DEDICATION
To My Vin-spiration
©2016 Morgan Destera All rights reserved
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
No part of this eBook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.
Cover Art by Bradley K. McDevitt
Cover Illustration Copyright © 2016 by Bradley K. McDevitt
http://www.bradleykmcdevitt.net/
PART ONE: THE SHAFTS
CHAPTER 1
Another day, another pound of C4 in my brain...
That's what it seemed like these days, Siki thought. She stretched, opened her eyes and looked again around at her bleak surroundings. Three others were sprawled on the floor near her, huddled under scraps of blankets or just the solar rays now beating in through the dusty lead-lined windows. They were the smart ones. It may be freezing at night, but if you could tolerate the cold, the morning sun – before it turned burnt umber with toxic gasses – was the best to warm up with. And it could be the source the only nutrients you may receive that day. A blanket would just shield the skin while offering little comfort against the night's chill.
She was one of those in the sun. She had learned her lesson long ago after a bout of near starvation. She had noted how others of her own size had seemed more fit and had later deduced it was because of the fleeting bits of sunlight the others managed to collect in the mornings. After she recovered, she had stealthily accessed the archives and read that sunlight did indeed offer some vitamins. After that, she joined the nudes on the floor rather than huddling in fear. Nothing worse could happen to her than what she had already experienced.
She remembered the time it had first happened. She had been young, barely past her first menses. She knew to expect it though. There were rapes – or “Breedings” as the Magnates called it – every night. At least the initial session had been gentle, knowing it was her first – he had first deflowered her with a clay figure forged for that purpose and had used her gently. The others, not so much. Eventually they had discarded her to the Shafts when she only produced a still-born monstrosity, and had had no other pregnancies.
Siki basked in the sun a few more moments before zipping on her jumpsuit and donning her re-breather just as the others started to stir. As she zipped up, she noticed the eyes of one of the male nudes watching her. In the haze she could not make out his figure, but saw his eyes glittering in the last rays. But this was nothing new, as she had seen him watching before. In this day and age, it meant nothing, although Siki's mother had told her of another time when love and jealousy ruled and babies were produced out of love and not out of necessity.
The Earth was pretty much dead. After the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan and the subsequent Davis-Bessie and Fermi plant meltdowns that decimated Ohio and Michigan a few years later, The Nuclear Regulatory Commisssion, the Environmental Protection Agency and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC) had outlawed all nuclear energy plants for fears of yet another disaster. After much in-fighting between government agencies, due to Presidential Directive 51, which granted power to execute procedures for continuity of the federal government in the event of a "catastrophic emergency,” the Nuclear Regulatory Commission became head of the government. They were the only department that had any idea how to survive a nuclear disaster, despite the Department of Homeland Securities' boasts.
After months of scrambling to provide power, and with citizens growing angrier, energy distributors had to revert back to coal power. Thousands of scrapped power plants had to be re-commissioned and brought back online. Eventually, the emissions from the coal plants, despite heavy regulation, had clouded the atmosphere and had warmed the environment. Thousands had died during the meltdowns, and millions had joined them after refusing to give up their creature comforts and cut back on energy use. Now there was little left. Crops could not grow due to low light levels. Water was polluted, and the air was choked with chemicals. One could not go outside without a re-breather Citizens had taken to indoor living only, thus creating more of a demand for energy. Indentured slaves, like Siki and her mother before her, were used for breeding to repopulate and hopefully create a hardier human through genetic engineering. Outcasts were used for mining coal.
She went to the elevator and was preparing to descend when she saw a group of workers approaching. She preferred to ride alone, but knew the wait for the elevator could be excruciating and could make them late for their shift. She hit the HOLD button and waited. As they filed in, she kept her eyes downcast, as befitting her station in life, despite the fact everyone was in the same situation down here. Failures. Outcasts. But she could feel someone staring at her. She glanced back and saw the same glittering eyes behind a mask that she had noted earlier that morning. Crap. He was right behind her in the crowd. She could feel the snout on his mask brushing her neck. As the door closed and the elevator descended, she could feel his hand brush against her side. Her head bolted up. No touching. Especially not her. And especially in public. The mask rubbing on her neck became a little harder, a little warmer and his hand brushed hers, and then touched her ass. She froze, hoping no one else noticed. She glanced about, just using her eyes, but no one else seemed to have noticed. Everyone was in a state of disinterest, the same as every other ride down.
Descending more than 1,500 feet at a virtual crawl in a crowded elevator was stressful enough. When the flat of his hand settled on the curve of her back, she was tempted to turn and slap him, but it would not be good to confront him in public. With her history as a Failed Breeder, she was especially forbidden. They had methodically scarred her face and body and had ripped hair from her scalp to make sure no one would desire her. Shame was more pronounced than the scars, though. She always kept her head down, never met a person head-on. She had been taught well how ugly she now was.
