Atonement Ch. 01

Daisy returned her query with a giggle, fluffing her hair. "I feel a bit out of it," she said in reply, her voice uncertain. "Who are you?"

Kylie looked her missing crew mate up and down, trying to figure out why she was acting so strange. She brushed away one of Daisy's hands, pushing back some of her ringlets to reveal her shoulders. Kylie traced a finger down her scapula and Daisy shivered with pleasure.

"Just as I thought, she's been treated the same as the other bitch over there." Kylie pointed her other hand at Morgan.

Morgan was offended, but she said nothing. She couldn't see how this was really any of her business.

Kylie continued her examination, touching one of Daisy's breasts. Daisy slapped her hand away. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, perplexed. She blinked, a measure of seriousness returning to her eyes. "What am I, a doll to you?"

Kylie seemed to relax a little. "See? Her breasts are sore and red, just like that flat chested woman."

"The name's Morgan," she offered, annoyed at the continued insults. "I'm not 'that woman.'"

Kylie ignored her, focused entirely on Daisy. "Daisy, what did they do to you? You don't usually act this spacey."

Daisy looked confused again. "I'm... not quite certain. All I have are certain impressions, but no real memories. I can remember being hooked up to different machines. There was some kind of suction." She squeezed her eyes into narrow slits, frustrated. "I'm sorry, I wish I could remember more."

Kylie placed a hand on her arm. "That's okay, Daisy, don't pressure yourself. We'll figure this out."

She turned to Natalia, who was studiously avoiding her fierce presence. For someone who proclaimed to be the leader of their pirate gang, she certainly didn't much seem like she was in control.

"What are we going to do, oh fearless leader? What's your brilliant plan this time? Smuggling uranium turned out to be a fucking disaster."

Natalia's eyes flashed, one of her long fingernails slicing into her own palm. A small drop of blood beaded on her skin, but she ignored it. "I'm willing to entertain your eccentricities while we're in space, but you're not a planner. If we hadn't taken that job, we'd be eating recirculated dust and breathing vacuum."

She held her hands out in front of her. "I did what I had to so that we could all survive. It's not my fault it went wrong. Our employers must have tipped off the authorities. They wanted us to go down."

Kylie wasn't willing to be placated. She wrapped an arm around Daisy, who was a still a little out of it, and glared at their leader. "Is that so. Then what's your plan, now? All we're doing at the moment is dicking around and waiting from them to do something horrible to us."

"I'm not dicking, I'm thinking." Natalia frowned. "Here's what we know so far. Whatever they did to Daisy left her in a placid and empty headed state, with tell tale purple splotches on her shoulders. I'm theorizing that they're injecting us with something to keep us docile while they operate on us. The purpose of their operations is still a mystery."

She made a moue. "I don't have enough information to form a plan, yet. There's fuck all in this cell to help us out, and we still don't know their goals. Can you think of anything I've missed?"

Kylie formed a fist. "We should stop being so passive, and make a concerted attack."

Natalia raised an eyebrow. "And how do you suggest we accomplish that? We haven't even seen who is keeping us captive. Anytime someone goes in or out we cycle through that airlock over there. They haven't given us any exploitable opportunities yet. We need to wait and observe to find our chance to act, instead of fighting each other."

Kylie scowled, but looked away, not having a good rebuttal. "That goes for all of you," said Natalia, looking at each member of her crew. "Keep an eye out, and let me know anything, I mean absolutely anything that might help us to escape. Any idea you might have, no matter how stupid, isn't out of the question."

Morgan could tell that the power struggle was over for now, Natalia regaining the upper hand. Her control was tentative though, and she sensed that it wouldn't take much for the rag tag group of pirates to degenerate into useless squabbling. That might be an opportunity for her. She tucked the idea away for later.

The room was suddenly awash in red light, a spinning beacon lowering from the ceiling. A distinctive bong sounded, as if a bell had been rung. "Feeding time," declared the voice. "Feeding time."

Smooth metal partitions dropped in the wall above the toilet vacuums, revealing more mysterious plastic devices with hoses. When none of the others seemed willing to investigate, Morgan took the initiative. She, at least, was not worried about what the keepers were planning on doing to them.

