Carson Evolved Ch. 02

"Not really, sweetheart," said Samantha. "Have you ever wondered why this perfume or that cologne works so well with this or that person? Or gotten a whiff of someone's scent upon meeting them and thinking it matched or didn't match your perception of that person? Ever gotten a whiff of perfume while passing through a crowd and immediately begun looking for the woman it belonged to? Maybe it triggered a memory of a former lover? They don't work exactly the same, but you could argue that perfumes and colognes are artificial pheromones."

"I guess that makes sense," he said with a smile. And it really did. Turning back to Xavier he asked, "So what's this got to do with me?"

Xavier smiled to himself. Carson really was a joy to work with. He might not know something right away, but his intellect and thirst for knowledge made him anxious to assimilate more and more. Xavier had recruited dozens of candidates into the program, with only one, regrettable, failure from early in his career. Carson was something entirely different, and Xavier couldn't wait to see him in action. "Mr. Jayne, Orriri has done extensive testing and determined that human pheromone production serves two purposes, when activated. First, it signals information to females about the desirability of the male for mating. It's not an automatic response, but stronger signaling males absolutely influence the behavior of females, including their desire to mate with the male.

"Second, it signals information to other males. This is a little different. Instead of attracting them, obviously, it lets them know relative status. In a way, it's the chemical equivalent of two elephant seals slamming into each other to exert dominance in the mating arena. The difference is, not every male can signal. In fact, it's relatively rare. When two signaling males are in the same area, other more traditional factors come into play, such as physical appearance or wealth. But when a non-signaling male is in conflict with a signaler over a woman, he invariably yields to the signaler. It's really quite remarkable to observe. In fact, some of our progenitors seek out married couples specifically to exert their influence. They get off on planting babies and making the inferior male raise it."

"You mean cuckolding," said Carson.

"Yes, that's the term." Seeing the cloud come over Carson's eyes, Xavier quickly added, "Before you make a judgement on the practice, you should review some of the research footage. As I said, it's really quite remarkable. The 'cuckolds,' as you call them, in every case were thankful to the progenitor for giving them his baby."

Caron didn't really feel any better about that. To him, it sounded like a different form of bullying. He thought to say so, but realized he was unlikely to participate himself. It happened anyway, and he wasn't going to stop it from happening through words alone. "I'm sure the bulls would feel differently if someone was taking their mates and impregnating them."

Samantha snorted. "What makes you think that doesn't happen?"

That certainly caught Carson's attention. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged and said, "It's really the same thing, just taken to a different level. While most Orriri women marry their mates and only have children with them, some are always looking for a stronger man. Not only that, there are some people in the project that believe that if a man can take a woman from another man in the project, the resulting offspring are more desirable anyway."

Carson hated bullies. He'd always hated bullies, and he'd defended more than one target of bullying in the past. He'd sacrificed social standing at times, just to make the point. But, as he digested Samantha's words, for the first time in his life, Carson thought about being the bully. Not to the unsuspecting non-signalers. He'd go after the bullies themselves, other progenitors. If the project didn't care, then Carson had no reason not to. He buried those thoughts, and instead said, "So I take it that I'm a signaler?"

"We've already sequenced your entire genome, and I can assure you that you are very much a signaler. In fact, where most of our progenitors must be activated through hormone therapy, you already signal at a low level." Xavier saw surprise in the eyes of both Carson and Samantha. He reached down to pull up the room monitoring data on his tablet. Finding the correct readout, he turned the device so they could see. "As you can see, air quality is monitored continuously, including testing for the presence of biological contaminants. This is your office, so your pheromones would not trigger an alarm. However, if another progenitor were to enter this office in your absence, he would be incapacitated within minutes to eliminate the contamination."

Setting the tablet to the side, he reached into his briefcase and removed a rather large device that was shaped like a medieval vambrace, except this one was crystalline and had a touchscreen with a few small buttons around it.

