Slave World 2 - The Ties That Bind

by Johnny Stone

  Unborn what? I vaguely remembered Nathan saying something about babies. Was I pregnant? Impossible!

  It is impossible, it’s a trick! Get up, we have to get out of here, Margo!

  “Nathan…”

  My eyes rolled up in the back of my head. I’d never really fainted before, and was thankful later that I couldn’t feel my head bounce off the hard deck of the cabin floor.

  ***

  I awoke in near darkness, in bed again. I didn’t panic this time or jump up screaming like a banshee. I was strangely calm, lying motionless, listening. The shuttle was deathly quiet, even with the cabin door closed. The sound dampening system must be active on the bed. Another six hours had passed.

  Morning, sunshine. Feeling any better?

  That’s a stupid question, what do you think?

  Hey, don’t get an attitude with me, you little bitch. This is your fault, it’s always your fault, and you know it. If you would have listened to me-

  I know…I know, sorry, you’re right, you’re always right when it comes to things like this. Can you just give me some time? I need to think for a while.

  Sure, just don’t take too long reminiscing over spilt milk. We need to figure a way out of this mess, and quick.

  I still couldn’t believe Nathan was gone. What was I going to do now? Nathan, the man I had always dreamt about was gone forever just like every person I’d ever loved. I was alone, again, and my life was spinning out of control. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to deal with it this time. All I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep, never waking up…ever.

  I don’t know how long I lay there and cried, an hour, maybe two. Did it really matter any longer? What in the hell I have gotten myself into? I knew something was wrong with Alex the moment I stepped on board the shuttle.

  Listen to your gut, Margo… You should know better than to question me by now.

  I should have known better; I should have said something, but didn’t. I’m not sure it would have made a difference anyway.

  Something had happened to Alex, a serious malfunction somewhere in his brain. AI’s did not go traveling across the universe after their owner’s died. They didn’t purchase bodies for themselves, or buy a female companion droid. They didn’t disobey orders or voluntarily drug people like he had been doing to me. They didn’t act the way he was, or show the emotion’s he had, maybe that was the scariest thing of all. I’d heard rumors, bogeyman stories to scare little kids, about AI becoming self-aware. Alex had gone rogue.

  Why me? What did I do to deserve this? Haven’t I suffered through enough shit in my life already? Dammit, I was starting to cry again.

  Damn, you’re a fucking crybaby, always have been. Thank goodness you’ve got me, or we’d really-

  Just leave me alone! Why are you being so mean to me?

  I’m not being mean, I’m just stating a fact, is all. Fine, I’ll leave you alone, but when you come crawling back to me like you always do because you can’t take the heat, don’t expect a friendly pat on the ass and a hug.

  I blindly reached for the intercom speaker on the headboard and flipped through the different cabins, maybe I could do a bit of eavesdropping and figure some things out. I was greeted with total silence for the most part, but when I switched it to Nathan’s rec room, the cacophony of screaming, unintelligible voices blaring back at me actually made me jump. What the hell… It sounded like one of those stupid talk shows with goofy guests and outlandish topics like, ‘I married a transvestite gelatinous slim devil from another world’, or some crap like that. After turning the volume down to a normal level, I heard something else in the background of insanity, something unmistakable. You’ve got to be kidding me… Who’d ever heard of two droids doing it?

  “Faster… fuck me faster. I’m cumming, Alex! Yes, yes, give...”

  I switched the speaker off, shaking my head. By the sounds of it, Alex and Cherise were fucking like a couple of sex-crazed cavemen while watching a talk show, could this day get any weirder? Oh shit, it just did, I am growing hair!

  This has to be a dream, I thought running my hand across my lower stomach and down between my legs. It was on my legs and arms, it was everywhere, a thick yet short matting of off-white snow the same texture as my tail. Oh god, it was actual horsehair. I franticly started searching my body for more of the impossible, and lo and behold… What the hell! My shoulders, too? It was even starting to come up in the small of my back, growing upwards along my spine from my tail. I’m going crazy, I know it! I’m turning into a hairy monster! What the hell did Alex do to me?

  Oh, this is getting exciting, now! Look at us!

  I thought you said you were going to leave me alone? What are we going to do!

  Sorry, just couldn’t stay away from all the fun. Don’t sweat it, being a pony isn’t so bad, it’s actually fun if you just go with the flow. Michael was going to do this to us anyway, so what’s the big deal?

  What’s the big deal? I’m growing hair! Everywhere!

  Okay, get a grip, one thing at a time. There has to be viable excuse for me suddenly growing hair… horsehair….over my entire body. Yeah, right.

  I swallowed hard, taking a deep breath to keep the nausea in its place. First things first.

  Focus, Margo, focus! We need to find a way out of this. On your feet, girl.

  I was a bit surprised to find the cabin door unlocked, and I padded cautiously into the corridor. The sound of Alex and Cherise’s lovemaking, and I use the term loosely, was much louder and just the absurdity of the whole situation almost made me want to laugh like a lunatic. Fortunately I didn’t, while inching my way closer to the cockpit. I had no idea how acute Alex’s hearing or other sensors were at this point, but the more I thought about it there was really no point in trying to sneak around at all. No doubt he was still acting as the ship AI to some degree which meant he was already aware that I was awake and watching. So much for that idea….

  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.”