Sex Culture in the 23rd Century Ch. 03

Chapter 3: Maskirovka

Fredrik woke with a start. He was all alone in his bed. Lying down! He had fallen asleep sitting up, hadn't he? And Laura was nowhere to be seen. Had they taken Laura?

He sat up with a jolt. "Laura?" he said.

"Your friend is in her room," said Ted reassuringly.

Had they taken her away when she was asleep, and tucked Fredrik into bed? Or had Laura left on her own? For some reason, the answer seemed terribly important to him.

"Would you like to change first, or eliminate?"

Eliminate? "I'll change furst," said Fredrik. For once it felt good to make a decision.

"Please step into the Manipulator," said Ted.

Fredrik eyed the booth warily. The last time he had voluntarily stepped into a booth like that, it had strapped him down and subjected him to incredibly invasive experiments. He vowed not to have a similar experience any time soon.

"It's perfectly safe," said Ted, as if sensing his doubt.

Something inside Fredrik told him to trust Ted. Trust Ted. Ted wanted the best for everyone in the Community. Where exactly had that thought come from? Fredrik had never heard it before. Or had he?

As he debated, Fredrik noticed himself stepping into the booth, like an automaton, as if he were watching someone else taking those steps. He looked up at the shower head as a glass partition slid closed around him. "Should I undress first?" he asked.

"There is no need," said Ted. "Clothes off."

Suddenly, seemingly of their own accord, Fredrik's clothes came apart. It's as if his clothes had a mind of his own and knew when it was time to come off. There were hidden seams that Fredrik never knew existed that split open and Fredrik's clothes came whooshing off, and slid into a slot in the floor that briefly opened between his legs.

Then Fredrik was sprayed with the same pink stuff he had been sprayed with yesterday (had it been yesterday? It felt like years ago), but in much smaller quantities. After that came a spray with a fine mist of water, which wiped off the pink stuff. Then hot air blew him dry.

"That's it? That's my showar? A little spray of mist?"

"Dry showers are standard. We must conserve our natural resources to be responsible stewards of the environment, Fredrik," said Ted, in the gentlest rebuke imaginable. "What would you like to wear today?"

"I don't knauw," said Fredrik guardedly.

Suddenly, the images of dozens of different clothing styles appeared on the walls of the booth. Too many choices!

"What I wore yesterday," said Fredrik promptly.

Suddenly, half a shirt appeared out of nowhere. It seemed to climb on his back like a living animal, just as another half of a shirt melded to his front. They knitted together around his shoulders.

The same phenomenon happened with his pants, the shiny, skin tight blue tights he had been wearing yesterday. Fredrik wasn't in love with tights (they were a little immodest, for his taste), and when he got a chance he would take the time to research more normal looking clothing.

Before the pants had come a set of underwear , and it was the oddest thing he had ever seen. It was all silky, like ladies' panties! Well, no one would ever see it. Except Laura, of course. They would have a good laugh together over that.

Fredrik went outside into the hallway, and found the restroom. It was filled with a series of stalls and urinals. He went into a stall and was about to lower his tights when the bottom of his pants and underwear suddenly opened up, exposing his genitals and his ass.

Smart pants. But that wasn't the only surprise. Fredrik looked down into the toilet, and was startled by what he saw.

Inside the toilet was what looked like an illustration of the old American flag, illustrated in faded colors on the bottom of it.

"What in the world?" said Fredrik, as he cut loose. His dung evacuated from his buttocks, splattering the flag. Suddenly, holographic letters appeared on the door of the stall

"Size - 72, Shape - 84, Weight - 81."

"What is that?"

"Your feces score," came Ted's voice.

"You're in the bathroom too?"

"I am always with you, Fredrik," said Ted.

"What are these numbars?"

"They are the quality ratings for your stool. They are not exceptionally high, but this is only your first effort. I am sure you will do better in time."

Suddenly Fredrik cut loose from the other end, and the numbers were replaced by a series of additional scores "84, 83, 73."

"Yew grade my piss too?"

"For color, chemical content, and smell scores."

"Why?" said Fredrik.

"For your wellness. The Community keeps elaborate records. Close monitoring of your bodily functions helps the Community make you happy, healthy, and wise ."

"I guess," said Fredrik, standing up. "Now how do I...." He looked around for toilet paper, but couldn't find any.

