Whitespace Chronicles: The Circle

Editor's note: this story contains scenes of non-consensual or reluctant sex.

*****

She felt a cold dread in the pit of her stomach when the android called her name out from the rest of the work crew.

"Linia Anet! Step into the left assignment slot."

Everyone knew what this meant when these kinds of reassignments occurred.

It was mostly the same thing for the Ymeric slaves held in bondage within the Kalthian Stellar Domain.

Get born and grow up on one of the 'reserve' planets where the Anathi slave raiders dumped their successful captures from across the stellar rift. Get an 'indentured contract' pinned to your name, with leverage of family members' lives as collateral to discourage escape attempts. Then find yourself traded to either a noble clades venture as forced labor, or pressed into military service as an auxiliary, fighting who knows what horrors out in the depths of space.

....and then of course, for a small, individually selected few, mostly women, there is the job that everyone knows of, but always tries to avoid talking about.

Sex.

Kalthian Society was not an open or liberal one like the other Free Human Enclaves outside of the wider Hegemony. Even within it, there were other cultures that were somewhat better than how things developed with the Kalthians themselves.

Every social interaction, especially within the upper strata, was heavily ritualized, with expectations on how to behave, how to dress, even how to talk. Courting parties were always overseen by 'morality watchers' to ensure that the men and women present behaved exactly according to Kalthian expectations, and when it came to sex, both parties were always supposed to wear thick body coverings, and not get too into one another.

Everyone hated this of course. But the 'Ethics Warden' class had a stranglehold on their society, and although they could not make actual laws, they could still ruin and stigmatize Kalthians who didn't adhere to their insane 'edicts'

But they didn't have virtually any say over the other peoples that inhabited the Domain's thirty-odd cluster of systems, including the enslaved Ymeric's bought in and traded by the Anathi.

Ymeric's were exotic, their tribal cultures mostly unknown to outsiders, and they seemingly held a high value on being capable warriors and survivors.

Also, of all the Gene-Descendants that legacy humanity had created, they seemed to have a special allure about them. With many agreeing that Ymeric women especially, possessed a striking beauty about them.

Strong, fast, and agile, but also retaining their femininity. They have become a favorite target across the Stellar western part of the Hegemony, particularly by the wealthy men of Kalthian society, which hosts large populations of Ymerics as forced laborers.

It was that seedy, unspoken fact. All across the systems of the Domain, groups of men, and sometimes even women, with the wealth and station to act upon their urges, got together. They invested in secret hideaways. Old Hollowed out asteroids, out of the way moons, anyplace where the Ethics busybodies did not have the power to reach. Both to hide stolen and undeclared assets, and as places to enjoy unrestrained appetites on not-so-willing 'servants'.

...and now, Linia Anet, Kithsister of the Brightstorm tribe. Knew without a shadow of a doubt.

She had been selected to go to one of these places.

She lowered her head as she walked over to the separated section. Also occupied by three other women. She watched as the rest of the work crews were given their reassignments.

No others were called into the section she was now in, she had been the last.

"All crews, head over to your work assignments boarding decks. Those who lag behind will receive disciplinary sanctions!"

Another android, this one just a torso fixed to the overhead watch office, ushered them all to the waiting transports.

Linia made no attempt to talk to the other women with her, they all remained silent as they made their way to the ship on the west side of the 'workstables'.

Her gut was aching now, uncontrollable spasms were erupting in her stomach as her brain wondered what was in store for her.

She and the other Ymeric Women silently entered the vessel, with a cold certainty of the future that awaited them.

______________________________________________________________________

The Purchase.

The Von Sesta's trading port was, understandably, always a hive of activity. Goods came and went, illicit deals were made in shady bars, away from the scrutiny of the local Ethics Sentinels, and of course, Arriving Ymeric slaves were first brought here before the various crews were sent on, usually to work in the world's foundries in the southern hemisphere.

