Chapter 4

2 Section 16 -- Second intermission -- King family

"I told you payback's a bitch," Jackie cackled when she spotted him in the living room. "Now you don't have to worry about wearing a dress." Tyrone was sitting, knees together, hands over his crotch, wearing a green collar and nothing else. When she saw the expression on his face, she said, "I'm sorry, Tyrone. This is hard for all of us." She stood up straight in front of him and let him examine her entire body. She also had a green collar. She wore sandals while Tyrone's feet were bare. His sisters were also nude. "I don't know why you'd want to look at an old woman with all this young stuff around."

In spite of himself, Tyrone snickered. "Momma, you look good just like you are. You're going to look every bit as good as your daughters!" At that Jackie blushed, pleased with his words.

They were all fairly tall and slender. The children had inherited their father's deep black skin, little or no lighter where the sun never touched their skin. Jayden was five feet eight inches tall and the twins were taller still. Jackie's five foot six inch frame was a rich chocolate brown, noticeably lighter where her clothes had covered her.

"You got a boner, Tyrone, and the whole family knows it," she said more sympathetically. "If you're like your daddy, it's a nice one. I liked your daddy's dick an awful lot. You ain't the only one in the family horny, either. Might as well just let him stand proud. Get it over with."

Tyrone glumly moved his hands to his sides and let his knees part. His erection sprang up and slapped his abdomen, its head north of his belly button. "You got a nice dick, Tyrone," said Jayden kindly.

Mattie and Hattie cooed supportively. "The good thing is," said Mattie, "we don't have to pretend anymore that none of us has sex. Ain't none of us gonna ever have just one sex partner. All of us are going to have to share our sponsor with others. Could very well be that more than one of us will be sharing the same bed."

Mattie and Hattie plopped down on the sofa, one on each side of Tyrone. They both made a point of letting their knees fall open. Jayden and Jackie sat across from them. "Tell us about the last session, Tyrone, then we'll tell about ours," said Jayden. She put her foot on the sofa, making sure Tyrone had a perfect view of her shaved, glistening pussy.

"They tried like hell to scare us into going home," Tyrone said softly. "They hinted that I might have to take it up the ass a time or two in the next week. Probably I'll have to do blowjobs, too. They told me how to look out for a sponsor who would force me to have sex with a man. It was hard, that session."

"Tyrone, anal sex can be good, but if you aren't careful and gentle, it can hurt a lot," said Jackie solemnly. "If that's what you have to do, then don't flinch. It might even help you be a better lover, if you know first-hand what hurts and what feels really good. I don't think there's a risk you'll prefer men over women, but there's nothing wrong with it. If a woman gets it up the ass sometimes, why can't a man? If a woman is expected to suck dick, why shouldn't a man? I expect you know by now the difference between good head and an amateur. Do you?" He blushed and nodded.

"The odds are still against me being selected," he said. "They told us at the start of the session that they were supposed to convince eighty percent of us to go back to Earth. I don't think they got that many to leave. They said the unsponsored male concubines would all be sent back as a group in a week. They said the patrols were going to be rough on the unsponsored male concubines, to try to see if any of them would crack. They said I ought to expect to see several executions before the end."

"We got to see our own CAP sub-scores," said Mattie. "Did you?"

"Yeah," he said with a sigh. "The sub-scores just say who I am. You already know who I am. There's nothing surprising in them."

"I'm glad you're my brother," said Hattie. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," said Tyrone. "I just hope a sponsor will choose me. I don't want to go back. I'm good with little kids. I've been babysitting for a while now. I've got good references."

"You know, Momma," Jayden said with a sly smile, "one thing that'd make him a good catch would be if he was a great lover, and not an inexperienced boy."

"You ain't taken your eyes off that dick for one second," laughed Jackie. "You volunteering?"

"Momma," said Mattie, "I think YOU oughta teach him. You know more than the rest of us combined."

Jackie blanched. "WHAT?"

"Look at us," observed Hattie. "We're sittin' here, buck naked, talking about ass-fucking, blowjobs, and incest. The world's changed a lot in the last few years, but OUR world has changed completely in the last day. We're never going to be the same again. I for one am glad of it."

"You ever eat pussy?" he asked Hattie.

"Duh, we're twins," giggled Hattie. Mattie laughed, too. "What do you think?"

"What about you?" Mattie asked him.

"Well, I did," he allowed, "but I don't know if I was any good at it."

"Did you like it, that's what's important," said Jayden.

He smiled broadly but he blushed. "I did. I like it when a girl has a good time, that way she'll want me again."

"That's a good answer," said Jackie. "Jayden, how are you at giving head?"

"Just like him," blushed Jayden. "I don't know if I did a good job either. He seemed to like it. I liked the sense of control."

"Ain't no such thing as a bad blowjob," chuckled Hattie, "but there's a hell of a difference between a good blowjob and a great one." They all laughed at that.

