Nights and Days in Hive Acropolis Ch. 04

Author's note: No explicit sex scenes in this chapter. (Normal service will be resumed in the following chapter.) Just our three characters hanging out all day (and world-building) -- I hope you'll enjoy it anyway!

--

An hour later, Vaia finds herself in the kitchen of the two crazy women who have up-ended her life. Light is beaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows. It's a clear day, and there is a stunning view out across the ash wastes. The aroma of the off-world food that Sash is cooking fills the air.

Rebeck claps her hands excitedly. "So you got your work done, Sash?"

"Yep."

"Oooh, we are going to have so much fun today!"

Vaia is entranced by the view, even if the ash flats were largely featureless. Where they aren't covered, she can make out the thermal conductors that soak up the daytime heat and take it down to warm the vast bubbling algal vats that feed everyone in the hive who aren't able to afford... whatever kind of food Sash is cooking. On the horizon, she thinks she can see the highest Spires of another hive... Trazior? But it might be an optical illusion.

She feels almost normal again after a long shower, though the smell of rubber still clings to her skin. Her body still aches, especially her ass and her arms, but she's recovering quickly. There is a plug in her butt, but just a small one. Just a couple of inches acting to remind her that she is now... property. She directs a loving glance towards her mistress. It is amazing how much can change in just over twelve hours.

They are all wearing regular casual clothes now: t-shirts and pants. Vaia is wearing some of Sash's clothes. They are a little baggy on her. Anyone walking into the room would never guess the three of them were involved in hardcore BDSM just hours ago. Though they might well note the collar still around Vaia's neck, leash dangling from it.

"Is it almost ready?" Rebeck asks impatiently. "I'm starving!"

"Almost!"

Vaia goes to sit at the counter. "What are 'pancakes', anyway?" Rebeck had given her permission to speak freely until further notice.

"These," says Sash, putting a stack of them in the middle of the table.

Vaia eyes them cautiously. She thinks that she's thoroughly killed off the conservative Van Saar girl within her in sexual terms now, but food is another matter. "But what are they made from?"

Sash sighs and throws an empty packet at her. "Read it for yourself. It's all on there."

While Vaia examines the tiny text minutely, Rebeck is loading her plate with pancakes, as well as assorted other food items that Sash has fried up, which Vaia also doesn't recognise.

"Okay," says Vaia shortly, satisfied. She takes a pancake, puts it on her plate and wonders what to do with it.

Sash looks at her. "You don't have a cogitator, do you?"

"No."

"And you recognise everything listed on there without looking anything up?"

"Most of it. Van Saar education," she shrugs. "No short-cuts."

Sash and Rebeck look at each other. "She's a smart one too," says Sash.

Vaia looks at what Rebeck has done with her pancakes. They're rolled up and filled with something from another bowl. She takes it. "This is... sweetened fruit preserve?"

"Jam," says Rebeck.

"I like to know what I'm eating," says Vaia.

Sash nods. "Yeah, yeah. We went through it all too. The Representative won't have any of her people eating hive food in her Spire. It's a status thing for her."

"You shouldn't worry," says Rebeck. "Remember, there's whole worlds out there that exist just to produce food for the top tier of Necromundan society. If they tried to poison us, we'd send over a fleet and -- boom! Exterminatus."

Vaia smiles at her mistress and starts putting some jam on her pancake.

"Here," says Sash, holding up another piece of food. "This'll creep you out. It's 'blood pudding'. Congealed animal blood mixed with other stuff for consistency."

"Sounds great!" says Vaia. She grabs one and bites into it. "Yum!" It's crunchy.

Sash shrugs. "I tried."

The three of them dig into the food, Vaia occasionally stopping to read another packet.

"So, how do you get a job like this?" Even though Rebeck has given her freedom to speak, it's easier to direct her questions at Sash.

Sash shrugs. "We aren't quite sure. We were living in a little flat. Dingy hovel, really. Lower-mid hive. Both been kicked out of our Houses. Getting by. Barely. Planning to go on an Underhive expedition with some bounty hunters to make our names. Or our fortunes. A few other desperate ideas. Then we think we hear this air-car landing outside. Look outside. It's an air car sure enough. Can't believe it. Totally can't believe it when this woman with two bodyguards comes to our door!"

