Chapter Nine
When I wake, I find I’m alone and no longer in the sex dungeon. Kest must have moved me. The new room looks like a modest ship’s quarters: fairly drab and lacking much in the way of decor. However, it does have a window: through it I see the incredible planet we’re orbiting. Its oceans seem to glimmer in the light of the nearby star, and faint clouds hover over its land masses.
I blink away a tear, sniffling. The planet reminds me of Earth, and home. I shouldn’t be here right now; I should be catching an E train from Penn Station, fighting the other commuters for a seat. It sounds stupid, but at least there I knew where I stood, and what I could expect from the day. I knew that at its end, I’d go home and enjoy a nice glass of wine, reading a book and soaking in a tub full of bubbles.
Maybe that could be arranged here. If Kest wants me to behave, the least he could do is provide me some comforts.
Beside me on the clean white bed, a piece of clothing has been laid out. Thin and stretchy, the garment is a single piece, much like Briette’s from yesterday. However, it has no design—it’s plain white. Preferring it to being nude—last night’s conversation with Kest reminded me that I am still a prisoner—I put it on, finding it soft and exceptionally comfortable. It wraps my body like a second skin, but it doesn’t keep in any excess heat. Of course, it doesn’t leave much about my figure to the imagination, but then again, I probably won’t be wearing it much.
Once dressed, I start to get out of bed, but stop myself before I can swing my leg off the mattress. I pull the thin sheet out from under me, roll it up and knot the ends. Swinging the sheet in the air, I test the space around me for force fields; I’d rather not get shocked again. Fortunately, the sheet meets no resistance, allowing me to get out of bed. After a minute, I’ve tested the entire room.
I laugh, and nearly cry, relieved to be given this small ounce of freedom. No telerings, no force fields—the whole room is mine to wander. I find the facilities and clean myself; as soon as I finish, I return to the window, happy to watch the planet below.
You’re conditioned to have superiors.
Is that what’s happening? Two days in captivity, and suddenly I’m happy to have a tiny room to myself? Will I be working my way down to smaller and smaller cages? Is that how Kest will control me, by threatening to take away my window?
If I fight and disobey, will Kest really lose his claim? Will it work against me, convincing the Council not to help Earth? Kest may have been a jerk, but was he lying? Why would he?
Last night’s events are still playing in my head when there’s a knock on the door. It opens as I turn, and Kest is there. He carries a small satchel and wears a dress uniform of some kind—it looks composed of several pieces, unlike his practical jumpsuit. Consisting of a black jacket, a long-sleeved gray shirt, and matching pants, it reminds me of a business suit from back home, only it doesn’t part in the center, and features no necktie.
“Good, you’re dressed,” he says. “Come along. It’s time.”
“Make me,” I snarl.
“I’d prefer not to, pet. But if you want to get some defiance out of your system, now is the time to do it.”
Shit. He’s probably right.
Angry, but resolved to make the best of the situation, I get up and follow Kest out. My body is still sore from yesterday’s punishment and play, so Kest takes a small black device out of his pack.
“This will help,” he says, holding it out in front of me.
I nod, and when he turns it on, my clothing begins to glow. Gasping, I rub my hands on the cloth, but nothing seems amiss. The aches in my muscles and the welts on my skin stop throbbing, as if they’ve simply evaporated.
“Thank you,” I mumble as the glow fades.
“You’re welcome.”
We ride the tram in silence; I follow our progress on the map, noting that we’re not heading for the Council chamber, like I expected. We disembark at our destination, but before we get far, Kest suddenly stops.
Standing before us is a man of Kest’s race. Though slightly taller, he’s less outwardly muscular, a fact that strikes me as funny for some reason. His skin, hair, and eyes are all a rich, golden color, and he wears an expression of disdain on his otherwise handsome, chiseled face.
“Agent Kest,” he says, offering a quick bow. “Welcome back to civilization.”
“Praetor Bakan,” Kest replies.
The man ignores Kest’s greeting and shifts over to look at me. “Who’s this?” he asks, setting a hand on my shoulder.
Have all of the aliens now learned English from Kest? It’s incredible. Bakan’s speech comes out accented, like Kest’s, yet I could swear I hear condescension in his tone.
“Haley,” I mutter, shaking him off.