"Hold out your arm, please."

Tentatively, Carson held out his right arm.

Xavier said, "I'm sorry, I should have asked if you're right- or left-handed."

"Right-handed."

"Okay, please remove your watch and hold out your left arm."

He did so. Xavier placed the device on Carson forearm. Carson felt a tiny prick, much like he'd felt when activating his access card. Within seconds, the device had completed a startup cycle. Carson was kind of a gadget guy and couldn't wait to see what the device did. As he reached to press a button, though, it was as if the device melted into his skin. The sensation was cold and tingly, but it wasn't painful and only lasted for a few seconds.

Alarmed, Carson looked at Xavier and said, "What did you just do to me?"

"That, Mr. Jayne, is your Omnix."

"I'm sorry, did you say 'Omnix?' What the hell is an omnix?"

"It's short for 'Omni Matrix Access Device.' It's your connection to the project. If you need resources—money, documents, assistance, even skills—that device will allow you to requisition them from the nearest depot, or, in the case of skills, download into your memory at least a basic understanding of what you're trying to do. In addition, the nanites that comprise the device are already making the necessary neural connections to allow for mental connection to network resources. When you want something, you think it and the nanites find it. You'll get a signal back, and the nanites will form a display on your wrist with the readout.

"The second thing it does, more related to our previous discussion, is that it monitors your body's signaling pathways to activate or enhance a number of useful functions. All of the desired functions are being activated as we speak. You can focus on a specific one to manually control something if desired, but the system monitors a number of physiological parameters and makes appropriate adjustments automatically.

"For example, if you were approaching Ms. Cross at a social gathering with the intention to entice her into bed, you could manually adjust your pheromone production. But the nanites will recognize the physiological signs of your attraction to her and ramp them up automatically. Why don't you give it a shot? It's not a true test, since you already know that the two of you are attracted to each other. But concentrate on pumping out pheromones while we talk. In a few minutes, we'll see if Ms. Cross has noticed any differences."

Carson felt a little foolish thinking "Increase pheromone production by 500%," but when he heard a faint tone of acknowledgement from the system and glanced at his wrist to see a brief display of production levels, he realized that it was working.

He left the settings where they were and turned back to Xavier. "What else is there?"

"As far as the Omnix goes, most of your physiological processes are monitored and adjusted as necessary. You should review the system's instructions when you have time. For our purposes, there are three key functions. The first is the pheromone production. Second, you are a young, virile man already, but that won't change as you age. From this point forward, your reproductive system will be fine-tuned to maximize the chances of impregnating your partner. Your rate of sperm and semen production will be enhanced, and the composition of your semen will be optimized during coitus. Shortly, you will undergo a very minor procedure to enlarge the reservoir in your testicles to store a larger volume of semen. And you simply need to think 'erection' to get one; you have zero recovery time, if desired. Of course, you have control of when you ejaculate, so you may or may not want recovery time anyway. The final function is not related to reproduction per se. However, research has shown that females respond to certain physical features and traits subconsciously. Essentially, when a woman looks at a man, without a thought she evaluates his health, physical form, and age, to determine if he will be a suitable mate. The Omnix will help you maintain your youth and health by repairing damaged cells. You will be in peak physical condition at all times."

At this point further discussion was interrupted by a soft moan from Samantha. Carson looked at her and noted that her face was flushed, her nipples threatening to break through her blouse, and she was having trouble sitting still as she attempted to rub her thighs together to ease the itch between them. Her hands were clenched, bunching the skirt of her dress.

Carson was stunned and immediately sent a command to reduce pheromone production to normal levels. Might have overdone it there, he thought. Of course, reducing production didn't eliminate the concentration in the air, and thus, didn't provide much relief. Tentatively he asked Samantha, "How are you?"

She looked at him the way a lion looks at a gazelle and launched herself at him. In a frenzy, she sucked his tongue into her mouth while straddling his hips and humping him. Carson was trying to keep up with her and losing.

