Apocalypse Slaves Pt. 11

"How painful?" Jim couldn't help but ask.

Caine paused and smiled over his shoulder. "I subscribe to the Tao of Pratchett: build a man a fire and he'll be warm for an evening. Set a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." He nodded at them. "Get my stuff, guys."

***

CHAPTER 112: The Bunker

Elsa tentatively approached Jim from behind as he stood at the window looking out at the night skyline, slowly sliding her hands around his waist to hug him. "What's wrong, my love?" she asked softly. Even though she was still technically his slave, they'd been living more as husband and wife for the past five months ever since her pregnancy started showing. Jim had showered her with more and more affection and Elsa had found herself reciprocating it.

Tonight, however, was the first time she'd drop the L Bomb on him.

The surprise was evident on his face. "Love?" he asked in shock, looking down and back at her before bringing her around to his front so that he could hold her in his arms. Then his features softened. "Do you actually love me?"

"I would think that was obvious after what happened in the bar today," Elsa replied. "I don't know if it's from actual feelings or from some sort of Stockholm Syndrome or what. But... it's all I have right now," she admitted, resting her head on his chest and looking up at him.

"Well, whatever it is... I guess I'll take what I can get," Jim said softly. "After all, you are the mother of my baby and you did save my life today." He hugged her tightly and kissed her passionately on the lips. Elsa moaned in response as her naked body pressed against his topless form. He pulled away and looked at her. "I'm worried, that's all."

"About Caine?"

"Yeah..." Jim nodded. "The man is evil incarnate. Yet... he had me dead to rights and didn't kill me. I don't know what to make of that. Hell... now that I think about it... he coulda killed any one of us at any time in that fight, but didn't." He shook his head. "I don't know why."

"So... what are you going to do about him?" Elsa asked.

Jim blew out a long breath. "Do what he wants for now, I guess. We're shipping supplies to one of his towns tomorrow. Once that's on its way, then he's showing us a pre-Flare bunker."

"So you both win, then," Elsa said with a sweet smile. "That should make you happy."

"It should but it doesn't," Jim admitted. "I'm a man and I don't like dancin' to someone else's tune."

"Well there is nothing you can do about it tonight, my love" Elsa said tenderly, trying out the L Word again, reaching down and taking his hands with hers. She brought it up to her face and leaned her head into it while looking up at him. She walked to the side to turn him towards the bed. "Come to bed with me... show me how a man properly takes his pregnant woman."

"Aw there ya go," Jim couldn't help but laugh as Elsa led him back to the bed. "You be minimizin' my pain again."

"You can take it out on me," Elsa said, turning in place and wagging her ass up against the crotch of his silk night trousers. Jim laughed again and playfully smacked her ass to which she cooed out a "AHHH! One, Master," as she wiggled her ass for him again. He smacked her again and she moaned and did the two count.

As Jim spanked her to a moaning ten count, it occurred to him that he hadn't had to spank or punish her in months. She doted on his every whim and did whatever he told her to do. He didn't even share her like he'd heard some of the other Shooters doing. No, he'd kept Elsa to himself. Jim realized that he was indeed fiercely protective and possessive of her, which was why he'd rushed back to Shooter's Bar when he heard that some strange man had been looking at her and talked with her about him. Jealousy had shot through him in that moment. He looked down at Elsa as she happily stood up, turned in place, and dropped to her knees, taking his sleeping trousers down with her to expose his long, hard cock.

*

"Ho... Lee... Shit... This had been down here all this time?" Big Jim breathed in amazement as Caine led him, Governor Burris, and the entirety of the Shooters down into the old, forgotten bunker underneath of what used to be Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Unlike the one in Indianapolis, this one, Caine explained, was hidden underneath of the Chicago TRACON tower instead of the ARTCC as it was down south. Jim frowned at Caine's use of terms until he explained that TRACON was Terminal Radar Approach Control and ARTCC was Air Route Traffic Control Centers... back in the day before The Flare when air travel actually existed. "That's right, you're Pre Flare... but you haven't aged a day... how is that?" Jim asked. Caine merely gave him a sly grin, not answering the question.