But, tucked away in a small corner of the local auction stables, was the small, unmarked building where the 'special contract purchases' were kept and arranged.

There was a place like it in every such trading hub, where Ymeric contracts were bought and sold, usually in bulk, and everyone knew what these special purchases actually meant.

It was the reason why Halden Caine was here at the hub today, not for the usual purchase of illicit drugs that he got on behalf of his small circle of fellow shunned deviants. But to procure a vice of the more fleshy kind.

A Ymeric sex slave.

It hadn't taken long for him and the others to get to this point. They were on the 'bottom' end of Kathian noble society. Their families were wealthy enough to hold land and business assets, but the men themselves were not influential enough to artfully form the connections that got Kalthian women to consider them as viable partners.

They were stuck, and there was no shortage of men like them. Halden and his close friend since youth, Kaige, had joined up with three other men in a similar situation to them.

They'd invested in one of the old, isolated habitat domes in the far northern hemisphere of Sesta. It was out of the way enough to do whatever they liked without being pestered by the sentinels, but also a lucrative enough investment to maintain the comfortable lifestyle they were used to.

The Hab dome's export was mostly done via autonomous machinery that was difficult to get hold of nowadays, and the group rarely had to deal with anyone bar the occasional courier sent to pick up the mineral product.

The five men spent most of their time taking drugs, consuming narco beverages, and watching pict entertainments that were mostly produced outside of the Domain, given the often pornographic nature of the material.

On their own, their desires festered. Fuelled by drugs and drink, the inevitable subject came up.

It started off as a half-joking suggestion, the men still unsure of one another, Nareth had first put the hint out directly. They all of course giggled and laughed nervously. But the seed was planted.

Over the next few weeks, the idea went from a joke to being a completely serious discussion, as the men got more familiar with each other and stopped fearing that word might get back to their families and associates of what they were planning.

They were going to each pull together some funds, and buy a sex slave to share between them.

Halden unofficially took charge of making the arrangements. They would only get one. Although the dome was hardly ever visited by other members of their families, they still had a share of the investment that went into buying the ancient enclosure. In the event someone did come to check on things, it would be easier to squirrel a single individual out of sight.

Purchasing a slave contract was also expensive, even for one, They were generally only bought in large numbers for forced labor ventures. Individual contracts carried extra expenses, especially when they were used in the manner that Halden and the others intended.

It wasn't illegal, but holding a slave contract for sexual entertainment would still mean ruin to both his own reputation, and it would hurt their families' future business interests.

It was seedy, it was scandalous and shameful! Only the social outcasts and other dregs would do such a base thing if they could even afford the price.

'...and that's why I love the idea!' Halden thought to himself, grinning as the Limohover discreetly pulled up to the drab building's entrance.

He climbed out onto the stone walkway, it was just turning to night, the right time when his contact told him to come.

The sex contracts were sold after trading hours, the merchant would show him pict slides of what was available, answer any questions, and he could then take the purchase to the private tram the group had to travel the planet and take her back to the dome.

Halden's heart was hammering in his chest as he approached the locked door. He pushed the buzzer.

"Yes?... Can I help you?"

He let out a heavy breath and replied.

"I'm here to discuss a special purchase, as arranged with your associate?!"

The speaker in front of the door shut off, and the door unlocked.

A man dressed in black plain regalia smiled at him.

"Please?!, come in! Do not be concerned, everything here is handled with the utmost discretion!"

Halden straightened himself and entered the building.

_____________________________________________________________________

Linia stared at her reflection in the mirror. It seemed to her that a very different young woman was looking back.

Her head had been mostly shaved bald, with the exception of an elegantly tied 'longtail' that flowed out the back of her head, it reached down to just below her shoulders, the rich brown color of her particular tribe.

Like most Ymeric women it seemed, she was beautiful, her face smooth and unblemished, with silky lips that had been moistened to glint in the light, and also like all Ymerics, she had the telltale bright blueish green eyes, near fluorescent, with the ring shape for the pupils. The result of the ancient Gene fabrication of the now-extinct Legacy Humans of the past, and the trait that marked her people out the most from the rest of the Inheritor lines.

