Twenty Year Review

Twenty Year Review (Erotic Edition)

It woke up at dawn. Whatever the clocks might read, at whatever point of the globe it was on that day, Secundus always woke up at dawn. Reluctantly, it stirred from the warmth of Master's embrace and gathered up a nearby pillow to give Master something cool to hold onto, in its stead. It carefully climbed down from the bed and began drawing Master's bath. As the tub filled, Secundus quickly crossed over into the dressing room; being careful to stay on the carpet runner so its toe claws would not click on the hardwood floor. It hopped to the upper tier and walked along the padded rail to pause as it stood up high and retrieved a shirt from a hangar. It then squatted and reached down to retrieve a pair of matching pants, below it.

Master will not be going out today, it thought to itself. A simple, black belt with black socks and his favorite slippers will do. It staged the shirt and pants on the rack, next to the center ottoman, and gathered the rest to add to this morning's presentation. Master would choose his underwear, if any, when dressing began.

Secundus was forever grateful that it had never been required to wear clothing. Why would one wish to cover such a body? it asked itself as it watched itself turn in the mirror. Black horns, curving gracefully rearward, which surpass doorknob height when I stand tall and proud. Those piercing, bright green eyes. Fine, smooth scales that shimmer, as if oiled, in shades of browns and pale greens. These long fingered, dexterous hands with their claws filed, just so. The upturned tip of this thick, healthy tail held just above the floor. These strong legs that carry me so effortlessly. The way Master's Mark shines so proudly from my right buttock in beautiful, iridescent blue hues. The horizontal slit of Secundus' cloaca began to part, revealing thin, pink lips that glistened with moisture as they began to swell. Secundus gently ran a fingertip back and forth across those slippery lips and quietly sighed. More fluid began to flow from the now-bulging opening.

Remembering the tub, it rushed back across to the tub room and shut off the water. The thermometer read a little above Master's favorite temperature. Secundus retrieved a clean washcloth and blotted up the moisture as its slit again closed tight. It then turned to the wall and set the timer for the steam, then walked down the hallway runner to the kitchen.

By the time Secundus had arrived back in the tub room, Master had already climbed into the tub. "Master!" it exclaimed in worry, "The doctor said you should have help. You did not even bring your cane." It set the cup of coffee and saucer down on the small, tub-side table and scurried back into the bedroom to fetch the cane; to hook it on the edge of the tub. "You have not yet healed from your tumble on the slopes."

Seeing Master take up his coffee, Secundus stepped closer to the steam vents to warm. The hot vapor condensed on its cool body; transferring heat directly into its skin. Secundus reveled in the warmth as it watched Master take his first sip and smile at the taste. Secundus quietly purred in satisfaction at having pleased the one it serves, once again.

"Babe, come in here with me," commanded Master. He used that name only when they were alone; the only time that he allowed any intimacy between them.

Secundus climbed into the tub and rested its wet belly against Master's. Its head lay on the man's chest. It purred again as the man stroked its back. When the hand reached further down, across Master's Mark, Secundus' tail gently twitched back and forth a few times in the warm water, then relaxed completely as the stroking continued. Secundus felt Master's cock begin to swell. Its slit again opened as it maneuvered its body in position over Master's cock.

Master felt Secundus' cloaca bulging outward and said, "Not yet. Hold it in for now."

Secundus pulled its phallus back inside as it lowered itself onto Master's cock.

Master could not fully penetrate Secundus this way, but he enjoyed the feeling of rubbing his cock against the always-firm, cool phallus of his servant, as it lay trapped inside. He also enjoyed that Secundus could not cum when it held its phallus inside its body.

Secundus slowly lifted and lowered its hips as it stroked Master's cock head with its swollen, slippery lips. As it felt Master tighten his belly in anticipation, Secundus begged, "Please Master, let it out! Let me cum with you!"

"OK, go ahead."

Secundus lifted itself off of Master's cock and extended its firm, pale pink phallus out past those lips; to tuck up tightly against its belly. When it lowered itself again, it took Master's cock to the hilt; inside the resulting cool, wet tunnel. It did not touch its own phallus; Master did not like it to. Instead, Secundus gripped its upper belly with one hand and rubbed Master's cock, inside it.