No other move was made until the lift ground to a halt. He withdrew his hand and prepared to file out with the others. She drew a deep breath, lowered her head again and walked out. She could hear him following her. As the others shuffled off to their stations, she hurried. No one cared enough to watch and wonder, although running was an anomaly nowadays. Most had too little energy to walk, much less run, and they were facing a grueling 14-hour work shift, underground, with little air and even less light.
He didn't seem to be following now. That was good. She slowed to a walk, exhausted and weak. She continued down The Shaft to her locker. Some things never change. These lockers had been used at the Turn of the Century and they still functioned as a place to call your own. Not that anyone had many possessions, only the Magnates still owned anything. Most were lucky to just survive and continue on. The extremely lucky ones died on their shift in the Shaft and never had to work again. No, this locker was merely a place to store the most important thing in your life – your gear. Gear, that if lost or damaged, could cost another year or two of service n the Shafts. Not that anyone ever completed their “contract”.
She took her tool belt out of the locker and was preparing to strap it on when two arms came around her. She froze again as the hands took the belt from her and snapped it snugly around her hips.
She kept her head down, afraid to move. The hands moved to her hips and then gently moved up her sides. She didn't move, didn't dare to breathe. Then suddenly the hands were gone. She blinked. What the hell...
She closed the locker slowly and just stood ther
e for a moment. She was already late for her shift and really could not afford to waste anymore time, but she had to gather her wits about her. The strange encounters had left her addled. She didn't know what to do. She glanced around at the security cameras blatantly mounted in each corner of the room. She didn't even know if they still functioned. She could only hope they had captured the encounter. But then again, she didn't know who would be more in trouble – the man, or herself for not protesting.
She took a breath and left the room. It was quite a distance to her station and she knew she should hurry, but had no motivation to do so. She tried to keep her mind blank. To think would be to speculate and speculation was dangerous.
“About time you got here, Siki,” she heard a voice growl in her ear as she entered the open area of her station. She lowered her head further in submission. Then a hand – the same grip she recognized – grabbed her hip. “I've been waiting for you,” he said in a different tone. He took her hand. “Down here,” he whispered. “You need disciplined for your tardiness.”
He dragged her to his office, a small alcove walled off by sheetrock. She protested by pulling back with all her weight, but as a supervisor Vin was better fed and more fit than she. Again, no one bothered to look. People disappeared all the time down here because no one bothered to look. Once she entered that office, she knew she may become one of those missing ones.
He shut the makeshift door behind her and released her. He took off his re-breather, tossed it on a scarred old desk, and sat on a tall stool. She stood, trembling with her head down before him. She could feel him staring at her. “Why are you so afraid?” he asked gently.
She didn't say anything, just remained as still as she could despite the trembling.
“Siki,” Vin said, reaching for her hand. “What are you afraid of?”
She remained silent for a long moment, but then whispered, almost inaudibly, “You...”
He gripped her hand harder and chucked. “I'm sorry I startled you,” he said and dropped her hand. “But I've had my eye on you for a while.”
She trembled harder. “I'm sorry,” she said quietly.
“For what? You did nothing wrong. I had to make an excuse today - a way to make you late so I could bring you down here. This was all planned. And I wanted to give you a hint of why I wanted to bring you here.”
She stopped trembling as he reached out and unsnapped her re-breather “There's oxygen here. Only the best to get the work done,” he said tightly, self-deprecatingly.
He stood and took a step closer to her. “I know you're forbidden, that's part of the attraction.” he whispered huskily and took her hand again. He toyed with her fingers a moment, before he pressed her hand to his crotch. “Feel that?”
She stood absolutely still, again not daring to even breathe.
“I know that you know what that is,” Vin said. “You were a Breeder. But it doesn't have to be like that. I've seen files and films. I know,” he said.
She opened her mouth to speak. “I'm ugly,” she squeaked.
“No,” he hissed. “They are ugly for doing that to you. You are beautiful. As a Breeder you have to be beautiful. They just attempt to hide it in those deemed not worthy. I've watched you in the sunbeams. No scars show there. They are washed out by the light and by your beauty. Those moments are the only ones you feel free. You sparkle. You are alone. We are alone.”
Tears spurted to her eyes, but she dared not press a hand to wipe them away.
His arm came around her. “It's alright Siki. I know you. I have watched you for months. It wasn't right, what they did to you – any of it. No one should be used for 'breeding' and no one should be hurt and discarded when the whims of others do not come to pass. You are a human. That is something that is forgotten nowadays. People have forgotten how to be human, and even more have forgotten how to treat a fellow human. We used to have basic rights, not so long ago...” His voice trailed off.