Instead, Caine gestured to the control room of the bunker, indicating the map of the old United States that dominated the front wall. Three lights were on; Omaha, Indianapolis, and Washington D.C. "Back before the Flare hit, there were multiple programs implemented to help ensure the survival of the human race; deep space sleeper ships, cryogenics, emergency bunkers, home survival shelters, and..." he pressed a button on the main control panel to bring the control room to life. Monitors flickered on to their default modes of a DNA Helix slowly rotating, "Eugenics," Caine said. "There was no guarantee that one single way was going to save us and so we did as many as we could. "You could say that I'm a product of multiple versions of technology designed to keep humanity going," he explained, turning to look at them. He then spread his hands wide to encompass the room. "My payment, gentlemen, in exchange for helping Lincoln become a Hab City, is this bunker and everything that is inside of it."

"You mentioned that you were looking for something down here," Burris noted, looking around the center in amazement. "What is it?"

"Hopefully, the key, or a clue, to reverse what was going on in the D.C. Bunker," Caine said. "One of the pharma companies there found that bunker and was using what was inside to further medicine and reproduction. Commendable, until they made an implant they call the Venus Implant. It is placed behind the neck at the base of the skull and makes the person, women mainly, extremely horny, extremely fertile, and very susceptible to commands and suggestion as it's injected directly into the Cerebral Cortex as a liquid where it then hardens to form the implant. Now they've since hidden, moved, or destroyed the information needed to remove those implants, I've had to resort to raiding all of these other bunkers for information on getting those implants removed or dissolved. I figure since their research and technology is based off of Pre Flare tech, that same tech will be the saving grace here."

"So some ladies have this thing that makes them easier to control, so what?" one of the Shooters asked. The way Caine whirled on him made Big Jim cringe.

"Because, Mister, I still believe in the basic freedom of choice," Caine said, glaring him down from behind his sunglasses. "In my travels I've encountered people who want to be free. I've encountered people who don't mind being slaves and are happier for it. What I'm trying to ensure that they at least have the will to make that choice for themselves," he said, admonishing the man who'd made the comment. "Venus takes that free will away from them and robs them of that ability to choose on their own."

"You have someone you care about who has it, don't you?" Big Jim asked softly. He held his ground when Caine glanced his way but Caine had stiffened and then merely nodded. Jim took a chance and put a friendly hand on his shoulder. To his surprise, Caine didn't move. "Look," Jim said cautiously, "We'll help you find what you need," he said. "You did us a solid by not killing us in our own bar when you had us all dead to rights. The least we can do is help you find this implant reversal tech so you can get home to your girl and we can get home to ours."

"I'm sure you'd sooner be rid of me than anything else," Caine said with a patronizing smile before moving off down one corridor to start his search.

Big Jim shrugged as Caine wasn't wrong about that. He turned to the Governor, who was staring wide-eyed at an old computer readout. "My God, Jim, look at this; medicine, and lots of it, as well as the ability to manufacture more. Do you know what this means?" he looked at Big Jim with astonishment. "We can combat the solar radiation that's outside the Hab Shield. With out manufacturing capabilities, we can extend the shields outwards. We can expand to have more room and our workers will not suffer if they're out in the open too long. And, look at this here, not only did our ancestors have the means to increase fertility into those who had been deemed infertile, they also had contraceptives before RadRoot! Think about it; safe contraceptives again so that we can better regulate the population while we expand!"

"Looks like a bunch of gibberish to me, Gov," Jim admitted. "I'm just a soldier and a mechanic. So, whatever makes you happy."

"Well right now, what makes Caine happy, will also make me happy. We should all feel so lucky that he came here and graced us with this bunker and the knowledge within." Burris pointed out. "So while he's here, get him a girl or two, or something. Then help him find what he needs. We owe him that much."

*

"Well," Big Jim asked his Shooters back at the bar later that night after an exhaustive day of going through the bunker with the Governor and Caine. "Anyone want to jump on this one?" No one said anything and he couldn't blame them. They'd all gotten quite attached to their girls and no one wanted to share. Well, in Davin's case, it was more of medical necessity. Melissa was on bed rest until she gave birth and physically couldn't service anyone... be it Davin or Caine. Jim's gaze traveled across the bar to some of the local bar bunnies; the fine ass ebony ladies of the local neighborhood who came in to relax and party after their respective work shifts. Word had already spread like wildfire that Caine was in town. It had even spread that the Gov wanted to feed a lady or two to Caine to keep him happy. The problem was that everyone was in both awe and fearful of the famed outlaw. No one wanted to volunteer for it. The ladies that Jim was now looking at all quickly averted their looks his way.