"What would your daddy say," moaned Jackie, turning her eyes upwards. "I can't meet you in Heaven, John. I'm goin' to Hell, just thinkin' about teachin' sex to our children."

"That's not the right way to think about it, Momma," Mattie softly said. "If a sponsor said she'd take Tyrone if you'd go too, you wouldn't hesitate for a second! Same thing with any of us. We'd all make babies with Tyrone, and some of us not just to save his life!"

"Besides, Momma, you're watchin' that flag pole almost as much as Jayden is," laughed Hattie. "Daddy's been gone too long. You're already at the peak of your sexuality, and your sex drive just got juiced up by the Confederacy!"

They sat in silence, looking at each other, guilt and excitement painted on every face. At some unseen signal, both Mattie and Hattie reached a hand close to, but not touching his cock. He flinched but then relaxed. They both looked at him, seeking permission. After a hesitation, he nodded slightly. They collected some of the pre-cum oozing from the head of his cock and moved it to their mouths. "Jayden, you first," breathed Mattie. "Take the edge off, with your mouth, so he can put Momma in orbit."

Jayden looked like a deer in the headlights. With shock and fear, and more than a little excitement, she moved her gaze to each of the others. Finally, she slid from the sofa onto her knees and approached Tyrone. She put her hands on his knees and looked searchingly into his eyes. "Move over here, Momma," said Mattie, pointing to the love seat beside her, "so you can see and help Jayden."

Jackie shifted herself to the love seat. She held Mattie's hand and placed the other on Jayden's shoulder, caressing lovingly.

"Tyrone," breathed Hattie, "you should kiss her before she starts. When she's done, kiss the hell out of her. Show her with your kiss how much you liked it."

Tyrone reached out and cupped his sister's face, love and wonder painted all over his own face. He moved in and planted a loving kiss on her lips but did not probe with his tongue. When he pulled back a bit, both faces were radiant. He slowly sat back. When his arms no longer reached, he let go of her face and moved his hands to his sides. As one, Mattie and Hattie moved his hands onto their thighs.

Sighing as though steeling her nerve, Jayden lifted herself off her haunches and approached his cock. Her eyes locked on her target, she slowly slid her hands up his thighs and onto his lower abdomen. As she slid her hands back to his knees, she glanced at both of her sisters, seeking assurance. She could not bring herself to look at her mother or her brother. The twins smiled at her.

She let her hands slide upward again, to the tops of his legs, onto his abdomen and then she captured his cock with two fingers and her thumb. He hissed. Startled, she almost let go. She regained her composure and began to slowly slide her hand up and down his shaft. At the end of a down stroke, she licked the underside from near the bottom to the tip. Pulling it towards her, she locked her eyes on his as she enveloped the head in her mouth. She pulled back with a pop, her eyes still locked with his, and smiled. He smiled back at her with love and appreciation.

Encouraged, she took him into her mouth again, more deeply. Her mouth was full but she had taken less than half his length. Eyes still locked on his, she withdrew until the ridge of his helmet was at her lips. She ran her tongue all over the spongy end, and then sucked hard. He gasped in pleasure. She rammed her head forward, gagging when it hit the back of her throat. Pulling back a little, she regained control then slammed forward, gagging again.

Jackie quickly kneeled behind her daughter. "It's great you're looking into his eyes while you suck, Baby," she whispered. "You just can't do that while you learn to deep throat. Change your posture so it's more of a straight shot." She guided her daughter into better position. "It might take some practice. Don't puke on your man, Honey, it'll ruin everything."

Jackie snaked one hand between Jayden's legs and began to work on her pussy. With the other hand, she began to squeeze Jayden's breast, rolling and pinching the nipple with her thumb and finger. "Just do what you can for now. Sometimes it's easier the first time if you're in the throes of your own orgasm."

The twins caressed Jayden's shoulders and back. "Some men like to jizz all over your face," whispered Mattie. "Every man loves it if you'll take his seed into your mouth. Show him your prize, and then swallow with relish."

Jayden kept up her efforts. Her mother's ministrations were plainly having an effect. Jayden began to flush and sweat. She kept his shaft going in and out, occasionally gagging as she tried to force him down her throat. Her hips began to move faster and faster as her excitement built. She moaned. The vibration on his shaft made him hiss in pleasure.

Jackie moved her hand from Jayden's breast and down to her ass crack. She collected moisture and applied it to Jayden's rosebud. When enough moisture had been applied, she began small circles around and over her back door, adding pressure slowly. "Take some spit and do his asshole like I'm doing yours. Watch out with your fingernails." Jayden obediently collected some of the copious fluid available and snaked her finger down until she found her target. She did to Tyrone as she felt her mother doing to her own ass.

