Bread and Honey

Claudia sent him a WhatsApp message: "Enjoyed your pizza, slave?" She saw W260 start and look up fearfully one of the cameras.

Lee smiled." Poor man. But this is what he desires."

Claudia put away her phone." Yes, he's poor, for sure."

A man had approached them in the meantime, and now stood close by. Claudia noticed how he gazed at Lee like a devoted dog.

"I have to circulate. Claudia, this is Richard who's just started working for me. He'll be a fully trusted drone, once he's fully inducted, but he already knows what we do."

As Lee left to rejoin the others, she and Rich exchanged a momentary loving glance.

Claudia smiled, but only with her mouth." Hi."

"Hi. You're very beautiful."

"Yes, I am."

"Are you Romanian?"

"Yes. Are you?" Claudia knew he wasn't.

For answer, Rich burst into song:

Ekh! Rumania, Rumania, Rumania ...

Geven amol a land a zise, a sheyne.

Ekh! Rumania, Rumania, Rumania ...

Geven amol a land a zise, a fayne.

Dort tsu voynen iz a fargenign;

Vos dos harts glust kenstu krign:

A mamaligele, a pastramele, a karnatsele,

Un a glezele vayn, aha!

Claudia laughed." What's this? German?"

"Yiddish. I'm a Jew. Do Romanians like Jews?"

"The ones with money, yes."

"Oh, then you'll love me."

"I would love your money, but not you."

"Good enough."

Claudia removed her sunglasses and stared at him with her irresistible mixture of defiance and allure." If you didn't belong to Lee, I would drain you so quick and take everything."

"Yes, my beautiful poisonous princess, you would. But you're right, I belong to The Queen."

Claudia relaxed. There was no need for her to play any games with this one. At least, not yet.

"So, you're going to be in The Hive, I mean in the country place?"

"Yes, in the country. I've never been there. Have you?"

"No. This is my first time in the UK."

"I hope you like tea and warm beer."

"I like Japanese tea, and cold sake. And nice, polite English slaves."

"I'm lucky, I'm not your type of slave. I'm not nice, or polite, or English."

"No, you're my type. You have money. But soon Lee will have it."

"You mean the Hive will have it."

Claudia smiled coldly and blew a big cloud of cigarette smoke, as if to say "Yeah right."

As far as Claudia was concerned, the conversation was over. But Richard still hung around. So Claudia began to explain to this moron, just exactly what the deal was:

"Lee is clever. She takes only fifteen percent commission -"

Rich interrupted her.

"I know the figures. You obviously don't know what I'm doing for her. I'm going to be working on the Hive's finances. The whole thing. That's how much she trusts me. And I understand how it works. And more than that, I'm going to look at registration for charitable status, portfolio diversification, tax efficiencies."

For the first time, Claudia looked at him with interest. Sex talk didn't get her hot, but money talk did.

"And I'm going to improve the incentives too. So it will be more in your interest to refer volunteers, and for you to stay with the Hive, rather than going solo. She wants to retain her investment. All that hypnosis training she gave you."

Claudia laughed." 'Investment'? She told me she was doing it for her vision to create a better world."

Rich fought his anger." She is. You don't have to agree with her aims, but she's sincere. You..." Rich trailed off.

"Finish what you started to say."

Rich calmed himself." You haven't yet made enough money to see her point of view."

Claudia narrowed her beguiling dark eyes." How much do you think I make?"

"Last year? $130,000."

Claudia was silent.

"And this year, probably double that. If you stick with the Hive, that is. You're right: Lee is clever. She's seen that the best way to build the Hive is to appeal to the wealthy people who are fed up with greed. People like me. Greed is a dead end. You just haven't made enough money to reach it. But I bet you'll reach it one day. And you'll understand. In the meantime, you and the other princesses are the perfect honey traps for her. Even if you're motivated by greed, she isn't."

"You believe this? Oh God, she's good. nenorocit". Rich didn't understand that last word, but he had a pretty good idea what she meant.

"So, Mister Rich Jew who is fed up with greed, why not give your money away to charity, like Bill Gates?"

"Bill Gates is spending his money to help eradicate polio. I'm spending mine to help eradicate unhappiness."

"You want to eradicate other people's unhappiness? Or just your own? I have slaves like you: They give, they give, but it's really just wanking. It's business."

"Hey. I don't need a lecture about business from a hooker. Okay?"

"Why not? Maybe you enjoy it. Maybe it's a new fetish for you."