Rebeck continues, and Sash takes the opportunity to stuff her face. "She's quite secretive about it, but Representative Pallas must have an amazing database of... probably everyone in Hive Acropolis. And she's good at picking out... let's say, talented misfits. People with potential she can snap up cheap. We had no Houses. No release fees. And we're good workers. I'll be head of security soon. And," she points at Sash, "she might as well be 'head of entertainment' already."

Vaia asks, "You both got kicked out of your Houses. What for?"

"Oh," says Sash. "Well, mine's not a story for sensitve ears, Vaia." She grins at her.

Vaia giggles and cups her ears in her hands. "Those have to be broken in too, do they?"

A certain thought goes through Rebeck's head, but she dismisses it.

"Okay, well," Sash begins, "House Escher has a reputation. Well, we have a lot of reputations."

"It's still 'we'?"

"Hey, they unloaded me. I kept the tats and I still use the name. Anyway, I bet there's a lot of Escher stuff in the sort of fantasies you enjoy, right, Vaia?"

Vaia nods. Reams of them. Escher fantasies were among the first she'd gotten herself off to. When she was a juve, there was an Escher girl on exchange in her clan. A bit older than her. Her first kiss...

"Well," says Sash, "everything you've ever heard is true. Or at least, it's bound to have been true in one clan or another at some point somewhere in the galaxy. All too commonly, the boss is the woman who can make anyone else in the clan her bitch. There usually ends up being some kind of sexual hierarchy."

"But sometimes they take it too far," puts in Rebeck.

"Yeah," says Sash. "And that started to happen round our way not long ago."

Vaia thinks. "I guess that's why we stopped exchanges with the Eschers on our levels."

"Yeah," confirms Sash. "Now, for whatever reason, I popped out of the tube without a dick. Not hanging out. Not hiding in a slit either. Pure girl. When I got older, they told me they could fix it, but I was never bothered about it. Problem is, a lot of girls took that to mean I wanted to make myself a target for their dicks. And sometimes I did roll that way. But I enjoy a lot of different things."

Vaia doesn't doubt that.

"Anyway, I got a bit of a reputation as a ball-buster from the way I turned down certain approaches. Ended up kind of an outsider, really. Did my own thing rather than slotting into their system. Then that system started to get more intense. I don't know how it started. It just seems to be a kind of craze that sweeps through Escher clans, wreaking havoc till it breaks down. Everyone was meant to have a number, top to bottom, someone decided. And anyone above was meant to have the rights to use the body of anyone below, whenever they wanted." Sash shakes her head. "Ludicrous. It's like some cultural disease that afflicts Escher clans from time to time. How anyone expects it's going to be tolerated, that it isn't going to end in violence and havoc, I can't understand."

Suddenly, Vaia felt glad to have been tubed into staid House Van Saar.

Sash sighs. "Anyway, I thought it might all pass me by. But no. Some dumb bitch who thought she could use me to build her rep came round to my pad and told me her number was bigger than mine, so I should get down on my knees or else blah blah blah... I was in a really bad mood. So, I lulled her in. Acted all sweet. Dropped down. Took her gently in my hand... Riiiip." She twists her hand violently in demonstration.

Rebeck has heard the story before, of course, but she still laughs, as she always does at that point.

Vaia stares wide-eyed at Sash.

"Anyway, they decided that was too much for them. Institutionalised rape? Fine. A little self-defence? Uh uh. I'm not sure which they thought was worse. My not bowing to the system, or my depriving the precious little queen of her pride and joy." She grins happily. "I'm sure they've fixed her up with a new one by now, but you can never be the same after someone's done that to you."

Rebeck strokes Sash's hair. "Remember when we first hooked up?"

"Yeah. I warned you about my reputation."

"And I said, 'just try it. I use fakes'."

The two friends lean towards each other and kiss for a while.

Vaia watches them, thinking over Sash's story. Both of the other girls take a level of violence, and sexual violence, for granted that she just isn't used to. At least, not yet. She's happy to be starting to experience it here, with these two, rather than out in the wilds of the hive.

When the two break their kiss, they both look across the counter at Vaia. "But I'm not cut out to be a full-time sub," says Sash. "Or anything like it, honestly. You could really round out our little group here, you know?"

Vaia starts to speak. Yes! Please!

But Rebeck holds up a finger, stopping her. "Don't answer her yet, girl. It's a big thing we're talking about. You'll spend the next couple of days with us. Then I'll decide whether to offer to make you mine permanently or not. Then we'll take you home. Give you some time to think about it. Don't try to rush it. You're excited by a lot of new experiences right now. Don't decide until you're chill."