Its pace increased as it sensed Master's excitement rise to climax. Once it felt Master's seed spill inside, Secundus' muscular tunnel clenched and pulled at that cock in orgasmic pleasure, while its phallus released its load across Master's belly and chest. It greedily held Master's cock inside of it as his organ shrank. Secundus relaxed and began to purr; its phallus rested between its belly and Master's for now.

Master resumed stroking Secundus' side. After a few minutes had passed, Master asked, "Babe, have you been happy here, with me?"

"For each day of these last forty years, Master. It feels only like twenty to me."

"Your next review is coming up."

"Very soon, my Master. Do not make me take the review, I beg you! I do not wish to start again! I wish to remember you as I do now!"

"One has to consent for review at least once every twenty years. The law doesn't allow any further extensions."

"So this is why you brought us here. I thought we might be getting a little too old for skiing."

"As I told you; last time, you ran! I don't like this anymore than you do. At least this way I won't have to chase you very far."

Secundus looked out over Master's shoulder, out the tub room windows of the isolated chalet. Cold, dry wind-blown snow flashed white against a blue sky. Even if it were to hide indoors, Master could simply cool down the house enough that Secundus could no longer move, or think. It could then be located and the command pulse would be administered in any case. It would not hide. "What do you fear so, that you feel you must trap me, Master?"

"I don't want to lose you, Babe. I'm afraid I couldn't live without you." Master changed hands and stroked Secundus' other side for a time. He used his other hand to idly rub the tip of one of Secundus' horns. Over the years, Master had rubbed just that one tip to a polish. Secundus wore the mark proudly.

Secundus purred quietly as it lay sprawled across the man's body. It remained mindful of its claws. Except to preserve their life and health, the servant may never cause pain nor intentionally induce emotional distress upon its Master, nor anyone else. It said, "I fear this only because I see the fear in your eyes and know that I am the cause. At least let me share this burden with you."

"It's no secret that the review is for you. A reminder of why you're here."

"Yes, Master. That I have always known. What about my remembering causes you pain?"

"During the review, I also get reminded why you're here. Twenty years ago, you killed Primus during your escape. When I finally caught up to you, you tried to kill me."

Deeply disturbed and sorrowful, Secundus replied, "I believe you because you would not tell me this just to hurt me. I remember none of it. I only know of Primus because you said we were once close."

"You and Primus were mates, Babe. You stabbed Primus with a kitchen knife before you ran out the door. You put that same knife in my thigh, later that same day." Master pointed to his scar. "I'm telling you this so you might understand the profound changes that'll happen during your review."

"Why did you spare me?" asked Secundus. "I should have been killed for such actions against my Master and his property."

"Because I love you too much to let you go," replied Master. "I held you and waited until you got beyond reliving your past; so you could remember who you had become. When you finally told the reviewer, "Yes" and relaxed again in my arms, I cried for the rest of the day."

"I remember that," said Secundus. "You had to keep reassuring me that your tears were happy ones. I did not remember what had been done to cause them."

Master frowned for a moment then said, "Yes, happy tears." He shifted his position; his signal for Secundus to get off. "I don't want any help. We'll eat in the kitchen."

Secundus released Master's cock, retracted its phallus from between them, and carefully climbed out of the tub. It walked over to the warming drawer and fetched two towels. It wiped itself down with the smaller one then set the larger one on the tub-side table. It picked up the cup and saucer and carried them down the hall to the kitchen. Master was troubled. That much was clear.

Putting its mind into its work, Secundus soon had the preparations done and the pan heated. It cracked open two chicken eggs and got them started. It then cracked open two more into a clear, tall glass. Next it flipped over the eggs in the pan and turned off the heat. Master liked them over easy with barely a hint of liquid whites remaining and just a dash of pepper. He preferred to salt them at the table.

Master slowly walked down the hall to the kitchen in his bare feet and sat down at the kitchen table.

