After the Fall Ch. 07

"Not those kinds of vaccinations. There is a very limited supply of a set of five vaccines that between them, are effective against most strains of both the pandemic viruses."

"What!" Mariah's jaw dropped. Anger chased astonishment across her face. "What do you mean there are vaccines? Why aren't they giving people the vaccines? Why haven't you done anything about this?"

"I don't have the vaccines, Mariah. I can't make them vaccinate anyone. What I'm trying to do is investigate the claims that have been made about them. Supposedly, there is a very limited supply of the vaccines that were manufactured toward the end of The Fall. I don't have trouble believing that. I received those vaccines back then. The public didn't know anything about them. A member of the Elites owned the pharmaceutical company that was producing the vaccines. His circle, including my dad, got early access. The existence of the vaccines was a big secret. Full-scale availability was well over a year away, and quickly became impossible due to cascading infrastructure failures.

"I'm skeptical that someone with Quinland's resources hasn't found a way to get the vaccines back into production. Even if no more have been produced, I want to know what efforts have been made to try. For now, vaccines are given only to members of the Elites, their immediate families, significant others, and their household staff. You, whether you like it or not, are my significant other, and therefore eligible for the vaccines."

Mariah ignored the "significant other" comment. She had more important questions. "What about Sarah?"

"If things go in the direction they look like they're going with her and Ezra, she'll be eligible, too."

"You said she could be my assistant. Doesn't that make her staff?"

"They only recognize staff that have been vetted through their organization, or staff already working for members at the time The Elites formed their organization."

"So, if she and Ezra don't get together, she doesn't get vaccinated."

"I'm afraid so."

"Then I'm not getting vaccinated, either."

"What good would that do Sarah? If you want to help people, you need to be alive to do it. Besides, the first time you go to The Center, you have to get a health check and get your vaccinations. There's no way around it if you want to go."

"It's not fair."

"I know."

Mariah ran her hand through Henry's fur. Michael wondered if she had lost interest in her other questions, and if this was going to be another example of something she refused to talk about.

A little while later she asked, "Why don't you want Quinland to know about me? Why would he even care?"

"I don't have a specific reason. You heard Ezra earlier today. Quinland's opportunistic. I don't know what he's up to, but I don't trust him. If he's stirring up trouble here, I don't want him trying to use you to get to me."

"How would he do that?"

"I don't know. His guy already assisted with one kidnapping attempt."

"That was Hawley's big idea," she objected.

"True, but my point is that he could use Hawley's group in the future for something similar. I don't think it's likely, but I'm considering the possibilities."

"You said you had mixed feelings about taking me. Was that because you didn't want Quinland to know about me?"

"That was part of it. Another part -- a big part -- is that there are things at The Center that you are going to be very unhappy about, and you're not going to be free to express your displeasure the way you want to. When I first talked about taking you there, I knew there were things you wouldn't like about it, but the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized how bad some of these things are."

"What sort of things?"

"I'm thinking mostly of the role women have. There are no female members of The Elites, or at least, they aren't considered full members. They can't attend meetings or vote. Only one person from each household can represent a family at a meeting. While my father was alive, that was usually him, although as time went on, I attended more and more meetings in his place. But a woman never attends to represent a household."

"Gee, what a shocker. A bunch of old rich men don't want to let the girls play in their sandbox."

"I didn't expect you to find that shocking. I haven't gotten to the shocking part. When you go to The Center, you will see that most of the Elites bring one or more women with them. The women are treated like sex slaves. As far as I know, they're not actual slaves and it's voluntary, but that's a fair representation of how they're treated. Elites tend to show them off like prize possessions. It's not unusual to see public fondling, public exposure, or more. It's kind of like what you might get if you gave some teenage boys some bondage porn and then asked them to construct their dream scenario. There's this weird formality that goes along with it."

After a long moment, Mariah spoke. "So that's where you got this whole sexual submission thing from."

"Huh? Oh, I see what you mean. No, at least not that I'm aware of. I've always had a tendency to be sexually dominant. Besides, I don't see what we do as being the same thing at all."