Vaia nods acceptantly. "Yes, Mistress." But she can't help her excited thoughts. Permanently Rebeck's? What would that be like!?

Sash looks at Rebeck.

"I'm not telling my story. Cos we're running out of morning. And I don't want to. Eat up. We've got a lot to cram in today."

"What's on the agenda, boss?" asks Sash, as the three tuck into more food.

Rebeck smiles, licking her lips and staring at Vaia. "Well, I'd really like to spend all day with a cock deep in this little bitch's ass... But you're always telling me to embrace variety, Sash." She holds up three fingers. "Three activities. Each of us gets to pick one. It can't involve fucking. No sex until this evening. And it shouldn't exclusively be based around humiliating Vaia." She grins evilly.

Then she looks at Sash. "Your pick first."

"Good. I already know what I want to do."

"Yeah?"

"Yes," says Sash. "I want to throw Vaia off the landing dock."

The two both turn to stare at Vaia with predatory looks. She looks back, frozen in shock.

***

Shortly, Vaia finds herself being swung back and forth by the two larger women, about to be tossed out into the high altitude winds that sweep around the Spire.

"I still don't want to do this!" she shouts.

"You've been a massive pain in the ass since you got here," Sash shouts back. "So long, baby!"

"You were the worst sub I ever tried to train," adds Rebeck. "Good riddance. On three."

"One."

"Two."

Thankfully, Vaia has a grav sail on her back. A couple of minutes earlier, they were a little more reassuring:

"We've shown you how the flight controls work."

"And we'll be jumping right behind you. Even if it goes wrong --"

"Which it won't!"

"Even if, we'll be able to catch you."

She still hadn't wanted to. There is no way she would have jumped herself! But they wanted the fun of throwing her off anyway.

"Three!" the two shout together.

"Ahhh!!" Vaia screams as they let her go, launching her like a torpedo.

She falls.

Thoughts rocket through her mind. What if they were lying? What if throwing girls they were done with to their death was their idea of fun? What if --

She shuts down her racing thoughts and hits the thrust.

Vaia squees with excitement as she races downward even faster. She's flying! It's glorious!

And she's zooming at even higher speed towards the bulk of the hive below. She needs to remember how to pull up, fast.

It's as easy to control as she was told. Soon she's swooping around like a native of the skies.

A shadow passes over her. She twists her head to look up. Rebeck. Always above her, even when they're in the sky, it seems. Vaia tries to say something to her, but the wind snatches her words away.

Her mistress grins and swoops off. Vaia follows.

***

After almost an hour, when the power-packs makes their first warning beeps, the three fly back towards the dock. Sash and Rebeck come up on either side of Vaia and take her by the arm. They told her that landing could be difficult without practice.

Trusting their grip, she switches off her sail. The two nod at each other and make a graceful landing, placing Vaia on her feet on the dock. For a moment there is silence.

"Fucking wild, huh?" Sash shouts. "Only Spirers get that kind of fun."

Vaia bounces on her feet. "Thank you! Thank you!"

She gives both of them a big hug. Sash hugs her back, but Rebeck receives the enthusiastic affection a little awkwardly.

Once they're back inside and have stowed the sails in their recharging slot, Sash says, "We did lose a girl doing that once, actually."

Vaia stares daggers at her. Then relaxes. "I don't believe you."

"Believe what you want. She made a helluva splat," says Rebeck, backing up her friend's claim.

Vaia giggles.

"Your choice next, slave."

Vaia looks at her mistress. "You said you'd won unarmed combat medals..."

***

Among its other facilities, the Spire has a space that's used as a dojo. It's accessible to all of the Representative's employees. Two of her bodyguards are sparring when the three come in. They nod respectfully to Rebeck. Vaia recalls that she works in security too, presumably superior to the two men.

Sash touched up the marks on Vaia's face before they went out into the Spire's more public areas. She still wears Rebeck's collar though.

Rebeck falls into a stance and points for Vaia to stand opposite her.

"Shouldn't we change?"

"Can do," says Rebeck. "We could even strip down and oil up like Goliaths do to wrestle. But you want to be able to defend yourself better, right? A fight can come out of nowhere, with no time to dress up for it."

Vaia nods and stands in the spot indicated. She tries to adopt the basic stance she was taught as best she can remember it.

From the look on her face, Rebeck isn't impressed.