The nude figure looking back from the mirror had been given various elegant tattoos onto the sides of her bare head. She turned, her body was toned from a life of working in the Domains mines, as well as a trait of more of the ancient geneforging. But the young woman, who had barely just entered what her people would consider adulthood, still retained an alluring figure.

'Which is probably why I'm in this situation now!'

All of the cosmetic changes and the hairstyle were to make her as 'sexual' as possible according to Kalthian ideas. Bald and tattooed heads were supposed to indicate someone who had an insatiable sexual appetite and was often worn by prostitutes and pict flick stars during more liberal eras.

Her right breast had also been inked, around her areola, a twirling circular vine pattern had been placed, and both of her hips and thighs had various symbols relating to female sexual fertility inked upon them.

But the real degradation had been verbal. She thought back to the coerced oath she had had to make to the recording android after the cosmetics were finished.

"You are aware of the stipulations of your contract, are you not?!" The tinny voice asked her as she stood in front of it.

"I am"

"You are aware that if an attempt at escape is made, or that your holder or holders are harmed physically or financially by you in any way, your contract's Collateral is forfeit?!"

"I do." The 'collateral' being her father's life!

"You are aware that you must obey and carry out the commands and orders of your contract holders without dispute or hesitation?!"

"I do." Her reply had become monotonous now.

The android then elaborated further on what she already knew.

"Your contract has been requisitioned in order for you to provide intimate services and entertainment to a future holder or holders, or upon their behalf. Further to this duty, you will receive a brief period of appropriate etiquette training in how to carry out these tasks to the best of your ability, after which your contract will be available for purchase."

There had been nothing further from the droid after that, she was collected by two of the Stable overseers and spent two Sphetten weeks being 'trained'.

Via a series of pict recordings, she was taught the various techniques on how to orally pleasure a man, what to say to arouse them and how to behave when they request sex. She learned various erotic dances and movements as well as how to act during orgasms from intercourse. She had undergone surgery to block her fertility cycle and to make her genitalia more sensitive to stimulation.

She would never have children, never be a mother, her role now was simply to be used for pleasure, her body a toy to be played with by whoever held the code to her binding contract.

Linia turned away from the mirror in disgust. Inside, she was raging at the injustice, fearful of what was in store for her, But also, likely the result of some of the surgeries, strangely anticipating, wondering what the first time would feel like.

The overseers had her pose for various picts afterward, no doubt to entice a buyer. In the meantime, they made sure she kept herself at peak physically. The small room she was kept in had exercise devices set up to keep her busy while she waited.

It had been a few days, but Linia Anet did not have to wait long.

_________________________________________________________________

Halden maintained the appearance of calm as he looked through the pictures of various Ymeric women that were available to purchase. But inside, he was a nervous wreck, and the merchant could see it!

All of the women were naked and posed provocatively, their toned bodies completely exposed for him to examine in various ways. To someone from a culture that frowned so much on sex and nudity, it was nearly too much, even for a connoisseur of illicit porn like himself.

His erection throbbed under his navy toga. The merchant smiled knowingly as Halden swallowed heavily.

"I can see that this is your first time ever purchasing a contract in this manner, but you have nothing to fear." He spoke smoothly, no doubt assuring his newest customer.

"Purchasing a slave for sex is a lot more common than you think Mr. Caine. There are lots of men like you and your associates out there who simply cannot or will not participate in the charade that our culture has become!

Men, and occasionally even some women, are increasingly turning to our exotic cousins from the stellar west to satisfy their natural cravings, and for the most part, after a little 'education', they are more than content to provide for this need."

He chuckled to himself at the remark.

Halden turned to him, needing questions answered.

"What happens if she isn't cooperative?! What about pregnancy? Do we have to arrange our own controls for that?!"

The man grinned again, anticipating the questions he had no doubt heard before.