"Fuck my life..." Jim groaned. "What the hell am I going to tell the Gov?" he wondered out loud. "Hell... what am I gonna tell Caine? Maybe we can get him one of the slaves going up for auction or something."

"Well, in my opinion," Caine said, suddenly appearing behind Jim, making him and all of the Shooters jump and scatter from the table. Jim looked at him incredulously while wondering how the hell he got in here without being seen or heard. "You could always say that no one was interested in sleeping with him so he can go fuck off."

"Geez-US!" Jim was still clutching his chest from the shock of him seemingly appearing out of thin air. "Do you make any noise when you move, boy?"

Caine shook his head. "Nope."

Jim now eyed him suspiciously. "You're not upset that we can't get a girl or two for you?"

"I'm not as bad as you seem to think of me," Caine scoffed. "I'm not gonna force someone to fuck me that doesn't want to be with me," he added, eyeing each of the Shooters knowingly. Each of them, Jim included, glowered back at him at the implied accusation.

"You can't stop the system we have had for nearly a hundred years, man," Jason retorted.

"No, but I can mitigate damages. And if I can convince a few people along the way that, hey, slavery is a bad thing, then I've done my job and planted the seeds of eventual freedom in their minds," Caine shot right back. He then clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "So, who do I talk to for a drink in this place?"

"Man, white boy invadin' our turf," Isiah shook his head and sighed.

"Hey, Isiah is it, the nineteen sixties called; they want their backwards segregation ways back before Dr. Martin Luther King mucked it up." Caine snapped disdainfully. "I don't think that a black man, owning a white woman, can get all uptight if a white guy has a drink for one night in his bar."

"Bitch, I will fuck you up!" Before anyone could say anything, Isiah was lunging for Caine with a wild right roundhouse punch. In the background, Zoey was crying out in horror for her master to stop, fearful of the outcome. Faster than anyone could imagine, Caine sidestepped to the outside, catching his wrist in his right hand and throwing a block with his left hand, right at Isiah's elbow. There was a sickening crack, like a gunshot going off, as Caine broke his elbow. Isiah was screaming in pain as Caine continued his turn and spin, whipping Isiah around with his momentum. Caine let the man go and Isiah flew headfirst into the nearest wall, hitting the floor with a sickening thump. Only the rise and fall of his chest signified that the man was still alive. Zoey was already rolling Isiah over to check on him while Big Jim was just shaking his head in disappointment.

Jim watched as Caine now ignored Isiah and walked over to the bar to order a drink. He then let out a snort of amusement as one of the local girls, Chanell, summoned up the courage to go over to talk to Caine. Well... solves that problem, I guess. Jim thought.

***

"You don't tug on superman's cape,

You don't cut into a vein,

You don't pull the mask off that old lone ranger,

and you don't mess around with Caine!"

-42nd Street Shooters, 'You Don't Mess Around With Caine" (2121)

*

CHAPTER 113: Moving On

Caine woke up feeling invigorated. He was feeling good as, after a week of searching, he'd finally come up with the bit of information that he needed. Beside him, Chanell, the ebony, black haired beauty who'd boldly propositioned him in Shooter's Bar earlier in the week, stirred in her sleep. After the first night of fucking her senseless, despite giving her every opportunity at every step to bow out gracefully, she'd been a regular feature in his bed every night. Leaving her to sleep, Caine got up to use the facilities, donning a bath robe, and to get coffee and breakfast going. Then he checked on the status of the computers out in the control center to see that the downloads to the multiple portable hard drives had been completed before heading back to the living area. Instead of taking a hotel room up top, he'd opted instead to take one of the rooms in the bunker. He was starting to get used to it.