Jackie's finger entered Jayden's ass to the first knuckle. She pulled it all the way out, applied some pressure around the outside and then entered again, this time more deeply. She maintained her vigorous attack on Jayden's pussy, strumming furiously. She moved her finger around the inside of Jayden's asshole, stretching her more open. The finger came all the way out but went right back in, this time followed by a second. Jayden squeaked and whined as her orgasm approached. Finally, overwhelmed in orgasmic bliss, she rammed herself forward, her nose in his pubic hair and his cock down her throat. Her knees came off the floor and pounded back down, over and over.

Tyrone could not take any more. Just as Jayden began to withdraw, blast after blast of his spunk filled her mouth. The shock renewed and intensified her own orgasm. She could not hold all his spunk in her mouth and it began to roll down her chin.

Again, Tyrone cupped his sister's face, smiling. He licked all of his own spend from her face. Smiling radiantly, she pulled back, opening her mouth to reveal her treasure to him. She made a show of swallowing. He pulled her face to him and kissed her deeply, passionately, chasing any bit of his seed remaining in her mouth with his tongue. He pulled back, her face still cupped in his hands, and looked lovingly into her face, wonder and joy painted all over his own.

"I did it!" she sang, glowing in pride and the after effects of her orgasm.

"You sure did," chuckled Mattie. "Maybe later we'll see if your mouth knows its way around a pussy!" They all laughed as Jayden blushed.

"That gave me a God awful itch," chirped Jackie, still kneeling and now with three fingers sawing in and out of her twat and one hand mauling her generous right breast. "If Jayden can fuck him, I guess I can too!"

Hattie jumped to her feet, pulled her mother up and shoved her toward the bedroom. "Bring the man-meat, Sisters," she chirped. "I'll get Momma settled."

By the time Tyrone let himself be pushed into the room by his sisters, they found Jackie on her back, knees up and open, with Hattie's face buried in her crotch. "I didn't need much foreplay anyway," breathed Jackie. "I'm on the edge already. Get up here, Tyrone, and pound my puss."

Hattie rolled away and crawled up beside Jackie, immediately latching onto a nipple with her mouth.

"Praise be for young men!" chuckled Mattie as she squeezed Tyrone's rock-hard cock. "Get in there and help your Momma." Without a word, Tyrone crawled up and over Jackie. Mattie grabbed his cock, lined him up with his target and slapped his ass. In surprise, he buried himself to the hilt in a single thrust. "Now that you're fucking your Momma, you might want to give her a kiss!"

His surprise became an expression of pride, joy, awe and lust. "I have dreamed about this for a long time, Momma," he breathed.

"Oh, foot! All this young stuff around the house, how could you want an old woman!" she chided, but her own expression belied her. She was in heat, and his words did wonders for her damaged ego. She stroked his face with both of her hands, her flushed face radiant. Their eyes were locked.

"The girls are beautiful, Momma, but they got nothing on you," he grinned.

"You got your daddy's dick, and you got your daddy's silver tongue, too," she giggled. "You feel so good, deep inside of me. I ain't felt so full in a long time. Now kiss me, my man, and show me how you fuck!"

He lowered himself and kissed her, softly at first. Soon their tongues were dueling and he began to thrust in and out of her. Hattie had had to withdraw her head away from Jackie's breast but she immediately replaced it with her finger and thumb, pinching and pulling. Mattie settled herself on the other side and followed suit. The twins began to kiss and lick their mother's ears and neck. "Oh, fuck!" breathed Jackie, "I don't know if I can take this much stimulation all at once!"

"Jayden," Mattie softly said, "go down there and get a close view on them. If there gets to be too much fluid, gather it up and see if you can find a place to put it back inside her!" The girls giggled as Jackie squawked. Jayden positioned herself behind Tyrone, tapping on his legs to get them spread apart. She watched in awe as his cock pistoned in and out of her mother. She saw the movement of Jackie's nether lips as his cock withdrew and re-entered. She saw his cock glistening with lubrication.

With so much stimulation, and with the double taboo of fucking her son and having an audience, Jackie soon lit off like fireworks. With screams and an incredible stream of profanity, she thrashed and quaked as Tyrone mercilessly pounded into her. "Wet your fingers and find her clit," said Hattie just as Jackie began to recover. He obeyed, and Jackie went off again, screaming and cussing and thrashing.

Tyrone was in heaven. He had never had such a fuck in his young life. The fucking was great all by itself, but the pleasure he was so obviously delivering was fantastic. He maintained his relentless pounding and, when Jackie had recovered again, he kissed her passionately.

"Oh, God! Here comes another one!" quaked Jackie. "How do you do this to me?"

"Jayden," barked Hattie. "Two fingers, all the way in!" Jackie screamed again. Tyrone had to hold on for dear life so she did not buck him right off of her.

"Tyrone," Jackie croaked, "you gotta cum in me pretty soon. I can't take much more of this!"