The new devices were paired with the lower vacuums, two domed projections and a rounded mask. The light immediately clicked on in her brain. This was a milking facility, and they did want to make sure their cows were well fed and plump, trained to be high producers. Why not include some training along with their meals?

Eager to give it a try, she pulled on the mask, which easily came away from the wall under her fingers. There was some back pressure from the hose attached to the mask, but she didn't care. She was somewhat desperate to drink more of that creamy liquid, and it didn't matter what form that took.

The interior of the mask had a bulbous projection, which she took as another mouth gag. Sticking it behind her front teeth, she tasted the familiar rubber. She worked it with her lips, hoping it would emit some of the delicious creamy substance, but nothing yet came out.

A pump whirred and the gag inflated, trapping itself behind her lips. The mask popped onto her face, clamping itself under her chin and over her nose. The negative pressure sucked the air from her lungs, but it was only temporary until the gag had inflated sufficiently to fit the mask tight against her face.

The pressure eased, cool, clear air feeding into her nose. A sweet taste began in the back of her throat, indicating that the gas she was breathing was probably drugged. That was okay. She wanted to give in to the keepers. To be the best cow they had ever seen.

A digital readout on the wall in front of her eyes lit with block letters. 'ATT BRST SCTN,' it proclaimed. Of course, that's what the extra two cups were for. She reached out for the rounded domes and wrapped her hands around the rear of the devices, spreading her fingers around the hoses.

These were made out of a hard plastic, with a large volume she only wished she could fill. She hadn't reacted at the time, but Kylie's insult had stung her quite badly. Her breasts really were subpar compared to the others. Hopefully here at the Farm they would be able to help.

The suction commenced as she brought the cups close, first one, then the other popping forward to settle onto her flesh. Her breasts were still sore from their workout earlier, but she ignored the pain. She needed to feed and to train if she ever hoped to match the other cows in the facility.

The suction pumps cycled, drawing her flesh deeper into the cups with each tug. Despite her meager endowment, her existing breast flesh looked positively massive as its volume was expanded by the pumps. The tugging was so distracting that she almost didn't notice when the flow of the creamy liquid commenced in her mask.

The fresh, cool taste was back, her mind sailing on a sea of happiness. She was not quite hooked up completely, however. The wall text had changed to read 'LWR SCTN OPTIONAL.'

Well, it certainly wasn't optional for her. She already needed to pee again. Badly. She grabbed for the lower suction cup and pressed it between her hips, jumping as it locked into place over her vulva.

Now she was complete, following all the given instructions. Drinking in her own small world of bliss, she didn't notice Kylie approaching until her angular face intruded on her peaceful reverie.

She moaned in protest as the other woman tugged on her mask, hard. The gag pressed against her front teeth, but the force failed to release the pressure. "It's no use," she declared. "Once the cycle has begun there's no way to stop it.

Morgan swallowed, the calming effect of the liquid and the gas beginning to take hold. Kylie's attempt to remove her mask was futile. The feeding session would continue as required. She smiled at Kylie's smoldering expression, feeling safe in the knowledge that the other woman could not see her face.

Kylie was moved out of the way by another woman. It was Ashley! She was peering at Morgan and the pumps worked her breast flesh, seemingly interested in the process. "Now hold on, Kylie, we're all getting pretty hungry here and this seems like it's the only way they'll feed us. I want to know what this system does to Morgan."

Morgan couldn't care less what the system was doing to her. She was peeing away her thoughts into the vacuum toilet while sucking on sweet liquid, her breasts being tugged on with authoritative force. For a moment she was able to forget her past life again and pretend to be MU2, but that didn't last.

A ding sounded from the console in front of her and the system shut off, the display reading 'CYC COMPLT.'

The gag deflated and the suction stopped. Shit, it was just starting to get good. Her head was still in the sky, but she was already coming down from the high, jammed back into her drab Morgan shell. It was tiring to be her. After being given that short taste, she wanted more than anything to be a cow. Never had slavery seemed most like freedom.

The gag popped from her mouth, retracting into the wall, along with the suction cups and vacuum toilet. The system was clearly setup for short feeding cycles. Ashley took her by the arm, peering into her dopey eyes.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

For a moment Morgan thought she detected an actual ounce of concern, but she dismissed it as the other woman must be under some duress. She scratched her chest, feeling itchy. She shuddered, her lips feeling wobbly.