"What's the difference?"

"The biggest difference is that I love you."

"Would you please stop with that?"

"You asked me what the difference is. That's the biggest difference. I understand that I've thoroughly messed up. I'm still sorting through everything you said earlier, and I recognize some of the places I've gone wrong. But the fact that I messed up doesn't mean I don't love you.

"There's no way to explain the difference between what we do and what goes on at The Center without starting with the fact that I love you, so you're just going to have to put up with that for the sake of this discussion. What goes on at The Center isn't love, at least not for the most part. There were a couple of older members who've since passed away, who had girls -- "girls" is what they call them -- who they seemed to have affectionate relationships with. The girls were obedient, but I thought it seemed like there was affection in both directions. Sly Finnegan seems to have a relationship with his girl that is at least amiable.

"As far as I can tell, the Elites' 'girls' are not involved in any aspect of their Elites' lives other than sex and companionship. Their girls don't teach them about the proper care and feeding of crickets." Michael attempted a smile, but Mariah remained stone-faced. "The girls don't get to play mind games with prisoners or plan construction projects. They don't talk freely with their Elites. They definitely don't wear normal clothes. When they get in trouble, they get a whole lot worse than a spanking that gets them aroused. None of them would dream of doing the tiniest fraction of the things you do to get in trouble."

Mariah snorted. "So, I'm supposed to admire your benevolence because you don't keep me naked in chains and regularly beat me with a razor strop?"

Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, sweetheart. I'm not asking you to admire anything, and you know perfectly well that keeping you naked in chains and beating you with a razor strop is not something that is or has ever been on the table. What I am trying to explain, and what you are trying very hard not to understand, is that you are not like those girls, I am not like those Elites, and that our relationship is not anything like the relationship between the other Elites and their girls. Outside of the bedroom, I don't demand your obedience except for security matters. I didn't force your sexual submission, either. You agreed to give it. Admittedly, I bribed you for it with the promise of the construction project, and I'm not sorry I did, but you agreed of your own free will."

Mariah's temper flared. "Of course I did! What was I supposed to do? That wasn't a real choice."

He was silent for a few moments, thinking about it. After a couple of false starts, he plunged in. "I'm not sure I see it that way. I need to think about that some more, and I will. But even if it's wrong of me, I'm not willing to lose you. I'm just not. I'm sorry, Mariah, but if I can keep you with me by bribing you with a project to help Ashland, I will.

"We had a terrible week when we were basically estranged. The rest of the time, you've enjoyed sex. I did make a mistake this morning by teasing you too much and pushing you too far, but we agreed that you need to tell me if that happens in the future. That way it won't happen again."

"Hold on," Mariah interrupted. "You can't just brush a whole week under the carpet like that."

"I'm not brushing it under the carpet. I behaved terribly. I am making a distinction between what happened then and what normally happens between us. We had sex two times during that week, and both times you playacted. I'm not blaming you for acting. I'm just saying that's not really what it's like for us. You agree those times were different, right?"

"Yes."

"So, let's talk about the rest of the time. Do you enjoy it?"

Mariah shrugged.

Michael tamped down his impatience. "Come here, kitten."

He leaned back against a tree and made a space for her between his legs. She sulked her way over, but sat where he indicated without a fuss. Henry followed her over and stretched out beside Michael's leg.

"I think it's time to get some things cleared up."

He nuzzled her neck and the sound of his voice so close to her ear nearly made her shiver. Then he kissed the top of her ear and she did shiver.

"I'm pretty sure you've already decided that our agreement requires the truth from you when it comes to sex. Haven't you?"

"Yes."

"Do you like it when I fuck you?"

"Michael, come on."

"Just answer my question."

She sighed. "Yes."

"Do you like sucking my cock?"

"You know I do. This is ridiculous."

"Do you like it when I—"

"What is the point of this? Do you just want me to say that I like sex? I like sex."

"That's not good enough, sweetheart. Do you like—"

"I like sex with you."

