Minder's Bureau Ch. 01: Casey Called In

Casey Connelly, 22, was in a state of shock.

It didn't last long, as he felt his hand pinned to the small of his back. He had been tipped over this woman's knee, bare rear end on display, and he was about to be spanked. Spanked! Her hard right hand crashed down on his left cheek, the sharp sting eliciting a healthy yelp. His legs jumped involuntarily, and the deceptively powerful woman responded by slipping her right leg over them, locking them down between.

"We'll have none of that, young man." she scolded. "Take your punishment and reflect properly on the circumstances that brought you here."

***

Casey stared up the slate gray and glass exterior of the building. He shifted from one foot to the other, nervous energy all over. A severe sinking feeling developed in his stomach as he read the words etched in steel atop the doors: FEDERAL MINDERS BUREAU. He knew what this meant, had known since the fateful day early last week, when the damned letter had arrived in his mailbox. Its contents, all stark and bold, had demanded he report to this building today, 10 AM sharp. Behind him, the autocar he'd ordered via his smart device scooted off silently without asking if he wanted to go elsewhere.

He tried to put its contents out of his mind in the days that followed, as was his usual style for inconvenient information. What business did the Minders have with him? He was an upstanding adult, not some ne'er-do-well who needed their disciplinary intervention. Undies, the slang name for "Underdeveloped adults" the rest of the world used, were pathetic people who were punished in childish ways. That wasn't Casey, he was sure! He rationalized and rationalized, sure this was likely some mistake. Or okay, maybe he'd gone a bit wild lately. Maybe this was just a courtesy, right?

But this wouldn't be something he could just ignore. His boss had called him into her office the day before, informing him she'd already gotten the notice of his appointment, that he had the day off tomorrow to go. The undertone of her voice implied she'd know if he didn't go, and his employment felt suddenly precarious. Casey resigned himself to going.

Here he was standing outside the door, and that resolve was already shaken. Someone at the door, clearly a security guard used to this sort of thing, spotted him. Casey almost bolted, but the tall man walked briskly in his direction and he knew a sprint at this point would only make things worse. He smiled nervously and waved.

"Casey Connelly? We've got you on the docket today, right this way." the officer said brusquely, then repeated the same information into a comms receiver on his shoulder. Guess there was no turning back now. Casey followed him reluctantly, entering the solid glass doors into the lobby.

Inside, the lobby was separated into 2 sections. The first, labeled MINDERS/PERSONNEL, was a small and simple set of 3 keycard gates. Casey watched a stately woman in her 50's pass through with a simple swipe of her smart device. The only other, however, was rather intimidating. UNDERDEVELOPED ADULTS ENTER HERE, was the severe lettering in the same typeface as the front entrance. There was 1 additional human guard here, standing to the left of a weapons detector. The other guard was a remote operated droid, it's screen showing a pleasant fake face. The gangly machine stood behind a waist high conveyor belt that led into a scanner. The gruff guard from the door walked him up to the latter.

"You're sure I go through this door? Isn't there some guest entrance?" Casey asked, but there was no response.

"Please place your shoes, belt, and any bags into this bin on the left. Please place wallet and smart device in this separate basket on the right." Said the synthetic voice, pleasant and sterile at the same time. Slowly, after it was clear his question would not be answered, Casey complied. His pants were fashionably tight as it was, so he didn't worry too much about them falling. Absentmindedly, he complied, trotting through the detector barefoot while nervously eyeing the other guard. He stopped as he passed through with no beeping, and turned to get his shoes and belt back. The android pleasantly informed him to take the elevator to the 5th floor. Casey waited for a moment, squinting his eyes. He looked back at the guard who'd brought him, then the other, they all just waiting for him to leave.

"Uh, don't I get my stuff back?" He asked. His attitude was less than stellar, and in return the gate guard only chuckled. "You get them on the way out, new kid. They'll be here waiting for you. 5th floor! I wouldn't make your Minder wait." The second guard barked, and moved to hurry Casey on towards the elevator lobby. Confused and more afraid for what would happen if he stayed, he walked barefoot across the carpeted floor to the elevator. He pressed the button for 5, nervously looking back towards the front where the human guards were sharing a laugh. He was embarrassed, annoyed, and indignant. In a huff he followed the gong to his assigned unit and stepped in.