"About the same as before," she said, "But now I just want to sit there and drink that liquid forever."

Ashley glanced at Natalia. "It's probably drugged. Not sure if it's a good idea to risk it."

Natalia crossed her arms. "We don't have much choice. We're going to be weak pretty quickly if we don't get any nutrition."

Ashley shrugged. "I'm okay with giving it a shot. Morgan here has already proved it won't kill us."

She brushed a hand over Morgan's shoulder, giving her arm a quick squeeze. She hadn't imagined the fleeting warmth earlier. She shot Ashley a look but the woman didn't return her gaze, leaving her to wonder.

Daisy sidled up to one of the feeding devices. "What did it feed you?" She asked Morgan, looking at the mask hungrily.

"More of that creamy liquid," she replied. "Thick, almost like a paste."

The liquid did have a bit of an odd texture. It wasn't like cow's milk, and she was damned sure it couldn't be a woman's milk, despite her original suspicions. There wasn't enough water content.

Daisy licked her lips. "I'm trying it," she declared, grabbing one of the masks in her hands and pressing it against her face before anyone could protest.

Her face scrunched as the gag inflated, the mask attaching securely. She eagerly pulled out the breast cups and pressed them against her torso, the flesh still a little swollen from her earlier pumping. As the liquid flowed, a dreamy smile blossomed on her face, her throat swallowing as she drank in the sweet liquid.

The room was flooded with yellow light and the airlock cycled on the far wall. "Morgan, designation M-U-2, requesting your presence."

The voice repeated her name, then fell silent. The door remained open. Morgan looked around at the others. "I guess I should go find out what they want," she said.

"What's an M-U-2?" asked Iris, who was suddenly in her face, peering at her with intense, violet eyes.

"I'm not sure," replied Morgan. "I think they've given me a number. Isn't that what you do to prisoners?"

This seemed logical, and nobody questioned her answer. Kylie still eyed her with suspicion. "I'm going with you," she declared.

Morgan shrugged. "Your funeral. I doubt they'll let us both out at the same time."

She marched to the airlock, Kylie matching her step for step. She sighed, annoyed at the other's insistence. Brash and rude, she was just asking for trouble. Totally unattractive to her. That Ashley, on the other hand, had impressive muscles and looked like she knew how to handle a woman's needs.

Stopping inside the airlock, she halted on top of a triangle embedded into the floor. The chamber was circular and could fit four or five people comfortably, larger than an average size elevator.

Kylie marched to the other side, taking up position next to the exterior side of the lock. A sheen of light moved through the circular chamber, a rippling green. She waited patiently as the light dissipated, but nothing happened.

After a pregnant pause, a mechanical voice came from the chamber all around them. "Too many occupants detected in chamber. Please remove occupant."

Morgan shrugged. She wasn't sure what the other woman had expected would happen. Kylie scowled, but gave up her escape attempt. She shoved past Morgan on her way out, purposefully bumping shoulders.

"Don't let them get to you," she said. "We'll make it out of here. Together."

Morgan was surprised at the statement, but she didn't confuse it for friendliness. No, this was raw determination.

The lights in the chamber changed to a calming blue and the entire outer wall rotated. This provided an interlock which could only work with one entrance at a time.

She felt tension she had barely perceived slipping away from her. She knew their types. If you showed any weakness, they'd be all over you like flies on a rotting corpse. No, she had to pretend to be hard in front of Kylie.

Only she wasn't, not anymore. She was vulnerable, more so than she would like to admit. It was safer to retreat, to embrace her new future here. To forget any ideas of escape, for even if she left the facility, she could not escape her own memories. Even thinking about them briefly brought to life a terrified, lonely cry. She shivered, happy when the wall stopped moving, allowing her egress.

Outside, in the Farm, she could be what they wanted her to be. She didn't have to act as a peacemaker between two opposing personalities. She could be a cow and nobody would ask anything else of her.

Waiting outside the door was her keeper from earlier, lithe and neon green. Her face looked severe, wrinkles creasing the corners of her eyes. Even so, Morgan felt a sudden rush of emotion at seeing her captor, a warmth she felt the need to express.

