The Reluctant Seedling

After the Matriarch took the patient away, the two of them cleaned up and caught their breath. Even Ezett seemed aggravated, but soon returned to her kind calm state after a drink of water.

"We're getting all sorts today!" she said, forcing a grin.

"Is it not normally this... varied?" replied Rhea, speaking up for the first time in a while.

"Well, some days every patient is very attentive and polite, but we do often get a few tricky sorts like her who have their own idea of what this will all be like." Ezett told her as they cleaned up together, "Today was a pretty good day overall, I've had much worse."

Rhea nodded, but couldn't help but imagine how much worse patients could get than the last two, or the woman earlier squirting all over her face. She shuddered at the thought of all the other ways this job could belittle her dignity.

There was a knock at the door, another Matriarch entering, "right, one last patient then! This one is insistent her sister comes in with her which we normally wouldn't allow, but I thought I would leave it up to you." she said looking at Ezett.

"Yeah that's fine." she replied with a shrug, setting to work prepping him with lube.

Rhea's heart dropped, she had convinced herself the day was over and the revelation she had to do it all again stung in her belly. She froze in the middle of the room, her heart racing. Attempts to control her breathing were not working. Her eyes caught with his for a moment, and she tore them quickly away, looking out through the open door to hopefully find something calming out in the real world. Instead, she realised she was able to see through the corridor windows to the waiting room. She saw the Matriarch collect the patient in the purple gown along with her sister who wore a linen white dress. It was quite far, but Rhea was sure that she recognised the sister, she wracked her brain for where she might know her from but nothing came and they quickly moved out of view, but the thought of it gripped Rhea in a vice. Debasing herself in front of strangers was bad enough, she couldn't do it in front of someone from her real life.

"Ezett, I can't um..." she mumbled, so quietly it was probably inaudible over the squelchy noise of the messy handjob in progress. Rhea peered back out the open door, hesitated for a moment and then dashed out and down the hallway.

Her bare feet padded loudly as she went, but she did her best to keep quiet, navigating the labyrinthian corridors looking for a bathroom or an empty closet, hugging the thin gown around her. Turning a corner, she spotted the bathrooms down the hall but heard voices approaching. Their conversation was light and laughing, impossible to tell if it was security, Matriarch, patient or Seeder and so she panicked. Spotting a nearby empty room, she darted inside and hid behind the door she had left open, minimising how much sound she made.

The voices passed, despite Rhea being certain they would hear her loud breathing, and in the renewed quiet she felt herself calming down. This was a room just like the one she had left, but currently out of use, dim light streaming from the ceiling. Pushing the thought of consequences from her mind, she busied her imagination with dreaming up picturesque vistas and stunning holiday landscapes, closing her eyes to attempt to immerse herself in one.

"I know this placement must seem rather unkind." A voice from the hallway shattered her illusion, pressing the door open slightly with a creak as she walked inside. Frozen in place, Rhea watched unblinkingly as the Matriarch came into view, a dark skinned woman with silky brown hair, a little shorter than average. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble. I've arranged for another Seeder to replace you, but it's hard to scamper away undetected in a place so obsessed with glass." She gave a warm smile and moved to the bench to sit, patting the spot next to her.

The woman continued, "we always station a few extra staff on the day of the new Seedlings, there's usually a runner or two, and a redhead such as yourself is certainly very recognisable, Matriarch Yeslah mentioned you might be a flight risk. Could you tell me what you're finding difficult?"

She was quite beautiful, and Rhea felt strangely at ease with her, taking a seat but keeping silent for now. Whilst she didn't feel threatened by this woman, through the crack in the door she could see a couple of security women hovering outside. Likely just a precaution.

"I was a Seeder before I became a Matriarch, and I certainly found it hard at times. The men scared me, I struggled with that for quite a while. They were less restrained then, before the engineering ladies figured out the best size and shape for the chairs. The clanking of metal used to freak me out, but after some time I learned I was safe, and things got better. Also, I missed TV!" she chuckled, and Rhea found her smile infectious. The Matriarchs carried a certain authority, but rarely expressed it overtly. Like all conversation nowadays, it was peppered with confusing intonation and insinuations that disguised threats as hypotheticals and orders as suggestions. Rhea struggled with these kinds of subtle nuances, and left most interactions in the Ovum with a headache.