Flying up in the elevator, he did his best to regain his cool. This was unsettling, but he could bullshit his way through. He always did. Calm down, Casey, You've got this. He adjusted his pants, screwed up his courage, and stepped out of the opening doors.

There was a desk immediately to his left, with a pretty young blonde sitting behind it. Her hair was pulled back in a slick high ponytail, the better to fit her headset. The sight of her model-esque figure immediately put the wind back in Casey's sails, and he strode confidently forward with his usual vim and vigor. She smiled serenely at him as he went to introduce himself..

"Hiya, I'm-" She held up a finger and interrupted without breaking her smile, pressed a button on her desk.

"Ms. Montblanc, Casey Connelly has arrived." she spoke quietly into the headset. Casey smiled nervously, did his best to roll with interruption.

"Oh, so my reputation precedes me. I'm Casey, what's your name?" he asked, leaning on the desk and flashing his best smile at her. Her face hadn't changed.

"You can stand against the wall to the left, she'll need you in just a moment." was her perfectly level reply. Not one to take such a dismissal as the end, Casey merely smiled back before he dipped his head in agreement, and walked over to the indicated location.

It truly was only a moment in that spot before he heard the sound of heels clicking down the tiles of the office floor. A pair came around the corner, talking briskly, and stopped to finish their conversation.

"I'll go bring her to the Medical office, then." said the male half, a tall gentleman with salt and pepper hair.

"Thank you, Ben. Let's hope this lesson sticks for her. We'll talk later, I'll be bringing mine there for his intake after we discuss a few things." said the woman. Her back was to Casey, but her silhouette was already arresting. She was on the tall end of average, perhaps 5'9" or 5'10". Her black hair was smooth and shimmering, a perfect curtain that fell only to her chin. She turned around as her companion departed, and Casey was captivated by the sight. 2 almond eyes stuck out from her perfectly framed face, bangs acting as a crown across her brow. She was likely in her late 30s, and gracefully so. Her slate gray business suit was impeccably tailored to her frame. Her brow furrowed slightly as her eyes met his, and for a moment he felt like a mouse that'd been seen by some bird of prey. His stomach flipped as she began approaching him.

"Please hold my calls, Jenna. In my office, young man. Now." Her voice was steely and crisp, it rang through his ears. She motioned him to follow her as she walked through a door immediately to her left. Casey panicked for a moment as he lost sight of her, and spared only a glance for the secretary who was suppressing a laugh before he scrambled after the intimidating woman.

Her office was modern and well lit, though there were no windows in this part of the building. There were diplomas and awards on one wall, arranged in a tasteful and humble fashion. A pleasant tea set sat on a table next to a small couch against the far wall, adjacent to the desk. The grabbing feature, however, was the starkly empty far wall. Against it was a tall, armless chair, and it exuded a menace Casey couldn't quite articulate. He eyed it warily until her strong voice broke the spell.

"Casey Connelly, Age 22. You are hereby declared an Undeveloped Adult, and placed in the care of the Federal Minders Bureau. There, that formality is done with. My name is Meredith Montblanc, and I will be your legally designated Minder." The words she spoke stunned him, and he sank into the chair.

"Stand up, I didn't say you could sit." She said incredulously. He stumbled to his feet, still in shock, and she continued. "What did you expect would happen, young man? Your behavior over the last 4 years has clearly been pushing you down this path. You know very well what this building is for. Did you think this was some sort of party?" she asked. Casey, a practiced bullshitter, could barely answer.

"I...I thought this would be like, a warning. That there'd be more-"

"You WERE warned, Casey. You received numerous letters informing you of this course. Our behavior auditors were rather generous with their timeline, but you did not improve."

"I...oh... I thought.."

"Clearly THAT's not true, young man. You didn't think much at all. Do you even realize that you skipped a previously scheduled appointment? What do you have to say about that??" The answer to her question was nothing. His mouth was agape. He did recall some previous letters he'd rifled through, maybe, but the mail hadn't seemed that important. None of it was as clearly important as that last one!