A soft, white, cottony hand came out of the wall, and started to wipe him up and down in his ass crack. As it finished, Fredrik got a glimpse of the hand, now brown on several digits, going back into the wall.

"Hey, does that same hand wipe everyone's ass?"

"Of course," said Ted. "We're all part of the Community. It helps bring you closer to Oneness."

"I hope they wash that thing off between uses."

"A sterilizing light is used to remove all harmful bacteria."

"A light? That's oll?" Fredrik thought about the hand that until very recently had been wiping his asshole, and thought about all the other asses it had been inside of. Hundreds. Thousands, probably.

"It's all perfect hygienic," Ted assured him.

"If yew say so," said Fredrik, not feeling remotely as calm about it.

It felt very, very odd not washing his hands after going to the bathroom, but then his hands hadn't gotten involved. In a small way, Fredrik could see the advantages of this system.

After dumping on the American flag, Fredrik got together with Laura, Manu, and Rowenka, and went down to breakfast.

"How did yew all sleep?" Fredrik wanted to know.

"I was out like a light," said Manu, between chews.

"Me too," said Rowenka.

"I had some kind of weird dream, though," said Manu.

"Me too," said Laura, frowning.

"What of?" Fredrik asked. He also had the vague sense he had dreamed, but wasn't sure what about.

"Dunno," said Manu, looking uncomfortable for a moment. But actually, he did remember. He had visions of Rowenka, kissing another man, and it made him feel unhappy, even though something in the dream told him it should make him feel good.

"Laura?" said Fredrik.

"What?" said Laura.

Did you leave my room while I was asleep last night, or did someone carry you away? That's what Fredrik wanted to ask. Instead, he said, "What did you dream about?"

"Dunno," Laura shrugged. But there was something. She struggled to remember, but... it eluded her.

"So what do we do today?" Rowenka asked.

They had an answer as they left the cafeteria. Janet Taco Bell was waiting for them, her perky breasts sticking out of a skintight pink outfit she was wearing. For a woman in her 40's, she looked quite fit.

How had she known when they had finished breakfast? The authorities-that-be were probably keeping track of them. Fredrik was very much aware that they were inside a system, made of moving parts, and now they themselves were each one of those parts. It made him feel not entirely comfortable.

"Good morning! How are you? I am fine!" said Janet brightly. Her chikdik seemed somehow larger than yesterday, sticking more boldly out of her spandexy pants. It caught Fredrik's eyes until Laura slapped him playfully.

"Are we all prepared to have a great deal of stimulation today?" That choice of words, stimulation, sounded out of place. It was more future talk. Janet turned her green eyes on the men. "I understand you like to race things, like cars and boats," said Janet, looking at Manu and Fredrik.

"How did you know that?" said Manu.

"SleepTalk," said Janet brightly.

"What else did we tell you in our sleep?" Fredrik asked.

"Everything," said Janet. She said it without sinister intent, as if it were something good, that it was good that the Community should know all about them, so it could take better care of them. Something inside of Fredrik told himself that this was indeed a good thing, no matter how it might make him uncomfortable for now.

I'll get used to it, he thought.

"Yeah, we love racing," said Manu. "Fred and I, we used to race motor bikes on remote parts of Route One, on Sunday mornings when traffic was down."

"When everyone was at church," said Fredrik, grinning.

"Where you should have been," said Laura, giving him a mock punch in the arm.

"Well, we have some vehicles which might be even faster than your motor bikes," said Janet.

"Sounds like fun," said Manu.

It was. They took a quick ride to the South Bay, in something that resembled a plane but flew like a helicopter, though again, the source of propulsion was a mystery to Fredrik.

They landed in a dust bowl, a pure desert, near several parked vehicles.

"This used to be lush, green pasture areas," said Janet Taco Bell. "But then evil, greedy men caused the temperature to change. They wanted money! They didn't care about Gaia!"

"Gaia?"

"Mother Earth," said Janet, smiling contently. She scooped up some dirt from the ground, and actually kissed it.

Two men came up to them. One was dressed in blue tights, but the other was dressed in a pink blouse and an equally pink tutu. He had very hairy legs. They all tried hard not to laugh.

"Why hello there, I am Stanley Twitter," said the man in blue. "How are you? I'm fine."

"And I am William Taco Bell," said the man wearing a tutu. "How are you? I'm also fine, thanks!"

"Taco Bell, you too?" said Rowenka. "Are the two of you related?" she said, looking at William and Janet.