He struggled for a riposte, but Claudia was too quick: "You won't survive in The Hive. You'll always be a loser wanker. You'll always want this:" She pulled down her tight black tee shirt to show her cleavage. She leaned close to him, and whispered in his ear: "You'll dream of me every night, in your little bed."

Rich was suddenly overtaken with the urge to kiss her full red sneering lips, to plunge his dick deep inside her and fuck her senseless. She saw his face, red with anger and lust.

"If you want really to be mind fucked, give me your money. I'll fuck your mind so bad."

Rich was dumbstruck. feeling completely outwitted, he turned to go back to the safety of Lee. But Claudia grabbed his arm and presented him to her like a miscreant child.

"Here is your accountant. He got lost."

"Thank you. Don't go wondering off again, Richard. There are all kinds of evil things in the woods at the back of the garden."

Claudia laughed. She loved being called evil.

I Am Not A Number

Rich stretched his legs and twisted the cramp from his back. He paid the cab driver, who drove off, leaving him in the calm silence of the countryside. He stood before the green-painted wooden door set in the tall ivy-covered wall and pressed the intercom. Nobody answered. He took out his phone. No signal. After holding his finger on the intercom button ever more persistently a few times he gave up, and sat down on his suitcase. Surely somebody would come in or out shortly.

After five minutes, just when Rich was about to give up the whole thing and start walking back to the nearest village, which was about three miles away, he heard a man's voice from the intercom.

"Hello?"

"Hello. It's Rich Brunner. I'm new."

There was a pause.

"Do you have a Hive number?"

"Yes. Three. D-3."

"Ok, I'm terribly sorry Rich. I hope you haven't been waiting too long." The door swung open." Just follow the path, through the wood, all the way along. Straight down."

As Rich walked through the doorway, he noticed cameras along the wall. They were pointing inwards, not outwards. The door swung shut. He looked at it., noticing that there didn't seem to be any way of opening it from this side.

He walked for a few minutes along a shady path, accompanied by the rattles and bumps of his suitcase's casters. He hadn't seen anyone, but he heard, ahead of him, the sound of dogs barking. The woods were typically English, birch, oak and beech. A squirrel scampered about among the undergrowth. An American grey: An ex-pat, like him.

At the end of the wood, the path met a large gravel driveway, and Rich saw a set of buildings, arranged in a square around a central courtyard. At the nearest end there was a gap in the buildings, over which a wrought-iron arch stood, with the image of a cow, with a bell around its neck. It must have been a dairy once.

He stopped and looked around. The place was nestled in a lush valley. Strange curved buildings, their roofs covered with grass and flowers, had been delved into the hillside. Bright flowers were everywhere; bees buzzed happily among them. It looked like something out of Tolkein.

He saw people working on terraces in the far hillside, like a Chinese engraving of paddy fields.

A woman in khakhi shorts passed him, pushing a big wheelbarrow filled with earth, accompanied by a three-legged black labrador. She gave him a friendly smile and hurried on.

Two young men sporting binoculars stood on a low drystone wall and peered out over the valley. Rich heard one of them mention water tables.

A woman ran past him, her long dress flowing, into a building, late for some appointment.

Feeling out of place in this pastoral idyll, Rich proceeded through the arch inbto the courtyard, to find out what the hell he was supposed to do next.

A tall, fit man in his sixties smiled and waved at him from a doorway, beckoning. Rich approached. The man shook his hand firmly. Rich stared at the man's forehead. Right in the middle was printed, in black, about a centimeter in height, the number 6.

"The man laughed. Yes, it's my Hive number. And before you make any jokes about 'The Prisoner', I am definitely not a number, I'm a free man."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, number six."

"You too, number three. Come in, come in. Do you want some tea? Home grown, right here in The Hive."

Rich entered through the doorway into what looked like an old railway ticket office and waiting room, complete with a row of wooden chairs.

"Sit down, won't you?" I'll be out in a moment. The man disappeared behind a counter and came out again brandishing a clipboard and pen.

"Right. First things first: Phone, please. We don't allow them here. And your laptop too. And your passport."

"But, er, mister six -"

"I'm a drone, like you, so it's D6. Or if you insist, you can call me Colin, if it makes you feel more comfortable."

"No, D6 is fine. I think I'm gonna need my laptop, you see I have a lot of stuff on here I need. And I'll need Internet."