"All indentured Contractees are bound to their duties by collateral, Ymerics are very tightly knit when it comes to family, and these relatives' lives are held in the event that a slave tries to defy their holder's wishes, a fact that is always elaborated on to them."

He had heard about this a lot, he didn't quite know how he felt. That kind of emotional blackmail felt cowardly to him, but he had come to terms with it.

"As for day-to-day discipline, the slave will have a shock chip fashioned to the side of her neck, and using a controller you will be able to administer a slightly painful stimulus to reaffirm control and cooperative behavior. The device will be given to you once the purchase is complete.

Halden nodded, listening to the merchant. But his eyes were still drawn to the pictures.

"As for your other question, neither you nor your circle need to worry about fertility issues, each slave has been surgically administered locks to prevent egg dispersion, while still allowing for natural hormonal cycles to occur, pregnancy is no issue."

He swallowed heavily at that answer, sweat started to run down his head at what the merchant was implying.

"You mean?... We can...release ourselves in her?! Bare?!"

The sellar leaned forward towards him slowly, that lewd grin still on his face.

"Completely and utterly bare if you like! No ritual gowns. No absurd courting marches. Just raw, natural sex! The way it was always intended to be!"

Halden shivered at what the seller had just whispered in his ear.

"I see that you keep coming back to this one?" He looked down to the display screen at a picture of a woman with a brown longtail hairstyle, posed seductively, with her arms behind her head.

"Ah yes! Linia Ahet...She is our most recent acquisition here. Just entered the cusp of womanhood as you can see. The youngest of our current contractees, but the most eager!"

He looked at the young woman again, her breasts, her hips, her face. She was perfect!

She was the one for them!

"Will she be ok with the five of us?! We don't want any harm to happen to her!"

"She will be just fine!" the merchant replied to his concern. "As long as there is no intent to cause actual injury, no risky or overly rough behavior, she will be quite able to satisfy you and all of your associates without danger!"

Halden nodded, his mind was made up... Linia was to be theirs!

"I'll take her," he said to the merchant.

"Yes....you most definitely will..heh!"

They both shook hands as the purchase was made.

_____________________________________________________________________

The Journey Home.

Linias' heart was thundering in her chest as the two overseers escorted her out to the large hover tram waiting ahead.

It was two floors tall and was covered in elaborate metallic decor on the outside. No doubt these things were used as much to flaunt wealth and status by the Kalthians as to actually transport them to different parts of a planet.

As they approached the front entrance of the large craft, she saw her contract holder for the first time...or rather one of them!

He was a tall, dark-haired male, likely early third decade, well-toned and handsome. No doubt the product of expensive revitalization surgeries. He wore a dark blue shawl toga that covered only half of his chest, his left pectoral was exposed, along with muscular legs, far more than what the Kalthians usually considered appropriate to show.

Linia guessed that they would all be like this, highly maintained and spoiled rich men. Considering that their culture was so repressive, the Kalthians placed a lot of emphasis on retaining their youth and physical health.

The fact that she would be at the mercy of five of them had her very worried. For the first time since she was separated from her kin in the work crews, the reality of her new situation fully hit her!

She stepped forward as the man, Halden, smiled at her, his eyes roaming up and down her own skimpily clothed body.

She swallowed and made her formal introduction.

"I am Linia Anet, formally of the Brightstorm tribe, and I am ready to serve you!"

Haldens breath silently caught in his throat as the young woman stood before him and uttered her first words to him.

'Sacred Sions! We've really done this!"

He cleared his throat, assuming what he'd hoped looked like an assertive stance.

"It's good to finally meet you Linia! Please, step into the tram, the trip back will take about two hours, and my associates are very eager to meet you!"

The Ymeric woman nodded and stepped into the craft with him. The doors auto-sealed as he gave the signal to the pilot android to begin departure. He gently placed his hand around her shoulder, noting that she didn't flinch at his touch, which was a good sign.