept the room, me rescuer still patiently standing, the amused grin on his face….Perty boy, slowly falling….then crashing onto the onto the tile floor, his hands coming up an about the knee, its angles all wrong if yah wanted to walk ‘gain.

Grizzly wuz a holding his neck still, his stark pale face still, eyes straining to watch look me way. I saw that blank stare, the trickle of blood about the corners of his open mouth as his tongue wiggled in absolute silence. An where his hands clutched at his throat upon that enormous width of flesh that might have been a neck, blood gurgled o’er them fingers an ran down the grimy white t-shirt leaving a trail of crimson. Great red drops left those hands, feet shifting, an the body still upright as the last bits of the man left splatters upon the smooth clean floor. Parts of me were horrified at what I had done…done to keep them at bay…perhaps taken a life. Slowly I settled into a Kata stance an slowed me breathing once ‘gain…glancing to the left an then the right as scar-face an ole double-cross stood thar.

For once I kept me mouth shut even as a chafed at the idea….pride….’pride will get you done in cassie’….so I brought up me hand an fetched the dragon stance. The orbs of me breasts rising an falling in deliberate slowness. Muscles bunched across me bum in through me thighs till the tight leather that bound me legs hid it from prying eyes. The golden rings felt warm as they were pulled tightly gainst me flesh. Leather caressed me an made the room seem hot an inviting…if only the company wuz better I mused….a slow grin upon me face…’two down…two more to go an then onwards for the show.’

Two smart ones left…all the muscle wuz out, though me rescuer looked cut enough to take out all of um as well. I could feel parts of me flutter…blood, pain…it worked on me with men jus like it could with women I reckon. “Thank you lord for your blessings, for your love…for your victory”

I stood there, silent, gaunt. These men had been especially selected for this task and I figured that if they could at least make her kneel down, they would be worthy for inception into this organization of ours. These men were people without a home, beings without a purpose.

Sadly, though, I watched the proceedings grow sour.

The good looking guy was Hans Brimmer, a space pirate that had a run-in with one of our minor shipments. Although I must say I admired the way he ran circles around that shipping frigate...though a small frigate at that...bamboozling the captain required guts. Sadly his guts will not help if he stayed on a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

The girl dispatched him with relative ease but he did make her blush. Anyway, I'll figure out a use for a cripple.

The guy before him was Boris. Ah, yes, Boris. The offspring of a slave...one of ours...and a Kirillean. That resulted in his human features, although the trademark Kirillean features were imbedded in his genes. He was...muscle, for all the sense of the word. Extremely strong, we have had quite a number of Kirilleans in the fleet. Easy to move around, so enthusiastic to obey. Too bad his mother won't miss him, nor his father.

I should have called the medic bay an hour ago if I wanted to save him. Kirilleans are notorious bleeders and by now, he's no better than dead.

Save the best for last. A tracker in training, Golloroth Harris. Half-alien, half-human. Son of a mad geneticist and, once again, a slave. Inherited most of his father's craziness and wrong wiring in the bean, and some of his mother's gentle facial features. Although from the start he was one crooked cookie. That scar...where did he get it again?

Oh yeah. He was number one harvester since way back when he joined us. Always had one or two slaves tasted by him. Those 'prime ones' I talked about earlier.

It was hard for me to find good help but I saw potential in these three. Now it seems I only have one to test.

" You saw how she moved, Golloroth." I said, leaning back against the wall and folding my arms across my chest. I did not pay attention to the dying and the crippled; I was watching her moves. Golloroth should be able to get two or three of them figured out but I was watching the whole thing.

" Make you move, but don't be too fool-hardy."

This should be interesting.

Something must be wrong with me. Me tummy lurching an threatening me well being as the crimson pool expanded beneath the twitching body upon the floor. Each scream of perty boy sent shivers across me skin.. shivers of joy, kinda like the ones I got when the whip that swung on me bare hip found its way across hanaji’s back. It wuz the warmth I felt in the deed…the way it warmed me insides down low that made me wonder ‘bout if I wuz really ready to enter heavon an sit with me lord. Perhaps I was more like an angel of death. Taking a life shouldn’t be easy nor good, yet the beast inside seemed to smile as it stretched into me skin. Strength swarmed into me body as we became one. The ache of me shoulder diminishing an me tummy settling.

