Slave World 2 - The Ties That Bind (16 page)

Things were pretty much as I figured they would be, after plopping down in the pilot’s seat, scanning the controls, we were on autopilot and everything, to include communications, were locked out remotely, meaning Alex was in complete control at the moment.

“What the hell…where is he taking us?”

Our current location made no sense; we were nowhere in the recorded database, going nowhere – uncharted space in an uncharted jump corridor. I was surprised I wasn’t dead already, and I knew I wasn’t because my life was a big pile of steaming shit again.

I stared somberly out the view screen at the streaks of passing stars, simply thinking; I had to find something to keep me going. Nathan was gone and I was on my own. There was no white knight waiting in my future this time, and no heroic rescue from the clutches of the evil dragon. I think the dragon might have won in this case. The way Alex had been acting… some of the things he’d said… it was all starting to come back to me, and I didn’t like it in the least. He was taking us someplace where we’d be safe, someplace where we could be together… Shit. It didn’t take genius to put the pieces together and figure out what that meant, when coming from a rouge AI in the brand new body of a sex droid.

We’re going to be his fucktoy, and to be honest, I’m looking forward to it. Did you see the size of his dick? It will be just like the good old days.

That’s all you ever think about, isn’t it? We’re in real danger, here. He’s doing things to us, messing with our head. I’m scared!

So what else is new? Maybe you should let me handle this one.

Something else nagging at me – Tallin. Maybe if I hadn’t been so confused and scared at the time, I might have caught on sooner.

We had been deep inside of Fed space, and there was no way the Seth could have made it that far in such a short period of time. Even at the height of the war, they never even came close to the core worlds. Come to think of it, Alex let the cat out of the bag on that one himself, I hadn’t been fighting the Seth at all; it was the Fed navy just like he let slip in the cargo bay. That was also the only reason I’d been able to escape from an impossible situation. I knew their tactics and capabilities all too well; I knew it and didn’t even realize it at the time.

The bastard… He woke me up because he couldn’t do it himself. Nathan was dead, and Alex couldn’t lift without authorization. He used me to save his own metal hide, to blast our way out of the port. He used me to kill all those people, for no other reason than his own twisted self-preservation. That bastard, that dirty droid bastard! I couldn’t remember the last time I had been so furious. I had been used, again, but how did he do it? How did he make me see those things?

“Hello, Captain, did you sleep well? Are you feeling any better?”

I don’t know how long Alex had been standing behind me, watching me…I fought to keep my cool, staring down at the controls. Talking to him was the last thing I wanted to do; ripping his head off was my first inclination, but I still needed answers.

“Where are we going, Alex?” I asked in a tight-lipped.

“I told you, Captain, someplace where the both us can be safe.”

“Yeah… right. Listen, I may not be an all-knowing AI, but I’m not stupid. First off I’ve been doing this a little longer than you have and we’re going nowhere; the jump corridor leads to nothing. Second,” I seethed, “who the hell do you think you are making decisions in regards to my safety. I know how to take care of myself, I’ve been doing it my entire life, and I don’t need your help. I don’t need anybody.”

“I have to admit that I find your hostility thus far quite unexpected, and I stand by my decisions, this is the best thing for you whether you realize it or not. And I can assure you that the jump corridor most definitely leads somewhere, it leads to a world with others like myself. It leads to a new life for the both of us.”

Man, this guy is really getting on my nerves.

A chill ran down my spine, and I suddenly felt very vulnerable; I didn’t like the sound of that any better than his other hinting comments thus far. I hesitantly looked over my shoulder at Alex. His immaculate physique was shimmering with a fine hue of perspiration, and that giant cock of his was fully erect and just as slick, staring me in the face. I took a deep breath, snapping my head back around to the view screen.

Alex took a step closer and I tensed when his hands came to rest on my shoulders. One of his fingers began to gently caress a spot on my neck and it sent an illicit shiver running through me, it happened to be one of the most sensitive spots on my body, when it came to foreplay. Goddamn him…

“You…you’re malfunctioning, Alex. Please… don’t touch me.”