Bakan steps around me, examining me. “I never thought I’d see a human up close,” he says. “After Kest’s primary assessment, all those years ago, I assumed you’d wipe yourselves out within the decade.”
“We’ve come a long way since then,” I argue, trying to ignore the feel of his eyes boring into my back.
“And fallen even farther,” Bakan counters. “Or you wouldn’t be here.”
His hands come to rest on my shoulders, and I feel the warmth of his breath on the back of my neck. “You should be thankful, human. Better here with us, than there… with them.”
I look to Kest; he watches us carefully, arms crossed at his chest.
“Credit where it’s due,” Bakan continues. “You are pleasing to the eyes. Your form is… shapely.” His hand travels down my back as he speaks. “But will you make a good pet?” he asks.
Then I feel a sharp smack on my rear; my thin clothing hardly absorbs the blow, and I lurch forward with a yelp. This was no playful tap, but a punishing, malicious shot. It stings badly, and I’d like nothing more than to punch Bakan in his smug face. At least when Kest disciplines me, he has a reason.
“Enough, Bakan!” Kest growls, stepping between me and the praetor. He balls his fists, and a scowl bares his gritted teeth.
Bakan laughs, throwing up his hands in mock surrender. “My apologies. I didn’t realize this specimen was so important to you.”
“You know full well I’ve made claim,” Kest seethes. “You will respect it, or else.”
Shrinking back, Bakan’s smile fades. “Of course. I would never betray a claim. I didn’t realize you’re not sharing your specimen.”
“I’m not,” says Kest.
Bakan sighs. “I suppose you’ve never been the sharing type, have you? A shame. In that case, I won’t keep you, Agent. Best of luck with your… human.”
“Praetor,” Kest mutters.
Bakan nods to me, then brushes past.
Once he turns a corner, I look to Kest. “Do you people do that? Do you share your pets?” I ask with a shiver. The last thing I want is to be offered to others, especially men like Bakan. I’m not sure which possibility is worse: that Kest might share me as a form of punishment, or simply because I’m his property to lend out as he wishes. Does Kest have friends, other than Briette, who might want me?
“A good master cares for his pet. That means we don’t share pets unless it is mutually wished by all involved. And Bakan was truthful about one thing: I don’t like to share.”
“Good,” I say. “Me neither.”
He pats my back and brushes my hair off my shoulders. “Others will be watching, though, Haley. The tests require it, so you best prepare yourself.”
“Yes, sir.”
He leads me a short ways through the station. We arrive at a facility that strikes me as a cross between a laboratory and an operating theater. Banks of machinery and equipment line one wall, while the other has open windows for a viewing gallery. In the center of the room there’s a raised dais, presumably for the test subject. All of it makes my blood curdle, though having Kest at my side grants some comfort.
Resigned to making the best of the situation, I head for the dais. Along the way, the telerings around my wrists, ankles, waist, and neck all release at once. I gasp, turning to watch them float onto a shelf.
I’d completely forgotten they were there.
Once I reach the dais, a sudden feeling of weightlessness overtakes me; I whoop, shocked by the sensation. Sure enough, I begin to lift in the air, floating in place, and then start rotating slowly. Waving my arms and kicking my legs does nothing.
“Kest!”
“Relax, pet. You’re perfectly safe.”
“I don’t care, I want to come down!”
In the viewing gallery, I see a group of men and women enter and take seats. Unlike anyone I’ve seen on board the Dominus so far, they wear long, flowing robes that match their various skin tones. White sashes cross their chests, and a black belt completes the ensemble.
“Who are they?”
“Scientists,” says Kest. “Experts in xenobiology, trans-species sexuality, alien psychology and more. They’ll be observing your behavior and physiology.”
Lovely.
“Should I wave?”
Kest sighs. “I’m required to instruct you to be yourself,” he says. The exasperation in his voice adds, But behave!
As much as I’d like to fight and keep my dignity in the face of these tests, I can still feel Bakan’s touch. No matter what, I don’t want to feel it again.
However, when I see the observers watching me, I’m reminded of yesterday’s meeting with the Council, and how it felt to have them watch. Like the other Dominars, the scientists are all uniquely handsome and pretty; in fact, they actually seem very nice. They smile sympathetically; none of them are laughing at my plight.