She decided to be straightforward. "I can't do this ma'am, I hate it. I hate the kneeling, and the keeping time, and servicing the patients and the men. I miss my real life. Please, please don't make me do this." Rhea pleaded, eyes lining slowly with tears.

The Matriarch put her arm around her, hugging her tightly into her side as she said, "I'll admit, this is not a glamorous job. Not as prestigious as medicine or as physically challenging as construction, but it is the most important role for our species. We've tried it plenty of other ways, extractor machines, all manner of devices, but we're limited by our biology. Men are evolutionarily coded to respond to certain stimuli, and our species can't survive unless we have someone doing this job."

"I know ma'am, I know. I want to help, I know it's important but I can't do it. Can't there be another way I can help? Do I have to use my body to do it?"

"In truth, there are very few women who would want to do this given the choice. We know it isn't fair, so we do what we can to make it a bit more appealing. Seeders work four hours a day, three days a week, much below the typical 25-hour weeks found in the rest of the market. It comes with nice lodgings, a lot of autonomy and we try to ensure everyone is matched up to work with someone they like. Every 6 months we offer everyone the chance to rotate out, and we'll ensure you're placed in a role you want, above entry-level guaranteed. Of course we offer incentives to stay too." she rattled off the practised spiel with experience, but her bright eyes gave it a certain truthfulness.

"It's not enough I know, but it's about as good as we can make it. That said, I'm sure I don't have to remind you there are punishments for leaving your post. We publish the Shame List every week, and for the last few months it's been just one or two names, if you're ever on it your friends and family will certainly see it given how widely it's published and broadcasted. In more extreme cases, our Community Correction programme isn't what I would consider a better life than what we provide here, you'll be monitored and restricted for years before you get your full freedom back. If you go down that path Rhea, I guarantee you will regret it."

This wasn't anything she hadn't heard before, but hearing it all laid out clearly was a stark reminder of just how little choice Rhea had. It made it harder for her to hate the Matriarchs and the Ovum, who were just responding to the severity of the crisis, but it still left Rhea on her knees humiliating herself over and over. It was immature to wish this necessary hardship on someone else instead, but it was hard not to when faced with the task.

"Now you've left your companion today, and that is unacceptable behaviour. As it is your first day there will not be any repercussions, but in future if you are struggling I would like you to come and talk to me, just ask for Kaylee at reception. It can be in the middle of a shift if you need to." She moved away from Rhea slightly, placing a hand on her knee, "Plus, I'll offer you an additional incentive for your first week. If you make it through the next two shifts without incident, I'll arrange a free trip for you and Ezett to Nefarium at the weekend."

Rhea sat up at that, asking excitedly "What? Really? We're allowed there?"

"Of course, it's encouraged. Given the temptations of what we do here... Now, come on, allow me to escort you back to your quarters. You can make amends with Ezett in the morning."

PART THREE - NEFARIUM

The training mantras cycled through her mind, crippling her sleep: 'Prep, Placement, Pleasure, Pace, Pause. Prep, Placement, Pleasure, Pace, Pause.' seeing diagrams of male anatomy, animations of sexual technique and the dark of Male Four's eyes looming down from above her. The dread in the pit of her stomach was near constant of late, but as she got ready for work she realised that today she was more worried about Ezett's reaction than the depravity of the work.

Walking sheepishly into the Male Four room the next day, she was glad to find the shutters down and the room empty. Rhea stuttered out an apology the instant Ezett walked in the room, her speed betraying the practised words.

"Chill, chill, don't worry it's totally fine!" Ezett insisted reassuringly, coming towards her to place her cool hands on her shoulders, "it happens. Don't worry, the last patient was easy peasy. I was probably home before you were. Besides, the person they brought in to cover you was a close friend so that was good. How are you?"

"Uh, I'm okay."

"How are you actually? You can tell me, I'm nice."

Rhea chuckled. "I just... I really hate this. I know some of the other Seeders are weirdly into it, and others just make the best of it, but I feel so ashamed to be here. I did all these tests to show what I'm capable of in the field I wanted, and yet I'm stuck doing this just because of what I look like." Rhea ranted, realising she had probably gone too far but relieved at a rare occasion to speak her mind.