He was back in the kitchen finishing up breakfast and plating it when Chanell joined him. "I hope you wasn't leaving before sayin' goodbye properly," she said playfully with a smile as she walked over to him, one nude, shapely leg in front of the other. Chanell sauntered over to him, pulling his robe open and reaching down to stroke his cock, that was already twitching to life. "I've never seen a white man hung like you before and I want to get all of this that I can before you leave," she said in a husky voice before planting her lips onto his for a passionate kiss. Caine drew her into his arms while she straddled his lap and lowered herself down onto his hardness, moaning deeply into his mouth as she felt him slide inside of her. Their tongues wrestled with one another as Chanell used her legs to lift up and lower herself back down onto his cock, steadily fucking him. Caine's hands roamed up and down her back until finally he cupped her ass, held her close, and lifted her up.

Caine deposited her down onto the table between the two place settings. Chanell splayed her hands out to the sides to grasp the edges of the table while wrapping her legs around his midsection. Caine kept a hold of her ass and drove into her hard and deep, rocking the table violently while making her cry out in passion with every thrust into her. Her dark brown nipples on top of her pert breasts danced provocatively before him as he continued to fuck her. Chanell was screaming at the top of her lungs now, her head swimming as she wondered what it was about Caine that drove her wild. Then she stopped thinking altogether as her body exploded into a blinding orgasm right as she felt him cum deep inside of her. Just like very time before, it felt like his seed blew straight past her cervix and right up into her womb, flooding it in a way that she'd never felt before. When they both finally came down from their climax, she moaned, "God I am SO glad I am on RadRoot."

"Heh..." Caine chuckled at that. "They say that I can get a girl pregnant even if they are on RadRoot," he said, smiling at her as he leaned in for a deep, passionate kiss before helping her sit up, his cock still inside of her and throbbing just a little bit in time with her trembling, quivering pussy.

Chanell squirmed as an erotic tingle ran up her spine. "Mmmmm... boy, if you get me knocked up even on the RadRoot, I will put myself in chains for you and be your slave."

"I guess I better tell Lincoln to expect you in a few months then once you find out," Caine grinned at her before kissing her some more and going at it again to bring them both to yet another screaming orgasm.

*

"So, where are you going from here, Caine?" Big Jim asked as he saw Caine off at the front gates to the Hab.

Caine patted his backpack. "I gotta get this stuff to D.C. for the Pharma geeks to check out, then go back to Lincoln to oversee things there before I get over to Des Moines. That was where I was headed to originally before getting diverted here," he said eying Jim.

"How many times do I have'ta apologize for that?" Jim sighed, but then relaxed when he saw Caine grinning at him. "Aw man, yer just pulling my leg, aren't you?"

Caine stuck out his hand. "Take care of your girls, Big Jim Walker," he said. Jim shared the smile and they shook hands. Caine turned and walked away, whistling that old-timey, upbeat tune from so long ago. As Jim walked back to his bar and his crew, he too started whistling the same tune.

*

Caine came into Lauren's suite at the brothel in Lincoln late at night. She was sleeping naked on the bed soundly, rolled over to her right side curled up in a ball under the sheet and he didn't want to disturb her. He sat down at a desk, taking out an injector from a box and holding it up to eye level. The pink fluid sloshed in the glass vial that was loaded into it. Lowering it, he focused in on Lauren, whose belly was looking really full. She was only three or four months along but looking bigger with the fraternal twins that were growing inside of her womb. Her breasts were already swelling as they prepared to produce milk for the first time. He watched her sleeping form for some time, lost in thought.

Finally she stirred with her eyelashes fluttering. Then her eyes shot up and she gasped as she suddenly awoke, startled by him sitting there in the private half of her place. "Goddammit, Caine," she muttered, gasping for breath from the sudden shock. "Can't you at least knock like a normal person?"

"I wouldn't be Caine, then, would I?" he asked with a smile. "How ya doing, babe?" he asked.

"Fine, now that you're here," she grunted as she sat up more and rested back against the headboard. She opened her arms to him and he walked over to sit next to her on the bed. Lauren hugged him tightly and they kissed. "Did you find anything?"

"I think so..." Caine admitted, holding up the injector.

Lauren's eyes widened. "That's it?" she gasped, not wanting to believe it. "I mean, that's REALLY it this time?" She then saw the worry on his face, even in the dim lighting that was seeping in from outside the curtained windows. "Well? What are you waiting for?"