Perhaps I’d overdone it with the back flip handstand combo…but it had taken out two of um in quick succession. Deliberately I brought up me sore arm an slide me unruly red hair out of me eyes an behind me ear. I’d not had time put me hair up and get it out of the way. Wuzn’t that the way it worked. Life had sum strange twists an this one wuz proving one the biggest. Life an dreams.

Glancing right then left, quickly sweeping the room with me eyes I noted squirming hind the walls. The fish tanks teaming with life all about us, made me feel like we were in the middle of sum large aquarium of sorts. I’d not noticed this till now, the three men being a bigger distraction. I forced me eyes back to me last antagonist, me rescuer seeming to be content to keep his arms crossed with that amused look etched upon his stern face.

Sum things just needed saying an a getting out. Course I wuz already starting to feel a bit peaked, blood did that to me. Everybody had it hit them different….some girls I’d known would pass out. Me…well it got me blood moving in ways that maybe wuzn’t really normal an all, but then what wuz normal? It made me think un Hanaji…or even lorissa right then…made me get all hot underneath. If Golloroth wanted to stalk me he wuz going down if only so I could get what I needed right now. I could feel the beast, an since god had given me the beast I had to accept it. It’s the way he worked, strange an unpredictable like.

I side long glance and I opened me mouth to speak, “So….seems yur muscle ain’t adding up…perhaps its time to add sum body new. Now if ole Golloroth is a good git for you perhaps the two of use would make a partnership in keeping yur back covered an all.” Not too sure I could trust him, but it seemed like a possible way out of having sum body get hurt. “I’m sure I could be a helpful part of what you were doing…whatever it is.”
Golloroth wuz a closing the gap, slowly, carefully. “Or…if I take him out”, hitching me head in scarface’s direction, “you willing to give me the job. Does it prove it too yah? “

ping

I was feeling a little bit...peckish. No, more like...a bit annoyed. She was offering her services to me.

Was that a plea for help? A cry for mercy? Would she willingly become a slave?

Oh my. Everything was becoming a big, big temptation. Golloroth was a good henchman to be, but her...oh the joys and everything else she would be offering. With a body like that I was imagining late nights coupled with aroused moans and oh-so-late nights. Then waking up the next morning all-too-dead tired to even report for work at HQ.

Sometimes this job does give you the perks and so much more.

I have to find a way for this to happen, but I did not want to lose much of Golloroth. I think I may have found a solution.

" Golloroth" I said, my voice silent and clear.

Golloroth readied himself to jump out even before I uttered anything. How I relished the surprise on his face when I uttered my next command.

" Bring Hans and Boris to the medical bay. " Loud protests. " Do as I say or you'll end up worse than these two...by my hands."

With the wonders of technology there was still a slim chance we could save Boris. As for Hans, his was an easy case. We could use a bionic legged guy such as him. I was actually thankful she destroyed his feet...now there's a reason for decapitation. Golloroth...

" You three are already in. Provided Boris lives. I'll call for back-up later, just stand by for now."

Golloroth seemed annoyed not to play with such an exciting morsel as redhead here. But he obeyed without question, and bowed down corteously. Troops entered and helped carry the fallen, fast as lightning.

He smiled impishly once again and turned back to go out of the room.

" Well, here we are." I said, looking around, and lecherously looking at her body. It was really...well, a sight to behold. " So what do you plan to do to me? Kill me?"

She could try, but I know from here on in, she was mine.

Slowly me knees bent, crouching on steady legs that thrummed with energy an need to strike. I could feel me heart pattering along, the rise of me chest an the gentle current of air across me right nipple. Resisting the urge to push me exposed bud back under the black leather I watched him…saw the eyebrow rise at his acknowledgement of the circle of gold that rode upon me flesh. Any moment now I knew he would strike out for me, to prove his worthiness before this strange man that seemed to run them all.

The voice sounded behind me, a voice of command an authority that reverberated off the glass panels that the fish swam in circles behind. It wuz only one word, yet it said so much in the tone an inflection that for both of us we knew this would not be the time. Watching as he stepped backwards, a torrent of them bad words that even god might have blushed at. Perhaps he’d been a sailor cause I’d already heard that they were the worst ‘bout their filthy language an all. An exchange with our eyes that told me he would be back to finish what he’d been interrupted in. I let him know that I would be waiting. An even as he turned I could feel the fear inside me…all I could do is pray an thank me savoir for rescuing me from this fate of either killing or being done for by these hoodlums.