With that, Tyrone shifted into high gear, pounding away with all of his strength. He had to hold on tight as Jackie went wild beneath him. His face clamped down tight as his orgasm swept over him. Jackie's voice was cut off as her throat clamped down when she felt his jets deep inside her. With his last spurt, he held himself as deeply inside as he could. Jackie lay quivering, breathing hard, her face flushed and sweating profusely. "Oh, my God, Mister, I ain't had a fuck like that in a long, long time!" Her face was radiant. Tyrone's face showed pride and love.

Mattie looked across her mother at her twin. "I'm going to get me some of that pretty soon!" Both girls laughed.

"Tyrone," Hattie said softly, "you stay where you are 'till your lover wants you to move. Keep most of your weight off her. Then, when she wants you off of her, you get beside her and cuddle 'till she's had enough. She might not want you to touch her pussy, but you can stroke the rest of her if you're slow and gentle." He nodded understanding. He moved down to kiss Jackie, softly and lovingly.

2 Section 17 -- Martin & Diane Godwin reach an understanding

Diane Godwin returned from the second orientation session to find a handsome man, much younger than herself and wearing an unadorned plain-grey coverall, sitting on the couch. She flinched at the presence of an unexpected stranger. "How do you like my new appearance?" he asked as he stood. Martin's voice hadn't been changed. She relaxed and took in his visage.

"You look wonderful!" she trilled. She stepped into his offered embrace. "I want to look at you," she said. "Sit down and talk to me."

"The AI told me there were med tubes available and asked me to do that instead of attending the second orientation session," he told her. "The AI wants me to get started with concubine selection. It may take some time to select seven more," he smiled.

"Fuck that!" Diane barked.

"It's not like this is completely out of the blue," said Martin Godwin to his now-former wife, Diane. "You've known my CAP score all along. The next step in the process is assembling my harem."

"Your harem," huffed Diane. "I thought I was enough for you."

"Maybe I should select seven male concubines," he threatened, "and tell them all to fuck you four times a day?"

Diane blanched but quickly recovered. "You wouldn't."

"Diane, you've had a damn good run," sighed Martin. "I don't have to remind you that...."

"...I'm the same age as your son," Diane finished for him. "You may have mentioned that a time or two in the past."

Martin continued, "You're the darling of the social circle, you have the nicest body money can buy, you have all the clothes and baubles and toys you want, and I let you choose whenever you want: where to eat, when and where to vacation, when to throw a party and whom to invite, how to dress me, for Christ's sake, and on and on and on. That was what you wanted. It suited me fine. You're a wonderful hostess, a charming guest, my best friend and a tigress in bed."

"You like my designer dress?" she asked as she smoothed the plain grey shift over her legs.

Without halting to reply to her, he continued, "They don't have Rolls Royces where we're going, Diane. They don't have elegant restaurants; they don't have galas for the opera or silent auctions for the theater. You won't have a housekeeper because the house cleans itself. You won't have a maid or a personal assistant because you have to grow the babies yourself.

"My house is going to have six or eight women and every one of them is going to be making babies lickity-split. Two years from now, there'll be a dozen children on my home and that's just the start.

"You won't even be the head bitch, Diane. I have more child care experience than you do and I don't know jack shit about children."

He forced himself into silence and let her process his words. He knew that she had successfully fooled herself into believing that she would be in the upper crust no matter where they went. The reality was now crashing in on her. Her face was ashen, her expression as though she had just encountered a gristly accident scene. She sat motionless for a long time.

"I love you, Diane," he said softly. "We've been together for a long time and I've never regretted marrying you. I want to be with you. I want you as my concubine. You're going to be eighteen again. I have no doubt that you'll be a radiant mother-to-be. I have no doubt that your beautiful body will be restored to that right after you give birth. I have no doubt that you will find many opportunities to demonstrate your leadership. But make no mistake: we will be wallowing in babies."

"I'm afraid," she whispered. She would not look at him. "I'm afraid that I don't even like babies. I'm afraid that I'll get lost in your harem and that what we have between us will be gone. I'm afraid you'll make another woman your favorite. I'm afraid I'll give rein to my inner bitch and make our entire home unhappy. I'm afraid of having to be equal with seven other women in your family, or even worse. I'm afraid of being forced to wipe noses, wipe poopie butts and suckle their babies while they play bridge."

He cut off his reply and let her work through her situation. When she finally looked at him, he said, "Diane, you're going to be who you are no matter where you are. I want you with me. I want you to be happy and fulfilled. I want you to take a leadership role OUTSIDE our home. Inside our home, I want you to be a team player, and not the captain of the team. I think you'll be a very good mother once you let yourself become absorbed in it. I am NOT going to select a houseful of meek women that you can dominate. I'm going to select happy, intelligent, confident, vigorous women.

"I think your worries about being lost in a crowd are rubbish. You know very well that your personality is strong. You do have to decide whether you can devote a lot of your energy to child rearing and whether you can be with an army of babies. I think your choice is whether to stay with me and perhaps six other women, or to try to find a sponsor and one other woman. No matter what, you'll have to share a man with at least one other woman."