Ezett hugged her arms and shrugged, her expression sympathetic but searching for the right thing to say. As the familiar clanging of metal echoed up the hall, she seemed to rush to vocalise an unfinished thought, "Some people are born smart, some are born beautiful, not many get to be both."

It took Rhea by surprise, and she was glad Ezett turned away. Clutching her white robe around her had become somewhat of a nervous habit, but reflexive as it was for Rhea, she had noticed Ezett wore hers proudly parted like a translucent cape. Her firm breasts and taut abdomen on constant display. She found it hard to imagine her as a Seedling in her first few weeks, she had an aura of immovable confidence which had remained unfaltering even during the drama of yesterday. They knelt in position as the security team delivered Male Four, then set to work.

The first few patients were considerably easier than yesterday. Rhea had been relegated to the support role, with Ezett answering the door and giving instructions to each patient, and ensuring they came at the right time, Rhea just had to focus her hands and mouth on keeping M4 erect at the right times, while mastering edging him with just the right timings. Rhea suspected she was just trying to keep her as far from the door as possible, and she began to miss having more variety and interaction in her role. This part of the role made her feel the most objectified, reduced to a warm wet mouth and practised hand motions, but Male Four seemed to be enjoying getting to savour the fresh meat. He made constant eye contact, and seemed to reach ejaculation much quicker than yesterday.

There was something different in the way he looked at her, like a switch had been flipped after seeing her rush off frightened yesterday. She wondered if her fear had made him feel superior, or maybe it was quite the opposite: a comforting kinship in seeing someone else feeling trapped and wanting to escape. It was getting difficult to keep a watch of his indicators while avoiding his constant gaze, so once or twice she tried to hold his eye. Bobbing her head up and down, she felt her ponytail sway and the silk bow on her head dance as she worked to pleasure him, knowing how erotic this would all look from his perspective, and wondering if her hatred of this degrading act fueled his enjoyment. Regardless, the eye contact was intoxicating, and yet again Ezett had to stop her from bringing him to completion.

"S-sorry," she stuttered, wiping her mouth and unsure of how she could dislike this act so much and yet keep doing too much of it.

"No worries, just trying to help you avoid an unpleasant mistake I've made too many times!"

The longer she spent with Ezett the more likeable she found her, though she suspected that her kind words only ever conveyed a fraction of what she was actually thinking. Rhea found her hard to read, interpreting subtext had always been something she struggled with.

"What does it taste like?" Rhea asked before she could stop herself.

"I've never done it with Male Four actually, the woman who taught me was really good with him. With Male nine, it wasn't that bad. I've heard it depends a lot on what they eat, and their diet is super clean and controlled here." she explained as she walked back over to her paperwork, "Ready for the next one?"

As the patient was brought in, Rhea could see right away how nervous she was. Her eyes flitted around the room beneath a thick fringe, she moved slowly like hunted prey, and couldn't keep her eyes off Male Four. A mix of fascination and fear overwhelmed her, and it hurt her to approach him.

"Hey, you're gonna be alright, I'll take good care of you. I'm Ezett and this is Rhea, we know Male Four here very well, and we're going to make this quick and painless for you today, alright?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"So, you've done all the prep work with the penetrative replicas, right? Okay good, well this will feel just like that, maybe just a little warmer which most people like, and we'll ensure the timing is just right. Do you want to come here sweetie and take these handles?" Ezett said, taking her robe and handing it to Rhea to hand up, then guiding the patient to put her hands on the metal bar of the chair, the metal shaking as her jittery hands took them, she would reach down for his dick as instructed but with the slippery lube found it tumble from her grip multiple times. For once Rhea actually only felt like the second most pathetic person in the room. It was embarrassing to watch. She was frozen in place above him, and even Ezett's patience was wearing thin.

