Excitement washed through Dane, soon to be Kiev Dane, as they walked out of the winding corridor of sale booths and into the center of the large sales exchange building. He wanted to run, but his master had chosen to make his branding public. Thousands would know he was the body slave of the female of the younger generation of the Evrun family.
Dane watched the contract signed and his price paid to his mother's owner. He smiled and told him he was going to love his life and his master very much and be very happy. Dane hugged him good-bye. He wanted to beg him to take him home to his mother and the safety of the family. His mother's owner felt his fear and softly told him that he was a lucky slave. Kiev would love him well and understand him thoroughly.
Kiev ordered Dane to the exhibit platform and told them to prepare him for marking as a body slave. She expected the other slave shopping to take a while, so they had time to do it right. Dane watched her walk away. She would brand him when the family had narrowed the choices for each open position to two or three, then his response to each of their choices would be considered before the final purchase.
He'd been chosen as a prime breeding male by the heiress to the Evrun financial empire. She was so sure he would fall completely in love with her that she was going to bind him forever in public at the sales hall, as if he was a slave from another household who had fallen in love and been purchased by the loved master. He'd never been sold before and never seen a branding. Few had. Many would see his. He shivered in fear and excitement.
Dane was put in the restraints that would exhibit him nicely, while the slaves who worked in the sales hall brought him to arousal, and keep him from flinching during the branding. A crowd began to gather to watch. The branding and tagging of a body slave was exciting. He was rather shocked when he realized the male standing right in front of him was a human and more so when he addressed him.
"You look like you just might grow up to be able to handle the job. Kiev called me to come look you over. I'm Wren Taylo. I'm probably the one who'll yell for your mind and hands most often. I'm chief engineer on the Evrun orbital construction dock. She asked me to help plan your course of formal study. She's director of space construction operations. She always did have superb taste in friends."
"I don't know anything about her, except she's beautiful, very rich and she chose me to be body slave at my first selling."
"Yes you do. You know she won't fall in love with you and you'll love her desperately and completely. I do."
"What?"
"She knows. It's not a problem. Humans aren't in any danger of dying out. I've got three children and may have more I don't know about, but I'm in love with Kiev. She loves me too, but isn't in love with me and won't ever be. We have that in common. The difference is I get stubborn when given an order. You won't. She's my boss and we both like it. She's your owner. You don't have a choice. You're already falling in love."
"I don't know that I am."
The human laughed and walked away. His hair was brown and his skin was light beige, not gold, or he could have passed for one of them. They'd once had brown hair, but black, red-brown, yellow and such had been selected for over many generations. His own bright red hair added to his value. It was unusual, even more so than bright golden yellow. He looked across the center of the huge building at the tops of the winding corridors of booths where slaves waited and hoped the right master would find them. He shivered in fear of the marking, which would tell all he would be made complete slave and the training, which it would take to make him such. He worked to think of something else and the human walking away offered it.
Humans were the only sentient species they'd met who were descended from bisexual mammalian brachiators, as they were. They were even originally descended from an aquatic creature so like they had been that they had 'shoulder blades.' They were so much alike, in both biology and appearance, scientists had checked to see if humans were susceptible to the mutations which had nearly destroyed them. They weren't.
No matter how alike they looked and seemed, they were a totally different species, but the scientists of both species agreed evolution on the two worlds was too much alike for it to be chance and were looking for evidence of 'guidance.' The lonoki considered it probable and an interesting academic pursuit. Groups of humans had nearly come to battle over it and it was likely to remain a subject of heated debate by their religious leaders for several more centuries, even if evidence was found.
Dane gasped as his genitals were clamped in the holding rings and his hips pushed forward by a pad behind his lower back. The anesthetic was sprayed and the hood put on. He'd see no more of his preparation, nor any hand touch him, until his master removed it to tag and brand him.
Kiev chose four males and Jarun chose five females, as the ones from whom they would select three for the household. Their mother, of course, suggested which of the sixty or so for sale, who could fill the positions needed, from whom they should select. Two of the males were quite young. If they'd been virgins, they would have been kept in their mothers' owners' homes and educated until nineteen. They'd sought lovers, so it was time to sell them. Kiev smiled when her slave Tamias knelt before her in the market. She knew exactly why he'd sought her there on that day.
"You wish me to sell you to Foree?"
"I am in love with her, Master. I have begged her to buy me. I think she will."
"I think she will too. You may tell her I'm willing. Mother, we need a maintenance engineer too."
"Sell him to Foree for the price of the young one with yellow hair. She can afford that much and he can be trained for the job. He practically cried when you told him he was one of several we were considering."
"Yes, sweet sister, he doesn't think he has a chance and is probably already hoping his new master will sell him to you when he declares his love."
"I will see what Dane thinks of him first, Jarun. That one has chosen both female and male lovers. He's noted as being extremely promiscuous for his age, which might make him very useful in our household, but you don't want him as a lover. If Dane doesn't either, it could be very difficult for him. He can't really be in love with me yet."