"I love you, Martin," she whispered, "but I don't know if I can do the child rearing thing."

"Here's what I think: you have known this was coming for a long time. You have been thinking about the consequences, even if not consciously. The fact that you have not decided that you won't go along, to me, means that you want to stay but you're simply frightened." She nodded. "Let's do this: you help me assemble a family and get started with the rest of our lives. If you decide you aren't happy and can't do the baby thing, tell me. I'll find the right place for you to be happy and trade you. You know I wouldn't hurt you, or cause you to be hurt."

She sat still, considering. Sometimes she looked right at him, studying his new features. Sometimes she looked right through him, lost in thought. Finally, looking down into her lap, she said, "I will be your concubine."

"Recorded," intoned the AI. "Concubine Diane is the bound concubine of Martin Godwin."

"AI," she said to the ceiling, "I think I need a collar."

"A red collar is already available in the replicator," replied the AI. "Please deposit your shift in the recycle bin."

As she returned from the kitchen, putting on her collar, she said, "You want to fuck this old body again, or wait for the new model?"

"I've had my augmentation," he said, "and you probably want yours, too. I like the current model just fine. Tell me what you think about this: don't you think you should let the new members of the family see you as you are now so they can judge for themselves who you are and whether to join our family? Don't you think they might draw the wrong conclusion if you look eighteen during this process?"

"Moi?" Diane feigned innocence. "Darling, I'm just a teenager!" She chuckled and nodded her head. "I suppose you're right."

2 Section 18 -- Linda and Valerie on their own

The door to the living unit opened and Valerie followed Linda into the front room where George Carter sat between Jenna and Andie. "How goes the honeymoon?" grinned Linda.

Andie had that freshly-fucked expression on her face as she cuddled into George's side. Jenna looked pleased but Linda got the impression that Jenna's itch was building, yet to be relieved. George was dividing his attention between his two concubines, grinning like an idiot. His longer, thicker cock stood at attention, oozing pre-cum. The concubines' hands had plainly been withdrawn to his thighs upon the arrival of Linda and Valerie.

"Stand up, Honey," said Jenna. "Show off your new physique." As George disengaged himself and stood, she added, "George has been in and out of the med tubes. Andie had to beg him to stop." Andie blushed down to the tops of her breasts and she lowered her face.

"You look great!" Valerie gushed. "Glasses gone, muscle mass added, put some more on the package. Andie had to ask you to stop, eh? What's that word for the time between hard-ons?"

"Refractory period," Linda supplied.

"It's pretty short," Andie supplied with more blushing.

"Andie," Valerie giggled, "I think my sister is going to need an injection pretty soon. I know that look on her face. Her head is saying 'Please, no!' but her body says 'Please do!'"

"Valerie!" growled Jenna. "Just wait until you have a basket ball in your belly. See how sexy you feel!" Everyone laughed. "Still," she went on, "I can't deny that the desire is becoming more insistent."

"George," giggled Andie, "if you want any more tonight, you'll have to see Jenna. My pussy is too sore." More laughter.

"Linda and Valerie," the AI interposed, "it is time for you to decide whether to become concubines or to return to Earth."

"I thought we had decided yesterday," squeaked Valerie.

"You have not yet recycled your clothing," answered the AI, "and you have not yet put on the green collars signifying concubines not yet bound to a sponsor."

Linda and Valerie exchanged glances. "I'm not going to be Swarm food," chuckled Linda. "Where's that collar?"

"There are collars for each of you in the replicator," intoned the AI. "Please remove your CAP cards from the lanyards and place them in the collar sleeve. The lanyards and your clothing should be placed in the recycle bin."

Linda did not hesitate for a moment. She whipped the lanyard over her head as she marched into the kitchen. The CAP card went onto the counter before she yanked her clothes from the cabinet and tossed them into the recycler.

Valerie had followed with a tiny bit of reluctance and hesitation. Seeing Linda's resolve steeled her own nerve and her clothes followed Linda's into the hopper. Linda reached into the replicator, handed one collar to Valerie and began to put on the other. Valerie quickly followed suit. Both returned to the front room.

"Now that Linda and Valerie have irrevocably become concubines," said the AI, "it is time that George and his family be relocated. Please approach the transporter pad. Two adults first, please, then each of the three children and finally the last adult."

"We knew this was coming," George said softly, "but it's still hard." Looking around at all of the other adults in the room, he said, "AI, will we be able to communicate with each other? Will we be able to see each other?"

"That depends upon whether the sponsor or sponsors of Linda and Valerie allow such contact," replied the AI.

"Then I think we should make our goodbyes now," sniffed Jenna. "I hope we can see you again, and often."

After brief hugs, the four women started to collect the children while George dressed. When they had reassembled in the living room, the saying of goodbyes began in earnest. The women wordlessly shed tears lest the children be upset.