She felt the movement of his chest as he silently chuckled.

"It's not funny."

"It's a little bit funny."

"No, it's not." But it was. She tried not to laugh, but she just couldn't help it.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Not funny at all, huh? "

"No."

"Now, did the sex that you enjoyed involve being sexually submissive?"

She plucked little blades of grass distractedly. "I guess it depends on how you're looking at it. Under the terms of our agreement, I guess all sex qualifies as being sexually submissive."

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean, were there times during sex when your actions involved submitting to me? In other words, in the context of what we were doing right then and there, were there times when you let me take control from you?"

"I know what it means. The part about letting you take control is the snag. How could I 'let' you take control when you already had control by way of our agreement?"

"I think you're splitting hairs, sweetheart, especially since I haven't noticed you sticking all that closely to the rest of our agreement. What I'm really trying to get you to acknowledge is that while you were being sexually submissive to me, you enjoyed it."

His hands slid up her stomach as he spoke. When he reached her breasts, he held them cupped in his hands. He ran his thumbs back and forth across her nipples. The tingling ache as they stiffened was echoed between her legs.

"Stop trying to distract me."

He stopped, and she was left wondering why she had demanded it.

"I'm waiting, kitten. Do you enjoy sex while you're being sexually submissive to me?"

"I enjoy it, but I don't like how it happened."

"I can understand that."

He tilted her head to the side and kissed the side of her neck.

"Okay. Now that we have that settled, let's get back to what I was telling you about The Center. If I take you there, it's very important for you to understand that what happens between you and me is nothing like what you'll see between Elites and their 'girls.'"

"Why is it important?"

"Because I don't want you to think that I see you the way the Elites see their girls. You're not going to like what you see. That's really putting it too mildly. You're going to be very angry about it. If I know you, the first thing you'll want to do is start a small rebellion, and you can't do that."

"Why can't I?"

"You'd get kicked out for one thing, so it would be an awfully short rebellion. For another thing, you won't be able to help me figure out what's going on with the vaccines if you don't find a way to act the part. I'm convinced there is more going on with other technology, too. I think it's suspicious that with the resources Quinland and some of the others have at their disposal, no progress has been made in resurrecting power grids and creating fuel sources."

"What did you mean by acting the part? Do you expect me to act like one of those girls?"

"It's not a matter of expecting you to do anything. It's up to you to decide. I can take you to get your checkup and vaccinations and bring you right back home. I'll still tell you about everything when I get back from the meeting, but you won't have an opportunity to observe anything for yourself. If you want to pretend to be like one of those girls, you can come to the meeting with me and listen."

"What do the girls act like?"

"Sort of like sex pets. I don't mean they act like dogs or cats. They wear whatever their Elite wants them to wear, which usually isn't much. They wear collars and are frequently leashed. They don't speak unless they're spoken to. There's a lot of public groping that goes on, mostly by Elites who just like to show off."

"I think I get the picture."

"I expected you to be shocked."

"It's hardly shocking that a no-women-allowed bunch of entitled rich guys started acting like they were running Playboy Mansion, or maybe more like some sort of BDSM club. It's none of my business what consenting adults want to do, but these guys sound like real prizes. Are you sure these women are participating voluntarily?"

"They seem to be. I'm not sure I'd be able to tell if they weren't. I can't really talk to them. Some won't speak to anyone but their Elite. Others will, but only to be flirtatious. It depends on the rules their Elite has set for them. A couple of times, an attempt at polite conversation was enough to cause the girl's Elite to offer me a chance to 'borrow' her. Another girl I talked to got in trouble for flirting, even though I was the one who spoke to her. I just don't even try to talk to them anymore."

"Maybe I could find out."

"If you do that, you'll jeopardize the effort to find out about the vaccines. I suspect they are all in those roles voluntarily. They have a far better standard of living than most people. Not everyone is crazy like you. Those girls may want to stay safe and comfortable."

Mariah snorted. "Like pampered pets."

"Something like that, except they're not getting a free ride like my buddy here." Michael patted Henry's flank, startling him awake. "Those girls work for their livings."