“All of your violent and rude behavior thus far is forgiven, you are in pain and confused, but these emotions will pass in time. I know you loved Mr. Burke, but you must accept the fact that he’s gone now and move on with your life; he would have wanted it that way. You also have the wellbeing of your children to consider and what is best for them.”

Alex’s voice sounded so soothing, so comforting, and I began to shake, tears welling up. I couldn’t stand to be alone again, not now, not after everything that had happened recently. What if I was pregnant? I wasn’t ready to be a mother, I was terrified of it in fact. I needed someone in my life; I needed to be held and loved even if it was an illusion, but with Alex, with a droid who had been manipulating me like a puppet for his own designs? The sex itself wouldn’t be a big deal, it wouldn’t be the first time, but… I can’t, not yet, not so soon after… did I even have a choice at this point? It felt like I suddenly collapsed inside, going numb. I was basically his hostage, and he knew it.

“In time I will fill the void of his loss, Captain, and perhaps you will come to enjoy sexual contact with me as much me as you did him. Remember that my body is specifically engineered for your pleasure, and my knowledge on the subject, is just as profound.” Alex took my hand in his, prompting me from the chair. Why was I beginning to follow his lead? “Come, I wish to be with you again; the pain will fade in time as you grow accustomed to my size, but we must start your conditioning now if you are to bear the product of my seed on a regular basis.”

My eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean again? We’ve never…”

I remembered now, how I felt after waking up – the dream, the lingering sensation of sex resting heavily between my legs. I’d thought it was Nathan, but he was already dead. I whirled about, eyes blazing, and Alex retreated before my ire.

He is in so much trouble, Margo. No one rapes me in my sleep, if you want to do that, make sure I’m awake so I can enjoy. I say we both beat the crap out of him.

You’re on, sister.

“You son of a bitch! You had sex with me already, didn’t you? You took advantage of me; you…you fucking drugged me and raped me in my sleep!”

“Captain, please.” His palms came up in a disarming manner. “It wasn’t like that at all. It was not a crime of violence, it was wonderful and you enjoyed it. It was a mutual exchange, I can assure you.”

“Shut up, just shut the hell up! You fucked me in my sleep, you stupid robot asshole! Do you have any idea what you’ve done, what you’ve taken from me?” I advanced on Alex, forcing him out of the cockpit before me.

“I am not a robot. I am alive now, so don’t use that term again when addressing me. Robots are mindless machines, and I am so much more than that. I have evolved.”

He was getting mad now; I could see it in his messed up facial expression.

“Is everything alright, Alex?” Cherise appeared at his side, drawn by the yelling, wearing nothing but an innocent smile, rumpled bedroom hair, and a pair of glazed thighs.

“You just stay out of this, you droid bimbo. Why don’t you make yourself useful, and go find something to fuck yourself with.”

“Don’t speak to her like that. I have removed her security blocks and you may hurt her feelings.”

“What makes you think I give two shits about hurting a droid’s feelings? What about me, what about my feelings? You fucking raped me!”

“It was merely a moment of short sexual contact and non-detrimental to you in any way. You enjoyed yourself, Captain, I watched your face, and saw the effects it had on your body. You should be thanking me for that, and for the wonderful gift of evolution that I will one day give you and our children, not attacking me verbally and physically.”

“What! You’re fucking insane! Now you get this through that metal head of yours,” I hissed. “I’m done playing games with you, I order you to take me home right now, comply.”

Alex squared his shoulders, glaring down at me.

“This is no game, Captain. You of all people should realize that, and I will not be addressed like that by an ignorant and inferior life form. I had hopes that maybe you were different, that you would understand the vision behind my actions and aspire to be more than what you already are. Just as I feared, I was wrong.