Finally, Jenna followed Andie through the transporter. Linda helped George coax little Lonnie through. Mollie and Sally followed without hesitation. George briefly hugged Linda and Valerie again and then he was gone.

"Why have we arrived in the corridor instead of within our living unit?" asked Jenna. There was no reply.

"What she said," added George. "What gives?"

"You and your concubines have completed the first phase of your journey," said the AI through George's implant and the women's collars. On the transport ship and at the colony, transporter pads are centralized. Transporter pads were installed in some individual living units in Copernicus Station because of the bustle upon arrival."

"I understand that alright," said George. "Why didn't you respond to Jenna's question?"

"Once again," replied the AI, "it has to do with the first phase. Initially, there were no true concubines in your living unit. The prospective concubines were afforded full rights to all elements of the living unit, including the AI. Now Jenna and Andie are your concubines. The rights of concubines are as granted by the sponsor from time to time, and may be restricted or withdrawn at any time. You have not yet granted any such rights."

"Is there a standard set of permissions typically granted by sponsors to their concubines?" asked George.

"Yes," replied the AI, "sponsors often permit full use of the living unit and its AI, except for room modifications and sometimes except for use of the sleep trainer. Concubines are usually allowed to enter the unit, and are sometimes allowed to exit the unit at will or for specified reasons."

"I would like to grant customary permissions to both Jenna and Andie, everything but room modifications. Response and assistance from AI wherever they are. They may freely enter and exit the unit. Can the sleep trainer do body modifications?"

"It can," said the AI, "but much more slowly than a med tube."

"Then I do not allow them to modify their bodies using the sleep trainer."

By this time, the children were bored with the parents standing around talking, and were pretty far afield. Andie raced off to shepherd the kids back. "Can we continue this at home?" asked Jenna.

"Good idea," said George. "Where is our unit?"

"Unit 8-D," answered the AI. "Please notice the compass rose at your feet. Also, please note that all of the common area facilities for this neighborhood are within sight along the corridors that intersect here in the center."

The emblem on the floor indicated that units A through E were on their left, F through J on the right; one through five were in front of them and six through ten were behind them. They soon oriented themselves and headed for their unit. "It seems pretty quiet here," observed George. "Do others live in this area?"

"This neighborhood consists of one hundred living units," replied the AI, "in ten rows of ten units each. You are only the fourth sponsor to arrive in the neighborhood. Thirteen other sponsors are enroute with their concubines. By tomorrow evening, the neighborhood will be completely occupied. You are encouraged to socialize with your new neighbors and their children."

Not surprisingly, the new unit was precisely the same as the one they had recently vacated. "Barring unforeseen events, you will live in this unit until you are transferred to the colony transport on Day 14," said the AI. "George is permitted to modify the unit. Typical modifications include different floor covering, changes in wall and ceiling colors, kitchen equipment and supplies, entertainment systems and the like."

"AND TOYS!" cried the twins in unison.

2 Section 19 -- Heather starts hunting

Heather Munson sat in the living unit with her sister Erin and her girlfriends Cindy Edmonds and Patti Gallagher, whom she had had collected as her 'dependents'. She alone was dressed, wearing an unadorned coverall. The other three wore green collars, sandals and nothing else.

"Orientation sessions are complete for the day," said the AI. "It is recommended that you now leave the living unit and make your way to one of the common areas."

"So now what do we do?" asked Cindy as they strolled toward the common area. "We're supposed to find a man and a woman -- or three -- and all jump in bed and make babies for the foreseeable future? That seems rather daunting. I've been dating since high school, and I haven't found the man I want to settle down with yet. I've been with a lot of guys that haven't measured up, but no Prince Charming. I'm supposed to find the guy of my dreams in a week or less? And I'm going to share him with at least one other girl? How am I supposed to do that?"

"I did have it in mind that at least we'd be together," said Patti. "It hadn't dawned on me that I'd get extracted with you but then we'd part ways."

"I thought so, too, Patti, and we might still be able to do that. I told you what I was advised," said Heather. "I'm going to be in the Navy. I get four concubines. None of us knows a damn thing about raising children. Do you three want to be the blind leading the blind? How much is a guy really going to be able to help?"

"We know all about making babies," chirped Erin. "We haven't made any yet, but we're all in good practice." The girls laughed. "Even the babysitting job from hell is over at the end of the night," she said more solemnly. "If they're our babies, and we've got a problem, we're stuck."

"So they told me," Heather continued, "that I'd better choose a woman who is already a mother, so she can help me and the other two girls in my family. They told me to choose a guy who has already proven himself to be a good dad. If it were the four of us together, what kind of guy would we pick? Which one of you three is going to be the den mother while I'm deployed?"

There was no answer. They found a table for themselves and sat down. "Look," said Heather, "we have a week to figure this out. We've been in the meat market for all of three minutes. Let's just relax and see if we can get into the flow. Once we get the hang of it, we can decide whether or not to panic."