Maybe they’re just excited at meeting a new species. I don’t think you have to be a scientist to be fascinated by a completely new race of beings.
“Hello, Ms. Feyn,” says one of the men, a teal-skinned Dominar with a shiny, bald head. “I am Doctor Wertix. Thank you for being here, and cooperating. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate.”
“Thank you, sir,” I say, adding a slight bow. As I do, my rotation in the air stops, allowing me to keep facing the scientists.
“Are you ready to begin?” Wertix asks.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Please remove your clothing.”
I look to Kest. He nods, flashing me a quick smile.
Obeying, I strip off the alien garment; when I let go, it falls to the floor, a solid foot below my toes. I begin to spin in the air again, giving the scientists the full sight of me. After a few rotations, a force pries my legs apart. The axis of my spin, which had been perfectly straight, turns at an angle, as though I was leaning against a wall. I can’t actually feel the force acting on my body, which makes its manipulation even more distressing. Yet, at the same time, it’s incredibly intoxicating. The scientists watch with singular focus, though there is a degree of lust on their faces.
After what feels like an eternity, I turn even more, until I’m nearly lying flat on my back. My legs spread further, allowing them to see both my sex, and my arousal, without obstacle.
“As you can see, her species has not developed as far as usually preferred,” says Kest. “But they are still quite pleasing, I think you’ll agree.”
“Indeed,” says Wertix. “And she looks healthy. However, there are no bio-scans available. Are her nanites not functioning?”
Kest clears his throat. “I have not administered any nanites yet, Doctor. If you’d like, you can run a spectro-scan.”
“Of course.”
A grid of red laser light projects out of an orb below me; it travels up my body, stopping at the ceiling.
Wertix nods as a holographic display of me appears in front of him. My figure is surrounded by a blue border, which I hope is a good thing.
“Excellent, Agent Kest. Now, would you please conduct the primary compatibility test?”
He grins mischievously. “Gladly.”
I strain my neck to see what Kest’s looking at: a thick, cylindrical device has emerged from a machine and is floating toward me. Glistening with some kind of oil, it gives off a soft light from within.
Oh, God.
I know what it’s for.
Primary compatibility.
Sure enough, Kest guides the device toward my sopping pussy. “Ready, pet?” he asks.
God, the device looks so big. I should be scared, but if Kest thinks it’s okay, I’m willing to trust him.
“Yes, sir.”
Nodding, Kest begins to insert the object into my drenched entrance. I groan as it slides in slowly, as Kest allows me to adjust to its immense size. The oils around its surface and my own fluids help it to go deep, and soon I feel it spreading me apart.
“Her arousal is spiking,” Wertix observes.
“That’s correct. As you see, human physiological response is similar to ours,” says Kest. “Commencing.”
It starts slowly at first: a mild vibration that could have gone unnoticed if it hadn’t grown more and more intense. As it increases in power, a flood of euphoria washes over me. I look to Kest, who watches me intently. Then I turn to the assembly of scientists, curious about their reactions. Most of them still watch impassively, but others can’t hide their arousal quite so well.
The device suddenly surges, vibrating hard enough for it to be heard throughout the room. I scream, catapulted into subspace by the explosion of bliss. My body burns, the sensation seemingly glowing from every cell.
“I’m going… to come!” I wail, shaking in place. I’m so enraptured, I forget about the scientists. I even forget that I’m floating in midair. All I can see is Kest, and all I feel is extraordinary pleasure.
“You may come, pet,” he says, rubbing my clit.
“Oh, God!” I howl, my words stretching on and on, until there’s no air left in my lungs. I gasp, writhing, eyes squeezed shut, and ride the tide until I’m spent.
“You’re doing great, Haley,” Kest whispers into my ear.
My body rises again until I’m nearly standing up straight; I spin around so that I’m no longer facing the viewing gallery. Kest steps around me, and then spanks my ass a couple times. I moan, learning to enjoy the mild sting.
That wasn’t punishment, I realize. It was surprisingly enjoyable. Is that normal?
“Although their sexual potential is great, the human body is still quite frail. Their skin bruises easily. A great deal of care will be required. Currently their bodies are highly inefficient at processing nutrients, resulting in frequent waste, but I believe nanites will solve these problems with ease.”
“Very likely,” Wertix agrees. “In fact, it will be interesting to see how an entire species changes from the introduction of nanites. Developing worlds usually invent a form of the technology long before we arrive.”