She wrapped her arms around the alien and hugged her, resting a cheek on her shoulder. "Thank you for rescuing me," she whispered, a trickle of tears welling up in her eyes.

The alien brushed a thin arm through her hair, stopping her hand when it reached the nape of her neck, as if in ownership. "There, there, MU2, there's no need to worry. The first injections are the most difficult, but I promise you that they will get easier to bear with time."

The alien had misunderstood her, but that was okay. She shuddered, realizing that she was being a fool. Her emotions were making her irrational.

Getting a grip on herself, she moved to stand, still holding onto the alien's arm as if she was a lifeline. The alien slid her hand down Morgan's back, her fingers running over her vertebrae.

She chuckled. "It's okay to be uncertain, little cow, but we will build your confidence. Come with me, I have someone who is eager to meet you."

Morgan frowned. Who would want to meet her? Everyone she knew in her past life was a criminal, and she had left all that behind. She followed the alien with curiosity, wondering if this would help her to accomplish her goal of forgetting. There was so much she needed to forget.

"She was just asking about getting Paired the other day," continued the alien, eating the ground with wide strides. "She's almost to the age of Requirement, and has been hoping we'd find a suitable match. I think you'll like her."

Morgan wasn't quite sure what this was all about, but her interest had been piqued. "What is Pairing?" she asked. Was it some kind of strange alien ritual?

The alien pressed a finger to her lips, her wide eyes blinking slowly. "From my experience, it's easier shown than told. I've never been able to properly explain what happened during my Pairing."

She chuckled. "It's been so long, I can hardly remember the day anyway. That sort of ambition is best left to the young."

Morgan looked at the alien with new eyes. Her skin was pretty wrinkled, but she had no way of knowing just how old the alien was. How long did her species lives, anyway?

"Ah, here we are," declared the alien, pressing her thumb into the reader pad, her finger joints articulating unnaturally.

The door slid open with a rush of air, revealing a small chamber with two cushioned, rolling office chairs separated by a plastic partition. The partition had two holes built into it, around chest height. Half moon circles of plastic were glued underneath the holes with a slight curve. It looked like a shallow bowl had been merged into the wall.

Far more interesting was a new alien who watched her with bright eyes, resting in the other chair. This one also had neon green skin, but it was taut and fresh, far less leathery than that she had seen on the older keeper. She was tall, but not as stretched thin. Her eyes were pupilless and black, almond shaped like all of the aliens she had seen at the Farm, her mouth stretching wider than any human's. To top it off, her breasts were large and perky, giving a delightful jiggle inside her purple, latex bodysuit as she jumped to her feet.

"I'm so happy to see you!" she declared, trotting over to Morgan without any concern for modesty.

Morgan's eyes followed her voluminous breasts as they bounced towards her, the siren call of jealousy invading her thoughts once again. Was everyone here going to have nicer breasts than her? It was totally unfair!

"I'll leave you two to it," declared the older keeper, heading for the door. Morgan made a sound of protest, but the keeper was firm. "I'll come back to get you after you're done. If you Pair with her, then your role is pretty much assured and we can proceed to the next set of injections. If not, we'll reevaluate."

The door shut and locked behind her, leaving her alone with the eager alien female. The woman grabbed her shoulders, trilling a delighted cry. Her wide, dark eyes seemed as large as dinner plates, her lips wide.

"Why do you smell so good?" asked the alien, being very careful to act as human as possible to avoid unnerving Morgan.

Morgan grimaced. She hasn't been able to clean herself recently. Was that what this alien was thinking of? How embarrassing. It didn't seem to be putting her off, though.

She gently took the alien's hands and pressed them together, removing them from her shoulders. "I like your enthusiasm, but in the human world, the first step is generally to introduce yourself."

She pressed a hand lightly against her chest. "My name is Morgan. I was arrested and convicted of felony murder for the death of a mother of four during an attempted getaway. Her name was Carla." The courtroom drama played through her mind again like a dull hammer.

She saw the father of the bereft family breaking down in tears once again in her mind's eye. It was difficult for her to hold back her own tears at the retelling. Best to rip that bandage off quickly.