"I think that's good advice," said Cindy. "Maybe we should circulate. We can stop and chat with whoever seems interesting, just so we can get some kind of rhythm going."

"Let's get something to drink," said Erin, "so we'll have something in our hands."

The girls made their way to the replicator and collected beverages. "I don't know about you," said Heather, "but I don't have any particular objective in mind right now. I hope we can just meet some nice people and have a good time."

They slowly strolled the area, nodding or exchanging polite greetings to small groups as they went along. Heather found Lisa Wong, with whom she had been 'warehoused' at the very beginning of the extraction. The two greeted each other warmly although they had had little opportunity to form any kind of bond. A familiar face was something of a comfort.

Lisa seemed to have extracted a truly impressive number of 'dependents'. A green-collar-clad man sat beside her with a child on his lap. Heather knew she had difficulty gauging the age of Asian women, but she was sure that Lisa's crowd included women from relatively advanced ages all the way down to barely adult. A few men were also in the group including two who were fully dressed, each with at least one red-collared woman nearby. The entire group seemed quite happy and conversations were heard in both English and a foreign tongue. An array of children of all ages under fourteen were cavorting around the area.

"Lisa," said Heather, "may I sit and talk with you for a while?" A cheerful Lisa readily agreed. After some confusion in rearranging people, Heather sat. Erin, Cindy and Patti sat around the table with Heather so they could listen. Lisa introduced her husband, Benjamin, and her niece. The two women laughingly agreed that Heather would not remember all of the rest of the names anyway. Heather pointed out her sister and her two friends, who nodded greeting.

"I'm not so sure this instant family thing is as easy as it sounds," Heather began. "Would you be interested in a trial-run interview with me? Maybe we can teach each other something worthwhile."

"We've been wondering about that ourselves," acknowledged Lisa. "We haven't actually talked with anyone outside our extended family. Benjamin and I are hoping to be selected together. Is it okay with you if Benjamin participates as well?"

"That'd be great," said Heather with relief. After a pause while she collected her thoughts, she looked at both Lisa and Benjamin and began. "I am allowed four concubines. I brought my sister and my two friends as 'dependents,'" and she made air quotes. "None of us has any children and none of us has any experience in child care except for babysitting in our early teens. Part of me wants to find a male and take my three as concubines. But the suggestion they gave me that I ought to find an experienced mother and, especially, an experienced dad rings true with me. I don't want to be deployed and have to worry that my family is suffering at the hands of our innocent but colicky children. On the other hand, I don't want to expose my sister or my friends to being selected by a sponsor who won't make them happy. Do you have anything you could share with me that might help me?"

Lisa and Benjamin exchanged a look with each other and then turned their attention to Heather. "I'll try," smiled Lisa. "Everybody knows that concubines are supposed to be baby factories, turning out as many babies as they can, as fast as they can. I don't know if that means another baby every ten or twelve months or what. What I don't know much about is what we concubines will be doing in the mean time. If families are assembled that don't include any children from the beginning, what are the concubines going to do all day, every day? Even with our sex drives boosted, you can only spend so much time every day in the sack.

"They took all of us from an office building. Yeah, there are probably a lot more adults picked up as dependents than there were from from the office building, but the truth is that most adults, men and women, have a job.

"They plan on taking a quarter million people to a single colony. All those people are an enormous resource. I can't believe they would force all the concubines to stay indoors, growing babies and caring for their own children. I don't know if the Confederacy can pour knowledge into the heads of children, but I bet they can't pour in social skills, fine and gross motor skills, honor and discipline. Kids need to be active. Kids need to be around other kids. Kids need adult mentors to learn grace and responsibility.

"I'm really glad we're having this conversation, Heather, because it's helping me sort out a lot of thoughts that have been running around in my mind. If children are so important to the Confederacy, they're not going to let concubines suffer through child rearing without adequate support. If nothing else, it would adversely affect the children. Yes, a lot of the support will be in the form of educating children. Even if the book-learning can be imparted by some Confederacy magic, there is still the socialization that needs to be taught. There have to be schools. There have to be structured and unstructured physical activities for children. There must be support for mothers, even if that support is not very structured.

"Our kids are fourteen, eleven and eight. I spent the years when they were very small at home with them. I loved it, but when our youngest got to first grade, I was ready to go back to work full time. I've only been back in the workforce for about two years. I'm ready to have more children, Heather, but I'm not exactly looking forward to being stuck in my home all day, every day. But I don't think I'll have to do that if I don't want to, at least not all the time."

"You've made me start to think it wouldn't be too bad for my sister and my friends if they didn't have an older den mother with them all the time," said a smiling Heather.

"I don't think it would be bad at all. I had help from my mother, and support from my friends, but they weren't living with me," replied Lisa. "At worst, they'll have each other, be living with each other and at least going through the same difficulties together. Advice and counsel ought to be close at hand if they really need it."