With amusement, Xavier said, "You have a bedroom through that door over there."

Carson saw where he was pointing and managed to extricate himself from Samantha long enough to make a break for the door. He reached the bed and turned just in time to catch his future bride as she literally threw herself at him. They fell onto the bed. Samantha was in such a hurry to get Carson naked that after fumbling with his belt, she broke the zipper of his pants jerking them down his legs. Carson had never seen a woman in this state, and he was a little concerned for the safety of his 'equipment,' so he did his best to assist her in removing his underwear. It wasn't clear if Samantha had shredded her underwear in her haste, or simply wasn't wearing any to start with. Regardless, he just cleared his underwear when she lined her self up, rubbed his head against her lips for a little lubrication, and began working him into her pussy.

By the time he bottomed out, she'd already had one orgasm and was working towards her second. The wild look in her eyes enflamed his passion, and he knew it wouldn't be a long coupling. Samantha hadn't bothered to remove her dress, and with the skirt draped over them, he couldn't watch where their bodies met. He also couldn't see her breasts as she rode, though he could see them bounce and strain with the force of her thrusts. Samantha never broke her gaze into his eyes, even as she braced herself against his chest and slammed her hips down to meet his. Carson could see that she was building to a big climax, and he knew he wasn't far behind. When it hit Samantha, she ground her clit against his pubic bone as she threw her head back and surrendered to the feelings, her eyes clenched in ecstasy. The tight grip of her pussy on his cock, combined with the vibration of her orgasm, pushed Carson over the edge and he held her hips tightly as he strained to empty himself deep within her. When her orgasm finally finished, she collapsed against his chest, breathing deeply and unable to speak.

After a few minutes of relaxing in the comfort of each other's arms, she began to stir. Her arms were still shaky, but she managed to raise her upper body off his so she could look him in the eye. With a trembling voice she asked, "What was that? What did you do to me?"

Carson was a little confused. He thought they were supposed to do...that. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

She feigned shock and then playfully grabbed his cheeks in her hands. "Wrong? Wrong! I've never cum like that and you barely did anything. All I could think was that I needed you inside me, and once you were there, it was like riding a lightning bolt. Everything down there was tingling."

Like any man, Carson enjoyed hearing his partners say good things about his sexual prowess. In this case, though, he wasn't sure he deserved much credit. He pulled her down to lay beside him. As they lay facing each other, he once again tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear, prompting her to purr in her mind; she really enjoyed his hands on her. He smiled and said, "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Then he winked at her and said, "Wait until I actually spend some time building you up first." Samantha's eyes got a little bigger and she moaned as she rolled to her back, her mind racing with possibilities. Then he got out of bed and began to redress, only to remember the ruined pants.

Her recovery was interrupted when Carson called her name. He was holding up the pants he'd been wearing with a wry look on his face. "You know you owe me a new pair of pants, right?"

Samantha was so strung out in post-sex bliss that she giggled. "Maybe you shouldn't wear pants that take so long to remove," she suggested playfully.

"I know I'm expected to be some sort of man whore," Carson teased, "but I'm probably going to need decent pants on occasion."

"Oh, alright," she said in mock resignation. She managed to roll out of bed and to her feet. She made her way to a nearby wall and pressed a small button. The doors of a hidden closet slid open silently as lights within illuminated. Carson could see several suits, numerous outfits of varying degrees of formality, all the shoes, belts, ties, and other accessories he could ever want, arranged neatly in custom cabinetry. Seeing the look on Carson's face, she smiled and said, "I took the liberty of shopping for you. I think you'll find just about anything you could want for any occasion in here. But if I missed anything, just let me know and I'll get it for you."