As Secundus laid the hot toast next to the eggs, it commented, "It looks like the stiffness persists." It quickly buttered the toast and set the two small bowls of his favorite jams next to the plate, on the tray. Master's second cup of coffee and small glass of cranberry juice were already waiting there, along with napkins and silverware.

Secundus carried the tray to the kitchen table and deftly set it in front of Master. "Shall I get you an analgesic?"

"No, just my socks and slippers. Where are the peaches?" asked Master has he salted his eggs. He sipped his coffee.

Secundus soon returned to set down a bowl with a canned peach half and a scoop of cottage cheese inside. Learning that Master loved his grandmother's canned peaches, Secundus had learned how to make them. It then went to fetch the socks and slippers. After it placed them on Master's feet, it walked over to the step stool and climbed it to wash in the sink; drying its hands on the nearby towel. This will join the wash today, it thought to itself.

With its glass of raw eggs and cottage cheese in hand, it finally joined Master at the table. It began lapping up its meal from the tall glass. Secundus did not like toast and the prepared peaches were too sweet. Though Secundus was well-trained in utensil use and table manners, in private Master encouraged his servant to enjoy eggs and other lick-able foods this way. Secundus believed that Master liked to watch its tongue work in and out of the glass. It delighted in making a better show of it, for his benefit.

Secundus licked slowly as it waited to fetch something or to answer a question. With no conversation forthcoming and no task to complete first, it finished its meal just before Master did, as usual. It began collecting dishes while Master walked from the kitchen into the front room. Secundus cleaned up and put the bath and dressing areas in order, put fresh sheets on the bed, and started a load of laundry.

It checked on Master from time to time as he worked on some problem on his computer, in the front room.

With Master occupied for a time, Secundus lay down for its late morning nap, near Master's feet. The sunshine through the big windows bathed it in light while the warmth of the nearby fire soothed its backside.

"Babe, time to get up," ordered Master. "Go out and fetch the package. They're earlier than usual; it's not even one o-clock."

Secundus had heard the knock on the door but had chosen not to stir. It knew what this meant; the reviewer had arrived. As it carried over the package, Secundus reminded itself to be brave. Master had his own fears but had chosen not to abandon his servant at this dark time. It would not run. Instead it handed over the package and climbed up on the couch to join Master and await its fate.

Master began to open the package. He said, "Once I break the seal on the inner bag, we only have two minutes to position it over your eye. The device is set to recognize your retinal pattern and your voice. Hold your eye open until you hear it speak to you, then answer all prompts clearly."

Master opened the inner bag, placed the device on Secundus' head and aligned the eyepiece. Before activating the reviewer, Master gently said, "Thank you for making this part easier this time, Babe. There is something you forgot to do last time. I need you to remember this."

"Anything, Master!"

Master bent his head close to Secundus' ear and told it the words to remember. He then sat back away from his servant and said, "I can't protect you from what's coming. Say what I told you, only after the final prompt is given, and you will never have to go through this again. I love you, Babe. He then sniffed back a tear and said, "Activate review, Secundus. Registration code fourteen, fourteen, eight, three, six, pop-top."

* * *

Bursts of light filled its vision. A female voice was heard, "Derrick Wentz, your sentence begins today. To stay the execution, you have agreed to be among the first volunteers for a new rehabilitation program. You will never again be a free man, but you've been granted the opportunity to continue living as a productive part of society."

Derrick was in a lab somewhere. Tubes and wires ran everywhere. He was strapped to a gurney. Other than the equipment surrounding him, Derrick was alone.

The voice continued, "You will be asked some questions. Anything but completely honest answers will only make it harder to find you a match. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. Get on with it." Derrick's voice reverberated in the room.

From the speaker, overhead, "During your trial, you claimed to have lost control when you strangled your father's girlfriend and set fire to the house. Are you prone to impulsive acts?"

"Imagine that, " said Derrick. "I lost it after my father met me for the first time; to kill my mom in front of me and my brother. Tough learning you're an orphan at eighteen; caring for a fifteen year-old brother."

"I'm sorry for your loss. Have you made any other decisions that most would consider impulsive?"

"Nothing off the top of my head." Secundus' voice now quietly echoed the words of Derrick Wentz. Derrick was returning.