I adjusted me self in me own clothing putting to right what wuz wrong with a deft little wiggle that I hoped didn’t make too much of a notice of what had happened to me. With that settled I started moving outta the way an watching as the men an soldiers now went about thar business till it wuz just me an him along, a little plastic looking device whirring about in the red stain upon the floor, leaving a clean path behind it. So much was really strange here, I mean he musta been rich beyond imagining an all with this little cleaning robot like thing and the room in the middle of sum aquarium like setting. It just reeked of money an clout.

No that look I didn’t like at all. “I take it I’ve passed sum sort a initiation?” me eyebrow furling up an I looked him in the face an wondered. It wuz a strong handsome face ‘cept for the way those eyes seemed to regard me an all. I ain’t no piece of meat and never will be. “An no, I ain’t here to kill you or no one. But, like I said if yur looking for sum body to have yur back well….I can do the job. What is the pay?” I’d been really worried ‘bout what I’d be doing after school an had prayed real hard bout it. I reckon this wuz gods answer to me prayers, an this guy had money. I jus had to hope that all that detention I’d gotten in the alst few years of school wouldn’t ruin me job prospects if an employer ever found out ‘bout any of it. Patiently I waited for him to become a lil more civilized, maybe offer a seat an get down to discussing what kind of job an firing benefits this wuz gonna bring. Me desire for Hanaji an Lorissa or jus some plan good encounter with some willing lil ole girl would jus have to wait a bit…business first. The beast smiling inside me a ferial grin of the hunt.

I almost laughed.

Business huh? She started talking like some of the big shots I've talked with. These were men who owned whole planets, or maybe even whole star systems. Even they could not talk like that to me, since I was a high official of the Alliance. Anyone who crossed us would have to face me or any of those other officials beside me...and those rare ones who's managed to hoodwink even me or them, would have to face the Head.

No one who ever faced him even lived to brag about it. The closest was Dax Burillon, who is now living in a specimen tank at WarLabs...well, his brain, actually.

" What...business?" I said with a tone of almost delighted surprise. " We're not going to talk...business. You ARE the business."

All capped by a very evil grin.

" I am sorry that I kept it from you for so long." I spoke, knowing what to expect but not fearing it. In fact I WAS expecting it. " I know it would be hard to accept but still, I had to figure out if you were 'prime meat'."

I stayed leaning on the wall, waiting for her to move. No. Nothing. I smiled.

" You seem to be receiving this with quite a nice demeanor." I said. " I like that. But then again, well, I have to be firm."

That was about the time when I stood up from my recent stature. And that was about the time when I saw her move.

Once again...I laughed.

‘What did he mean with this Business…me bit?’ Electricity slithering down me back like one of them eels in the water to his right. The besotted confidence in the way he leaned back against the wall an spoke to me not as a person…but as an object. ‘What wuz I to him and what wuz a going on?’ it had all fallen apart, one moment I wuz thinkng job an house an hanaji…the next I wuz in fear for me well being once ‘gain. Once ‘gain the cool feel of the metal ‘gainst me breasts gave me hope. The symbol of me faith…faith wuz what I needed. Faith that all would be well.

The raid upon the beach, men gathering up girls like so much baggage. The look of the one in the collar, her eyes wide in fear, an body slumped in resignation. The Rape of the other I sought to save…the medics, the killing. The clear boxes with the naked girls within…Lorissa showing the man a good time like nothing else mattered in the world while we walked by. It jus couldn’t be. I stumbled backwards, hitting the bed an tumbling onto it. Rolling over an off the soft silky sheets till it stood tween us. His eyes dancing in merriment now, the hearty condescending laugh echoing off the glass panels of the room.

You’d think after putting two of his muscle bound apes in a hospital he’d be thinking a bit different right then. Sum thing wuz being served up an it wuzn’t looking good for me as I wuz starting to suspect I might be the main dish. A flash of yellows in the water behind him an then a gray shape of a shark circling jus on the other side of the glass, long, lean an powerful. Both their eyes looked startlingly similar at this distance an that wuz down right scary. I took another step back, me hand sliding off the fancy bed with its slick white silk sheets. I’d have loved to sleep upon that bed…to have tumbled with Hanaji upon its surface, but I reckon it wuzn’t happening.