Janet gave William an affectionate hug. "We're all brothers and sisters in the Community," she said. She had such a content look on her blonde face. Something in it made Fredrik almost envious.

Fredrik looked at William's unusual clothing, but could find no polite words to ask about it. "What.." he started to say, and then simply pointed.

Taco Bell looked down at his pink tutu. "Is something wrong?"

"Your clothes," said Manu, trying hard not to laugh.

Laura and Rowenka couldn't help it. They burst out laughing.

"What?" said William, looking puzzled, but not offended.

"It's your pink day clothes," said Janet. "These people come from a primitive society which hasn't yet instituted gender role reparations."

"Oh. Oh, how sad," said William, looking at them with pity in his eyes.

"You see," said Janet, turning to the New Caledonians, "We recognize the wrongs committed by centuries of gender stereotyping for women and girls. So our males have committed to paying reparations. Every fourth or fifth day they wear what was considered stereotypically female clothing, to show the world that no article of clothing is inherently male, or female."

"That's true," said William Taco Bell. "I feel every bit as male when I strap on a miniskirt."

"And sometimes even more so," Stanley Twitter winked.

"We hear you're interested in things that go fast," said William, tactfully changing the subject. He indicated a silver car parked nearby. "Would you like to give it a spin?"

"Where are the wheels?" Fredrik asked.

"It doesn't need any," said William. "It's an air car. It floats on an anti-grav current."

"Amazing!" said Fredrik. "Sure!"

He and Laura tried it first, with William coming along for instruction. It wasn't very different from driving a normal car, control wise. The real difference, once he understood the controls, was speed and acceleration. This car could go very fast, very quickly, from zero to 300 miles per hour, in only seven seconds.

"WOW!" said Fredrik. Laura was glued to her seat as she watched the surrounding hills speeding by. Fredrik felt like he had such incredible power in his hands. "What is the power source?" Fredrik said.

"A small fusion reactor under the hood," said William. The side windows were open, creating quite a draft, which whipped through their hair. William kept one hand holding down his tutu, which wanted to fly like a kite.

They drove near the bay. "Why don't you go in?" William suggested.

"Into the wotar?" said Fredrik.

"Why not?" said William.

"Why not indeed?"

With renewed confidence, Fredrik gunned the engine. The blue body of water rushed up at him and he felt a pang of anxiety. But when the vehicle hit the water, it continued its smooth ride, as if it were still on solid ground.

"It's an anti-grav car," said William. "Solid, liquid, it doesn't matter, unless it's a really choppy ocean."

"Amazing!" said Fredrik, as he saw the enormous (formerly) San Francisco bay zip by. He felt an incredible sense of wonder, and something more--of freedom. His life in New Cal seemed tiny in comparison. He took a quick glance at Laura. She was as excited as he was.

"Do you want to give your friends a chance?"

Reluctantly, Fredrik nodded. He headed towards where Manu and Rowenka were waiting, and, at 200 MPH, came to a complete halt in just three seconds, not twenty feet away from them.

"That was incredible, man," said Manu. "Did yew see how fast you guys were going?"

"Yeah, man," said Fredrik, grinning. He slapped hands with Manu. "Your turn!"

Manu and Rowenka climbed in. As his friends sped off, Fredrik put an arm around Laura. He smiled, feeling the sunshine on his face.

"Having fun?" Janet asked. She looked hungrily at Fredrik. He was cute, in a refreshingly foreign way. She would enjoy having him, after he was thoroughly processed.

"Um hm," said Fredrik.

"Um hm?" said Janet.

"That means yes," Laura smiled, and laughed.

Manu and Rowenka returned a few minutes later. Manu was ecstatic, and Rowenka wasn't far behind.

"That was like riding on a cloud, man!" said Manu. "I wont to do this every day!"

"You can, if you wish, during your assimilation period," said Janet.

"Assimilation period?"

"The initial time it takes you to adjust to our society," said Janet. "You will, of course, eventually be expected to have jobs and earn your keep, for the Community."

"Of course," said Manu, giving a wide grin.

William Taco Bell smoothed down his pink tutu self-consciously as he got out of the aircar. "Is everyone ready for phase two?"

"Phase two?"

"Antigrav packs," said Stanley Twitter. He indicated white backpacks that looked a little like life support systems for space suits.

"Let me at them!" said Manu, not even sure what they were or how they worked.