Carson carried the ruined pants with him as he stepped towards the closet. He handed them to Samantha and said, "I like these pants, though. Can we get the zipper replaced?" She nodded, a knowing look in her eyes. He took one more step, then turned back to face her again. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it wordlessly before taking her face in his hands and bringing their lips together. His kiss was gentle, but insistent, and as he explored her lips and mouth, Samantha felt the flames begin to burn for him once again.

She pressed her hand to his chest to stop him and said, "Me too. Now find some clothes. We've got more to do today."

The rest of that first day was spent establishing his future with the project. He would continue working with his law firm, but he would be steered towards opportunities that Orriri presented. His partnership was assured, and he would make consistent progress towards full partnership and senior partnership in a manner that would be faster than usual, but not noticeably so, in order to avoid unwanted attention. His salary, however, would immediately be supplemented to establish himself and his soon-to-be growing family as an upper middle-class clan. He learned about the types of support he could expect and how he would be notified of any project-directed assignations.

Before he left that first day, Samantha (whom he began to think of as "Sam") assisted him in making his first deposit at the sperm bank. "Assisting" meant that she sucked him down to the root, something that no woman had ever been able to do before, and then worked him in and out of her throat until he warned her that he was close. She then proceeded to jack him off, whispering all sorts of nasty things she wanted to do with him into his ear, until he came with a roar into the specimen cup. Immediately after his donation, a medical technician came in and prepped him for the procedure to enlarge his semen reservoir.

That required shaving his testicles and the space between his balls and his asshole. Though the young brunette was doing her best to remain professional as she did her job, Carson could see that her proximity to his genitalia was having an effect on her. She tenderly moved his cock out of the way while she gently held his balls steady, removing all of the hair with laser shears. Light as her touch was, it still had an effect on Carson. He steadily lengthened, a fact not lost on the young woman, and he could see her nervously licking her lips and stealing peeks at his cock, her nostrils flaring to take in his scent. She managed to complete the procedure quickly despite her distraction; it was completely painless and only took a few minutes. As she packed her kit and turned to leave the room, however, Sam caught her by the sleeve and whispered something that Carson couldn't hear in her ear. She glanced at Carson and blushed before nodding to Sam. Sam patted her shoulder and softly said, "I'll see what I can do." The nervous young woman scurried from the room.

"What was that about?" he asked after the woman was gone. Sam simply smiled and said, "It's a personnel issue having to do with employee benefits. I'll take care of it." Oka-ay, thought Carson. Whatever that means.

While he'd been having his fun with Sam, and then more fun with Sam before having his balls shaved, more pieces of his new life fell into place. Orriri had significant ties to all the necessary cogs in the bureaucratic machine. For example, given Orriri's status as a government-approved reproductive health provider, it took only a few minutes for his status as a repro-capable man to be confirmed. As far as the government was concerned, marriage was more or less a civil contract, easily handled through intermediaries; Orriri's legal branch handled the filings on his behalf. From beginning to end, it took less than 4 hours for Carson to go from one to three wives. Xavier had delivered Carson's marriage licenses and certification of fertility in a rather mundane fashion.

Samantha was ecstatic at the simple fact that they were now married. She'd spent years wondering if she'd find the man of her dreams, or if she'd eventually break down and accept whatever match the project made for her. Even though she was only 26 now, she'd begun to feel like an old maid. She knew it was her own doing, but that didn't lessen the sting. Now, it was as though a switch had been thrown and the lights of her life shown brighter than ever before. She barely knew Carson, and yet she knew him in a way much deeper than the intellectual. She was giddy, especially after their intimate times today. She couldn't wait until she was carrying his child.

She was in a daze walking beside Carson as they exited the lift. Carson wasn't at all surprised to find Edwards waiting nearby. He stepped near with a big smile on his face. Falling into step with the newlywed couple, he could see the happiness on Sam's face as she glanced periodically at Carson, as if checking that he was still there. Carson was thinking about other things at the moment and wasn't quite so bubbly. Edwards held the door for the couple, before following them to Carson's transport.