"He's pretty and I'll enjoy watching my girls playing with him. I might get interested enough to play with him a bit once in awhile."
"Play a bit, but not let him make love to you. That will have to be Dane and we both know it."
"He'll enjoy it if you watch."
"He'll enjoy anything I command him to enjoy. Hello, Foree, I see Tamias wasted no time."
"I love him, Kiev, but I can't pay what he's worth."
"You can have him for the price of the pretty young male with yellow hair and gray eyes in the third booth down the corridor behind me. I don't know that I'll buy him yet, Foree, but that's your price for Tamias. He'll sire children for you and he won't for me. Are you going to make him your body slave?"
"No, I haven't decided if I really need one yet. I'm not sure Tamias is the right one anyway. He'll be happy in my household though. He is in love with me. I'll check the young one's price. If it's too much for me, I'll just have to tell Tamias he has to wait awhile."
"He shouldn't be. His mother's owner hasn't begun his higher education, so only has his siring fee and reasonable maintenance to recoup. He's priced him to sell quickly. That one's heart would be broken if no one bought him today. Mother thinks he may be a good maintenance engineer, with training."
"Then he will be. I'll go look at the slave and his price. I'll post it as hold in your name at the purchase counter. If you decide to use it for him, we'll have them draw up the agreement for the purchase and exchange and not have to pay off-sales-floor filing fees."
"Foree, you think like an accountant."
"I know, Kiev. It certainly helps with the family business, but not a great deal when I ask myself why I'm purchasing a construction equipment maintenance engineer. I'm sure he'll figure out some way to use his training and skills to contribute to the household. I need your person
al records in nine days, Jarun. I'm not going to put my entire household on your taxes around the clock for three days to get them in on time this year. We will have twenty days to prepare them if you have to pay a twenty-day late-filing fee."
"I'm sorry, Foree. I didn't intend to be so late last year. I also didn't realize they'd gotten that complex. I know it this year. I hope to have them ready in three days."
"Good. If you hope to have them ready in three, there's a slim possibility you'll have them ready in nine."
Jarun laughed and nodded. He never lost track of a penta-unit of business or family money, but his personal records were a jumble of notations wherever he put them in the comp files and had to be tracked down and deciphered. He hoped he'd be done with the chore in three days, but nine was probably more accurate. He was still hunting about thirty-two thousand units and he knew he hadn't spent all of them on casual entertainment. He had several purchases for his household to locate yet. He watched Tamias trail Foree and felt a bit sorry for his friend. Foree had many male slaves and he would probably never become her favorite. She was unlikely to choose one.
He was pleased with Kiev's choice and more so when he saw him on the marking platform. The bright red-gold curls of his body hair were unusual and quite interesting. The curls were darkened and his pale gold skin glistened with sweat. Jarun noticed he was trembling and smiled. The first hand he would ever see touch him was Kiev's and he was obviously very ready for her to claim him. Jarun followed her up on the platform and took the tags she handed him.
She would not waste any time. The public claiming was for others, not herself. She would have done it quietly and in private, but many needed to know she had chosen a body slave, so they would deal with him, without asking for her. It would also leave no doubt in the slave's mind that he was her chosen body slave. It was the beginning of his training. He held out the first tag when she nodded to the preparation supervisor to remove the hood. Kiev had the nipple tag on the ring and was welding it shut before the slave's eyes adjusted to the light and he could focus on what she was doing.
She tagged his ear just as quickly, then caressed him gently before welding the tag ring in his scrotum. A body slave was a 'complete' slave. Gedin, Jarun's body slave, though he hadn't actually named her as such yet, would never have an apartment, or even room, of her own. Neither would Dane. Neither would ever want one. If their masters didn't want them for the night, they would be told who to go to, or they would sleep on the floor before the door to their masters' rooms. Jarun applauded with the rest, when the male slave screamed and ejaculated when she branded him.
Kiev got the healing agent on Dane fast. The pain was diminished by the topical anesthetic, but it was controlled, not prevented. The pain of the branding was the need of the slave chosen as body slave, not the master. It was given, but further suffering was not allowed. She cleaned her hands while Dane was released. He was helped to follow her down from the platform. The crowd applauded again as he stumbled through it in the wake of the one who had bought him, then claimed him completely for all to see.
Kiev led Dane to the females first. They bought a young engineer who told Jarun she had plans to occupy his sleeping platform quite often, but would accept the pretty male trailing his sister as a reasonable substitute. She told Kiev she obviously had "great taste in males, period." Dane watched Jarun kiss her and smiled when he told her to get dressed and wait for them at the sales counter. Jarun obviously had great taste in females. He was starting to recover from the shock of being purchased as the male body slave to Evrun, or at least putting it aside to deal with later. He did realize it would probably be much later.
The second female was actually chosen by their mother. She was middle-age, her children were grown and the master she had loved had died. She was an engineer with just the construction background they needed and her brother would like her a great deal. She'd already met him. She said she was rather excited about the plans for the huge new wing of the house he was building and the expansion of the spacedock facilities planned when it was completed.