“Mama always said to watch out for boys like you. You’re a bad boy ain’t yah, an the girls I suppose jus fall all o’er themselves to be with yah. All the money, the power…I’m guessing that what your doing is all illegal an the police would love to put yah behind bars. Well I ain’t wanna those types of girls. I ain’t sum piece of prime meat!” I emphasized ain’t and meat jus cause he needed to know what he wuz getting into here. “I also am married an true to me love. I ain’t ever been with a man an I ain’t gonna start now with you. Yah may be kinda cute an sexy an have that confidence an power to yah but it ain’t what I’m about. Soooo perhaps its time we chalk this all up to a bit of a misunderstanding an I go get Hanaji an we get out outta yur hair by getting on a nice plane home to me folks.”

So many questions…an the answers didn’t seem possible at all in any nation that I’d read bout in class an all. It wuz like a bad James Bond movie, only the girls didn’t seem happy in the lair of the mad man. Well at least me….This smug chap wuz getting under me skin an asking to hit the floor. Somehow the answers I suspect weren’t gonna be what I’d like an the sooner I saw this place receding in the rearview mirror of a car the better.

I loved the way she talked, the way her confidence reverberated in the room. Of course nobody ever got out once we harvested them, but well...one can only ask for so much.

" Confidence. I've never met anyone with a confidence like yours." I said, turning my back on her. I displayed enough confidence that time...enough confidence that she wouldn't be able to do anything to me." Most of the time only scared females meet me, but you're different. I can learn to love this." I said, looking at the swimming shark in the tank.

I paced back and forth, walking contemplated in thought. The tank had a room hidden in the back and from the looks of it she won't come easily to become my 'masterpiece'. Her body had a certain waking effect to me. Now memories started flooding about that one time in the past when I met someone like her. At least I thought I met someone like her. All this time I wondered if it was true or was it just a vague flashback, a memory which did not happen at all. I was confused.

On the other hand, if it did not really happen, here I was with a living, breathing replica of that certain time when I thought something might've happened to me. Which I welcomed with arms wide open.

" Nevertheless, you can try to talk. We can try to figure something out." I said, opting for a more businesslike tone which I used when talking to my subordinates." Who knows, you might get something out of this."

With this I opened the shields, and granted her a view of the free space in which the station floated from. Below she could see a small bit of the planet which she loved wholeheartedly. The stars, the moon we orbited, and the sun in the distance combined for a very fantastic view.

Well I wuzn’t feeling all that confident. I could see the sharks circling and I felt like I wuz the one in the middle bleeding for um. What did he see in me…what did he really want. I half expected him to come at me and try an take what I’d told him I wuzn’t gonna give him any time soon. Yet there wuz sum thing ‘bout this man, sum thing eerily familiar like from a distant dream that wuz jus beyond me grasp to remember it.

Moving ‘bout in front of me, his broad shoulders as he stood an watched the shark like they wuz kin. I could only see his back, an even so I knew better than to move to the attack. It had to be a ruse, could see it in the way he held himself. Finally I noted the panel as his hand moved to it. Ohhhh, I’d been the fool, how wuz I to perish now, dead perhaps to the water rolling o’er me body till the sharks ripped hunks of me flesh off an I bleed to death. Small vibrations shuddered through the floor, an the ceiling seemed to disappear to reveal a site I’d only seen on the TV when they showed the news of our astronauts….

“oh this is good…So am I in Hollywood at some special effects like place?” suddenly it wuz starting to fit….all of it. It had to be. “Ohhh, you guys had me. Hanaji put yah up to this. SO were are the cameras.” Looking ‘bout, trying to find them camera’s an all…then a little louder, “yah can come out. Cassies got it all going on….” Still not a move. Nooo the blood had been real, the broken leg had to be real, I’d done that.

“Oh shit”, jus like that slipping o’er me tongue…”can’t be, real…is it?” Now I wuz jus thinking that maybe things wuz jus strange enough that I had no idea what was real an what wuzn’t. “Sorry ‘bout that, wuzn’t lady like an comes with having a partner that swears all too much I reckon. SO lets jus say that this all” waving me hand at the ceiling with its stars an that great ball that I called home. “lets jus say this is really were I am. Why am I here….what business do we need to work out.” This wuz the question I suppose, how were Hanaji and I going to get back to me parents … an that game simulator…had it been more real than unreal…oh lord, I’m in o’er me head an not understanding a thing ‘bout heaven an hell.