"Yes, of course you'll get it back. We just have to to get it validated by infosec. Don't want any nasty outside viruses."

Rich opened his case and handed D6 his laptop, reluctantly.

"Do you have a password for your laptop? They'll need that of course." D6 poised with his pen.

"Yes, its, er..." Rich mumbled something inaudable.

"Sorry, I didn't get that."

"fuckjessicaRabbit23. All lower case, except for the R."

A young man entered with a glass of weak-looking black tea on a glass saucer. He handed it to Rich, smiling broadly.

"Thank you, er, 104."

"You're welcome, sir." The man grinned even more widely.

Rich took a sip. It was delicious, aromatic and exotic.

"Wow. Great tea. You really grow it here?"

"Yes. We grow everything we eat and drink here. And soon we'll be getting all our own energy too. But I guess you knew that."

"Lee mentioned it, yes. Is she around, by the way?"

D6's expression changed." No, she's not around. Um, you know you shouldn't really refer to The Queen by name. Not here."

Rich stared for a moment." Ok. I won't mention Lee's name again. Oops, sorry. See what I did, I mentioned her name. I said 'Lee' again."

"You know, she's not just your queen. She belongs to all of us. And we all belong to her. Which brings us nicely to your orientation."

"Aren't you going to show me where I'm going to stay, first?"

"Don't worry, it won't take long. I'll get W104 to show you the way.

Chastity Begins At Home

Rich was led by the ever-smiling W104, around the side of the dairy, past greenhouses, vegetable plots and an apple orchard to a little cluster of buildings. They were all hexagonal in shape. Some were tessellated to make larger buildings. Cute.

"In here, sir. Remove your shoes first please." He called me 'sir' again.

Rich found himself in a womb-like hexagonal room, with a glowing amber lamp in the centre of the vaulted ceiling. The floor was covered with thick, deliciously soft wall-to-wall carpeting.

W104 remained at the doorway.

"If you want, you can remove your clothes in here sir, it will become very warm. I will come for you soon." Before Rich could respond, he shut the door quietly and quickly. Like the door in the outer wall, there was no way to open it from within.

"Relax." The voice was Lee's, but seemed to come from inside him. Something about the position of speakers, Rich thought.

And then the walls lit up with glowing, swirling patterns. He smelled a delicate perfume, some sort of incense.

"Relax, Richard." She was speaking directly to him, it wasn't a recording!"

The patterns slowly gave way to a video of her, repeated on each wall. But the videos were all slightly different.

"Relax!" The six Lees all repeated this command, each in a slightly different tone.

"Lie down, and relax."

Rich sat. He didn't feel like lying down.

"Go on, Richard. Lie down." Was she really there, watching him, or was this a recording? He lay down. The room began to feel warm.

"That's right. Breathe. Slowly, in, out...."

He lay back. For minutes, her voice guided and slowed his breathing. Then she became quiet for a while, while he sank further into relaxation.

"Welcome, D3. That is your name. D3. Say it: 'I am D3, and my mind is open'."

"I am D3, and my mind is open".

"You are now subject to the laws of the hive. As a Drone you have privileges, but we are all subject to the laws. Even Your Queen is subject to the laws."

Richard had stripped to his underwear. He lay back and spread his limbs, feeling the soft thick carpet on the back of his legs and arms. He let out a long contented sigh. And then, from within him, her voice recited the laws.

The first law: No bumbling. A bumblebee flies alone, and can never join a hive. Honeybees fly together, and can never leave a hive. You're a honeybee. You must remain in the Hive, always.

The second law: Everything you do must be for the good of the Queen, and for the good of the Hive. Because The Queen is the hive.

The third law: No violence, no anger, and no sex. No harsh words, no masturbation. If you are tempted, or you feel a strong urge, you must work instead. The energy that drives you to feel sexual or angry thoughts must be channelled into work. And praying to Your Queen will help. Come here, into a prayer cell, and pray to me, and I will channel your energy back into the Hive.

The fourth Law: Be respectful to all those who serve you, and all those who you serve. As a Drone, you are served by the Workers, while you in turn serve the Queen directly. But remember, noblesse oblige: You have duties of respect to those that serve you.

The fifth law: No personal possessions, no greed. All that you once had, you must cast away, or donate to The Hive.

The laws continued, down from the very general commandments, going into further and further detail as they progressed, down to minutiae.

Rich felt them flow into his mind like a blood transfusion, from the broadest arteries down to the tiniest capillaries as they ramified, feeding and nourishing every cell of his being.