The voice on the speaker replied, "What about when you and your brother walked straight into that crib with a pistol apiece and a bagful of pipe bombs? You two took out the top players and assumed control of the block, just like that. Tell me you thought that one through."

"OK, I might have forgotten that one other time."

The voice said, "This is only going to hurt your chances of getting what you want out of this. I get to go home tonight, no matter how badly you screw yourself. Honest answers."

"OK" said Derrick.

"Do you consider yourself loyal?"

Derrick said, "Never had anyone I looked up to, so no."

"If it were up to you, how would you live as a free man?" asked the voice.

"Dream big?"

"Go ahead."

Derrick said, "I'd like to live like the rich and powerful. Hang out with 'em and travel the world. I'd like to eat the food the rich eat, for the rest of my life. I've had enough of that crap I grew up on!"

"I can relate. Anything else?" asked the voice.

On a roll now, Derrick said, "I wanna live where it's warm. I wanna feel that warmth and appreciate that feeling, every day."

"Do you want to live there alone?"

"No, some buddies would be alright. Better if some of those buddies were ladies."

The voice asked, "Do you prefer sex with women, or men? What do you like to do?"

"Bi, if I'm gonna be honest. I kinda like someone else taking charge; makes me feel smaller somehow. Sometimes it sucks to be the big, scary badass." Derrick chuckled in embarrassment.

The voice asked, "Are you tired of killing?"

Derrick took a deep breath before answering, "Yeah. . . been tired of it for a long time. Afraid I'll still do it, though. It's always come easy. It got me what I wanted quicker than any respectable way I could think of."

"Very useful information! Thank you, Derrick. If you were going to pledge your loyalty to one person, what would you want from that person in exchange?"

Derrick replied, "That person would have to trust me; treat me like I was worth something. He has to need me and know it."

"He?"

"I'm more comfortable looking up to a guy. . . don't judge me."

"It's a perfectly valid answer, Derrick. Do I understand that you would give your loyalty to a man who loved you?"

"Sounds a little over-dramatic, but yeah."

The voice on the speaker went quiet for a while. A male voice within range of the open mic said, "I never thought we'd find a fit for that shell. I've never seen a match line up that close before. Look up the buyer sheet. Look what they paid for that thing; who'd of thought something like that could cost so much! These improvements aren't even on the open market yet. No wonder it's only the second one ordered. Looks like we'll get our sales bonus this quarter." Lowering his voice, that person then said, "Oops, shit."

The female voice came back, "Derrick, your new body is ready. It's been waiting for someone just like you. You are a near-perfect match.

"I'll tell you how this is going to go down: Because of your record and your own, recorded statements, you'll be formatted as a rider core. Once the shell transfer is completed, your new body will instinctively want to be near him and to serve him. His safety, happiness and well-being will be your only concern. Nothing will feel better to you than learning you just did something to make him feel good, to smile or laugh. The second closest feeling is when he touches you. If something you do, or fail to do, causes your master any harm or distress, you'll feel like you've been gut-punched and you'll do anything to help him feel better. The directives we installed will be there to guide you and the fail-safe pathways will automatically route your destructive impulses into positive actions.

"In exchange for your servitude, you will get everything we talked about."

Derrick asked, "What the hell's a rider core?"

The voice on the speaker answered, "The core is you; everything you are, minus your body. A naked core can be stored for a little while, but it needs a shell to survive. Not every core is a good fit for every shell, so most buyers have their servant shells grown early and stored until a match is found."

"A rider core has limited access and limited control of the shell. You're being formatted as a rider core because we can't afford the lawsuit they would throw at us, if you killed your owner."

"So people who buy shells for themselves, they get a driver core format?" asked Derrick.

"Exactly," answered the voice.

"I heard enough to know the boss is rich. It's no secret that you need money to buy into this game. Why is he tucking me into that expensive toy of his? What's he think he's gonna get from me?"

"All matches are blind. Matches are determined through these neural and chemical tests we're performing and your verbal answers to our questions. What he's getting is a full-time personal valet, companion and confidant."

Derrick said, "I'd make a better bodyguard."

"That's not what he wants," replied the voice.