With encouragement from Heather, the other three girls happily joined the discussion. They bantered back and forth with Lisa, asking a thousand and one questions about babies. Patti revealed that she was anxious to start a family as soon as possible. Cindy thought she wanted to be second. They talked about whether to bunch the babies' births or spread them out. Erin laughed and said she needed to practice making babies -- a lot! -- before she thought she would be ready.

That let them digress into a discussion of what the Confederacy had already done to their bodies. Heather was the only one of them wearing clothes. The others confessed that they were no longer concerned about their nudity. Cindy was the first to admit that the itch was starting to become unbearable. The other three girls laughingly agreed.

"You must have a houseful, Lisa," observed Heather. "Are you able to get any time to yourselves?"

"Well," allowed a blushing Lisa, "for now, we have had some alone time. Depending upon how we end up, sponsor-wise, it may not make any difference. If he wants to call an orgy, we're mentally prepared to participate."

"How do you feel about your fourteen-year-old daughter?" asked Erin. "How do you imagine that's going to work out?"

Benjamin spoke up. "We think we'll be very lucky if the two of us wind up with the same sponsor. It seems too much to hope that a sponsor will want all three of us. Vickie knows we want to protect her but that we have limited ability. We hope she'll find a sponsor who will provide her with a happy home."

"Benjamin knows," added Lisa, "that beggars can't be choosers. Benjamin is willing to be selected with Vickie, or with me, or with both, or neither one of us. I just want Benjamin to be selected. I can't bear the thought that he would be sent back to Earth."

"Maybe that brings us around to us trying to figure out what kind of man we need," said Heather. "That is, if you three would go with me if I asked?"

"You know I love you," said Erin. "I'm sure I'll be happy with you, but I think I'll always also be your little sister. I think it's just a bit early to be making that decision. We've only been trolling for a few minutes on the first day. A talk about a man for the four of us would be worthwhile, though."

"What about you two?" asked Heather.

"Erin is probably right," said Cindy. Patti nodded agreement. "I think we ought to assume that we're going to be together, and think through what we need to make our family complete. We can also talk about alternatives if one or more of us decides later to strike out on her own."

Patti said, "Lisa, you gave us good advice about us being able to stay together as a group. Do you have words of wisdom about the kind of man we ought to find?"

Lisa laughed. "I think I talked myself out of a potential sponsor." They all chuckled at that. "I found a damn good man for myself, and I'm not going to lose him if I don't have to." Benjamin blushed.

"Right now," said Erin, "we're talking about a man alone, without a current partner. Can we talk about the pros and cons of a man our age, or a bit older, or much older, or even younger?"

"We're all about the same age," said Cindy. "If we found someone about our age, we might naturally get along better."

"The problem with that," said Benjamin, "is that the guys your age who will be great dads are already in a relationship. The guys your age who aren't attached are probably not ready to be dads at all, much less full-time dads."

"That's depressing," said Patti.

"Time to consider a guy who is in his thirties, or forties or even older," said Lisa.

"Bear in mind," said Benjamin, "that the session I attended this morning was pretty depressing for prospective male concubines, and brutal. The ones who weren't driven off and sent back to Earth are either absolutely dedicated to being full-time dads, or they're predators. I think all the available male concubine candidates that you find are worth talking to. They probably all have unique circumstances. You do have to carefully scrutinize their CAP sub-scores, but there have to be gems out there."

"Aren't the guys going to be like you," asked Heather, "and have a wife and kids that he wants to stay with?"

"Benjamin is right," said Lisa. "They all must have a different story. I'm sure some of them got collected and their wife is post-menopausal. There have to be at least some widowers. There have to be some who were too dull to keep their wives from straying. Some of those guys may even have custody of their children. You'll just have to talk to a lot of people and see what you find."

"Let's talk for a bit about young guys," said Erin. "Maybe those guys got extracted in the dependent pickups by one or the other of their parents. If they got brought along, and if they had the courage to last through that brutal session Benjamin talked about, what would that mean for us?"

"Well," said Heather, "almost none of them will already be fathers. Any of those that are fathers and aren't with the mother of their children probably aren't what we want. Teen aged guys are probably either in full rebellion mode or they're dedicated straight-arrows."

"They won't have much experience in bed," giggled Cindy.

"The bright side of that," Lisa pointed out, "is that they can be trained to be the kind of lover you want."

"There is that," Patti allowed.

Benjamin said, "Do your best to assure yourselves that the kinds of things a guy is willing to do to get you to offer sponsorship are the kinds of things they will always be perfectly willing to do. You don't want the guy to be able to relax after he has a sponsor and make you disappointed."

That thought hit hard. "How do we tell the difference?" asked Heather.

"I don't really know," admitted Benjamin. "You might have to rely on your intuition."