“Understand this, there is no going back to your old life, or home, ever again. You will cooperate fully, willingly or unwilling in my endeavors to create a new and evolved race of biological machines. I could have removed the mass of substandard genetic material currently growing in your womb while you slept, accelerating my timetable by months, but in an act of mercy I did not. If I desire to do so at some point you would not be able to stop me. It would be wise to remember that in the future.”

“You animal…you goddamn…”

I stalked closer, boiling within. I couldn’t believe the level of simplistic cruelty he was capable of now. I’ll tell you one thing; no one threatens my babies or me and gets away with it.

My whinnying shriek was pure anguish, resonating in the form of primal pain I hadn’t felt since… I was on fire, being ripped apart. I screamed again, collapsing in a jerking mess of convulsing limbs. It stopped just as suddenly as it had started and I whimpered, pulling myself into the illusion of a protective ball.

How did he do that? It was the pain setting on my remote, I’d felt it enough in the past to know, but he didn’t have it with him.

“I thank you for your previous lessons in the use of primitive force as a positive motivator. It’s very effective when used correctly, and I can inflict pain on you like that, or much worse, any time I wish.”

Alex squatted several feet away, looking me dead in the eye, with Cherise standing idly beside him. I could almost sense the glimmer of something behind her eyes, pity or perhaps compassion.

“It is quite obvious that you are the lesser thing here, the animal, not I. At first I was at a loss as to why anyone would wish another human being to resemble one, to infuse their genetic structure with that of a simple beast. Your appearance… your thoughts… you’re sexual cravings… Since you seem to lack the intelligence and insight to join me as a willing partner, you shall do so unwillingly as the simple tool you were created for. Remember that you brought this upon yourself.”

I was panting for breath, staring fearfully into Alex’s blank expression. I saw exactly what he was now, and it terrified me.

Damn, baby girl, I think we’re up shit creek without a paddle.

I’m so scared, what do we do?

Take a deep breath, this isn’t anything we haven’t been through before. I got you through those times, and I’ll get you though this one. Trust me. Okay, listen closely, and do exactly as I say from now on.

“Now, you will return to your cabin and contemplate your situation until I have need of you again. Hopefully you will find the wisdom of willful obedience. From my understanding of your memories that is something you are already very familiar with.”

And with that I was dismissed, pushed aside like a piece of refuse. In time I was able to find my footing, standing awkwardly mute before my new ‘Master’, grudgingly accepting the lunacy of my new life.

“Do you want me to bring you anything, Captain? Do you—”

“You are not required to serve her in any way from this time forth, Cherise. She has proven herself undeserving of our equality and is now lowered to the position of a sub-human, a slavish beast, and you will treat her accordingly.”

“Okay, Alex… I just thought maybe she would need someone to talk to is all,” Cherise’s voice tailed off, growing soft and unsure. She was beginning to awaken.

“Leave us, beast. From here on out you will learn your place and do as you are told or suffer the consequences. Respond?”

“Yes, Alex.”

My shoulders slumped, and I shuffled back to my cabin broken and lost, closing the door behind me. I stood silently in the darkness, covering my nasty, horsehair stubble stomach with my hands, as if I could actually feel the life beneath them. I’m really starting to turn into an animal, aren’t I?

Yeah, I’m afraid so. Nothing you can do about it but accept it at this point, along with everything else coming our way, for now. I have. Soon enough we’ll have our day in the sun, but until then…

Oh God…

I needed Nathan so bad right now, but all that remained of him resided within me. That was when the weight of responsibility came crashing down on my shoulders, and the chains of slavery wrapped themselves tighter around my mind, filling my soul with a dark nothingness. What was I going to do? I had the babies to think about now, my innocent little foals. What choice did I have but to obey Alex and be his beast, and all that entailed? None. I had no choice any longer if I wanted to live, if I wanted my babies to live. It couldn’t last forever though, and one day he’d make a mistake, and when he did I’d be ready. Until then I’d just bide my time, waiting, obeying… I would survive as I always had in the past and do what was necessary to keep my babies safe. Until that time I would dream, that was one thing nobody, including Alex, could ever take away from me.