Star Kitten (22 page)

Rex made his way through the restaurant,
greeting happy customers and thanking them for dining there that
night. Glad-handing VIP customers who’d been identified to him on
the restaurant computer, was always a great idea.

Passing the lounge area, the video broadcast
blaring from the giant screen in the lounge suddenly caught Rex’s
eye, as he noticed the crowd of people now gathering around to
watch the news. They were riveted to the investigative report,
which was still being given by Patty Persian. At first he thought
folks were just turned on by the pretty Pumalar giving the story,
but soon he realized what the topic was, and it quickly got his own
attention as well. Pirates were raiding again! No one was safe! Rex
could just feel the customers in his lounge fearing for their
personal safety, and certainly for good reason. This could be
really bad….

He approached Felina from behind as she was
stuffing another delicious bite of (raw) Mahi Tuna into her tiny
catlike mouth. “Well, that’s going to be a downer for business, now
isn’t it?” understated Rex as he walked up to her table and sat
down across from her. Felina smiled broadly, reacting with pleasant
surprise at his arrival. She’d been staring vaguely into the fish
tank for some time, and didn’t even know what he was making
reference to with that comment. “What’s bad, Tomcat?” asked Felina
through her mouthful of food. Rex sighed. He had just heard Patty
Persian say that passenger ships had also been suffering raids from
unknown pirates while in route to different planets. That could
spell disaster for Star Pussy too, if prospective customers all
over the galaxy were suddenly afraid to risk space travel.

“Didn’t you hear the reporter?" continued
Rex. "She said pirates are attacking passenger ships now. Might
mean fewer customers on Star Pussy if it gets out of hand,” Rex
smiled anxiously. If he only knew how prophetic those words really
were. Felina by way of comparison was oblivious to the broadcast
and just shrugged her shoulders. She was exhausted anyway from all
her encounters of the day. And after her nightly chat with Rex, she
was looking forward to a good long 12 hour catnap.

However that’s precisely
what had been happening. The Naustie pirate fleet had as of late
been turning to raiding passenger ships for food, weapons, supplies
and other… more valuable…
acquisitions
.

“So, how was your day, Darling?” asked Rex,
changing the subject with a grin. Felina grinned but clearly needed
to finish chewing her food and swallowing so Rex just followed up
with his nightly detailed plan for the evening….

The “Roman Empire” section of the Earth
Environs was only a five minute shuttle ride across the converted
space station to get to, and this facility was both grandiose in
its detail, as well as fully populated with sexy human playmates
all hours of the day and night. Roman Coliseum venue had been
constructed inside an old sports arena. It was basically the size
of an indoor hockey rink. Performers ascended from below up to the
“floor” of the arena, just like in the ancient Coliseum, and there
they could fight mock battles in the nude with each other and
simulate mortal blows to the thrill of the lustful crowd. The
“bodies” of the “slain” would descend on platforms once more to the
Gladiator paddock below, while the “victor” would be cheered and
lauded for his “valor”. Patrons could walk through the lower cells
below the simulated arena too, and pick a male Gladiator to enjoy
for the evening if they wished. Plus next door there was also an
enormous Roman bath (a gigantic heated self-cleaning pool with
scantily-clad female attendants also available to be enjoyed by
customers). The walls of the arena were adorned with holographic
images portraying the interior of the real Roman Coliseum, and the
walls of the Roman Bath were made to look like one had literally
gone back in time to ancient Rome. Even the ceiling of the arena
was covered in a holographic image of an autumn Italian sky.

Rex had the Employee Grade level necessary
to get in, and even though other Environs were also accessible to
him because of his high grade level, he tended to be more of a
creature of habit. Rex’s Employee Grade level was well-earned
because of his restaurant’s high profitability and financial
performance. Customer surveys were also crucial to this; so having
a celebrity like Felina showing up each night meant not only
numerous customers, but happy customers as well. That’s what really
got Rex his high Employee Grade. But for other employees, this was
measured differently.

An employee’s GRADE was earned by job
performance and longevity in employment mainly, but it was verified
via a chip which was inserted into the upper arm of each being
working there. This chip would send data to Star Pussy Human
Resources indicating body readings like raised heart rate,
prolonged physical exertion, ingestion of fluids, and calorie
intake. It measured sleep and health readings too, but mainly this
was all oriented toward checking up on Employees to make sure they
were really working and not lounging around inside the venues,
getting inebriated during work shifts, taking unauthorized food
breaks, or sneaking off to take a nap.

Body
workers were measured based on their performance by checking
indications of rises in body temperature due to contact with other
beings. The chip could communicate to the computers about ingestion
of foreign DNA, the presence of sweat from other bodies, or
insertions of foreign fluids like saliva or semen into genitalia,
esophagus, or the rectum. Rises in heart rate or physical exertion,
coincidental with these biological indicators would verify the
frequency by which a body worker was engaging in sex, and so
therefore the Star Pussy computers basically knew pretty much how
hard—and how often—each body worker was
putting out
.

Employee Grade certainly affected one’s pay…
but food and lodging were already free to begin with. If all you
wanted was to make minimum wage for your job grade and eat at the
employee commissary (sleep in triple-stacked bunks with three
roommates) then mediocre performance might be acceptable. But why
would anyone want to settle for that? A janitor, beat cop,
maintenance worker, or housekeeper making minimum wage would more
likely want to enjoy the facilities, attractions, and carnal
delights. And to do that, one had to achieve a higher Employee
Grade. Otherwise no admission would be granted to them. For that
reason, most workers were enthusiastic and efficient at their jobs.
They wanted to play too, after all… and who could blame them? This
was Star Pussy!