There were enough backpacks for all of them, even Janet and the two guys.

The New Caledonians got strapped in, with a little bit of help. After a few quick moments of instruction, they were soaring into the air. It was simply exhilarating. There was open space, all around them. They could go up, down, left, or right, simply by a slight toggle of a joystick in their right hands. Velocity was controlled by how far they pushed or pulled the controls.

Fredrik flew up, up into the sky. He saw a group of Canada Geese and flew up to them. They seemed to be unfazed by his presence, merely giving a characteristic "honk, honk, honk" as they flew in format.

Fredrik joined the formation, flying at the tail end of it. In moments he was joined by Laura, who flew right behind him, and then Manu and Rowenka.

"Isn't this INCREDIBLE?" Fredrik said.

"It is," said Laura. "I'm so glad we came hear!"

"I am too!" said Fredrik. He turned behind him, to see Manu and Rowenka, laughing together.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" said Janet, who suddenly appeared from below him.

"Immensely!" said Fredrik. He was grinning from ear to ear. Even the presence of William Taco Bell, flying above him in a flapping tutu without any underwear, didn't bother him, as long as he didn't look straight up to see the penis flapping in the wind above him.

"This is great!" said Fredrik.

"Be a part of the Community. You will find riches beyond your wildest dreams," said Janet. "From cradle to shredder, it just keeps getting better and better."

"Yeah!" said Fredrik, only half listening. He decided to be a little mischievous. He gunned his antigrav pack and came right alongside Manu. "Tag, you're it!" he cried.

For the next ten minutes all four of them played tag, but in three dimensions. They didn't even notice when Janet, William, and Stanley went back to the landing area.

"Fresh bodies," said William.

"Yes," said Janet.

"Are they under control yet?"

"Medical supplements at 10%"

"Ten percent?" said William. "They're practically uninhibited!"

"And performing splendidly. Their Controller has decided to increase it gradually. These are very special test subjects," said Janet. Then she added, almost confidentially. "They had their first SleepTalk last night."

"Just one?"

"Just one. But we're already seeing results. They all entered their Manipulators this morning, and let Ted dress them without complaint."

"So?"

"So, these are unconditioned individuals, used to choosing their own clothes every day. Clothes are very important in pre-civilized cultures, it's part of their intrinsic identity. And here they are, on their first full day, letting us make the decision for them."

"I don't think the males will enjoy their first pink dress days," said William.

"Or their first male periods," said Stanley Twitter, giving a knowing smile.

"I've seen their psychographic test scores, I'm confident that by the time assimilation is complete, that they will all be fine," said Janet. "And the females are doing even better. I think the smaller female, Laura, is already responding to some of the suggestions we have started implanting in her subconscious."

"Are they going to be kept together?"

"No," said Janet. "The combination of their genetics doesn't serve the community. This project requires an infusion of their genetics into our gene pool. Keeping them separated as a distinct subgroup would not serve that purpose."

"That's a bit of a pity," said William. He watched them laughing and yelling in the sky above. "They seem so happy together."

Janet gave William a sharp glance.

"Of course, what's best for the Community is also best for them," said William.

Janet nodded, smiling now. She made a hand gesture to Stanley Twitter. He spoke into a device. "Return."

All four jetpacks made their way obediently back to the embarkation area.

"Hey, what's happening?" said Manu, trying to change his course as he dropped gently to the ground. His joystick didn't seem to be functioning any longer. Neither did Fredrik's, or Rowenka's, or Laura's.

"It's time for our next activity," said Janet.

"Aw...." said Manu.

"How would the four of you like to pilot a hypersonic jet?"

It turned out that they would.

They had a wonderful day. None of them could deny it. This was the future, the future that existed all around them, the future they had not even an inkling of just a few days ago. And now they were actually living it. In retrospect their lives in New Caledonia seemed backwards, like a waste of time, as if they had been living like myopic cavemen in an era of futuristic technologically advanced supermen.

That evening, after dinner, before the sun had set, Janet took them up to the rooftop of the tallest buildings in OrgyFree, the Awesome Girl Tower of Power. On the rooftop, which was open for viewers, there was an amazing art installation, a giant ten foot tall and twenty foot wide female breast, which lit up the night sky. The teat, at the very center, extended nearly a foot long into the air, and actually sparkled and hummed with power, symbolizing the potency of the feminine form.