"Right, let's take a minute, come step over here with me," she guided her away, sitting her down and talking for a while. Unlike some of the other women they had seen, it seemed this patient wasn't exactly here of her own choice. She and her partner wanted children, but only she was found to be a sufficiently fertile candidate. It seemed she had been somewhat pressured into doing this, but out of commitment for her partner she wanted to go through with it. Rhea couldn't fathom such selflessness, the required dietary and physical regimen alone for Fertiles was a significant burden, essentially designated to get them into peak human condition to optimise the chance of breeding. As a result, her body was tight in all the right places, her skin soft enough to tell without touching it. She looked unsure of her new form, trapped in a more beautiful body than the one she was used to, and made to fight to maintain it.

"Why don't I show you how we're going to do it?" suggested Ezett, taking her by the hand and bringing her over to the centre of the room. "It doesn't hurt, and it's nothing too complicated. You just back up over him and hold this with one hand." As she explained, Ezett stood in the position the patient normally did, lifting her robe over Male Four's rigid cock and taking hold of it firmly, "You rub him up and down your opening like this, then push him in and lower yourself down like this."

Thrusting down and allowing him inside her, Male Four and Ezett groaned in harmony, Rhea in silent awe of what she was seeing. Ezett's eyelids dropped closed for a moment, taking a breath before continuing, "Then you just want to move in steady thrusts, up-and-down like this, if you can go back and forth a bit that helps too." She allowed herself a few humps under the guise of instruction, and then when the patient confirmed they understood, Ezett carefully removed him and ushered her into place, avoiding Rhea's eye contact.

This time with a little more confidence, the woman was able to slide the cock inside her and after some encouragement began thrusting slowly. She seemed to surprise herself with how natural the motion was, becoming gradually less stilted and closing her eyes to savour each thrust.

"See, it feels good, right?" Ezett asked, nodding exaggeratedly and winning a smile in response. Before long the patient was allowing herself to moan, rolling her head back as she went, fucking him with impeccable pacing, her strong slender legs tensing with each controlled movement, as if the diet and exercise were training for the sex, rather than the childbirth. She became quickly ferocious, humping at speed and cumming hard, long before he was close to ready. Her climax left her unsteady, Ezett and Rhea rushing to catch her before her legs gave out.

"Thank you, I'm alright. C-can I keep going?" she asked politely, an unnaturally wide smile on her face. Ezett nodded.

Resuming at once, Rhea tried not to wince with the loud slapping sound of each thrust, this signature drumbeat of hetrosexual sex still new to her. Male Four looked uncomfortable as the patient came a second time, squirting all over the mat but thankfully missing Rhea and Ezett. This time she retained her composure, gasping forcefully but thrusting throughout her orgasm.

For the first time, Rhea spotted something wasn't right before Ezett did, proclaiming, "Let's stop, I think he needs a minute." She was right, as she eased off him, Male Four's cock was clearly beginning to soften. Rhea and Ezett shared a look and the two exchanged a mutual course of action. In training they had explained that some women clenched their vaginal muscles too hard when they cum, and the best thing to do would be to get the male as close as possible then have him finish inside her. It was much trickier than the usual approach. Again Rhea was forced to endure the flavour of another woman on his cock, but this time she was aware Ezett's was somewhere in there too.

Setting to work, Rhea's eyes found Male Four's again, enticing him with long licks from base to tip until he was solid enough to suck. She started slowly, then steadily increased speed to bring him close to orgasm fast. With the moans and licking sounds from behind her, she was acutely aware that both the patient and Male Four were watching her closely. Her cheeks burned from blushing, trying to think of something other than how undignified this was and finding herself thinking about Ezett's expression as she rode this cock. She was euphoric, her expression grateful and hungry. The same reaction she now saw on M4's face.

Moving away once he was sufficiently close, Ezett positioned the patient and orchestrated the few thrusts needed for them both to finish. As Rhea knelt watching them, she was perturbed to find herself wet between the legs.

Over the next few days it became a concerning pattern during her blowjobs, and so Rhea had pushed to spend a bit more time instructing patients than performing the edging. The repetition was making it easier, but Rhea had found herself getting wound up on occasion at having to perform while being watched. It was easier before when the patients and Matriarchs weren't around. One of their final patients of the week kept gripping Rhea's head while she was licking her clit, mashing her face into her wet pussy as she orgasmed. That one particularly pissed her off, but Ezett managed to get things finished up fast and had the patient leave sooner than usual.