The system for customer transactions was
just as technically advanced. When a customer purchased a VACATION
PACKAGE on Star Pussy, it included travel and lodging. Some of the
basic services came right along with the package, such as access to
the Roman Empire attraction in the Earth Environ or the Jungle
Terrariums of the Zorg Environ. Most every package included those.
But when you arrived, you could also upgrade to get access to
additional venues like dinner at Rex Middlefield’s restaurant, or
to purchase an hour of personal attention with a Pumalar Empath.
Upon arrival, the customer would merely get their palm scanned
identifying them to the Star Pussy Computers; and then they could
roam the facility freely. Each attraction or venue required merely
placing their hand over a scanner at its entrance; and if their
admission had been paid, entrance was granted. Purchasing
additional services merely required another palm scan.

There was also a POS (point of sale)
function at each venue’s entrance where any customer or employee
for that matter—on some whim of inspiration—could purchase
admission. Most of the restaurants worked specifically in that way;
and that was quite shrewd on the part of Star Pussy Management.
Restaurants were often located right out front of most
super-popular venues, dance clubs, and attractions because after an
hour or two being naughty, a customer would most likely be starving
hungry.

Bars and saloons were
scattered throughout Star Pussy as well; and numbered in the
hundreds—just about as many as there were public bathrooms! Most
weren’t even bars at all really, but just little kiosks sitting
remotely along the walking paths, or right outside shuttle
stations. Smiling bartenders were practically everywhere, selling
drinks to customers as well as sexual enhancements to keep the
party going for customers hour after hour after hour. Liquor sales
on a combined basis from every kiosk and bar throughout Star Pussy
accounted for a large portion of annual profit; and practically
paid for Star Pussy’s labor cost
all by
itself
. Not surprisingly, hard-working
bartenders held some of the highest Employee Grades on the
station.

Star Pussy was a wagon-wheel shaped former
space station, with a headquarters and office complex centered in
the very middle. Shuttle vehicles traveled back and forth
throughout the spokes of the wheel, and employee dormitories were
located along those shuttle routes. Docking stations for space
craft were located around the outer ring in several locations so
that passenger craft as well as supply ships could dock and unload.
Often these were very busy operations, as ships would be arriving
and departing constantly. Traffic control and maintenance of public
order was therefore vital.

And that's why security was practically
everywhere. There were security stations and patrol posts
practically at every corner, in the area near major venues, and of
course the docking stations. Each shuttle car moving back and forth
throughout the spokes of the space station had a “driver” who was
actually a policeman. Of course the shuttles were operated by
computer, and there was certainly no steering, acceleration, or
braking necessary! But having a formidable-looking uniformed guard
inside each shuttle was a natural deterrent to mayhem.

In the view of Star Pussy management, the
giant pleasure palace was more of a fully operational floating
galactic planet—or city even. Not just a business with a need for
uniformed security guards. It had its own power facilities and
public works that had to be operated. It had cleaning, laundry,
supply distribution, water, sewage, electricity, and even its own
broadcasting station which advertised throughout all the hotel
rooms and lobbies about popular attractions. Because of this from
the very beginning Star Pussy management considered it necessary to
have its own police force. It needed a police force under its own
jurisdiction too—not under command of the government of Pumalar or
any other planet.

The way they foresaw it was quite wise: if
they were establishing a gigantic pleasure palace which was remote
and distant from any planet… and if the main product they were
selling was sexual stimulation and fulfillment… then there could
likely be disorder at most any time. Star Pussy management knew
that going in. So they didn’t just hire security guards.

Management had them
trained in combat and riot control, and even established a post for
Police Chief with his own hierarchy of subordinates, staff, and
chain of command all the way down to the lowly beat cop walking
through the lobbies and hallways. Each cop carried an electronic
baton which functioned much like an old cattle prod. It had
settings for merely shocking an unruly customer, and even had
a
stun
setting
for incapacitating any miscreant who dared to defy the
rules.

Police were expected to
maintain order. That was their main function. ANY disruption of
public peace or threat of violence was quelled brutally and
quickly. They prided themselves on that. And why wouldn’t they?
Most all were Pumalars who’d finished their mandatory ten year
military service and come to Star Pussy to enjoy their middle age.
Many others were tough Human, Porkonji, or Zorgolongian males who
could handle the rigorous training and enjoyed the benefits of
working at a sex palace with an Employee Grade which gave them
access to most all the best pleasure venues. Fearsome and
intimidating to begin with, Star Pussy Police for the most part
loved their jobs as patrolmen; and would pounce on almost any being
for even the slightest infraction. After all, their employee grade
was based on the number of
reported
disturbances within their patrol area.

And they’d throw you in
the Brig for most anything. They didn’t hesitate either: if a
customer started a fight or quarreled with an employee or another
customer—no matter WHO started it frankly—the SP Police would lock
you up, refund the cost of your hotel room, and send you back to
your home planet on the next available ship. They were just that
strict, and they very well could be. After all, who would a
customer complain to? There was no government there. There were no
courts or judges. Everyone just understood that was the way things
were. If you came to Star Pussy, you should be there to have fun…
drink, get rowdy, have lots of sex, enjoy yourself. Then go home.
But if you fucked up and got in trouble with the SP Police; God
help you. No one else would. The SP Police could handle most
anything that ever happened on Star Pussy. Well…
most
anything that
is.

It had now been over two very long years
since the prisoners of New Australia Planetary Prison had risen up
and overthrown their captors.

The initial success of
capturing a pirate ship lured into docking with the
Anarchy
thinking it was
the old Earth Cruiser Unity, led to the beginning of a golden age
of piracy and plunder for the Nausties. This role suited them well.
Thousands of tough former miners were soon lining up for a chance
to join the growing pirate fleet. It eventually numbered ten and
ranged from small transport and scout ships—all the way up to the
massive Earth Cruisers which were fully armed now and capable of
pouncing on most any ships of the same size.