He moved behind her and stretched his arms around her to remove the belt he had placed on her less than an hour ago. “You are not made to be wearing this heavy thing,” he said in her ear as he let it drop to the floor. “You are much too delicate. The way they treat you has made you even more so.”
He placed his hands flat on her pelvis. He was so close now she could feel the hardness between his legs pressing up against her. She swallowed noisily and very slowly inched one hand behind her to feel the bulge, and then grip it.
“Yes,” he whispered again, His lips came down on her neck and suddenly her eyes closed as the sensation of electricity bolted through her. What was that?
He said nothing, but continued to nuzzle her neck. Her other hand snaked up to caress his face. She could feel stubble – no one shaved in the Shafts, it was a waste of water – but his was groomed close. It tickled just a little as he continued to nibble her ear.
“No cameras here,” he whispered. “None on this level at all. I had them all disabled and there's no budget for repair. No budget for anything. Just work.”
His hands moved down and followed the swell of her breasts. For a moment he just let his hands rest, squeezing them slightly while still kissing her neck. Her mouth was open by now. She had no will to protest. He found the pull tab of he zipper on the front of her coveralls and tugged on it, sliding it down enough to expose cleavage. “Ohhhh,” he whispered. “So very nice.” He tugged the zipper a little further and then stopped. He peeled the jumpsuit lapels back so the rounded tops of her breasts emerged. He stopped kissing her neck to watch as his hands moved over to caress them. “Beautiful...”
He took her by the shoulders and turned her slowly around. “Siki,” he said as he placed one hand on her chin and forced her head up to look at him. “I am not going to force you. I want this to be a special moment. I want you to feel as free as you do when you're laying in the sunbeams. You're safe with me. I can protect you, bring you more food. I can let you stay with me. I only stayed in the Hovel because I wanted to watch you...” his voice trailed off. “You understand that, don't you?”
See stood firmly, head up, for the first time in years and nodded her head. “Yes,” she said calmly. “But am I just one, or one of many.”
To his credit, he did not back away, but she could tell he was startled by the question. He was silent a moment, thinking. “I won't lie to you,” he said as he bent his neck to kiss the exposed areas of her breasts. “There have been others. A few. Maybe more than a few. But at first they were just a caveat of my position. I was allowed to take my pick every so often. But I had to get rid of them then, in case they would talk. I stopped picking after a while. It was too brutal. I couldn't handle the guilt, My mother was older, she actually remembered the time when a man and woman had love between them. I started looking for that instead. I wasn't made to be a barbarian. Instead I tried to save who I could. A few escaped from me after. One was killed by the Magnates when she tried to blackmail me. But you... you captivated me. Those moments in the sun showed me your true self. You do not know how enchanting you look. And when the Toxic Shadow creeps over you, you're still just as lovely. You glow,” he chuckled softly. “And not from radiation.”
She watched him nuzzle her breasts and could sense the truth in his words and in the glittering of his eyes. Confused, she stepped back a moment. “Don't go,” he said. “I can't protect you if you leave.” He almost sounded hurt.
She took a deep breath. “I am not leaving,” she said, unzipped the jumpsuit the rest of the way, and then stepped out of it.
It was his turn to shudder and his eyes glazed over. “Oh... you are so beautiful.”
And for once, she felt it.
She reached for him. “Your turn,” she said.
She unzipped the overall all the way down, having to go to her knees to do so. His cock popped free and she admired it for a moment before taking it in hand and stroking its length. She heard his intake of air and was glad for the first time that she had been a Breeder. At least she had knowle
dge of what to do in such a situation. And this man was gentle, not forceful in any way. She could explore, she could tease, she could look. She didn't have to feel ashamed, nor did she.
She replaced her hand with her lips and felt him shudder. Then his hand rested on top of her head and twisted into her hair. She sucked lightly, then harder and followed the same stroking motion her hands had performed. Every so often she would stop and use her tongue to swirl around the mushroom-shaped tip. Now was his turn to tip his head back. He wasn't frightened, he was relaxed. So relaxed that he could barely control his own movements. He moaned.
She continued to lick and suck, enjoying the the silkiness of his cock in contrast to the hardness under the skin. Then it started throbbing and he stopped her ministrations but tugging her to her feet. “If you keep doing that, it'll be over too soon,” he said and she blushed. She hadn't known that using her mouth could bring a person to climax. In her old position, it was just a way to prepare her Host.
He held her close and kissed her mouth, introducing her to her tongue, which she accepted shyly. Wow. That this girl could have so much experience yet know so little was mind-bogging. As a Breeder, she just had to prepare and accept. She was not supposed to be pleasured. She had been merely a vessel. She was more exciting than those with no experience, simply because she had an idea what to do. The others just lay there, accepting the pain and fate with little participation. Siki, on the other hand, knew what to do, but was clueless on how it could affect her. She was experiencing pleasure for the first time.
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