"I thought that would be your answer." She stood up, leaving her desk and moving to stand directly in front of him. Her tone of voice changed as she looked him in the eyes. "I want you to understand something, Casey. You're here so we can help you be a better person, a better citizen. We understand that some things have been difficult for you, what with your parents both working up on the Lunar Colony. But their absence is not an excuse. Between that and your aptitude tests, I know for a fact that there is a good, smart young man in there somewhere." He broke her gaze, the words making him slightly uncomfortable.His eyes drifted to the floor and his bare feet. Her fingers found his chin, however, and pulled his face back up to meet hers.

"If you had missed this appointment, we would have had to have you arrested and brought here by the police. Then you would likely have been designated SGD right away. Subject to General Discipline? You know how serious that is, don't you?" a bolt of pure fear ran down Casey's back. Him, that close to being one of those collared people? Any legal adult in the country being free to treat him like a child, physically lay hands on them? Why, even he had done that thing in college... but no, no time for that memory. Meredith clearly saw the horror play out across his face, and tapped his cheek lightly.

"But you aren't. You made it, and it shows you're ready to start improving. I see a lot of potential in you, Casey, and I have some ideas to help you reach it. Normally, a professional minder such as myself has between 2 and 4 charges at a time. But in light of your antics, and the lucky timing that I happily just graduated 2 of my former UAs, I'm going to be giving you my full attention for a while." She smiled as she finished the sentence, eyeing him up and down. He didn't know what else to say, except the obvious.

"Thank...you?"

"Good start. But from here on out, it's "thank you Ma'am." Try again."

"Thank you, Ma'am" He said, and he was glad to see her smile back. Hopefully this was all, and he could go home and process this.

"I know it may seem old fashioned, but it's the best term to use in my experience. I've had people call me "Ma'am" in a way that sounded like a swear word, and I've heard them say my name in a way that sounded like a plea. But titles give us structure, and you surely need structure if nothing else. So ma'am it is for now. Don't forget."

"Yes, Ma'am." he quickly answered, eyes wide. Clearly she was wrapping up.

"Good boy, already getting the hang of it .Now let's remove all your clothing and we can start this process." There had been a lot of shocking things said today already, but Casey really had not expected this. He looked at her with a confused face, trying to figure out if she was serious. She merely crossed her arms, face deadly serious.

"Casey, I assure you that I will be so intimate in your life that nudity is no barrier. You will ALSO find I do not like repeating myself. Remove your clothing, now. I need to check for tattoos or scars for your record." she said, and her tone had shifted back to the original chilly demeanor. At this point, it was clear she expected compliance. He reluctantly began to unbutton the shirt he'd been wearing, tossing it on the couch next to the tea set. His pants were around his ankles when she interrupted him

"Fold that shirt immediately, young man. If that's how you treat your things, I expect the first home visit is going to be very painful." He stumbled back over to the couch in only his underwear, carefully folding the oxford. He finished stepping out of his pants, then did the same with them. Standing awkwardly, he stared back at her and awaited her inspection. She turned from her screen and sighed at him, closing the distance between briskly. To his surprise, she sat down in the prominent armless chair to his left. Then her hands reached out faster than he expected, grabbing the elastics of his underwear and forcefully YANKED them down.

"I said ALL clothes, Casey." Flustered, he tried to cover himself, but all that did was put his wrist in a convenient place for her to grab."And I warned you about making me repeat myself." In a moment he would never forget for the rest of his life, the seated woman pulled him by the grabbed wrist down. His naked body tumbled over her waiting lap, in a practiced maneuver she had clearly spent years performing. Before he could fully process the turn of events, her hard right hand crashed down on his bare bottom.

What might have originally been a protest turned instead into a childish yelp, and Casey reacted without thinking. His feet sought purchase on the floor, looking to stand and escape the pain as a second spank made him yelp once again. But no purchase was found, as Meredith's experienced legs cut him off before he could so much as bend. Leg locked, her other hand pinned his hand that had just raised itself to interfere to the small of his own back. He was completely defeated, and spanked once more.

"We'll have none of that, young man." she scolded. "Take your punishment and reflect properly on the circumstances that brought you here." Her tone was icy cold and efficient, the tempo of her hand unrelenting. She did not slow in the slightest as he writhed fruitlessly under her ministrations.