“I’ll leave that to you, Doctor,” says Kest. “Do you have all the data you need, or is there anything else?”
“Actually, there is. Your specimen is quite promising, but we would like to test her for secondary compatibility. And I would also like her to receive a proper nanite scan.”
Kest takes a deep breath, then nods. “Of course.”
Nanites! No!
“Sir?” I say, not wanting to break etiquette. “I don’t want nanites.”
“Haley, I assure you they’re harmless.”
I want to trust him, I really do. But having machines inside my body…
There’s one in you now, isn’t there?
Blushing, I squeeze down on the large device still lodged in my pussy.
“The nanites won’t affect the way I think?”
“Never,” Kest says, looking me dead in the eyes. “They’ll improve your body’s functions and convey information, but they won’t change who you are. I promise.”
I wish he’d warned me in advance about this. Hadn’t he known? If I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he just didn’t want me to worry. If I had known about the nanites, I might not have slept all night.
Also, one thing has been clear since we met: he hasn’t truly harmed me, even though there’s little I could do to stop him. If my captor had been Bakan, I’m not sure that would still be true.
“Fine,” I say at last. “And they won’t hurt?”
He chuckles. “Only in ways you’ll enjoy, pet.”
As I watch, a new device emerges from a selection of laboratory equipment. Though it’s shaped much like the device in my pussy, this one is significantly smaller. As clear as glass, it features a wide, flared section at its base. A rainbow shimmer begins to shine as oil spreads across its surface.
“Beginning secondary compatibility test, and nanite transfer,” says Kest.
Oh, holy fuck!
Kest angles the device toward my ass, pressing it against my tender bud. Involuntarily I clench, trying to keep out the unwelcome intrusion.
“Haley, relax,” Kest orders. “It’ll be easier if you don’t fight it.”
Easy for him to say. However, I do as asked, forcing myself to unclench.
Once I stop trying to hold it back, the plug plunges into my tight rear. I moan at the pain, but the odd penetration provides a source of pleasure I’d never experienced. Kest eases the device in gradually, pulling it back out a little before pressing it in more. Giving me time to adjust helps, but it’s still unbelievably intense, especially with my pussy still filled. I’ve never felt so stuffed in my life—and with all those aliens watching…
Of course, that’s when the device in my pussy chooses to reactivate, vibrating powerfully. Still sore from my first orgasm, I’m quickly launched back into an ocean of pleasure.
“Oh, God,” I groan, barely noticing that I’m once again turning to face the scientists. The room could have just been spinning in my head, I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference.
“Commencing nanite transfer,” says Kest.
Then the device in my ass starts to move too, throbbing in pulses that I assume somehow help spread the nanites. Either way, the sensations are utterly overwhelming; I don’t even attempt to hide my tears. I’m helpless, blissed out, and coming repeatedly, totally consumed by everything happening.
Holograms begin appearing in the air, showing measurements from the nanites. One is clearly a monitor of my racing heart, while another pair appear to oscillate and spike in time with the fiendish devices inside me.
“Transfer complete,” Kest announces.
“Secondary compatibility appears to be confirmed,” says Wertix. “And quite enthusiastically.”
Kest leans in and kisses my cheek. I look at him, mouth agape; even if I could gather myself enough to speak, I don’t know what I would even say. Everything about this seems so wrong, but the ecstasy is so profound and pure, I don’t ever want it to end.
“Shall I terminate the test?” he asks.
“No!” I squeal, my inner walls gripping the toys greedily.
Wertix and the others laugh. I should be mortified, but it’s a little late for that.
“That’s okay. Take your time,” he says, standing up. With a glance I can see the protrusion from his pants has grown quite large; he does not attempt to hide it. “Reward the specimen for her courage and cooperation. Then prepare her for the next stage of testing.”
“Yes, Doctor Wertix. I will.”
“Excellent,” says Wertix as the rest of the scientists get up and start filing out. “Thank you, Agent Kest. And you, specimen Haley.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“Thanks,” I mutter, doing my best not to pass out, but losing the battle.
The last thing I can remember, before the orgasms render me unconscious, is wondering what they meant by the next stage of testing. If it’s going to be anything like this, I’m not sure I’ll even survive.