After making her choice, Vaia had explained that she had always done her best to dodge the self-defence requirement of her education programme:

"They let you do that?" scoffed Rebeck. "No wonder you lot are always such push-overs."

Vaia told them that she'd just done the most basic credit in unarmed combat, covering the rest of the requirements with fencing practice.

"Everyone wants to be 'Blade' Xibok, huh?" said Sash, referring to a well-known power-sword duellist and companion of the current planetary governor, Edwin Van Saar.

"I know it must sound pathetic to you guys," Vaia said, "but I was scared of being hit, and tossed around. But I trust you." She looked at Rebeck with loyal eyes.

Now, Rebeck shakes her head. "That's no good at all. Just stand normally. Forget everything you ever knew."

About hand-to-hand? Won't take long, thinks Vaia.

Rebeck steps over and starts to position Vaia's limbs. "When you fight, you should think about what your relative advantage is."

Vaia can get her head around that.

"I may keep calling you little, but you're not actually that small, Vaia. Still, anyone who comes at you is likely to be bigger than you. Now, I actually have a lot of experience with that, believe it or not, because there are a lot of Goliaths who are way bigger than me."

Vaia nods.

Happy with Vaia's stance, Rebeck steps back. She nods with satisfaction when Vaia holds it correctly without her assistance. "Shift your weight forward and back. You should find it's easy to change direction from that starting posture."

She goes back to stand opposite Vaia. "Right. First of all, this will not be a real training session. I can't teach you anything useful in one lesson. Do not try anything we are about to do out in the real world. The purpose of it is just to start to build your confidence a little." She pauses. "And don't tell anyone about this lesson either! A lot of other teachers would think I'm a complete amateur for this. I have a rep!"

Vaia agrees.

"Okay. The number one go-to move against a taller opponent is to take out her legs. Take away her advantage. Get her on the ground. Even once she's on the ground, she might still be stronger, quicker and better trained than you, but at least you took away one thing she had over you. That's the 'relative advantage' part, right?"

Vaia nods. It's like an academic way of approaching it, which helps her a lot.

"I'm going to come at you like a typical dumb Goliath. You're going to step aside, and trip me up. Watch my feet. Copy the footwork."

Vaia looks down as Rebeck demonstrates the side-step, and how she should pivot her body and extend her leg for the trip. Rebeck keeps showing her, and Vaia keeps copying, until the former is satisfied.

"That dance will never catch on!" heckles Sash from the side-lines.

Rebeck ignores her. "Good enough. Get ready."

Vaia gulps, settling into her stance again. Whatever Rebeck does to her now, it can hardly be worse than the abuse she's been taking in her bed.

Rebeck roars and starts forward. Even Vaia can tell she's not going full speed. She stays calm and steps aside as Rebeck gets close. She sticks out her foot.

Rebeck trips over it.

She turns her trip into a roll, and comes up on her feet. She turns and grins at Vaia. "Good job!"

"Woo!" cheers Sash. "Round one to the rookie!"

Vaia is confused. "I thought you were going to do something different and... take me out."

Rebeck shakes her head. "Only teachers who lack confidence in themselves toss around novices to make some point." She thinks. "Sometimes you need to do that with some guy who thinks they're already all that. Break them down until they accept that they've got things to learn from you. But in your case, we need to build you up. You already know perfectly well that you're no match for me. I don't get my kicks out of tossing and smacking around someone weaker. Except in the bedroom," she clarifies.

"You're really good at this," says Vaia.

"Yeah, I got some work as a trainer. House Orlock hired me for a good spell. Good gig. Beauty was, they're all so similar to each other. Height, weight, build, reach. Once I'd tailored the training for one, it worked great for all of them. Sadly that meant I got through the work too fast and they let me go. Should have strung it out and got more money."

Vaia laughs nervously.

"Okay, we're going to do the same again. If you don't mess up, you'll get me again, okay? You're going to prove it wasn't a fluke."

They get back to their starting positions. Rebeck roars again.

Charge! Side-step and trip. Rebeck tumbles out of it again and gives Vaia another approving grin. "Again."

Reset. Charge! Side-step and trip. "Again."

Reset. Charge! Side-step and trip. "Again."

They keep repeating it like a drill. Rebeck comes at her just a little faster. Vaia totally knows that Rebeck's letting it all happen, but even so part of her feels like she's taking down someone that big and strong like she could never have imagined.

On the sidelines, Sash chuckles. "This is more like it! Go Vaia!"