"And they're allowed to go to the meetings?"

"It's a grey area. I mentioned a couple of older members who had girls long before The Elites formed. They always kept their girls with them. That's the way it had always been and nobody said anything about it. Their girls didn't even have to wear noise-canceling headphones to the meetings. Those two have been dead for a few years, and normally, girls don't go at all anymore. Exceptions have been made. When there's an exception, noise-canceling headphones are required."

"What sort of exceptions are there?"

"There may be other exceptions I don't know about since it was my father who went to most of the meetings, but the two times I saw it happen were for the girl's training. The prevalent philosophy among The Elites is that when they're training a new girl, it's best to keep her with them around the clock to acclimatize her to being controlled at all times."

She glared at him over her shoulder. "Is THAT why you never let me out of your sight?"

He laughed. "No, you suspicious little brat, it isn't. I like having you with me. Besides that, I do let you out of my sight. How do you think you manage to get yourself in so much trouble? Like getting kidnapped? Or roaming around the house when it was in lockdown while I was gone? Just what training do you think has been going on? You're about as trained as a feral cat."

"Maybe you're just not any good at it."

He pulled her back against his chest and tilted her chin all the way up. "Is that a challenge?"

She swallowed hard. Her natural impulse was to challenge him, but she stopped herself in time.

"Hmmm?" He stroked her throat.

"Nice try, but I'm not biting."

"You're no fun."

She rolled her eyes. "You're breaking my heart. About sitting in on the Elites' meeting, though -- if I have to wear noise-canceling headphones, what good would it do for me to be there?"

"I'm sure the twins can rig something, maybe like an earring or ear cuff, that would feed a tiny little microphone out past the seal of the headphones."

She thought about it. "What could I do to help, though, if I can't say anything?"

"You seem to be pretty good at figuring people out. You certainly had Carruthers nailed. I looked through the bios you wrote out for people we might bring into the first phase of the project. You pay attention to things I don't. And what did Ezra call you? Devious and sneaky? I think the situation calls for both. It's up to you, though. I'm not going to pressure you to do it."

"I want to do it."

He hugged her. "I was hoping you would, but also hoping you wouldn't."

"Well, which is it?"

"It's both. Even though I don't think you'd be in any danger, I'd feel safer if you just got your vaccinations and went back home, but I do want your help and I will enjoy having you with me."

His hands slid up to cup her breasts again, and this time she didn't complain about it when he rubbed his thumbs across her nipples.

"When do they meet again?"

"In about six weeks, but I'm thinking about making a trip before the next meeting."

"Why are you making two trips?"

"I want to hire more security sooner rather than later."

"Are you going to take me?"

"Yes, if you want to go. I think it would be a good idea. We can get your vaccinations over with and you can see what it's like when there aren't as many people there and there's not as much pressure. I'd like to be able to take care of it in a day without having to spend the night, but that will be cutting it close. There's no good reason to risk a nighttime flight in a helicopter, so if we want to get back the same day, we'll need to leave Bluffdale three hours before sunset."

"When are we going?"

"I'm not sure. I was thinking in about a week."

"Who flies the helicopter?"

Michael gave her nipples a little pinch. "If I answer that, you'll just ask another question, won't you?"

"Probably."

"Thought so. Someone from The Center flies out here and picks us up. We have a helicopter hidden at the airfield, but nobody at The Center knows that, and that's how I want to keep it. Only Ezra and Nate know about it, and they're the ones who know how to fly it."

She tried to figure out the logistics. "If the pilot is flying from The Center, the helicopter won't get here until well after daylight, so it would be around noon before we got there. And if it's around sunset when the pilot brings us back, how would the pilot get back to The Center before dark?"

"I'll see if they can't fly out the night before so we can leave at sunup. We need to get a guest bedroom set up anyway. When we get back, they can stay the night and fly out the next day. I think you'd better save the rest of your interrogation for later, though. It's getting close to dinner time and I thought you might like to eat downstairs since it's Sarah's first dinner here."