Kiev led Dane into the booths of the four males, one after the other. She began with the deep gold young male with dark hair and gold-brown eyes. Dane wasn't in very good shape to ask questions of him, but she was pleased when he said he thought he'd fulfill the position, until the time came he sought another master. She agreed and bought him on that basis.
Her mother liked the older male. Dane noted it was quite mutual and he probably had much to teach the young people in the kitchen. The chef nearly jumped into his clothes and dashed for the sales platform. Iliev laughed. Sometimes a slave didn't find the right master until late in life. The chef was too excited not to believe he finally had. She didn't need a male slave, but she needed a chef and he wasn't too old to father children if he fell in love with her.
Dane sighed when he saw the young male with satiny, blue-black, soft-curled hair and violet eyes. He was lovely and his mother's owner was selling him reasonably because he required training. He also required a household with a large number of females. He said he would work hard to learn whatever task his master set. His face lit when Kiev told him the position was maintenance engineer and to dress and await them at the purchase counter.
"Kiev, what about the one with golden-yellow hair?"
"That's a good question, Jarun. Mother, I think he could be educated to fill a position in research and development when he's ready. He won't be for several years, but we wouldn't need him there for several. He has a very high math aptitude. I think he could handle the physics curriculum. We've chosen the slaves we need. Do you want to make the investment in education on the basis he'll be needed later?"
"I think it's reasonable to purchase him on that basis, but he'll be in your household, not mine. You do like him. If Dane can give him what he needs, he'll be quite useful."
"Dane, he needs at least one male lover as well as females. I hadn't planned on this, but I think he's chosen me. He's sixteen and his mother's owner priced him to sell today. He noted he's rather fond of being in the middle of a large group and it was time to get him out of the one he was in, before he assured none of the others his age were virgin at their first sale either."
"If you choose him, I will accept him, Master."
"I know that, Dane, but I would much prefer you enjoy it too. Look him over and see how he responds to you and if you respond to him. He doesn't know I'm considering him yet."
The young male dashed to the front of the booth, as soon as he saw them. Dane smiled a bit ruefully, stepped into the booth and kissed him. The young man's response was immediately obvious. His gauged his own as best he could. He'd never had any lovers and a male hadn't even occurred to him as a possibility. He wasn't prepared for the young male to drop to his knees and begin to work to arouse him. He stepped back and looked at his master.
"It's time he had a great deal to do and think about. Yes, I think he has chosen you. I didn't dislike his touch. I can judge no more than that in honesty, Master. I've never been touched by another male before this day and he was the only one who touched me I knew was male."
"Dress and follow us to the purchase counter. You will study physics for a position in research and development. Dane will be in some of the same curricula, but have much other besides. You will make sure he does not fall behind in physics and math because he must study so many other things too. You will learn well enough to tutor him when necessary."
"Yes, my beautiful master. You have chosen a body slave and I will serve him as I would you, for he is part of you to me."
"Exactly. Follow."
Dane expected to be dressed before they left the building, but one of the other slaves was handed his clothes and he was collared and leashed. He would be no farther from his master than the length of the short gold chain on the collar unless she tied it somewhere or took the collar off. He was a body slave and his training to accept his complete possession had begun. Both the young males were a bit jealo
us, and at that moment, he would have traded with either of them.
Dane struggled to stand where his master tied him and in the position she placed him, on the transport through the city. The family had gone to the front of the car. He'd been left in front of the doors and shivered each time they opened with a blast of cold air and another group waiting for transport looked him over.
He was trembling by the time they boarded the tram to the estate. Those boarding had all examined his tags and brand. News cams were focused on him and commentators on platforms and the train discussed his physical structure, genetic lines, responsiveness, sale price and claiming, and the record of his education to that point. They asked no questions of him and didn't bother Kiev. He wasn't really coherent and commentators did not intrude on the Evrun family. He was news and many casts would begin with the story of his purchase.
He was Kiev Dane and he would respond to the name Kiev at any time she was not present. His image needed to be widespread, so the people who called for her and got him would know they had reached her. He was beyond even wishing the image wasn't so complete by the time the third commentator lifted his genitals, so the cam could get a better image of his tag and brand.
A few evenings later, Kiev watched Jarun idly fondle her body slave and smiled. They were all helping get him ready for her. She motioned her other new slaves, Yan and Taral, over to her couch and told them to give her a massage. Both were as eager to please as kinto pups and she was already growing quite fond of them. She was thinking about giving them Dane to play with for awhile in her room before retiring, then chaining him at her feet and taking them both to bed with her.
She'd worked her way past their ages. Wren Taylo had pointed out they were both over eighteen in his years and their species matured at about the same rate. She'd giggled and told him thinking of them as old enough if they were human didn't really help, then realized it actually had. Dane was more unusual for a male in that he had waited than they were in they had not. Of course, most males didn't become such a problem they needed to be sold at sixteen like Yan had. Taral was almost eighteen and that was more common.
The Lonoki Solution Page 2