Address those of higher rank as "Sir" or "Mistress".

Address those of the same rank by their number, or as "brother" or "sister".

The intentional killing of animals is not permitted, with the exception of parasites.

Drink no more than one cup of wine with your meal, except on the night of the solstice.

Play music or sing only in the party areas or far fields, and only at party or work times.

A library book can only be borrowed if it has a red label.

If bread becomes stale, return it to the baker, do not throw it away.

After an eternity, The Queen ceased her recitation.

"Now, D3, rest, sleep. Let the laws sink deep, like water into dry earth."

He slept, instantly.

He was awakened by 104." Good sleep? Come sir, it's time now to get your number on your head. Welcome, welcome!"

Holy Mother of God

Only trusted Workers like Joanne, who'd proven her absolute loyalty to her Queen, were allowed to leave the physical confines of the Hive to work in the gift shop in the nearby town of Taunton. It didn't have a lot of customers. It sold mainly Hive-grown produce.

Joanne looked up from her book at the sound of the little bell tinkling as the door of the shop opened. It was one of the visitors to the area, Sister Catherine. She'd been in three times before, in the last week.

Joanne's pink cheeks flushed with pleasure, tinged with guilty desire." She must know. It must be so obvious."

"Hello again, for the fourth time! I just loved that honey! And the bread was marvellous."

"I'm so glad. I- how are you enjoying your stay?"

"Oh, it's lovely here. Just what I need." Sister Catherine looked pensive for a moment, and then brightened.

Joanne involuntarily fingered her long flaxen fringe, which covered her forehead completely, hiding her Hive number.

"What can I get for you today, Catherine?" She said I could call her Catherine.

"Well, today, I wanted... well I wanted..."

Joanne's heart beat faster." What?"

"I wanted to talk, Joanne." She burst out laughing." To confess something, actually!"

"What did you want to confess?"

"Look. I know you can't leave the shop, and have to go back as soon as you're finished. I wish we could just, you know, just meet for a cup of tea or something. I wanted to ask your advice. I don't know why, but I feel that you won't, you won't judge me."

Joanne saw, there in Catherine's eyes, a familiar sadness. And now Joanne suddenly understood why she was so taken with this beautiful woman.

"Just a moment. There's a kettle. And the shop is quiet today."

Once the tea was brewed, Joanne handed Catherine a clay mug.

"Mmm, delicious!"

Joanne sipped her tea, and waited for Catherine to pluck up the courage to tell her what had been bothering her.

Catherine sighed and began, hesitantly, at first, but more confidently, as Joanne, a good listener, encouraged her with sympathetic nods:

"I'm leaving. I'm not cut out for this." She tugged at her habit." I joined, because after... a bad relationship, a very bad one... I wanted to take a vow of chastity, to lead a simple life, in the service of Christ.

"But although I love Him with all my heart, I love Him though he were my child, but not my Saviour. I feel His pain, and know how much He suffered on the cross, and yet, and yet... it's a mother's tears I weep. You see, I - I lost my own son, my baby. I - He..." She broke down.

Joanne began to weep too, and went to hold her.

Through sobs, Catherine continued, "I had an abortion. I was fifteen. I was, it was a family member. I don't want to say. The worst. The worst you can imagine."

Joanne held Catherine and rocked her. And she decided, one way or another, she would bring her to the Hive, where she would be healed.

As Catherine left the shop and passed down the little lanes, she sighed deeply, shaking off her emotion. How far was she prepared to lie in order to get to the truth? Clearly a long way. She reached the bed and breakfast where she was staying. Once inside, she tore off her cowl to reveal her long curly golden hair. She reached for a pack of cigarettes and lit one. Then she opened up her laptop and continued working on her exposé of The Hive.

Dope will Get You Through Times of No Money

Rich leaned back in his chair and looked up the ceiling in frustration." Hey! It's happened again! HEY! Brother five!"

"Whattup, Rich?" D5, whose real name was Joe, never bothered with hive numbers. He poked his shaggy head round the door.

"C'mere, look. It's just fucked up. See?" Joe waddled over. He wore his usual red 4XL red Hive tee shirt, with the words "BUZZ ME" written on it. He'd told Rich he'd got it as a special order, because of the size. The crotch of his jeans sagged almost to the knee. He was barefoot.

"Okay, dude, the keyboard is so clogged up with your dick cheese I'm gonna haveta take it apart."