"Ow! Owhow, what-owwwwww what did I oWWW!" gasping for air, unable to string a full sentence together, Casey's attempts at protest we're barely audible over the SLAP SLAP SLAP of her hand on his quickly reddening bare flesh.

"Allow me then to explain, as this is a part of my job." She intoned, not even short of breath as the beating continued.

"You're being spanked, over my knee, like a child, because you've shown with your actions over the years that you are clearly not ready to be an adult. From here on out, this will be a regular occurrence for you when you step out of line!" Her words were more passionate at the end, and she landed an especially sharp smack on the spot between his thighs and butt cheek with that last word. He howled, but she continued.

"You will face consequences for your actions, often physical like this, because you've gone through your life acting as if you were immune to them. That ends today, young man. I warned you not to make me repeat myself, and here you are." Picking up the gist through the searing pain, Casey understood what was likely expected of him next.

"I'm-ow ow, I'm so-owwww, I'm sorry ma'am! Please, ow, I learned!" His ass was on fire, and the punishment just kept on going. He was starting to feel like he was losing control, but her statement felt like a lifeline. Maybe he could just apologize his way out of this? Surely it had to end soon?

"That's not the only reason you're over my knee, young man. This appointment was scheduled for 10AM." she stopped the spanking for a moment, and Casey's rear felt sweet relief. It was, however, short lived, as her other hand grabbed a fist full of his hair and yanked it up. She had maneuvered his face so it stared directly at a large clock behind her desk, a clock that read 10:48. "You strolled up to the front gate at 10:20. As I said, you were THIS CLOSE to ending the day in a collar. Consider this spanking a mercy, even if I don't stop for another 20 minutes." She didn't even wait to finish her statement before she resumed her assault, and all the breath left him. The regular staccato rhythm of pain overwhelmed his senses, and the guilt and fear took control. This wouldn't end! 20 minutes!

"I'm-sor, I'm so-ma'am please I'm sorrrrrryyyy" he wailed. He didn't realize he was crying until he saw the tears falling to the carpeted floor, unexpected rain in a storm of emotions. Meredith was machine-like in her precision and endurance, a solid hand that alternated his now deep red cheeks with a mission.

There was a knock on the door, and it was the first time she'd stopped in 12 straight minutes. A still sniffling Casey wheezed as he saw the door open through the legs of the chair. Upside down as his view was, he could clearly identify the secretary from the front in the door. She could see everything! Had she heard this whole thing? He didn't realize he still had flips left in his stomach, but there they were.

"You wanted his documents brought to you as soon they were done, ma'am. I have them outside in the tray." The woman's voice was unperturbed, nonchalant. The sight of him naked and spanked hadn't even registered to her.

"Thank you, Jenna. I'll be finished with this in a few minutes, tell Medical to expect him at 11:15 for his checkup and device-sizing." Meredith talked about him like he wasn't even there, another humiliation added to the pile.

"Of course. Anything else?"

"Yes, be a dear and hand me the hairbrush from my purse. I need to make this next bit poignant." Casey gasped as she finished the sentence, tracking Jenna's heels as they walked to the desk and she stopped to rummage. He grasped for the words to blunt the coming terror, but he couldn't think of anything outside the obvious.

"Please no! Please ma'am, I'm sorry, pleeeeeease don't spank me with that hairbrush!" he begged, pathetic and small in a way he had never been. The secretary smiled calmly at Meredith as she handed her the solid mahogany hairbrush. Casey didn't get a good look at it this time, but he'd be familiar enough with it soon. Meredith spoke over his begging.

"Thank you again, Jenna. Please take those and close the door on the way out."

"Of course, ma'am." She left at a leisurely pace, closing the door behind her mindfully. Meredith took a deep breath, the sudden silence so much more menacing to the quivering boy over her knee.

"Did you think you'd leave this office without addressing the most egregious offense you inflicted, Casey? Did you honestly think you'd get away with blowing me off and not face the music?" He groaned as she said it, felt the cold wood of the brush against his fiery backside. There was a steely menace to her voice as she said the next words: