Chapter Two

 

 

Fiona woke up on a lounge with her golden companion next to her. “Sorry for falling asleep.”

“It is understandable. Your scans indicated a state of exhaustion as well as several sexually transmitted diseases.”

She flushed scarlet.

“Do not worry. They can all be easily treated; in fact, you are only two days from recovery. We administered the treatment. The concern is that there was quite a bit of internal tearing and bruising. You have been forced?”

She swallowed and looked out through the transparent walls to the men who were watching her and leering. “Yes. I was not in a situation to support myself, so if I wanted to eat, I had to submit.”

“Ah, right. So, no sexually based posts for you.”

“No, please. So, how does this work? I had to get the information third hand.”

He smiled. “Well, you sign an indenture contract, and the postings that bid on you will determine your final price. The job you are taken on for will determine the length of your indenture, and after that, you will be given citizen rights on the last world you were posted on.”

“So, slavery.”

“It is life. It is a life on a new world, with new species and a chance at thriving and, more importantly, surviving. The persons, companies, and worlds who are bidding are not charities. They are expending resources to gain personnel, and they must be paid in return.”

“Do you work for a company?”

He smiled and nodded. “I am indentured to the education station. I work in assessment and examination.”

“Ah. Okay. When does the assessment start?”

“It has already begun. You have administrative skills?”

“I do. Also, public speaking and customer service work is in my repertoire. In the past, I have been a pleasant person to be around.”

“How are you with languages?”

“Fair. I can learn, but it is difficult to advance if there is no opportunity to practice.”

“Excellent. That is what the scans indicated.” He smiled, and his teeth were astonishingly sharp.

He leaned to one side and returned with a tablet. “So, here is a contract, written in your language, with a full explanation of what would be expected of you in your service. You have an hour to sign, or you will miss the shuttle, and this post will be moved elsewhere. You will be ejected and left to face your fate.”

She inhaled slowly and nodded. “Right. Of course. I will have this done in a moment. Wait, can I sign addendums into the contract?”

“Yes, but it will limit your appeal to employers.”

“I understand, but at no time do I wish to be sold by my contract holder or traded sexually.”

“That is a reasonable request. May I?”

He took the tablet, and his fingers flashed over the screen. Under possible duties, the addendum had been filed.

She smiled slightly and kept reading. She could be expected to work up to fourteen hours a day. Clothing appropriate to her station and environment would be provided, as would food that she was capable of digesting. Her life would be hers to do with what she would the moment that she paid out her contract, which would include her purchase price, her education, and all medical care leading up to her debarkation from the education station.

There were other minor details, but it was enough for her to be able to control her sexual freedom to some extent. If they tried to bend the contract, it broke, and she was free as if she had gone through the entire payout period. In case of a broken contract on the part of her employer, she would be paid the entire cost of the contract and delivered to a world of her choosing within three systems. If she broke the contract by refusing to perform her job, she could be resold, and the contract term began again.

Fiona signed it. She had already seen the end of her world, why bother pretending that there was something better out there.

“Excellent. The other contractees are a little too interested in you, so you will remain with one of us as an escort, and the station will know your situation before you arrive. Therapy may be involved.”

Fee blinked. “Therapy? I thought you guys were here to sell us.”

He scowled. “Of course not. You are a dying species on a rotting world. We are making a profit, of course, but you have a chance to go and live normal lives, as well as some of your kind, may choose to enrich other populations.”

“You say choice like it is a real thing.”

“When it comes to reproduction, it is. You will be given a fertility suspension when you arrive on the station.”

She grabbed her arm.

“The one you had implanted was removed. You were growing scar tissue, and it would soon impede nerve function. The new treatment will have fewer side effects and will remain in your system until your contract ends unless you gain authorization from your employer to remove it earlier.”

She blinked. “So, I am otherwise healthy? I mean, aside from the issues you have mentioned.”

“Indeed. I am going to get your escort and settle you on the shuttle. As the first one on, you will be the last one off. It will keep you safer from those who seem determined to prey on you.”

Fiona nodded. “Thank you. Ready when you are.”

Her assessor smiled and helped her to her feet. He escorted her outside and into the shuttle, speaking softly with one of the crewmembers who was standing near the entrance. Their language wasn’t clear, but the look of concern that the crewman gave her was unmistakable. He was looking at her with pity on his pale green features.

She was escorted to the front of the wide chamber and settled into a chair. Her companion harnessed her in and stood at the edge of her row.

Five minutes after she had been settled in, the men from the shelter emerged in the ship and one, in particular, headed toward her.

Her escort stopped the man from entering her row and from sitting behind her. The man in the long smock scowled. “I have the right to sit where I want.”

With carefully chosen words, her escort said, “That is true on your world. We are leaving your world, and from that moment on, you have no rights other than those that we have allowed you to have. Choice of position in a vehicle is not one of those rights.”

One of the other crewmembers grabbed the human by his shoulder and sat him down near the rear of the vehicle.

Fiona wasn’t smiling, she was nervous. That sort of man tended to use subterfuge and sneak attacks. She was going to need to be on guard when she reached the base.

 

One week and seventeen languages having taken up home in her mind, Fiona was feeling much better. She was in her general knowledge and etiquette course with other human women when one of the medical staff knocked politely on the door.

“Instructor?”

“Yes, Medic.” The instructor paused her lessons.

“I require Fiona, Samantha, and Dione for assessment, please.”

“Ladies, please go with the medic.”

Fiona got to her feet and nodded politely to the instructor before she walked to the door.

The other two women joined her, and as a group, they followed the medic down the hall for whatever she needed them for.

“Please go with your attendant, and when your assessment is over, you may return to your class.”

Fiona nodded. There was no arguing on the station. They had the right and the ability to fire you out an airlock if they wanted to.

The male attendants in the medical bay were waiting, and Fiona reached out to let the one with the scanner check the identification on her wristband.

The attendants were cream-yellow in skin with a slight metallic shine. Their faces all showed a focus on their purpose, and she couldn’t help but guess that they were looking for something. Fiona went with the man who had her name on a clipboard, and he led her into the hive of cubicles without a word.

The comfy analyst couch and the small stool were strangely familiar.

“Please recline. Keep your clothing on. I will be touching your wrist only.”

“All right.” She settled on the couch, made sure that her skirt was pinned under her thighs and she leaned back and tried to relax.

He pulled the stool next to her, and he did place his fingers on the inside of her wrist. “Please, meet my gaze, and I will begin my assessment.”

She looked into his silver eyes, and the world faded away. Fiona felt her blood rushing through her veins, pleasure, fear, every emotion ran through her.

Just as suddenly as the ride started, it stopped. Her attendant was sheened with the same sweat that covered her.

Fiona took stock of her body and felt the distinct pulsing of a faded orgasm along with arousal.

“What happened?”

He blinked slowly. “I took your psyche for a tolerance test. You have a high ranking, and it will remove you from the labourer class.”

“Oh. Right. Well. Good.” She blinked. “Can I return to class now?”

“You may return to the entryway. Your escort will take you to a different instructor.”

“Why?”

“If labour is no longer an option, you will need heavier protocol courses.”

She blinked. “Oh. Right. Thank you.”

He helped her to her feet and led her back to the front of the med centre.

“She will go into class one. The report is being filed.” Her attendant nodded to the medic who had escorted her.

The medic blinked. “Ah. Of course. Just a moment.”

She quickly spoke into her wrist unit, muttering about a new one.

“Wait here, Fiona. Your guards are on their way.”

With no other option, Fiona waited. Whatever was happening was out of her hands.